Mrs. Johnson's Adventures in Bridgetown

Pink Cake!

2011-07-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

The last day of last month was my birthday. Happy belated birthday! I decided to share with you the awesome pink cake I made for myself. I know you are not supposed to bake your own birthday cake, but this desert had my eye for some time and I was waiting for a worthy occasion to try it out. It did not disappoint! We had people over to our place for a small party and my parents were able to come, which was special.

This was a strawberry cake with real sliced strawberries mixed in. And I thought I did a pretty awesome job icing it. This was the first layered cake that I have made, you know- actual special occasion cake, that was both pretty and delicious. The recipe came from this fun to read blog. Happy end of July!

Urban Otter

2011-07-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Last night was a super beautiful northwest evening. The husband and I decided to take a walk at Gasworks Park just at sunset. It was like the whole city was out there and all looking at the water and lights. More awesome yet, we spotted an otter! Check...one more species of the west seen in the wild! Well as wild as it gets - this was a pretty civil otter living its life spying on houseboats. Next on the list moose and giant pacific octopus. I may be searching for a while.

I was wishing I had brought my camera with me, but instead here is a nice aerial shot.

It's March

2011-03-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

It's March already, and a new month means a new picture on my etsy calendar. I have liked etsy for a while but had never actually bought anything from it until it was time to get a new calendar. I had seen Decor8 and other blogs doing "calender round-ups" of cool artistic calenders. And thinking back to my husband's face the previous year when - apparently a little late in the calender rush- I told him the options are the crazy cat calender or the twelve faces (and abs) of Edward Cullen, etsy sounded like a good idea.

I feel like the winter has been going fast, winter term has been going much smoother than my first term of grad school. Classes seem calmer and I have had a chance to really look into the idea I want to peruse for my thesis project next year (and possibly a business after that)! I am super happy life has took us to Seattle and me to get my Masters. Its not a breeze, but the things my eyes have been opened to is totally worth it.

Apartment Tour Sneak Peak

2011-02-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Since we have moved to Seattle, not everyone has seen our lovely place so its time for a tour. First off, I really love our new place. It is definitely the smallest place I have ever lived but I think that is partially what has made it so nice. We were forced to throw out much of our junk and even some of the not junky (but not amazing) things I would have otherwise held on to. It has hardwood floors, nice newly refinished hardwoods, check! The other big thing on the list was that the apartment would be bright. As we have been moving up the I-5 corridor there is gradually less and less sun so the more sun that comes in our windows the better! We are on the third and top floor and now when the leaves are off the trees we have a little view of the lake too.

I know it is a little difficult to showcase different "rooms" of a home over the space of several blog posts when you live in a studio. But I am doing my best to just give you just a sneak peak so that I can go into a little more detail on some of the fun new furnishings in the next installments. I have had a super fun time getting our place to reflect or personalities and so I am excited to share.

Date Night

2011-02-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night is our cheap and fun night out. I have a three hour night class every Tuesday. Really the class would probably be a little easier to digest if it was split up into two days a week of staring at a computer but... anyways, I can look forwards to a pretty rock'n hamburger with my husband on the way home. Kidd Valley is one of the local fast food chains. And while fastfood on road trips is just fine, otherwise I am not usually too excited about the prospect, but this is different. I get the cheeseburger, Mr. Johnson gets the fish sandwich, and we split fries and a shake (usually strawberry) the food is fresh, sandwiches are big and tasty this is no joke! Its all about enjoying the little things in life! What are your fun silly things you do?

Friday Fun

2011-02-18T08:34:00.000-08:00

So here is a little Fashion Friday for you. I have been seeming to be surfing the web more than usual this morning and so I thought I would share. I know this trend is not new, but I am a fan. Last time I walked through Nordstrom (that is usually what I do- quickly walk through the first floor to a barrage of fragrances and swoon at the shoe department- there is no stopping or looking at price tags) I was greeted by so many platform pumps. So have a look. Fortunately these are not too spendy. They are so fun and might even look good with my fushia silk mini skirt from J.Crew.
Steve Madden "Caryssa"
GUESS "Rapine"Steven by Steve Madden "Mercy"

This is not my skirt- it is no longer on their website. But this skirt is pretty awesome too- and it soft of gives you the idea. This is yystudio at Etsy by the way- Etsy is so cool!

