tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46682781683043092102011-12-14T09:59:46.353-05:00Chew on this...bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.comBlogger8811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-76787039061548491992011-10-14T22:10:00.000-04:002011-10-18T21:13:54.398-04:00

After the Timber Ripper, we had a pretty tame afternoon. We took an hour sidetrip to Hartford, VT to check out the Quechee Gorge. Dare I say it? It was gorge-ous but basically took one minute of our time to look at. One hour drive = one minute of sightseeing. I exaggerate a little bit, we checked out a Vermont country store, ate some ice cream and stopped at a massive, three-story building

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-66681410394087262722011-10-14T21:50:00.000-04:002011-10-17T22:09:10.975-04:00

After breakfast, we headed to the Jackson Gore portion of Okemo for a little adventure: That's right, we figured what better way to enjoy the scenery some more and lose the breakfast we had just eaten than riding on the Timber Ripper? It would be just one of these cars and a rail system that would control our plunge down the mountain! There were an awful lot of directions and warnings for

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-84804059965229733162011-10-14T21:17:00.000-04:002011-10-17T21:49:52.269-04:00

Sunday marked the actual day of our anniversary.  We slept in a little bit, but both wanted to get an early start to the day so we could fit in everything we wanted to do. After I showered, I came back into our room and realized that Andrew had placed the card he gave me and his wedding ring alongside my rings on the bedside table. I couldn't resist snapping a picture because as I looked at the

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-32870035320582726162011-10-13T21:57:00.000-04:002011-10-13T21:57:19.940-04:00

I'll fully admit that Andrew and I drove directly the Long Trail Brewing Company, even before checking into our hotel.  We were hungry and wanted to hit the brewery before it closed. The lot was full, but we managed to snag a parking space and headed in: Inside, it was equally crowded and we were told that there were 26 names ahead of us on the waiting list (at 3 pm, mind you). We added our

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-41993048740300548122011-10-13T20:52:00.000-04:002011-10-13T20:52:02.324-04:00

I didn't do the shrine justice in my last post, so I wanted to share a few more pictures in the hopes that could get a sense for how peaceful the replica of the shrine was - and how unexpected it was to come upon it in the middle of the Vermont woods! You're on very bumpy and winding mountain roads, turn a corner, happen upon something that looks simply like an open field, and then see this sign

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-29032307803165905252011-10-11T22:53:00.000-04:002011-10-11T22:53:56.219-04:00

Andrew and I spent our first anniversary weekend enjoying fall foliage and the gloriously warm weather in Vermont.  Andrew told me he had a surprise planned on Saturday when we were driving up, and all he would tell me was that it involved our honeymoon and a quick side trip. One year ago, we were on our honeymoon in the Mediterranean and one of our stops was in Turkey: Where we visited the

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-68111910752312100412011-10-09T18:33:00.000-04:002011-10-09T18:33:08.019-04:00

A year ago today, on a warm, clear day, Andrew and I exchanged vows under the changing leaves. It's amazing how quickly a year has flown by, and what I wish is that we always be in love and have as much fun as we did on our wedding day. That remains true today and I am confident, also for the years to come.

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-56444953687910086902011-10-08T20:01:00.004-04:002011-10-11T22:30:52.723-04:00

I find it only fitting to end my Denver posts with the first and last thing we saw in denver - the massive blue bronco with eerily red eyes! We had a blast cramming in as much as we could into a short weekend into Colorado and I can't wait until we get to visit again!

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-34107490260332871442011-10-07T19:54:00.036-04:002011-10-11T22:28:11.594-04:00

After finishing our hike and showering, Ben promised us some good Mexican food for dinner. Efrains was the restaurant that kept getting mentioned as having the best food but as we found out when we drove out to it, it's closed on Sundays.  So we settled for Casa Alvarez instead - I'm not going to lie, it wasn't anything special so I put the camera down and focused on enjoying the company instead:

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-15965734266663003262011-10-06T19:30:00.076-04:002011-10-11T22:10:52.574-04:00

After eating a big lunch at Snarf's, it was time to head to the hills and start a hike. Even from a distance, the Flatirons were breath-taking. It being Boulder, the park was swarmed with hikers but luckily, there are plenty of hiking trails to choose from: Ben took us up a trail that he knew well, promising great views from the top. Needless to say, this was the easiest part of the trail, and we

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-86504051902301210332011-10-05T21:41:00.000-04:002011-10-05T21:41:06.203-04:00

Other than the beautiful scenery around us, I knew we weren't in Massachusetts anymore when I kept seeing medical marijuana places like this pop up all over the place: The most cleverly named one was appropriately called "The Baked Shop" and it took a double-take for me to realize it wasn't a bakery - alas, no picture for it either. As Ben had gone to University of Colorado - Boulder, he knew the

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-11483186985430991932011-10-03T21:20:00.000-04:002011-10-03T21:20:57.861-04:00

It was another bright and clear day when we hit the road for Boulder. Due north of Denver, it felt like a quick 30 minutes before we saw these beauties (the Flatirons) peering over the rise at us: There was a convenient little look-out area where you could pull over and gawk to your heart's content - so we did: What's that lurking in the distance? The city of Boulder, waiting to be explored:

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-84974926684130805942011-09-29T22:36:00.000-04:002011-09-29T22:36:12.812-04:00

