Mindy Knows

Dine About Town, the Mindy-way

2010-01-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

Ah, my favorite subject: Gastronomy.

Apologies for my recent absence. My parents have been in town for the past four days meaning that I've been eating and drinking my way silly throughout the South Bay. After all, I got my love of great food and drink from them, the quintessential scholars of the art of eating well.

Thursday night my parents landed just in time for Shrek and me to wine and dine them at the coziest joint in town serving up the best food and hospitality - our place.

Spaghetti Carbonara, chicken, and roasted carrots a la Shrek.

La Crema 2007 Chardonnay

I defrosted some of my leftover homemade Christmas treats for the occasion.

Also had our homemade blackberry-infused vodka.

Later that night I dropped my parents off at their hotel, Hotel Los Gatos.

Aside from being beautiful and luxurious, the hotel's location is within ideal walking distance to all the little shops and restaurants in downtown and Old Town Los Gatos. Check out the website if you're considering a little getaway. I hear their spa is fantastic, too, if you're looking for a little rest, rejuvenation, and self-indulgence.

Shrek and I had to work all day Friday, but met up with my parents for Happy Hour drinks and appetizers at Dio Deka. Dio Deka is the exquisite and delectable (but very pricey!) Greek restaurant located in my parents' hotel. Our appetizers and drinks alone were exceptional but set us back $120+. (And by "us" I mean Dad. "Thanks, again, Dad!")

The Spanakopita in the foreground is awesome. We had to order a second plateful.

Lamb-filled grape leaves in the background are topped with an egg white wash and yogurt on the side.

I personally did not care for them but Mom loved it.

The "Black Hole."

Our cocktail host had me at "vodka, black cherry, and pomegranate." It packs quite a punch!

As visible in the photos below, we are all in good spirits after our Happy Hour.

Dress by Club Monaco, Editor Vest by Gap, Sweater by Club Monaco,

Scarf by Burberry, Boots by Frye

From Dio Deka we progressed down Main Street about a half mile to Valeriano's in Old Towne Los Gatos. I would say it is one of the more chill places to dine around LG when pit against the likes of Dio Deka, Manresa, and Forbes Mill Steakhouse. Valeriano's has got more of a "down home" cozy vibe that's comforting. Tables are filled with families young and old and couples enjoying date night; my tummy was filled with calamari, carpaccio, lamb, veal, and eggplant parmesan. And wine. And FREE dessert.

Crispy, delicious Calamari appetizer. The serving was quite generous!

Full rack of lamb, roast potatoes, and broccoli

Veal, garlic mashed potatoes (sensational!), and broccoli

Eggplant Parmesan

Vanilla and Mango Gelati, Cheesecake, and Tiramisu - FREE.

I think dessert isn't normally free and we actually turned it down all claiming to be too full. A little later, though, our server placed a spoon in front of each of us saying, "I'd like to buy you dessert tonight, if that's alright. Just something to cleanse the palate." Cool. I thought maybe we'd all be sharing a small serving of gelato. ...Not quite. An entire plate appeared with a dessert for each of us. Somehow we found the extra room. ;)

Saturday we stopped by Los Gatos Meats to pickup sandwiches before heading out of Los Gatos and into the Santa Cruz Mountains to taste wine.

Check out their website for more info, like their selection of deli sandwiches, wild game processing, butcher shop, seasonings, and catering.

First stop: Burrell School Vineyard. I thought my parents would get a kick out of it being the retired school teachers that they are.

Enjoying our sandwiches and wine al fresco.

Taking in the view from our lunch spot

Second stop: David Bruce Winery. This quickly became a favorite of mine. Their wine is fantastic!

Sweater by Club Monaco, tee and vest by United Colors of Benetton,

Jeans by Rock n' Republic, Scarf by Burberry, flats by Tahari, bag by Badgley Mischka

Third and final wine stop: Byington Winery. Love the beautiful setting and cozy fireplace, though am not a fan of their wine. Not a problem, though, since it was our third and final stop and we were all a little snockered by this time... which made exploring the second level all the more fun!

Shrek and me: dancing fools

To give my parents a true California experience, we visited Valley Fair Mall where Mom checked out the dress selection and my dad the Sony and Apple stores. ...Oh yeah, and the NFL playoffs.

My mom parked herself in the Sony store to catch the NFL Playoffs.

To celebrate the Saints' victory (my parents used to live in New Orleans!), we grabbed drinks and appetizers at the Village California Bistro and Wine Bar.

Convinced Mom to try the original Vodka fruit infusion

Didn't take much convincing to try the Lil Beef Wellingtons. YUM.
Though in my book, anything wrapped in pastry dough is YUM.

Dinner was across the street at the White Shallot, a family-run restaurant specializing in Vietnamese and French cuisine. Seriously. Check out their menu: half is French and half is Vietnamese split right down the middle. Hence, the Pho and Steak et Frites at our table.

Pho

Steak et Frites

By the way, the Pho is phenomenal with really good cuts of beef in delicious broth. The french fries are hands down the best I've ever had, and that's saying a lot cuz I've had, well, a lot! You can tell they are made of real potatoes and are perfectly prepared and served with sides of garlic aioli and ketchup for dipping. It was our first visit there and I will definitely be back for their excellent food, prices, and service. By the way, if you go on a Friday or Saturday night, definitely make a reservation. They're packed once 6:30 rolls around. Speaking of rolling, I had to be rolled into bed I was so full from this weekend. But it wasn't over, yet...

Our final food stop was on Sunday at Bill's Cafe to grab breakfast before dropping my parents at the airport.

Bill's Famous Mimosa

"How do I drink this?!" Was my mom's initial reaction.

Dad's scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, and country potatoes

Shrek's Fiesta Scramble and hashbrowns

Mom's Healthy Omlette. It was quite tasty!

I should know - I ate half of it...

...along with my own California Omelette:

...and pancake:

Yum!

They are very popular and only open for breakfast, so plan accordingly and factor in some time to find parking and wait for a table. Even with three locations within 10 minutes of each other, we waited at least 20 minutes, which is normal. The wait's worth it!

...It was also worth the wait to have my parents visit for the first time in over a year. Already looking forward to a little Washington Hospitality in the Fall!

Spaghetti Carbonara

2010-01-11T18:56:00.000-08:00

I found this amaaazing simple n' quick spaghetti carbonara recipe in a fitness magazine and gave it a go:

Using only the freshest ingredients...

Freshly grated parmesan

Mixed with 2 eggs, a splash of milk, and white wine

Garlic cloves and parsley...

Finely chopped.

Whisk it up!

Pout over hot pasta, toss, and serve.

The heat from the pasta cooks the egg!

We made chicken, too, with a fresh garlic, rosemary, thyme, parsley, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper rub in olive oil.

Delicioso!

Fenton's XXX Creamery

2010-01-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

After hearing so many good things about Fenton's Creamery in Oakland (their homemade(!) ice cream is "Sooo unbelievably good!" and apparently it's where the balloon in Disney's Up lands!) I had to check it out. It didn't take much persuading to get theMaykazine and Jetsetter to accompany me - both were already regulars.

Impressions in order of appearance:

Parking is a nightmare...but so worth it. ("Thanks!" to Maykazine who dropped us off at the door to find parking by herself - a good six blocks away.) Fenton's parking lot is so tiny for a joint whose line is out the door for scoops of ice cream to-go. Fortunately, we were able to nab a table quickly.
Fenton's also serves up burgers, fries, onon rings, etc. and, boy, are they are popular! All around me I spotted everyone chowing down on "real food" when I was looking for sundaes. (Those were brought out to the same tables later.) Note to self: I want to try the onion rings when I go back.
To me, a first-timer and ice cream lover, the menu was delectably overwhelming. Take a gander at their numerous homemade flavors here and then imagine (or click on the link to the menu and scroll down a few pages) all the sundae possibilities one could dream up with multiple syrups and toppings and you can see the dilemma I faced.
I finally locked my gaze on the following:

I know it doesn't sound extraordinary, but I knew it would be if they were famous and getting away with charging $10 for their sundaes. The only problem? It's called the "Fudgeanna." I actually didn't see the problem with this until I announced my selection aloud to my friends and they gave me a quizzical look before busting out laughing. Uncontrollably. Apparently neither had ever noticed this on the menu, and who would when it's hidden amongst all the other sundaes with normal names? And under sophisticated sundaes, no less!

After deciding there really was no other possible way they wanted us to pronounce it other than "Fudge-" like fudge and "-ana" like banana, I couldn't bring myself to order it with a straight face, because when you get me in the same room with certain friends, I have the maturity level of a 12 year old boy. Instead, I pointed it out on the menu to the server and I swear I saw her suppressing a laugh! Really, Fenton's? Isn't this a G-rated placed?! (Hah hah!)
Service was speedy: my sundae was placed in front of me in no less than five minutes, maybe three, which is amazing due to the number of ice cream creations they're dishing up on demand. theMaykazine and I quickly dove into our respective sundaes and all talking ceased. OH. MYYYYY. MMMMMM.

Eff, it was that good.