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

This is what I saw when I walked in the door after coming back from class this afternoon. Look at those beautiful flowers! It seems so springy in here. There was also a Cadbury chocolate bar on the coffee table- which I have taken several bites out of now.

I am looking forwards to this evening, we are going out to dinner. Somewhere... that is all I have been told. But I do know that we are going to get pie after dinner. Which is actually a pretty big deal, pie is apparently now all of the rage in Seattle. Out with the cupcakes in with the pie. Mr. Johnson and I have never forgotten the delicious all American desert but I guess it is now hip too!

Happy Valentines everyone!

Mass Customization

2011-01-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

One of my classes today was design computing seminar; the class consists of lecturers, including us MS students, speaking on current research and exploration in the design computing field. Last week in class I gave an hour long presentation! The talk was on Mass Customization: What does this mean for design. I was nervous for it because I am not much of one for public speaking
, and while our class is pretty small I was afraid I would not be able to deliver the information in a clear way. I think it went really well. It was fun looking into mass customization and specifically its application to architecture. While I am not yet at the point of deciding upon a thesis focus, this topic keeps on popping up in my readings and it has been inspirational investigating it further. As I see it, there is a lot of potential for modular fabrication and mass customization in architecture.

Here are just a few slides from the presentation.

Image 1, NikeID. The next pair of Nikes I get are going to be customized like these!
Image 2. Helios House, a green gas station that uses modularization and concepts of mass customization in design and construction process. Office dA architecture, Los Angeles, California.
Image 3. FlatPak clients can customize their own home based on a 8' wide one story high wall module.
Image 4. Example of a built FlatPak house, Aspen, Colorado.

Delicious Fried Rice

2011-01-20T06:56:00.000-08:00

I have successfully made Asian food again! I was about to give up on the whole region of cuisines thinking it is better left to a restaurant. Usually any Chinese food I make is worse and more expensive than what you can get at a typical restaurant. I have a Chinese cookbook and have searched recipes online (I know you may think that is where the problem lies) and my conclusion is there is something (probably basic) that they are leaving out and makes it difficult for the American home cook. So what is my secret this time? Kimchee! I know, I know, Kimchee is infact Korean not to mention the smelliest thing you have probably ever had in your refrigerator- but even if you are wary of this pickled cabbage treat please don't stop reading here. Kimchee Fried Rice is delicious, and mine is just as delicious as what I have had at a restaurant. When the Kimchee is cooked the flavors mellow out. Instead of the sharp vinegary taste it has when eaten cold, it turns into a crunchy, spicy and all around full flavored addition to otherwise pretty standard fried rice.

So here is the recipe:

Kimchee Fried Rice

vegetable and/or peanut oil (I usually use a combination)
4 cups of cooked rice (best if day old rice*)
3 eggs lightly beaten
5 green onions chopped
about 3 cups Kimchee

-Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet on medium high heat.
-Add in eggs and scramble until partially cooked, remove from pan.
-Add 2 more tablespoons of oil into the pan. Add rice. Let fry, turning over occasionally, 5-10 minutes. You want the rice to look crispy and ready to eat, it won't really crisp up after this. Salt to taste.
-Add green onions, let stir fry 1 minute.
-Add Kimchee and some of the juice too, the rice should be red. Add eggs back in and break them up as stirring. Let fry another minute or two.

Get ready to eat!

*I have used fresh rice successfully just let it cool to room temperature first and you may have to adjust frying time accordingly.

New Adventures

2011-01-18T07:34:00.000-08:00

As many of you already know, or you may have noticed -maybe by the hardwoods underneath the Christmas tree in the holiday post, Mrs. Johnson is no longer conducting her adventures in bridgetown! Yes that is right, we have relocated- to Seattle. So, you may wonder, has this had to do with the huge gap in blogging? Not really, but I have been awfully busy lately. Back in September Mr. Johnson and I moved to Seattle so that I could go to grad school. I am getting my M.S. in Design Computing in Architecture at the University of Washington. Mr. Johnson left his economic consulting job to start his own business in software development. It has been fun, a new adventure together. It is cool that we are both in a position to take risks and get more out of our education and careers.

So school, I guess I am a Husky now, but what an amazing season to be a Duck! Too bad Auburn in the last two seconds, but I still think we made the exciting plays of the game.

