Friday, May 28, 2010

Things That I'm Into: Dodgers @ Cubs

EVEN THOUGH THEY (meaning my dodgers, of course) LOST, it was still a (relatively) good game.

ALSO- in other dodgers news, RIP Jose Lima.



image via here.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Things That I'm Into: Above Microwave Bar

Because who doesn't need a bar above their microwave??

Things That I'm Into; New Music Mondays at Millenium Park

Picnic tacos, lemonade, nice weather, music by Besnard Lakes, Frank Gehry bandshell: sweetness.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Things That I'm Into: Balcony Garden, Week One

Well, this is actually a picture of our plants at near the end of week one. And they have grown a lot already!
We've got: three tomatoes (one cherry, two normal sized), one anaheim chili pepper, one serrano chile pepper, two normal basil plants, one thai basil, one chive, one cilantro, and four heads of lettuce (which were from seed and not starters, so they haven't appeared yet).
Our containers are from all over the place: one we found in our backyard, one we bought from target, two we bought from home depot, and our "raised box" we repurposed - it used to be the top of a target console/entry way table that had worn out its welcome in our home.

Then we made the upside down tomato container according to these instructions, motivated by this article.
 So far so good. Hopefully we'll have lots on delicious vegetables in 45-75 days.

Things That I'm Into: Reworking Chair

So when we moved into our new apartment in Chicago, there was a strange chair just chilling in the sunroom. A "gift" (i.e., they were too lazy to move it or to bring it to goodwill) from the previous tenants, the ubiquitous Ikea Poang.


While it has some nice lines and an obvious "design sensibility" it is so not my style. Anyone who knows me knows I am not a modern/minimalist. So I thought that we should send it on its way down to the thrift store down Halsted where someone who appreciated the chair could give it a home.

But that didn't happen, and it was a comfortable chair, and we needed an armchair for our new "library"- so then came the idea to recover and paint it to give it a little more character. And one afternoon at my friend Zach's house later, we have a new chair! One side with fabric from Joanne's, one side with fabric from our vacay to Bali last year.

Below is a picture of the chair "in situ." It's pretty comfortable. Also please note the sweet trophy in our bookcase that our friends gave us for our wedding. It's for being the #1 Most Fun Couple Ever. Booyah.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Things That I'm into: Upton's Naturals

We randomly came across this brand at whole foods the other day, and since I am quite the fake meat expert, I decided to try it out. I felt affirmed in this choice when the check out dude at whole foods was raving about it and told us that once we tried it we'd never go back to other types of soy products..

First of all, it's not soy, which is kind of great because I've been reading some scary things about soy lately. Not any scarier than scary stuff about other things I still indulge in (alcohol, dairy, etc.), but scary enough to want to limit my consumption. So yeah- it's seitan- which is a wheat gluten.  High in protein, low in fat, and less processed than most soy.

Second of all, it's local, which is great. Made in Skokie.

Third of all, it's really really delicious. We used the chorizo in a pretty basic "burrito bowl" (seitan + black beans + lettuce + cheddar + salsa + jalapenos) and it was seriously one of the best I've ever had.

Fourth of all, it's cheap. Two packages for five dollars at whole foods right now! I bought both the chorizo AND the italian sausage when I went back the other day.


Fifth of all, look at their mustaches! Love their mustaches.

Things That I'm Into: Ali Macgraw in" Love Story"

I just watched "Love Story" for the first time, and even though it was maudlin and sappy and poorly acted, I loved everything about how Jennifer (Ali Macgraw) dressed.


Maybe I want to live the the 70s? Or at least have some coats from them. Since I live in a place that needs coats again. (Miss you LA!)

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Things That I'm Into: Asparagus and Mushroom Pie

Yesterday I had an EMERGENCY of wanting to use my asparagus and mushrooms I bought at the market. Mark Bittman saves that day again, as per usual.

Recipe from "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian," except I added BLUE CHEESE because booyah who doesn't love blue cheese in an asparagus and mushroom pie?



We might have eaten half of a pie with only two of us. Just vegetables, right? (There might also be a shit ton of cheese). (Just maybe).

Things That I'm Into: Vermiculture

We have worms!

About 500 of them, living in our house, in two sweet rubbermaid containers. They are going to eat all of our fruit and vegetable trimmings and poop out wonderful nutrient rich soil for us to put on our balcony container garden.



The highlight of getting our worms was getting an ilicit tour of Rick Bayless's super sweet backyard garden/kitchen/generalfoodtopialand. We gave the money, his gardener gave us a large yogurt container full of worms. Awesomest weird exchange ever.

After one escape attempt, they seem to have settled into their new home in the corner of our sunroom well.



We keep our veggie and fruit scraps in this (bottom right) interim home that has a filter to keep any smells out, and move it to the compost once a week.


So far so good in worm land. Will have an update after we actually harvest some compost.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Things That I'm Into: WEDNESDAYS at the Green City Market


I know, I know, Saturdays at the Green City Market are pretty much the most awesome thing ever. But you know what? Wednesdays are even better.

Less crowded. Chef's demonstration has available seats. Less dog fights.

It's really optimal. Today I picked up three starters, some asparagus and some mushrooms. SPRING.

(image via chicagoist).

Things That I'm Into: Lady Gaga Zumba

I may or may not take this class at my gym, and my instructor may or may not have videotaped us dancing to Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and put it on YouTube.



I may or may not be dancing in it.

This also may or may not be the highlight of my week.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Things I'm Into: Rainbow Camper Shoes



LOVE. Especially how they are asymmetrical.

via Habitat Shoes.

Things That I'm Into: Reliving Lelaina Pierce's Unemployed Phase

You know when Winona Ryder in Reality Bites loses her job and then spends days (maybe weeks?) on the couch and ends up maxing out her credit card by spending all her time calling a psychic?




That's kind of like me, except my couch is cuter and my psychic is Arrested Development episodes.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Things That I'm Into: Wishing I Was Saw Local Natives at Schubas Last Week

VERY sold out show, and not even craigslist came through for us. That's what you get for living in Turkey when the tickets went on sale.






This is my favorite song of theirs (#2 on their awesome album Gorilla Manor). This is when I'd say "oh well, we'll see them at pitchfork!" but we can't go because we have a wedding that weekend. WAH WAH WAH.

Anyway, LOCAL NATIVES. Into them.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Things That I'm Into: Please Give


I liked this movie a lot. Not surprising, since I liked "Lovely + Amazing" and "Friends with Money" a ton as well.

Particularly awesome parts of the movie were everything that the little girl said. And how it made fun of people who go tanning. And how the Grandma was a crazy crazy person. There has been an ongoing conversation in my apartment, however, about whether the oliver platt- amanda peet affair was necessary for the movie and true to the characters or whether it was just added for, um, "fun."

I wish Nicole Holefcener would make a movie that pertained exactly to me, pls. How about mid-twenties early-thirties people who live in Chicago? Catharine Keener could play a kooky aunt or something.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Things That I'm Into #1: Chicago


Back in Chicago and seriously loving it.
Reasons: Big apartments, awesome public transit, CHEAP drinks (esp. compared to last two locales I lived), thunderstorms, delicious food, neighborhoods, the lake. Definitely the #1 thing I'm into right now.






image via here.