A couple days ago, B and I went on a spontaneous dinner-and-a-movie date. We cook together almost every night and often watch whatever’s come in from Netflix, but sometimes it’s nice to go out, too.

We went to see Men In Black 3. It’s been 10 years (a decade!) since the second installment of [...]]]>

A couple days ago, B and I went on a spontaneous dinner-and-a-movie date. We cook together almost every night and often watch whatever’s come in from Netflix, but sometimes it’s nice to go out, too.

We went to see Men In Black 3. It’s been 10 years (a decade!) since the second installment of the MIB series came out, but I didn’t feel lost or confused about the story one bit. In fact, I was, overall, pleasantly surprised to find that it was a really good movie! The characters are great, the story is engaging, the comedy smart. There was even a point where I found myself a bit choked up! One of my friends did the makeup for the film’s main alien, and it was pretty cool to see his work.
source

After the movie, we strolled to Peacefood Cafe for dinner. We were both feeling a little Italian, so B ordered the “un-chik’n” parmesan with penne and vegetables. The tomato sauce was perfect, and had just the right amount of oregano.

While I was tempted to get my usual Japanese pumpkin sandwich, I tried something new: the roasted potatoes pizza with sauteed mushrooms, arugula, oil cured black olives, pesto and truffle oil. For $3.50 you can add Daiya vegan cheese, which I was all over. For some reason I’m obsessed with this stuff!

I didn’t like my meal one bit .

I brought one of their massive slices of carrot cake home with me. There tend to be two types of carrot cake: those with pineapple, and those without. Peacefood uses pineapple, which usually isn’t my favorite variety, but it was really good. And that frosting! A sweet end to a lovely night.

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Thanks to everyone who entered the Somersault giveaway! Here’s the randomly chosen winner:

Congratulations, Jordan! Please send me an email with your mailing address. If you didn’t win, not to worry! I’ve got a few more giveaways for you coming up in the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

Do you tend to make plans or do things more spontaneously?

Yesterday was my first day back at work.

It had been six weeks- to the day- since I had gotten sick, but I was ready to go back. Since getting off of the antibiotics, my circulation has returned to normal and other than feeling a bit tired (but then again, I’ve dealt with bouts [...]]]>

Yesterday was my first day back at work.

It had been six weeks- to the day- since I had gotten sick, but I was ready to go back. Since getting off of the antibiotics, my circulation has returned to normal and other than feeling a bit tired (but then again, I’ve dealt with bouts of extreme fatigue for over a decade) I feel really good. Even… normal.

There are hours at a time that I forget just how close I came to seeing the light at the end of that famous tunnel. It sounds strange to say that I still think about it a lot though, doesn’t it? Not about having nearly died, or pondering the meaning of life and fate, or any of those other Big Things. They’re just mundane little thoughts that creep into my head every so often. Like, Hey, Katie, you’re taking for granted how easy it is for you to pee by yourself! Or, Remember when you didn’t wash your hair for 8 days? And, Those “vampire bite” scars on your neck may be a good enough reason to change your name to Sookie and move to Louisiana! It all feels kind of narcissistic.

Anyway, work. I’ve been keeping to a pretty regular schedule, going to bed sometime between 10 and 12 at night and waking up between 6 and 8. It’s a good rhythm. I made myself a good bowl of oats (mixed with chia, banana, goji berries, flax, sunflower butter and maple syrup) and headed out.

I had no idea what it would be like. Since I’d gotten sick at work and then gone to the ER later that same day, I anticipated my friends and coworkers might feel a little strange around me. Like I was too fragile, or I might break. (There was also an unfortunate miscommunication while I was still in the hospital: my father went to pick up my paycheck, and a coworker announced his visit by stating “Katie’s dead” instead of “Katie’s dad….”)

I did know one thing, though: it was time to break that coffee hiatus. After six weeks of abstaining, I drank about half of an iced latte.

It didn’t make me feel wired or jumpy, but it didn’t really perk me up, either. I’m not used to standing up for 8 hours at a time! But it felt good to be back. It ended up being a bit of a slow day, due largely in part to the heat both inside and out (AC troubles left the restaurant at a whopping 88˚), but it was a good way for me to get my feet wet again.

The air conditioner malfunction ended up giving me an unexpected day off from work, so I got a chance to try out these veggie burgers I picked up from Trader Joe’s last week. I’ve gotten out of the habit of keeping burgers in the freezer, but they’re great to have around for in-a-pinch desperation meals.

