Sunday Roast Club - Meeting #4

I may or may not catch this blog up on the past three years at some point, but for now I am just diving back in!

A good friend of mine and I have started a new tradition (or are trying to, anyway!) - Sunday Roast Club.  When I'm in London, we go out on Sundays and have a roast dinner at a different pub.  Sometimes we pre-pick the pub and other times we pick one randomly while we are out and about.

Meeting #4 of the Sunday Roast Club was at The Prince Edward pub in Notting Hill (near Notting Hill maybe?  I am still not totally down with the London neighborhoods).  This is a really nice pub inside - will try to remember to talk pictures of the outside and inside of the pub going forward.

I got the beef roast, like always. The beef was nice and tender - the slices were a bit thinner than other roasts and not as good of a crust on the beef, but it was still tasty.  The potatoes were really good - nice and crispy, although I stole traded a potato from my friend, as his were much crispier!  One thing I really liked about this roast that they served it with cheesy cauliflower - I haven't come across that yet with a Sunday roast, so really enjoyed that.  The Yorkshire pudding was also very good - not too eggy tasting, and a very good size!  Overall, a really good roast in a nice pub.  I would definitely recommend it.

And for the curious, this is the chicken roast.  Look at that cauliflower, YUM!

Travel: What to Wear

I thought I'd do a post about what I wear during travel - not because anyone asked or anything, but just because I've settled into a pretty good groove lately.  It's taken a lot of trial and error, but I've finally figured out what works for me.  I primarily fly on longer distance flights - most of my flights average 3 or 5 hours (some as long as 6.5), so here are some things I definitely do NOT wear when flying:

• Jeans - I used to wear jeans a lot when flying, because they were casual, a good weight (helps with the cold air on planes), and wearing them meant they didn't take up space in my suitcase.  However, after several cross-country flights and leaving the plane feeling like a bloated, stuffed sausage, I stopped wearing jeans on planes.
• Boots - I wore a pair of boots on a plane once -- from Boston to London.  By the time we landed, my feet were so swollen that the boots were pinching them like crazy.  Never again!

Now, if I were flying a short distance (say, 2 hours or less), I might consider wearing jeans and/or boots, but for the flights I normally take, they are definitely a no-no.

After a little bit of trial and error, but I have found my favorite type of pants to travel in - a soft, jersey/knit pant in a loose fit.  Right now I have been wearing these J.Crew ones (Dreamy Cotton Pant).  I like them because they are not constricting, they've got a nice wide, soft waistband, and they are long (I don't like travelling in short bottoms because my legs get really cold).

The next thing that is a "must" for me when travelling is a wireless bra.  I love the Victoria's Secret PINK lace bralettes.  They are supportive but soft and non restricting - perfect for long flights, especially if you're sleeping.  Generally any breathable and soft (are you sensing a trend?) wireless bra is good for me.

For a top, I usually wear a long tank.  I don't usually like to travel in sleeved tops, especially not long sleeve shirts.  I really like the J.Crew favorite tanks - they are nice and long, so you don't have to worry about them riding up in the back (something I worry about all the time), and they don't have sideseams, which is always nice (one less thing to rub up against you and irritate you during the flight).  I've had mine for years and they hold up great, too.

I also almost always wear a hoodie when I travel.  I usually go with a zip-up hoodie so that it's easier to take off if needed (going through TSA, if the plane is surprisingly warm).  I always pick a hoodie with kangaroo pockets (for holding plane tickets, my iPod, etc.) and a generously sized hood (for putting over my eyes to help block out any little lights on the plane if I'm trying to sleep).  The PINK Perfect Zip Hoodie is my favorite.  I usually size up to have a nice, loose fit.

Lastly, for footwear, I have been wearing these casual, no-lace sneakers from Old Navy.  They don't have a ton of support, but they are loose so they accommodate any foot swelling that occurs.  No laces makes them a really good choice for going through security, and they're plain enough that they "go" with anything really (depending on what color you get them in I suppose).  I also usually wear socks (crew socks) - I've tried the ones that just go around your toes and your heel and athletic ones as well, but because they don't really cover my ankles, my feet are always cold.

