What a Tart.

Hi, I'm Molly. Remember me? Yeah, I didn't think so. Winter is over. I have survived and I am coming out of hibernation. Spring, it seems, does a lot to get my creative juices flowing. Never mind the fact that it hasn't done anything to help me write that darn cover letter I've been working on for the last week . . . it inspires me to do things like make a TART!

Over spring break I went to visit my aunt and uncle in northern Minnesota. The ice was just starting to thaw and my aunt and uncle had discovered patches of wild cranberries left over from the fall, but safely preserved through the winter by snow, in marshes near their house. I borrowed my uncles giant rubber boots and my aunt and I went cranberry hunting. Though the cranberry picking adventure was fun, I was dumbfounded when it came to deciding what to do with the jar of cranberry preserves I was sent home with. And so, the cranberry preserves have sat in my kitchen untouched for the last several weeks. I guiltily dodged questions from my aunt on Easter asking me if I was enjoying the preserves.

This tart recipe was an answer to my prayers! I won't bore you with the details of my baking travails, but I will warn you that almond extract does NOT taste as good as it smells right out of the bottle. It does, however, taste delicious in a crunchy crust alongside cornmeal and gobs of butter. This tart may also be the prettiest thing I've ever baked. It certainly enhanced a lovely Saturday morning coupled with sunshine, a cup of coffee, homemade whipped cream, and a good book.

Easy Jam Tart
Adapted from Ready for Dessert and Smitten Kitchen

Like SK, I used a food processor rather than a stand mixer (I would recommend it). I also replaced store bought jam with homemade preserves. I had to put off making this recipe for a whole week because I didn't have cornmeal. I toyed briefly with the prospect of using the food processor to grind corn chips (which was actually suggested by one website), but held out for the real thing. Other websites I looked at suggested throwing polenta in a food processor before using it because apparently it is not a finely ground as cornmeal.

1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (70 grams) stone-ground cornmeal or polenta
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons (4 1/2 ounces or 130 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg, whole
1 large egg, separated
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/3 to 1 3/4 cups (450 grams) jam (see Note above; I used the smaller amount) or marmalade
2 tablespoons (30 grams) coarse-crystal or granulated sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a food processor, mix the butter and 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar together until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk (keep the egg white from the second egg on hand for later) and almond extract and beat until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until the dough just comes together.

Transfer about one-third of the dough to a lightly floured counter and shape it into a log about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until needed. (As always, I was in a rush and put this in the freezer.)

Transfer the remaining dough to a buttered 9-inch (23-cm) tart pan with a removable bottom of a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan. Using your hands, press the dough evenly into the bottom. If using a tart pan, press the dough up the sides to the rim of the pan and set the tart pan on a baking sheet. If using a springform pan, press the dough about 3/4-inch (2-cm) up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the dough-lined pan until firm, at least one hour. (Again, I used the freezer and it was firm in 30 minutes. I am impatient.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the jam or marmalade evenly over the dough in the pan. Cut the chilled dough into very thin discs with a sharp paring knife. Arrange them slightly overlapped in concentric circles over the jam to form a top crust. Whisk the remaining egg white with a teaspoon of water until frothy; brush evenly over the tart lid and then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons (30 grams) coarse sugar. Bake until the top crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Snow Day

I think I've fooled myself into believing that I've acclimated to this whole winter thing (PUN!), today I was smacked back to California with a serious dose of reality. On my way to class as I pulled out of my drive way, I was distracted by the semi-broken garage door. I hadn't turned as sharply as I needed to, but figured I'd still be able to make it out onto the street. I continued to reverse and got stuck, pulled forward and got stuck, and tried to reverse only to realize I was stuck, REALLY STUCK! I had backed over a mound of ice (see, when the temperature stays below freezing for months at a time what looks like pretty mounds of snow is really rock solid ice dusted with snow) and I wasn't going anywhere. I think the standard protocol in this sort of situation is to give the car a push, but neither of my roommates was home so I started digging/hacking away. I spent over an hour trying to get my car unstuck before my neighbor graciously pitched in with some more digging, clever use of a card board box, and a few big pushes.

In the midst of the digging I kept wavering between breaking down in tears and laughing. It was one of those moments where I was both wishing my dad was there (he fixes things like this) and being oddly proud that I was a grown up who was going to get herself out of this mess. It might have been a coming of age moment. I chose to laugh, waited to call my dad until after the ordeal was over, and decided this wasn't going to ruin my day.

By the time I was out I had practically missed all of class so I pulled my car back into the garage and proclaimed a Snow Day! I had coffee with a friend, wore sweats most of the day, lazed around the house, and went to a movie with some friends followed by sushi and beer. I really needed a day off, so despite the hassle, I think this morning was a blessing.

