365 Chances #11: In which no one's a stranger.

Last night I went to dinner with Meg at Island Creek Oyster House. It blew my mind, specifically the buttermilk biscuit (there was honey on it!), raw oysters (the namesake oysters are delicious), and another dish whose name I do not remember. We also drank two bottles of wine and were able to catch up, just the two of us. Oh, and there were big snowflakes falling onto Kenmore Square right outside the window. So, you know, it was the perfect date.

That's all to say that this morning I was feeling a bit like I'd drunk equal to or less than the amount of one bottle of wine, so I was a little slow on the uptake. (Translation: I missed the bus to the gym and didn't have time for a proper breakfast.) So on my way to work this morning, I stopped into Trader Joe's for some bananas, an orange, and peanuts. All proper morning/snack foods. Upon checkout, I asked the guy the same old, "How are you today?" And it was his response that woke me up this morning.

"Ah, not doing so well today. I had to put my cat down yesterday."

My jaw did a little bit of dropping, and I couldn't quite figure out how to respond.

"I'm so sorry," I said. Call me Mother Teresa.

"You know, she had acute kidney failure and was in a lot of pain."

"Well, it's probably better that she's not in any pain," I thought to myself. I couldn't speak. I didn't know how to respond, how to offer anything genuine or specific to this man I had just met a minute before. All of the ways I know how to console are intimate and too private for a customer-cashier relationship at Trader Joe's, right?

I left a little bit stunned. I had the feeling I hadn't dealt with the situation properly. I felt a little like he was out of line, spilling his heart out like that in what's supposed to be a predictable transaction. But maybe that's what I don't like so much about the world. I served tables and bartended for the better part of my high school and college careers and even after a rotten morning or shift, when someone--even regulars--asked me how I was, I responded with the boilerplate: "I'm doing well, how are you?"

Sure, there's a time and a place for venting, and often your place of employment isn't it. But I admire that man's ability to say to hell with social norms and knee jerk, generic responses. Maybe if I spent more time actually revealing bits of myself to the world, I wouldn't be so shocked when I saw it in unexpected places.

[Addendum: Not sure what 365 Chances are? Start here. ALSO Meg check out what time I posted this!)

(365 Chances) #9: Cinnamon Rolls

I made these a couple weeks ago for a brunch. Overnight, the number of people coming to the brunch went from about 8 to about 15. I had planned to make these cinnamon rolls, then when we realized so many people were coming, I cooked them up early and the original six of us were in food/sugar comas by the time everyone else arrived. It's definitely worth the work, but I wouldn't suggest making this more than once a year. I'm planning to make it a Christmas tradition. 

PS -- If you came over from Adventures of Newlyweds, say hi! 

This recipe is from The Weekend Baker.

You'll need

Dough:

1 c milk

8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

3 1/2 c all-purpose flour

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

1/3 c granulated sugar

1 large egg

Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/3 c all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 tb unsalted butter, melted

Glaze: (courtesy of Paula Deen)
4 tbsp butter
2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 to 6 tbsp hot water

Do this

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and the butter. Stir constantly over medium heat until the butter melts. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended.

Check the temperature of the milk mixture. It'll need to be between 115 and 125 degrees to active the yeast. Add the warm liquid and the egg to the flour and stir with the wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Dump the dough onto a floured surface.

Knead the dough with your hands. Keep kneading for about 10 minutes, and shape the dough into a ball. Lightly grease the bowl and put the dough back in it. Cover securely with plastic wrap, and let stand for about 45 to 55 minutes until doubled in size. Combine the ingredients for the cinnamon filling, except for the butter, and set aside.

Turn the dough onto a clean surface and roll out into a 12x17 inch rectangle. Pour the melted butter onto the dough and spread the cinnamon filling over that. Roll it up! Then slice one inch thick slices and place into a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise about 1 1/2 times their original size, or about 40 minutes. 

Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Prepare the glaze while the rolls are baking. When the rolls are finished baking, smother them in that amazing, amazing stuff.

