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The Best Thing I Ever Ate…

08/30/2010 in Birmingham, For Men, Where we're Shopping by Lauren | 6 comments

…is the heirloom tomato salad at Hot & Hot Fish Club in my hometown of Birmingham, AL.  True story.

Heirloom tomatoes. Fresh peas. Fried okra. Corn. Applewood smoked bacon. Balsamic vinegarette. Chive aioli. (+ crack cocaine?)

Of all the great restaurants in all the cities in which I’ve lived – NYC, Austin, Atlanta and Birmingham – The Hot & Hot is still the reigning king of my little wanna-be-foodie heart.

It’s always my first choice when I’m home to visit.  I love everything about it. I love the open counter with a direct view of the chefs in the kitchen wearing long-brim fly-fishing hats,

the historic building it’s in (once was the home of “the Upside Down Plaza” – apparently a seedy, yet supa-popular nightclub from “back in the day”), the AMAZING amount of hometown gossip you can glean from loitering in the ladies’ room long enough, and, of course, the SPECTACULAR food that I’ve enjoyed there for years.

BONUS: Last night we got to have a little chat with chef and owner Chris Hastings!  He’s such a cool guy – we chatted restaurants and food and he filled me in on his favorite Atlanta spots and asked me about mine.  We had a brief convo about restaurants with beautiful food and snotty service, during which Chris made a comment that “Food church is dead.” I couldn’t agree more…  these days it really is all about good food and an earnest attitude – which is exactly how I’d describe his restaurant.

Food church may be dead, but chef as a celebrity certainly is not.  I heart you, Chris Hastings!

Chris Hastings and Greg!

If your travel plans ever take you to Birmingham (or you have an extra couple of hours to spend on a dinner commute from Atlanta) I suggest Hot & Hot 100%.

Hot & Hot Fish Club on Urbanspoon

Sidebar: in other Birmingham news…

1.    Gus Mayer is moving to the Summit somewhere around February 2011 and the plans for the new digs are unREAL.


2.    Speaking of Gus Mayer, I came home with the MOST amazing Pour la Victoire black suede pumps, Mark Nason over-the-knee boots, and most importantly, I GOT GREG IN SOME PSYCHO BUNNY! Happy day!


3.    Last but not least, some Jewish Guilt: My gorgeous Grandmother is one of our #1 readers and casually dropped the fact that though she reads daily, her mug has never graced the pages of the Q+DD.  Well, Miss Henni?  This one’s for you!

Love that my grandmother will sip bloodys with me on a Sunday morning..

What a wonderful weekend.  I miss Sweet Home Alabama already! Thanks DK+DK!

xx, L

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Cooking with L+L: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

08/17/2010 in What we're Cooking by Lauren | 4 comments

I don’t know what got into me on Sunday night, but I actually cooked dinner – my mom’s famous pounded parmesan chicken complete with salad + homemade lemon vinaigrette. (To my great surprise it came out fantastic – but I’m convinced it was a fluke.)

While in the grocery store, teeming with culinary ambition, I also decided to take on making muffins from scratch for G and his roomies to have on hand for breakfast this week.  (Who AM I?)  Since, obviously, I had no idea how to start this endeavor, I used my new “All-Recipes Dinner Spinner” iPhone app

and selected BREAKFAST – GRAIN – UNDER 45 Minutes*
(*Sidebar:  there is no “under 5 minutes” option or believe me, I would have selected it.)

It did it’s magic and spit out the following recipe: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins - they were delish and SUPER easy!
Here’s what you need:

1 ¼ c quick cooking oats
1 ¼ c milk
1 egg
½ c vegetable oil
¾ c packed brown sugar
¾ c semisweet chocolate chips
1 c chopped pecans
1 ¼ c all-purpose flour (I used ½ wheat flour and ½ white)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp salt
1tsp vanilla extract

Here’s what you do:

1.    Combine oats and milk and allow to stand 15 minutes
2.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and either grease your muffin tin or line ‘em.
3.    Stir egg, oil, ½ c of the brown sugar, chocolate chips, and ½ c of the pecans into the oat and milk mixture (keep up, kids – that means you’re reserving ¼ c of brown sugar and ½ c of the pecans)
4.   Try not to eat the rest of the chocolate chips.
 5.    Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add oat mixture to the flour mixture and stir till everything is m-o-i-s-t (hate that word.)
6.    Fill your muffin cups 2/3 full and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and pecans on top
7.    Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 min
8.    Let cool and enjoy!