Strawberries!!!

Since moving into my house last August I've been looking forward to this summer. By moving in at the end of the summer I missed an entire season of fresh strawberries grown in our backyard in a small, rather unkempt, patch.


Our little strawberry patch was struck by a tragedy in late May, when just after flowering, the man who lives in the other half of our duplex MOWED OVER THE STRAWBERRY PATCH! Luckily most of the plants along the wall survived, and though I wonder what it could have been like if we had all the plants (sigh), I'm grateful for what I have.


So, as soon as I saw this recipe for strawberries and dumplings on my favorite foodie blog I new I had to make it. After a long weekend of grading petitions, Sunday evening was the perfect time to try it out.



Note the bright green walls, the strawberry picture, and the red accents...this kitchen was made for this dish.

I only wanted to make one serving (probably more like one and a half) so I just kind of guesstimated on the proportions for everything, but basically followed the recipe from the blog. I used half normal white sugar and half brown sugar though (per the bloggers suggestion).


I also didn't have any whole milk or heavy cream, I did however have half & half (mmm coffee!). I just cut it with a little bit of water for the dumpling dough. I totally improvised for the heavy cream though, I mixed half & half with some non-fat vanilla yogurt (from TJ's :) ) and stuck it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Delish!


I don't think words can really explain how good this was. Tart (with an added kick from the yogurt), dumpling-y, warm, gooey, goodness...yep that's it.

Top10...err 11 Spring Break Moments!

These aren't in any specific order.

1. It was almost 60 degrees out on both Sunday and Monday. It was so nice all the snow melted, I went home early from work, and I ran like 3 days in a row.
2. As a result of 1. I got to dig my rainbows out from the back of my closet and wore them at least 5 times (sadly with the current weather they have been returned to the closet).
3. I went to Michael Jordan's house near Chicago and got yelled at through the intercome. I'm pretty sure it was actually Michael Jordan...or at least that's the story I'm sticking to (we actually just saw the gate). This is just one of the amazing things I got to do on my first ever trip to Chicago.
4. I got to spend over 12 hours in a car with Christine. We haven't had nearly enough time to hang out this semester and had lots of catching up to do. We never turned on the radio and didn't even need a no-pressure-to-talk rule, one of the many things I love about Christine.
5. I had 2 Slurpees! There are no 7-Elevens in Minnesota, which makes me sad. Icees and Slurpees are not the same thing. When I noticed a 7-Eleven on the way to Christine's I literally freaked out. Maybe a little bit of an overreaction, but I was excited.
6. I caught up on Professional Responsibility. I had only read for two classes before spring break. Catching up is a feat to be proud of and I got to do it at my favorite bou, awesomeness.
7. I got to see Lake Michigan. I had this vision that we would listen to Sufjan's To Be Alone with You as the lake came into view. Sadly, Josh is lacking in his Sufjan music collection, but I sang the song in my head, so it's okay.
8. Lisa Chu made me (and a bunch of her friends) Pad Thai from scratch. Freakin' delish!
9. Christine and I got manicures. I painted my nails dark purple. Totallyout of character for me, but I was in a trendy mood. This was one of the many awesome things we got to do in her way cute home time. I am so grateful for the time I got to spend with her and her family.
10. We went across this weird bridge in Chicago that was designed by this guy who also designed a really ugly building on the U of M campus. This was mostly exciting because I thought it would be fun to slide down the side of the bridge. Didn't do it, but should have.
11. OMG! I almost forgot. Lisa Chu and Christine met, and the world did not implode. They are each other's doppleganger (I'm a nerd). I built this up a lot and as a result I worry that it was not as fulfilling for them as it was for me. Awesome!

Playing Catch Up

Okay, so it's the last day of February and I am still 3 days shy of reaching 25 things. So, I will try to throw something together in this post.

22. I love people watching.

This might have something to do with that over analytical thing I talked about before. My favorite thing to do is to assess couple's relationships at coffee shops.

23. I have really high expectations for people.

I think this comes out of my general sense of optimism. I see the best in people and I expect them to live up to that. I'm coming to terms with the fact that when I feel let down that is often my problem, and not theirs.

24. I avoid awkward situations as often as possible...which often only makes awkward situations more awkward.

This has been recently complicated by the introduction of Randi into my life, but I love her nonetheless.

