Make New Friends...

But keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold. I learned this song in Brownies when I was in grade school. The words and the melody have stuck with me for a long time, and they came to mind today.

My old (meaning long-time) friend, Alex, her husband Jon, and their kids Emerson and Kincaid came to visit after hitting the U of M game this weekend. It's been almost two years since we've seen each other, but it feels just like it did years ago. The kids played, the grown-ups talked, we ate, and we drank a bit (some more than others). After the kids went to bed, we gathered around the table for Ragu and Guiness Ice Cream, both thoughtfully prepared by Blake. Blake actually adapted a recipe from Ad Hoc at Home to make the ice cream for Alex, knowing it is one of her favorite treats to eat in Ann Arbor (if anyone wants the recipe, he told me he'd be happy to post it). We were so thankful to reconnect with them on Saturday night. It is always just plain fun.

On a slightly different note, Blake also slow roasted a pork shoulder tonight on our recently-acquired-via-a-gracious-hand-me-down Weber grill. I'm so grateful for my weekend chef!

Anna, still in her PJ's, and Emerson, playing blocks.

A very stylish Kincaid.

This girl looks like her mommy!

Frosty

I can't remember if I've mentioned that we've been singing winter or Christmas songs at bed time all summer long. Even when it was 90 degrees and light poured into Anna's room at 9pm, she wanted us to sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or Frosty the Snowman. After this week's heavy frosts, it doesn't feel quite so absurd.

We watched a brilliant orange and pink sun rise over the horizon of our backyard this morning. I was too mesmerized to grab my camera. The white frost took on a brilliant gold sparkle as the sun rose higher in the sky, melting the crystals. I eventually ran out to snap a few photos before it all melted away.

What I love about this one: the streaks of gold sprinkled among the frosty white. 

Our Dirty Laundry

 Does anyone else find these photos both hysterical and maddening?

Blake's dirty t-shirt and boxers. I found them here this morning. Notice the proximity to the dirty clothes laundry basket. Maybe he just missed?

Anna's left sleeve, or in other words, her napkin, speckled with balsamic, chocolate, and pesto.

Anna's right sleeve, or her napkin. To her credit, I don't always provide napkins at every meal (it makes for so much more laundry or paper waste). Even when I do, though, the sleeve is the easiest way to wipe.

NYC for Foodies

View of the city from Central Park

Is it wrong to go to New York and do nothing but eat, drink, people watch, shop, and walk? We had intentions of getting to a museum and entertained seeing a show for a while, but realistically, we couldn't fit it in with our culinary-focused itinerary. The two full days we had were spent walking, wandering, and exploring New York, including Soho, West Village, Union Square (where we stayed), the financial district, Central Park, and more, mostly with restaurants or bars as our ultimate destination. We had three nights of absolute ecstasy in the food and drink department. Here's the itinerary.

Where we ate and drank:

Balthazar: delicious cocktails (rum for me and bourbon for Blake if I remember correctly) and a cheese plate to share shortly after our arrival.
Flatiron Lounge: Pre-dinner Beijing Peach cocktails at this dark, cozy bar (my friend, Taryn's, favorite...she recommended many of the places we enjoyed, and we are so grateful!)
Gramercy Tavern: Champagne for me, beer for Blake while we waited for our seat at the bar. It's the place to be even when eating dinner. White wines to accompany sweetbreads (yes, we tried them AND loved them), country pate, curried seafood chowder, and mushroom lasagna. Oh, and a glass of sherry for good measure. Amazing people-watching and amusing conversations with other people-watchers.
Gramercy Park Hotel: Gimlets post dinner...barely consumed. We waited to get into the Rose Bar, and decided we'd had enough for the night. We just couldn't do it anymore.
Friend of a Farmer: Omlettes, home fries, coffee, hot cider for our first breakfast. Nursing a bit of a hangover and planning the day ahead.
Da Silvano: Bottle of Prosecco, the best kale, apple, and beet salad I've ever tasted, pasta with tomato cream sauce, unparalleled people watching (someone who I know is famous, but I cannot figure out who it was), and an almost comprehensible, completely wonderful conversation with Silvano himself. A perfect place to rest our feet after walking all morning.
The Four Seasons Hotel Bar: We met Blake's broker here for a martini pre-dinner. A surprisingly delicious ginger infused cocktail for me, and a Manhattan for Blake that was better than any I've had (sorry Dad!)
Daniel: This deserves a paragraph or a post, rather, of its own. If I were a food writer, I might be able to do justice to the artistic creations of chef Daniel Boulud. This was, quite literally, a once in a lifetime experience at one of the top restaurants in the country (see photo of cocktails below). Even the descriptions of our courses were works of art. Blake's favorite dish...Dodge cove oysters in sea water gelee, lemon custard, northern lights caviar, avocado mousse, sea urchin. After cocktails, champagne, wine, and over 10 courses of food, we wanted for nothing more.
Grand Central Market: A stop for focaccia and coffee (and water for me) while walking off dinner.
PJ Clarks: Pub food (ish). We were surprisingly hungry and needed a casual stop on the way to Central Park. Burgers were recommended, but we had potato chips with buttermilk blue cheese dip, tuna tartare tacos, corned beef reubens, and black and tan beers.
Gemma at The Bowery Hotel: We almost missed this jewel. After an early evening nap, we could not make our intended dinner reservation (The Atlantic Grill), so we headed to the bar at Gemma. Beer, wine, grappa to finish, a slice of crispy pizza shared by a new friend at the bar, micro greens salads, and more unbelievable fresh pasta. This was a beautiful last meal in NYC.

Our first incredible cocktail (my iPhone took a few pictures at restaurants...it was at least a bit more discreet than my D80).

Despite the thousands of restaurant choices in NYC, I would go back here next time without a doubt.

A dark photo taken by the other people watchers we friended at the bar of Gramercy Tavern.

Fall windows watching us at breakfast.

A visitor I knew Anna would want to see.

I took a lot of photos of buildings and architecture.

Beautiful old church nestled among skyscrapers.

I love these windows, the reflection, the colors.

The one and only dressing room I went into at Joe's Jeans...beautiful.

My favorite purchase...a pair of bright red-orange jeans.

The unbelievable kale, apple, beet salad at Da Silvano. Seriously, we were so surprised by the texture and flavor.

More beautiful buildings...love the fire escapes!

World Trade Center site. We did not have tickets to get into the memorial. Amazing still.

Wall St., obviously. Beneath this sign were cops on horseback protecting exiting workers from protestors.

Reflection in the subway stairwell.

More subway

And, more subway

The cocktails at Daniel...Blake's had an ice "balloon" filled with his drink, mine held an ice globe with a frozen orchid inside.

Grand Central Market

The rose window, or mandala, on this church is almost identical to my tattoo (which is actually the rose window from a church in Milan, Italy).

Music in the tunnel in Central Park.

He could be in an add for Bloomingdales, no?

After dinner at The Bowery Hotel, we found people waiting outside the bar next door. Paul McCartney was holding a post-wedding party. This is (sadly) the back of Billy Joel's head.

Sean Lennon. Although we didn't stay to see Paul McCartney, we did see Julian Lennon, Yoko Ono, James Taylor, Martin Scorcese, and...

Bon Jovi

Home

I'm itching to edit photos and post about our wonderful trip, although more of me is itching to sleep at this very moment. I'd hoped our little getaway would be restful as well as fun-filled, and in some ways it was rejuvenating. We did not, however, get that much sleep - there was just too much fun to be had. We also walked more than I think we realized at the time, and our bodies are feeling it (my run today was anything but easy). Our aging bodies are probably feeling the effects of way too much rich food and alcohol, too. What made me think I could mix vodka, champagne, wine, and more vodka, go to sleep at 1:30am, then walk multiple miles around the city the next day, and do it all again that night? To top all that off, Anna isn't being so gentle on us now that we're home. While she managed extremely well at Mo and Papa D's and was way sweet and smiley during her stay, she's rather sour and whiny and challenging now. Despite her mood, it was so good to see our little girl yesterday afternoon. Coming back to reality from a vacation isn't nearly as hard when you're returning to someone you've been missing!

