Monika Blogwell

This past weekend I went to Austin to see one of my best friends in the world. Nina and her boyfriend needed to escape Chicago’s never-ending winter and picked a perfect weekend for Texas spring. (Coincidentally, I will be escaping the 90-plus-degree weather here next weekend with a trip to Chicago.)

While in Austin, we did what everyone does on a weekend trip to “the big city” (Austin is, after all, the big city to us). We ate, we drank, we went to a concert, we met the locals and we bought furniture.

Patrick and I had previously purchased a couch but it would be months before it was ready for pick-up. Since delivery fees are through the roof when you’re talking about a 60 mile span, we opted for renting a truck and hauling the couch ourselves. We didn’t realize at the time of this decision, however, just how difficult it would be to navigate a 16-foot truck through downtown Austin. The Little Blue Gem got to guide the way with me as its nervous pilot. “Serenity, Confidence, Strength,” I repeated to myself over and over as I weaved through Mopac traffic, leading a bright yellow truck and its fearless driver.

We survived.

And since we had success with the first leg of the trip (i.e. getting the couch), we decided that on the way out of town we should kill another proverbial bird with a single stone. Remember our lack of dining chairs? We lack no more, my friends. Our new couch got to ride back to College Station with company to share the oversized truck cabin. Thanks to our impulse buy, we can now eat and sit at the table at the same time — who would’ve thunk it?!

I’m overwhelmed by seating options. And clearly, so is Fish Taco.

Merry Christmas to you and yours! I’m home with my family this holiday eating anything and everything you can make with butter. Cookies, pierogi (my grandmother and mom both immigrated from Poland), fried potatoes… There are certain staples during the holiday season that most American families can’t live without. Butter is one of them. And glitter is another.

Santa was too good to me. I’d settle for a new pair of slippers, but Patrick and my parents gave me a new camera, which I’m interpreting as their subtle way of encouraging me to keep blogging. His parents also spoiled me. They got me a gorgeous mixer, which I’m interpreting as their subtle way of encouraging me to keep baking and sending them cookies.

Being home means a whirlwind of visits with old friends and family members. It’s true what they say about our closest friends in life. You can go months without talking and when you see each other you pick up right where you left off… Which in our case, is talking about the Spice Girls.

Back then we were Charlie’s Angels.

This morning, my aunt and uncle came over for breakfast, and I made a spinach and artichoke frittata. It’s a light entree great for serving at a brunch. It’s the kind of dish you can make ahead of time and serve warm or at room temperature.

Spinach and Artichoke Frittata

Ingredients
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and diced
1 roasted red pepper (directions follow)
1 12-ounce bag of baby spinach
8 eggs
2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp dried dill
3 tbs parmesan cheese
3 tbs feta cheese
2 tbs pine nuts
salt and pepper

To roast the red pepper: coat the pepper in olive oil, salt and pepper. On a cookie sheet or small oven-proof pan, bake at 375 for 15 minutes then switch to broil. Broil the pepper for 5-10 minutes or until the skin is black in areas. The pepper may need to be rotated throughout this process so that the skin is easier to peel. When the skin is bubbling and black, take the pepper and transfer to a paper bag or a bowl that you can cover with plastic wrap (this helps the skin bubble off). When the pepper is cool, peel off the skin and dice.

For the frittata: Whisk together the eggs and cream. Add the parmesan and dill and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in an oven-proof skillet, melt the butter (if you have any remaining olive oil from the pepper, add it to the butter) and sauté the onion. After the onion is soft, add the garlic and artichoke hearts. Season with salt and pepper. Then add the diced roasted red pepper and the spinach.

Cook until the spinach is wilted, then pour the egg mixture over the vegetables.

Cook just long enough for the mixture to begin to set (about 4-5 minutes). Crumble the feta cheese on top and sprinkle with pine nuts, then bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Let cool long enough to fully set and transfer to a serving platter.

While my friends in Nashville, Chicago and Cleveland were digging themselves out of mounds of snow this weekend, I dug myself out of mounds of paper. If there is one thing I could change about myself, I would be more organized. I HATE filing so much that I have approximately 4 years of filing I’ve been putting off (I’m only slightly exaggerating). And my kitchen cupboards frequently look like little mice crawl through them and dance around with cans on their backs, flipping over spices and packages of pasta as they go. Gross. Now I’m going to worry that mice really do go through my cupboards.

And you may remember my closet…

They say that opposites attract though, and when it comes to Marianne, I’ve met my organizational match. What I lack in neatness and order, Marianne makes up for ten-fold. So when my amazing friend offered to come over on her Sunday and help me file, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I don’t think she knew what she was in for. But she showed up ready and eager, patiently teaching me what to keep and what to toss. She will never know how much this means to me.

It’s not quite done, but the pile is shrinking and slowly chaos is turning into order. And since I probably won’t see much snow in Texas this winter, I’m thinking of shredding the old papers into smithereens and making my own white Christmas. It may be a few days before the living room is back in order, but at least the Christmas tree looks nice.

And I think Simba agrees.

Six months ago today, I started this blog. I know six months isn’t much of a milestone, but it’s been a lot of fun so far, and I’d like to take a moment to reflect. Since Thanksgiving is about being grateful for what you’ve got, I’m grateful that I have this medium to express my thoughts (no matter how inane sometimes). And I’m grateful that it’s brought me to you, dear readers.

Six months ago, I never would have suspected that people I’ve never met before would write to tell me what they have in common with me or how much they enjoyed a recipe. Occasionally, I hear from old friends who have read my blog and want to catch up. And occasionally I post pictures of my cats and get made fun of. These moments make our big world seem small and give me the motivation to keep writing. So thank you.

Six months ago, this was just an experiment. Now, it’s something I look forward to. I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. And for anyone wondering what this vegetarian is having for “Turkey Day,” I’m making vegetable lasagna and eating as much pumpkin pie and Reddi-wip as I can.

The pre-walk warm-up got everyone movin’ and groovin’. It was perfect weather for a walk.

Lots of people made signs to show their support.

Some hair-dye was also involved…

But even in the middle of all the excitement, not everyone could stay awake.

Halfway done, but still going strong.

The finish line!

A cool post-walk pose. We did it!