Winter Walking in the City

We’re getting ready for some travel in THE city–NYC–and very excited, but I’m worried about my poor little feet.  How to look stylish, stay comfortable, be ready to hit the pavement and walk many blocks–these are age old questions.   But then add the element of  weather that may be cold, icy, snowy, rainy or all of the above?  My snow boots tend towards the outdoorsy or the ski resort look. For this trip, I want something urban and cool and grown up, but that won’t get ruined if I step into a slush puddle!

Zappos to the rescue!  I love that web site for ease of shopping, massive selection, and especially ease of return.  The other evening, in the comfort of my flannel PJ pants, I ordered 5 pairs of boots that seemed to fit my requirements.  After receiving the shipment in short notice and trying them on here are the winners:
 

The winner in the fashion forward category!

LOVE these Aquatalia by Marvin K black suede numbers.  The 3″ heel is tempered by a 1/2″ platform.  They are super comfortable to walk in–you can really take a nice stride. I also like that the fleece top is subtle and not too thick and wide.  They look great with skinny jeans and with black tights and a skirt.  These will be my museum going, nice lunch pair!

The winner in the comfort, utilitarian category is….drum roll….

The Merrell Captiva Mid Waterproof!

I cannot over-exaggerate the comfort of these boots!

While some of the reviews of this boot don’t give it high marks for being stylish, I kind of like it.  It feels a little like a chunky, motorcycle type boot that happens to be weatherproof.   And really, it is so super comfortable. I will be ready to walk many, many blocks in these without worries of sore feet or the elements.

So, NYC here I come!

Not expecting our weather to be quite this nice….

A Magical Time of Year

Traditionally, for me, some of the magic of the season has come from classic department store windows.  A minor trivia quiz to play with yourself–can you guess where they were taken before you scroll to the last picture?

Have you guessed the location yet?  Here is a shot of the street….

Any guesses?  If not, here you go—the location of these wonderful window decorations is Chicago at:

Delish Gift Baskets: American Spoon Foods

 I sometime struggle with the gift baskets this time of year. So many sweets flow into our homes that I feel it is nice to have a food gift that can be savored later on. Also, I love to share my favorites from my favorite part of the world.

In the past, we’ve shared Sisson’s Main Street Bakery’s amazing Buckeye Cookies and other goodies and packages of Cherry Republic’sdried cherry products. This year, I found 3 different baskets onAmerican Spoon Foods’ web site that not only do I want to share, but I also want for my own!

Bingo! Easy, elegant, yummy gifts!

First of all the PB & J Perfection Basket with Koeze smooth and crunchy peanut butter. I love that stuff so much my husband once got me a case of it for a Christmas gift! Then the Michigan Wildcraft Collection caught my eye. Wild blackberries, elderflower, raw honey–I could pretend to be a bear and dig into that box.  I also love that local foragers gather these elusive ingredients.

What ended up in my shopping car was the Pick of the Leelanau box. The award winning Leelanau raclette cheese is our family’s all time favorite and when accompanied by a loaf of Stone House bread and strawberry jam I think I’ve found gift box perfection!

Leelanau Raclette gets scarce in the summer. But it is back in stores up north! Woo Hoo!

Yummy for your Tummy Breakfast

I’m getting ready to bake up the traditional German Lebkuchen this morning and I know in my heart that I won’t be able to resist sampling along the way.  With this in mind, I decided I should at least start the morning off on a healthy foot and not just get jazzed on java.  So, I just made and devoured a delicious, quick, warm breakfast of Nutty Maple Quinoa.

Two of the ingredients for my quinoa. I devoured it so quickly I forgot to take a pic of the actual dish!

This is my cousin’s recipe and I must share:

12 oz. package quinoa

2 c water

1/2 c dried cherries, chopped

1/2 c raw almonds, chopped

1 T fresh ground cinnamon

1 T maple syrup

Place one cup quinoa and 2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. (I used 1/2 c quinoa and 1 c water and it was perfect for a hearty individual breakfast).  Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed (10-15 minutes).   Toss in the remaining ingredients and serve as a warm alternative to oatmeal or cereal.

Of course, in real life, one can short cut the recipe by using what is on hand—I had sliced almonds and already ground cinnamon.  I also just drizzled on the maple syrup to taste and sprinkled the cinnamon.  Those of you who free form recipes like I tend to do will recognize yourself.  Those who like to stick to the measurements will also be rewarded with deliciousness!

