Fry.

As for the okra, I fried it. And it was delicious! It was more of a saute and I had olive oil, salt, pepper, a bit of flour, and a bit of milk mixed in. It was half a pound, for the record, and I dashed in some cayenne for ooomph. Wonderful.
I saved half of it though and might just go for that risotto tomorrow ;).
Happy Friday!
xoxo, natty ♥

A discovery and a quandary.

After mass this morning I {predictably} meandered to the farmers market and picked up usual haul {rainbow chard featured prominently} but also snagged something new : okra!

I've had a mostly "meh" relationship with okra though it could hardly even be called a relationship considering I've had the things all of two or three times.

These were so pretty and I was feeling optimistic so I grabbed them and I'm excited to figure out something to do with them later this week. That's the quandary part of this post; are there any okra suggestions out there? I know they can be slimy and I'm feeling afraid of that but I've also heard beautiful things about them so I'm determined to try them at least once or maybe even twice.

Secondly, to go against the order of my post's title, I introduce to you the discovery aspect of my weekend. I think it might of started on Thursday, actually, but that counts. 

It's the Jeopardy phone game.

That's me!

I'm not big on phone games. I got kind of into Temple Run but for me "kind of into" means a week or two's worth of sporadic interest.

I tried to get into Words With Friends and I must apologize to my IRL {HA! I love using this acronym!} friends with whom I've started games because I always forget about the dang things - I'm sorry!!

But I love me some Jeopardy, as I'm sure I've made obvious in my past posts, and this game is pretty well made {unlike Bananagrams app; has anyone else been disappointed?}. It's fast, doesn't crash, I've yet to see a clue repeated, there are a ton of great answers, and it involves customizable avatars.

You even get to write your name like the TV show players do.

Do you have any phone/tablet games you enjoy? I have been known to enjoy the Pinterest application, as well as the Etsy one, and I like my bank one {dork} because it's well mapped out.

Also, we went to our local baseball team's {go Nats!} game on Friday night. 

The Nationals played well and I was FLOORED by the presidential race promotion during the fourth inning. I really can't do it justice here in this post and I took no pictures so I think that's good enough motivation to see another game in person and try to use my camera's zoom because I truly MUST record this experience. 

I will say, though, that it involves human beings wearing giant head masks of the Mount Rushmore presidents {and period costumes!} running around the field to try and beat each other. Teddy Roosevelt never wins {but he does maintain a Twitter feed HERE} and they all look like life-sized bobble head dolls. I loved it, to say the least.

Tonight I baked cookies and I'm staring at my drying rack covered in laundry and the windows are open and that's about it for the weekend.

May Monday come nicely your way.
xoxo, natty ♥

Mercado.

As I mentioned almost two weeks ago, I checked out one of the local farmers markets {Dupont Circle, fyi}.

Farmers markets can be overwhelming for me. There are often sooooooo many people and strollers and carts and meandering groups. There are also a lot of options for the same thing; I can get chard at five different stalls...which is best?!? 

I have a bit of a routine to help me through this experience because, despite what I just unloaded about my slightly agoraphobic self, I really like being able to buy produce outdoors and ideally in a more direct manner than at the grocery store. Plus there's less packaging and it's local and blah blah blah. 

It's also nice when pastries are available.

So: I think it's best I go alone. I need to make a complete circle before I do or buy anything so that I can absorb the lay of the land. This way I can also make some mental notes as far as which stalls seem more appealing to me. I try to stay away from the stalls on the edges {sorry fringe sellers!} since that's where passerby will be drawn to and I like to give business to the inner venders. I try and stick with organic if it's within the budget. I'm there to get what's in season and available so I remain open to what's laying out. I make sure I have my cash and my bags. I won't haggle for prices, I don't think that's "what is done" at these things and there are usually enough people that it would create an embarrassing traffic jam that isn't really worth it since the prices are never too bad to begin with. And then I go for it.

I love the variety of color.

I like this one because it's year-round and has a nice variety of produce. 

And pretty flowers. Hydrangea are some of my favorites.

Limelight!!

And cold cuts; yum!

And felted soap. Huh?

I learned about felted soap just last month when wandering around Pike's Place Market in Seattle. It's a piece of soap {obvi} that has a bit of felted wool sewed around it. The wool acts like a sponge, almost, and helps you to get a good lather and a bit of exfoliation. Then, when the soap has been depleted {as soap is wont to do}, you have a funny ball of felted wool left over with which you can do as you please.

And they have empanadas. 

