Mashed Potatoes and Merlot has officially moved. Welcome to Kristin Eats!
Enjoy!
Dinner for friends who are not Schmucks.
I made dinner for my friends.
Sometimes I spend too much money on frivolous things like cropped white skinny jeans and Anthropologie cardigans. Those sometimes are more frequent when my husband is out of town. Retail therapy -- ever heard of it? It works wonders on a lonely wife. When it's just me and I realize I spent my weekly cash flow on things to adorn myself with instead of things to stuff my belly with, I am ok with it until I remember how awesome my friends are to me in my lonely state - taking me to dinner, allowing me to be a temporary "squatter" in their home, inviting me to family-only functions even though I'm technically not a member of their family, and supplying a shoulder to cry on when I'm in my most vulnerable and bummed out state - I decide the economical and nice thing to do for them to say 'thank you' is to make them dinner.
And so I did. I made dinner for my friends. These friends are not schmucks.
Avocado, tomato, and scallion spread (not to be confused with guacamole) on toasty fresh country bread, sprinkled with a little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Leftover Costco jalapeno artichoke dip. (what? that's not gourmet? sure it is!)
Roasted corn with fresh herb butter, served alongside grilled chicken breast with chipotle peach sauce.
Mixed greens with candied walnuts and goat cheese. (a staple in my house)
And the best course? Fresh peach and blueberry crumble with vanilla ice cream. Recipe by none other than the Barefoot Contessa herself.
Be my friend. I'll make you dinner. Or just click on the links and make yourself these fantabulous dishes before summer's end rears its ugly little head.
P.S. For those wondering how and why Sensei let me eat this meal that included both bread AND dessert (and the inevitable 1/3 bottle of wine...) this meal happened before he entered the picture. All dinners will be significantly more boring from here on out. I promise.
Deliciousness Early in the Morning
You already know how Bread & Cie makes the world's most fabulous cappuccino, but have I told you about their granola? It's divine! Honestly. I think whoever invented it was inspired by none other than the Holy Spirit. Now I know you're thinking "Kristin, you are supposed to be on some extremely healthy shed-a few-pounds eating plan - granola isn't exactly health food." I KNOW, I KNOW, but you see, my coach is very kind and allows me to have a special Bread & Cie granola and yogurt breakfast once a week. And let me tell you, I can't wait for this week's!
I am not sure what all they put in here, but I know it includes cranberries, oats, almonds, and a handful of corn pops - what a treat! Get it in the fruit and yogurt parfait, and there's a little protein to start your morning off on the right foot.
If you are feeling more along the 1000 calorie breakfast lines, may I suggest the chocolate croissant with a cappuccino? One sugar in the raw, one Splenda. You'll be in Heaven. For the next few months, my Heaven looks an awful lot like the photograph above. Yum.
extreme times call for extreme measures...
I didn't want to write about this. I actually prefer not talking about it at all. To anyone. Except for my sweet husband who, since Sunday, has asked to be called "Sensei." Yes. "Sensei." Like that episode of The Office where Dwight and Michael get in a karate fight. Why would a husband as awesome and handsome as mine want to be called "Sensei" you ask? Well, it has to do with drastic changes to one of my favorite things in life - food and what I'm eating.
For years now I have "tried" to lose weight. I avoid talking about this because a) it makes me embarrassed because I feel like I should be grown woman enough to not have to be insecure about my body, b) it seems like the only thing women talk about is their weight and I want to think I'm better than that even though I'm not, and c) admitting I am trying to lose weight means I have to tell everyone if I fail. Or, even if I don't tell everyone, it will be painfully obvious when they see me. As I believe I've mentioned before, I fear failure. It's a deep wound. I've been working on it, and it's expensive (side note: an MFT friend of mine told me that all research points to getting more out of therapy the more you pay for it), but I'm grateful for the growth I'm experiencing, as each day brings new freedom and grace. So I avoid talking about it, and really, often avoid actually trying hard because - hello - I am Kristin, I love food.
