MN Mondays: wedding week.

My sister came to MKE a week before our wedding, spent a few days here, and then she and I drove back home to MN to get everything ready for the big day. While there was a bit of running around and plenty of last minute planning, we had so much fun enjoying summertime with our family and close friends.

I was so lucky to get plenty of girl time with my mom and sister. We took Medyk for a walk, let him play soccer while watching the Blues (in his jersey!), went shopping, went to dinner...girl things. Twice, we went to my aunt and uncle's house in Stillwater to gather barvinok, periwinkle, for the place settings at the reception. Periwinkle is traditionally used in Ukrainian weddings, symbolizing eternal and faithful love, and, lucky for me, it was overtaking a corner of their garden. It turns out that my grandfather had actually planted it many years ago! My aunt and uncle's backyard is gorgeous (it's where we had my bridal shower!), and summertime has made it even better, full of green. My sister and I jumped in the pool both days, and were so relaxed and happy to savor two afternoons at one of our favorite places from our childhood. 

One of my favorite things we did was have a baba's vechir, which translates to "old ladies' evening" at my mom's. When we were little these evenings used to be more frequent; every month, a group of fantastic women (NOT old ladies) from our Ukrainian community would get together, drink wine, and cook or bake. Just for fun. Just to talk, get together, and stay connected outside all of the other activities they were already so busy with. I, of course, wanted to be a part of that group as a little girl, and looked forward to these nights just as much as the adults. As we grew up, everyone became even busier, and these nights stopped happening. I was so, so happy to be able to reconnect at our own baba's vechir before the wedding. These women have all played, and continue to play, such an important role in my life. I've looked up to all of them since I can remember, and now they have their own kids who are much more grown up than I like to admit. We had a wonderful night...perhaps Medyk felt a little too much love, but it was still perfect. 

It's hard to believe this was all three weeks ago. Time flies. We miss you all so much! 

10, 9, 8...

{via}

This summer. Full of planning menus, programs, and schedules and buying more stamps in three months than I think I've ever purchased in my entire life (fine, a bit of an exaggeration, but work with me). In the craziness that is planning a wedding, one can forget that it is, after all, one day. It will, of course, be a wonderful day, no matter what happens, because we get to share our love with those we love most. And while that day has been at the center of our minds for months now, I know that what's to come in the days, months, and years after that day is even more important and more wonderful. The commitment we're making for all our lives is the true celebration, and I can't wait to see how it all turns out. 

In the middle of all of this planning, we've still had plenty of time to enjoy life's "little pleasures" - walks to the lake, making dinner for ourselves (AND for friends and family who have visited!), iced coffee breaks outside. The summer has flown by, and I know this week will, too. I'm going to try to savor les petits bonheurs for as long as I can; I don't want to forget a thing. 

This will probably be the last post that's up before we're married. Married! I'm blown away by the support of our family and friends, all those who have rallied around us since the beginning. We can't wait to share the day with you, and are so thankful to be surrounded by our favorite people as we start our new life as husband and wife. 

Andrew - I can't wait to marry you!!! 

We're still here!

Almost melted, but still here. Kind of like this painting of this beach - everything starts to get blurry and all you can see is a hazy outline of what's in front of you...but like I said, I won't complain. I'll try to keep telling myself that. We'll be missing this in a few short months.

{via}

We've adapted by turning the bedroom (the only room with a/c) into the everything-room: we turned the dresser into a buffet table/wine rack, some of the living room furniture has been brought it, anything to stay cool. We've got our priorities set.

This weekend (in a few hours, actually), we're off to MN - the last time we're there before we leave to GET MARRIED! I can't believe how this summer has flown by. I'm so excited to see my sister who's been in NY for the last few weeks, cuddle with the pup, catch up and celebrate with some lovely ladies at my bachelorette party, and of course, soak in as much family time as possible. They are our favorite people, after all!

In the kitchen: zucchini salad.

Or, to go with a different title, "Cooled." Yes, we finally installed the A/C (fine, Andrew did, but I helped). I feel bad for complaining because we promised during this last never-ending winter that once the temperature reached above 50 and even if it climbed to 90 we would keep quiet and not whine about how hot it was...but my level of tolerance was quickly dwindling in this humidity. So I feel only slightly, kind of, a tiny bit bad for complaining. 

Before today, we only had the ceiling fan in the living room so the rest of the apartment missed out on any cool air that it might provide; this meant the kitchen was especially rough. This salad, though, hit the spot for dinner after a hot day: it's refreshing, crisp, and light, the perfect summer side. And if you have a mandoline, it's done in no time, meaning you get out of the kitchen that much faster. 

Raw Zucchini Salad, via Michael Ruhlman. 
-------------------------

2 zucchini 

2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste

1 Tbsp. minced shallot

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. olive oil 

1/4 cup slivered almonds 

Black pepper

Cut the zucchini thinly on the bias, julienne, or use a mandoline slicer. Put them into a colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss, then add the second teaspoon of salt. Let stand for 10-20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the shallot, garlic, and lemon juice. 

Taste the zucchini; if it's too salty, briefly rinse the squash under water and pat dry. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with olive oil, then add the shallot mixture. Add almonds, and season with pepper (and more salt/lemon juice, if necessary). 

