Boston

I just got back from a quick trip to Boston and the Cape. I'm embarrassed to admit that it was my first time in Boston, but I'm sure it won't be the last!

I flew out of Detroit late Wednesday afternoon and arrived in Boston around the time that Meagan was getting out of work, and Jessica’s train arrived soon after. Laurissa met us by South Station, and then we headed to Faneuil Hall in search of dinner. Though touristy, Faneuil Hall is beautiful lit up at night. I especially loved the pianos outside with the sign “play me.” We ended up going to a Mexican restaurant for taco salads, quesadillas, and margaritas for dinner. The food was delicious and the company was even better. It was a great way to kick off the vacation.
 

If you read Meagan's blog, you've probably seen most of these photos...

The next morning Meagan took us to the boathouse so that Laurissa could give us a tour of Riverside. After rowing out of LRC this summer, Riverside seemed like a palace. Yet, at the same time, it still held some of the same character that the MSU Club has. After our tour, Meagan headed downtown and Laurissa showed Jess and I her favorite running route along the Charles. Meagan had a work event that day, so we were planning on meeting up with her in the Seaport district afterwards
 

Riverside

After our run, Jess and I got ready and headed into the city. We stopped for iced coffee (#necessary) and a snack before continuing on to Faneuil Hall for a Freedom Trail walking tour with a National Park Service ranger. Storms were forecasted for that afternoon, but when we got our [free] tickets, it was still sunny. Ten minutes later, it was raining cats and dogs. Luckily both Jess and I had brought our umbrellas and agreed that we would still give the tour a shot. Most of the tour group opted out of the walking tour in the rain, so our group shrunk from 40 or so to 10. It was a quick rainstorm, so it all worked out pretty well.

Our guide was great—very informative, knowledgeable, and engaging. Our tour focused on the lives of Sam Adams, Paul Revere, and Governor Hutchinson. We started our tour with a brief background into the actual lives of these men as opposed to the myths. Sam Adams, for example, was born into a wealthy puritan family.  As a puritan, he never drank alcohol, so the man in the photo on Sam Adams beer is actually Paul Revere. Our tour covered the highlights of the north side of the Freedom Trail, including Paul Revere’s house, the site of Governor Hutchinson’s house, and Old North Church. One of the many interesting things I learned was that Paul Revere was a talented propagandist and produced many of the photos that appeared in the Boston newspapers in opposition to the Crown. He was also one of as many as forty others on the infamous Midnight Ride. There was even a woman in the group; her husband was sick on the night of April 18, 1775 and she rode in his place. If you’re visiting Boston, I would definitely suggest taking one of the tours offered by the National Park Service.

Paul Revere's House

Old North Church

After the tour we headed to Harpoon Brewery. Unfortunately, the next open tour was in an hour and a half, and we didn’t want to wait that long. So instead we grabbed a seat in the beer hall and ordered two flights, the original Harpoon flight and their specialty flight, and a pretzel to share. I really liked all of the beers in the original flight, but I wasn’t too crazy about the specialty flight. It had beers that had been infused with bacon and gingerbread, and I found it to be a bit much. I guess the German Reinheitsgebot (“German [Beer] Purity Law”) has stayed with me a bit, but I think there are certain things (bacon) that do not belong in beer.

Flights and Pretzels at Harpoon

Meagan joined us at Harpoon and we headed to Legal Harborside on the Liberty Wharf for pre-dinner drinks and an appetizer. We all ordered the sangria and split the prosciutto and burrata pizza. We had a great view of the harbor, and it was so nice to sit back and continue catching up on everything from work to roommates to awkward encounters. We headed to the North End for dinner after, joining up with Laurissa on the way. There are so many Italian restaurants to choose from and Laurissa and Meagan didn’t have a favorite, so we settled for one that was close to Mike’s Pastry. After dinner we walked around the North End a bit before heading for dessert. Meagan and I split a cannoli from Mike’s Pastry and Jess and Laurissa opted for gelato. The cannoli was delicious!

