The Lovely Drawer: Pad Thai

When we moved to Oxford,

I fell in love with Thai food.

I'll be honest:

before we moved over,

I don't think I have ever had it.

Why? What? 

Why was I wasting so much of my life?

These are all valid questions.

And to be honest:

I can't give you a good reason. 

I guess it just hadn't made it to Tejas yet.

But oh me-oh-my... 

I fell hard for some Pad Kee Mao

(from Oxford's Old Tom Thai),

and now Thai takeout

(from Walmer Castle or The Churchill Arms)

is a weekly happening in our home.

The great news is-

there is an Asian supermarket

about 100 yards from our flat.

So now, I just need to put this recipe into use

and save the cash from our takeout bill

for something special.

Who knows...

it could be save up for a vacation to Thailand

when I can go to town on some authentic deliciousness.

Welcome back, Teri,

and thanks for bringing this amazing dish our way.

Yum.

*        *        *

Surely everyone likes Pad Thai? Well perhaps if you have a peanut allergy it's not top of your 'to make' list but it's a winner none the less. This recipe is a mixture of handy tips from my neighbour who recently cooked us this yummy dinner and a bit of good old experimentation. Now it's something I'll cook time and time again. 

You can equally enjoy this meal with chicken instead. I know some people get creeped out by seafood. (Personally, I could eat my body weight in the stuff!)

HOMEMADE ZINGY PAD THAI 

(serves four)

1. Make a marinade for the prawns using the chilli flakes, one garlic clove (minced) and half the coriander (read: cilantro). Marinade for at least an hour but ideally over night.

2. Thinly slice your onion and fry on a medium heat with some vegetable oil in a pan. Mince the other two garlic cloves into the plan and then add the bean sprouts.

3. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to the boil and add your noodles to cook. 

4. Mix the juice of 2 and half of the limes, sugar and fish sauce and chilli sauce in a bowl or jug. Mix well and add to the frying pan.

5. Turn down to a low heat and add your peanut butter, stirring to combine. Then add your prawns and marinade and cook.

6. Once your noodles are cooked, before draining, transfer a ladle's worth into the pad thai pan to give the sauce creaminess. You can add more depending on the consistency you like.

7. Add the noodles to the pad thai pan as well and combine on a low heat. 

8. Pour your peanuts into a blender and pulse until they become small pieces. When your prawns are pink, serve your pad thai with the peanuts sprinkled on top, the rest of your coriander (chopped) and a wedge of lime to squeeze on each.

9. Now you can devour it all! 

*      *     * 

Oh my yum.

Who's having me over for Pad Thai?

Please?

. . .

Get a bigger dose of Teri's creativity & aesthetic at The Lovely Drawer.

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Paris Style: First Impressions

I'm a sucker for the style

of Parisian women.

I mean, who's not.

Girls love it.

Guys love it.

It's pretty perfect.

I'm a few days in

and already rethinking

my own closet 

and trying to put together 

some new looks with what I already have...

And then of course,

there's everything I wish I had.

Let's window shop

and put together an ensemble

that could blend us in 

to any cafe scene
or seat on the metro.

Because, afterall, in France

it isn't about standing out...

it's about looking effortlessly appropriate.

(PS. The JCREW pics are final sale with an extra 40% off with code: BIG40.)

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Maui, Hawaii: Cheeseburger in Paradise (Lahaina)

Most people feel the need to check this establishment

off their Maui bucket list.

I'll admit, it's not the best burger I've ever had...

But, it's also not the worst.

(And it's a million times better than 99% of all British burgers. Sorry, UK.)

If you're in Lahaina, you might as well give it a try

and knock it off the list.

While it is, admittedly, a tourist scene,

let's talk about the perks:

The oceanside view is awesome.

Ask for a table upstairs, if possible.

The kobe burger is pretty tasty.

I didn't love the actual beef,

but the grilled pineapple, bacon, avocado, grilled onions

helped make it pretty tasty.

Obviously, I was slightly disheartened to not a find

"a big kosher pickle" served with my burger.

Skip the sweet potato fries... they're just cold and bit blah.

Apparently the Mai Tai's are legendary...

I can't vouch for them

but the glasses + umbrella are pretty cute.

Also, the live music and friendly staff

make it all a pretty decent experience.

If you're in Maui for a week,

I say "Go."

Just, you know, don't expect it to be Shake Shack or In-N-Out,

because you'll be disappointed.

Expect it to be fun place

in a gorgeous food

that also happens to serve some okay burgers.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

811 Front Street

Lahaina, Maui HI 96761

808.661.4855 (no reservations)

Paris: Le Premier Jour

Well, we're here.

In Paris,

and it's so nice to be back.

We've been running errands

to get the semester started (tomorrow!)

and getting to see a few bits of the city

in the process.

No Eiffel Tower or Louvre have been seen yet,

but that doesn't mean we've missed the essence of Paris.

It's oozing out of the cafes...

 and the buildings.

It's good to be back.

We splurged and bought a beater stroller

today at Monoprix

that is about 5673 times smaller than our normal one.

Apparently, it doubles as a baby whisperer.

Viola can't stay awake in it...

and it is awesome.

We're referring to it our "the au pair."

We'll be staying in the Marais

and working near Le Bastille.

Any favorite spots

that I need to try out while I'm here?

