Weekend Wrap-Up

First and Foremost: Happy Oscars Night! I don't know about you, but my favorite part is always the red carpet. The winner? Brangelia. Hats off for always stealing the show. She makes pale look sexy, and he makes long hair non-creepy.

I want to be a non-scandalous version of them when I grow up.

How was everyone's weekend? Ours was nice and low key. Friday, I rewarded my awesome week of workouts by indulging in Five Guys...

No cheese or mayo makes it ok, right? 

Later that night, Brittany and I grabbed some dinner & wine at Twisted Vines  while our boys ran wild in the streets of enjoyed a relaxing night in Baltimore for a Bachelor Party. Girl time is always welcome and appreciated... we made the most of it :)

Picture sent circa 11:00 pm to the boys saying "Look how much fun we are having!"

Saturday morning, I was up bright and early for my Training Trio's run. We met at 8:00 am at Roosevelt Island in D.C... and just our luck... it started snowing just as we were getting ready to take off. 

Me no likey. 

We camped out in the car until 8:30, and magically, the clouds blew through and the sun finally made an appearance. Game on!! However, we soon learned that the random weather passing through quickly wasn't an accident... the wind was out of control.

We embarked on an hour and a half torturous run through some of the heaviest winds I've ever encountered. The first 4 miles out was great... the last 4.5 back we faced consistent 20+ mph headwinds with gusts up to 35 mph.

I can say with certainty that this was one of the hardest physical tests I've endured in my 28 years of living. And that's a bold statement- I've ridden a bike 160 miles in 2 days and completed a sprint triathlon.... I feel like this was worse. I got through for 2 reasons: My bad ass iPod mix and some great running partners. Elliott and Blair were very sweet and patient with me... they stopped so I could catch my breath a few times and never cussed at me out loud. {Internally, I'm sure it was a different story}. I'm confident that after our windy 8.5 mile zinger, next weekend's 10 miler should be much easier {and hopefully wind free}.

I spent the rest of the day in the fetal position on the couch. Mr. Smith and I definitely clocked at least 13 hours of sleep From Saturday-Sunday.

Today, we went to brunch at Founding Farmers in DC for my friend Mattie's birthday. I'd heard great things, so I was so excited to finally have a reason to go! It's a farm fresh organic restaurant with a modern twist. The menu has a heavy New Orleans influence, and everything is made in-house. They're known for their cocktails, eggs benedict, and chicken and waffles. 

Now THAT is a bloody mary. 

Birthday girl with her new bracelet, scarf, and tulips :)

Gin fizz.

Eggs Benedict Arnold with Sausage and Black Pepper Cream Gravy , Side of grits

Classic Eggs Benedict, Side of fruit

This place certainly deserves the hype... everything was delicious! Our favorite part was the hot sauce basted bacon {which we ate too fast, couldn't snap a pic}. We will definitely be back!

We spent the rest of today running errands and cleaning. I'm happy to report that we finally took down the christmas tree. Yes... it was still up. Until 5pm tonight. Next year, we decided to get a real tree so we have no excuse to leave it up for 2 months. It's a great conversation piece, though!

Now that the Oscars are over and I don't know any of the people/films that won besides The Help, we are hitting the sack. Sweet dreams!

Proud Moment: My First Two-A-Day!

For the first time since high school track practice circa 2000, I worked out twice in one day. #howyoulikemenow

I'm staying committed to Bar Method and went to the 12:15 class over my lunch break. I'm tired of my friends calling me "Long Back" {because my back extends to my knees... there's nothing in-between} and it's the perfect complement to my half marathon training. It's so great for flexibility and toning... I hope it pays off in the {rear} end!

I repeat this over and over in my head the entire time!

Then, I turned down a FREE happy hour after work and met Elliott for a causal 5.57 mile run around the National Mall after work. No big deal.

Ok, I lie. BIG DEAL!! We felt great! The scenery was amazing, weather was *perfect*... loved every minute of it.

How can you not want to keep going when this is what you soak in?

