For my sister's birthday lunch

You can tell you're getting older when, as the the birthday girl, you want to make the food for your own party. My sister, Sara, turns 25 today and we're celebrating her birthday as she wished, with a long lunch on Saturday with close friends and family.

She's insisting on making this Lemon Mint Granita recipe (despite the fact that I think she shouldn't do anything but sit and enjoy her day), which I must say, looks divine. The recipe is below but I'll be sure to provide feedback after we've had a taste or two, or three or.... :) You get the picture.

Lemon Mint Granita (via Smitten Kitchen)

4 lemons
4 cups water
Sugar, to taste (we used 3 tablespoons, like a tart lemonade)
Handful of fresh mint leaves

Clean and wash the lemons. Cut off the top quarter of the lemons and slice a thin bevel off the bottom, so they can stand up straight. (You can skip this step if you don’t want to serve them in frozen lemon cups.) Using a grapefruit knife, carefully remove all of the lemon flesh and juice (working over a bowl ensures you won’t lose any), being careful not to cut through the bottom. Stand the lemons on a plate or cookie sheet and freeze until solid.

Using a food processor (a blender will work as well), toss a handful of washed and dried fresh mint leaves into the work bowl. (I used about 25 to 30 leaves from 6 to 9 sprigs.) Add the scooped out lemon flesh and juice, and pulse until mostly pureed. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes, so the mint releases its flavor, then press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. You’ll end up with approximately one cup of lemon-mint juice.

Stir in the water, then sugar, one tablespoon at a time until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is to your desire level of sweetness. Pour the mixture into a large roasting pan or baking dish, large enough that the liquid isn’t more than one-inch deep. (Otherwise it takes forever to freeze, trust me. A 9×13-inch pan worked great here.)

Freeze for one hour, then remove the mixture and scrape with two forks to break up the ice. (Your freezing time will vary, depending on the temperature and muscle of your freezer.) Return to the freezer and freeze until solid, about 2 to 3 hours, scraping it again with forks every hour or so.

When the granita is frozen, rake until glittery. Scoop into frozen lemon shells (or, you know, plain old dishes).

For the guest bedroom

I've heard from numerous friends what a pain wallpaper can be. The more I talked to people, the more I realized that if you don't like it, you really don't like it.

Well, I haven't had any experience with it, and thus, I'm intrigued.

I love this blue and white pattern from Lena Corwin. She's also one of my favorite design bloggers :)

(Via ~>O<~)

Fight outside of Real World DC house

As much as I'm not keen on DC (belatedly) finding the Real World MTV in our District, I fully admit that I'm following the day-to-day drama on Twitter and in the blogging world.

The crew that blogs at The Anti-Real World DC live right next to the cast and crew and are soaking up every bit of gossip and sighting they can. If I lived next to them, I too, would likely do the same. But this morning's post actually alarmed me...

Anti-Real World bloggers reported around 3am this morning that a fight between two women (non-cast members) was taking place outside the house. They reported, "One woman beat another woman senseless on the ground for a full ten minutes as their friends let them fight...it's actually still going on as I write this."

So what do I immediately wonder? "Ummm...why are they sitting at the computer blogging about a violent altercation between two people when they should be calling the cops?" It's tough not to assume that they decided that it was more important to get coverage of the fight down first before attempting to call for help.

Of course, someone asked just that in the comments and Berg, one of the bloggers, said that he had in fact called. Rule #1: don't make yourself sound like a selfish, attention-hungry blogger. The community will call you on it.

Wrong time for a scarf but...

I love this Tolani scarf. It's a little pricey ($86) but if it were the winter and I was at the beginning of my paycheck, I'd splurge for it.

(Via A Merry Mishap)

Ridding DC of plastic bags

Mayor Adrian Fenty signed into law on July 7th a bill that will establish a 5 cent charge to customers for every plastic or paper bag they take from a retailer. According to DCist, this won't go into effect until January, but the really great news it that 4 out of every 5 cents will go to the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund.

Way to go Fenty! Small acts can lead to great changes.

(Via DCist)

On Italian turf

After nearly three weeks in Japan, I've had a distinct craving for pizza and pasta, my favorite comfort foods in life. Thus, Roni and I made a trip to Ristorante Posto for a much needed catch-up and an opportunity to finally explore their much-lauded Italian cuisine.

Posto, as it turns out, is really the Italian food I've been waiting for since moving to DC in 2004. Some people want to go out to eat to enjoy food they either would never attempt to make at home or just know they could never get right. I do too. But I also appreciate the experience of simple, homey, well-made comfort cooking. I yearn to walk away from the meal feeling inspired and having the confidence to repeat the dishes in my own kitchen. Posto did just that for me.

Tom Sietsema from The Washington Post has said, "If there's one course you shouldn't miss, it's pasta. Venini [the Chef de Cuisine] makes all but the spaghetti himself, and whatever shape of pasta you choose is filled or topped with something lovely and cooked as it should be, al dente. Spinach ravioli filled with three kinds of finely ground meat and brushed with thyme butter are delicate treats. Tender cavatelli show up with diced potatoes, sharp olives and a breezy pesto. As for that spaghetti, it's dressed with fresh-tasting seafood, artichokes and a tangy tomato sauce."

As Roni and I peered over the menu I knew that pasta was what I was looking for, but as a sign of good things to come, it took us much deliberation to determine the courses for the evening, but here they are in all of their simple, but beautiful glory:

Bufalina— romaine salad, buffalo mozzarella, grape tomatoes, quail egg, basil breadcrumbs, balsamic dressing

Estiva— endive salad, blood orange, gorgonzola cheese, organic radish, spicy walnut, trevisian radicchio, orange dressing

Tagliatelle— local farm raised goat ragu, sunchokes

Capesante— roasted scallops, yellow tomato sauce, snow pea, fried leek

Go, and please let me know what you have and love!

(Image of Posto from postodc.com)

Stella, will you dress me?

Stella McCartney can do no wrong in my book. As a designer, she's carved out a niche with 20 and 30-something women. Her clothes can be light and flirty or edgy and dark. But what stands out is that the models, celebrities and regular women who wear them look like they own it when they're in them. Great clothes often 'own' women, which is such a shame. You never want someone's memory to be of your dress; you want it to be of the way YOU looked in that dress.

While I can't afford her clothes, I don't mind spending my free time gazing at her new Resort 2010 collection. I want practically every piece from it so I've shared some of my favorites. Enjoy :)

(Via Style.com and Cup of Jo)