Welcome to the World, Sivan W.!

In case you haven't noticed, I love advanced planning. I plan time to have no plans. I am now booking approximately four weeks out and if you don't believe me, I will be happy to share a glimpse of my Google calendar with you. It is not that I am so important (although I am pretty fabulous), it is just that there are so many fun things to do and lovely people to spend time with that the only way I can fit it all in is to plan in advance. So, when things don't go as planned (or when I have to "deviate from my itinerary," as my sister would say), it is noteworthy.

One such plan deviation came a few weeks ago (six weeks ago to be exact), when I was in Chicago to visit my friend Lina W. I had made plans with fellow Lina fans, Julie F. and Amy B., to travel to Chicago to see Lina a few weeks before she was due to deliver her fist baby (maternity photo shoot, hallelujah). Here's how the events played out:

Friday, March 26

7:45 PM
We landed at Chicago's O'Hare Airport (our flight was delayed) and a very pregnant Lina picked us up.

7:59 PM
We drove to the Flat Top Grill in Evanston for some dinner (we've developed a little tradition around Flat Top, I forget when/how it was created, but I do love their roti prata bread) and before our first round of beverages arrived at the table...

8:07 PM
Lina's water broke!

So, we had made plans to visit our pregnant friend and spend a low-key weekend together before she became a mom. I guess these plans sounded so good to baby Sivan, so she decided to join us for the fun (good thinking, Sivan)! Needless to say, little Sivan's entrance into the world was grand and well timed. I was so honored to be with Lina and her husband Adam during SUCH an exciting and special time... with camera in hand, obviously.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from Sivan's big arrival, featuring her amazingly calm and relaxed looking parents. (Please note the first year birthday cake and birthday hats that we picked up on our way to meet Sivan for the first time!)

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Passover Never Tasted So Good

I forget when, but a whole bunch of years ago my mom's friend, Janet G., shared her recipe for chocolate caramel matzah with my family. The recipe came on a little recipe card in Janet's handwriting and I was tasked with making several batches every Passover.

During my first year of college, I made some extra ChocMatzah and brought it in a Ziplock bag back to my dorm. I have very clear memories of taking it on a picnic on the Mall with Alyx A. and sharing the remainder with our other friends on the 3rd floor of Thurston Hall. I made it a few years ago when Catholic Feminist Theologians Mary H. and Diann N. came to my parent's house for Passover and it is still weaved into every conversation I have with them.

So, although Passover is over, I thought I'd share the current version of the recipe I'm using so you can either use up those three boxes of leftover matzah in your cabinets, or find this post next year when you're searching for a substitute for that dry Kosher of Passover cake you've been serving for years but have no idea of other K for P dessert options (until now, that is).

A few little recipe notes before I share the amounts:

• You may not think it is necessary, but a candy thermometer is CRUCIAL for this recipe. Don't let that scare you, they are like $5 and can be purchased at the grocery store. I tried to make this without one for YEARS and the caramel never turned out the way I intended (not too crunchy, not too grainy), but now that I have the candy thermometer, (almost) every batch turns out with gooey yet delicious caramel.
• Get creative with the toppings selection. Consider using chopped cashews and dark chocolate on some, sea salt and milk chocolate on others.
• Invest in good chocolate (also my life motto). This year I used Ghirardelli and I could really taste the difference.

Chocolate Caramel Matzah (adapted from David Lebovitz and Janet G.)

4 to 6 sheets unsalted matzah
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
big pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, making sure the foil goes up and over the edges. Cover the foil with a sheet of parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Line the bottom of the sheet with matzah, breaking extra pieces as necessary to fill in any spaces.
3. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is beginning to boil. The temperature on the thermometer should reach 120F. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add the salt and vanilla, and pour over matzah, spreading with a heatproof spatula.
4. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. As it bakes, it will bubble up but make sure it's not burning every once in a while. If it is in spots, remove from oven.
5. Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread with an offset spatula.
6. If you wish, sprinkle with cashews, pecans, or some flaky sea salt.

Let cool completely, cut into pieces (I like to make large diamonds for a dramatic presentation) and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. It should keep well for about one week.

