Monthly Archives

March 2010

BOSTON, EVENTS, TRAVEL

Saturday, March 27: Boston Passport Office Open

Thanks to one of my favorite travel blogs, Gadling, I discovered that Bostonians can visit their local passport office this Saturday, March 27 without an appointment. Branded “Passport Day in the USA,” by the U.S. State Department, around 2,000 offices will also be open on March 27 throughout the country.

Passport USA by clappstar from Flickr

What does that mean for us fabulous Bostonians? Instead of scheduling an appointment at a regional U.S. passport agency, Bostonians looking for a first-time passport can queue up at the Boston Passport Agency in the O’Neill Federal Building, 10 Causeway Street, Ste 247 (right by the TD BankNorth Garden) between 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Be sure to do your homework before arriving, as you will need to fill out paperwork and bring two passport photos with you. I’ve listed tons of helpful links at the end of this entry.

If you’re looking to renew your passport, be sure to visit this website before waiting in line on Saturday. Most people don’t have to renew in person – only minors, those with a passport issued before the age of 16, those with a passport 15 (gasp!) years or older, or those who cannot document their name change. If your passport was lost, stolen or damaged, you must also renew in person.

Helpful Links:

For more information, please read Gadling’s article, “U.S. Passport offices open this Saturday,” by clicking here.

For more information on the Massachusetts locations open this weekend, please click here.

U.S. State Department – How to Apply for a Passport in Person, click here.

U.S. State Department – How to Apply for a Passport Renewal by Mail, click here.

U.S. State Department – General Information on “Passport Day in the USA”, click here.

BOSTON, EVENTS, NIGHTLIFE, RESTAURANTS

Boston Events During the Week of March 22

Red Wine Red Hearts by hlkljgk from Flickr

While it may be tempting to hibernate in your apartment in protest of the return to ‘normal’ March weather, there are a few fun events in Boston this week worth stepping out for. From sampling excellent cuisine, to wine tasting and a compelling workshop, these events are sure to perk up the work week.

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BOSTON, EVENTS, NIGHTLIFE

Thursday, April 1: Social Boston Sports Hosts 3rd Birthday Bash at Redline in Cambridge

by Frenchyme from Flickr

It’s their birthday and they’ll party if they want to!  Join Social Boston Sports (SBS), the community of young professionals who live, work and play in the Boston area, as they celebrate their third birthday at Redline in Cambridge on Thursday, April 1.

Kicking off at 8:00 p.m., Social Boston Sports will take over Redline for a private event featuring everything you’d expect from an adult birthday party – plus plenty of cake and raffle prizes.  Tickets to the event cost $10 and will not be sold at the door.  Tickets can be purchased at www.socialbostonsports.com.

Over the past three years, Social Boston Sports has grown from 50 friends and one sport league, to over 6,000 members, 13 unique sport leagues and numerous weekend adventure trips.

BOSTON

Obsession: Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Basil Liquid Hand Soap

Hands down the best smelling liquid soap I’ve used in awhile. An extremely light and almost florally version of basil, Mrs. Meyer’s sure knows how to formulate a great soap scent. This garden fresh hand soap is available at most supermarkets in Boston, including Shaw’s, Stop and Shop, Whole Foods, Star and even Target.

To learn more about this product, please click here.

RECIPES

Friday Night Dinner Party: Rosemary-Mint Lamb, Cous Cous, Spiced Goat Cheese and Moroccan Squash Saute

While hosting a dinner party on a Friday night may seem daunting, it’s actually quite easy if you seek out simple, yet flavorful recipes. I often encounter hosts that try to do too much for a dinner party – overly complicated dishes, too much food, etc. Try to stick with a theme and you too can effortlessly transition from the work week to a cozy dinner party for ten.

Inspired by a friend who wanted to prepare a cous cous dish, this Friday night dinner party included  a rosemary-mint lamb stir fry, spiced goat cheese with pita chips and a roasted squash saute with adzuki beans and raisins.

 

Friday Night Dinner Party by Jessica Gioglio

Rosemary and Mint Lamb Stir Fry

Flavorful with a spicy kick, this lamb entree brings together rosemary, mint and fresh veggies in a quick and easy dish. Marinate the lamb in the fridge all day and feel free to swap veggies as needed – my roommate used extra mushrooms and snap peas in lieu of spinach and green beans. She also added salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice into the mix. Visit WholeFoodsMarket.com for an incredible selection of recipes, including this one here.

Moroccan Spiced Goat Cheese

Dressing up goat cheese with a custom blend of spices was so simple and gained us bonus points with our guests for creativity. Too bad we can’t take full credit, as Whole Foods also provided the recipe for this dish. I purchased the largest goat cheese log that I could find (approx. $7) and our party of ten devoured it. Serve with Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips. Please click here to view the recipe.

Roasted Squash Satue with Adzuki Beans and Raisins

Packed with nutritious vegetables and beans, this recipe also couldn’t be easier. Roast bite-sized pieces of butternut squash with olive oil, sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic, ground ginger, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and ground coriander at 400 degrees for between 15-20 minutes. When the squash is nearly done, saute bite-sized pieces of zucchini and summer squash, olive oil and the spices listed above on the stovetop for a few minutes until tender. Serve in a bowl with one can of adzuki beans and raisins. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Cous Cous

Though cous cous by itself can be boring, adding simple ingredients like feta, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, chives and fresh parsley packs a lot of flavor. This is certainly a Greek version of cous cous, but it went wonderfully with the food we prepared. Serve with a lemon olive oil dressing. For a Moroccan version, try dates, apricots, almonds and chickpeas.

Dessert – Sorbet with Clementines and Pomegranate Seeds

For dessert, my roommate created a visually stunning, tasty combination of mango-tangerine sorbet, raspberry sorbet, clementine segments and pomegranate seeds. For the chocoholics – myself included – dark chocolate covered almonds from Trader Joe’s were served. It was a light, refreshing way to end the meal.

For more of my recipes, click here.