we are back.
back to the city.
oh it begins.
11.29.2008
11.28.2008
puzzles and patches
back from our vacation, i felt it necessary to tell why we love gelena, il so much. from what i can tell, most people consider gelena a place for yuppies and middle age folks, and people with families that just need to get away. well i am here to tell you why we like it, and what makes it so special.
two years ago jess and i were looking for a place to get away to. we were not looking for a location, we were looking for a structure, a place, a thing that could house us for a couple days and we could be ourselves. all we wanted was a room with a jacuzzi tub, and a reasonable price. we searched online for hours and we either found extremely over priced hotel suites, or we found super sleazy places. but eventually we found hawk valley retreat.
you may follow the link to find the specifics of what makes it amazing, and i will tell you what makes it amazing for jess and i.
this was our third stay. so if you go some where three times, there must be something that draws you. for jess and i the first thing that drew us there was that hawk valley offers four cottages. each equipped with a kitchenette, a king size bed, heated floors and a jacuzzi. each cottage is set apart from the other and is nestled on a hill in the valley of galena(actually about 10 minutes from the town). aside from the accommodations of the cottage, we have found the personality of hawk valley is what makes it remarkable. the owners, jane and fritz, make this place a home away from home. each morning when you make your way to the main house for breakfast, you are greeted by jane and patches(her 15 year old fluffy female cat), as she takes your coat, you encounter the wondrous smells of a delicious homemade breakfast. during our stay we had german apple pancakes, baked pancakes with fresh strawberries, fresh made pecan sticky buns and many other treats. as we chatted with other guests, we took in the warmth of hawk valley. as you enjoy the meal each nicety and decoration that adorns the main house warms you, jane's ever attentiveness as she refills your beverages without a word, or patches bathing in the morning sun. each morning starts this way when you stay at hawk valley.
we make a habit of going to the local antique shops in wisconsin, iowa and illinios. jess found many pyrex finds, and i was able to get to a record shop in dubuque, iowa. what has always helped us so much is jane's knowledge of the local cities and surrounding area. not to mention the local restaurants in gelena. two(111 main and perry street brasserie)of which made our stay extra amazing.
when we say we are going to gelena, perhaps we should say we are going to hawk valley. because that's where we are going. because if hawk valley was in deluth, minnesota i would be going to deluth, not galena. and if hawk valley was in ottumwa, iowa, we would be going to ottumwa not galena. and what makes any place stand out, is it's warmth and personality. the second time we stayed in hawk valley we noticed a for sale sign out front. we were worried. we were panicked. so as soon as we got a chance, we warned jane, that she cannot sell, because where would we go? she said, someone would buy with the plans of keeping the retreat open. but it would not be the same. i told her this. i remind her of this. in fact when we i talked to her this week i said i was sorry that they were not able to sell, but i was very thankful. and she joked, that it was my fault. but i told her that she and her husband are what makes hawk valley so amazing. she laughed it off, not in contempt, but with humility. and to simply state why hawk valley is so great, let me end with this:
every morning after we had breakfast, jess would join patches on the chair and enjoy the moring sun and i would work on a puzzle. after the third morning, jess remarked to me, "when do you take the time to work on puzzles of sit still for that long?" and she noted how she never takes the time to relax and sit with our own cats for so long. jess and i need a place to give ourselves permission to do nothing, we need to get away from whatever stress and busyness is going on. it helps us so. we need it. so to me, puzzles and patches, however simple they may be, epitomize a perfect vacation.
two years ago jess and i were looking for a place to get away to. we were not looking for a location, we were looking for a structure, a place, a thing that could house us for a couple days and we could be ourselves. all we wanted was a room with a jacuzzi tub, and a reasonable price. we searched online for hours and we either found extremely over priced hotel suites, or we found super sleazy places. but eventually we found hawk valley retreat.
you may follow the link to find the specifics of what makes it amazing, and i will tell you what makes it amazing for jess and i.
