I love hats and this Summer I really wanted to find the perfect Panama hat. The problem is my hair is really, quite obnoxiously, thick. I’ve always known it was thick and every hairdresser who has ever touched my hair always comments on it, but when I started hat shopping the regular/average sized hats sold in stores never fit because my hair must add an additional 2 inches to the circumference of my head! HA. So, I went to my grandmother’s friend, Eleanor, who makes custom hats. I’ve known her most, if not all, of my life because she makes all of my grandmother’s church hats She measured my head (and yes, she commented on how thick my hair was) and whipped me up a custom hat! The first round she used a black band, but it wasn’t really “me” so she went back to work and brought a slew of fabric swatches to my grandmother’s house and I picked the below… which is very “me”! Can’t wait to rock this!

My new face washes

In last week’s post about our trip to Salon Marc Harris, I mentioned at the end of my facial, I purchased a couple of products. The salon carries a line of Rhonda Allison products and I purchased the Clarifying Beads (all purpose cleanser) and the Moisture Au Lait (protein enriched cream). Both products have been working wonderfully! I have such sensitive skin so I’m also quite hesitant to try anything new or foreign on my face. Both of these products are gentle and virtually scent free. The best part is the products were very fairly priced and although the bottles are small (which is perfect for traveling!) you only need a dollop. My face has never felt so fresh and so clean

Baby cousins!

I absolutely love kids! Well, I love good kids And recently a couple of my cousins have created some absolutely beautiful babies The past few weeks has really worked in my favor because I’ve been able to spend some quality time with all of these little darlings! And, not to brag, but my family makes some pretty attractive bambinos!

My cousin Heather’s daughter, who I absolutely love with every ounce of love in me, at her 3rd birthday party! She literally cracks me up with the things she says. Talk about personality… she’s like a little actress

and Heather’s son, who is delightful, so well behaved, yeah… and gorgeous.

And the newest member of the family, my cousin Krissy’s 8-week old son, who I met in NYC this past weekend.

AHHHHHHHHH. I wish I lived closer so I could see this cutie all the time. He is such a good baby, not fussy, and just really happy. I held him for a good portion of the afternoon and he was filled with smiles and giggles. Congrats, Krissy!

And then there are these cousins of mine… Colin and Kevin, who I need to see asap. I used to be able to pick them up like little babies. And now, not only can I have actual real-people conversations with them but I’m pretty sure they can pick ME up now. It blows my mind how quickly time passes…

These are the things that have been making me happy… what’s been putting a smile on your face lately?

[Chels]

Trip to Virginia

A couple weeks ago I took my first ever trip to Virginia! I went to visit Chris’s family, who live in the Richmond-area. We had a blast and I’m already looking forward to going back to see more of the city (and his family and friends, of course!).

We were only there for a quick trip and spent most of it just hanging out and relaxing with his family. But we did to go Brown’s Island for an event called Friday Cheers. It kind of reminded me of a show we’d have on Boston’s Esplanade, but much smaller.

After the show, we went and got some sushi with Chris’s friend Ricky and his girlfriend Shelly. We went to a place called Sticky Rice.

Their specialty is tater tots! Tater tots at a sushi restaurant? It sounded weird, but it was so much fun. I don’t even know the last time I had a tater tot and they totally hit the spot!

Oh, and the sushi was really fabulous too!

We also went to Wawa about a million times. So many, in fact, that I had to take a photo of it. I wish we had Wawa’s here in Boston. It’s basically a big gas station convenience store with EVERYTHING in it.

Even a milkshake machine!!! AKA my dream come true. Unfortunately, they were both broken and I never got to try. Wawa haha! Guess I’ll have to try them next time…. Or get a personal one in my living room!

And one shot of Chris’s dad’s dog, Brutus. He was such an adorable and sweet dog. Crazy hair, right?!

Thank you to Chris’s family and friends for being SO hospitable. We’ll be back soon!

Conan O’Brien’s Live Tour

Last weekend I got the chance to see Conan O’Brien on his Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour.

And he was amazing! Conan is from Boston… Or actually Brookline, which is where I’ve lived for the past 5 years (funny because Jay Leno grew up in Andover, my hometown, and he went to my high school! It’s a wonder I’m not funnier…). You could just tell he was SO happy to be back and he had lots of Boston-based humor.

