The Granola Chronicles

Lemon Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

2013-05-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today is a very special day! A virtual baby shower is happening for a dear blogging friend of mine, Krystal, of Mrs. Regueiro's Plate. You might remember I participated in one for her last year around this time, and we're at it again as Krystal is expecting another baby soon!

Krystal has been so sweetly referring to the baby as "cupcake," so it's only natural that cupcake is the name of the game for this virtual baby shower!

I've been reading Krystal's blog for quite some time now and actually met her at Foodbuzz back in 2011. She is so sweet, just like these lemon cupcakes I made for her!

Tart lemon cupcakes topped with sweet coconut cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with toasted coconut. There's a lot going on here, and they are just lovely.

Please be sure to check out Eva Bakes, as she is hosting the virtual shower today. You'll find pictures and links to all the cupcakes made in honor of Krystal and her lil' cupcake! It's also a great example of how wonderful this blogging community truly is.

Krystal, I am so, so, SO happy for you and your family. Elena is going to be such a fabulous big sister!

FYI - I used this recipe for the lemon cupcakes and this one for the coconut cream cheese frosting. Both were perfect, so I didn't make any changes.

Meet Our Little Girl!

2013-04-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

First off...Happy Birthday to my wonderful mother! Wishing you lots of love on your special day. :)

Well, it really wasn't my intention to take a month-long break from blogging. Life has been so darn crazy -- good things though! Busy at work, weekends filled with friends, and....a new addition to our family!

Meet Reyna! She's a two-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback-Beagle mix, and we adopted her from a rescue organization on Easter weekend.

The poor girl was found wandering around her town by animal control. Her owners were contacted and said they didn't want her anymore. She was at the pound for one week before it was time for her to be euthanized (unbelievably sad), but the rescue organization came in and placed her in a foster home. It truly breaks my heart to think of everything she's been through. I suppose it happened for a reason because now she is in a loving, nurturing home!

I can't imagine not having her. Even though she's only been with us for a few weeks, she is such a huge part of our lives now. She's the best little cuddler and has such a sweet personality.

We're calling her our "forever puppy" because she really does look like a puppy! You wouldn't believe how many comments we get about our "puppy" and questions asking about how old she is. Whenever we tell people she's two, they just can't believe she's fully grown.

So there you have it! Reyna is consuming our lives, and we absolutely love it. I hope to get back to regular blogging soon, once I nail down a normal routine of living with a dog!

Balsamic-Glazed Pork Chops

2013-03-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Evan and I eat a lot of vegetarian meals. I find cooking veggie meals to be simple, quick and cheap. A can of black beans for 89 cents? Yes, cheap indeed.

We usually only have meat with dinner once a week, and it's almost always chicken. Lately, I've been buying boneless top loin pork chops from Whole Foods. I believe they're $6.99 or $7.99 a pound, and we only buy a 1/2 pound for one dinner. Three dollars isn't too shabby!

I kind of forgot how simple pork chops are to cook -- they cook up rather quickly, which makes them a great choice for an easy week-night meal.

Anyway! I followed this recipe, and we absolutely loved it! As you can see, we enjoyed the chops with a simple side salad and baked sweet potatoes. What a comforting meal!

Coconut Almond Granola

2013-03-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

Finally. That's really all I can say. I finally made granola after a year-long hiatus.

Don't ask me why it had been so long because I truly don't know. I feel like I'm back in the game though. I made this batch on Sunday afternoon, and it won me over.

It's simple! We're talking rolled oats, sliced almonds and coconut chips for the main ingredients. Add in a little coconut oil, honey, cinnamon and salt -- then call it a day! That's it.

You guys, coconut oil is the secret to amazing granola. It provides great texture when it's soaked up by the rolled oats. The granola has a nice crisp at first, then the oats just melt in your mouth. Ahhh! It's just so good.

Coconut Almond Granola

Ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup dried coconut chips (I got mine from the Whole Foods bulk bins)

Directions:
In a large bowl whisk together the coconut oil, honey, cinnamon and salt. Add in remaining ingredients and stir vigorously with a fork until well coated. Pour onto a large jelly roll pan and spread out evenly.