Then eat them before everyone arrives! 

(365 Chances) #8: I like to move it, move it.

So I read over at Story of My Life that today is something called "Blue Monday," because of the passing of Christmas, holiday debt, and holiday weight gain catching up with us. Without knowing it, I started combatting it early this morning when I woke up at 5:46 am with Mike and went to the gym. Can I make a small confession? I've been a member of Planet Fitness for a while now, but in all the year and half a month I've known him, Mike has never known that. I'm not some super-secret-keeper; I just haven't gone. That's right: $120 straight down the drain. I never canceled my membership because I thought that eventually I'd get motivated enough to go. With my last job a good hour and twenty minute commute from home, I fell into the I-don't-have-time-for-this mentality, but now that the gym is on my way to work, I ran out of excuses.

Anyway, I make no promises, but I'm feeling pretty good about it. We'll see what my legs are saying tomorrow morning at 5:46 am, but for now they're feeling pretty good as well.

Also helping me beat the blues is a little spotlight over at Adventures of Newlyweds. Ashley and I went to middle school and high school together, starred in The Man Who Came to Dinner, played upside-down-stool-drums together in AP Chem (which I think reflected in our grades and Mr. Harrington's--yes, I remember his name and think of him every time I watch Breaking Bad--opinion of us), and were completely freaked out by one of teacher's Hump Day Dance. In those days, I was lucky to have quality over quantity in friendships, and Ashley was one of them. It was pretty heartbreaking when she moved off to Michigan way back when, but it seems she's pretty used to the jet-setting lifestyle, so I guess that was early practice. Funny the way life shifts and the places that you run into people again.

This weekend was awesome. After making dinner and settling into a Friday night in, Mike said, "It's kind of nice not having somewhere to be." And I realized, Yeah! I've been spending my weekends running around, seeing people, and as much as I've loved it, a weekend of wandering and no agenda was necessary.

Saturday we made a trip--through the awesome snow--to Sew Low Discount Fabric in Cambridge for some fabric for a curtain and one of the projects from DIY Dress Up, then to the Garment District in Kendall Square for some $1.50/lb clothes action, and finally to Buffalo Exchange to exchange some old clothes for a new-to-me pair of Free People corduroys and a pretty sweet Cape Cod t-shirt. Mike's parents were in the city dropping his sister off, so we all went out to City Girl for a delicious dinner.

Yesterday I spent the whole day in jammies, watching How I Met Your Mother and redoing my Kindle cover! I figured it out, and my Kindle now fits snugly inside. Then I took my experience and made another one as a gift, which I'll have to send out this week.

I have writing group tomorrow, and I'm proud to say I wrote something and submitted it Saturday morning before all of the errands. It's such a great feeling to be on top of my game again.

(365 Chances) #7: Sew a cover for my Kindle.

So I lied about write, write, writing last night. Instead I spent the night sew, sew, sewing. Which isn't to say the night was bust, in fact, it turned out to be very productive despite the wine and How I Met Your Mother happening simultaneously. I started the cover for my Kindle (based on the iPad case tutorial from Maggie Makes), which I have since decided to rip apart a little and start over. It's always hard to realize that you messed up--especially with my incessant desire to be finished--but the satisfaction of something well-made and an improvement in skills always trumps the extra time and focus on detail.

I also repurposed a sweater I bought at Frida Bee, which luckily shrunk a little when I washed and dried it. I cut out a big piece of fleece leftover from making stockings for Christmas and handstitched a big heart on it. I love the vibrant colors and the coziness of the felt. I borrowed one of my roommate's red tank tops and have been walking around the office with my heart on my…chest.

For the second time this week, right before bed, I noticed that it was snowing! I can't wait for the skies to just open up and dump it out on us. My office has renovations approaching, so I'm hoping a nice big snowstorm will coincide with my working from home days.