Before:

The Fudgeanna in the foreground. ($10)

After:

After that I needed a nap. And maybe a cigarette. You know, like post-coital.

(**That's a joke about the cigarette, kids. Smoking is bad for you whenever, wherever!)

Touché

2010-01-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

The answer to your question is two-fold. One, I'd be personally interested in utilizing the Home James service for occasions such as this:

Happy Hour at Santana Row.

Fruit Infused Vodka at Village California Bistro and Wine Bar

Brasilian Sangria at Village California Bistro and Wine Bar

I liked the Brasilian Sangria so much I copied down the ingredients to try and make it at home.

Baby Beef Wellingtons. Delicious!

It is not out of the ordinary for Shrek and I along with several friends (and from what I've seen, many other 'Row-goers) to get tipsy if not smashed here. This is after all where I spotted a drunk guy walk his equally drunk girlfriend directly into a large spiky plant on the sidewalk. (Hilarious, by the way. Especially when she hollered, "You asshole!" and tried to slug him with her purse.) Not fans of leaving our car behind anywhere, we usually decide before we go out who is going to sober up early to drive home. A buzz-kill, but we are good about sticking to it. Unfortunately, too many a time I've passed the valet who pull cars around for too-tipsy drivers exercising their hubris.

Due to my personal interest in utilizing the service coupled with the enthusiastic verbal feedback I've received, I think this would make for quite a business venture - which would be the second reason I was interested. Touché.

"Home, James!"

2010-01-06T12:33:00.000-08:00

Brilliant. Especially if these are the actual guys who pick you up to chauffeur your drunk ass home. Well, the one on the left, anyways.

I came across Home James in Chelsea Handler's Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea in which she utilizes their services to get home after a vodka-fueled night out on the town.

The concept is creative and even honorable. From what I gather from Chelsea's brief description and the Home James website, the L.A.-based company is chauffeur-oriented with a twist. In addition to the usual airport pickups and drop-offs (in your own car, may I add), they are on-call to take drunks off the road. Give them a ring-a-ling and they show up wherever your car is, pop a folding scooter in your trunk, drive your drunk ass home in the comfort of your own car, and then hop on their scooters to, as Chelsea puts it, "hightail it back to headquarters." She also adds that it's a great way to avoid Jack in the Box since they charge extra to stop for fast food.

...You're home in one piece, you didn't cause unnecessary bodily harm to an innocent bystander along the way, and your car is in the driveway when you wake up. Your waistline doesn't suffer more than necessary and you benefitted the wilting economy. Looks like everybody wins!

Tell me, have you tried this service? (I couldn't come up with any reviews online.) Would you utilize this service if it was available in your area or just cab it the entire night? I guess it really depends on if you're progressing or staying in one spot. All the same, I'm curious.

Amazon.com for the Win

2010-01-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

The idea for the new year is to shop less and spend more time outdoors or with my nose in a book. I figure since a good chunk of change went towards my wardrobe last year, this practice would naturally allow me to pad my savings account and maybe put a little more towards my monthly car payments.

A few days after my resolution hike, I spent a good hour browsing my local Borders. I walked out with no more than three books. I could've done a lot more damage, but my grand total for those three alone? A whopping $61 for 1 hardcover and 2 paperbacks. I realize I've purchased footwear for up to six times that, but I wear them practically every day, so broken down over time the cost is pennies per wear. I rarely ever read books a second go around, so they're stuck at face value. I realize utilizing the library would be abundantly more economical, but most times they are out of copies since I'm a bore and read the popular top-selling stuff. Obviously, I need to start reading more classics....

Later that night I ended up scoping out prices on Amazon.com and the prices were consistently and significantly less. So much so that I was able to repurchase each that I'd purchased at Borders in addition to another hardcover and save twenty bucks in the process. Well, kinda. I took it and went to Happy Hour at the Village California Bistro and Wine Bar.

Alfresco Weekend Escape

2010-01-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

Kicked off the new decade with a day hike:

It was truly awesome in every sense of the word. Was able to reset and recharge for the upcoming year.

On our way home we stopped in Carmel for a late lunch/early dinner where I chowed here:

The Village Corner

On this, the most sublime sandwich everrr:

The Village Corner's Club Sandwich.

Served with salad or fries. $10

Then we walked the beach and watched the sun set.

Bring it on, 2010. I'm ready for ya!

Exquisite

2010-01-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

I think I was flipping through Entertainment Weekly Magazine at the gym when I came across this photo of January Jones in character as Mad Men's Betty Draper.

I watch the show on Netflix and Season 3 isn't yet available, so I didn't recognize her in this dramatic shift away from her usual sweet pastel palette and rosy red lips (see below). I had to read the caption to realize it was Betty Draper vamping it up. I am just that used to her prim and proper exquisite attire from Seasons 1 and 2...

I absolutely love the costumes in this show and watching them evolve with each year and season. If that LBD is any indication of what Season 3 brings, I can't wait to see more! I realize I could just go to my local library or Google.com to look up 1963 fashion - Mad Men is just that accurate - but I'd much rather see it modeled on Betty, Joan, and Peggy. Hurry up and release the dvd, already, AMC!

New Year, New 'Do

2010-01-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

Got a new haircut to start off the new decade.

Unfortunately, I'm also saying goodbye to my $15 haircuts. I am now sheepishly hooked on Aveda's stylists, products, and their tea. Hot tea is served after you don a little protective kimono and while you wait for your stylist. You also receive a little "complimentary" relaxing head and neck massage each visit. I've been twice now to get my hair cut in the past two months. The first time I saw Jaime, an "Advanced" stylist who whipped my hair into shape in no time at all for $60. Seriously, she is so good that after my shampoo and conditioning she just held my hair up, snipped a little here, a little there, and voila! I was on my way with my new 'do and product.

More recently I needed a little touchup trim. As much as I like Jaime, I decided against paying for an Advanced stylist, so I requested a $40 Intern and they set my up with Kaila. "I think you'll really like her," the receptionist told me as I made my appointment over the phone. She was absolutely right.

Kaila was personable while not too chatty (perfect balance) and attentive. After asking what look I was going for, she made it happen. Fast. Which made me believe she knows what she's doing. And for $20 less than what Jaime charges.

Upon my departure, Kaila gave me three -$10 off my next haircut or color. I think I will drag Shrek there for his next haircut. I don't think he will put up too much of a fight. I've already got him hooked on Aveda's men's products. And tea. I brought some tea bags to take home with me.

For more on Aveda's products and services and stylist levels, visit their online shop or brochure.

Oven Roasted Rack of Lamb

2010-01-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

Shrek and I rang in the new decade with a major home cooking production:

A little oven roasted rack of lamb...

little red potatoes...

roasted carrots and brussel sprouts...

red wine and candlelight. Wowza.

Lesson Learned

2009-12-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Christmas Break, I got a little too used to sleeping in and skipping my 5 a.m. workouts. Therefore, it was a shock to my system when my alarm went off Monday morning. My response? I immediately turned it off and slept in another 2 hours, telling myself I would go to the gym after work. The thing is, I have this complex where if I don't go first thing in the morning, it doesn't happen. Last night was no different.

8 p.m. rolled around and I still hadn't made it to the gym. Instead, I'd polished off some leftover Chinese food and was sitting on my couch, Facebooking, maybe or not eating a cookie or two, when my friend posted the following:

Yup, that's her posing in a bikini in a calendar. As you can see, I found my motivation to go to the gym. Unfortunately, the most difficult part of working out was not just getting out the front door. I couldn't remember the last time I did a p.m. workout and last night I was reminded why. I nearly lost my dinner while on the treadmill. Thrice. And at 10 p.m. after my workout I did not feel my normal reinvigorated and recharged self. Instead, I felt bloated and nauseous. Ew.

The only plus? I got to sleep-in this morning and get ready in a record 20 minutes since I showered the night before. Oh, and there's better TV programming on at the gym around 9 p.m. compared to the paid programming at 5 a.m.

Still, will be sticking to a.m. workouts from here on out.

Soup a la Shrek

2009-12-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

What happens when Shrek makes homemade soup...

Homemade Chicken and Veggie Noodle Soup

...we end up with enough to feed a small army!!

Cozy

2009-12-26T17:19:00.000-08:00

Snapped these photos before stepping out today in my Christmas presents - a jacket and scarf - from Shrek.

Love, love, love!

Referring of course to Shrek, not the gifts. ;) ...but I like them an awful lot, too.

Hunting Jacket by Barbour (Recognize it?)

Scarf by Burberry

Denim by Citizens of Humanity

Riding Boots by Frye

Shoulder Bag by Badgley Mischka

Headband by J Crew

Checked Scarf by Burberry

I may have literally stumbled upon the jacket when it was delivered way back in November (very sheepish about that one!) but the scarf is completely unexpected, lovely, and luxurious. Especially coupled with the jacket. Kept me very cozy while running around wine tasting and picking up groceries today. It was our first outing in 48+ hours since we were both holed up in the apartment, sick on Christmas Day.