Pretty decent nutrition profile, and an ingredient list I can pronounce:

I served it atop a bed of mixed greens with leftover Turkish casserole, babaganoush, and black pepper crackers. The verdict? I have mixed feelings. The inside of the burger was good, but the outside was quite greasy and had a strange sort of fried skin around it. TJ’s masala burgers will always be my one true love .

And now… some food for you!

Somersaults Snack Co. generously sent me a huge goodie box filled with their sunflower seed snacks. They come in 1/2-, 1-, 2- and 6-oz bags in fun flavors like Santa Fe Salsa and Dutch Cocoa.

Heads up: these things are suuuuuper addicting, in the best way possible. I loved both the savory and sweet versions, and the neat little discs make for easy on-the-go snacking. I ate a package of the Salty Black Pepper during work yesterday completely inconspicuously, and will surely be doing so again tomorrow.

The little sugar-cereal-loving kid in me was very excited to learn that the Dutch Cocoa tastes just like Cocoa Krispies, and the Cinnamon Crunch like Cinnamon Toast Crunch! But with 6g of protein, 3g of fiber and only 4g of sugar per serving, these are much healthier for the adult I am today.

Want to score your own box of Somersaults? One winner will receive a box just like mine, and so here’s how to enter! (US residents only, please.)

1. Leave a comment on this post (mandatory)

2. Tweet this giveaway @Lilveggiepatch and @SomersaultSnack and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done so.

3. Tell me: if you could create any flavor of chip-like snack, what would it be? (additional entry)

I will pick the winner on Saturday, June 2. Happy snacking!

How did you spend your Memorial Day?

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a food diary- and to think I used to do this daily!- so I thought it might be fun to do this morning. I don’t take photos of every little morsel I eat anymore, so it was a nice change for me yesterday.

Hot oatmeal for breakfast! The [...]]]>

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a food diary- and to think I used to do this daily!- so I thought it might be fun to do this morning. I don’t take photos of every little morsel I eat anymore, so it was a nice change for me yesterday.

Hot oatmeal for breakfast! The dining room was a little chilly, so the warm food kept me nice and toasty. I cooked the oats with chia, goji berries and almond milk, then topped them with ground flax, banana, sunflower butter and maple syrup. Ever since we’ve come back from Portland, I can’t seem to get maple syrup out of my head!

I spent the morning finishing my book, Cutting for Stone, which I loved. So many people have been trying to get me to read it, and it was finally my turn to check it out at the library!

My internal clock is still set to wake me up sometime between 6 and 7 (and sometimes even 5) so I’ve been eating more frequently lately. I had breakfast around 7 and wasn’t meeting my lunch date until 2, so I knew I would be a starvin’ marvin’ if I didn’t get a wholesome snack beforehand. So I ate a big bowl of lentil-bean chili, cold, and it hit the spot. Snacks don’t always have to be “traditional” things like granola bars or trail mix… I’ve been enjoying mini versions of what I’d usually eat for lunch or dinner.

This chili recipe came to me in a totally old-fashioned sort of way: one of my neighbors, who went to culinary school and managed restaurants for years, heard I’d been sick . She knocked on my door with this recipe, a cup of lentils, and a baggie of smoked salt. Can you believe this is 2012, in a New York City apartment building of all places?!

I already had most of the other ingredients on hand (I try to keep a few cans of beans, tomatoes, and veggies around for emergencies) so dinner the night before was ready in a pinch.

I met a friend for lunch and a movie. We decided to eat at Blossom du Jour, an offshoot of the popular Blossom restaurants around the city. I still haven’t been to Blossom (although I’ve been to their sister, V-note), but it’s on my list! BDJ makes “shrewd fast food” in an effort to positively impact the fast food industry by providing quickly made salads, sandwiches, wraps and more, many of which are healthier versions of their fast food counterpart.

I ordered The Big Salad with field greens, matchstick carrots, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, cucumber, herbed mustard dressing, + smoked tempeh for $2 more. It was a nice, dense salad, but what really made it was the dressing. I have to find the recipe!

For dessert, I bought a chocolate chip cookie to eat in the theater. It was soft, chewy and chocolatey, and gets my seal of approval! (Of course, it’s no Levain cookie, but few are…)

We saw The Avengers, which I’ve been dying to see. It was a little long, but overall pretty good! Give me a comic book story, spandex, Jeremy Renner and Robert Downey, Jr., and I’m good to go .

