FORAGER PESTO

Pesto is a great way to get rid of overabundant/dying greens/nuts. And it turns everything green!, which is the best color. Ever.

So what's in this pesto? Short answer: everything I could stuff in the food processor. Long answer: kale, garlic, spinach, cilantro, green onions, wild green onions (from my backyard. That's right. I foraged. It felt very Durham.) and broccoli stalks. And almonds and a slug of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. I can't even guess at what the proportions might be - whenever I cook, the amounts I include by default are however much I have on-hand. Usually it works out. Usually.

Last night I served it with pasta, shrimp, roasted broccoli and mushrooms. But it's also amazing on potatoes, eggs, sandwiches... anything that would look better green. Which is everything.

STARGAZER LILY

Georgia O'Keeffe-style close-ups of the stunning stargazer stem Micah got me yesterday (I have a tattoo of one on my right foot). The house smells amazing right now. I always forget how much I love cut flowers - I need to treat myself to them more often.

TWO YEARS

Above: Photo by Kathleen, from when Jeremy surprised her last October with a trip to come visit us. I love how we parallel each other just so, in this photo, and in life.

Today marks two years of me being totally head-over-heels in love with this guy. We (maybe drunkenly) made out at the ADDYs two years ago, and have been playing an ongoing game of monogamous grab-ass ever since. It's impossible to articulate how much more fun I've had, how much more I've grown, or how much more my life has changed, now that he is a part of it. So I'll just say: I am deeply, infinitely, humbly glad that he is.

OUT WITH THE OLD

Top: Client pitch prop. Bricktown in the background.

Middle: Strawberry layer cake with cream cheese frosting in the diner. There's never any shortage of bakers (and therefore tasty baked goods) at Third Degree.

Bottom: The original logo on a Mason mug that was clearly a drinkin' jar in a past life.

The Oklahoma City office is moving into a new space soon. I'm totally jealous - I know it's going to be badass. And it will be weird to visit now, and not be as familiar with my immediate surroundings. But change is good. And any reason to edit down 14 years of creative samples, computer cables, and outdated agency paraphernalia is great.

SNACKS ON A PLANE

I am obsessed with the Biscoff cookies that are offered on continental Delta flights. Obsessed. I hoard them. I ask for seconds. I passive-aggressively siphon them from any traveling companions who are clearly not as deranged over them as I am. I miss them dearly when I fly other, lesser airlines, so much so that I've paid more for a ticket to able to fly Delta.

Because of cookies.

They're based on a traditional Dutch speculoos cookie, and their genius is in their simplicity. The dough is straightforward, doesn't rise much, and is mostly spices: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, nutmeg - all the good Christmas-y (or St. Nicholas-y) ones. They taste warm and comforting, and are one of the few cookies I prefer crunchy. They beg to be eaten with coffee or tea. Especially at 20,000 feet up in the air.

I've followed a great recipe in one of these cookbooks that comes close to reproducing them. But there's just something about flying in a plane that, ahem, elevates the whole experience. While the wrapper is still intact, I snap the cookies into thirds, and savor each bit with my nose pressed against the window. Perfect.

ROOM WITH A VIEW

Only I would get a room that's perfectly centered over the front awning. Wes Anderson would be proud.

(Previous hotel room views here.)

THE WEDGE PIZZERIA

The one restaurant I have to eat at every time I travel back to Oklahoma City is The Wedge. And the one thing I have to eat every time I go to The Wedge is the Truffle Shuffle pizza, which features fresh mozzarella and parmesan, sage, crimini mushrooms, spinach, truffle oil, and roasted chicken (though sometimes I substitute dried figs for that). Such a perfect flavor combination. It is the one non-person thing I miss about Oklahoma City. Not a week goes by that I don't contemplate recreating it or trying to get them to deliver, a mere 1,200 miles away. So it goes without saying that I've never tried any other pizza on their menu (something I'm quite apt to do whenever I fall in love with a dish).

Until last night.

Last night I ordered the Prosciutto E Formaggi. Fresh mozzarella and parmesan, prosciutto, dried figs, topped with arugula. So - not a huge departure, by any means. A pretty small step. But on the other hand, a giant (tasty) leap for Lizkind.

THE DARK SIDE

Left: Friday afternoon, before the cut. For future reference, this is also my Bitch Face. Lord have mercy on any souls who have to see it in real life.

Middle: Yesterday, post-cut, pre-color.

Bottom: This morning, post-color, pre-ADDYs.

I got my hair cut again last weekend. More shaping, more thinning. And last night I colored it (Revlon ColorSilk #20 Black Brown) to maintain the brand standards I've set for myself for this weekend. I've chosen... (dun dun DUN) the dark side.

Speaking of the dark side: if my moodboard was an album, it would be Juju by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Homegirl has an amazing personal style (and is a complete badass). Highly recommended listening.

Highly recommended viewing: my "Mane" board on Pinterest clearly illustrates how hilariously conflicted I am about my hair right now. As in, now that I have some, what do I do with it? Apparently I have three options: afro, undercut, shaved. I know - so similar, right? Any input would be welcome.

TEA TIME

A guided meditation, weekend-style.

VALENTINE'S DAY

Above: a poster celebrating the release of IGOR, one of my/our favorite experimental batch beers from my/our favorite Durham brewery, Fullsteam.

For me, February 14th will always be my youngest brother Joe's birthday. I attach no emotional value to the day other than marveling at how much taller and more hilarious he becomes each year (I am now by far the shortest sibling. And... still the oldest.).

So, tonight, Micah and I will be celebrating Valentine's Day the way we celebrate almost every evening: by cooking dinner together, sharing a few drinks, and generally enjoying the shit out of each other.