Let me tell you, being sick on Christmas SUCKS. I was actually out of the office sick Monday and Tuesday, the whole time thinking, hoping, I'd recuperate in time for Mama Shrek's roasted lamb on Christmas Day. Not so much. I had a relapse on Christmas Day. By that time Shrek had the same bug as I and we missed out on the family's gathering since they all said to stay home and not get them sick. Bah humbug.

Still, sincerely hope you all had a happy, healthy, holly-jolly holiday and sending warm wishes your way for the upcoming new year.

xoxo -M

On A Roll

2009-12-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

Tried my hand at homemade sushi and it turned out fantastic, if I may say so myself.

Next time I'll be more adventurous, but here's how I made homemade Philladelphia Rolls.

First, gather your ingredients:

2-3 cups cooked sticky rice, cooled
Lox
Cream cheese in a brick
Nori (seaweed)
Sesame Seeds
Lettuce
Optional: Soy Sauce
Optional: Wasabi
Optional: Sake :)

Tools:

Saran wrap
Bamboo Sushi Roller
Sharp knife
Cereal bowl filled with warm water

Instructions:

1. Wrap plastic wrap tightly around bamboo sushi roller. Place on flat surface.

2. Sprinkle Sesame Seeds in same shape of Nori sheet.

(You may want to cut it down a little, since you don't want your roll too wide)

3. Dips fingers in water to keep rice from sticking and shape rice over Sesame Seeds

4. Place Nori rough side down, followed by lettuce, long rectangular slices of cream cheese, and lox

5. Grasp front (edge closest to you) of bamboo roller and roll tightly towards middle,

ensuring that front and back edges of rice meet

6. Slice roll with a wet knife. I cleaned it off in between each slice and left the blade wet

Depending on your preference, serve with wasabi, soy sauce and sake.

Shrek also grilled up some Chicken Yakitori with green onions for the occasion.

YUM!

Thumbprint Cookies Filled with Jam

2009-12-23T19:45:00.000-08:00

Although I am a confessed Chocoholic, my mom's Thumbprint Cookies are still a holiday favorite of mine and require no chocolate whatsoever.

Thumbprints front and center

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup finely chopped nuts

about 1/2 cup preserves or jam

Directions:

Combine butter and sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Blend in almond extract. Add flour and salt; mix well.

Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into balls

Roll in nuts

Place on ungreased cookie sheets

Indent centers.

I know I said use your thumb before (hence the thumbprint),

but a teaspoon dipped in flour ensures an even print each time

Fill with 1 scant tsp. jam

Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or just until lightly browned

Thumbprints front and center!

Less is More

2009-12-19T15:45:00.000-08:00

Case in point: my closet.

Since moving in 2+ years ago, I've been in the (slow) process of creating an oasis of some sorts out of my "closet." Really, it's the second bedroom of my two-bedroom apartment that I share with Shrek, but I managed to strong-arm him into the entire room to myself. Don't feel bad for him; he's taken over the entire dining table and transformed it into his personal entertainment/work space.

Shrek's dining room domain

Back to the closet. This is what the room looked like right after I moved in September of '07.

Yikes! Was it messy and cluttered! Now that I look back, though, it totally resembled my life at that time; my then husband and I had just separated for good and, well, my life was messy and cluttered.

Fast forward two years. Although the room's basic layout and large furniture remain in place, the room certainly has a more serene and polished look and feel. Those earlier photos just make me cringe.

I love the details of this handmade vase.

I picked it up at Cost Plus World Market for $30.

Flowers from Michaels. $50 Arranged by Shrek. $0.

Lamp from Pier 1 Imports. $50.

Blue curtains are from Pier 1 Imports. $80.

White curtains are from Ikea. $15.

PS I still want this chaise!

Oof

2009-12-19T07:33:00.000-08:00

All that indulging/imbibing/gym slacking/Netflix viewing finally caught up to me last weekend when I noticed my favorite pair of skinny Citizens were a little too snug. Annoyed, I pulled my scale out, dusted it off (for reals!), and timidly hopped on. I was 119.8 - six pounds heavier than the last time I weighed-in back in October. Oof. That's quite a bit for just the past two months.

The good news is that I can write I was 119.8 pounds, because that was Monday. It's now Friday and I'm down to 115.8 leaving only two more pounds to go. My jeans are once again fitting comfortably and the mini Buddah belly I was developing? Gone! Gotta love how resilient the human body is. I didn't even have to do anything drastic aside from exercising my motivation and willpower. By that, I mean:

I started running again - my usual walk/run off and on for 10 mins
I made over breakfast: I traded in my usual waffles/peanut butter/syrup for a single packet of Quaker oatmeal (Maple and Brown Sugar is my favorite) and a Satsuma Orange. Okay, yesterday I slipped and ate two chocolate chip cookies instead, but they've got Quaker oats in them!
I kept my usual morning snack: yogurt sprinkled with granola and almonds or 1 Jimmy Dean D-light breakfast sandwich, hold half of the english muffin.
I made over lunch: so long to my beloved Tuscan Tomato Basil Soup from Safeway. The reason it was so good? 29 grams of fat per serving. Oof. Now I'm lunching on Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. Two grams of fat and 70 calories makes a big difference. I also really like Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers as far as microwave meals go. The Sweet Sesame Chicken is my favorite so far.
Afternoon snack: a handful of raw almonds and a Satsuma Orange
Dinner: I'm just watching portions more carefully. We had pasta and chicken on Monday. Went out for sushi on Tuesday. Shrek grilled shrimp and made pasta with an alfredo sauce Thursday night.
Drinks: Now this part is no fun, but I was a total teetotaler this past week; water, green tea, and the occasional skinny latte (to get me through the day) were my only drinks of choice. Sorry, folks, but it really makes a difference! Especially if you like sweets as much as I...
Dessert: I've been allowing myself a cookie or two a day. I even had a scoop of Ben and Jerry's Caramel Chunk last night while walking around Santana Row. It is the holidays, after all!

An Apple A Day...

2009-12-18T12:35:00.000-08:00

Perhaps my greatest chocolate creation right behind the cake bites are these suckers. They're knock-offs of the Royal Dessert Apples I used to make for the Cascade Candy Company when I was a teen in Washington State. Of course they are not nearly as pretty as the originals since I had to make due without temperers. Plus, this was my first attempt in 7+ years! Anyways, a little photo montage of the process...

Heavenly

2009-12-17T15:04:00.000-08:00

While researching destinations for a mini holiday getaway with Shrek I came across this place called the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. It looks positively spectacular and it receives glowing reviews by Conde Nast and Yelpers alike.

As soon as I make my millions, that's where you'll find me as my own home is being constructed a few cliffs over. For now, I'm searching for something a little less steep, money-wise.

Wheeee!

2009-12-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

Well looky what just arrived in the post!

I don't think I was supposed to open it, but it was in an Amazon.com box with no indication of who it was from or that it wasn't gift wrapped. I honestly thought I'd perhaps ordered something for Shrek and forgotten about it. (It's been known to happen.) Pretty sure it's from my parents, though, since the following note accompanied the book:

I'm not sure we want to encourage this facet of your trip...............

Ha! They also included a Hong Kong guide book and The Piano Teacher to keep my occupied during my 15 hour flight. Thanks!!

I Caved

2009-12-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

Yup, I'm wearing the shirt below and I'm loving it. Shrek and I were finishing up our Christmas shopping at Valley Fair last night when I wandered into J Crew. Low and behold, the only shirt remaining in that pattern was just my size. And it was on sale! Fate!

J Crew Print Tees

2009-12-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

If you know me personally and we spend time together on a regular basis, you probably know that I love J Crew's print tees. I think my collection is up near five. Nowadays I wear them layered under cardigans and scarves and over longer-sleeved tees. In the summer they are the perfect weight all on their own.

Whilst "lunching" yesterday, I tried this one on and fell in love. However, per my "no shopping for myself" rule and to the sales associate's chagrin, I put it down and stepped away. Bah hum bug.

Just in case Shrek or whomever needs some help with last-minute shopping, go here. Size and color noted below ;)

Chocolatey Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

2009-12-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

So happy that so many of you are trying out and enjoying the recipes I've posted! Here's the recipe for the chocolate gingerbread cookies I made over the weekend. It's a twist on Martha Stewart's recipe:

Photo from MarthaStewart.com

When I followed her directions to a T (figured I'd better when she calls for 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour!), the molasses flavor was a little overwhelming for my taste, so I cut it back a little in the recipe below. Oh, and of course I added more chocolate chips.

Warning: this recipe is extremely messy to make, but the outcome is beautiful! See?

Ingredients:

1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I used Ovaltine and it turned out just fine!)

1 stick unsalted butter

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Mix flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa
Beat together butter and grated ginger. Add brown sugar and molasses.
Dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water.
Add 1/2 flour mixture to butter mixture. Add baking soda mixture, then finally remaining flour mixture.
Add chocolate chips
Remove batter from bowl onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Work dough to about 1 inch thick, wrap and refrigerate until firm. (At least 2 hours.)
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes
Remove and roll dough in granulated sugar
Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, about 10-12 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen.