Back to my "Sensei." As I was saying, for years I have tried to lose weight with no success. I actually have put on 10 pounds since I started the "Kristin, get it together and seriously re-evaluate your life or you'll be busting out of your pants in a matter of months" lifestyle change. Clearly I'm having a hard time making things happen on my own. Glenn has offered to be my Coach several times (most likely because he's so sick of hearing me gripe about it and is also, as most men are, convinced he knows the best way to do everything. the problem is, with Glenn, he's usually right, which has the potential to be even more irritating... I digress.) Every time he offers to coach me, I say no. Not just no, but NO! AbsoLUTELY not! I have had no interest in being hounded by my spouse about what and where I'm eating, or being told that I need to run faster and try harder by the father of my future children.
Last week I hit a low point. Maybe it was never wanting this photograph to become a reality, as flattering as it is. I agreed to let "The Glenn Murdock Experience" try to morph my body into all it was created to be. The following is a timeline of the events of the past week, including a handful of text messages between G and myself. This is for real, people. Every text was sent out of pure desperation. Judge if you must.
Saturday night: Slight meltdown in the car driving home from Arizona with Glenn. He takes advantage of me in my weakened, vulnerable state and somehow manages to convince me to let him be my weight loss coach. He asks me to call him "Sensei." I say no.
Sunday: Day one. I'm feeling hungry, and all I can think about is how delicious a cappuccino and Bread & Cie ANYTHING would taste. All this protein is going to my head. I have dinner plans to meet up with fun out of town friends Sean & Erin and Matt & Kate so Coach lets me have a glass of wine and more carbs than he ever normally would.
Monday: All I want is a muffin or bready treat of some sort. I don't give in. Around 2pm, my work neighbors invite me over for some food they are making. I am starving, even though I've eaten about 4 meals already at this point in the day. Their "food" winds up being apple-peach cobbler with ice cream. I have a small portion. It tastes amazing. I go home and make myself a healthy dinner, then desperation hits so I start to text "Sensei."
K: "I want dessert, what can I have?"
G: "Where are you"
K: "Home."
G:"With who?" (yikes! paranoid much?!)
K: "Caitlin, Kim, and Sheri."
G: "Have an apple. (I can just picture your reaction to that.)"
K: "It was an eye roll."
G: "Are you asking Let You Have Anything You Want Glenn or Coach Glenn?"
K: "Coach, but be nice."
I have one Oreo and a few almonds, as well as the apple.
Tuesday: Massive cravings for all things I'm not supposed to eat. Random sampling of text messages I sent throughout the day.
"Ok first off I just had to turn down Bronx Pizza, and second I am wondering when I will stop wanting to eat good tasting food."
"When I lose weight will we change the food plan so I can eat like a normal person again?" which received a response of YES and I followed up with: "I'm about to lose 25 pounds in a week so I can make that a reality."
"Mariann has chocolates she wants to share with me"
G: "The world is against you!"
And my personal favorite, which made sense in the conversation but looks totally alcoholic out of context: "Umm, ok... so I had a glass of wine but no food."
Wednesday: Feeling like a normal human being, a member of this fine species, a citizen of the world's best country, I resist the Nordstrom Cafe carrot cake and drink a LOT of water. I still can't wait for the day that sugar is part of my diet again, but for now, I think I might be able to do this.
Until the next text-message breakdown, that is.
What We Ate - Hawaiian Style
If you follow me on Twitter, or are friends with me in any capacity (which I'm pretty sure almost everyone who reads this blog is... hello friends!) you know that I recently returned from a trip to Kauai with my three younger sisters.
Was it everything we hoped it would be and more? Yes. Was it a trip we'll talk about for the rest of our lives? Yes. Did we sing along to Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey at the top of our lungs? Obviously. As fun as all of those things are, however, that is not what this blog is about. It's about all the FOOD we consumed while living the island life. And, let me tell you, we consumed a lot of it.
We start the trip off with a drive to LAX at 4:00am, and a breakfast at Denny's when we got up there. I don't remember the last time I ate at Denny's. I am pretty sure it was sometime in undergrad when my roommate and I decided it would be a good idea to get Moons Over My Hammy and a large order of fries at 1am. It was not. This experience was much better. Did you know they have a $4 breakfast!! Hello awesome!
*Side note* I recently decided to learn Photoshop so I can be the best bliggity blogger ever... but those skills have not transferred from brain to hand yet, so we're keeping it real with pictures straight out of the camera...for now!*End of side note*
First day at the beach - we must celebrate with virgin Pina Coladas!
We hit up Puka Dog - the best hot dog on Kauai. Seriously this place is awesome. We wound up going there twice this trip. They throw a polish sausage or veggie dog in a sweet Hawaiian roll and have about 20 different sauces you can add to your dog, including coconut and starfruit. Yum.
