It's blessedly quiet here right now. And tonight, I hope to remember to make a small gesture by turning off my lights for Earth Hour.
But for now? The cats are milling around to remind me that it's past time for them to have breakfast. There's a retirement account to roll-over. A prescription to refill. Spreadsheets to tame. Taxes to get organized (*groan*). Groceries to be bought and vegies to be prepped. (As you may have guessed from my Spring Break post, I did not exactly lose any weight in S.F. so it's time to get back on top of the lifestyle change!)
So, happy Saturday to everyone! The more I get done today, the more I can observe the Sabbath tomorrow. ;-)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I Left My Heart (or at least some cash) in San Francisco (restaurants)
Visited my parents in San Francisco for spring break. It was a jam-packed adventure, full of food, walking (which only partly counteracted all that food), and lots of family time.
The Juj and I arrived on Monday evening, after a day in which I said I was going to work half the day but I was still on a conference call after two o'clock. However, we managed to get packed up and out of the house in a timely manner, and had a nice uneventful flight.
Tuesday, we spent much of that day at my aunt & uncle's house in Pacifica, visiting with them, their two daughters, a very long-standing friend of my parents, and new twin cousin-lings (son & daughter of one of my cousins). The three-month-old kiddos were way cute, and I'm hoping someone sends me one of the pictures of J holding his baby cousin. Juj and I also walked a few blocks to the beach to build a sand castle to get the week started right. When we got back, Dad and I walked J over to the "baby park" (little local park with a cool play area for toddlers, mostly) while my Mom took a nap. And I cooked for my parents that night:
(My parents are finishing up a six-month sub-let of a cool little 2-BR apartment in a great neighborhood adjacent to the Castro. We walked to the park at least twice, to several meals, to the library, to two different grocery stores, and to the movies! Oh, and EVERY walk included much uphill and downhill.)
Thursday was date night. But first we took J to the Conservatory of Flowers to see a model railroad and lots of plants (duh!) We also had Peasant Pies for lunch (from the neighborhood), and walked to the library in the afternoon. But the highlight was the dinner that DH and I had at Zuni Cafe:
Friday, my grandmother drove down from Oregon to see her great-grandson, as well as the rest of us bumpkins. In the morning, before she arrived, we walked to breakfast and Whole Foods (and my dad and I walking beat the ones who took the bus back home!). Then, after Grammy joined us, we spent part of the day at Fisherman's Wharf, doing a couple of tourist things that none of us had done before, despite that fact that my extended family has lived in the Bay Area off and on for much of our lives. We also got checked into our hotel -- I love Priceline! -- so my grandmother could stay in my parents' second bedroom while she was visiting.
That evening, we walked down to Castro Street where another old friend of the family (on her way to Panama!) met us for dinner. And gelato. And an uphill walk back to the house.
Saturday, I cooked dinner. Made the braised lentils and broccoli rabe that DH made a few weeks ago, and somewhat improvised a lemon panna cotta that was good but distinctly separated into a somewhat curdled cream layer (tasty, just not smooth) and another more lemon-jello-like layer. We ate it all, however! And that was after going to the local yummy crepe place, Queen Malika, for brunch. And I'm sure we did something else, I'm just not sure what...
Sunday, we checked out of the hotel, and the Gilster and I took my Grammy to Zuni for an early lunch. After all, we had to go back for the roast chicken, which we had along with a shaved sunchoke and orange salad with ginger vinaigrette and Marash pepper, a poached egg with artichoke and big white beans, and three desserts: espresso granita with whipped cream (me), hazelnut biscottini (DH), and creme brulee (Gram). I think the whole lunch took us two and half hours, but of course, they roast the chicken to order. My grandmother took off in the early afternoon, and Gil, Juj and I took in Alice in Wonderland (which I vote as one of Tim Burton's better films) at the Castro Theatre, which is a beautiful old movie palace.
And in the evening, a couple of my oldest friends, who have now been married for many years but that I knew individually in high school before they ever met each other, drove up the Peninsula and joined us for dinner. We even received a call from another dearest high school buddy, who I may get to see when she comes to Dallas in a couple of weeks! We decided to just walk over to 24th Street and see what we could find to eat, and ended up at a great little (very) Italian place, that I would gladly visit again. The fog had rolled in, and it was pleasantly cool and damp, which made our meal, and the little fireplace in the restaurant, all the more cozy.
Then we flew out Monday. And managed to get up and go to school & work this morning, even with it being the first time we'd had to really get going on Daylight Savings Time plus Pacific Time jet lag. (And yikes, look at the time -- I'd better get to bed since I have an early conference call tomorrow!) Maybe we need a vacation after all that...
The Juj and I arrived on Monday evening, after a day in which I said I was going to work half the day but I was still on a conference call after two o'clock. However, we managed to get packed up and out of the house in a timely manner, and had a nice uneventful flight.