White Elephant Gifting

2009-12-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

I think I am one of the few who actually look forward to White Elephant Gift exchanges. It's a hoot seeing what everyone brings/unloads (since re-gifting is encouraged) and what everyone "steals." The most popular/stolen gifts at our office this year were "As Seen On TV" items like the Snuggie and an under the bed shoe organizer. Shrek and I brought toys and a chocolatini set, respectively. Each were stolen the maximum three times, so I guess we chose well.

Rules to conduct your own White Elephant Gift Exchange follow. There are many variations to this gifting game. Just make sure the rules are clear before you start.

Choose a theme. Our theme this year (and every year) at the office is "Tacky Yet Useful" - hence the As Seen on TV gifts floating around.
Set a price limit, say $15 or $20. We also encourage participants to bring something unused from home to re-gift.
Participants should set wrapped gifts in a designated area. Be stealthy about it.
Everyone draws a number and gifts are selected in numerical order. The first person must select from the unopened presents, unwrap, and reveal it to everyone playing.
The second person may steal the unwrapped gift or choose from the wrapped gifts, and so on.
If your gift is stolen, you may immediately steal someone else's gift or choose from the unwrapped gifts. The game continues where it left off after a wrapped gift is finally chosen.
We play where a gift may only be stolen up to three times. After that, it's "safe" with the person who stole it third.
Finally, after the last gift has been unwrapped, we encourage the person who chose first to steal a gift and place theirs back in the middle. Usually this incites a domino effect of pillaging and plundering until all gifts have been stolen up to three times or someone chooses the unwrapped gift in the middle.

Heavenly

2009-12-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

Whilst doing a little Christmas trekking around the mall this weekend, I took a breather on this sofa in Restoration Hardware. OH. MY. It is Heavenly! The most comfortable thing I have ever sunk into.

Maxwell Sleeper Sofa by Restoration Hardware. $5345

The perfectly plush cushions are extra deep so I'm much like a little kid whose knees don't extend far enough to bend over the edge. My legs stick straight out which is fine by me. Extra deep cushions also lend well for sprawling out. I am big on sprawling out while watching movies - which is why I'm such a fan of Netflix in lieu of movie watching at the theatre.

The best part? It's a sleeper sofa! I haven't seen these in ages, but I could totally use one what with our lack of additional sleeping space to offer overnight guests. The few we have make do on the couch and occasionally the love seat, too. Great for napping, but they are not ideal for a full night's sleep. This would be perfect. The only problem? The price tag. Always that pesky price tag...

Weekend Review

2009-12-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

In terms of chocolate, that is.

I started with this much chocolate.

Then found an additional 5 bags while searching for baking soda in a cupboard way up high.

After three days of baking, this is all I have left. Seriously.

It may have something to do with the following.

dark chocolate dipped chocolate cream cheese cake bites

white chocolate dipped chocolate cream cheese cake bites

Apples dunked in caramel, dark chocolate and drizzled with milk and dark chocolate.

Topped with pecans.

double chocolate chip cookies

chocolate dipped biscotti

chocolate gingerbread cookies

...and those are just the cookies I baked with chocolate. I made a few others sans chocolate!

Ouch

2009-12-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

I have ridiculously bad eyes. I'm talking blind as a bat with a severe astigmatism. I just ordered another set of contact lenses. A 4-pack for each eye is $450 together with my insurance. Crap. Looking into Lasik now.

Anyone out there have a good recommendation? Or have an experience to share?

Handy

2009-12-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

They finally used my photo! Took 'em long enough ;)

From the shoot:

Confessions of a Chocoholic

2009-12-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

These are sinfully delicious. Just watch out -- I ate half the package in one sitting/standing and wound up with a bellyache. Didn't stop me from finishing them off the next night, though.

Here We Go!

2009-12-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

One guess as to what I'm up to this weekend.

Here's a hint.

Citizen of the World

2009-12-10T16:24:00.000-08:00

I chalk it up to anticipation. I'm really digging these passport covers. (Though am not digging the prices.)

Burberry ($195)

LV ($188)

Coach ($148)

Yes, Please

2009-12-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Am I nuts? Sunday I ventured to BaskinRobbins for a Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Royale. My first ice cream outing in months and it was 35 degrees outside! Now, it's about 33 degrees and I'm daydreaming of a floral print dress like the one below donned by Olivia in the latest episode of The City.

Not much luck finding it, but did come across this one from Newport News.

Only I'd want mine knee or tea length. Maybe Hong Kong will have what I'm looking for!

Clothes Horse

2009-12-08T10:28:00.000-08:00

Do you ever purchase clothing or accessories only to have them hang in your closet, unworn, for months? In my case, it's years. Not intentionally, of course. But I've been one to have a dress on in a fitting room and a grand vision of where exactly I'm going to wear it: a special event like a wedding or baby shower (since I've entered that period where it seems more and more are getting married and having babies than not) or a ritzy night out on the town. High on the vision, I've plunked my money down and, unfortunately, as in the case of the BCBG dress pictured below, it hangs in my closet for a good two years without seeing the light of day. Yes, you read that correctly - two years! That's what happens when you have these grand visions of all the dresses you try on and you wind up with two or three... or twenty-five.

I only recently pulled this on for a friend's birthday party at Santana Row. I'm the second from the left. And, hey, I managed to pair it with my new Frye boots (which I wear all the time) and a strand of Mikimoto pearls (which I never wear).

I received so many nice compliments from fellow partygoers, random diners, and employees at the venue I wondered why I kept it in hiding for so long.

I also managed to find an opportunity to wear a more recently acquired Juicy Couture dress. It still sat in my closet for about two months, though, before I pulled it out for our company's holiday party.

Did I mention our company's holiday party was at a Shark's (hockey) game this year?

Though we were in a suite, many chose to dress in traditional Sharks fan-wear. I would've, too, had I possessed any. Instead, I thought What the hell, if not now then when? and put my dress on for the evening. This is the attitude I've decided to adopt and carry into 2010. Instead of waiting for the perfect occasion to wear my dresses, I'm going to rock them whenever I feel like it.

I've also created a rule for myself: if I don't wear my new purchase within the first three days of acquisition, it has to go back. That is, after I allow myself to start shopping again. I am still abiding by rule to only purchase Christmas gifts for others during the month of December. Am also thinking I'm going to hold out through January, too, so I can pick up a few things during my February visit to HONG KONG without feeling guilty. From what everyone tells me, the shopping there is incredible!

Hong Kong, Here I Come

2009-12-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

Vacation days procured - Hong Kong, look out! I'm coming for you in February!

Am already thinking about what to pack and if I should bring an extra suitcase for the return - and I don't leave for another two months.

Moda

2009-12-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

Moda is Italian for fashion. According to Meryl Streep's character in one of my favorite movies of all time, The Devil Wears Prada, it's the designers like Italy's Gucci, Armani, Cavalli, Sergio Rossi, Missoni, and Versace who influence what we pick up at the local Gap and Old Navy.

I took this photo while studying in Verona, Italy, four years ago and I'm still waiting for the trend to catch on here in the states.

Tuna Pasta Salad

2009-12-01T09:25:00.000-08:00

A surprisingly tasty combination!

No measurements here. These are the basic ingredients I use and the steps I take to create this tasty concoction.

Ingredients:

1 box of elbow macaroni or small pasta shells
frozen peas
Albacore Tuna (I used 4 cans)
celery
red onion
garlic cloves
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip depending on your preference
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Cook pasta as directed on box
Strain and set in refrigerator to chill
Chop garlic cloves, celery, red onion and set in large mixing bowl
Add tuna, peas, pasta, mayo, salt and pepper
Mix well and enjoy!

Ironic

2009-11-30T20:47:00.000-08:00

Good for me, bad for you. That is, if you're expecting a Christmas gift from me this year. I managed to get through the entire consumer-driven long weekend without dropping a cent. A CENT! We didn't even eat out thanks to all of the Thanksgiving dinner leftovers Mama Shrek sent home with us.

Don't worry. Shrek and I purposefully bypassed the mall-madness in favor of a one-stop-shop in SF this coming weekend. (Plus, I might want to check out Jimmy Choo for H&M. Just to look, of course.)

For fun, I did bake another batch of biscotti (visit original recipe here) and dip them in chocolate. They are SUPER YUM!

Dear Santa

2009-11-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

Why is it whenever I make a vow to stop doing something - shopping, for example - I find all this great stuff? Since I am no longer permitted to make purchases for myself ($14.50 denim doesn't count!), I'm throwin' this out there. For Santa, of course.

TNA red flannel plaid shirt at Aritizia.

Yoga Towel by Lululemon

Adobe Photoshop

Checked Hat by Burberry

Scarf by Burberry

Crinkle Scarf by Burberry

Makeup by Clinique in shades shown

Rosemary Mint Body Wash by Aveda

Dorado Short Boot by Frye

Any one of these would be much appreciated on Christmas Day! Or any day, for that matter ;)

$14.50 Denim

2009-11-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

I know I said no more shopping for myself, but how can I pass on $14.50 denim?

Headband by J Crew. Plaid flannel shirt by TNA at Aritzia.

Jeans by Forever 21. Boots by Frye.

Thanks!

2009-11-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

A timeout to give thanks.