25. I am a C, I am a C-H, I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N


My relationship with Christ is what defines me, it is what drives me, and it is what I strive toward. This all sounds kind of cliche, but it is true. In college most of my life was centered around ministry (through Crusade and ADX) and it was a lot easier to find my identity in Christ in that context. Learning what it looks like to glorify God in law school is challenging, but I feel like it's a better reflection of what my faith will look like in the long term than what it was in college. It requires a different sort of intentionality and integration and it's something that I still feel lost in.

mmm...coffee

9. I heart coffee.

Yeah, I think this one is given. I just decided to mention it because today one of my law school friends made fun of me because so many of my Berkeley friends tag me in random pictures of coffee or coffee related things. One of the things I miss about Berkeley (I could start a list of 25 things I miss about Berk) is the cafes...but not Milano (or being forced to go there by people that didn't understand the icky-ness that is Milano coffee). I have found some great coffee shops in MN, but nothing really compares to the Far-Away-Starbucks (that is no more) and Strada.

Don't You Wish Your Law School Friends Were Cool Like Mine?

I received one of the most amazing and unique Christmas presents ever this year from my law school friend Dave. He made Me, Randi, and Bri Lego scenes(?). Rather than writing about them, I'll just show pictures.

This is Me, Randi, and Bri. My Lego thing is a coffee shop, Randi's is a court room, and Bri's is a bar, with a stripper pole. I like how I'm literally glowing in this pic. We're going to put these on our desks at work.

This is a close up of me in my coffee shop. Note: it's a corner (pretty sure you didn't remember that off hand and got it off of fb Dave), pink coffee mug, shutters, handmade lego chair, brief case (that opens) for lappy, smooth floors, and fancy lamp (doesn't turn on). Dave was going to put a plant in the corner, but was apparently out of plant legos. If it was the thought that counted this wouldn't matter....bummer.


This is a dorky pic of Dave, who if he ever reads this, will probably kill me for posting this pic. He's using his lego mug that Randi and I got him for his B-day last year in the law school library. Dave hearts legos (though I doubt he would use that phrase). I don't know if this is a fair introduction of him onto the blog. He's way cooler than this makes him out to be, and he obviously gives great Christmas presents.

Taken Off Guard

I was going over my Reproductive Rights notes at Starbucks today when a woman came up and asked what I was studying. I hesitated for a second deciding whether or not I should tell her specifically what I was studying or give her a more general description. The lady didn't give me a choice. When I told her I was a law student studying for finals she asked what courses I was taking. I really didn't feel like getting into it with some stranger in the middle of Starbucks when I was in a productive mood, but I was afraid that if I only listed 2 classes she'd think I was a slacker (3 is much better right???). Of course she zeroed right in on my Choice class and asked if I was taking it for any specific reason. Again, trying to avoid a political discussion I gave the most neutral answer I could think of: "I'm generally interested in the topic and it seemed relevant." Before I knew it she was asking me if I could agree that secular humanism affected judicial decisions like Roe. I just kept telling myself to smile and nod. She just assumed I supported abortion rights. I wanted to tell her that I agreed with her, but I didn't know if she was the sort of pro-lifer I wanted to associate myself with as she spouted off random studies that link abortion to cancer, started quoting doctors, and throwing out lots of big words. She was clearly ready to confront and change my liberal ideology. Even after I politely mentioned that I don't agree with abortion, she was still very confrontational. She left telling me about how tragic she thought it was that the academic community shunned conservative view points and seemed to be warning me that if I spoke up in class about what I really thought I would probably fail whether or not what I said had any academic merit.

The irony in all this is that I've been stressing about this very thing as I prepare for this final. Taking this class has been a challenge, and most days I am the only one advocating "conservative" viewpoints, but overall I have really appreciated the opportunity to study this topic through a legal lens. Now, as I create my outline and think about the various issues that come up I'm continually asking myself, "how would I answer this?" and "what does my professor want to hear?" I hope that I can achieve some sort of balance as I write my final, making clear and convincing arguments for what I know is right and true, but not forgetting my audience and how complicated this topic really is.

Some Random Bullet Points

A new entry is long overdue and, I promise, is on its way. These quick blurbs will have to tide you over.

• A red cup full of eggnog latte goodness was the perfect start to my day. Welcome back holiday drinks!

• I was reminded again of how different growing up in MN would be compared to CA when on a radio poll for most unusual places people have made-out the answers included: a corn field, a highway snow bank, and a Wal-mart dressing room.
  

• It's November 5th and still no major snow fall. In fact, it's been in the 60s for the past couple days. No complaints here.

Mini Life Assessment

So, I'm 3 weeks into school and I haven't had a chance to come up to breath. Between Law Review, classes, working in a law clinic in school, and working 16 hrs a week, I haven't had much (any?) free time. The odd thing is, I'm struck by how grateful I am for each of the things I'm doing this semester.

