eat your way through brooklyn

My trip to NYC with the husband in mid-September was probably one of my favorite vacations ever. We rented an apartment through Airbnb to save a ton of money on lodging and have a full home base. It was the cutest studio apartment in a great part of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the girl we rented it from was the sweetest person ever with the best food and shopping recommendations. Shoot me an email if you're interested in staying there and I'll give you the scoop!

We did plenty of the cultural / touristy things one normally does in NYC, so I'll spare you the details on that stuff and go straight to my favorite part of the trip (and life): EATING.

(beautiful picture of beet & apple soup stolen from Brooklyn Soup Club)

Diner is an awesome little restaurant that was right around the corner from our apartment. Their menus change daily, which is fun. The Husband and I went there with our friend (who is a private chef! how cool is that?!) on our first full day in NYC, and all three of us were really impressed by our food. I am also committed to reproducing their beet and apple soup here at home one day soon, it was that tasty. Recipe will be posted here if I ever figure it out.

the best salad dressing + a really easy salad recipe

My wonderful mother-in-law moved to Santa Barbara a few months ago, and we've all done pretty well at getting together on a weekly basis. Right before we went to NYC, Emma invited us over for an early dinner. She lives in a gorgeous Victorian building with lovely wooden floors and tons of sunlight streaming through the huge bay windows.

At this dinner, Emma introduced us to the best salad dressing ever: Annie's Shiitake Sesame Dressing. It's organic, which is always a plus, though unfortunately there's no low sodium / low fat version. That being said, it's still a lot healthier than most dressings out there. Emma served it with roasted turnips, sesame seeds, avocado, mushrooms, and tofu, which was an amazing combination.

Baby girl seems to like it, too, considering the ninja-like kicks I've been feeling after dinner lately.

After the jump, check out a really simple salad recipe (can I even call it a recipe when it's this easy? Salad idea?) that goes wonderfully with this dressing.

what i've been up to

It's certainly been a while, hasn't it? I blame the morning sickness that has persisted for the entirety of this pregnancy thus far and exacerbated by looking at a computer screen. Thankfully, I finally admitted I needed some help and got a prescription for Zofran from my doctor. Thank you modern medicine!

In the past couple months, I haven't really accomplished much, besides continuing to grow a human, taking a wonderful trip to NYC, taking a few small trips throughout Southern CA, and preparing for the arrival of said human as much as I can. I also discovered a fun little iPhone app called Studio App, which is like lazy Photoshop for your phone. I'm using it to make fun little illustrations for an upcoming NYC post. Stay tuned.

Until then, here are just a couple images from the past month or so.

(a woefully outdated 17 week belly shot)

(20 week belly photo taken at 4:30 am, hence the cut off faces)

(i'm reading every pregnancy/parenting book i can get my hands on. even the crazy ones.)

(a sweet surprise gift from The Husband - a pretty diaper bag i had been coveting)

(central park)

(one of the many nursery projects that are current in progress. hardware coming soon)

(the studio app is so fun!)

my 1st trimester lifesavers

I'm almost out of the first trimester. I'm excited to move into this next stage, where hopefully my energy will come back and I'll start looking more pregnant with child than pregnant with the cupcake I am currently eating. I've had a really easy pregnancy thus far, but hopefully this list of things that have helped me get through this first trimester will be of use to other pregnant ladies out there:

1. Morning Wellness Tea - my pregnancy guardian angel (aka my friend Mindy) has saved my life with this tea. My nausea worsens as the day goes on, and this tea truly did settle my stomach. A cup in the middle of the work day helps me keep it together until I can go home and relax, and a cup before bed allows me to relax and not to go sleep feeling miserable. 

2. Preggie Pop Drops - another item courtesy of my pregnancy guardian angel. I fell in love with these because they're super tasty, and then was completely shocked when they actually did help curb my nausea. The Husband and I each ordered a lifetime supply of these without consulting the other. I've been telling him we have to have about 7 kids now just so I can get through our supply of these candies.

3. Yoga Pants - yup, I am already no longer fitting into my normal jeans and slacks. That's more due to my I MUST EAT EVERYTHING food cravings than the growth of The Creature (my nickname for the little one - The Husband is not amused), but whatever works. Yoga pants are saving my life and I'm pretending they're appropriate for the office.

4. TJ's Lavender Salt Scrub - this stuff smells amazing, makes my skin super smooth and soft, and doesn't irritate my skin in the slightest. Also, it's incredibly inexpensive compared to the fancy salt scrubs out there. I don't know how some people live without Trader Joe's. Using this scrub feels indulgent and the smell doesn't make me feel sick, which is kind of a miracle. (Note: the link I provided has it selling for a bit more expensive than at the actual store)

5. Sparkling Water - my favorite is Perrier, which Costco sells in little bottles in bulk (woo hoo!). The bubbles seem to help settle my stomach, and there's no sugar like there is in ginger ale. Pour it in a wine glass and feel extra fancy.