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shoulder pads + depeche mode + you

Hi Team,

Greetings from week two of my new job. So far so good: I have fun people to eat lunch with, am really loving my 12 minute walk to work, and my cube is near lots of big windows. I am slowly getting the hang of the Convio language (there are lots of acronyms and words I don't understand... so I just discretely write them down when people use them, then look them up on the company Intranet when I'm back at my desk... then try to incorporate them into conversation at least once the day I learn them, Clueless style).

Although I miss my colleagues at RCRC and lunching at the Juice Joint, I think this change is suiting me well and look forward to reporting about my adventures when I venture to Austin next week. Stay tuned!

Alas, I am writing about something totally unrelated... the PLANNED PARENTHOOD 80s PROM! I have alluded to this before, and recently changed my Facebook photo to an ad for the prom. So you know it must be important. This is the scoop:

I am working with the Planned Parenthood Metropolitan Washington Young Professionals to put together an 80s themed prom to raise money for the Planned Parenthood clinics in the DC area. The tickets are $40, can be purchased online, and include an OPEN BAR, lots of delicious hors d'oeuvres, and an evening filled with all the 80s music you could ever want. I have created a little list of reasons why you should come to the prom below and hope that at the end of this post you are fully convinced and hop on over to the PPMW website to buy your tickets.

You should come to the prom because...

• PPMW provides, promotes, and protects health. Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington serves a REALLY important role in the community. In fact, PPMW provides quality, affordable reproductive health care; promotes education that empowers individuals to make informed reproductive choices; and protects the right to make those choices. Sounds important, right? Well, it is.
  
• I am planning it. Yes, I am on the planning team. You should come to the prom because I'm asking you to! Remember all those times that I came to your events and took photos? And clapped really loudly for you? And wore a good outfit and made conversation with your dog trainer? This is a time when I am guilting you into coming to one of MY events.
• Wild and Crazy BIRTHDAY. I am turning 27 the day AFTER the prom, and as I am a child of the '80s, I feel the prom is the perfect place to celebrate my BIRTHDAY. Last year we crafternooned together, this year we will Electric Slide together.
• Music from the '80s is the best music for dancing. This is an undisputed fact. Which basically means the Prom will be the most fun night, ever. The DJ that we've hired for the event put together a sample play list which includes A-Ha - Take On Me, Culture Club - Karma Chameleon, Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough, Modern English – Melt With You, Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me, The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Go-Go's - We Got The Beat, and The Vapors – Turning Japanese. If that list is not enough to convince you that the prom will be a night to remember, I don't know what is.
• Remember when you went to the prom? You were most likely 17 and perhaps couldn't really let loose because you were in high school and therefore insecure. Here is a photo from when I went to the prom (and my very handsome date, Todd R., hi Todd!). SO the people at the Planned Parenthood 80s prom will be social justice activists and therefore really welcoming to all crazy 80s outfits and dance moves you choose to showcase on the dance floor. All judgment will be checked at the door (except for the people who don't come in 80s themed garb... I will judge you).
• The outfits and frizzy hair. I don't know about you, but my hair is ALWAYS frizzy. And I try to attend as many 80s themed events as possible so that my halo of crazy curls will be considered stylish as opposed to socially inappropriate.
  
• A bargain. The prom is really a great deal: $40 buys you an OPEN BAR, some delicious food, a chance to boogie with yours truly, and endless hits from our favorite decade. This is significantly less money than you'd spend on a night out (or so my friends who actually go out tell me, we both know I am usually asleep by 9:30 and have no idea what nights out cost).
• An all star cast. The people who will be there are really fabulous people. So far, I know that Hanaa R., Alex M., Rebecca G., Sarah and Erik R., Sara F., Bill S., Rebecca B., Katey Z., Beth K., Robin W., Julie F., Adam G., and Meredith S-H. will be in attendance. With a team of dancing stars like that, you will NOT want to miss this shindig.
  