*This is the wallpaper photo on my awesome new laptop (purchased for school)

BCS Championship!

2011-01-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

Go Ducks!
Can't wait for the game...

Light Rail

2011-01-04T21:39:00.000-08:00

The light rail line opened on our wedding day, interestingly enough. Yet I had not been to see the station at the airport which I contributed to the design of. I helped with this project over the span of several summers as an intern at Hewitt Architects. As a fun winter afternoon adventure, Mr. Johnson and I rode the light rail to the airport and back again. It was a beautiful day with even a little snow on the ground as we approached the airport. It was interesting to see the station built after seeing the various design stages throughout the process.

And here are two photos of the early-stage physical model that I built during the internship.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holidays, I know I did. This year we spent Christmas with my family on Whidbey Island it was calm and fun and so much good food- just what I needed.

Before Christmas we took a trip to Portland- by the way we are no longer in Bridgetown- more about that in an upcoming post. That was fun, Christmas shopping -downtown Portland is so great and there is always the Rack (where Mr. Johnson and I got sneak peaks at our gifts to come), holiday time with his family, as well as saying hi to a bunch of friends. After that start to the season, we went to little Bavaria with my family and our good family friends. Oh Leavenworth.... according to Mr Johnson it is up there in the top cities he has visited only sharing its place with Hong Kong! It was snowy, beautifully decorated, full of kitschy Christmas shops, and Bavarian beer.

Then it was Christmas. Christmas eve we went into Seattle to the beautiful and impressive St. Mark's Cathedral for midnight mass. I always enjoy Christmas eve services and this one was very special because it was so late and very ceremonial. Christmas morning was full of opening gifts and delicious breakfast followed by a slightly odd but exciting tradition of road bowling with members of the neighborhood. And of course more food.

And 2011....
We welcomed in the new years with my brother and his friend in a very fun fashion. Starting off with this Portuguese dish Clams na Cataplana. Isn't it pretty? Both the clams and the copper cataplana dish?

Well I hope you had a great season with family and friends!

Sushi

2010-08-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Konnichiwa!

I made sushi last night and it was so fun! My friend, also named Lauren, shared with me that recently sushi has been her go to meal so I decided to try it. I made cucumber rolls and Philly rolls. The Philly rolls had a combination of smoked salmon and cream cheese and I added cucumber to some of them. I was amazed at how good the sticky rice turned out, I was eating it straight out of the pot before making up my rolls. Here is the directions for the vinegared rice also known as sumeshi from the cookbook Easy Sushi by Emi Kazuko.

1 3/4 cups Japanese style short grained rice
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt

- Soak rice in clear cold water 10-15 minutes, then drain.

- Transfer rice to a deep saucepan, add 2 cups water. Cover and bring to boil over high heat, about 5 minutes.

- Lower heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. do not lift the lid. Remove from heat and leave, still covered, for about 10-15 minutes.

- Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in small bowl.

- Transfer the cooked rice to a large shallow dish, if you have the set-up a Japanese handai can be used, I had used a pie plate.

- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the vinegar dressing into the rice. Do not stir. Let the rice cool to body temperature before making sushi.

Tea Time

2010-03-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

Mmm banana bread and Irish Breakfast tea. Nothing is better than a pot of Irish Breakfast, more flavorful and all together more delicious than its English counterpart, served with my classic Fiesta Ware. I don't often follow in the British ways of enjoying an afternoon tea, but my overly ripe bananas were calling me and so I whipped up a little chocolate chip banana bread. What a treat for Mr. Johnson and I.

Happy Friday for everyone! I am off to a girls weekend in Seattle, all of us haven't been together in the same spot since high school so this should be a blast.

First Day Back in Architecture

2010-03-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first day back in architecture! I have begun volunteering at a small firm here in bridgetown. I really like the work that architecture w produces and I think it will be a fun school studio-like environment to be involved in. I am also interested in architecture w's artistic exploration within the design process, they have made beautiful abstract paintings and built plaster cast models that diagram and depict the architecture. The project I will be working on is a design competition for the Kuwaiti embassy in Tokyo. I am excited for this opportunity and all that will come out of it.

Check out the website of architecture w. And in case you were wondering what I wore on my first day, here is a picture of me!

