September 30, 2011

Happy Friday

Look what I found this morning:



A baby tomater! I counted seven clusters of flowers and one budding tomato. I'm so excited. I just hope autumn doesn't descend on the Bay Area too quickly, or they might not ripen properly.

The herb garden is doing well, especially the spicy basil. The sweet basil has flowers, though I have to admit I don't know what this means. I can only guess that it is a good sign.



September 28, 2011

Finally Flowers

My little tomato plant is blossoming! Flowers started to appear last Thursday and I am so excited. They make the current heat wave a little more bearable. It's a little late in the season, but I hoping we can get some tomatoes before the cold weather sets in. *fingers crossed*








September 21, 2011

Pyrex Babies

New additions to my Pyrex collection.


A unique find discovered at a Sacramento antique mall.


A rectangular dish to match the set I got for my birthday


One step closer to completing my grandmother's set. Thanks to my mom's expert eye. She found the smallest of the four, which is white with pink motif.


These aren't pyrex, but absolutely adorable and too cute to leave out.

September 19, 2011

A little bit of Spirit & Soul

I'm nearly fully recovered from organizing our annual fundraiser, the Spirit & Soul Festival. It was a lot of work (and quite stressful at times), but 100% worth it.

Here's a quick look a day full of amazing music, delicious healthy soul food, wine tastings, and tons of community togetherness. (The lady in black is my superstar boss, Amanda.)


Major props to Richmond Confidential for this article, the slideshow, and stellar reporting.

September 12, 2011

Pinterest Project: Special Pesto Pizza

This is my inaugural post in what I hope will become a delightful series. I've been having a lot of fun creating inspiration boards and pinning projects, recipes, looks, ideas, and more. I love checking out other people's pins and amassing my own, but I don't want to just collect these lovely ideas. I want to make them happen. And document my doings, of course.

I made a special pizza inspired by this pin

I started with homemade pizza dough that I topped with pesto, sliced chicken, fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan. Slid it on a hot pizza stone and baked it at 450 for 15 minutes. Yummers. 




September 9, 2011

Chili Lime Shrimp

Summer isn't over yet. Actually, it's just starting in my neck of the woods. But that's a different topic...


I have a recipe to share: Chili Lime Shrimp. Inspired by fresh tiger prawns, lime, and a desire to grill. Here's my




Chili Lime Shrimp



Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
1 lb. large shrimp or prawns (about 20), heads, shells and tails removed; rinsed
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp (red) chili powder
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt


Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro, minced
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper


Olive oil
8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water


Make
For marinade: Mix together garlic, cumin, chili powders, paprika, kosher salt, and 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (or enough to form a loose paste).


In separate bowl, mix lime juice, minced cilantro, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside 


Place prepared shrimp into a shallow dish. Pour marinade over shrimp and toss to coat. Slide shrimps on bamboo skewers (like this), about 5 per pair of skewers.  Let marinade for 15-20 minutes.


Griddler: Lay countertop griddler flat with grill plates in place and set to sear. When hot, place skewered shrimp (2 per grill plate) on griddle and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour 1/2 of lime juice mixture evenly over shrimp. Flip and repeat on other side.


Broil: Turn on broiler element and place over rack as close to the element as possible. Place shrimp skewers on foil lined rimmed baking sheet and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour 1/2 of lime juice mixture evenly over shrimp. Flip and repeat on other side.

Serve with warm tortillas (I like these), fire roasted bell peppers and onions, cilantro, and sour cream. Enjoy with your favorite beer.


I like 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon, a refreshing wheat beer with a hint of watermelon sweetness. Tasty.

September 8, 2011

Big Trip to New York

Evan and I went to New York to visit his family. It was his dad's birthday and our summer vacation. I'd never been before. Which was great, because I got to choose the itinerary.


100% authentic Italian deli. Home of the tastiest meatball heros.

Old Westbury Gardens


Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury Gardens
Me and Rex at the American Museum of Natural History.

Central Park


Central Park

Central Park

Central Park from the roof of the Met

At the Met

Hall of Rodin. Glorious. 

I'm not a patriotic person, but I couldn't pass up this shot.

Jones Beach

Jones Beach

Jones Beach

The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo (LEGO Flamingos)

The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo

Greenwich Village

On the High Line with my friend Ruthanne

A beautiful day to walk the High Line
More pictures on my Flickr

September 5, 2011

Lake Tahoe

My mom's birthday is in July. To celebrate, we went to South Lake Tahoe and lounged about on the beach for the day. We packed a picnic lunch, brought along our dog Max, and enjoyed each other's company. Plus, I finally got to experience some hot and sunny summer weather.


That's my baby brother, Tristan, and our dog Max.


They're best buds.



He's not ours, but he slept the whole time. 

Lake Tahoe




Max (and Tristan) slept the whole way home.
There's more on my Flickr.