CLUB NARWHAL TURNS 5: ECLAIRS FOR ALL!

A few days ago Warren found my very first blog post and learned two things: 1) narwhals are truly amazing creatures full of whimsy and delight and 2) I started this blog five years ago. It's true. On February 25th, 2008, I nixed my angsty Live Journal account and started my own newfangled web log--as I believe they were calling it back then :)I started this blog during my first foray into the adult world. It was--unlike my chaotic...

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FREE PRINTABLE: DOWNTON ABBEY SEASON 3

Guys, I did it. I watched the last episode of Downton Season 3. All I can say is: tears. So many tears. I had to make a printable to express my grief (click the button below to download). Why, Julian Fellowes, WHY???I know, I know. It was the only way. But still. Brutal. I hope we can all heal, together.RIP, Matthew and Sibyl, RIP indeed.*In an attempt to shake my mental creative black hole, my goal is to create a new printable every week....

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READY IN 20: THE ANTI-WINTER AVOCADO MANGO CHICKEN SALAD

We are in the absolute bitter, soul-crushing throes of winter here in Michigan. To make up for the fact that I am not sitting on a beach in some tropical paradise, I decided to create the next best thing: a quick, fresh meal to help me battle the cold. Since the last thing I want to do when I come home from work is cook, I want to build up an arsenal of 20 minute recipes that are so easy I can make them on autopilot (AKA, my post-work stupor)....

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MICHIGAN MONDAYS: HAMTRAMCK DISNEYLAND

Behold: Hamtramck Disneyland. Just feast your eyes on this feat of engineering. Built by Dmytro Szylak--a 90-something-year-old Ukrainian immigrant--Hamtramck Disneyland is a wonder, a delight, and just a little bit creepy. As I mentioned in last week's Michigan Mondays post, this little roadside gem made me remember all over again why I love traveling. Whether it's abroad or in my own backyard (or, at least, Dmytro's backyard), seeing life from...

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CLASSY CHICKEN: NIGELLA LAWSON'S SPANISH CHICKEN WITH ORANGES AND CHORIZO

Remember that friendly competition/writing contest Warren and I were doing? Bad news bears: Warren won. By one page. One! Of course he has since taken every moment to lord his win over me, which I have taken with about as much grace as a dancing lobster. He also had the audacity to abandon me on Valentine's Day to play basketball. In his defense, we had agreed a few weeks ago to celebrate the writing contest win/Valentine's dinner over the weekend,...

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FESTIVAL FRIDAY: CARNAVAL DE BINCHE

When I was a wee lass of 19, I studied abroad in France. I dutifully noshed on croissants, wore striped boat-neck Ts, and gazed existentially into the Seine River. For an angsty soul like myself it was heaven. But one of my favorite moments happened not in France at all, but in a quaint Belgian town called Binche. For centuries the town has held a pre-Lenten carnival that involves much merrymaking, drinking, and confetti throwing. Its piece...

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NO BAKE CAKE BATTER & BROWNIE TRUFFLES

 Have mercy. That is all I can say to describe the freakishly addictive, pop-in-your-mouth-by-the-handfuls truffles you see above. Whenever Warren and I make these, we always feel like we're in that I Love Lucy chocolate factory episode. For the record, he's totally Ethel. Don't judge. These truffles have made me friends out of thin air. They make grown men and children alike giddy with sugary joy. And they are ridiculously easy. Since my...

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MICHIGAN MONDAYS: HAMTRAMCK & PACZKI DAY

With Fat Tuesday bearing down upon us, Warren and I spent a rare sunny Saturday in Hamtramck, Detroit's Polish district. According to the all-knowing source that is Wikipedia, Hamtramck was originally founded by German farmers. Polish immigrants flooded the area when Dodge opened a local plant in 1910. Today, Hamtramck is known for its lavish feast for gluttons, Pączki Day. Pączki are essentially enormous, delicious donuts filled with all manner...

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GETTYSBURG REVIEW & BELLINGHAM REVIEW

First of all: Winter, this has got to end. Second, Warren is making me do a "friendly writing contest" with him. The basic premise is that whoever writes the most of their book by February 10th gets to pick a multi-course Valentine's dinner that the loser will have to cook. Because I am incredibly competitive (at least with Warren) I am gunning to win. Visions of pan seared scallops keep dancing in my mind. Also, this contest has actually forced...

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