Recipe Bonus: High Protein Curried Lentil Soup

Nothing is better in the fall than hearty soup.  This recipe is hearty, but oh so healthy!  I found the original recipe on Closet Cooking’s Blog for Curried Red Lentil Soup.  I tweaked this for my own taste buds.  Feel free to do the same!  The recipe is as good or better after a day or two in the refrigerator.

The finished product garnished with plain Greek yogurt and cilantro

High Protein Curried Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

3/4 c chopped onion

1 c chopped carrot

1/2 c chopped celery

1 T chopped garlic (used pre-minced or dehydrated if you are in a hurry!)

1 T chopped fresh ginger (again, use the ginger of your choice if looking for convenience–I like frozen cubes I recently found at the co-op)

1 T Curry powder–I use Garam Masala a northern Indian curry blend and Madras Curry Powder–combined to get around 1 T)

1 cup lentils (red are pretty, but any you have are yummy)

3 c chicken stock or veggie broth (additional water added to desired consistency)

1 28 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 T chili sauce (sambal oelek or similar)

1 19 oz. can chick peas (drained and rinsed)

1 c quinoa

salt & pepper to taste

For toppings:

chopped cilantro

Plain greek yogurt

To prepare:

Heat oil in pot you will be cooking the soup in.  Add veggies and saute until tender.  10 minutes or so.

Add the garlic, ginger, and curry.  Stir until veggies are coated.  Smell the deliciousness!

Add the lentils, stock, tomatoes, chili sauce, and quinoa.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are tender and the quinoa is cooked.  About 15 minutes.  You may need to add water at this point to make it the desired consistency.

Add chickpeas, salt and pepper and warm up.

Garnish to taste with cilantro and yogurt.  Pat yourself on the back for making a super healthy meal!

Other Cooking Closet Recipes I will be trying soon:

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa and Roasted Califlower and Aged White Cheddar Gratin–maybe both for Thanksgiving sides?

5 New Favorite LA Restaurants

Here is an somewhat eclectic list of 5 restaurants I just tried in Los Angeles that I highly recommend.  All for different reasons and moods and listed in no particular order:

1.  Axe–On one of my favorite streets on the planet, Abbott Kinney, in Venice, Axe (pronouced a-shay, of course) was a fun, hang out and share good food kind of place.  Although we had a reservation, we waited for awhile in the back courtyard–but I was glad to have done that—it was a serene area away from the more bustling inside..  Depending on the occasion, it might be wise to request a seat out here!  Seated next to the grill, we were almost overcome with hunger smelling the chicken thighs roasting and you better believe we ordered and devoured some of those puppies when our time came!

Empty at 3 pm, but I bet it starts hopping the minute we leave…

2.  Wurstkuche–we visited the one in Venice on Lincoln at around 3 pm.  It was very empty and we were very hungry, so it was a good fit–food was delish and fast and the beer selection almost too vast to decide.  Belgian fries with many dipping sauces, brats of every variety–I had the duck, and Belgian beer.

3.  Ink.  Yes, I am hopping on this band wagon.  After reading reviews, I think there are some haters out there. But we really had an energizing evening, filled with great wine and inventive food.  They do take Open Spoon reservations, which is convenient, but only 14 days in advance.  I actually set a reminder on my calendar as I was planning for my trip!  Glad I did.

Wall art at Wat Dong Moon Lek Noodle

4.  Wag Dong Moon Lek–OK.  If I’m picking favorites and if there is one choice that I will most definitely be repeating it is Wag Dong Moon Lek–a Thai restaurant in Silver Lake.  Don’t let the strip mall fool you!  This place rocks.  The mint lemonade was so refreshing as was the watermelon slushy.  I felt like I was the “meal winner” (do you play that game in your household?) with the Panang Curry.  For $8.99!!!  Seriously.  In LA.  Perhaps the cheapest, most fulfilling meal we had the entire week.  I can’t get the tastes out of my mind!

800 Degrees Pizza near UCLA’s campus. Don’t be afraid of a line out the door. It moves quickly!

5.  800 Degrees Pizza–So many pizza toppings, so little time.  It’s a good thing I don’t live nearby as I would have to try them all!