Platforms

I'm actually not sure if i love these or hate them.... I think the real questions is would i ever wear them?

....you decide

dolce vita boots @ saks

Park(ing) day

For a nice lunch break, I walked to my favorite coffee shop. I call it royal, others call it Cole. Regardless, I stumbled upon park(ing) day. An international day celebrating parks. In honor of completely unknown holiday, Royal created this parklet (mini park) in the street. I love AstroTurf I think more people should use it, especially in Oakland. It's so cheery. <3

Polenta

I love polenta, its simple and versatile. Tonight i made it again with a twist. With this recipe i think you could serve it warm and creamy (how i did) or you could cool it (at which point it turns to a solid), then bake or fry it. Hmmmm?

Preheat 350
Stir 1cup polenta and 3 1/4 cups water into buttered Pyrex
Bake for 50 minutes
Stir, add 1/4 - 1/2 cup mascarpone, 3 cloves fresh minced Garlic and chopped parsley. Salt and pepper

Delish. xoxo

Lattes

Aussies make the best lattes and the worst beer. I know it sounds wrong but it's true. An Australians idea of beer is a soapy lager...not good. On the other hand they make coffee drinks like no other. Strong, small, just the right amount of creaminess and always a beautiful design on top where the espresso meets the milk. Perfection. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered a coffee cart at the Thursday farmers market that recreates these glorious masterpieces. (you must order the small, double for the correct effect). And double my delight when I discovered he's now parkin' that cart in front of my office 4 days a week. Oh happy day. I guess he loves me back
xoxo

Bomber

Is $500 too much for happiness? guilt group does it again. check it: (http://m.gilt.com/mobile/sale/women/31-phillip-lim-834/product/59142307)

My neighborhood

...is so ferocious, no?

plaid

i cant take credit for discovering the similarity between the movie clueless and this jacket. that was the crazy geniuses at design*sponge. that does not diminish my obsession. i want it to own it so bad. and i want to wear it with these cigarette pants from banana republic's mad men collection. did i mention that this blazer is sold out.....everywhere. way harsh.

cooking on mondays

it hasn't been very hot this summer and we're just now getting tomatoes. enter easy monday night dinner. you're welcome.

chicken
thyme
salt
olive oil
garlic
large cherry tomatoes
butter

preheat oven to 350
heat olive oil (a good amount) to medium high in cast iron skillet
generously season chicken with salt

sear chicken at medium high for 4 minutes on each side

after the chicken is seared on the second side add a handful of peeled garlic cloves and thyme (couple of sprigs worth of leaves) into skillet. put the skillet in oven. bake for 10 minutes


take chicken out of skillet - cover with tin foil to keep warm. leave oil, garlic and thyme in skillet. heat skillet to medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter.

add tomatoes to skillet (as many will fit in a single layer) and couple more sprigs worth of thyme leaves.

continue to cook tomatoes until they burst and caramelize - creating a thick tomato gravy. (15 minutes?)

pour over chicken breast.


enjoy

xx

freedom of choice

i like feeling free. and i love the freedom of choice over my body. today NARAL is asking people to blog about the topic "given the anti-choice gains in the states and Congress, are you concerned about choice in 2011". i've never wanted this blog to be overly politicized but the right to choose is very important to me and i wouldn't be me if i didn't at least give NARAL a big shout out for their important work. and yes, i am always concerned - regardless of who is in Congress - that choice may be threatened. I think it is critical to stay concerned to avoid complacency.

but this is not a political blog. (despite politics being something i like, this blog is meant to be a creative outlet - not intellectual. there are other blogs for that)

enter this amazing dress by free people. i love it. free for sure. i will buy it soon. and because of this post, when i do it will remind me of my freedom; to never take my rights for granted; the importance of continuing to stay vigilant; and brave women around the world that fight for reproductive rights for us all. <3

chicory endive

actually, i like all veggies. when i was younger, sure, i steered away from brussel spouts but i adore them now. so when i'm in the amazing - and overwhelming - Berkeley Bowl West and i see something that i haven't cooked before, i buy it. yesterday it was chicory endive. it's bitter raw. it reminds me of the bitterness of radicchio meets mustard greens. certainly, most people have encountered this 'curly endive' raw but i wanted to try cooking it. bravo, me.

it was amazing.



wash it
cut into pieces
boil water (salted)
throw chicory into water for no longer than 5 minutes
drain



heat some high quality GARLIC olive oil (try Rinaldo's Organic Gold Garlic....gooood)
add the drained chicory to the oil
salt
red pepper flakes
cook ~2-3 minutes



enjoy!

being young, broke and fabulous

ah yes. thank you YBF for being so young broke and fabulous....i like it.

bridesmaid-ing

it's true. i like being a bridesmaid. mind you i've only done it once before but today i was asked by one of my dearest friends in the world and i couldn't be happier. there is something awesome about standing next to your best friend and welcoming their partner into your life as well. sharing funny stories from the past and building memories for the future. and for some inspiration, here are some awesome bridesmaid dresses a la brooklynbride. big love to the soon to be no longer twogood. muah!

bedtime

this bedding was available on anthropologie.com for a week and then it was gone. and 3 months later, its back. it's insanely expensive for a jersey comforter but like it's sister the rosette bedding, its so damn soft and adorable. too frilly? too beige? too f-ing cute?

the love/hate with anthro continues....

entertaining

i really adore throwing parties, combine that with my love for cooking and it is a deadly week-long prepping/planning event. for the past couple of years, we've had just a few people over for new year's eve dinner and drinks. everyone spends the night and we wake up super early and head into downtown san francisco. it's nice to be up before everyone else (bloody marys and baileys spiked coffees in hand). the streets are empty with the exception of the fallen hats, lone sequins and the occasional 'couple' still adorning their party gear from the festivities of yesteryear. that is until we make it to our destination - and that is where we meet our people. but i digress. interested in the menu and decor from the famed low-key new years eve party.

look.

no.

further.

m e n u

spicy, smokey slow cooked beef brisket sliders with jalapeno slaw and homemade pickled onions. black forest and gruyere pastry thumbprints. bacon, parsley stuffed mushrooms. warm fennel seed spinach dip. fresh marinated mozzarella and heirloom tomato skewers. cream of onion soup. ... recipes to come...

d e c o r

my new owl (a bargain at $4) and flowers from a friend...

all the food out, ready to party....

new year's eve = sparkle

flowers that look like fireworks and my love thistle