sweeter salt

Those of you that follow me on twitter may have heard about my bike accident last week. Though I have a pair of broken elbows and a skinned knee, it could have definitely been worse. Thank goodness for helmets! But… let’s start from the beginning.

Wednesday afternoon I headed home from work on my bike. I had all my stuff in my backpack, but I tossed my lock in my basket. I’ve done this plenty of times before, so I thought nothing of it. As I made my way down a hill I noticed my lock bouncing out of the basket. The next thing I knew I was on the ground. Basically the lock fell out of the basket and tangled in my front wheel, making it screech to a stop, tossing me over the handle bars. I landed on my hands, but banged my head on the ground.

As I picked myself up, I noticed a fire truck behind me and two teenage girls dragging my bike to the sidewalk. Those girls were so nice! Three firefighters popped out of the truck and immediately made sure I was ok and bandaged my bleeding knee. They even fixed up my bike. I’m so thankful they were there. I noticed that my forearms hurt, but I figured they were just sprained. I told the firefighters I was fine and dragged my bike back to work (I wasn’t far) and got a ride home from a co-worker. As time passed my arms hurt more and more, so I called Ross and had him take me to an urgent care facility.

We got to the hospital and had to wait to be seen. At this point my arms KILLED. Still I was convinced they weren’t broken; they couldn’t be! Finally I was taken in and given some x-rays. Oh my, twisting my arms around was super painful. We waited a while for results and I was eventually told both my elbows were fractured.

WHAT??????

The ER doctor put temporary splints on my arms (which were basically casts) until I could be seen by an orthopedist. She told me I would most likely have casts on both arms for a month. All I could do was cry. A month with double casts? I wouldn’t be able to feed myself, bathe, or even be able to go the bathroom by myself. I was so upset, but thankfully I had Ross by my side.

The next day I saw an orthopedist and got the best news – I didn’t need casts or splints! Just some rest and slings when I was up. Apparently the location of the breaks and the severity weren’t bad enough to require immobilization. Oh man, I can’t remember the last time I was that happy. Now, five days later I’m doing really well. They’re still sore but I can do a lot of things by myself. I go back to the orthopedist on Thursday for more x-rays and I’m really hoping they’re healing.

So here’s the takeaway kids:

WEAR YOUR BIKE HELMET!!! Each and every single time you ride a bike. I don’t care if your hair looks cute – not an excuse. If I hadn’t been wearing mine I could have had brain damage. Seriously.

So, promise me you will? I see you all, biking around town, sans-helmet. You look adorable, really. But, you know what’s not adorable? Your brain smashed on the road.

Do it, please.

Oh, and don’t have loose stuff hanging around. Secure your lock, don’t wear loose clothing, tie your shoes, etc. This all could have been avoided if I put my lock in my backpack.

Learn from me, a sad pitiful cripple, please!

My new backyard is next to a wooded walking area, which means we have a bit of a forest view. Though we’re only 2.5 miles from downtown Portland, it almost feels like we’re in some strange suburbany forest world. This is by far the most “country” place I have ever lived. We even saw a deer the other night (I almost lost my mind) and found a little deer poo in our backyard (Franklin ate it). I’m not sure how I feel about this; so much nature!

Anywho, I wore this outfit on Saturday night out to dinner with Ross. Before leaving, I decided to pose with all my trees. Judging from these photos I hadn’t yet adjusted my skirt – whoa there mini! I hope I pulled it down before leaving…

Black skirt: American Apparel
Blue top: some random store in Quebec City
Mustard cardigan: Forever21 (via SWAPmaine – it’s coming back!)
Flats: Zara
Necklace: vintage
Bracelet: vintage
Watch: Michael Kors

Last but not least, here is a dark, blurry photo of me jumping maniacally off a boulder.

Can you tell these photos were taken a few weeks ago? There’s snow on the dang ground! The last week or so has been filled with spectacular weather, even reaching into the 80′s. This DOES NOT HAPPEN in New England in March… ever. Global warming? I don’t know, but for the moment, I’ll take it. Bike rides and long walks with Franklin have been delightful. We’ve even been making good use of our porch; nothing like sitting outside after work.

Red dress (worn as a skirt): Calvin Klein
Sweater: J.Crew
Button up: vintage, thrift
Booties: Audrey Brooke (via DSW)

I just wish, hope, and pray we don’t see a return of, gulp, snow. Shudder. Even looking at these photos makes me nervous.

Oh, and here’s my glitter nail – just for fun. Happy weekend! I hope you have some nice weather.

We ate this meal on February 28, 2012. How do I say that with such certainty? Well, it was National Pancake Day! Woops, I’m a little late in getting around to posting it. Anyways, though this dish was consumed on a fake holiday related to pancakes, you need not wait until next year to make it.

This is actually a combination of two recipes I found on pinterest: Savory Ricotta Pancakes with Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce from Poor Girl Gourmet and Brussel Sprout Hash from Cook + Smarts. I loved the idea of savory pancakes (and I happened to have some ricotta on hand) and I am obsessed with roasted brussel sprouts, but had yet to try them thinly slice and sauteed. Well, my friends this was a winning combination. The bacony sprouts and egg act as your salty “syrup” of sorts for the light and fluffy pancakes. Yum. I felt like a bit of a short order cook, flipping pancakes and tossing hash on my griddle pan, but it was worth it. Totally yummy and unexpected.

Don’t wait until next February for a fake holiday created by IHOP, get to it now!

* the white cooked over the yolk – grr! I never do that.