Discovered Pleasures

2010-03-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

Yoga has taken me by surprise. It is the real deal! Usually I am suspicious of exercise activities that are within the general dance family and are not ballet. After years of training in ballet, most of the time loving it and sometimes becoming quite frustrated by its rigor, I have realized the discipline, grace and athleticism that ballet requires is exceptional. This being said, I was quite happy when I enjoyed the first yoga practice I had ever attended. It was a physical challenge and I felt it in my upper body the next day! It really is relaxing, during the quiet stretching times I have a chance to let go of my busy thoughts or pray. I know many people have already jumped on the yoga bandwagon and I am glad to report that I have too.

Sunshine and Patios

2010-02-23T10:58:00.000-08:00

I am welcoming myself back to blogging. In my hiatus I have tripled my official blog followers, awesome! I am loving the sunshine. This weekend Mr. Johnson and I took advantage of the glimpse of spring and went on a couple of long walks along some of our favorite streets. We discovered a great restaurant/bar that has an amazing patio. The patio spans two levels, on grade a propane fire pit forms the center of the space and above there is a roof patio that looks onto the lower patio, the street, and the prettiest church in Portland. We sat upstairs and dreamed up ways to build a fire pit in our own patio.

The fire pit at Radio Room is hidden by the throngs of people in this
summertime photo.

Another wonderful patio atop the downtown Macy's at Departure.

I want to work for the firm that designed this bar!

Next time I will get a shot of the enclosed garden patio at Holeman's.

Apparently it is so much a hidden gem that there are only decent photos of the front!

A Day in the Life of the New Rennasiance

2010-01-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

I started adding color to my painting last class! It was so exciting. Cliff, just having his mouse infusion was back to his cheery joking self and everyone seemed to be in good spirits because of this. Carol had found some peace as she explained she had "put her sister in the freezer" a technique administered in hope of her sister chilling out, and the usual drama continued. Menopausal womens' chit chat aside, I think my painting really is coming along quite nicely. Even with the first glaze of color, the painting appeared to have greater depth. In following the Carracci
Tradition, I first painted a black and white underpainting and then will be adding thin color glazes until the painting is completed in full color. The master's were right in essentially painting their subjects twice.

New Things of the New Year

2010-01-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

-New Determination
Chinese fortune cookie fortunes, I will pay no attention to you! You think producing nagging fortunes in this economy helps?

-New Direction
Architecture. It is time to renew my focus to become involved in the field of architecture. It took me a tempting but ultimately unwanted job interview (not in my field) to redirect my focus. Since then, I have followed up with the firms I have applied to and I have suggested a volunteer opportunity at one of the offices.

-New Leggings
OK. Probably not life changing but ohh so comfortable and stylish.

I have been a bit behind on my blogging lately but I wanted to say the other weekend was wonderful. We spent Saturday with Laura and Chris. Laura and I went shopping downtown hence the legging acquisition, while the men had fun with toy helicopters and firearms. We didn't hesitate about boosting the economy that day. It was most fun just spending time with them, they are great friends and an inspiration to me. Laura and I cooked Indian together, I must say we (at least I) have greatly improved in our cooking skills since we were college roommates. It has been a good start to 2010.

Happy Holidays

2010-01-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We sure did! Mr. Johnson and I went to his home town, Wallowa, for Christmas. It was good and busy; baby, dogs, family and food! Crab for Christmas Eve was delicious. My present from Mr. Johnson is awesome, I am including a picture because just telling you that I got a magazine rack for Christmas doesn't quite do it justice. And I am definitely enjoying re-reading Harry Potter with my new collection. The day after Christmas, Mr. Johnson and I went up to find snow at Salt Creek Summit. It was a beautiful day and the snow had formed jagged crystals like I had never seen before. The ground looked like it was covered in shattered glass! We had a great holiday, and I guess it is now time to live it up in the next decade!

