Easier than Scrapbooking

June?

2011-07-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

Where did June go? Honestly, I wish I knew. The weather here in San Diego was definitely not summer weather so it almost felt as though June didn't happen. Thankfully as of July 1st we have been blessed with warm weather, sunshine and cool ocean waves. And now we are down to just 38 days to finish up our planning and to get ready for our big day.

What I can say about June is that it was definitely filled with lots of love. We have absolutely loved getting the RSVPs returned to us. It's so much fun to see who will be joining us in August and I've been thoroughly enjoying tallying the dinner choices, creating seating cards, and imagining all the fun we are going to have together in just a few short weeks (5.5 to be exact but who's counting?!).

We have also been very thankful for the wedding gifts that have started to arrive. I can't explain the feeling of coming home from a long day at work to a box on the door step. It also means that Marc and I have finally started replacing the grungy chipped college stuff we had collected over the years with matching pieces that will we cherish as we build our home together.

And speaking of building homes together, Marc's sister Effie was married at the end of June to one of Marc's close friends and groomsman Lukasz. It was so much fun to celebrate their love and also to see some of Marc's family for the weekend. It really was a taste of what's to come and we are even more excited about spending time with both family and friends in August.

Keep an Eye on the Mail

2011-05-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Marc and I finally sat down and addressed, assembled, stamped, and sealed our wedding invitations. Then, today Marc took our stack of invites to the post office. Which means that you should be getting yours soon. As in, if it isn't already in your hands it should be there by the end of the week. I can't tell you how excited that makes me!

So, if for some reason you have not received an invite by the end of next week, please let us know.

100 Days to Go!

2011-05-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

One hundred days to go.

100.

It seems weird to type this. Two months ago if you would have asked me how I would feel at this point I would have told you I will probably feel scared as a hundred days seems like a quantifiable amount. I would have been worried that I would still have a very large list of things yet to be done. However, now that we are here I am surprisingly calm. Everything appears to be under control and a hundred days still seems like a long time away. But I also know I'm going to blink and it will be August.

So, for now we'll enjoy the calm and celebrate cinco de mayo knowing that it's our own special celebration too.

Details, Details, Details!

2011-04-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

It's all about the details, or at least it has been for us over the past few weeks. We're busy working on the final details for the invitations which will hopefully be in the mail to you next month. We have also been working on the decorations for both the ceremony and the reception. It continues to amaze me just how many fun DIY ideas there are out there for weddings. I am also really excited about all the different ways we have been able to incorporate our colors into our big day. And don't worry we've also been working on the details for the food and drinks and trust me, you'll be happy.

Now if only I could shake the last of the wedding nightmares where vendors don't show up, I've lost my vows and somehow we didn't get our officiant registered to be an officiant, I would be able to relax and not feel like I've forgotten something. I guess I just need to trust in my groom to be when he says, don't worry Christina has it all planned.

She's Making Her List

2011-03-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

Thankfully the wedding to do list seems to be staying about the same length now. As things get added, things get crossed off which, in my book, is always a good thing. Hopefully in the upcoming months it will start to shorten itself slowly but surely.

We have now booked all of our vendors and are working on the details like decorations, table numbers, types of flowers, etc. I have to admit that I find this the fun stuff and am trying to hold myself back by not taking on too many DIY (do-it-yourself) projects. For now I am limiting myself to finishing the design of the invitations with the intent of sharing them with you through the mail at the end of May. If by early June you have not received an invite, please let us know.

After that I might find myself doing little projects here and there. Hopefully Marc won't mind the transformation of his office space into wedding central.

Things they are a changing!

2011-03-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

I started blogging in June of 2006. It was a way for me to share my travels with my friends and family who were always asking where I was and what I was up to. A few weeks after starting this blog I started a second blog entitled "On the Hob" to document my cooking adventures. Then in July of 2010 I started a blog, "Dinner Table for Two", to document what my and my now fiance were eating for dinner.

Recently I realized that I haven't really been posting to any of my blogs and it was a bit ridiculous to have three of them. So I imported all the posts from the other blogs and inserted them into this one. Now I just have one blog and hopefully the enthusiasm to start posting again.

The Labels on the right will help you find recipes from the cooking blog as well as specific adventures from this blog. I'm still working on updating all the labels and trying to make it so there aren't a million of them, hopefully it won't seem overwhelming. I also want to try to label the posts from our dinner blog with the label dinner.

So there you have it, things they are a changing!

Winter Wonderland

2011-02-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had a lovely winter trip to Portland. Now we just need one trip in the spring in order to have seen Portland in all the seasons. Thankfully the weather held off until we had all arrived in Portland before dumping over a foot of snow and then eased off again to allow us all to leave on time on Sunday. Unlike last year, this winter the weather seems to be working with us.

While in Portland we were able to visit with Marc's cousin Brian and his wife Mary and we also had a chance to introduce Marc's Dad Bill to both my Mom and Dad. Plus we got to spend a few hours on Sunday morning with Marc's nephews Jack and Ryan. I have to admit we're really lucky to be able to combine our wedding planning trips with family time. It only helps in building the excitement of having everyone together in August.

Being the organizer that I am, I tried my best to squeeze as much as possible into our weekend trip without overwhelming anyone. We met with all our vendors: caterer, dj, videographer, photographer, florist, and even had a tour of the ferry we have chartered for all our guests. We have officially tasted the food we are going to have at the wedding and as you'll see in the upcoming invitation you'll have a choice between a beef, fish or vegan option. However, if you or anyone you know has any special dietary needs please don't hesitate to let us know. Our caterers are fantastic and we can find something to accomodate everyone's needs.

I've also taken the time to update a few things on the website. I have added some helpful information about hotel shuttles and whether or not your room comes with a refigerator. By the time you get your invite you will also see sections about our wedding party who will be standing up with us in August, places to see and things to do in Portland, and recommendations on where to find lobster. Lastly we will be asking for your help in building our must play list for the wedding, so start thinking about your music requests now.

We Survived

2011-01-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

We made it through the holidays and our crazy attempt to see as much as Marc's family as possible. Per usual we covered the northeast from Vermont to Pennsylvania. We started our Christmas in Vermont visiting Marc's Mom Diane and her husband Bud along with Marc's Uncle Billy, Aunt Mandy, cousin Jess and cousin Erin. Sadly for us Marc's cousin Heidi didn't make it up to Vermont this year. After a delicious Christmas dinner and a secret Santa gift exchange we had to hit the road early to beat the winter storm.

Lucky for us we made it to Marc's sisters house in Connecticut before the roads turned ugly. Unfortunately we only made it halfway up her driveway due to the ice and snow. After a few attempts of sliding backwards we decided to park the car and walk the rest of the way to her house. Check it out in the photo gallery. We spent 3 wonderful days at Effie's house and also had a chance to catch up with Marc's sister Stephanie and Marc's Dad Bill. We also spent numerous hours with Marc's nephews Jack and Ryan watching movies, learning to play the leapster, and playing in the snow.

The last stop on our trip was Marc's brothers house in Pennsylvania where we were able to relax and enjoy the New Year. I spent a wonderful girls day out with Marc's sister-in-law Katie and Marc's niece Elise as we went to her first movie, Tangled, and out to lunch. It was the perfect day out and a very entertaining movie. When we returned Marc, his brother Billy, and nephew Will were deep into a game of Civilization. Cousin Heidi was able to join us for New Years eve where we celebrated with an evening feast of everything from bacon wrapped scallops to chocolate fondue and numerous rounds of the game Apples to Apples.

We made it back to California with a couple of days to spare before returning to work. All in all I would say we had a wonderful Christmas. Now we are back to planning the wedding in full force. We have an upcoming trip to Maine in February to meet with all our vendors and to start settling some of the details. We'll keep you posted and please check back for updates to the website.

Heading Into the Holidays

2010-12-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

Marc and I had a wonderful time visiting my family in Monterey, California for Thanksgiving. As you can see by the photos in the photo gallery we shared the weekend with my parents, my brother Andrew and his wife Carly, and their dog Jaeger. For Christmas we are excited to head back to the East coast for our usual tour of the Northeast in an attempt to meet up with all of Marc's siblings.

We'll start out in Vermont for Christmas Eve and Day visiting with Marc's mom Diane, Aunt Mandy, Uncle Billy and the Berry Cousins. Then we'll make our way south to Connecticut to see Marc's sister Effie and her boys. We're really excited to see what her new house is like and of course to spend time with Marc's nephews, Jack and Ryan. Our final destination will be Pennsylvania to spend time with Marc's brother Billy, his sister-in-law Katie, his niece Elise and nephew Will.

I think we are both excited to celebrate the holidays with the ones we love and get some real Christmas weather. Hopefully we'll get all our Christmas shopping done before our plane leaves and we'll be able to relax and enjoy the time with family.

Save the Dates

2010-11-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

If you've found our wedding website it's probably because you have received our Save the Date. Besides designing, printing and sending those out we have been very busy with numerous other parts of the wedding preparations. We hope there is enough information on the website to keep you entertained for now, but please check back periodically as we will add new information when it becomes available.

We Have a Place and a Date!

2010-11-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

After an enjoyable trip to Maine we are happy to announce that we have a place and a date! We spent the weekend exploring five different venues and after considering location, date availability and personal preference my mom, Marc and I all agreed upon the Harbor View at Jones Landing as our official wedding location. With a large wooden deck, a view from Peaks Island across the bay towards Portland and the setting sun we think it will be absolutely beautiful.

