Get out of my head

Baked escargot with caramelized onions on puff pastry

... or at least stop reading the same recipes that I have.

While trying to pass time til quitting time today at work, I suddenly remembered that it was a new month. That meant a new menu at Gregoire. I didn't go at all last month because nothing really called to me on the menu.

This month? Well, imagine my surprise to see "Grilled pork tenderloin medallions with quince chutney." Huh? So I read on. "Beef Bourguignon." Make that all the time. And there was this other dish but more about that later. But something did leap out at me. And then I needed stuff to go with it. So I decided to try the escargots since I've been thinking about them for some time. And of course, I had to get my usual order of potato puffs.


Roasted duck breast with grilled plums

I supplemented the food from Gregoire's with this. I already had the duck breast in the fridge to cook up tonight. If I hadn't, I would have been tempted to order the duck from Gregoire's. But not tonight.

Whenever I see recipes that call for grilling, I quickly turn the page. I don't have any outdoor space at my apartment to set up a grill. Well, I could be like some of my neighbors and set up a grill on the roof. That always kind of worries me though. It would be just my luck that I'd end up burning down the building. Or another neighbor sets up his grill by the back steps. It's just that I don't want to cook my food in such close proximity to the dumpster.

But I really wanted to try this recipe. So I headed over to one of my favorite stores to purchase a grill pan. (I really need to stay out of there because cupboard space has become almost non-existent. I guess I should pick up that cabinet from my aunt's house one of these days. I think the pan was a great investment. In fact, now I'm wondering why I didn't get one sooner.


Pumpkin bread pudding

This is what really got me to Gregoire's. Because it's going to rain tonight. So now I have all these yummy comfort foods. And plenty of good books to read. Not to mention hours of Fall TV saved up on the DVR. I think I'm set. Because I don't think I'm heading out tomorrow at all.

Still no food

... but perhaps tomorrow.

I had the best of intentions to do some more cooking last night. The thing is that I had a two hour training session for the mentoring program. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait to receive my match.

Tonight there will be cooking though. After I remember to stop at the grocery store. Somehow in all my weekend shopping, I forgot to buy toilet paper. I hate when I do that.

So stop by tomorrow for more photos. I promise.

Fuck vanity

I have so many topics swimming around in my head right now. I just got off the phone with my dad and we talked about family, music, and the election. But I don't think I'm going to go there tonight. Instead it's going to be completely about me.

This week was "fat" week for me. Even worse? I need to do laundry. This means that the stuff that I could comfortably wear during "fat" week is dirty. This is how I found myself in the "wrong" skirt on Wednesday.

Up until about 20 years ago, I wore a size six. Then one day I walked into a store and tried on a size six. I was swimming in it. The saleswoman said, right before she brought me a size four, "Our sizes run large."

I thought that this was an isolated incident. But no. Suddenly instead of a size six, I was a size four. And as the years progressed, I became a size two.

I sew. OK. I used to sew. But the thing is that my size never changed as far as commercial patterns are concerned. I was a size six. And in recent years, I became a size six with size eight hips.

I am vain though. I loved saying that I wear a size two or four. Three years ago my former neighbor and I made a pledge. Each would kill the other if she ever had to go higher than a size four.

So this week due to bloating, I suffered through clothing that was beyond uncomfortable. Wednesday I had mistakenly chosen a skirt that I am still sure to this day, the cleaners shrank. Really. I sucked it in until my ribs were quite prominent and the skirt was still too tight. This was not the case in the past. And Wednesday night was tutoring. After spending eight-plus hours in this skirt, I just could not imagine spending an additional hour and a half. Oh, and the driving time home. And did I mention the lower back pain?

Fortunately I had a break between work and tutoring. That's when I headed to the mall. The store had loads of denim on sale. At this point I only owned one pair of jeans without holes. So I thought that denim was a good idea. I grabbed loads of pairs in size four. And at the last minute added one pair in size six.

I tried on a couple of pairs of the size four. In both cases I thought to myself that they would be completely comfortable in a week or so. They just weren't now. The whole point of the shopping expedition was to find something that was comfortable now -- besides the sweats that I wear at home in the evenings. And so I stepped into the size six jeans. They not only felt great but they looked great. And they were on sale.


Pretty cute. Right?

So now that I've crossed that threshold, I have decided that going up a size after 20 years isn't that bad. But it does stop here.

One is the magic number

Over this past weekend I thought of many blog posts. The problem was that there seemed to be some overlap in my thoughts so I decided to throw it all together into one of those rambling kind of posts that Nat enjoys so much.

Last week was a hellacious week for me. I'll admit it. I had hit pretty near bottom mentally. As a result I just could not get rid of that tired feeling.

I had promised my dad that I would spend the weekend in Sacramento. But there were things I really needed to take care of at home first. Friday evening found me finally doing some straightening up around my apartment. While eating dinner, I toyed with the idea of going out. I kept thinking, "But I'm so tired." Going out won out though and I headed out around 8:00.

Once at my bar, I grabbed a cocktail and headed out to the outdoor area so that I could drink and smoke. And since I was alone, I pulled out the iPhone to play some games. (Normally I would have pulled out a book but none of my current reading choices fit into my purse.) And as I sat there half-asleep, I told myself that I would leave after a couple of drinks -- the minimum that I would have to order in order to use my debit card.