Who needs dinner when you can have dessert? Knowing we couldn't afford a full-fledged meal at the Hyatt (must. stay. there.) we decided to do dessert. It was so good! I barely snapped this picture before Katherine devoured the entire plate.
Starbucks right across from our resort made for some awesome mid-afternoon pick me ups.
We decided to be cheesy tourists and attend the "free mai tai" hour our resort offered. At first we made fun of ourselves and then decided we kind of liked it. They danced the hula! And there were mai tais!
Massive chocolate chip pancakes. MASSIVE.
I think we had Hula Pie 3 times. It's basically mud pie, but with a name like Hula how can you say no?
This has nothing to do with food but is a fun shot of all four of us. L to R: Corrie (2nd born), Me (firstborn - if that wasn't clear from my personality), Katherine (baby), Kimberly (3rd born). The attire and dirty faces can be explained by what we were doing: ATV-ing for Katherine's 18th birthday!
Last day on the island was celebrated with a big outdoor breakfast and cappucino-staches.
We went all out for Katherine's birthday dinner and ate a multi-course meal at the Beach House. Perfect views and awesome food. And a reason to dress up, which we love.
Home at last. Landed at 10:45pm, got to our car around 11:30pm, hit up In-N-Out on the drive home (once we safely made it into the suburbia that is Orange County) around 1:15am. Why is In-N-Out the best thing ever?
I think I love Arizona after all...
May and June included several trips to Arizona to see the hubs. July will include 3 more trips there. And I'm pretty excited. Besides the slow drivers (yes, Arizonans do drive just as slow when in their home state as they do when on the California freeways!), overly short shorts, making me fat, oh, and this weird belly-dancer store at the mall Glenn's store is in... I like what Arizona is all about.
Things are a little slower paced in Arizona. People eat dinner late at night (to beat the heat) in Arizona. I get to lounge by the pool from 8am-9am in Arizona. Glenn has cable in Arizona, which means I get to watch all things Kardashian in Arizona. Most items are a little bit cheaper in Arizona. John McCain is the Senator in Arizona. And, most importantly, they make a mean cappuccino in Arizona.
Introducing #3 to Cucina Urbana
As you well know from this post, my new favorite food hang out is Cucina Urbana, where I hug Gabriel hello (best. server. ever.) and then have fun eating delicious foods or introducing people I love to the delicious foods. When my sisters came to town (because we went on a sisters trip to Hawaii! 3 years in the making! It actually happened! More on that later!) and Kimberly (#3) and I realized we needed to find something to occupy our Saturday evening, I instantly knew we would be going to that sweet spot on 5th and Laurel.
She realizes it's delicious and makes this "mmm, that's good" face.
She can't stop smiling.
Our courses, in order of appearance:
Perfect summer chardonnay. Medium bodied with just enough crispness to make you go "oh yea, it is summer!" and smile as you see 150 Critical Mass bicyclists (most of them wearing little to no clothing) riding by, despite how disturbing this sight may be.
The nightly Bruschetta platter. Here we have house-cured duck prosciutto with lingonberry preserves and goat cheese, roasted tomato and home-made ricotta with basil and balsamic reduction, and French brie with house-cured coppa (I think... could be mistake on the meat) and arugula.
The burger. She prepares for her first bite.
She digs in.
She realizes it's delicious and makes this "mmm, that's good" face.
She can't stop smiling.
Moral of the story: eat at Cucina Urbana! I do have a friend who happens to also be a fabulous photographer with a big curly blonde afro who didn't love it as much as I do... he says my taste is too sophisticated for him... but I'm telling you it's DE-LISH.
BLT's
Being on my own for a little while, I've had to figure out things that are fairly simple to cook, and also cost-effective. There's nothing worse than whipping up a huge meal, slaving for hours over it, and realizing you have to then eat it and clean up the whole mess all by yourself. Enter the BLT. My Mom used to make us BLT's every once in a while, and I always loved them. Crunchy bacon, toast, fresh lettuce, and a little bit of tomato? It's even almost healthy!