I actually saw Conan O’Brien live way back when. It was during the Late Show’s first season and I think I was 12. I thought it was awesome, but I’m sure I didn’t really understand any of the humor. And I remember being in our hotel in NYC later that night where my sister and I were trying SOO hard to stay up until 12:30 to see the show air. We couldn’t do it; It just felt so late. I think I laughed a lot more this time around

Friday’s show had lots of special guests, too. Like Ed Helms! You also know him as Andy from The Office and from The Hangover.

Boston’s own Dropkick Murphy’s were there too. For some reason, I’m not the biggest DM fan, but it was pretty awesome to see Conan up there jamming with them.

Bachelorette Party

My best friend from college, Kyle, is getting married in a month and last weekend was her wedding shower and bachelorette party. I didn’t take many photos (actually, I did, but not with my own camera). We got shirts made that said “Team Kyle” (the bride’s name) and rocked them all night long. Here’s our pre-going out photo from our suite at Boston’s Park Plaza Hotel.

We went to Max & Dylan’s for dinner, where I had this absolutely amazing buffalo chicken mac and cheese. I will definitely be re-creating this in the near future, so stay tuned!! I ate pretty much every bite and lots of the other girls got it and enjoyed it too. Their drink menu was also exceptional… I got a drink with Absolute Boston (my favorite!), white grape juice, and ginger and it was divine.

After dinner, we went to Elephant and Castle for karaoke. I’ve actually NEVER done karaoke in Boston and this was a blast. We all rocked ring pops, until we kept bumping into each other (and other people… and things) and got kind of grossed out. Not to mention, mine was blue and my teeth and lips were turning a ridiculous shade.

It was an amazing night and I’m so excited to be a bridesmaid in Kyle and Jeff’s wedding next month. They’re seriously a perfect couple and I’m so proud of my UNH bestie!

I feel like I’ve been super busy and I’m SO ready for this weekend and will hopefully get in some relaxing. Chels and I are off to Improv Boston in a little bit as we’re a part of tonight’s Spice variety show. It should be awesome and I’m sure we’ll be almost as funny as Conan O’Brien… Right?!

What are you guys up to this weekend?

[Sues]

Uhhhh, who’s tried this before? I’ve been seeing IZZE Sparking Juice everywhere for a while and have been so curious about it but I typically buy water when I’m out to eat. I met Katie for lunch last week and saw the display of IZZE and figured I’d try something new. I ordered the sparkling grapefruit and it tasted exactly like pure grapefruit juice with a refreshing hint of sparkle. I LOVE grapefruits. Whenever I eat them I literally slurp the extra juice out of the bowl… I can never get enough of it. IZZE comes in all different fruity flavors. I think… better yet I know, I need to try pomegranate, clementine, and blueberry next! And once you finish the drink the glass bottles would make fun little vases

Nancy’s Air Field Cafe

My sister and I took our mom and grandmother to Nancy’s Air Field Cafe  for mother’s day brunch. My parents live in Stow and have been to Nancy’s a few times and really enjoyed it so we figured it would be a great local pick!

The cafe is definitely off the beaten path but very well known to all the locals ,which I love. I dig the hidden places It’s located at the Minute Man air field and serves unique and tasty options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

It was quite a windy day when we were there so there weren’t any planes flying in or out. My mom told us it’s really fun to eat there on a nice day to see all the flights entering and exiting!

Chef and owner Nancy McPherson is not only one of the friendliest people I’ve met in a long time but she’s big into using fresh and local ingredients and even has her own herb garden at the entrance of the restaurant. At the end of our meal she walked us out to give me a little tour of her gardens! I can only imagine how sweet it is to have your own herb garden… especially this size

As we entered the restaurant it was hopping! Apparently everyone and their mom (literally, hehe) decided to eat at Nancy’s this Mother’s day!

I started with a glass of fresh OJ… mmmm.

And we all split the Caprese Antipasto: grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & Nancy’s marinated olives in a fresh basil vinaigrette. Hello, tasty goodness! I definitely could have eaten this all by myself And I’d like a jar of these olives, please!

My mom, sister, and grandmother all ordered omelets…

And I ordered the Eggs Benedict. I thought the Hollandaise Sauce looked really thick but it was surprisingly nice and light. I ordered regular bacon instead of Canadian bacon on it as well Go figure!

We were all pretty full after our meals but decided dessert was a must since they sounded so good. I thought the Rhubarb Berry Crisp with Nancy’s Lavender Ice Cream was a must! This knocked my socks off! I’m not a big chocolate person at all… I definitely prefer a fruity dessert so this was perfect! The heat from the hot berries combined with the cool fragrant ice cream…. mmmmmm. I’m smiling now just thinking about it!