this was our third stay. so if you go some where three times, there must be something that draws you. for jess and i the first thing that drew us there was that hawk valley offers four cottages. each equipped with a kitchenette, a king size bed, heated floors and a jacuzzi. each cottage is set apart from the other and is nestled on a hill in the valley of galena(actually about 10 minutes from the town). aside from the accommodations of the cottage, we have found the personality of hawk valley is what makes it remarkable. the owners, jane and fritz, make this place a home away from home. each morning when you make your way to the main house for breakfast, you are greeted by jane and patches(her 15 year old fluffy female cat), as she takes your coat, you encounter the wondrous smells of a delicious homemade breakfast. during our stay we had german apple pancakes, baked pancakes with fresh strawberries, fresh made pecan sticky buns and many other treats. as we chatted with other guests, we took in the warmth of hawk valley. as you enjoy the meal each nicety and decoration that adorns the main house warms you, jane's ever attentiveness as she refills your beverages without a word, or patches bathing in the morning sun. each morning starts this way when you stay at hawk valley.
we make a habit of going to the local antique shops in wisconsin, iowa and illinios. jess found many pyrex finds, and i was able to get to a record shop in dubuque, iowa. what has always helped us so much is jane's knowledge of the local cities and surrounding area. not to mention the local restaurants in gelena. two(111 main and perry street brasserie)of which made our stay extra amazing.
when we say we are going to gelena, perhaps we should say we are going to hawk valley. because that's where we are going. because if hawk valley was in deluth, minnesota i would be going to deluth, not galena. and if hawk valley was in ottumwa, iowa, we would be going to ottumwa not galena. and what makes any place stand out, is it's warmth and personality. the second time we stayed in hawk valley we noticed a for sale sign out front. we were worried. we were panicked. so as soon as we got a chance, we warned jane, that she cannot sell, because where would we go? she said, someone would buy with the plans of keeping the retreat open. but it would not be the same. i told her this. i remind her of this. in fact when we i talked to her this week i said i was sorry that they were not able to sell, but i was very thankful. and she joked, that it was my fault. but i told her that she and her husband are what makes hawk valley so amazing. she laughed it off, not in contempt, but with humility. and to simply state why hawk valley is so great, let me end with this:
every morning after we had breakfast, jess would join patches on the chair and enjoy the moring sun and i would work on a puzzle. after the third morning, jess remarked to me, "when do you take the time to work on puzzles of sit still for that long?" and she noted how she never takes the time to relax and sit with our own cats for so long. jess and i need a place to give ourselves permission to do nothing, we need to get away from whatever stress and busyness is going on. it helps us so. we need it. so to me, puzzles and patches, however simple they may be, epitomize a perfect vacation.
11.24.2008
11.22.2008
11.15.2008
pyrex finds from the past few months... & food!
we've had some awesome finds at our local antique/thrift shops the past few months... most of these we've been lucky to find locally, but i do admit to order some from ebay & etsy!
i bought a few individual gratin dishes off etsy and had glorious fantasies about making individual pot pies & the like but i've also seen a few recipes for baked pumpkin pasta floating around, so i decided to take a stab at it. i saw paula dean make hers with butter (of course), sausage, heavy cream, & lots of cheese... and i have been eying the veganomicon pumpkin baked ziti recipe for a while, but wanted something a bit quicker & easier. i also only had rotini, but it ended up working out fine :)
ingredients:
1 lb whole wheat pasta (your choice... i used rotini, but would recommend ziti or penne)
1 recipe tofu ricotta. i use this one as a base, but usually add some soy milk to make it creamy and smooth. here i omitted the basil
1 T extra virgin olive oil
half a large onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 can pureed pumpkin
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 t rubbed sage
1/2 t dried thyme
generous pinch of nutmeg
for herbed bread crumbs:
1-1 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 t earth balance
generous pinch of sage
salt + pepper
(preheat oven to 375 degrees)
01. cook the pasta! strain it and rinse with cool water BEFORE it's al dente.