Start with bacon. Good bacon. I use Boar's Head but other great brands are Farmer John and Niman Ranch. VERY IMPORTANT: do not heat up the pan before putting the bacon on it!! Lay the bacon down on a COLD pan or griddle, and then turn the heat on. This will allow the bacon to stay as close to its original form as possible, and not crinkle up into little rounds that do not work well for sandwich-making.
See how straight these bacon strips are? That's what you want.
While the bacon is cooking, place 2 piece of your favorite bread into the toaster. We want a nice crunch, but not so much that grandma loses her dentures when taking a bite.
While the bacon is cooking, place 2 piece of your favorite bread into the toaster. We want a nice crunch, but not so much that grandma loses her dentures when taking a bite.
Mayonaise is a standard on BLT's. I happen to hate plain mayo, so I chose a thin spread of ranch dressing instead. You are welcome to use any type of sauce, or omit the sauce if you are a sauce-o-phobe like my husband.
Next up, tomatoes. I like to use yellow or heirloom tomatoes to give it a little more flavor, but any good fresh tomato will do. Sprinkle it lightly with sea or kosher salt.
By now you should have been able to flip the bacon (I recommend cooking it for approximately 3 minutes on the first side, and then about 2 minute on the second. I like my bacon very crunchy because I don't like actually feeling like I'm gnawing on fat.)
Add a thin slice of crisp lettuce (I use Romaine) to the sandwich, layer on the bacon, and voila! Dinner (for one) is served.
My Friend Who...
I have friend at work. Her name is Erin. She's a fairly new friend but we've hit it off pretty well. Our boss calls us the dynamic duo, which I pretended to think was lame but actually think is pretty cool. Erin took this picture. It's awful. But she took it, and posts are always more fun with pictures, so I'm posting it.
My friend Erin loves food. She loves food almost as much as I do. She also loves ME, so, really, this friendship offers me only good things. Does that make me selfish? Maybe. We live in a selfish society. I can blame society for my issues like all of Reality TV does, right? The one sad part of my being friends with Erin is that she is only working with us temporarily... and that temporary is coming to an end very soon. Like any sane and encouraging friend/co-worker would do, I have convinced Erin that we need to eat lunch out every day until she leaves. Who am I kidding, it didn't take very much convincing. Unless you consider my convincing the scale to not go up every day... but that's when we start pointing the finger at Arizona.
So my food and Kristin-loving friend Erin and I have been eating lunch together for the past few weeks and it's been fun. With a capital F. Fun. I typically allow myself one or two lunches out every week. Eating lunch out every day has its challenges. Where to go every day, for example. Should we do an old stand-by like Nordstrom Cafe (which I introduced Erin to, thankyouverymuch) or Urbane down the street? Do we try something new like Z Pizza or Noodles & Company? Do we eat on campus? No, we don't eat on campus. Who wants to eat on campus when the world of San Diego lunch places is at your finger tips? I digress.
Anyway, I think I'm digressing even more than originally intended because now I'm forgetting why I'm even writing this post... except to say that food is awesome, friends are awesome, and friends who love food are hands down the best kind to have around. Wouldn't you agree, Erin?
Look What I Found
So when your husband leaves town, and leaves you in charge of the home and all things home-related, here is what happens.
I was calmly walking to the laundry room (by which I mean junk-filled garage, naturally) to be responsible and do the laundry (typically the husband's responsibility, duh) and found this horrifying creature. DEAD. Bugs crawling out of its eyes.
Naturally, I had to take a picture and then avoid its general vicinity for several hours until I got over it and just ignored the thing while I finished what I started - the white load. The creepiest part of this whole situation wasn't just that I found it, but that the next day, it was gone. Kind of makes me sick to my stomach, actually. Gross. Sorry.
Arizona Makes You Fat
Arizona's been getting a lot of flack lately, and I'm jumping right on that bandwagon and telling them they are the reason for my jiggly middle. Consider this my very own public service announcement and warning against Arizona.
I'm a fairly health conscious California girl. I eat vegetables. I run. I partake in the group torture called CrossFit. Then my husband up and moved to Arizona.
Ok I guess I'm being a little dramatic. He didn't exactly up and move to Arizona. He has been working really hard so that I can continue pursuing my dreams which, believe it or not, probably won't wind up making me any money... I digress. Anyway, he was offered a great *temporary* opportunity in Arizona and I was completely supportive but like pretending to throw him under the bus because, well, that's what I do. All this to say, Arizona is going to be getting a lot of the Murdock dollars because this wife enjoys actually spending time with her husband.
