What I've Been Up To

On November 5th after a very short labor Lucy Violet Goldstein joined us and now we are a family of four. We are over the moon excited to have this lovely girl in our lives. xo

Fall Boots

Fall has finally arrived today in Los Angeles. It's a chilly 68 degrees and rainy! I can't remember the last time I saw the rain. These early hints of fall make me excited for scarves, jackets and most of all fall boots! Truth be told my feet are starting to get a little swollen in the last weeks of pregnancy - think Frodo Baggins in the "Lord of the Rings."

I won't let a little extra fluid deter me from dreaming of boots. Here are some of my favorites:

Isabel Marant 

Madewell 

Madewell

Rag & Bone

Rag & Bone

Bookshelves

Long before we ever purchased our first home I had been dreaming of bookshelves. Yes the kind the are built-in and span from floor to ceiling filled with books and a carefully curated collection of objects and photos. I remember one of my best friends in college built amazing floor to ceiling shelves in her first New York apartment (her mother was an architect and she owned her own place!) and it even had a ladder a la Rex Harrison's home in "My Fair Lady." Those shelves were amazing and I still think of them now.

For some reason I can't find a photo with the ladder but you get the idea 

Well it's been two years since we bought our first home and we have done little to realize my shelves dream. Frankly they seemed pretty low on the totem poll when it came to the list of things we want to do to our house down the line. Once we learned we were having a second baby all that changed of course, and what started as a small project to prepare our guestroom/office/junk room for the baby has morphed into my dream come true. We are building shelves in our family room, our dining room, and just for good luck we are building a window seat too. I am beyond excited. I am imagining how organized and clutter-free our lives will soon be. Sure the projects are scheduled to be completed around the same time as our baby is due but that's not a big deal right? We are still formulating exactly what we want but here are a few more of my inspiration photos for shelves and reading nooks. 

You can see more of my home dreams and inspirations here

HANK IS THREE

Hank in Frontierland

This weekend we celebrated Hank's third birthday! I can't believe he is already three. Hank and I recently got haircuts so he is really looking older. It's as if in the blink of an eye he lost the last of his babyish qualities. We weren't quite sure how to celebrate this milestone but in the end we decided not to have a party. Birthday parties still feel more like events for the parents then the kids, and Hank isn't someone who necessarily thrives in large groups. We did want to mark the occasion and one of the perks of my jobs is free tickets to Disneyland so we decided to go down for a whole night and make a trip of it. We had a blast. We visited the park, enjoyed the waterslides and swimming pools at the Disneyland Hotel and we even had breakfast with the characters. Just because we spent the day away doesn't mean Hank didn't get a cake. I spent most of Friday night slaving over this baby:

Monkey Birthday Cake

I found the recipe here months ago and had been wanting to make it for Hank since he is in a real Monkey/Gorilla/Primate/Ape phase. Overall it was a great weekend. xo

Hank the night of his birthday

Oh baby.....

Hard to believe that we will soon have ANOTHER baby. I keep meaning to blog more but between work and preparing for said little girl blogging slips through the cracks.

I watched this video I made of Hank's first year. It's incredible how much we forget in just two short years. I keep wondering how does your heart open again as much as it did the first time but everyone assures me it will. I think I know that it will. I am definitely savoring every moment with this little guy before our lives forever change.

Family Photos

It feels like practically a lifetime ago but a few months back we piled Hank into the car and headed off to San Francisco to catch up with friends and enjoy this incredible city that's just a few hours North of Los Angeles. I was shocked to discover that a five-hour drive is incredibly easy with a toddler. I think all weekend long we kept saying we have to do this more and of course we haven't been back but seriously it's so worth it. Since we had Hank we headed straight to this museum when we arrived. I wish we had a lot more time to spend but it was great to give Hank a chance to burn off some energy after a long car ride. 