I tried to make it a double feature with my mom and see What To Expect When You’re Expecting, but it wasn’t showing until 10 PM and I am way too much of a grandpa to stay awake through that. Instead, we met for dinner at Ozu, a Japanese restaurant on the Upper West Side.

We sipped glasses of Sauvignon Blanc and split the Portobello Spring Rolls to start. The mushrooms are marinated in pesto and then steamed in wheat wrappers with a sweet chili dipping sauce. Great idea for an easy appetizer for a party!

For my entrée, I ordered the Ozu Croquettes. These come broiled or fried and with a side of steamed root veggies or salad; I rolled with the broil and those gorgeous orange guys, as you can see. The croquettes are made with millet, cous cous, buckwheat, lentils and vegetables, and served with a delicious tangy white sauce. My mom picked these up for me the first week i was home from the hospital, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them!

For dessert, we split the Tofu Coconut Pie topped with raspberry sauce. Unfortunately this definitely tasted like what a lot of people think “vegan desserts” will be: strange texture, tastes like “health food,” and nothing at all like the non-vegan version. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t my favorite thing, either. The sauce, however, was really refreshing!

I’m a late-night snacker, so I grabbed a few magazines and a carton of raspberries and took them to bed with me. I didn’t end up reading any of the magazines, though… getting up at 6 tells my brain that bedtime should be at 9:30!

Hope you’re having a lovely day, wherever this finds you.

Do you know your neighbors?

Forgive me, Joe, for all my past doubts.

Imagine my surprise when I spotted this bag of fiddlehead ferns, on a refrigerated shelf nestled right next to the bags of kale and spinach, at my local Trader Joe’s. This hefty, 10-oz bag is free of pesticides and cost me a whopping $3.49. They were [...]]]>

Forgive me, Joe, for all my past doubts.

Imagine my surprise when I spotted this bag of fiddlehead ferns, on a refrigerated shelf nestled right next to the bags of kale and spinach, at my local Trader Joe’s. This hefty, 10-oz bag is free of pesticides and cost me a whopping $3.49. They were $16.99/ lb at the gourmet market where I last saw these green spiral cuties… I love a good deal. Sigh.

Fiddleheads taste a lot like asparagus, but look so much cooler. Anything you serve them with will instantly elevate your dish to hyper chicness on appearance alone. Just look!

The other night, I made dinner the other night loosely based on this recipe for a Creole-style pasta. I used regular onions instead of scallions, sautéed mushrooms instead of truffle oil, soba noodles in place of angel hair pasta, and served parmesan on the side for dining companions. We sprinkled Cajun seasoning on the noodles (something I don’t think I would ever have thought to do) and they were delicious!   

To snack on lately, I’ve been eating these sesame truffles. With only five ingredients, they are super easy to make, and so yummy!

I reduced the agave by half, and found them to be sweet enough for dessert.

I’ve been cooking up a storm this week. It’s so good to be back in the kitchen… my bones itch for it when I’m away.

Reading list:

A Richer Life By Seeing The Glass Half Full

13 Disturbing Facts About McDonald’s

Have you ever tried a fiddlehead fern? What fun finds have you happened upon recently?

It’s been gray and rainy here these past couple days. Cloudy skies, thunder and lighting all make for a perfect excuse to curl up with a good book and a hot mug of tea.

This past weekend, however, was one for the books! It was in the 70s and 80s all day, with bright [...]]]>

It’s been gray and rainy here these past couple days. Cloudy skies, thunder and lighting all make for a perfect excuse to curl up with a good book and a hot mug of tea.

This past weekend, however, was one for the books! It was in the 70s and 80s all day, with bright blue skies and a light breeze in the air. It seemed as if all of New York was in Central Park, so we put on our summer clothes and went out to join them.

Don’t forget your sunscreen!

We met a few friends for a little pot-luck in the grass. I always tell myself I’ll take more advantage of the city’s parks, and am so glad to have already done so early in the season!

We were all happy as dogs.

Leaving the park, I hopped the L to Brooklyn to join some friends in helping Rebecca celebrate the end of her lease.

Once Anna got her guns under control, we made our way up to the roof to sip cold beer, sparkling red wine (fact, not fiction), and eat some munchies.

There was fresh fruit salad, tropical salsa, cheese and honey, and spreadable pizza.   

Yeah, I brought that one. My love for cheesy crust seems to be growing exponentially, so I thought: why not make a dip that will turn any surface into a vehicle for pizza-love? So I made it happen. It sounds weird, but trust me with this one. And with good-for-you ingredients like white beans, tomatoes, fresh basil and tahini, you won’t have the same knot in your stomach you get after a few too many slices of the Domino’s pizza you knocked back with that Natty Light. No judgments… just saying.

