Currently Craving: Liberty Jeans

I have so far been resistant to buying any more brightly colored or patterned skinny jeans, because I feel like they're such a trendy piece that they're bound to be out of style shortly, and look really dated.  I already have red, green (that I sold to Aggie), and gray polka dots jeans, so what other color/print could I possibly want?  However, I tried the J. Crew Liberty of London jeans on last time I was in the store, and they fit beautifully, and now they're on sale.  Queue indecision.



I also was kind of swayed after seeing how Gayle styled them in the look book, with an oxford shirt and updated puffer jean jacket.  She just looks so good.




In my defense, I wasn't so interested in the Isabel Marant Aztec printe jeans.


Or those leopard print jeans that were popping up everywhere for a while.


It's just these Liberty jeans that I find so appealing.  Steph thinks I should buy them while they're still in stock in the my size, because I can always return them.  However, usually once cute clothing items enter my house, they don't end up getting returned.

Images via 1, 2, 3, 4.

The Harlem Shake & The Harlem Shakes

Have you guys heard of this internet meme yet, The Harlem Shake?  You make a video to this specific song, that starts out with one person in a mask dancing while everyone else in the shot goes about their business, and then at a certain point, everyone puts on costumes and dances like crazy.  My sister's office did one on Friday, which is how I heard about it, although there was some confusion at first because of the now defunct band named The Harlem Shakes.



The Harlem Shake:


After being reminded of the band for a totally unrelated reason, I've been listening to their album Technicolor Health again, and it's just so good.  It is still a big regret of mine that I missed them when they played in Portland in 2009 as part of their tour with Passion Pit, since they broke up shortly thereafter.

I've mostly been trying to post new music, but I might try and institute a once a month or so throwback song.  Sometimes I think it's so easy to get caught up trying to only listen to new music, when there's a lot of good stuff out there from the last few years, not to mention that sometimes it's nice to go back to old favorites.  So here's an old favorite of mine.

The Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game:


Tour poster via.

Bibimbap

I didn't actually make this, but I've been traveling the last couple of weekends trying to decide where to go to business school, so I'm taking advantage of my lovely sister and posting something she made for Sunday Night Dinner.

Bibimbap is a great Korean dish that basically means mix it up, so you top rice with a bunch of different vegetables and/or meat and then a friend egg and then mix, resulting in an almost fried-rice like dish.  Incidentally, this is a great way to trick your younger brothers into eating vegetables.



There is a lot of flexibility in this, as you can use almost whatever toppings you would like and/or have around.  For this version, starting at the front of the bowl and working around clockwise, Megan made lotus root, sauteed baby bok choy, kimchi, bulgogi-style flank steak, green onions, mung bean sprouts, sauteed carrots with sesame oil, and lap xuong (chinese sausage).  She also crisped up the sushi rice in a pan after cooking it in a rice cooker.  (I also think this is a brilliant idea to get more crispy rice by throwing it in a waffle iron.)  Finally, on top of all of this went a fried egg (with a runny yolk) and some more hot sauce.  She didn't have time for an extra stop at the asian market to pick up gochujang (which is traditional) so we just used sriracha, which is delicious.  For more background and general instructions, you can check out here and here and here.  Thanks Megs!

Hungry Girl Salad

Sometimes, like after a walk with the dog to the library and grocery store, you need a really big, filling salad. To that end my sister came up with this hungry girl salad which uses Yumm Sauce, hot sauce, and lime juice as the dressing.  I was trying to think of a replacement for anyone who doesn't live in the NW, but it turns out you can buy Yumm Sauce over the phone.  It's basically a lemon-garlic tahini sauce.



Also, according to Megan you have to make and then eat each portion in its own huge bowl, for sufficient mixing.  There's a little bit of rice and beans and tortilla chips mixed in with the lettuce for protein and to make it filling, but the end result is that there really isn't a graceful way to eat this salad.



Hungry Girl Salad, made up by Megan:
Serves 2

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped and washed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked (or canned) black beans
1 cup tomato, diced
2-3 Tbsp. Yumm Sauce
1-2 tsp. hot sauce
juice of a lime
handful of tortilla chips, smashed

Split all ingredients except for tortilla chips between two large bowls.  Mix until dressing is sufficiently coating ingredients.  Taste and add more Yumm Sauce, hot sauce, or lime juice to your taste.  Crumble tortilla chips over salad.  Eat!  You're hungry!

The Mowgli's - San Francisco

The Mowgli's are an L.A.-based, 8-person band.  They have another song getting some radio play in Portland and are playing here for only $0.94.  They're playing a couple of other spots on the West Coast as well.  They also should have a music video for "San Francisco" coming out soon. Their EP "Love's Not Dead" came out back in October 2012.



Having gone to school near San Francisco, where a bunch of my friends still live, I have a soft spot for this song.



Image via.

Gray & Pink

{Sweatshirt: Target (old, similar here), T-shirt: Nike, Skirt: J. Crew, Tights, Socks, & Boots: Target (old, similar here), Earrings: Harlow, Watch: Anne Klein}

Another all gray outfit, but with the benefit of a bright, Pepto-Bismol, pink skirt (and a messy room).

Apple & Pear Crisp

While we've mostly been drinking green smoothies for breakfast, sometimes it's nice to change it up a little.  To that end, I threw together a quick apple & pear crisp the other day because we had some pears that were about to go bad, and by keeping the sugar to a minimum, rationalize that it's totally breakfast food with the addition of some yogurt.

This recipe is another that's highly adaptable, so you can use whatever fruit you have on hand, just varying the sugar and liquid amounts depending.  You can also vary the spices, subbing anything you like for the cinnamon and ginger, or omitting one of them all together.  The only real key I've discovered is to make sure your topping is wet enough and that the butter is really worked in, otherwise the flour never really cooks and stays too blond on the top.  To that end, I never really actually measure when I throw together a crisp, so below is my best estimate.

Apple & Pear Crisp, adapted from Laura Creager's recipe

2 pears, peeled and diced
2 apples, washed and diced
2 Tbsp. flour (white or whole wheat)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1-2 tsp. each of cinnamon & ginger
zest and juice from one lemon

Topping:
3/4 cups flour (white or whole wheat)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, diced
water, if needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a baking dish, combine fruit, flour, sugar, spices, and lemon zest and juice.  Mix together with your hands until evenly combined.

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, oatmeal, and salt and give a quick stir to mix.  Add in the butter and work together with your hands until the butter is well-integrated and no pieces are larger than the size of a pea.  Now grab some of the topping in your hand and squeeze it, if it holds together in a clump, it's ready.  If it is still super crumbly and falls apart once you release pressure, add a tablespoon or so of water, and work it into the topping mix.  Keep testing and adding water if needed until mixture holds together.  Scatter evenly over the fruit.

Back 35-45 minutes until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly.  Serve the next morning with yogurt for breakfast.