And they have these two sisters who sell soup each weekend and I.like.soup. 

There is also a market closer to our place, I think, and I might check it out this weekend.

Do you have an open air market that you like to frequent? Is it as fraught as an experience as it is for me? 

We're headed to a Nationals game tonight and the weekend ahead holds some more organizing/unpacking that's been swept aside. Until now.
Happy Friday!
xoxo, natty ♥

Veggies.

I've already gotten in my run this morning {woot!} and have some cleaning done, that is already a GOOD day but let's ponder a few other high points in my life at this moment, shall we? We shall!

Saturday's storm through our window screen.

1} I returned to the farmer's market yesterday and am excited for more squash blossoms and chard this week!
2} I saw a movie Friday night which adds to my 101/1,001. That poor list has been neglected as far as updating goes but I've got a large and lengthy summation on the horizon...so don't worry, dear reader!
3} My mama bought her plane ticket to come here next month; our first California visitor!!
4} Along with the greens I got yesterday I also acquired some beautiful white peaches that are sitting in a bowl in front of me, reminding me that lunch is only a few hours away and that they are willing to play a role in that particular meal. Such generous fruit!
5} Mr. Mike made it half way through his summer classes; way to go sweetie!!

What are you thinking about this Monday? How was your weekend? Are you looking forward to the days ahead? Did you watch the closing ceremonies? Are you sad or oddly relieved that the Olympics are over?
xoxo, natty ♥

Jazzy jazz.

After some more unpacking and internet setting up, we ventured out and listened to some jazz. The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden has free jazz on Fridays in the warmer months. We walked over and then took a long route back through the National Mall so that we could enjoy a bit of our new home.
The jazz had a Latin beat to it and the people watching was excellent. We scored a bench and enjoyed some of the sangria for sale.

Then we walked around the garden a bit. 

There's a big round pool/fountain beyond those ladies. People sit all around it and let their feeties hang down in the water.

There are a lot of great pieces of work and I imagine I'll be checking out the grounds and taking actual pictures of the sculptures as we continue our tenure here.

This is a giant spider.

Walking along the mall after the concert I snapped some pictures of these signs.

They're in the plants that are around some of the Smithsonian museums. I, as some may know, majorly ♥ museums.

Especially when they're free.

AND when they provide education as one walks past them.

Did I mention that we live here now?

There were some other nice views.

I enjoyed it all and loved that I actually fit in as I took random pictures considering all the tourists doing the same thing.

I have some fun things on the agenda for this weekend; time with friends, perhaps the Eastern Market Farmer's and Flea Market, more unpacking {fun?}, and even an afternoon tea!
Happy Friday to you and I imagine I'll try to get back to my usual Monday {five good things} and Wednesday {no words} posts next week considering that we're no longer en route.
xoxo, natty ♥

Greens.

This morning Mikey and I acquired some more veggies at the farmer's market. I'm totally loving trying some new things. Last week it was stinging nettles.
This week...

...fava beans! And, from the left, tiny cauliflowers, bok choy, asparagus and spring squash. Although the favas will be the only newbies.
Are you enjoying a spring bounty in your neck of the woods? I got some more strawberries too and look forward to the cherries that should be coming in about a month.
I actually didn't cook any of this haul tonight, opting for some left overs from last week's bounty instead. I did triy cooking tofu for the first time aaaaaand : not too shabby!
I hope that your work week starts off delightfully!
xoxo, natty ♥

Strawbabies.

Mikey has to work this morning; womp womp...for him at least. I'd like to hang out with him, of course, but I am glad to be on the couch catching up on the weekend news. Don't worry, though, Karma comes to get me in a very reciprocal manner since I am the one who needs to go into work next Saturday.
Anyway, I was tempted by a new Saturday farmers market at the same place we had dinner last night which is an indoor/outdoor market place that focuses on organic/granola-y type purveyors {of course} while also acting as a food court of delightful proportions {last night : organic short rib sliders with braised kale and frittes}. On Saturdays now they have a farmers market and on this particular last day of the week they're also hosting a "food truck jamboree" {which is my own description}. 20 or so gourmet style roach coaches should be there later this afternoon and I FULLY intend on returning to get a snack. Or two or three.
For now, though, I'm enjoying berries.

And hand poured drip coffee. As an aside, the dog is staring longingly beneath the coffee table which I moved closer to the couch so it can hold my breakfast. I'm assuming I covered up one of his mangled and raunchy toys but I REFUSE to get up and move it out for him. Poor creature.
Have a great Saturday wherever you are!
xoxo, natty ♥

Things I love to do and things I don't love to do.