PIZZA DIP

Makes 3 cups

• 2-1/2 c. cooked white beans
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T tahini
• 1 T olive oil
• 4 T tomato paste
• 1/4 c. sundried tomatoes, packed (and drained, if stored in oil)
• 1/3 c. nutritional yeast
• 1/3 c. fresh basil, packed
• 1/2 t dried oregano
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 1/2 t red pepper flakes

Combine beans, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and tomato paste in a food processor until nearly smooth.   

Pulse in nutritional yeast and herbs until well-combined.   

Serve with fresh vegetables, pita, or tortilla chips. Heat with cheese in a folded tortilla for a delicious quesadilla (I’ve done this three times already). Spread on unbaked pizza crust for a tomato sauce alternative. Eat straight-up, with a spoon.

Get crazy! It’s pizza-in-a-bowl, after all.

Back in New York! It was nice to be out of town, but it’s good to be home. Here is the winner of the FoodTrients giveaway, so I don’t leave ya hanging:

Congrats, Liz! Please send me your mailing address so we can get that out to you.

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Catching up? Here’s what you missed!

A beautiful [...]]]>

Back in New York! It was nice to be out of town, but it’s good to be home. Here is the winner of the FoodTrients giveaway, so I don’t leave ya hanging:

Congrats, Liz! Please send me your mailing address so we can get that out to you.

—

Catching up? Here’s what you missed!

A beautiful wedding in Indiana

Art and culture in Portland, Maine

Veg-friendly finds in Portland

One of the fun parts of travel is finding a place to stay. After quite a bit of research, we chose a bed & breakfast rather than a a hotel. I love bed & breakfasts. They’re so much more intimate and comfortable than hotels, which all tend to look the same. Because we’re still in the “off-season” (before Memorial Day) we were able to find some really good rates online. We finally settled on the West End Inn, located in an area of Portland filled with historic houses and brick sidewalks. The inn is run by Deb and Scott Devlin, who really made us feel like we’d found a home-away-from-home with them.

We stayed in Room 2, which was tastefully sea-themed and absolutely gorgeous. Four poster bed? Check! Crustacean pillows? Double check!

The rooms were cheerfully decorated with bright colors and lots of windows.

The dining room was warm and inviting…

… and I scouted out a few comfy spots to read.

B travels a lot for work, so we brought along the car-chargeable refrigerator he recently purchased to make healthy eating on the road a little easier.

We didn’t know what the food situation was going to be like, and it’s nice to be able to keep things like leftovers and snackables around. (And bottles and bottles of juice!)

Food ended up being the least of our worries, and breakfast at the inn became one of my favorite times of the day. I’d sit at a little corner table in one of the dining room’s cozy nooks, lingering with my book over hot tea.

Before we arrived, we called the inn to tell them we were non meat-eaters and see if we should plan on bringing our own food. Deb and Scott, who used to run a restaurant, assured us they were experienced with vegetarian and vegan cooking and we’d have no problem. And boy, did we luck out with our meals!

Each morning, we were greeted with a coffee and tea bar, freshly baked muffins still warm from the oven, granola, Greek yogurt and organic juices. The muffins (adjusted to be made vegan) were some of the best I’ve ever had. Each morning we were served a different flavor, from blueberry to blackberry-orange to banana to apple-walnut.

While we waited for our entrées, each guest was served a fresh fruit cup. B had to be at work quite early and wasn’t expecting to eat breakfast at all. However, Deb and Scott were up with him each morning with a hot breakfast and a fresh pot of coffee. He reported delicious omelets, fritattas, and eggy scrambles that fueled him up for the day.

We were given at least two options each morning for breakfast, and all of my selections were scrumptious.

Steel-cut oats with caramelized apples, dried cherries, granola, almond milk + maple syrup; apple-walnut muffin

Vegan blueberry pancakes with wild Maine blueberries and strawberries

Tofu scramble with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions; oven-roasted potatoes, sourdough toast with Earth Balance

In the afternoon for tea-time, out came the cookies! Most days we had chocolate-chip, but on our last night they had a little something extra.

I hope you can tell from this glowing review how nice our stay at the West End Inn was. Everything was incredibly comfortable and relaxing, and we were so appreciative of the hospitality. Deb and Scott went out of their way to accommodate us, and it really made our experience special.