Meagan took the day off on Friday so the three of us were able to spend the full day together before we headed to the Cape. We started with the Back Bay area of Boston so we could do some shopping on Newbury Street. I loved this area of Boston. The street is lined with cute little brick storefronts that, as Jess put it, are unique, but seem to go together. We stopped for coffee at the Thinking Cup before hitting the shops. They had great cold brew and I couldn’t resist ordering an apple and cheese Danish to go with it. The café has a cool chic feel to it, with exposed brick walls and chandeliers hanging over the tables.

Our first stop of the day was Marimekko, a Finish store I had visited while I was in Helsinki last summer. I was excited to see the store in the States, so I asked Meagan and Jess if they wouldn’t mind going in, explaining that it was a Finish store. Apparently Meagan was on a quick struggle bus ride. As we were walking up to the storefront, Jess saw bean bags outside and mentioned that she would like bean bags for her apartment, jokingly asking if she thought we could bring them on the bus. Meagan missed the sarcasm in Jessica’s question and asked her if she really wanted to carry them around the rest of the day. Then, when we walked in the store, Meagan looked around and asked, “Mar, what makes this a ‘finish’ store?” Needless to say, hilarity ensued, and we were still laughing when the saleswoman welcomed us to the store (and Meagan welcomed her back...).

We stopped in a few other stores on Newbury Street, including Barbour. We all tried on jackets and I was so tempted to get the one I tried on, but I couldn’t quite justify it this trip. Maybe next time! After a bit more browsing, we headed to the Boston Public Garden and Boston Commons to grab the T and head to Harvard Square. We ended up taking a tour of the campus, which was a lot of fun and we got to learn more about Harvard’s history and traditions. I was surprised to hear that a majority of the students live on campus, even upperclassmen. Freshmen are required to live in or adjacent to the Harvard Yard. After their first year, they are randomly placed in houses where they will live for their remaining three years. The freshmen also all eat in the same dining hall, but only for their freshmen year. We were able to catch a glimpse of the dining hall, and it reminded me a lot of the dining hall at Christ Church in Oxford, as well as the dining hall in Michigan’s Law Quad, which I’ll begin eating in next week! We learned other interesting facts about Harvard on our tour, and you can read the highlights in Meagan’s blog.

After our tour, we took the scenic route back to Meagan’s apartment, stopping at Trader Joe’s for some drinks and snacks for the trip to the Cape. Alyse arrived at Meagan’s apartment soon after, and we packed up our bags and headed for South Station to catch our train to the Cape. More on that in my next post!

To Do in 2014: Update

I know it's such a cliché to say this, but I can't believe we're already over halfway through 2014. It's crazy to think that this time last year I was packing my belongings into two suitcases, saying many tough goodbyes, and heading back to the States. After spending a year in Germany where each day presented the opportunity for adventure, I was worried that everyday life in the States would seem mundane by comparison. 

While I do miss Germany terribly, I'm grateful that this year has proven to be an exciting one. From working on interesting projects at my first "real" job at a public policy consulting firm to traveling to both the East and West coasts, the first half of 2014 has been good to me. I've also managed to make some progress on my To-Do list. Here's what I've been up to:

1. New books

I finished Gone Girl in June and I’m working on The Nine and The Invention of Wings right now. Reviews to come!

2. New documentaries

I watched The Case Against 8 when it premiered on HBO in June, and I would highly recommend it.

5. Go one week without hitting the snooze button

Believe it or not, this was accomplished during March when I was beginning to think winter was here to stay, GoT style. 

6. Make homemade pasta

I made pasta for my parents in May. You can learn how to make homemade pasta here!

8. Travel to a new place

I’ve been able to visit a couple of new places so far this year. I went to Charlottesville in April and Portland and Seattle in May. I also spent some time in the Olympic National Park, which I would highly recommend.

12. Row

My friend and I joined the Lansing Rowing Club for the summer. I definitely prefer sweep rowing and I’m rusty after not rowing for 3 years, but it has been really nice to get back out on the water.

17. Go swimming in the Pacific

This is a partial completion—I waded into the Pacific, but it was too cold for swimming!

18. Spend a weekend in Detroit

We saw Vampire Weekend in concert, visited Eastern Market and Belle Isle, and saw a Roller Derby bout at the Masonic Temple.

 

Detroit Derby Girls

19. Go hiking

We went on a couple of short hikes in Olympic National Park. I would love to do a weekend hiking trip this fall, but I doubt that will be possible... Another time!

