Wedding Wednesdays : Dreamy but Practical Registry

When creating G and I's wedding registry, I did my best to choose practical, needed items but, of course, I ended up getting distracted by all the pretty things, especially in the kitchen and dining categories. Colorful bowls, plates and glassware. Countless appetizer trays in varying sizes perfect for hosting a cocktail party, even though they don't all necessarily match. Basically, beautiful stuff that we love but don't use vary often.

That's not to say we didn't ask for and receive some functional items. But Thanksgiving showed me that there are some cooking and entertaining basics we are still very much in need of, especially when we actually do host a holiday dinner for more than just the two of us.

So I did a bit of internet window shopping and put together this "dream registry" of real world items that every couple should put on their wish list.

Sturdy nonstick roasting pan and rack, with turkey lifters for cooking holiday birds and gravy, Sunday roasts and even weeknight veggies // Large baking dish with tight-fitting lid that can go from the fridge to the oven to the table beautifully

Simple white platters and serving bowls (not pictured) that go with everything and make food look good // White pitcher with subtle details and enough bling to make it feel special // Wooden trivet to protect surfaces from piping-hot dishes (a wire one would be handy too, and serve as a cooling rack) // Chic oversized serving set for family-style meals // A classic, go-with-everything butter dish, since even butter needs a place at the table // Small spouted serving bowl and gravy boat for sauces of all kinds

Pie dishes, white and ruffled or colorful and sweet, making your dessert look good even if you mess up the crust (or buy it pre-made) //  Rolling pin, for when you do want to try your hand at making the crust from scratch // A brownie dish that would work equally as well for making cobblers, bars and small cakes or cornbread  // Pastry brush for slathering baked goods with egg washes and glazes, or savories with butter and sauce // Pie and cake servers that make getting that first piece out a little easier (and look a lot prettier), in satin-finished or gilded stainless steel (matching cake knife not pictured)

Because every registry needs a splurge or two, a fancy carving set and matching serving duo

Married and engaged couples out there, I'd love to hear: What did you put on your registry?


(Top image via one of my favorite stores, Crate & Barrel)

The Colorful World of Chihuly

On Saturday afternoon, the hubby and I finally visited the spectacular Chihuly Collection, presented by the Morean Arts Center, in downtown St. Pete. It was an inspiring experience, and I'm thrilled to share it with you today. If you're an art lover, or just an admirer of pretty things, grab a cup of joe and settle in for some eye candy. 

But first, a little about the man behind the work.

“One of the most important inspirations for me is the glass itself—the glassblowing process. This wondrous event of blowing human air down a blowpipe and out comes this form. Many things inspire me including architecture, nature, cars, great films, beautiful objects and books." -Chihuly, when asked where his ideas come from

Dale Chihuly is a world-renowned artist most widely recognized for his vibrant blown glass installations, though he draws and paints, too.

Born in Tacoma, and now living in Seattle, the Pacific Northwest-based artist was always interested in glass, and the way light passes through it, as a kid but it wasn’t until a weaving class at the University of Washington (where he was studying interior design) in the early 1960s that he first used it artistically—he wove small pieces of glass into tapestries, of all things. A few years later, inspired by a poster on his wall depicting a glassblower with its cheeks puffed up, Chihuly gave the medium that has made him famous a try. He melted some glass in an oven and blew a bubble. The rest, as the say, is history.

Well, it wasn’t quite that easy. There was a stint as a commercial fisherman in Alaska to raise money for grad school, earning two Master’s degrees (one in sculpture, one in fine arts), and a scholarship to work at a glass factory on the Venetian island of Murano, where he first observed the team approach to blowing glass. 

That is the way Chihuly works now, following a serious car accident in England in 1976 left him blind in his left eye and lacking depth perception. (He is sometimes referred to as a pirate because of his wild hair and black eye patch.) After the accident, Chihuly stopped blowing the glass himself and started directing his team.

“Glass is very durable, but it’s also fragile and can break at any moment. I’ve always tried to push the medium as far as I could in terms of shape and scale. It is a challenge to see how big we can blow and stretch the material.” -Chihuly, on the challenges of working with his primary medium

Today, Chihuly's work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. I was first introduced to the colorful, wonderful world of Chihuly as a college student, when Pepperdine University’s small on-campus art house, the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, exhibited—incredibly—some of the international artist’s pieces.

