Martha Chartreuse: February 2014

Paris in Portland with Peachbuzzed

I always factor in the restrooms when judging a restaurant. I think it says a lot about the establishment. Do the owners care about the little details? Is hygiene a top priority? Do they remember patron's needs -- good lighting and dry shampoo-- when hitting the loo?

This past weekend I was able to have lunch at Maurice with my friend Peaches! The bathroom is absolutely fantastic! The most charming translations of "Attention" have been painted throughout. Its bright, fresh and cheery!

Oh, wait! The food! Yes, yes! It was fantastic!!! Hence, why the exclamation mark count for this review is off the charts. While this is a new addition to the Portland food scene I had heard a lot of great things. It did not disappoint! Every last detail was pure perfection. Not at all pretentious. But so very inspiring.

We each started off with drip coffees. They were tasty and certainly woke me up.

The cups and silver creamer were a great touch!

I had the Lefse with Gravlax, Creme Fraiche and Caviar.

It was a bright and fresh dish; not at all fishy.

Peaches had chicken pot pie's fancy, elegant, gourmet cousin. And a cutie. Never forget the deliciousness of a cutie.

We split one of the most delicious pastries I have ever consumed. Paris status pastry magic! If a donut married a brioche roll and lived in a house made of eclairs and nutella this is what it would produce. And it would be called, perfection!

In addition to the fantastic food and snazzy salle de bain, the service was top notch! Our server, James, was an absolute delight. He was funny, knowledgeable and completely tolerated my obsession with the bathroom. The owner and food artist Kristen kindly answered all of my questions about her food, social media accounts, the bathroom, and, the beautiful plates. She is truly passionate about Maurice, and it shows in every detail.

One more for posterity's sake!

Friday Five {Navigation}

Some of you {Hi Mom!} may have noticed my Friday Five posts haven't been consistent in style or format. I originally had a very specific formula laid out. Turns out, its not the best fit. I would love your feed back as I continue to navigate "Friday Five" and find the right approach for me and Martha Chartreuse.

Cheers,

Mere

Drinks at Multnomah Whiskey Library

1. This week I was able to share my re-cap of the PDX Bloggers Goals and Brainstorming Event on their blog! Pop over and check out three of my takeaways!

2. I had the opportunity to check out Multnomah Whiskey Library earlier in the week! This place certainly lives up to the hype. We went mid-week so the wait was short and we were seated in front of the fireplace on the dreamiest leather couch. They have more than 1,600 types of alcohol and the list is expansive. Drinks range in price from nine American Dollars {Paper Currency} to almost FIVE HUNDRED American Dollars {AmEX}!!

3. A few years back my sister gave me a Kiva gift card as part of my Christmas gift. Kiva is a international microfinance program committed to social performance. Currently, my third loan is being repaid. I received an email update from the recipient and was truly blown away by this program.

4. While I have never gotten into Late Night television, Jimmy Fallon is doing an amazing job! Have you tuned in? While the list of guests for his first week has been A++++ List, this sketch might be my favorite!

5. I have had a serious sweet tooth lately. This weekend is jam packed but I may have to carve out time to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Said I. And Deb. And David.

But I'm a Glutenista!! + Missionary Chocolates

If you know anything about Portland, you know the people of this city take their food seriously. Its truly impressive. Diets often exclude any combination of gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, any type of animal product, or, by product. The ingredients used must be locally sourced, non-gmo, organic, bpa-free and humanely produced. For numerous reasons, I do not subscribe to any of these diets religiously. Mostly, because I enjoy meat, cheese and bread! I am also lucky enough that my dietary restrictions are practically non-existent. When possible, I try to buy certain products with the grass-fed, hormone free, and lovingly cared for label. But, let's be honest; if given the choice, I will purchase the less expensive celery.

I really, really love salty sweet treats filled with creamy chocolate, crispy gluten, and traces of magic. I was previously convinced my preferred desserts absolutely must have gluten, dairy, and nuts to satisfy me. I've been proven wrong! So very, very wrong!