Ben had been talking up the restaurant he wanted to take us to dinner and I admit I was a little skeptical - Denver and Japanese food didn't seem to be a likely pairing. And then we arrived and I saw this: And fell in love with this charming restaurant - it's a little Japanese oasis found on the outskirts of Denver. And the interior was just as cool as the exterior, delivering on the perfect

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-64348865593160518472011-09-28T22:13:00.000-04:002011-09-28T22:13:03.695-04:00

When Ben picked us up, he drove us to one of Denver's most charming neighborhoods, Cherry Creek, to meet up with another former Bostonian - Kat, and to enjoy brunch at a magical place called Syrup: Bear with me, because I know the exterior is nondescript and doesn't reveal the wondrous food that serve inside - things like warm beignets that you can dip into syrup: Not just any syrup - with our

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-72968974949677818942011-09-27T22:51:00.000-04:002011-09-27T22:51:27.043-04:00

Andrew, Amy and I had the pleasure of spending Labor Day weekend in Denver, my first time in the lovely state of Colorado.  Our purpose was to catch up with our friend Ben (Amy's old roommate and Andrew's best friend from law school).  Our flight was originally supposed to get us to Denver at around 7 pm, but as our flight was descending, we were suddenly told that severe thunderstorms were

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-72730268582962401692011-09-22T21:19:00.000-04:002011-09-22T21:19:36.501-04:00

I recently had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday (the big 3-1). In my head, I was already thinking I was 31 throughout the month of August which then made me irritated at myself, because why was I aging myself before it was even necessary? But I guess one way to look at it is, I had already made my piece about turning a year older.  Despite having to work late at work on my birthday, I

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-11263043085256602872011-09-21T21:24:00.000-04:002011-09-21T21:24:11.320-04:00

I needed to bring a dessert for a work function and perhaps inspired by living with my dad, who loves peanut butter enough to eat a peanut butter sandwich every day, I was in the mood for a peanut butter cookie. Not that peanut butter cookie recipes are that hard but I decided to go for one from a website I've looked at in the past, Joy the Baker (and no, I don't like simply because my name is

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-50568243967599192182011-09-20T22:49:00.000-04:002011-09-20T22:49:12.065-04:00

My parent's move back to the US coincided with a big milestone in their marriage - their 40th wedding anniversary! To honor the occasion and to give our extended family a chance to welcome my parents back to the US, we hosted a BBQ in my parent's honor. With the limited amount of time I had to plan, I was able to find some pictures of my parents from when they were first married (luckily, I had

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-32335173607726828792011-09-15T21:51:00.000-04:002011-09-15T21:51:50.325-04:00

It's been a hectic summer between work demands, having my house and kitchen taken over by beloved parents (we're almost at the two month mark, not that I'm counting) and just simply not being motivated to bake since it's hot and muggy outside. I keep feeling guilty that I haven't posted many baking-related posts. I have baked this summer, but either they were not up to my standards in terms of

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-80093879930008947922011-09-09T08:20:00.002-04:002011-09-15T21:31:30.844-04:00

Rich had eaten at the Silver Lounge Restaurant earlier in the week with Andrew and Andrea (apparently, I missed out on a good prime rib special) and enjoyed his meal, so he recommended it when we all wanted to grab a bite to eat.  The place was had the typical charming Cape Cod exterior with weathered shingles and was packed. So much so that I wanted to laugh at a lady that came in, requested a

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-59100244079978748282011-09-08T21:19:00.000-04:002011-09-08T21:19:55.500-04:00

I'm ignoring another cold, dreary, rainy day by recapping another summer day trip to Falmouth. I avoid the Cape like the plague during the summer, since it's overrun with tourists. However, Rich had scored a friend's vacation home for a week. While Andrew and I were too busy at work to take an extra day off and stay overnight at the house, we did drive down on an August weekend. This charming

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-37111015232395233212011-09-06T22:05:00.000-04:002011-09-06T22:05:54.466-04:00

A big family BBQ in honor of my parents' 40th wedding anniversary + Hurricane Irene + working long hours because of said Hurricane + quick Labor Day weekend trip to Colorado = delinquent blogger. I think you know who she is.

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-65374217789482209332011-09-06T21:52:00.000-04:002011-09-06T22:34:52.813-04:00

Where has the summer gone? Before the last of the warm weather escapes (ignore the current spell of rainy weather we're stuck with), I urge you to head over to Hull and enjoy one last lobster roll of the season at Jake's Seafood Restaurant. On a sunny day not too long ago, I had a craving for some seafood and I wanted to find a place that next to the weather and new to me. Using the always

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-18668452623769505972011-08-30T21:56:00.000-04:002011-08-30T21:56:29.590-04:00

We escaped relatively unscathed from Hurricane (Tropical Storm?) Irene.  By the time it hit on Sunday, our fears about possible flooding and really strong winds were put to rest. However, we were nervous about falling trees and flying tree limbs, especially since we live next to a park with lots of tall trees that extend over our house. Once the worst of the storm passed through and the rain

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-49607094803270036842011-08-27T08:56:00.003-04:002011-08-30T20:49:02.541-04:00

My parents, upon looking at a picture taken of them when they were first married... My mom - "Now I remember why I married you, you were so handsome back then." My dad - "You were pretty hot yourself." Not sure if I find that more sweet or disturbing. Happy 40th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-29424073054709280722011-08-24T22:11:00.001-04:002011-08-24T22:11:53.496-04:00