So in case you haven't already heard, August 13th is the date and we can't wait to see you there!

Stone Brewing World Bistro

2010-09-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went out for after work drinks with Marc's coworkers. I have to admit that his co-workers are probably the greatest group of co-workers I have ever met. They turned their after work drinks plan into a celebration of both our engagement and the upcoming baby of another co-worker.

I have to give them major props though because with only 3 days notice (we told them we were engaged Monday and met for drinks Thursday) they put together an engagement gift for us as well as a bunch of white elephant gifts. One of my favorite gifts was the magic 8-ball which is supposed to help us make our wedding decisions without placing the blame on each other. We also received some pink beer cozies which say "I'm the Bride/Groom, that's why."

Also one of the benefits of being at Stone Brewery is that we were able to eat their appetizers. We had pretzels, hummus, crab cakes and fried mashed potato balls. Those were my favorite. We ended up staying out until 8:30 so by the time we got home we just had a couple of tacos and went to bed.

Macaroni and Smoked Gouda Cheese with Pork

2010-09-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

This recipe was inspired by one that we found inside of Fine Cooking. The fine cooking recipe requires you to put the mac and cheese in a skillet with bread crumbs on top and crisp in the oven. Which, while it sounds delicious, takes a lot more time then we have available this week.

So tonight we decided to adapt the recipe to what we felt was good. Basically we boiled some pasta. While that was cooking we made a basic white sauce (butter, flour, milk) and added shredded cheddar and smoked gouda. We heated up some leftover pork and when the pasta was cooked we added the pork and cheese sauce. I though the sauce was going to be too cheesy, but I actually wished it was a little more cheesy.

This recipe definitely brought me back to the days when my mom used to make cauliflower cheese for us to dinner. Which is basically steamed cauliflower, covered with the above cheese sauce.

Clam Pasta

2010-09-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

This recipe is one that Marc picked up from his grandpa. It was also the first dish he cooked for me at his house when we first started dating. It is one of our most frequent dishes mainly because it's pasta and easy to throw together when you're not sure what to have for dinner. Plus all the ingredients are staples in our pantry which means when you're out of food, you still have a delicious dish.

I wish I could share the recipe with you but unfortunately I do not know it myself. I know it includes a can of chopped clams, some garlic, pepper, and other spices spread over angel hair pasta. That's about all I know . . . maybe one day after we're married Marc will share it with me.

Pork Tacos

2010-09-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of leftover pork. And by a lot I mean it's probably all we are going to be eating for the rest of the week. Since today was over 100 degrees we decided to keep the house cool by not cooking. The perfect meal for this is pork tacos.

We toasted the tortillas in the toaster oven, heated up the leftover pork in the microwave, diced up some tomatoes, lettuce, green onions and opened a jar of salsa. Honestly, they most perfect tacos we've had at home for a while.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2010-09-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to spend the day at home, relaxing and watching football. With football season also comes crock pot season. Which means it's the perfect time for homemade pulled pork.

Marc headed out to tip top, our favorite butcher shop, and returned with 5 pounds of boneless pork shoulder. Which means that now we have a lot of pulled pork to eat this week. Luckily I planned ahead and saved some pork without seasoning for future dinners this week.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
from Fine Cooking

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced
3/4 cup jarred tomato salsa (medium)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbs chili powder
1 tsp salt
4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed
3 tbsp tomato paste
sandwich rolls or hamburger buns for serving

Put onion, salsa, vinegar, sugar, cumin, chili powder and salt into your slow cooker. Mix well. Add the pork shoulder, rotating to coat with sauce. Turn slow cooker on high and let cook for 5 hours.

When pork shoulder pulls apart easily, remove from slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Using forks, shred pork. In a small bowl mix 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp cider vinegar and 1 cup of juices from the slow cooker. Whisk until combined. Add pulled pork and mix well, adding more juices from the slow cooker if needed.

Put pork onto hamburger bun or sandwich roll and enjoy.

Il Fornaio Coronado

2010-09-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. Which means that since the beginning of September I have been looking forward to spending the day in Coronado. Little did I know that the night before my birthday I would get engaged and that my birthday morning would be spent sharing the news with all those close to me.

This morning I got to open presents in bed and then Marc prepared a delicious breakfast for us both. We tried to finish as many phone calls as possible before heading out to Sea World for the afternoon. The shamu show was pretty awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed the Arctic Encounter. To end the day we drove out to Coronado and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine while watching the boats pass. For dinner we ended up at Il Fornaio. I've eaten at this restaurant before in both Palo Alto and Pasadena but honestly, I thought the food was much tastier this time around.

After dinner when we had completely exhausted ourselves we decided to head back home and crawl directly into bed.

Le Passage French Bistro

2010-09-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight Marc and I got engaged! When he came home from work tonight I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk on the beach, as we do on so many Friday nights. Little did I know that this Friday night he had a ring in his pocket and the plans to ask me the exact same thing.

As we walked along the beach watching the kids and the surfers play in the water we started talking about relationships. We wandered back towards our end of the beach and as we stopped to watch the sunset, he dropped to his knee, pulled out the gorgeous ring and asked me to marry him. I was so surprised and excited and immediately responded, "Yes!"

Once we arrived home we called our immediate family to share the news. Then Marc told me that he had made a reservations for us for dinner at Le Passage. Now I know why he listed leftovers on our weekly meal schedule. Le Passage is a local french bistro that we have been thoroughly impressed with. What we didn't know is they would have a specially priced 3-course meal for San Diego's restaurant week.

The food was delicious and we ended up with a flour-less chocolate cake to take home with us. It couldn't have been a more perfect evening.

Grilled Salmon Orzo and Green Beans

2010-09-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had grilled salmon. We've never bought Trader Joe's frozen salmon before so we thought we would give it a try. I have to admit that the color of the fish was so much more natural then the died fish you often find in the grocery store. The flavor was also delicious.

We paired our salmon with steamed green beans and one of our new favorites, orzo. I boiled the orzo with water and also the juice from the can of corn. Once it was ready I added a little bit of butter, some freshly cracked pepper and then mixed in some canned corn. It's a good mix of spice from the pepper and sweet from the corn.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemongrass

2010-09-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the first day of fall (or so the cashier at Trader Joe's told me it was) I decided tonight to make soup. Even though it doesn't look very fall like outside my body has been craving some of the slow cooked delicious-ness of a hot meal. This recipe comes from one of the first issues of Fine Cooking I received. I tweaked it a little with the items that we had in the kitchen but it still turned out as the perfect kick off to fall dish.

I used dry udon noodles because I couldn't find any fresh and I also limited the soy sauce in favor of lime juice. Lastly I bypassed the garnishes although I really wish I didn't.

Carlsbad Beach Grill

2010-09-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight we headed out to our local Carlsbad Beach Grill. In search of some vegetables we both had a house salad and then split the Ono Grilled Tacos and Philly Cheese-steak. I still think they use way to much sauce on their fish tacos which is quite a bummer because the fish was so yummy. But the winner of the night was definitely the cheese-steak. They roast the roast beef on location every day. My usual complaint is the amount of salt but this was not salty and had the perfect balance between meat, grilled onions and peppers, cheese and bread. I would definitely get this again.

Grilled Chicken and Veg

2010-09-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

On the menu tonight:

roast sweet potatoes
oven grilled yellow squash
asparagus
grilled chicken

Nothing too fancy but a perfect mix of starch, vegetables and lean protein. I'm still impressed that I can fill Marc's plate up with vegetables and he barely notices that there is no bread or pasta on it. It works especially well when you add sweet potatoes because that seems to be one of his favorite starchy vegetables.

Grilled Chicken on Ziti with Tomato Sauce

2010-09-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

We're trying to establish some sort of routine and/or order in our house. So far this means that Sunday and Wednesday have been designed as pasta nights. Tonight we went with an old standby and decided to have ziti with tomato sauce. However it was new because this was a pasta sauce I made.

The tomato sauce came to be because as I was cleaning out the kitchen cabinet I realized that we had a lot of cans of tomato products. So I basically dumped them all in a pot with some diced onions that had been sauteed in butter until translucent, added some herbs and let it simmer until I thought it was thick enough for pasta sauce. Not really a recipe but a type of mess with it until it works plan.

Lucky for me it turned out delicious and perfect for our ziti. With a few parmesan shavings it even was worthy to photograph.

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

2010-09-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided to throw together something we have never made at home. I was feeling like Mac and Cheese but we didn't want the horrible yellow powder they claim is cheese from the box. So Marc shredded some smoked Gouda and we had that on our mac and cheese with some chopped up hamburger bits and sliced tomatoes. Even if you don't add the extras you need to add the smoked Gouda to your macaroni because it's delicious!

Gyoza and Stir Fry

2010-09-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Not a very original meal tonight in our house. We ended up frying up some chicken gyoza and using Trader Joe's Gyoza dipping sauce. I think I actually like this better then when we cook the gyoza with Soyaki. They come out crispier and you are able to control the saltiness by how much dipping sauce you use.

After our appetizer we had rice noodles and chicken stir fry. Usually we use frozen veg but tonight we just chopped up some carrots, asparagus, broccoli and yellow squash. Honestly, I think this might have been better then the frozen vegetables.

