ball-off!

This weekend, Kurt and I hosted the latest installment of the "Off" cooking series with a Ball-Off! Normally, the challenge is centered around a particular ingredient (see Beet, Lemon, Pumpkin) or a certain dish (see Dips, Pizza) but this time we focused on shape. With such vague parameters, I was really excited to see what everyone would come up with and they certainly did not disappoint. We crammed our teeny apartment full of friends and so much incredible spherical food. All the dishes were just as delicious as they were creative, so it was insanely difficult to choose the winners. But of course, our competitiveness won over and only a few people could leave with trophies and bragging rights:

Best Overall: Buffalo Chicken Balls with Blue Cheese Dip, Liz and John

Best Savory: Arancini al pesto, Kurt (his first win!)

Best Sweet: Oreo Balls, Liz and John (double win!!)

I made Kale Bacon Feta Balls which were pretty good (I got a few votes!) but didn't end up winning :( Regardless, I'll be sharing the process along with the winning recipes soon. Everyone is super excited about the next Off and kept throwing out possible ideas for the challenge. Any suggestions out there?

weekend in review

Monday. Sigh.

Conversation between Garance Doré and Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist) at the French Institute Alliance Francais. (They're a couple, so it was a sweet and funny interview.) // Dearly needed mani/pedi and cocktail in Clinton Hill // Pool and beer at The Brooklyn Inn // Dinner and fancy desserts at Brooklyn Commune in Windsor Terrace // Mini apple pies and flag decorated quinoa for an American themed going away party for our sweet New Zealand friend. Pictured: 5 Kiwis, 2 Italians, and 4 [outnumbered] Americans. Pretty happy with the amount of red, white and blue!

{last photo thanks to Kurt!}

weekend in review

Kurt was skiing in Vermont this past weekend, so I was left to my own devices once again. There were leisurely moments of running through the park, strolling to the bookstore, watching our St. Patrick’s Day Parade roll right on by my front door, and catching up on some TV shows (Scandal: kind of over it; New Girl, Trophy Wife: still very hilarious). Other times I found myself furiously cleaning the apartment, hanging picture shelves and bottle openers on our walls, schlepping to Target to check out the new Oh Joy! collection only to find it picked over, and cooking up a storm in the kitchen (sadly, I am not a fan of the pea soup that emerged…but Kurt likes it!). Ups and downs, you know. Exciting stuff over here. Hope you guys had a great weekend!

on the hunt: boy shoes

1 // 2 // 3

4 // 5

6 // 7 // 8

I've had a pair of Converse All-Star sneakers for years. My mom hates them (she's dubbed them "boy shoes") but they are so easy to throw on during the weekends, I find myself in them constantly. They're perfect for running errands in the neighborhood and great for biking around when the weather is nice. My current shoes are nearing their end, so I'm in need of a replacement with spring rolling around soon. I'll probably end up with something neutral that goes with everything (seriously, I wear them all the time) but a few fun colors and patterns caught my eye during the search. Which do you like best? Any cute sneakers out there I am missing?

weekend in review

The temps are barely climbing above the freezing mark, but somehow the days and weekends are slowly filling with activity more than during the doldrums of winter. And I absolutely love it. Being on the go non-stop can be tiring but it's fun and exciting and why I love this city. I can sleep when I'm dead! Anyway, we started off the weekend with an awesome Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show concert at the Barclay's Center here in Brooklyn. The weather was so nice on Saturday I got in a good run in Prospect Park before getting drinks nearby at Greenwood Park. Outside! I forgot what that was like! The rest of the weekend was spent celebrating birthdays (apparently early March is THE time to be born). After recovering from a much too festive Saturday night, some friends had a backyard barbecue on Sunday. The weather might have been a bit premature for that one, but we were eating outside even if it meant scarves and jackets! I made Kurt a cake for his half birthday but it somehow got folded into the actual birthday festivities. Let's just be clear that it was Kurt's Buckeye Cake (chocolate cake + peanut butter frosting, recipes here and here). The night got wrapped up with a rousing game of Boys vs Girls Catchphrase. I'm happy to say the girls went 3 games undefeated! Woo hoo!