Yeah. Two drinks. That was before I met the young woman who shared my love of all things Kate Spade. We both agreed that prior to finding Kate Spade, we never were that into purses. But Kate's stuff is different; it's timeless art.

And then Random Boy showed up. And then I ran into Married Guy. Who decided that Friday night was a good time to share the fact that he's always wanted to get into my pants. Uh yeah. And then there was a third guy. At one point I was talking to all three. And letting them decide who should pay for my drinks.

Then the band started. I haven't laughed so hard in quite some time. The way I put it was that they were the kind of band that if you heard a CD, you'd say, "They're OK." And then you see them live and are totally freaked out. Because the lead singer/guitarist thought that he was some sort of god of rock. At least that's what I decided from his facial expressions and behavior. And he so was not godlike.

Sacramento was out of the question for Saturday. I needed caffeine, fat, and carbs. And a little more sleep. But Sunday? I felt like me for the first time in weeks. I wanted to stay at home and bask in my me-ness but I remembered promising my dad that I would show up at some point during the weekend.

Suddenly I had "Cats in the Cradle" going through my head. (I've loved that song since childhood.) Why? Because I thought to myself that if I blew off going to Sacramento, my dad would be greatly disappointed. And then I remembered all those times that I sat around waiting for a guy who would never show up when I was a kid. And then I thought, "Karma's a bitch," but then remembered that I'm a better person than that. So I drove the 160 miles round-trip to spend a few hours with my dad.

My dad kept asking, "What can I do for you?" Finally I knew the answer. "Respect the boundaries I set." It dawned on me that over the last month or so, I haven't really done much of anything that was purely for me -- unless you count sleeping. It was time to start setting -- and enforcing -- boundaries. Part of these new boundaries will be making sure that I have time to go out and laugh and dance and talk about things other than work or my family. As long as this happens, I can get through just about anything.

Today I still felt like me. So much so that I braved Berkeley Bowl this evening -- with a shopping cart. (The trick is to never take the cart down the aisles.) I usually try to keep the Berkeley Bowl shopping down to the what-can-fit-in-the-hand-basket level. But I needed paper products. Desperately. (No, I was not out yet but it was going to happen some time this evening.) And this time I shopped mainly the perimeter of the store for the first time in weeks. (This means that I bought fresh stuff instead of the prepared stuff upon which I have been surviving for most of the past month.)


Coq au Riesling

Thank you, Zoomie for sharing the recipe. I used six thighs. I also followed Zoomie's advice and upped the mushrooms to about a cup and a half or so as well as using about four to five cloves of garlic. Oh, and I used three ounces of pancetta instead of the one ounce the recipe calls for. And since there was so much more stuff in the pan, I doubled the wine and cream. I like things saucy. Now I have a few servings packed individually in the fridge as well as a couple of servings in the freezer.

There's more chicken marinating in yogurt in the fridge. Butter Chicken tomorrow night! And maybe I'll finally go through that issue of Bon Appetit that showed up recently.

So yeah, I'm back.

New look

Not the blog, silly. My apartment.


This week I took the big plunge in my apartment redecorating. That's right. I finally got my new sofa and chair. Now I just need to either re-upholster my desk chair or get a new one -- in black. And I probably need some stuff for the walls as well. (Yes, that's a hint, Stacy.)

All in good time.

After talking to my aunt earlier in the week I realized that I needed to purchase the new cat tree as soon as possible. So Boris would have something else to claw besides my new furniture. This was the result of my shopping.





And because Saturdays used to be about quizzes, I leave you with this.

Your Slogan Should Be

Have You Ever had a Bad Time in Dagny?

The Slogan Generator

Various stuff on a Friday evening

After a hard week at work, I headed out to get my 'do done. I have found that Fridays after work are the best time. Less disruptive to my schedule. In the past I went in on Saturdays. But that doesn't leave me free to go to Sacramento for the weekend, if necessary. And yeah, next weekend I'm heading up there. Hopefully to hit the nail salon with my stepmother. Because she's blind now -- I mean really blind according to the doctors at the UC Davis Medical Center where she went earlier this week for a full day of testing on her eyes -- and keeps fucking up her nails when she runs into stuff. Yet she keeps telling my dad that she doesn't need someone at the house with her 24/7. And she's telling her friends that my dad is spending too much money. This coming from the woman who loves shopping at the dollar store. Oh, and when she first married my dad, she was still buying Velveeta. EWWWWW! Bottom line is that she has always been rather cheap. But yeah, she's blind and has lost at least 40% of her hearing and people are supposed to leave her at home alone during the day while my dad is at work. Sure.

But back to me. I headed into San Leandro after work. And while I was at the shop, my hairdresser was also doing her niece's hair. They shared some dark news with me. Apparently, Neldam's Danish Bakery will be closing this year. NOOOO! Growing up, all of my birthday cakes (Strawberry Rum Cake, in case you wanted to know.) came from this place. As did my cousin's wedding cake. They are the bar to achieve in baking, as far as I am concerned. And they have been around so long that you start to take the place for granted. I know that I will start going there frequently in the coming months. Hell. I love the place so much, I might just have to stage a protest.

