Thanksgiving 2013

My autumn was filled with trips to the East Coast, weddings, squash recipes, long brunches with friends, out-of-town visitors, and feeling more settled in this city I now call home.  It's hard to believe I've been in the Bay Area for over a year, and 11 months in San Francisco.

The city is filled with Christmas decorations, which really drives home that I've been here for a while - this is how the city looked when I was looking for an apartment not too long ago.  Does that make me a San Franciscan? I guess so... (/JerseyGirl4Life)

Okay so I'm a huge fan of Fall, but Christmas is certainly my numero uno holiday.  In a very close second comes Thanksgiving (because it's the start to Christmas time duh), and this year I spent that thankful holiday with Webb's wonderful family.  It's overdue, but for posterity's sake, here's a little recap.

Me with the Knudsen's after Thanksgiving dinner

Wednesday I rushed home from work, rushed to pack Ernie's stuff, and rushed to get the 3 of us on the road to Los Gatos.  After all that rushing I realized (an hour into our drive) that I left my cell phone in the city. OOPS.  I learned that 5 days cell-free is actually not a reason to get all crazy and I survived the weekend perfectly fine - it's a good thing Webb's sisters take plenty of pics like me! You'll see some here.

We spent Thanksgiving Eve catching up with Webb's parents and 2 sisters & brothers-in-law from out of town (Orange County & Hawaii) - it's always nice to have everyone together.  In the back of my mind I was thinking about the next morning's Turkey Trot aka 5k aka the culmination of a month of training.

The group post-run

So you know how a 5k is not a big deal to runners? Well I'm not really a runner, and to me it's a long distance! But Thanksgiving morning I got out there and kept running and finished pretty strongly (for me).  Webb was kind enough to stick with me, even though he could have gotten a much better time on his own, and our little Ernie was the first dog to cross the finish line!

After that run I treated myself to a scrumptious dinner at our friends' the Holland's house, where I spent Thanksgiving 2 years ago as well.  They have a big group get together and FOUR turkeys! 2 baked, 1 barbecued, and 1 fried. Their beautiful home is filled with lots of warm laughter, good food and fun games (Bunco!), exactly the way Thanksgiving should be.  We followed dinner with a traditional trip to the movies and saw Jennifer Lawrence kick butt yet again in the Hunger Games.

Most everyone who was at Thanksgiving dinner

On Friday, Webb and I took Ernie to see his old doggy sitters, Brian and Jane, for a walk and lunch in Santa Cruz. They recently moved to Santa Barbara, which on one hand is a bummer because we lost 2 good friends in the area, but on the other hand is awesome because now we have people to visit in Santa Barbara! Santa Cruz, as usual, was sunny and quirky and fun.

Sunny Santa Cruz

The rest of the weekend included more friends, more parties (including Webb's 10 Year High School Reunion Non-Reunion) and finished with our good friends' Jason and Krista's baby blessing (along with his 2 cousins).  I love that little Ollie and can't believe how quickly he's growing up!

Little Ollie with his parents (left) and doting "aunts and uncles"! I love the orange tree in Krista's parents' backyard.

One of the gingerbread house creations at a party Friday night.

So much to be thankful for this year.

Labor Day Weekend '13: Up the Northern Cali Coast

Webb and are quite familiar with California Highway 1, having lived right near both it's LA and San Fran portions and spending last year's 4th of July vacation meandering down the "PCH" between the 2 cities.  However, neither of us have ventured far north of San Francisco, and Labor Day Weekend was the perfect opportunity to explore this new region.

Our plan was to take the 101 up for a bit, head over the the 1, then back to 101 where it's called the "Redwood Highway", and ending in Eureka (the largest city between San Francisco and Portland).

We left Saturday for Healdsburg, a wine country town in northern Sonoma County. Be-yoo-tee-ful.  Our first stop was Mutt Lynch Winery, which was supposed be this dog-tastic winery but was sort of a dud.  Yummy wine though, and we walked away with a bottle with the cutest label.  Christopher Creek, across the street, saved the day with friendly servers, gorgeous views, and a rousing Country-Style-Bob-Marley. I know, it's weird, but didn't you think bacon and figs would be weird together before you tried it? (if you haven't tried, I recommend you do.  Put on some Rob Marley while you're at it)

At the Healdsburg farmers market

Picnicking in cute downtown Healdsburg (art fair in the background)

Christopher Creek Winery with kids playing in the pool

Beautiful northern Sonoma County

That afternoon was a pretty ride to Ukiah, CA.  We ate at the kitschy Be-Bop Diner next to our motel and hit up a few local spots where Webb beat me twice in darts (but I whooped him in California Speed the next time - more on that later, bahaha)

That little pup in pooped!

