Sunday Morning in Linden Hills

Opening your mailbox to find mail that isn't a bill, take-out flyer, or a 100 pound Restoration Hardware catalog is the BEST. It makes you feel special, cared for, and young again (when we knew not of the inter-webs). As much as a Facebook birthday is quantifiably fun (look how many "friends" I have!!) - admit it - it means more when you get a real live card sent by post. 

But finding a card that is worthy of a postage stamp is not the easiest task these days. They tend to be insulting, humorless, and filled with cliches. That's why I pretty much bought out the store when I came across Bald Guy Greetings.

Warning: These greetings may not be the best choice for dear Grammy Rose or crazy Uncle Harry. They can be a bit sardonic and low on sentiment - but they are funny - for the right person. 

It was no surprise that we stumbled upon these LOL-cards in a charming store in a charming section of Minneapolis called Linden Hills, a few blocks away from the charming Lake Harriet.
Honeyshine is a shop where curiosity is required. They carry a range of nifty gifty products ranging from to gem-like balancing blocks to...

 ...mugs that give some sass to the start of your day.

Since you are already in the neighborhood, wander next door to Wild Rumpus - a children's bookstore chock-full of imaginative stories and a menagerie of live animals. There is even a pint sized door for the coming and going of pint sized people.

After making sure you give a pet to Mr. Skeeter (followed by a good slathering of Purell), head a few more doors over to Tilia, the fabulous Chef Steven Brown's take on a neighborhood brasserie.

If it happens to be brunch o'clock, don't miss the smattered hash browns, yogurt creme brûlée, and house made iced chai.

But I promise it won't be easy to pick just one dish.

To walk off the decadence, stroll around the always-classic Lake Harriet, perhaps catching a concert at the bandshell or just staring out at the water, selecting which sailboat you would own.

photos: Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board

A little shopping, a little nature, a lot of food. Day complete.

Marbled

New blog alert!

Marbled

I wish there was a way to be compensated for reading blogs. All the blogs. I love them so...and even more than so when I happen to know the blogger is an A+ human being.

My friend Shazia is the mind and voice behind the new blog Marbled, which focuses on "blending backgrounds, cultures and interests into a family".

Shaz and I became dear friends our freshman year of high school. We had previously been involved in music and theatre together, but it wasn't until a fated 3+ hour laugh-filled phone call that first week of 9th grade that I knew this gal was in my life forever.

Decades (gulp!) later, our paths crossed again, this time amongst the concrete and taxi horns, when Shazia and her husband, Jeff, made the move to the big bad apple for her fellowship. Although we lived on opposite ends of Manhattan, we were able to catch up on bits and pieces of life. One of the most important bits and pieces is their daughter Yazmeen, who I was lucky enough to babysit for a summer.

The blog begins as they depart the skyscrapers of Manhattan for a move to the beaches of Florida, with an extended trip to paradise in between.

Their life is truly a swirl of cultures, careers, talents, backgrounds, and passions.

Follow Shazia, Jeff, and Yazi as they create a well-mixed journey, full of all the flavor, texture, and color that you'd expect from a marbled life.

Stars and Stripes

Happy 4th of July!

What are your plans for today? Beach? Grill? Park? Backyard? Parade? Avoiding Hurricane Arthur? Whatever the details may be, I hope family and friends are involved. The 4th is probably my favorite holiday. I love the food, I love the activity, I love the celebration, and I love the togetherness. Today my family is heading out for an adventure, making route decisions as we go along, having a progressive meal on our road trip, and perhaps flying a kite or two. 

Although I'm all for the fun of a patriotic holiday, I wondered how much I really do know about how our country was established and how it functions. Thanks to the internet, you can test your knowledge of such things by attempting the U.S. Naturalization exam:

U.S. Citizen Worthy?

Did you pass? Good! Now go grab yourself a sparkler and a hot dog and sing You're a Grand Ole Flag.

You're a Grand Old Flag

by George M. Cohan

 

You're a grand old flag,

You're a high flying flag

And forever in peace may you wave.

You're the emblem of

The land I love.

The home of the free and the brave.

Ev'ry heart beats true

'neath the Red, White and Blue,

Where there's never a boast or brag.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

You're a grand old flag,

You're a high flying flag

And forever in peace may you wave.