The Proposal

2009-12-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

A year ago today Nick proposed to me! I know that may be keeping a lot of anniversaries but I figured the first year it warrants a mention. It was a lot of fun thinking about and preparing for the wedding, and these first few months of marriage have been great! Last year at this time there was snow on the ground, an exciting and rare sight for Bridgetown, and he proposed to me as we were on our way to a very nice dinner. Although I was expecting the question, I was not thinking it would come at that exact moment. I was completely swept up in the excitement of things and had the hardest time concentrating on the menu long enough to decide what to order. That night I had the most delicious spaghetti of my life. The next day my head was in a flurry. I spent the morning calling friends and family and flipping through wedding magazines, the day culminated with Nick's work Christmas party. I was introduced to and congratulated by everybody. Tonight actually is the Christmas party again. I am looking forwards to it; I assume it will be a little more casual this time but I am no less happy!

Salt and Pepper My Mango

2009-12-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

Mr. Johnson and I invented a new drink. We called the M.I.A. inspired drink Salt and Pepper My Mango. While it is a compilation of everything tropical we imagined M.I.A. to drink, its name originates from the line in the song Sunshowers. And yes, it does have salt and pepper. First we were after recreating the Rubicon, it just sounds so delicious when she sings "I was sippin' on a Rubicon, thinkin' 'bout where I come..." After further research we realized that the name Rubicon is already in use. It is a tropical fruit drink, similar to a fruitier Capri Sun that can be found in England. As well as the name of an ancient Italian river that flowed into the Adriatic and is famous for being crossed by the Roman army. What other river is famous solely for being crossed? This obviously had no correlations to the drink we were about to invent and so the mango and jalapeno-infused rum drink took on a more literal name. All in all I think we discovered a gem, or at least came very close. I am not going to disclose the recipe now. One, because it may undergo improvements and two, because some of you reading this may be trying it over the Christmas vacation and we wouldn't want to take all of the mystery out of it would we?

Oh Christmas Tree. Oh Chistmas Tree...

2009-12-09T10:33:00.000-08:00

We have a lovely wreath hung given to us by my parents, and our Christmas tree is all set up! It was fun setting up the tree together for the first time. Each of us had slightly different takes on tradition and they blended together in a fun way. The night we got the tree I made Butternut Squash Soup served with homemade bread. For desert I made a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake which seemed to fit the occasion. Very classic and colorful. Here are some pictures.

Crafting Martha Stewart Style

2009-12-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

With Christmas approaching, I am excited. Excited about the general season and about making our apartment look festive. I took on a craft. Cinnamon bird ornaments. I made a dough that resembles gingerbread cookie dough in the consistancy and the aroma, but it is much more durable with the additive of glue. I guess it helps having the architecture student's proficiency with the x-acto knife (and the abundent stash of tacky glue in the hall closet) because cutting out these birds to the level of detail Martha indicated was a sinch. Decorating with glitter followed. They turned out beautiful! The awesome part was I didn't do this all on my own. I prepped the dough, and decorated several to fill my tree, but I also organized the craft for the girls to do at Thanksgiving. I was really excited when my aunt suggested I bring the supplies and set up the craft so my grandma, other aunts and cousins could decorate their own cinnamon birds after Thanksgiving dinner. It was great, everyone really got into it. I had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving and I felt like I contributed to the fun.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

This holiday season I am more excited than ever for all of the festivities and preparing for them! I attribute this to: 1) not approaching finals, as I was at this time the last five years and 2) having the newlywed feeling of 'setting up home' and the desire for our apartment to look festive. Growing up we often got our Christmas tree close to Christmas, this was in part due to the fact that the last few years my parents would wait until my brother and I got home before getting our tree. I was in the Nutcracker many times, and the notion of decking out the tree Christmas Eve seemed especially romantic to me. And although we never waited that long, it did seem tempting. This year I want to set up for the holidays early! You may say I am getting ahead of myself. Thanksgiving dinner has yet to be served! I am just excited for it to be winter and a time to celebrate with people you love.

I was affected by my cousin Mrs. Potter's blog post on being thankful. Today is really a time to reflect and thank God for all that He has provided for us. This season I want to relish the time. I am excited about making crafts, decorating our apartment, going Christmas shopping and I will be careful not to get too wrapped up in all of the material things I want and just really enjoy this special season.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Renaissance Painting

2009-11-25T07:45:00.000-08:00

I am taking a painting class in the Carracci Tradition. The Carracci tradition comes out of a school of thinking during the Renaissance that describes the way artists paint. Objective painting, or painting what you see in reality as opposed to copying a photograph or other painting, is practiced. Drawing accurately is the first step of painting in the Carracci tradition! This excites me because I enjoy drawing and consider myself to have a practiced eye. Since beginning architecture school, I have believed that it is important to train oneself how to see in order to draw convincingly. Although my previous paintings have been less photo realistic than my work in this class, I have always striven to find correct proportions in the objects I am painting.