Pizza

2010-09-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided to get out of the house and wander over to Knockout Pizza for a couple of slices. On our way out of the house we saw a little white dog running along the side of the street. It appeared that the owner of the dog wasn't too worried as she was just standing outside her house. But before we knew it a car turned to come down the street. Without thinking Marc ran into the street waving his hands, stopping the car, and saving the little pup. Turns out the dog was super friendly and let Marc pick him up. At this point the owner came over. The only thing she said was, "I told the little girls not to let the dog out." So much for concern over your pet.

Mystery

2010-09-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I'm not really sure what I had for dinner tonight. You see I am back posting tonight's dinner and all I can remember is that tonight I went to the airport to pick Marc up upon his return from Madrid. I'm pretty sure we didn't eat dinner together but I can't for the life of me remember what I had. I want to say it was probably the last bit of lentil soup or maybe a fried egg on toast but unfortunately I can't say for sure.

2010-09-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

You may not know this but my first word was more. It was after dinner and my mom always asked if I wanted anymore before she would turn around and put the dishes in the sink. I guess that night I was hungry. Funny that I turned out to be a dietitian.

Tonight, I just had more lentil soup for dinner. I guess my body knows that it's fall even if the weather outside isn't showing it. Bring on the soups!

Lentil Soup

2010-09-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had leftover lentil soup that I had made on Sunday. I came across the lentils and barley as I was cleaning out the cupboards and decided that I should use them up. Marc has never seemed that enthused about lentils. As for me, I used to eat them 3 or more times a week when I lived alone. To be honest I never did much with them when I cooked them so on Sunday I decided to experiment so that they would be more appealing to others.

After cruising around on the Internet trying to find a recipe I decided I was going to just try a little of this and a little of that in my lentil soup. We ended up with a diced onion, which I sautéed until translucent, a beef stock cube, lentils, barley and some cumin and coriander for a little flavor. After sautéing the onions I basically just added all the other ingredients and a lot of water and let simmer for a while. I think I’m going to have to work on this a little more, maybe add some carrot and celery next time.

I am also hoping that for my birthday I get an immersion blender so pureeing soups like this will be a whole lot easier.

Flying Solo

2010-09-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Today I dropped Marc off at the airport. He’s on a quick 3 day trip to Madrid. Lucky for me that means he’ll return on Wednesday. Unlucky for him, he’ll probably return jet lagged and hungry. While he’s away I have been taking the time to clean out the cupboards and fridge to make sure that the food we have in the house is still what we want to have there.

Don’t tell him but today I through out his Tang that he had from his apartment in Washington DC. He claims it’s nice to have in the house just in case you need something besides water to drink. I decided that not only is it expired but we don’t need those colors and sugar in our house. I hope he won’t notice but knowing me I’ll probably tell him when he gets home.

So tonight for dinner I ended up just having a fried egg and some sauteed cabbage. Nothing too exciting but for some reason I was really craving the fried egg on toast. It was pretty easy to throw together.

Repeat

2010-09-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided to fire up the grill and have some grilled chicken with Israeli Couscous and steamed broccoli. Pretty much the exact same dinner we had here.

I have to admit it was just as tasty as the first time around and also a dish I would love to share with my family over the holidays.

Steak and Sausage Sandwich

2010-09-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight Marc and I came up with a new idea. There are Philly cheese-steaks, there are sausage sandwiches, but why doesn't anyone ever combine the two? Well tonight, we did. We had steak, sausage, bell peppers, onion, and some aged provolone on a large sandwich roll. And let me tell you, it was tasty!

We simply sauteed the peppers and onions until they were soft, added some Worcestershire sauce and white wine for a little flavor. Once those were ready we added the precooked sausage and steak to warm them up. Toasted the rolls, added the provolone to the rolls so it melted and then added the filling. Mmm, mmm!

Vigilucci's Seafood and Steakhouse

2010-09-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

One of the benefits of Marc having a conference is that sometimes he brings home leftovers from his dinners out. Last night they went to one of our favorite restaurants, Vigilucci's Seafood and Steakhouse. So tonight I am having Marc's leftover risotto.

Refrigerator

2010-09-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

Marc had a conference today which means tonight he gets to go out with his fellow co-workers for dinner. That means I am on my own. Usually when I'm on my own I don't have enough inspiration to cook myself a real meal. I guess it's the fact that when you eat alone, a little bit of this and a little bit of that can equal dinner.

So tonight I looked into the fridge and decided I was going to eat up some of the leftovers. I had black beans on toasted tortillas and some sauteed cabbage. Not very exciting but for me it was just enough.

Steak Stir Fry with Rice Noodles

2010-09-07T11:10:00.000-07:00

One of the interesting parts of keeping this blog is being able to see just how often you repeat the same dishes. I felt that we had had steak stir fry with rice noodles quite a few times in the last month. But according to the blog the last time we had this was in July. I guess I just got this mixed up with all the other stir fry we have been eating lately, which according to the blog, is also not that often.

Interesting how your brain makes things seem so familiar when they really aren't.

Forgettable

2010-09-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight's dinner was very forgettable. Marc even asked that I didn't post about it. But what can you do when you're trying to post every day? So yeah, tonight was definitely a hodge podge of leftovers. I had some sauteed cabbage and corn to start with while Marc chowed down on a hot dog. Then we both split a salad with grilled chicken. I wish it was more memorable or at least a little bit more presentable but unfortunately I think this is a preview for the rest of the week.

Black's Beach

2010-09-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today one of Marc's surfing buddies took us on a hike to Black's Beach. Black's beach is down in Torrey Pines, kinda near UC San Diego. It's a surf spot but there is also a unique trail heading down to the beach.

This house has glass walls, great for the view not so great for privacy. Check out the bedrooms on the right side of the house.
Off the first part of the trail there is a vista point where you can see some of the million dollar houses that are hidden by fences, gates and large trees from the street. You also have a great view down to La Jolla and up to where the gliders take off from.

The hike takes you across a wooden plank, scaling up a sandstone wall and down through a crevice before spitting you out on the beach. Luckily there is an access road to take back up to the street. I suppose you could also take that down but what fun would that be?

Labor Day Grilling

2010-09-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight we fired up the grill and invited Marc's surfing friend over for a good old fashioned labor day grill up. On the menu: oven roasted potatoes, grilled corn on the cob, new york strip steaks and, because our friend wouldn't be happy without them, hot and sweet Italian sausages.

I try my best to always have vegetables with every meal but with these two meat seems to be the only option. Lucky for me I can get them to accommodate starchy vegetables with their meat and I win by having my favorite, oven roasted potatoes. Honestly I don't think we are going to cook sweet potatoes any other way then roasting them, especially since you don't even have to peel them before roasting them.

Sadly, because dinner was late, we don't have any photos. But believe me it was delicious.

Passage to India

2010-09-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

This morning we had delicious homemade bagels for breakfast. I know this is a dinner blog but these bagels were just so yummy and definitely photogenic I can't help but share. I have to admit that I would have never thought about making homemade bagels until I met Marc whose four food groups include bagels, pizza, beer and sandwiches. So obviously it was a must.

At lunch time we decided to have leftover fish tacos which were just as good as the first night just a little more photogenic. Thanks to the photo-op I now have pictures on the original post showing just how fantastic they were.

By the time dinner rolled around we decided we had had enough of being in the house and decided to head out to our favorite Indian restaurant, Passage to India. It actually made sense to go because Marc was going for a late afternoon surf, while I wandered the beach and the surf spot is actually halfway to the Indian Restaurant. The only downside was that while we were eating Marc's board was on the roof of the car and we were a little bit wary that someone might take it. Luckily no one did, but it didn't stop him from walking out to the parking lot a few times during our meal.

Labor Day Barbecue

2010-09-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided to live up the last weekend of the summer and have a little barbecue. We started off the evening by going for a walk on the beach. We passed a huge wedding group having lots of fun with a jamaican band and we even saw dolphins splashing around. Plus we met a new neighbor as we watched the sunset.

By the time we got home our taste buds were ready for some barbecue. I had a burger while Marc had a couple of hot dogs. My burger was dressed with some avocado and tomato and you can see below how Marc dressed up his hot dogs.

Grilled Fish Tacos

2010-09-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight we're having homemade grilled fish tacos. I'm pretty sure we started making fish tacos when we lived on the east coast but after moving out West, and especially to San Diego, they have become a staple food.

Usually we just cook our fish up without really seasoning it and then throw it into the corn tortilla with all the other fixings. But tonight, I wanted to try it a little bit different. Not too long ago I came across a post on Our Best Bites about both grilled and fried fish tacos. Within that post there was a recipe for Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette and I can't believe it's taken me this long to actually try it out. It was delicious and just the right flavor to throw into our tacos.

Since Marc was late coming home from work I had plenty of time to marinate and cook the fish and make sure all the toppings were ready to go. To go in the tortillas we had grilled mahi mahi, pico de gallo, lime-cumin yogurt sauce, shredded cabbage, and sliced avocado. And on the side we had corn on the cob and black beans. Mmmm, mmm! I wish I had taken some photos but with it being so late I didn't quite get around to it before the tacos were demolished.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tsp minced garlic (4-5 cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Put the lime, vinegar, garlic, salt and sugar in the blender and blend on low speed. Pour in the canola oil and add cilantro. Continue to blend until cilantro is in small pieces.

Lime-Cumin Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
hot sauce to taste
juice of 1 lime

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Adjust seasoning as needed.

**Photos of Day 2 fish tacos

Grilled Chicken with Israeli Couscous and Bruschetta Salad

2010-09-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided that we were going to have chicken again. Not because we had a bunch of leftover chicken but because we really wanted to pair it with something that we had tried at Trader Joe's not too long ago.

