bok choy stirfry

This is the kind of meal you make when you're on autopilot.  It's the kind of thing that comes together with minimal work and maximum ease, in a situation where reading directions and following a recipe would be asking far too much.  After an overzealous Saturday, I woke up Sunday and faced a daunting list of to-dos, but only half the capacity to complete them.   I had to venture down to Eastern Market (which is inconvenient in the first place, much less under the circumstances) to get a necklace restrung.  My jewelry man told me he could fix it in 15 minutes.  Awesome.  I'd be back home on my sofa in no time.  To kill time, I ducked into a coffee shop and ordered a cup of iced coffee.  I paid for it, and then walked out of the coffee shop – sans coffee.  I didn’t realize it until I was milling through the stalls.  Seriously, I don’t know who does this.

After I went back to reclaim my coffee (you should have seen the look from the barista), I came across a stall with beautiful, hand-embroidered girls’ dresses.  The thin, gauze-like fabric and bright, intricate embroidery was oddly familiar, but unplaceable.  Then, I looked at the woman sitting in the corner.  Back to the dresses.  To the woman.  Ah hah! - she was definitely Ecuadorian.  The dresses looked familiar because I had a steady rotation of dresses exactly like them every summer until I was in middle school, at least. 

Overestimating my ability to hold a casual conversation in Spanish while operating at 50%, (well, let's be real, the caffeine hadn't kicked in yet, so 30%) I started chatting with her.  Her skin turned from a rusty copper to a pale white.  Normal reaction from whenever I speak Spanish to an unsuspecting stranger.  I complimented her handiwork and made small talk for a bit, the autopilot guiding me through a conversation I've had a hundred times before.  (Where did you learn to speak Spanish like that?  What is your connection to Ecuador? etc.)  Within a couple minutes, my autopilot failed and I was forced to awkwardly duck out politely excuse myself.  I went to pick up some produce before I reclaimed my necklace and went home.  Then I realized I didn’t have cash, so I went back to wandering aimlessly until my necklace was finished.  I would just have to stop at the grocery store on the way home.

Later, I walked in the door and Whitney told me I looked confused.  I told her that I thought I blacked out in Safeway because I wasn't sure exactly what I bought.

“You probably just got a shit ton of vegetables.”

Oh, she knows me far too well.  Sometimes I fall prey to the beautiful colors of fresh vegetables at the market or grocery store (again, I don't know who does this) and come home with a plethora of produce, but nothing quite goes together, and I have absolutely no plan to execute.  I unloaded the contents of my bag and took a look. Bok choy.  Mushrooms.  Frozen edamame.  Some other random things.  So I decided on stirfry.  I wish I could say that I picked up these ingredients with this end goal in mind....but I didn't.  That's the beauty of stirfry - it works when you have no idea what else to do.  This happens to me more often than I would like.

Luckily, stirfry is impossible to mess up, and not only did this recipe not suck, it was actually really good.  But then again, I think anything with massive quantities of ginger and garlic is failsafe.  So next time you're on autopilot, just throw a bunch of stuff in a skillet and let it wok and roll. 

Bok in the wok
A caramelized memoir original
Serves 2 

2 baby bok choy, sliced in half, vertically
6 ounces mushrooms, chopped
3/4 cup frozen edamame
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons minced freshly minced ginger (to taste.  I like a lot, so I use closer to 2 tablespoons.)
1-2 tablespoons garlic (to taste.  I like a lot, so I use closer to 2 tablespoons.)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups cooked rice


1.  Cook rice according to package directions.  You will want enough rice for two people.  I made about two cups cooked.
2.  Heat sesame oil in wok over medium heat.  Add minced ginger and garlic and stir frequently for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant.  Do not let burn.
3.  Add bok choy and fry for about 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, add frozen edamame and mushrooms.  Stirfry another 5 minutes.  
4.  Turn off heat and stir in sesame seeds.  Serve vegetables over rice and season with crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. (I also drizzled with a little bit of gluten-free soy sauce, as well.)



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japanese rice noodles with eggplant and edamame

Happy Pi Day!  Since I can't actually eat pie, or at least I have zero interest in trying a gluten-free, sugar-free pie, there is no pie here today.  Instead, we have Asian noodles.  Shocker, I know.  Y'all know how I love my Asian cuisine.