The closer the race gets, the more excited I am :) I'm in full on training mode now... 23 days and counting! The next few weeks of posts will probably be a little boring focused on training and healthy cooking... Mrs. Smith is taking a much needed hiatus from the Sunday Fundays and Scotch. And I will have more images like this:

Have a great weekend!

Sunday Funday: Bar Hopping/OAR

First and foremost, I would like to dedicate this video to Sunday Funday, Xoxo: Kate

We met Kyle, Brittany, and Luke at Circa in Clarendon for brunch. Since Monday was a holiday for everyone, we went H.A.M. {late 20's/early 30's style}.

Obligatory food pic: Duh.
Lobster Ravioli. 'Twas the bomb.

Birthday brunch.  Whooooooooo.

So cool 

Because shots are always a good idea at 2:00 pm.

Next Stop: Whitlow's. Drank a lot of beer and spotted a rare species in the wild...

Overallicus Wearicus

Fast forward several beers to 6:00 pm- Triple dinner date at District of Pi {home of my favorite food truck}.

My favorites! Britt and Krystina

Again... so cool.

"Hey Zeke, I bet you won't drink this cup of marinara through a straw"

Finally, we made it to the OAR concert at 918 F Street, LivingSocial's new venue.

Happy birthday Kizzle!

Great view!

The future Mr. and Mrs. Friis enjoying the show :)

We had a great time! I'm not a huge OAR fan but I know a handful of songs they play... and I thought it was totally worth it! They put on a great live show, and the venue was *awesome*. The people we were with made it even better :)

Just like the video alludes to... we spent the entire day in bed Monday. The only time we got up was to use the restroom or answer the door for the pizza man.

No Fat Tuesday or Ash Wednesday stories to share... the highlight of my week was a mouse in our office today.

I'm still trying to decide that to give up for Lent. Last year , I gave up all meats with the exception of fish. And this is pretty embarrassing... but I have no idea how long that lasted! This year, I promise to stick with it. I'm not being driven crazy distracted by wedding planning.

I would love to hear what you're giving up! Any suggestions/inspiration to provide?

Xoxo,

Kate

{PS- To my fellow bloggers: I want a cute signature! Do you have designers/apps you can recommend to me? Thanks}

Potato, Pancetta, Spinach, & Crab Frittata

After my newly formed trio's 7.17 mile zinger yesterday {go us!}, I came home with quite an appetite. Thanks to a little inspiration from my fellow blogger Michelle, I embarked on a kitchen journey to explore the wide world of brunch foods. For us, breakfast usually consists of Special K cereal or eggs {fried or scrambled}, turkey bacon, and fruit. When I saw the frittata recipe, I thought this would be a great way to add some diversity in the mix.

And if you're like me and thought "Sounds good, but what the heck its a frittata or pancetta?", don't feel bad. I google'd it. A frittata is a spanish style omelette that's finished in the oven and served like a quiche, and pancetta is cured italian pork. You'll find it in the deli... it's a good alternative to ham and prosciutto. It has a pretty bold flavor, too, and added awesome flavor to the dish.

It's a really easy recipe to follow... the most time consuming part is chopping the ingredients.

Season and saute EVOO, russet potatoes,  and onion until tender.

Mix together eggs, spinach, diced pancetta, and crab.  

Pour mixture over potatoes, stir once, and place in 400 degree oven until eggs set.

Slice and serve! 

Potato, Pancetta, Crab & Spinach Frittata (adapted from this recipe)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small russet potatoes (about 3/4 pound), peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 ounces chopped pancetta
• 8 ounces jumbo lump crab meat*
• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
• 9 large eggs
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 bag frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid 
• 8 ounces 2% sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onion and cook, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Be careful to not let the potatoes stick to the bottom of the pan- they will burn!

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix in the spinach, cheese, crab and pancetta. Add the egg mixture to the skillet, stir once, and transfer the skillet to oven. Cook until the eggs are set, 15 to 20 minutes.