In addition to painting from life, there is a method to applying pigment in the Carracci tradition. First one begins by painting a monochrome underpainting. Once completed, one glazes color pigments atop the underpainting. These glazes have a high amount of medium and/or vehicle relative to the amount of oil paint. It is important to understand the viscosity and opacity of different paints in order to apply even coats that make up the painting.

I am in the monochromatic underpainting stage of the process. I am painting a still life composed of a miniature Chinese clay soldier, a platter of fruit, a small pitcher, and a flower. A striped cloth is draped behind the composition.

I realize this blog post sounds more like an essay than a usual entry, but in order to keep current on what is happening in my Thursday painting classes one has to understand the background. In fact, this is an abridged version of my first class where my teacher, lets call him my maestro, explained his painting theory -only with bits of his life spliced in. If he can move on from the typewriter, he should write a blog! The University of Cliff Smith, that is what some of the veteran students call the class. Cliff is quite a character, and in our class over the art store he is able to teach fully in the Carracci tradition, free of the usual curriculum requirements of the colleges he also teaches at.

For fun, here is a look at some of the paintings I have done prior to this class.

Mr. Johnson's Birthday

2009-11-17T07:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Mr. Johnson's birthday. Wooo hoo the big 24! And we ate sooo much crab to celebrate. We went to dinner downtown at Todai, an all you can eat seafood buffet where you can eat for free on your birthday. Fortunately we avoided the singing. This restaurant has come to its senses and realized the only people excited to have "Happy Birthday" sung to them by the wait staff are kids. I had never eaten snow crab before but I am now hooked. Snow crab on ice served with a little cocktail sauce, mmm mmm. They also had hot dungeness crab and lots of shrimp. It was a very seafood birthday weekend, on Saturday his sister made a wonderful bouillabaisse. I hope you had a great birthday Nick!

Bliss

2009-11-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, all I can say is wow! I did not expect a facial to be such a wonderful experience. I suppose I just expected a green face mask applied, maybe a little massaging of my face or cucumbers over my eyes. I did not expect sheer Bliss (sorry for the pun, I recieved my facial at Bliss Salon) but the word really does fit. Even now as I am typing I feel I am in a bit of an aromatic daze. First off it was so warm and comfortable in the room and the lights were dimmed. My thoughts went away as she gentaly massaged different creams onto my face. But it wasn't always gentle, she applied specific pressure to my temples, my nose and then she began to massage my head, arms, hands, neck and shoulders. I consentrated on the sensation, the dark beneath my eyelids, and everything else around me melted away. At one point she misted cool essence of lemon verbena onto my face. Thank you Jen and Jeremy, this was a truly enjoyable graduation gift!

Pizza Night

2009-11-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

I had fun making some very delicious pizza for dinner. Growing up, for a while Mom would make pizza every Friday night. She would make Italian bread and use part of the dough for pizza dough. She would also make the sauce, which I actually made several times, and then we all would have fun deciding which toppings to dress our pizzas in. We got pretty creative.

Since being married I have made bread several times, but this was the first time to make pizza. I took some time in deciding the topping combination and I think it paid off! I made one pizza margherita with Greek olives to add an original touch; it helps living in the city where you can buy fresh mozzarella. The other pizza was more American in style, it had a generous helping of red onions, some roasted red peppers, and half Italian sausage, half mushroom. Mr. Johnson admitted this was the best homemade pizza he has eaten, and better than Ken's Artisan Pizza (our favorite here in Portland) and rivals with the pizza we ate for my birthday in Naples!

Lamp Light

2009-11-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

My white lamp makes me smile. It is new(ish.) I brought it home soon after being married. It matches Mrs. Potter's lamp which I had seen and adored, so when I went to visit her I chanced upon the lamp in the shop where she had found hers. I was rather ecstatic about my purchase; it was the first thing that I bought for our apartment. I like the way the glass base glows warmly from the light. It brings a modern touch to the living room which I would like to build off of over time. Mmm reading Jane Eyre by lamp light.