VEG-FRIENDLY PORTLAND

Stay: West End Inn, 146 Pine St.

Eat: Green Elephant, 608 Congress St. Asian-fusian vegetarian bistro

Local Sprouts, 649 Congress St. Local and organic cafe and co-op. Stocks dairy and vegan desserts from Bomb Diggity Bakery

Silly’s, 40 Washington Ave. Huge selection of meat, vegetarian and vegan comfort food, from almond-goat cheese pizza to forearm-sized burritos. Ridiculous vegan-friendly milkshakes and desserts, as well as a notable beer and wine list

Pepperclub, 78 Middle St. Seasonal meat, fish, vegetarian/ vegan menu with a 4-course $20-30 prix-fixe menu. Vegan desserts!

Coffee/ Dessert: Yordprom, 722 Congress St. Thai-American coffee shop serving food as well; stocks rice, soy and almond milk in addition to dairy

Market House Coffee, 28 Monument Square. Located in the Public Market House collective, serves rice, soy and almond milk as well as desserts from Bomb Diggity Bakery

Silly’s

Local Sprouts

Do you enjoy spending the night in a hotel? Have you ever stayed in a bed & breakfast?

I really like this place. It’s quaint and quiet…

… but also has a fun downtown area right near the water.

There are also plenty of cute spots for a solo gal like me to plunk herself down with a good book and a hot mug and relax for a few hours. Yordprom, a Thai-American [...]]]>

I really like this place. It’s quaint and quiet…

… but also has a fun downtown area right near the water.

There are also plenty of cute spots for a solo gal like me to plunk herself down with a good book and a hot mug and relax for a few hours. Yordprom, a Thai-American coffee shop near our Bed & Breakfast, makes fabulous green tea lattés (my latest liquid addiction). The café is also dog-friendly, and you’ll meet Yordprom’s mascot Jasper, a giant golden retriever!

After a few wrong turns (yes, even with Googl Maps on my phone, I still get lost all the time) I finally tracked down the Public Market House, a collective of boutique vendors similar to New York’s Chelsea Market. In addition to a small grocery, the two floors of shops tempt you with everything from cupcakes to burritos to fresh juice. And, of course, coffee and tea!

Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of dining with my good friend Sarah, who lives about an hour outside of Portland. We went from hardly seeing each other at all to getting together twice within two months! It was so good to see her. We got a little goofy, as you can see…

We went to Local Sprouts, where I’ve now been four times and am just a few days away from being mayor on Foursquare. What can I say? I really like this place!

I took our server’s suggestion and ordered the tempeh wrap instead of what I was really in the mood for (a vegan BLT). It was supposed to come wrapped up with beets, carrots, tomatoes, greens, and miso-tahini sauce, but both the sauce and beets were missing. Instead of speaking up as I should have (a side effect of years of working in the restaurant industry is that I never want to hassle the servers), I doused my wrap in hot sauce and ketchup and ended up with a huge, red, soupy mess. Blegh! (I still love Local Sprouts, though, and will probably head over there on our way out of town .)

For dinner a couple nights ago, B and I went to Green Elephant, a vegetarian fusian restaurant that literally every local we spoke to recommended. It was even featured in the food issue of Maine magazine, and is known as “the” place to go if you’re a vegetarian in Portland.

To start, we shared an order of roti canai: Indian-style pancake with curry dip. I first had this at Penang in New York (they have chicken and vegetarian versions) and I have to warn you: it’s really addictive! And really yummy.

For my entrée, I ordered the Panang Curry Vegetable + Tempeh: Thai eggplant, red + green pepper, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, buttercup squash, Thai basil, lime leaves and tempeh in a coconut milk curry. It was served with brown Jasmine rice, and rather than fill up on sauce, I picked all of my veggies and bites of tempeh out of the curry and ate it with the rice.

For our last night in Portland, we went to Silly’s. The beer specialist at Whole Foods referred us here for “vegetarian junk food,” but they serve meat as well and had some really interesting looking items.

The menu was completely overwhelming, and we had a really tough time choosing what to order!

A tin cup of IPA for him, a goblet of Merlot for her.

Fried pickles to start! I’m not a huge fan of the actual fry part (I don’t even really like French fries) so I picked most of the batter off before dipping it into the dairy-free dip our (extremely nice) server brought us.

We both ordered personal pizzas for dinner. B’s Love Goat came with caramelized onions, a blend of cheeses, fresh tomatoes, goat cheese, almonds and a drizzle of honey.

