Recipe Recap: SELF Magazine's Tofu Coconut Curry

In an effort to add a little more variety to our usual weekly lineup of meals, Stephen and I have been trying to be better about actually experimenting with recipes we've found in magazines and on Pinterest. One of these, SELF's tofu coconut curry, definitely didn't disappoint, proving itself to be flavorful, savory, perfect for the waning days of winter and by far one of the most delicious new recipes I've tried in a long time!

Plus, even if you simply don't like tofu or are not a vegetarian (pescetarian, in my case), I'm sure this tasty red curry dish, complete with carrots, peppers, ginger, garlic, coconut milk and cilantro, could be easily modified to include shrimp, chicken or whatever else you'd prefer to use. 

Our take on SELF's tasty tofu coconut curry. Yum! 

Check out the recipe on SELF's website by following the link above, and stop by next week for my recap of the Indian cooking class we're heading to this evening at our local Whole Foods. I'm super excited and can't wait to learn how to whip up some tasty eats! 

Have you tried any new recipes lately?

Spring Dreaming

After getting hit with yet another winter snowstorm earlier this week, I think it’s fair to say that everyone here in the DC area is counting down the days until spring finally arrives.

Being from Southern California, I have especially never been a fan of Old Man Winter, and I’ve been dreaming for months already about all the fun things the spring and summer seasons will hold for us here in our new neighborhood. From walking to nearby restaurants to going for a run on the various trails and taking a dip in our complex’s pool, I just can’t wait to head back outdoors after months of freezing weather.

Now that we have two outdoor patios – our old apartment had an enclosed sunroom instead – I’m also looking forward to picking out a small bistro set that will allow us to eat, read and relax outside. So far, this cute and inexpensive $50 Tarno set from Ikea has caught my eye as a definite contender. Other possible plans include getting a grill, a birdfeeder and a couple small plants.

What are you most looking forward to this spring?  

Three on Thursday

Happy Thursday, everyone! Since I unfortunately haven’t had the chance to post regularly throughout the past couple of weeks, I decided to check in today with a list of three random facts about life lately in my little corner of the world.

1. Stephen and I celebrated Valentine’s Day a bit early last week with mini cheesecakes and moscato wine during the winter storm that brought a full foot of snow to our area – the most we've seen in four years. On Saturday night, we also headed to – where else? – the Kennedy Center to attend the Metropolitan Opera National Council’s Middle Atlantic Region Auditions for young artists. While this may not sound especially thrilling to everyone else, I was actually very excited to go, since I’d always wanted to witness the audition process and was quite lucky to even get tickets at all to this popular annual event. Of course, the performers were incredibly talented, and it was such a fun evening!

Brr! Posing in front of a cute little snowman someone built the day of the storm. 

2. Ever since I turned 30, my “baby fever” has definitely kicked up a notch, though there’s still of course the question of deciding when exactly the time will be right to start a family. Do those of you who are already parents have any helpful advice about how you ultimately decided it was the right time, especially in terms of finances? I've read some pretty daunting articles about the "start-up" costs for having a baby, plus the costs throughout the first year, not to mention during his or her entire childhood. 

3. A few weeks ago, Stephen and I went to a very helpful home-buyers’ seminar, and this weekend, we’ll be going to yet another one as we continue to think about when and where we might like to buy a house. The first seminar was geared specifically toward first-time buyers, offering a step-by-step overview of the house-hunting process, while this next one will be more focused on determining what you want in a house and how you’d like to tailor your search. Even though it’s a bit stressful knowing that this is yet another big life decision we’ll need to make, it’s also been exciting to start considering our options.

I hope you all have a fantastic day and a fun weekend ahead! 

A Big Apple Christmas & DC New Year Recap: Better Late Than Never

Yes, I know Christmas has been over for more than a month already, but I’ve had such a busy start to my new year that I’m just now finally getting around to recapping the holidays, which were awesome in every way. From spending an amazing week in New York City with my mom and sister to showing them the sights back here in DC through the beginning of 2014, it was by far one of my favorite Christmases ever. Here, in a nutshell, are some of our top holiday highlights.

