currently...

See: Abe and I love the movies...and we've been on a movie watching marathon. I love the previews, he loves the popcorn, he is crushing on Emma Stone and I, Ryan Gosling, so the theaters have a lot going on for us these days. :)
2 recommendations: Moneyball was great..no baseball knowledge needed to appreciate the story, although it helps! And Drive was...intense. I liked the style of it...was different and not your typical action movie. But be warned, it's pretty gory. (In Ryan Gosling's words...like Sixteen Candles...but with head smashing).

Listening to: Drive Soundtrack
It's 80's, it's catchy, different and pretty awesome.

YUM: PB&J at Pinkberry. Sounds gross, but I’ve tasted…and am a believer! The yogurt is made with real peanut butter, then they put a dollop of strawberry jam and top it off with toasted bread crumbs. Excellent with fresh strawberries too!

Touch: The nights are getting cooler over here...not quite ready for the comforter to be pulled out, but a small nap blanket does the trick. I do love the summer, but am excited to bury and burrito myself in blankets when the cold weather hits.

Smell: Fresh laundry is the best. Can I brag about my new laundry detergent? Tide Pure Essentials: White Lilac is great!

move.learn.eat.

These are amazing! I had to re-post after I saw them! (via Cup of J0!)

"3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage...all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food...into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films = a trip of a lifetime."

Yowza. I'll now be researching plane tickets for the next few days. Have a nice weekend!

'french' granola with coconut & chocolate

Recipe courtesy Orangette (This is also a wonderful Paris post--I completely share her sentiments about Chez Hanna!) This goes great with milk or on its own. Consider melting the chocolate with the granola to give you some granola clusters. :)

You'll need:
3 cups rolled oats
½ cup untoasted almond slivers
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup, or more, finely chopped bittersweet chocolate



Preheat the oven to 300°F. Combine & stir the oats, almonds, coconut, sugar, salt, and set aside.


In a small saucepan, heat the honey and oil over low heat, whisking occasionally, until honey is thinned out (watch out for splatter!)



Pour honey mixture over the oats and stir to combine.




Bake on a rimmed baking sheet for 10 minutes. Remove and toss to make sure granola cooks evenly and prevents from burning. Bake for another 10 minutes or until golden. Let cool.

After granola has cooled completely, add chocolate, toss, and enjoy.

{an evening}

garlic potato roast

I am an amateur cook if you haven't noticed. I gravitate towards simple recipes and when I saw this one on Smitten Kitchen, I had to try it. I read through her comments and modified it a bit to give it a little sumthin sumthin (i.e.: garlic). I was actually hesitant to post it because Deb's version looks so amazing... and my unevenly chopped potatoes looked so sad next to hers.

But then I remembered the wise words of my mother who reminded me that no good comes from comparing...and the old adage that the proof is in the pudding! So I will hold my chin up high, call my potatoes 'rustic,' and proudly present you with this recipe. :)

p.s: this pudding proves delicious.

You'll need:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. of small white potatoes (I liked these--the size was perfect and no peeling required)
1-2 Korean sweet potatoes (this is the key ingredient! It blends in with the white potatoes but adds a unexpected "depth of flavor."--(Thank you Padma & Tom for that one)
Garlic...lots of it. I used 1 whole bulb, minced. Jarred crushed garlic works great too (about 3 tablespoons).
S+P (you can be a little heavy handed with the salt)

You can modify the proportions depending on how big of a baking dish you use. The measurements above are for a 8"x8'' baking dish

*Cut the potatoes in thin, even slices. (A mandolin is perfect for this recipe...and will cut your prep time significantly!) Set aside.

*Spread a thin layer of mixture inside and on the sides of your baking pan. Toss potatoes in remaining garlic butter/oil mixture.

*You can also add thin slices of garlic in between your potatoes here. Brush any leftover garlic oil on top and in between potatoes.