02. make tofu ricotta & set it aside.
03. saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until caramelized. add garlic & cook some more.
04. add canned pumpkin and cook briefly. add soy milk to make a creamy sauce & season with herbs, nutmeg, salt & pepper. let cook a few minutes longer.
(meanwhile, melt the earth balance in a pan. add breadcrumbs and seasoning and toast until browned.)
05. when pasta is done, toss with the pumpkin sauce off the heat. immediately transfer to a casserole, stir in tofu ricotta, & top with bread crumbs. throw it in the oven and cook until sauce is bubbly & bread crumbs are nice and toasty brown. enjoy!
(also, gratuitous weight loss update: 20.2 lbs down, 10% of the starting body weight. still got some ways to go, but feeling really good.)
i bought a few individual gratin dishes off etsy and had glorious fantasies about making individual pot pies & the like but i've also seen a few recipes for baked pumpkin pasta floating around, so i decided to take a stab at it. i saw paula dean make hers with butter (of course), sausage, heavy cream, & lots of cheese... and i have been eying the veganomicon pumpkin baked ziti recipe for a while, but wanted something a bit quicker & easier. i also only had rotini, but it ended up working out fine :)
ingredients:
1 lb whole wheat pasta (your choice... i used rotini, but would recommend ziti or penne)
1 recipe tofu ricotta. i use this one as a base, but usually add some soy milk to make it creamy and smooth. here i omitted the basil
1 T extra virgin olive oil
half a large onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 can pureed pumpkin
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 t rubbed sage
1/2 t dried thyme
generous pinch of nutmeg
for herbed bread crumbs:
1-1 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 t earth balance
generous pinch of sage
salt + pepper
(preheat oven to 375 degrees)
01. cook the pasta! strain it and rinse with cool water BEFORE it's al dente.
02. make tofu ricotta & set it aside.
03. saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until caramelized. add garlic & cook some more.
04. add canned pumpkin and cook briefly. add soy milk to make a creamy sauce & season with herbs, nutmeg, salt & pepper. let cook a few minutes longer.
(meanwhile, melt the earth balance in a pan. add breadcrumbs and seasoning and toast until browned.)
05. when pasta is done, toss with the pumpkin sauce off the heat. immediately transfer to a casserole, stir in tofu ricotta, & top with bread crumbs. throw it in the oven and cook until sauce is bubbly & bread crumbs are nice and toasty brown. enjoy!
(also, gratuitous weight loss update: 20.2 lbs down, 10% of the starting body weight. still got some ways to go, but feeling really good.)
polaroid saturday
my artist-friend nathan abels has been busy at work with a new show. one piece he did was a painting of a polaroid i had taken.
here is the original polaroid:
and here is nathan's painting:
"Somnambulism", Acrylic on Canvas, 12x12"
here is the original polaroid:
and here is nathan's painting:
"Somnambulism", Acrylic on Canvas, 12x12"
11.08.2008
birthday re-cap...
yesterday my birthday happened(as jess' picture post below eludes to), and it was wonderful.
allow me to break-down the day:
6am: got dressed in my birthday dino-bear-suit(DUH!). wake up jess to open up my birthday presents. my birthday presents had accumulated over the last couple weeks and been placed under our stand up lamp. it had been referred to over the last week as the birthdaylamp. here is what i opened:
tristeza : dream signals in full circles
sunny day real estate : pink lp
early day miners - Deep Harbors one-sided 12"
early day miners - Jefferson at Rest LP
joan of arc/bundini brown split LP
onelinedrawing - The Volunteers LP
bright eyes vinyl box set
nick drake box set w/ skin too few documentry
the album leaf - In an Off White Room 10"
elliott smith : pretty ugly before 7"
cool beans zine #4 w/ 7"(mountain goats, three day stubble and biscuit)
hayden : in field & town
rachel's : music for egon schiele
and
david bazan : alone at the microphone dvd
(very very very happy with my presents!)