-- Our midtown hotel in New York City, the Westin Grand Central, was comfortable, clean and close enough to many major sights without the expensive Times Square price tag. It also offered a great view of the Chrysler Building, one of my favorite NYC landmarks. Overall, I liked it a lot and would definitely stay there again.

-- I'm a big fan of Monet and Van Gogh, so it was fabulous seeing their pieces on display at both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art.

-- Heading up to the top of the Empire State Building on Christmas Eve was freezing but still worth it for the amazing panoramic views of the city. The Heartland Brewery restaurant next door also served the best baked macaroni and cheese I’ve ever eaten!

-- It was my first time visiting Dylan’s Candy Bar, and I'm happy to say that I now understand the reason for all of the well-deserved hype! Chocolate- and candy-covered Oreos were my favorite treat, followed closely by a s'more chocolate bar. Oh, how I wish they would open one of these here in DC!

-- By far the biggest highlight of our trip was going to see three Broadway shows – Waiting for Godot staring Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, The Glass Menagerie staring Zachary Quinto, and Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. All three were incredible, and if you ever have the chance to go to New York City and see them, I highly recommend doing so! Back in DC, we also rung in 2014 by going to see the musical Elf at the Kennedy Center. (We forgot to take pictures of the shows' marquee signs, so here's a shot of the iconic Grand Central Terminal clock instead.)  

-- The Central Park Zoo’s snow leopard cubs were truly adorable, climbing, tumbling and playing outside in the chilly weather.

-- The potato pancakes we ate at New York's famous Katz's Deli, of When Harry Met Sally fame, were beyond scrumptious.

-- Back in DC, my mom, sister, Stephen and I had a fun time visiting George Washington’s Mount Vernon, where we pet a sweet Christmas camel and got to tour the usually closed off top level of the mansion.

-- Space Shuttle Discovery, which I saw flying above our old apartment complex on its way to the Smithsonian back in 2012, is now housed at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Northern Virginia, where we took refuge one cold and rainy afternoon.

All in all, I loved the holidays and can’t wait to head back to NYC again, hopefully sometime this year. If you’ve been there before, what are some of your favorite things to do? Any recommendations for my next visit? Going to the Metropolitan Opera for a show and backstage tour is definitely at the top of my list!  

New Year's Resolutions: Better Late Than Never

I hope everyone’s 2014 is off to a great start so far! Since my family was here visiting from Christmas through last week, I’m just now getting back into the swing of things after an amazing holiday in New York City and a wonderful time introducing them to some of the DC area’s best museums and landmarks.

Even though we’re already a couple weeks into the new year, I figure it’s better late than never to share a few goals and resolutions. And really, any time, new year or not, is a good time to set goals for improving your life, right? 

Here below, with the help of a couple simple prompts I discovered via fellow bloggers, is a quick look at several of my goals, along with my chosen "word of the year."

A Bad Habit I’m Going to Break: 

Overeating

A New Skill I’d Like to Learn: 

Cooking more healthy meals

A Person I Hope to Be More Like: 

My Nana

A Good Deed I’m Going to Do: 

Donate on behalf of causes I support

A Place I’d Like to Visit: 

New York City’s Metropolitan Opera

A Book I’d Like to Read: 

The End of Illness by David B. Agus 

And many others, as well. As of right now, I have 98 books on my “To Read” list. During 2012 and 2013, I read 20-25 books per year while taking part in the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I hope to continue that trend by getting through at least 20 titles this year.

A Letter I’m Going to Write:

One allowing me to reconnect with someone I've lost touch with over the years

A New Food I’d Like to Try:

Crab sushi

I’m Going to Work Harder At: 

Believing in myself

A Project I'd Like to Finish: 

A final draft of my first novel 

I'd Like to Spend More Time: 

Exercising

I Want to Eat More: 

Fruits and vegetables

I Want to Wear More: 

Colorful clothes and jewelry, instead of my usual neutrals

A Class I'd Like to Take: 

An online writing seminar via Writer's Digest

Word of the Year: 

Confident 

Did you choose a "word of the year" or set goals for 2014?