Place pan in a cool oven - then change the temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir with a wooden spoon. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 30 minutes, then store in an airtight container for up to one week.

what we're eating this week (march 18 - 22)

2013-03-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

I made granola this weekend!

Recipe will be posted Monday morning!

How was your weekend? Ours was so darn relaxing. We've had some very busy weekends since January, so we loved having nothing on our schedule. We walked around the city (it was beautiful this weekend!), read some books out on the rooftop, played backgammon, drank some wine, watched "Friends with Kids" (such a good movie!) and even managed to clean the apartment. It was glorious!

Here's what we have planned for meals this week. Feel free to share your menu in the comments!

March 18 - 22

Monday: Chicken & Asparagus in White Wine Sauce
Tuesday: Sweet Potato Pizza with Onion & Rosemary
Wednesday: Ricotta-Spinach Pasta
Thursday: Pizza & Pasta Leftovers
Friday: Take-out, eggs & toast, or something simple (read: wing it!)

birthday weekend in wine country

2013-03-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

A week ago right now, Evan and I were making the short drive to wine country. We headed to Yountville, St. Helena and Napa for my birthday. The warm weather, peaceful communities and beautiful scenery had me wishing we lived just north of the city...in the land of wine!

But alas, we live in San Francisco (which is pretty darn amazing!), so weekend trips to wine country will have to do for now!

Our first stop was Yountville...specifically Bouchon Bakery!

While I very much wanted to start the day with a cupcake (how cute are those shamrocks?!), we decided to share a pastry and a slice of quiche.

I chose the Chocolate Almond Croissant, and Evan picked out the Mushroom & Greens Quiche (made with greens from The French Laundry's garden!). The quiche literally just melted in your mouth. It was the best egg dish I've ever had! And the croissant? Well, that, too, was heaven on earth.

We each picked out a macaroon. Evan chose Raspberry, and I went with Birthday Cake! They actually just debuted the Birthday Cake flavor the week before we visited. Coincidence? I think not!

We took a walk around Yountville and stumbled upon The French Laundry.

This is the closest we're ever going to get to this restaurant (well, and tasting the greens from their garden in our quiche!). A girl can dream though, right?!

After walking around Yountville, we started our winery hop.

First up was Robert Sinskey.

They actually pair small bites with the wine. It was nice to see how each wine paired with different food flavors. The roasted almonds with rosemary were my favorite!

ZD Wines was the next stop. Check out those beautiful flowers (and my caught-off-guard, beautiful husband!). :) I didn't take any pictures of the tasting at ZD Wines, but it was one of our favorites of the day. The pourer was so wonderful, and we had a great conversation with him during the tasting.

We knew we wanted to do an olive oil tasting, so we worked that into the schedule.

We tried Long Meadow Ranch's olive oil -- they have two varieties. Both were delicious, but we actually liked the cheaper one the best (yay for that!). The Napa Valley Select EVOO was quite peppery, and we really like how it provided a tickle on the back of our throats (which very fresh olive oil will do!). We ended up purchasing a bottle of it.

We really enjoyed Luna Vineyards and the tasting there. They had a beautiful tasting room, and the 2011 Pinot Grigio was quite refreshing! We really enjoyed the 2011 Sangiovese as well.

We were having so much, we decided to stay the night in Napa. We used Hotel Tonight, an app that provides great deals on hotels at noon each day. We stayed at the Silverado Resort and, minus the palm trees, it reminded us of a southern plantation!

It was such a great weekend! I feel so blessed that we live so close to wine country. More importantly, I feel so blessed to have such a thoughtful, caring husband -- it was a lovely birthday weekend!

Cranberry-Chili Sauce

2013-03-12T20:11:00.001-07:00

We're all familiar with the salty/sweet combination. You know, salted caramel, chocolate-dipped pretzels and the like. But let's talk about the sweet and spicy combination -- one of my favorites!

This Cranberry-Chili Sauce is by no means a new invention, and it's certainly not fancy. Goodness, though, it's tasty!