I’m totally the blonde Giada.

Eat your heart out, lady

xx, L

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Jam: Not Just For Toast! (who knew?)

07/20/2010 in Gifts, What we're Cooking by Lauren | 4 comments

Y’all, please be proud of me: I made dinner on Sunday night! True story!

I'm pretty much Donna Reed.

On the menu: jalapeño raspberry salmon, Brussels sprouts, and tomato avocado salad.

I know many of you who know me well may be raising an eyebrow since you know that DK was in town mere hours earlier and I have been known to pass her creations off as my own…but this dinner was so easy I was able to pull it off solo! (ok, fine.  Greg chopped a few things.  Big whoop.)

I have to tell you, the true hero of the evening was the Emily G’s Jam of Love Jalapeño Raspberry Jam we found at the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market!  

Easy peasy: I just threw a couple of salmon fillets in the oven for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees, took them out to spread a dollop of this amazingness on the top of each, and popped them back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so while the jam caramelized and worked its magic.   DELICIOUS.

Here’s the Q+DD on EGJoL: DK and I got the full story from a very adorable Emily (though not THE Emily) on Saturday at the Farmer’s Market.  Local to Dunwoody, Emily G’s jam is not mass-produced, but made in small batches and hand-poured into the cutest jar you have ever seen!
They use the freshest, most seasonable ingredients available and patronize local Georgia farms whenever possible. The jams are all-natural and Emily promises you will “taste the love in every jar!”

At $8 a jar, I wish I had picked up a few more flavors. Among their most popular: Jalapeno Raspberry, Blueberry, Triple Berry, Tipsy Onion + Garlic and Roasted Red Pepper. I also tried the Chipotle Strawberry and it knocked my socks off.

I just had no idea jam was so versatile! The Emily G’s website has LOTS of recipes for each of their jams. DK purchased a jar of the tomato jam for use on BLTs, scallops, and meatloaf.  Bonus: lots of Atlanta restaurants are using EGJoL in their menus, witness by clicking here!

I’m in LOVE!  I’m a believer! Jalapeño Raspberry is my new JAM!  (Pun intended.)

Enjoy!

xx, L

P.S. Complete the meal:
1.    Salad: SO simple, SO delicious:  Romaine lettuce.  Halved grape tomatoes.  Chopped avocado.  Fresh lemon juice.  Olive oil.  Salt + pepper.  Fin.
2.    Brussels sprouts: (for the record, I was going to do asparagus.  But they were so teeny I made a game-time decision for the BS.  So glad I did because I love them and now I believe Greg is now a Brussels sprouts convert!)   I just halve ‘em, toss ‘em in a little e.v.o.o., and throw them on a tin-foiled and Pam-ed cookie sheet with a little salt and pepper and pop ‘em in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes or so.  (Sometimes I’ll dice a green apple and throw it in there for a little variety.)
3.    Bodega Norton 2007 Malbec.  (ok, ok and half a bottle of Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck Shiraz.)

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Mom Visit: Our Weekend in Pictures

07/18/2010 in Buckhead, Entertaining, Guilty Pleasures, What we're Doing, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 5 comments

DK and I had the BEST weekend together! Here’s a quick recap in pix…in case you wanted to recreate. FIRST…you need a mom as cool as mine.

Hanging out with her "granddogger"

Then you do the following:

1. Dinner at the bar at 4th and Swift

Amazingness.

We both acknowledge that a bottle of red wine, a cheese plate, and an order of ceviche would not qualify as dinner when men are present…which is why we enjoyed every. last. bite.

2. IMAX and Martinis at the Fernbank

It was “Salsa Night.” 

Honestly, it was a little loud for our tastes, I much prefer the light jazz.  However, it was fun to see all the dancing and all the outfits while we sipped on our martinis.  (Love that DK and I drink exactly the same: Vodka Martini.  Up. Olives. Fin.) Plus, after a martini or two…I find IMAX movies hilarious. (Friday was no different. Cirque was a riot.)

3. Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market

As I suspected, DK LOVED it. All the fresh produce, local wares, and homemade treats were RIGHT up her ally.  We split a mint lemonade, had breakfast pizza, and DK had a Cucumber Basil Fresco Pop.  It was great! Bonus: we ran into a zillion friends (and lots of people who came per the Q+DD reccomendation…which obviously made my day...including this young man and his parents, whom I adore:

lil' Flounder. Son of Flounder and Jen Flounder

DK made out like a bandit (and consequently, so did I!) check out her loot:

Emily G's Jam of Love, classic and chipolte bacon, I heart bacon shirt for Brian, and an assortment of cheeses from Calyroad Creamery

4. Shopping. Major shopping happened on Saturday afternoon. Mostly my bed got a makeover.  Witness:

IN LOVE with my new aqua coverlet, my watercolor duvet cover, and quilted euro shams.  Also exciting: I scored a Calvin Klein Khaki Collection down duvet for $80 at Macy’s.  (I shopped 3 other places, this was the cheapest BY FAR.)  Macy’s is having a crazy linen sale. I replaced every pillow on my bed. Check it. Trust.

5. Lovely lunch at Prime. I always forget about this resto because it’s in the mall.  But DK loved her sushi and I had a great lump crab meat and bibb lettuce salad.  Deeeeeelish.

6. Drinks + Dinner at Holeman + Finch: in that order.  We met my friend Victoria and her husband Hakim, who were visiting from Chicago…because they are MOVING HERE! WOOT!

Reunited...and it feeeeels so good!

It didn’t seem that crowded, but we definitely got there at 8:30 and weren’t seated until our burger (yes.  singular.  We scored the last one. Thanks, Reagan!)  was  served.  (10:30ish?) But we had a great time at the bar. DK LOVED the Aviation and I enjoyed the Shrub (blackberry + tequila on Saturday night).  We demolished a pretty amazing charcuterie plate, I rediscovered the pancetta carbonara, and we tried 2 things that I LOVE that somehow I have never ordered at H+F: the steak tartare and the mussels.  Both were PHENOM. Special thanks to Hakim for showing me how to eat mussels with other mussels.  (ie sans tiny fork.)  I’m so euro now!

Sidebar: Everyone in the WORLD was at Holeman on Saturday night.  Including Eli Kirshstein (from Top Chef.  Yes, we are both obsessed.) and Lauren…my neighbor from Birmingham!

+ about 934829235 other people! fun!

7. Brunch at Craftbar with La + Shecky

The company alone would have made this brunch phenomenal. However, there was nothing to be desired.  At the end of the day, I think Craftbar is so gorgeous and our food was incredible.  We started with biscuits and fresh blackberry jam

I had shortribs and baked eggs, La and Shecks had poached eggs and steak, and DK (true to form) ordered exactly what I wanted: bacon gravy and biscuits.  Everything was perfect: the coffee, the food, the service.  It was a lovely brunch.
Craftbar Atlanta on Urbanspoon

8. More shopping. No pictures.  I was too busy taking full advantage of my last few precious hours with DK.  Sorry not sorry.

LOVED having my mom in town. I’m a lucky girl to have my own personal stylist, decorator, role model, and best friend all rolled up into one woman!  Thanks for coming to play!

and thanks for showing me how people sharpened their lipliner in the olden days!

Bonus: Today is my parents’ anniversary!  Happy, happy anniversary to the cutest couple I know!

I love you!

xx, L

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While You Were Sleeping…

07/15/2010 in PSAs, What we're Doing by Lauren | 2 comments

When Greg awoke on Saturday morning, I’m sure he was more than a little confused to find me up and at ‘em making breakfast.

I am here to tell you that before G even woke up, I had made my way to the Peachtree Road Farmers Market and back.  It’s even weirder still because when I awoke at 9am with this burning desire to check out fresh produce under tents, I was completely without transportation. Yep, Olive and I CABBED IT to the Cathedral of St Philip (across from Fellini’s on Peachtree) to meet Seth…

Seth Says!

…check out the local wares, and witness a cooking demonstration from Mr. Kevin Gillespie himself.