And then I had to give the niece a ride home from her aunt's shop as the niece too lives in Berkeley. She's in her senior year at Berkeley High. I felt obliged to chat with her during the drive. And talking to her, I was reminded of why I used to love teaching so much. She wants to go into cosmetology, like her aunt. And she wants to one day own a chain of shops that are multi-ethnic/multi-cultural. She pointed out how most salons are still so segregated and that there must be an end to this. We discussed racism in our society. And then I dropped her off near the Whole Foods -- which she swore was her favorite place of all.

And then I continued along Shattuck. And my heart skipped a beat. The old Eddie Bauer store had lights blazing. Since Eddie Bauer left, the only activity in that spot has been in October when the place has become a Halloween store. So I slowed down to take a peek. It's now a new branch of Cody's Books. I wanted to scream -- in delight. I have been heartbroken since the original location on Telegraph closed almost two years ago. And now to have it within walking distance? Be still my heart.

Except for the family health issues, I am starting to think that 2008 is going to be a very good year.

Getting positive

I felt bad about posting that negative post after the one about peace. So today, let's get back to the positive.

This past weekend did not suck completely as far as customer service is concerned. Actually, I've been meaning to write this post for quite some time.

As Zombie Mom stated in the comments to the previous post, I did stop by the Zombie household on Saturday night. With two bottles of wine. And the kids were asleep.

I must say thank you to Stephanie at the Andronico's on Shattuck. Stephanie is a wine steward in the store. (Yes, the store has wine stewards.) Frequently when I go in, she is patrolling the wine aisle. And she is always ready to answer questions and to make recommendations.

On Saturday, I was going to buy a pinot noir that she had recommended previously. Since she wasn't busy at the time, I decided to ask for other recommendations. Once I said that the wine didn't have to be from California, after telling her the most I was willing to spend per bottle, she quickly recommended a Spanish wine and a French one.

The Spanish one was good. The French one was fantastic. I think I wrote down the name of the latter. I hope I did. And each bottle was under $15.

So even though Andronico's can be a bit pricey at times, I continue to return because of Stephanie's wonderful recommendations. Oh. And because it is the only place that I can find the cat food that Natasha likes.

Being lazy made me highly irritated

As you all know, I made up a wish list about a month or so ago. A number of the items on the list were electronics. Last week I decided to purchase a couple of said items.

You would have thought that I had learned after my first purchase last Tuesday. I placed the order online to be picked up at the store closest to where I live. I placed the order around 1:00 PM and went to the store around 6:00 PM to pick up the item. After waiting in line, I discovered that the item had not even been pulled yet. Excuse me? Does not the site say "24 minutes"? I guess that's only if they really feel like it. I placed the order online so that I wouldn't have to spend time in the store standing around, waiting for the item to be pulled from inventory. I received an email later in the week asking me to rate my experience. I let them know that I was not pleased.

Saturday I decided to be lazy once more and placed an order for another item. The item had been pulled this time but the salesperson? Surly and rude. As soon as I left the store, I called their customer service line to tell them that I was once more displeased. The person to whom I spoke explained that there was no one in the department that handled such matters at the time and that someone would get back to me. I am still waiting for that response.

I did receive a response to my survey answers today though. Basically I was told that I needed to claim the $24 gift card at the time of my initial pickup. What I really loved was how they closed the email with, "We hope this information was helpful." Ummm. Nope. Not really. Because at this point, I don't think that I will shop at Circuit City anymore since I expect a bit more in customer service. And because I don't like the return policy at their main competitor around here, I think this means that I will do my electronics shopping from online vendors in the future. Because at this point both Circuit City and Best Buy suck in my mind.

Update: They are now mailing a $24 gift card to my home. Guess I have to find something else to buy. *sigh*

Your new assignment

I used to be really good at keeping track of things. Perhaps these last few months the lack of my ability to do such is a sign of all the other turmoil in my life. So here's where y'all come in.

Your assignment is to give me a reminder in three weeks. (Yes, I am quite aware that I did not include the words "if you should choose to accept it." Guess what? It's not optional.) You are to tell me, "You may suddenly be feeling the need to bitchslap every person who even slightly irritates you. This is not really you speaking but instead is a result of the hormones coursing through your body at this time."

Why the assignment? Because earlier this week, I noticed that I was feeling kind of pudgy. I meant to check the calendar and then promptly forgot to do such. When I felt a little snappish at work, I once more thought to check the calendar but then excused my behavior because everyone at work expects me to be a little stressed out right now. (More about that at a later date.) I should have known when I went into Safeway earlier this week and felt the sudden urge to hit the frozen food aisle for the first time in months. I should have known when I awoke this morning and realized that I was hungry. I know this sounds normal but the next may not. I decided that the perfect breakfast would be a microwave pepperoni pizza and some lemonade. Seriously.

And then it all fell into place tonight. When I suddenly had the urge to go to the bathroom while shopping at Barnes and Noble. I had no supplies and the machine was broken. I quickly gathered my purchases and headed out. So much for a stop at Ann Taylor Loft while I was in the area. And then all these no driving beyotches had to cross my path on the way home that made me briefly flash upon the image of Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes. But they were probably older than I.

