Showing posts with label Lazy Sundays. Show all posts

Sunday afternoon at the National Gallery of Art

By Nicole | Published Monday, April 22, 2013

I've found that you make Washington, DC home for the promise of the gorgeous spring and the mild fall. Well, that's why I live here. It's definitely not for the oppressive summers with their 100 degree heat and 90 percent humidity.

When you combine the beautiful spring weather and football free Sundays, you really don't have an excuse for staying inside. And throwing in the fact that you can find something free to do every day, it's like you're losing money. Okay, well, maybe I'm stretching it a bit. But you get the idea.

Yesterday, at a friend's recommendation, we made our way down to the National Gallery of Art. The National Gallery of Art includes a good balance of classical works with the modern. Keith's not much of an art guy. Oh the things, one does for love. I could have spent a few hours just admiring the impressionist work. I also got to see a few paintings from Degas's dancers series. That series is one of my absolute favorites.

And you may not realize this, but the National Gallery consists of two buildings - an East and West Building. The West Building with its classical architecture houses the classics - Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, etc. and the East Building with its contemporary designs includes the modern art. There is an underground walkway that connects the two, which even includes an intriguing light installation.

They have a photography exhibit that I want to go back for. Now to convince Keith. Do you have a favorite artist or style of art? I always wondered how people would explain they could admire a work for hours. But now after seeing several impressionist's works in person, I get it. Who knew?

Posted in Hobbies, Lazy Sundays, Washington DC, Weekend | Leave a comment

Recipe: Bourbon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

By Nicole | Published Monday, March 18, 2013

After the long week at work, I wanted nothing more than a lazy weekend. Initially, we had planned to head back to Union Market, but overcast skies and chilly weather kept us even closer to home. So close to home in fact that I never left our apartment on Sunday.

Instead I wanted to stay in sweatpants, with no makeup, and untamed hair that only results from showering and letting it dry on its own. As the afternoon progressed I craved something sweet, but not wanting to leave I was limited to the options as to what I could bake. There was buttermilk so a chocolate cake was a contender. There were fresh lemons and ricotta cheese with a slight hope for a cheesecake. Then the idea of oatmeal raisin cookies came to mind. And we all know, I like to add a little bourbon.

I took the Smitten Kitchen's recipe for thick, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies as the base. I just soaked the raisins in some bourbon to bring a little extra love. Let's just say they are awesome. I'll go so far as to declare them the best oatmeal raisin cookie I've savored. Go ahead try for yourself.

Bourbon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Adapted recipe from Smitten Kitchen

1 stick, unsalted butter softened

2/3 c. packed, light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/5 t. vanilla

3/4 all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1.5 c. rolled oats

3/4 c. raisins

2 T. bourbon

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional, I didn't feel like chopping so those were omitted)

1. In a small bowl, toss the raisins with the bourbon and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Combine the flour mixture with the butter / sugar mixtures. Once combined, add the oats, raisins, the bourbon and walnuts if you're using them.

3. Place the dough in the fridge to chill a bit. While the dough was chilling, I cleaned up the kitchen and preheated the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the oven is heated, scoop the cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure the oven is at 350 before you put them in.

4. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. (Baking time will vary. Mine took closer to 12 minutes.) They're done when the edges are golden, but they still look undercooked on the top. Let me them cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

5. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container. Of course, that's assuming they last that long.

6. Enjoy!

Posted in Baking with Bourbon, Lazy Sundays, Recipes | Leave a comment

Sunday at Union Market

By Nicole | Published Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Eager to try out my new toy, I convinced Keith we should head over to Union Market. The weather was a gorgeous 63 and perfect for wandering around. What ultimately sealed the deal was the promise of fresh oysters and take it from us Rappahannock Oyster Co. is worth the trip alone.

Don't worry. If you're not a fan of oysters, there are plenty of options to suit your fancy. Keith is already talking about making this a regular Sunday afternoon outing this spring. This might be one of the better ideas he's recently had.