My mom and sister decided to get the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee which was also very delicious!

Smiling faces after a fun brunch with our lovely mom and gram

I’m really glad my parents moved out to Stow. I l will always love, love, love our hometown of Andover but Stow is such a sweet little town. It’s so New England and filled with apple orchards and farms, horses wandering and gorgeous views, trails and streams, and genuinely gracious people. It’s the perfect place to escape to and slow things down a bit

What are some of your favorite restaurants that are hidden gems?

Hope you’re all enjoying your weekends!

[Chels]

Silk Soy Milk

And since we can’t chug down water (though before we heard about the issues, I chugged quite a bit of water. Oops), I’ll just drink Silk. The first time I tried soy milk years ago, I was not impressed. But then I tried it again. And I tried chocolate. And I tried vanilla. And YUM. Now I’m obsessed. And FYI the light versions are amazing. My favorite thing to do it mix the light chocolate with the light vanilla. It’s kind of like a milkshake (my name is Susie and I have a milkshake obsession). Also, I often eat Cheerios for breakfast and love adding some light vanilla soy milk in.

Friends!

On Saturday evening, we went out for a goodbye celebration for our friend Nina who got into a postbac premed program and is moving away from us (but we’re so happy and excited for her!). We had a lovely dinner at Antonio’s in Beacon Hill…. the food was delicious, but the best part was when the waiters had the entire restaurant singing happy birthday to Nina (her birthday is in December!). Then we went to Alibi in the Liberty Hotel for some drinks, dancing, and chatting it up. And we do have 2 birthdays to celebrate this week- both Katie and Erin! Happy early birthday, girls

Mushrooms

OK, OK, so you have probably already realized both Chels and I are lovers of mushrooms. And we’re thrilled to announce that we’re blogging for The Mushroom Channel! If you want to head over there at some point today, you’ll see a lovely little mushroom-filled meal I cooked up. You can get the recipe there and I recommend you make it this Friday night:

Michael Ruhlman

I’ve talked about him before, but I have a serious love for food writer Michael Ruhlman. He’s been on fire with some of his writing lately and when Susan from Transient Travels sent me this article, I almost started crying at the last sentences. I know, I’m a geek, but I just love this:

“But I know for a fact that spending at least a few days a week preparing food with other people around, enjoying it together, is one of the best possible things in life to do, period. It’s part of what makes us human. It makes us happy in ways that are deep and good for us. Fast and easy has nothing to do with it.”

Read the post and love it. Of course, I don’t agree with everything he says (I, for one, love Jamie Oliver and see the merit in Rachael Ray, too), but his overall message is perfect. Food is a part of life and it matters so, so much. Quick and easy isn’t the most important thing… But here at We are not Martha we like to focus on the delicious, make you feel fabulous, meals that aren’t ridiculously hard and won’t take your whole evening. But it’s fun to challenge yourself sometimes, too. Cooking dinner shouldn’t be a chore; it should be a joy.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekends and are getting some lovely spring weather. We both have weeks packed with lots of fun stuff, so we look forward on reporting back to you.

What did you do this weekend?

[Sues]

Who goes to New York, out of all places, to clear their head? haha. It’s so fast paced in the big city, but since it’s my second home, it feels right to come here to slowwwww things down a bit, prioritize, and enjoy some quality time with my grandmother. This week, we’ve gone to the Wendy Williams show (more on that below), sat around and chatted about life, eaten some good food, watched tv, gone grocery shopping, and taken leisurely strolls around the neighborhood.

Here we are en route to the grocery store (and why do my arms always look freakishly long?!)

There’s nothing like a nice spring day in New York

These avocados were huuuuge.

My grandmother also braided my hair one night… Just quality girl time! I felt like I was 6 again, but I love how it looks! I wore a single French braid in my hair almost everyday last Summer just because it was so easy and got my bangs off my face, I think I’m going to try to recreate what my grandmother did and use multiple braids this Summer

And I’ve made some time for reading. Currently reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. So far, so good! It’s kind of Eat, Pray, Love-ish, except the author sets some resolutions for herself to find happiness and acknowledge happiness while keeping her life intact since she didn’t have the option to up and travel the world to clear her head and set new priorities. I kinda like this idea a lot. (Although I love the Eat, Pray, Love method of leaving everything behind and traveling the globe even more, it’s just not realistic for all of us!) It’s a story about Rubin’s one year “test-drive” to find happiness in the everyday, not complain as much, ask for help, learn to appreciate more, organize her life, boost her energy etc. Good stuff!