6. The Husband - he's not widely available for others' use, but I do have to mention how amazing The Husband has been. He's been cooking and cleaning while I lay semi-comatose on the couch, debating whether it is time to lose my lunch or fall asleep. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful, nurturing, capable man. Single ladies, I applaud you, because this pregnancy stuff is tough and I could not imagine doing this without significant partner support.

Any suggestions for other life-saving products? I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, so any advice is much appreciated.

radio silence around here.

So it's been pretty quiet around here because, as I mentioned on facebook yesterday, The Husband and I are expecting our first child! We are THRILLED, there are seriously no words to describe how happy we are. I have been avoiding posting on the blog because looking at a computer screen makes me feel incredibly sick (which is awesome when 80% of your job requires you to be in front of a computer). I love the internet, but not enough to make myself sick over it. However, I am optimistic that the morning sickness phase is coming to an end (though I have said this before and oh how wrong I have been) and will be around a bit more. I have a lot to write about. Mainly, things about the first trimester that surprised me (nothing too TMI, I promise), some amazing artists I have found, and how being pregnant has affected my feelings about reproductive rights. Also, if anyone can recommend parenting/pregnancy blogs, especially those run by hippie feminists, and some fun design blogs that are child or baby-centered, I'd much appreciate it. I am in completely new territory.

Wish us luck with this new amazing journey!

what should a couple of santa barbarans do in nyc?

The Husband and I are heading to NYC in September to visit friends and explore. I've never been before, and it's been years since The Husband has. Any recommendations for things to do and (most importantly) eat? I basically plan on munching my way through the city. And buying some jewelry here.

PS. An eloper's guide to NYC. We may splurge on a dinner or two at places on this list. And another NYC guide from the contingent of evil hipster brides.

a great recipe + poached egg tip

This past weekend, The Husband and I made this delicious chard and white bean stew. We followed the recipe to the T, minus using large lima beans we already had around, adding extra veggies, and using rainbow chard for extra color. We served it upon toasted french baguette rubbed with garlic and with a poached egg on top.

It was really, really hearty and soooo good. It's definitely been added to our recipe rotation. Poaching eggs is not easy, though! I am definitely going to purchase an egg poacher tray thing. If The Husband can't pull it off (he is beyond talented in the kitchen), there's no way I will be able to.

I was a little leery of eating a poached egg, since I contracted mild food poisoning a couple weeks ago for the first time. Not. Fun. A poached egg is not cooked thoroughly enough to eradicate any possible salmonella that may be present in the egg, which is of major concern to anyone who is in ill health, pregnant, etc. We turned to Harold McGee's On Food & Cooking book to see if he had any tips on cooking a safe poached egg, and he did!

McGee recommends that, after poaching the egg in a pan, transfer it to a pot of water heated to 150 degrees. While keeping the temperature steady, allow the egg to sit in the hot water for 15 minutes. This will safely eradicate any bacteria that may still be lurking in the runny yolk. We tried this, and it did not affect the integrity and tastiness of the poached egg at all. So, if you've been told by a doctor to avoid poached eggs because of food-borne illness concerns, fear no more!*

*not that I think I'm better than your doctor or anything, so don't be stupid about this.

artist: bruno catalano

(source)

Bruno Catalano is an artist from southern France whose sculptures are blowing my mind. This series of sculptures, called "Les Voyageurs," are all of people with their suitcases in hand and the middle of their bodies missing. Maybe that is what they are setting out to find in their journeys...

(source)

These sculptures are each one whole piece, delicately wrought and connected. You can currently check these out in person if you travel to eastern France.

Thanks to The Husband for sharing this with me!

our anniversary trip!

The Husband and I celebrated one wonderful year of marriage with a day trip out to Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park off the coast of Santa Barbara. Santa Cruz Island has an amazing history. The Channel Islands have never been attached to the mainland, so there are many native species found nowhere else in the world. Santa Cruz had also been used for ranching, sheep raising, grape growing, and a ton of other functions in the 1800 - 1900s, before the island was purchased by the NPS. It is currently being restored to its original / native state.

around here...

Oh hey! It's been a while. Things have been a little crazy around here lately. Stay tuned for a real post soon...we went to the Channel Islands for our wedding anniversary and we have lots of great photos and tips to share.

Until then, check out what a shower repair project looks like in our house:

(yes, it was exactly as annoying as it looks)