So, now you've heard why I think you should be there. But I'd love to hear from you--why are you coming? Why will May 7, 2010 go down in prom history as the best prom fundraiser...ever? If you've already bought your tickets, tell me why in the comments section below.

PS: Help us spread the word! Here are some easy ways to publicize the prom:

• Make a new friend at the grocery store! See that throwback "March for Women's Lives" button on your fellow shopper's bag? Invite him or her to the prom!
• Use your Twitter and Facebook statuses to direct people to the ticket buying page. I even created a "Tiny URL" for just this purpose: http://www.tinyurl.com/PPMWprom. Splash it all over your social media empire and let the world know you love the 80s and reproductive justice.
• Change your Facebook icon to an ad for the prom. We've created a smaller version of the flyer above which can be downloaded here.
  
• Consider donating some precious real estate at the bottom of your e-mails to a prom ad. I used a service called WiseStamp to add the info to my gmail signatures and am quite pleased with the results.
• E-mail a few friends and consider making an evening of it! Pick a fun pre-prom dinner destination (there are lots of great places within walking distance of the venue) and take cheesy prom-esque photos with corsages before you arrive.
• And most importantly, set a good example and buy your tickets now! We can and will leverage the power of peer pressure to sell lots and lots of tickets.
  

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Meredith and Adam: Snow Photos

My dear friends Meredith and Adam are getting married in August.

I am obviously very excited when any friends get married, and as we have discussed before, I LOVE being a wedding guest (I love any and all celebrations, especially when it is socially acceptable for me to eat lots of cake and photograph everything). But I am PARTICULARLY excited for Meredith and Adam to get married.

I met Mer and Adam around the same time... they were both working at the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations here in DC and I had just started working at Hillel as the Social Justice programming fellow (aka Tzedek Fellow). They organized an "interfaith happy hour" which included eating chocolate in the conference room of their office with folks doing similar work from several other faith-based policy offices in DC. It was then I decided we needed to be friends.

I found several excuses to collaborate with both Adam and Meredith on work related projects (including the Sexuality Education Advocacy Training) and know one of the reasons I loved my job at RCRC so much is because I had colleagues at partner organizations like this team of fabulouss activists.

In an effort to explain how truly amazing Mer and Adam really are, I think it is important that you familiarize yourself with these facts about them:

• They both REALLY love costumes. In the words of Elissa F., "How is it possible that two people who love costumes so much have found each other?" And it's true. Every fall there is lots of secrecy around what their costumes will be... and when the decision is finally made, the outfits are executed beautifully. Past costumes have included Obama super heroes, Olympians, roller derby girls, and Saturday Night Live characters.
• I thought they were engaged well before they actually were. So I developed a sometimes annoying habit of asking if they had gotten engaged whenever I saw them. This was fun and ridiculous, until the time I called them to see if they wanted to go to the movies and they casually told me they had just gotten engaged (Meredith had proposed to Adam who said yes by presenting a pair of engagement earrings he had purchased for her) I didn't believe them. Lots of high pitched yelling ensued.
  
• Meredith and Adam are always willing to do crazy things. For example, when I was toting around a 3 foot tall cardboard cutout of my best friend for several months while she was out of town, Mer volunteered to take the flat friend to a ski race she was participating in all the way in Wisconsin (aka The Birkie). Not only did she bring the flat friend to the race, she even photographed it with a racing number and everything. It is this enthusiasm about crazy projects that makes me love Meredith and Adam so much.
• Everything I know about Unitarian Universalism, I've learned from Adam and Mer. In fact, the three of us have attend four (right, four?) UU General Assemblies together. They always make me feel SO welcome, answer all my questions about the UU community, and participate in researching delicious local food destinations to visit when our workshops and tabling shifts are over. I am sad that I'll miss the banner parade this year.
  
• Adam is an excellent documentation. His videography skills make me want to take more videos. I am impressed with his devotion to documenting his life, using video and social media to effect change, and the speed at which he edits videos after taking them.
  
• Their appreciation for local food always impresses me. Although I've never been to Cincinnati, Adam has prepared me well for the Skyline Chili 5 Way experience. And Meredith is one of the people who first exposed me to the French Meadow Bakery.
  

