a weekend to make me whole

Last week was rough. Do you ever have those weeks where everything is just off ?

Work was exhausting, I was crazy emotional, I ate terribly and didn’t exercise (not like I really do anyway), etc…

…you get the point.

Well, Friday could not come soon enough and I knew I was going to need an extra special weekend to help me recoup and refill my tank.

Thankfully, my weekend hit the spot and by Monday, I was back.

While it wasn’t anything terribly spectacular, it was exactly what I needed.

Here’s a little recap:

Friday night consisted of dinner with Brandon at Magpie’s Cafe on Main Street in St. Charles. We ate outside, talked, and just relaxed. It was the perfect way to start the weekend.

Saturday morning I got up early with my mom to go to a few garage sales. You know how much I love old stuff.

My treasures this week:

“Luther’s Small Catechism,” which was an exciting find, because earlier in the summer, Brandon and I found a similar small, blue book which was a  commentary on Luther’s Small Catechism.

A beautiful copy of “Alice in Wonderland.” It’s not that orange in real life. This picture is kind of crappy.

The inside though has a charming little note which makes me love this book even more.

Helen and Kenneth just so happen to be my grandparents name. (On  my Dad’s side)

I also found this old edition of Scrabble:

I was quite  happy with my finds. Can’t wait to dig into those books and play some Scrabble!

Later that day, Brandon took me to Whole Foods. I had never been before so I was pretty darn excited. I knew I had to have a mission first or I would get swept away and its nickname -”Whole Paycheck”- would become a reality for me.

I love baking, but hate using all that white flour and sugar. My goal at Whole Foods was to pick up some healthy baking supplies so I could whip up some delicious and nutritionally packed baked goods.

Honestly, it was all a little overwhelming. I mean, the store is amazing, but the aisles are a little on the small side and maybe because it was a Saturday afternoon, but it was packed. Everyone else knew exactly what they needed and I was just standing there in awe trying to decide on what to get. I felt like I was in everyone’s way so I quickly grabbed a few things and rushed out. I managed to get a lot of the things I had in mind though.

Whole Wheat Flour, Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, Sucanat, and Spelt Flour. (all organic)

I love the bulk section at Whole Foods. These were so much cheaper than buying them regularly.

I also picked up some chocolate chips.

Can’t wait to get baking! Now I just have to decide what to make.

Question- Any bakers out there care to explain when exactly to use pastry flour? I’ve Googled it a bit, but haven’t found too much. Are there some things that it really makes a difference for or is it just a matter or preferences? I may just have to experiment.

Brandon picked up some Sushi Rice (from bulk section) and organic dried Seaweed to make, yep, you guessed it… sushi!

First assemble the team:

Cucumber, Avocado, and Red Pepper (which we cooked a little in the microwave after slicing)

A visual progression:

Then, just slice and…

… you’ve got homemade sushi!

So easy and tastes just as good as getting it at a restaurant.

Just a note- we used Alton Brown’s recipe for the rice.

That about wraps up our weekend.

Photography sidenote- Almost all pictures you see taken of food/cooking, with the exception of baked goods (which is probably at my house), are done at Brandon’s, where his kitchen has one flourescent light and zero windows. This doesn’t give me the grandest setting to take photos of food in, but, sorry for the cliche, what you see is what you get. No fancy lighting or staging or props, just real life. Where sometimes, we eat sushi from paper plates.

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