...Start Your Engines

I can now say that my summer is officially over, because tomorrow, I will embark on my first of three weeks of work-related travel.  I am definitely experiencing a wide array of emotions right now, from excitement that all of the planning I have been dong for the past month is finally coming together, to apprehension about how my first round of high school visits and alumni meetings will go.  I will be spending the next week in the Plains states {none of which I have been to, so yay!}, the following week in Texas, and, after a brief week back in DC, I will head off to New England for another week {twist my arm, New England in the FALL?!?!?}.

I truly have loved this job so far, so I am really looking forward to putting all of the information that I have soaked in over the past two months to the test.  I am really looking forward to meeting with students during the day and alumni in the evenings, and am hoping like I have never hoped before that I will not lose my voice.  Because, as I've said in the past, when I lose my voice, it's not one of those things where I lose it one day and it comes back the next.  The last time I lost my voice, I lost it exactly for a week :(  Here's hoping that lots of Vitamin C, Purel and tea with honey will keep me healthy and my voice strong!

I suppose the hardest part of these next few weeks will be feeling as though I don't have a home base.  Living out of a suitcase is a lifestyle that I'm not really used to, so I'll be interested to see how this goes. Also, it goes without saying that being away from Dan will be challenging.  I helped him sign up for his first Skype account, so hopefully we'll be able to talk in the evenings once I get back from my visits.  I keep telling myself, though, that I'll really only be gone for five days at a time, since, for each of those weeks, I'll be leaving on Sunday and coming back on Friday.  Feeling like I'll be missing out on spending time with friends and family has also been very much on my mind, especially since I have struggled since I have moved to figure out how to best balance spending time with friends and family, while at the same time giving my relationship the love and energy it deserves.  It is a difficult balancing act, and I would imagine it will grow infinitely more so once I jump into reading season.  But don't get me wrong, I am SO excited for the challenge, and be on the lookout for pictures once I return!

Tonight, I am cashing in on that home-cooked meal that Dan owes me.  I know he is perusing my cookbooks and my Pinterest account this morning to figure out what the heck to make, so I am excited to see what he comes up with!  The guy HATES cooking, mostly because he has convinced himself that he's not good at it, but I have every confidence that he'll do a great job!

Some New {and Old} Local Favorites

As I have settled in to being an Arlingtonian {gasp} over the course of the summer, I have been determined to balance out my wonderful nights spent at home with Dan having dinner and catching up on our TV watching with venturing into the city and trying some new places.  I refuse to be the Arlingtonian who never leaves Arlington {but would certainly encourage friends to come out and see us there! It really is lovely! As an added bonus, we have a movie theater a block from our apartment that has RECLINERS.  RECLINERS, PEOPLE!!! You feel like you're watching a movie in your living room!}.

Anyway, I digress.  I have tried out a few new places that I have loved recently, and, so, have developed some new favorite haunts.

Dupont Circle and environs:
First of all, my friend Lauren is utterly obsessed with Glen's Market just north of Dupont, and, having now been there a handful of times, I can say that the obsession is justified.  Half overpriced {yet delicious} grocery store, half wine bar, it is perfect for an after-work gathering.  I have sampled some of their cheeses, chocolate {with pretzels in it...ummmm.....yeah}, house-made sandwiches, and, most importantly, their wine.  You essentially purchase a wine card from the bar for whatever denomination you please, and then you use it to fill your glass from several wine dispensers.  There are three sizes, so you can order whichever one suits your fancy.  Personally, I think this is an ingenious idea, and I can usually get the size that I want for $5-$6, so that's not too shabby.  I don't pretend to be as much of a hipster as the employees, but I just sip my wine and eat my goodies and refuse to feel self-conscious about that.  Also, one of the bartenders has an excellent handlebar mustache.  Now, I do not like facial hair, but, let me tell you, this particular mustache is a WIN.

I have also re-discovered the Dupont Farmers Market and how truly wonderful it is.  I went there a few weeks ago to meet up with a friend for brunch, and ordered a spinach and feta croissant {my normal order, because it's so darned delicious} and a few white peaches, which were easily the most delicious peaches that I've tasted in my life.  They were mouthwateringly delicious, so juicy and not overly ripe.  I am very picky about the firmness of my peaches; I don't like them too hard, and I certainly don't like them too mealy, so these peaches were the best of both worlds.  Supporting local farmers and artisans is one of my favorite things {which is obviously why my Eastern Market jewelry problem started}, so I love going to this market. Surprisingly, I have not been back to the Courthouse market, but I would like to start doing that more, because, really, I have no excuse.

Eastern Market:
Dan and I got an itch over the weekend to grab dinner and drinks in a neighborhood that we don't typically go to, so, partly because of the Metro convenience factor {thank you, weekend delays}, we decided on Eastern Market.  We got dinner at Cava Mezze, which was delicious.  My affinity for Mediterranean food is something I've developed since living in DC, particularly after graduation, and I am literally almost always in the mood for Mediterranean food {this is also how I feel about Indian food}.  Cava Mezze did not disappoint, providing enough warm, yummy bread for two starving souls to lift our spirits before our food came out.   I convinced Dan to split an order of saganaki {the delicious cheese that they set on fire with some brandy}, and then I got my standard lentil patties and brussels sprouts with tzatziki sauce.  My mouth was in heaven.

After dinner, we went to Harold Black's speakeasy, which, for those of you who have never had the pleasure of eating at Acqua al 2 {if you haven't, then stop reading this post and go there RIGHT NOW}, is right above that restaurant, through a SUPER SECRET entrance {it IS actually unmarked}. Once you reach the door and knock so that someone can open it for you, you enter a dimly-lit room {lit only by candles in mason jars, obviously}, and spent 90 minutes sipping on some of the most delicious cocktails.  A word of warning: they are VERY strong, which we both realized at the end of the night.  But the drinks were delicious, the atmosphere was chic and intimate, and I was so glad we tried it out.

Old Town:
I went out to dinner with my parents last night at a place that has become near and dear to all of our hearts since they moved back to DC.  Fontaine is tucked away on a little side street off of King, and features some mind-blowing sweet and savory crepes.  Obviously, in my family, we order both.  There is NEVER a wait {hence the reason for not taking reservations}, and the food is out-of-this-world good.  Also, their weekly French movie nights make me wish I lived right next door, because, come on, French movies and French food? Sign me up!

I hope you all are able to try out some of these places, if you haven't already.  I know I've had a lot of fun trying them!!!  Also, stay tuned, because Dan will be attempting his first home-cooked meal for me on Saturday night, and I will obviously be posting about it!  This was not voluntary on his part; he just owed me for losing our March Madness challenge ;-)

That Little Baking Hobby of Mine: My Favorite Homemade Birthday Cake

I realized that, while I am an obsessive cook {read, BAKER}, I never blog about the things that I make.  My dad's birthday was on Tuesday, so I thought I would share a picture of and a recipe for the cake I made.  I made a similar cake for Dan, only with Kit Kat bars lining the cake vertically on the outside.  Not that I'm biased, but the cake is mouthwateringly delicious!  Thanks, Pinterest, for more amazing inspiration!!!!

A couple of notes on the recipe: when I made the cake over the weekend, I just used this recipe for the cake itself.  However, I have made the entire cake before, and it was out-of-this-world good.  I bought my favorite brand of raspberry jam for this weekend's cake, but then forgot to use it :(

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

Makes a two-layer 8" cake {the recipe says 3-layer, but I only use 2}

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder {I use Hershey's}

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup canola oil

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups water

2 tbsp distilled white wine vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

Raspberry Ganache {if making the entire cake - see link for recipe}

Raspberry jam {I use Bonne Maman, because it reminds me of France :) }

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray or butter two 8" cake pans. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda into a large bowl.  Beat in the oil and sour cream, followed by the water.  Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix to combine, and, finally, beat in the eggs until the batter is well combined.  Divide among the three cake pans.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a knife comes out almost clean.  Cool in the pans for 20 minutes {side note: being that I am impatient, I typically stick them in the freezer or fridge for a few minutes, probably no longer than 10}, then invert onto a wire rack, letting the cakes cool completely.

Being that the cake is pretty rich, I don't like to overdo it on the frosting.  Soooo....for the outside of the cake, I use Fat Free Cool Whip, and, on top of the cake and in between the two layers, I use chocolate Cool Whip frosting {it can be hard to find, but check in the freezer aisle of your grocery store.  If you're in DC, I have only been able to find it at Social Safeway}.  Cool Whip frosting is relatively new, and is MUCH lighter than regular frosting.  Also, to add a little bit of pizazz, add a layer of raspberry jam in between the layers, on top of the frosting.  I like to garnish the cake with some fresh berries {in this case, I used raspberries, my dad's favorite}, and I decorated this one with some edible gold glitter that I had laying around.  Most importantly, ENJOY the cake!!!!!!

If you are so inclined, this is where I got the inspiration for the Kit Kats.  Oh, and here's a picture of the cake I made this weekend.

Our Super Duper Lake Vacation

I had intended to do a post about the Lake...well, last week, after we got back.  Obviously, life got in the way, so I thought I would pound out a quick post now.  Our long {but, really, short} weekend at Winnipesaukee was everything I had hoped it would be.  We were blessed with THE MOST INCREDIBLE weather imaginable; high 70s, low 80s, not a cloud in the sky {other than when we needed a brief breather from the hot, mid-day sun}, and a soft breeze blowing, and dropping to the 40s and 50s at night.  Seriously, come on.  New England, you're such a flirt.

We all know that sitting around and "relaxing" is not at all my strong suit, although wearing the boot certainly forced me to adopt that lifestyle to a certain extent.  But really, there is nothing like laying out on our ginormous dock for hours on end, reading a book under a perfect blue sky and popping in the water for an occasional swim.  It really doesn't get any better.

Since we really were not on the island for very long {not to mention my mobility was limited}, we didn't really venture out very much.  My dad did take us on a real estate boat tour of the lake {not that we asked for one, but the man is a student of property values, so we humored him}.  I'll hand it to him, he knows where all of the "celebrities" live, although, I don't know that any of us would have the slightest idea if he was wrong.  But really, the best part of the weekend was that I was spending it with some of my very favorite people, and Dan said that it was great for him to be able to picture the place that I have talked about incessantly since, oh, about our second date.  I have a one-track mind, that's for sure.

Leaving the Lake has never been easy for me, particularly when we were there for such a short amount of time.  I also couldn't help but think that, what with the potential changes in our lives over the next year, this one may be our last at the Lake for a while.  I'm holding out hope that we'll make it back next year, mostly because letting go of a place that has been in your life since you were two years old is a tall order.  Every year, it feels like no time at all has passed when we arrive, which is perfect for a person who thrives on routine and consistency.  Other than the consistency, though, it is just SUCH a special place, and certainly makes up the fibers of who I am.

Side note: When my family was up at the Lake, baby bro found out that he is gainfully employed!!!!!! He achieved his dream of moving to NYC, and will be starting work next week! To say that I'm proud of him is an understatement.

Poor Dan endures trial by fire during Lake Golf, a game that, surprisingly, requires no golfing skill

Don't pretend you're not jealous

Rockin' the boot, lovin' life