Today is Jen's birthday (she's a fellow Virgo) but we actually celebrated the big occasion on Saturday at Burtons Grill in Boston (you may recall that we did the same last year).  With the same cast of characters (Birthday girl Jen, her brother Bryan, Amy (our college roommate), Andrew and myself), we also had some new additions in the form of Bryan's girlfriend Leigh, Jen's friend Nate, one of

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-8870499152690856542011-08-24T21:31:00.000-04:002011-08-24T21:31:51.161-04:00

I'll preface this by saying this is not a dog blog, but I couldn't resist a post devoted to some dogs we saw on Sunday. Andrew's family grew up with two boxers so he's got built in boxer radar whenever we're in public.  At the Timberman Ironman, we immediately spotted a pair of boxers and got a kick out of watching them play on the beach. Then we hit the jackpot once we ended up at a table

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-69787569837592923232011-08-23T22:38:00.000-04:002011-08-23T22:38:17.999-04:00

Andrew and I woke up in the wee hours on Sunday - I'm talking 4 a.m. (yikes) to drive up to Gilford, NH to watch Amanda compete in the Timberman Ironman, which is half-Ironman triathlon.  We're talking a 1.2 mile swim in Lake Winnipesaukee, 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run - 70.3 miles in one day.  That's incredible when you think that most people get tired after driving 70.3 miles! We were

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-5054917620972701852011-08-22T22:09:00.000-04:002011-08-22T22:09:08.907-04:00

Andrew has been busy this summer doing odd jobs around the house. This past weekend, he decided to tackle gutter cleaning for the first time. I couldn't resist the title for this post, it seemed to obvious with the whole gutter and ladder theme. Really, it was an excuse for him to try out toys like the extension ladder and the ladder stabilizer. Despite the fact that I told him it was worth

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-40158874024737214752011-08-17T06:50:00.000-04:002011-08-17T06:50:35.082-04:00

Back in the early years of my parents' marriage when I was a baby, it was still uncommon to see a mixed marriage in the Boston area. So much so that my parents remember strangers stopping them on the street so they could peer into the carriage and see what I looked like.  There were no international aisles in supermarkets back in those days, so my dad would have to take my mom to Chinatown to

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-22370265352416992762011-08-15T20:36:00.000-04:002011-08-15T20:36:32.268-04:00

Last Thursday, Amy, Phu, Andrew and I scored free tickets to the Patriots pre-season game against the Jaguars. Amy and I both had to work on the later side.  However, this ended up working in our favor because we missed most of the pre-game traffic.  We scored a (paid) parking spot near the stadium and I was very impressed by the marked pedestrian paths the guide spectators to Gillette. The

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-40963845990869084462011-08-13T12:31:00.000-04:002011-08-13T12:31:27.719-04:00

Courtesy of my Korean mama: Round slices of rice cakes, Korean yaki mandu (more commonly known as gyoza in Japan or stuffed dumplings) in a egg drop broth with scallions. While I stuck with the soup, Andrew had a bowl AND eggs and bacon for breakfast, cooked by my mom. He is getting very spoiled and I'm afraid it's going to be tough for both of us to lose our "live-in" cook when my

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-15111732762820891872011-08-12T20:48:00.060-04:002011-08-12T21:31:49.117-04:00

During the Fourth of July weekend, Andrew and I were trying to be good hosts for Camie and James.  We had some time to kill between eating lunch and heading to Manomet Beach, and at the request of C&J, we stopped first at the Plymouth House of Correction aka where Whitey Bulger is being held. Yes ladies and gentleman, we took our guests to a prison.  But in my defense, they wanted to see it!

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-90918489654261471522011-08-10T21:04:00.000-04:002011-08-10T21:04:40.507-04:00

This is clearly the summer of catch-up posts but to my dismay, I honestly thought I had already posted about this and shared pictures. Which is why I am sadly blogging about the Fourth of July in August. But seriously folks, where has the summer gone and how is it already August already? Thanks to my side of the family and Andrew's side of the family, we tend to spend the whole 4th of July

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-72528879837390298662011-08-10T07:43:00.001-04:002011-08-10T07:43:00.522-04:00

This is my favorite house on our street, hands down. I just love the bold color which contrasts nicely with the white trim and really lets you see all the historical details to the house. The huge, nicely manicured lawn doesn't hurt, either. We took this picture for Andrew's mom Charlotte, who's also a big fan of the house but I didn't want to deprive you of the view as well.

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-40945633781818611992011-08-09T21:42:00.001-04:002011-08-09T21:42:52.364-04:00

Sometimes, when life hands you a bunch of ripe fruit (in my case, raspberries and blueberries nearing their expiration date plus some sliced strawberries and a nectarine for good measure): It's time to whip up a summer fruit coffee cake. Why coffee cake? Because I wanted a crisp, crumby topping. This is where, dear readers, I admit to leading you on. I've misplaced the recipe for this coffee

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-22126437315156249832011-08-08T22:05:00.000-04:002011-08-08T22:05:38.756-04:00

Andrew and I seem to spend a lot of our time in the Hingham Shipyard, but mostly, we tend to hang out at the Hingham Beer Works or the Red Mango (which has seriously disappointed me the last couple of times I've had it, so Pinkberry still rules my stomach).  However, on a recent trip, we decided to try out Alma Nove as a belated birthday celebration for my cousin Andrea. From it's external

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-62465872428419968652011-08-08T21:40:00.000-04:002011-08-08T21:40:41.138-04:00

Thanks to my good friend Rosie, I learned a quick and easy hike in the Blue Hills that's conveniently located right off Route 138, close to 128.  I went hiking with Rosie and Breena back in June, and then had the opportunity to take my parents on the same trail, this time with a camera to capture our journey. From the parking lot by the Trailside Museum, it was fairly easy to follow the red dots