When I stayed at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas years ago I witnessed his work again, giddily pointing up at the massive ceiling installation and whisper-shouting at my then-boyfriend, “that’s Chihuly!” as we walked through the lobby. So when I found out there was a permanent Chihuly exhibition here in St. Petersburg, I knew I had to go.

Marked at the entrance by a 20-foot crimson sculpture (Rose Crystal Tower) created specifically for the St. Pete location, the Chihuly Collection is stunning inside, of course, and not just for the art. The 10,000-square-foot space was thoughtfully designed so that the art and architecture would work together, and that fact, coupled with the lighting, makes quite the showcase for the small-scale works and the large, complex, multi-component glass sculptures like Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier.

“Surround yourself with artists and see as much art as possible. Go with your gut and create something that nobody has ever seen before.” -Chihuly’s advice for aspiring artists

With my humble iPhone camera I did my best to capture Chihuly’s creations in all their color and beauty (you’ll see why the man says he’s never met a hue he didn’t like) but I highly recommend visiting an exhibition if you ever have the chance. It is truly incredible getting up-close-and-personal with these unique works, especially when you think about all the time, energy and vision it took to forge each one.

Now, let’s go on a journey through the Chihuly Collection (with the opening act of “Tidal,” a complementary mini exhibition of sea-inspired glass sculptures by Kait Rhoads)…

Weekend Recap : Saturday Morning Market

This weekend the hubs and I were pretty productive in terms of crossing items off my list of fun to-do's, also known as my fall bucket list. We finally visited The Chihuly Collection (but more on that later). And we picked up the ingredients necessary to make a simple apple tart, though Sunday ended up being dedicated to football, of course, and barbecue: We turned our leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sauce into a BBQ glaze (loosely following this recipe) and slow-cooked a pork shoulder for eight hours to make pulled pork sliders. So, the tart didn't get made—yet.

But we did make it out to St. Pete's Saturday Morning Market. It took some time and patience to get there—turns out there were a lot of other events happening in downtown St. Petersburg this past Saturday, including a boat show, the annual Santa Parade and Snowfest—but we eventually made our way through the congested city streets and parked with still plenty of time to browse the weekly market.

Today is all gray skies and sprinkles, but Saturday was a gorgeous, sunny fall day; a perfect day to walk around the outdoor bazaar filled with farm-fresh produce, ready-to-eat and take-home treats, handmade artisan goods and wares, and much more. We picked up some gourmet dry pasta (rosemary garlic linguine), homemade dog treats, and dried herb seasonings that make delicious olive oil dips and rubs for meat. G ordered up some pad thai for lunch and, just before we left, we both got a fruit smoothie to cool down (pineapple-mango for me). 

Though we didn't buy any that day, I loved looking at all the beautiful produce. We look forward to going back in a week or two and doing some grocery shopping. Nothing better than fresh-picked fruits and veggies, don't you agree?

Here's a look at our trip around the market...

(Fun) Weekend Goals

[ Christmastime in St. Pete. ]

Sightings of tinsel, twinkling lights and other festive holiday decor. Carols playing on repeat in my head. The fact that I've already begun my Christmas shopping. Attending St. Pete's tree lighting last Friday night. All of these things are making me feel like winter is here, and making me reflect on those fall bucket list items I have yet to complete. Luckily for me, the first official day of winter isn't for a few more weeks (Dec. 21, if you're wondering), not to mention it still feels like autumn here in Florida, so I still have some time to check those fun to-do's off my list.

A quick recap of what my fall bucket list entailed:

• Make a hearty soup from scratch. (Specifically, this chicken stew with butternut squash and quinoa.)

• Visit The Chihuly Collection. (I already have the tickets, just gotta go!)

• Explore the Tampa Bay area. Done, but we could definitely explore more! We attended Oktoberfest in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, visited Oxford Exchange not once but twice (and even another time just for the delicious coffee), walked around the University of Tampa campus, and even went to a Buccaneers game.

• Pick our own fall veggies. (Unfortunately, we missed our chance and the farm is closed. We'll have to wait until spring.)

• Browse the St. Pete Indie Market. Done! I'd like to check out the much larger Saturday Morning Market in the heart of St. Pete next. And we can get fresh-from-the-farm veggies at the market; a good second to the above item.

• Bake an apple pie/galette/crostata. (I did make a pie for Thanksgiving that had apple in it, but this apple fan still wants to cook up the real deal, with no pumpkin or pecans competing with the Granny Smiths for attention.)