I'm now three weeks through my Lenten sacrifice, or just about halfway through my journey.  All in all, things are going well.  I feel great.  I don't necessarily notice a big difference from three weeks ago, but I do feel a little less "bogged down" and a little bit lighter and stronger.  (It could also just be my return to my yoga mat after a few weeks away.)  Either way, I have plenty of energy and feel happy and healthy.

Sure, I crave sweets and get FOMO over my friends eating Baked and Wired in front of me, but the things I've been craving most recently are foods I don't even eat that often.  Pancakes.  (Honestly, I don't even like pancakes that much.)  Cereal.  (Do you know how hard it is to find a gluten-free cereal that also does not contain some sort of sugar, including honey or evaporated cane juice?  Kelly did send me a recipe for a gluten-free/sugar-free breakfast granola.  I'll have to try that ASAP.)  French toast with powdered sugar and maple syrup.  You get the idea.

Then there are the things that I miss that aren't necessarily cravings, but rather, necessary food groups.  Part of the issue with my no-gluten thing is that I am not eating bread and pasta, which is not ideal for someone who runs several times a week.  I didn't think it was going to be a problem, but it has been evident on some of my long runs that I have not found a way to properly supply my body with the carbohydrates it needs.  (Pretty sure the carbs in vodka are not what my body is looking for while running.)  Around mile four or five, my body just shuts down and I need fuel.

So, to rectify the situation, I figured I needed to make some Asian noodles before my long run last weekend.  My original intention was to make something with soba (buckwheat) noodles, which, despite their name, are naturally gluten-free.  However, the 100% soba noodles were $6.39 for eight ounces, which is obscene.  That comes to almost $13/pound.  Um, sorry.  No thank you.  We're talking about noodles here, not halibut.  (Note:  if you need a lesson in food math, check out this post.)

Instead of soba, I settled on some thin, flat rice noodles, made from 100% brown rice, and therefore, gluten-free.  Because I've consumed an offensive amount of peanut butter recently, I decided to forgo the traditional pad thai route and try a sesame-mirin sauce instead.  Also, because I tend to favor vegetarian meals, I stirfried some eggplant, edamame, and red peppers in with the noodles.  You could easily do the same with chicken, beef, or tofu.

This is a great example of a dish where I had to be really careful about reading the labels.  I originally picked up some cheaper soba noodles and decided to double-check the label to make sure they were 100% buckwheat.  Of course, they were not - only 30% soba.  If you like the taste of soba but are not gluten-free, this would be a great option.  I also had to buy the Eden Foods mirin, which doesn't have sugar or corn syrup added.  (The common Kikkoman brand does).

Anyway, this dish is great.  Salty (from the soy sauce) and sweet (from the mirin), with a variety of textures and flavors to keep your mouth guessing.  It also happens to contain the perfect mixture of carbohydrates and proteins for a 9-mile run.  This time, I didn't get tired.*

*Fine print:  I didn't get tired until mile 8.5 when we were running up the steps in Meridian Hill Park just after a steep climb up 16th Street.  At that point, I almost keeled over. #humblebrag

Japanese rice noodles with eggplant and edamame
A caramelized memoir original
Serves 4

1 medium eggplant (about 1 ½ pounds)
2 cups edamame beans (frozen is fine)
6 green onions
½ red bell pepper
1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for frying

1. Peel eggplant and chop into small dice (less than an inch). Chop red pepper and green onions, both white and green parts. Put all vegetables in large bowl with edamame.
2. In smaller bowl, mix next seven ingredients. Adjust according to taste. Pour over vegetables and cover. Let marinate 30 minutes.
3. Over medium-high heat, stirfry the vegetables in oil in a large wok, in batches, if necessary, until vegetables are soft and nicely browned. (I had to do mine in two batches, about 7 minutes per batch.) Once both batches are done, add all vegetables back to wok.
4. While cooking your last batch of veggies, bring a pot of boiling salted water to a boil and add rice noodles. Cook according to package directions but stop a couple of minutes short. Drain.
5.  Add noodles to the wok with all the vegetables, cooking an additional minute or two and adding any leftover marinade, if necessary, while tossing to coat in sauce.  Serve warm or at room temperature. Pin It Now!

orange crush

Bright orange might be my new hot pink. 

