The Awesome No-Mayo Potato Salad

I hope you all had a marvelous Fourth of July filled with sunshine, patriotism, and something good on the grill.  Webb, Ernie and I walked far into Golden Gate Park to meet up with friends in a sunny, spacious and secluded corner of the park.  We had a barbecue, lots of food, blankets and games, and it was awesome!  Summed up via-Instagram right here:

The hat on the bottom right cracked me up. 'Merica.

It's been a while since I posted a recipe, but this past Fourth I made a potato salad that was gobbled up pretty quickly and decided it must be good enough to share.  Someone even said it was the "best potato salad ever", so wouldn't you be happy to know it's also healthy?  Health-ier, I guess, than your usual potato salad covered in mayo.  Yes, I attempted a non-mayo potato salad, and with inspiration from a few recipes online, ended up with this.  Enjoy!

The Awesome No-Mayo Potato Salad
Makes a large serving bowl of salad, enough for 8 or so to have a big scoop (approximate)

3 lbs. Small Red Potatoes

5 tblsp. Chopped Fresh Dill (no stems)

2 Lemons (use both zest and juice)

2.5 oz Red Wine Vinegar

1/3 cup Good Olive Oil

1 Bunch Scallions (green onions)

6 slices of bacon (or something equally crunchy and salty for a veg version)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Scrub potatoes and boil in water until a fork pierces through easily, about 10 minutes.  Drain, cool, and quarter, leaving on skins.

2. Meanwhile, mix the dill, lemon juice & zest, vinegar, olive oil and (lastly) scallions in a large mixing bowl.

3. Bake 6 slices of bacon in a 400 degree oven for 4 minutes so that it's closer to crispy than soft.  Pat dry with a paper towel.

4. Mix the cooked and chopped potatoes with the mixture in the large mixture bowl.  When the potatoes are evenly coated, rip and crumble the bacon into the bowl and give the salad a few spins to distribute.

In a patriotic mixing bowl.

Voila! Can be eaten hot, room temp, or cold at a barbecue near you this summer :)

Puerto Vallarta part 1!

Mexico! I've been wanting to write about the trip for a while, but was overwhelmed by all the amazing memories that I didn't know where to even start.  Puerto Vallarta is so rich in culture, that I could write an entire post on just the city itself - which, coincidentally enough, is just what I'll do!  The next post will be about our beachy adventures, but for now, take a walk with me down the Malecon to Old Town in the little "Port Town" known as Puerto Vallarta.

On the roof of our hotel overlooking the city

Even though we found a great deal at a resort, we wanted to get a little culture in and decided to spend our first night downtown.  Now, usually when I think of "downtown" I picture paved streets and tall buildings.  Not PV.  The streets were narrow and covered in cobble stones.  Local vendors were everywhere you looked, and even the hotel desk person struggled with his English.  It was, as I so eloquently put it to Webb, "straight up Mexico".  I loved it.  We were offered refreshing Aqua de Jamaica  before being taken to our room in the beautiful boutique hotel.  By the way, offering drinks must really be a thing down there - we were even given margaritas and tequila as we stepped off the plane!  Our hotel that evening was the perfect amount of comfort and authentic Mexican culture.  

Her name was Maria...

So excited to have found our hotel!

Webb chillin with Frida in the lobby

Our beautiful boutique hotel before heading out for the night

After settling in, we took a walk down the Malecon, which is essentially a long promenade along the ocean dotted with restaurants, bars, statues and street performers.  

Traditional dancers

On the Malcon with Banderas Bay behind us

Webb had picked out a restaurant previously, so we made our way over to see if we could get a table.   It must have been fate, because there was a table open on a private balcony, exactly how I had pictured our first Mexican meal!  Views of the sunset, the characters of the Malecon, our generous server and a beautiful Mariachi serenade made for a perfect dinner.

So happy right now

The Mariachi band made me weepy! Such pretty music

We spent the rest of the night hopping around and at one point ended up at a Karaoke bar with not a single American in sight.  Everyone was singing Mexican song after Mexican song, and we decided to bring a classic American tune to the table (Black Eyed Peas…what, you don't put them up there in the ranks of Elvis and Whitney Houston?).  We figured it could go 2 ways: 1) they would boo us and kick us out or 2) they would love it.  Well, the outcome was thankfully 2!  They made us get on the stage and I was in awe of Webb's awesome stage presence and dance moves ;) Lesson learned:  Puerto Vallartans are a fun loving and arm wide opened bunch.

The rest of the night we tried to keep up with the locals, but ended up going back to the hotel "early" at almost 2AM.  How anyone can stay out til the sun's coming up is beyond me.  I ain't no spring chicken anymore.  

The Cathedral

The next morning, we went to our resort for beach time, so fast forward to our last day when we went back to the city to explore Old Town.