I ran 4 miles of the Los Gatos Creek Trail during my lunch break on Wednesday. In a tank top and cropped leggings. Pain-free. The visual of the sun cutting through the crisp Fall...

It was just perfect. I had to stop and take this photo with my iPhone.

It really made me thankful for my good health and thankful my gainful employment which allows me to buy the clothes on my back, shoes on my feet, and the food to fuel my activities.

* * *

I'm thankful for my parents who are the best. I know, I'm bias. ;)

Yup, that's them!

* * *

I'm thankful for my "wholesome" upbringing.

I grew up doing fun stuff like this, and I'm thankful I can share it with the people I care about

and am thankful to have in my life today:

* * *

I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had to jet set,

even though I complain that "I never go anywhere anymore!"

Venice, Italy

Cinque Terre

Opera in L'arena di Verona

Monaco-Monte Carlo

Swiss Alps

Tahiti

Me and my new best friend in Cairns, Australia

Up close and personal with a kangaroo in Cairns, Australia

Opera in the Sydney Opera House

Parasailing in Hawaii

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Relaxing pool-side in Palm Springs

* * *

I'm thankful for this guy, right here.

And his warm, generous family who welcome me to their home every time with open arms.

Check out yesterday's Thanksgiving feast:

Smoked Turkey

Homemade bread

Homemade dressing

Sauteed mushrooms

Homemade chocolate and pumpkin pies

Leftovers!! Yes, that's a whole chocolate pie.

Finally, thank you for visiting!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Me and Sugar, Shrek's pup.

Clearly, we see who she favors :P

Seriously?

2009-11-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

Dining outside on Santana Row always provides colorful entertainment.

Cats walked down the sidewalk on leashes? Check.

Babies walked down the sidewalk on leashes? Check.

Drunk boyfriend has arm around equally drunk girlfriend and walks her smack into a large spiky-looking palm? Check.

Like I said, colorful stuff here and some wicked insight into the human psyche. Most times I'm left asking, WTF, folks?

Last night, Shrek and I were seated outside of Pizza Antica enjoying our dinner when a car pulled up and parked outside of the restaurant on the street. It was hard to miss because it took the driver about eight tries to parallel park. Three women got out and made their way down the row. Next thing I know, I'm watching some random dude wander over to the car with his girlfriend. They are waiting for a table with two other couples but broke off to look at something on the guy's mobile. Random dude plants his ass on the edge of the hood and the girl leans against him while they browse his phone for the following 10 minutes or so. Mind you, this is not his car and I see no sign left by the car's owner that reads "Please sit on me."

The couple eventually join the rest of their party and move right up against our table and Shrek. Totally unnecessary when there is an entire sidewalk open as far as the eye can see. Their backs are to us. They are so close I can reach across Shrek to give the young woman a little pinch on the hiney. I don't. Though, Shrek has to refrain me from telling the girl to "Kindly remove your ass from my cappuccino." Fortunately, they are seated soon thereafter. Some people, I tell ya!

Pizza Antica FTW

2009-11-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

That's Pizza Antica For The Win.

Out of all the eateries on Santana Row, I can say with confidence that Pizza Antica is my favorite. I don't eat there too often because it is rather expensive, but the flavors are top notch as is the quality of their food and service. Our server last night, Lloyd, provided an impeccable dining experience despite the unnecessary crowding towards the end. He was familiar with each dish we asked about, provided recommendations, and kept the wine and water flowing.

If you've never been, I highly recommend nabbing a table outside on the sidewalk for people watching (yes, even as November draws to a close I dined outside last night!) and ordering the following. You won't be disappointed!

Young field greens with roasted pine nuts on a piadini. $8.75

Tossed in light, flavorful olive oil with roasted pine nuts and served on an oven toasted piadini brushed with fresh garlicky herbs. Half portion pictured.

Cup of Butternut Squash Soup. $5.95

I personally did not care for this, but Shrek certainly liked it!

Handmade Potato Ricotta Gnocchi. $13.95

Served in a pesto and sun-dried tomato cream sauce. Fantastic, as always! Love that they pan-sear the gnocchi.

Pizza Antica #4: Spicy fennel sausage, portobello mushroom, roasted onion and garlic. $17 for a large.

SO YUM. I ate three slices for breakfast this morning.

If you're keeping tabs, that's $45.65. Not bad, but then we also had a carafe of the Vigonier ($27) and a cappuccino ($3.25) bringing our grand total to a whopping $95 with a 20% tip. Eep! That's enough for food for a week! But, the experience and memory last a lifetime, right?

Inner Peace

2009-11-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

After 1.5 hours of Hot Vinyasa Yoga Sunday morning, Shrek and I were feeling quite tranquil and good about ourselves and the world. Testament to our new-found serenity? While driving home, some jackhole cut me off when she abruptly switched into my lane, nearly crashing into us. Instead of honking and flipping her the usual bird, the offender received two thumbs up - one from Shrek and one from myself - as she glanced into her rearview mirror. She got another set when she pulled into a left turn lane and we passed on her right. The best part is we didn't even choreograph that!

How'd They Know?

2009-11-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

How'd they know I ate three chocolate chip cookies, an Egg McMuffin and Hashbrowns for breakfast?!

My new cocktail napkins I picked up at Savannah-Chanelle:

It's like they were modeled after me! Hairstyle n' all.

Cozy

2009-11-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

What a perfect morning for hot cocoa and biscotti.

Fate

2009-11-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

Well looky what I found last night!

Me modeling the infamous jacket.

(Sorry for the low quality photos. I really need to start carrying my camera around!)

If you follow my blog you know that I am slightly obsessed with this Barbour hunting jacket. See here and here. Oh, and here.

Don't worry, Dad. My bank account is still intact. I walked away empty handed. It was just fun to actually see this in person after no luck finding it even on Barbour's website. Turns out it's because there are only three - THREE! - of this particular style jacket in stock in the entire United States and I just happened to be dragged into a store that has one of them. Orvis isn't traditionally my style and if it weren't Shrek's and I wasn't the great, accommodating girlfriend that I am, I never would've stepped foot inside to discover that they carry my Barbour jacket. Oh, and hey, the jacket's categorized as "Menswear." I'd been searching "Womenswear"on Barbour.com all along. No matter, I'd still make it work even if it is six sizes too big!

Shrek chalks it up to fate. I think it's just cruel to have it so close, yet so far out of reach. :P

Infused Vodka

2009-11-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

What's a girl to do with all that leftover vodka? Infuse it with berries!

I first got on this fruit infused vodka kick after a Happy Hour at the Village California Bistro & Wine Bar on Santana Row. It may look and taste like innocent fruit juice, but let me assure you that it is extremely potent!

Black Raspberry Infused Vodka at Village California Bistro & Wine Bar

Me on my second infused vodka drink

Supplies:

Fresh, washed organic berries
Premium vodka. (The Village Bistro recommends Svedka)
A glass jar. (I found that whole berries don't fit down the necks of most vodka bottles.)
Eventually you will need a very fine strainer of cheese cloth.

Directions:

Wash berries
Place in jar
Pour vodka over berries
Seal tightly and let sit for 6+ weeks

Our Whole Foods blackberries

After 10 minutes

After 3 weeks

Will post back in another 3 weeks!

Mom's Chicken Normandy

2009-11-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

It's just beginning to feel like Fall here in Northern California with nighttime temps dipping into the high 30s/low 40s and daytime highs hovering around 65 degrees. To celebrate, Shrek and I cooked up a divine chicken apple dish last night. The recipe is a favorite from my childhood and my mom was kind enough to type it up and email it off to me.

The pre-baking part took a little TLC, what with the browning and sauteing. But once it was in the oven, all we had to do was sit back, sip our wine, and let the savory aroma of apples and chicken baking in a white wine, garlic, onion, butter, and dijon cream sauce fill our apartment and noses.

It was so good I had it again for breakfast this morning!

Workout Playlist

2009-11-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

Speaking of my Shuffle, I'm officially asking you for songs to add to my workout playlist. For the longest time, nothing's topped John Mellencamp's "Hurts So Good" when it comes to my logging another interval in on the treadmill. But, I admit, it's starting to get tedious.

To give you an idea of what's currently on rotation:

Like a Prayer - Madonna Like a Prayer
Vogue - Madonna

You Shook Me All Night Long 3:30 AC/DC

Hurts So Good 3:39 John Mellencamp

Wild Night 3:28 John Mellencamp & Me'Shell Ndegeocello

Small Town 3:41 John Mellencamp

Jack & Diane 4:16 John Mellencamp

Don't Stop Believin' 4:09 Journey

Jesse's Girl, Rick Springfield

Rag Doll 4:24 Aerosmith

Sweet Child O' Mine 5:56 Guns N' Roses

Stronger - Britney Spears

Circus - Britney Spears

Stronger - Kanye West

Everything 3:33 Michael Buble

Unwritten 4:15 Natasha Bedingfield

I Want It That Way 3:36 Backstreet Boys

Glamorous (Explicit Version) 4:07 Fergie

You Belong With Me 3:51 Taylor Swift

Party In the U.S.A. 3:23 Miley Cyrus

I Gotta Feeling 4:49 Black Eyed Peas

Boom Boom Pow 4:11 Black Eyed Peas

Starstruck 3:39 Lady Gaga Feat. Space Cowboy & Flo Rida

Still Dirrty - Christina Aguilera

Here to Stay - Christina Aguilera

What's the song that powers you through another mile on the treadmill or enables you to lift that last set of weights?