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-43365404342582362062011-08-04T21:45:00.000-04:002011-08-04T21:45:52.247-04:00

I had a meeting in work yesterday with a coworker in NY and four consultants who were also based in NYC.  We were reviewing an Excel spreadsheet of upcoming company events and a line item leapt out at me. It was labeled as the "Wooster" event.  I laughed out loud and told them while it was spelled correctly phonetically, the town was really spelled Worcester. That sparked a response of "Oh! I

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-45204878670754480622011-08-02T22:52:00.000-04:002011-08-02T22:52:21.733-04:00

In case you're wondering why I didn't label the post with the seemingly more obvious choice of "Handy Andy", it simply because no one calls Andrew "Andy".  It just wouldn't seem like I was talking about my husband! So I'll start this off by saying this is an example of a rare occurrence where Andrew was right and I was wrong. Very rare.  He called me at work and told me he wanted to install a

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-1636574765469738352011-08-02T22:18:00.000-04:002011-08-02T22:18:43.408-04:00

Earlier this summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to continue what I hope becomes an annual tradition - a catered meal at a work function in Gloucester. Look at this spread! Um, heck yeah is that filet mignon, lobster tails and shrimp... Some nice roast veggies and (slightly out of place to me but good nonetheless) a cold Asian noodle salad Spectacular views of the water and a multi-layer

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-60202286555723039672011-08-01T22:22:00.000-04:002011-08-01T22:22:38.419-04:00

Apologies to anyone that has heard me gush about this in real life or Facebook, but I just couldn't resist sharing our good news with my online readers - Andrew and I made it into The Knot Boston magazine! We're in the Fall/Winter issue that just hit newsstands at the end of June. It was tough keeping the news a secret since we were notified way back at the end of January that we had been

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-68076105278696685432011-07-29T18:19:00.002-04:002011-07-29T20:18:24.800-04:00

These pictures were originally supposed to appear in the last post about Philadelphia, but it was just too hard to pick just a few so I decided they deserved their own post! While we were in Philly, Eric (another one of Andrew's college friends), his wife Jen and son Cameron drove into the city to meet up with us and hang out for a few hours.  Some of you may remember Cameron from way back when,

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-59807861792422569642011-07-28T18:01:00.054-04:002011-07-28T21:29:38.394-04:00

In another catch-up post, Andrew and I had the opportunity to visit Philadelphia for a whirlwind weekend last month. When I say whirlwind, I mean that we arrived around noon on Saturday and got home to Boston around 8 PM on Sunday, which means we spent a good chunk of our time driving the whole weekend.  I honestly can't remember the last time I was in Philadelphia so I suspect it was a good ten

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-72487096842405167702011-07-26T21:27:00.001-04:002011-07-26T21:27:38.792-04:00

Andrew and I the pleasure of attending one of my coworker's weddings over the weekend (congrats Sue & Dave!)  The title of this post refers not to their wedding, but the comedy of errors that proceeded our arrival at the wedding. Andrew and I were busy condo hunting in Natick with my parents and were cutting it close with time.  We made it back to the house in time to take a

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-66066600044017426552011-07-26T20:18:00.000-04:002011-07-26T20:18:24.593-04:00

When my mom cooked for us last night, she fed us in shifts. My dad got fed as soon as he got home.  Andrew and I each ended up working a little late, getting home late as a result and eating around 6:15 PM.  Last shift was Amy and Phu at 7:45 - Amy experiencing another long and sucky day at her job and Phu having gotten soaked in the short walk from the T station to our place.  Both starting

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-13190260199886756652011-07-25T21:50:00.000-04:002011-07-25T21:50:10.064-04:00

My parents have been here officially a week, as of tonight. What have we accomplished so far? Cell phone for my dad, check!American pizza for dinner (much better than the Anthony's brand pizza sold on Army bases), check!Hiking in the Blue Hills, check!New car for my parents, check! Tour of three condos, check!Stuffing our faces with the fabulous Korean dinner made by my mom, check!

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-25714731239488690962011-07-18T20:17:00.001-04:002011-07-18T20:27:52.391-04:00

Are just too cute, so I had to share one more picture... And a shout out to Tom and Charlotte, my other set of parents, for being generally wonderful AND loaning us one of their cars, so my parents have a car to use (I hope you forgive me for posting this picture!) Picture says it all - two of the coolest cats around...

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-28171062787166577712011-07-18T20:11:00.001-04:002011-07-18T20:11:55.397-04:00

I interrupt my stream of catch-up posts with a news update - my parents land in MA tonight!  For the first time since I was 18, my parents and I will live in the same country and the same time zone. This is one of my favorite pictures of my parents together, snapped by my bridesmaid/photographer extraordinaire Camie. They will be staying with Andrew and me while we help them shop for a car,

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-50773405901037412242011-07-15T17:56:00.001-04:002011-07-15T17:57:06.012-04:00

I feel extremely old each time I visit BC and realize that there is something new there that didn't exist when I was going to school there.  Breena had two simple requests for her visit in Boston - a hike (which we accomplished in the Blue Hills sans camera) and a visit to BC's labyrinth.  I was confused when she mentioned it, because when I was a student, the labyrinth was a temporary thing

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-92050337954803916292011-07-14T21:38:00.000-04:002011-07-14T21:38:34.319-04:00

