be back soon... and friday links

Kara Rosenlund's "Sea," via Cup of Jo

We are headed to the south of France and Berlin for two weeks, so the old blog will be neglected for a bit while we are away. I am excited to get away with family, and visit with dear friends we haven't seen in awhile, but I'm totally dreading the flights and traveling with a newly-walking toddler. When do vacations with kids become relaxing?

See you in a few weeks!

Pan-roasted chicken with harissa chickpeas.

My friends Melissa on SFGirlByBay!

Remember Sarah? Her site, Speed4Sarah, just launched. Consider donating to help find a cure for ALS.

One of Stella's favorite activities? Taking photos.

I'm not grossed out by armpit hair on women, are you? Truthfully, I often grow mine out, and I find it quite sexy on other women.

How Powerful Is Your Passport?

This pretty much sums up my daily uniform.

How a woman's plan to kill herself helped her family grieve.

Josey Baker Builds a Bakery. 

(Happy Birthday to my Dad!!)

the week in brief + friday fun links

Crab Cove, Alameda

The week in brief:

Djuna is walking (if 6 steps count... I think that's walking). Stella, out of the blue, started drawing stick figures (heads with eyes, a nose, and mouth, arms, and legs) yesterday. Jordan is flying home today from a 5-day business trip (hurray!). Me and my friend Shayna are always in sync. My Dad finishes up his second AIDS ride in LA tomorrow (again, hurray!). It's going to be a good weekend.

A few fun links...

On happiness

The arugula in my garden is providing us with salad greens every day of the week. I'm adding Ashley's Easy Squash Salad for Summer to the menu for next week.

Chef's Night Out with State Bird Provisions

Is Your Free Time "Contaminated"?

One of my fave Instagram feeds

Nonsense Names: The Rise of Restaurant Gibberish

Why We Laugh: The fascinating science behind your giggle fits

pizza friday + links

Elise Joy's The Best is Yet to Come

It's Friday which means it is homemade pizza night at our house; the pizza dough is rising as I write this. Stella loves "Pizza Friday" as she gets to help assemble the pizzas, meaning she usually eats more pieces of cheese and olives than actually make it on her pizza. Tonight I'm making a pizza bianco (without the Parmesan) for myself with prosciutto, and arugula from our garden. Yum.

Happy weekend, lovelies.

North Korea is really dark.

Is Work Your Happy Place?

Freeing the Gluten-Free.

Cute swimsuit.

Proper sushi etiquette.

New Tana French on the horizon.

Rhubarb.

Orange is the New Black. Season 2. June 6th.

Speed for Sarah.

happy mother's day + friday links

Uta Barth, Deep Blue Day

Happy Friday!

A few links to kick off the weekend...

Looks like I'm dairy-free for the long haul. These sesame soba noodles and grilled salmon are becoming regulars on our dinner table.

Ken Burns does The Roosevelts.

The delicious simplicity of rice and beans.

Hello, sandal weather.

Gorgeous ring.

My current beer fave: Go to IPA.

The Moth: Momofuku's David Chang talks Michelin stars.

The book I just finished. 

And what I'm reading next.

Alan Cumming on Fresh Air.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars.

Loving this necklace.

Selling the Myth of the Ideal Mother.

Happy Mother's Day to my amazing Mom, and to all the wonderful and inspiring mamas in my life.

a few friday links

The Manhattan Dolls

My sister got married on Monday! To help the newlyweds celebrate we surprised them with a "singing telegram" of sorts. Three Manhattan Dolls showed up to their apartment on Monday night and serenaded them with My Funny Valentine, Fly Me to the Moon, Apple Blossom Time, and Blue Skies. Sweet, right?

This Barbara Ehrenreich interview on Fresh Air about her new book, Living with a Wild God: A Nonbeliever's Search for the Truth about Everything, was interesting: "The religions that fascinate me and could possibly tempt me are not the ones that involve faith or belief. They're the ones that offer you the opportunity to know the spirit or deity. ... I think most readily of West-African-derived religions which involve ecstatic rituals where people actually apprehend the spirit or the God or whatever that they are invoking and that they are trying to contact — I have respect for that. But don't ask me to believe anything."

I'm feeling the need for a change and have been coveting this hair/cut for awhile now. To perm or not to perm. I can't believe I'm even writing that...

The midwives are back...

These honey mustard roasted chicken thighs are so easy and delicious. I've been eating tons of greens of late; I've got my eye of some of these main-dish salads.

