Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

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I read this book many years ago, when its cover caught my eye on the New Books shelf at the Blake Library back at home.  It is a beautiful cover, evocative and definitive.  The stark graphic belies that the book has a rather bleak beginning, a boy loses his father during the 9/11 attacks, but the colors are optimistic and hopeful.  The typography, a bit haphazard and in two separate directions, is a nod to the somewhat convoluted perspectives from which the story is told.
Oskar Schell is a precocious 9-year old who is reeling from his father's death the year prior.  He finds a mysterious key labeled "Black" on top of his father's armoire, and sets out to find out why his dad, Thomas Schell, had this key and what it means.  His trek takes him all over the city of New York, where he meets a woman who lives on top of the Empire State Building, a 103-year old neighbor who joins him on the journey, and a wealthy woman who scares Oskar when she offers him finger sandwiches.  Oskar's story is interwoven with both of his grandparents' stories, who survived the Dresden bombings during WWII, their generation's and country's version of 9/11.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is really a story about coming to grips with loss and the worst sides of humanity: what do we do when our safety net is taken from us?  How do we cope with the evil that resides in the world?  Does the good really outweigh the bad?
John Paul and I listened to this audiobook on the drive to and from Illinois, and it's very well narrated.  However, pick up the print version if you can; there are some great visuals that help to bring the story to life.

Roasted Veggies

As it is fall, root vegetables are king in the kitchen.  We've had roasted vegetables at least once a week for the past month, and still have not tired of them, mostly because they're so terribly versatile.
My base is generally one tray of various chopped veggies.  Pick a few of the following and chop into 1-inch cubes: squash (any kind...butternut, acorn, even summer or zucchini if you can still find it), cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, onions, brussel sprouts.  Add an apple, or cranberries, if you want to add some Thanksgiving pizazz.  Toss with salt, pepper, olive oil, some balsamic vinegar to punch it up a bit and caramelize the meal slightly in the oven.
Pop into a 400-degree oven and roast for 40-50 minutes, stirring around halfway through.

Now, with these delicious veggies cooked, do any of the following:
1. Toss with a whole grain (barley, brown rice, quinoa).
2. Create a salad with arugula or romaine lettuce.
3. Bake a sweet potato, and stuff the veggies inside for a colorful plate.
4. Add to a bowl of whole grain pasta and top with some grated cheese.
4. Serve as a tasty side for the protein of your choice.

Lately my favorite version is #3; oh my goodness, it's so filling and good for you!  Try making a couple trays of roasted veggies, then just using them throughout the week.  So easy and delicious!

Brown Wedges

Tee: J.Crew
Pants: J.Crew Factory Store
Shoes: Cooperative via Urban Outfitters
I've been eyeing these fabulous wedges for months, waiting for them to go on sale.  I've been in the market for some brown wedges I can dress up for winter (yes, I realize they've got an open toe, but I can cover that up with some opaque tights), and these totally fit the bill.  Would you believe me if I said they were also comfortable? 

I'm loving how this look plays with details: woven leather, small print on the pants, heathered shirt.  It keeps the whole thing from being too put-together, the death wish for any outfit.  Don't we all strive for that 'just threw this on' look?

Thanksgiving in Illinois

We drove 27 hours total from Wednesday to Sunday at noon.  I've never driven west from DC before, so it was wonderful to cruise through towns that had buildings painted like works of art.  So cool!

Mia was super-antsy in Illinois until Mom opened the window, put the  bean bag in front of it, and let her stare at the squirrels in the yard.  Then JP joined her, and she was the happiest camper!

Brent showed me how to fold napkins so they stand up on their own, and I added the leaf garland and squirrel placecards.  Cute!

Jeez Louise, the apple pie and pumpkin custard Mom made for dessert was to die for!  Topped the custard with candied ginger, and whipped cream.  Bon appetit!

We had such a great visit to the midwest!  Thanks for the excellent hospitality, Mom and Brent!

Last night John Paul made the monumental Squash-henge while we prepped for dinner.  What an artist!

Orange Oxfords

Sweater vest and pants: Gap
Button down: H&M
Oxfords: Urban Outfitters
Belt: J. Crew
Oh man.  When I saw these shoes on sale at Urban, I bought them asap.  How amazing are they?!  Love the bold color, especially when worn with a relatively conservative outfit like this one.

Gah, I love them!  I did wear argyle socks, which peeked out a bit and looked nerdy-cute.  At least, I hope that's how the look turned out.

I met JP for an event at his job on Tuesday night, which means free wine and crackers.  Really, I was just looking for an excuse to continue wearing this outfit.  It'll be hard to not wear it on a weekly basis!