Your wish is my command.

(Crepe stands & ice cream especially welcome.)

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Blow It Out.

I'll admit something to you...

but just you, internet. 

I only wash my hair once a week.

I know... crazy.

My hair is super thick

(like, it's shocking)

and washing/blow drying/straightening it 

is a three hour ordeal

from start to finish.

And the London humidity makes 

it not too oily or too dry.

(Airplanes and Texas are tough on it, admittedly.)

Since pedicures are really terrible in the UK,

don't include good massages (the best part!)

and are around £40,

I nevvvvver get them here.

But I do splurge ever couple of weeks

on getting my hair blown out.

In fact, I have a lady that comes to my house

and does my hair there...

for £25!

I can't lie...

it's one of my favorite things.

My hair gets done to perfection

in a third of the time it would take me to muck with it...

All while the baby naps

and I drink coffee watching Law & Order SVU

in my pajamas.

Worth every single Kate-Middleton-wannabe penny.

Now you know my guilty pleasure.

(Well, besides the carbs addiction, but you knew about that.)

 .    .    .

Everyone has their weakness.

Their thing they refuse to do...

whether it's splurging to have your dog walked,
having someone come dust & change your bed linens.

 a personal trainer guide your workouts

or even paying for someone else to make & deliver your juice cleanse.

Everyone has a point where they just... don't.

So what's yours?

Spill it.

*photography by Noah Darnell

My Notting Hill: Honest Burgers

I'm not really a meat eater.

Most of the time,

I stick to veggies...

unless it's exceptionally delicious meat.

Like boeuf bourgignon at a favorite French restaurant

or pork barbecue sandwiches when I'm in the South...

or Chick-fil-A nuggets by the handful because they are goooood.

We don't really eat at ton of red meat,

so we save our burger splurges

for the best...

which means we don't eat them in England.

Burgers in England are gross.

I hate to be a downer, but it's just true.

They're nasty (in my Texan snob opinion)

for two reasons:

1. The cows are grass-fed and it makes the beef taste weird.

2. They use breadcrumbs in the patties so it makes them have

a weird, meatloaf-y consistency.

Now, a year ago,

I could have written off this entire

soggy island and it's soggy burger patties...

but I actually, have to allow for a few exceptions.

Now that the US darlings Shack Shake & Five Guys 

have come to town,

it is possible to get a good burger...

AND because Honest Burgers is here.

Since they are British and have created a good burger,

they get an extra gold star.

There are a few locations,

but we go to the one in Notting Hill

on Portobello Road

(duh).

They offer a really simple menu,

but it's a good one.

Go with the Honest burger (bacon, cheddar, carmelised onion relish)

 + homemade fries with rosemary salt.

Once your tummy starts protruding

with a burger pooch,

you'll singing John Cougar Mellancamp

and swearing to yourself that you were

back in the good ole US of A.

(Except you actually won't be... so don't sing... Just hum.)

*      *     *

Honest Burgers

189 Portobello Road 

London W11 2ED

+44 (0) 7229 4978

(Other locations available here.)

*photography by Noah Darnell

Aloha (again) from Hawaii.

This time, I saying "Aloha" with a bit of sadness...

as I'm saying goodbye to the wonderful week

we have had here in the sun.

We have explored, played, celebrated,

and eaten a lifetime's worth of fish & hula pie.

My parents were here, too, and it was fun to share this with them.

They brought me with them to Maui

when I was about a year old...

and now, Viola gets to have the same fun

at the same age.

But I'm not just sad because 

it's the end of a wonderful week and wedding...

I'm also sad because

we are flying back to London today...

...from Hawaii.

Woof.

*   *   *

We are flying from Maui to LA,

LA to NYC,

and NYC to London.

Yuck.

But, it'll all be worth it.

We'll grab our bags,

catch a night's sleep

and hit the road the next morning

for a Eurostar

and 10 days around the South of France

with my new semester.

So while I get a bit of tired head 

thinking about the long travel days ahead,

I get really excited to think

that there are some young college students

about to have their worlds' explode

by studying overseas...

.... and that I get to be there for it.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Sundry Mumsy: A Sketchy Situation

A year ago,

almost to the day,

I commissioned a piece of art 

to be made for our house 

before it was shot for Apartment Therapy.

I paid (too much) for an illustrator

to draw our almost family

to hang in the girls' nursery.

The picture was of Tyler & me

in our standard kissing pose...

but each holding a little baby

in a tiny yellow blanket

and a little gold headbands

in our arms.

I was really excited for it to arrive

and when I opened it...

I was just really confused.

It looked nothing like us.

Tyler had big baggy jeans and huge shoulders.

I'm wearing big, clunky boots that I would never wear.

The best part of it was the cute little pair of babies...

Today that picture

of the unfamiliar couple

holding a pair of twin girls

 sits half-hidden on a bookshelf.

It bums me out pretty much every time I see it.

So when Hannah surprised me with this gift,

my heart swelled big time.

A year later

and I finally have a family illustration

that will make me smile

to have hanging in our home.

I love it.

*    *   *

Thank you, Hannah!

hannah carpenter of sundry mumsy

You can enter to win

a custom illustration

and a lineup of other cool gear

in the giveaway she's hosting.

Check out more of Hannah's crazy creative work

on her cool blog, Sundry Mumsy.