The Depth of the Problem. The ocean is a vast, deep place. Via Mary.

Happy Friday!

conquering pie

My second pie attempt, Strawberry Balsamic

It's official. 2014 is the year I conquer pie.

Making pie has always daunted me. There are so many steps! The chilling and the rolling and the pre-baking and the resting... So when I got the Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book from my sister for Christmas I decided it was time to overcome my fear of baking pie. 

The first pie I attempted, the Black Bottom Lemon Pie, was not a success. I was too eager and rushed through many of the steps. I learned that rushing does not work when making pie. The custard didn't set properly and it was a mess.

On Friday I decided to try again, this time with a fruit filling and a lattice top (!). I opted for the seasonal Strawberry Balsamic Pie and left plenty of time for each step. I made the dough on Friday and let it mellow overnight in the fridge. On Saturday I assembled and baked the pie. On Sunday we took it to a bbq. 

It was delicious.

in the mood for...

Salty Caramel Pie? Me too...

dinner plans: cumin lamb meatballs

 

What are you having for dinner tonight?

I'm making Melissa Clark's amazing cumin lamb meatballs with tahini yogurt dipping sauce that my friend Shayna told me about last month. We had them a few weeks ago and the meatballs were such a hit. Stella kept asking for more, and there were no leftovers the next day. I'm going to serve them over pearl couscous, with pickled cucumbers, and an arugula, golden beet, goat cheese salad. My mouth is watering already.

[image: Evan Sung for The New York Times]

cheers to december

Hello to December, one of my favorite months of the year. I love the holidays: the chill in the air, the smell of pine needles, baking, twinkly lights, Charlie Brown Christmas on repeat, old traditions and new ones. It's a month of celebrations, of birthdays and family gatherings, made all the more memorable and magical with an almost three-year-old. So cheers to all that...

A few links:

We're on day 2 of this adorable advent calendar.

Yayoi Kusama's Mirrored Room looks beautiful.

I (finally) started Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch over the weekend. The book has been sitting on my bedside table since the day it was released, but I hadn't felt ready to crack the spine until this past Saturday. I'm only 50 pages in, but I'm loving the language and the imagery so far. Take a look at the interview with Tartt over at Powells.com.

Applesauce Carrot Bread with Pecan Streusel. Yum!

This place has become one of our favorite date night spots.

It is silly how long I've been looking for a cute pair of booties. I've been so tempted by clog booties, but when I admired them on Marisa Haskell a few weeks ago she told me all about how hers are stiff and unforgiving. I just don't have the time or the patience to break in a new pair of booties. And, frankly, spending beaucoup $ on a pair of shoes that are so uncomfortable I might never wear them is just not an option. These are the ones I've chosen (in Navy suede). Fingers crossed.

a few weekend links

YUM.

I turn 35 in November. Gah! I think I'm going to make this ice cream cake to celebrate. Nothing says happy birthday like an ice cream cake, right?!

Eat, Pray, Love, Get Rich, Write A Novel No One Expects.

Super cute kids sandals.

I'm seriously crushing on these Ali Golden bags. My friend Melissa has one and every time I see her I covet it...

Saying goodbye at preschool has been a challenge. I appreciated this Motherlode post on easing the transition and separation anxiety.

This adorable book is one of our favorites at the moment.

TED Talk 2012 Flashback: Chip Kidd. Designing books is no laughing matter. OK, it is.

Can't wait to go to this new Oakland beer hall.

Fall is in the air. The dusklight sweater.

Domino Magazine is back.

[photograph credit: ashley of not without salt]

best lunch box ever

For the record, I never thought I'd be writing a post about school lunches. But, well, here we are...

 

Now that Stella is in preschool three days a week, I think about her lunch in a whole new way. Way more than necessary, in fact. I'm pretty lazy when it comes to lunches at home. Quesadilla with black beans and avocado 3 days in a row at home is okay in my book, but I can't bring myself to pack the same thing for her lunches 3 days a week knowing that her teachers unpack her lunchbox and I'm supposed to be sending her with a well-rounded, nutritious meal.

Which is why I'm excited my friend Jen brought me a special treat at our park date last week: Katie Sullivan Morford's Best Lunch Box Ever. Jen did all the lovely photography for the book and it was published by Chronicle (the company I worked for before having Stella) which means the book itself is beautiful. Here are a few shots of recipes I'm looking forward to trying.

