All summer, I’ve been snapping photos of miscellaneous happenings around the house. I thought I’d share a few of them with you today. Nothing major, just silly little things that make me make me , say “wow”, a bit disgusted, or just plain happy.

The first is Arizona summer monsoons. Although they can bring awful dust storms, they also produce the most beautiful clouds, as in the photo above, taken with my iPhone on July 23rd, while in my car. Don’t fret, I was stopped at a red light. 🙂

Image

And when they result in a monstrous booming thunderstorm, well that’s the best of all!

Another simple joy in life is cleaning out the kitchen junk drawer. Exactly why it’s so satisfying, I don’t really know. Especially with the knowledge that it’ll be a mess again all too soon. I failed to take a before picture, but rest assured, the rubber bands in the left corner were spread from end to end! As were the stamps. Have you ever noticed how many envelopes are delivered with uncancelled stamps?  I always cut them off and use them again.

So many! About $15 dollars worth! No wonder the USPS has financial troubles.

[Read more →]

Back in early June, I told you how I was going to join a CSA.  Well, I did, and I was able to pick up a box of fresh Crooked Sky Farm produce every Thursday morning for the past eight weeks. What fun it was to be surprised by the bounty I received.

For the last four weeks of the eight, there was fresh corn. Corn is one vegetable we never get tired of. This is one of the many “easy-breezy” dishes I created to use up all that corn. Of course, many a night, it was plain old corn on the cob, always a wonderful summer-time treat!

[Read more →]

By the time you read this, Dave and I will be on our way to Alaska for a trek through quintessential Alaska wilderness – Denali National Park & Preserve, and then an Alaskan cruise. Not sure if I am the cruising type or not, but I am super excited to go to Alaska, one of the only states I’ve not yet been to. And there is the added bonus of escaping the Arizona heat, the expected high temperature for Scottsdale today is 113 degrees. Bring on the cooler temps!

I recently read in Sunset Magazine that the state has 100,000 glaciers, thousands of brown and black bears (in parts of Alaska, bears outnumber people by a large margin), and 586,412 square miles—bigger than Arizona, California, Montana, and Oregon combined.

The excursion that I am most looking forward to is zip-lining in Klondike Adventure Park!

Image

And, we are guaranteed to see whales on the whale watching excursion … now that will be worth the trip!

[Read more →]

As promised, I recreated the Pepperoni Arrostiti that we so enjoyed at Trattoria Contadina.  The cheese-stuffed bell pepper uses three different Italian kinds of cheese; mozzarella, asiago, and bel paese. In case you haven’t heard of bel paese before…

Bel Paese – Literally meaning “beautiful country”. This cheese was invented in 1929 by the Galbani Cheese Company in Lobardy. A wax rind covers the uncooked cheese made of pasteurized cow’s milk. The small discs have a soft texture and are peppered with small holes. Bel Paese appears pale with touches of creamy yellow. This cheese is similar to mozzarella or Fontina in its mild, buttery flavor but is distinct in its body and tang. Bel Paese is versatile and easily melted.

It took two tries to get this recipe just right.  The first time, I took pictures. The second time, I forgot to do so. As a result, the pictures won’t reflect the light roasting of the peppers before cutting and filling with cheese. I decided this was needed because the peppers were not soft enough the first time around. After roasting lightly, they were the perfect texture… just as we’d enjoyed at the restaurant. Be certain to serve with a nice crusty Italian bread. Trust me, you’ll want it to sop up the tasty sauce.

[Read more →]

Mark Tarbell and Tarbell’s are one of the many chef friends/restaurants that I follow on Facebook. A great side-benefit to following these talents is that they sometimes post what is on special for dinner that night. When it looks tempting, I can hurry up and make reservations… or if we don’t feel like going out… I can try and duplicate the dish for my own knock-off “special of the day”.

This was the case late last week when I saw Tarbell’s post above.  It reads:

“A new week, a new Mr. Fish! Nantucket Sea Bass with a stew of sweet corn, summer squash, and Napa cabbage is topped with a cured tomato relish. We’re loving the veggies we’re getting from local Crooked Sky Farms!“

It is a big recipe, but after not posting a recipe for a full week, a big recipe is called for!

