Mahrajan and Moving

          I admittedly haven't done too much besides work this summer, but now that I've given my notice and headed back up to Boston, I feel as though my summer vacation, however short it may be, is finally beginning. 

    On Friday morning, I boarded a train bound for Boston armed with two massively overpacked (and yet underpacked) suitcases, a duffle bag for the weekend, and my handbag. A few hours and a taxi ride later, I found myself in the heart of the Fenway area in front of my new apartment. I unfortunately didn't have too much time to hang out with my roommate, as I had to leave almost as soon as I'd come in order to board another train to see my gent and his family for his birthday weekend...

    So yes, things started out quite hectic, but I'm finally settling into what looks like it'll be an amazing week. 

    D's birthday was yesterday, and we all headed up to Mahrajan, a Lebanese Festival held by Our Lady of the Cedars Church in Manchester, NH. I've had some exposure to the Lebanese culture so far, but yesterday was the first time I felt truly immersed... and it was absolutely wonderful. 

   When we finally arrived, I was a little floored by the fact that there was a camel present... I'd never actually seen one in the flesh, so I may or may not have been like a kid on Christmas morning when I actually touched it. 

(Credit for this lovely shot goes to D's mom, who was probably highly amused by my slight freakout. :P)

    At what I will call the actual entrance to the festival, we saw a handful of bancarelle (IT: stands) where merchants sold religious icons, books, and jewellery, woven goods, and all forms of Arabic food and sundries. But before we got too distracted, we made a beeline for the big tent, where we met up with D's extended family and listened to some live music.

     

Arabic Instruments from L to R: Arabic-voiced Keyboard, Oud, Qanun, and Tablah.

    Before long, it was time for lunch, so we headed over to the food tent for some great Arabic food. 

The Kibbeh Platter
Kibbeh (ground beef, bulghur wheat, minced onions, pine nuts), Loubieh, and Rice.  

and a Spinach Fatayar and Majaddara


We didn't end up getting this, but I's food looked too good not to share...

He and A got Spinach and Meat Fatayar and Lamb Shawarma. 

   Alas, the Hommus and Tabbouleh we had escaped the camera, but everything was better than I can even begin to describe. 

   After lunch, L convinced me, A, M, and S to get henna tattoos with her. 

   And then, it was time for dancing.

We were total dorks on the dance floor, but we had so much fun belly dancing and doing the Dabke.

   When we were finally tuckered out, we decided to head into the hosting church for a look. 

Our Lady of the Cedars is a Melkite Church. It's a little bit Catholic, a little bit Orthodox, very cool, and absolutely beautiful. 

                There's iconography absolutely everywhere. 

It's all beautifully painted and is an amazing testament to the growth of the church.

 I'm not the most religious person out there, but there's just something awe-inspiring about being in a church like this. It was absolutely amazing listening to Fr. Thomas talk about about Our Lady of the Cedars, the Melkite Church in general, and the town, and I will contend that the entire building is a work of art.

(Also, I may or may not have fallen in love with these lanterns.)

    After we'd seen what we wanted to see and we'd thanked Fr. Thomas, we went back out to the big tent for farewells and headed back home for cake, The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and movie night. 

   **For fashion lovers, I'm wearing an H&M dress (sold out, but similar here), Birkenstock Gizeh Sandals (don't knock 'em until you try 'em--they're really comfy), Alex and Ani Bracelets, and a golden honeybee necklace from Etsy (c/o Luxe Lovely Gifts).**

Easy Summer Meals: Loubieh Wa Hommus Bi-Ziet with Quinoa

Sorry about the long hiatus! The last bit of this year and this summer have been positively crazy, but I'm back to blogging since I'll have more time now.

I'm preparing to move, full-time, to my apartment in Boston, so I'm taking the time to enjoy a few last outings with my friends and a few last adventures in my kitchen. 

Lately, I've been on a Lebanese food kick, which has led me to make Sfeeha (Meat Pies, which G and my family so kindly tried and approved of), Hommus and Fatoush (which you'll see above in Tupperware containers, as I knew I'd be eating them for a week)...and today, Loubieh! 