Photos and details coming soon...

Smart Girls Wear Flats

I’m writing this on the airplane, having FINALLY reached altitude after sitting on the ground for over an hour following boarding. I’m on my way to New York, which still feels a bit surreal, even after having packed a bag and boarded a plane.

While I’ve mostly been feeling a lot excitement and a little nervousness leading up to this pivotal vacation, yesterday, the day before my departure, something temporarily shifted. I didn’t realize it until the tears came (all day) and with little prompting, just how overwhelmed with opposing emotions I was. I guess they are just different sides of the same coin: nervousness and excitement, worry and hopefulness, guilt and certainty that you are doing a very good thing, missing someone fiercely and freedom from responsibility. The bitter and the sweet of it all struck me as I folded Anna’s striped tights into her suitcase to go to Mo D’s on her own for the first time and then folded my textured black tights into my bag, the ones that go with my new bright pink skirt, one of a few carefully planned outfits for much anticipated nights out with my husband.

I’m sure it didn’t help that neither Anna nor I have been sleeping well since Blake left on Saturday. Last night was no exception. It seemed Anna was feeling the same mix of emotions. Nevertheless, we left the house on time this morning and with almost everything we intended, except maybe my brain. I managed to hold back the tears during our good-bye, but even so, Anna heard the crack in my voice, the one she hears even when I think I’m disguising it, and she offered me the consoling snuggle as I kissed her lips and crept out of the back seat.

I walked into the airport feeling a bit lighter, hoping the hard part was behind me. Maybe. After three failed attempts at finding my flight reservation and a near heart attack on my part, a helpful woman (who of course heard how this is the first trip my husband and I are taking without our daughter) finally discovered me in the system. I took my time through security, feeling relieved, and walked toward my gate (the farthest possible one from security), stopping for an everything bagel sandwich, a bottle of water, and essential travel reading material (People and Vogue). It was when I bent down to put the magazines in my carry on that absolute panic set in. I left my laptop at the security screening. When the woman patted me down, she piled two of my other trays on top of my laptop tray, and somehow (somehow?!) I forgot that it was under there. I seriously could not believe I did it. It was so unlike me. That’s when I ran, and I ran fast. I was so thankful to be wearing flats. And to be a runner. At that point, with a half hour until my plane’s departure, I ran the (maybe?) mile back to security, my purse and carry on in tow, sweat dripping down my back, blood sneaking out from a blister on my heal. They, of course, had my laptop, and a nice woman at the counter by my gate held the plane for me, so I knew as I ran the breathless mile back that I wouldn’t miss my flight.

Not even the hour sitting on the ground in a hot, crowded, stinky plane with a screaming child behind me could ruffle my feathers. I’d made it. 

Family Time

If there was a theme for the last week of our lives, it would have to be family time. Since Monday, there've been only two days we haven't seen someone in our extended family. Monday we met Mo D in Birch Run,   Wednesday Papa J and Great Mo visited, Thursday Papa Mox came down, Friday Aunt Kaity babysat while I got my hair cut, and today we went to the apple orchard with Aunt Carolyn. Here's the last week in a few pictures:

The one afternoon with nothing planned. Anna and I did craft projects, made cookie dough, and played outside.

Anna went horseback riding on a really big horse named Arc. Papa came along, too, to watch this brave girl try something new.

We discovered a new favorite place to visit that houses rescued macaws (Anna's favorite bird).

Just Mom, Dad, and Anna on Saturday afternoon picking pumpkins.

Our third trip to the corn maze/farm by our house this year. The second trip was for a pony ride.

There was a fire close by that made this pic look smoky, but I kinda like it.

Have you noticed the lack of smiles on Anna's face? She's been a bit somber at times since Saturday when Daddy was gearing up to leave. Taken on the hay ride at the apple orchard.

More scowls. She wasn't in the mood for pictures.

