Celebration Staycation

To celebrate a recent business accomplishment, last weekend my boyfriend and I visited a few of our favorite Rittenhouse institutions and made some delicious home-cooked meals - I guess you could call it a "celebration staycation." :)

On Friday night I pulled together a nice happy hour/kiddish (same thing, right?) and then we went to Audrey Claire (my favorite) for dinner. On Saturday we treated ourselves to an hour or so at The Sporting Club, which was probably a good idea, because then I made a decadent brunch. Dan said the table scape and food presentation looked like the work of the Four Seasons - I thought it looked more like the sample table at Trader Joe's, but I'll take the compliment!

After a disastrous home-cooked New Year's dinner, I decided to stick with what I know best - vegetarian and Mediterranean fare. Without too many trips to Sue's Produce, and, frankly, much effort, I was able to pull the following things together. Feel free to try some of these at home, or post your favorite recipes.

B'Teavon!

Happy Hour/Kiddish

Oprah's Favorite Pomegranate Martinis (makes two)

1 1/2 cup Pom pomegranate juice

2 oz. citron vodka

1 oz. cointreau liquor

Cup of ice

Squeeze of lemon

LeBus Challah

Trader Joe's Pastry Bites with Feta Cheese and Caramelized Onions

Dried figs and Mahon Cheese (aged cow's milk cheese from Menorca, Spain) from DiBruno's

Trader Joe's Sesame Flat Bread with Hummus

Dessert

Ciao Bella Blood Orange Gelato (I LOVE this gelato...and not just because it's called Ciao Bella...okay maybe. Read this article from NPR about blood oranges and you'll want some too).

Brunch

Baked Egg White Fritattas

4 egg whites, 2 eggs

1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 cup grated low-fat feta cheese

1 tomato

3 handfuls spinach

S&P to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Spray 8 muffin cups with Pam

Dice tomatos and stem spinach. Heat Pam-sprayed pan on medium heat. Cook down the tomatoes, then the spinach

Beat together eggs until they form soft peaks. Add milk, S&P

Divide half of the egg mixture among the 8 muffin cups

Divide the tomatos and spinach among the eight cups

Fill the cups with the rest of the egg mixture

Top with grated feta cheese

Bake 15 min. or until golden and puffed

Moosewood Fruit-Filled French Toast (from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home)

4 slices challah bread (from last night :)) about 4 in. in diameter, sliced 1 in. thick

4 generous tablespoons fruit spread

2 large eggs (or egg whites) lightly beaten

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons butter

With a sharp serrated knife, cut lengthwise through each slice of bread to within 1/2 inch of the bottom and side crusts to make a pocket. Using a butter knife, fill each pocket with a generous tablespoon of fruit spread.

In a shallow bowl that is large enough to hold the four bread slices in one layer, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Soak the bread slices for 2 or 3 minutes, turning them over once.

Warm a large skillet on medium-low heat. Coat the bottom of the skillet with 1 teaspoon of butter. Cook two slices of bread at a time for about 6 minutes, turning the slices over several times, until both sides are nicely browned and crisp. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and cook the final two slices of bread.

Serve hot, either plain or topped with yogurt.

Fage 0% Greek Yogurt (to top the french toast)

Bowl of fruit

Kerbel Champagne with strawberries

Rosh Chodesh Shevat and Shabbat Shira

Image courtesy of Northwest Jewish Artists

It's hard to believe that a new moon is already upon us. It feels like just yesterday I was visiting my friends in Brooklyn and reading about Rosh Chodesh Tevet...

This month is an easy one! This week we're entering Shevat, during which we'll celebrate Tu B'Shevat in a few weeks (Tu B'Shevat means the 15th of Shevat, which is traditionally observed as an arbor holiday - more on that later this month).

But during this week, the first week of Shevat, we read about the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. This week's parshah, B'Shalach, is the one in which Moses parts the Red Sea and the Israelites follow him out of Egypt. Many of us are already familiar with this parshah, as it marks one of the most significant milestones in the Jewish people's story of strength and survival. But this is also the parshah in which we meet Miriam, who notably is the first person in the Torah to be introduced as a prophet.