Sidenote: The first photo I took I wasn’t smiling in, then realized I looked depressed or like I was just crying. I figured if someone scrolled down and saw me looking that way and holding a book titled The Happiness Project, they might get a little worried about me… so I deemed it necessary to, not only smile, but give a thumbs up… wahoo for happiness!

Wendy Williams

People either love Wendy Williams… or they don’t. Personally, I love her, because she doesn’t seem to mind what people think of her… she’s just going to be herself regardless! She says what she wants, does what she wants, and she often makes fun of and laughs at herself. And to me, that’s just admirable especially in an industry where people are critiqued and criticized every single day! I’m not real big into following celebrity gossip but the way she delivers it and her commentary is what makes me interested. Kind of like our dear friend Juile Q! Wendy and JQ are the only source of celebrity gossip you’ll ever need… It’s all about the humor! Everything from Wendy’s exuberant personality to her facial expressions is just hilarious. Plus, she seems to be a great mom to her young son and she went to college in Boston (Northeastern, if you’re wondering)!

Last Fall, when I came to New York, my grandmother got me hooked on Wendy! We’d watch her everyday. So immediately when I got back to Boston, I checked the local listings to find out when she aired, and I’ve been watching ever since.

So last month I decided to look into tickets for the show because I thought it would be a kick to take my grandmother to a live taping! And within a week I got an email saying I got them. This past Tuesday we went to the show and it was so much fun!!

My friend Tarryn text me later that afternoon and said “Are you wearing a gray sweater with a flowery shirt underneath?” I wrote back “uhhh, yes, why?” and she said “I think I just saw you on the Wendy Williams Show!” HA. When we got back to my grandmother’s house we watched the show, and sure enough, there are some shots of us! Hooray

Here’s a clip of the show we were in the audience of (plus, this is a really good tip for the ladies!):

The studio, as most television studios are, was far smaller than it looked on tv, but it was adorable and fun! Everything was pink and purple and girly and I’m not even so much into real girly colors but I thought it worked and was very “Wendy”! How youuuuu doin’?

Hipstamatic

Have you guys heard of Hipstamatic, yet? My friend Becca introduced it to me a few months ago and I’ve been using it ever since, it’s addicting. It’s an app on the iPhone that turns your photos into these indie/hipstery/grunge/artsy-fartsy images. The results look like you’re using a vintage camera… And it’s wonderrrrrful! You can play around with your lenses and flashes to create different looks to each print. Each print gets saved to your “photos library” on your iPhone. The app is $1.99 in the iTunes app store. And if you’re debating between an iPhone and any other smartphone, let this app be the reason you chose an iPhone… you won’t be disappointed

The photos above from my Grandmother’s neighborhood and the avocados were used using this app. And so you can get an even better idea of the loveliness that is Hipstamatic, here are two more examples:

Oh, and happy Friday!

[Chels]

Brussels Sprouts

I know we’ve talked about brussels sprouts before, but let’s get real. They need to be discussed some more. I’ve been craving them like mad lately, eating them at every chance I get. And Sues also found Adam Levine of Maroon 5 on Twitter, so I started following him and his most recent tweet read:

“Brussels sprouts rule. I never understood why they were so demonized by kids. Kids are idiots…sprouts rule.”

How true is that?! Why are they so frowned upon? Reading that only gave the motivation to make a batch of brussels sprouts which included bacon and super sharp cheese from Cabot. HEAVEN in a ramekin! I cooked some bacon and in the same pan browned the brussels sprouts along with some minced garlic and grated the cheese on top. Droooool.

On a completely unrelated topic: I also love that the weather in Boston has been UNREAL lately and I’m able to photograph my food out on the deck again

Stone Ridge Creamery

I am not one to buy ice cream when I’m out grocery shopping… ever. I really just can’t justify spending upwards of $6 on a carton of ice cream when I know it will develop serious freezer burn before I’m able to finish the entire thing. So last summer, instead of buying ice cream, I noticed my grocery store carried a tart frozen yogurt by Stone Ridge Creamery that was only a few dollars and it came in fun flavors including peach, pomegranate, strawberry etc. I recently discovered their line of ice cream which was only about $3.00, but using my store discount card it was only $2.56. I’m not lying, I swear. The consistency of the ice cream is perfect, the flavor is just as good, if not better, than any other store ice cream I’ve purchased, and it’s easy to scoop, which for me is so important since I’m convinced I’m going to have arthritis in my hands from tightly gripping x-acto knives and cutting matboard all throughout college and my “office” days. Oh, and I ate the entire thing in about a week… hehe. I couldn’t keep the ice cream scoop out of the carton… delicious and probably dangerous since I’ll be relying on ice cream all summer to help me cool down!

