Remarkable Creatures - Novel and Field Trip

Some of you may know I have a childlike obsession with dinosaurs.  When I picked up Tracy Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures, I was totally engrossed by her two main characters - Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, lady fossil hunters.  That's right, dinosaurs meets feminism!  It was only when I finished the book that I realized it was historical fiction.

Yea that's right, Mary Anning was a totally real, totally badass lady fossil hunter.  She and her brother found the first correctly identified Ichthyosaur when she was just twelve years old.  She's credited with a whole host of scientific discoveries and she's the inspiration for the "she sells seashells" tongue twister. 

So you can imagine my excitement when browsing in the Harvard Museum of Natural History I saw this:

History is so cool!  Dinosaurs are so cool!  Are you imagining all the jumping up and down and excited museum whispers that were going on?  It was kind of epic. 

The book is fantastic and the Harvard Museum of Natural History has a great collection (with free admission if you can find a Harvard student to take you as a guest).  I highly recommend both. 

Harvard Presents: Outdoor Furniture Options for Those with Money to Burn

Every day on my way to work, I walk through Harvard's undergraduate campus.  In 2012, Harvard topped the IRS's list of richest non-profit charities at a whopping $43.9 billion.  So if the soon-to-be-former Mayor Bloomberg is thinking about getting a house in the suburbs for his retirement, Harvard has a few suggestions for his backyard patio. 

I can't tell you how many of these colorful chairs adorn the famous Harvard Yard, but this shot only captures a fraction of them.

I assume these oversize bean bags are meant to act as seating although I've never seen anyone actually sitting in one.  Could also be repurposed for the the cornhole tournament at the world's strongest man competition.

These long benches are illuminated at night and the silver chairs are shaded from the sun by freestanding umbrellas.

Enjoy your picnic under a canopy

These playful sculptural benches combine art and function.

This piece offers you both an outdoor gym (with instructions for various exercises along the bottom) and a place to rest after your workout.

While not technically furniture, this oversize chess board certainly makes a statement.

Cafe Fleuri - Brunch Heaven

Brunch in Bean Town is about as beloved as baseball.  People have been known to wait hours, yes I said hours, at peak times at popular cafes that don't offer reservations.  I love a good omelet as much as the next gal (or french toast, I can never decide if I want to go savory or sweet) but brunch is supposed to be civilized.  All that goes out the door once you've been sweating and salivating on the sidewalk for two hours.

But if you're looking for civilized brunch, look no further.  It comes at a price ($60), but Cafe Fleuri is brunch heaven.  With no lines and plenty of shrimp cocktail. 

Located in the Langham hotel, this all you can eat brunch offers a sushi station, carving station, omelet station, and a chocolate bar. The savory or sweet dilemma is solved when you can have it all!  You can get oysters, calamari, artisanal cheese, roasted vegetables, and warm pastries.  And you can get as much of it as you please!

The Search for Bagels Continues at Kupel's Bakery

I've been on and Odyssean journey to find good bagels outside of New York City.  So I was extremely excited when a friend recommended Kupel's Bakery.  I figured, if I'm going to find good bagels in Boston, I'm going to find them in Brookline.  So I headed out on the 66 bus hungry and eager. 

I ordered a sesame bagel, my favorite.  It looked perfect - golden brown, lots of sesame seeds, the right amount of cream cheese.  Could this be it, the answer to all my blog's questions?  The end of my search?

Sadly, no.  This bagel is more like a roll with a whole in it.  Bagels need to be chewy and crispy and soft, all at once.  They shouldn't just taste like funny shaped bread.  So alas, the journey continues.  If you know where to get a good bagel in Boston, be a friend and leave your suggestions in the comments!

How to Make an Ombre Cake

What's better than cutting into a nice big, frosted cake?  A pretty ombre surprise inside!  Perfect for a bridal or baby shower, a friend's birthday, or a Friday night, this cake will wow your friends with truly minimal effort.

All you need are two boxes of white cake mix, two cans of vanilla frosting, and some red food coloring.  You'll also need some tools like baking pans, a cake leveler, and a spatula.  A food scale also comes in handy, but isn't a must.

Start by mixing the cake mix according to the directions on the box.  If you're using a food scale, put the bowl you'll be mixing in on the scale before you begin adding your ingredients so you can get an accurate measure of how much batter you have.  

Then start by adding a few drops of food coloring, two or three.  Pour this light colored batter into one of your baking pans (either eyeball it, or put the pan on your scale and pour in one quarter of the total weight of the batter). Repeat this step with more food coloring each time. 

Let your cakes cool before removing them from the pan.  You'll want to level out each cake so that they stack more easily.  I suggest putting a little frosting on the plate before you place your first layer, to keep the cake more stable.  Then order them from light to dark or dark to light, adding a layer of frosting between each one.  When you're done, frost the outside of the cake and then anxiously anticipate that first slice!

Shimmering Peace - getting ready for the holidays with Minted

Shimmering Peace board by Sara. See more Minted

Minted, my new favorite paper purveyor, is having a contest.  Create boards with one one of their new foil pressed holiday cards as the inspiration and you can win Minted gift cards.  I'm considering buying my own foil holiday cards too, and they're 20% off until Monday. I love pretty paper and a great deal, so I'm not sure I can resist.  If you want a preview, here's the design I'm jonesing on right now:   

 

Perhaps if I decide to splurge, you may see a version of this in your mailbox once the holiday season comes around!