I bought my first pair of colored jeans.  In Oompa Loompa orange.  Thank you, H&M, for pushing me over the edge with your $25 colored denim selection.  For a girl with commitment issues (with clothing) and separation anxiety (with money), they really fit the bill.

My trusty yellow highlighter has sprouted legs and walked away from my desk at work.  Really - who took it?  This is what happens during budget cuts, y'all.  BIG problems.  I had to begin reviewing documents with fluorescent orange.  It doesn’t match the rest of my drafts, marred with yellow highlighter and red ink, but I gotta say, I don't hate it.  It really makes those words pop off the page. 

Since this weather is not too cold, I’ve been wearing a baseball cap instead of a fleece headband/earwarmers for long runs.  It is white with orange font and a friendly orange lobster.  I also wear orange noise-cancelling headphones and orange adidas sneakers.  

But it’s not all sunshine and Monarch butterflies.  My skin is going to get an orange glow if I don’t stop eating carrots, golden beets, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes.  And obviously I am not trying to look like Snooki (especially now that she is preggers - do you think her baby will be orange, too?)

Giving these beta carotene superstars the boot is not going to be that easy.  Take this winter squash puree, for instance.  This is the closest thing to candy I’ve tasted recently, and not only is it delicious, but it comes together in a flash.  Just throw sweet roasted squash with freshly grated ginger into the food processor, give it a quick whirl, and perhaps thin it out with a splash of water or milk.  Just be sure to taste as you go – it’s easy to get carried away with the spice.  When I made it for my parents a few weeks ago, even my mom, who shares my affinity for ginger, said that “se me fue la mano un poquito” which means I got a little heavy-handed.  If you don’t like ginger at all, a similar spice like cumin or curry would be awesome, too, or you could even go a more traditional route with nutmeg.  The ginger puree just happens to go swimmingly with fish.  (I swear I just wrote that and didn't even realize I had made a pun until I re-read the sentence.  Seriously, who am I?)  I could have chosen a white fish like halibut or snapper, but I decided to just go for the gusto and round out my orange meal with salmon. 

I should note that I've made this puree with both butternut squash and acorn squash.  You really can't go wrong either way, but if I had to pick favorites, I'd go with butternut squash for taste and acorn squash for ease and utility.  Choose accordingly.

Now, if only my Vitamin A overdose would improve my vision.  I’m still wearing my glasses.

Gingered Squash Puree with Pan-seared Sesame Salmon

For the squash (2-3 servings):
One winter squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 inches peeled and minced fresh ginger root (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
2-3 tablespoons half-and-half

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Half the squash and remove seeds. 
2. Place squash skin-side down in a roasting pan.  Drizzle flesh with olive oil and place half a tablespoon of butter inside each of the wells/cavities of the squash.  Cook in the oven until very tender, between 60 and 75 minutes.
3.  Remove from oven and let cool.  When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the tender squash by scooping out with a spoon or simply peeling away with a knife.
4.  Place squash in food processor with one inch of peeled (I use a paring knife) and grated fresh ginger. 
5.  Puree until smooth and thin with a couple tablespoons of half and half or milk, if necessary.

For the salmon (one serving):
1 salmon filet (4 to 6 ounces)
Salt & pepper
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari soy sauce
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
Neutral flavored oil, for pan-searing (I use canola)

1.   Place salmon skin side down on a cutting board. With a thin, sharp knife, slip the knife blade between the skin and salmon flesh with the blade facing away from you. Hold the edge of the skin on the board tightly and with your knife blade angles slightly down, slice between the skin and fish all the way to the end. Remove the skin completely.
2.   Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. 
3.   Mix soy sauce and sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.  Brush mixture on all sides of the filet.  Allow to sit  for 30 minutes.
4.  Remove salmon from marinade and cover one side with sesame seeds, pressing lightly to adhere.  (It doesn't really matter which side you choose, but for aesthetics I chose to use the side that was previously covered in skin.) 
5.   Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat with a tablespoon of a neutral oil.  When hot, place filets sesame side down.  Cook until sesame seeds are golden and a crust has formed. Gently turn the salmon over and turn heat to low. Cook salmon just a few minutes longer.  Your fish is done when it is firm to the touch but still a little pink in the center.  Timing will depend on the thickness of your filets - my one inch filet was done in about 7 minutes.