You'll find plenty of recipes for a million variations all over the interwebs. In fact, I've made a few of the variations myself and have always been impressed. The cranberry-chili combination just works.

I realized, however, that simplicity always wins. And really there's no need for extra sugar, as many of the recipes include.

So here's my adaptation of this popular sauce -- all three ingredients (yep, just three)!

It's great with cocktail meatballs, little smokies, pulled pork or shredded chicken (for a BBQ-style meal!). For vegetarians out there, I imagine this would be a great sauce for basic cubed, fried tofu!

Cranberry-Chili Sauce
Adapted from Very Culinary

Ingredients:
1 - 14 oz. can jellied cranberry sauce
1 - 12 oz. bottle chili sauce
1/2 cup ketchup

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together all three ingredients. Bring to a low simmer, stirring frequently. Cook until very well combined and smooth - about 10 minutes. Pour over cooked meatballs, lil smokies, any meat or vegetarian protein.

Yield: This sauce was just right for 1.5 pounds of meatballs -- but I like a lot of sauce. You could easily use this same recipe for two pounds.

*You can cook this in the slow cooker. Simply whisk ingredients, pour into slow cooker and add desired meat. You would then follow the recipe/instructions for your meat choice.

what we're eating this week (march 11-15)

2013-03-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

Goodness. It has been such a lovely weekend! Evan and I made the short trip to Napa yesterday and then spent the night -- it was a wonderful birthday present! We had breakfast at Bouchon Bakery, stopped at four wineries and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I'll share more details later this week!

That, my friends, is Lemon Cream Butter Cake. I was sold on a chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting for my birthday treat but came across this butter cake on Pinterest last week. The lemon was calling my name! Even though my birthday is tomorrow, you can bet we'll be digging into this cake tonight!

I made a few slight changes to the recipe, and I'll be sharing it soon.

For now, here's what we're going to be eating this week. Feel free to post your menu in the comments or link to your blog if you also share your menu each week!

March 11 - 15

Monday: Baked Pork Chops with Swiss Chard (and quinoa)

Tuesday: Eggs, Toast and Fruit

Wednesday: Pasta with Peas, Garlic and Ricotta Salata

Thursday: Spicy Vegetable Soup

Friday: Soup Leftovers

march cravings.

2013-03-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

I find it hard to believe that it's already March 5. Are we all in agreement that 2013 seems to be flying? Ok, good.

I thought it'd be fun to list a few things I'm craving at the beginning of each month. Goals, if you will. However, let's please use the word "goals" loosely, as I'm not usually a goal-setter type. Maybe "bucket list" is a better description.

Regardless of my little rant there, here are a few things I hope to do over the next few weeks!

Hike.
Evan and I finally hiked back in January -- it had been so, so long. We used to hike all the time when we lived in Palo Alto, and I really miss regularly hiking. I'm hoping we can find a Saturday in March to go on a hike.

Whip up a batch of homemade granola.
I honestly have no idea when I last made granola. I know for sure it was before June because that's when we moved to San Francisco, and I haven't made it since moving to our new apartment. Yikes. By the way, this Coconut Cashew Granola is one of my most popular posts -- coconut oil is perfect in granola.

Become a morning person.
I know my parents and sister are laughing hysterically right now but really! I truly want to start waking up earlier. I feel so darn rushed in the mornings and always feel like I'm running out the door. I'd love to have enough time to really enjoy my morning cup of joe, catch up on the news & blogs and, heck, maybe even squeeze in a workout. Who knows if this is something I can actually conquer in a month, but I'd love to start waking up earlier at least a few times a week.

Bake a cake.
So...I turn 26 next on March 11. Yeah, I'll officially be closer to 30 than 20. I plan on baking a completely decadent cake and eating all of it on my birthday. Perhaps you think I'm joking -- you'd be wrong. Anyway, I'm thinking this Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting might be the one. Good choice, eh?

Do you have anything special lined up for March?!

what we're eating this week (march 4-8)

2013-03-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday! Hope you've been having a great weekend.

We had so much fun last night with our friends, Drea and Cory. We snacked on some delicious food and drank some wonderful wine.