Happiness

Last night I got to experience one of the happiest things in life -- looking at OPH. There were so many fabulous choices. Yes, I will be returning to the store some more. And what made it all so much more fun? Going there with Mommy Zombie who willingly tried on wig after wig. Oh, and the guy who yelled in the door of the store as we were standing at the register, "You ladies don't need to be in there." (I'll let her tell you about her foray into the corner store for some milk. I'm still cracking up over that.) I just hope that Mommy Zombie will be able to keep the Commander's hands off her hair.

Surfin' safari

Here in the Bay, it was a weekend filled with surfing. There were the most excellent guys down at Mavericks. *sigh* I remember back in the day (over ten years ago), when I first heard about this contest and would contemplate calling in sick to work so that I could see the action live. Maybe it's all those years I spent in San Diego that makes me love surfing so much. Maybe it's the way that surfers describe the feeling they get when they connect with the perfect wave. Maybe it comes from too many years of hanging out with guys who make me watch surfing movies. OK. So maybe sometimes I watch them on my own these days.

And this all seemed add some balance to my weekend since I was surfin' the crimson wave, as one of my friends would say. And when I'm feeling that way, my first inclination is to watch a lot of chick flicks and Lifetime. Thus the need for balance.

And I should have realized what was going on when I headed into Trader Joe's. I have years of practice at shopping hungry. The key is to write a list and to stick to it. But I didn't stick to my list on Saturday. For the first time in months, I bought frozen prepared food. Chicken taquitos? In the cart. French onion soup? MUST HAVE! And since I was planning to give Cyndi's fish tacos a try, I had put black beans on the list. Because I needed something to go with the avocados I already had. But once in the store, I thought, "I must have tortilla chips. And if I get those, I'm going to need cheese. Because I might want nachos later in the week."

It's all my fault. I should have looked at the calendar. A former friend used to tell all the other women that she knew that they should all take my approach. Back then, I would head out and rent a bunch of chick flicks. And then I'd head to the grocery store for my favorite foods. There was usually duck pate on the list. Basically the theme seemed to be fatty and salty foods with a few sweets mixed in. And then I would hole up at home with my food and chick flicks. Because I really should not go out in public for those first 24 hours or so. I like to think that I am doing a public service. One of my personal greatest discoveries was that with birth control pills, one can basically dictate when those 24 hours will be. I like Sunday. You can still get some weekend partying in and make it to work without being a raving homicidal fool. OK. So just on either side of that 24 hour window, I can be mildly so.

So what was on the menu on Sunday? I started off with chicken taquitos with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa -- for breakfast. Around lunchtime, there was French onion soup. Late afternoon was time for a crab Louie. Then dinner was the fish tacos with black beans. Yes, I really did eat all of that. Because I get really hungry.

But it's the one day a month during which I really take care of me. If I want to cry hysterically, it's OK. If I want to eat a bunch of "bad" food, that's OK too. Key to this is no contact, or at least minimal contact, with the outside world. Because sometimes we all need to decompress.

Why bother?

I'm starting to wonder why I bother to write the endless lists. Like my list for Saturday. OK. I did accomplish the majority of the list actually. It's just that things got changed up and the items that should have been then completed on Sunday are still waiting to be done.

Saturday was filled with numerous errands. I left home around 10 a.m. and returned around 3 p.m. The first stop, after checking on mom's house and then making the dreaded phone call, was to Sears. Because I needed more of the cute cabinets. Well, I was going to buy another quad unit and two of cubes with doors. But they only had one of the cubes with doors. And since it was about the same price as the two-cube unit I wanted anyway, I decided to get that instead. I'll find the other cube with door later.

And then I "wasted" time in the store when I ran into old family friends. These are people who went to church with my family when I was growing up. And even though I had my horrid "I'm running errands" look -- that may be why the husband hesitated when he saw me -- I did chat with them. We talked about where various family members are currently (Their daughter is two years older than I.) and how various family members are doing with their illnesses. The wife is a retired RN from Thrive! and is also a cancer survivor.

Next on the list was some grocery shopping -- a little more sane than going to the mall. And I don't know about you, but if there's a line at the grocery store, I will usually end up in a conversation with someone in line next to me. Like last week when I was in Andronico's and the older guy with the accent in line behind me started up a conversation. I kind of cut him off after he said, "You have a beautiful smile." So similar happened at Trader Joe's. Except it was an older woman and we were talking about kids and education. And then she asked where I went to school since I said that I had attended local schools. And then she asked my name and said, "Of course," when I answered. Because once she told me her name, I knew her instantly. She had been my English teacher my junior year of high school. And she's still teaching. And at Lucky, I discussed cheesecake recipes with the woman in line in front of me.


Once home, I made the above Beef Stroganoff. And another pot of cioppino. And was all set to rest and maybe do some cleaning when there was a knock at the door. The guys in the apartment behind me were having a party to celebrate the end of exams and were hand-delivering the invite.

Isn't this the cutest card ever?

