puppies

 look at this sweet portuguese puppy. nothing cuter. 

warm meals

 there’s nothing better than a one pot meal. i especially like this one because it’s not one of those dumped tomatoes and feta cheese, TikTok bullshit meals. it’s a New York Times Recipe that is made interesting by high-quality olives and some charred lemon. but i promise it’s just as easy as the bullshit TikTok one pot recipes. 

impress your friends, your family, yourself. try it this winter. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025436-one-pot-chicken-and-rice-with-caramelized-lemon?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

a trip down memory lane

 well, i haven't blogged in 12 years.  which is wild because looking through here, i realized that i really do still like all of those things.  annnd, i really really like being able to look through all of those things that i did and liked back then.  the day to day stuff.  its funny because i didn't get into the trips or travels (although during that time i did go on an epic road trip through the UK). really, i just wrote about what i liked that day.  OMG, did i invent the gratitude journal? in any case, i don't think blogs are a thing anymore but i do like liking things so i'll give it a go again. nothing overly aesthetic or personal. just day to day joys.  the way i romanticize europeans enjoying their lives.

biscuits

especially if said biscuits are stuffed with extra sharp cheddar cheese and hot out of the oven.

i had some extra cheese on hand so i scowled the internet for a recipe (cookie, cracker, bread....uh, biscuit) that i could make quickly (that is, without setting, rising) and that's ingredients i had on hand.

here's the recipe adapted from food.com


preheat to 350
melt 3 tablespoons butter (then let cool)
lightly beat 1 egg in large bowl

add a cup of milk, a dash of hot sauce and the cooled, melted butter to the egg. then mix a cup of grated extra sharp cheddar

in another bowl mix: 1 3/4 flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, hearty pinch of salt and cayenne pepper

add the dry mixture to the wet. mix until just blended

grease a muffin tin (12) and fill 'er up

top each muffin with about 1/4 tablespoon on asiago cheese

bake for 25 minutes

enjoy!!

axes

i'm not sure that i like axes, per se. but i do like camping, cut wood, camp fires and pretty much everything that best made is making.  just take a look at their american felling axe.  the attention to craftsmanship is amazing and certainly commands respect. after watching the videos i can confidently say that i like axes...


The Best Made American Felling Axe from BEST MADE on Vimeo.

bayonets & horses

ok, ok. i'm not really passionate about bayonets & horses.  but i do like good one liners (for example, you can pretty much say "that's what she said" after anything and you'll get a laugh out of me).

therefore, in the spirit of humor and diplomacy, i present you with my interpretation of bayonets & horses.

bayonets (or rather an amazing military jacket from london fashion week) brought to you by WWD, aka, the bible
and
paint by number horses, aka, the only painting that i could actually complete

grilled cheese and homemade soup

it's raining. it's game 7. it's the final presidential debates.

i don't have time to spend time in the kitchen.  i need to watch the debates, in between watching the giants while re-tweeting almost everything that chris rock tweets.

so dinner had to be easy - grilled cheese (with an extra sharp canadian cheddar) and homemade beef and vegetable soup (i made and froze it last week) in my A mug from Anthropologie

recipe for the soup:

saute onions until soft in olive oil

add cut carrots saute for 2 minutes

add enough beef broth to cover all of the veggies that you will add (i like better than bouillon au jus base)

add dash of oregano (fresh or dried)

add cut cabbage, green beans and stewed (canned) tomatoes 

simmer until flavors melt and veggies are tender (but not mushy)

really, you should use any extra veggies that you have on hand.  bouillon is inexpensive so make more than you think you need and freeze it.  you'll be happy you have it the next time you don't want to cook but you don't want to order greasy chinese (save that for hangovers).

hot tea

Hot tea on a fall day is so comforting. As i type away, the sound of rain beats on the skylight outside my door and the smell of peppermint permeates the small confines of my quaint office. Something about fall rain is so motivating for me.  It must be that I'm forced indoors, as the outside world is too soggy to play in. Or perhaps it's the new season signifying a new start, a time to reflect, reevaluate and recommit myself to my work. Maybe the rain metaphorically (and magically) washes away my anxieties and hesitations.  Perchance, it is simply the smell.  Whatever the reason, the first fall rain throughout the night always manages to reinvigorate me by morning. And as the rain continues to beat away, my tall boots, black & white striped sweater and jar of hot peppermint tea keep me warm and oh so happy.

snack time

it's true. i like snacks.  when i was little my mom would make me a munchie platter everyday after school which consisted of cheese, fruit, crackers and veggies.  naturally in adulthood i find myself turning to similar combinations for comfort and satisfaction.

that's why i love these mini brie wheels, fresh french bread and fresh squeezed apple/pomegranate juice (fall is here!)

did i mention the brie bites are only 70 calories per wheel.  snack time just got a lot lighter.

creating dinner

i'm lucky to live in a place that has an abundance of local food purveyors: butcher, cheese shop, pasta, bakery, produce and coffee coffee coffee.  today, after grabbing a latte, i meandered around the aforementioned shops and collected enough goodies to create a delicious dinner. because i like to create dinner!

what i bought

chicken sausage (with sun dried tomato, onion, herbs) from the butcher

asaigio and smoked blue cheese (curiosity forced me to buy this one) from the cheese shop

lemon fettuccine from the pasta shop

vine ripened tomatoes, pears, baby arugula, mixed greens from the produce shop

what i made

i was able to make 2 dishes

1. a pear, mixed greens/arugula and smoked blue cheese salad

2. tomato sausage pasta!

how i made it

the salad was completely straightforward.  i used a light champagne vinaigrette that i had already made

the pasta was great too. 

browned the sausage (outside of the casing) until cooked through with brown spots

added chopped shallot - 2 minutes

splash of dry sherry - 1 minute

add chopped tomatoes and cook down for ~10 minutes.  sauce will get soupy first as the tomatoes cook and then thicken as the water cooks off

cook pasta to al dente

drain but don't rinse

add tablespoon of butter, 1/4 cup of asaigo, finishing salt (such as maldon), fresh cracked pepper and a tablespoon of pasta water to hot pasta -- stir around

add the chicken sausage sauce to pasta

serve and enjoy!

review

all in all, i loved my creation (no modesty here).  i'm not sure i would buy the smoked blue cheese again for a salad but could see myself using it on a pizza

you could certainly use any sausage and adjust the other ingredients to match the flavor.  lamb with red wine, tomatoes and feta?; hot italian sausage and roast fennel?.....make up yours and let me know how it goes.

silver & black sundays

i'm a huge oakland raider fan (that's american football for my friends that don't follow sports). so to ease the pain of what has been a series of difficult to watch games i'm going to post some silver and black that is easy on the eyes.  how great are this tray from bhldn and goblets from one kings lane

Raider Nation in style, baby.

mint & vanilla strawberries

...another video recipe.  simple and oh so good.

btw, to make 'vanilla sugar' put your used vanilla bean (i.e., after you've scrapped it out for another use) in your sugar canister 

when spring feels like summer

the smell of meyer lemons and vine ripe tomato.  awesomeness. check out this video recipe of me making a simple spring meets summer salad.

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.