I roasted garlic yesterday (best smell ever!) because I made this last night: Brussels Sprouts Crostini. You guys! Try it immediately.

I also made this Caramelized Onion Dip from Food & Wine. Again, simply amazing! I don't think I've ever made a recipe from Food & Wine that wasn't absolutely delicious.

I sipped on one of my absolute favorite Chardonnays: 2008 Musque Clone from Buena Vista. So buttery and smooth!

It was such a fun night!

We met another couple, Cara and Joe, for brunch this morning. We planned on eating at Plow, but it was a two hour wait! We were all very ravenous, so we decided to go somewhere else to avoid waiting so long. We found Aperto just a few blocks from Plow and had breakfast there. They served pineapple coconut muffins before our main entrees, and the muffins were so amazing! Another great time with good friends.

************

I just finished meal planning for this week and thought I'd share the line-up. I meal plan every week, so I'm thinking about blogging our meals every Sunday -- maybe to provide a little inspiration!

FYI: I try to plan three meals a week and make enough servings that we can enjoy leftovers 1-2 times a week. Cook once, eat twice is the way to go!

Monday: Balsamic Pork Chops, baked sweet potatoes + salad
Tuesday: Mushroom-Herb Spaghetti + salad
Wednesday: Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Leftovers (or frozen pizza, eggs, something simple, etc.)

Sourdough French Toast.

2013-03-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

Evan made Sourdough French Toast this morning, so we have that going for us!

To the egg mixture (3 eggs + 1 1/2 cups milk), he added 1/4 teaspoon each of vanilla and cinnamon. I proceeded to slather on the butter and drown the bread in maple syrup. Clearly.

We also enjoyed some blackberries and strawberries on the side. It was a lovely Saturday breakfast!

Oh, and we must not forget the coffee. Coffee rules Saturday morning and every morning!

I think we're going to head to the farmers market at the Ferry Building and run a few errands this afternoon before our friends come over tonight for drinks and appetizers.

Hope you make this day a great one!

thursday thoughts.

2013-02-28T07:38:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my random thoughts. Just for you!

1. Sometimes living so far away from family is tough. All I can say is this: Praise the Lord for Skype. (Those are my cute nephews!)

2. Oh, is this Chocolate Peanut Butter Kettlecorn worth it? You betcha it is.

3. Evan and I have been skipping our morning workouts and sleeping in until 7am during the week. It has been glorious! For real.

4. I absolutely, positively love my new job. I work for a scholarship program that focuses on students of color and those in serious financial need situations. It is so, so, so rewarding.

5. We recently purchased some new art for above our bed. I love it!

6. We're having friends over on Saturday night (they just got engaged, and I am so darn happy for them!). On Sunday, we're meeting another couple for brunch (they're expecting a baby!). It's going to be a great weekend!

7. One more thing. Can someone please tell me when I last posted a recipe? I have absolutely no idea. Oops.

this city.

2013-02-26T07:47:00.001-08:00

My new job is allowing me to discover each and every neighborhood in this city. I give presentations to high school seniors in San Francisco, and I absolutely love it.

I've been visiting so many high schools, and I just love the unique scenery in each neighborhood.

This city is so wonderful.

Castillo de Monseran: Garnacha

2013-02-20T07:53:00.000-08:00

Don't let my lack of wine review posts fool you. We've been drinking plenty of wine. You have nothing to worry about.

We picked up this fun, cheap ($7.99) wine at K&L Wine Merchants a few weekends ago.

I kind of felt like the mothership was calling me home.

Anyway, this wine!

This 2010 Garnacha was very drinkable and, surprisingly, somewhat sweet. It was light-bodied and only slightly oaky. I'm not the biggest fan of sweet reds, but this one wasn't super sweet. Definitely a red wine with a hint of sweetness but don't expect a sugary drink!

For under ten dollars, I'd definitely suggest trying it at least once.

drinks on drinks.

2013-02-18T17:18:00.000-08:00

Hello! Evan and I both had today off from work, so we enjoyed the long weekend! It's been a great few days filled with dear friends, good food and delicious drinks.

