Weekend Wrap-Up in P's

I spent the weekend down in Webb's hometown, and we had a full weekend of P's: Premiere, Packing, Puppy, Pinterest, Petroglyph, and a Parade.  Phew!

Stay tuned for some posts about the recipes and Petroglyph!

All in all, a delightful weekend :)

Premiere

Friday was date night on Santana Row in San Jose, where we grabbed Mexican and caught the opening night premiere of Cloud Atlas. The movie was trippy, but we both got into it.  I'd recommend.

Packing

Webb's parents are in the final stages of moving out of their home and into a rental while the house is being renovated.  The move was a huge project, but it's only just beginning!  It's fun to pack and discover trinkets from Webb's childhood and high school years.  

Puppy

On Saturday, we met the cutest Beagle puppy named Chewy!  He had the most adorable personality, and pretty soon we'll have to plan a playdate with Ernie.  I just know they will become good friends :)

Pinterest

Don't you feel Pinterest is more of a "wish list" than to-do list?  Well, on Saturday we decided to actually make some of the recipes we pinned, and they turned out delicious!  Although I have to say, half the fun is actually getting to mess around in the kitchen with my sous chef.  Recipes & pics to come.

Petroglyph

Webb has been trying to get us to go to Petroglyph for a while, which is a make your own pottery studio in Los Gatos.  We finally went on Saturday, and let's just say my artistic abilities are not exactly up to snuff.  It was fun to get creative, though, and we designed mugs for each other. The final product to be revealed on Wednesday!

Parade

Sunday night, we happened to end up in San Francisco the night of the World Series win.  Along with our friends Brian and Jane, we walked down Mission St. and took in all the action.  Congrats to the Giants fans.  Y'all are a crazy bunch

Pastalicious

Happy World Pasta Day!

My half-Italian self was thrilled to discover today is World Pasta Day (who knew?).  I'm going to think of this as the Universe's way of saying "Go ahead.  Get the made-to-order pasta at lunch today".  Thanks, Universe.  I will.

My lunch.  AKA a 2PM nap.  Worth it.

And wouldn't you know it, this morning Webb said to me, "You know what we should make?  Fresh tomato sauce from tomatoes we pick".  I think I know what this Sunday will consist of.  Granted, I don't think he realizes it's an all day process, but the results?  Dee-licious!

While it's one of my favorite ways to enjoy pasta, red sauce isn't the only way to go.  Some favorites:

-Brown butter, squash, nutmeg.  Perfect for a chilly Fall night.

-Go Greek!  Swap asiago for feta, marinara for Olive Oil & lemon, and load up on the olives.

-Cheese.  Let's be honest, there's nothing more indulgent that Mac & Cheese.  Use a few kinds, and bake it with breadcrumbs on top for a more grown up version.

What are you favorites?

PS. Click this link for FREE PASTA.  Yes, FREE (my favorite word. other than pasta)

Road Trip USA

My route for the big LA move

As I mentioned in my previous post, my dad and I spent over 3,000 miles in a car together driving from NJ to LA.  We either had to be crazy, or love road trips.  I'm a little of the former, but a whole lot of the latter - I LOVE road trips!  Imagine my joy when my boyfriend got a Prius.  Super low gas mileage and a roomy trunk?  Fill that tank and put on Bon Jovi, Deanna's gonna hit the road!  

Together, Webb and I have road tripped to Palm Springs, down the California coast, and a few times from LA to his hometown, and I've gone from Boston to Oklahoma - a total 24 hours each way.  After many hours on the road and games of Cracker Barrel checkers, I've come up with a few traveler's tips - and lucky you gets to read them below :)

Pack Snacks & Water

• So you're trying to save room in the car by not packing snacks? Skip the cooler and stuff non refrigerated snacks in the glove compartment.   Don't start your journey with an empty car because you'll regret it when you end up at a rest stop with only a dusty vending machine.  EW.  I learned not every rest stop is as glorious as the ones along the Garden State Parkway (#jerseyshoutout)  Some ideas here! 

Print directions

• Guess what happens in the California desert?  Cell reception says "Adios, amigos" and you're stuck with asking for directions at a gas station 37 miles ahead.  The laminated binder of alternate routes and points of interest I once created may have been extreme - but you get the idea.

Be spontaneous

• Preparation is key, but a sense of adventure is what makes the trip.  When my dad and I were driving through Arizona, we saw a sign for the London Bridge 17 miles off the road.  At that point, we were eager just to get to California, but our curiosity got the better of us.  I excepted a dinky bridge surrounded by desert, but what we discovered was a beautiful oasis town.  Awesome discovery, and worth the detour!

The actual London Bridge right in the Arizona desert.

An unplanned detour to "Metropolis, IL" led us to this amazing Superman statue - my dad feels like his 8 year old self here!

No Drive Thrus!

• You have two beautiful limbs that like to move.  They get cranky when they are curled up for hours on end.  Get out of the car!  Drive thrus can be tempting since they're so quick, but use the stop as an excuse to stretch, get some fresh air, and find some fun local food.

When driving through NorCal, Casa de Fruta is a MUST!  Here, Webb is checking out some of their jams.