Thanksgiving 2011

Just a smattering of what I am grateful for this year:

Almond milk

Chocolate

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Netflix

My good health

Francis Field

Mia

My sister's patience for teaching me to knit for the fifth time

Real Simple

Cookbooks

JOHN PAUL 

Hot lemon water in the morning

Parents who have always made me feel loved

Cappuccinos made with love by my fiance

Lavender scones

Family who is incredibly supportive of all of my life choices

Ryan Gosling

Musicals 

Sweet Potato and Kale Soup

Thanksgiving is tomorrow.  Gracious, this year has flown by.  Anyway, tomorrow kicks off the official start of the holiday season, at least in my book, and that means tons of food.  I love to eat, but I also want to use a bit of restraint periodically during the monthlong binge-eating fest.

 

If you're taking it easy before the big day, try this soup by Joy the Baker.  It's delightfully light, slightly spicy, and chock full of healthy stuff.  Kale is a great source of vitamins K and C, calcium, and antioxidants; sweet potatoes have lots of antioxidants, fiber and complex carbs.  There's a splash of coconut milk, which I thought about leaving out but am so glad I added.  It adds a lovely creaminess without the heft of cream or animal milk.

It does make quite a lot of soup, so I'm planning on freezing a small portion of it for December.  Just reheat and serve over brown rice!

Fall Leaves Garland

This year, JP and I will be making the trek over to the great midwest to spend Thanksgiving with mi madre and Brent.  I've said it before, and will say it again, I love road trips!  We've got audiobooks, tasty treats, and I'm finishing up some knitting on the drive; what more could you need for a lovely day?

Because of the lengthy drive (somewhere between 12 and 14 hours, depending on traffic), we got out of food duties for Thanksgiving dinner.  Instead, I'm in charge of the table decorations, and bringing plenty of candy cane Joe-Joes (Trader Joe's makes CCJJ each year, just during the holidays, and we hoard boxes for the off-season.  They're so terribly delicious!).  This garland acted as my inspiration, although my colors aren't quite Thanksgiving-only; I bought felt last year for a Christmas craft, and didn't use it.  Regardless, I think they look cute together!

I've got two garlands, and I plan on using them as simple table runners down the middle of the table, and will also put together some napkin rings with leftover leaves.  Combine this with some squirrel placecards bought at Paper Source and a list of things we're thankful for, and we'll have a lovely table!  I'll post pictures next week of the final product.

The Marriage Plot

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Let me begin by stating this: I love Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides.  His first novel, TVS, reads like a beautifully relaxed ode to the brevity of youth and beauty, while Middlesex (which won the Pulitzer when it was released a few years ago) is an epic saga of a family through three generations.  I've read both books multiple times, and had very high expectations of his latest tome.  I should also mention that I didn't really know what it was about before putting it on hold at my library.
The Marriage Plot follows three recent Brown grads in the early 1980s: Madeleine, Leonard and Mitchell.  It's a bit of a love triangle, with Leonard and Madeleine being in love, Mitchell being in love with Madeleine, Madeleine sometimes having feelings for Mitchell.  Madeleine suffers from indecision and the usual female literary protagonist making poor relationship decisions, Leonard is manic depressive, and Mitchell can't decide where he falls with the whole religion thing.  The book follows each character through the year following graduation, through Leonard and Madeleine's foray into cohabitation and Mitchell's travels around India. 
To be quite honest, it reads like Eugenides did an update on Jane Austen.  There's a strong-ish female heroine drawn to the wrong guy before realizing it was the other she was meant to be with all along.  It's chick lit; I couldn't find anything to sink my teeth into throughout the novel.  While I have nothing against some brain candy, I was looking for more of a brain Sunday dinner- something that would have me pondering thoughts about marriage, our dreams vs. our realities after school, etc.  At over 400 pages, this book had no weight to it.  I suppose if you go in with lowered expectations, this could be a perfectly adequate novel.  For someone who believes that Jeffrey Eugenides is capable of phenomenal writing, I felt let down.

White Bean Burgers

I love anything you can smoosh between two pieces of bread.  I've done my PB&J stage, Publix subs, lentil-walnut burgers, cheese steaks...the sandwich, and all of its variations, is the perfect food in my book.  It's best to not get comfortable, though.  I love trying out new flavor combinations, adding new condiments, even going meatless if the mood calls for it. 

It was calling last week when I saw these White Bean Burgers with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Rosemary on Not Without Salt.  It's packed with protein from cannellini beans, plus gets a dose of green in form of spinach on top (she used arugula) and some heat from chili flakes.  I also put some mustard and guacamole on the buns; fantastic duo.  John Paul fried up some asparagus as the side dish, and we had ourselves a regular feast!