I Want...

I had the most perfect pair of gladiator sandals last year that went with almost everything...from jeans to dress pants. Well, they broke at the start of this season, crushing my little heart. Now I'm on the hunt for the most perfect replacement. What to do? 

Romaa on sale for $55.97 (stevemadden.com)
*So far, this is the closest I've found to my old pair

Ecote Macramé Strappy Mini Wedge Sandal for $34.00 (urbanoutfitters.com)

Ecote Toehold Simple Gladiator Sandal for $34.00 (urbanoutfitters.com)

Born Sora for $90.00 (zappos.com)

Xhiliration Thetis Strappy Sandal on sale for $7.98 (target.com)

Siestaa for $89.95 (stevemadden.com)

Part of me thinks that with the summer season about to quickly start coming to an end here in good ol' Minnesota, I should just snatch up the Target pair, especially considering that I may be completely over the gladiator style next summer. Decisions. Decisions. 

Summer Cookin'

It seems I've been so busy enjoying summer that I forgot to write anything about it. I have been taking in some delicious made-at-home meals lately though, so I thought I'd share a few of the colorful photos. That's one of my favorite things about food in the summer...it always seems to be so much more colorful :)


First up: sloppy joes with sweet potato fries and baked beans (I'm not a baked beans fan, but my friend made this delicious feast, so I gulped down a few bites just to prove I could). The sloppy joes were made of a zingy ketchup/mustard sauce and topped with mixed cheeses and peppers.



I absolutely love fresh salsa in the summer. This one made by a friend.



Here we have this linguini with bleu cheese and sunflower seeds recipe from the National Sunflower Association and roasted vegetables. I also added chicken to the linguini.



And here is another salsa variety (this time made by me).



This is a colorful stuffed and roasted pepper made by my friend (who seems to be a surprising chef in the making).

And then we have the little mini caprese toasts (garlic toasts, topped with fresh mozzarella, Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar).

And finally, the most recent dinner: grilled seasoned chicken breast, sauteed cucumber and portabella mushrooms with slices of dill Havarti cheese and fresh strawberries.

Aww, summer. And all its fresh food splendors.

Dinner at Hell's Kitchen

When my sister and her fiancee - and my little niece - came for a quick visit, they wanted to grab dinner somewhere fun and interesting. So off to Hell's Kitchen we went. I hadn't been since the restaurant moved to its new location on 9th street in downtown Minneapolis, and it was my first visit outside of the breakfast menu.

The new space is located underground - very apropos. With brick walls and the prominent use of red and black, the inferno can't help but be a fun place.

Even on a weeknight, the place was bustling with activity, which is nice considering parking can be a bit of a challenge (we picked an unfortunate parking ramp, and I ended up paying $13 for less than two hours of parking).

We started with the BBQ Pork Nachos to share - pulled pork BBQ with pickles and coleslaw. They were awesome. The pork was fantastic and there was a bit of a spicy bite. I think they could have used a bit more topping spread among the chips, but they were still great.

I then had the Clubhouse sandwich with fries: two slices of sourdough bread stuffed with bacon, shaved turkey breast, butter lettuce, vine-ripened tomatoes and mayonnaise. It was very good, albeit slightly greasy. And also very filling. I found the fries most enjoyable with their crispy crunchiness.

Overall, Hell's Kitchen was a great choice for my visiting guests. I think they were impressed by the interesting decor and fun ambiance. I look forward to going back and trying the weekend brunch.

Quick Trips to NYC

I've been to New York City for work twice so far this year (so exciting because I love taking in the sights of this amazing city). Both trips were just quick blips, but I still managed to try out a neat restaurant and take in a few sights...

I grabbed lunch one day at Lily's, a restaurant located in The Roger Smith Boutique Hotel in Midtown. I first spotted the restaurant on my walk to a meeting in the morning and liked its unique, attention-grabbing exterior.

The interior was also aesthetically pleasing. Painted in a rich, deep red, the walls were covered with great art like that in the photo above. The layout was also nice as there were multiple rooms off the main entrance, so it wouldn't seem overly crowded. Interestingly, though, there were very few people there during the lunch hour. Not more than a couple of tables in each room. I'm not too familiar with how NYC professionals lunch, so maybe that's normal, or I just ended up there on a slow day.

