quality friday: broadway, baby

orpheum theater - photo from theaters of san francisco

since we've moved, we've tried to make it our mission to take in all that we can of our new surroundings. of course, that can sometimes be difficult with my work travel schedule, and mark's equally busy school and work combination, but when we have the chance to do something unique or fun we certainly attempt to.

last weekend, mark happened to flip on the tv, and our cable company was listing an advertisement for a great deal on theater tickets to see the color purple, presented here in san francisco (and all around the country) by a popular chicago icon, no less! we quickly looked online, and found that the deal was only for 2 weeks, with the first show option that following tuesday.

knowing that i had a day trip to seattle planned for wednesday, and thus that i could pretty much guarantee i'd be in town on tuesday night, we jumped at the chance and purchased tickets for 4 days out.

tuesday night, we had fun getting dressed up and heading to the historic orpheum theater to see this wonderful show. the music was a beautiful mixture of jazz, gospel and blues, the story inspiring, and i'll certainly have to watch the movie sometime soon, at mark's recommendation.

if its at a theater near you, take the opportunity to enjoy this story of hope and testament to the healing power of love.

the view of city hall we saw from union square tuesday night

and a lovely thanksgiving weekend, it was.

thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.

it captures the essence of family, to me. time spent together, the aromas and flavors of wonderful comforting foods, and all without the commercialism and pressures of gift-giving that christmas can sometimes become. it really is the perfect time to give thanks.

growing up, i enjoyed this one time each year that my mom's family would gather together. i remember the food was always delicious, lovingly prepared, and more than filling. but it was the company that made the day special - i loved the time with my cousins, aunts and uncles - playing games, catching up on the events of our lives, and cherishing each other.

when mark and i started dating, i remember him coming over for thanksgiving dessert to meet the family, and at then end of the night, my aunt pattie told me that he was "a keeper"! and after we were married, i'll never forget the year i spent 48 hours taking the greyhound home from a trip to visit my nanay who had just suffered a stroke, arriving on thanksgiving morning just in time for a huge celebration at mark's parent's home. it was the last time i saw my grandma before she died. and it was also the last thanksgiving that mark's mom was here with us.

just last year, we finally decided that we were going to stop "splitting" the day between both families. we spent thanksgiving day with mark's family (enjoying a meal at maggiano's), and invited mine over for homemade Greek food on saturday, and planned to reverse the time in years to come. looking back, who would have guessed that this year we'd be 2000 miles away?

when mark's dad and sister decided that they were going to travel to visit us for the weekend, we were thrilled! not only would we have family with us for thanksgiving, but we were also looking forward to having guests for the long weekend, and this being leslie's first trip to visit us in san francisco, we wanted it to be extra special. and it was.

thanksgiving weekend, 2007

thanksgiving day was spent cooking the perfect [both in size and in quality!] meal of turkey, gravy, carol's (mark's mom) famous dressing, homemade cranberry sauce, rolls and spinach gratin. once we were all positively stuffed, we settled in for naps or for a viewing of the princess bride.

friday we took off for some light shopping, lunch of the best burgers california has to offer, and then an afternoon of napa valley wine tasting! we came home and enjoyed an evening of grilled seafood and bacon-wrapped fillets, cheese and more wine:)

saturday, we rounded out the weekend with two trips into san francisco! we drove in over the golden gate bridge, marvelled at the palace of fine arts, had lunch at pier 39, curved down lombard street, stopped for a wade in the ocean, and toured the presidio before heading home to get gussied up for a night of jazz and fine dining.

thanks for joining us for a memorable thanksgiving, norman and leslie! we love you!

madonna estate's reserve tasting room - where mark's favorite was the dolcetto, norman's the cabernet sauvignon, leslie's the muscat canelli, and my favorite the gewürztraminer

enjoying château service at domaine carneros, where we sampled flights of sparkling wine (the Le Rêve was pheNOMenal), pinot noir (mark was dying to leave with the famous gate), smoked salmon and an amazing cheese tray

leslie was determined to touch the ocean...but didn't expect it to be as COLD as it was when it lapped over her feet!

the four of us, thoroughly enjoying the ambiance, cuisine and jazz trio at BIX. i must recommend the following menu items - truffle cheese and sweet onion "croques", tuna tartare, smoked trout salad, grilled hill ranch pork chops, and the american kobe "bavette" steak. the only dissappointment, in my opinion, were the specialty drinks. why make a cosmo with rum, or a gimlet with vodka, when the originals are wonderful the way they are?

its beginning to feel a lot like christmas

christmas concerts...

let me tell you how proud i was to be sitting in the audience listening to my husband perform!

...flurries in the air...

i can't believe how dirty my camera lens was! still, i love this photo of us - isn't mark handsome in his tux?

...even the desserts had a light dusting!

this weekend brought mark's choral concerts on friday and saturday nights. when he mentioned that he needed to bring treats for intermissions, i quickly jumped (again) at the chance to bake.

for those of you who enjoy rich (and i mean rich), chocolate-y desserts, try this brownie recipe. its perfect for every season, any occasion.

