Rasta Dogs

We went down to Philly for some fun with my sister and Ezra.  In between nachos, Produce Junction, and hot tubbin' we hit up the Rebulution show at the Electric Factory and watched the dogs play non-stop.  Dogs might be super annoying 90% of the time, but man do they provide endless entertainment.

Behind the Scenes at Wicked Mint

No fabric is safe when Mr. Paws is around.  

 

Recipe: Ceasar Salad Dressing

I've loved Ceasar salad ever since I was a kid, but it was only a year ago that I first tried making it at home.  It was so easy and so delicious that it became a staple for weekday quick meals after work, for Sunday football games, and for watching The Bachelor with friends.

Everyone says they love my dressing, but I have to admit I don't do anything extraordinary, I'm just glad my friends aren't afraid of garlic!  Every batch of dressing is a little different since I eyeball everything.  but below I wrote down the basics of my recipe.

In a small food processor combine:

• 4-5 large cloves of fresh garlic
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/8-1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil (start with 1/8 c. and add more at the end if needed)
• 2 anchovy filets*
• 1 egg*
• 1/3 cup of freshly shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. of cracked black pepper

Pulse in the food processor until it's creamy, but a little chunky.  Add more cheese/olive oil/anchovies/black pepper/garlic to taste.

If your dressing is too thick just add a little more olive oil.  If it's too thin add more cheese and garlic.

For the salad I sometimes I add tomatoes, sometimes I make crusty croutons, and sometimes I don't even use Romaine lettuce (argula and kale taste delicious with this dressing).

* = optional.   The dressing tastes great without the egg, so feel free to leave it out if raw egg grosses you out.   The anchovy is optional as well, but you'll be changing the flavor of traditional Caesar.  It doesn't taste fishy so give it a chance if you can!

DIY: Bathroom Door Paint Job

When we moved into our house the tiny downstairs bathroom was partially unfinished.  Two years later and the downstairs bathroom is still partially unfinished.   However, I felt inspired when I saw Martha Stewart Living

After much contemplation I decided to do a variation of the painted shapes project.  I loved the paint color Rainforest by Martha Stewart, but for my room I thought a slightly more teal color would be better and settled on Mermaid Harbor by Behr.  For the gold accent I used Metallic Gold by Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch.

I struggled with laying out my pattern on the door, it was the most difficult part of the project and I had to do it over two days because I was so frustrated.  If I did this again I would probably just buy a stencil to use for the corners.

Step 1:

Sand and paint your door the base color of your choice.  I chose a satin finish, which is easy to wipe clean when needed, but not as shiny as a semi-gloss or gloss.

Step 2:

After the base coat is dried, use tape (see below for more info) to first lay out your pattern (as seen in red here).  Then, use more tape to border your pattern on both sides (as seen in blue here).   Finally, remove your tape pattern to show paint.

Step 3:

Use a primer to paint your pattern.  After it is dried begin painting the pattern with your accent color.

Step 4:

Remove all the tape and touch up edges with a small sponge brush.

Learn from my mistakes:

• Japanese paper tape worked best for me when laying out my pattern.  Blue painters tape allowed the paint to bleed.  I didn't try, but have a feeling that FrogTape also would have worked well.
• After laying out your tape first paint your pattern with primer.  Once the primer dries you can paint with your accent color.

Phish at MSG

The summer of 1997 was a big one for me -  I turned eighteen and graduated from high school (on the same day, none the less).  It was also the summer when I drove to Limestone, ME for Phish's The Great Went, which formed a special, patchwork-panel bond between me and my friends.

I have so many happy memories from the Phish shows I attended in my college years, and even though I eventually lost interest in following the band, every once in a while it's fun to revisit the scene that is a Phish show.

So, when Dennis asked me if I wanted to go to Phish at MSG for their New Year's tour, I said LET'S DO IT! We got the cheapest seats, which were way up in the nose bleeds, and danced and sang out hearts out all night long.