Splish Splash iPod's Taking A Bath

2009-11-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

D'oh. My Shuffle was no match for Launderland's suds. My earbuds, however, somehow survived and I was able to swipe Shrek's Shuffle which he never uses. This move saved me the $60-$100 it'd cost to buy a replacement.

Shrek actually wasn't too keen on me taking his tunes, so I had to put it in perspective for him. All he had to do was tell me where his Shuffle has been collecting dust for the past 6+ months and I'd go replace mine at the Apple Store. Needless to say, he took a stab at it and was wrong. (And it's not like it was a trick question; it was in our "tech drawer" where we store all of our extra chargers, earbuds, remote controls, etc.) Now, I'm back to happily tuning people out at the gym.

Vodka Showdown Results, Finally

2009-11-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, results are in! I've now conducted three separate blind vodka tastings and drum roll, please...

Photos from Vodka Showdown Round 2

Despite the propaganda Costco employees peddle, Kirkland brand vodka is not equal to Grey Goose.

Grey Goose definitively came out on top whether sampling two, three, or four vodkas. In those same taste tests, Kirkland brand came in second, third, and third, respectively. (It beat out Belvedere!) These are, however, according to my taste buds. Some, being Shrek and Jetsetter, preferred Ketel One over Grey Goose and in one instance Kirkland emerged the reigning champ by a fellow vodka enthusiast. My recommendation? Conduct your own blind tasting! One, it's totally fun and, two, you discover what you like and don't like so you know what (not) to spend your money on at the bar or in the booze aisle.

Finally, I would like to take a moment to point out just how awesome my taste buds are. In the two "controlled" blind trials (meaning I wasn't too drunk a la my first tasting!) my results were the same no matter the order in which we tasted. Grey Goose was number one, Ketel One second, Kirkland third, and Belvedere was like (how I imagine) sipping gasoline (would be). Then there's Shrek who heralded Ketel One the champ in Round 2 but liked it least in our most recent tasting. He claims it must have to do with the order in which we taste, but my results debunk that theory.

Now, how to conduct your own blind tasting.
It's much more entertaining to taste when no one knows what's what. This is how I pulled it off and you can, too.

In my most recent tasting, there were 7 participants and 4 vodkas.

Supplies:

I created little placemats, one for each participant, with colored dots. Each color represents a different vodka.
Due to the number of glasses required, I went to Target and picked up some short, clear plastic cocktail glasses. ($2.99 for 25.)
Pens to make notes
Chasers

Instructions:

Isolate yourself in the kitchen. Line up glasses in rows of 4 flights x 7 glasses, one per person per flight.
Keep track of which vodka you pour for each flight on a piece of paper and put it somewhere safe until it's time to reveal what's what.
Assign someone to bring all the glasses out and set them on the placemats. Explain that there are 4 flights and each flight should be placed on a color of their choosing. The idea is that everyone tasting "blue," for example, should be tasting the same vodka. This person also needs to keep track of which flight (1, 2, 3, or 4) is placed on each color by jotting it down on a piece of paper.

Once setup is complete, everyone should have a placemat, drinks, chaser of their choosing, and a pen to jot down notes on their placemat. Let the tasting commence!

I recommend everyone start by sipping the same color and moving around to each at the same time. Once all colors have been tasted, it's kind of a free for all. I go back and forth, sipping each, trying to figure out which one I like better.
When it's time to reveal what's what, it's fun to go around the group or ask people to chime in if what's about to be revealed is a favorite, a least favorite, or what they think the vodka is.

Results from Vodka Showdown Round 3

Ratings are based on "shoot-ability." "Mix-ability" is a whole 'nother story. Although I don't enjoy Kirkland brand vodka in a shot glass, I very much do in a mixed drink - or two!

Me vs. the Machine

2009-11-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

I really messed my hand up this morning. You know that bar that fits across the treadmill that people look ridiculous clinging to when walking on a too-steep incline? Yeah, that one. That's the one I smacked my hand into and it hurt like a mother.

Per my fitness regimen, I had the treadmill on a 6.5 incline and was in the zone running at 10.0 mph. I guess the high incline combined with me leaning as if running uphill brought my hand to the perfect height for a fist-meets-treadmill smackdown. Despite my earbuds blasting Madonna, I could still hear the resounding THWOP! the impact created. I saw people look over. I grimaced, cursed, but kept running. During my walking intervals I watched the top of my hand start to puff up and turn red, then a lovely shade of green, blue, and purple. Later, when I went to the locker room and ran my hand under cool water I noticed I was bleeding from some tiny scratches the impact made. Great.

Looks like the machine won that round, but I'll be back tomorrow.

I Caved

2009-11-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

After much debate, I picked up Frye's Melissa Button Boot at Nordstrom on Sunday. I'm so glad I did! The boots look a lot like Frye's Melissa Riding Boot which I tried on at Bloomingdales and loved, except mine are (still exorbitantly priced but) $50 less. Plus, no shipping fee and no wait time (had I gone through the Frye or Zappos websites). I've already worn them to work twice and they are so so comfortable - a must for all shoe purchases! And, hey, I can feel the gas pedal when I drive.

I think I am also slowly but surely wearing Shrek down, convincing him that it's okay for Santa to leave me a bundle of cash to go towards my early-bird Christmas present. ;)

Melissa Button Boot by Frye

I paired them today with a casual BCBG dress from two seasons ago, Gap black leggings ($10), and a black silk boyfriend blazer ($88) I ordered from Victoria's Secret last Fall. Though, looks like they still have it available this season.

Spoken like a true shoe-aholic except that I mean it: I am done now. I swear. Actually, black riding boots were the final pieces to complete my wardrobe. After a serious purge of the old closet, I made note of the key pieces I was missing and only gave myself permission to purchase those. Now, I can focus on my Christmas shopping for others. :)

H&M Knows Jimmy Choo

2009-11-11T21:01:00.000-08:00

WHOA. Jimmy Choo for H&M! Available in select stores November 14. And I think I read all their shoes are only $99!

Images from http://www.hm.com/us/jimmy

choo#/jimmychoo/. Check out the website for more!

Who's with me? Just to look, of course ;)

Purrcasso Talent

2009-11-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

Directly following our incredible lunch at La Pastaia on Saturday, Shrek and I scooted up to Rockridge for Happy Hour at Jetsetter's before progressing to Berkeley. In Berkeley, our - being Shrek, Jetsetter, Jetsetter's cousin, A., and moi - ultimate destination was the pet-friendly art fest fundraiser, Purrcasso. The big draw for us was that this year's event was co-chaired by theMaykazine's boyfriend, the talented Bill Robinson. (Decided to just use his name since, hey, I'm linking you to his website.)

For details on the event, I've copied the Facebook invitation here:

The creations on display were magical! The following are a few of my favorites plus links to the artists' individual webpages. Make sure to check out the links, Bill's especially. He shares technique as well as other pieces he's created. Links to his fellow artists' personal webpages are also available so you can see the upcoming events they're attending in order to start your own collection of their work! (Please contact me if there is any issue with my posting these photos from Purrcasso. My intention certainly isn't to infringe on anyone's rights to their work; I simply want to share my admiration for and commend their creativity and talent!)

Curious Cat (Terrified Bird) by Bill Robinson

Bill Robinson

Heh. The pup on the far right reminds me of my dad :)

Bill Robinson

Liana Hee

I love this piece and would love to know who the artist is and if they've got a webpage

A. collecting her newly acquired artwork.

It resembles her own pup in the photo below.

A's real-life pup at Oakland's Eat Real

Summer 2009

Bill Pressing

Jetsetter's vino.
All proceeds benefited the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society.

Loving Netflix

2009-11-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

Shrek and I are hooked on our Netflix rentals. So much so, we upped our dvds per month to three ($17 per month) just in time to start paying. We realized, too late, that we could've initially signed up for 5 or 6 dvds out at a time (you can have up to 8) for our two-week free trial and then cut back to 3 once we had to start paying. Ah well, our loss is your gain.

P.S. Only one more disc of Weeds and we'll have to wait until the current season on TV (Season 5) is out on dvd to find out what happens. At least I've got Twilight arriving on Friday to gear up for New Moon's release next weekend!

La Pastaia Knows Italian Food

2009-11-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Shrek's parents treated us to an incredible lunch at Hotel de Anza's La Pastaia in downtown San Jose. At 1:30 in the afternoon we had the entire place to ourselves, but our server assured us that they were doing more than fine patron-wise. (Delivered in a friendly non-patronizing way.) Weekday evenings draw a full house, especially with Sharks fans packing their tables for their pre-game meals as La Pastaia is within walking distance of HP Pavilion. As we looked over the menu, Mama Shrek entertained us with tales of lunching at this very restaurant in the mid-eighties when the corporation for which she worked regularly treated all of their employees to five-course lunches and happy hour drinks. Sigh, what a lovely thing! Now, it's tuna salad sandwich sack lunches or Subway for this girl, so La Pastaia was an especially welcome mid-afternoon treat.