I'm so excited it's the weekend again, though it seems that four day weeks always seem to last the longest. On the docket is searching for a '20s Valentine's Day costume, getting loads of practice fabric from the Garment District's $1/pound area, grocery shopping, and lots of reading and cuddles. I'll probably throw some baking in there as well. 

Have a lovely weekend!

(365 Chances) #6: No Knead Bread

Let me tell you what, not much is better for the soul than fresh homemade bread, a new thermos full of hot coffee, a night out bowling with friends (and breaking 100 points [pins?] in the first six frames!), and a day working from home. 

My plans today are to get my hair trimmed finally and write, write, write. And when I can't write anymore, I'm going to sew a cover for my Kindle. Thursdays have become my most favorite Mel-time days. As has become custom, I'm working from Jenna's house because my Internet stinks and I want to take full advantage of my remote working capabilities. It also gets me up and out of pajamas and into working mode. I packed coffee and lunch: PB&J on homemade bread (!!!) and crackers and edamame hummus (go get it from Trader Joe's right now). 

If you're interested, here's the super simple recipe for no knead bread (pictured above):

You will need:

3 cups bread flour

1 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

Time

Extra flour for dusting

A cotton towel, not terrycloth (or in my case, an old t-shirt I didn't mind parting with)

What you will do:

The night before...Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix in the warm water with a wooden spoon until combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 12 to 20 hours. (I usually do this step the night before I want to eat the bread. It takes about five minutes.)

The day of...Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. (The dough will want to stick to the bowl, but will peel easily off of it with a little help.) Fold the edges of the dough over on itself with either A) wet hands or B) a plastic spoon. Now dust your towel and place in the pot you plan to cook your bread in. (Note: Don't use terrycloth, as the little fibers will stick to your dough. I used an old t-shirt because all we have are terrycloth towels.) Cover with the towel and let sit for two hours. (Confession: I've never let this sit for the full two hours, because I'm antsy to get cooking and eating. I usually let it sit for an hour, then let it hang out in the oven while it's preheating...)

Now preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Bake the bread covered for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The temperature inside should be about 210 degrees. 

Cut and slather with butter or Nutella! 

(365 Chances) #5: Stop SOPA.

I don't get too many visitors around these parts, but I guess it helps to show that the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its sister, the Protect IP Act (PIPA) will affect us all, right down to the littlest gal in the littlest corner of the Internet. Let's not let that happen, ok?

Learn more about the blackout here. Proud to say my company, O'Reilly Media, is also participating in the blackout. Read our company statement here.

Image via Google.com

(365 Chances) #4: Right when you need it, it snows.

This weekend was exactly what I needed. Between apartment headaches (migraines, really) and the subsequent growing distaste for my living situation (despite loving my roommates), I needed a weekend away. Our first anniversary turned out to be the perfect excuse to get away. Saturday we headed up to Keene, New Hampshire, to visit friends and take advantage of Mike's dad's Holiday Inn points. We enjoyed the snowy views, went thrift store shopping, ate Thai food, had a decadent dessert at Burdick Chocolate, and played darts in Bellows Falls, VT. The next day we saw Beauty and the Beast in 3D (Mike's favorite Disney movie), then headed to Brattleboro, VT, for our second night at of Holiday Inn Express hopping, this time with a big jacuzzi right there in the room with us. That night we had dinner and bowling with friends, then settled in for a night of Don't Break the Ice, one of Mike's thrift purchases. 

If you're ever in one of these areas, I definitely recommend More Than a Thrift Store in Keene, NH; Burdick Chocolate in Walpole, NH; Fireworks, Mocha Joes, and Twice Upon a Time in downtown Brattleboro, VT; and Brattleboro Bowl in Brattleboro. 

Best of all, it was wonderful to feel just as crazy about that man as I was a year ago when he drove into Cambridge from Western Mass for our first date. And last night, as we readied ourselves for bed, it started to snow. I'm a lucky, lucky, happy, happy girl. 

PS - I'm myarbrough on Instagram!