Sabra Hummus

Ughhhhhhh. Where do I even begin? At the part where I sat on the couch last week and devoured more than half the container of hummus? Or the part where I’ve purchased this hummus every week for the past month. I can’t help it. I mean, I guess a hummus addiction probably doesn’t rank too high on the “things to be worried about in life” list. But I should really take it down a notch or two. My favorite is the roasted garlic. It has a hefty amount of roasted garlic in the center of the container which, to me, is sheer perfection and the consistency of the actual hummus is so so so smooth. Goes perfectly with some carrots, broccoli or other veggies!

Have you recently discovered any new snacks you just can’t get enough of?

[Chels]

Sour Beer Tasting Event at Gordon’s:

This weekend I attended a sour beer tasting at Gordon’s Fine Wines and Liquors. I heard about the tasting from Tina at Carrots ‘N’ Cake and immediately knew I needed to go. I’m a beer lover, as is, but when it comes to sour beers, there’s nothing better! The event was a fabulous opportunity to try lots and lots of different sour beers.

See the one called “It’s Alive”? Sounds scary, doesn’t it? And it totally was. It had a super funky-ish taste to it, but I obviously loved it.

I think my very favorite beer of the day was the Cantillon ‘97 Kriek; it was so flavorful and delicious.

These were the fruity ones and were absolutely delicious. I’m not usually a fan of raspberry in my liquor (or artifically-flavored raspberry in general), but I actually loved the Framboise beers. And the cherry ones were awesome, too.

The Flanders Red and misc. beers were definitely less sour than the rest and more like “normal” beers with a little kick.

The event was “sour beers and cheese pairings.” We were almost ready to leave by the time the cheese arrived, but I’m so glad we didn’t miss it because the two we had were excellent. I’d love to come back to Gordon’s for another event involving cheese.

It was fabulous seeing Tina, as usual! Thanks for keeping us in the loop about these events

Me and Chris in the Australian wine section. Gordon’s has an amazing liquor selection, and carries tons and tons of craft beers. And we’ll definitely be back for more tastings!

And, of course, I had to take a photo of Bethenny Frankel’s Skinny Girl margarita. By the way, Bethenny just got married last night; woot woot!

Gourmet Attitude’s La Boutique de la truffle Truffle Honey:

I’ve been meaning to try this truffle honey from Gourmet Attitude’s La Boutique de la truffle absolutely forever, but wasn’t quite sure what to use it with.

When I went to my parents’ house to celebrate my dad’s birthday, I said I’d bring an appetizer. And since I’m obsessed with making flatbreads lately, I designed a new concoction. And realized truffle honey would be perfect drizzled over it!

I made a flatbread with granny smith apple, red onion, and gorgonzola cheese. With truffle honey drizzled on top. It was delicious and the honey had a super truffle taste to it. Now I want to drizzle it on everything! Or just eat it with a spoon.

The Superior Nut Company’s Salted Pistachio Butter:

A couple weeks ago, the Superior Nut Company sent us lots of nutty treats. Sadly, Chels can’t eat nuts (or good for me, I guess!), but I’ve really, really been enjoying the salted pistachio butter.

I’m pretty much a peanut butter addict, but pistachios are my very favorite nut, so I knew I would enjoy this. I mean, I’ve tried everything from almond butter to sun butter to cashew butter; but for some reason, I’ve never had pistachio butter. Until now.

I’ve been eating it the same way I would peanut butter. On my toast with a little bit of jam, in my morning oatmeal, or on an apple (OK, OK, and right out of the jar with a knife… no shame). It tastes JUST like pistachios and I love it.

Brookline’s Buddachen:

If you live in the Boston-area, you’ve probably heard of Jae’s Grill. There’s been a Jae’s in my neighborhood forever, but for some reason, I never went. I kept hearing it was so-so, and with so much good sushi in Coolidge Corner, I never felt the need to stop by. But Jae’s recently closed and the new Buddachen opened. My sister and Adam had an invite to their grand opening last week, and she invited me and Chris.

At the grand opening, they basically let us try everything, buffet style. They had tons of delicious Asian-inspired food… I especially liked the lettuce wraps, beef basil, and scallops.