Savory Ricotta Pancakes with Brussel Sprout Hash
*serves two
*based on these two recipes

Ingredients

Pancakes
1/2 plus 2 tablespoons cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/2 cup ricotta (I used low fat)
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
cooking spray

Brussel Sprouts
1 tsp. olive oil
about 3/4 pound of brussel sprouts (I used about 15 medium)
2 strips of bacon, cut into 1/4″ pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs

1.) Prep the pancake batter. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, parmesan, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, mix the milk, ricotta, and egg until they are well blended. Set aside.

2.) Prep your brussel sprouts by peeling off the outer layers and cutting off the base. Slice them in half lengthwise, then thinly slice into a chiffonade. The slices should be 1/8″ or thinner. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

3.) You’ll need a large cooking surface, so I used an electric griddle. You can also use a large pan. Heat the pan to medium and spray with cooking spray. Ladle 1/4-1/3 cup portions of the batter onto the pan and cook for a couple minutes, until bubbles form along the edges. Repeat until batter is gone. Flip and cook for a couple more minutes. Transfer to a 250*F oven to stay warm while you prepare everything else.

4.) Cook the bacon on the griddle for 3-4 minutes, until some fat is rendered and it is crisping. My bacon was especially fatty, so I used a paper towel to sop some of it up.

5.) Move the bacon to the side and crack your eggs. Top with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook until the white is set, but the yolk is still runny.

6.) Meanwhile, add your brussel sprouts to the bacon and saute 3-4 minutes, until wilted and edges are browned.

7.) Remove the pancakes from the oven and top with the hash and egg. Break the yolk as a sauce.

I bought this purple blouse last spring on an expedition to Savers in Portsmouth, NH. I picked it up know it wasn’t quite my style: very 80′s. It had a turtleneck (buttoned up in the back) and huge shoulder pads. However, there was something that drew me to it. Cut to one year later, and I still hadn’t worn it. Suddenly, I thought to myself whilst playing dress up in my room (does anyone else do that? experiment with clothes for an hour at a time?), Wear it backwards and unbuttoned! Cut out the shoulder pads!

This is how that realization made me feel.

Purple blouse: vintage
Black pants: Gap
Gray tank: J.Crew
Black heels: 9 West (bought these as my “sensible pumps” when I was 22 and got my first real job, still wear them occasionally!)
Gold tone necklace: vintage
Watch: Michael Kors

Have you ever worn a piece of clothing backwards? You should, it’s fun. Plus, I got loads of compliments on it.

Funny story, as I was pulling the shirt from my clothing rack I noticed that the name brand is “Nicola.” I looked at the purple shirt next to it, and realized it was the exact same brand and color, but purchased at separate thrift stores on different days. Here is that other purple shirt. Totally random, but I guess Nicola was pumping out a lot of royal purple blouses in the 80′s.

A few weeks ago I saw a link on pinterest with delicious looking ideas for four kinds of bruschetta. Obviously, I pinned it (duh, what don’t I pin). Sadly I can’t tell where it originally came from. Anyone have any ideas?

In any case, we had a few people over last weekend so I wanted to whip up a few easy appetizers. The roasted grape and ricotta one stuck with me, so I decided to give it a go. Roasted grapes? Who knew! I’ll roast just about anything, so I was game. As it turns out, roasted grapes are delicious. The baking softens them a bit, concentrates their flavor and makes them super juicy. Balanced with the creamy ricotta, crunchy baguette and herbaceous thyme, this was a winning combination. I would be willing to bet it would be delicious with blue cheese, brie or any number of soft cheeses as well.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a little tomato, basil and mozarella, but this definitely livens up a classic appetizer.

Bruschetta with Ricotta and Roasted Grapes

Ingredients
1 fresh baguette (preferably from a good bakery)

cooking spray (or olive oil)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups of red seedless grapes
1 cup of ricotta cheese (I used low fat)
1/4 tsp. sea salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 tsp. black pepper (plus more for topping)
1/2 tsp. thyme (I used dry, fresh would be great)

1.) Preheat the oven to 450*F. Combine the grapes with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, until they’ve reduced a bit and their juices are running. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2.) Slice the baguette into 1/2″ pieces. I cut vertically, to make them smaller, but if you wanted larger ones you could cut horizontally. Arrange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Top each with a spritz of cooking spray or a brush of olive oil, flip them over and do the same to the other side. Broil for a couple minutes each side (keep a careful eye on them). Set aside and cool to room temperature.

3.) In a small mixing bowl combine the ricotta cheese with the thyme. Depending on the brand you use, you may want to add a sprinkle of salt as well (I did). Top each bruschetta with a spoonful of ricotta (about 1 tablespoon or so). Then top with 2-3 grapes (I wound up using three for most of them). Finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

These are my first outfit shots from my new house! We’ve been moved in for a few weeks now and the place is really starting to feel like home, especially after a few coats of paint. I’ll post some photos once we’re a little better settled, but so far so good. Speaking of paint, it looks like the back porch could use a coat or two – like the random un-painted boards? Nice. We’ll work on that.

Jeans: Madewell
Oatmeal sweater: Urban Outfitters
Green leather jacket: L.L. Bean Signature
Waxed canvas bean boots: L.L. Bean Signature
Black scarf: Urban Outfitters

I found these Bean boots at the outlet the other weekend and I’m obsessed. I had some gift cards, so I put them to good use. I also picked up the sweater and scarf recently, last weekend there was a major sale at Urban Outfitters so I couldn’t help it. So soft! So nubbly!

I do have to say, these boots are a serious pain to get on (they’re totally laced) . Though they’re difficult, I think they’re worth it.

Sunglasses: Betsey Johnson

Do you have any items of clothing that are annoying to put on, but you wear them anyway? I have to say, I have never taken so long to put on a pair of shoes before!