Green Bangers and Mash

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Green Bangers and Mash

When you think of St Patrick's Day food, a corned beef and cabbage meal comes to mind.  Unfortunately I just don't care for the taste of brined beef. Perhaps this is because it is disgusting, I don't know. If I'm eating Irish, I much prefer the pub favorite bangers and mash. Yesterday I experimented with the traditional version, giving it a little California love, making it more green (there's a secret ingredient), and a wee bit healthier. All of the components come from Trader Joes and the whole meal took under 30 minutes to prepare, making it easy breezy for next Monday night.     

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This Haus is a Huset

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This Haus is a Huset

Growing up, after a good meal my dad would often say: "Tak for mad, tusind tak, jeg elsker dig" - a Norwegian phrase that translates to "Thanks for food, a thousand thanks, I love you". I knew that my Grandma Maxine had some Norwegian in her, and I guess I also knew that my mom's mom, Grandma Bev was also part Norwegian, making me a just a little bit Norwegian myself. I've remembered the phrase and repeated it occasionally over the years, as you do with nostalgic childhood things. I'm thinking of it now, because I got some funny news the other day that completely turned my genealogical identity on it's head. Background: I was raised in a family where our story was that we are Swiss-German on my Dad's side. Both of my parent's lineage is solidly Germanic, with a little English, a little Irish, and a little Scandinavian making up the rest. This is the identity I grew up with. My maiden name is decidedly German: Buhler. I had an Oktoberfest for my 30th birthday, and I named my blog Poppy "Haus", because I am have always identified as an American fräulein. As it turns out, I am not German, not much or not at all.

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The End of An Era: Ikea Discontinues EXPEDIT (Sort Of)

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The End of An Era: Ikea Discontinues EXPEDIT (Sort Of)

You know that shelf we all have from Ikea?  I swear, I cannot think of one person that I know who doesn't have one. You know what I'm talking about, it's the ubiquitous cube shelf that you fit baskets into or use to store your record collection. Yes, that one. Ikea is killing it off, and when I read the announcement the other day, I have to admit that I felt a tinge of nostalgia for all the EXPEDIT's I've put together (albeit in a frustrated rage).  Sure, the veneer chips, and the shelves can sag with time and weight, but for so many reasons it's still the perfect piece of furniture, especially if you have kids. The truth is, Ikea is actually replacing the EXPEDIT with something that looks almost exactly like it. According to Gizmodo, the new KALLAX will have the same interior dimensions with a thinner outer edge, which will vastly cut down on the amount of wood needed to produce their most popular shelf. They're doing it to save trees. Still, I'm a little sad to say goodbye to my old friend, if only in name, so I gathered together some of my favorite Ikea EXPEDIT hacks to date. If you have one lying around, and I know you do, here's some inspiration...

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Whole Roasted Romanesco

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Whole Roasted Romanesco

Few things in nature are as weirdly beautiful as Romanesco. I think it looks like a prehistoric sea creature, or perhaps like a miniature gnome forest. When Wylie spotted some of this cauliflower cousin at the grocery store last week it blew his mind, so we took one home with us to try. Today I'm sharing our recipe for whole roasted Romanesco with lemon-thyme vinaigrette. I can't bear the thought of cutting it up so I just lay the whole thing onto a sheet pan and slow roast it with a heavy dose of olive oil and sea salt. It becomes so tender that the florets just tear off, leaving nature's design perfectly intact.  Full recipe below...

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DIY Turban Headband

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DIY Turban Headband

Headbands hurt my head.  It's a lesson I have to learn over and over again, because I love the way they look. I have amassed a collection that are, for the most part, relegated to face washing or the first 15 minutes of an outfit. The only way I can get away with a headband is if it is loosely fitted, with an elastic band around the back; a style that is usually only found in the little girls section.  After spotting something like this at Anthropologie, in a material that was a little too fancy for my taste, I set out to make my own, using the last of the scrap fabric from a long ago favorite dress. I can't wait to wear it this summer, hair down, up in a pony tail, or over the forehead, turban style. This tutorial is based on my own medium noggin size, just adjust the measurements to fit your own head properly.

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