As I was saying, here in California I am pretty healthy. I enjoy being active and treat myself to frozen yogurt instead of brownie sundaes on most weekends. In Arizona, even in May, it's too flipping hot to do anything but find the closest Anthropologie, watch TV on the couch in an air conditioned apartment, and go out to dinner after dark. Just walking through the Costco parking lot I broke a sweat! I tried to be healthy last weekend when I visited the hubs and his new digs, but look what happened. I consider myself a victim here, and refuse any personal responsibilities you may think I have.
Friday night: I fly in. I get picked up in a gas-guzzling Dodge that kind of looks like a superhero car and has awesome air conditioning. We get lost. For 2 hours. [This explains the next day's Costco trip to get a GPS.] We are so hungry we could eat anything. But you know when you're THAT hungry, everything and nothing sound good? We drive around for at least 30 minutes looking at place after place, strip mall after strip mall. We settle on Texas Roadhouse. ?!?!?!?. I order a beer. ??!?!?!?!?!. We consume at least 3 times more calories than normal Californians should consume.
Saturday: I put on my running clothes, figuring I will at least get a power walk in. I drop G off at work. I attempt to find the Costco that was down the street. It takes 25 minutes. I break a sweat walking into Costco. "Did you know wine is less expensive in Arizona? I love Arizona!" I find the GPS, a bottle of Conundrum, a Pinot Grigio, string cheese, a massive pink towel for the pool, and granola. I break a sweat walking out of Costco. I still haven't eaten breakfast.
Insert another story here -- Glenn offered to get me breakfast near his work, but I decided I needed to be healthy after Friday's Texas sweet roll and rib attack. I stopped by a Starbucks to get a low-fat breakfast sandwich with egg whites only and they were out. Convinced I would find another healthy option between where I was and home, I kept driving. There were NO options that were not fast food. My choices at this point are to starve and then be in a food mood, or to choose between Burger King, Wendy's and Chick-fil-A. Back to the timeline.
I choose Chick-fil-A. I order a biscuit with egg and cheese. I plan to only eat half of the biscuit and get my protein fix in a non-fried form to at least be *moderately* nutritious. I take my order back to the apartment to eat in the air conditioning. They gave me a CHICKEN biscuit with egg and cheese! I ate almost all of it. Sabotage. Arizona hates me.
5 Half Marathons in 1 Year!
I have been trying to get into the Nike Women's Marathon for the last 4 years. A weekend in San Francisco. A chocolate mile. Pedicure and manicure stations. Firefighters in tuxedos handing you a Tiffany necklace as you cross the finish line. Could running long distance get any sweeter? So many people want to run this race that they have a 'random drawing' to determine who gets in. I have never been picked, and have been disappointed every year, but have stayed hopeful for the next year.
THIS IS MY YEAR!
Seven friends and I put together a group, registered for the race together, and found out this morning that our group was selected!! I have been freaking out all day because I'm so excited that this 'bucket list' (I hate that phrase - is there a better one that means the same thing??) race is actually going to happen for me before 2010 is over.
Interestingly enough, 2010 is also the year I decided I would run the Triple Crown - three Half Marathons in San Diego County ran within the same calendar year. If all goes as planned, I will run FIVE half marathons this year. I can't think of a better 'last race' for this season than the Nike Women's Half Marathon.
Did I mention I was excited????!!!!!
Stuff I Like - round two, I think.
With spring rolling in (April showers! Bring us more!) and the scent of fresh lilac and stinky mulch wafting through the air every morning as I walk from the parking structure to my office, I am reminded of just how lucky I am to live in this beautiful city. This morning started out like any regular morning - I worked out, I rushed home and managed to actually leave on time, I got on the freeway and realized there was no traffic, so I decided to make a pit stop at Coffee Bean for some iced tea. Iced tea lovers, I am telling you, once you ditch Starbucks for Coffee Bean, you'll never be satisfied by those green tea lemonades again. Coffee Bean offers different flavors of iced tea EVERY DAY! Back to my morning... being the sweet little assistant that I am, I called my boss to see if she wanted me to pick her up a Tuesday morning treat, too. She did, so I did. Large iced tea and iced mocha in hand, I drove to work, walked past aforementioned flowers and stinky mulch into my building, and gently rested the top of the drinks on my chest so I could unlock the door without spilling everything. That's when it happened. A massive drop of iced mocha planted itself on the top of my crisp white top. No amount of dabbing could get it out, so I promptly buttoned my cardigan and am pretending I was supposed to wear it this way.
