My Perfect Bolognese

You guys know by now that I am obsessed with food. I love meat. I love carbs. Put them together, maybe add a little cheese on top? Foodgasm…I’m getting worked up just thinking about it. That said, it will come as no surprise when I tell you I am total sucker for a good Bolognese. It is hard for me not to order this when dining at an Italian restaurant. Some of my Seattle faves for a bowl of this meaty goodness – Cantinetta, Il Terazzo Carmine and La Spiga.

I have wanted to find the perfect recipe and make a batch at home, but the timing hasn’t been right. I don’t typically have 2-4 hours of simmer time available, which is what you’re signing up for when you make Bolognese (normally I make Ina’s Weeknight Bolognese). But yesterday, I did have the time, and it was a perfect day for it. I went to the UW game on Saturday night with college friends, we had so much fun, maybe a little too much. Tailgating like it was 1994, but with triple cream brie and wine. The weather was awful, raining sideways, winds up to 60 MPH, my power ended up going out. I think we watched like 20 minutes of the game. Good thing I had my wellies to keep my feet dry! Read More

How many gym memberships does one person need?

I remember the days when I had a gym membership. At one gym. A typical workout would include the elliptical or treadmill, perhaps a class. I remember when my gym started charging extra for these classes, which was annoying, but I paid up anyway. I am pretty sure the monthly dues were less than $100. That seems like a long, long time ago.

Currently, I am straddling 3 different “fitness studio” memberships. That’s the correct term, I believe. They are certainly not gyms, no way, I think that’s probably an insult. And they are rampant, popping up all over the place. I can count 10 that have opened in the past 2 years, in Queen Anne and Ballard alone. It reminds me a little of the 90’s bagel craze, but way less carbs. Read More

If I make soup, will fall come?

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Fall is my favorite season. Leaves turning, crisp weather. But seriously, where the funk is it? Last week, Ina Garten posted one of my favorite soups on FB, her Italian Wedding, and I thought this the perfect Sunday dinner. Being that it’s, oh, the middle of October in Seattle, one can safely assume that the weather is not going to be summer-like. But no, global warming has other ideas. Oliver and I had our family pictures Sunday afternoon and we were both sweating our asses off in sweaters (I sure hope she can photoshop my shiny face) running around Discovery Park in the blazing sun. It was 74 degrees. I mopped myself down when I got home, turned on the A/C, and got to work making this pot of deliciousness. Read More