21. M-22 Race

My friend Jessica and I did the M-22 race in June. It’s a running, biking, and kayaking race by the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Definitely a fun weekend!

M-22 Challenge: Check

24. Volunteer

I have been going door-to-door for our State Rep, who is up for reelection this November. Canvassing is not something that I naturally enjoy, but it’s one of the most effective ways to campaign.

29. Visit the Broad Art Museum

Lydia and I visited the museum on a snowy day in March. It was... interesting. I don’t think I will ever truly understand modern art, but I think it’s great to have such a renowned piece of architecture in our community.

30. Treat my parents to dinner

My parents have done more for me than I could ever possibly thank them for, but I wanted to do something to show them how grateful I am. In celebration of our trip to Ireland last year, I treated my parents to fish and chips, Guinness, and Smithwick's.

31. Floss daily for one month

I started flossing before bed in January, and I’m still going strong in August. Sadly my hygienist failed to notice at my dentist appointment in June.

35. Wake up at 5, gym at 5:30 for two weeks straight

Also completed in the dead of winter. How did I used to be able to do this every day, all year long?

The second half of 2014 is looking to be exciting, too. I will be moving to Ann Arbor and beginning my first semester of law school at the University of Michigan in less than a month! 

2014, you're not too shabby after all.

Homemade Pasta

I love food, but I am no expert in the kitchen. I attribute my novice cooking skills to lack of experience, cutting weight for rowing, and a serious aversion to handling raw meat. That being said, there are a [small] handful of special dishes that I'm comfortable making. One of these dishes is homemade pasta.

Having not grown up in an Italian family, the idea of making pasta from scratch seemed incredibly daunting. However, as I learned from my friend Luca, making pasta really only requires a bit of patience and a lot of practice.

Step 1. Choose a dough recipe

I'm not sure if this step should even be considered a step, but since it might not be obvious, the ingredients in pasta are very simple: flour and eggs. Most recently, I tried this recipe from Smitten Kitchen, and was pleased with the results. As far as flour goes, it would be best to get '00' flour. I found mine at a gourmet food and drink store, but it's also possible to order online. All-purpose flour will work fine if you can't find '00'.

Step 2. Create a "pasta nest"
I'm sure there are mixers and attachments and gadgets to mix the flour and eggs, but I use the "pasta nest" method. It works pretty much how it sounds: you create a "nest" of flour and carefully crack the eggs into the center of it. Then, working slowly, you use your hands to incorporate flour into the eggs. This is where patience is critical; move too quickly, and you will wind up with a whole in your nest and eggs all over your kitchen floor. Keep swirling flour into the egg mixture until you can bring the remaining flour into the egg and flour mixture without creating a disaster.

Step 3. Knead.
Knead and knead and knead some more.* I hate kneading, but the pasta is worth it. Then wrap the dough in two layers of plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour.
*I kneaded the dough for 15-20 minutes.

Step 4.  Time for the Pasta Maker
Once you have let your dough rest, it's time to turn it into pasta. I use something similar to this pasta maker, but there are a lot of options out there. Aside from kneading, this is the most time consuming part for someone who didn't grow up with it. I run it through the widest setting a couple of times before moving it down to the smaller ones. Don't get discouraged if the dough jams and you need to start over. While I'm sure messing with the dough too much can make it stiff, I don't think you'll be able to taste the difference. After you have the dough very thin, you can use the attachments to create the cut of pasta desired. Since my pasta maker is from the States, it says that it makes fettuccine or spaghetti. This is probably definitely supposed to be tagliatelle, and either tagliolini or pappardelle. Spaghetti is a cylinder shaped pasta, and these are all flat.

Step 5. Let it dry
My aunt recently gave me a pasta drying rack, and after using it, I would recommend it. The first time I made pasta alone, I struggled finding places in the kitchen to let it dry properly. This saved a lot of time and hassle.

Step 6.  Buon appetito!
This pasta will take a lot less time to cook than the store bought option, so keep a close eye on it. There are a lot of different sauces that you can use. I used a sauce that Luca makes with carrots, onions, ground beef, italian sausage, and tomato sauce. Just whatever you do, don't ruin it by using alfredo ;]