I didn’t have sea bass, but I did have halibut. Additionally, I didn’t want to cure tomatoes for the relish, so instead, I used sun-dried tomatoes as the base. Following is the delectable result.

[Read more →]

There is something super special, never attempted before, a first time ever – thing at the end of this blog. Be patient and read through to the end. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait!

This, the seventh post about our trip to San Francisco, is the last. We were only there for 4 nights and 3 days, but we packed in quite a lot. So, this is a continuation and conclusion to Sunday.

After dinner at Boudin Bakery at the Wharf, we walked a short distance west to Pier 45, Shed A.  It is there that you will find the well-known and dearly-loved city treasure, Musée Mécanique, an antique coin-operated arcade.

Admission is free…but bring plenty of quarters. Or just plenty of cash, they provide the change machines. The four of us went through more than $30 in about 1 hour. But what FUN!

The Musée Mécanique is a for-profit museum and is owned and managed by Dan Zelinsky. It attacks more than 100,000 visitors each year. In 2011, U.S. News & World Report called the Musée Mécanique one of the top three “Things to Do in San Francisco”.  The SF Weekly called it the “Best Old-School Arcade” for 2011.

[Read more →]

I know what some of you must be thinking. “Will these San Francisco posts ever end?” Please continue to indulge me… this is the second to last. And the post tomorrow, the last one, has an extra special treat at the end that I am SO excited about! Hang in there baby!

After Connor so graciously endured the day of shopping, spa time, and Jägermeister, Marissa and I decreed Sunday as “Connor Day.” The first order of business on “Connor Day” was breakfast. We chowed down at Park Chow, located in the Sunset District. The food was good but did not come close to what we had the morning before at Outerlands.

Yesterday, I posted photos of Marissa looking annoyed with me.  This day, apparently, Connor was – what a look!

Aww… sibling love!  After breakfast, we took a quick detour from “Connor Day”  (“quick” as what a girl would think of as quick… not so much what a boy would think of as quick) to a cute clothing boutique, where I bought Marissa a beautiful teal dress and nude pumps. And we were again on our way.

First stop, the awe-inspiring Inspiration Point Overlook in the Presidio. Back in the car for the very short drive to The Walt Disney Family Museum.

The 40,000-square-foot Museum, located in a historic brick building, once a barracks on the main post of San Francisco’s Presidio, opened on October 1, 2009. Co-founded by Walt’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, and grandson, Walter E.D. Miller, the Museum is owned and operated by the non-profit Walt Disney Family Foundation.

In the lobby (the only area photos are permitted) you’ll find Walt Disney’s 26 individual Academy Awards, as well as the unique honorary award for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which consists of one full-sized Oscar alongside seven miniature ones. It was presented to Disney in 1939 by 10-year-old child film star, Shirley Temple.

The rear of the museum features a glass wall offering a panoramic view of the nearby Golden Gate Bridge.  If you plan to go, schedule at least 2 to 3 hours, there is a lot to enjoy!  Next stop… Chinatown.

[Read more →]

This day was all about spoiling my kids. After our world-class breakfast at Outerlands, we drove downtown for a day of shopping and luxurious spa treatments.

Check out Marissa glaring at me in the rear-view mirror. I guess I was irritating her from the back seat. Hmm, a mother irritating a daughter, now that’s new!

Be sure and stick with me through this rather lengthy post. It was a big day so there is a lot to share, but you have to read the end and check out our spa time and our dinner choice… even if you just scroll down and skip the shopping parts. :-

First, we ducked into the Apple store because I wanted Connor to see the awesome theater-style classroom. I know, how much Apple can one person do in a long weekend?! Even our newest store in Scottsdale has nothing like this.

As we walked by we noticed they were demonstrating exactly how to use iMovie. We sat in on the class and learned so much that the rest of the weekend I was taking videos so that I can test my newfound knowledge. And guess what? I’m working on it, and there will be an iMovie on this very blog, very soon.