In case you haven't been to a Trader Joe's grocery store they usually have a sample area in the back of the store where they highlight some of their products. Sometimes they just have drinks but if you go at the right time you can sample a little bite to eat. A few weeks ago we sampled their Couscous and Bruschetta Salad. We both thoroughly enjoyed it but at the time we didn't ask for the recipe nor did we buy the ingredients. However, when we went back a week later Marc reminded me how good it had been and luckily the sample-person-of-the-day had the recipe in the drawer. Since then we've been waiting for a night to make it.

All you need is a box of Israeli Couscous and a jar of Trader Joe's Bruschetta. Cook the couscous according to the box and let cool. Mix in the bruschetta (1 jar to 1 box of couscous), crumbled goat (or feta) cheese and some fresh chopped basil and there you have it. Easy and delicious! Tonight we didn't have the chopped basil but we did mix in some crumbled goat cheese. I like the creaminess and slight tartness that this adds to the couscous but Marc suggested that next time we try it without.

Now the big question is, Who plated it better?

Marc

Christina

Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes

2010-08-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

After last week's pesto pasta I decided that I couldn't let Marc get away with not having some. The last time he tried pesto was in the 90's, so the dietitian in me decided it was time for him to try it again. Tonight we are having bow tie pasta with pesto, grilled chicken and sun-dried tomatoes. I'm really looking forward to it and the large piece of garlic bread that will be right next to it.

Easy Grilled Chicken

2010-08-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had to be creative with what we were going to have for dinner. After being away for the weekend we really didn't have much in the fridge and I only had enough energy after work today to go to Costco. Lucky for me we had some potatoes and zucchini in the house so I was able to throw together a pretty balanced meal.

One of our favorite ways to have grilled chicken is to marinate it in Italian dressing first before grilling. I can't tell you how easy it is or how tasty it turns out. Every time I think to myself, something this easy tastes this good?! The marinade works well even if you have only a few minutes before cooking the chicken. Add some oven roasted potatoes and grilled zucchini with onion and you have a delicious easy to make meal.

The best part was that I was able to throw the potatoes in the oven when I got home, finish a bunch of chores like laundry and uploading pictures. Then by the time Marc got home all he had to do was quickly grill the chicken and veg and dinner was ready to go. I'm really digging the roast potatoes. Now if only the weather was more fall-like, they would actually feel like an appropriate side dish for the season.

Karl Strauss Brewing Company

2010-08-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

After arriving home from our respective trips and looking into a bare fridge, Marc and I decided it was another night to eat out. I really wanted a large crispy salad for dinner so Marc suggested we try out Karl Strauss Brewing Company. We've had their beer at our favorite pizza place before but had never made it up the hill to the restaurant.

When we first walked in we were surprised at how busy and loud the restaurant was. I imagine a lot of people from nearby Legoland stop here on their way home. I was happy with the selection for salads and ended up with the chicken mango salad and a cup of vegetarian black bean soup. Delicious and very filling. I would however recommend you order the salad with the dressing on the side. The citrus vinaigrette is really tasty but the chili herb dressing is not. Marc ordered the hummus and the Honey Lager chicken salad which was also really good.

It's definitely nice to be home but I'm going to have to go to the grocery store tomorrow to make sure we can have some home cooked meals this week.

Dulce Vida

2010-08-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today was my big brother's 30th birthday. He knew that his wife had something up her sleeve but he wasn't really sure what. At first she convinced him that he was going to have a boys weekend. However after he returned from a morning of golf he was surprised by a group of his friends at his house for an 80s themed surprise BBQ. Little did he know me, my parents and my sister were also there to surprise him. It was pretty cool to be able to pull off this huge surprise and I think he was really excited to have us all there.

After the BBQ wound down and we all changed out of our 80s gear we decided to head out for dinner. One of my brother's favorite places is Dulce Vida, right around the corner from their house. We all shared some queso and guacamole to start and then I had their flautas con sopa which were pretty delicious. Sadly Marc wasn't with me this weekend as he had a wedding and the 30th birthday of his sister to celebrate in Connecticut.

McAlister's Deli

2010-08-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight after work I flew out to San Antonio to meet up with my parents and my sister. Tomorrow is my brother's 30th birthday and he doesn't know that we are all here to surprise him at his 80s themed BBQ. As far as he knows I'm with Marc as he goes to his cousin's wedding in Connecticut.

I arrived after my parents and sister had already had dinner. Since she was feeling jet lagged she decided to head to bed while my parents came out for round two, dinner with me. We walked across the street from the hotel we were staying in to the Legacy Shopping center and had dinner at McAlister's Deli. Last time we were out here for my brother's wedding, I also ate here for lunch. I guess it's just quick and easy. Tonight I enjoyed half of a chicken ceasar wrap and a cup of country potato soup.

Leftovers

2010-08-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

In preparation for our weekend away, tonight we had another tapas/leftovers night. We split the leftover sausage stew, stir fry and roast potatoes. I have to say, although each dish is unique and tasty on its own, they actually worked really well together too. I just wish we had more roast potatoes. Yum!

Chicken Stir Fry with Rice

2010-08-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a little setback before dinner, Marc threw out his back. It actually happened as he was setting the table for dinner. So the first part of dinner was spent trying to get him to a chair and then getting a heating pad for his back. We followed the plan once again and for dinner tonight we had chicken stir fry with rice. I kinda wished it was tofu instead of chicken but I was really digging the amount of vegetables we were able to get in there.

2nd Anniversary Dinner with Oven Roasted Potatoes

2010-08-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

Today is our second anniversary. To celebrate we met up for a lunch out together and tonight we are going to have a quiet meal at home. Per the plan, tonight we were supposed to be having salmon, broccoli and rice pilaf. In reality we had grilled salmon, steamed broccoli and oven roasted potatoes. We also finished up the salad from a couple of nights ago but changed it up by adding some sliced grapes.

In my opinion the potatoes were the best part of the meal. Not only because I love potatoes but because they were just perfectly roasted. Not too hard on the outside and beautifully soft on the inside. To make them I diced up some red potatoes, yukon gold potatoes and sweet potatoes. I drizzle them with olive oil and some freshly cracked black pepper and then roasted the in a 350F oven for probably an hour and a half or two hours. Basically you throw them in the oven when you get home from work and by the time you get around to making the rest of dinner they are ready to go.

Sausage Stew

2010-08-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

In preparation for our two-year anniversary I decided to make a couple of Marc's favorites tonight. For dinner we decided to switch around the plan so instead of having salmon we had sausage stew. Honestly this is one of my favorite new recipes. It's super simple to throw together using whatever you have on hand and it tastes delicious. Throw in some bread and a salad and you have a meal.

The other favorite in tonight's meal was dessert. We had a chocolate bundt cake with vanilla frosting. Nothing special, just chocolate cake out of a box baked in a bundt pan and covered in white frosting. Another super simple item to make and definitely a crowd pleaser.

Pasta with Vodka Sauce, Salad and Garlic Bread

2010-08-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

Day one and we have succeeded in following the plan. We didn't try anything new but rather enjoyed the tried and true. On our pasta we had vodka sauce, but this time used the Classico version instead of Emeril. I think I like Classico better. We also had the fancy salad with apples, cranberries and candied walnuts and homemade salad dressing. Now that I've found out how easy it is to throw together a dressing and not have a bottle sitting in the fridge that just goes bad, I'm not sure I will buy salad dressing again for just the two of us. The garlic bread was made in our new toaster oven which, unlike the old one, actually turns off when the bread is toasted.

It was a pretty easy dinner and the perfect calm start to the week. Until we got to the dish washing. Marc decided to take the trash and recycling out while I did the dishes. As I was doing them I started to feel warm water on my foot. Thinking I had spilled some water over the edge of the counter I looked down to see water flooding out from the cabinet under the sink. Turns out the connector between the garbage disposal and the drain was not longer connected. So all the water from the dishes was now in the cabinet under the sink. We'll definitely be having the landlord come over tomorrow to fix that one.

Leftovers

2010-08-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

This morning, over breakfast, Marc and I decided to make a plan for our meals this week. Partly this helps with the grocery shopping and partly it is a way to prepare for the week. I know what I can prep before Marc gets home from work and Marc knows what night he needs to man the grill.

Usually we're pretty good at making a meal plan for the week. We usually pick 4 meals for the week with the understanding that there will usually be a night of leftovers and one night eating out. Pasta shows up at least once during the week and then it's up to our own creativity to decide for the rest of the week. When we were walking on the beach this afternoon we realized that we really haven't had our normal routine in place for at least the last two months. Which is probably why there are so many restaurant nights showing up on this blog so far. So this week we are going to try our best to get back on the wagon.

The Tentative Plan:

Sunday: ziti with vodka sauce, garlic bread and salad
Monday:grilled salmon, rice pilaf and steamed broccoli
Tuesday: grilled Italian sausage, peppers and onions on rolls
Wednesday: Stir fry chicken and veggies over rice noodles
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: eating out

As for tonight, we're having leftover Thai food from last night. I think we might also have that for dinner tomorrow night given the amount that's still in the fridge.

Lotus Thai Bistro

2010-08-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Friday night and another dinner out. Tonight we headed out to Lotus Thai Bistro, our local Thai restaurant in Carlsbad. I usually get the See-Eyew noodles and Marc gets some sort of curry. Tonight we decided that we would try a couple new dishes and make sure to have enough for leftovers.