So I took a power nap and headed on over the party. And got home around 4:00 a.m. Now you can see why Sunday was pretty shot. But I wouldn't have missed the party. Because no one parties like some engineering grad students. There were festive green and red Jell-O shots. And someone made a comment about, "There's always room for Jell-O." And there was a fridge full of beer -- really quite literally. And Belvedere and Jack. And there was music and engineers trying to dance. And then there was some beat boxing. Basically it had that kind of vibe if the guys at the Buy More threw a party. (Now if they had hopped into a car to drive to a field to bash some office machinery to the dulcet tones of rap music...) Oh, and the women there? Cute. Because as discussed elsewhere in the PRB, women with taste like their men kind of geeky.


Thankfully I had done all that cooking on Saturday because I only had the energy to make this on Sunday. My only splurge while shopping hungry on Saturday -- the mozzarella. Because who can really say no to cheese?

And I'm afraid of what could be in store for this week. Because on Monday, someone at work told me that I might want to wear loose pants all week...



And I guess I still haven't gotten over the music thing. So I leave you with another classic gem. In the meantime, I'm going to sit here at work and try to be pleasant to people while I'm waiting for the 800 mg of ibuprofen to kick in.

Give me strength

There's another one of those sales going on again. Please give me the strength to resist the temptation of shopping. But there's a little voice in my head that keeps whispering, "Come on. You are working again after all. All you need to get is one bag..."

Why I don't do drugs

I awoke early on Sunday. I had organizing stuff to unpack. And a ton of TV to watch. Guess which won out? Yep, the TV. So there I was curled up with my blanket and pillow. And then Boris decided to use me as a pillow for his nap. Next thing I knew, I had missed the second half of "Chuck." This was after something like five hours of viewing. Don't worry. I finished the show later. But what was really disturbing was remembering the dream that I had while napping. Probably even stranger because I rarely remember dreaming.

Apparently there is a secret room in my apartment. And apparently I knew about the room when I moved in. I have just chosen to ignore it over the last couple of years. But I was hell-bent on getting organized so I opened the door. To discover a room that was at least 12 x 12. It looked a little rundown but not too much. As in, I would never sleep in the room but it looked like a perfectly good place to dump my extra stuff. And then I noticed the window. That turned out to be a sliding glass door. Leading to a covered balcony. And suddenly I had gardening space. I'm sure there's more but then I woke up.

I took it all as a hint and got up and got to work. Yep. All the bags from Bed Bath & Beyond and Target have been unpacked. And at least a couple of items from Bed Bath & Beyond will be going back tomorrow. Seems they didn't fit my kitchen cabinet. But the shelves that I picked up did and now I can once more find various cookware with ease. And I knew that 20 plastic shoeboxes would probably be just a start. It seems I need at least ten more. And there's more shopping to be done next weekend after I get my next paycheck.

Why all the insanity? It wasn't just the organization of my desk at work. It's also been seeing my neighbors' apartments. Seeing their apartments over the last couple of weeks has made me realize that I would have to do a lot of straightening up before I feel comfortable in inviting them into my apartment. And then there was the realization that I have lived here longer than any other place with the exception of my mother's house. And that my nomadic tendencies appear to have disappeared. Well, I still want to travel but now I get to return to a place that I truly consider to be home. After I finish organizing, I'll probably be looking at furniture next. I think it's really time to start putting down roots. Furniture that can travel in the back of my car just doesn't seem to say this.

Lots of time in the car

First of all, I'm still working and things are going well. This working thing takes some getting used to though. By the end of the week, I find myself with tons of saved shows on the DVR. In fact, I am still working my way through last week's shows.

Commuting has also taken some getting used to. For the last five years, I have had a commute of no more than 30 minutes each way. Friday night I was not looking forward to what was going to be a long time in the car -- more than likely an hour and a half -- so I did what I used to do when I worked in South San Francisco. I took the scenic route home. 280 to 1 to Skyline to Great Highway to Lincoln to 25th to MLK Jr. Way to Park Presidio/1 to 101 to 580. And then I decided that y'all deserved some photos. Not many because I had to take them while stopped at lights or stop signs.


Along Great Highway.


I've always loved the houses along Lincoln Way.


Along MLK Jr. Way in Golden Gate Park.


Entering the Golden Gate.

My next stop was to do some shopping. On Friday, I was noticing how everything at my desk was so organized. And then I started wishing that I could organize some of the clutter at home. So I stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond. My intention was to start on everything Friday night. But I got home to a party on the stoop. Needless to say, nothing has made it out of the bag yet. Because not only was there a party on the stoop but my neighbor two floors above me was having a party as well.

Saturday I awoke and suddenly remembered that I had planned on going to Pt. Reyes Station. Saturday was the last day of their Farmers' Market. So I downed lots of liquids, got dressed, and hit the road.


Nicasio is one of my favorite parts of the drive.



I also love this bridge on the road between Nicasio and Pt. Reyes Station.

I was happy to see both Beekind and Windrush Farm at the Market. And they actually had the Redwood honey at Bee Kind this time. It's dark and kind of tastes like coffee. One of these days I'm going to have to make it up to the store. Every time I go to the the Market, I get asked when I plan to visit the store. And apparently the folks at Windrush are having an event next week -- with an opportunity to see the sheep, llama, and alpaca. I'm supposed to have a hair appointment but now I'm debating about rescheduling it so that I can to join in the fun.