I could write several blog posts about all the things I love about these two, but I think you would perhaps enjoy the photos I snapped of my hilarious duo of UU friends more. I will conclude with this:

Usually, when friends get engaged, I knew one of them first and befriended the other one shortly before or after the engagement. With Meredith and Adam, I befriended them independently and before they were dating. And I just cannot imagine a better person for the other to spend their life with. I can't wait to be there for all the fits of laughter, kale with feta and walnuts, and costumes... and look forward to hearing the crazy stories of adventures in Mount Pleasant, St. Paul, Ely, the Dominican Republic, Cincinnati, and beyond.

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Best Guac

So I've been to Austin once. I spent three nights there and loved almost everything about the experience.

Before I visited, I was having lunch with a friend who tipped me off to a restaurant called Juan in a Million. She warned that Juan in a Million was kind of touristy but the food was delicious and inexpensive. So I obviously went there during the first free seconds I had in town and snapped tons of photos of what I ordered (I wrote all about this moment in my first post from Austin, Crazy Boots and Juan in a Million).

Fast forward to about a month ago. When I accepted my new job, the first thing my new supervisor told me is that I'll be spending a week in Austin in April for meetings at the company's main offices. Not only am I excited to meet so many of the folks I'll be working with and immerse myself in the culture of the Convio headquarters, I am also really excited to go back to Juan in a Million.

And, in a food blogging fateful moment, I got an e-mail from Budget Travel Magazine on Friday asking for permission to use my photo of Juan in a Million's delicious guacamole in their June issue of the magazine. I take this as a sign that Austin is calling and I can't wait to go back.

See you soon, Austin friends (this means you, Jodi B., Adam H., Joel H., and Katie D.)!

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The Peep or the Egg

Easter has the best kind of candy.

I don't celebrate Easter and am sort of weirded out by the plethora of "spring dresses" in store windows at the moment (few people look good in washed out blues and pinks with subtle flower prints), but I can completely get on the Easter candy bandwagon.

Other seasonal candy is good. I mean Chanukkah gelt is a welcome addition to any December festivities, and I never shy away from a good candy corn pumpkin... but when it comes to seasonal candy, my heart belongs to Easter.

I have a cultural favorite and a taste favorite.

The cultural favorite obviously goes to Peeps. Who doesn't love 'em? I feel like there is no way I can write about all the funny ways people get into Peeps as they seem to be a world-wide cultural phenomenon... I decided I could best celebrate Peeps while dispelling some common misconceptions about the product here:

Common shocking Peeps comment #1: "Did you know that Peeps also come in shapes for other holidays?" (REAL ANSWER: Yes, I did know that! My favorite are the "JOY" Peeps which turn into a more Jewishly themed marshmallow treat when you remove the "J" to simply spell, "OY."*)

Common shocking Peeps comment #2: "You know what would be such a good idea? CHOCOLATE COVERED PEEPS!" (REAL ANSWER: The company that makes Peeps, Just Born, makes chocolate covered Peeps and I can tell you they are GOOD. They come in both milk and dark chocolate flavors and are really, really delicious.)

Common shocking Peeps comment #3: "I heard somewhere that people make little scenes with Peeps and dress them up in costumes. Isn't that wild?" (REAL ANSWER: Yes, it is called the Washington Post Peep Diorama Contest and this year was the fourth year.)

I hope I am not coming across as jaded or Peeped out. I really do LOVE Peeps (in fact, they were featured on the table of snacks at my goodbye RCRC going away party last week because my colleagues knew how much I love 'em... but the party was SO fun I think it is deserving of its own post so I won't go into too many details here). I love Peeps and the culture surrounding them so much, I recently accompanied a friend to the aforementioned Peeps Family Day at the Washington Post offices.

The Family Day featured all of the 2010 Peep Diorama Contest finalists on display in addition to healthy snacks, Peep related games, craft projects, and face painting. It was obviously a photo taking dream. Here are some of my favorite shots:


I also had the opportunity to meet the famous Peeps artist, David O. His work can be viewed on his website, www.peepsshow.com. Yes, that is the correct URL.

