Picture #4: Spring Flowers with Snow Showers

I know, I know - I'm a little obsessed with these ceramic milk bottle vases. But how cute are these cheery yellow flowers against the snowy New York street? ~A

Picture #3: Best of Summer 2009

This summer I rowed with a team in D.C., and had the chance to race with them at the Canadian Henley. The taxing workout schedule kept me too tired to record it properly, but it was amazing to have the chance to see the river change throughout the day, from sunrise to sunset. And of course, Niagara Falls is pretty incredible! ~A

Recipe #4: Chicken and Sweet Potatoes with Shallots

Our second Real Simple recipe definitely lived up to the promise of being simple AND delicious. The salty pan-fried chicken and shallots is a tasty counterpoint to the creamy sweet potatoes, and though it always takes longer than the advertised 30 minutes (who ARE these speed cooks they base the time on?!), it certainly wasn't hard. A delightful companion to an evening of Mad Men episodes.

MODIFICATIONS: It should probably be clear by now that Heron and I view the given amounts of items like olive oil, salt and pepper as mere starting points - we usually increase them to taste. Definitely ignored the "hearty-healthy" suggestion of only using the sweet potato cooking water to mash and added butter and milk, as well as a tablespoon of brown sugar. We also cut up some baby mushrooms to add to the shallots.

MAKE AGAIN? Absolutely - eating the leftovers for lunch today and it's just as tasty as the night before. Click below for the recipe. ~A

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Recipe #3: Creamy Barley with Tomatoes and Greens

This Real Simple recipe is the first of two this week, and I was interested to see if they really are as quick and tasty as advertised. This one was not bad, it's comforting and homey - and makes enough to easily feed a small army. Yay for easy leftovers!

MODIFICATIONS: None, really, though it's likely we exceeded the 2-oz recommendation for the Brie. (CHEESE!!) Also added a bit more barley than asked for to finish out the bag - probably made the cooking more difficult.

MAKE AGAIN? As we feel with all foods, this one could be easily improved with a strong dose of garlic added up front. But I think this could be a nice pasta substitution to feed a large group or provide several meals for a couple. Click below for the recipe. ~A

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Picture #2: Juxtapositions on Broadway

 The mixture of architecture styles in New York highlights the interesting features of each building: the ornate spires of Grace Church stand out against the plain apartment building behind it; the details of an older redbrick structure are set off by the gleaming new glass tower beside it. ~A

Recipe #2: Martha's Perfect Mac 'n' Cheese

The first right move we made on this dish was to invite over extra people to help us eat it - and take more home. This recipe is supposed to serve 12 and it is inordinately rich, so a little worried about the dietary consequences of trying to tackle this on our own. But Martha definitely makes a delicious cheesy indulgence perfect for a cold winter night.

MODIFICATIONS: We substituted a horseradish white cheddar for more spice and a bit of regular yellow cheddar for color. I think both worked well. We didn't have fresh nutmeg, however, which may make a difference.

MAKE AGAIN? A crowd-pleaser - and outside the insane amount of cheese grating, not too difficult - so I think this might be a good option for the next potluck or holiday dinner. Thinking about adding carmelized onions or bits of sausage... Click below for the recipe. ~A

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Recipe #1: Soba Noodles in Broth with Spinach and Shiitakes

Heron and I love all things with mushrooms and noodles, so this recipe from the NY Times seemed to be a winner. Turned out fair, though we did find spinach AND seaweed to be a bit overkill.

MODIFICATIONS: Removed all seaweed before serving (not our fave). Added a drizzle of sesame oil to the spinach after cooking, as well as red pepper and bonito flakes to the sauce. No sake in the house, so omitted that as well.

MAKE AGAIN? Eh... Heron wants to perfect it, I'm perfectly happy to head to a local Japanese restaurant. Click below for the recipe.

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Picture #1: Baby Steps to Better Decor

A less defined goal of mine is to steadily evolve our apartment decor from its current hot mess towards the cute looks of hip design blogs. Vases are a new territory for me, but I'm loving our quirky recent additions: recycled glasses and pottery cast from milk bottles. Here's hoping flower arrangement is one of those skills practice makes perfect. ~A