First of all, I decided to get things festive around here. I honestly love holidays and decorating for them but without a little home to call our own {for now!}, I kind of have to let my yearnings subside. In cyberspace though, I am a home blog owner so let the kitschy knickknacks pile up! On a more serious note, I think that Independence Days are great; it's a chance to ponder what independence of any variety entails and also to think back on and be grateful for our fore-bearers and their foresight (ha, I said it!) so the bloggy-blog reflects that for now. I had some formatting trouble with the header and the width of the whole page, but oh-well.
Today I did things, as the title mentions, that I love to do and things that I don't heart so much.
Things that I don't like to do that I did today:
*picked up a prescription: the pharmacy line is always as slow as frozen molasses.
*got my brows done: if left to their own devices, my eyebrows would span from eyelashes to hairline. This may be an exaggeration, but not by much. My friend Monica first took me to the place I like to go to. It's an Indian grocery store in the Santa Clara/Sunnyvale/El Camino area. Yes, I said grocery store. They have a side room where women do threading. You can read about the process here. I ♥ threading because it's not hot, scented wax that might aggravate my skin (it certainly isn't completely pain-free, though!). I keep driving out to this grocery store despite the trafficky 15 minutes it takes me because it doesn't annoy my skin and because it's the best deal in town; $8 for brows! Threading has seen some popularity in recent years, popping up in mall kiosks and beauty salons but it's waaaaay more than my $8 and these grocery store ladies are good so I'll keep going back. I don't like the drive or the little pinpricks of threading out hair, but it's near my pharmacy which was where I was today anyway and I feel just great after so there I went.

Things I did that I like to do:
*went to the farmers market downtown & bought fresh/local fruits and veggies and Thai BBQ sticks for lunch
*went shopping briefly with a friend...that's you Audrey!
*ate Vietnamese food for dinner (grilled pork with rice noodles-yummy!)
*watched an old repeat of Law & Order SVU...I always want to say SUV, ha!
*took Guinness around the block
*caught up with a couple of other good friends ☺

The things I like list is longer than the other list; woo hoo!

Mikey Mike comes home tomorrow and the wedding planning continues; I'm really excited <3


xoxo, natty ♥

PS my mom and I found her a cute and colorful dress, nice enough for a wedding and casual enough for a backyard; now for the shoes!

Farmer's Market Fresh

Yesterday my grandmother and I checked out the farmer's market at the Ferry Building in SF. M and I usually stop in at the start of our runs to use the baño so we don't often just browse; it was quite nice to meander and sample goodies and buy some lovely fresh produce. I ended up walking away with a delectable little hunk of Gruyére, $10 worth of organic white peaches, nectarines and plums, some beautiful chard, a baby head of butter lettuce, several pounds of yellow and green squash and a carton of "real" strawberries (as opposed to fake ones). I think that they're real because they leave on the stem but whatever they're called, they were delicious and we polished off one whole carton on the way home (and then it turns out that in all of their cute-ness I didn't even take any pictures but just devoured them =( ).

From the Port of SF building next to the Ferry, neat SF pier and shipping history. 

People getting their lunch on. 

Pastries and 'kraut = all a girl needs in this world. 

All sorts of crazy and beautiful onions and the most ENORMOUS garlic bulbs I had every seen! No vampires around there, that's for sure.

Pretty colors!

'taters. 

Cruciferous-ness, beauties. 

I really liked their sign. 

Organic donuts! Organic = healthy...healthy donuts! 

For dinner we had some fish that I baked with the squash and that Greek seasoning, I wilted down and crisped the chard with S&P and some nutmeg, and then mac & cheese (the very latter being specifically for my oh-so-sophisticated palate). All in all it was fun and the big city weather was just beautiful, not always an attainable feat on summer days.

I stayed up late writing those postcards and watching Bethenny and we're going to head over to a WG estate sale for kicks. Hopefully I'll get some laundry/cleaning done today (do I ever quit referencing that?) since we're doing our long run tonight in the city and then staying at a hotel as a reward. This is all because I'm leaving for Tahoe mañana and it's so much easier to do long runs together than solo. I actually took yesterday off so tomorrow I'll do like five miles then eight or so in Tahoe on Sunday...hopefully.

Also, here are a couple of things that I want to write about, so this reference is mostly (entirely) a reminder for myself: Fish Head, Tahoe-traveling-food, and Easter in July; more to come!

Happy Friday!