Our Order:

Veggie Soup with Tofu
Tom Yum Gai Soup - chicken in hot and sour lemongrass soup and fresh mushrooms
See-Eyew Noodles with Shrimp - wide noodles with egg and broccoli
Pattaya Pineapple - with chicken, shrimp, cashew nuts, in roasted chili-pineapple sauce
Lotus Gai Curry - yellow curry with chicken, potatoes, carrots and onion

We really liked the noodles and soups. The Pattaya Pineapple, while delicious, was probably not something we would order again. As for the Lotus Gai Curry, the curry itself was delicious with a strong coconut flavor. I just wish that they would use a slightly waxier potato instead of the dried out russet potatoes. Would I order this dish again, probably if I was looking for a curry instead of noodles.

Oops

2010-08-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

So, you see, last night when I said I had pesto pasta with garden fresh tomatoes, what I really meant is I had beans and rice. I guess I forgot that just because you write in your blog what you're having for dinner, doesn't mean the ingredients will magically appear in your kitchen. Like last night when I didn't have any pesto.

So tonight, on my way home from work, I stopped at the grocery store to get some pesto. Which means, tonight I will have the bow-tie pasta with pesto, garden fresh tomatoes and dots of Saint Andre cheese.

It was sublime.

Pesto Pasta with Garden Fresh Tomatoes

2010-08-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

Today we had a bounty of cherry tomatoes from our plant on the deck. It took every thread of willpower I had not to take the tomatoes from the plant and put them straight into my mouth. But seeing as I am solo once again for dinner I decided it was worth it to save them and have them with some pasta this evening.

For dinner tonight I'll be having whole grain spaghetti with pesto and fresh tomatoes. I'll probably just dice the tomatoes in half, just to make them go a little further.

Fried Rice

2010-08-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite recipes from when I lived in Monterey Park, the China-town of Los Angeles, is homemade fried rice. There isn't really a recipe per se but there are definitely some ingredients you wouldn't normally think of.

First of all you have to use day old rice. There's something about the crunchy hardness of day old rice that stops the fried rice from being soft and mushy. Once you have fried the rice in a little canola oil, add whatever vegetables you have in the fridge or the freezer. I like to make sure there are some peas and carrots but today, for example, I also used onion, zucchini and yellow squash. Once your rice and vegetables are mixed together drizzle with soy sauce and about 1 tablespoon of ketchup for every 2 cups of rice you have used. It's the ketchup that gives it that traditional fried rice flavor. Add some scrambled egg or other shredded meat or diced sausage and you are set.

Turkey Sandwich

2010-08-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

Marc is at an in-town conference all week which means I am flying solo for dinner. Today was a little hotter then expected so when I got home I really didn't feel like cooking. Lucky for me we had all the makings for a turkey sandwich in our fridge.

Two slices of 100% whole wheat bread, 4 slices of pepper turkey, 2 slices of provolone cheese, 2 slices of tomato, 1 leaf of lettuce and some mustard later, I was a happy camper. Mmm, mmm!

Trader Joe's Gyoza

2010-08-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today we stopped by Trader Joe's to get one of our favorites, gyoza. We tried it as one of their in-store samples not too long ago and since then it has been an every now and then treat in our house. I say every now and then because if we bought it every day we would probably eat it every day.

Super easy to cook and delicious to enjoy. Simply heat some oil, I use canola, in a skillet over medium heat. Add frozen gyoza. Cook until browned on one side, rotate and continue cooking. Repeat until all three sides of the gyoza are golden brown and crisp. Add 1 tablespoon of Trader Joe's soyaki sauce plus a couple tablespoons of water. Stir to cover all gyoza. Turn the heat off, remove gyoza and enjoy!

Tip Top Meats

2010-08-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things to do when we have guests visiting is to fire up the grill and eat at home. I'm not sure if Marc enjoys it more because he gets to use his grill or because it gives him an excuse to go to Tip Top Meats.

Tip Top Meats is a local European Delicatessen that has been open since 1967. The staff is very knowledgeable and the quality of meat is outstanding. When Marc goes he usually returns with way too much meat for the one meal that we are planning to have. But then again leftovers are definitely welcome in this house. This time me and my friends were sent on the Tip Top run. Somehow we came away with two sirloin steaks that weighed 3 pounds total. Still enough for leftovers.

For dinner we paired the steaks with roasted red and sweet potatoes, vegetable skewers and steamed broccoli. Plus we were able to enjoy some wine from the Santa Barbara wine region. Our guests brought a bottle of Justin Syrah (2008) and Palmina Barbera (2008). Both were absolutely delicious! And by being at home we were able to focus on conversation and catching up with our friends whom we hadn't seen for a year.

Carlsbad Beach Grill

2010-08-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today we said goodbye to Marc's sister and nephews and hello to one of my very good friends from Washington DC. Since neither Marc nor I had a chance to go to the grocery store before the arrival of our guests we decided once again to head out for dinner.

Carlsbad Beach Grill is walking distance from our house. It was in the process of being built when we first moved here about a year ago and finally opened when we were away over 4th of July weekend. Since its opening we've been a few times and enjoyed pretty much everything we've had there.

Tonight we decided to try a tapas night and ordered basically all of their appetizers. We had zucchini rounds, fried calamari, grilled fish tacos and the spicy chicken wings. The dipping sauce for the calamari and the chicken wings were too spicy for my tastes but everything else hit the spot.

Cessy's

2010-08-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight was round two of babysitting the nephews. On our way over to their hotel room we decided to stop off at one of our local Mexican food joints and grab some food to go.

Cessy's is definitely fast food Mexican, but sometimes it just hits the spot. I ordered the taquito special which comes with 3 taquitoes, rice and beans plus an agua de jamaica to drink. Marc got his usual, the fish taco special with chips and beans. And the boys shared the chicken taco special also with rice and beans.

After all the excitement of yesterday evening it was nice to just have something quick and easy to eat for dinner tonight.

Sting Ray

2010-08-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were supposed to babysit the nephews, provide them with dinner and general entertainment so that their mom could go out to dinner with her boyfriend. Unfortunately this afternoon when everyone was at the beach Marc got stung by a sting ray.

He was on his surfboard and when he went to step into the sand he felt something wiggle and then felt a sharp pain on the side of his foot. Knowing that his sister and nephews were watching from the beach, he carefully hopped back to shore mentioning to the boys that he had "stepped on a rock". Once on the beach he told his sister what had happened and that he was going to return to our apartment. Two blocks of hopping later he was home with his foot in hot water.

Apparently sting ray venom is deactivated by heat. Depending on the sting it can take up to 2 hours to deactivate all the venom. Since this was the first sting we had experienced and Marc was in excrutiating pain we made a quick trip to urgent care just to get it checked out. Soon enough we were back home and were able to watch the boys so Marc's sister could go out for a quick bite to eat.

Dinner for the boys was turkey sandwiches, dinner for us was a quickly grilled burger. Oh the excitement of the day.

Eggie Pie

2010-08-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight is definitely leftover night at our house. Apparently Marc and I haven't been good at guesstimating the amount of food we are going to need for the extra people in our home. Which means that our fridge is currently overflowing with food. So to make this post a little bit more exciting then just a leftovers post, I'm going to tell you about the Eggie Pie I made over the weekend, one of the leftovers that quickly got eaten up.

Eggie Pie was supposed to be a sausage and potato quiche. We had some onion, potatoes, and sausage sitting in the fridge that needed using up so I decided to experiment. I made it before our guests arrived so that we would have something ready to go in the morning when they came over for breakfast. What I didn't expect was the amount of willpower it would take to not eat some as it came out of the oven. I also didn't realize that my sausage and potato quiche was going to go through so many name changes, from quiche, to breakfast pie to eggie pie. I think the eggie pie was more of a way to get the nephews to try something they would like then anything else. But no matter what you call it, it was delicious!

Eggie Pie

frozen pie shell
2 medium sized red potatoes or potatoes of your choice
1/2 small onion, diced
2 medium sausages, cubed
5 eggs
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1/3 cup shredded smoked Gouda, or cheese of your choice
pepper to taste

Take the pie shell out of the freezer. Preheat oven to 450F. Prick bottom of pie shell and bake for 5-7 minutes. Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick and boil for 3-5 minutes. Potatoes should be firm not mushy. While potatoes are boiling, cook sausages and onion in a skillet over medium heat.

In a small bowl beat eggs and milk together. Add cooled sausage and onion mixture, cheese, and pepper. Place a layer of potatoes around the bottom of the pie crust. Pour half the egg mixture. Place a second layer of potatoes on top of egg mixture. Pour the rest of the egg mixture over the top. Bake at 450F for 20 min. Reduce heat to 300F and cook another 20-30 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Enjoy!

Busy Day

2010-08-10T16:17:00.001-07:00

20 patients and counting . . . today has been a very busy day.

Garden Fresh Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Candied Walnuts

2010-08-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight was pasta night at our house. We have had Marc's sister and nephews in town this week and we just wanted something relaxed and easy. We had two types of pasta, our typical ziti with vodka sauce and also Marc's homemade spaghetti with clam sauce. We rounded out the meal with homemade garlic bread and a fresh salad.

I have to say the salad was pretty easy to throw together and tasted absolutely delicious. The inspiration from the salad came from something I ordered a few weeks ago at a local restaurant. Marc really wanted to try the salad but unfortunately it was served on spinach, one of the foods he is allergic to. So he asked why can't you make that salad with another type of lettuce? Tonight we did.