You guys! That early morning cab ride was $10 well spent.  The Peachtree Road Farmers Market was SO FUN! I ran into a zillion friends (life before noon on a Saturday…who knew?) and learned a LOT about our local farmers and artisans.   After killing a delicious fresh-squeezed Mint Lemonade from the Native Juice Bar

Made with fresh whole apples, oranges and lemons with fresh ginger and mint

Seth, who Farmers Market-s it every weekend, took me on a tour!  I expected to see a lot of fresh produce, which I did, but I also found local cheesemakers, flowers, charcuteries, bakeries, and all kinds of other cool stuff!

Homemade Jerky? Yes please!

Fresh yogurt and cheeses

Even homemade treats for Olive!

Also at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market: super creative homemade jams, fresh crepes, artisan soaps, and all kinds of other fun things including FRESCO POPS!

Ohhh yeah

I’ve been dying to hop on the paleta train for eons and Saturday? TOOT TOOT! Strawberry Lavender Lemonade, my friends.

Strawberry Lavendar Lemonade, my friends.

So, after Seth drove me to my car, I made my way home with two delicious Holeman + Finch Bread Co. bagels

AND THE MOST DELICIOUS BACON I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED:

Chipolte Applewood smoked Bacon from Pine Street Market. AMAZING.

Needless to say… I was a TOTAL brunch hero on Saturday.  And I had a DELIGHTFUL morning doing it. Whoddathunkit? In fact, I’m taking DK back this Saturday… come join us!  (10am Chef Demo with Keira Moritz of Pacci and live music by David Stephens & John Mickelson!)

Can’t wait for DK to visit this weekend!  We will not be black tie for the farmer’s market, swear.

See you at the market! 

 

xx, L

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Bean to Bar

06/17/2010 in Chocolate, Gifts, Westside, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 3 comments

Farm to table?  Psssht, old news! Now, I’m all about Bean to Bar! The other day, whilst lunching at Star Provisions, Julie, Dana, and I were lucky enough to stumble upon an Olive + Sinclair CHOCOLATE tasting!


Ok, here’s the Q+DD on Olive and Sinclair: O+S is a “bean-to-bar” chocolate maker based in Nashville, TN. Per their blog, “our Chocolate is made with select single origin cacao beans, slow roasted, stone ground with only Pure brown sugar for a robust flavor unique to Southern Artisan Chocolate™”

Scott Witherow, the “Founder – Owner – Maker” at Olive and Sinclair was there handing out bites of his seriously delicious and VERY unique chocolates

I tasted the Sea Salt, the Coffee Bean and the Salt and Pepper and while each one was better than the last…(and while Julie and Dana couldn’t get over the Salt and Pepper) my FAVORITE definitely the Cinnamon Chili (“Mexican style”) chocolate.  I am begging you to run over to Star Provisions and try this chocolate.  It blew. my. mind.  Fact.

Listen, there is just no way to describe how good this stuff is, but I can tell you that each of us left with a bag FULL of bars of all varieties.   Not only are they outrageously amazing but they are dressed really well, too !  Witness:

They make really cool and memorable gifts! Julie doled them out as host and hostess presents and I’m bringing a stack of them tied with a simple piece of twine home with me (along with a bottle of Square One vodka) to Birmingham this weekend to give to DK for Father’s day…I know Pops will be THRILLED.  (Not to worry: My dad reads this blog quarterly- I’m not giving anything away!)

Plus, I LOVE that it’s a southern product made by nice, down-to-earth folks. Scott couldn’t have been sweeter (pun intended) or more gracious and, well, you know how I feel about things named Olive!

(even though we had her boyfriend Oscar in tow instead that day!)

Go, give them a whirl, then become a fan on Facebook by clicking HERE, follow them on Twitter – @OliveSinclair, and check out their blog by clicking here and enjoy!

DOUBLE DANG!

xx, L

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She’s going to KILL me

06/13/2010 in Guilty Pleasures by Lauren | 5 comments

I put a mustache on my mom with my ScoutMob iPhone app and laughed for about 5 minutes when I found the picture in my phone just now. Witness: Girl, you make that look GOOD!

xx, L

PS Please don’t disown me.