One of my absolute dearest friends, Melissa, and her husband, Kyle, came to visit us on Saturday. Melissa and I are sorority sisters (Chi Omega at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln), and we were bridesmaids in each others' weddings. They just moved to California, so we're happy to have fabulous friends nearby!

It was gorgeous in San Francisco on Saturday. We walked to the farmers market at the Ferry Building and then enjoyed chicken + waffles at Farmerbrown's Little Skillet. Because the weather was perfect, we just had to enjoy drinks on a patio...we ended up at B Restaurant & Bar.

This sparkling white wine sangria was so refreshing!

We then headed to Jamber Wine Pub for...more drinking! We all enjoyed different flights (wine flights for the ladies; beer flights for the boys).

It was so good to spend time with close friends. We're heading on a little ski trip with them next weekend and can't wait!

Treat Yo Self.

2013-02-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

On the last day of my previous job, I decided to treat myself.

Psst - check out this "Treat Yo Self" clip from Parks & Rec (it's my favorite TV show, ever!).

Something indulgent was speaking to me, so I stopped at See's Candies on my way home. Oh, friends. Chocolate.

Good chocolate!

Truly, I wanted to get every flavor available, but I decided on five. Keep in mind I bought two of each flavor, so I could fully enjoy each piece without having to share with Evan.

Harsh? Well, there's no way I split chocolate. Please!

The line-up!

Dark Bourdeaux (creamy brown sugar covered in dark chocolate)
Raspberry Cream
Peanut Butter Patties
Mocha
Dark Cocoanut

Don't ask me to pick a favorite! They were all so darn delicious. The bordeaux was really, really good -- and something different!

See's also gives out a free sample when you're waiting in line. The flavor they were giving out when I stopped in was butterscotch. Ooohhh, was it amazing!

I walked by See's today on my way home after work, and apparently there's some lovey dovey holiday tomorrow, so everyone was in line. Every single San Franciscan. Dang.

Oh, and Happy (early) Valentine's Day! :)

Chicken Carbonara: Chef's Pick

2013-02-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

Hey, friends! Hope you had a lovely weekend. Our was wonderful: Indian take-out on Friday, California Academy of Sciences on Saturday, and major relaxing/lounging today. Wonderful indeed!

I like to keep lunch on Sundays pretty low-key, so today I enjoyed a quick and easy meal. I received some Lean Cuisine coupons through DailyBuzz Food and decided to try one out!

Lean Cuisine partnered with various chefs for their new Culinary Collection - Chef's Pick line of frozen meals. I tried the Chicken Carbonara, and it had great flavor. I was quite surprised that the asparagus tasted extremely fresh and crisp! The sauce was also great -- creamy, yet light and subtle (nothing too heavy!).

My only suggestion for the meal: more bacon! But really, that's how I feel about everything, so it's nothing new! Also, as with most frozen meals, the portion size isn't too big. It's best paired with a side salad or fruit for a complete, filling meal.

I have partnered with Lean Cuisine through DailyBuzz Food to help promote their new line of Chef's Pick products. I have been compensated for my time commitment to work with this product. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Thank you Lean Cuisine!

best breakfasts.

2013-02-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

I know I've mentioned this a few times before, but Evan is in charge of breakfast during the weekends. I cook dinner for us during the week, and he whips delicious morning meals on Saturdays and Sundays. It's a routine we've fallen into and works quite well for the two of us.

Last Saturday (after sleeping in!), Evan declared he was going to make Eggs Benedict. I'm not going to lie to you, friends. I was nervous. My dear husband usually sticks to pancakes and basic egg dishes (egg burritos, scrambles, etc.). But poached eggs and hollandaise sauce? Not so much.

But he did it! And let me tell you, he executed the EB quite beautifully! He's a keeper...obviously!

Sunday morning we mixed things up and made breakfast together. While sipping French press coffee and listening to The Lumineers on Pandora, we made a batch of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins from How Sweet It Is. We ate them while reading Sunday's edition of The New York Times -- the one that featured Saltwater in the travel section! It was a lovely morning.

