To Market We Go

So much to do this weekend, and so much fun to be had! On the agenda? Visiting with friends, going to see SATC II, baking, cooking, planting. But more on all of that later. This weekend started off with an old tradition: Saturday morning at the public market. It was a beautiful, no-cloud-in-the-sky kind of morning. The kind of morning that just makes you want to get out of bed and enjoy the day.

The market was full of people also out enjoying the morning, and some breakfast.

Right now is a beautiful time of year at the market because all of the growers have brought in their plants and flowers to sell. It is so colorful and fragrant.

Everywhere you look, loveliness. It is a sure treat for the senses. An excellent way to spend a Saturday morning, and an even better way to kick off a holiday weekend. Oh, and wait until you see what I made from my market purchases. Definitely a lot of lovely.

Girls' Weekend

Hello, Lover!

It's a Girls' Weekend, complete with Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte! My friend Hannah is on her way from Boston, and we're planning to do what us girls do best. The highlight? Going to see SATC II tonight!

The Sweetest Nest

One of the things that first drew me to my house was its curb appeal, and four years later, I still love to just look at my house. Honestly, when I first laid eyes on the house, it almost didn't matter what was inside, because the outside was so cute. The day my house went on the market was March 17, 2006, and I happened to drive by on my way to work. Mentally, I had already bought the house before stepping a foot in the door, and considered myself a glad possessor of "the luck of the Irish." The deal went down the next day as I was on my way to Boston, via cell phone on the NYS Thruway. Probably not the wisest move, but here I am, four years later, living in what I like to consider the cutest house in the neighborhood.

My favorite part of the front is, without a doubt, the two window boxes. I seem to have the best luck with a simple planting of impatiens, usually pink. This year I decided to throw in a little white for a change.

They're just babies now, but should soon grow to be as big as they were last year.

I'm working on getting all my flowers bought and planted, along with herbs and vegetables. New to the garden this year? Peonies, of course!

Pick-Me-Up

A little mid-week energy boost to combat the dreary weather and allergy sniffles:

Ultimate Irresistible Granola*

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup sesame seeds

1 cup wheat germ

2 cups shredded coconut (I used unsweetened)

1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup canola oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 cup honey

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, wheat germ, coconut and sunflower seeds. In a small pan over medium heat, stir together the oil, syrup, honey, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cook and stir until blended. Pour over the oat mixture, and stir to coat evenly. Spread out in an even layer on two cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the oats and nuts are toasted. Immediately after it comes out of the oven, stir in the raisins and dried cranberries. Let stand until cooled, and stir again to break up any large clusters.

*I made modifications to the original recipe based on others' reviews.

Remember the Bon Appétit recipe I made not too long ago, (fettuccine with peas, asparagus and pancetta)? I received some surprise mail regarding that post:

"Hi, Anna.

We loved seeing your blog post on cooking our May cover recipe.

We've added your blog link to our website and look forward to seeing more from you!"

Yep, it's there. Check out the original post and you'll see the link to yours truly, right on the Bon Appétit website!! I've been discovered, by the industry's top notch publication, mind you!! [insert delightful squealing here] I haven't quit my day job yet, but I've got my sights set on a future in magazines. My Little Sweet Nest = my ticket to the big time!

Stormy Weather

This past weekend brought with it some crazy wind. We're talking 60+ mph wind. Frances and I were planning to attend the annual Rochester Dachshund Parade, but fortunately it was cancelled, otherwise there could have been hundreds of airborne doxies!! Instead we ventured up to Lake Ontario, to one of our favorite spots, known as The Secret Sidewalk. But not before taking a picture of what was happening in our neighbor's backyard.

See the big crack? And the power lines? A recipe for disaster.

The Secret Sidewalk is not really a secret, but rather a public sidewalk tucked in between Lake Ontario and some pretty nice lakefront properties.

I was hoping to see some huge waves, but aside from the occasional gust, it wasn't too windy up on the lakeshore.

Most residents not only have gorgeous, sprawling lawns, but they also have these sweet little gardens growing between the sidewalk and the beach.

Or just a great "room with a view." Seriously, imagine those summer nights.

Frances stayed put on the ground, and thankfully we enjoyed our stroll. When we got home, it was a different scene.

That's my fence, so you can see how closely my yard avoided the destruction caused by the fallen tree. My neighbor lost a garage, and all I lost was my power. For roughly 36 hours. Yikes! But I'm back in business now, and still counting my lucky stars that the tree didn't fall on my garage.

Lilacs

Nothing screams, "Hello, spring!" quite like the lilacs do here in The Flower City. The official start date of the Lilac Festival is May 14, but the lilacs were eager to strut their stuff early this year. Frances and I headed to Highland Park to get a good look before the crowds descended upon the loveliness.

The thing I love most about lilacs is their scent.

My next favorite thing are the color variations. I can never decide which color I like the best, but right now I'm leaning towards the light, light lavender. The ones that look almost pink.

The park was awash in color, made more brilliant by the grey sky.

Look closely. Did you spot the peonies? My most favorite flower of all!

Hello, pretties!

"Above all, have a good time!"

And have a good time we did, my mom and I on her surprise birthday trip to Washington, D.C. It all started with this movie, which led to this book, which ultimately brought us to our nation's capital for a Julia Child -themed day, (it is safe to assume that I am mildly obsessed with this fascinating woman!). And what better way to celebrate another fascinating woman's birthday?

Beginning at the National Museum of American History, we meandered through Julia's Cambridge kitchen, completely unchanged since it was last in her house.

I was in awe, not only because Julia is a major idol of mine, but also because of that cookware. There was some major kitchen envy going on!

A few things I love about Julia Child: 1) she loved food, and could recall every little detail about all of the special meals she ate; 2) she led a completely full, albeit, childless life; and 3) she admittedly didn't hit on her passion until she was thirty-two.

"I was practically in hysterics from the time we landed... I was a late bloomer who was still growing up. I didn't get started on life until I was about thirty-two, which was good because I was old enough to appreciate it. I had it all ahead of me."

Well, Julia, I can only hope I've got it all ahead of me, too!

Later on, it was off to Georgetown to get a glimpse of Julia and Paul Child's home. Yes, I walked down the same sidewalk that Julia must have walked down hundreds of times.

Then it was off to dinner, a French restaurant, no less. Had it been around when Julia lived in Georgetown, I am certain she and Paul would have eaten there.

I had the trout.

My mom had the duck. And we were both thrilled with our choices, and the day. It was so much fun to follow in Julia's footsteps, and try to be half as adventuresome as she was.

[happy birthday, mom!]