Garden Fresh Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Candied Walnuts

Romaine lettuce or spinach or other green of your choice
granny smith apple
dried cranberries
walnuts
1/2 cup sugar

For the dressing

Strawberry or raspberry jam
red wine vinegar
olive oil

Cut the bottom off the lettuce and cut 1/2 inch thick slices, rinse and spin dry. Slice the apple width wise and cut into small pieces.

In a small heavy bottomed saucepan toast the walnuts over medium heat, stir continuously so as not to burn. When the walnuts are golden and smell toasted, remove from pan and set aside. In the same saucepan, add the sugar and heat over medium heat until the sugar has fully melted and turned a golden brown. Do not overcook as the sugar can burn. Add the walnuts and stir to coat. Immediately turn the walnuts out onto parchment paper or a silpat and separate with forks. The walnuts will clump together almost instantly so make sure you work quickly. Let cool while you make the dressing.

To make the dressing mix the jam, vinegar and oil to your taste. Mix well with fork or whisk. I used about 1 tablespoon jam to 2 tablespoon oil and 1/2-1 tablespoon of vinegar. If you taste too much vinegar, add more jam. If it tastes too sweet add more oil and/or vinegar.

To assemble salad mix lettuce with apple, sprinkle walnuts and cranberries over the top. Either dress with dressing or serve on the side. Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon and Vegetables

2010-08-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

After spending a day at Legoland and gorging on all things unhealthy we decided tonight we would try a healthy meal at home. On the menu was:

Salad: arugula, tomatoes, onion, with a simple vinegar and oil dressing
Grilled vegetables: yellow squash, zucchini, asparagus and corn
Grilled salmon with a little bit of Trader Joe's Soyaki

One of our favorite ways to grill vegetables is to dice them up, sprinkle them with freshly cracked pepper and a drizzle of olive oil then wrap them up in a foil packet. Throw them on the grill for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Knockout Pizza

2010-08-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

After spending an afternoon on the beach with Marc's sister and nephews we decided once again to keep it simple. This time we ordered pizza from our favorite local place, Knockout Pizza. We had two pizzas, a half cheese and half knockout pizza and an artichoke pizza, plus three orders of garlic knots.

When we first started going to knockout pizza the garlic knots came in a lot more olive oil and only garlic on them. Now they are a little drier and have some chili pepper flakes on them. I like the less oil part but I'm still undecided about the pepper flakes. Tonight though, we were all so hungry that it didn't really matter.

Pizza Leftovers

2010-08-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight's dinner really wasn't much to write about. Seeing as we had so much leftover pizza from Leucadia Pizzeria and neither of us was super hungry or motivated we decided to just keep it simple.

Leucadia Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant

2010-08-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a little homework to complete. Marc is in charge of organizing dinner for one of the nights of his upcoming work conference. So tonight we tried it out just to make sure it was okay.

When we first arrived at Leucadia Pizzeria we received a large basket of garlic bread. It was really tasty, probably because we were so hungry, but it had a funny sweetness to the dough. We decided to order the vegetarian pizza and the super deluxe pizza which had basically every topping on it.

It took a little while for the pizza to come out but luckily I was able to stop myself from eating the entire basket of garlic bread. The super deluxe pizza was better then I thought it would be. It's funny how a mix of toppings sometimes just works. On the other hand, the pizza dough was also sweet. It won't replace knock out pizza but it was an okay change from the normal and I think it will work well for Marc's company dinner.

Spicy Honey Chicken

2010-08-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided to try a new recipe from one of my new favorite blogs, Our Best Bites. I was looking for something relatively easy to do with chicken and decided to try out there Spicy Honey Chicken. We paired it with steamed rice and grilled zucchini. Next time we'll probably keep the rice but try a different vegetable just to mix it up.

Spicy Honey Chicken

2 tsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder (I might opt for a little less next time)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (or chipotle chili powder if you're into that kind of thing)
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp cider vinegar

Combine garlic powder through cayenne pepper in a small glass or prep bowl and set aside. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Coat with a thin layer of olive oil. Sprinkle rub over the top of the chicken, flip and repeat. Pour the honey into a small bowl and heat in the microwave, 20-30 seconds. Add the cider vinegar to the honey and mix well.

Grill chicken and baste with honey/cider mixture. Grill until cooked through, flipping at least once. Enjoy!

Funny Day

2010-08-04T16:26:00.001-07:00

The funniest thing I heard today, courtesy of one of my pediatric patients.

"Drinking water makes me want to drink soda."

Goings on

2010-08-04T09:42:00.001-07:00

I've been spending a lot of time posting on my new blog. I have finally back-posted the weekends meals and have started to plan out the meals we are going to have this week. So far, I can tell that we have been eating out a lot. This is probably a function of travelling and having guests visit this summer but hopefully we can get back into our routine and start having more dinners at home.

This past weekend was my best friends wedding. It was such a beautiful event but it was also absolutely exhausting. 4 days of wedding events, limited sleep, alcohol and the emotional roller coaster of getting ready and having everything be done. It's been crazy. Now that I am settled back into home I am hoping to be able to catch up on sleep and relax a little.

This weekend we have Marc's sister and family coming to visit. They will be staying at a local hotel but I am sure it will be go go go from noon on Saturday until the following weekend when they leave. We can't wait to show them around our neck of the woods.

Tortillas, black beans and fried egg

2010-08-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite food items to make when I was a single girl living solo was tortillas. I often craved the texture and flavor but I also found that even when there was nothing to eat in the house, I always had the ingredients to make tortillas. So tonight, with Marc being away, I decided I would have a typical single girl dish.

I started by making my tortillas. The recipe below has been cut into 1/3 in order to make just enough for one single girl. This recipe also cuts down on dishes because you only really need to use a 1/3 cup measure and a small mixing bowl.

While my tortillas were cooking, I opened a can of black beans. I mashed half of them using some of the reserved liquid from the can and then mixed the mash together with the other half can of whole beans. Once my tortillas were finished I quickly fried up an egg. I then ate the beans and egg with my tortillas. Mmmm, mmm!

If I had had the following ingredients in my house I would have added them to the beans for a little extra flavor: cilantro, onions, tomatoes. Or you could even top with pico de gallo, guacamole and/or cheese.

Tortilla

1 cup flour
1/3 cup water
1/3 of a 1/3 cup oil
pinch of salt

Place flour, water, oil, and salt in bowl. Using a fork, mix ingredients together until dough sticks to fork. Knead the dough with your hands. Separate dough into 6 balls. Roll out each ball to form tortillas. Cook in a small frying pan over medium heat until golden on each side. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella Ravioli with Garden Fresh Tomatoes

2010-08-02T21:15:00.000-07:00

Today Marc was off on another business trip so it was just me for dinner. Having not been grocery shopping since our return, I peered into the freezer to see what else I could finish up. Lucky for me we had some frozen ravioli’s from Costco sitting there and there was enough to make for both my dinner tonight and lunch for work tomorrow.

Lacking sauce I decided to drizzle the cooked ravioli with some olive oil and then sprinkle it with half sliced yellow pear tomatoes from our garden. After being away we had quite a bounty of the tomatoes and they were absolutely perfect with the ravioli. Usually I eat the tomatoes off the vine but I had no idea that they would be even more delicious warmed up. Hopefully we can save up this weeks pickings and Marc can try them when he returns.

Sushi Taisho

2010-08-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

After all the weekend traveling we decided tonight that we wanted something light and relatively healthy. So once we had unpacked we walked to our local sushi restaurant, Sushi Taisho.

We tried a new roll, the sashimi roll, which consisted of salmon, tuna, and crab rolled up in thinly peeled cucumber pieces. It was very refreshing and just what we needed. We rounded this out with an order of goyza and also some sashimi pieces of tuna, salmon and mackerel.

Castlewood Country Club

2010-07-31T23:44:00.000-07:00

The wedding reception was held at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton. This was also where we enjoyed dinner for the evening. We had a choice between a few entrees so Marc and I decided to order two of the three and split them.

The menu included a salad to start with; oakville mixed greens, fuji apples, gorgonzola cheese and candied pecans. Then we had a choice between beef, fish and vegetarian; new york strip steak in peppercorn sauce, mahi mahi with Thai mango salsa, or vegetable risotto. And for dessert there was wedding cake. I have to admit that I sneaked a piece of each flavor, the chocolate with raspberry and the almond pound cake with lemon. And I am so glad I did because this was definitely my second favorite wedding cake I have ever had.

Oasis Grille and Wine Lounge

2010-07-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

The rehearsal dinner was held in the rose garden at Oasis Grill and Wine Lounge in downtown Pleasanton. It was a gorgeous evening and being outside meant we got to soak up the California weather. Plus the food was absolutely delicious.

Once we arrived we were greeted with a fizzy pomegranate drink and appetizers such as house marinated olives, hummus, spinach artichoke dip and cucumber salata with fresh vegetables and flat bread to dip.

Dinner was buffet style and had a variety of different foods. There were 2 types of salad, the Mediterranean salad with feta and cucumbers and the Saharan greens with cranberries, candied walnuts and blue cheese. For hot entrees we had chicken and lamb kabobs with grilled vegetables, pumpkin borani, and Mantoo. Mantoo is ground beef and onion dumplings, topped with garlic yogurt and mixed vegetables in a tomato sauce. This was my first time trying Mantoo and probably wouldn't have been something I would have ordered myself but honestly it was my favorite part of the meal.