* Jumbo lump crab meat can get a little pricey. I found a 16oz can of "Chicken of the Sea" brand on sale for $18. The seafood specialist {not sure what to call them} at the grocery store said all lump crab meat comes from the same distributor, so the with the more expensive cans, you're just paying for the label. With the leftover meat, you can make crab cakes, gumbo, ceviche, stuffed lobster... tons of options!

Let me know if you have any fun substitutuions or suggestions... I would love some new ideas :)
Happy President's Day weekend!

I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch.

Last night, we channeled our inner Ron Burgundy and attended a scotch tasting at P Brennan's. I've never  been a scotch fan, but mostly because I don't know anything about it. I've started to realize that it's like wine: people who are alcoholics enthusiasts genuinely enjoy drinking it for the taste, not just because it takes you from zero to sixty in 1 glass {that's just an added bonus}. I figured this was a great excuse for a  "proper introduction" so that I can enjoy or dislike the drink for a reason.

Just like the other tastings we've done, we sampled 4 top tier brands while listening to the scotch master himself, Mr. Eoghain Clavin, ramble explain the drink's back story, how it's made, the differences between the 4 brands, how to properly taste them, what flavors to expect, and a bunch of other things I can't remember b/c I blacked out circa 9:00 pm. {Ok not really... but close}.

Glenmorangi LaSanta, Macallan 15, Laphroaig, Glenkinchie

Map of where the Scotch Whiskey comes from- 4 regions in Scotland 

Here it goes down, down into my belly...  

Zeke's Baltimore co-workers who are fond of Scotchy Scotch Scotch came to visit.

Cute old man. With 6 inch ears.

Dinner menu: Scotch Eggs, Forfar Bridies (Scottish meat pastry), Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll,
and apple turnover + bonus scotch for dessert

Real bagpiper!

Trouble

Napkin race- loser buys shots! 

I was the loser. I paid for these smiles.

Here's what I learned from the whole ordeal:

- Scotch tastes a lot like whiskey. Because it IS whiskey. 

- 1 ice cube makes a huge difference in the taste.

- Don't drink it like a shot or you will die.

- Glenmorangi is dangerously delicious. 

- If someone tells you a scotch tastes "peaty", it means it tastes like your clothes smell after you stand by a campfire. It's actually really bizarre.

-  Don't ever, under any circumstances, drink 5 pours of scotch Thursday night. Unless you don't have anything to do on Friday {like work}.

- Making bets are fun until you lose and wake up with a receipt in your purse for 7 Jameson shots that you don't remember.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's a quiet Friday night around the Smith casa. I'm about to hit the hay.... Zeke is at the Big Gigantic concert at the 930 club in DC with the boys, and I have to be up at 6:00 am for a 7 mile run with my newly formed running trio. It's supposed to be 55 and sunny tomorrow {thank you baby Jesus}, so I'm excited to enjoy the weather, soak up some gorgeous DC scenery, and pretend that I'm not panicking about the half marathon that's one month from today.

Have a great weekend and happy President's Day!

This is how we roll... enchiladas

February 14th was muy caliente at la Casa de Smith. For the 2nd year in a row, we skipped the crowds and decided on some Tex-Mex themed grub inspired by our first Valentine's Day together 5 years ago. 

On the menu for the evening:

- Mango Margaritas

- Jumbo lump crab and avocado stuffed enchiladas with tequila lime cream sauce

- Squash, zucchini, red onion medley sauteed in tequila/olive oil mixture

- Can you tell we like tequila?

Senor Smith mixing the mangos margs 

The most delicious v-day dinner yet! Creamy cheesy avocado-y goodness.
 PS- Can you tell we like CHEAP tequila? Used the Patron at a party this summer... need to re-stock ;)

If you love Tex Mex and have 1.5 hours to spare, I highly recommend giving this recipe a shot. It's not a difficult recipe, it's just very time consuming and there's a lot of chopping, mixing, and prepping involved. Actual "cook" time is 20 minutes for the sauce and 10 minutes for the enchiladas.