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Big Success!

06/06/2010 in Events!, What we're Doing by Lauren | 6 comments

There were over 300 participants at the Walk for Lupus on Saturday, raising around $25,000 and TEAM KATIE came in second place…missing out on first by a VERY narrow margin of only $30!

Team Katie!

We were stylin’ in the purple tiaras Katie brought us

Even my dad found a manly way to wear a tiara!

…and stayed hydrated thanks to the superawesome TEAM KATIE water bottles courtesy of Jennifer Kulbursh and Kamin and Associates!

Katie was a total rock star!  They gave her a tent for a home base


and she was interviewed by our local news station, CBS 42!

See the video here!

My family and I are so proud of my seestah…

…and SO grateful for ALL of your support. THANK YOU so much to everyone who donated and participated!

xx, L

PS Thanks for your excellent photography, Robin!  xo

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Cruise Control!

05/01/2010 in Vacation, What we're Doing by Lauren | 2 comments

It’s come to my attention that I’ve neglected to tell you about the FABULOUS time we had on our cruise last month!

Listen, I know that anywhere I go with my family will be superfun and amazing (because they are superfun and amazing) but I’ll be honest, I was a little apprehensive because of my preconceived notions about cruises.

My vacation personality is much more “push your toes into white sand, drink a cocktail, and chill” than “bingo and poolside games on the lido deck.” Additionally, I don’t like fruity drinks (except for the tiny umbrella part) and I loathe buffets.  Sorry, not sorry.

I am here to tell you that the Celebrity Solstice was anything BUT a floating conga-line in the sea.

From the ENORMOUS staterooms…

(stocked daily with chilled champagne, fresh raspberry or peach iced tea, and fresh fruit)

to the SPECTACULAR spa and gym area…

I enjoyed some amazing pilates mat classes, a fabulous mani/pedi and an incredible massage…all Bliss products… and took full advantage of the truly heavenly relaxation areas complete with eucalyptus steam rooms and heated stone loungers

to the unbelievable food and beautiful restaurants…

I think everyone’s favorite was the Asian-themed specialty restaurant where we ate our weight in dim sum and polished off a bottle of some of the best unfiltered sake I’ve ever had…but I think my favorite was the French restaurant…I can’t remember what I ate, but I certainly remember that I loved it!

to the beautiful décor, it really was a breathtaking ship.

space after gorgeous space…they even had genuine muppet-fur curtains!

Fancy!

Also wonderful were the excursions that my dad planned in each port! If you are ever in the following places, here are my recommendations:

1.    San Juan, Puerto Rico. YOU MUST CALL Leslie Wiggins who owns Flavors of San Juan.  Leslie, a native of EAST COBB, fell in love with her Puerto Rican husband and they moved right into the heart of San Juan where she guides small groups on a boutique restaurant and food tour.

OK so first of all, Leslie is precious. Total PLU. And each restaurant we went to was better than the next (and I was THRILLED to have resto recommendations for Linds’s trip this week!)

I can’t decide whether my favorite part was the mojito demonstration we received at Café Chic

Or all the delicious tapas we ate at each of the other adorable restaurants

or the whiskey shot we took as a family at local dive bar El Batey!

She also did a great job of giving us the lay of the land and educating us on the history of Old San Juan…without boring us in the least. If you ever find yourself in San Juan you’ve gotta call Leslie Wiggins!

Flavors of San Juan
info@flavorsofsanjuan.com
(787) 964-2447
www.sanjuanfoodtours.com

2.    St. Kitts – we booked an open-air Jeep tour of the countryside through Greg’s Safaris. We had a fun day, even though we kinda got the bait-and-switch from an open-air Jeep to an SUV with the windows rolled down…

…and if you like botany, this is the tour for you.   We learned a LOT about the plant-life in St. Kitts.

Right, B?

3.  St. Maarten – Ok so I LOVED St. Maarten. We all did.  I want to go back ASAP and park myself on the coast there.  We spent the day on a private boat with Carlos of Captain Alan.   

