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...

Odds and Ends Casserole

Don't you hate throwing out food?  It makes me feel so wasteful when I realize that I've let all the odds and ends in my vegetable drawer sit for too long and I have to throw them out.  I literally cringe and feel guilty.  At least we live in San Francisco where we can put them in the compost bin to be picked up and put to good use...being composted....somewhere...for something.  I'm actually not too sure how it...

Bed Rest, Bed Beard

It's hard to explain to a dog that he's on Bed Rest.  A dog doesn't understand that running up and down the stairs, playing fetch, jumping onto the couch  - things he does daily - is exactly what he's not supposed to be doing this week.  My poor little noodle-nugget has been moping around all week acting cranky because no one is playing with him and wondering why I'm carrying him everywhere.   Even worse, he...

Paris Part III – My Favorite Shopping

It pretty much goes without saying that the shopping in Paris is incredible.  There are so many cool boutiques around every corner that these suggestions are only scratching the surface.  You can probably just walk out of any hotel and stumble upon some great finds in every neighborhood, but today I want to tell you about some of the experiences I've had shopping in Paris.  I've been told on many occasions that I...

Hump Day: French 75

A few weeks ago, I went with my French friend to a French bistro in Union Square.  It was all very...French.  Obviously, I was in heaven.  We arrived at Cafe De La Presse around 3pm on a Saturday and decided that it was time to start drinking.  After I perused their cocktail list, I settled on a French 75 because it sounded light bodied, crisp, and boozy. Someone please tell me why I am just discovering...

Paris Part II – The Food

Living in San Francisco, and as a total snob, I like to think that we offer the "best of the best" as far as food is concerned.  I believe that’s the truth...for the most part.  But there are certain things that the French do in ways no one else can, which mostly includes cheese, pastries, and bread. These decadent treats seem to be around every corner and you just can't get anything like it in the United...

Weekend Update: Green and Gold

What a great weekend for so many reasons! #1 - It was absolutely beautiful.  High-60s and blazingly sunny all weekend, it was a nice reminder of why I love where we live.  It's never too hot or too cold around here and there's just nothing better than a Beach Day in the middle of January. #2 - Lots of great food!  We had Zushi Puzzle for dinner Friday night with Shawn, Kate and Jason. ...

A Joyful Life, A Joyful Bed Beard

This week has been a tough one, dear readers.  I spent most of the week in Rowe, New Mexico with my family, saying good-bye to our cousin Amanda, who passed away tragically one week ago today.  I want to tell you her story because I think it holds an important message to share. Amanda was a senior in high school, 18 years old.  She was a cheerleader and a straight A student with a 4.0 GPA.  She had 6...

Hump Day: Homemade Wine

The Hub and I live in an amazing spot in the city that we absolutely love.  We're on the top floor of a beautiful house and we love our home because, unlike most places in San Francisco, it has a giant kitchen with a gas range, a sunny deck and large yard.  We never want to leave.  The only aspect of our living situation that can sometimes be an obstacle is that our landlord rents out the bottom floor of...