In honor of my ruined top, here is today's Stuff I Like, which I think I'm going to make a regular part of my blog just because it's fun.
1. The Coffee Bean. Seriously people, how did I live without it? I told Glenn that if the Starbucks on Linda Vista and Napa were a Coffee Bean, I would use all of my spending money ($20 a week!) there every week and would not regret it one bit. It's relatively inexpensive, has amazing iced teas, small little crushed-ice cube things, and purple straws!!!!
2. Cardigans that fit, even when buttoned. Today's fiasco is proof of the importance of this, but honestly - when you have a cardigan that looks good both buttoned and unbuttoned, you should never let it go. That is why I wear mine almost daily. Thank you, Gap.
3. Easter baskets! Glenn put together the cutest Easter basket for me - it included a book I am so excited to read, a mini muffin tin, and some 'lounge shorts' as he calls them. So sweet, and useful!
4. Bronson Pate. He's one of the nicest guys around, has crazy hair, and has helped me in unfathomable ways over the past year as I've slowly been creating a new blog and brand that I can't wait to unveil! Plus, he's a great photographer and I refer all of my friends to him because, come on, he's pretty much the best.
Menu Planning
Tonight our dear friends Chris and Kelly Reynolds are coming over for dinner. We have had many lovely dinners with the Reynolds fam, like when we experimented with Thomas Keller, or when we had an 8 course Valentine's Day.
Tonight's meal is a little different. Nothing super experimental, although there are a few new items that will be first attempts. Tonight, you see, we say farewell to these dear friends. I wish we were just saying "Bon Voyage" and could welcome them back in a few weeks, but no, that is not the case. Tonight we say goodbye to living within 15 minutes of each other, to watching embarrassing TV shows together every week, to singing (screaming) along to old-school mix tapes while stuck in traffic... to a great couple that was willing to try all sorts of new things with us -- from stinky cheese and mussels to Kelly letting me run alongside her for her first half marathon.
To Chris and Kelly: We will miss you dearly, but boy are we gonna have fun tonight! And with that, I present this evening's menu. Double click to make it big enough to actually read.
Finally Becoming a 'Regular'
*image courtesy of www.sdurbankitchen.net*
Enter my new favorite 'casual but still delicious' eating establishment in San Diego -- Cucina Urbana. I had kind of been sick of the San Diego food scene, with the exception of Market, and frustrated that the one place I loved would cost me $300 every time I ate there. THEN I read something about Cucina Urbana, saw that reservations were hard to come by (always a good sign), checked out the menu online (everything is under $20! what! i must go!) and turned 28. The turning 28 piece is relevant because Matt and Jessica took me out to dinner for my birthday, and let me pick anywhere I wanted to go... naturally, I had to pick this hot new place I was dying to try.
It was a week before we wanted to go, and the only reservation they had available for the date was 9:45pm. I made it. For some reason I decided to check OpenTable the day of our reservation, and someone must have had a last minute cancellation because a 5:45 slot had opened up! I promptly switched times, and boy am I glad I did, because Cucina Urbana is a place you want to be able to spend hours.
In the *heart* of Banker's Hill -- aka right between Little Italy and Balboa Park -- Cucina Urbana is fresh and modern, but also cute and cozy. They have a bar and common tables for those who weren't lucky enough to secure a reservation, as well as tables along the walls and throughout the restaurant. The space is filled with decorative pillows, low-hung chandelier-like lights, and vintage magazine and poster prints. Jessica, who has the most discriminating atmosphere taste of all of us, instantly fell in love.
We took our seats and our waiter, Gabriel, introduced himself to us. He described his favorite dishes in each section of the menu, explained that sharing everything is his favorite way to go (sharing food! my love language!), and recommended a wine in the under $30 range he said would be excellent for what we wanted. ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME?!?!?!?! It was my turn to fall in love. Not with Gabe, as we now know him, although he is our favorite server and we have since requested him and learned more about his life and loves, but with the place as a whole.