Tuesday, we spent much of that day at my aunt & uncle's house in Pacifica, visiting with them, their two daughters, a very long-standing friend of my parents, and new twin cousin-lings (son & daughter of one of my cousins). The three-month-old kiddos were way cute, and I'm hoping someone sends me one of the pictures of J holding his baby cousin. Juj and I also walked a few blocks to the beach to build a sand castle to get the week started right. When we got back, Dad and I walked J over to the "baby park" (little local park with a cool play area for toddlers, mostly) while my Mom took a nap. And I cooked for my parents that night:
- rice noodles with a thai peanut (and almond butter) sauce
- sauteed julienned sweet potato with curry powder
- vegie stir-fry
(My parents are finishing up a six-month sub-let of a cool little 2-BR apartment in a great neighborhood adjacent to the Castro. We walked to the park at least twice, to several meals, to the library, to two different grocery stores, and to the movies! Oh, and EVERY walk included much uphill and downhill.)
Thursday was date night. But first we took J to the Conservatory of Flowers to see a model railroad and lots of plants (duh!) We also had Peasant Pies for lunch (from the neighborhood), and walked to the library in the afternoon. But the highlight was the dinner that DH and I had at Zuni Cafe:
- Cocktails - Elderflower & Prosecco for me, Sazerac for him
- Fried Sardines with a lovely pickled carrot slaw (I had my doubts, but it was good!)
- Another antipasto that I can't remember except that it was yummy and came with Nettle Pesto Crostini
- A half bottle of Vin de Savoie “Arbin” (Les Fils de Charles Trosset, Savoie)
- Arugula, Endive & Blood Orange Salad (I think; things got a little hazy)
- Plate of spiced baby goat - awesome, with a riblet, sausage, a succulent short rib, garbanzos...
- Bleu cheese with honey
- After dinner drinks (now you see why this whole thing is a bit hazy) - Tawny Port for me, Amaro Nonino for him (which was a revelation; we're already fans of Amaro Averna but the lighter, more citrusy Nonino was even better!)
- Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta (to die for, barely enough gelatin to hold it together, mmm...)
- Espresso
Friday, my grandmother drove down from Oregon to see her great-grandson, as well as the rest of us bumpkins. In the morning, before she arrived, we walked to breakfast and Whole Foods (and my dad and I walking beat the ones who took the bus back home!). Then, after Grammy joined us, we spent part of the day at Fisherman's Wharf, doing a couple of tourist things that none of us had done before, despite that fact that my extended family has lived in the Bay Area off and on for much of our lives. We also got checked into our hotel -- I love Priceline! -- so my grandmother could stay in my parents' second bedroom while she was visiting.
That evening, we walked down to Castro Street where another old friend of the family (on her way to Panama!) met us for dinner. And gelato. And an uphill walk back to the house.
Saturday, I cooked dinner. Made the braised lentils and broccoli rabe that DH made a few weeks ago, and somewhat improvised a lemon panna cotta that was good but distinctly separated into a somewhat curdled cream layer (tasty, just not smooth) and another more lemon-jello-like layer. We ate it all, however! And that was after going to the local yummy crepe place, Queen Malika, for brunch. And I'm sure we did something else, I'm just not sure what...
Sunday, we checked out of the hotel, and the Gilster and I took my Grammy to Zuni for an early lunch. After all, we had to go back for the roast chicken, which we had along with a shaved sunchoke and orange salad with ginger vinaigrette and Marash pepper, a poached egg with artichoke and big white beans, and three desserts: espresso granita with whipped cream (me), hazelnut biscottini (DH), and creme brulee (Gram). I think the whole lunch took us two and half hours, but of course, they roast the chicken to order. My grandmother took off in the early afternoon, and Gil, Juj and I took in Alice in Wonderland (which I vote as one of Tim Burton's better films) at the Castro Theatre, which is a beautiful old movie palace.
And in the evening, a couple of my oldest friends, who have now been married for many years but that I knew individually in high school before they ever met each other, drove up the Peninsula and joined us for dinner. We even received a call from another dearest high school buddy, who I may get to see when she comes to Dallas in a couple of weeks! We decided to just walk over to 24th Street and see what we could find to eat, and ended up at a great little (very) Italian place, that I would gladly visit again. The fog had rolled in, and it was pleasantly cool and damp, which made our meal, and the little fireplace in the restaurant, all the more cozy.
Then we flew out Monday. And managed to get up and go to school & work this morning, even with it being the first time we'd had to really get going on Daylight Savings Time plus Pacific Time jet lag. (And yikes, look at the time -- I'd better get to bed since I have an early conference call tomorrow!) Maybe we need a vacation after all that...
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Odds and Phlegms
Oh dear. J seems to have another cold. Well, the past two times, it's been more than colds -- we've already lost 6 days of school to illness since the beginning of January. Add in a couple of snow days, and it's a good thing that he's smart and goes to a private Montessori where he works at his own pace, so I assume he's not falling behind too much.
But it does seem to be just a cold this time (no fever), and we've got an appointment with same allergist his dad sees at the end of the month, so...it is what it is. However, the timing is not good, as he and I are going to San Francisco to visit my folks for spring break. On Monday. So I hope he's not too sick too fly.
I've been working like crazy, trying to get ready for this trip. I've given up my Lenten study group (had to work late on our book night this week, won't be here next week) as well as the 'lifestyle change' classes at my doctor's office. Although I still have all the literature for both, plus my copy of The Happiness Project so I'll continue reading and practicing over the vacation.