David has been working with Peeps since 1998 and is well known in the Peep enthusiast community. I caught up with him at the Family Day during a chat with Ross B. (co-CEO of the company that makes peeps, Just Born). This was basically one of the most amazing moments, ever. You see, Ross B. is one of the most amazing people ever (so warm, easy to talk to, enthusiastic, proud of the Peeps brand) and I loved the chance to listen in on his conversation with David. I was trying to be a passive observer and not interject with unnecessary comments, but then the conversation turned to something VERY VERY important.

Let me back up for a moment. Have we discussed my love of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority? If I were to EVER join a sorority, it would be AKA. I first discovered the AKA world when I was interning at Planned Parenthood and my supervisor, Jamia W., was pledging it. She suggested I consider pledging too and since then, I have really been an AKA fan (from the AKA community's pride and enthusiasm for their other soros and AKA history to everything salmon pink and apple green). And who wouldn't want to be associated with the AKAs? Their members include Maya Angelou, Ella Fitzgerald, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Faye Wattleton (who used to be the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America so I obviously snapped a photo with her and mentioned my love of the AKAs when we were at an event together in 2005).

So, back to the conversation between Ross. B. and David O. The chatting is happening, the the exchange turns to some new pieces David is working on for the Peeps Store (YES, there is a Peeps STORE at the National Harbor, and YES we should go on a field trip there). It seems that there is an AKA convention coming to the hotel at the National Harbor so David is working on some salmon and apple (read: pink and green) Peep works of art. Basically, this moment was such a delightful combination of two things I love. Here are some photos from the conversation (Ross is the jovial guy in the red, and David is pictured in the middle on the left along with some of his pieces).


From the chicken (or marshmallow chick), the egg...

I also love Cadbury Creme Eggs. I know some people love 'em and others really dislike them (in fact, my friend Caeden D. convinced his brother that he loved Cadbury Eggs and for years used this as leverage to trade one egg from his Easter basket for several other candy items from his brother's, when in fact he really hates 'em and was just a sly little kid using the power of persuasion to get more candy from his brother). I try to eat at least one Cadburry Creme Egg a day during Cadbury Creme Egg season, or at least tried until my local CVS (and when I say local I mean all 4 CVSs within a 2 square block radius of my office) were out of them almost a month before Easter.

SO I did what any good Cadbury Creme Egg aficionado would do: I ordered a case of 48 online. I had to do a little shopping around because many online shops were out of stock. And I needed to find a site that would overnight them to me or package them with a cold pack so they wouldn't melt (all the research I did about buying candy online had me really scared about the potential of a solid block of melted gross Cadbury Creme Eggs waiting for me outside my door). So I placed the order and the eggs are sitting in my kitchen at this very moment.


The best thing about having a case is that I don't feel like I need to eat one everyday. I can spread out my Cadbury consumption and maybe even save some for the off-Creme-Egg-season and share them with friends in the dark days of Winter when they're not stocked around town.

Cadbury Eggs are not all created equal in my book. I am not endorsing the Cadbury Mini Egg or the Caramel Cadbury Egg (although, they are not bad, in fact I find them both very delicious... just not in the same category as the CREME EGG). The Cadbury Creme Egg is special because of the "fondant" center. The consistency is unlike any fondant I worked with in my cake decorating days, but that's how the Cadbury folks describe the filling so I'll go with it. The best part of the Creme Eggs is obviously the yellow "yolk" in the center of the "egg whites." It is so artificial and sugary, and gross if you think about it too long. But, after you've bitten off the top of the egg and the yellow and white center is staring back at you... you just have to stop and appreciate that Easter candy is by far, the best type of seasonal candy. Then get a big glass of cold water to drink because you'll need it after you finish the second half of the egg.

And with that, I ask: Are you in the love or hate Cadbury Creme Egg camp? If you love 'em, stop by my apartment because I have 48 and need to give some away before they melt in the steamy DC summer.

*Thanks to Wendy B. for cracking this joke during the Family Day festivities...

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