For those of you who aren't familiar with Loubieh, it's a stew made with green beans, olive oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices. To tonight's pot, I added Ceci for a little extra protein. 

I've adapted the recipe from ones I found on Saveur, Rose Water & Orange Blossoms, The Moveable Feasts, The Old Ways, and a handful of other sites. 

For the Loubieh, you'll need: 

1/4 C Olive Oil (I used Organic EVOO from Costco)

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp minced garlic 

1 medium yellow onion, sliced very thinly

Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Approx. 2 Tbs. Tomato Paste (I added it to taste)

Smoked Paprika to taste (Simply because I have an insane amount of it in the house)

Lebanese 7 Spice Mix to taste...

         Or you can do what I did and mix together 1 tsp. each 

            -Ground Allspice

            -Black Pepper

            -Cinnamon

            -Nutmeg

            -Ground Ginger

            -Sumac

         And, again, add to taste.

2 lb Green Beans, Trimmed and Cleaned

1 Jar Marinara Sauce (I used Trader Joe's Traditional Marinara, simply because it's very, very plain and natural.)

1 Can Diced Tomatoes

1 15 Oz. Can Ceci (Garbanzo Beans)

1.5 Cups Water, or as much as you need. 

Here's what you do...

Get out an 8-Qt. Saucepan, and put your oil and cumin in. 

Turn on the stove and bring the mixture to medium-high heat, stirring for a minute until you can really smell the cumin. 

Add in your garlic, onion, salt and pepper, and cook until the garlic and onion are lightly browned. This should take 12 minutes or so. 

Add in your tomato paste, paprika, 7 spice mix (or my in-a-pinch modification), and stir the mixture until the tomato paste becomes slightly caramelized. 

Add in the green beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, ceci, and as much water as you'll need to bring the mixture to a boil. 

Reduce your heat (to medium-low) and cook until very tender (up to 1 hour). Cover the pot partially and stir every so often.

Then, let the mixture sit for a bit (15 or so minutes) so the flavors will meld together. 

Serve it over rice, quinoa (as I did), or your favorite grain, and enjoy!

This is a pretty simple recipe, and as I've been finding with the Lebanese food I've been making, is amazing even when reheated. 

Have fun!

Xx Caroline

A Good Morning

So, this will be quite short, but I just wanted to take the time to reflect upon all the things, big and small, which make this morning (and generally my life) pretty great.

I'm finding lately that it's so easy to get caught up in our daily obligations and stresses that we often forget how well things are going in general. 

So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are some things which make me really happy to be where I am:

• Despite the cold and the snow which have hit Boston almost constantly for at least the past month, we have been blessed with several beautiful, sunny mornings, and I can't help but marvel at them on my walks to my 8 AM class. This morning was one of them, and "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" (from Oklahoma) almost seems made for today. 

• Yes, I have two big exams today, had a paper due this morning, and will undoubtedly have more work to follow. But as time has gone by, I'm starting to realize that these are very small bumps in the context of my entire life. In the past, I let my work become my life, but I'm just now realizing that I've finally learned to make my work a relatively small part of my life as I think of it. 

• I feel so blessed to have met so many amazing people this year. It's taken the past week to help me realize how much I love my friends and professors--some of whom I really consider friends--, as well as how important they are to me. Again, I've found that it's so easy to get caught up in work that one tends to forget how great it is to simply chat about anything and everything--even the most mundane aspects of life-- as a respite from the stresses of life and work. 

• I also feel quite blessed to have such strong support from my family. It's strange, but while I was chomping at the bit to start my own life when I moved up to Boston, now that I have, I'm finding it even more important to call them frequently to catch up and stay involved in their lives. I also know I'm getting into the big leagues now because my parents' and grandparents' advice is starting to make sense, and as scary as that is, it's kind of exciting. 

• I can't help but marvel at the fact that I'll be going to the Museum of Fine Arts to look at the Impressionist exhibit for my writing class on Saturday morning. My professor and his wife will apparently be giving us a tour of the exhibit and explaining the works. Not only is he one of my favorite professors, but it's tremendously cool to have a professor who wants to spend time and go places with his students outside of the classroom and on weekends. The best part? We're doing these trips the last weekend of every month for the remainder of the semester. 