We went snorkeling  (well, Dad, Brian, and Katie went snorkeling while DK and I chatted on the boat and sipped cocktails), ate fresh fruit and sandwiches on an amazing French baguette (St. Maarten is ½ French and ½ Dutch so it was the real deal, yo) and went tubing

(I finally broke down and got my hair wet, oookaaaay?)

We had a wonderful, memorable, fabulous day and we all fell in love with Carlos!

Before we went out, the owner of the company asked Carlos to go over the day’s itinerary with us, to which Carlos winked – “I like to wing it!”

Kudos to my awesome dad for doing such a great job planning our non-sea days!

As far as our sea-days were concerned…we spent a LOT of QT with each other, some cocktails… oh, and Chelsea!

(I tore through this baby the first day while Katie burned through Are You There Vodka… and we and passed them around to the group!)

In conclusion, as it turns out, I may just be a cruise-person after all.  And true confession…

…nothing goes with a steel drum quiiiiiiiiiiite like a fruity cocktail. Trust.

Oh and happy 61st, Dad!

xx, L

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Bon Voyage!

04/03/2010 in PSAs, Vacation by Lauren | No comments

Dear lovely readers,

Starting TOMORROW I will be HERE:

and HERE:

and HERE:

On a cruise with these awesome people (aka my family):

So… I will NOT be HERE:

or HERE:

or HERE:

But I will miss YOU! So have a great week and my tan and I will see you after the 11th!

Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do…

xx, L

P.S. You should know that I am absurdly excited about getting to use BOTH of my fabulous Marcia Leighter luggage tags:

Available here at Panache Gifts.

P.P.S. I’m on a BOAT

Everybody look at me 'cause I'm sailin' on a BOAT!

I got my swim trunks, and my flippie-floppies

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Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

03/03/2010 in Events!, PSAs, Random Musings, What we're Doing, What we're Reading by Lauren | 4 comments

Did you know that yesterday was dear ol’ Dr. Seuss’s birthday? Well, it was.

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on 03/02/04!

Throughout my whole life, I have ALWAYS been a big Dr. Seuss fan, I’m sure we all were at one point or another, right?  I mean, whose childhood didn’t include The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, or Green Eggs and Ham?

Usual Suspect.

Sidebar: remember when Season 5 Top Chef contender Carla made Green Eggs and Ham during a quickfire challenge?



Don’t you think she kinda looks a little like a resident of Whoville?:

Coincidence? I think not...

Hootie-hoo, Carla! (I love you.)

I digress.

As I was saying, somehow Dr. Seuss always finds his way into my life at every stage. Some of my earliest memories are of my superawesome dad making up tunes to the silly songs in The Cat in the Hat Songbook…

Plinker Plunker!

…and as a suddenly environmentally-conscious 5th grader, I wrote what I considered to be a very moving paper on The Lorax.  Sometimes, riiiiight around wine-time, DK will dig it up to embarrass the heck out of me.

"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues!"

The Good Doctor Seuss even followed me to college when DK gave me a copy of Oh, The Places You’ll Go as I settled into my dorm room at the University of Texas.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose."

Oh, and let’s not forget about Seussical the Musical (!!!) which opened on Broadway in 2000!  (…just to be sure that eeeeeeeevery last one of my tender little heartstrings were played upon…)

"Just tell yourself, duckie, you're really quite lucky!"

Then, when I moved to NYC myself, I met a wonderful guy named Andrew who educated me on the lost art of Dr. Seuss:

From www.drseussart.com: “Dr. Seuss single-handedly forged a new genre of art that falls somewhere between the Surrealist Movement of the early 20th Century and the inspired nonsense of a precocious child’s classroom doodles.”

Andrew had a truly mesmerizing (not to mention enormous) landscape painting in his apartment and I came to learn that Seuss not only worked in illustrations and paint, but also bronze sculpture and “unorthodox taxidermy”

Even now, as a full-fledged adult (scary.), I often find myself considering the wise words of Dr. Seuss.  Check it:

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than you.”

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

And finally, my favorite (my sister’s favorite too):

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

Bringing it all full-circle for me, next Saturday my very, very dear friends Jess and Adam will be celebrating the first birthday of THE MOST ADORABLE CHILDREN EVER, otherwise known as their kids, my pseudo niece and nephew, Eli and Alexa, with a Seuss-themed birthday party…where the twin guests of honor will appear as Thing 1 and Thing 2!