The special person that inspired the cupcakes? My younger sister (only sibling, in fact) Amy, who just keeps getting older which means - you guessed it - that I keep getting older too. We are known to hang out at The Publick House in Brookline way too often, but this time, Amy opted for American Craft because she figured it would be easier to make a large dinner reservation (I think there were 11

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-46586006402620324992011-07-09T09:27:00.010-04:002011-07-09T11:23:20.100-04:00

My sister Amy's 29th birthday was a special enough occasion that it warranted two types of cupcakes - the first batch that Breena and I tackled were the Margarita cupcakes. The second batch that I selected were Crème Brulee cupcakes - one, because Amy and I both love crème brulee (who doesn't?) but two, because they sounded like a fun thing to make (hello, blow torch anyone?) So I proudly

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-1033336608609331162011-07-07T21:26:00.000-04:002011-07-07T21:26:18.950-04:00

As Breena's visit coincided with Amy's birthday weekend, we knew a marathon baking session was in order.  Wanting to make desserts that were special and felt birthday-like, we decided cupcakes were in order and that we would make two different types. After perusing the always helpful Beantown Baker website, I selected one and Breena was wavering between Oreo cupcakes and Margarita cupcakes (we

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-60298457683961677612011-07-06T21:44:00.000-04:002011-07-06T21:44:31.835-04:00

In mid-June, a visit from a high school friend marked our first house guest of the summer and kicked off a series of busy weeks! In just one weekend alone, Breena (accompanied by me or Amy or both of us) managed to Walk a labyrinth...Bake six dozen cupcakes... Celebrate a birthday...Go kayaking... Cuddle with puppies (that's right, plural)...More details to come (including recipes) on the

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-60861833851340076902011-07-06T19:25:00.000-04:002011-07-06T19:25:59.922-04:00

Life got kinda busy all of a sudden with visits with good friends, weekend trips away, babies to coo over, work events and general exhaustion. So I took a hiatus from blogging and realized that where I left off, a good portion of you may be wondering if the mangoes did me in, after all! I'm back, I'm alive and breathing so let's begin where I left off (you'll just have to ignore the time lapse

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-53825301089941914792011-06-15T21:56:00.000-04:002011-06-15T21:56:55.832-04:00

As it turns out, I don't have an allergy to mangoes. However, I did wake up yesterday morning with a  rash on my upper lip - which has slowly spread to my whole upper lip (not the bottom) and a small patch by my eyelid.  The good news is that you can't see the rash on my lips even though I can feel it and it is driving.me.crazy. Eyelid patch is easily covered up with some make-up. So what the

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-48448825735403050642011-06-13T20:13:00.001-04:002011-06-13T20:15:21.440-04:00

Hello, my name is Joyce and I'm addicted to mangoes. I really have been on a mango tear lately. In fact, writing this post, I had to stop midway, go to the fridge, and grab a container of Chobani mango yogurt which I've been buying in bulk. Why is this such a revelation and a current obsession? For twenty years, I've stayed away from mangoes because I thought I was allergic

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-55707824645273680392011-06-12T18:47:00.000-04:002011-06-12T18:47:04.414-04:00

Andrew and I spent the weekend condo-hunting for my parents, more like pre-screening places for them to check out once they're back in MA this summer (!) One of the places we checked out in a highly desirable suburb of Boston looked beautiful from a distance - Andrew thought it had a Southern plantation feel, and I agreed. It was more like a Southern plantation then we realized (think glory of

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-60477805596729092592011-06-07T22:06:00.000-04:002011-06-07T22:06:45.093-04:00

...or at least our yard is. Andrew and I looked around our yard one day and realized that some rather ordinary-looking bushes (for most of the year) have suddenly burst into color.  And, we did hedge our bets by planting additional flowers this year, going for pretty annuals as opposed to the veggies we grew last year.  Discouraged by the amount of animals that ended up nibbling on what we grew

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-87855729588022434292011-06-06T22:13:00.000-04:002011-06-06T22:13:19.320-04:00

Summer for means enjoying sunshine on the deck with a glass of sangria at hand.  I'm not really known for being a bartender (or mixing any type of drink for that matter) but I've been making sangria for years.  As it's also one of Charlotte's favorites, sangria makes its appearance at every Plymouth summer BBQ.  Except for last Labor Day weekend, a month and a half before the wedding, where I had

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-68975316140915830532011-06-04T22:13:00.012-04:002011-06-06T22:19:31.930-04:00

I forgot I had taken this picture until I found it on my camera. On Wednesday night, I was watching the news coverage on the severe storms in central and western Mass.  The word tornado was being thrown about.  All of a suddent, the TV screen turned black and this message appeared: I stared in shock for a moment because I had never seen the Emergency Alert System in use before (I know we're

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-78890106178408234752011-05-30T22:13:00.000-04:002011-05-30T22:13:03.823-04:00

Memorial Day weekend for Andrew and me means the annual Sunday BBQ at his parents' house in Plymouth. With Tom in charge of grilling... ...there's plenty to enjoy including hotdogs, veggie burgers for the lone vegetarian in our group, Polish kielbasa, and Portuguese chaurico and linguica (bonus points to anyone that can tell them apart on the grill, not including Tom!) If that wasn't enough

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-32499497989248814082011-05-28T21:10:00.001-04:002011-05-30T21:33:17.059-04:00

In a celebratory mood this weekend (nothing better than toasting the warm weather and a nice, long holiday weekend), I busted out our blender for the first time (another wedding gift, thanks Kelli and Alex) and pureed some fresh berries into delicious summer drinks.  The best part is that Andrew was out for a guy's night with Phu, Rich and Jason, which meant I didn't have to share these with

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-62915201825270610502011-05-27T20:01:00.066-04:002011-05-30T20:59:29.902-04:00

One way to kick off a great Memorial Day weekend is to have a reunion with friends from afar!  Andrew and I had marked off May 26 for months when we knew Mike and Jeanne were going to be in Boston. Currently residents of Louisiana, they were in town to celebrate a very special occasion - Mike's graduation from Harvard with a doctorate in Political Science! To celebrate such a momentous occasion

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-51941488843785280122011-05-27T11:46:00.033-04:002011-05-30T19:32:37.785-04:00

Another thing I enjoy about visiting Manhattan is the brunch culture. It's just so easy to roll out of bed at anytime of the day and make your way to a good brunch place or even a corner bodega for fresh bagels. Amanda took us to a great brunch place with a Belgian flair - Markt on Sixth Avenue.  We were up relatively early and so we were able to score an awesome table at the open windows to

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-8321388805801366172011-05-26T23:46:00.037-04:002011-05-30T18:37:01.444-04:00

A visit to NYC would not be complete without meeting up Camie, who is kind enough to trek into Manhattan to have dinner with us!  As a UNC-Chapel Hill grad, Camie is no stranger to BBQ and recommended Blue Smoke for dinner. One of the things I love about Manhattan is how many great restaurants are within walking distance - sure, it's equally as easy to catch a cab to go places but I love the

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-29384363767472900822011-05-26T22:07:00.072-04:002011-05-30T17:46:22.581-04:00

On our first day in NYC, Andrew and I made plans to meet up for lunch with a college friend of his.  Eric wanted to stick close to work, and had gotten a recommendation from coworkers for Ted's Montana Grill.  Andrew and I had never heard of this chain but it's apparently a Ted Turner (of CNN fame) restaurant known for good burgers and bison beef. Bison as in buffalo.  I didn't bust out the

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-18512863853239852372011-05-25T22:23:00.001-04:002011-05-25T22:24:23.875-04:00

One reason for my blogging silence over the weekend? Andrew and I both took a day off from work (it was my first vacation day of the year, believe it or not) and drove to Manhattan on Thursday night to visit Amanda. Did I mention that Amanda recently moved and now lives in midtown, one block away from Madison Square Garden, Penn Station and amusingly enough, Koreatown! That's her building (modern

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-46195115116216717512011-05-24T21:53:00.000-04:002011-05-24T21:53:23.983-04:00

Soup for dinner? Sounds kind of boring, right? Not when you've got these lovelies accompanying your meal!  I just love when something is so easy to make and tastes sooo good! I've got my mother-in-law to thank as inspiration for these - we were visiting one weekend and she had us sample some mini blue cheese popovers she had made. I bit into one and was instantly wondering why I didn't make

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-85541568826168625332011-05-24T21:28:00.001-04:002011-05-24T21:29:18.847-04:00

It's taken me a while to post this recipe and of course, as I type this, the weather has turned in Boston and it is warm, humid and muggy.  Ugh.  Not that I'm complaining about the end to the two weeks of cloudiness and rain, but still, how does it jump twenty degrees in one night? Of course, this being Boston, you can just "wait five minutes" for the weather to change again.  Thus, I share a

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-69005668034242844332011-05-18T21:49:00.000-04:002011-05-18T21:49:57.579-04:00

Yesterday, I described how my fascination with lighting rum on fire led to a life-long love of Bananas Foster. With a few ripe bananas calling my name and a special occasion to celebrate (a belated Mother's Day celebration for Charlotte, since Andrew's parents were visiting family in the South the previous weekend), I did a quick google search and found the recipe for these lovelies.

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-24561515241488731822011-05-17T22:24:00.002-04:002011-05-17T22:25:15.132-04:00

All it took was a huge pile of ripe bananas in the grocery store, and I was inspired to spend the whole weekend making Bananas Foster. I was first introduced to the dessert in college - one of my college roommates had a younger brother who was attending Johnson and Wales and wanted to be chef.  For us starving college students, that equaled free restaurant-quality food! Patrick was kind enough to

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-31914747866294748572011-05-15T22:33:00.000-04:002011-05-15T22:33:19.328-04:00

This post is embarrassingly late (two weeks after actual event) but I wanted to share the awesomeness that is the Boston Beer and Bacon Festival before even more time passed by. You got a taste for what event was like last week, but here is more of an in-depth analysis of the second annual festival. Was it better than last year's? Read on and find out! Learning our lesson from last year's line,

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-78606643431279115482011-05-15T19:21:00.000-04:002011-05-15T19:21:05.334-04:00

Update - woohoo! My entry has officially been accepted by America's Test Kitchen (calm down folks, that doesn't mean it's been selected as a winner).  They have three pages of submissions and you can find little ole me (being the late submitter that I am) near the bottom.  Check it out: http://americastestkitchen.tumblr.com/post/5394705370/boston-blogger-cookie-challenge-submissions-part-3

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-33317126293061786732011-05-10T22:12:00.000-04:002011-05-10T22:12:46.945-04:00

Is it possible to improve on a seemingly perfect thing? I think most of America is familiar with the standard Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's quick, easy, and best of all, impossible to lose since it's printed on the back of every single Nestle chocolate chip bag. The most I ever do to jazz it up is add some almond flavoring (a trick learned from my friend Z). However, I was

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-57314237602924472992011-05-05T21:37:00.000-04:002011-05-05T21:37:48.570-04:00

Some highlights from the Boston Beer and Bacon Festival (full post to come at some point this weekend when I'm done feeling so crummy): My favorite dish of the night - Pork belly over polenta and pickled vegetables by the fireplace - sooooo good! The two key utensils needed to survive the night (and to score tons of bacon and beer, naturally): Bacon appeared in all sorts of strange places,

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-75054995568775838692011-05-04T20:49:00.004-04:002011-05-04T21:02:01.005-04:00

Andrew and I had the busiest of weekends, and I've got much to share about Boston Beer and Bacon Festival and the Walk for Hunger...but, I'm sick.  So I've lost motivation to do a long, picture-filled post.  While Andrew and I are feeling sorry for ourselves (I totally passed on what I had to him, thus fulfilling the whole "in sickness" part of our vows), I decided to share this delightful

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-77878717452466354452011-04-29T00:01:00.001-04:002011-04-29T00:01:06.035-04:00

I have fallen in love, and unfortunately for me (but fortunately for my waistline), my love is located in Plymouth. The Blue-eyed Crab Grille was Tom and Charlotte's choice for a birthday dinner in Tom's honor but really, dinner was a gift for all of us. Ok, ok, I will stop with the flowery language, but seriously folks, I was digging the food here! The Blue-eyed Crab in Plymouth was the second

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-75256903522595587122011-04-28T20:12:00.002-04:002011-04-28T20:12:00.273-04:00

I can't wait for the weekend and the nice weather we're supposed to be having. One of the last nice weekends we had, Andrew, Amy and I ended up taking a roundabout culinary tour of Southeastern MA. First stop on our tour was North Dartmouth to pick up my cousin Andrew from school. He was in desperate need of escape from campus food, so we ended up taking him to the Waterfront Grille in New

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-14835227794476698962011-04-27T22:10:00.000-04:002011-04-27T22:10:17.626-04:00

Happy Administrative Professionals Day! Andrew asked me last minute to make something to bring in for the paralegals in his office. One is notoriously finicky and doesn't like nuts or nut flavors.  When checking my larder (I feel like Laura Ingalls Wilder when I use that term) I realized that I had NO chocolate chips. Which is weird for a frequent baker like me. I had two bags of white chocolate

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-4979391494641705052011-04-26T21:38:00.001-04:002011-04-26T21:39:27.486-04:00

In addition to the warm weather on Sunday, there were a lot of things that made my Easter weekend special. A beautifully decorated table with tons of chocolate treats waiting for us: Did I mention the chocolate? Traditional bunnies as well as special edition Lindt chocolates, Ferrero Rocher chocolates (including my absolute favorite the coconut version) and Ghiradelli chocolates: A sneak peek

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-1500832595867391052011-04-25T20:07:00.000-04:002011-04-25T22:18:55.227-04:00

Sometimes a rainy, overcast day calls for a dazzling array of colors in a dish to cheer you up! A six pack of peppers from Costco inspired me to try making stuffed bell peppers for the first time. Since rainy days make me feel lazy as well, you can find the full recipe that I used here. I also added around a cup and a half of short grain, fluffy rice that I had leftover in my rice cooker and it

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-48710153609234558012011-04-22T20:02:00.091-04:002011-04-23T16:28:33.205-04:00

First off, I knew it was going to be a special night when we saw where Cupcake Camp Boston was being hosted - tucked into an ordinary looking neighborhood was the incredible and historic Somerville Armory for the Arts - I wish I had taken a picture of it, but well, it was raining and we were carrying eight dozen cupcakes, so I'm giving myself a pass on the picture taking. Once inside, I made my

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-1916397393609432052011-04-19T22:11:00.000-04:002011-04-19T22:11:30.052-04:00

As you saw in yesterday's post, while my first batch of cupcakes ended up as a miserable failure, I did successfully end up making eight dozen batches of cupcakes in two flavors.  I had my eye on making praline cupcakes (inspired by the pralines a coworker brought back from New Orleans around Mardi Gras) and I bookmarked this recipe with the intent of making it for Cupcake Camp Boston.  I liked

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-47570319585478839452011-04-18T21:53:00.000-04:002011-04-18T21:53:46.870-04:00

It's taken me a full week to recover from the crazed baking for Cupcake Camp, but I want to take you back to last Monday before the event. This is how the week started - five dozen black bottom cupcakes in the trash. I was feeling frazzled and frustrated and full of despair - it was definitely the low point of the week: The reason why they went into the trash? Still undetermined. They had an

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-3799731698958272882011-04-09T16:45:00.001-04:002011-04-09T16:47:06.611-04:00

Scones sound very British and frankly, very boring. We've all had the doughy, dry things with no flavor that are passed off as scones. I suppose those are specifically designed to be doused with jam and clotted cream (which I've yet to try) but I was seeking something that could stand on its own delicious flavor and texture. So what inspired this baking session? I woke up early on a Saturday

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-24557157321884138082011-04-07T22:09:00.000-04:002011-04-07T22:09:49.145-04:00

Continued from yesterday's post, my reflections on all the baking I've done throughout my life... Even in graduate school, I found myself baking at the most unexpected times. Most of our classes were organized around group projects with an accompanying presentation. To make one of my first group presentations stand out, I made square cookies with the Ikea logo frosted on them. Little did I