Happy Shabu Shabu

2010-07-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight’s dinner took part during a bachelorette party celebration. One of my good friends was getting married so, as her maid of honor, I decided that we should try out shabu shabu. Not only had the groom-to-be been in Japan for the last year but it was also a good option for the bride-to-be who was vegetarian.

If you have never been to shabu shabu before, don’t worry. Neither had I. We arrived at our tables at Happy Shabu Shabu to see a pot of broth bubbling away. After ordering we were brought a plate of raw meat, vegetables, noodles, and tofu. The idea is you throw your raw ingredients into the boiling broth, remove it when cooked, and then dip it in the sauces before devouring it.

As you can see in the pictures we had a choice of 3 sauces, something like soy, chili sauce and sesame sauce. I was a big fan of the soy-style sauce and the sesame. To be honest I didn’t even try the chili. The food was tasty and honestly I think it was the perfect type of meal for a bachelorette party. It gave people something to do as they got to know their neighbors. And since the restaurant wasn’t super busy we were able to stay and chat for a couple of hours.

Toast

2010-07-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

The plan for today was to get home from work, have a bite to eat and then head off to the airport. Instead I got home from and headed off to the airport without anything to eat. My tummy has been a little upset lately so instead of a meal I just brought some Wasa crackers with me.

Once I arrived at my mom's house I had a couple of pieces of toast before jumping into bed. I wasn't really feeling all that hungry but I was definitely tired.

Travelling

2010-07-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

With Marc away on a business trip tonight's meal is leftovers from last night. However, instead of putting it into a sandwich, I'm going to have the sausage stew with some brown rice. Mmm, mmm!

I also wanted to let you know that I am going to be MIA for a little while. There's some traveling to be done! But I promise, upon my return, I will post a little bit about what I have been eating. See you next week!

Sausage Stew Sandwich

2010-07-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

Whenever I'm gone for the weekend I know I am going to come home to some sort of meat product in the fridge. Usually I expect sausage but sometimes I get a surprise with steak or chicken. Since Marc is out of town for work I am trying my best to eat up leftover food items in the house, hence the inspiration for tonight's meal.

Dinner tonight was a take on one of our favorite meals (see recipe below). Unfortunately I didn't have all the ingredients in the house and seeing as the goal was not to go to the grocery store I adapted what I had to make a meal. I included beans, sausage, a sliced fresh tomato, diced tomatoes from the can, pepper, basil and marjoram. I then put the stew onto a leftover roll and had a sausage stew sandwich. Quite tasty and it will definitely make Marc jealous when I tell him about it.

Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew

olive oil
1 pound low-fat Italian turkey sausage
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 can (15.5oz) cannelloni beans (or other white beans) drained and rinsed
1 (14oz) can diced Italian style tomatoes in their juice

Heat a little oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add sausages cover and cook until browned. Rotate sausages until browned all over and cooked through. While the sausages are cooking, dice celery, onion, and bell pepper.

Once sausages are cooked, remove them from the skillet. Add peppers, onion, celery and garlic to skillet and sautee for 3 minutes (add additional olive oil if needed). While vegetables are sautéing, slice sausage. Add sausage and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes until browned.

Add oregano, basil, thyme, tomatoes with their juice and beans. Simmer over medium low heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

¡Una Mas!

2010-07-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight's dinner was a quick bite to eat at the San Jose Airport. Up until a few days ago I had no idea that there was a new terminal at the San Jose Airport. Luckily my mom mentioned it to me before I deplaned early Saturday morning. I have a feeling, had she not said anything, I would have freaked out that I was a the wrong airport.

Since the terminal only opened on June 30th a lot of the restaurants and amenities have yet to open. Luckily for me Una Mas was open and ready to go and I was able to grab a quick burrito before my flight. Nothing too exciting, just some grilled chicken, beans, rice, cilantro and salsa wrapped in a flour tortilla but it definitely hit the spot.

Seablue

2010-07-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

For our second night in Vegas we decided to get dressed up and treat ourselves to a "fancy" meal. Marc originally took me to Seablue when we had our first trip together, here in January of 2009. I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ate that night and decided to suggest it to my friends. From what they said to me, I believe it was a big hit.

We started out by splitting the homemade pita and dips, lobster corndogs and a lamb kebab. For dinner I had the tuna with mashed potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms. I have to admit I chose the fish based on the sides because I really wanted the mashed potatoes. But honestly, the tuna was excellent.

If you are looking for a good seafood restaurant in Vegas, and don't mind splurging a little bit, I highly recommend this one.

Grape Vegas

2010-07-23T23:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am heading out of town to Las Vegas with some of my good friends from high school. All of us arrived in Vegas between 8:30 and 10:30. By the time we were finally all together we decided it was best to head out for a drink and some late night snacks. So we headed off the strip to the Town Square Mall and a little place known as Grape.

I wasn't feeling super hungry so I decided to go with the roasted garlic hummus served with Italian tomato salsa and pita chips. The chips were very crunchy and the hummus was absolutely delicious. I could have done without the tomato salsa but I have to admit the balsamic they used in it was flavorful. Everyone was raving about the dishes they had ordered plus we were able to enjoy some wine and some live music. A good way to unwind on a Friday night with your friends.

Change it is a coming!

2010-07-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed there are some new things going on around here. First of all I finally got around to uploading the pictures from our recent vacation. The 9 days we spent in the Northeast was absolutely fantastic and I honestly can't wait for our next vacation.

I have also changed the layout of the blog one more time. I'm not really sure what inspired the transition but I have to say I really like the new one. Not that I didn't like the one before, I just feel that this is more me.

Oh! Before I forget, I have another blog. It's a work in progress but check it out here.

Tapas Night

2010-07-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Tapas night was originally introduced to me by my good friends John and Paige. You see it was their way to finish up all the small amounts of food left in their freezer. In our house it is usually a way to use up the leftovers we have accumulated during the week. I'm usually pretty good at taking leftovers for lunch but sometimes, we just have too many leftovers.

Tonight we have a little bit of orzo and the leftover half a can of corn, Indian food and naan, and some leftover turkey and provolone from sandwiches. I have to admit we did a good job of polishing it all off.

Ziti with Vodka Sauce

2010-07-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is usually pasta night around here. And usually it is one of two options, pasta with vodka sauce or pasta with clam sauce. Tonight we went with Vodka Sauce. I have to admit Vodka Sauce is a lot easier to find on the east coast. Out here we can only find Emeril's Vodka Sauce. I keep meaning to try Rachel Ray's, "You Won't be Single for Long Vodka Sauce" but sometimes it's just easier to get it out of a jar.

Marc's preference is ziti, which means a large tube pasta in his book and then we usually add some homemade garlic bread. Tonight we used sourdough.

San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park

2010-07-21T10:04:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Marc and I decided to finally make the trek to the Wild Animal Park. Of course we had to do it on one of the hottest days of the year. So we decided to go early and stay until we couldn't bear the heat any longer. All in all we were there for just under 2 hours. Good enough to get a feel for the place but definitely wanting to come back for more in the future, on a cooler day of course.

I have to admit the Wild Animal Park was not at all what I was expecting. I was hoping it would be large open areas that you were driven through to see the animals. Instead I got part zoo and part large open areas. The downside was that you have to pay extra to go through the large open areas, driving around them on a tram is part of your admission.

We saw quite a few animals and got in some good walking. Marc was almost walked over by a momma duck and her ducklings and I almost stepped on a goose. We definitely had a good time.

Passage to India

2010-07-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided to take a break from cooking and headed out to one of our favorite Indian restaurants. Well, actually our favorites are back in DC and Alexandria but Passage to India is the closest one to us that we like. If you ever find yourself in Alexandria, Virginia you have to try the Bombay Curry Company. Hands down my favorite Indian restaurant of all time.

I have to admit that when we eat Indian food we aren't really adventurous in what we order. There are about 4 dishes that we love and usually order every time. Sometimes we order two entrees, rice and naan, sometimes we order three just so we can have some leftovers.

Tonight we ordered two orders of plain naan, rice, chicken karahi, yellow daal tadka, a mango lassi and a kingfisher. The chicken karahi was described as tender chicken stir fried with bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and spices served in karahi (copper dish) and was absolutely delicious. Definitely a new dish to add to the list of regulars. I like the daal because it comes sauteed with onions, tomatoes, garlic, cumin seeds and lots of cilantro. My favorite part of the meal is always the mango lassi and usually the first thing I order when we sit down. There's something about yogurt drinks that I just can't avoid. Plus if anything is too spicy for me, this cools the burning.

Steak Stir Fry

2010-07-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today was stir fry night to use up the leftover steak from last night plus leftover vegetables from last week. At Trader Joe's I picked up some rice sticks (noodles) and a bag of their frozen vegetable hodgepodge.

To make the dinner I started by boiling the rice sticks for about 6 minutes. While I was waiting for the water to boil and actually boiling the noodles I stir-fried the frozen vegetables, plus the fresh leftover vegetables, with a little bit of sesame oil in my wok. I removed the vegetables from the wok to stir-fry the noodles with a little bit of canola oil. To finish the noodles I added a little bit of Trader Joe's Island Soyaki (teriyaki) sauce, just enough to give the noodles a light brown color. After placing the noodles into bowls for dinner, I briefly heated up the thinly sliced leftover steak.