And this morning? Well, my dear husband is in the kitchen making some crepes! I'll be sure to report back to you on those little gems!

tomales point trail.

2013-01-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

I mentioned last week that Evan and I hiked six miles during the long weekend in Point Reyes National Seashore. We did the Tomales Point Trail and enjoyed beautiful views of the Pacific ocean. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves!

Oh, and there was an old dairy farm from the 1870s at the trail head, and I've included a few pictures of that as well. Enjoy!

saltwater

2013-01-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, when Evan and I were in Inverness, CA, we had the best meal of our entire lives. We had such a wonderful dining experience at Saltwater, and I'm so excited to share it with you.

Psst! Saltwater was actually featured in this week's "36 Hours" article in the New York Times. We couldn't believe that we just dined there a few days ago! In fact, as we were driving home, we talked about how the NYT should do a 36 Hours in the area and feature Saltwater. This is our life!

I know my pictures won't do any justice to the food we enjoyed, but I didn't feel comfortable busting out my real camera. Saltwater is a small, intimate restaurant -- it just didn't feel right to ruin the ambiance with a camera flash. iPhone photos will have to do!

We ordered a bottle of Grenache Blanc, and it was lovely. Evan and I are both fans of regular Grenache, so we were so excited to try this white variety. Sweet, but not too sweet. It paired perfectly with our food.

Oysters are the "big thing" at Saltwater, so of course we had to start with a few! If you know me, you know that I'm still warming up to the idea of seafood (hello, I grew up in rural Nebraska!). Although I was nervous, I knew I just had to try at least one.

I tried one and liked it so much that I had another! The marinade they served with the raw oysters (shown in the top left of the photo above) was divine.

For our other starters, we had bread with olive oil and the roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon. Two things! One: if you ever have the chance to try real, fresh olive oil, don't pass up the opportunity. I could have sipped the olive oil with a straw. Trust me, there is a difference between olive oil you buy at the grocery store and the good stuff. Please splurge on the good stuff. Two: Brussels sprouts and bacon! There was a bit of tanginess in the salad -- almost like wasabi -- and it was wonderful.

We split two entrees: the crab cake and roasted mahi mahi. The crab cake was executed beautifully -- mostly real crab, hardly any filler ingredients. It was served on top of a mango soup and topped with ancho cress. It was sweet and delightful.

And this mahi mahi? It was served on top of garbanzo beans and cauliflower, which all rested on top of beurre blanc. Oh, beurre blanc - what a buttery, lovely sauce. The mahi mahi was cooked to perfection, and I couldn't believe how much I was enjoying seafood. Saltwater won me over.

We ended the evening on a sweet note! For dessert we had the browned butter almond cake with blood oranges, and it was served with fresh whipped cream. It came in its own little cast iron skillet - cute!

I cannot say enough great things about Saltwater. The owner, Luc Chamberland, actually came by our table before we left to ask us about our experience. He was so genuine and sincere, and I truly enjoyed speaking with him. He probably thought I was a crazy person because I kept saying that I was so close to crying happy tears because the food was that good. This is no lie.

If you ever find yourself just north of San Francisco, please visit Saltwater. You will not be disappointed!

Ten Inverness Way

2013-01-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

Last week was crazy in the Granola household. Evan worked some very long hours, and I was offered/accepted a new job and gave my two week's notice at my current position (!). As soon as Thursday night rolled around, we were both emotionally exhausted. As we snuggled up on the couch late that night and after we caught each other up on our respective days, Evan suggested we plan a getaway to a bed & breakfast. This man! He really has my heart.

So after a little Yelp-ing, we decided on Ten Inverness Way in Inverness, CA. Nestled in the Point Reyes area and in the midst of hiking trails, this B&B was exactly what we were looking for!

We did a great six-mile hike (which I'll recap soon!) before checking in at the B&B a little after 3pm on Sunday. They had just set out some delicious peanut butter cookies, so we enjoyed a few while perusing the menus from some local restaurants (we chose Saltwater - review coming in the next few days!). After a quick shower, we met in the living room for some wine and cheese with the other house guests.