Hearty Fall Cooking

2009-11-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last week was a very Moosewood week in the Johnson kitchen. I tried several recipes from the New Moosewood Cookbook. Being a rather blustery fall set of days, I hit up the casserole section. My favorite was Cauliflower-Cheese Pie with grated potato crust. How can you go wrong with a cauliflower and cheese combination? This was very satisfying, and would also make a delicious special-occasion brunch item. But the real winner was the dinner I made on Halloween. This did not actually come from the Moosewood cookbook, but from the classic Joy of Cooking. New England Clam Chowder, served with my own Sourdough bread, and Pecan Pie for dessert. Warning, if anyone comes to dinner soon they may be served this! We could not manage to snack any more when we headed over to my friend's for a party in which the dressed-up version of Amy Sedaris was practicing "hospitality under the influence." Very well I might add, that fondue was really tempting me!

A Designer's Love for Furniture

2009-10-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Dad just bought a credenza for the studio above their garage. I am jealous. The credenza happens to be the furniture piece I have been currently lusting over. This is a bit of a specific piece of cabinetry, one that I do not really have a use for at the moment. And definitely not an appropriate space for. I foresee the credenza cooly residing in a dining room with a vase of white lilies atop it. Or perhaps in a hall. The contemporary entertainment center can sometimes be interchangeable with the credenza, and truth be told it would make our 42" plasma look especially delectable. But enough of the daydreaming, lets look at what is inspiring me.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

2009-10-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to Hollywood. More specifically, Mr. Johnson and I went to the historic Hollywood Theater in the Hollywood district of our city. The palm tree ratio was down from California, but there was still a fantastic feel to the place.

We saw the movie Julie and Julia. I had been wanting to see the movie for quite some time now. But I had been waiting for it to come out at one of the many historic or pub theaters around town. Cheap popcorn, good atmosphere, and maybe a microbrew...what more can you ask for? I had a great time. I though the story was a lot of fun and the film had many laugh out loud parts. Julia Child is just so lovable, even when played by Meryl Streep (a woman I generally can't say the same for.) The movie inspired me to cook French. Somehow the processes to french cooking looked less intimidating to me then they have before, maybe it is because Julia's red dutch oven is so irrisistable.

Our Wedding Photos

2009-10-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, wedding photos! Of the many wonderful photos we have received, I had a difficult time choosing which ones to post on the blog. I hope this reminds you, or gives you a glimpse, of the wonderful day. Here is a look at July eighteenth, 2009!

New Coffee Table

2009-10-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

For a wedding gift, my in-laws told us that they would get us a coffee table. All we have to do is pick out one we like. I am super excited about getting a coffee table, it will be our first piece of nice new furniture in the living room. The only problem is Mr. Johnson and I seem to be too particular about the design and quality we want, and are having a hard time finding a coffee table that matches our vision. What can you say, we have got good taste! Actually I don't think our expectations are out of the question:

1. We want a table that will fit with a contemporary living room. Nothing too crazy, I don't want to live in a James Bond set; just nice quality design!

2.We are looking for a solid wood table, it does not need to be entirely built of wood but we want the wood portion to last over time.

3. It would be nice if there are drawers or a shelf for extra storage; a place to hide remotes, magazines, etc. so that the living room keeps a clean aesthetic.

I decided to post the coffee tables we have considered to give myself a better idea of what we want (it is easier to evaluate the options when they are all next to each other) and to encourage your opinions and suggestions. Some we are no longer considering because they are not of high-quality construction, but I am including all of them to give you a full idea of the styles we are drawn to. Feel free to suggest other manufacturers or other coffee tables if they seem to match what you see.

So here they are!

Thoughts??

Cuban Milkshakes

2009-10-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Last night after I made Lentil and Walnut Burgers with Yougurt Cilantro Sauce, and Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad, Mr. Johnson and I went to go get milkshakes. We walked to Pambiche, the electric colored Cuban restaurant in our neighborhood for our tropical drinks. Pambiche is more of an experience than just a restaurant. It is the brightest and loudest building on the block with cuban music seeping out of the restaurant and people dining at any hour of the day. Mr. Johnson and I both like milkshakes and going to get them happens to be a fun date. Often times we will stop at a drive-in if we are out floating down the river in the summer. This time I enjoyed a Spiced Banana Battida while Mr. Johnson chose Mango. We sipped on them while listening to cha cha and admiring the technicolor still lives of fruit.