Our meal began with wine, bread served with olive oil and balsamic, rings of lightly battered calamari, tender lamb chops, and butternut squash ravioli. I will let the following photos of our entrees and desserts speak for themselves. Meaning, that, yes, they absolutely tasted as delicious as they look! (Even when taken with a crummy iPhone camera.)

Rigatoni with Lamb

Insalata di Caesar con Salmone

Veal Risotto

Spaghetti Vongole

Creme Brulee

First time having chocolate creme brulee... it was very reminiscent of pudding but quite tasty!

Apple-Rosemary Crisp

Tiramisu

Visit La Pastaia's website for hours, location, and menus.

Back to Launderland

2009-11-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

Dryer's out again, but it's okay. I just completed 4 loads of laundry (wash and dry) in under an hour and for the same price I would've paid to do it here but in 5+ hours. Shrek and I were even able to sneak away and grab a bagel breakfast sandwich while our laundry was in the wash.

#2 Egg with Bacon Breakfast Sandwich on a Gourmet Jalepeno Bagel

by Cramer's Bagels

#4 Egg with Canadian Ham Breakfast Sandwich on an Everything Bagel

by Cramer's Bagels

Then I wiped Shrek at 4 hands of Uno while waiting for our clothes/sheets/towels/carpets to dry. (Take note: when your opponent dons sunglasses while playing, their cards are reflected in their lenses giving away their entire hand - color, too!)

With all this extra time I can go get my haircut and get a little shopping in!

Found!

2009-11-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Remember that jacket on my girl crush, Alexa Chung, with which I am absolutely infatuated?

I found it! Well, I guess it's more like I came across it; Marie Claire Magazine featured it TWICE in their December issue. It's by Barbour and retails for about $450.

Crap. It may as well be Burberry at that price.

Decisions, Decisions

2009-11-08T07:20:00.000-08:00

I'm still on the hunt for a pair of black riding boots and the situation is turning dire. Rain's in the forecast and I returned the pair I liked aesthetically but were so not comfortable and consigned the pair that were functional but so not fashionable. After multiple trips to Nordstrom, DSW, Macys, and Bloomingdales I've narrowed it down to the following but can't bring myself to pull the trigger... as in hand over the cash.

I'm having difficulty justifying the purchase when I've got a $330 cash payment to make to the DMV and my contacts need replenishing at $300 a pop. (Contacts as in the ones I pop in my eyes in order to see.) Plus, my wallet is still smarting from my root canal. Sigh, the money I would save if I only had good eyes and teeth! Okay, let's be honest; I'd probably just buy the boots if I didn't have to buy contacts. But I do so I'm not... yet.

In the meantime, they're still pretty to look at whilst I hem and haw this over.

Melissa Riding Boot by Frye. $348

15L Heath Outside Zip by Frye. $328

Kensington by Ugg. $199

Dorado Short by Frye. $378.

PS Why is the smallest pair the most expensive??

* * *

Comment via Facebook:

Balancing Act

2009-11-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

I just realized that this entire landing page is all about food. Even in the Launderland post, I mention food. My mom asked me the other day how I'm not 300 lbs, cuz I'm not:

Me this summer at Oakland's Eat Real Food Fest,

doing one of the things I enjoy most: eating!

(Photo by Maykazine.)

It's probably in most part because I work out like a little fiend. But also, eating a lot keeps my metabolism up!

PS. Got my running up to a 6.5 incline and 9.5 - 10.0 speed; incline at a 14% resistance, and bike at level 7!

Kiss the Cook

2009-11-07T06:39:00.000-08:00

I distinctly remember the very first time Shrek came over. We were sitting on my couch drinking some wine and at the point we decided it was time to think about dinner, he strode into my little kitchen, took quick stock of my fridge's and pantry's contents, and then proceeded to create a wonderful meal out of seemingly nothing! Last night he did the same. (Thank you, Mama Shrek. You taught him well!)

After a few glasses of wine, we decided to forgo the sushi date we'd planned on to, instead, light some candles and stay in. Shrek surveyed what is now our fridge and our pantry and quickly assembled a chunk of leftover meatloaf, garlic, red onion, black olives, chili flakes, a bottle of pasta sauce, a couple of tomatoes, and a box of linguine. "How do you feel about Bolognese?" Uh, YU-UMM!!!

And my job? Shrek instructed me to snip a handful of basil from our balcony's make-shift garden and keep the wine flowing.

Enjoying the wine I picked up on my recent Sonoma visit

Last night's Bolognese a la Shrek. It was molto delicioso!

A few other homemade dishes a la Shrek...

Homemade ravioli:

Manicotti:

Enchiladas:

Filet Mignon with corn and asparagus:

I guess you could say that the way to my heart is through my stomach.

CPK Knows Customer Service

2009-11-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

On a whim, Shrek and I decided to eat out last night which is something we've been cutting back on with Christmas right around the corner. (And that nasty car service payment.) We happened to be at the mall doing a little scouting out of the presents we are considering for our families and friends (and maybe each other ;) ) and ended up at California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). Not one of my top choices, but one of the top choices if I'm ravenous and at the mall. I'd also been hankering for their Apple Crisp a la mode (pictured below) which I had every intention of devouring that evening.

Shrek ordered a cup of soup ($4) for himself along with a Garlic Chicken Pizza ($14) and Waldorf Chicken Salad ($13) to share with me. We also decided to splurge on a bottle of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio ($30) after they served us a free tasting. With the aforementioned Apple Crisp ($7), we were looking at a $68 tab before taxes and tip. As it turned out, however, the restaurant had no chilled bottles available when we put our order in. This was slightly annoying since they'd offered every table a free sample to, I'm assuming, push sales of that particular wine, but whatever. Saved us $30! Only, later the Manager appeared with our Garlic Chicken Pizza in hand...slightly burnt.

The Manager began by apologizing (again) for not having the chilled bottle of wine available and then for burning our pizza. He ended by explaining that although they were busy making another pizza for us, we could also have the burned one (maybe one slice wasn't salvageable out of 8) and that he'd be removing it from our tab. Additionally, he wanted to offer us dessert on the house. After all that, our tab ended up being $25 for a cup of soup, large salad, two pizzas, and 2 desserts. Sweet!

CPK's Apple Crisp and Chocolate Souffle, both served "a la Haagen Daz"

After being so well taken care of, we decided to tip as if we'd received and been billed everything we originally ordered. After all (or as far we know), it wasn't our server's fault that the wine wasn't chilled and our pizza got burnt. With such tip-top service, we are more likely to go back sooner, though not too soon... I've got more than an entire leftover pizza in my fridge!

Mindy Knows Garlic Potato Wedges

2009-11-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Aside from garlic mashed potatoes, baked garlic potato wedges are one of my favorite sides to accompany my homemade meatloaf. Shrek and I have mastered two versions, what we refer to as Italian and Traditional. Here we go!

Traditional Ingredients:

Russet Potatoes. I estimate 1 potato per person. We used 4 in the photos below.
Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic (a clove per potato/person)

Sea Salt

Ground Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper

Paprika

Coriander (dried cilantro)

Garlic-Cheese-Italian Ingredients:

Russet Potatoes. I estimate 1 potato per person. We used 4 in the photos below.

Olive Oil

4 Cloves Garlic (a clove per potato/person)

Sea Salt

Ground Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper

Coriander (dried cilantro)

Parsley

Shaved Romano and Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Wash potatoes whole.

Leave skin on and cut into fry shapes (see photos)
Place in bowl and drizzle olive oil
Sprinkle remaining ingredients, applying generously

Once over is to temp, place fries in a single layer on your pizza stone or cookie sheet. I recommend a pizza stone like this one. We got ours at Sur la Table on Santana Row.

Bake for 20 minutes checking sporadically for browning. To crisp fries, broil for an additional 5 minutes.

Buon Appetito!

Mindy Knows Meatloaf

2009-11-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

For me, meatloaf is up there with pho as the ultimate wintery comfort food and this recipe has never failed me!

Even when I have to substitute one ingredient for another or plum run out of Worcestershire Sauce, the results are still excellent. A tip: because bake-time itself takes an hour-thirty plus, I usually bake it the night before I want to enjoy it. That way, I can just make my potato side dish (either mashed potatoes or wedges) and pop a few slices of meatloaf in the micro when I get home from work.

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef. I usually combine 1 lb lean + l lb not

1/2 cup bread crumbs. I use Progresso's

1 cup milk. 2% works best even though I usually use fat free since that's what we drink and have on hand

1 Tbls Worcestershire Sauce

4 cloves minced garlic

1 small onion finely chopped

1 shallot finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon dry or Grey Poupon mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ketchup

Tip: If you've got access to one, a mini food chopper like my Cuisinart Mini-Prep Food Processor

makes all that chopping and mincing a breeze.