And guess what? The sushi was awesome! I’m often a bit skeptical of buffet style sushi, but you could see the sushi chefs were making the sushi fresh and continuously re-filling it. If it tasted this delicious at the grand opening party, I’m sure it’s even better when it’s made to order.

To be honest, I don’t even know what kinds of rolls I was eating, but I do now the fish was incredibly fresh and I didn’t eat anything I didn’t like.

The atmosphere in Buddachen is super fun and trendy and, of course, my sister and I posed for a photo.

Sushi chefs hard at work!

Thanks to my brother-in-law, Adam, for getting some good shots of the restaurant!

I’ll definitely be back at Buddachen to try more of their menu. I’m seriously hungry for more of their sushi as we speak!

Whew, that’s what happens when you don’t update your favorite things for a while. I have about a million more things I could talk about, but I’ll stop for now

Bostonians, in case you missed it, be sure to check out some great upcoming events in the area!

[Sues]

Piattini Cafe and Gelateria

Last Friday afternoon I met up with my good friend and old-coworker Tarryn. It was a crisp New England fall day, so we strolled around Back Bay for quite some time, did some window shopping, and stopped in Piattini Cafe and Geletaria (224 Newbury Street, Boston), the sister to Piattini Wine Cafe, for a late lunch. I got the lasagna with tomatoes, spinach, and gorgonzola. It was the perfect thing to warm me up and was extremely tasty and satisfying! 

For dessert I, of course, had to get some gelato! I was in the mood for something fruity, but our waiter encouraged us to try samples of each variety. There were tons of options of gelato and sorbetto, and for every question we had about a flavor, the staff just happily gave us a sample and told us all about each. They were extremely helpful and I joked with them that if they gave me anymore samples I wouldn’t have enough room to order one of my own! I ended up getting a small dish of their berry gelato which was filled with blueberries, raspberries, and every other berry. It was so smooth and fruity, just what I was looking for! 

I’m definitely excited to come back here, there were lots of other great sounding options on the menu. The prices were great, the staff was all beyond friendly, and the food was yummmmm!

Funfetti Cupcakes

Okay… really. There’s not a whole heck of a lot to say about these cupcakes and frosting because, they’re perfect. It’s my new roommate, Siri’s, birthday so I decided to quickly whip these up while she’s in class, hehe. They’re dangerously good so I’m hoping to have lots of visitors within the next couple of days because I WILL eat them all in one sitting. When Kate and I lived together whenever these were in the apartment we’d make every excuse in the book as to why we were eating multiples in a row. HA. 

Sues’s Favorite Things-

Cambridge Brewing Company’s Great Pumpkin Festival

I LOVE fall and all things autumn. But for some reason, I’m just not a big fan of Halloween. Sometimes I feel like a party pooper, but I’m pretty sure it runs in my family (my mom and sister can’t stand it either). And while I usually suck it up, dress up, and have fun anyway, this year I didn’t have to. Chris and I decided to head over to the Great Pumpkin Festival at Cambridge Brewing Company. Pumpkins and beer are two things I definitely love about Halloween! And CBC had 21 pumpkin ales at their festival.

Upon arriving, we bought tickets and got to sample various beers in exchange for tickets. While I’ve previously had several of the beers (Southern Tier’s Pumpking is my favorite!), there were a whole bunch I had never tried before. Those are the ones I focused on.

My favorites of the evening were Martha’s Exchange Pumpkinweizen (how have I never heard of Martha’s Exchange? It’s in Nashua, NH!), Cisco Brewer’s Pumpkin Drumkin, Spinal Pumpkin Barleywine, and The Bruery’s Autumn Maple. But the best of the night was definitely Allagash’s Ghoulship, which we were limited to 2 ounces.

I’ve never seen so many pumpkin ales in my life and I loved every moment of it! The food at CBC was also pretty exceptional. Though you could sit down for table service, we ate from the grill. I had the Grilled Flatbread with Pumpkin, Raisin and Apple Chutney, Crispy Kale, Great Hill Bleu Cheese, and Duck Confit. OH MY GOD. This was absolutely out of this world! The kale was crunchy and delicious and the perfect touch. I could eat one of these every day.

They also had all kinds of bratwursts. Chris had the Bauerwurst with Pumpkin Ale Braised Sauerkraut and Beer Mustard. Notice the pumpkin theme?

There was a great turnout at CBC; some in costume, which made for great people watching.

I love the glasses we got to take home too; perfect for pumpkin beer whenever I want!