Aunt Carolyn and pumpkins finally made her smile.

Food...And a Recipe

It's been way too long since I've posted a recipe or anything about food, for that matter. It's such a huge part of our lives, every single day. It's huge in different ways now, though, than it was when Blake and I were alone and even when Anna was younger and just starting to try new things.

For a while now, our lunches have been much like our breakfasts - we have three or four options, and we alternate between those almost every day of the week, with different fruits or veggies on the side. Of course, leftovers are often on the menu if we've had soup or pasta or anything that's better the second day. But, it used to be that I'd make new things for lunch - quinoa salad, pasta salad, quesadillas with freshly sauteed veggies. We must not have been involved in so many fun things back then. I can't see fitting that in now.

This summer, Anna and I were outside so much or at the pool so late in the afternoon, that cooking dinner was the last thing on my mind. We weren't trying out new recipes from our latest issue of Food and Wine, rather, we were having a beer with the new neighbors and wondering how we can rework the ingredients of a more elaborate meal to whip up something in just 15 minutes instead. But, a few weeks ago, the itch came back. I remember the day - one of the first cool days. Anna and I were home in the afternoon. I had TIME to cook something. We were getting squash from our CSA. I wanted soup. I wanted every kind of soup I hadn't had in 6 months. So began another season of cooking...

We've been eating a lot of soup. Soups with squash, soups with kale and white beans, soups with sausage. I have yet to find a favorite squash soup. It seems I make a different one every time, and I like them all, none enough to commit to one. We've also been back to baking. I found a delicious autumn apple muffin recipe that is dairy and gluten-free, included below, as well as a dairy-free pumpkin pancake recipe (that one still needs some work). The crock pot is out again for roasts, beans, pulled pork, and chili. Chana masala and fish curry bring warmth to cooler nights.

All this being said, I'm really looking forward to NOT cooking for a few days while we're in NYC. Along with all the cooking comes a lot of mess and a lot of clean up. I'm also excited to try some new foods, get a little inspiration. I'm feeling stuck in a rut, repeating the same old recipes. One challenge with exploring new options is how to tweak them to be dairy-free. While it really is a way of life for us now, one that is not usually difficult to maintain at home, the new beer and cheddar soup that caught my eye just wouldn't be right without the cheddar, now would it.

Spiced Apple Muffins (from The Nourishing Gourmet)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put paper muffin cups in a muffin tin (this recipe makes about 10 muffins).

1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs
1 cup shredded apples (wash and core the apples, shred peel as well)

In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and briskly whisk until all lumps are removed.

Melt oil and honey together on the stovetop (until just melted, don't get it too hot, or it will cook the eggs). Add these to the dry ingredients. Whisk together eggs. Add those to the mix and whisk until well combined. Add the apples and mix together.

Divide between muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes or until tops are golden and toothpick stuck in middle comes out clean.

Some Things Speak to You

Even though I'd seen and loved Kelly Rae Roberts artwork on my sister-in-law's wall this summer, it wasn't until I came across it again in a store that it really spoke to me. We were wandering and browsing in stores while visiting Ludington, and there were multiple pieces for sale that I clung to, wishing to take home with me. I didn't take anything home that day. We were in a hurry, and I just couldn't decide which one to buy. As soon as we were back to the hotel, I visited her website...and browsed, and read, and browsed some more. I still couldn't decide.

Her work, and her story, especially her birth story, are truly inspiring to me. Even beyond that, it's like her art reflects just what I need to hear, what I'm trying to remind myself, or how I'm trying (even if not succeeding) to live. Oh, and we share the same first and middle name (How many Kelly/Kellie Rae's are there out in the world? I actually know of two others besides me now). 

A few weeks ago, I returned to her website, knowing with more certainty what I was looking for. This time, I had no trouble picking the perfect two pieces for our house, one for my space and one for Anna's. Now that I have them, I can't imagine any others being more perfect.

It reads: Tell your story, believe in healing, honor your intuition, take the journey back to your self, wear more skirts, begin today. 

Taking Flight