Real or Fake?

I took these at the new model train museum in Scottsdale.  Pretty spectacular what these clubbers can do.

jam

Today's Phoenix Groupon is for creative classes at jam.  Go get one so we can go together!

I keep reading on friends' blogs in other states about calligraphy classes and such from fun events.  I have a case of the me toos.

I hope jam turns into something special.  I love that they have classes in writing sonnets, canning, container gardening, chess, the salon blow dry...totally fun stuff.

The Loverly List

So many beautiful things lately.  I've been busy writing posts for Chow Bella about Samoas, Lunch Coops, Swiss Chard and working on more including one about composting.

Here's my latest list.  Enjoy.

1. Jen Altman's new food portfolio.  I love that the food looks "real."

2.  Sunset's new One Block Feast Cookbook.

3. Restaurants at garden centers in the UK.

4. Y La Bamba from Portland

Y LA BAMBA "MY LOVE IS A FOREST FIRE" from Dugan O'Neal on Vimeo.


5.  These casserole totes from Vonny.  Perfect for starting a lunch coop at work.

6. French films.  Trying to finish Breathless on Hulu.  Great article from NYT.

7.  That flip clock screensaver you see in all the design blogs of home offices.

8. Samantha French art.  Wow.

9.  Three Men in a Boat.  My first audible.com purchase.  Can't wait.  Read about it from Aspiring Kennedy.  There's a movie version too that I'll plan to watch with some favorite actors.

10.  Trying to finish Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle so that I can make it to the Slow Food Phoenix Book Club meeting at the Downtown Market.

Arizona Blogger Meetup! RSVP Now!

Chelsea posted about this nifty event next month.  If all goes well, I'd love to be there.  You should go too! Check out the details here.

The Loverly List

Everyone in blogland has a love list with a fancy name.  I keep imagining my dad's mom, Nana, singing the chorus "wouldn't it be loverly."  So, that's where this title was born.  I think it'll help me clear out all those great list of things I was saving to post about for an individual post but might never get to.

And the big elephant in the room is that you haven't seen me post as regularly as I had in the past.  I hope that's ok with you.  I'm in the midst of possibly the busiest craziest time I hope to have in my little families life.  Me with two little sweeties and two or more PT jobs, husband working FT/graduating law school/taking the bar/developing projects.  I look forward to a slightly more loosened schedule.  It'll be here soon enough.  Until then, I hope to see you a few times a week, if only one blog date a week. :)

Introducing my loverly list.  I hope you like it.  I have listed below 10 of my lastest and greatest finds.  Enjoy.

1. I want to make this. I'm sure I won't.  Still fascinated by sewing but don't have the patience and time just yet.

2. That grey kick pleated skirted table.  Love love love it! 

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3. Chelsea's Leopard Sperry Top Siders.  No way. I'm not into leopard usually but this is the perfect juxtaposition.  {Tea Talk}

4. Homemade party in a box.  For those of us without much time but want that special feel.  I love this.{Acme Party Box}

5. This toddler high chair.  One of my favorite color combos. {found here}

6. This kit house.  Backyard yoga studio, play area, art studio, meditation room, reading room.... {kitHAUS}

7. That shelf that I wish were a giant bench.  I just can't stop looking at it.  Beautiful.  {found here}

8. This t-shirt from local etsy seller. Perfect Valentine's Day duds. {Finley and Oliver}

9. This shower curtain.  Our master bath is always lacking something to me.  Maybe something like this would do it. {saw it here}

10. Oh Joy's pickle pic.  I'm salivating.  I really want to learn to can/preserve this year. {pic}

Back to the future

It was a tired Friday evening when we walked into Five Guys up on Bell.  We'd order our food, I like the small cheeseburger with grilled onions and mushrooms.  We sat down to settle in with our peanuts and I noticed the new monolithic coke machines.  Yes!

It felt a little back to the future for me, 'cause Patrick was in his Marty McFly vest.  "Whatdya do? Jump ship?" Tee hee.  I love that movie.  Aaaand, Huey Lewis was playing in the background.  See why I felt like I was in the movie?


Having worked for Coke for almost 4 years as my first job out of college, I was so excited to try it out.  When I started in 2000 being the "coke lady" for folks like Joe Johnston at Joe's Real BBQ (when that had first opened).  At that time, Coke machines had just switched to Bag-in-the-box (those 50# giant boxes of syrup) from those pre-mix canisters.

Pre-mix system (image)

Bag-in-the-box system (image)

It appears that the new Coke machines connect the same way with drains and water and ice machines but the guts are so so much cooler.  I got an Orange Vanilla Caffeine Free Diet Coke.  Wowza. Here's how the experience goes:

The dispensing area is super sleek and clean.  You choose one of the non-greyed-out flavors (they get greyed out when the syrup is out I guess).  Once you choose your flavor, you have the option to choose to add a flavor.  For the Caffeine Free Diet Coke, there was the option to get cherry, lime, orange, vanilla and raspberry.  So so so fun.  Other base flavors have other syrup flavor options.  Sean got a Strawberry Sprite Zero. Click on the pics to be able to read my notes.

It tastes perfect (probably because the added flavorings aren't sugar free).  I had learned from one of my trainees when I was first working for Coke that if you just put a splash of regular coke into a full cup of diet coke, that it makes the diet "funk" go away.  It works, try it!

It was also perfect because I bet it is always perfectly calibrated (syrup to water ratio) and probably has a built-in water purifier.  The machine is so amazing.  I was lucky to be able to watch the Five Guys employee change out the syrup.  It's just like changing out printer cartridges.  The syrup must be super duper concentrated to be so small now.  He swiped the cartridge over this little Coke bottle symbol to open the door.  Whoa! Then he peeled off two little tips and pushed it in to reload.  After closing the door and pushing a few buttons on the touch screen, he was ready to go again.