(365 Chances) #3: Recycled Quilt

I'm the roommate who complains when I find a perfectly recyclable container in the trashcan. (I'm also the roommate who doesn't say anything, but instead reaches into the trash receptacle and moves it into the recycling bin. Your children can thank me later.) That said, when Mike gave me the idea to fashion a quilt out of his old t-shirts rather than just throwing them away, I was up to the challenge. Granted, this picture doesn't zoom in on the glaring problems with my design and sewing handiwork, but I like to think that someday I'll look back on this, running my finger over the imperfections, and appreciate it for its flaws. I learn by doing, and I'm happy to say I'm on my way to making more quilts. 

(365 Chances) #2: Doing it myself.

Remember what I said about the catharsis of a new year? Well, it's really getting to me. Last night I spent the night watching How I Met Your Mother while cutting squares of scrap fabric for a quilt. Before that, I stopped at the resale shop near my house and bought some great sewing patterns for super cheap (unfortunately they're going out of business). I also considered buying an old suede jacket so I could cut it up and use the material (and am still considering it, apparently).

One of my 26 before 26 includes sewing my own dress, and since I got a brand spankin' new sewing machine for Christmas, I've decided to get jumping on my desire to make my own clothes. I feel like my style has taken the brunt of the hit from my low budget lifestyle, and I think making what I wear is a great practice in earning what I own. It's easy to stock up on cheap clothes when the urge strikes, but I'd rather have pieces I thought about, handpicked the materials, and spent time building piece by piece. But my history of self-teaching has proven that I make a lot of mistakes and go the longest possible way before getting it right, so I decided to take a little short cut this time. With the help of Red Velvet's D.I.Y. Dress Up e-course, I plan to whip up my own dresses, belts, hair accessories, and patterns within the span of this year. I'm pretty stoked, especially for all of the birthday and Christmas gifts I'll be able to fashion from it!

Who's with me?

(365 Chances) #1: Tomato & Rosemary Focaccia

Full disclosure: I started another blog. I even posted a photo on it, and started writing my first post. Then, as I started customizing the template, I realized that it looked strangely similar to this very blog. I guess I'm not immune to New Year Fever, to new beginnings, clean slates, fresh starts, etc. But one of my goals for this year is to exercise perseverance, to put in the time that doing what I want and getting better at what I do takes. I am easily distracted and discouraged, so this is the year of focusing, of figuring out, of improving. I'm afraid that I'll become a "jack of all trades, master of none," so this is the year of mastery, for better or worse. Even if I never own a bakery, I still love the craft of it, the art and silence, the intimacy with food, the generous rewards of breaking a bread that I have made.

My other blog, it was called 365 Chances, because what is a year if not that? 365 chances to invent, to discover, to do, do, do. To read and write letters, to share and commune. There are so many things this year can be, so many chances.

The first chance I've taken is to start making my own bread. Inspired by Emma's goal to bake a loaf of bread a week, I've decided to get a jumpstart on my dream of owning my own bakery by learning the trade of breadmaking. I have to say, my first attempt was a hit. Here she is:

This recipe is from Vegetarian Bible:


Tomato & Rosemary Focaccia 


You'll need
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, extra for garnish
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
6 oven-dried tomato halves
1 tsp sea salt


 Do this
Sift together the flour and salt, then stir in yeast and rosemary. Make a well in the center and pour in 4 tbsp of the olive oil; mix quickly. Stir the lukewarm water in slowly. Turn onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 2 minutes.

Now brush a bowl with oil. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in the bowl, and cover with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

Brush a cookie sheet with oil. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and punch with your fist, then knead for one minute. Put the dough onto the cookie sheet, cover with a damp dish towel, and let rise for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in half. Whisk the remaining oil with a little water in the bowl; dip your fingers into it and poke dimples into the dough. Place the tomato halves into the dimples, drizzle with remaining oil mixture, and sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary sprigs.

Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake the bread for 20 minutes.

And then sit down and eat warm bread that you just made.