In true birthday fashion, we ordered half the menu. I have my food soul mate, Matt Hughes, to thank for this. "Why wouldn't we get 5 appetizers, 4 entrees, a bottle of wine, and dessert?" My sentiments exactly. It's not gluttony, it's enjoying life and the abundance God has blessed us with.
The stars of the evening were the gnudi (not quite as good as Spotted Pig's, but still delicious and better than this attempt), the goat cheese and apricot spread (which, unfortunately, they have removed to make room for new spring flavors), the fried squash blossoms, the pork chop, the black cod, and the ravioli. Yes, we did order more than what I just listed out.
Since this fabulous birthday treat of an evening, I have had the pleasure of returning to Cucina Urbana 3 more times. Every time has been equally exciting, and every time I have tried something new. The burger is out of this world -- in a category of its own as far as I'm concerned. The dessert menu is boring, or so you would think by reading the descriptions, but I tell you it rivals Extraordinary Desserts as most delicious sweets in San Diego. The service is always excellent, especially when you have the pleasure of sitting in Gabe's section. And the ravioli, perfect pillows of pasta that pair excellently with pinot noir. Tried to include more P's in that sentence but I didn't want to push it.
Cucina Urbana
505 Laurel Street
San Diego, CA 92101
www.sdurbankitchen.com
Vocalize Your Dreams
I have been thinking about the future, about my dreams, about what in the world my goals are a lot lately. I know my over-arching goal in life is, and has always been, to have a positive influence on people, helping to mold and develop them into the best leaders they can be, and thus help them grow closer to Christ. As for a goal for what I want to "be" or "do" or what not -- I am 28 and still uncertain.
Earlier this week I was reading Jasmine Star's blog (a photographer in Orange County), and was challenged by her three-step approach to moving forward in this area. Here is what she said, with my commentary beneath each step.
1. Set your goal
This seems simple enough, but the more I think about it, the more confused I get. What in the world is my goal? Is my goal to make a living writing about and experiencing foods around the world? Is my goal to work my way up in College Student Affairs and help students grow? Is my goal to be a stay-at-home whatever? Is my goal to be a leadership consultant to small businesses, churches, and other organizations? Setting a goal is a much more difficult task than simply reaching into the hat and picking one.
2. Vocalize your dreams to your trusted allies.
This completely makes sense, and yet is utterly horrifying at the same time. I like that she says to share your dreams with "trusted allies" and not just "vocalize your dreams." There is such vulnerability in saying your dreams out loud, even to people who are close friends. I know when I started this blog, and as I continue to dream about its growth, nervousness creeps over me when I think about telling people what my hopes and aspirations for it are. I mean, what if it doesn't happen? What if they think my ideas and dreams are lame? What if I fail?
This last question is one that haunts me in almost every area of my life. What if I fail?
Failure. Nobody likes it, nobody wants it, and yet we are trapped in mediocre lifestyles because we are so afraid this thing, failure, will take over. Another thing Jasmine Star said in her post was that it was better to fail at something you love than to succeed at something you hate. Ick. The thought of this gets to me on a deep level and totally challenges the things I am doing and ways I am living every day.
3. Create an action plan to make things happen.
This, step 3, seems like the fun part. And the easy part. Once I figure out my goal and vocalize my dream, what is left to lose? All I can do is win, and creating an action plan almost always ends in some sort of win, even if it's just the fact that I MADE the action plan! Of course, this step doesn't come until you've gone through the harder stuff, and of course there is still the chance your dreams will be crushed and you will fail... but I have have have to trust that, even if I fail, I will be the happiest in the long run if I pursue what I love.
I will keep you posted on the further development of these thoughts, as well as some of my dreams (is the entire world wide web a trusted ally? probably not...) as I slowly narrow them down and give them each their own name. Until then, here is a fun picture from a photo shoot I did several months ago for my *new* blog ... courtesy of the fabulous Bronson Pate!
Streeeesssss.
Here's the deal. I'm applying for grad school. I am horrified at the thought of submitting this application, but it's due by Monday of next week.
I'm going to Indigo Grill tonight and am hoping that will relieve some of the anxiety I have in relation to the above. Or, in therapy we do this exercise where you think of a place that has no negative strings attached in any way, and just envision yourself there. Maybe in 5 minutes I can transport myself back here.
Featured on Fine Times!
Just in time for Valentine's Day, I was asked to be a guest writer on the ever-awesome Fine Times! They asked me to write about some great 'pairings' and you can read it HERE!