This is the future folks, it's awesome and I hope you get to try one out soon.  I head that Pei Weis are getting them too.  Check it out!

Now Open: Prescott Valley Farms - Phoenix New Times Food - Chow Bella

I can't wait to check out this new spot for local meat down the street.  Don't you just love the Chow Bella blog? ;) I get so much great info on the local food scene.  Really, it's where I learn all the great tips and tricks.

{image: Carrie Wheeler}

I need new glasses

As in glassware.  I'd picked out the classic pint glasses and gibraltar tumblers when I'd gotten married almost 9 years ago.  I have since become little miss food lady and I even had a job selling high-end glassware to hotels and restaurants.  You'd think I'd gotten new stuff by now.  Nah, just busy doing other things and not totally sure what to do with the current set.

I finally have a place to send my old stuff too: Kitchen Switchin'.  It has just opened right in my neighborhood and it looks adorable from the street. They've since added french bistro tables and chairs out front, along with some chic potted roses.

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As soon as I've made room in the cabinet, I'm running out to get these European classic glasses: Duralex Picardie

{image}

These are durable and even a little sexy.  I know Cost Plus carries them.  These will be my Spring cleaning reward in a few months. :)

My weekend in pictures

It started off with a little experiment of a recipe that turned out spectacularly!! I used The Stone Soup's base recipe for divine 4 ingredient cheesecakes and added a 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon allspice and zest of 1/2 a small orange.  To die for! Patrick even gave me two long audible "mmm" sounds.

Then while Sean was studying for his last law school exam {wahoo!} the kids and I cruised Paradise Valley for some pretty holiday decor + sunset views and then headed to the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park Holiday lights and train ride with one of his friends from preschool.

The next-door neighboor's mulberry tree was quite pretty and fall-looking this weekend.

We had 2 birthday parties this weekend too.  One at a bear factory and one at The Little Gym.  Both were super fun. {side note: I'm so excited about my shiny hair lately.  I think it's my shampoo.  Yes!}

I'm looking forward to getting the mail this week to see who has sent us cards.  Here's where they will live at our house this year.  Usually we place them on my piano but a 3 year old seems to have broken the music stand.

Oh, and I want to tell you of my fab shopping morning Sunday.  I got some "Mommy time" and headed to my favorite women's consignment shop {taking the scenic route near my house down Central Ave's Bridle Path - the trees are gorgeous right now} where I keep finding the best Eileen Fisher clothes every time I go in...and they all fit perfectly.  Apparently that's all she buys and rotates her wardrobe frequently.  I did some research on Eileen Fisher today {for fun} and she's an incredible woman.  Check out her story and company.  Sustainable design, amazing company benefits.

This is a visual of their design structure above.  Lovely isn't it?

Whoever you are, thank you!  I found something similar to this in charcoal grey today for $15, regularly $150. 

I rounded out my morning with a trip to a local Goodwill {one I'd not visited before} and scored a stellar preschool block set for my kids for Christmas.  These were had for $40, regularly $240.  I'm so so excited to play with them Christmas morning.

This is my last week doing work for the farm this year.  We'll be on a 2 week vacation - the only one we have all year.

Looking forward to a great week - including Sean's graduation from law school.  Time sure has flown! So proud of him.

xoxo
jen

Cowboy Ciao chopped salad

This salad is everywhere these days.  At least places I frequent.  If you haven't had this salad from Cowboy Ciao, you should.  It's to die for.  Trader Joe's just put something in their refrigerated case just like it.  And Wildflower Bread Company put something similar to it on their Summer menu. 
 
Thank goodness The Arizona Republic has posted the recipe.  So so so delicious! 

Dressing

1/4 cup basil pesto

1/2 shallot, roughly chopped

1/2 cup aioli (see note)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad

1/3 cup cooked Israeli couscous

2 ounces chopped arugula

1/3 cup diced Roma tomatoes

1/3 cup diced smoked salmon

1 tablespoon crumbled Asiago cheese

1 tablespoon toasted pepitas

2 tablespoons dried black currants

2 tablespoons super-sweet dried corn

For the dressing: Combine pesto, shallot and aioli in a food processor; blend thoroughly. With motor running, add buttermilk. Add pepper and lemon juice; blend to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

For the salad: Arrange ingredients in separate rows on a large platter. Toss salad at the table, using about half of the batch of dressing. (Refrigerate remaining dressing up to three days.) Makes 2 servings.

Note: Aioli is like garlicky mayonnaise. Look for it in gourmet food stores, or make your own by blending together 1 to 2 finely minced garlic cloves, 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup mayonnaise.

I found these great images from Culinary Fool.  Awesome pics.

They also posted the picture of the mushroom polenta dish from Cowboy Ciao, which is the other to-die-for menu item not to be missed.  Oh man, my mouth is watering...

valley vintage + cupcakes

Photography by Harrison Hurwitz

Phoenix has got some really really cool things goin' on.  I'm just so excited...

"The Valley Vintage fashion experience is on its way - purchase your tickets and help support the Florence Crittenton Foundation"...I saw this on the See Saw blog.  Think Mad Men's popularity had anything to do with it? {wink + smile}

This is another awesome valley event that I really don't want to miss: Cupcake Love In
(also at the Valley Ho).  The money from this event goes completely to a women's shelter.  This event is co-organized by the lovely Tracey Dempsey who was a customer of mine way-back-when at Cowboy Ciao when I worked for RW Smith.  She's so cool.  She's the one who makes that famous bacon pecan brittle.

I just can't wait!!