The Best Thing I Have Ever Made

March 15, 2011May 27, 20111 Comment

So I know that I have not blogged for quite some time. In fact, I thought I was done blogging altogether. A lot has happened in the last 6 months and I just did not have the energy to even think about writing. A couple weeks after my last blog post, I was informed that my husband was being transferred for work and we were moving to Northern California. After some careful thinking, I resigned from my teaching position, and then, within a couple weeks of moving discovered that I was PREGNANT. I was a bit overwhelmed to say the least. Mostly, I was overjoyed. A baby is something my husband and I have wanted for a long time. And now we are expecting a little boy to arrive around July 14th, which happens to be the day before my birthday. Best. Present. Ever.

I was pretty sick for the first 16 weeks of my pregnancy and then spent the next 4 weeks overwhelmed by the profound changes my body was experiencing. During that time I was upset with the fact that we do not have any friends living up here and pregnancy is not exactly the best friendship maker in your 20’s. Again, I was not really feeling going to back to blogging. Then suddenly something changed in me. I started feeling comfortable and beautiful in my new shape (gotta love that second trimester). I am proud of my new round belly–and nothing beats the feeling of those first baby kicks. I knew that the experience of being pregnant with my first child was something I wanted to share with my family and friends who now live far away. I wish I had started earlier but better late than never I suppose. So here I am, at 22 weeks ready to write again. I am really excited because I really do love blogging but I think that until now I had not found the right focus. After all, I think the best blogs are the ones where the writers are truly passionate and excited about their subject. I am thrilled to have finally found mine.

So going forward there will be some changes. As much as I love reading food blogs, I have decided that blogging exclusively about food is not something I want to pursue. I will continue to write about food and my jewelry but they will no longer be the sole focus. This blog will now become a place to simply share all the things I love, including all things baby.

xo,

Jenna

Pug Life

September 8, 2010May 27, 20111 Comment

So I realize that I have only been blogging about twice a week but I have a really good excuse…promise. You want to see?

Meet Crosby.

When Reggie and I first started dating, about 7 years ago, we both talked about how much we LOVE Pugs. When we moved into our new place, we both decided that this was the perfect time to find our pug. So for the last 6 months I have been stalking Petfinder.com for a Pug we could rescue. See, after watching this episode of Oprah, I have not been able to get the idea of rescuing a dog out of my head.

I was fortunate enough to come across Happy Ending Rescue in Los Angeles. However, Stephanie and her team do not just rescue dogs in Southern California–they also rescue internationally. In fact, our boy Crosby is from South Korea. Tragically, the practice of dog slaughtering for meat is still a major problem in South Korea.

Amongst the South Korean population that does not eat dog meat a growing segment of proactive supporters has been fighting for animal rights; fighting to bring about the long overdue realization that eating dog meat, a Korean tradition born during times of life-or-death, is now unneccesary and its continued practice is inhumane. (Happy Ending Rescue)

For more information, click here. I warn you, though, it is very graphic and disturbing.

The adoption process was a breeze and Crosby has been making us laugh nonstop for the past couple weeks. Plus he loves the camera so expect to see him making an appearance every now and then. 🙂

P.S. Apple’s next ad campaign?I can only hope 😉

Old Friends, New Places

July 2, 2010May 27, 20111 Comment

This past Sunday Reggie and I visited The Getty Center in Los Angeles for the first time. I have to say–after going there I am almost embarrassed that I have lived here for about 5 years and only just went for the first time.

What made the visit even better was the appearance of two of my good friends from New Hampshire, Emily and Brian. We were talking about this that day, but Emily and I had not seen each other for 5 years!! I had a great time catching up with her, hearing about her world travels and updating her on what has been going on in my life. She is an amazing, caring person and I am so glad that I was able to see her on her vacation. Brian has lived out here for several years and I am lucky that we get to see each other much more often. In fact, visiting the Getty was Brian’s idea. So smart that one! 🙂

We started the afternoon sitting on the beautiful green lawns, eating lunch and drinking wine. Brian’s girlfriend,Talia, brought an amazing spread of food. We all had so much fun people watching on the lawn and catching up. After lunch and a couple bottles of wine, we decided to explore the property a bit more.

I would have showed you more pictures of the food exhibition but that lovely gentleman in the above picture scolded me for doing so. Oops! 🙂

Beautiful day with beautiful people.

The Getty is open to the public and the admission is always free–truly a must see when you are visiting LA. 🙂

xo,

Jenna

My Love

June 10, 2010May 27, 20114 Comments

My husband Reggie and I just celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary. We met at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Co in 2005. When we met, I was an 18 year old freshman who followed her high school boyfriend to college, only to quickly get my heart broken. Reg was in an on again, off again 5 year relationship. We actually met through my college roommate Melissa, who happened to have an older brother who was friends with Reg. After years of being friends and now single, we connected one night, started dating and have not looked back since.

