Salt-roasted beets with pistachio vinaigrette

I'm doing little bit of a blog cheat here by sort of importing/directing you to a recipe in an old entry from my old blog. That recipe includes a fancier rendition with whipped goat cheese (to die for), but I typically have it without, so the recipe here is my bare-bones, everyday version of salt-roasted beets with pistachio vinaigrette. I wanted to share this delectable dish with you because it's become such a staple for me. Surprising, since before I tried it the first time, I was not a fan of beets at all. It's perfect as a snack, a side, or for entertaining. Dress it up or dress it down. It's impressive enough and tasty enough, yet relatively easy. And it's gorgeous, because beets are gorgeous!

The backstory: one of my favorite snacks/side dishes of late is adapted from the Chicago restaurant The Purple Pig, located on Michigan Avenue, and having officially become a necessary stop every time I'm in Chicago. I've only ever been for lunch, but we've sat inside and out, at tables and at the bar, and everything about that restaurant is my favorite. The staff is super friendly and very knowledgable. Considering the format (family-style or tapas) and dishes can, at the offset, be intimidating for the uninitiated, having helpful and cheerful staff is essential. Not to mention that it becomes pretty clear that, although not really a viable option, not ordering the entire menu is really difficult!

Their menu is constantly changing and I strongly recommend it the next time you find yourself needing a little break between department stores on Michigan Avenue. :)

Aside from The Purple Pig, I should mention that the photos are from my own preparation.

Salt-Roasted Beets with Pistachio Vinaigrette

2-3 medium-sized beets
kosher salt to coat the bottom of a pan 1/4 inch
1/4 cup roasted, unsalted pistachios, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch salt and pepper

For the beets: Scrub the beets clean and pat dry with a paper towel. Coat the bottom of a bread pan or 8x8" baking dish (depending on how many beets you use) with kosher salt to about 1/4" depth. Place beets in the pan. Cover with tin foil and roast in the oven at 375 degrees for about 60 minutes or until tender and easily stabbed with a fork. Pull out of the oven and allow to cool slightly, then peel the beets. Dice into 1/2x1/2" cubes and put into a bowl. Allow the beets to cool to room temperature or put into the refrigerator to cool. (Note: Best served slightly cooled, but not cold.)

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar and the pinches of salt and pepper. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and whisk until it is blended well and takes on a creamier consistency.

Pour the vinaigrette over the beets* and toss gently. To serve, place as many beets as desired into a small serving bowl (1/2 cup or so is nice to start) and sprinkle with pistachios. 

*If not serving immediately, keep vinaigrette separate from the beets, and refrigerate the beets. The vinaigrette holds up alright in the fridge, but needs to be mixed again when ready to serve. Better made fresh again, however, when you intend to serve it again.

Serves about 3-4 as a starter or side.

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 88

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<3

Bachelorette

Yesterday my sister (middle) had a bachelorette shindig that began with a drive to New London, Wisconsin for a quick stop at the Cupcake Mansion of Amanda Cupcake where we did a group tasting of the two kinds of cupcakes my sister has having at the wedding next weekend. I'm not going to give away what they were, but wow. Just, wow. Needless to say, I'm pretty stoked about the food next Saturday!

The sun came out just for us and it turned out to be a beautiful day all around -- for all of our sun dresses, of course! She received a gorgeous handmaid quilt from one of the bridesmaids and we all gave her a giant Ball mason jar full of handwritten date ideas and marriage advice. It was all quite fun and adorable, and totally her style. The bachelorette:

After the cupcake tasting, we drove back toward home for a stop at the wonderful Red & White Wine Shop and Bar for, well, wine. And also some amazing almost-tapas like "pizzettas," cheese plates and assorted grilled cheese sandwiches. I had never been there before, and it was a really lovely experience.

My favorite item there was, by far, the margherita pizzetta, which was layered with fresh mozzarella, basil and sun-dried tomatoes... it was awesome. Paired with my go-to celebratory Moscato d'Asti, I couldn't have been happier.

I think everyone had a good time; I didn't go crazy since I had to work bright and early this morning. About half the party stayed out a bit later, but we didn't forget to take advantage of National Doughnut Day, which culminated in sort of accidentally ordering a dozen assorted doughnuts for two people. We had a lot to share, and there are still some left! So, happy belated Doughnut Day!

I can't wait to share the wedding -- it's going to be fabulous!

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 91

The passport of shame!

I think we can all agree that in our pasts there are photos taken of us that are less, shall we say, forgiving. Be it an awkward fifth grade school photo or a badly timed group shot at a wedding, we probably all have one. In my case, there are many, but we'll stick with just one today -- one that has followed me around for a long time, but one that I'll be stuck with until 2015:

Yes, that's right.

Recoil or guffaw all you like, this is my passport photo. The passport photo of shame. One of those dumb, unexpected times, such as when you are 20 years old, awkwardly trying to do something "different" with your hair--but what that really means is you have a haircut like an eight-year old kid in the 60s that mom accidentally dropped a bottle of bleach on. And taken on a morning when you hadn't even put makeup on (what were you thinking?!?) and are still bleary-eyed from sleep. That whole not-smiling thing is so lame, too, because I don't think I have ever affected this look of utter and laughable boredom ever before in my life. And here it is, slapped on a government document that I actually have to produce to people across official counters, from which they inevitably look back and forth at my real-life face and always struggle to find the connection (annoying, but thank god).

On the other hand, there is the page where Irish customs gave me an extra three months on my tourist visa inexplicably, but I'm led to believe it's because my hair is red.