A lot of the steps can be done simultaneously, so it's a great meal to cook with your hubby or roomie or bestie. Margaritas + team work + amor in the air = successful Valentine's Day Din Din!

The spread 

Step 1: I started making the tequila cream sauce.
Sauté onions & garlic in butter until onions are clear.
On the back burner, dice mushrooms and saute in EVOO on low.

Add tequila {yeeeeah buddy} and boil to reduce.

While I was cooking the sauce, Senor Smith made the avocado and crab enchilada filling.

Pause to take a kissy pic.

Step 2: Senor Smith rolled the enchiladas. 1 layer of guac mic, 1 tbsp queso fresco, 1 tbsp cream sauce.

Roll them up, place them face down in the pan.

While he rolled the enchiladas, I started the sauteed the veggies. Cover and simmer while the rest of the food cooks. 

Step 3: Once pan is full, cover with 2/3 of the remaining cream sauce and cover with monterey jack cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes {uncovered} until the sauce bubbles.

Step 4: Serve it up & bring your appetite!

MmmmMMmmmMm

Mango Margaritas 

{According to Zeke}

• Orange juice
• Tequila
• Triple Sec
• Margaritaville Mango Mix

"Pour in 1 cup of tequila. Add the rest to taste. I don't know!!"

Tequila Lime Cream Sauce and Avocado Enchiladas

{Modified from Mama's Cafe recipe}

Tequila Lime Cream Sauce

• ½ yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves – rough chopped
• 1 stick plus 1 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup tequila
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 c sauteed mushrooms
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt
• Cumin

In a small pot, add 1 stick butter and chopped onion and garlic.  Cook until onion is translucent.  Next add 1 cup tequila.  Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced by about 75%.  Add to same pot 1 pint of heavy whipping cream. Continue to cook {whisking regularly} until 25% reduced – sauce will begin to thicken {10-15 minutes}.  Pour contents into a strainer*, separate liquid, then return liquid into a bowl or pan. Add juice of 1 lime, stir in mushrooms, cover, and set aside.

*I saved the strained onions and garlic and poured them in to the sauteed veggies. Nice addition!

Avocado Mix

• 3 avocados
• 1/3 cup jumbo lump crab meat
• ¼ red onion chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• Juice of ½ lime
• Salt, pepper, cumin to taste
• 1/3 c sauteed mushrooms

Take 3 ripe avocados {ripe=squeezable, not mushy}.  Cut the avocados in half, carefully remove the seed and scoop the delicious avocado out of the skin with a spoon into a bowl.  Add ¼ red onion finely chopped, 1 plum tomato, chopped, mushrooms, and the juice of ½ lime.  Mash all ingredients until there are no large pieces – add salt, pepper, cumin to taste.

Enchiladas

• White or yellow corn tortillas
• Queso Fresco cheese
• Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
• Avocado mixture
• Tequila Lime Cream Sauce

We used white corn tortillas – flour tortillas don’t work very well, they get mushy.  Lay a tortilla on a flat surface in front of you and scoop a big spoonful of guacamole, lay it down the center of the tortilla, the sprinkle 1 tbsp cream sauce and 1 tbsp of grated Queso Fresco.  Roll it up and place it in the baking dish folded side down.  Continue doing this until the pan is full or guacamole is used up.  Pour the rest of the cream sauce over the enchiladas, top with grated monterey jack cheese, place in a 375° oven until the sauce begins to bubble a bit (maybe 10-15 minutes max).  Remove from oven.  

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with Queso Fresco Cheese {we went a little overboard on this part- life is short}.  Happy eating!

~~~~~~~

If you're still reading at this point, I'm thoroughly impressed. This was a long post, even I'm tired of writing. Stay tuned for a Saturday post telling you all about the Scotch tasting we're attending tomorrow, and Big Gigantic concert Friday. {It's actually a band, not just a reference to the size of the crowd}. 

Happy hump day... sweet dreams!