Weekend Six

D

dawnnys

Well-known member
I had a few hours to myself yesterday, so lunch was popcorn, a leftover artichoke, and diet Coke while watching a marathon of Lost episodes before the big finale coming up (sniff, sniff).

But before that, almost burned the house down yesterday when I pressed "potato" instead of "popcorn" on the new microwave. 'Turned my back for a seconds and brown smoke was billowing out of the back of the microwave and filled the kitchen - oh yikes.

I, too, have the "don't want to cook" blues but yet I find myself in the kitchen a lot, puttering, to avoid doing other things. What's with that.

Gotta weed out the herb garden and start again this year - nothing but lemon balm, chives, and mint (which you can't kill) are left in there.

I think I'll make nlb's chicken casserole for dinner tonight and see if I can burn the kitchen down the right way, today ;o) and I have to make a big tin of macaroni and cheese for a church event this week, so I'll have to do some cooking today.

Putting together a BBQ basket for a raffle this week. Any non-food item suggestions would be appreciated. I have - mitts, tongs, towel, wooden plank, tablecloth, charcoal, apron, ice pack thingies, sunblock, cookbook, Off, and a couple of backyard games... a few food items too - anything else to round it out?

 
Weekend Six

I haven't been here in a while, frantically increasing my job search because my unemployment got cut. I am truly exhausted and running out of hope but everyone keeps telling me to keep my spirits up and keep trying because something good is coming my way. So in that spirit I'm focusing on the good things.

I'm making chicken soup today, the summer fog has returned with a vengeance and soup will fit the bill.

I have a one week temp job starting Monday, yay! It's a nice company and I am sure I can do a good job. Fingers crossed. Monday, I have another interview with a new recruiter too. So I need to make things for lunches!

Yesterday was a picnic with some of the Bay Area food bloggers, the fog burned off in Dolores Park and it was a pretty day (until the fog returned). We all brought healthy things: cherries, strawberries, watermelon, hummus, smoked salmon, red pepper goat cheese dip, I made sangria. Some later additions brought macarons from a bakery tragically close to my apartment (must stay away!) and we visited Bi Rite for ice cream afterwards. One of the gals, a dear friend, treated me to dinner at Contigo, what amazing flavors. We had tiny toasts covered with an avocado spread, wood oven roasted local sardines and pickled onions. Tiny toasts with a fresh pea and mint purée topped with duck ham. Oven roasted calamari with fava beans. Chicken skewers with moorish spices and deep fried chick peas. Sliders of pork belly and a spicy aioli and tiny potato chips heavily coated with smoked paprika. Strawberry rhubarb sodas made in-house. Tiny portions but amazing and intense flavors. Despite sunburn on the tip of my nose and my hands I was a happy camper last night.

I'm studying the history of the Ferry Building and the anchor shops and food companies. I took Marianne's suggestion to give tours of the farmers market to heart and through my food blogger contacts was introduced to a local tour operator. I shadowed a tour she gave last week and she has hired me (freelance) to do tours. My first tour is for one person next Saturday. I'm excited and terrified but know it will be fun. Thank you Marianne and Jim for the idea and encouragement!!

I had a special treat this past week, I got to visit Susan in Kentfield while over in Marin for an interview with a recruiter. We had a great time chatting about food and fun things, we had black currant cider and a local beer - amazing! Susan gifted me with local duck eggs and pretty soon I'm going to make a sumptuous breakfast of eggs, tomatoes and an English muffin and some lovely coffee. She gave me lots of other goodies, thanks Susan!! I think she gave me some luck for the week. Boy, duck eggs are amazing, the yolks are deep marigold and taste so good.

Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend!

 
Weekend Several

* made crumpets
* made English Muffins
* made first tiramisu in several years for my friend recovering from 7 broken ribs from being bucked off a camel at the pyramids in Egypt. Thorasic Surgeon said worse case of broken ribs he'd ever seen. No fixing, she will have to live with a caved-in side.
* prepping for banana cream pie for tomorrow, debating whether to use Nilla Wafer crust, or Animal Crackers crust or regular blind baked pie crust.
* prepping for first book club meeting at my (messy) house on Thursday
* TBA....