I like to think I'm tough...

Be-bop won my heart

The next day had us driving again amongst the gargantuan Redwoods to the little town of Willits for a breakfast stop, then it was on to Mendocino and Fort Bragg.

Mendocino is on the coast and is as cute as can be.  I kept telling Webb that if I decided to hole up and write a novel, this is where I would go.  This town is filled with quaint art galleries, jewelry shops and cafes, all tucked in the rugged coastline.  We arrived as the thick morning fog still covered the town, but when we were heading out the, sky was bright blue.

Pretty chapel, pretty sky

So delish

Can you get more quaint than "jam tasting"?!

Ernie LOVED the beach!

Me and my buddy in the morning fog

We found little caves

Point Cabrillo Light Station

We continued our drive up Highway 1 through Fort Bragg and along the Redwood Highway until we got to Eureka.  We had made a camping reservation just outside of Eureka for our stay Sunday night, and thought the spot was so fun we just stayed there the rest of the evening and saved the city for Monday.

Hours of this. So pretty.

Our campground was a KOA, which isn't REAL camping (we had a pizza delivered to our site...) but was perfect for us since we didn't want to bring a ton of gear on the road trip.  It's definitely aimed at families, but we really love anything outside of the norm and had fun playing basketball, making smores, playing with Ernie at the dog playground, and sharing a pancake breakfast in the morning.

So proud.

Not gonna lie - I'm pretty great at California Speed (taught by the best!)

Enjoying a group bonfire

Eureka is the biggest city between San Francisco and Portland.  It's also home to two beautiful Victorian houses, both of which are prominently featured in Eureka's advertising.  When you arrive to Eureka, you don't exactly expect those to be the only beautiful houses, but you soon discover that Eureka has seen better days.... Still, we enjoyed reading about the history of this coastal seaport town and enjoyed walks through the historic downtown.  The highlight for me was probably going to Lost Coast brewery, the maker of a popular beer and one of my faves, Tangerine Wheat.  Their popular location was a block from Humboldt County's state prison (also not in the brochure).

We spent the rest of Labor Day meandering back down the Redwood Highway, still marveling at the majesty of those trees, and passed a few funny stops such as the "world famous log cabin house" and the Bigfoot Museum. One crazy attraction was worth a stop to us, and it was the Drive Through Tree!  How many times can you say you've driven through a tree?! It was pretty crazy stuff. Word of advice: turn your mirrors in if you ever go.

Now THAT is a tree.

Ready to go!

Our last stop on the trip was in the cute town Santa Rosa, back in Sonoma county.  We had lunch with one of Webb's high school friends and enjoyed some British food which reminded me of my semester in London (oh fish and chips with vinegar, I just adore). It turns out Santa Rosa is the hometown of Charles Schulz.  How great is this statue?  I think the real life Charlie & Snoopy guys are pretty cute too!

In case you're wondering, Ernie is Snoopy and Webb is Charlie ;)

We made it back in time for the comforts of our couch and some DVR's Sunday night TV.  There's no place like home :)

Picnic-Friendly Dessert-in-a-Jar

Upon moving to San Francisco, all anyone could tell me was how cold it gets in the summer.  Well I don't know what they're talking about, because this past month has had some gorgeous weather!  Maybe I'm speaking too soon? It is called June Gloom after all...

But, no matter how sunshiney it is in the city, it's always nicer down in Los Gatos, and lucky Webb and I were able to spend this past Sunday there with his parents for Mother's Day.  It might have been a little too warm for us San Franciscans (Why oh why did we wear pants on a 90 degree day?) but who can complain about a little sun?

Lugging a watermelon? Or shielding his face from the sun?