Noodles + stir fried vegetables + thinly sliced steak = yummy dinner

Grilled Steaks and Zucchini with Summer Orzo

2010-07-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

Dinner tonight started with defrosting some steaks from the freezer. I really wished we had potatoes but since we used them up for breakfast and I didn't want to make a run to the store I decided to use up the remaining orzo from the cupboard. Amazingly this meal came together in less then 30 minutes and was quite scrumptious if I do say so myself.

To barbecue the steaks Marc sprinkled them with salt and then grilled for about 7 minutes on each side. The zucchini was diced, placed on top of a large piece of foil, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with cracked pepper. The foil was then folded together around the zucchini to make a packet to be placed on the upper rack of the grill for about 20 minutes.

Inside the house I was busy getting the water to a boil for the orzo. As I was waiting I trimmed and sliced the green beans into bite size pieces and opened a can of corn. Once the water was boiling I added the orzo, placed a steamer with the green beans on top of the pan and made sure it maintained a boil. After 9 minutes I drained the orzo, mixed it with a couple of tablespoons of butter, a drizzle of olive oil, a half a can of corn, the steamed green beans, and some freshly cracked pepper.

And that, was dinner.

What's Been for Dinner?

2010-07-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Marc sent me this article about a woman who has been chronicling everything she has made for dinner since 1998. Originally it was to help her plan out what to make for dinner for the week but now has become a history of all the meals she has shared with her family over the past 12 years.

This blog is not intended to copy that idea but more of a way to remember what meals worked and what meals didn't. I always feel like I make something that we like (Me and my boyfriend Marc), but then it doesn't end up in the rotation again. Blogger allows me not only to document what I am cooking but also gives me a relatively easy way to search for it again.

So there you have it, the experiment in documenting what we eat.

PS If you want to see what Jenny has been making lately, check out her blog here.

Lighthouses

2010-07-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

On our last full day in Boothbay Harbor we woke up to a Harbor full of fog. Originally we had planned to pick up a kayak at 7am, kayak out to the burnt island lighthouse and then return for a day of exploration in the area. I guess the fog was a blessing in disguise because not only did we get to sleep in but we also realized later in the day that had we gone kayaking in the morning we wouldn't really have known where we were going.

Once we realized the fog wasn't going anywhere we decided to spend our morning exploring Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and Colonial Pemaquid.

This is the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. It is also the lighthouse featured on the Maine state quarter.

These are the very narrow stairs you have to climb up and down to get into the top of the lighthouse. Coming down is definitely a lot scarier.

The light in the lighthouse. A fourth order fresnel that flashes white every six seconds.

View from the lighthouse. Usually there is an ocean beyond the rocks.

Fort William Henry at Colonial Pemaquid. The third flagpole has an English flag on it (the cross of St George).

After our day of exploration we returned to Boothbay Harbor to find that the fog had lifted. So we decided to head out on our kayak to the Burnt Island Lighthouse and finish up our day of lighthouses.

The island on the far right is Burnt Island. You can see the lighthouse on the left side. It is about 1 mile from the Harbor to the Island.

Burnt Island Lighthouse. I didn't realize until we had been up in the lighthouse that it was the glass of the tower that was red, not the light inside.

Kayaking

Marc was in charge of steering. It appears we are headed straight for the lobster traps.

Food

2010-07-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

I have to say we had some of the yummiest food when we were in Maine. Not only was it lobster season but we also managed to find a really tasty little Italian place, right around the corner from where we were staying. The service was a riot to watch but the food was absolutely delicious.

Lobster Roll - the quintessential Maine lunch

Maine Blueberries - small but bursting with flavor

We decided to have a real lobster dinner for one of our meals. The meal came with a 1 1/4 pound steamed lobster, biscuit, corn on the cob and clam steamers to share. Of course we had to wash it down with a bottle of wine. Below is the view from the restaurant when we arrived and after the fog had rolled in.

And this is what we ate:

Sunrise

2010-07-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Where we live in California we are bless to watch the sunset whenever we want. Well, whenever we want when it's not cloudy or foggy and Mother Nature plays along. So when we were on the East Coast we decided that at least for one morning we wanted to get up early to watch the sun rise. Little did I know that civil twilight, when it starts to get light in the morning, was at 4am and sun rise, when the sun rises above the horizon, was at 5am. It definitely made for an early morning. But I am so happy we went. Honestly it was quite possibly my favorite thing we did in Boothbay Harbor.

4:30 am, waiting for the sun to rise

Sun rise begins in the clouds

Then you see the sun actually rise.

I loved the way the light bounced off the water.

Panorama of the sunrise

Lucky for us we had a bed waiting for us when we returned to the Inn. A 3 hour nap and then a homemade breakfast and we were ready for the rest of the day.

Boothbay Harbor, Maine

2010-07-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

After Casey's Wedding and visiting Marc's family in Vermont we decided to head out to Maine for a few days of rest and relaxation. This is the first vacation we have had where it is just the two of us, no family and not in a rush to make it to the other side of the country.

The three days we spent here were absolutely amazing. Maine really is a picturesque beautiful state with so much nature. I couldn't get over just how many trees and how green everything was in the middle of summer. I guess California's drought and "golden" hills are now normal to me. And if you ever find yourself in Boothbay Harbor you have to stay at the Greenleaf Inn. The friendliest staff, beautiful views from the rooms, delicious homemade breakfast every morning and homemade cookies available throughout the day. They even had rocking chairs and a hot tub! We couldn't have asked for anything more while we were there.

View of the Harbor from outside our Inn

Typical view - dock, lobster traps, lobster boat

View of the Harbor as the rain shower passed through

View of the harbor from our balcony

Hanover, New Hampshire

2010-07-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

The real reason we went out to the northeast was to go to the wedding of one of Marc's good friends. He and Marc attended grad school together at Dartmouth. We decided that in order to make the most out of the 3 day weekend, we should extend our trip around the wedding and take our first real vacation together.

So while we were in Hanover, New Hampshire we decided to check out some of the local sites.

There's nothing like breakfast at a real diner.

A true, counter-service diner with mason jars.

Vermont Covered Bridges

Hikes in Nature

And of course, a tour of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. Pictured here, the ingredients for their yummy (but not so healthy) ice cream. Mmm, mmm!

Hanover's 4th of July Parade

2010-07-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hanover's 4th of July Parade is definitely a lot smaller then Brandon's was. It last all of 8 minutes. I have to admit though, they really went for it.

I think the American flag threw up on this car.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was there.

And so was the Wells Fargo Stagecoach.

They also had the obligatory John Deere wagon.

I have to admit that I never lived in a town that got this excited over Fourth of July. Of course there were always barbecues and fireworks but I don't think I ever attended a local 4th of July parade. I guess now I can check that off my list!

Brandon's 4th of July Parade

2010-07-03T23:49:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is a big day in Brandon, Vermont. Apparently the town is known to have the largest 4th of July parade in the state of Vermont. I'm not sure if that is still true but it is definitely one of the known facts from the locals. So what did we do while we were in the Northeast. Well we went to the Brandon 4th of July Parade!

Everyone has a tractor, hopefully it's a Deere.

I thought the motorized camel, cooler and lazy boy chair were pretty cool.

Who knew there would also be monster trucks?!

My favorite of the classic cars.

The entire parade lasted just about an hour and there was so much to watch and see. Besides the photos I have posted there were also marching bands, politicians, the local little league team and also a bunch of random other people including a family that rode bikes. Despite the hot hot weather, it was lots of fun to watch the parade roll by.

Easier than Scrapbooking

June?

Keep an Eye on the Mail

100 Days to Go!

Details, Details, Details!

She's Making Her List

Things they are a changing!

Winter Wonderland

We Survived

Heading Into the Holidays

Save the Dates

We Have a Place and a Date!

Stone Brewing World Bistro

Macaroni and Smoked Gouda Cheese with Pork

Clam Pasta

Pork Tacos

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Il Fornaio Coronado

Le Passage French Bistro

Grilled Salmon Orzo and Green Beans

Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemongrass

Carlsbad Beach Grill

Grilled Chicken and Veg

Grilled Chicken on Ziti with Tomato Sauce

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

Gyoza and Stir Fry

Pizza

Mystery

More

Lentil Soup

Flying Solo

Repeat

Steak and Sausage Sandwich

Vigilucci's Seafood and Steakhouse

Refrigerator

Steak Stir Fry with Rice Noodles

Forgettable

Black's Beach

Labor Day Grilling

Passage to India

Labor Day Barbecue

Grilled Fish Tacos

Grilled Chicken with Israeli Couscous and Bruschetta Salad

Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes

Easy Grilled Chicken

Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Dulce Vida

McAlister's Deli

Leftovers

Chicken Stir Fry with Rice

2nd Anniversary Dinner with Oven Roasted Potatoes

Sausage Stew

Pasta with Vodka Sauce, Salad and Garlic Bread

Leftovers

Lotus Thai Bistro

Oops

Pesto Pasta with Garden Fresh Tomatoes

Fried Rice

Turkey Sandwich

Trader Joe's Gyoza

Tip Top Meats

Carlsbad Beach Grill

Cessy's

Sting Ray

Eggie Pie

Busy Day

Garden Fresh Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Candied Walnuts

Grilled Salmon and Vegetables

Knockout Pizza

Pizza Leftovers

Leucadia Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant

Spicy Honey Chicken

Funny Day

Goings on

Tortillas, black beans and fried egg

Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella Ravioli with Garden Fresh Tomatoes

Sushi Taisho

Castlewood Country Club

Oasis Grille and Wine Lounge

Happy Shabu Shabu