First off, Happy Birthday to my Father-in-Law, John! I’m spoiled by having totally normal and highly lovable in-laws. They’re the best, and super supportive in everything we do. Love them. Second: Turkey. Schmurkey. That’s right, I said it. Every year, knowing that most everyone has a turkey dinner in their plans for Thanksgiving, my mom’s side of the family gets together for a decidedly Turkey-less holiday lunch. We’ve done a Chinese potluck with black bean spareribs and sticky rice. We’ve done an Italian feast with lasagne, piccata and fluffy desserts. We’ve even done an entirely Trader Joe’s Thanksgiving where we … Read More
Recipe: Spicy garlic noodles (with peas)
Wow, sorry it’s been a while. I seem to have stumbled upon a series of social opportunities this week that took my usual routine of EatCleanBlogBed and chucked it out the window. Happy news is that, while absent, I was off lunching at one of my favorite spots in Sacramento, Magpie (home of the carrot cake cookie!); enjoying course after course of handmade Italian fare at Osteria Coppa with some of my favorite ladies; and enjoying the original jazz tunes of the smokin’ hot Adam Walter Band at the aptly named The Cats tavern in Los Gatos. Who knew there was … Read More
Recipe: Garlic chicken with plums
Today when I woke up to gray skies and that fine, Bay Area micro-mist that’s actually quite uncommon in my neck of the woods, I knew it’d be a Dutch oven supper night. Despite my obsession with summer and my resistance to its departure, autumn brings with it all sorts of seasonal rewards, not the least of which is fiddling with my slowly growing collection of Le Creuset cookware. (Hey, homegirls gotta pay the bills.) I’ve always been a fan of slow cooking. It’s the kind of cooking that indicates you’ve got time on your hands, and that’s a luxury … Read More
Recipe: Soy glazed bacon noodles with baby broccoli & wax beans
Oh boy, another bacon post! That makes four now, if you count Bacos, meh, and yesterday’s post about the glory that is Trader Joe’s Bacon Ends and Pieces (indeed, the very same Ends and Pieces that make a star appearance in this dish). I promise — and those with whom I eat on a daily basis can attest — I’m not always this lazer-focused on the pig. In fact, meatless meals end up on our dinner coffee table most nights of the week. But when we’re craving just a little animal protein after a rigorous bike ride or an Original … Read More
No-post Sunday – or – TJ’s Bacon Ends & Pieces
Wow, what happened to my lazy Sunday? I was all scheduled to have a recipe posted today, but between brunch in Sac with the in-laws, the drive home, errands, spontaneous fridge-freezer rearranging (I can’t lie; I LOVE reorganizing stuff) and watching Thor on Netflix, here I am. With no post. Or more accurately, a post but no edited-for-the-blog-world pictures. So basically, no post. Whaaa. In lieu of the intended post, please enjoy this picture of Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Ends and Pieces, borrowed from The Food Yenta, which I strongly believe are one of the best bargains in the market … Read More