You're the emblem of

The land I love.

The home of the free and the brave.

Ev'ry heart beats true

'neath the Red, White and Blue,

Where there's never a boast or brag.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

Heartland Table

I'm slightly addicted to cooking shows. I find the sounds of sizzling sautéing butter, wooden spoons rhythmically knocking against porcelain bowls, and sharp knives chopping through veggies very soothing. I'm inspired by the individual mix of craft and creativity, and am always up for the challenge of achieving a similar result in the LuKitchen.

This past year I stumbled upon the debut of Heartland Table, hosted by James Beard Award winner Amy Thielen. Amy grew up observing, consuming, and producing cuisine that was rooted in the hearty, familial, and quirky culture of Minnesota. After polishing those inherent culinary skills in some of the finest New York City establishments (specifically Bouley, Boulud, Vongerichten, and Gallante), she returned with her husband and son to homestead in a rural Northern Minnesota town only 20 miles from where they grew up. Oh, and she also had a few stints performing on a certain Eagan stage...

To me, the show is a mix of The Pioneer Women and The Barefoot Contessa with more warmth, rustic qualities, and winter. I mean, any chef that notes a recipe should have "the texture of a snow drift" and uses the phrase "namby pamby" on television is alright by me.

Did I mention I am also a fan of her bangs and outfits?

But cap sleeves and peasant blouses aside, let's focus on the most vital aspects - the food. The glorious food!

Don't worry - it's not hot dishes and jello molds. Although I'm sure if it was, the spread would be DELICIOUS.

Her recipes on the top of my to do list include:

Maple Bread with Soft Cheese

Cast Iron Carrots with Curry

Best-Ever Beer Cheese Soup

Blueberry-Lemon Pie

Or how about some Horseradish Ice Cubes to melt into your spicy Bloody Mary?

I don't know about you, but I'm hungry.

Until Season 3 premiers, I'll have to keep my heartland tastebuds satisfied by utilizing her cookbook, The New Midwestern Table. This is a must for your cookbook collection.

The New Midwestern Table: 200 Heartland Recipes

See? Another cute shirt.

July Sponsors

It's July 1st! And besides a pinch and a punch for the first of the month, you also get your top-of-the-month dose of animal cuteness. Here is July's round-up:

Baby elephants taking a bath:

What's more aw-worthy than a collection of ragtag dogs? A collection of wet rag-tag dogs!

http://sophiegamand.com/wet-dog/

This slow loris doesn't have a security blanket, he has a security umbrella:

These dogs want you to get bangs:

Yes to bangs!

It's been 30+ years and no one ever told me about pygmy goats? Oh, Buttermilk...

The 100 Most Important Cat Pictures of All Time...

...and why.

I'm not sure what is better, the fact that a baby monkey is riding backward on a pig, or the accompanying theme song:

So there you have it, kids. Hope July is starting off with a smile.

Manic Monday

When Monday returns after a glorious weekend, are you like this?

Or like this:

OstrichPillow - Fab.com

Cinco de Mayo

¡Cinco de Mayo! One of my favorite festivities! Who doesn't want an excuse to eat guac and drink margaritas? When we were in San Antonio last fall, I had a tasty prickly pear margarita on the River Walk that I haven't stopped thinking about. Muy deliciosa!

It's one of those drinks that I'm determined to be able to make at home. First issue: finding prickly pear cactus or even prickly pear cactus syrup. Come on NYC, aren't you supposed to have it all? So...we are working on that. In the meantime, this concoction of hibiscus syrup and pink lemons wasn't too shabby. Yes, there are pink lemons! Which reminds me of a time when my friend and I ran into a neighborhood bodega to grab some coronas and limes (perhaps a previous Cinco de Mayo?). The clerk surprised us by saying that they didn't carry limes, which seemed a very curious omission from a corner store. We pressed him some more until his confused face morphed into his idea face and he offered, "well, we don't have limes, but we DO have green lemons!" Intrigued, we agreed to take the 'green lemons'. He quickly disappeared in the back and returned with...limes. Or green lemons. Whatever.

OK, I'm off to work...or cactus hunting. You decide.