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outrageous brownies

from the barefoot contessa cookbook

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs (i used 7 large eggs, instead)
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts (optional - i left these out, since mark doesn't enjoy nuts in his brownies)

preheat oven to 350 degrees. butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet. [ i used a 11 x 15-inch baking dish for thicker brownies, and increased the cooking time by ~ 10 minutes. to butter the dish, i recommend using the foil wrappers from sticks of butter. these work perfectly, and can be saved for future use by folding and storing in your refrigerator in a plastic baggie.]

melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water.


allow to cool slightly. in a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. stir in the warm chocolate mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

in a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. add to the cooled chocolate mixture.

toss the walnuts (optional) and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. pour into the baking sheet.

bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do Not Overbake! allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate (very important for them to be cold when cutting!), and cut.

dust with powdered sugar and serve on a party platter, as picture above, or my favorite way to enjoy these delicious treats is to re-heat and serve with french vanilla ice-cream.

quality friday: warm and fuzzies

i consider myself a relatively creative person. through the years, i've enjoyed projects that involve sewing, knitting, crocheting - and crafting in general - and have loved wrapping myself up in the process of creating. from choosing the materials to work with, to deciding what pattern or layout to use, i've poured myself into each project and have been known to spend spend hours-on-end working on this or that.

that's why when we've moved into new apartments in the past, i've usually enjoyed the opportunity to sew curtains for our windows or make dinner napkins to match our decor. and for years, christmas gifts of hats, scarves, blankets and purses have been lovingly made for my family and friends. i've crocheted many a baby blanket for the beautiful bundles of joy that grace my friend's lives, and have made items [mittens and scarves were my specialty] for the crafty angels, a group from our church in chicago, to be donated to those in need - both in our community and around the globe. and i've also found scrapbooks and photo albums to make wonderful gifts for loved ones on special occasions, such as 30th birthdays and bridal showers.

so, then, why have my creative juices dried up, as of late?

i'm sure i can find a million reasons [and even more excuses] for why this has been the case, but the bottom line is that i'm fed up!

projects - like re-lining my wicker laundry basket [so the clothes don't snag], or making curtains for the living room [so the neighbors can't see in]- have made fleeting appearances in my thoughts, but never seem to find their way to fruition. or to state it more accurately, they've never even been started.

its time for a change.

which is why this quality friday post is dedicated to the knitting needles and crochet hooks that i've pulled out of hiding and have actually started to USE this week. i've uncovered a few old projects that are begging to be completed, and have even made my way to my favorite crafts store for some new supplies. the photo above is one of the knitting projects that i started many moons ago, and i've got another one sitting next to me right now, that can't be shown because its recipient just might read this entry:)

PLUS, and i'm on vacation next week [hooray, HOORAY!], so the timing couldn't be more perfect. i've got lots of warm an fuzzy things on my adjenda [and maybe a few practical ones, too], and hope that i'll have some completed projects to share with you soon.

happy quality friday - hope you have a wonderful and creative week ahead of you!

the flavors, sights and sounds of the mission

on sunday, i spent the afternoon enjoying wonderful company and this cool san francisco neighborhood.

my freshman-year college roommate, shannon, was passing through san francisco on her way to a conference in boston [from her home in new zealand!], so she, vlada and i met up to do some exploring in san francisco. and to catch up, of course! shannon's high school friend kate, who also lives in the bay area, and vlada friend sean [now a friend of mark and mine as well!] who lives in the mission, also joined along on the adventure.

sean, vlada, kate and i - stuffed to the brim and walking off our super burritos. mine was a carne asada and pollo combination, with black bean and all the fixin's. mmmm, mmmm good.

these drawers in s.f.'s only pirate supply store, are filled with goodies from sea salt to eye patches

and the shop next door [wish i could remember its name] has a display of orchids next to coolest old wooden wheelchair.

stem, an uber-cute floral boutique, also sells gifts, housewares, candles, stationary.....
...and children's clothing and accessories.

freshman year roomies, enjoying aMAZEing icecream. shannon's tried the sam's sundae [chocolate ice cream, bergamot olive oil, maldon sea salt, and fresh whipped cream], and enjoyed its unique and intense flavors, and i loved my salted caramel and pumpkin combination.

[and on a side note, as we were outside enjoying these treats, we witnessed a crazy car accident....a car full of girls smashed into a parked car at a "T" intersection, and proceeded to jump out of the car, leave it sitting in the middle of traffic blocking 2 lanes, and RAN FROM THE SCENE! thankfully no one was hurt. crazy!]

and here are just a few of the murals that this area is so famous for:

i have to say, i really enjoy this area - its diverse and interesting with a wide variety of food, shops and sights. its not in the least touristy, and has the feel of a "real" san francisco neighborhood.

so, readers, what are your favorite neighborhoods in your favorite cities? and why do you like them?

seafood extravaganza

this was the feast that mark prepared for us on saturday night, when i returned home from a few days in los angeles!