Supposedly. ;)

Great news today: I received my official CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) number from the University of Edinburgh, so once I get the amount of loans squared away, I am eligible to apply for my student visa in three days.

Wee!

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 93

The ball starts rolling

This morning I checked my email first thing, like I usually do (because at 6am, it's noon in UK!) and was happy thrilled to see an email with an offer of accommodation!

!!!!!!!

(photo)

Yep. That's right. I have an address, and it ends in "Royal Mile, Edinburgh." Ahh! Couldn't be happier. And soon I won't even have to post dreamy photos that other people took! ;)

I had three days to decide whether or not to accept, but it took me all of about ten minutes to go through the process of securing my place. It was my top choice, and I'll be in a flat of five students. I think that many people in one flat is wonderful, because there's so much opportunity to get to know other people, and also to not be stuck with one roommate, if that roommate turns out to not be ideal. It's in arguably the best location, in a historic building, and is also the cheapest university accommodation I could get. I'm delighted with that combination of qualities.

On the other hand, of course, a couple hours later I received an email informing me that I had not been selected as a recipient of the College of Art scholarship either, so that's strike three and I'm full-on borrowing for this baby. All that will start to come together soon, and yet again I have to remind myself to keep from stressing too much about the money... it's a big investment, but that's what it is: an investment. And I know of people in faaaar worse financial shape student debt-wise than I am. So really, no actual complaints.

;)

Anyway. The excitement of getting my top choice accommodation outweighs the scholarship hiccup, so onto the next thing... whatever that may be!

Cheerio!


Days to Edinburgh move-in: 94

Life is just...

In addition to my full-time job as a bookseller (gotta pay those bills!), I've been working part-time at a local art museum (get that experience!), and let me just say... my days can get long.

At the museum, for the last seven months or so, I have been cataloguing every piece of work the museum owns, which means photographing, describing, measuring, storing, labeling, etc. every. single. piece. I'm only now getting to the wrapping-up stage of the project, but there are days, such as yesterday, when I put in four or more hours at the museum and then dip over to the bookstore (with a snack or an extra coffee in between) for a late eight hour shift. By the time I get home, I'm beat. Often my day off from the bookstore is spent working at the museum, so I have to plan for real days off.

So... it's mornings or evenings after a shift at the bookstore, when I have some time to myself, that I try to relish that free time and think of it like a day off. Kind of pathetic, I know, but such is the adult life of a student loan-paying, practical experience-wanting, about-to-head-to-grad-school sort of gal!

It's easy to feel stressed and pulled in too many directions, but I also think of all the ways that being busy is good:

1. Where the bookstore has given me a huge knowledge base about literature and practical leadership skills, the art museum is providing experience and knowledge in my chosen field -- both of these things lend themselves well to my future career aspirations.

2. Being busy makes me feel productive. I can get home at the end of the day, totally wiped out, and feel like I accomplished something, even if it was only a matter of shelving some books or photographing twenty paintings.

3. Staying busy makes the time fly!

That last point is my favorite of them all.

I received word from Edinburgh admissions that I will be receiving my CAS number in the next few days. The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies number (CAS) is assigned to students in the UK to qualify them for a student visa -- to show the UK Border Agency that the student is qualified to attend the university and the university has in fact accepted them into a legit program. It's all very exciting stuff, I know, but the CAS is the necessary remaining ingredient for my visa application, and that, at least to me, is very exciting! Because then that means... AIRFARE. ;)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday morning. I'm enjoying the spring rain outside, of the gentle, steady variety... sipping my coffee, and snacking on the best cherries ever. They're in season -- go get some! YUM.

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 95

Swimwear for June

Wow, has this past week been crazy busy! I've been working more than ever, covering both my full time job as a bookseller and adding additional hours at my art museum job, where summertime has everyone on their toes and moving at lightning speed. Not to mention I attended bookend weekend housewarming parties with some lovely, friendly people, and on Wednesday went to a baby shower for one of my coworkers who is expecting in July. It's really starting to feel like summer, isn't it? Farmer markets will be starting up super soon, trips are being planned, businesses are opening or reopening, people are getting married, snapping up houses, and having babies... it's going to be crazy and it's going to go so fast. Looking forward to it!

Anyway...

So what's in the box?

I admit it: I haven't owned a swimsuit in ten years. Yes, ten years. And even, then, in 2003, I purchased a simple black mistake top and simply wore it with shorts for a very quick trip to Florida that spring. My lack of interest in swimming, ergo swimwear, boils down to a pervasive discomfort with my own body and how I look in a swimsuit. I've always been self-conscious about weight and shape, but I also have very pale skin -- comes with being a redhead. However, since recently losing thirty pounds, I decided it might be time to give it a go, not to mention I'm heading to Montana on a camping trip at the end of the month!

Vintage swimsuit ads are so weird! But vintage swimsuits on the other hand... best. thing. ever.

After a bit of trial and error, I figured out that a retro/vintage look with the lower cut on the thighs and a halter were better choices for my figure, which is best described as "hourglass" and not just "kind of." After checking out various websites and stores, I found the perfect suit at ModCloth, which just arrived in the mail today. I couldn't be happier, with both the suit itself and also with ModCloth. Isn't the packaging adorable? And their selection just screams "summertime!!!" I'll check back there instantly when I want something else vintage-inspired, for sure.

I am so glad it's June!! :) Cheers!

Days to Edinburgh move-in: 98 (firmly in the double digits, woo!)