P.S.  On the subject of Orange Fever - Go Hoos, Beat FSU.  #HOOpS

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salmon burgers with japanese coleslaw

Salmon burgers with Japanese coleslaw

I know what you're thinking.  Another Asian recipe?  I'm sorry, but I never get tired of Asian food.  When in doubt, wok it out.  (Rita, that was for you.)

I like salmon, but I don't buy it very often because the good stuff is expensive and I'm just a lowly peon trying to get by in this overpriced city.  The last time I was in Norfolk, my mom's friend Kelly was raving about Costco's salmon burgers, and I knew I had to give them a try!   On my next trip to the mega-warehouse, I beelined to the frozen foods section (because really, who has time to waste at Costco?) and picked some up.  At $15.99 for a twelve-pack, I was pleasantly surprised at how affordable they were.  At last, high-brow cuisine comes to the hoi polloi, via the most popular American dish ever created - the burger!  These babies have no breadcrumbs or other filler in them - I hate it when crabcakes and salmon burgers are loaded down with flavor-killers!  The only ingredients in this burger were salmon, water, canola oil, egg, and spices.

Best of all, these salmon burgers are good for our planet and good for our bodies; they're made from wild-caught Alaskan salmon, not the flavorless, nutritionally inferior, farm-raised Atlantic stuff that's injected with pink food coloring. Some of you may be surprised to see that comment coming out of my mouth.  I am skeptical of the words "organic", "cage-free", "range-free", "grass-fed", blah blah blah, and I do not consider myself a staunch proponent of those products.  Sure, I often buy cage-free eggs or an organic something or other because it may taste better or the price differential may be worth it to me, but a conventionally-grown vegetable is not a dealbreaker in my book.  One area where I always strive to go "natural" is salmon.  Salmon is already expensive to begin with, farmed or wild, so it's worth it (to me) to spend a few extra bucks for bigger flavor and more nutrients.

I quickly pan-seared the burgers for 4-5 minutes per side in just a hint of oil.  Then I splashed some soy sauce on top and put it on a "bun" - i.e. a whole wheat deli flat.  I don't buy hamburger buns if I'm just cooking for one or two because I don't go through them quickly enough, and moreover, I just don't love the taste of them.  I slathered some Duke's mayonnaise on both sides of the bread - I love mayonnaise!  I understand there are a lot of mayo-haters out there, but mayonnaise is my favorite condiment and I will never give it up.  If you don't like mayo, just leave it off.  This burger would be delicious with wasabi mayonnaise, but alas I didn't happen to have any wasabi casually laying around in my refrigerator. 

Finally, I topped each patty with a generous serving of Japanese coleslaw.  This is not a creamy coleslaw, but rather a vinegary, crunchy cabbage salad.  Simply delicious!

Japanese Coleslaw
Serves 4-6

For the slaw:
1 head cabbage, cored and shredded
1/4 cup sliced almonds
6 carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded
4 green onions, chopped (both white and green parts)
1 packet ramen noodles, uncooked and crumbled into small pieces

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons sugar (Splenda works too)
1/4 cup of canola oil or other flavorless vegetable oil
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Spice packet from Ramen noodles (I used the "oriental" flavor)

1.  Mix together ingredients for the slaw
2.  Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a cup or small bowl.  Put in refrigerator to chill.
3.  When ready to serve, pour dressing over slaw and toss.

Oh, and before I leave, I'd like to wish a very  

Happy Birthday 

to my friend Lindsey!  

Linds, maybe 24 will be the year your head actually grows to a full-sized adult.  

Thank you for being such an amazing friend over the past 12+ years.

isn't her head so cute and tiny?

By this point, it's pretty apparent that Asian food is my Achilles heel.  What is your favorite cuisine? Pin It Now!

vegetable & edamame stirfry with thai peanut sauce

Vegetable & edamame stirfry with Thai peanut sauce

Did y'all hear me shout from the rooftops last week?  I have a big, huge announcement.