A cute little library!

This is what I love most about B&Bs: meeting other people (and the fact that most set out wine and cheese at night)! There were four other couples, and we enjoyed meeting them all. One was a recently-retired couple from Kansas City, and they were so lovely!

I have no idea how we were even so hungry on Monday morning after a night at Saltwater, but we thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast at Ten Inverness Way. The owner made a caramel cream french toast with fresh strawberries and turkey bacon.

Ooooh. It was decadent and wonderful!

If you're looking for a nice little getaway in Northern California, I highly suggest Ten Inverness Way! Inverness is about 1 1/2 hours north of San Francisco, but it feels worlds away. We're actually hoping to stay there again soon - maybe sometime in March for my birthday!

thursday thoughts.

2013-01-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

1. Big news on the family front: my lovely sister, Ashley, started a food blog! Ashley is unbelievably amazing in the kitchen and super creative in every aspect of her life. I've always wanted her to blog about her fabulous creations, and she's finally doing it. Please give her a warm welcome to the blog world -- With Love From South Dakota.

2. I've been chugging hot tea at work like it's my job. I work in an extremely old building in downtown San Francisco, and the heating system is a bit wonkers. But the tea is (somewhat) keeping me warm!

3. You guys. I'm totally obsessed with the auther, Sarah Jio. I read Blackberry Winter a few months ago and literally couldn't put it down. I got her other two books for Christmas from my in-laws. I already finished The Bungalow and just started The Violets of March, which I'm already loving. SO good. I highly recommend these books! Jio connects current day stories to those in the past, and how everything is connected is quite unbelievable. Read them now!

4. I went into Neiman Marcus on my lunch break the other day and felt completely, totally out of place. I fell in love with a very simple shirt (like I probably could have made it myself, and I don't sew) and then saw the price tag: $314.00. Really? I proceeded to run down the escalator and out the building. Who has the money for that?! Geesh.

5. I'm still eating avocado toast for breakfast every.single.day. And I'm still very happy about this fact.

corn and potato chowder.

2013-01-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I love soup. (As evidenced here, here, here and here - to mention a few.)

But anyway, this soup!

I made this on a lazy Sunday afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner. It's nothing fancy, but it's comforting and delicious. That's what matters!

It's extremely simple to make and only requires a little chopping and some stirring. It comes together rather quickly with a fairly short cooking time. The only thing I would change the next I make it will be to serve it in sourdough bread bowls. I feel like that would be a wonderful decision!

Corn & Potato Chowder
Inspired by: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup half & half
1 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
6-8 small red potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 cups frozen corn
salt, pepper & hot sauce, to taste

Directions:
1. In large dutch oven or stock pot, cook the butter and onion over medium heat. Saute for 5-7 minutes until the onion is translucent.

2. In small bowl, whisk together the half & half, milk and flour. Pour into the stock pot, stirring constantly. Add in the broth, potatoes and frozen corn.

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered and stirring often, for 15 minutes.

4. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

brunch at chloe's cafe.

2013-01-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

Evan and I enjoyed an absolutely delicious breakfast at Chloe's Cafe on Saturday.

Brunch attire!

Chloe's Cafe is located at 26th & Church in Noe Valley right here in San Francisco. Side note: I'm in love with this neighborhood!

Great coffee!

I had a hard time deciding between sweet and savory.

Sweet = cinnamon croissant french toast (!!!)
Savory = avocado & Jarlsberg scrambled eggs

I ended up going with savory -- I have hard time passing up anything with avocado!

Potatoes were served with the eggs, as well as rosemary white toast with homemade raspberry jam. Everything was so good. Nothing fancy, but man, everything was done so, so well. One of the best breakfasts I've had (if not the best!) in San Francisco.

Locals, Chloe's Cafe doesn't accept credit cards, so be prepared (there is an ATM across the street just in case!).

Sweet or savory when it comes to breakfast?!

our sunday morning.

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Coffee. Sticky buns. Oranges.

+ cuddling up with the latest issue of Fast Company and today's edition of The New York Times. This morning is a good morning!