Asian Slaw

Sweet Potato Quesadilla

Date, Cream Cheese, Spinach Wraps

Sour Cherry Oatmeal Bars

Also, check out Jen's recent recipe on Design*Sponge for Wild Mushroom Risotto. Yum!

a few friday links

Our plum tree is producing more fruit than we can manage to eat, so this week I made this super tasty plum tart. I used half whole wheat flour for the crust and very little of the topping. We devoured it with a scoop of Jeni's Goat Cheese with Red Cherries Ice Cream. Absolutely delicious!!

A new study shows that delayed umbilical cord clamping benefits newborns.

We are recommending this book left and right (so good!), and I'm currently in the reading this book, both of which made it onto NPR's Best of Summer: 6 Books that the Critics Adore.

Hurray for new episodes of Endeavour.

YES to breastfeeding in public.

I can't wait for my feet to go back to size so I can finally (I got them in MAY) fit into my *new* clogs.

The Rapper is Present: Marina Abramović + Jay-Z.

Ace & Jig cuteness.

If We Didn't Have California What Would We Eat?

jen's bourbon balls

Remember Jen's Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Well friend Jen is over on Design*Sponge again with another amazing looking recipe, this time for Gold-dusted Orange-scented Boubon Balls. YUM! And, as always, her photographs make me want to climb into the computer and nosh. Luckily, Stella and I are heading to Jen's house this afternoon for a cookie-making party so I won't have to wait too long for one of Jen's sweet treats. Yay for foodie friends!

[photo: Jen Martine]

chopped salad

The pizza place in our neighborhood makes a really good chopped salad. It's so crunchy and clean tasting I often crave it throughout the week.

So this week I decided to create my own chopped salad. And I am hooked.

Chopped Salad

6 butter lettuce leaves, chopped

3 radicchio leaves , chopped

3 radishes, chopped

1/2 a red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 a cucumber, chopped

5 baby tomatoes, chopped

Small handful of crumbled feta

Small handful of parsley, chopped

2 strands of chives, chopped

A dollop of grainy mustard

A drizzle of olive oil

A splash of champagne vinegar

Salt & Pepper to taste

It's seriously so good. I can't wait to experiment with other variations.

new cookbooks

I'm so excited to test out the three cookbooks I got for my birthday.

From my Mom & Dad:

Because I love the blog... The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.

Because my friend Andie made me a dish from this that was super delish.

And from Melissa:

Because Melissa is my canning guru, and apparently Marisa McClellan is her canning guru. 

Any cookbooks you are loving at the moment? Please share! I'm always looking for new inspiration in the kitchen.

weekend

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was pretty great. I stopped by the big Erica Tanov sale on Saturday morning and scored a pair of gorgeous Chie Mihara heels (above) on super sale (I'll be wearing them to a wedding in Mexico City in a few weeks). We ate tacos at Tacubaya. Went to a bbq at my parents house in Orinda and went for a swim in the pool. Wandered around the Temescal farmers' market where we picked up some goodies for the week and ran into Celia and Stella's friend Cheech, and Jamie. As a prefect end to the weekend we had our new friends Devon and Simon and their son Ari over for an early dinner (grilled salmon with mango, peach, cucumber salsa + roasted veggies with a sour cream cilantro sauce + quinoa, spinach, feta, olive salad + an ah-mazing peach tarte with buttermilk ice cream by Devon) last night.

jen's chocolate chip cookies

My friend Jen and her seriously addictive Chocolate Chip Cookies (Cocoa Nib and Toasted Walnut Cookies Topped with Artisan Sea Salt) are over on Design*Sponge today. I've been the lucky recipient of a few test versions of these beauties. And they are GOOD. Seriously, dangerously good. 

What's also dangerously good? Jen's food photography. Her pictures of food have me drooling over my keyboard. She's a talented one, that Jen.

[photo: Jennifer Martiné]

fishs eddy

I discovered Fishs Eddy while in New York. Wow. Maybe it's okay there isn't a  Fishs Eddy in San Francisco. I might have to buy everything, like, for starters, a collection of these floral containers. Love them.

homemade granola bars

Most of my cooking these days is done with Stella attached to my chest in the Baby Bjorn. Yesterday we made Ina Garten's Homemade Granola Bars from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. We added sour cherries to the mix, and the bars are delicious. Jordan and I couldn't wait for them to set for the 2-3 hours the recipe called for, so we ate the still warm granola with a bit of Coconut Bliss (our favorite ice cream brand ever) vanilla ice cream. Yum!

lust list

Peter Carey's Parrot & Olivier in America


Chalkboard Jam Pot



Harvey cut-out boot


Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty