Salted Caramel Brownies

Poor MAS, he came home, after a month of being elsewhere, to me sick and in bed.  For like, the entire long weekend.  I'm thinking he didn't really mind, he slept even more than I did.  In fact it might be ideal for me to be sick every time he returns from either a long trip or a European trip.  He always comes back wasted, I am always overly excited and plan way too much, he sleeps in, I cancel brunch reservations an hour away that I made for 10 am (really, what was I thinking?).  But this time was different.  We slept.  He made me tea.  I re-watched and he started House of Cards.  We slept some more.  There was much more tea made.  And then, after complaining for days that I just wanted a cookie, we got up and made the Smitten Kitchen Salted Caramel Brownies.  We ate half the pan and went back to sleep.  The next day we woke up and polished off nearly the entire second half of the pan. Went to bed and then come Tuesday (a whopping two days after we made the brownies) we fought over the last little gooey and oh-so-delicious corner.  In the end it was a 50/50 split.

To say these brownies are delicious is to not say nearly enough.  I'd like to have them around always, but then I'd eat them always, and that, would be bad.  I'm thinking about making them again though.  This afternoon.  I might even credit them with making me well again.  There was no sign of improvement until that entire block of brownies had been devoured.  So if you've got that cold thing that's going around and can't shake it, make some brownies, worst case you'll be blissfully happy for the five minutes it takes you to eat them.

Things that may or may not happen when your husband is gone for a month: Part I

1. Lights hanging from the ceiling - happened.  I should thank Lauren for this as she sent me down the rabbit hole of DIY-dom.  The instructions are not as easily found today as they once were, read IMPOSSIBLE, so I had to wing it from a list of supplies I found on Apartment Therapy. Overall I think in a month (or six) I might re-do the entire fixture with some sense of wiring and quality control. Also it needs a few more glass spheres, it's not nearly dramatic enough.  But for now it is amazing and I love it.  And it did not cost $1750 or whatever I had started to think we were going to spend.

1b.  Getting that drywall on the other side of the living room patched up so I can finally finish painting the ceiling - did not happen.

2.   Two dogs becoming a team - happened.  It might be the fact that I've been forcing them to cuddle with me every night for the past 30 in an effort to stay warm and snoozy, or just the simple passing of time.  Whatever it is IT IS HAPPENING.  There is still some growling on Frances' part when shit isn't going the way she'd planned it to ... but they sit on chairs together and alternate peeing on bushes that ought not be peed on and every once in a while stand still enough to photograph.  Or this could all just be because I bought them matching harnesses.  Maybe that is the answer.

I may have also applied to graduate school, planned a trip to NYC in the spring, eaten my weight in meat sandwiches, discovered mint goes with everything so long as it's in a smoothie, headed back to yoga four times a week and started and finished House of Cards on Netflix.  There is more, it was quite a productive month for me, but I'll fill you in on that later.

January Things

January started with an epic trip south, way south, to Key West.  I lost my favorite jeans, two sweaters and a mostly empty bottle of perfume.  It was something like 10 days, no two spent in the same hotel, it's a miracle that's all I lost.  It was also something like a million hours locked in a car with two dogs and a husband.  It could not have been better.

Now I'm back in DC.  After a most crazy weekend (hello Mr. President) the roads have been cleared of the scariest of metal fences and the people have all retreated to, hopefully, warmer weather.  We got a dusting of snow last night that Anna has been romping around in all morning and Frances has been avoiding.  I've been wearing my snow boots that I hastily ordered last year from J.Crew because they were just too good to pass up.  Turns out, while they may be cute, they aren't exactly warm.  I think I'll be tossing them and going with ye faithful Sorels for the rest of the winter.

I've been juicing a bit, and slowly, trying to take animal products out of our diets.  Not like 100%, I love me some meat sandwiches (hello new cheesesteak place that I cannot get enough of) and will eat macaroni and cheese until it comes oozing out of my pores, but you know, when at home and for most of the time.  It's time to up my veggie intake, like for real, and for ever.

Anna was spayed and de-dew clawed.  She came home and was totally passed out for three days.  It was terribly sad.  Especially when she would wake up just to cry.  That really happened.  IT WAS SO SAD.  She's totally on the mend now and has been approved for exercise despite those pesky (and disgusting) stitches in her back legs.  They come out Monday.  

Sometimes Frances will leave the confines of the bed and beg me to take her out-of-doors for a walk.  Three blocks later she's so beyond done I've got to pick her up.  Then we go back home, she lazes in the sun for a while, and two hours later begs to try again.  Always the same results.  Maybe once it's more than twenty eight degrees outside we'll have better luck with an actual walk.

January will be over soon and then we're on to February, which in DC I think means spring, I kid ... kind of.  I think this year I will miss it, I think this year, January might have been exactly what I needed.

Frances is the undisputed road trip queen.  She LOVES the car.  She LOVES road trips.  She LOVES her little nook in the back of the Prius filled with her sleeping bag.  SHE LOVES IT ALL.  

Anna on the other hand .....

Needs constant attention, a bajillion chewy things and a run before we actually enter the car.

Unfortunately the run before an 8 hour trip in the winter is not exactly what I call practical.  It is cold outside.  It is dark outside.  And really, I'd just rather get there.  This time both MAS and I made the trip and I think that got her overly excited.  She did not sleep for more than half an hour on that entire stupid trip.  The way back home was better, but still not exactly the most awesome.

Next up Anna, South Florida.

Living room lights.

We need something to hang from the center of our living room that throws a decent amount of light upwards and doesn't blind you if you look in it's general direction.  I'm liking this, but also considering making our own version of this.  Then there is this one which MAS fell hard for on instagram.  All viable options, yet we have failed to pull the trigger on every last one, maybe one day ....

This is the first year in about five that we will not be heading out on a boat for the second week in January.  I made a fuss last year that our only vacation is the same year after year after year and was appeased with the promise of every other year.  I don't want to sound like a total tart, but there is a lot of this world I have not seen that does not easily translate to six days on a boat in January.  Also, I'm allergic to the sun and hate salt water.

But a few months back MAS was bemoaning the fact that we were not going to have boat time this year.  It was, in fact, ruining his life.  So, being the good wife that I am, I agreed.  I mean we did take a road trip over the summer and that should technically count as a vacation not on a boat.  We sent an email to our boat friends, everyone was excited, and then MAS realized he was scheduled to be in the UK for the about half of the time we were meant to be on the boat.  Alas, our tropical vacation has be cancelled for 2013.  BUMMER.

In all honesty, I'm kind of excited.  I'm tagging along on his work trip and we're taking a few extra days to tour Wales.  It'll be great.  But it means I have ZERO reason to purchase this most amazing suit.  Especially since the day we agreed to start planning our 2013 sailing trip I purchased a suit I still have not worn.  Yes, my weakness for swimwear is ridiculous.  But seriously, someone should buy this suit. 

Shoes!

Do you want these as much as I do?  Because I want them BADLY.  Mr. Pickles loafers by Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Vegan Week take Two

The holidays are crazy, CRAZY, I tell you.  We spent last week in Boulder celebrating with MAS' family and then soon we're off to Asheville for a very quick holiday visit with my parents.  Meanwhile there are things like Eggnog and Christmas cookies and Panettone lying around our house.  I don't think I'd eaten anything that wasn't a meat or a carb for three weeks prior to this Monday when we decided we needed a change.  So we've gone vegan again for the week.  We did it a while back and I've got to say, anything that can get me out of the cheese and cracker lunch rut that I so easily fall into is good by me.

So far we've had a series of really good meals, highlights being morning granola and almond milk (Although this round of almond milk making may have done our 8 month old blender in.  LAME.  I don't really want to buy a Vitamix, I mean come on with the price tag, but also buying a new blender every 8 months, that is not going to work.  We're mulling this one over.).  Oh and the Black Sesame Otsu from Super Natural Everyday was so beyond delicious.  Last night I tried (and failed with) Butternut Squash Lasagna.  I'm sure it's delicious when she makes it, but when I did it just tasted like a bunch of mashed veggies.  Next up a few more Asian dishes.  I always love an excuse to eat only Asian food for a few days straight.  It's not our go-to in this house so it's a nice break.

Sandwiches, the best.

It took us a while to try SUNdeVICH.  I don't know why.  I'll blame it on a complete lack of ability to get out of our house, or at the very best our neighborhood, during the weekends.  It's not like I was ever confused.  I always knew it was going to be good, I guess I just didn't know how good.  Turns out we had one of the best sandwich experiences EVER.  We got a Seoul and a Havanna along with some spicy cole slaw and brined veggies.  Also, Sprecher Root Beer.  It was delicious, I'd like to go back now please.

Lunch.

The lazy man's best meal.  Egg in a Hole.  I can't remember when I started eating these, but they've since been my go to when we have no food in the house and I'm too pressed for time to actually leave and pick up something.  It's ridiculously easy and ever so tasty.  Cut the center of the bread out ... this time I used black pepper brioche from the Milk Bar cookbook ... yuuuuuuuummmmmmmy; place in pan; cook in butter until toasty; flip; repeat till your egg is cooked just the way you like it (which should absolutely be VERY RUNNY).  Also a little bit of this hot sauce, because it goes on EVERYTHING, and salt and pepper.