I'm. In. LOVE.

Love, I tell you!  I didn't see it coming either, but they always say it comes when you least expect it.  I kind of forgot what it felt like.  But it's back, and it's the real thing.  You know how I know?  This is what people do when they fall in love:

• Dance around the room like that fool Nellie Forbush singing "I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love with a wonderful guyyyyyyyy!!!"
• Channel Tom Cruise on Oprah and jump up and down on the couch 
• Babble incoherently and giggle when speaking of their love
• Try to lead normal, functional lives but inevitably become utterly incapable of thinking of anything else other than their love
• Write about their love to be published for the whole world to see, even if they have a million and ten things to do so there was already a post pre-prepared

And y'all, I did all of those things last week.  Why wouldn't I?  Sleek body, sizzlin' hot, works quickly, and gives me exactly what I want.  And you had better believe that if this relationship ever ends, I am going to go BSC like Taylor Swift and write a song about it.  Another thing people do when they're in love.

Last week I fell in love with my wok.

One night, (can't remember which - must be love brain!), I came home from work and was really irritated about something that had happened that day.  In fact, I was so annoyed that I hadn't even thought about what I wanted for dinner that evening.  When I got to my apartment, I had a package from UPS!   I thought it was a pair of pants I had ordered until I saw the size of the box.  Then I remembered what it was!  I had ordered this wok a couple days before with my temporary Amazon Prime membership, which gives me free two-day shipping on most items sold by Amazon.com.  So, I opened the box and decided on a big vegetable stir-fry.  (Side note:  I am just now realizing how much Asian cuisine I've eaten lately.  I love Asian food - Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, it doesn't matter!  Sorry if you don't like Asian food because I know there's a lot of it on this blog!)

For the stirfry, I took a shortcut and used a bag of frozen veggies - a Safeway mixture with sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.  I threw in some frozen edamame for protein and fresh skinny asparagus and let it sizzle in the wok with a tiny bit of canola oil and soy sauce.  I wanted to serve it over white rice, but I was out of it.  What a shame!

While the veggies were a wok-in' and a rollin', I prepared a very quick, very easy Thai peanut sauce to drizzle over the finished product.  More protein!


Thai Peanut Sauce, a 40-day Vegetarian original
Serves one

1 tablespoon all-natural peanut butter
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon plus 1 to 2 tablespoons water
minced garlic, minced ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1.  Heat one tablespoon of peanut butter, one teaspoon of soy sauce, one teaspoon of water, and 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar over medium-low heat.  (If you use traditional peanut butter, you do not need to add sugar).
2.  Using a fork, mash the peanut butter into the liquid and allow it to start melting.  Add garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine all ingredients.  Do not burn the sauce.  Add up to 2 tablespoons of water, little by little, if you find the sauce is too thick or is sticking to the bottom of the pan.   
3.  Drizzle over stirfry and enjoy!


I've made this same dish probably a dozen times before because it's easy, cheap, and Whitney and I love it.  But I don't know HOW I did it without a wok!  I used to fry the veggies using a huge nonstick pan, but the wok makes all the difference.  The vegetables get a deep brown char on the outside, retaining their crunchiness and flavor.  This is a stark contrast to the limpness that can afflict vegetables that have been cooking on a pan too long.  And bonus!  Just like any good man, this thing is fast - dinner went from my freezer to my plate in under ten minutes.  Since I am an economist, after all, I'm a real sucker for rationality and efficiency.  Most importantly, the meal was so delicious that I wasn't even angry anymore.  Boyfriend picks me up when I am down.

So yeah, I am in love with my wok.  I kept it under wraps for a week because I didn't want to jump the gun, but we're still goin' strong, so I am ready to announce it to the world. Also, I just read this entry and I realized that there is an unnecessary number of exclamation points and I am literally babbling in parts of it.  But ya know what?  I'm going to keep both the enthusiasm and stream of consciousness in for added effect.  I told y'all I'm in love.