OOTD: Little Chicks

I was in Chicago visiting my cousin a couple of weekends ago, which is always a fun time.  We went shopping in her old neighborhood and popped into this one store just to take a look around.  She had told me the sales girls were really aggressive there (they were), and we didn't find much, but on the way out, I saw this skirt styled on a mannequin with a super cute outfit.

I was immediately drawn to it because of the little birds - of course!  My cousin said they were little chicks (similar to my Twitter name). :)  I was going to wear this skirt last week, but didn't want to "waste" the outfit on the half day at work, so I saved it for this week.

I paired it with a simple black tee (great find at Target - a nice thick, stretchy, soft knit) and these mint pumps that I just got.  The pumps are a darker than they appear in the picture.

Here's a close up of the print.  I love the little birds!

And here's the outfit on me.  I added a black cardigan because it gets a little chilly in the office.

OOTD: When life gives you lemons...

I always struggle to name OOTD posts.  I feel like they are expected to be somewhat clever and informative, but nothing so boring like "Yellow and grey striped sweater with blue pants".  At least today I have a reason behind the title.

See these pants?  These creamy, light blue pants?  Guess what color they were online?  Lavender.  Lilac.  Whatever.

NOT BLUE.

I loved the color online - a nice, light purple.  So imagine my surprise when they showed up and they are blue.  Because these are definitely blue.  I looked at them in fluorescent and natural light, at my apartment and in hotels, in the morning and in the evening.  And they are always blue.

I thought about returning them.  Were they too '70s?  What would I wear with them?  But in the end, laziness won out and then I stumbled across this sweater in my closet, which I haven't worn in a long time.  It's a long, very thin cardigan that I don't wear often because it's rather delicate and I usually push up my sleeves and that would make the sleeves stretch out.

And imagine how the lightbulb went off in my head when I realized that the grey in the sweater was a very good match to the blue in the pants.  I wore a basic black V-neck underneath, and there we go.  The pants are a keeper!

Food: Mushroom & Carrot Soup

During our first trip to Poland, we spent a few days in Przemysl, where MK had lived during junior high.  We stayed with his old math teacher, the math teacher's wife, and I believe the math teacher's wife's mother.  For dinner one night, we had the most delicious soup.

A light broth with the thinnest browned mushrooms, small carrot slices, and thin noodles.

So simple, and yet so difficult to recreate.  Of course, being from the old Polish (heck, Old World) mold, the women were confounded when I asked for a recipe after we'd made it back to the States.  A recipe?  Well, they could try, but...

...which is a similar response when I ask for any recipe from any Polish person, in my opinion.  MK's mother, MK's grandmother - always the same response.  Even for something like a cake or bread, which here in the States we spend so much time carefully measuring and prepping - they just eyeball everything and it comes out just fine.

The main star of this dish is, of course, the mushrooms.  In this case, two pounds of baby bella/crimini mushrooms.

That's right.  Two pounds.

The bulk of the prep goes into slicing the mushrooms, very thinly.  Do not wuss out and buy those pre-sliced mushrooms from the produce, as oh-so-tempting as it may be.  They are too thick to really be good in this recipe.  Even many of the mushrooms in the picture above are sliced too thickly, but after 20 solid minutes of slicing so many mushrooms, I got a little lazy.

But trust me.  Thin slices!

Every great recipe starts with butter.  (True statement.)

I melted an entire stick.

Add the mushrooms.  And salt them - generously.  Add some salt, and then add some more.  If you think you've added too much, then you've probably added enough.  (I use Kosher salt for this.)

From here, you just let the butter, heat, and salt work their magic.  Cook the mushrooms until they have shrunk in size and all of the liquid has evaporated.  I reduce them by starting on medium heat and then slowly turning it up to medium-high/high.  The whole process can take about 10-15 minutes.