Old Town

At this point in the trip, we felt like we were PV pros, so our adventurous selves took the BUS!  Yes, the crowded, clanky, hot bus.  Such urbanites we are.  After the…"cultural" trip, we hopped off in Old Town and wandered the beautiful neighborhood.  There is a beautiful, spiral-y pier that overlooks the local fishermen, and the shoreline is spotted with bars and restaurants.  For our last Mexican meal, we sat at a table where we could sink our toes in the sand.  Freshly made guacamole and nachos made up our lunch - sometimes the simplest things do the trick!

Walking out onto the pier

Great last meal on the beach

The best lifeguard stands!

One downside to dining on the beach is you get harassed by vendors.  Street vendors selling everything under the sun are super common in Puerto Vallarta.  Saying "no gracias" quickly becomes automatic.  Webb and I even became pros at saying it in unison!  We did decide, though, to leave with something and on our last day purchased a beautiful hand painted bowl we hope to use to serve many of our friends in the future!

I'm so glad we decided to go to Puerto Vallarta.  Even though we spent most of the trip relaxing, we were able to easily experience the culture of the old world Mexican town.  I'll never understand the concept of vacationing at a resort and never leaving it.  I love learning about the area and the people.  Puerto Vallartans (is that the word?) are wonderfully friendly, fun people and it was great to spend a little time in their city!

Singing at the Giants Game

Once in a while, I can put a pause whatever I'm doing, imagine looking at myself from some point in the sky and think, "Wow, look that that.  That's a cool moment in her life."  I try to do that enough so all those little great moments in life stay stored up somewhere in my brain.  Whether it's crossing the stage for my college diploma, or first date butterflies with my now-boyfriend, I'd like to think I have a mental scrapbook of those moments that make life sweet.

This Monday, I had just one of those moments!  I was huddled with a group of coworkers, standing on a deck at AT&T Park with a camera in our face and we were about to lead the crowd in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"!  

Right before we sang - scroll down for video!

Now you have to understand a few things about me to get why this was so cool (as opposed to say, singing the National Anthem solo-style from the field).  TMOTTBG is the first song I can remember memorizing.  For whatever reason, it was a song my grandma loved to sing with my brother and I and it would put the biggest smiles on our faces.  The song always reminds me of my lovely Grandma Annabelle who I miss dearly!

Another reason why this was a *moment* for me is I just love baseball games, especially night ones!  Okay I can't rattle off the names/numbers/positions of the Giants roster or tell you who won last Tuesday's game, but I do find nothing more quintessential summer-in-the-city than a baseball game at night.  I have my dad to thank for that.  And maybe a few years living around the corner from Fenway.  The chorus of food vendors, rowdy crowds, the bat cracking the ball and - of course- "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is a familiar one that I absolutely love.  With MDW this weekend, I'm so ready for more Giants games this summer! Maybe I'll try to catch them when the Mets are in town, and then my allegiance may have to waver to my home team ;)

Seeing the Red Sox (boo) at Fenway (yay)

My fancy Yankees! Up in the nosebleeds with friends one summer night

Having a good time with my dad & bro at the team my dad raised us on, the Mets!

After we sang, I looked over and saw my cheering fan section - Webb! That boy has a habit of being around for all these cool moments in my life lately. 

At my first Giant's game with my NorCal boy

Someone on the other side of the field from the Jumbo Tron got a video, so check it out! Definitely one of the highlights of living in San Francisco so far.  Looking forward to many more to come!

Pixar Singers at the Giants from Deanna Cirino on Vimeo.

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.

Bye Bye Mazda!

Goodbyes are never fun.  They're often one or more of the following things: sad, awkward, too long, unwanted.  Today I had to say goodbye to my first big girl car, and let me tell you, I was not expecting the emotional wave I felt when the trucker drove off with .  Sure I joked to Webb that I was going to cry, but I honestly did get misty!  I mean let's be real, it's a bunch of metal and glass which I leased (i.e.: didn't own) for 29 months.  I wasn't expecting to have grown so attached.  

Maybe it's because of all the memories, or maybe it was because it symbolized my first "grown up" purchase.  I remember so vividly in early October when the dealership dude rolled my brand new car into our driveway.  She was all shiny, and new, and MINE.  She was also my ticket to the big ol' west, and 2 weeks later I packed that puppy up and drove her across the country with my dad.  Two years after that, I packed her up again (albeit with a little more stuff) and moved up to NorCal.  Today, the Mazdarati makes her journey back across America to where she started, the same driveway in New Jersey.  

She'll have a good home with my family.  I'm not sure she liked being parked alongside the urban campers of Haight Street.  Still, no Zip Car, BART, or Muni will ever replace my mobile closet.  See you in Waldwick!

Oct. 2010 - ready to leave NJ for CA

Saying my goodbye! You've been good to me!

Boarding it's second cross country trip :(