Wrapping up

I'm assuming most people that check this blog are on our holiday card list, but if not, here's this year's edition:

I say "this year's card" like we send one every year, but we totally skipped 2018 and sent out a St. Patrick's Day card the year before

Things are definitely slowing down at work for the year. I finished all of my shopping and it's been kind of nice. I'm feeling like I have a little extra time to read, listen, watch, and hang out.

When clicking around online, I discovered that I am Enneagram personality type 9 (the Peacemaker). I think this is the most common. I was at dinner the other night with a couple of friends and 3 out of 4 of us were 9s. We were also all middle children, so that is probably not all that surprising.

I finished Sally Rooney's first book, Conversations with Friends, which I loved, and then wasn't sure I liked, and then decided was a pretty excellent book after all. Read it (or listen, which is basically how I read these days) and decide for yourself. Plus, I really want someone to talk about it with!

Jason and I went to the movies (gasp!) and saw Ford v Ferrari, which was a fun one to see on the big screen. I hope we're able to see a couple more movies over the break. Little Women, Knives Out, and The Rise of Skywalker are all on my list.

On the small screen, we started Season 3 of The Crown, and I am loving the new cast. Especially Helena Bonham Carter as my namesake, Princess Margaret. I'm also catching up on This is Us (on nights when Jason is out of the house). Sometimes it's fun to have a cheesy/heartwarming show to unwind to at the end of the night.

We also had 2 really, really good dinners with friends. Cafe Cancale - French seafood in Wicker Park - and Marisol - the restaurant at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

And for a little holiday fun, Jason and I went to what we think is our 4th Gezellgheid concert - Andrew Bird at the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Ave. It's one of my favorite things to do in December and never disappoints.

Overall I'm feeling good about 2019. We still have a few more things to look forward to this year (um, Universal Studios and Christmas with the fam). But I'm really looking forward to next year. 2020 is going to be big. We have Susie and Sean's new baby to meet, a family trip to Switzerland, and then Jon and Adina's wedding in Portland. Not to mention a 40th birthday for a certain blogger ...

If I don't write again this year (and let's be honest, I probably won't!), have a happy, happy holiday season!

Joyeux anniversaire à maman

Now that I've recovered from the jet lag, it's time to post pics from Paris. It was a perfect weekend and I can't think of any better way we could have celebrated my mom's 70th birthday.

Since we've all been to Paris, we did a mix of "greatest hits" (Luxembourg Gardens, Napoleon's tomb, Rodin Garden, Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie) and things no one had done before (Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit at the Grand Palais, Musée des Arts et Métiers, Musée des Arts Décoratifs). 

But mostly, we just had fun walking around, exploring the different neighborhoods, chatting away, and eating alllll the good food and pastries. Happy birthday, Mom!!

View from Montparnasse Tower

Pizza and champagne for Mom's 70th birthday dinner

Your author atop the Arc de Triomphe at sunset

Susie about to dig into some falafel on the Rue des Rosiers

Visiting Monet

Macarons at McDonald's ... not bad

Nawlins

A few pics from our food, drinks, drinks, food, music, food, drinks tour of New Orleans:

Local beers from Gnarly Barley Brewing at the Longway Tavern. Our waiter was from Cincinnati and gave us a list of really good recommendations for the rest of the trip

Heirloom tomato salad with popped sorghum, white chocolate, and sorrel 

Napoleon House for a quarter Muffuletta sandwich and Boudin sausage

Does this even need a caption? Beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde

The happy travelers at Kingfish cocktail bar for Pimm's cup and sazerac.
I have no photos from K-Paul's, but rest assured we had all the favorites for dinner - fried green tomatoes, shrimp remoulade, chicken and andouille gumbo, pan-fried flounder with jambalaya ... It. Was. A. Feast. 

"Trash grits" for breakfast at St. Roch Market (a bit off the beaten path, but SO worth it)

Drinks on the front porch of The Columns Hotel overlooking St. Charles Ave.
Next up were oysters at Peche. Tip: talk football with the guys at the raw bar shucking oysters and they'll slip you a couple extra

More gumbo and boudin at Cochon. This was described as the Publican of New Orleans. I'd say that's about right 

Our final destination ... Bacchanal Wine. Also off the beaten path and well worth the trip. Enter through the wine store, pick up a bottle, and join the backyard party for live music. An absolutely perfect end to a perfect weekend

Sharing the love

I've made baguettes the last two weeks and am loving the results. The best part is, each batch makes four, so I can share the love with family and friends! Last week, I made pan con tamate (Spanish tomato bread) for friends at a BBQ. Today, I dropped off my extra baguettes with unsuspecting neighbors. I felt like a hero.

This is actually a photo from last week. The baguettes I made today were even better! 

A few other good things to share:

• This lovely article about Prince and his grand plans for an autobiography.
• The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - not an easy read, but absolutely excellent.
• Derry Girls, a funnier than expected (and sometimes heartwarming) comedy on Netflix about a group of high school kids in Northern Ireland in the 1990s.
• Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew with Sweet Cream. I feel a little weird recommending something from Starbucks, but I am obsessed with this stuff. Bring your mug in and treat yourself! 

Back to school

I'm a couple of weeks late, but here's the fourth grader:

Molly, age 9. I'm late posting, but this WAS taken on the first day of school

I'm throwing this one in there, just because. We're not sure why this photo happened, but I think it's worth saving. My mom titled it "Whitesnake" (if  anyone remembers Tawny Kitaen)

We've had an interesting start to the school so far ... some of Molly's friends have been a little inconsistent. I think they're starting to notice who's popular and are on the lookout to upgrade. But overall, Molly seems more happy than not. There's always someone to play with. She's spreading her wings and starting to walk to school with some of the neighborhood kids. We'll see how it all goes. She's got to go through this stuff at some point or another ... might as well toughen up before middle school when the real drama hits!

Worth the wait

"It takes time. It takes patience. But the rewards are great.
Every loaf you bake is slightly different, but most of all, it is uniquely your own.
Nothing you can buy at a store will give you as much satisfaction."

- Nancy Silverton

Molly and me with sourdough loaf #3

I'm definitely feeling pretty pleased by my efforts so far! I've baked the last couple of weekends and have ended up with some really good bread. It takes about 2 days to make, but most of the work takes place on the morning of the first day. The rest of the time is spent watching and waiting for the dough to ferment and rise.

I burned the bottom of my first loaf, but we were able to turn the inside of the bread into croutons for Jason's homemade gazpacho, so no big deal! And I also experimented with using some of the leftover starter to make sourdough pancakes, which were absolutely delicious. Speaking of my starter, we've named it "The Yeast Beast" and now it lives in the refrigerator between baking sessions (much easier to maintain). 

I think I need to keep working on the basic loaf of country white bread for the next few weeks, but am looking forward to branching out and trying some different types soon. Baguettes, rosemary olive oil bread, raisin brioche ... I can't wait!

Inter-National debut

I am so proud. Jason's first ever gig poster SOLD OUT and received more than 7,500 likes on Instagram. I wish we would have been able to attend the concert to see it in person, but alas, it was in Portugal and we weren't able to make it! They sent us 10 copies though (Jason did the artwork, but it was printed by someone else in London). I love it!