Although her name first appears after Moses and his people reach dry land, according to The Women's Torah Commentary, Miriam was a central figure in this story throughout the entire journey. However, in the opening of the parshah, we are told that, "direct representation of this story is sacrificed because it could bring tensions between those who followed Moses and those who followed Miriam."



According to the parshah, Miriam brought her timbrel (or tamborine) with her, and led everyone in song and dance after they were safely out of Egypt. The Israelites sang the "Song of the Sea," and followed Miriam as she lifted their spirits and led the celebration of their newly-found freedom. For this reason, this shabbat is often refered to as "Shabbat Shira," which means "Shabbat of Song." (If you're thinking what I'm thinking, it may seem strange that as they were fleeing Egypt, Miriam thought to pack a musical instrument with her. But contemporary scholars say that women in ancient medieval cultures had a tradition of participating in musical celebrations.) The parsha also says that Miriam was the source of water that nourished the thirsty travellers during their exodus, and was the main source of strength that helped the Israelites survive.

Because, like many heroines, Miriam's full story has been largly omitted from biblical commentary, we should celebrate what we do know about her this shabbat. I've posted some songs from my favorite female vocalists (new and old) on the new playlist I've added to the bottom of this blog. See if you like them...or let on some music from your favorite modern-day female artists fill your room, and remember the spirit and leadership of this too-frequently "unsung" heroine.

Tikkun Olam - Yes We Can!

Today was a truly remarkable day. Republican or democrat, black or white, young or old - no matter who we are, there is no doubt that we will never forget where we were when Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States of America.

More people than ever before in history gathered in Washington, D.C. to be a part of this historic day. All around the world people watched, awe-struck, as the Obama's officially became our new, young, first family. As they said on the evening news tonight, taxis stopped driving, diners stopped eating - we all halted, and felt as the change our country so desperately needs became official.

President Obama's much-anticipated speech outlined the ambitious goals he hopes to accomplish during his presidency. As I sat and watched, surrounded by silent, teary-eyed coworkers, I felt optimistic and hopeful about our country's future - a feeling my generation of Millennials hasn't felt much in our adult lives. I felt proud to be American. But I also felt a tremendous responsibility:

"We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we didn't turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

Tikkun Olam - "repairing the world" - is up to us. There is only so much one man can do. It is up to each of us to make a personal commitment to improving the state of our country, and repairing the world we live in. President Obama is asking us for help.

I often feel powerless when I read about what's happening in Israel, or how many children go hungry at night. But today, President Obama gave us the power to truly be a part of the change we all want to see.

Tonight I'll sleep soundly, grateful that I was able witness this historic day. But throughout the next days, and weeks, I'll be giving a lot of thought to what my personal commitment to repairing the world will be. For some ideas, visit Renew America Together - USAService.org - you can enter your zip code and search through thousands of Tikkun Olam opportunities. If we all committed to making just a few small changes, it would make a huge difference.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead

Together, we CAN rebuild the world, one mitzvah at a time.

False alarm

This week the fire alarm in my large, 40-story center city apartment building went off in the middle of the night for two consecutive nights. Each time the alarm sounded between 9 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. for approximately 30 minutes. Fortunately, these were false alarms. But you can imagine the panic I feel when I'm tucked in bed...nice and warm...and I hear, blaring from all ends of the apartment, "This is a fire emergency. Please proceed to the nearest exit."

