Southwestern Corn and Black Bean Salad

Last week we had our monthly Book Club meeting with an extra bonus celebration for Kate's Birthday.  We read The Glass Castle which is a raw and startling memoir about a family moving around the US living in poverty.  The author's parents were clearly mentally ill and the children were forced to fight for their own survival.  I've read a lot of memoirs in my day and this was one of the most interesting and eye...

Hump Day: Chocolate Milk, But Beer

Lagunitas Brewing Company has long been a local favorite of mine.   In addition to their stellar line-up of always available beers brewed in Petaluma, CA, LBC  has some fantastic seasonal flavors.  The temperature has dropped over the last few days (out of the 60s and into the 50s!) so I picked up the December release of Cappuccino Stout for a wintry beverage. This beer is DEE-lish!  It was almost like a...

Fresh and Healthy Avocado Dip/Dressing

Over the last few years, I've really gotten into making my own salad dressing.  Usually I just whip up a simple vinaigrette with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and different kinds of vinegar, but every once in awhile I'll put forth a little more effort and throw in shallots or herbs or mustard. I really love this Avocado Dressing recipe from The Kitchn because it's super fresh tasting and simple to make. ...

Weekend Update: Sweet Victory!

Man oh man!  I am beyond exhausted after this epic weekend and can hardly believe I made it to work still standing, but the feeling is worth it.  I am still processing all the emotions of the past few days and I'm not yet fully functional, so for now I will leave you with some of my favorite pictures from the...

Week 2 of Bed Rest: Restless Bed Beard

Poor Figgynoodle is on his second week of Bed Rest.  We had our vet appointment last Saturday and after the doctor saw that Fig is still limping, she decided that he needs to see an Orthopedic Surgeon to determine the next steps.  The Orthopedic Surgeon does not have an open appointment until February 24th (what!) so in the meantime, Fig must remain under "restricted activity."  No running, no playing fetch, no...

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

This decadent dish was featured on the cover of the January/February issue of Cooking Light and I have been eyeing it for weeks.  A slightly "healthier" version of the traditional saltimbocca, this recipe does not call for cheese or dredging the meat in flour and frying in a lot of oil.  Instead it relies on the saltiness of the thinly sliced prosciutto and the tangyness of the lemon to create a rich...

Hump Day: 10 Years in the Making

"10 years ago today, I left my cold, snowy Midwestern home to get on a plane to San Francisco. When I landed, I was greeted at the airport by my good friend Alan, the 70 degree sunshine, and cool little apartment in Noe Valley. I remember thinking that moving here was the vacation I always wanted to take; a chance for me to really get to know a place for longer than a few days. I never thought that vacation would...

First Meal in the Dutch Oven!

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you I'd be buying a Dutch Oven?  After some careful research, I decided on Martha Stewart's 5.5 Quart Red Dutch Oven for $69 at Macy's.  What a great deal!  And I had a gift card, so I literally paid nothing for this beautiful kitchen staple.  A Dutch Oven is heavy, cast iron pot used in long, slow cooking.  Kind of like a crockpot, except that it is meant to withstand very...