A Week of Food

2009-10-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

I thought I made some very tasty dinners this week and I have a few more good ones planned so I thought I would share. Ever since getting married and having much more time, no architecture school, I have been cooking more. Also, I discovered cookbooks! I had cookbooks before, but I mainly rifled through the pictures when hungry; rarely did I use their valuable information as a tool. Following recipes, no matter how loosely I chose to follow them, is a huge help and it is fun. The cookbooks I turn to the most are the Joy of Cooking and FOOD Everyday, a Martha Stewart cookbook I received as a bridal shower gift. I also ask the good cooks in my family. Sorry I don't have any pictures, I will start taking photos of pretty or especially delicious dishes.

Monday:     Salmon Fillets with a brown sugar mustard glaze
    Rice Pilaf    -Mom's recipes

Tuesday:     Red beans and Rice (from scratch)   -Joy of Cooking

Wednesday: Went to the Matador for happy hour Margaritas and
                   Calamari, just snacked afterwards

Thursday:     Fried Rice with Baby Bok Choi
                    Chinese Eggplant in the Style of Fish   -Mrs. Chiangs's
                    Szechwan Cookbook

Today:         Scalloped Potatoes    -Joy of Cooking
   Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad -FOOD Everyday

Saturday:    Vegetable Bean Stew    -Laura Potter
                   Corn Bread

Halloween Costume

2009-10-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

I figured out what I am going to be for Halloween this year and I ordered my costume. If you know me, there are two weird things about this sentence are one: I decided on my outfit before October 30th, and two I bought a pre-made costume which I have never done before, not even as a kid. I am excited, Mr. Johnson and I are going as Jabba the Hut and Princess Leia (equipped with chain tying me to him.) I know, this may not sound like a loving, caring, equal hands in marriage- type costume but it is FUNNY and it is Star Wars! The Jabba costume is hilarious, it is inflatable...I guess this is a more comfortable and lighter weight option than the alternative (extreme stuffing.) The Princess Leia costume looks comfortable, I mean there isn't really much to the costume. The only drawback is I might freeze to death, but what the heck.

Decorating Muse

2009-10-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

OMG!!! I have just found a great new (to me) magazine, Livingetc! It is from Britain and therefore a little more expensive at newsstands, but it has so many excellent ideas. In several of the houses Livingetc featured, they employed the decorating philosophy of adding dramatic pops of color to an otherwise white room. Quote "like a white wedding cake, or dinner plate- you start with your base and then just add." I am attracted to this look and enjoyed seeing how it was carried out in different ways.
Highly suggest the read!

Sourdough

2009-10-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

Today I am making sourdough bread. Last week I tried but it ended up the consistency of a hockey puck, due to the fact that the instructions handed down to me from an accomplished cook were very vague (I unknowingly left out a vital step). Today it is rising just fine. My sourdough starter is 100 years old and originates from sheepherders in Hells Canyon. As the story goes, the sheepherders lost everything from natural disaster but were able to revive their starter from a crusty old piece of bread in their pocket. Since then it has been lovingly cared for and now passed to me. I have a fridge pet to feed!
Mmm smelling good....

Gifts Gifts Gifts!

2009-08-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well home sweet home, and Johnson place is quite the wedding explosion! Our honeymoon was wonderful. It was fun, relaxing, not as hot as Bridgetown, and full of wild animals. More to come on the honeymoon as I find the photos. As for now, I am snacking on leftover wedding cake and staring into the abyss of waffle makers, fiesta ware, ceramic serving pieces, and Lenox. I am very excited; the house just got a lot more colorful. All of the great gifts are inspiring me to cook.

Our first dinner at Johnson place. Look at those dishes!

welcome

2009-07-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

In truth, I am not Mrs. Johnson until approximately 6pm tomorrow, yet it is due time to start my blog! For the last few months Mrs. Potter my favorite cousin has been encouraging me to start blogging, now that I have graduated and wedding planning has finished it's time to say hello! I am now writing in the hotel with my good girl frinds after the bachelorette party last night and the wedding weekend will be filled with manicures, pedicures, hair primping, dresses and fun fun fun! I will return after the wonderful honeymoon as the official Mrs. Johnson!