Category Archives: City Living

the mother of all pancakes

by reallyrisa Posted on May 13, 2013

Red Velvet buttermilk pancakes with chocolate morsels layered with strawberry mascarpone and topped with fresh strawberries

Chris and I weren’t able to see our mothers for Mother’s Day this year so instead we ate enough for all four of us. I had never been to Green Eggs Cafe on 13th and Dickinson but we will definitely be back. This stack of red velvet pancakes was literally bigger than my head and though I ate less than a quarter of this “serving” I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for dinner all week! I mean, who can pass up red velvet buttermilk pancakes with chocolate morsels layered with strawberry mascarpone and topped with fresh strawberries, maple syrup and chantilly cream? Not this girl. I hope you and your mamas and grandmamas and sisters and aunts and all the other wonderful mamas out there had a fantastic Sunday!

Belgian pancakes with bananas and chocolate chips

[i wasn't kidding when i said we could have fed our moms with these servings!]

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picnic in the park

by reallyrisa Posted on May 6, 2013

Risa laying on a blanket reading in Schuylkill Bank Park

A lovely afternoon spent reading, napping and relaxing in the park. Just what the doctor ordered. Chris and I packed up a few essentials and grabbed a shady spot in Schuylkill Bank Park along the river to enjoy the beautiful sunshine on Saturday. It was the perfect spring day, a rarity these last few seasons. We watched the bikers and runners whiz by, the moms with strollers saunter along and the grandpops teach their youngsters how to fish. My favorite Saturday in a long time. How did you enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend?

magnolia tree in Schuylkill Bank Park in Philly

picnic in Schuylkill Bank Park

napping in Schuylkill Bank Park

Risa sitting on a blanket reading in Schuylkill Bank Park

Schuylkill Bank Park

Schuylkill Bank Park

Schuylkill Bank Park

pretty tree in Schuylkill Bank Park

Schuylkill Bank Park

Schuylkill Bank Park

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the sweetest sign of summer

by reallyrisa Posted on April 30, 2013

Fig tree leaves in the early morning sunlight

My feelings toward our fig tree have softened a bit since I moved in with Chris a few years ago. For you blog newbies, this gal is a beast. (You can read about her miniskirt-sized poisonous leaves and obnoxious need to take over our lives here.) You see, we live in South Philly and we have this sweet little patio perfect for breakfast al fresco or an afternoon of sunbathing. But no. Never. Not once. Because she won’t share. As in, leaves not an inch for us humans once she’s in full bloom. This “original” fig tree runs this place, folks. Two summers ago we dedicated many sleepless nights to turning her into canned fig preserves to be used as both our wedding favors and table assignments (seen here, recipe post here), since she produces enough figs in a summer to feed our entire neighborhood for a year. Then last summer, in complete and utter rebellion, this bossy thing decided to have a rotten season and deprive us. I woke up Saturday morning and opened the windows in our kitchen to let the cool breeze in when I saw this. Baby buds and bright green itty bitty leaves. And the smell, oh the smell of fresh figs right out your window. The sweetest sign of summer.

Fig tree branches in the early morning light

fig buds on our tree

Fig tree branches against a bright blue sky

Close-up of a tiny fig tree leaf

Fig tree branches

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flavors of the avenue

by reallyrisa Posted on April 29, 2013

Lemon + cheesecake macaron from Stateside Philly

[lemon + cheesecake macaroon from Stateside]

The longer we live in South Philly, the more I love it. The food, the festivals, the people. And there’s always something going on. Over the weekend, East Passyunk Avenue (this is the street I told you about last week that won a big nod from Food & Wine Mag, remember?) hosted its annual Flavors of the Avenue festival. Essentially, there’s a big tent where a bunch our neighborhood restaurants set up shop and offer tastings of a few of their favorites. It’s a mad house … and quite the drinking fest. Outside the tent is a free live band, vendors and a craft fair. Saturday was the most beautiful day weather-wise and a visit from Korin and her puppy Ripken completed the weekend! Though sadly, I was so enthralled by the food I didn’t take photos of anything else. I really need to get better at that. How was your weekend?

The crowd inside the tent

[inside the tent]

tacos from El Zarape

[tacos from El Zarape]

Cupcakes from Ms. Goody Cupcake

[cupcakes from Ms. Goody Cupcake]

[rice balls from Noir]

[my husband's vine vid of the day]

Posted in City Living, Food, Life | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

springtime in the city

by reallyrisa Posted on April 26, 2013

Pretty pink magnolia tree in South Philly

So let’s see, this week … I thought we’d had a break-in in our house in the middle of the night but then I realized it was just a ghost who likes to do the dishes. Spring has finally made its way to Philly and I can’t get enough of all the fresh blooms and sweet air. My friend Korin and her cute puppy Ripken are coming this weekend so I’ve been super excited all week. But I hope they don’t mind that I haven’t cleaned in approximately three months. And Friday finally came. At last. Happy weekend!

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Posted in City Living, Life, Photography | Tagged , , | 2 Comments