And of course, I had to stop by Cowgirl Creamery to check on the latest offerings from Wild Pear. As luck would have it, they recently got in a supply of the Bartlett Pear Jam, one of my absolute favorites. And then I needed another jar of the Pink Lady Apple Jam. And what the heck. Let's give the Lemon Curd a try as well. Right before getting everything rung up, I mentioned how last year around this time there had also been Mandarin Orange Marmalade. There was this time too; they just hadn't had time to put any out. So I grabbed a jar of that as well.

While driving back to Berkeley, my mother called. I had to call her back though because cell phone reception is kind of sketchy in western Marin. Of course, she asked where I had been with such bad reception. She then proclaimed that I was nuts for driving all the way to Pt. Reyes for jams. I explained to her that she would understand if she tasted the stuff. Her answer? "You belong in Berkeley."

Once I was back in Berkeley, I stopped at Target -- more storage containers -- with the intent of stopping at Chipotle for lunch. (In the Bay area, Chipotle uses meats from Niman Ranch. Tasty burritos.) Leaving Target, I guess I was taking too long to make the left onto Gilman. So the jerk behind me started leaning on his horn. Driving up Gilman, the car in front of me stopped to make a left into the Office Depot parking lot. The jerk behind me started leaning on the horn again. This would be about the point in time that I flipped him off. I also toyed with stopping the car and getting out to give him a piece of my mind. Near Chipotle, the street widens and so the offending jerk pulled into the lane next to me. His passenger window was down, so I rolled down my window and yelled, "Why don't you lay off the mother fucking horn?" And then I rolled up the window and pulled into the Chipotle parking lot.

Luckily the stop at Chipotle was able to get me back into my nice peaceful state that the asshole had disrupted. That and the view on the rest of the drive home.


For Neil because I seem to remember that he likes fall colors.

And today? Well, it's time to finally unpack the bags. And to make some more butter chicken and saag paneer.

This has to stop

Saturday evening I had a discussion with my mother about food. She said, "You certainly have been doing quite a bit of cooking over the last couple of weeks. Why is it? Because you can't afford to go out?" If only it was that simple.

The cooking madness began when I thought that I was going to return to my old job. I remembered the crazy hours that I worked and how I ate a lot of crap. Ever since the cooking frenzy has started, I have noticed that my clothes fit a great deal better. I added that this might also have to do with the fact that I end up walking to the grocery store a few times a week. And then things didn't work out with the old job. And I was starting to tire of daytime TV. And my eyes can only stand reading for a certain number of hours each day. So how else could I fill my time?

Now I need to slow down. I am running out of room in the freezer. And I've gone through just about all the storage containers that I have. It's time to start enjoying the bounty. In a week or so.

Saturday I realized that I had some zucchini left over from my purchase for the patties. Even though the patties were great, they were too recent a memory. I wanted something different.


Zucchini bread.

Of course, this necessitated a trip to the store because somehow I had run out of flour. I am greatly concerned that I would let that happen.


And then I remembered that I needed to make the new batch of the Eggplant-Tomato Curry.

And while Friday's lamb was tasty, this got me to thinking. Because I knew that by Sunday, I would probably be ready to freeze any lamb that was left. (The roast had already made it into the freezer, along with the veggies.) So I added a few more items to the list for Saturday.

Sunday morning I thought that I was all set but nooooo. There was still the matter of the spinach in the fridge. It had originally been slated for a Mediterranean dish of Spinach with a Spicy Yogurt Sauce. But why not one of my favorite spinach dishes instead?


Saag paneer.

At first I thought that I would have to make the paneer, but then I remembered the nearby Andronico's. They had it in the cheese section for about the same price as all that milk would have cost me. I think next time that I'll use half of the amount of onion called for in the recipe as it almost seemed like more onion than spinach. And I think I finally understand the difference between saag and palak. If I am not mistaken, saag is chopped spinach while palak is pureed spinach.

Check in tomorrow for the rest of the meal. Yes, there's more.

Change is around the corner...

or at least it is in my mind.

I am not a huge fan of sandwiches. There are exceptions -- the chicken salad at Poulet and the Cobb at Specialty's. (Actually just about anything at Specialty's is good. They bake their own bread.) Then again, I normally don't have roasts around. And so yesterday, I added one more task to my list of things to do around town. Like going to pick up a copy of The First Assistant (I read The Second Assistant on Tuesday.), dropping off shoes at the shoe repair, and getting a pedicure. There was a wait for the pedicure so I just headed down the street to Cheeseboard. Because if you're going to have a sandwich, it may as well be on freshly baked bread. And then I had my pedicure. Followed by a wonderful lunch.


Before the sandwich, check out this bread. Greek Shepherd Bread. I just wasn't sure if the mint would work with all the flavors in this bread.


The lamb sandwich.

It's based on this recipe but I added grilled red onions to it. And there was no hummus. And I didn't grill the bread because I still have some issues with biting into things. The bread? Rosemary and sea salt focaccia. And I reheated some of the zucchini patties to go with the sandwich. To give you an idea of how little I really eat, I was able to finish two of the patties and about half of the sandwich. Washed down with a Limonata.

