Attraversiamo.

If you've seen or read Eat Pray Love you'll recognize the Italian command that's the subject of this post.  It means "let's cross-over"...which is sounds great in Italian but when kara said it English today while walking it caught me off guard and made me giggle.

I'm here in the Boston/Logan (just who/what/where is Logan? Need to look into that) and feeling that 'attraversiamo' is a perfectly fitting word...about to cross over from land bound to flying through the clouds...crossing over from a great weekend to another work week....about to cross into February (really?!)...and just literally crossed over the security threshold...after going through a full body scan which I wouldn't have minded except the guy def winked at me after, so that was creepy/unsettling.

Just happy that before I have to do any more crossing over I get to sit here and rock in these great rockers the airport has scattered all over the place. Nice touch!  More Boston details to come...

Snowy runways...

Sitting here in the PHL airport hoping that my flight doesn't get delayed along with the others that seem to be creeping from that 15 minute scheduling hiccup to a true delay.  Feeling like a little kid since I legit had to ask my sister what to do once I arrive at BOS...since swimming across the harbor to her apartment seemed like a bad choice.  You'd think with all this technology at my fingertips (how crazy that this whole post was powered by my dingy phone?) I'd be able to figure it out on my own like a big girl, but nope, didn't even cross my mind, asked for instructions instead :).
Time to get some quality reading done!
Happy FRIIIIIDAY!!!

boston bound.

it's hard to blog when i don't do anything that's worthy of picture taking...which is code for 'i've been too lazy to take pictures' and 'it's been way too stinkin' cold to go outside'.  but this space is getting lonely, so i thought's i'd post a little something to hold it over until i find something worthwhile to post about!

going to see the little one this weekend in boston so i figured a throwback photo post was in order...

1998 - questioning if  still own these jeans.

December 2009 @ the Boston Frog Pond - it was absolutely FREEZING!!

hoping i come back from boston with my fingers and toes in tact!

paris is booked!

it's official.  we're going to paris!  after much hemming and hawing over which website to use and which 'deal' was the best and which hotel to stay at...i finally just pulled the trigger and booked.  yippee!!  now the fun of thinking up all of the things to do once we're there can begin instead of wondering how we'll get there!

i can be patient until june, right?!

christmas 2010.

we're not little kids any more...(which is really too bad, because look at how unbearably COOL we were)

circa 17 years ago?

but some things never change...like the inexplicable need to take pictures in front of the fire place on christmas.

2003

2010

as we all have grown, moved out and gotten even COOLER (as if that's possible), christmas at my parents has been tweaked.  in fact there's probably more new than old these days...

*kara cooked the christmas eve eve dinner, so tasty...and old navy christmas pj's made a debut (new tradition?!)
*there's a gift swap which really should be renamed the "wrap the most ridiculous thing you can find at homegoods" swap...for example, this lovely owl.  can you believe no one was fighting for the rights to take this baby home?!

*the cut-your-own christmas tree goes outside...because with all the darn people there just isn't enough room to have one inside!

*the more the merrier.  this year we maxed out at 27...which meant the family room turned into the dinning room and rental chairs and tables were brought in/constructed to fit everyone in one place:

*singing and dancing will ensue by the end of the evening while everyone is lending a hand with the cleanup.  this used to be somewhat civilized christmas music...those that played an instrument would accompany my dad...the rest would sing off key...people would try to remember what day of christmas they were when it came to their turn, the usual hallmark family movie type gathering...

and now it's turned into pure insanity and it is probably one of the most entertaining nights of the year...and results in the most embarrassing photos and videos imaginable. video which i might save for a random post since i can't get up the guts to share them with the world yet!

*i'll probably be in your face with a camera...this year i borrowed a 35mm from BorrowLenses.com (awesome service) and made everyone stand out in the freezing cold for some family photos.  a space heater is a definite must if this is going to happen again!

even with all of the new items on the agenda there are some traditions that keep coming back for more...

*destiny's child christmas cd on kara's 10 year old hand-me-down stereo is the only way to get ready in the morning.

*my mom runs the show.  big lar will get most of the compliments, but we all know she's the mastermind behind it all.

*the menu will NOT be the same as last year...or even 2 years ago, reference 20 years of index cards if you'd like to know when the last time this entree was served :).

*breakfast will consist of a deliciously sweet meal, paired with fruit to give the guise that anything that we ingest on christmas could possibly be healthy...DOUBLE chocolate williams-sonoma croissants for 2010

*there will be a whole lotta wine...first year that it wasn't all spilled on the table i think!

*and of course it's ALL about family...so click here to see more of the whole Christmas crew!

the candy event of 2010: calamity in the kitchen

Honey Hazelnut Torrone...you are the bane of my existence...

of course there's gotta be one thing that just makes you want to throw in the towel with any project.  this year it was the stinkin' torrone.  it was seriously a candy catastrophe, i almost had a melt down.

i love torrone, it's not something we get every year, but every once in a while my dad would pick it up from federal hill and i think we were the only two who would eat any of it.  so i found two different recipes on marthastewart.com (here and here) and decided i was going to make a honey hazelnut torrone because that sounded far more delicious than lemon or pistachio!!

if you ever go into a store and think...hmm, maybe i'll save some money, since i'm buying 5 lbs (aka $4000 worth) of hazelnuts...why don't i buy those unskinned ones over there in the bulk food section.