When this happens, I have two options. One is to get up and start searching the my apartment for my cat, who then proceeds to hiss and claw at me while I try to get him into his carrier. After several attempts - and scratches - I usually am able to get him into the bag. At that point, I grab my keys and cell phone and quickly start walking down 33 flights of stairs to the bottom of the apartment building. This means that later, I will have the option of waiting downstairs for an elevator for an hour, or walking back up 33 flights of stairs (which is usually what I choose to do, since these alarms typically prevent me from making my gym run in the morning). My other option is to put in earplugs and pray that it's a false alarm, which was fortunately the case this week.
On top of having to climb up 33 flights of stairs (with the cat on my shoulder-this photo above is where I left him in the morning, and where he was when I returned from work 11 hours later) in the middle of the night twice this week, my internet connection in my apartment has been down, and my cable in my bedroom is not working. To make matters worse, two of the four elevators in the building have been broken for almost three weeks. This means that the average wait time for an elevator has increased from approximately 30 seconds to about five minutes. This delay doesn't sound like a big inconvenience, and I shouldn't complain - I live in a beautiful, safe luxury apartment in the center of town. Usually, I really do absolutely love living here. I know I will look back on these days in my life fondly, and not regret one minute of living in the building I've called home for almost three years.

But it's been a tough week.

So you can imagine my excitement the other day when, as I was entering my building, I heard the familiar chime of the elevator arriving in the lobby. Not letting my heavy laptop or my heels slow me down, I ran as quickly as I could (without looking ridiculous or falling) to try to catch the elevator. As the elevator doors slammed in my face, I saw my dishevelled reflection in the lobby mirrors. My post-vacation glow from a few weeks ago was definitely beginning to fade.

But what happened next is really where the problem comes in. I slumped into the sofa in the lobby and started searching through my pocketbook for my Blackberry and cell phone. G-d forbid I just sit for a minute...no, now I was determined to make the next five minutes the most productive five minutes I'd had all day. I checked the Blackberry. Then the cell phone. Then the Blackberry. I started thinking about all of the other elements of city life that I'm getting tired of - exhaust from city buses blowing in my face. Making do without a car by schlepping groceries in the freezing cold on my back. The fire alarms. The problems with Comcast. And now, the elevators.

I started thinking about how I should move to a lower floor, or move out of the city. I realized that I had a headache. I thought about how I should considering changing my evening news routine and start watching Rachel Maddow on MSNBC at 9 p.m., rather than Brian Williams at 6:30, since clearly I would be spending the rest of my winter evenings sitting in the lobby, waiting for the elevator.

And with this thought, the elevator came and I made it up to my apartment (in time for Brian Williams).

It's situations like this one that make me wish I had more control over my reactions to everyday situations. Fire alarms, slow walkers, loud cell phone talkers...sarcastic or snide remarks friends make and don't mean. Late trains, delayed airplanes, slow restaurant service. Are these things really so bad? At least it wasn't a real fire. Rittenhouse Square strollers can be slow, but the sidewalks and store fronts are beautiful. Delayed airplanes make flying frustrating, but usually they mean I'm on my way to visit a friend, or see colleagues who I rarely get to see. When service in a restaurant is slow, it can be frustrating, but isn't that how they do it in Europe? Shouldn't we slow down a bit anyway? In the long run, do these things really even matter?

The other day a friend passed along a theory her friend has about not taking things too seriously. "Be unaffected," she said. "Just think, I'm unaffected by this." His theory is to realize that "this" (whatever "this" is) is not really about you. I think this is a very powerful concept. If I could be unaffected by these things, I'd be happy...more patient...more relaxed. Imagine not caring if there's traffic - wouldn't that be great?

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to participate in a Mindfulness training session with one of the professors from the University of Pennsylvania's Stress Management program. During the session, the professor encouraged us to create space between an event and our reaction. Our bodies are programmed to respond to potentially harmful situations with a fight or flight response, so sometimes we need to remind them to slow down, and not launch into attack or avoidance mode so quickly. We are supposed to first stop and think about what happened, then take a breath, and then decide how we'd like to react. Practicing this gives us more control over our reactions, and helps us be more present. Basically, we need to let our bodies know that whatever is happening is a false alarm - it's not really a big deal, and therefor doesn't deserve a "big deal" response.