Anyway, that's all for now. It really is a lovely day, so wherever you are, take a moment to appreciate everything that's going right--it'll make all the difference in how you view your life. 

Xx Caroline

Valentine's Day at the Gaslight Brasserie

Hello, All!

   My SO and I were trying to figure out what to do for Valentine's Day after a hectic and stressful week. We wanted to do something special, but not too crazy, so we decided to pop into the South End's Gaslight Brasserie for dinner. 

I'll share what we did and what we ate, but you have to make me a promise... Don't judge the photography too harshly this time, okay? In my excitement to see him after a long week and our haste to leave in time to make our reservation, I left my good camera at home and was stuck with my iPhone.

But anyway, as long as you're okay with that, here's just a taste of our experience at the Gaslight Brasserie.

When the taxi dropped us off, we walked through a brick corridor lit by gaslights, and immediately we realized that Gaslight would be even nicer than we'd expected. 

Swankier than the average students' haunt, to be sure. 

The bar we saw upon entering the restaurant was so evocative of 1920s Paris that I had to fangirl a little bit. 

We were seated in the lounge, which turned out to be even nicer and more romantic than the main dining room.

And of course, my wonderful, handsome date
and I shared a table for two.

Now, onto the phenomenal food we ate...

We started with escargots with toasted garlic and parsley butter.
These were so deliciously buttery!
They were also his first escargots, so they were a great introduction.

We followed the escargots with a raw oyster for each of us. 

For mains, he ordered Saumon Roti (Scottish salmon with swiss chard, golden raisins, cumin carrot puree & harissa aioli),

and I ordered Duck Confit with Carmargue red rice, cherries, roquefort, and Banyuls vinaigrette.

To round out the night, we decided to share an enormous Crème Brûlée between the two of us. He'd never tried one before, and it had been far too long since I'd had one. The overall verdict--incredibly good; the flambéed-sugar crust was just right, and the creme within was perfectly sweet and cool. 

All things considered, dinner couldn't have been more perfect. The prices were a little steep for a college-student budget, but the food was well worth the cost--everything was absolutely delicious!

Having filled our bellies with phenomenal food, we made our way through the unfamiliar South End towards my flat, and in the process, tried and failed to catch a shuttle, lost a shoe, laughed a lot, found ourselves at the spot where we first met, collapsed as soon as we got home, and rounded out the night by watching UP. 

I think it's nights like these that remind you what's really important. Although you'll both have some crazy, stressful, or exciting experiences on your own, at the end of the day, you're just two people who have chosen to share those experiences with each other, to make time to be together, and to plan and have new adventures together. Friday night was bigger than just treating ourselves to a nice meal--it allowed us to step away from the stresses of school and work and from the loose routines we had established and helped us remember the importance of recognizing and being grateful for what we have. 

I hope you all had a lovely night, whether you spent it with friends, family, a loved one, or treating yourself to a little TLC.

'Til next time,


Xx Caroline

Seeking Peace

So, I'm back home for the holidays and just about a week before I'll be heading back to Boston, things have finally started to return to the way they were before I left home. 

Because things have been a bit hectic, I thought I'd pop out for a bit with our dog and head over to Natirar. 

Natirar is a gorgeous, 404 acre estate-turned-park filled with beautiful bridges, fields, and greenery. The Ladd mansion still stands (it now houses a restaurant, spa, and culinary school of sorts), but the real magic lies in the property. It is one of my absolute favorite places--the sort that reminds you how small you are in comparison to the rest of the world. It's also a well-kept secret (so shhh!).

So, without further ado, Welcome to Natirar!

 We got a lot of snow this past week, so we weren't the only ones taking advantage of the park. There were a lot of families out sledding (a capital idea on their parts) and quite a few people out cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

 
I was really pleased to finally be able to bring my camera out to shoot again--it seems I'm almost always too busy in Boston. 

   Here's our adorable Portuguese Water Dog, Sofia. While I can't promise she'll be a regular fixture on the blog, she will be making some guest appearances.