Precious!

But if you’d like to have your OWN Seuss celebration, you’re in luck.  On SUNDAY, MARCH 21st the Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum, will be hosting a “Seussian” Birthday Party in conjunction with their fascinating exhibition, “Dr. Seuss Goes to War…and More!”, a collection of Ted Grisel’s WWII political cartoons.

showing now through 08/31/10

Click here for details.

So, HAPPY 106th BIRTHDAY, Dr. Seuss… from the Q+DD!

oh, and happy 1st birthday, A + E! Aunt LK loves you!

Oh, the places you'll go!

xx, L

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Cooking w/ L + L: {semi-} Homemade Cupcakes!

03/01/2010 in Guilty Pleasures, Tricks of the Trade, What we're Cooking by Lauren | 1 comment

You know the drill: I don’t cook. The best thing I make is reservations. I use my oven for storage. Yadda yadda yadda…

However, I recognize that there are times in which cooking is necessary and a smart girl always has a few tricks in her arsenal. For instance, last week was The Ginger’s birthday and and excellent excuse for my famous cupcakes!

Plus, making cupcakes is a RIOT:

Funfetti!

I’m hesitant to give away all my tricks of the trade, but doctoring up a cake mix is pretty darn simple. If I can do it, you can, too! (If you’re a super cook, you can just skip this post, because I’m going to write it r.e.a.l.l.y. simple for the culinarily challenged…like myself.)

Here’s what you need:

2 boxes yellow cake mix (I like Duncan Heins)
6 eggs
2 sticks (unsalted) butter
2 packages vanilla pudding mix
1 tub of milk chocolate frosting
1 tub of vanilla frosting
2c sour cream
Coarsely ground sea salt
Vanilla extract
Spatula
Muffin tins
Muffin cups
Hand-held mixer (I know, I couldn’t believe I had one, either!)

Suggested accoutrements:
Some type of round candy: I like the salted caramel balls by Choxie…found at Target…IF you can manage NOT to eat them all before you ice and decorate your cupcakes
Black and white sprinkles (separate)
Teeny tiny funnel

Ok, then it’s easy-squeezy. I do this in 2 batches.

1. Combine 1 box of cake mix, 1 stick of softened butter, 3 eggs, 1 package of pudding mix, 1c sour cream and a dash of vanilla extract, mix well and fill the muffin cups in your muffin tins about 3/4 full

(The box says it will make 24 cupcakes, but what they don’t mention that they will be weeny cupcakes. Fill ‘em fuller and each recipe will only make about 18 or so. Particularly if you, um, “taste” the batter. A lot. Don’t judge me.)

2. Bake according to the instructions on the box.

3. Repeat and let all cupcakes cool on cooking racks (I can’t believe I had these, either.) You’ll have about 32 nice, big cupcakes.

4. While the cupcakes are baking/cooling, spoon your chocolate and vanilla icing into two separate bowls. To each: add a tablespoon or so vanilla extract and a few grinds of sea salt. Make sure you taste along the way, so it doesn’t get too vanilla-y or, yuck, too salty. But ton’t be shy, either. The salt is perfect for cutting the supersweet frosting (Thanks to Cari of Sugar Sugar for the tip!)

5. Once the cupcakes have cooled, ice 1/2 with chocolate and 1/2 with vanilla. Then I decorate like this:

  • 6 chocolate frosting with white chocolate round candy on top
  • 6 chocolate frosting with white sprinkles JUST in the middle of the cupcake (use the funnel)
  • 6 vanilla frosting with chocolate round candy on top
  • 6 vanilla frosting with chocolate sprinkles on top

Then I arranged them in my double-decker cupcake caddy (also found at Target) and voilà!

BONUS: You’ll have about 8 extra cupcakes. Throw a couple of those bad boys in some Tupperware and a nice little note and BAM! Perfect “just because” gifty-gift for doormen, fabulous coworkers, neighbors, etc. Luckily I had some hot pink sprinkles on hand, perfect for Kindredly’s birthday last week!

I may not be a domestic goddess…
…but, as DK says, “fake it till you make it!”

xx, LK

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