Of course, this takes practice, but I think there's no better time to start than now. There are such larger things happening. This week, we will have a new president. We will get closer to spring. We may make progress towards peace in Israel. We will see seven sunsets and seven sunrises...

Next time the elevator door closes in my face, or the fire alarm goes off, I will ask myself if it really matters - and will thank G-d that it's just a false alarm. And I will try my best to recognize that life is probably just trying to get me to slow down. I'll try to be thankful that I even have elevators, and a warm apartment...and a job to come home from, and friends and family to come home to. I'll try my best to remember what really matters - and that every day and every moment - even ones spent sitting on the sofa, waiting for a slow elevator - is a blessing.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Make lemonade!

I will never forget the first time I saw lemon trees in Israel. I was 16, and I remember thinking how amazing it was that people who lived on the Kibbutz we were visiting could eat lemons and avocados straight from the tree, every day. I remember being introduced to carob during the same trip, and being amazed that something that tasted so much like chocolate existed...and grew on trees! I'll also never forget hiking in Cinque Terre, Italy, and being among lemon trees lining the Mediterranean.

When you're some place that beautiful, you can't help but feel completely and utterly beautiful yourself.

Unfortunately, I live pretty far from both Italy and Israel. This week it's FREEZING in Philadelphia, so I decided to go to my favorite local produce store on Sunday, before it got too cold, to buy as many fresh fruits and vegetables as I could carry. Citrus is in season right now, so I grabbed a bunch of lemons to help cheer up my apartment during this cold, dreary week.

Here are 18 things you can do with lemons:

1) Slice them and put them in your water for some added flavor, color and Vitamin C. They'll give your water some more taste and help you ward off a cold.

2) Put leftover lemon slices to good use by throwing them down your garbage disposal. It will make your whole kitchen smell fresh.

3) Display them in a big bowl in the middle of your table. They'll brighten up your whole room.

4) Meyer lemons are really hot right now for some reason. Read about them here on Serious Eats, or get some tips from this Los Angeles Times article, "100 Things to Do with a Meyer Lemon."

5) Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on fish with some salt and pepper.

6) Use lemon juice as a green, chemical-free way to clean your silver (I've never tried this but I've heard that it works).

7) Make this Lemon-Scented Quinoa Salad recipe from 101 Cookbooks (one of my favorite blogs).

8) Exfoliate your feet by mixing lemon pulp and brown sugar. Rub and rinse.

9) Scrub your wooden cutting boards with lemon juice and salt to keep them fresh.

10) Use the juice from a lemon as a salad dressing (or mix it with olive oil and a little bit of honey).

11) Keep bugs away by squirting some lemon juice around pet food to deter ants, cockroaches and fleas.

12) After your washing machine is full with water, add some lemon juice to whiten clothes. It will also make them smell nice and fresh.

13) If you need to freshen your breath and you don't have anything minty, rinse your mouth with lemon juice.

14) Prevent apples from turning brown by tossing them in some fresh lemon juice. I like to serve cheese with apples instead of crackers, and this makes it easy to keep them bright and crispy while I have company over.

15) Put lemon juice in an ice cube tray and freeze - then use the "lemon" cubes in drinks.

16) Make David Lieberman's White Sangria: Use 2 bottles of chilled white wine, 1 cup brandy, 2 sliced navel oranges, 1 sliced lemon, 1 sliced lime, 1 sliced pear, and 1/4 cup superfine sugar. Pour wine and brandy over fruit and sugar in a large serving bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

17) Put some sliced lemons in your green tea for a boost of anti-oxidants. I love Yogi Green Tea from Trader Joe's - and I don't even typically like green tea!

18) Try making this Lemon Risotto recipe from ItalianVegetarian.blogspot.com.

Treatment of the Day: When life hands you lemons (figuratively or literally), try your best to make lemonade.

Question of the Day: What do you do with lemons?

A Case of the Mondays

Dear Monday,

It's time you and I had a talk. I don't know if you know this, but you are most people's least-favorite day. Since I was in seventh grade you have been keeping me up on Sunday nights, and frankly, all other days are able to stick to their alloted 24 hours so I would expect that you could do the same. You make me nervous, you're overbearing, and you always just put me in a really bad mood - even though on all other days I am a pretty positive person!