I had thought of doing more cooking but then I entered a food coma. And while in the coma, I reveled over the fact that I could walk to a bookstore, a shoe repair, a nail salon and a bakery all within a matter of blocks. There's no way possible that I'm moving if I can help it.

Why all this urgency? Because suddenly folks are calling me. I had an interview on Monday and I have one scheduled for today. Funny thing. The two jobs for which I applied in the last month that were the most memorable are the two that wanted to interview me. The Monday folks had said that they would get back to me yesterday; I had figured that it would probably be more like the end of the week in my mind so I'm not completely stressed yet. Because it was a great interview. And I just know that I'll kick ass at the one today as well. And because I like to function on anxiety, I keep playing in my mind the scenario that I am offered both jobs. And then I tell myself that I need to relax and worry about it if and when it happens.

End of da funk?

So this weekend I was able to get past that funk I've been in and actually made it out the door. Woohoo!

I started with baby steps on Friday by taking Boris to the vet's for the rest of his shots. Thankfully it was Boris and not Natasha since Boris is always ready to go. Apparently the only ugly moment is when he growled at the folks at the clinic while they gave him his pedicure. They can stick a thermometer up his ass -- no sound. Give him several shots -- once more, no sound. But try to trim his claws? You would think that someone was trying to kill him. Natasha, on the other hand, takes offense starting with the temperature taking. Her reaction is completely, "You want to put what where? I don't think so." Maybe I should spend my spare time stitching up a little leather outfit for Boris. I still think we can get him film work in Berlin.

After I dropped the porn star off, I went to Pet Food Express, a locally owned pet supply store. Their shelves had even less of B&N's brand of choice. Why? Because these folks pulled anything that might contain ingredients from outside of the U.S. I told the sales guy that Natasha likes her wet stuff chunky and so he recommended some stuff. All seafood. Also not the "indoor cat" formula kind of stuff that I prefer. I didn't buy any because I'm not really ready to go back to extra stinky poo.

And then I decided that I deserved a reward for leaving the house. Across the parking lot from the store was an Everett and Jones spot. I temporarily forgot myself and asked for the sauce on the side. Their meat is OK but it definitely needs the sauce. Not like KC's where the meat is so well-seasoned that the sauce is optional. Then again, E&J's is known for their sauce. My ideal world would be KC's meat with the E&J sauce. And the best part? Boris was at the vet's so I didn't have to worry about a cat begging for food while I enjoyed my BBQ.

Friday was the trial day because I knew that I had to head out on Saturday. Saturday was a birthday party for a woman who had attended my party. She had been calling me daily throughout the week to make sure that I would attend. I was a wee past fashionably late after stopping at Body Time to pick up the China Rain pack as her gift. OK. It was more like extreme CP time. The party started at 4:00. I showed up around 6:00. But I looked really cute, wearing some of the new stuff I picked up during my shopping spree.

I was feeling pretty up on my way home but still couldn't find the energy to go out. Probably because it was one of those kind of nights during which I felt I needed a partner in crime. And I don't have one anymore. My old partner, Grasshopper, did call on Saturday. She wanted me to keep her company while she packed up stuff. (She is moving to a new place with her boyfriend.) I brought along a book and we listened to classic disco and talked. When she was finished, I dropped her off at her boyfriend's job.

Strange thing about getting out of the house. Suddenly I didn't want to go back. It was getting to be about dinnertime and I wasn't thrilled with any of the choices in my fridge. I thought of plenty of places where I could have stopped but none sounded appealing. Then I had a brainstorm. I picked up the phone and called Buzzgirl. About a half hour later I found myself in the Mission to meet up with Buzzgirl for dinner at Esperpento. The only things that were the same were the calamari and the sangria. The chorizo were tasty and cute. (They were the size of those little cocktail franks that folks served in the 70s.) And the clams were swimming in that perfect blend of butter and garlic. Buzzgirl correctly surmised when the dish hit the table that we would be needing more bread. We ordered the patatas bravas but ended up with the patatas ali-oli. We did think about sending them back but ended up eating them. Great food and great company. Yep, the funk is over.

I did some thinking over the weekend. I think the real problem is that my two BFFs, Jade and Emerald, are currently out of town. The other women I know? Well most have men in their lives and can't be bothered with me except when the men are unavailable. I've always tried to not be that kind of woman. Because a man is a lot easier to find than a good friend. Well, at least that was the case in the past. And so the past week was a lot of wallowing in the feeling of being old and lonely. (This is why working is important. Work gives me something else to fill my days other than these thoughts.) I've also realized that the dating world is a lot like the work world for me -- I come off a lot better in person than I do on paper. But I haven't really felt like leaving home so what am I to do?

I did also consider getting another cat and fully embracing the life of crazy cat lady. But then I made it out of the house and life started to look better. Besides Natasha would probably do great injury to me and to any new cat I brought in if I did that.

Belated birthday

Not mine. Jade's. For those of you not in the know, Jade is my BFF. Next year will mark 35 years of friendship. She's been there through it all and knows where the bodies are buried. (I stay close to her because she is a lightweight and can't handle more than two drinks.) Anywho. Her fortieth birthday was back in April. We made several plans over the last couple of months to go out and do something. Each time she had to cancel for various reasons. Today we will be spending a girls' day of a matinee and some shopping before she leaves this weekend to Italy for a month of visiting with her in-laws. So I awoke yesterday and realized that I really should pick up a gift for her finally. Besides I was still consumed with this urge to shop.