While you're there, check out the other fun stuff these great guys put together on their blog, and leave them some love!
Wish List
Last night I picked up two bottles of the 2007 Tandem Pinot Noir. I say I 'picked them up' because that is precisely what I did. I received an e-mail from my favorite San Diego sommelier about a great deal on this wine, and as you all know my weakness for a good Pinot Noir, I had to jump at the opportunity. So, as I was thinking about what a beautiful spring evening would look like with me and a few friends sipping glass-fuls of the light red substance, I also envisioned what I would be wearing.
This list consists of things I have wanted forever (the diamonds) and things I am thinking about spending my birthday money on (the converse). The diamonds are Elsa Peretti, in her most recent Diamonds by the Yard collection which she has decided to market to the poor girls who want to look rich, and now offers in silver instead of only platinum, thus decreasing the cost by a good $1100+ per necklace. What I really want to do is wear 3 of these necklaces, all at slightly different lengths. Two of the 'single' diamonds, and one of the 'by the yard' that has 5 or 6 small diamonds along the chain.
Next up we have Joe's boyfriend fit jean shorts. I have always loved jean shorts (just not on men) and am excited they are coming back!! I have also always loved anything with the word 'boyfriend' in it. I'm not sure why, it just seems comfortable and fun.
Has anyone tried these converse? They are "low" and have a thinner sole than the normal converse, thus making them more 'streamlined' (their word, not mine) and, I am thinking these would look great with jeans, shorts, or casual skirts and dresses. What say you? This is probably the most 'realistic' purchase on this list, as I can actually afford them with above mentioned birthday money.
Gap grey cardigan. Hello. I bought this cardigan in navy blue and wear it EVERY day. It's a problem. I absolutely need it in more colors, and grey is the perfect 'go with anything' spring choice! Plus, my sister works for Gap so she alerts me to any special 'family and friends' days... this is definitely on the list of must haves for my next shopping splurge.
Navy striped flowy tee from, where else, Anthropologie. I need to stop stepping into the store, or going to their online store, because every time I do I leave with a list of $2000 worth of items I could convince myself I need RIGHT. NOW. I love the stripes and where the seam changes in the middle. Flirty, fresh, fun. Just like bubble gum!
Michael Kors gold watch. Need I say more? I love gold. And I need a watch. There, I said more.
Here is a silly little 'clipping' of what is currently on my 'clothing' wish list, and what I think would pair perfectly with a warm April evening in San Diego. Yes I did just skip right over March. Who needs it? Spring Break is the only good thing it brings.
This list consists of things I have wanted forever (the diamonds) and things I am thinking about spending my birthday money on (the converse). The diamonds are Elsa Peretti, in her most recent Diamonds by the Yard collection which she has decided to market to the poor girls who want to look rich, and now offers in silver instead of only platinum, thus decreasing the cost by a good $1100+ per necklace. What I really want to do is wear 3 of these necklaces, all at slightly different lengths. Two of the 'single' diamonds, and one of the 'by the yard' that has 5 or 6 small diamonds along the chain.
Next up we have Joe's boyfriend fit jean shorts. I have always loved jean shorts (just not on men) and am excited they are coming back!! I have also always loved anything with the word 'boyfriend' in it. I'm not sure why, it just seems comfortable and fun.
Has anyone tried these converse? They are "low" and have a thinner sole than the normal converse, thus making them more 'streamlined' (their word, not mine) and, I am thinking these would look great with jeans, shorts, or casual skirts and dresses. What say you? This is probably the most 'realistic' purchase on this list, as I can actually afford them with above mentioned birthday money.
Gap grey cardigan. Hello. I bought this cardigan in navy blue and wear it EVERY day. It's a problem. I absolutely need it in more colors, and grey is the perfect 'go with anything' spring choice! Plus, my sister works for Gap so she alerts me to any special 'family and friends' days... this is definitely on the list of must haves for my next shopping splurge.
Navy striped flowy tee from, where else, Anthropologie. I need to stop stepping into the store, or going to their online store, because every time I do I leave with a list of $2000 worth of items I could convince myself I need RIGHT. NOW. I love the stripes and where the seam changes in the middle. Flirty, fresh, fun. Just like bubble gum!
Michael Kors gold watch. Need I say more? I love gold. And I need a watch. There, I said more.
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