Playlist

• Sing-a-longs are key!  I'm lucky Webb happens to be an amazing car DJ.  My favorite road trip memories with him are singing at the top of our lungs and dancing like fools.  90's pop rock, 80's power ballads, raps that you know every word to.  Nobody puts baby in the corner!

Ernie is trying to escape our rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Small Towns

• I had more fun in Lompoc, CA (where?!) than I've had in a lot of big cities.  There is just something about painting a small town red.  Accommodations are usually cheaper, plus you get a real sense of the region versus a more gentrified big city. Nashville's awesome, but nothing felt more Tennessee than the random road stop town with a store devoted to confederate china.  Yes - that was a real thing.  Oh, America.

Local Groupons

• Before your trip, check out that town's local Groupon or Living Social site.  Webb and I did this before Palm Springs, and ended up with a great deal on dinner in a fun part of town we wouldn't have thought to go to otherwise.

Visit Friends

• The best part about a super long trip is seeing friends along the way!  It breaks up the drive, and locals know the best places to go.  My network of friends and family across the country helped outline my route.  A few hours of snoozing on their 5 star couch - and I was ready to hit the road again!

My aunt and I in Rehobeth Beach, DE

Kelly and I in Nashville, TN

Michelle and I in Missouri

Johanna, Meg and I in Stafford, Virginia

Onward, travelers!  Take pictures and enjoy the great American roadways :)

Sweet Potato with Feta & Honey

On nights when my kitchen is bare and my inner Julia Child is antsy, I walk into Trader Joe's and whisper, "Inspire me".  I then do a lap around the store and see if the Hawaiian shirted pros could step up to my challenge.  

This past Friday night, they did just that.   A few odd ingredients and a little kitchen creativity led me to this new favorite: baked sweet potato with feta & honey.  I did a little kale on the side.  I've been obsessed with the feta/honey combo ever since I tried it in Greece.  Paired with the nutty sweet potato, the combination put me in sweet & savory overdrive.  Yum!

Feta and Honey.  No cheating with low-fat Feta!  It's plastic.

I love my little pan - perfect for solo cooking!  Garlic, onion, olive oil, kale.

And done!  After baking the sweet potato for an hour, I sprinkled on some feta, let it melt in the oven a little, then drizzled the honey.  You can play with proportions to your liking.  I mixed the feta into the potato before I dug in.

Dee-licious! :)

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to my delightful, delicious, delovely MOM!

Unlike this year's Bronx Bombers, this Bronx Bombshell (who doesn't look a day over 35) is keeping the party going throughout the weekend, despite a sinus infection.  I love her zest for life and fun!  The highlight of the upcoming weekend is a dinner & dancing cruise around New York City.  Party on, Claire!

Here she is at work posing with the Edible Arrangement my brother Anthony and I sent her.

Mom, I'll be thinking of you shaking your tailfeather while I'm spending my Friday night unwinding with Netflix.  I hope to be as cool as you some day :)

Happy Birthday, Mom.  I love you!

Inaugural Post

Hi there, welcome to Dee-Lovely!  For those of you who didn't grow up as musical theatre geeks, the title of this blog is a reference to Cole Porter's classic which sings "it's delightful, it's delicious, it's delovely".  The song was first in his 1936 musical Red, Hot and Blue, but later used in a revival of the much more famous Anything, Goes!.  This isn't a theatrical version of the song, but my favorite which is sung by the incredible Ella Fitzgerald: Enjoy!

I digress.

This isn't a theatre history blog (you're welcome).  I wanted a piece of the internet pie to celebrate my love of delightful, delicious, and delovely things, and maybe chat about the happenings in my life along the way.

So, a little about me: I'm a brand new resident of the beautiful Bay Area, and I love it!  I bet you're wondering (all hundreds of you - oh, hi Mom) how a Jersey girl made her way to the land of Ghiradelli chocolate and Full House.  Here's the cliff notes version:

I graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Arts Management.  With  California in my sights (and a palm tree painted on my cap), I lived at home for the summer to save up before the big move.

In October '10, my dad and I packed my new Mazda 3 with everything I owned and spent a week driving across the country in what has now been deemed "The Best Road Trip Ever".  Here we are at the Grand Canyon.

Upon arrival to LA, I dumped some Atlantic Ocean water into the Pacific.  I made it!

I loved the LA beach life and took way too many sunset pictures.  This was on my 23rd birthday.

I soon landed a job at a top talent & literary agency, the one which I moved to LA for, and it became my life.  It was glamorous, fast-paced, exciting, and after a while - utterly exhausting.  This is a picture I found of the office - pretty swanky, with views of the Hollywood sign and top-of-line everything.

Along the way, I fell for this cute Bay Area native.

I think he fell for me too.

An amazing opportunity in Northern California came a-knockin'...

And I took it!  One month ago, I said goodbye to the Hollywood lifestyle and to my LA friends (sadly) and hit the I-5 due north towards San Francisco. 

What an adventure it's been so far.  I'm hoping to discover even more delightful, delicious, and dee-lovely things along the way!