We also ran into the lovely Julia Rappaport who I totally should have taken a photo with! Anyway, it was pretty much my perfect way to celebrate Halloween. And if you live in the Boston area and haven’t been to Cambridge Brewing Company yet, check it out. I feel like people don’t talk about it as much as they should and I lived in the city for a longgg time before discovering it.

My mom’s pear upside-down cake

My mom made a pear upside-down cake for dessert after our lobster dinner last night.

It was delicious and we decided that while it was a great dessert, it would have also been a nice breakfast cake. I always talk about wanting to bake with pears more often and I never do.

Also, I made a cheese platter and if I have one favorite thing in the universe, it’s cheese platters!

How2Heroes Hoedown (our shared Favorite Thing)

We failed to mention a couple weeks ago that one of our favorite things was the How2Heroes Hoedown! It was Sunday, October 18th and it was snowing in Massachusetts. Not surprising, because the weather here is often unpredictable, but it was not exactly what we wanted to see that early in the season, but what can ya do? So we made due and trekked out to Groton, MA to enjoy all that How2Hereos had to offer. They always throw great parties, so a little snow was not enough to stop us.

We all huddled up around the pig roast, which kept us all nice and toasty warm, and sampled some great food from Bokx 109, Rattlesnake Bar and Grille, The Herb Lyceum, Garden at the Cellar. 

(We are not Martha with the lovely Jessie of How2Heroes!)

What this day taught us: Despite any weather condition, when you’re surrounded by great food, wonderful people, and a pig roast to keep you warm, everything seems to work.

[Chels and Sues]

My oh my, I have been MIA times 10! I was in NYC visiting my grandmother last week into the weekend and was using a wireless connection that was extremely weak which equals no blogging. Boo hoo. I also somehow managed to forget my cell phone wall charger so my iPhone died. It was SO strange to not be fully connected but I guess sometimes we need that. I’d love to do long individual posts on my favorite things this week but Sues and I have something extremely exciting happening this week, which we will be sharing with you either today or tomorrow, once we get the go-ahead!

Anthropologie, Man Shops Globe Event

Anthropologie is one of my favorite stores, so when I heard about a new show called Man Shops Globe on the Sundance Channel I knew I’d be interested. The show follows Anthropolgie’s buyer/explorer  Keith Johnson around the globe as he shops for neat furniture and art for the retail locations. He’s an energetic and extremely passionate man who craves browsing around antique shops and markets all around the world. 

A while back my friend and old co-worker, Melanie, emailed me, along with a couple other old co-workers, and invited us to an event Anthropologie on Boylston Street was hosting to celebrate the debut of Man Shops Globe. I immediately added it to my calender because I knew it was something I would really enjoy. So, last Tuesday evening we all met  at the store and it was a ton of fun. They had closed the store early that evening for the special event and had a wonderful spread of fruits, cheeses, breads, chocolates and jams for all of us. One of my favorites was the baked brie with apple… tasted like apple pie and was DEEEElicious! They also offered some wine, Stella Artois beer (the show is presented by Stella), and sparkling water.

The setup was great, with two flat screen televisions in the middle of the store for us to preview the first episode. The district manager of Anthro New England was also there and introduced the show before the episode aired, which was beyond interesting to me.

(I miss seeing these girls everyday!)

I really have a “thing” for browsing little antique shops while I’m away on vacation and I also LOVE salvage yards, although I rarely buy anything… since I need a house or spacious studio to store everything in ! One of our assignments in a sculpture class I took in college was to go to a salvage yard and find objects to use in a project. I spent forever in there and was so interested in every little odd piece. There’s something about searching and exploring to find a piece that takes real creativity to work in a space that gives my the chills!

Last year, while I was in San Fran, my friend and I took a drive up to Sonoma to do wine tastings and ended up visiting an antique-y salvage yard type shop and I found some really great pieces. We spent HOURS in there and realized we hadn’t visited a single winery yet, so we got a move on Below are some of my finds, one of my favorites is the blue “A” (first letter of my last name!) which I reallyyyy wanted to take home with me, but honestly, had no where to put it in my apartment! The turquoise lanterns on the bottom left were from an antique shop in St. Augustine. And the top left is a beautiful stack of turquoise chairs!

Right when I got home last Tuesday evening I set my DVR to record the Man Shops Globe series… I do not want to miss a single episode. I realized last week that my dream job would be to work and travel with Keith Johnson. In the first episode he brings his sister-in-law with him to Paris, but I’m hoping the three of us can all go together one day

Man Shops Globe airs Wednesdays at 10pm on The Sundance Channel.

