Hump Day: Beerunch

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to attend Beerunch:  a 6 course beer and food pairing event for SF Beer Week that my friend Jim has worked on for the last few years featuring his beer, MateVeza.  Even though I was a little under the weather, I was really looking forward to trying out some new beers and tasting some yummy Brunch food.  After all, Brunch is my favorite meal of the day.  The event took...

Hub Specialty – Seared Ahi Tuna Delight

Last night The Hub and I spent the evening drinking a fantastic red, listening to some Martin Denny, and cooking a delicious meal for Valentine's Day.  Well, more like he cooked and I was his sous chef.  You see, my husband is a fantastic cook.  In fact, I think he's way better than me.  But don't tell anyone. One of my favorite meals that The Hub makes is his Seared Ahi Tuna Delight.  It's seared, sushi grade...

Love is in the air – No wait, that’s rain

Last year at this time, The Hub and I were on a plane to Bangkok for our 3 week, belated honeymoon in Thailand and I have to say, I would love to be spending Valentine's Day the same way this year!  But alas, after another gorgeous, warm and sunny SF weekend, it's now overcast, gray, and rainy.  And even though it's supposed to remain this way for the foreseeable future, it won't stop me and The Hub from having...

New Friend, New Bed Beard

Fig is still under "restricted activity" until his appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon on 2/24, but that didn't stop him from running around all day and playing with his new office friend, Teddy. People have often told me that Figaro has "human like" eyes and it seems that Teddy has this same feature.  Isn't he just the cutest?!  (Besides Fig, of course).  My new boss at work rescued Teddy last week...

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...