Taking full advantage of the weather, we planned to rummage through the farmer's market after church then do a picnic.  I knew this a few days in advance, so I started thinking of some picnic-friendly desserts to make.  Cupcakes? No, the frosting always gets messed up in transit.  Ice cream? No, likely to melt.  Then, I remembered something I'd seen over my hours of Pinterest snooping - cake in a jar!  

Easy transport? Check. Easy set up? Check. Easy clean up? Check.  

Okay, so mine might not be as pretty, but I can tell you that it tasted pretty good, and was insanely simple to make.  It was a yummy end to a fun picnic with Webb, his dad, and the lady of the hour: his mom!

Here's what I did, but obviously there are a ton of combinations and possibilities. Just remember to keep the jars cool if you are using cream.  My insulated Whole Foods bag and an ice pack worked just fine.

My First Time as a San Francisco Host

Last weekend, my dad flew out from New Jersey to check out my new life here in San Francisco.  Being that I've only lived here for 3 months, I was majorly concerned that my hosting duties would be subpar. Turns out my dad only wanted to do 2 things: hang with me, and fix up my fixer upper.  What a guy!

I wasn't going to let him get his way entirely, though.  I wanted to show off my fab new city!  The weeks before my dad's visit, Webb and I would exclaim "Oh let's do this with him!" whenever we did/ate/drank/saw anything cool.  

My dad's easy-to-please attitude and my eager-to-please excitement resulted in a great trip.  I love my dad, and it's so fun to spend quality time with him in my neck of the woods.

After the jump, check out a run down of what we did and some ideas for hosting in the City by the Bay.

St. Paddy's Day and Corned Beef Leftovers

I love St. Patrick's Day.  My mom's dad was born in Ireland, so the holiday has always been a big deal for my family.  I think the day has gotten  reputation for getting rowdy at the bars, which is all good and fun - but for me, St. Patrick's Day is more about family, culture and remembering your roots.  

This was my first March in San Francisco, and this city knows how to celebrate.  Sorry LA, but you didn't do this Irish day justice the last two years.  SF came complete with a parade, bagpipers, bands, dancers, and the finest food & drink offerings from the Emerald Isle.  

Lucky for me, SPD landed on a Sunday, which meant an entire weekend of celebration!  Okay, I know the East celebrates for the month of March, but I'm in California and I'll take what I can get.

Saturday started with a  few friends over for a breakfast of bacon, Shamrock pancakes, muffins, oranges and Irish coffees.  YUM :)

Then, we boarded a bus downtown to the Civic Center.  We caught the last bit of the parade and enjoyed music and drinks in the glorious sunny weather!  

I may or may not have sung along and tried to get my crew to learn every other word.  They're lucky I didn't try to teach a jig!

Bag pipes and drum lines! Be still my heart.

After a rest and regroup at our friends Ben and Shestin's, we headed out to the sunny Marina district to check out a few other spots before calling it a day and heading home. We were so lucky the day was so beautiful, because we did a TON of walking. What a great way to see such a beautiful city.

Sunday morning, the official holiday, Webb and I gathered up some ingredients and headed down to Los Gatos for dinner with his family.  I was reminded what REALLY good weather is like (aka not windy or foggy) and fell back in love with that adorable town.  Webb's mom and I whipped up a great Irish feast of corned beef (I brined it myself all week, thankyaverymuch) cabbage, roasted potatoes and carrots, spinach salad and Irish soda bread!  Aw man, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

I love how festive the Knudsens are!  The table was decorated to the nines, and Andie definitely won the costume contest with green pants, shirt AND sweater. 

Even Ernie matched with his orange spots!

Dinner was a great time, and we ended by reading the famous Irish blessing which I love so much:

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

And the rains fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Since my Grandma's soda bread recipe makes 2 loaves (of course!), we brought the extra loaf over to our good friends Jason and Krista, who just found out they are expecting!  I'm so excited and if that baby is anything like their parents, he/she will be the funniest most well dressed kid around.

I hope you had a fantastic St. Patrick's Day, and if you did - you probably have a good amount of corned beef leftovers.  What to do with all those chunks of salty meat you eat just once a year?  

1) Corned Beef and Cabbage Chowder

I've never tried this, but I do love me some soup and looks soup-er (ha!) easy.

2) Corned Beef Hash

If I didn't sleep in to the last possible minute this morning, I would have for sure made this.  Tomorrow!