STOP. 

that is WRONG.  

NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EEEEVVVVERRRR (and yes i typed all of those, didn't even copy and paste it was that important)

EVER

buy unskinned hazelnuts if you have the option to buy them all pretty and cleaned.

ever.

i don't care if it's double the price, if you really want to use them in the recipe it's worth the cost.

tried toasting them...didn't work so well...

tried the baking soda in boiling water on another batch...that turned into a horrendous mess...

i truly don't know why i didn't just call it quits and buy new ones, but i was determined to get the skin off those damn things...but it took way too long and turned everything around me a gross brownish pink color.

so say it with me...NEVER buy unskinned hazelnuts!

and it continued to go downhill from there.

the torrone itself was a MESS.  so so sticky i thought my hands were going to be lost forever in the sticky goop that was the candy batter (that's the best word to describe it).  the first batch dried out eventually but the second batch, which tasted better, never dried out.  even now, like 2 weeks later...and even after trying EVERYTHING...freezing, cornstarch, dipping in chocolate, frying...you name it...it never got past it's 'i'm going to pretend to be a solid for 12 seconds but if you touch me i will immediately turn into an obnoxious sticky liquid' stage.  frustrating and wasteful. oy.

but sadly enough, i really want to try to make it again.

probably a different recipe though.

and definitely before christmas!

i wanted to take a picture when it was in it's sticky gooy form...but was too afraid to ruin my camera...that stuff was EVERYWHERE!  AAHH!!

the candy event of 2010

as i mentioned before, i had this great idea to make candy for the masses this year.  i may have gone slightly overboard, but it all of the hard work and burned hands turned out to be a success (for the most part).

nothing better than a pot of boiling sugar on the stove first thing in the morning....and nothing worse than waiting for it to get to hard crack stage, turning away for a second only to burn it and need to start over!  do this about 20 times and you're starting to get an idea of what this entails...

don't touch the toffee!!  candy making is definitely a game of patience.  which is why it's best to have some candy on hand for eating during the process..

luckily i suckered mz into helping...he claims to enjoy it but i think he was just happy when the whole mess was finally over!

gingerbread caramels...need to work on the consistency between batches, but luckily they all tasted scrumptious!

winter bark...before and after (awaiting peanuts or candy cane!)

last year i think we had 4 or 5 candy types, this year we did some swapping and added a little variety and ended up with very stuffed boxes!  planned for 16 large boxes and easily could've filled 20...who wants to be on the list for 2011? :)

it's all martha all the time when it comes to candy...including the great boxes that are available at michaels (new patterns and stickers each year!)

it's always the little things that make the big impact...like printing out a nice little candy guide for each box!

check out the recipes for yourself:

Fleur de sel Toffee - 4 batches

Winter Bark - 4 batches (i do half of my batches with peanuts and the other half with crushed candy canes and just sprinkle them on top for better presentation than mixing them in the chocolate)

Neapolitan Coconut Strips - 2 batches (new this year, definitely will be back next year!)

Chocolate Fudge - 3 batches

Gingerbread Caramels - 2 batches

Honey Hazelnut Torrone - 2 batches (tried two different recipes)

...more on that in the next post!

bonjour 2011!

hello 2011,

nice to meet you.

before we have a chance to get off on the wrong foot, let's set some ground rules...

for starters, i would like to go to paris.  it's been 5 years since the last trip and that is just way too long in my book.  i promise i'll come back, even though i know i'm going to want to stay forever, but i pinky swear...please?!  i'm thinking april or may, so how about you make the weather nice and the airfare cheap.

really the list could stop there, but humor me...

there should be lots of bikram yoga.  and maybe even a 30 day challenge...but i'm not going to let it get in the way of living, it will only be allowed to destressify my life, not add to it.  got it?

possibly another triathlon can fit into the mix...amica 19.7 in september in newport sounds nice, with the snazzy new course map so the ocean doesn't swallow me whole...but it won't be allowed to be a burden, just a fun goal that gets me fit and gets my bike out of the garage...and gets that wetsuit off the hanger finally!

and now on to the less calendarable (but definitely not less important) items...

more time will need to be spent with family and friends...and this time around let's focus on not just being near them, but truly spending WITH them.  and enjoy them.  easy enough right?

the dinner table is to be used at least once a month.  sounds simple, but you're underestimating my ability to act like a grown up once the fire's blazing, my sweats are on and the couch/tv are looking so enticing.

if you can't find me being lazy in my house it's because i'll be out exploring and finding new adventures...something as easy as wandering the streets of philly...getting to know it like i actually live nearby and not just always as a tourist stopping in to visit a restaurant or shop.  cam will most likely be in hand because i want to far exceed my picture count from last year with quality photos...who knows, they might even make it to the printer this time around.  oh and the greece photo book is a must on the agenda.