Make sure you stir the mushrooms occasionally.

In the end, what you want is nicely browned mushrooms (be careful not to overcook them and burn them!), with a nice fond (little brown bits) all over the bottom of the pan.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan and return the pan to the burner.

Add in the following: 2 cartons (32 oz. each) of chicken stock and 8 cups of water plus about 10 tsps of chicken granules (or equivalent bouillon cubes).  Feel free to substitute whatever combination you want, but for this recipe/amount of mushrooms, you'll want 16 cups of chicken stock/broth.  I personally like stock/broth made from chicken bouillon, so to each her own.

Once the broth is in the pot, peel and slice three carrots into matchsticks.

Add the carrots to the pot and let cook for about 3-5 minutes.  Next, add your choice of noodles.  Some stores sell short, thin noodles (think broken up spaghetti) in a package, but I couldn't find any.  My preference is to use Lubella pasta (Polish brand), but we went with whole wheat spaghetti and I just broke it up myself.  Add the pasta to the pot and then let cook per the amount specified on the package.  In the last 3 minutes of cooking time, add the mushrooms to warm them back up.  Then sit back and enjoy!

Mushroom & Carrot Soup

Ingredients

2 lbs button mushrooms (exotic mushrooms not recommended), sliced very thinly

1 stick unsalted butter

16 cups chicken stock/broth, any combination

3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1/2 lb thin spaghetti, broken into short pieces

Kosher salt

Chives, if desired (as garnish)

Steps

1.  Slice mushrooms thinly and set aside.

2.  Over medium heat, melt 1 stick of butter in a large pot.

3.  Add mushrooms and salt liberally.

4.  Reduce mushrooms down until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are turning a golden brown color.  Remove mushrooms from pot.

5.  Return pot to heat and add in 16 cups chicken stock/broth.  Heat over medium-high heat.

6.  Add matchstick carrots to pot and let cook for 3-5 minutes.

7.  Add spaghetti to pot and cook per package instructions.

8.  When there is 3 minutes left until the spaghetti is done, add in mushrooms.

Food: Cheesy Bacon Israeli Couscous

Israeli couscous may be one of my favorite foods. I'm not entirely sure why - maybe it's the tiny round shape, or maybe it's the chewy al dente-ness, or maybe it's the fact that it's technically pasta, which is definitely one of my favorite foods (which I suppose was bound to happen with a half Italian family).  It's super quick to make and since it's really just little balls of pasta, you can get as creative as you want with it. 

I always like to start by toasting it in a dry skillet, over medium to medium-high heat, stirring frequently.  It toasts up pretty quickly, so keep an eye on it!

Once it starts getting nice and golden brown, it's time to add in the liquid.  You can use water (just like making pasta), but I like to use chicken or beef broth.  I imagine any liquid will do, really.  Vegetable broth, mushroom broth...you get the picture.  On this particular day, I used chicken broth, primarily because I grabbed the wrong container out of the refrigerator.  You want to cover the couscous with broth, and then I usually add a little more for good measure.

Cover the toasted couscous with stock/broth

From here, you just let the couscous cook until the liquid has evaporated.  Definitely keep a close eye on the couscous as it cooks, because once the broth has gone, it can start sticking to the pan.  If it does stick to the pan, just add a little more broth and stir until the couscous loosens from the pan and the broth has evaporated again.

 Off the heat, stir in your "extras". I usually add Parmesan cheese to my Israeli couscous (mmm, pasta with cheese), and we had some bacon leftover from breakfast, and I was itching to use up the chives I'd bought for another recipe. That's what I love about couscous - you can use it as a blank slate to use up whatever you have on hand.



Currently Loving: "Next to Me" by Emeli Sande

I'm always behind the (musical) times - I've just discovered this song this week and I can't stop listening to it.  The lyrics, the melody, and that great beat underneath it all.  It's been added to all my playlists!