He is truly a perfect match for me. When I think about the person I dreamt of spending my life with, I realize I was selling myself short, because Reg is so much more. He is a huge supporter of everything I do even if it has changed several times over the years. I am incredibly lucky. 🙂

xo,

Jenna

For Gingi

May 27, 2010May 27, 20114 Comments

This next recipe is for my sister Gingi (real name: Lindsey). Every year on her birthday she has one request–that I make Arancini di Riso. Making the arancini (also known as rice balls) can be a tedious process because it requires making risotto first, which as we know takes a while to make. Making the final product, though, is always worth the effort because my family really enjoys them and they are gone before I know it. 🙂

Leftover risotto is mixed with 1 egg, fresh bread crumbs, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese plus a little extra salt and pepper. I use my (very clean) hands to mix.

Roll a portion of the rice mixture into a ball the size of a clementine.

Meanwhile, I chopped some fresh mozzarella into small cubes. I highly recommend using fresh mozzarella here. It melts beautifully and tastes even better. So creamy and slightly salty…mmm

Press a small cube into the center of each rice ball. Then, move some of the rice mixture over the mozzarella and roll the ball in your hands a few more times until it is nice and round.

Like this. 🙂

Meanwhile, heat up some oil in a large pan until it is about 1 inch deep.

Roll the rice balls in some more bread crumbs until coated evenly.

Place in the oil and cook until browned evenly on all sides.

Serve with your favorite store bought or homemade marinara sauce.

And maybe a Strawberry-Avocado Salad.

Arancini di Riso

4 servings

2 cups leftover risotto

1 large egg

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 cup freshly grated bread crumbs

4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Marinara Sauce (for dipping)

Salt & Pepper

1. Combine the risotto, egg, cheese, and 1/2 cup fo the breadcrumbs.

2. Form small balls of the rice mixture (approximately the size of a clementine).

3. Press a cube of mozzarella cheese into the center of each ball. Cover the cheese with a bit more rice mixture and roll into an even, round ball.

4. Place the remaining bread crumbs in a small bowl. Roll each ball in the breadcrumbs to coat each one evenly.

5. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan–about 1 inch deep.

6. Once the oil has reach 350 degrees, place about 5 arancinis in the oil and cook until browned evenly on all sides, about 5 minutes.

7. Place cooked arancinis on a plate lined with paper towels to drain a bit of the oil. Serve hot with a side of marinara sauce.

More recipes will be coming soon, including some Blood Orange Cupcakes that are incredible!

Now I am off to work on some new jewelry for an exhibition I am participating in on papersnitch. I am thrilled!

xo,

Jenna

Fangirl

April 15, 2010May 27, 20115 Comments

I am not going to lie. I am an Apple fangirl. For example, when I opened my fortune cookie from lunch the other day and it proclaimed that I would soon receive an unusual gift, I immediately thought “Please be an iPad, please be an iPad.” Now you may be thinking that is not unusual, per se, but my husband laughs hysterically every time I claim I am going to buy one so yes, receiving one would be quite unusual. 😉

To distract myself from my early adopting Apple addiction (that was some fun alliteration), I have become quite addicted to Words with Friends. Over the weekend, my college roommate Melissa came to visit. She is a pretty epic Words with Friends player so we decided to spend our lazy Saturday playing the OG version of Words with Friends (Scrabble), drinking several bottles of wine, eating our body weight in cheese, and grabbing dinner at one of my favorite spots in the South Bay. Twas the perfect day.

As a joke, we call each other our lobsters because of a certain Friends episode.

“It’s a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. You know what, you can actually see old lobster couples walkin’ around their tank, ya know, holding claws.”

(Phoebe, Friends, Episode 2.14)

Delicious Blue Cheese Haystack from Simmzy’s in Manhattan Beach.

My handsome husband.

Peach Sangria=heaven!

Great times with my best friends.

I paused for a moment this weekend and looked around at my life. I am so lucky for all of the wonderful positive people that surround me on a day to day basis. I joke about my desire to purchase a silly material possession but really the things that matter the most to me are the people in my life. They give me the strength to make it through the days when I am filled with doubt and fear.

I am incredibly lucky.

Thanks for being my biggest fans. I love you all.

xo,

Jenna

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.”

-Audrey Hepburn

Hello, I Love You

March 6, 2010May 27, 20111 Comment

Welcome friends! I used to say that I wouldn’t start a blog until I could find the perfect name. Now, looking back, the name seemed so obvious. I am someone who believes in the beauty and power of love. Probably cheesy and naive but in my experience it certainly doesn’t hurt. Think about it– if everything we did in life came from a place of love, how much better would the world be?

I am a 25 year old jewelry maker/photography enthusiast/trivia nut/(sometimes) healthy foodie/yogi living in Southern California with my new husband, Reggie. Think of Hello, I Love You as your local coffee shop. Somewhere we can chat about things that are important (and the not so important) and celebrate the beautiful things in life.

–Jenna

“Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. ” ~Jean Anouilh