When I'm on vacation everything else tends to settle down, but somehow you gain momentum. This past Sunday, after ten whole days off from work, I did my best to ignore you. I went for a run, cleaned my apartment...I did everything in my power to exhaust myself so the thought of you did not keep me up at night. But at the end of the day, I could not stop thinking about you. Even worse, when I arrived at work on Monday, I realized that I wasn't alone - you kept everyone up on Sunday night! You're even keeping Ellen DeGeneres up! (Listen below)

Enough is enough. This first week of 2009, I'm putting an end to it. Because I've realized that Monday, when it comes down to it, your bark is much bigger than your bite. When you finally arrive, nothing happens. In fact, you probably only have the best intentions. After all, you're just trying to get us back on schedule and help us keep our cyclical calendar moving - something that I, as a Type A planner, greatly appreciate. In 2009 I will try to remember your positive attributes, and how quickly you come and go. And even if you do turn out to be as scary as you seem, I'll try to remember that Tuesday is your neighbor, and that Friday is never too far away.

Treatment of the Week: Meditate

Take six minutes (I promise, six minutes and forty-two seconds to be exact - you can spare it) and practice this Jewish meditation and breathing exercise by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg from Inner.org. Just close your eyes, listen to the nice music, and start breathing slowly and deeply.

Question of the Week: What helps you fall asleep at night?

Camp Reunion

This week I went to Brooklyn to spend some much-needed girl time with my two favorite people! The amount of talking we did in the 24 hours we had together would astound any man, but would probably bring back wonderful memories of late nights at camp and slumber parties for any woman. Although we've grown up over the years, we've never grown tired of talking for hours on end - and we will never get too old to have sleepovers. When we're together we participate in very few activities - anything that involves thought or moving would distract us from all of the catching up we need to do! So we tend to revert to the few simple things that entertained us when we were 13 - painting our nails, laughing, listening to music (click here to hear our most-listened to song from growing up), and talking about boys. Here is a look at our girls-only weekend:

Number of...

1
Trips we made to the Flatbush Food Co-op

4
Veggie-friendly dishes we cooked for dinner (spaghetti squash with garlic and olive oil, roasted eggplant, spinach salad with berries and nuts, & guacamole)

1
Bottle of Pepperwood Pino Noir we drank

3
Times we listened to the Putumayo Presents: Africa CD (so much fun!)

About once every five minutes
Times we laughed

1
Times we were completely hysterical, crying because we were laughing so hard

Way too many
Beauty products we had collectively, including some of my favorites: Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Sleep Pillow Mist in Warm Milk and Honey; Avalon Organic Botanicals Lavendar Hand and Body Lotion; Dejavu Manicure Kit with Dead Sea Green Tea Lotion; A Crash Course in Skincare Face Mask from Lush (they have the BEST masks); and Johnson & Johnson Shea and Cocoa Butter Baby Wash

3
Cups of Bigelow Mango Chamomile tea we drank

0
Times we left the apartment

1.5
Air mattresses and sofa pillows the three of us slept on

2
Books we flipped through, including Camp Camp by Roger Bennett and Jules Shell (you MUST go buy this if you went to overnight camp), and That's Funny, You Don't Look Like a Buddhist - on Being a Faithful Jew and a Passionate Buddhist by Sylvia Barstein

8
Minutes we spent collectively talking to our significant others on the phone

And lastly, I've thought about how lucky I am to have friends like these about a million times.

Treatment of the Week: Do what made you happy when you were little.

I read a quote once that said that you should think about the things that you loved to do when you were ten and start doing them again. Did you love to watch thunderstorms, or have sleep-overs with your girlfriends, or eat macaroni and cheese? Try to remember one of those things and do them this week.

Question of the Week: Some of our favorite products are listed above. What can't you live without?