If the hubs and I are super proactive, we could probably accomplish the soup, the galette, and the visits to the Chihuly exhibition and Saturday Morning Market this weekend. But maybe that's too ambitious? I'll let you know how I fare on Monday.

Because we also need to get our own holiday tinsel and twinkle... before Dec. 21.

Do you have any fun plans for this first December weekend?

On Leftovers, Cooking for Two, and a Recipe

This week I have been actively committed to using up the massive amounts of Thanksgiving leftovers that took up residency in our fridge last Thursday evening. Considering we made enough food to feed at least six people, maybe even eight, that has proved quite the task. I've nuked plates of Turkey Day fixins' and gobbled 'em up as is for breakfast and lunch, but we've also remixed the leftovers into new recipes for dinner. I love leftovers, I do, but they are definitely starting to lose their luster.

First, since I had an extra frozen pie crust, I made Giada's Thankful Shepherd's Pie (subbing out whole milk for heavy cream, glazed carrots for fresh, and frozen peas and corn for celery). The recipe helped use up most of our mashed potatoes and gravy. Next, inspired by a Rachael Ray recipe, I winged my own version of a crustless, sweet potato-topped shepherd's pie, with green bean casserole as the base.

Both of these casseroles were good (the first better than the second), but they tasted just like Thanksgiving. In other words: a bit boring.

So the other day I turned to our new favorite cookbook for a recipe that required turkey but didn't mimic the flavors of our recent holiday feast, and found this: Turkey Chili! 

For his birthday two months ago, I ransacked Crate & Barrel and, among other things, got G a hefty (read: manly) 12-inch Lodge cast iron skillet along with "One Pan, Two Plates: More Than 70 Complete Weeknight Meals for Two" by Carla Snyder, and it has quickly become one of our go-to cookbooks. Besides the wonderful and varied gourmet recipes housed within, the beauty of this book is three-fold (and obvious by its title): each recipe is made in one pan/skillet, is the perfect amount for two people and, as such, leaves no (or very little) leftovers.

"One Pan, Two Plates" is perfect for couples and newlyweds, like G and I, but also roommates and empty nesters. No need for mathematics to cut recipes in half or thirds, or to dirty a bunch of pots and pans in the pursuit of dinner.

We absolutely loved (and devoured every last drop of) the turkey chili so I thought I'd share the recipe with you here. We lucked out and had most of the ingredients on hand. If you've succeeded in using up all your leftover turkey, don't fret, just pick up a package of ground turkey at the grocery store as the recipe suggests.

Turkey Chili with Poblano and Queso Fresco

Recipe from One Pan, Two Plates | Cook time: 20 minutes, Total time: 25 minutes | Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup canned cannellini beans

1 tsp. ground cumin

Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder, plus more if needed

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of ground cloves

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 large poblano chile, seeded, deribbed and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb ground turkey

1 1/4 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed

Kernels from 1 ear corn or about 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

2 tbsp. sour cream (and more for topping, if you're like me)

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or farmer's cheese (shredded Cheddar works, too) *note: we didn't use queso fresco since I'm not a big cheese fan

1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro (we used parsley since it's what we already had on hand)

Directions

1. Drain the cannellini beans, rinse well and drain again. Put the beans in a bowl and mash lightly with the back of a fork. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne and cloves and season with black pepper. Set the spice mixture aside.

2. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and poblano and sauté until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, spice mixture and turkey and cook, breaking up the turkey meat with a spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and mashed cannellini beans and stir to mix thoroughly; the beans will thicken the chili. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the chili for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. If the pan gets dry, add a little more broth or water.

3. Stir in the corn and sour cream. Taste the chili and add more salt, pepper or chili powder if it needs it. If you like corn on the crunchy al dente side, remove the chili from the heat now, but if you like your corn soft, continue to simmer it for another minute or two.

4. Ladle the chili into shallow, warmed bowls and top with the queso fresco and cilantro. (I put an extra large dollop of sour cream on mine.) Serve hot.

Optional, if you're extra hungry: Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. Great crumbled on top or when used to scoop up the chili.

Every recipe in "One Pan, Two Plates" includes a wine pairing, which may be the other reason I love the cookbook so much. Here's the recommendation for the turkey chili:

There are a few directions you could go when pairing wine with this dish. There's Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais-Villages if you want to go red, and for the white lovers, a Chablis from the same producer would do just as well. Then there's always the classic beer and chili one-two.