 
Proposed Book Club Menu (further suggestions/alternatives welcome)

Two out of 7 members are vegetarians, one doesn't eat mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus. One non-veg doesn't eat cilantro or very spicy food

* Marinated Sundried Tomato Hummus (both homemade)
* Fresh Shredded Beet Salad with Feta and Quinoa
* Homemade pitas with homemade Za'atar
* Kalamata olives
* Salami bread sticks
* Hot teacups of roasted tomato/red pepper soup w/ homemade croutons
* Edamame spread w/ homemade preserved lemons?
* Curried Israeli Couscous Salad w/ Craisins ?
* Endive Salad with Blue cheese and toasted walnuts
* Pork & Lettuce Wraps ?
AND for dessert--
* Strawberry shortcake with homemade Lemon Buttermilk Scones for the cake part

BTW the book is "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

 
Weekend six

1. I and DH are on vacation (actually, we just took the dogs down to the summer house but it's vacation because we're dining out every day. Yay!)

2. I was shocked to learn that my favorite chocolaterie (local) is being sold. The couple who owns it - and have run it for five years - has put it up fro sale and I'm devastated. They have the best chocolate I've ever tasted (hand made chocolate pralines). I bought $50 worth of chocolate yesterday and I have to admit - selfishly so - that nobody buys it so they have to keep it going. I know, it's selfish. Shame on me, but I'm such a sucker for good chocolate.

3. One of the local farmers here is selling honey and mustard that he produces on his farm. The honey is easy. I love honey cake and DH uses honey in his tea every day. The mustard is harder. I only use mustard when I make sandwiches for DH and Spagetti Carbonara. I like mustard and I want to support this farmer, so I'll need more recipes that uses mustard.

4. Another bummer was when we found out that one of our favorite restaurants have been sold too. It seems like a lot of couples start up small food businesses/restaurants with a lot of courage, but burn themselves out after a feew years. The new owner has already opened the doors and we decided to give the new place a try today but it was such a disappointment. The food was tasteless and the portions tiny. I'll be surprised if this place survives until next summer.

5. After lunch we went to our favorite cafe. It's originally an old school that was taken down and rebuilt in a national park area in the 1950-ies. This old building is situated in the middle of the forrest and it is such a peaceful place. The cafe is furnished with old furniture and it looks just like the living room in my grandmothers house. Once inside, you pay $10 a person and for that price you get a can of coffee and they have a cake buffet where you can eat all you want. We were still hungry after lunch so we ate too much and left a $10 note to make sure they would earn a couple of buck on our visit...(slowly pulling paperbag over my head).

6. I found this awesome place yesterday. It's a Thai food and bakery combined, and rumors have it they have the best Thai food in the area. We're going there with some friends on Thursday and I can't wait to taste the food there. I bought a bread and five dinenr rolles there yesterday and both the bread and the rolls were really good. (But how does one come up with the idea of opening a Bakery AND Thai food restaurant in one? *LOL*)

 
Odd combination! Although, the Vietnamese groceries here often have small bakeries

and when I was a kid the local commune had a terrific bakery and middle eastern restaurant combo.

 
What about Pecan Sandies for the crust?

I used them to make the mini cheesecakes and they were really good. They fit perfectly into regular muffin tins.

 
Fantastic! New Ferry Building Tour Guide! From Jim, Marianne's DH

Heather, I heard Marianne's thrilling shout from the computer about your new opportunity as a Farmers Market Tour Guide at the Ferry Building. That is just Super! I participate in the local Farmers markets in this area, and I learned so much from you when we visited the Ferry Building. You made the tour so much better for us. Your knowledge of the produce and vendors was special. For me, it was the most enjoyable time I spent touring in San Francisco. It was a perfect day of good food and drink and company. I hope many people will join you for a tour. What a fun job. Enjoy, Jim

 
s'more ingredients. a broiling basket thingy where you can cook fish or shrimp or veggies

over the coals and they stay put and you can flip it.

 
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