WINTER FRITTATA with kale

This January seems to be crawling by. With the bitter cold temperatures and Christmas seeming to have been ages ago, it's been hard getting through in good spirits. So, eating well is a must for us during the ides of winter. I often turn to frittata when I need something quick and delicious that sticks to the ribs.
This one, with kale is a favorite. We vary the other ingredients from feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes to garlic and shallot. But the kale is always the constant. Try it tonight and let me know what you think!

1 bunch kale (any type)
1 roasted red pepper (skin removed)
4 whole eggs
2 egg whites
goat cheese (as much as you like!)
salt/pepper
1 Tb olive oil

Cut kale into very think slivers. (divide in 2)
Cut roasted pepper into 1/2" pieces (divide in 2)
Beat 2 whole eggs and one egg white (x2) in separate bowls with salt and pepper

Preheat broiler on high.
On the stove top, heat olive oil in two small cast iron skillets on medium. When hot, add kale for 2 min. Add peppers for 1 minute. Spread kale mixture around evenly in pan. Pour egg mixture over. Crumble goat cheese evenly over egg.
Place under broiler for a few minutes until egg is fluffy and slightly brown.
Don't over cook it or the egg will dry out.

Enjoy with a lovely salad, or alone!

SNAPSHOT: January

riveting read at dr. office -  homemade focaccia from pizza dough

morning coffee with Pat

weekday lunch in downtown also with Pat 

true and funny book  -  gathering for AIGS

the boys at the trillium tasting at VeeVee

the girls at the trillium tasting at VeeVee

snow paw prints  -  what I'm reading now

IN THE CLASSROOM: Student Work

I don't show student work very often on this site. I'm not sure why. The thing I love most about teaching is seeing the uninhibited minds of budding designers at work. They always imagine things so unexpected and very often, brilliant.
Well, this post is an example of that. These are images from a mapping project done by my Site + Environment studio.
I won't get into the details...but what do you think?! Cool, right!
Let me know if you like seeing student work, and I'll post more of it!

Funny Faces

I like to think of the photo booth as a little space that gives you license to be silly, make funny faces and generally not care what the world thinks. We should all be "photo booth goofy" all of the time, don't you think?!
Happy monday everyone.

SNAPSHOT: Settling into winter

Cold one day, warm the next. We are trying to settle into winter here...

demolition before construction, where the bags live

concrete (don't call it cement!), kisses

cool dog, "Your Perm Solution"

when you need inspiration, cozy blanket naps

cute, snow

new year's eve lipstick, avocado!

VACATION PHOTOS: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

After four days on the road we were happy to arrive at what was to be home base for a week, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We quickly scouted out the local coffee shop and found an urban gem! Queen City Bakery is amazing and so we returned again and again!
I loved the space which occupies an old brick building in downtown.

And then there was snow! Lots of snow and temperatures to match. We took morning walks on an abandoned golf course. So beautiful.

Doesn't Penny looking like Super Dog in this photo? She was in heaven running around in the snow

One of my favorite days was when we visited the Butterfly House. I think it may have something to do with the balmy temperatures inside! All week it hovered around 1 degree outside!

We stopped in to buy amazing Italian Olive Oil at Olive Destination. Yummy.

And then there was family! Pat's parents and his sister and her family live in Sioux Falls. Her adorable children had the best time chasing Penny around the house. Everyone was happy.

Another favorite moment was the Goss family tradition of fondue on Christmas Eve. What could be more fun than that!

VACATION PHOTOS: Columbus, Indiana

For Christmas we packed up the truck, Penny included, and took a four day drive that led us half way across the country to the midwest.

Along the way we stopped in Columbus, Indiana to see some notable architecture. It's one thing to read about it, it's quite another to experience a great building.

A standout is the library by I.M. Pei. One of the few building we were able to go inside. It is grand and intimate at the same time. I remember feeling the light. It has presence even on a cloudy, rainy, day.

But the real stars were two amazing buildings by Eero Saarinen. The North Christian Church is like a strange and beautiful ship sent here from another world. It sits quietly surrounded by the most serene and thoughtful landscape. We couldn't go inside, and on a rainy day the pictures I took just don't do it justice.

The Miller House was the star of the trip. I had read and researched this house extensively. I was not prepared for how much more incredible it would be in person. Every detail was thought about and designed to perfection. The two thing that surprised me the most is, how intimate the spaces feel, and how utterly connected to the landscape the house is.

We couldn't take pictures inside or out, so again I borrow from a professional. I wanted so much to be able to capture this place with my own lens, but alas the museum people did not allow it.

photo: Miller House byEzra Stoller

We also found some time to just grab some food at a local spot in town. Jill's Downtown Diner is such a find! It's the kind of place where the waitress knows the name of everyone that walks in...except us of course. But we became friends in no time.

 There were also random stops along the way; sleepy little town centers full of character. Time seems to have stopped here.

But, surprisingly, it was the driving that I loved best. It's meditative in a way, sitting and watching the landscape go by changing from state to state.

I hope you enjoyed these snapshots from our trip. More to come from our stay in Sioux Falls, South Dakota!

CAUTION: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This is how life feels lately; a bit like it has been dismantled and is waiting patiently to be put back together again.
You may have notices the absence of new bags, or any creative endeavors. There have been few.  So instead of worry, I've decided to think about this phase in life (that will surely pass) as one where the structure is strong, but it's been stripped down to the studs waiting to receive new finishes.
Until reconstruction begins, I'm working on staying focused on teaching and enjoying some down time at home with my little family. It's hard for me to not always be creating, but sometimes I just have to be ok with letting things be in process.

NOTE: The photo above is of this amazing project. It is actually under construction and I'm so excited to see it begin to take shape in the coming weeks!

Twenty Thirteen

While overthinking what I wanted to say in my first post of the year (and the first after a long absence), I decided the photo above says it all.
It's been a great year filled with laughter and silliness with these two... I look forward to lots more in 2013!
HAPPY NEW YEAR and thank you for reading my blog and supporting my work. It means the world to me.