Litchfield or Bust

I cannot wait to spend the long weekend at the beach with these characters:

Rowe/Wofford/Laffitte Weekend 2011

Crazy things have been known to happen. Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Tomato, Roasted Red Pepper and Arugula Pasta

Source

You should make this recipe for dinner tonight. It is an easy one-dish meal that is too good not to share. Add some spicy chicken sausage if you are feeling adventurous or leave it out if you are going meatless. And the best thing about this recipe is that it tasted even better left over when the smokey flavors had time to meld. Enjoy.

What I Baked on Sunday

Desserts Edition

I love to bake. It's what I do. I like the precision involved. I like knowing that if I follow the recipe, it will more often than not come out perfectly. I even like washing the dishes once I've finished making a mess. There is just something therapeutic about being in the kitchen. So when I was asked to bring something for a birthday party, I knew just what I wanted to make.

Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt

Source

The recipe is so easy and I had most of the ingredients on hand. Basically, you make a batch of egg-less cookie dough, mix in vanilla yogurt, and freeze it. Baker beware: this combination requires a lot of self control. Just ask my roommates, who with my help devoured most of it before the birthday celebration. Whoops.

I also made a batch of chewy fudge brownies. Thank goodness I had a back up. I was going to make Giada's Magic Bars but decided to keep it simple and just add chocolate chips to the box mix instead. You can't beat it. Chocolate chips are good for the soul.

Happy Birthday Liz!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was filled with Wofford friends. On Friday night, Corby came over and we made pizza, complete with homemade dough and sauce. I'd never thought to make my own tomato sauce but it was super easy and so much better than store bought. I will definitely be adding that trick to my repertoire.

On Saturday, we had a mini Wofford reunion. Two years ago, a group of us spent the January term interning for various offices throughout DC. Five of us live in the city now, so it was prime time for all of us to get back together. 

Allyson, Bailey, McCown, Cameron, Sarah, Meredith, and me in 2010

McCown flew in from Charleston and on Saturday night we all went to dinner at Art and Soul on the Hill. It was so fun to catch up and reminisce about the few short weeks we spent living together and exploring the capital city. It is hard to believe that it has been two years. Time is certainly flying by.

The only picture from this weekend.

Casual: The Series

When I first heard about Causal: The Series from Hungry Meets Healthy, I watched the movie trailer and was hooked. It's basically a story about a guy and a girl. Nothing fancy, just real life. I watched the first season in one sitting last week and stayed up way too late last night watching season two. Had it not been 3am, I might have watched the third and final season. The story is relatable and the music is great. Next time you need something to do over your lunch break or when sleep is eluding you, you should watch it.

CASUAL Movie Trailer from Altermotion Pictures on Vimeo.

Busy Bee

This week was jammed packed but tons of fun. Mary Loyal followed me back to DC for a work conference. Sunday night, we made dinner and took advantage of the cooler temperatures by eating dinner on our patio. Monday, she meet me at work and we headed to Founding Farmers for a drink before dinner at the Lincoln.

Brown butter and sage popcorn and fun drinks. 

The Lincoln is one of my favorite restaurants in DC but you need to go with a big group in order to try a variety of their small plates. Luckily, it was restaurant week so ML and I each chose four different courses. The highlights included brussels sprouts with smoked peaches, grilled brie, a kale salad, risotto, and this:

A summer trifle and a salted caramel sundae

Tuesday, we had dinner at Ping Pong Dim Sum in Dupont. Neither one of us had ever had dim sum before. The website defines dim sum as little steamed parcels of deliciousness and it did not disappoint.

Clearly, we hate sauces.

Wednesday, I had a Junior League meeting and Thursday, Margaret and I explored some options for the upcoming board dinner. It was so nice to have a low key weekend with nothing going on. I finally finished Season 1 of Downton Abbey and got to watch Derby Finals. I told Lucy this morning, that I could use a rainy day to catch up on laundry and clean my room. I guess mother nature heard.

What I Baked on Sunday

Birthday Edition 

I recently came across this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod and knew it would be the perfect thing to make for my roommates' birthdays. We share an obsession with Biscoff Spread/Speculoos Cookie Butter and can easily empty a jar in record timing. For those of you new to the Cookie Butter craze, it is a spreadable version of the cookies you get on Delta flights. Think slightly caramelized but not quite gingerbread flavor in a peanut butter consistency. Are you still with me? Basically, it is deliciousness in a jar. Do yourself a favor and make this easy summer dessert.

I used graham crackers instead of Biscoff cookies for the crust and topping and Dark Chocolate Speculoos Bars instead of toffee bits in the filling. 

It was a hit! 

Life is Good

After a week without air conditioning at our house, it is finally back up and running. I have never been so thankful for the window unit in my room. I am still not sure how my roommates made it through the week.

I won a necklace from the Stella and Dot Trunk Show. I was pretty excited since I've never won a drawing before. I ended up coming away with three necklaces for the price of one. Maybe I should go to trunk shows more often.

I spent the weekend with the family at the beach. It was so fun being together. I can't wait to do it again in three weeks. 

And, to top it off, Mary Loyal is on her way up here. I am so excited for her to come back so soon and get to spend a few days. Life is good.

Wednesday Splurges

Even though I live in Georgetown, I rarely take advantage of all the shops. M Street is always crowded and I've never been much of a shopper, especially when it comes to jewelry. I wear the same rings and bracelet everyday and switch between three pairs of earrings. A few weeks ago, a friend from home invited me to a Stella and Dot Trunk Show. They were having it at one of my favorite restaurants in Georgetown, which is conveniently located only a few blocks from my house. I decided I might as well stop by, so Margaret and I headed there after work yesterday. We spent a good hour trying on all of the pieces and sipping wine. I ended up getting two necklaces, which I am pretty excited about. Now I just have to wait for them to come in. 

Dumbarton Oaks

On Saturday, I went for a walk and ended up wandering through Dumbarton Oaks. I felt like I had stepped back in time or at least into a Jane Austen novel. The path was rather secluded and led me past a beautiful gate and a babbling stream. Apparently, the trail is known as Lovers Lane, which is certainly fitting since I could almost picture Elizabeth Bennet meeting Mr. Darcy along the way.  

T.G.I.F.

Thank goodness it is Friday. Yesterday got the best of me - between losing one of my favorite earrings, dinner not coming together as planned, and our air conditioning breaking - I was over this week.

But, it is amazing what a difference a day and a good night's sleep can make.

So far today, I found my lost earring, had delicious zucchini bread for breakfast thanks to Marg and Whole Foods, and received a fun package from my mom. Talk about starting the day off right!

I think I am set for the weekend. 

A Not So Typical Tuesday

Yesterday, Margaret and I channeled our inner Picasso for a Living Social Sippin' and Paintin' Class. While my finished product is anything but a masterpiece, it was fun to do something different after work.

On my way home, I got a call from my sister who was stuck in the DC airport on her way back to Charleston. Instead of taking a late night flight that would have put her home at some odd hour, she spent the night with me and left first thing this morning. It was so fun to see her and spend some quality time together.

Miss you already but see you again in 9 days!