mark recently made friends with the owner of a local seafood market, and was so excited to try their many recommendations, that he decided to create a seafood-sampler meal. the menu included grilled oysters topped with a garlic butter sauce, two types of fish, and lobster [the owner liked mark so much, that he threw in a lobster for free!]. it was quite a treat, and a wonderful way to welcome me home.

i was reminded, again, of how amazing it is to have a husband that loves to cook. he manages to make fantastic meals with what appears to take no effort at all - a skill that i will never quite understand and will likely never possess. all i have to do is sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

i'm a lucky girl, i tell you!

fit for a....kid

ever lose track of what you're doing for just a moment? and that moment is just the amount of time needed to make all the difference?

i blatantly disregarding the "hand wash cold", figuring that cold water on the delicate cycle would suffice. but i intended to pay attention to the "dry flat" on the label. critical instructions for 100% merino wool, i was reminded when i opened the dryer.

sad thing is that i've done this before. twice.

so unless i shrink 6 inches, i'm hoping that my favorite travel sweater - lightweight but warm, perfect for an airplane - will be loved by some 10-year-old, somewhere.

quality friday: searching

how long has it been since we moved to northern california? the days seem to be flying by, quickly adding up into weeks and months. life has been busy for both of us.

whereas i feel that i've adjusted to the constant travel of my job, i still often find myself exhausted by it. long hours, time changes, and what feels like constant mental stimulation monday through friday find me more-than-ready for relaxation and regrouping when i'm at home. still, the weekend arrives with its own set of responsibilities - cleaning and laundry to be done, errands to run - as well as my desire to spend as much time with mark as possible.

for mark, his weeks are filled with school during the day, and work many evenings. he often is up at 7am, and not home until 10:30 at night, and his weekends are much shorter than mine with a work shift both on friday and sunday nights. somehow, he fits studying, practicing, and a little relaxation into the mix.

so the weeks have passed - along with them, many a sunday morning - and i'm ashamed to say that until this week, we hadn't visited a single church or worshiped God amidst a community of believers since leaving chicago.

not that we hadn't thought about it. we've prayed many evenings for a church like the one we left - warm, inviting and compassionate, where God's word was preached with vigor and strength, and where the amazingly wonderful people shower you with love from the moment you set foot in the door. what we realized long ago, and were reminded of again last sunday, was that that having been so blessed with all these things back home was going to set the bar high here. but how much good does it do to ask for something when you don't follow up by actively looking?

the hardest part was even knowing where to begin searching for a church home. we began by searching for a local covenant church, but found that there really weren't any in the towns nearby, and knew that driving long distances to church would keep us from getting involved the way that we wanted to. so where turn to next?

one sunday a few weeks ago, we were enjoying lunch at a napa favorite and found ourselves chatting with two couples that had just come from church, and invited us to come for a visit. sadly, weeks later, neither of us could quite remember its exact name, but looking in that area seemed to make sense. being close to mark's work meant that he could easily get there after the service, and being only 20 minutes from home worked nicely too.

interestingly enough we did much of our research on-line, found a few options, and headed to one of them last sunday. it felt wonderful to be worshiping in church and to actually hear a sermon preached, and we're thankful that we've finally gotten through the awkward nervousness of not quite knowing where to go first.

although we're not sure that the church we visited is where we'll make our home, at least we've finally started searching.

enjoying the week

a week at home? it feels like its been a L O N G time since i've had one of those. it has been wonderful to to spend weeknight evenings with mark, to sleep in my own bed at night [which, by the way, i now love. time certainly won us over on that purchase].

of course, there was a bit of a trade off for my week of "local" travel. i spent upwards of four hours a day commuting from our home, located about 30 miles northeast of san francisco, to a client site about the same distance southwest of the city. 60 miles equals 60 minutes, right? maybe on the weekends or in the middle of the day, but not this week for me - i seemed to hit traffic in at least one direction, every day. never mind that i left home between 5:30 and 6:00am [thank you, starbucks double tall lattes], or tried to head out before or after rush hour. sigh.

two things made the commute more bearable. in fact, they made the week downright enjoyable!

the first, that the highway that i chose to take between san francisco and palo alto is breathtakingly beautiful. at sunrise, the fog was still so thick that the mountains weren't even visible and only the largest trees near the road could be seen, paving a captivating path. mid-day, the lush, rolling hills and green trees could be seen for miles, and at time the lakes to the west are even visible. yesterday, i stopped at a vista point to take some photos, attempting to capturing a bit of the beauty. and this evening i found that sunset is equally gorgeous.

even better than the beautiful scenery is that being in palo alto [have i mentioned that i love that town? reminds me of evanston in so many ways], is that i got to hang out with vlada a few time!

on monday evening, we did some shopping [and incidentally, i purchased yet another suit. seriously, i need to make a decision and make some returns], and then i enjoyed dinner with the newlyweds. after michal headed back to class, vlada and i grabbed our new favorite dessert [let me tell you, the fresh strawberry and shaved chocolate toppings pair perfectly!], and then i got a preview of the best of their wedding photography.

and this afternoon, i stopped by for a quick visit and to drop off some baked goodies.

vlada time twice in one week? what a treat:)