After writing yesterday’s list, I started thinking that I have also done a lot of things that I would love to do again or more often. When I first moved to DC I really felt like the city had no life or soul. Compared to NY it seemed so boring. But during the last few years, I have tried really hard to get to know the city. And now I have favorites: neighborhood restaurants, fancy restaurants, day trips, weekend outtings, blogs, cultural activities…So here are some of the things I am glad we did, and hope to keep doing!
1. Explore VA wine country
2. Stay at a B&B in Virginia wine country
3. See a show at the 9:30 club
4. Take advantage of the local wine bars
5. Start a blog (I think this counts since I write about DC!)
6. Eat at Eden Center for great Vietnamese
7. Go to the National Gallery
8. Take the puppy to Quiet Waters
9. See more than one show at the Kennedy Center
10. Eat at more local restaurants
11. Check out more monuments
12. Run a 5K
13. Shop at Eastern Market
14. Go to Nationals games
15. Learn about the restaurant scene
16. Follow local blogs
17. Explore Old Town
18. Find a hair stylist
19. See indie movies at E Street (we were doing that a lot about a year ago – got to pick that up again!)
20. Locate a bunch of places to get a good mani/pedi, massage, etc…
I was reading this month’s Washingtonian last night, and got so frustrated by the Great Dates article. There are so many things I talk about doing, that I still have never come close to following through on. Obviously this is a general life problem, like how I still haven’t taken cooking or photography classes, or found a workout I can stick with!
But after reading the article, I realized a DC activities list is something I might actually be able to get through.
So here’s my list of things I want to do in DC (in no particular order):
1. See a play at the Folger Theater
2. Get tickets for the Shakespeare Theater Company downtown
3. Eat ar Restaurant Eve
4. Ice skate at the National Gallery Ice Rink
5. Listen to a reading at Politics & Prose
6. Hike through the Arboretum (we have driven through it)
7. Visit the Botanical Gardens
8. Get tix to the Birchmere
9. Ditto the Strathmore
10. Hike and picnic in Rock Creek Park
11. See art and sip wine during an evening of First Fridays in Dupont
12. Get drinks after hours at the Phillips
13. Hear Poetry at Busboys & Poets
14. Go back to Komi and Volt (that counts as one since I have eaten at both!)
15. See an Irish play at the Keegan Theater
16. Get involved with a local charity and event, preferably the DC Central Kitchen Capitol Food Fight.
I probably can’t do these in one year — since a few of them cost quite a bit of money – but maybe all the free ones, and a few pricey ones by the end of the year?!
I am just going to keep adding to this as things come to me – that way I can always look back and remember when I have a free day!
During the brief storm this past weekend (not be confused with the huge storm expected this coming weekend), I made a delicious Jamie Oliver recipe! We had friends over on Sunday night, and I wanted to make a simple recipe, that wouldn’t stress me out, but was still warm and comforting for a snowy weekend. Btw, do we not live in DC – a place that should get less snow than NYC?!
Anyway, I had made the recipe a few times before and knew MJD always enjoyed it. I mean what could go wrong with pasta, and baked cheese!?! Of course, I forgot to take a picture, but I found the recipe on Gotta Little Space:
Pasta With Sweet Tomato Sauce & Baked Ricotta
1 lb piece of ricotta cheese
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 a dried chili, crumbled
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp butter
2 14oz cans whole plum tomatoes
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1 lb pappardelle or other wide ribbon pasta
handful fresh basil, torn by hand
2 handfuls grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400. Rub ricotta with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, oregano and dried chili. Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20 minutes until golden and firm.
In a skillet, fry the onion and garlic in butter and a bit of olive oil. Cook for 4 minutes until sweet and softened. Add tomatoes, simmer gently for about 15 minutes, then break up tomatoes with spoon. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar and stir till it becomes a fine tomato sauce.
Cook pappardelle in salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and reserve some of the cooking water. Toss pasta with sauce and add a little pasta water to thin if necessary. Correct seasoning to taste, and working quickly, add most of the basil and Parmesan cheese. Place into warmed bowl, sprinkle remaining basil over and a bit more Parmesan. Crumble the baked ricotta over or serve at the table and let everyone crumble their own.
Next time I promise to take a picture. You should try it this weekend!!
Guys, I am becoming obsessed with the Bachelor - On the Wings of Love (did producers think adding this song title would bump ratings?), but I can’t seem to get over how embarassing it is for these women to basically beg to be picked by the guy. How unnatural of a situation!?! I totally agreed with the one with the childs voice when she said this week that it upsets her to hear the bachelor say “I am falling for all of you.” I mean, really?! He said that to all of them together!
Do you think he really knows which one he wants already, but he has to go through the motions? If not, won’t the woman he picks feel so insulted watching this on TV?
Also, why does it never come up that he is in his thirties lookng for a wife, but the women there are all early twenties. I mean they should at least discuss, right?
You have to give Frank the Entertainer credit for at least being honest about his choices. Why are these shows so good, when they are so bad?!
Btw, I am so busy these days – working all weekend and nights. I need more time for reality television!
Last weekend, MJD and I flew to California to visit friends and get to know their beautiful little daughter a little better. They live in Sacramento, and as usual, we ate our way through the city and came bake stuffed and in need of detox! But we had a great time doing it. Sacramento (or SAC Town as it is called…no comment) was really cute. We had a fabulous brunch at Bistro 33 - get the donuts – and ordered in delicious Chinese food (as you know DC does not offer good Chinese food).
We also visited Davis, and did a little shopping. It rained most of the weekend, but when the sun came out, it was nice to be on the West Coast!
The highlight though was definitely the Smores! On our last night, we took advantage of our friends’ big house and fireplace and made smores, while sipping some local wine! Why are smores still so appealing? MJD says he doesn’t get it, but I just find them so fun and wonderful. I loved sitting by the fire roasting the marshmallows and putting the whole smore together! I think I’m just still a kid at heart. Thirty or not, I love smores!
I don’t usually blog about politics or international events, but after a few days away, I am finding it hard to come back and not mention the tragedy in Haiti. It seems callous to return with a post about my trip, so I’m just going to quickly mention an organization I recently read about in Haiti.
If you’re interested in donating to a hospital on the ground, go to Partners in Health (PIH).
PIH has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. We urgently need your support to help those affected by the recent earthquake.
Partners In Health (PIH) works to bring modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world. The work of PIH has three goals: to care for our patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world.
Based in Boston, PIH employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, including doctors, nurses and community health workers. The vast majority of PIH staff are local nationals based in the communities we serve.
To learn more about Haiti or PIH, pick up Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. The book shares the true story of an American doctor, Paul Farmer (PIH founder), who builds a hospital and changes medicine in Haiti. I read it during the holidays.
In medical school, Paul Farmer found his life’s calling: to cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most. Kidder’s magnificent account takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia as Farmer changes minds and practices through his dedication to the philosophy that “the only real nation is humanity.”
I think I have mentioned that my sister and my mom bake. Well, during the holidays they went crazy. They were full on baking crazies.
They made the traditional Aunt Nonie cake, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter kisses cookies, and tried new varieties of cookies. My sis brought the rugelach back, and made apple pie from scratch for only the second time. I was so stuffed after Christmas, I literally could not write this post until now.
Anyway, here’s a look at our Christmas.
My gross cookies
mom's new cookies
My sister's choc chip rugelach
peanut butter kisses
Homemade apple pie
The pie baker
Artie wants the choc chip cookies in the jar
How we all felt after eating!
And there was more! I forgot to mention the truffles that my sister made (I helped decorate!) and don’t have a picture of the cake!
