iordanovs.in.the.avenues: December 2012

Monday, December 31, 2012

0 all those holiday parties

it's crazy to think that another year has gone by. i hope you all enjoy yourselves this new years eve! we just got back from a lovely weekend in mantua {where we played games, ate way too many sweets, chatted, quoted "nacho libre" endlessly, listened to the best of the 80's, ate breakfast at a small-town diner & felt wonderfully grateful for our family}. tonight we're going to a small party with friends {i've always been more of a chill & chat rather than dance & club kind of person}. but the best part is that i get to dress up! i know it sounds silly but a lot of why i look forward to going out is because it means i can listen to dance music for hours as i scour my outfits & come up with some crazy way to do my hair & eyeshadow as well as going through all my lipsticks to find just the right shade {like the burgundy shade below}. i know ivan will never understand this strange fixation on the "getting ready" portion of the evening, but that's okay. i'll never understand why he thinks it's okay to wear miss-matched dress socks. ah the mysteries of the sexes.

in case you aren't in the party mood, this ↓ should help!

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Friday, December 28, 2012

0 hoisin glaze on salmon steaks

it's been a while since i've posted a recipe so here is a super easy one adapted from martha stewart. we used it with salmon but i think it would be great with pork or even chicken. enjoy!

ingredients:
juice of half an orange {save the other half for garnish}
2 tbs. hoisin sauce
2 tsp. honey
4 salmon steaks {8-10 ounces each} or pork chops or chicken breasts
coarse salt & freshly ground pepper

directions:
heat the broiler. in a small bowl mix together the orange juice, hoisin sauce & honey.

season salmon steaks with salt & pepper. place steaks in a rimmed baking sheet. brush generously with glaze.

broil the salmon about 4 inches from heat source, basting once, until opaque, 10 - 13 minutes. {note that if you do this glaze on pork chops or chicken breasts you should bake a little first & use a meat thermometer to ensure that the meat is fully cooked - 145° for pork & 165° for chicken.

here i accompanied the salmon with a simple salad & our favorite roasted brussels sprouts. delish!
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Thursday, December 27, 2012

0 when you wake up looking like medusa . . .

. . . and it only gets worse from there.

soon i'll be able to put my hair in a real ponytail. soon my pretties, soon.

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

0 chestita koleda - joyeux noël - feliz navidad - merry christmas

i hope you all had a merry christmas! i know we did, it was small, cozy, fun & wonderful. there was a lot of laughter, indulgence {food & wine wise}, good conversation & even some racing {ivan was very excited to test out his new xbox}. we went to midnight mass at the madeline cathedral & it was amazing! i'd never been to a catholic mass before & it was a such an experience. i got to talk to my parents & my littlest sister rachel {she was really excited about her new boots - a girl to her very core}. we also had travis, sarah & lincoln {beau} & our good friend geoff over as well. overall it was a very enjoyable day, the house seems so quiet now . . . good thing sarah just got here!

we got two strawberry napoleons from a friend & devoured them immediately! ivan offered to help me with mine, however no such assistance was needed.

clam chowder is a requirement on christmas eve!

santa did good! really good!

i'm really really excited about this gift!

watch out for the cork!

i love baking & these cinnamon rolls are amazing, orgasmic really - ivan ate the last one this morning & i'm a little sad but mostly relieved that the temptation is gone, because let's face it, the deliciousness of these cinnamon rolls overcomes all my self restraint.

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Monday, December 24, 2012

0 merry christmas eve

right now it's snowing outside & i'm listening to happy xmas {war is over}. yesterday we made indian food for lunch & had a family dinner with ivan's family. tonight my brother travis is spending the night & we'll have clam chowder for dinner {i've had this for dinner on christmas eve as long as i can remember} & tomorrow we'll see my sister sarah & we'll have homemade cinnamon rolls & mimosas! {the cinnamon rolls are a family tradition, the mimosas are a new addition}. so today will be filled with cleaning & cooking & preparation. i'm really excited about spending some time with ivan & my siblings - watching classic christmas movies, listening to christmas music, playing games, eating good food & drinking good wine. just writing this post is making anxious to get off the computer & get going! i hope you all are having a wonderful christmas eve & enjoying the company of the loved ones around you.

even the okra & tomatoes are feeling festive!

merry christmas!

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Friday, December 21, 2012

0 happy 100th! & things that bring me joy . . .

so this being my one hundredth post {and us still being alive & all} i figured i would post a little celebratory post & share some of the things that make me incredibly happy. {it's a long one folks, so bear with me} . . . ready! . . . set! . . . here we go!