And actually I haven't totally fallen off the rails. I'm slowly losing weight -- very slowly, because I backslide some on the eating habits on my worst stress days at the office and I haven't started exercising consistently. But on the other hand, I really am eating smaller amounts of better food more frequently and fewer simple carbs including sweets. And I do exercise occasionally, which is up from never. Plus I finally figured out where the stairs are at work, and the garage is under the building and I sit on the second floor, so I have that to look forward to.
Last Sunday's dinner was not exactly diet food, but I continue to work on my portion control, and this was a yummy little vegetarian feast (well, except I guess maybe gelatin is not vegetarian -- oops!):
But it does seem to be just a cold this time (no fever), and we've got an appointment with same allergist his dad sees at the end of the month, so...it is what it is. However, the timing is not good, as he and I are going to San Francisco to visit my folks for spring break. On Monday. So I hope he's not too sick too fly.
I've been working like crazy, trying to get ready for this trip. I've given up my Lenten study group (had to work late on our book night this week, won't be here next week) as well as the 'lifestyle change' classes at my doctor's office. Although I still have all the literature for both, plus my copy of The Happiness Project so I'll continue reading and practicing over the vacation.
And actually I haven't totally fallen off the rails. I'm slowly losing weight -- very slowly, because I backslide some on the eating habits on my worst stress days at the office and I haven't started exercising consistently. But on the other hand, I really am eating smaller amounts of better food more frequently and fewer simple carbs including sweets. And I do exercise occasionally, which is up from never. Plus I finally figured out where the stairs are at work, and the garage is under the building and I sit on the second floor, so I have that to look forward to.
Last Sunday's dinner was not exactly diet food, but I continue to work on my portion control, and this was a yummy little vegetarian feast (well, except I guess maybe gelatin is not vegetarian -- oops!):
- Cauliflower & Caramelized Onion Tart from Smitten Kitchen -- and I made this without a crust, which worked fine and saved me that bit of fat and white flour (which might seem laughable given the other ingredients but hey, take it where you can)
- Butter Lettuce with Oranges, Avocado & Shallot Vinaigrette from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook -- oh, how we love Judy Rodgers around here; we may or may not try to hit Chez Panisse once G-man joins me out West, but Zuni? absolutely!
- Bubble City Salad from Star Wars Cookbook II -- we had actually several recipes from this fine tome over the weekend, but adapted this one with sugar-free jello and Fresca to be more appropriate for low glycemic index consumption
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Improv: Might be good, might be bad, usually interesting
It's been an improv cooking week.
Made skillet chicken and dumplings last night, with cornmeal (actually 'instant' dry polenta) dumplings, cut-up boneless skinless chicken breasts, and frozen mixed vegies, and it was good. Except it was salty. Except the dumplings. But it was still pretty good, I did enjoy the leftovers for lunch today.
Also made a quick garbanzo and vegetable soup from scratch on Wednesday, when I was working from home and looked up to realize that it was after noon and no doubt that's why I was shaking and starving. What could I throw in a pot and not blow my new eating habits too much? Can of chickpeas, can of tomatoes, on top of chopped onions, cabbage, broccoli, carrots and celery that I sauteed first in olive oil. A little water, a little Worcester sauce, a little better than bouillon, a bay leaf -- et voila! (And all this was because I opened a can of minestrone in pantry to heat in the microwave and noticed it was a little past due, uh, April 2007 anyone?)
Sunday night, I made
Made skillet chicken and dumplings last night, with cornmeal (actually 'instant' dry polenta) dumplings, cut-up boneless skinless chicken breasts, and frozen mixed vegies, and it was good. Except it was salty. Except the dumplings. But it was still pretty good, I did enjoy the leftovers for lunch today.
Also made a quick garbanzo and vegetable soup from scratch on Wednesday, when I was working from home and looked up to realize that it was after noon and no doubt that's why I was shaking and starving. What could I throw in a pot and not blow my new eating habits too much? Can of chickpeas, can of tomatoes, on top of chopped onions, cabbage, broccoli, carrots and celery that I sauteed first in olive oil. A little water, a little Worcester sauce, a little better than bouillon, a bay leaf -- et voila! (And all this was because I opened a can of minestrone in pantry to heat in the microwave and noticed it was a little past due, uh, April 2007 anyone?)
Sunday night, I made
- Ragu of pork sausage & ground turkey thighs (simmered a bit too violently, and the milk broke, even though it was canned evaporated milk, so it looked a little creepy but tasted GREAT)
- Spaghetti squash (which had been in my cupboard forever, but luckily I was inspired by Tasty Kitchen to finally cook it)
- Sauteed ratatouille bake (that is to say, the other day I layered slices of onion, plum tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant with olive oil and thyme and baked it in the oven; then I reheated it in a skillet...and it was a BIG hit with Ron and I because eggplant is one of those things that should not be undercooked)
- Herb salad with baby spinach (and I even washed and dried it first, because G-man read in Cook's Illustrated or Consumer Reports or something that "triple washed" greens in the clamshells aren't actually clean)
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