Serve chilled and stay cool! 

In the kitchen: strawberry hand pies.

{via}

It's almost July 4th, which means it's time for grilling, picnics, and fireworks! I've always loved going to see fireworks; we went every year when we were little (over time, the fireworks for the 4th have been overtaken by the those for the Minneapolis Aquatenniel, but that's a post for another day). This year, we'll be taking in Shorewood's festivities: there's a parade that goes down our street, a jazz band concert, and of course, fireworks over the lake. 

A few weeks ago, we were flipping through Bon Appetit's latest issue and found these perfect little pies. We used strawberry jam (homemade - thanks, Andrew!) instead of the blueberries, but I think any summer fruit would work just as well. And they were lovely! The recipe makes 6 hand pies, which is perfect for the two of us - enough for dessert, then breakfast and a snack the next day. 

Since we'll be spending most of the day outside tomorrow, we figured these pies would be an easy dessert to accompany our Fourth of July picnic that Andrew's already started preparing. Side note: I do have quite an amazing and talented fiance who, last night, made BBQ sauce, pickles, pickled red onions, strawberry jam for the pies...AND dinner, and then prepped the pork for grilling. Eat your hearts out, girls! My major contribution was making the dough the other day...I know. Huge help. 

Strawberry Hand Pies, adapted from Bon Appetit. 
-------------------------

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Strawberry jam (for a quick berry filling, quarter hulled strawberries and toss with 1 tsp. lemon zest, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar; leave to sit until the juices run) 

1 egg, whisked with 1 tsp. water

Sugar, for sprinkling 

To make the pie crust: 

Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor. Add butter, and pulse until all ingredients are combined, with a texture of course meal. Add 1/4 cup ice water and continue to pulse until dough comes together, adding more water if dry. Form into a square, cover with plastic, and chill in the fridge for at least two hours. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. 

(Note you don't have to use a food processor - I usually don't, and just incorporate the butter with a pastry cutter). 

To make the pies: 

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out dough on a floured surface to a 15x12-inch rectangle. Cut into 6 rectangles. Brush edges of rectangles with water. Spoon some berry filling in bottom half of each rectangle. Fold over the dough and press edges to seal. Place pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Cut slits in tops.

Bake hand pies, rotating halfway through, until the dough turns golden, about 35 minutes. Transfer pies to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature...at room temp, they taste like a much (MUCH) better version of strawberry pop-tarts! 

These will be the perfect sweet treat for our picnic. Oh, and I think maybe we need this to start. 

Happy (almost) Fourth! 

Showered.

I can't find words to express my love and gratitude for all my friends and family who were at the shower this weekend. It was perfect (no rain!). My aunt's home looked amazing, as usual, with gorgeous flowers everywhere. She, my mom, and my sister outdid themselves with all the work they put in to making the day so beautiful. You ladies are all incredible, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Here are some photos of the day; some are mine, most were taken by friends, and all are absolutely lovely.

 

Heading home...

...to St. Anthony Main, Medyk, MPLS, our backyard, our families, to MN. I plan on enjoying this weekend to the max, maybe with some of this lovely looking refreshment? My mom just called to tell me she has fresh strawberries waiting for us; this might be just perfect.

{via}

It couldn't be a more perfect day to be coming home - it's my mom's birthday today! This is my all time favorite picture of her when she was younger. Beautiful, isn't she?

Mnohaya lita, Mama! Can't wait to see you...in just a few hours! 

Good news.

Bring out the champagne!

{via}

We'll be home this evening, ready for a long weekend in the Cities. Our days are going to be filled with family, cuddling with the pup, wedding preparations, dancing (the concert's tomorrow!), and grilling in weather that's supposed to be nearly perfect. That, on its own, is plenty of reason to celebrate.

But there's also this, something I've wanted to write about for a while, but wanted to make sure everything was in place and settled before anything was mentioned. I'm superstitious that way - I'm that person that actually knocks on wood when I don't want to jinx anything. Last week, Andrew received the news that we've been waiting to hear for months. After two semesters of extremely dedicated and committed work, hundreds of pages of (great) writing, plenty of hoping, emailing, and yes, a bit of anxiety, he was awarded a teaching assistantship for next year. We cannot believe how fortunate we are; so few are given out, and there was a good chance that this was going to be just out of reach for him this fall...but sometimes, when you least expect it, life decides to prove that hard work, patience, and persistence pays off.

{blurry, but bubbly}

We celebrated together when we found out last week, but now, our trip home this weekend means so much more because we'll be able to celebrate this news with our families, who've been so supportive and encouraging throughout this whole process. Next fall, my fiance (he'll be my husband by then!!) will be teaching two classes in addition to continuing his PhD work. It's already on UWM's registration website, which I happen to think is pretty fantastic. I'm so, so proud of him, and can't wait to see what opportunities this presents for us!

Summer is off to an amazing start.

This month.

June started off perfectly with a visit from my sister. We wandered around MKE, enjoyed wonderful meals together, and indulged in some much needed girl time, complete with frozen yogurt, face masks, wine, and Vicky Christina Barcelona (a favorite of hers). I loved every single minute. 

This month is shaping up to be a good one...two trips home and lots to celebrate! Here's hoping your June is filled with sunny days.