Home: Soft Blankets and French Baguettes

We use candles in the main living area of our apartment (kitchen/living room/dining room) and these are the two we're burning right now.  The French Baguette one is by White Barn Candle company.  I'm still on the fence as to whether it smells like a french baguette or not.  The Soft Blanket one is by Yankee Candle (as you can see :)), and has a super cute picture of a teddy bear with a (presumably) soft blanket!  We really like this one.  It's sweet but not grossly so, as so many candles can be.  Just a nice pleasant aroma - but it is not a laundry or "fresh cotton" type of smell either.  They are both hard to describe what exactly they smell like, but I definitely recommend them!  The Yankee Candle ones are a bit pricey, so we waited until there was a sale and picked up a few.

Workout gear: GapFit

I've been shopping at the Gap again a lot lately, and during one online browsing session, I spotted this workout top from GapFit.  I'd been looking for a new tee for running.  I have been wearing Under Armour tees for a long time, but I have recently switched back to wearing capri-length/leggings for running and the Under Armour tees were a little short for my liking, so I started looking around for some other options.

For awhile I tried a men's V-neck undershirt, which was okay, but men's undershirts are definitely not cut for a woman with hips!  So this top seemed to fit the bill - it looked long enough, and it had "drapey" in the name, so I figured it would not be too tight either.

GapFit Drapey Scoop Top

I ordered it in the neon mint green, which is a bit brighter than it is in the picture, but not glaringly so.  It is very soft and very drapey.  It has some seaming on the front/side panels, which I didn't notice in the picture.  I brought it with me on the road this week and I am happy to report that it is a really great workout top.  Very light and it does a great job with the moisture wicking.  I am quite happy with my first GapFit purchase!

The top comes in a couple other colors (neon peach and lilac), which is a nice change from the boring blacks, greys, blues, and pinks that a lot of running gear comes in.  And the top is nice enough looking that you could wear it even when you're not working out.  Remember to keep an eye out for Gap coupons if you're thinking about trying this one out!

Glitter & Gold Eyeliner

I pinned this pretty shimmery eye makeup "tutorial" on Pinterest awhile back, and it called for gold eyeliner.  I bought brown thinking it was basically the same thing (ha!), but it wasn't.  The eye thing didn't really work out anyway, but then a few weeks later I was thinking about the gold eyeliner again, and checked the options on Sephora.  I thought it could be a fun change from boring black, too.

First I found this pencil, which is the Pastel Pop Twinkle Light Eye Pencil.  This is the one I'm currently using.  It's not as thick as I would have liked, but it's still good.  Stays on all day, but I have to go over the same sections to really get the gold to show up.

At the same time, I also purchased this set (the Sephora + Pantone Universe Foiled Waterproof Eyeliner Set) because it had a good mix of colors.  I haven't tried these out in "real life" yet, but they applied much better than the one up above.  I'll be trying a couple of the colors out next week I think.

So I had both of these eyeliners in my possession and then I watched the BBC show Sherlock.  In the episode "A Scandal in Belgravia", the character of Irene Adler wears turquoise glitter eyeshadow with really red lipstick, and I loved the way it looked, so I was immediately back on the Sephora site looking for turquoise eyeliner.

I found this chunkier crayon, the Jumbo Liner 12HR Wear Waterproof eyeliner, that comes in many colors.  I was a little hesitant to buy it online without having seen the colors in person, so last Sunday we had some errands to run (and a gift card to spend!), so we popped into Sephora and I checked it out.  I ended up getting the Peacock Blue Shimmer, Purple Glitter, and the Beige.  These all applied really nicely and were thick and substantial.  Once I've given these a try, I may go back and grab the gold in this one too!

And just to throw one more in the mix - the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in the bright glitter pink is also quite tempting.  Although I still haven't forgiven Urban Decay for exploding liquid foundation all over my suitcase and ruining a new shirt, so we'll see!