lillie in the city | exploring creativity + sustainability in the world and on the web

friday friday found

Friday, April 1, 2011

Happy Friday! This week was a busy one between work and appointments and hosting a weeknight birthday party at our place (yay!). But through it all, the weather has been beautiful. A few nights this week, Mischa and I managed to get out for bikes and hikes after working hours. More of that please! I’m looking forward to enjoying the sunshine through the weekend – I love the real start of spring. (Although I’m feeling for folks in New England with the onset of just-one-last snowfall – spring is near!)

+ Springtime means asparagus season! I always love 101cookbooks for seasonal recipe ideas.

+ This super local brewery in Durham, NC makes beers from locally foraged fruits – like sweet potatoes and persimmons. I can’t get over how awesome this is! (Plus it tastes delicious, of course.)

+ Dresses by EmersonMade are simple + stylish, plus made by a husband-and-wife team in New Hampshire.

+ Make some homemade lemon balm with easy ingredients.

+ Check out the Ancient Tree Archive (and on NPR). Mischa was working with them last month on a video project, as they climbed + sampled huge old redwood trees. So cool!

+ Books galore, and reading more.

Have a great weekend!

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no knead bread – finally!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

photo by jessica spengler | creative commons

A couple of weeks ago, I rediscovered the wonder of bread baking while on an impromptu visit with one of my favorite long-distance friends Nicole. She used Mark Bittman’s recipe for No-Knead Bread and made an amazingly crusty and bubbly loaf with very little work.

After one toasted + buttered slice, I was sold. I love dough kneading (it’s therapeutic, ya know?) – but this bread comes out better than any I’ve ever made.

Mark Bittman first wrote about this no-knead bread recipe back in 2006. I remember being intrigued, but it requires a cast iron dutch oven, which I didn’t own – until now! A week after eating Nicole’s bread, I bought this cast iron dutch oven for under $40. Today, my first no-knead loaf is coming out of the oven – and I’m a happy bread-baking girl!

Have you tried this recipe or another bread recipe before? (If not, you should!) Any favorite bread baking tips to share?

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food+drink

hiking mount tam

Monday, March 28, 2011

It’s been raining and raining here for the past two weeks – but it finally started to let up this weekend, just in time for a Sunday hike up Mount Tamalpais. Mount Tam is the iconic peak in Marin County. It’s framed in our living room window – and I hadn’t explored there at all yet!

It was still foggy as we drove up to the ranger’s station. Once we got into the woods, everything was green green green, and all of the streams down the mountain were rushing with water. From our lookout point, the fog was still hanging in the air, but there was still an awesome panoramic view of the bay, the headlands, and the distant city.

I’m looking forward to some more hiking and outdoor adventures this spring. One of the girls hiking with us on Sunday had started using MeetUp to connect with local hikers – pretty cool! Where did you get out to this weekend?

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in the city

currently reading: how to paint a dead man

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

At my food-loving book club, this month’s read is How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall. I just started the book myself, but so far it’s a web of visual narratives.

Here’s a clip from the back cover :

The lives of four individuals–a dying painter, a blind girl, a landscape artist, and an art curator – interwine across nearly five decades in this luminous and searching novel of extraordinary power.

When I checked this out at my library, I was excited to recognize the cover art is by Dan-Ah Kim. I bought a print of hers almost three years ago on Etsy – and am still loving her red-dressed imagery.

So what’s on your reading list these days? Any new favorites?

PS Happy March – the almost-start of spring!

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reading

happy friday! + recently found

Friday, February 25, 2011

Happy happy Friday! What are you looking forward to this weekend? Here the rainy weather is clearing up for a couple of sunny days. Tonight we’re riding the ferry to the city to meet friends for dinner at the Plant Cafe. Riding the ferry is my favorite transit to the city, and I’m excited to try out a new-to-me restaurant.

Then looking forward to a relaxed Saturday and maybe popping into a local jewelry class. On Sunday, Mischa and I are gearing up for our first bicycle training ride of the AIDS Lifecycle season – 50 miles, go!

here are a few favorite finds from the past week…

+ How to grow amazing things in the kitchen - ginger, lentils, beans, younameit!

+ Still loving all kinds of midwinter citrus. Marmalade is now on my to-make-or to-buy list. (Also, the Small Measures sustainable/DIY feature at d*s is totally sweet.)

+ Once I conquer cinnamon rolls, next up may be perfect homemade croissants.

+ These vegetable-dyed yarns have gorgeous jewely color.

+ Beautiful creamy painting by tastes orangey, reminding me of some favorite contemporary artists from my Art History days. (via a cup of jo)

+ Cute organic cotton tunic T-shirts, handprinted by Linea Carta. (via thehaystackneedle)

+ Inspired and always loving the simple photo postcards + bookmarks by abbytrysagain.

+ Saving up lots of jewelry ideas lately. I love simple colored beads and wire like these green onyx earrings.

What inspired you this week? Hope you have some good plans and sunny days ahead!

listening to: I’ll Be Around by Bobby Bare (listen)

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