New York, New York

I consider New York to be my second home. My dad grew up there, I have family there, and my sister and I spent every summer and most school vacations at our grandmother’s house in the city. Naturally, as I got older the schedule got more hectic, got a job and all of that “good” stuff.

A few weeks ago I was thinking I hadn’t been to the city in about a year! So I called my grandmother and told her I was coming to visit! Last Wednesday, I drove down and spent the week and part of the weekend with my grandmother, just doing errands and shopping, cooking, watching tv and chatting. It was perfect and just what I needed. Sometimes things can feel so uncertain and not stable, so it was great to go somewhere that hasn’t changed at all and spend time with someone who is still the same. It was very comfortable. She lives right across from Yankee Stadium, which I always thought was really cool. With the new Stadium finished, you can see it right from her window… it was so bizarre, and though I’m not a Yankees fan (nor am I a complete hater) I kept starring out to look at it!

It was absolutely wonderful to eat my grandmother’s cooking, too  We made salmon croquets, which I always used to eat when I spent the summer! I love the way my grandmother cooks. She doesn’t measure or ever use recipes but her food always tastes the same  

For breakfast a couple days she made her famous pancakes and homemade syrup. She told me that her mother taught her how to make them when they lived down South. YUM! She gave me the “recipe” but something tells me I won’t ever make them, I feel like it’s my little treat for when I go visit her

(pancakes, homemade syrup, bacon, and grits!)

I’m kind of the biggest dork in the world, but when I opened the silverware drawer and saw that my Disney utensils that I used when I was a baby were still there, I had the biggest smile on my face…. GEEK ALERT!!!

My grandmother also gave me a small and gorgeous vintage Reuge clock. It’s the prettiest shade of yellow/gold and I’m using it as inspiration for a little project I’m working on at my apartment… more on the project (and a photo of the clock) to come soon! 

On Friday night my sister and brother-in-law arrived, since they were in town for a wedding. I would have loved to have stayed another day to gallivant around the city with them on Saturday, but I had to get back to Boston… I have a busy week ahead and needed to get back into the swing of thangs!

Love, love, love my grandmother and NYC. Can’t wait to go back… the joys of having an “alternative work schedule” are in full effect!

[Chels]

Tea!-

I’ve had quite the tea-obsessed last few days. My voice mysteriously disappeared on me, which has been super annoying. There’s nothing that can really be done, except to drink a lot of hot liquids. Not to mention, it’s been SO chilly in Boston this week! Though I don’t drink tea a whole lot in the warmer months, I LOVE it in the fall and winter. I always have a cup of coffee in the morning and then enjoy teas in the afternoons. It also reminds me of being home, since my parents and I will often have a little “tea time” in the afternoons. I like to try all different teas, and my lost voice gave me an excuse to stock up a little bit.

There are a few really fun tea spots in Boston (Tealuxe and Teavana), but I’m pretty disappointed there aren’t really any in the Brookline-area. Of course, they serve tea at all my favorite coffee shops, but there’s nothing quite like a specialty tea shop!

Do you have any favorite tea recommendations for me? I’m always us for trying new flavors and types!

Boots from Target-

I’ve never bought a pair of shoes from Target. I’ve never really even looked at shoes there. But I really wanted a new pair of tall boots and didn’t feel like spending a fortune, so I browsed Target. And found a pair I actually really liked. For only $34.99! At that price I didn’t care if they were the most comfortable things in the world, but guess what? They’re totally comfy and I can even spend the day walking around in them and be OK. Target has officially blown my mind and I have a feeling I’ll be shoe shopping there much more in the future! Why am I so late to the Target shoe game?? They don’t look so snazzy from the photo, but it’s hard to take a picture of yourself wearing boots, so I had to do them against the wall.

American Fashion Cookbook-

Sara gave me this cookbook for my birthday and it’s seriously awesome. It’s a book full of the favorite recipes of some of America’s top fashion designers. She knows me way too well! Now I can cook the favorite dishes of Nicole Miller (Tortilla Soup), Isaac Mizrahi (Mushroom Truffle Spaghetti), and Betsey Johnson (Cherry Sour Cream Pie). Plus, the book has beautiful illustrations AND a forward by Martha Stewart.

I’ll obviously let you know when I cook something from this book. But, this really is the perfect gift for anyone in your life who loves both food and fashion! You can cook from it and use it as a coffee-table book!

And of course, whenever I’m with the girls, Mitzi and Cissy, they’re my favorite things!

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Sara, our fabulous friend and most loyal reader (and contributor!)!!!

[Sues]