      
   
And here's the Ladd Mansion. The ca. 1912 40-room Tudor Revival was, at one point, home to the King of Morocco. I haven't made it up to the mansion yet, but I imagine the interior is just as gorgeous as the exterior!

     Unfortunately the walk was a tedious one, as Sofia stopped every few feet and either laid down or sat on a bench. As I soon discovered, the poor thing had ice stuck in her paws!

Returning to Natirar made me realize how little I appreciated it when I lived at home full-time. 

It's an absolutely perfect place. As you've seen, it's lovely in the winter, and, in my experience, it's even lovelier in the summer. As much as I love the Public Garden, the Common, and the Esplanade, I'll miss this when I return to Boston. 

Happy 2014!!

Hello Everyone, and Happy 2014!

It's a new year and, as part of my very long list of New Year's Resolutions, I have decided to document my life and my adventures with a new blog.

Aside from actually creating this blog, I have a few resolutions that I'd like to share. While these are by no means completely universal, I hope that my resolutions may be of inspiration to you, or that, at the very least, putting them out there will help me to stick to them. 

Anyway, here they are...

1) Stop worrying about the past and future, and start really enjoying the present. This is a really, really big one. As a bit of a perfectionist, I'm often tempted to pick apart things I've done in the past, and as a chronic planner, I have a habit of planning out nearly every little detail of the life I want to lead in the near future. In 2013, I learned that both plans and people change. After the college application process had a different outcome than I had expected, I was quite bummed, but I soon learned that sometimes the hand fate deals you suits you better than that which you would have chosen for yourself. I also learned that, in worrying about what you're going to do in the future or that relatively small mistake you made in the past, you often miss out on the wonderful things that are going on around you. This year, I want to enjoy every moment, and I plan to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to me. 

2) Lead a more balanced life. It's notoriously very difficult for university students to balance work and play, at least at the start of this stage of our academic careers. My problem has stemmed not from partying too much, but from allowing myself to become so bogged down in work that I'm always stressing about it. So, for 2014, I'll still be devoting a lot of time to work, but I'll also be making a conscious effort to get out more... Yes, I need to spend more time at the gym, and I also need to see the city and  spend more time with my friends. Besides, I don't know where the future will take me--I might as well take advantage of all that Boston has to offer while I can!

3) Indulge a little. The final months of 2013 saw me make a big change to my personal habits--after nearly seven years on the pescetarian/vegetarian/vegan spectrum, I started eating meat again. I can attribute this partly to the repetitive and highly-processed nature of the options in my dining hall, and partly to a decision that I should take advantage of the many great foods available to me. I am no less health-conscious than I was before, but I am going to try to enjoy everything in moderation. Additionally, as I don't really have a kitchen when I'm at school (as I'm sure you know, microwave gourmet gets very old very quickly), I'm going to take advantage of the one I have at home and cook as much as I can while on breaks.

4) Become a better communicator. Since I moved up to Boston, I have grown more accustomed to speaking my mind, and less inclined to keep quiet about the things which trouble me. It's a work in progress, but, to continue making progress in 2014, if something's bothering me, I won't let it stew... Rather, I will address the issue promptly and directly.

5) Keep in touch. So far, I've been pretty good about keeping in touch with my immediate family--I call my parents and brothers to say hello fairly regularly, and try to remain at least somewhat present in their lives. However, I should probably arrange to meet up more often with old friends, and I should definitely keep in contact with my extended family.

6) Travel more. Though, at this point, I can't afford to travel around the world on a regular basis, I can make more of an effort to travel when opportunities to do so present themselves. As a major part of my list of resolutions for this year, I plan to spend more time visiting family friends and exploring the suburbs of Boston so that I can get to know the area I live in a little better (a blog post will most likely be up next week detailing the first of these trips--a return to Salem!). While I hope I'll have a lot of international adventures and meet a lot of interesting people very soon, I'm going to look for adventures right in my city for now.

Most of all, however, I'm going to try to seize every opportunity I'm presented with, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.

So, Happy New Year to you all, and may today be the start of a wonderful year of firsts!

Xx Caroline

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