For Valentine's Day my very sweet roommate picked me up some treats from Missionary Chocolate. Missionary Chocolates was started by a Naturpathic Physician in an attempt to create vegan candies for her mother. It has now flourished into an award-winning business! The truffles and treats can be found at a variety of shops, The Missionary Retail Store, and, can be shipped.

Vanilla Salted Caramel

These truffles are large!! I was able to cut them in 1/8's and was able to nibble on them for a few days. Just be certain to keep them tightly wrapped to ward off drying out.

Peppermint Perfection

Refreshingly light yet decadent!

The Salted Chocolate Pretzel Bark was by far my favorite treat! It paired all of the crunchy, salty, sweet, chocolaty things I love!!! Even though I knew it was gluten, egg, nut and dairy free; I did not believe it!

This post is in no way affiliated with Missionary Chocolates and the opinions are entirely my own.

XOXO {{Potluck Style}}

As previously mentioned, my roommate and I hosted a Valentine's Day Potluck for some of our lady friends. While we knew it would be fun, the gathering really exceeded our expectations! The entire event was very easy to host; the prep work was minimal, hosting was a snap, and clean up was a breeze. So easy that I was able to snap dozens of photos. Yes, dozens!!! Not red or long stemmed, but still magical!

The Spread

I followed five simple steps to make sure everything went smoothly, ensured I could be present during the party, and still felt very special!

Image via Simply Clarke

I hope you are all having a phenomenal Valentine's Day; spending it with those you adore, and, doing what you love! I will be spending the evening with some of my favorite ladies for a pot luck gathering in yoga pants. There will also be a roaring fire and wine. Lots of wine. Would love to hear what you all have planned!!

1. Lovely Rachel just started an amazing series reviewing her favorite beauty products!! Click over fast. Real, real fast!

2. My dear friend, Torie, scribed an amazing overview for Pantone's Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid. For someone who is allergic to purple, this actually has me more excited about the color!

3. As someone who still rocks white shirts that are more than 7 years of age, this post on 10 hacks to make clothes last longer is right up my ally.

4. I'm not sure I can pick a favorite love story from this list. Wait, yes I can! The one that involves my 2nd favorite imaginary friend!

5. It wouldn't be a list of things I love without including my 1st favorite person, Pope Frankie!! He held a special event with over 10,000 engaged couples, discussing marriage in honor of St. Valentine! Great advice for life, special someone or not!

Making Adjustments + Cream of Roasted Mushroom and Bacon Soup

One of the great things about cooking is the ability to adjust. Baking seems to be much more restrictive. You can't decide to add or omit ingredients last minute. At least, my baking skills don't allow for that. My favorite kind of cooking doesn't involve a recipe. I follow methods. Study different recipes and techniques, then mash them together into my own version of a dish. Which, granted, has been a challenge as I log recipes for the blog.

I always believe in paying attention to my ingredients. Sometimes, a tomato is more juicy than anticipated. Other times, something is just a bit bland compared to its usual flavorful self. And we, the eaters, need different things at different times. Maybe, you would like chicken that is a bit spicier. Perhaps, something that is more silhouette friendly. At times, our heart needs the meals to be a whole lot more comforting {read: butter}.

Adjustment is exactly what happened with this recipe. You see, Macey and I had gotten together last week and got on the topic of affordable grocery shopping. We both agreed Trader Joe's has great food for the right price, but, at times, it can be challenging to make a fresh, not-previously-frozen meal with their products. I immediately put it in the back of my head that I was going to make an affordable, light, and delicious meal using only Trader Joe's products. I had a nicoise-style salad planned. Then, #SnowMageddonPocolypcePolarVortexWhiteHoleOfSnow hit Portland and the cold weather completely changed the meal I had planned. This soup is yummy comfort food at its finest. Layers of flavor. Creamy, yet light and zesty. A house filled with aromatic hugs. Visions of a Kincaid painting.

Friday Five {When in Doubt, Bundle}

It seems like the Polar Vortex has zero interest in bidding anyone adieu. The temperatures have been well below freezing and Portland is blanketed in snow. The entire city has shut down!! I must admit, it makes me a bit nostalgic for Montana. Though, not so nostalgic that I want to be frolicking around in -30 weather!!! I plan on curling up by the fire, eating comfort food, living in yoga pants, and, watching great movies.