Law Review - In addition to becoming a bluebooking bad ass and bff w/ CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style), I'm genuinely challenged to think and solve problems while trudging through an onslaught of footnotes to be edited. It's crazy to think how reliant we are on the internet for research. And even though procuring a hard copy of every single source cited in an article seems slightly archaic/pretentious, I'm kind of proud that I know how to find the most up to date current US laws in a book. Not to mention all those photo copying skilz I picked up working at Bancroft Library are totally coming in handy.

Classes - While I'm enjoying all of my classes, I'm most surprised by my Reproductive Choice Law class. I came in with the expectation that I would be a conservative in a sea of liberalism backed by one of the most notoriously left-leaning professors at the school. While this is still true, I have been pleasantly surprised by that professors ability to present both sides of most issues. The class is largely discussion based, and while I may have singled my self out from the rest of the crowd, I don't feel like I can't speak my mind.

In addition to Choice Law I'm taking Employment Law and Modern Real Estate. Our employment law professor plays a song from his "employment law sound track" everyday before class, so that pretty much makes him awesome. My Modern Real Estate class is one of the most applicable classes I have ever taken in my life. Buying a house just seems intimidating, and while I don't expect to buy one any time soon, I feel like by the time this class is over I could handle it with confidence. Also, the professor is a rock star, by day 2 she had everyone's name memorized based on the pictures she has of us on our seating chart. She also has the most wicked MN accent EVER.

Law Clinic - I'm involved in the Child Advocacy Law Clinic. This clinic is one of the reasons why I chose to go to the U. Little did I know that everyone wants to be in a clinic and each clinic only has about 10 spots that are assigned via a lottery system. I got lucky! Anyway, I basically get to be a lawyer, under the supervision of a real lawyer (think the scene in Legally Blonde where Elle takes over as Brooke's attorney). The other amazing thing is that the work I'll be doing in this clinic is exactly what I would want to do if I didn't have a ridiculous amount of school loans to pay off. I call my first client next week!

Work - I love my job! In addition to having a boss who tells the best lame jokes, I'm actually doing law stuff. School is a lot of theory and "learning to think like a lawyer." At work I have cases, I talk to clients, I write stuff for clients, I file petitions for stuff. It's so cool to see the mechanics of all this thinking. And I work with Randi; enough said.

My House - I feel like I need to tack this one on. I really love my new place. It's really comfortable and I'm already starting to feel like I'm developing a sense of community here that I was lacking before. I love the stage where you get to know the people you are living with: who is a morning person, who gets annoyed by perky morning people, who likes to tell stories, who gives comfort, who serves, who likes the same tv shows as me, etc.. Sadly, I am the only coffee drinker and unfortunately I bought the 10 cup coffee maker. Every morning now I'm faced with a problem: can I drink 10 cups of coffee or do I attempt to make a smaller portion. No matter what I always have too much and half of it goes down the drain (literally and figuratively).

My Ideal Saturday

After a heinously stressful week I was extremely blessed by a fabulous weekend. I went to La Madeleine, one of my favorite DC area cafes, conveniently located just blocks away from my hotel. Though I don't intend to give a full commentary on the food, I will say that I reluctantly passed up a chocolate almond croissant because I was craving something savory. While I very much enjoyed my Florentine Quiche and thought that it provided a great balance to my latte, I still bought a croissant as I left so I could enjoy it later (which I did!).

This brings me to my second favorite part of my morning (note: coffee and food = first favorite part), my trashy chick-lit book. It's the sort of book that as a law student I probably shouldn't be reading (The Economist or The Bluebook would be more appropriate leisure reading). I'm fairly certain - make that definitely certain - that reading this sort of book kills brain cells, but none the less it goes well with a cup of coffee and occasional breaks for people watching.

I think my "like" (I'm not ready to call it love) for this sort of book started with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and to be honest I try to keep this indulgence at a minimum. However, after finishing both books I brought with me I had no other choice but to buy another book. The book Something Borrowed, and the books that follow it in the series, came highly recommended by a great friend. Basically, I've decided that I'm totally justified in reading these books because they are about a 30 year old lawyer who hates her job in a big firm and with OCI right around the corner this book is keeping my competitive spirit in check. Be forewarned, essentially the plot of the book is the protagonist justifying her affair with her BFF's fiancé. The book is lacking in sound morals, but is entertaining and throws around legal jargon (which makes me feel smart).

While my morning of drinking coffee and reading chick-lit was not the end of my fabulous Saturday, it reminded me how much I love simple mornings with nothing to do.