hmm, let's see...what else do you need to know before you throw a whole world of surprises at me over the next 12 months...

i'd like to do a lot more cooking and baking...and maybe some more of that cooking in enormous quantities and then stocking the freezer stuff.  and eating at more fabulous restaurants.  so if you could send a note to the dryer to ensure that my pants don't suddenly start 'shrinking' it would be greatly appreciated.

don't get frustrated by the beads that will most likely be spilling all over the place from time to time, i hope to drum up some more business and take that venture a little more seriously.  as long as it remains a point of pleasure and doesn't become like real work.

if you could make the bridgeport churches that are within walking distance a little less horrendous i will try even harder to make the effort to put my faith first...or i will at least remember that church is not really a convenience thing and drive over to villanova...fiiiiine, you're right i'll work on that one myself.

let's make sure there's more laughing...and more crazy memories...and more making up random words as exhibited above...and more reading, probably some concerts...ya know, the stuff that made 2010 fun (don't get jealous, you have so much potential).  and less stress, that was pretty sucktastic.  and more appreciation for the little things and less caring about the stupid stuff.

okay, ready? go!!

xo,

L

ps...more blogging too. duh.

hasta la vista 2010!

i've been on vacation since for the past 10 days and it's been glorious!  but it also means i've let the 'i have nothing to do so i'm perfecting the art of laziness' mode take over in the past few days....which is why this post was meant to be posted last night but instead is coming to you bright and early this morning.  nothing like starting the year off with a little procrastination.

i'm not one to make a list of resolutions, so i don't have anything to go back to from 1/1/2010 and check off.  which is too bad, i love making lists and i love checking things off.  but after flipping through exactly 3,000 pictures in my iPhoto library and reflecting on all of the great times from 2010, i wouldn't say that it was necessarily the best year ever or that it was a bad year but say that it was a year full of accomplishments and challenges and fun adventures!

2010 started out with a fantastic family trip to Park City, Utah.  It was a surprise Christmas present from my parents and it was the first big family vacation we had taken in a while so it was great to spend time with everyone in such a gorgeous setting where we had fun at every turn.  skiing, snowmobiling (and getting run over, ouch), dinner in a viking yurt...it was a trip that great memories are made of!

there were trips to Rhode Island, New Jersey and Massachusetts to visit family.  snowstorms and blizzards to drive through.  countless outings in PA.  an action packed weekend in NYC.  and a much needed week of relaxation in New Hampshire.

i did things i never thought i'd do and things i always wanted to do but never got around to...

like training for and competing in not one, but TWO, sprint triathlons...

running a 5k...

making jewelry for 2 weddings...

being a spectator at the manayunk bike race (after hearing about it for 10 years!)...

experiencing the strawberry festival at peddler's village...

actually celebrating st. patrick's day in a bar...

watched the stotesbury regatta and remembered why i quit crew...

rode some crazy rollercoasters...

started this crazy blog.

my baby sister graduated from college...

 and my cousin welcomed this precious little baby boy to our family...

the one thing that made 2010 different than the past few years is that i made a conscious effort to get out and DO things instead of sitting around waiting for something to happen.  i think we were busier than ever but didn't feel tied down with excessive commitments to the point that it wasn't enjoyable.  

aside from the vacations, the weekends for most of March through September were filled with music - some great, others just eh, but it was something to do...and cheap for the most part too!  buying the 92.5xtu (local country station) megaticket was a great way to ensure there was an option to breakup the weekend tri training schedule or boredom.  

got to see my girl taylor swift on my birthday, to start the year of music off right,

and then saw all of these acts:

*kelly pickler

*mat kearney

*ingrid michaelson

*sugarland

*jake owen

*montgomery gentry

*jamey johnson

*brad paisley

*darius rucker

*frightened rabbit

*brooks & dunn

*gary allen

*toby keith

*trace adkins

*zac brown band

*dave matthews band

and just wrapped up the year with this last concert (more to come in another post):

*dashboard confessional!

plus mz and i ate our hearts out...

if there was a restaurant we wanted to try, we just went.

why put it off?  make a reservation and GO was the mentality and it made my stomach SO happy...pants, not so much.  the list is shorter than i originally thought, but the food was so overwhelmingly amazing that i think i'm still full from a few of these.  

definitely need to do more of this in 2011!

*amis

*osteria

*vetri

*amada

*savona

*el rey

*el vez

*toro

*zahav

*top of the hub

  i love being busy but recently realized the need to appreciate and accept the quiet downtime too....so i'm working on it, with the help of Bikram Yoga of course.  lots and lots of yoga in the past few months and it really has made a world of difference mentally and physically.

but there's always room for improvement...

so i'm going to work on refining my goals and hopes for 2011 while eating some panettone french toast and watching eat pray love.  check back this afternoon or tomorrow!

have a wonderful January 1, 2011...it's the only one you're going to get, so what are you doing with your day?!