August 22, 2007

commuting blows

I spend about 90 minutes in the car every weekday commuting into the city. I love being in the city…but the commute wipes me out! I do like to drive my own car….. and it’s nice to be able to leave when I need to…. So, in order to cure the boredom & the potential road-rage, I’ve been listening to books on CD I check out from the library.

Even though I’ve read the book: Dress Your Family in Courduroy and Denim, by David Sedaris, it’s nice to listen to him in my mornings & afternoons. His voice makes his words much more entertaining.

Here are some of my favorite parts of my commute:

i love looking at that both the orange and buildings against the American Industrial Center

when I’m wizzing through the 280 underpass the shadows are amazing. It also means I’m about to see the SF skyline soon.

I spend some of the commuting time thinking about the type of person who decides to paint their houses these colors. I appreciate their boldness and then I pick out which color I’d live in.

every now and then i get lucky and see a pedestrian walking across. They have no idea that I’m looking at them. I like watching their dark silhouettes move across the bridges.

It’s these small things that make the commute a little sweeter.

****i was NOT driving while i took these shots. i’m not that dumb ****

around the home, Uncategorized

August 21, 2007

One Year Older

hello! On Saturday August 18th, I turned a year older. Whooppeeee. Another year closer to 30!

Casey took me to Jack Falstaff in San Francisco for my birthday dinner! It was SOOOO GOOOD! We decided to get the Farmer’s Market Menu- Tomato was the theme. Get ’em while you can!

Followed by Happy Birthday Donuts at Krispy Kreme in Daly City:

oh YUM. Do they not give free donuts out when you go to Krispy Kreme anymore? The past 3 times they didn’t hand me one while in line. I’m just wondering….It’s not like I NEED that extra donut…. My camera ran out of juice when we sat down. Hence-No pictures of the donuts we ate. This is probably a good thing.

around the home, Uncategorized

August 17, 2007

my favorite easy/comforting breakfast

i think about eating this all the time (especially while laying in bed). Finally this morning I had a chance to make it!

My favorite quick breakfast consists of:

Brown Rice Cakes
Chunky Peanut Butter
Honey
Sliced Bananas

Now pair this with a cup of coffee, a good magazine and sit outside. I guarantee you will enjoy!

recipes, Uncategorized

August 16, 2007

Olive Oil Gelato

AMAZING!

Olive Oil Gelato

From The Babbo Cookbook

Yields 2 pints

6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
-¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream

Combine the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Use the whip attachment to beat them for 5 min on medium speed, or until the mixture is thick and very pale and forms a ribbon when the whip is lifted. Continue beating and drizzle in the olive oil; beat for 2 more minutes.

Add the milk and cream and continue to beat until all ingredients are combined.

Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

***make sure you use the BEST extra virgin olive oil possible***

I had this at Mario Batali’s Otto Pizzeria!!! I had no idea it would change my life!

around the home, Uncategorized

August 13, 2007

happy birthday e.g.

I made these cupcakes for my brother-in-law’s birthday (yes, he deserved the effort)

they are:

-vanilla cupcakes

-blueberry filling (i made with lemon juice, sugar & vanilla extract)

-lemon cream cheese frosting (added lemon oil & grated lemon peel to the frosting)

-topped with coconut flakes (not the original intention)

They tasted good, but I was having a *moment* in the kitchen. Too many air bubbles in the frosting made it spit out it weird motions. Little holes & pockets were on top of the less-than-perfect swirls. I picked the frosting off and re-did EVERY SINGLE ONE. It still happened in round two. Mix that with a time constraint & a list of errands to do before going over to their house!! YIKES!!!!! The perfectionist in me (only when it comes to cupcakes) FREAKED OUT. What am I gonna do???!!!! So I just piled the tops in coconut flakes. Disaster diverted. All is right in my household & we can now carry on all of our errands.

Although….. I think they prolly would have tasted better without the coconut. This was my first attempt at filling a cupcake. Things could have been a lot worse. Thank god I moved to the suburbs and started cooking & baking more. The Tracy from last year would have had no idea how to fix the situation (other than breaking down and buying *yikes* PRE-MADE desserts).

recipes, Uncategorized

August 9, 2007

Southern Green Beans

Southern Green Beans:

– 1lb. small fresh green beans
-3/4 teaspoon of salt, divided
-1/2 stick of butter
-3 large handfuls of chopped pecans
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-2 tablespoons of sugar

Cook green beans with 1/4 teaspoon of salt in boiling water for about 8 minutes. Drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet; add pecans, and saute until butter is lightly browned. Add sugar, turn up heat and make those pecans all carmelized & crunchy. Try not to burn! Remove nuts, add green beans to the pan so you can coat them in that buttery juice-add rest of salt & pepper. Put the beans on a plate, top with pecans. Dig in!

-This recipe came to me in my Farm Fresh to You shipment last week. I didn’t follow it exactly (when do i ever follow a recipe exactly?) But this version is what produced the lovely beans you see up above. Their recipe didn’t have you carmelize the nuts… I figured I might as well! And i liked the result! I think next time I’ll make extra pecans & put them on top of ice cream. delish. The dish will definitely be in the rotation.

around the home, Uncategorized

August 6, 2007

wanted: perfect bag

I’m always on the hunt for the perfect bag. I’ve always loved the prints of Orla Kiely. I took this picture on the streets of New York once… but i have yet to find the corresponding bag. Can you imagine this print as a purse with green straps? I can….

I was looking at bunch Orla Kiely bags in person, but was disappointed that the openings did not expand enough 🙁

BAGS ONCE IN ROTATION:

i love this bag (i even have the same one in a different bird print). BUT it’s SOOO deep that it eats the contents and I can’t find anything. I’ve probably spent more than a half hour of my life looking for my keys in bags like these:

This bag is wonderful (such a delightful bargain from Target!). My only gripe is that dark denim rubs off onto this purse—making it look soooo dirrrrrrty. I’ve hand washed it twice. Not only did it fade this nice print, but the denim stain did not clear up. I don’t normally go for bags with short straps like these, but I fell in love with it and got used to it:

This is the bag I had in December. This is the contents. I love this bag. However, if I do not stuff it to the brim, the bag does not stand up on it’s own. It’s floppy and lacks structure. When I put it under my chair at a restaurant contents just spew out. Not good. This bag works well for gym use.

This is my current bag. I normally go for a lively colored bag because I wear black & white A LOT! I was shopping with a friend and found this at Crossroads in SF. It fufills my requirements…I feel so organized using it. I know where everything is!!! But a few days ago I looked down and the strap was about to break. grrrrr. Too good to be true! In the meantime, I just tied it into a knot and it still works….

Perhaps one day I could post all my purses…..but I’m not sure there’s enough space. I’m also afraid that my husband will find out and commit me.

To be my perfect purse you must:

-have a nice color/pattern (something totally funky/unique/bold)

-have lots of pockets inside & out (a huge plus if I find a pocket in you I didn’t know you had!)

-have an equally cute interior (this is a MUST, no EXCEPTIONS-although I’ve been known to let a few slip)

-have a space for my cellphone (although I will never use the right pocket)

-have comfortable handles/straps (as I will fill you to no end and I need something to support the weight)

-have some type of closure–be it zipper, snap, button,etc. (i feel insecure just letting your insides exposed to everyone)

-be able to hold my camera & a sweater (if not, what’s the point?)

-be OK with the fact that you could be replaced by a better, wonderful, perfect bag

Please only apply if you can meet the above criteria! I will not be suckered into buying you (well, who knows?). Life is just too short to carry around a crappy/less-than bag!