I went to my never-fail shop for gifts for gal pals -- Body Time. I usually pick up a gift pack and a Sally Spicer bag for the lucky recipient. I like to go for one of the cosmetic bags but I didn't like any of the fabrics that they had in stock on Monday. So I figured it was Jade after all. She deserved a tote.


Jade's gift.

These bags are even more addictive than the Kate Spade bags in my opinion. Because they told me an awful thing while I was in the store. "If you don't see a bag in a fabric that you like, you can place a custom order." Nooooo! Do they not know how much I salivate whenever I see the Dragonfly line? Actually, they probably do. I tried out at least two of the bags from that line while I was in the store. And I'll tell you this. If and when those folks call to tell me that I have the job, I am going back there to buy at least one of those Dragonfly bags for myself.

Just another weekend

All this past week I have been feeling the urge to shop. Perhaps it has something to do with it being my birthday season. Perhaps it has something to do with the three months' salary currently sitting in my bank account. This has, of course, led to quite a bit of anxiousness. If and when I return to my old job, then I can actually spend a nice chunk of that money if I really wanted to. But if not ... Well, then I need the money for living expenses.

Saturday I decided to stay within reason. I went to the grocery store and broke one of my cardinal rules -- shopping while hungry without a list. The list is important. As long as I have a list, I can fight off the temptation of all the wonderful things around me. I should have only spent about $40 or so with what I actually needed but instead ended up shelling out over $100. The refrigerator is bursting at the seams.

I had managed to avoid the temptation of Shoe Pavilion. Well, I really didn't. They just didn't have the pair of shoes I really liked in my size. I took this as a sign that I was meant to try the other location -- the one at which one of my students' dad is the manager.

To which temptations did I give in? A stop at Bed, Bath & Beyond as well as at Barnes & Noble. I realized that all of my Sisters Grimm books had disappeared -- imagine that -- and that I still hadn't picked up the fourth in the series. And besides, my educator's discount card expires at the end of October. I need to shop while I can. So the weekend meant a stocked fridge and lots of young adult reading.

Hush and Double Dutch were great but a wee bit depressing. After that I wanted something lighter. That's how I ended up reading The Accidental Cheerleader next. This was followed by Minerva Clark Gets a Clue and Princess Academy. By this time it was around noon on Sunday. It was time to get out of the house. And I knew just the place.


By now, Sunday morning has almost become synonymous with chicken hash and poached eggs.

There has been something missing from my Sunday breakfasts for quite some time -- Bartlett pear jam. This meant a drive out to Pt. Reyes Station since that is the only place of which I know to get the stuff. (And apparently I answered Hilly's question too soon because as soon as made the decision to head on out, I started singing, "Bitch better have my jelly." Because I'm goofy like that and like to make up my own lyrics to songs I know. Not that I would have ever said it to the folks at Cowgirl Creamery. Because they're all so nice there.) Good thing Sunday was such a beautiful day. There was also the realization that I still hadn't gotten my dad a Father's Day gift and that he loved the jams and jellies as much as I do.


"Will you leave already, silly lady? We have no need for you currently as our bellies are full and the sun is shining."

I love driving out to Pt. Reyes Station. Something about the drive centers me, makes me believe that all is right in the universe. Maybe it's all the interesting sights along the way.


One of my favorite signs. I'm always tempted to turn and to inquire if there is a Headless Horseman about. But they probably hear enough of that.


The view along Sir Francis Drake. Perhaps it is not wise to try to snap photos while driving 50 mph. And perhaps I should clean my windshield.



Nicasio Reservoir. When I see this, I know my destination is near.

Alas it is too early for pear season but there were all other kinds of goodies to be found. And I learned that while the maker of these jams no longer comes to the Pt. Reyes Farmers' Market, she now goes to the Healdsburg one as well as one in either St. Helena or Napa. Life is complete now that I have all of this jam goodness.


For my aunt, there's Apricot and Strawberry -- two of the three "new" flavors.


My dad's Father's Day gift consists of Pink Grapefruit Marmalade, Roasted Pasilla Jelly, and Meyer Lemon Marmalade.


And finally for myself, I got Cinnamon Pear and Pink Lady Apple. Don't tell my relatives about the pear. It was the last jar and it's all mine.

Then it was time to try out my purchase from BB&B along with some of the purchases from the grocery store. The end result?


Mahatma yellow rice mix with sausage, shrimp, mussels, bay scallops, and sugar peas.

I started using the Mahatma mix a few years ago when saffron was difficult to find. I am starting to rethink it because (1) it in combination with the sausage can end up too salty for my taste at times, and (2) saffron is a lot easier to find. And the new pan? As I was taking it out of the box, I realized that I had spent more on this one pan than I had on my first set of pots and pans eons ago. They were good for -- boiling water. Not much else now that I think of it. Not since I've discovered that it's better not to be so cheap about certain things. I'm starting to think that there is a little bit of a grown-up in me after all what with the slight shift in my priorities.

So yeah, this is a pretty typical weekend for me. When I'm not busy trying to defend my title as professional partygirl.