merry bikesmas!

and a helmety new year!

penguin surprise

we took some extra tree branches from the tree place this year--trying to maximize the christmas smell of our abode.

we decorated the mantle with this little christmas scene; tree branches, buttons (affixed with metal hooks), pinecones and of course, penguins!

hooray for that lovely, lovely christmas smell!

philadelphia tubachristmas

tubachristmas is a concert in cities worldwide that celebrates tuba lovers!

we went to the tubachristmas at the Kimmel Center, and got to watch from the magical balcony as the tubaholics got set up

there was even a surprise visit from..

the PA Ballet's RAT KING who was in the audience!

delicious gratitude

thanksgiving was absolutely delicious thanks to the culinary wizardry of the one, the only, petra tanos!

she started us off with a cheese plate featuring major deliciousness including a "Mt Tam" cheese by cowgirl creamery.

then we graduated to this insanely delicious fennel soup topped with a medley of olives and capers

the main course was pappardelle pasta topped with sage, walnuts and butternut squash--an absolutely unforgettable combination--mmmmm, still thinking about it!

then we had this amazing radicchio, endive, blue cheese, pear salad to round things out. holy freshness.

i am so thankful for petra, for my mom, my dad, for jonny, for all of my friends and frienemies, for the delicious foods of the world, for being alive!

thanks, world!

creative recycling machine

a few weeks ago we went to see a steel chamber designed to make recycling cathartic...and fun.

the idea is; someone stands on one end behind bullet proof glass - they are the "target" (or there is no target) and the person on the "throwing" end, throws glass into the chamber to break it down and prep it for more efficient recycling. win win situation whereby aggression is released via broken glass in a contained vessel.

I really didn't have it in me to throw glass and break it...

but it was neat to watch, never the less.

want more? peep this .

taste the rainbow

in my humble opinion, rainbow swiss chard tops skittles any day as far as tasting the rainbow is concerned.

my favorite way to prepare it is simple.

1) rinse and chop the chard

2) saute some crushed garlic in olive oil, add the chopped stem pieces first and then the chard

3) let the oil coat the chard, stir, add a tiny bit of Bragg liquid aminos

4) cover for a bit until things look softened, but not too wilty

5) top with a little lemon juice and ENJOY!

incarcerated pumpkin faces!

saw this pumpkin penitentiary the other night--what a sight!

happy halloweekend!

had to snap a photo of this sign a few weeks ago. after some googling, came across this website which corresponds to the correct address of the beautiful sign.

seems they've changed their name...

salmon and leek pie!

when there's a chill in the air, it's salmon & leek pie time!

i use "Dufour puff pastry" which is pricey, but worth it!

first thing's first, you'll need to either make some puff pastry or defrost some frozen puff pastry!

you'll need a bunch of leeks (4):

chop them and cook them in oil until they are soft! (it's good fun)

about 2 pounds of salmon -- chop too and preheat the oven to 400!

chop some dill (1/4 cup) and zest some lime (few teaspoons)--mix the salmon, dill, lime zest, cooked leeks and some salt and pepper together...

place into the puff pastry in any formation that suits you...brush the pastry with some "egg wash..."

bake until the puff pastry is golden brown (30 minutes) and....

enjoy!

it will not last very long!

dad on bike

no, that's not lance armstrong--it's richard hirschler!

while i support dads on bikes, i also support helmet use--so please watch the following (things get astonishingly good at 00:49):

hooray!

jonny makes... millet cakes!

one day i came home from a hard day of work; hungry, tired, puzzled about life.

something was cooking, i could smell it in the hallway...

jon had spent the evening preparing incredible savory millet cakes!

they were soo delicious!!!!!

millet is a major food source for much of Asia and Africa and although in the US it is commonly associated with bird feed...it's not just for the birds!

millet in bulk runs $.99 a pound (and a pound is a LOT of millet)--so grab a sac of millet and get creative!

bookspace, philadelphia

last weekend we discovered Bookspace-an amazing and HUGE old warehouse of books and treasures--right near the new Sugarhouse Casino.

unassuming exterior...

totally incredible inside...

fancy skylights!

books upon books!

(notice the innovative use of a car as a bookshelf)

Definitely worth a visit!

bliss in the form of a q-tip

yarn-bombs not bombs

from the lady (Jessie Hemmons) that "yarn-bombed" these bike racks from good to SUPERCALIFRAGALISTIC outside of Reading Terminal Market which I mentioned several moons ago...

and just when you thought a tree couldn't get any more huggable...

yarn-bombed!

philly loves you too, fair yarn bomber.

check out this rad blog that covers yarn-bombing around the world!!!!
why can't people just have arms races like this?

peace, peace, peace! ...and yarn bombings!

chocolate peanut butter...

if I could only choose one 16 oz. container of something to take with me on a desert island, i would choose Peanut Butter & Co's "Dark Chocolate Dreams" chocolate peanut butter.

it's really quite extraordinary. try some. on a banana or a sandwich or just a spoon.

cuddle magic

jon and i went to a philadelphia fringe fest event at the philadelphia magic gardens on a whim. the event was a special performance by philly/brooklyn-based band "Cuddle Magic" which incorporated their "acoustic avant-pop music" with the beautiful space of the Magic Gardens. it was spiffy.

enjoy this taste of Cuddle Magic:

resume rock

they paved paradise...

and put up a parking garage paradise. in south beach!

i got to see this beautiful structure that sits at the end of Lincoln Road last week. designed by Herzog & De Meuron, the garage is the anchor for restaurants and boutiques, and feels as beautiful to explore as it appears.

who knew?

no more "pshh" at spf

sometimes you have to learn the hard way.

spf, welcome aboard.

in case someone forgot their toothbrush...

my friend amanda has parents that are sweeter than honey.

it's no surprise she is sweeter than honey.

they hosted a crab feast for amanda's friends with delicious food, drink and warm bedding for all.

that was sweet, but this here...this little gesture left on the kitchen counter late evening was the icing on the cake--and the perfect example of just how thoughtful the wallaces are:

(note reads: good night all! in case someone forgot their toothbrush)

love (this) bug

this magical creature appeared outside of our doorway and hung out for several days--completely motionless the entire time.

how can something evolve to be so beautiful? where is he on the food chain? who eats you, bug?

faceoff

budabound

we are leaving for another budapest adventure very soon!

my cousin sent me these pictures of some mushrooms. they were harvested by my uncle and aunt from the forest in this magical rural village called Perocseny (outside of Budapest) where they have a summer cottage. I spent many summers there since I was a small baby.

delicacies, here we come!