3) Reuben Sandwich

Not that you need a recipe for a Reuben Sandwich, but check the link for some reub-spriation.

4) St. Paddy's Pizza

My two cultures colliding!  I deem this corned beef pizza St. Paddy's Pizza, and thinking I should copyright that.  

5) CB&C Turnovers

Pastry dough and corned beef?  I am so there.

May the luck of the Irish be with you all ;) Erin go bragh!  Till next year, St Patrick.

Moving Tips

Well hello hello, it has been quite a while since I've typed something up for the ol' blog.  As soon as the holiday season ended,  I went straight into apartment hunting mode, which - as I'm sure you know - is all consuming.

Quick holiday break recap:

Christmas with Webb's family in San Francisco!  We enjoyed The Nutcracker, volunteering, delish meals, and a fun time with his entire immediate family.

Michelle and David's Wedding! I reunited with some of my best college friends and had a blast as a bridesmaid!  Great wedding weekend, and I discovered a new city - Denver!

Snowboarding in Tahoe!  Went to Tahoe for the first time with Webb and our friend Adrian and actually attempted to snowboard. Happy 2013!

Phew!  Wish I had time to go into greater detail, but please, it's almost February.

Moving tips after the jump!

Giving Thanks in 2012

I hadn't been home for Thanksgiving in three years, so this year's Turkey Day was even more special!  There is something so dee-lovely about stuffing your face with family and being grateful for that warm fuzzy feeling in the air.  Thanksgiving is the best - no frills, just getting together and enjoying great food.

Aside from the week of friend and family time at the movies, diners, bars, homes, etc. etc. - the day itself was so fun!

For Webb and I, this Thanksgiving was our second as a couple, and this time with my family.  I'm so grateful we've been able to spend both together!  In the morning, I worked away in the kitchen with mom & sister while the parade played in the background - perfect.  My step-dad barely got back from his Turkey Trot when he had to head back out to get my brother and his girlfriend from the train station.  When he came back, Webb and Anthony met for the first time - finally!  Their conversations had to do with political riots in Europe or something… typical.

Above: Siblings reunited!  Below: 2 important dudes in my life meet :)

We hung out for a bit then it was off to get my Dad and go to dinner at my Uncle Stevie & Aunt Donna's.  I love their house - it's been in my family since the 20's.  My godfather was quick to give Webb the history of the house, and I thought about all the holidays we've celebrated there.  Looking at their CD collection, you'd know it by the dozens of Christmas albums!  Of course, we were listening to Christmas radio… obviously :)  Light FM anyone?  

After eating so. much. food, my cousin and her two cute kids came by.  Rather, I should say the kids ran into the house like two kids on a dessert sugar high (because they were, um, two kids on a dessert sugar high) and infused our afternoon with little kid energy!  Mikey had changed so much since the last time I saw him one year ago - I couldn't believe he was speaking in sentences!  I wish I was home more to see him grow.  Miraculously, we were able to get everyone to settle down for this wonderful group photo:

My Dad and his brother with (most of ) their families 

My dad and uncle's three sisters were elsewhere for Thanksgiving, but just a couple weeks before they were able to all get together despite now living in four different states.  My aunt and uncle's son Jason and his wife & kids were spending the holidays in Disney World - lucky!  Missed them and everyone else though!

After dinner, Anthony and I took our beaus back to Mom's house for more dessert with my mom's sister Peggy, our uncle Christy, cousin Jonathan, his wife Shelly, and their adorable energetic daughter Mackenzie.  

Kenzie is so excited to dig into those cupcakes (and all the other desserts!)

We ended the night with a lot of wine and board games.  First it was some sort of drawing game, then my specialty - Clue!  Webb has been hearing a lot about my excellent Clue skills, so we played a much-anticipated match with the whole family.  Upsettingly, I did NOT win - at least I lost to Dan, who taught me everything I know about Miss Scarlett and the gang.  I can deal with that.

We're very serious about our gaming  Please excuse the tissues in the foreground as I was battling a nasty cold wah :(

I'm so blessed with so much family!  All in all it was a packed day of food and family.  Plus, the week itself was nonstop friend and family time catching up and kicking back.  I love Thanksgiving, and I'm so grateful!