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-10567644435884642712011-04-06T22:58:00.000-04:002011-04-06T22:58:53.673-04:00

April is a big month for me due to two big events - one being obviously the Boston Beer and Bacon Festival that I haven't stopped talking about for a week and the other being Cupcake Camp Boston!  I'll be participating as an amateur baker this year which means I'll be showing up with my hands full of cupcakes! You can read more on the official Cupcake Camp Boston blog, where

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-35620549304439924532011-04-03T14:07:00.075-04:002011-04-03T14:07:00.458-04:00

I've been sitting on these pictures for a year now. I had the best of intentions to blog about the first Boston Beer and Bacon Festival and then life (and wedding planning) got in the way last year. Now that we've got tickets to the second annual festival this year, I decided it was the right time to reminisce about what makes the festival so fabulous (other than the obvious - beer and bacon,

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-33749084953408639782011-04-02T15:43:00.001-04:002011-04-02T15:46:10.839-04:00

Friday was definitely a day of roller coaster emotions! April 1st had been marked on my calendar as the day that tickets for the 2011 Boston Beer and Bacon Festival were on sale. I was ready at 1 p.m. on the dot, made it as far as the screen that asked for how many tickets I wanted, and then the screen stopped loading. As in, no button appeared for me to click on to purchase the

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-84221515575825368722011-04-01T20:35:00.002-04:002011-04-02T11:44:40.275-04:00

This picture is courtesy of my sister Amy's morning commute, but sums up my feelings about getting snow in April. Thank you Mother Nature.

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-40782231157587701852011-03-29T21:26:00.001-04:002011-03-29T21:27:04.047-04:00

Apparently, marketers are a bit confused about where Andrew and I fall in terms of target markets. He keeps getting AARP solicitations in the mail. As in, the type of letter that comes complete with a real AARP card bearing your name. And not just once, multiple times. And for some reason, I've started emails like this from the Princeton Review, despite hitting every unsuscribe button they have

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-42701437059236926012011-03-27T20:23:00.000-04:002011-03-27T20:23:07.070-04:00

I just discovered wordle.net, which creates word clouds from text that you provide, in this case, my blog! I had to laugh when I saw how prominently the words "cookie" and "cookies"showed up in the wordle I made, because the more prominent the word, the more often it was used on the blog. In my defense, I think the wordle is only based on my last four posts (I just plugged in

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-66969830762427875182011-03-23T21:30:00.001-04:002011-03-23T21:37:16.980-04:00

Earlier this week, I wrote about how the lingering winter weather inspired me to make Ginger Hermits, a spicy cookie meant to be eaten with a good cup of tea (cranberry green tea for me). Well, now I'm thumbing my nose at the latest forecast of snow with a cookie that is just meant to celebrate spring - Italian Sprinkle Cookies! I've literally dreaming about these cookies for years, after

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-32431469619784248072011-03-21T20:49:00.084-04:002011-03-21T22:18:08.355-04:00

I never thought I liked gingerbread cookies or anything with a really spicy flavor. To tell you the truth, I really dislike ginger as a flavor overall, even though it's used a lot in the Korean cooking I grew up with. Which is why it was a surprise when I liked these cookies so much. A coworker brought in a batch of Ginger Hermits to a work potluck and I was in love. Moist and flavorful, they

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-24860827950687232732011-03-16T22:29:00.000-04:002011-03-16T22:29:54.826-04:00

For those of you who aren't as familiar with Japan, here's a map that shows where the earthquake occurred, the location of Tokyo and the military installations in relation to it. My parents are on that little dot that that is labeled "Naval Air Facility Atsugi/Camp Zama". The bases are within a 15 minute drive of each other and we shared a high school (my alma mater ZAHS). I talked to my parents

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-38774293824519960512011-03-15T21:39:00.000-04:002011-03-15T21:39:13.833-04:00

It's official - Apple is starting to own more of my soul.I am now the proud owner of an iPhone 3GS.  My sister broke my 3.5 year phone right after I had proclaimed to her that it had lasted through everything (talk about fate laughing at you). I went from an old slider phone to a touchscreen smart phone. As I told the woman at the AT&T store, I'm like an old lady with a phone (I barely use

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-36767795605754230012011-03-14T20:14:00.000-04:002011-03-14T20:14:01.484-04:00

With everything that's been happening lately, it feels like it's more important than ever to celebrate the good things in life. Like friendships and although I know this sounds a little dramatic, birthdays that signify that not only that you have survived another year, that you have another year to look forward to. It's only fitting that amongst March babies in my circle of friends, two are

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-15311121813883980112011-03-13T22:24:00.000-04:002011-03-13T22:24:54.527-04:00

It's been kind of a crazy weekend.  Life has been pretty quiet and normal for me here in Boston. However, my thoughts have been with my parents, who readers will remember live in Japan. Thankfully, I woke up on Friday morning not to newspaper headlines or disturbing footage on TV. My first inkling that something was wrong was when Andrew happened to check his email on his iPhone at 5:30 a.m.

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4668278168304309210.post-21546643065989004812011-03-11T00:00:00.005-05:002011-03-12T17:00:30.332-05:00

Just a little birthday shout-out to my friend Camie. We're both pretty nerdy (and have been since high school) so I'd like to say we were both primp and proper all the time: But really, it's more like us having long chats and cracking ourselves up. Camie is the best storyteller and has the most expressive range of faces: Happy Birthday Camie! Sorry to be missing out on the

bcallegrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07860756815447534197noreply@blogger.com2