And yet - I couldn't resist an opportunity to show a little bit of affection and appreciation for my partner-in-crime. I picked up this print from Fullsteam on the sly a few weeks ago - he's got a black-and-white thing going on in his new office, and I don't think he'll mind me helping to decorate it.

I've hung it where another similarly-sized-and-colored print usually hangs, in our dining nook. We'll see how long it takes him to catch it (which probably won't be very long, because, uh.... I think he reads this blog).

Happy Joe's Birthday Day, everyone. Especially Micah.

PB&J SANDWICH

Don't over-think it: honey wheat bread, strawberry jam, creamy peanut butter. The perfect sandwich.

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they make a PB&J. I slather on condiments generously, but then have to make sure the bread slices line up (how they were in the bag), then cut the finished product into perfectly askew triangles.

I'll try not to over-think what that says about me.

PAPER LANTERNS

Top: The Old Fashioned in Madison, WI.

Middle: Guglhupf in Durham, NC.

Middle: The bedroom in my last duplex.

Bottom: The dining nook in my current duplex.

I've had all these images in my Flickr for a while now, and just now made the simplest of connections: I love how paper lanterns look in multiples. I think it has something to do with the contrast between the space that so many of them take up and the ethereal quality of the material. Heavy vs. light. Plus, I just love me some circles.

It's less of an inspiration (the top two images were taken way after the bottom two), more of an affirmation of my consistency. That's why I appreciate Pinterest - it takes the work out of gathering and organizing images, and leaves me to just do the connecting.

Let there be light.

GRANOLA BARS AND IDENTITY

Looking back on recent posts, I've noticed: this blog is veering strongly into "food porn" territory.

Which is fantastic. Clearly, I love everything about preparing and eating and documenting food. And I'm not sure why, but that realization was a surprise to me. I'm not fighting it, I guess I just didn't realize how often I create that kind of imagery. Maybe it's just a phase, or rather - a constant that's just stronger at the moment. Months will pass where I just don't want to prepare food as much. Don't get excited about new recipes, flavor combinations, healthy alternatives. It takes a backseat to work, or upcoming travel, or the never-ending edit. Eventually, it returns. It's not something you can force, only accept, and lean into.

I forget how much I haven't covered on this blog - my home, my habits, my background. I think I just need to be a bit more mindful of the extent of content I'm creating. More cognizant of the balance I want to strike.

Or maybe - food porn is just all I feel like sharing right now.

Oh yeah. Granola bars.

I've wanted to try making my own for quite some time. I snack a lot at work, and wanted to have delicious, vaguely healthy things on hand at my desk (I'm always amazed at the amount of sugar in store-bought granola bars). I followed this recipe, only omitting some of the sugar, and the optional peanut butter because I didn't have any, which is a crying shame, because peanut butter improves most things. I appreciate the flexibility of the recipe - my add-ins were whatever I did have on hand: almonds, peanuts, dried cranberries, some dark chocolate. They came together easily, and disappeared quickly. I will definitely be making more. If I don't tire of food before then.

TIME-LAPSE FOODTOGRAPHY

Above: Spicy shrimp fajitas with goat cheese and cilantro-lime jimaca slaw. And circle-on-circle love.

"Fajitas" are a staple in our house; much like "pasta" or "soup." Almost any combination of things can go in them; which is why we usually make them when we're trying to clean out our fridge, or are not feeling culinarily creative, or just want to make a seemingly random assortment of ingredients sound cohesive.

Those were all just big words to say: as long as it tastes good, and maybe looks good, it's all good.

WEEKEND BREAKFAST

Usually I rise (relatively) early on weekend mornings and quietly drink coffee and read magazines until Micah gets up. But last Saturday, I woke to the smell of percolating coffee and the absolutely magical sound of someone else making breakfast. Which is, of course, the best breakfast-related sound to wake up to. Ever.

His menu: omelets with caramelized onions, fresh biscuits (mine got butter and honey), and kiwi.

It was a pretty awesome change of routine.

FIVE YEARS

Top: Celebratory Americano from Natalie.

Bottom: Shot of the American Tobacco Campus that I took on my way home yesterday.

Today marks my 5th anniversary of working for Third Degree.

(It's also my Dad's birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!)

Five years! That's half a decade. Five years. Five years of working in advertising. Five years of mind-expanding, craft-honing, friendship-cementing, serving-it-up-ing awesomeness. There's no other agency on earth quite like Third Degree, and I am so proud to be a part of it, and so lucky to be able to spend 40 hours (...or 50) a week doing the work that I get to do.

Here's to the next five years. I'd like them to be like I like my Americanos: hot, strong, and... well-branded?... energizing?... ooh - GRANDE. Cheers.

ADDYS MOODBOARD

Top middle image from Karla's Closet. 

A few weeks from now, I'll be flying back to Oklahoma City for the advertising industry's annual awards gala. The ADDYs. It's our prom, basically. A night to dress up for, to boost (or maim) morale, to steal wine from other agencies' tables and cheer too loud when one of our own wins big. If not taken too seriously, it can be one of the funnest nights of the year.

So I did what any self-respecting art director would do - I created a moodboard for my outfit. I call it Grown-up Goth. I wanted a mix of badass and feminine, attitude and polish, modern and classic.

It was inspired by one of my favorite wines, but tempered by practicality. I can eat all I want in that dress. Just look at it! I don't have to wear tights OR heels. And it walks the fine line between slutty and conservative, which I think is an important line for dresses to walk. As in - if you're going to show it off on top, cover it up on bottom, and vice-versa. What's the saying?: "Your clothes should be tight enough to show you're a woman, but loose enough to show you're a lady." Something like that.

The only thing left to do is decide which color to dye my hair...