-
Bike to Work Without Looking Geeky
It’s Bike to Work Week. As I pedaled to the office with my pants rolled up, I realized that, although I love a morning ride, the biker look is really cramping my style. Is there any way to look moderately cute on my short commute without having to change once I get to the office? Rumor has it there’s a shower/locker room in the basement of our building, so technically I could just get ready there, but I try not to get naked in the building where I work, as a general rule. So I hunted online for a bike-friendly, fashion-friendly outfit with two requirements: (1) no spandex and (2)…
-
Rags and Drag
One of the many reasons it is good to have a dog is that it forces me to take a lot of walks around my neighborhood, during which I always keep an eye out for promo posters on fluorescent copy paper. It keeps me apprised of goings-on, and just the sight of those round kiosks plastered with colored concert flyers makes me happy. If you’ve ever lived in Madison, you know what I’m talking about. On my rainy day dog walk this morning, I spotted a poster for a Rags and Drag Fashion Show being put on by one of my favorite stores, ReThreads, on June 16 at 9:00 PM…
-
Strawberry Season: Squatting in Heels
Because of the great spring we’ve had, strawberries are here early this year! I picked some up from the farmers’ market yesterday. I am obsessed with local strawberries. The small, sweet varieties grown in Southern Wisconsin are the best strawberries I’ve had anywhere. I horde them when they are in season and then freeze them with a little bit of sugar so I can eat them all year long. I am so crazy about strawberries that, last June, I drove out to JenEhr Farm in Sun Prairie over my lunch hour to buy some 10-lb. flats of organic strawberries. When I got there, the pre-picked containers of strawberries were sold…
-
Bands that Should Come to Madison… Pretty Please?
The Overture Center recently asked me (and its other 2,932 Facebook friends) who we would like to see perform on their stage. And that got me thinking… Madison is getting the shaft this summer on a lot of tour schedules. All of my favorite Canadian indie bands are touring this summer, and not one of them has a Madison stop. Stars‘ new album, The Five Ghosts, releases on June 22. They play in Chicago on June 9 (already sold out) on their North American tour, but no Madison stop this time. I’ve seen Stars at the Metro in Chicago and at the Barrymore in Madison, both on brutally cold days.…
-
Mad Good Music (and Food)
Reason #1,467 why I love Madison is that it has free festivals all summer long. Coming up on June 12-13 is the Marquette Waterfront Festival right in my neighborhood at Yahara Place Park. I am super excited that Great Lake Swimmers will be playing on June 13 at 4:30 p.m. I love me some Canadian indie bands! And, since I think about food all the time, it’s worth noting that local restaurants Lao Laan-Xang, Glass Nickel Pizza, Plaka Taverna, The Chocolate Shoppe, Café Costa Rica, and Jamerica will have stands there, and Capital Brewery will have beers on tap. Come on down with your kids, bikes, and blankets for some…
-
When in Rome
I am not a fan of broccoli unless it is rendered into near-unrecognizable form. That’s why I like this classic Italian recipe, Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa. I first learned about the wonders of Italy from my uncle, who lived there for several years with his wife when I was a kid. They came back speaking exotic words like bella and mangia. I, too, wanted to speak Romance languages, travel to far-away places, and eat new foods. This week, my uncle passed away, but his traveler’s spirit lives on. This recipe is in honor of him. 1 pound broccoli rabe (or regular broccoli, if you can’t find it) 1 pound orecchiette…
-
Bloody Marys, Sconnie Style
If you want to get a taste for the food culture of a place, order a Bloody Mary. It will tell you a lot. On a recent trip to St. Thomas, my Bloody Mary contained habanero hot sauce. Here in Wisconsin, we also have our own way of doing things. Here’s how to make a Bloody Mary, Sconnie Style. You’ll need a big pint glass and some long toothpicks or cocktail spears, as well as the following ingredients: Vodka Tomato juice Worcestershire sauce Horseradish Tabasco sauce Green olives Brine from olive jar Celery stalk (keep the fronds on top if you want it to look fancy) cheese curds Mini sausage…
-
Candy Colors to Beat the Spring Blahs
When the dreaded “May Gray” sets in, a girl’s gotta turn to her wardrobe for some artificial sunshine. I am loving these candy-colored picks from local Etsy seller WorkingGirlVintage:
-
Motherlode of Talent
Yesterday I attended “Listen to Your Mother” at the Barrymore, directed and produced by Madison blogger Ann Imig of Ann’s Rants. The show featured Madison writers reading their own pieces on the ever-complicated topic of modern motherhood. Many of the pieces were funny, some were poetic, others were sad, but all of them were heartfelt and inspiring. I’m not a mom to anyone other than my dog, but the show reminded me how important it is to have a community: whether it is fellow women, fellow moms, fellow writers, or all of the above.
-
Not-So-Fake Bake
There’s nothing better on a Sunday morning than baked goods fresh from the oven. But who wants to get up early enough to bake monkey bread or scones? Luckily, there’s Batch Bakehouse just around the corner from me at 1511 Williamson Street. There’s nothing fake about these baked-from-scratch goodies, but you can decide whether or not you want to tell your friends and family you didn’t make them. Grab some croissants and pain au chocolate for breakfast and, while you’re there, get a loaf of their artisanal bread to serve with your Sunday dinner. They’ve got dog treats, too, in case you want to pick something up for the four-legged…
a blog on fiction, fashion, food + family