[Read more →]

Last Saturday started out so very yummy!  Only a few blocks from Marissa’s house is what is said to be one of the top 10 best places for brunch in the entire city. I hardily and happily agree! It is Outerlands, located in Outer Sunset at 4001 Judah Street. Although we could not make the brunch on Sunday, we did go there for breakfast on Saturday, and my oh my, if breakfast is this good, I can not imagine what brunch must be like!

Additionally, it is rustically beautiful inside. You must get there at least 30 minutes before they open and write your name on the list that hangs on a clipboard outside the door. We did, so we were fifth on the list.  By the time they opened, the list was three pages long and the outside sidewalk was packed. Marissa says it’s like that all time; morning, noon, and night.

The bread is what really sends this place into the stratosphere. If I could bake bread like this, I would have more friends than I’d know what to do with!

[Read more →]

For most people, Lombard Street would probably make the #1 spot on their list of  “The Top 5 Streets I love in San Francisco.”  For me, the top spot goes to the Great Highway. It forms the city’s western edge along the Pacific coast.  It was on our way home from our Apple, shopping, and VW repair adventure, just as we were about to get onto the Great Highway, that Connor and I decided to stop for lunch at Java Beach Cafe. And it was here that we spotted this San Francisco landmark.

Do you see it? There is the Java Beach Cafe on the far right. And a green-roofed building in the center (from here on out referred to as the “Evil Nursery”) and there on the left, above the dark SUV – yeah, that is the landmark.  Official Landmark as of 2006, no less, number 254 on THIS LIST.

He stands tall on the median strip, at the corner of Sloat and 45th Avenue. On the opposite side of the street from the Evil Nursery and the Cafe, is the entrance to the San Francisco Zoo.

I’m sure you can easily see what attracted me to him. The toque (chef’s hat). The chef’s coat. And that adorable blue polka dot bow tie! Too darn kitschy and cute!

This final photo is from Flickr and gives you the best view of the handsome fellow. So how on earth did this get to be a beloved landmark?  This first quote is from the Flickr photo site.

“The 700-pound, seven foot fiberglass dachshund head at the median strip on Sloat Boulevard at 45th Avenue has reason to smile. Thanks to Diana Scott and Joel Schechter of Ocean Beach Historical Society and other concerned citizens, the Doggie Diner head, nicknamed DD, is back on its pole after going through repairs and a paint job following a hard fall during an April 2001 storm.

Doggie Diner was a local hamburger and hot dog chain that opened in 1949. To the regret of many locals, the chain closed in 1986, but the legend lived on. Nostalgic San Francisco residents visit DD regularly and tell their children about the good old days at the burger joint, which was originally located at Sloat Boulevard at 46th Avenue.

Illustrator Harold Bachman designed the doggie head in the 1960’s and says he is still surprised that people are enamored with DD. He designed it simply because he thought it would help sell hamburgers. Although DD is officially known to be the last doggie standing, rumor has it that doggie siblings are spotted around the Bay Area from time to time.”

…and from [Tim Timberlake, 07/16/2001]

“The Doggie Diner opposite the San Francisco Zoo on Sloat Avenue has been a favorite eating and Dog Head viewing place for years (since the 1960’s). Recently this last remaining Dog Head has been under threat. The nursery next door bought the site and wanted to remove the Dog Head. Dog Head lovers from all over protested and the Dog Head was saved. Mother Nature then took action and toppled the Dog Head on its fiberglass nose during a windstorm.

The City of San Francisco went to work using other salvaged (saved) Dog Heads, owned by a fellow in Emeryville, as patterns. The Sloat Avenue Dog Head has been restored and placed back on his pedestal across from the zoo and next to the evil nursery.”

You can check out THIS, or THIS, or THIS to learn even more. And there you go, more than you ever wanted or needed to know about The Doggie Diner head. Oh, and by the way, the sandwiches at Java Beach Cafe were excellent.

After lunch, we took the Great Highway back to Marissa’s house and I fixed the toilet and did a few other things around the house. Then we hopped back in the car and drove back to San Mateo to pick her up from work.

How cute is she??!!

[Read more →]