I ordered the Roger Smith Burger and added bacon (yep, still loving bacon and ordering it on nearly every cheeseburger I get). It came topped with white cheddar, beefsteak tomatoes, bibb lettuce and red onions and was accompanied by fries and a pickle spear.

The burger was delicious. Well-cooked and fulfilling. The cheese was a great fit and the bun and bacon were icing on the burger cake. I also loved the pickle - it tasted more like it was somewhere between cucumber and pickle, making it extra tasty and refreshing. 

I'm glad I stopped at Lily's. It was the perfect little dining adventure in the big city. As for the sights...

I took in Times Square for the first time at night. It's breathtaking. And, I'm not afraid to admit that I loved every touristy minute of it.

We walked around a lot of Midtown and came across many of the iconic spots. One of our last stops was at Rockefeller Center Plaza, which is beautiful at night and just lovely in the springtime.   

Art in Bloom 2011

Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is quickly becoming one of my favorite spring traditions (at one of my already favorite destinations in the city).

This year, and for the first time in my adult life...I went to the museum all by myself. And, I've gotta say, it was actually kind of magical. I purchased one of the Art in Bloom guidebooks, put my headphones on and just began to wander from room to room, taking in every bit while lost in my own little world (though I will admit that I missed my friend who went with me last year...I even texted her midway through to tell her she was missing out).

Similar to last year, I was surprised by how most of my favorite Art in Bloom pieces are interpretations of artwork I usually don't pay much attention to during regular visits to the MIA, like this year's overall favorite:

This Rembrant painting is usually one I just gloss over as I take in all of the period art, but when I saw the floral depiction, I paused to really take in the meaning and significance of the painting and of the woman's pain as she begins to experience death. I thought the florist did an amazing job bringing this piece to life.

My other most striking favorite was of the Armor, where the florist brought the human aspect to life, juxtaposing the "exposed human next to his high-tech shell."

And then there's one painting that I do love that had a fantastic floral interpretation: Tornado over St. Paul:

Followed by my remaining Art in Bloom favorites:

(I LOVE Kandinsky, and this is the first time I've ever noticed any of his paintings at the MIA)



If you missed this year's Art in Bloom (or have never been), be sure to watch for updates early next spring - just when you're reaching the point where you think the weather in Minnesota couldn't possibly get any worse.

I Put Some New Shoes On, and Suddenly Everything's Right

I think I mentioned a while back that I have a bit of a shoe obsession. Sandals. Heels. Sneakers. Flats. I don't discriminate. I love 'em all. And for the last several months, I've been putting a lot of thought into my next pair of running shoes. Mind you, I'm not a hardcore runner (I like treadmills, I don't dream of my next 10-miler, and I actually have a 5K training app on my phone...no, not a marathon, a 5K). Even so, I decided it was time to trade up my perfectly lovely yet very worn New Balance tennies for something that packs a little more punch.

And after a few months of non-commital browsing, I accidentally landed at the Nike store in the Mall of America one evening and decided right then and there, I would be making a purchase. Thanks to the very helpful and friendly sales staff (and even more helpful work friends), I found the perfect pair in almost no time.

Friends, please meet the newest addition to my shoe family: the LunarGlide 2 (of the Lunar series).

I think they might just be the cutest pair of tennis shoes I've ever had. And, to be honest, I was actually a little afraid to test them out and break them in, for fear of ruining them right away. But I got over that, and have worn them to the gym three times now (not sure that we'll be making it outdoors any time soon though).

And I've already moved on to daydreaming about new shoes, like:

Eclipse II for $65 (nike.com)



Lacie for $39.95 (shoedazzle.com)



Greta for $198 (jcrew.com)



Kenneth Cole Reaction Lady Slip Flats on sale for $51.75 (macys.com)



Born Shoes, Smooch Flat Sandals for $85 (macys.com)

I think the J Crew pair might be a bit out of my price range, but the others might be realistic options. Recommendations? :)

And I'll leave you with these final thoughts for the day...

 I keep filling my apartment with flowers in hopes that spring will finally arrive in Minnesota...