Personally, we had an open bottle of Pinot Grigio in the fridge so we made do. The chili is spicy (but not overwhelmingly hot) so something light and refreshing, whether it be wine or beer, seems like a good choice to me.

The hubs and I look forward to cooking many more "One Pan" meals. This white chili was our fifth foray. Previously we had made the cover dish (above), Flank Steak with Chimichurri and Summer Squash Hash (the chimichurri was divine; I wished there was more!), Jambalaya with Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Sausage (below), and Flash-Roasted Tilapia with New Potatoes, Peas and Pesto Mayonnaise. Also, G took inspiration from the cookbook's three frittata recipes one morning and whipped up a one-pan breakfast.

If you're part of a twosome and looking for a new cookbook, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy. Available online now at Barnes & Noble and Crate & Barrel (temporarily out of stock at Amazon).

Next, I'm thinking we should try the Prosciutto-Wrapped Salmon with Corn and Poblano Succotash (pictured below). Yum.

(Top image via The Kitchn, bottom image via Cleveland)

Golden

Just a quick post to state the obvious: wisp + whim has a new look! The blog was given the Midas touch thanks to the team over at 17th Avenue Designs, which offers custom designs as well as ready-made themes for Blogger and WordPress. I failed to deliver my usual Wedding Wednesdays post today as I got a feel for the new look and tweaked a few things here and there. My apologies! But, I'm happy to announce that I now have an "About" page! If you so desire, please do check it out. Link in the spiffy new navigation bar up above :)

As always, thanks for reading!

P.S. If you need a wedding fix, or want to catch up on Wedding Wednesdays posts you may have missed, you can also find a link to all things weddings at the top of the page.

Old Dogs, New Tricks : Picking up a Hobby

The holiday season is officially here and in full force. You'd think since I am not working at the moment that a holiday wouldn't have the same effect as having days off, but I am finding it hard to bust out of my perpetual food coma (which has been lingering thanks to a fridge full of Turkey Day leftovers) and much of this weekend was spent glued to my laptop while online shopping, trying to find the best deal and hoping a better one wouldn't come along the very next day. Thank you, Cyber Monday. It's a little stressful, don't you think?

Anyway, now it's Tuesday and after a morning spent walking the dogs, doing laundry, cleaning dishes and dropping Jasper off at the groomer, I'm starting to feel like I'm getting back into my usual routine. You know, the one where I sit on the couch, attempt to resist the brain-suck that is the TV and be productive. Ha.

Now, given its title, this post is supposed to be about a new hobby. And no, it's not about my addiction to and skillfulness with online shopping. (Even though I was able to score some good deals and mark a few people off my Christmas list yesterday.) This is about starting a more difficult but hopefully more rewarding hobby with my hubby: guitar lessons!

[ The hubs playing around on his new Ibanez acoustic guitar. Forgive the morning hair! ]

About two weeks ago, G came home and expressed to me that he wanted to find himself a hobby. He loves to cook, he is obsessed with football (San Diego Chargers, woot woot!), but he felt like he needed to do something more, to challenge himself. He decided he would like to learn to play the guitar. G had a bass guitar as a kid, but he never really learned to play more than a few chords. I was totally on board with him picking up the guitar because I've been wanting to learn for years, too. In fact, it was more than three years ago that I bought myself a guitar. 

It was an impulsive purchase; a I'm not getting any younger, seize the day, do what you dream of doing, make it happen, just do it already kind of purchase. I don't regret it, necessarily, but I do regret that the beautiful blue acoustic-electric guitar has just been sitting in its case all this time, not being played. I tried to take a few online lessons via YouTube but I think this is the type of hobby where you really need a skilled expert to teach you. The DIY-approach may work for some things and for some people, but it may also just lead to bad habits and technique. And, as in my case, laziness when it comes to practicing. Paying for standing weekly lessons is a sure-fire way to keep you accountable.

G researched potential guitars and we made a trip to Guitar Center two weekends ago. He ended up going home with a gorgeous mahogany Ibanez acoustic guitar. Fast-forward to today and we have our first lesson this evening. I'll be a bit nervous, I'm sure, but hopefully we will have fun, too. Wish us luck!

[ Me and my guitar, after I bought it three years ago! ]

Do you know how to play the guitar? Or another musical instrument? (I played the oboe from junior high through the beginning of college, and I was actually a vocal major before switching to journalism.) What are your hobbies?