One of the biggest highlights of the weekend was getting to take some family portraits with Mike's talented friend Kena. It's something we've wanted to do for ages. I am so happy with the results and so thrilled that we finally did it. It is a testament to Kena's talent that the photos turned out so great. We took them in Golden Gate Park and I have to be honest that while she was shooting us running after Hank (me with my pregnant belly) I wasn't sure if any of them were going to be worth much. If you or a friend you know lives in the S.F. area and is looking for family portraits I can't recommend Kena more. She is warm and lovely and great with kids. 

Here are a few more of our favorites from the Golden Gate Park shoot: 

Life Lately or Why I've Been MIA

Bump Selfie from a month or two ago (much bigger now)

I am in the home stretch of pregnancy number two. We are expecting a little girl November 5th. It's funny how different the second pregnancy is from the first. This time around I haven't even picked up a pregnancy book, taken any prenatal yoga classes, or basically done just about anything that you do the first time around. To be honest it's easy to forget I am pregnant, well less so lately because I am waddling around and slowing down considerably. I am a bit scared to see how we transition to a family of three to a family of four. It's all very different this time around. In the meantime I am trying to savor every moment with Hank and our little family. I am sure that once this girl arrives it will be hard to imagine life without her but I am still clinging to every precious moment we have right now as if I am holding on for dear life.

We shall see. I hope that once I have some time off from work and have settled into our new family life I will have more time to blog a bit.

Here are some pictures from a recent family trip to Chicago and my Dad's lake house in Wisconsin. It was a great trip. The best part was watching Hank bond with his cousin Dexter. The two of them had running jokes which was amazing to see. They definitely enjoy slapstick humor and would crack each other up. We had a great time.

Checking Out the Corn 

Hank and Dexter

Visiting the Horses

Hank's Beloved Sheep Meet Some Sheep on the Farm 

Cousin Bath Time 

Stumbled across this lovely, haunting band London Grammar. Perhaps I am late but there album comes out September 8th. They are even touring next month at a bunch of U.S. Cities.

Delicious Grilled Chicken

Last Night's Dinner Included Grilled Chicken 

During the cooler months I tend to make roast chicken nearly every week. I have memorized the Zuni Cafe recipe (which people have blogged about all over the place and you can find here). It is always delicious and I have leftovers for a few days for Hank's lunch or for our dinners. In the summer months it feels odd roasting a chicken. It is already hot enough without turning your oven up to 475 degrees (seriously the recipe is all about high heat!). My go to summer recipe is Ina Garten's Grilled Tuscan Chicken. It is always juicy, flavorful and delicious. I also always enjoy at least a day of leftovers. It couldn't be easier you just need to start marinating the chicken at least four hours ahead of time (last night I ended up marinating it for over 24-hours b/c our Saturday night plans changed and it was still delicious. Enjoy!

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, flattened

Kosher salt

1/3 cup good olive oil

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, halved

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating.

When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on 1 side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread 1/4 of the coals across the other side of the grill. Place the chicken on the cooler side, skin side up, and weigh it down with the dish you used for marinating. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

 

Grand Park

This weekend we finally checked out the new Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. I realize we are a bit late to the game here but wow was this park fantastic for kids. We got there at 5:00 pm on a Saturday when the crowds had thinned significantly but there were still a ton of kids splashing in the water. Hank immediately peeled off his clothes and proceeded to run for a good hour. He had the best time. He would follow around older kids and lie down next to them in the shallow waters. The splash pad part of the park is the obvious draw for kids but there is also lots of green space and places to sit and they have all sorts of events here all summer long including outdoor movies and a farmer's market. We will definitely be back for more fun on a hot day. I can't recommend this place more if you have kids and you are looking for an alternative to the beach on a hot summer day.

Here are some more pics of Hank in Grand Park heaven:

Best Ceasar Salad Recipe Ever

I have always loved a good Caeser salad. In order to be great it can't be too heavily dressed and I love when it has fresh anchovies (I realize they aren't for everyone). Over the years I have experimented with various incarnations and recipes but I have never found one that is as good as a great restaurant version.....until now.

This month's Food and Wine has an incredible version from April Bloomfield. I have made this dressing three times since I first found it. It is a game changer. Enjoy.