Have y'all ever fallen in love with an inanimate object?  (KHelm, I'm looking at you and your iPhone.)  Do y'all have any kitchen appliances you can't live without, or any items on your culinary lust list? Pin It Now!

the weekend in food

How was everyone's weekend?  Per usual, mine was a little overindulgent.  Again. (Are you noticing a trend here?  I think I whined about the same thing last week or the week before!  #mondayanxiety)

Friday night was "girls night" for my DC besties and I.  We had been looking forward to this night for a while - even though we live within a two mile radius of each other, we've all been so busy with work, travel, and fun that it had been a while since we'd hung out together!  This night had been on the calendar for a while, but we didn't know what we felt like doing until a couple of days before.  Anna-Catherine suggested a late dinner at Bangkok Joe's, a Thai restaurant on the Georgetown waterfront.

Bangkok Joe's has a très chic ambiance - very swanky and trendy, even though you can't tell by the picture of our corner table.  The food was solid and flavorful, with huge portions, but overall I didn't think it was anything to write home about.  I got the tofu basil rice bowl and also tried Randi's tofu pad thai; everyone else got noodle bowls with chicken, so I didn't try theirs.

I wish my dish had been a tad spicier; it just didn't pack enough punch for me.  Admittedly, I like my Thai food really spicy, so most people probably would have thought it was perfect.  The "upscale Thai bistro" put me even more solidly in the camp that ethnic food is best when cheap and from a hole in the wall.  (The one exception may be Indian food - which seems to be pricey everywhere.)  However, I will say that the company was a blast.  It was so good to see everyone because I think it has been a couple months since all six of us sat down together.  I have no idea when my friends and I all got so old.  Dinner conversation ranged from office woes to friends' upcoming weddings to wrinkles and anti-aging regimes. Whaaaat?  Slow down, Father Time!

 

After dinner we popped by Daily Grill to have a beer and watch the basketball games.  After a while, "a beer" multiplied into many drinks.  Randi, AC, and Kate left and it was just Brittany, Whitney, and me.  It was a slow night for the bar, and the bartender, with whom we are pretty friendly, was soliciting ideas for a new cocktail.  We wound up with something pink that was "girly, but sassy, snarky, and bitchy".  Whatever that means.  Was he trying to describe us? I was skeptical, as I hate sugary girly-tinis, but it actually wasn't that bad.  It tasted like strawberry pineapple juice with a kick.

Saturday, one of my sorority sisters from college, Ann-Somers, was in town for her birthday and the National Half Marathon.  She works as a consultant based out of Dallas, so we got our girlfriends from all over the East Coast (New York, DC, Richmond, and Charlottesville) to meet in the nation's capital.  Our friend Sarah made a reservation at Farmers and Fishers, another restaurant at the Georgetown waterfront.  Farmers and Fishers is a farm-to-table sister restaurant of one of my DC favorites, Founding Farmers.

It was my first time at the restaurant, and even though I had heard varying reviews, I was impressed with most of the food!  (And all of the made-in-house cocktails!)  We started with crab dip, fried calamari, a sprawling hummus platter, and a caprese salad tray for the table.  The apps were delish.  By the time the main course came, I wasn't even hungry, which was probably a good thing because my beet and goat cheese salad was kind of boring.  I suppose that's my fault for not ordering something more interesting.  Apparently Lyssa's tacos were 100% inedible, but other than that, I think everyone was happy with their meals. I had a bite of the roasted vegetable pizza and a couple different types of fish, which were all pretty tasty.

We took the party back to Sarah's house, where we were joined by a few more girls and some of our guy friends from college.  Then, by request of the birthday girl, we went dancing.  Look how happy we all are to be reunited! #dimples

Sunday was a lazy day.  Whitney made shrimp and grits on Saturday night so I threw a fried egg atop a block of leftover grits and called it brunch.  I spent the afternoon watching basketball and doing some boring, administrative Sunday activities.  I also did some trip planning for the vacation my sisters and I are taking in May, following B's graduation.  We're going to Italy for 18 days and I could not be more excited!  We're flying in and out of Milan, stopping in Bologna, Parma, Modena, Ravenna, Florence, Siena, Rome, Cinque Terre, and Turin along the way.  If anyone has suggestions on places to eat (or see!), please send them on over.


What did everyone do this weekend?  Any tasty vegetarian eats? Pin It Now!