My Cactus Jack was almost twice as thick, with spicy salsa, herbed tempeh topping (this contained nuts and seeds), vegan cheddar and Mozzarella, spinach, caramelized onions and tomatoes. It was really good… there was a lot going on here! I’m kind of obsessed with vegan cheese (Silly’s uses Daiya brand, which is considered to be the best on the market because it actually melts and stretches like real cheese) and am really excited to dig into my leftovers.

We were pretty stuffed, but ordered the motherload of desserts to try: a triple-layer vegan chocolate with rich vanilla frosting. It was divine. Even as the box arrived for us to pack the better half of it to go, I couldn’t stop myself from picking at the remaining crumbs on the plate. Mm-mm-good!

It’s been a twice-a-day-dessert kind of week here. Gotta sample all of the local goods! I tried the whoopie pie (vegan) from Local Sprouts (made by Bomb Diggity Bakery). It was good, but was a little stale… I’d seen it on the shelf a day before, and it probably would have been better fresh.

The Chocolate Love Cookie (vegan, also by Bomb Diggity Bakery) that I picked up at Market House Coffee, however, was delicious. You can bet I’ll be trying to recreate that one at home!

We’ve had a great time here in Maine these past few days. It’s been so nice to get to know the city more, sample the food (duh!), catch up with Sarah and spend time with B. I’ll be back tomorrow with details about the gem of a Bed & Breakfast we found… if you’re in the area, it’s not to be missed!

See ya later, Portland.

Have a great weekend! What are you up to?

This past weekend, my parents and I flew to Indianapolis, to attend the wedding of our very good family friend, Julia, and her now-husband, Danny. It was a beautiful ceremony.

My mom is a Hoosier, so a lot of her friends and their families live in and around Indiana. After a canceled flight and [...]]]>

This past weekend, my parents and I flew to Indianapolis, to attend the wedding of our very good family friend, Julia, and her now-husband, Danny. It was a beautiful ceremony.

My mom is a Hoosier, so a lot of her friends and their families live in and around Indiana. After a canceled flight and a lucky re-booking, we arrived at the rehearsal dinner just in time to say hi to everyone before we sat down to eat.

This was also the occasion of my first alcoholic beverage (I had a glass of Chardonnay) in a month! Don’t worry, I haven’t gone too crazy .

I stayed with Jenny, my oldest friend. We see each other every year in Michigan, but it’s never enough. We’re trying to plan another trip later in the year, though! Here we are in 1989…

Probably around 1999 (pictured with our friend Bill)…

… and just a few days ago, in 2012! Time surely flies.

On Saturday morning, Jenny took us to Tulip Noir, a cute and surprising café that was only a short drive away. The menu is extensive, featuring not only a seasonal supply of fruits and vegetables, but a changing list of teas and coffees as well!

My taste for coffee hasn’t quite returned, so I opted for a hot matcha cup with steamed almond milk. I was impressed that they not only offered soy, but a soy alternative! I also greatly appreciated that I was able to substitute tempeh for the usual eggs in my delicious veggie hash (carrots, red bell pepper, sweet and white potatoes, and onion served on a bed of spinach with a slice of whole grain baguette).

Jenny ordered a glass of the daily iced tea (which I believe was pomegranate-peach) and eggs benedict (sans ham), which looked pretty good as well.

We stopped at Target before the wedding, where I picked up these amazingly comfortable platform wedges. The run big, so I bought a 9 instead of a 10. They look a lot like the shoes I’ve seen on the Shopbop, J. Crew and Madewell websites, but you can’t beat the $25 price tag!

The wedding took place at the Indianapolis Art Center, a chic but relaxed venue with both indoor and outdoor areas.

Julia looked beautiful.

We all kept talking about how happy the bride and groom were! And the newlyweds’ joy was contagious: all of the guests were relaxed and confident that this will be a fabulous marriage. I’m turning into a bit of a sap when it comes to weddings!

It was a really fun wedding. The best part was getting to spend time with my family and friends, like my cousins Abby and Bere (they’re twins!). I’m lucky enough to get them three times this year: Easter, the wedding, and over July 4th in Michigan.

Like mother, like daughter:

Jenny and I found the photobooth…

As the party wound down, I grabbed my second (third?) piece of cake for the road. Julia’s aunt baked two fabulous cakes: chocolate buttercream, and vanilla-raspberry. Now, I’m usually a chocolate girl the whole way, but the vanilla was out. of. this. world.

A perfect wedding on a perfect weekend.

Do you like weddings? If you’re married, what was yours like?