1. Here are the ingrediants: 
2. 1/2 pound day-old rustic Italian bread, crusts discarded and bread torn into bite-size pieces
3. 10 anchovy fillets, plus more for garnish
4. 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5. 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6. 2 garlic cloves
7. 1 large egg
8. 1 cup vegetable oil
9. 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus finely shredded cheese, for serving
10. Kosher salt
11. Freshly ground pepper
12. 18 ounces Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated and chilled
13. Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the bread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, until golden and crisp; let the croutons cool.
14. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the 10 anchovy fillets with the vinegar, mustard and garlic and puree until smooth. Add the egg and pulse until just incorporated. With the machine on, gradually drizzle in the vegetable oil until emulsified. Scrape the dressing into a bowl and stir in the 1/3 cup of grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the dressing with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled and thickened, at least 30 minutes.
15. In a very large bowl, toss the chilled lettuce leaves with half of the dressing, gently rubbing the dressing onto the leaves with your hands. (Save the remaining dressing for another salad or to serve with grilled chicken.) Arrange the dressed lettuce on a platter and scatter the croutons on top. Garnish with anchovy fillets and serve right away, passing shredded Parmigiano cheese at the table.

Baz Luhrmann and Rereading Classics

Baz Luhrmann's luscious adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" hits theaters next month. This movie seems to suddenly be everywhere. Carey Muligan is even on the cover of Vogue this month draped in gorgeous twenties-inspired clothes. I am pretty sure I want to see this film. Luhrmann's movies tend to be a visual feast but they sometimes leave me a bit cold in the actual story department.

I read the book in a high school English class on American literature. We had a teacher named Ms. Stone who had a profound impact on all of us. She demanded excellence in the class and I can still recall little things she said about particular passages in the book. I am curious to read the book again now. What impact will it have on me now in my thirties versus sixteen-year-old me who read it so many years ago? This book should take me less time to tackle then "Anna Karenina" (I hope!).

Lurmann did have one movie that I loved. I think it probably had more to do with Leonardo DiCaprio, a post-"My So Called Life" Claire Danes and me being just the right age to love everything about this movie. It came out when I was still a teenager. 

Finished!

I felt like Maria on top of the hill when I finally finished!

I was an English Major in College. Tackling enormous and sometimes overwhelming books was par for the course back then. When I graduated I had a lofty goal of reading a classic every fourth or fifth book that I read. I think it did stick for a while. I read Middlemarch and Moby Dick after college. These days I tend to choose mostly contemporary books. That is why I chose to challenge myself recently by rereading Anna Karenina. Perhaps I was inspired by the lush Keira Knightly film and wanted the book fresh in my mind before I watched the latest retelling on film. I figured I would plow through this book. I am embarrassed to admit it took me well over a month to finish, closer to two months if I am being really honest. Last night I was a bit shocked when the book finally ended. I felt a bit of relief mixed with sadness. Even though it had taken me a while to put it mildly, it felt like it ended so abruptly. I quickly started reading Junot Diaz' latest collection of short stories and devoured three stories in one gulp. I frankly could have finished the book last night if I had allowed myself to stay up. I don't know why reading old books is a bit more of a chore for me. Despite the challenges I am going to continue to force myself to tackle on older classic now and then. I often want to revisit the books of my college courses. I wonder if they will mean more now.

Our Weekend

This weekend was a bit less frantic than the previous one. We stayed in Friday night. Saturday morning Mike played Tennis and Hank and I road my bike over to the zoo in Griffith Park. We enjoyed the ride over and our little visit. We also met some new neighborhood friends with a son almost the exact same age as Hank. Hope everyone's weekend was as lovely.

Spring is coming

Pretty soon we spring ahead on our clocks! I can't wait. I love warm nights when the sun lingers past 7:00 pm and the world is full of possibilities. We get a bit of a modified version of spring in Los Angeles since winter tends to be so mild but I still can't wait. Also it hopefully means Hank will sleep a bit later. To get into a spring mood here are some gorgeous clothes by Emerson Fry that will have you dreaming of spring too.