Stay warm and be safe!!

Cheers,

Mere

Image via Cetaphil

I swear by Cetaphil to keep my skin soft and moisturized during the winter months.

Image Via The Kinas

Despite the horrible weather, these Good Samaritans, went above and beyond.

Image via IMBD

Miracle is one of my favorite movies. Very fitting right now. Russia + Olympics + Winter

Image via Martha Stewart

This soup looks amazing!!

Image via Nordstrom

Couch snuggles, movie marathons, and long stretches in the house call for these leggings.

Trying Something New + Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

I have to admit the Super Bowl isn't exactly my thing. In fact, I'm not a huge fan of professional sports. I much prefer collegiate programs. But, as I previously mentioned, I was excited for this game. I was invited to a party and needed to bring a tasty treat. We all have our go-to appetizers. The ones we can make with our eyes closed. The tasty bites that everyone requests. Time and time again. For me, that would most likely be my shrimp cocktail. In fact, that is what I had planned on bringing. I had even told my sister it was going to be my contribution. I was committed.

I went to the store, armed with a very long list, and hit up the butcher/fish monger area first. Yay! Shrimp was on sale!! Fancy bacon was also on sale!!! The wheels started to turn. I had had a very long, stressful week. My weekend was also jam packed. The idea of hitting 10 more aisles, and, battling with fellow shoppers for condiments, candies and crackers did not seem appealing. I decided to throw caution to the wind and change my dish. Instead of picking up 15 items, I picked up 2, knowing I had enough staples in my pantry and fridge to turn this into something wonderful.

Bacon. Shrimp. Not exactly a Hail Mary!

I decided to up the level of magic with some brown sugar and a hint of spice. Well the results were absolutely wonderful!

2 Pounds Medium Shrimp: raw, peeled & deveined {25-30 Count}

1.5 Pounds Quality Bacon

3 Tsp Siracha {Amount can be adjusted based on your desired heat level}

1 Tbs Teriyaki Sauce

1 Tbs Minced Garlic

1.5 Tsp Cinnamon

2 Tbs Brown Sugar

Toothpicks

In a large bowl, mix the shrimp, siracha, teriyaki sauce, garlic and cinnamon together. Let marinade for at least 30 minutes. No longer than 1 hour.

Cut bacon into wrap-able strips. The approach may vary based on the thickness and size of the strips.

Spoiler Alert: This is the final product. I didn't get a good shot of the uncooked wrap job. Its hard to get shots like that solo.

Wrap shrimp and secure with toothpicks

Place in a large baking dish. {This can sit over night} Sprinkle brown sugar over shrimp.

Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. Every ten minutes, shake the pan and make sure the shrimp are being basted in the cooking liquid. Until the bacon is golden brown and crispy on the edges. {The shrimp will cook completely early on. Don't worry about them drying out. The fat from the bacon will prevent that. As will the basting.}

Secrets to Being a Single Blogger + Valentine's Decor

One of the biggest hesitations I had about starting a blog is my single status. While that may sound crazy, most of my favorite bloggers are married. A good percentage of them have adorable small humans. Their Instagrams are filled with chubby cheeked cherubs and handsome husbands to attend fabulous brunches together. I really wondered if I could fill the pages of Martha Chartreuse with interesting content without a partner in crime. Is a double serving of faux-Cheesecake for one amazing or embarrassing? Then I realized this could be really, really amazing. I don't have to adjust recipes for a husband who only eats cous cous that "supports a two state solution", or, factor in children that have an early bedtime when throwing parties. This blog is Pure Mere. At least, I am hopeful it is an accurate portrayal of who I am in person. And that person just so happens to be single. Which is fun and fabulous. With a few dashes of adventure, and more than a splash of comedy.

While it is scary to blog solo, it can be even scarier to do things alone in real life. Going to dinner by yourself can be intimidating. But also fun and mysterious. Making pork ragu for one is a challenge. But the leftover potential is top notch. Sometimes, it requires very fabulous shoes. And, every February, it requires over-the-top Valentine's Day Decorations. Why? Because all types of love should be celebrated. And, I have a really amazing mantel that lends itself to seasonal decor. Annnnd, a really great ottoman.