7:30am: jess and i walk to our favorite diner. got a delicious breakfast, and received a bowl of birthday-fruit for my day from our favorite waitress.
9am: walked jess to work. came home and cataloged my birthday presents. cleaned the apartment. listened to records, watched david bazan dvd.
3pm: pick up jess from school. we go get our eyebrows threaded. then we go to baker square to get my free piece of pie(if you were unaware, baker square gives you a free piece of pie on yr birthday!)
7pm: we meet ryan 2 and his wife abby, and irene at walter payton's roundhouse for a birthday meal. good meal, great company.
i also got numerous phone calls and emails from family and friends which was very nice(especially the one from brayden!). thanks so much to everyone.
allow me to break-down the day:
6am: got dressed in my birthday dino-bear-suit(DUH!). wake up jess to open up my birthday presents. my birthday presents had accumulated over the last couple weeks and been placed under our stand up lamp. it had been referred to over the last week as the birthdaylamp. here is what i opened:
tristeza : dream signals in full circles
sunny day real estate : pink lp
early day miners - Deep Harbors one-sided 12"
early day miners - Jefferson at Rest LP
joan of arc/bundini brown split LP
onelinedrawing - The Volunteers LP
bright eyes vinyl box set
nick drake box set w/ skin too few documentry
the album leaf - In an Off White Room 10"
elliott smith : pretty ugly before 7"
cool beans zine #4 w/ 7"(mountain goats, three day stubble and biscuit)
hayden : in field & town
rachel's : music for egon schiele
and
david bazan : alone at the microphone dvd
(very very very happy with my presents!)
7:30am: jess and i walk to our favorite diner. got a delicious breakfast, and received a bowl of birthday-fruit for my day from our favorite waitress.
9am: walked jess to work. came home and cataloged my birthday presents. cleaned the apartment. listened to records, watched david bazan dvd.
3pm: pick up jess from school. we go get our eyebrows threaded. then we go to baker square to get my free piece of pie(if you were unaware, baker square gives you a free piece of pie on yr birthday!)
7pm: we meet ryan 2 and his wife abby, and irene at walter payton's roundhouse for a birthday meal. good meal, great company.
i also got numerous phone calls and emails from family and friends which was very nice(especially the one from brayden!). thanks so much to everyone.
polaroid saturday
my birthday was yesterday. above you see me(about 19 months old)on the right and my brother rubin(about a month and a half) being held by my mother.
11.06.2008
Campaign/Barack Obama Art
one clear community that flourished throughout these campaign months is the art world. it has been so fun to see the works of designers and artists making creative and crafty things in the name of politicking, strong beliefs and sarcasm. as jess posted recently, 30 reasons posted a different piece of art that was designed by someone that wanted to convey the message of why someone ought to vote. here are a couple of my favorites from 30 reasons:
and here are a couple more than i found that i enjoy:
(the donuts and bacon is from here, and the OMG is from here.)
there are far more out there, probably far better ones, but those are the ones that have caught me eye.
and here are some flags i painted a year or so ago:
and here are a couple more than i found that i enjoy:
(the donuts and bacon is from here, and the OMG is from here.)
there are far more out there, probably far better ones, but those are the ones that have caught me eye.
and here are some flags i painted a year or so ago:
11.05.2008
The 44th President of the United States:
colongratulations to everyone who voted. win or lose, no matter your candidate, it's about being able to exercise the freedom to speak your minds.
11.04.2008
11.03.2008
please vote tomorrow.
We can not forget that it was illegal to have an abortion only 35 years ago. The right to obtain a safe and legal abortion is not a guarantee. Your choice this November 4th will affect the choices of so many others to come. Choose Obama.
Artist
Julia Zimmerman
New York, New York
juliaclaire.org via 30 reasons project.
11.01.2008
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