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients but the ketchup in a bowl. I use my hands for this part!

Place in an un-greased loaf pan.

Generously apply ketchup across the top.

Bake uncovered for an hour and a half, then up the temp to a broil for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving

Construction

2009-11-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

My blog has been undergoing a transformation these past few days. Being the minimalist that I am - at least in terms of aesthetics - I wanted a clean look to better highlight my writing and photos. I think I finally achieved that, but no promises that it will stay this way for too long!

By the way, I'm really loving my new header font. It's called Honey Script and you can download it free for personal use with Windows or Mac by visiting the link. Since I'm not making any money off my posts, I'm assuming the blog is still regarded as personal and not commercial and it's okay to feature the font, but holler at me if I'm wrong. I came across Honey Script last night in an emailed attachment. With the little HTML know-how I have, I was able to open the document's coding and find the font name, Google a download site, add the font to my library, and create my header in MS Word. All that just to take a desktop photo (shift+command+4 on a Mac) to upload here. Most likely there is a more simple way of going about creating a personalized header, but at any rate, Voila!

Mindy Knows Launderland

2009-11-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Fortunately I was able to salvage my mood last night thanks to GLM Launderland. It's conveniently located in the same strip as Frozos and Hungry Hound across Lafayette Street from the university in Santa Clara. Aside from the dorm's washers and dryers at SCU, I'd been spoiled enough to not have to use a laundromat. (I dated a guy in college who was from the area and his family always let me use their washer and dryer.) Therefore, this was my first experience frequenting one and you know what? I'd go back!

One, this place is immaculately clean. Two, no waiting. In fact, I'd say there is less waiting. I know that sounds impossible since, How can you have less than zero? But allow my to clarify: you can spread out all your washing and drying over multiple machines. In other words, 3 loads takes the same amount of time to wash and dry as it does to wash and dry a single load. Also, their washers and dryers are industrial-sized; I could've fit 3 regular-sized loads in one dryer. Finally, the dryers are SUPER hot, meaning even bulky sweatshirts and towels dry SUPER fast. I greatly overestimated the amount of quarters it'd take to dry mine, even with the temp set at Medium. The instructions said $0.25 got you 8 minutes. I figured since the dryer back at the apartment got you 45 minutes with 3 quarters and that rarely dried everything thoroughly (it's not uncommon to find clothing and towels draped all around the apartment hang-drying), I'd put 5 quarters in for 40 minutes. After a few rounds of Uno with Shrek, I went to remove my jeans at 20 minutes and everything was bone dry and scorching hot. I freaked at first because these were my new never-before-been-washed $180 Paige jeans, but they fit just fine when I tried them on back at the apartment. Must be all that stretchy denim.

The feel good moment of the night, though? No, not when I realized my pants still fit. There was a tired-looking couple sitting on the hood of their car which was parked next to ours outside, waiting for their laundry to finish drying when we left. Earlier, I'd watched them out of the corner of my eye (over)stuff all their laundry into one dryer. We offered them the remaining time on ours. See, once I realized I was going to end up at the laundromat with access to multiple dryers, I went ahead and did a few loads of wash at the apartment so we actually had two dryers with about 20 minutes of dry time each when we left. The couple thanked us and immediately jumped up and went inside to separate their huge load of laundry into multiple smaller ones. It was a very small gesture but it made my trip to the laundromat more worthwhile than if I'd just, you know, done the damn thing.

GLM Launderland

1000 Lafayette Street

Suite B

Santa Clara, CA 95050

Open 7 days a week

Hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

They do offer Wi-Fi and like I mentioned, they are located in the same strip as Frozos and Hungry Hound, as well as Togos.

Dinner For Breakfast

2009-11-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

I've been on this dinner for breakfast kick recently. This morning it was a thick slice of meatloaf, potato wedges, and 2 chocolate chip cookies - all homemade! Yesterday it was the same but I also had some crackers dipped in leftover jalepeno artichoke dip. The day before that? Pad thai. These breakfasts, as opposed to sugary cereal (my fave is Cinnamon Toast Crunch) or waffles topped with peanut butter and syrup, actually lasts me through til lunch. Whereas, I used to require hearty mid-morning snacks like this. My scale also says I've lost 3 pounds since Friday. Huhmm.... I may be on to something here!

Seriously?

2009-11-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

My primary motivation for moving into a house asap? Aside from no more shared walls and having a private yard, I want my own washer and dryer. For those of you who have your own set, don't take it for granted. I know I have in the past. Now I get to deal with unavailability, lint-covered lollipops stuck to the bottom of the washer and dryer, homeless squatters leaving doodies on dryer sheets in the middle of the laundry room floor, and the socially inept who reside in the neighboring units. (Our neighbors who know really good food are, of course, remit of this rant.)

After a seemingly long day at the office (I'm not a fan of this time-change and getting home in the dark) I went to transfer my laundry from the washer into the single coin-operated dryer of my apartment complex. At this point I discovered that the slots in which you insert quarters is jammed and stuck inside the dryer. Seriously?? No note, no nothing, just jammed. If there had been a notice I wouldn't have bothered with laundry since all I really wanted to do was slip into my sweatpants and veg in front of the tube. Now I'm stuck with a sopping wet load of laundry that I have to cart to a local laundromat and seething resentment towards the thoughtless fucktard that (they don't deserve a "who") jammed the dryer and didn't bother to do anything about it. You see, when I called my landlord at 7:30 pm I preempted my complaint with a "Has anyone contacted you about the dryer?" and she knew nothing about it. UGH.

Mindy Knows Lemony Almond Biscotti

2009-11-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

For some reason I'd always been under the impression that biscotti (Italian for "twice baked") was difficult to master. Last night, however, I decided to give it a try and my very first batch turned out great! Really couldn't have hoped for better results. The process was also really quick and straightforward, too. Will definitely be baking these guys again!

Here's my friend's recipe which I followed. I didn't have any lemons to grate so I skipped that step.

Baker's Tools:
1 mixing bowl
1 spatula
1 measuring cup
measuring spoons
1 cookie sheet
knife
wax/parchment paper

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. Butter
2/3 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
Grated rind of 1 Lemon (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 1/4 tsp. Almond Extract
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2-3 Tbsp. Lemon juice
2 eggs
Add almond slices for extra flavor

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix butter (melted and cooled down a little), sugar, salt, lemon rind, almond extract, and baking powder until smooth and creamy
3. Add lemon juice and eggs
4. Add flour. Stir until smooth. Dough is very sticky at this point.
5. Place dough on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
6. Shape into a log ( maybe 12 inches by 4-5 inches)
7. Bake for 28 minutes at 350 degrees (You want top to be slightly brown)

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees.
9. Cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces. Lay on there side on same parchment paper.

10. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 325 degrees. (Check to make sure they are also slightly browning.)

11. Remove and let cool completely to enjoy!

** Shrek's trying to convince me to dip the bottoms in chocolate tonight, but I think they're mighty tasty just as they are!

A Healthy Glow

2009-11-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

I always make a quick stop in the ladies' locker room to wash my hands and face before dashing home to shower post-workout. This morning as I sidled up to a sink, I caught the woman one sink over glance in my direction. I gave her an awkward smile and quickly turned my attention back to my hand washing because, well, except for the towel wrapped around her head she was naked. To boot, I was drenched in sweat. Zero makeup. Hair matted with sweat stuck to my face. And what does she say?

"You have the most beautiful skin! What do you use?"

Aside from working up a sweat each morning ($58 gym membership per month), I cleanse with Proactiv's 3-step program + oil free moisturizer (about $45 per every 2 months). I also wear very minimal makeup by Clinique. Aaaaand that's that for my skin care regimen.

Domestic Goddess

2009-11-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

I definitely gave my oven a workout tonight.

Homemade chocolate chip cookies? Check.

Homemade lemony almond biscotti? Check. Not bad at all for my first try! I think I may dip a few in chocolate tomorrow ;)

Homemade meatloaf? Check.

Plus, the kitchen is spotless. All dishes are done and I even ran the vacuum around the apartment.

Biscotti and meatloaf recipes to follow shortly! My chocolate chip cookie recipe here.

Mindy Knows Homemade Pad Thai

2009-11-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Trader Joes! $1.69 gets you flat noodles and sauce. Just add your own chicken (I get my local grocer to cut it into strips), 2 scrambled eggs, peanuts, a medley of peppers and onion, and you, too, can have homemade Pad Thai!

Here's my version (disregard the melon in the background):

1. Gather your ingredients

2. Heat pan over medium heat. I use a wok

3. Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil

4. Crack two eggs and scramble. Remove and set aside.

5. In a separate sauce pan, start boiling water on high for noodles.

6. Once water reaches a boil, drop noodles in water, cover, and turn off heat.

Set timer for 3 minutes so you know when to strain and run under cool water.

7. Drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil.

8. Stir fry chicken in wok.

9. Add chopped peppers and onion.

Remember to keep them moving around the pan!

10. Add chopped peanuts

11. Add egg scramble

12. Add noodles

13. Add sauce from packet

14. Mix well and enjoy!

Must Be Nice

2009-10-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Exchange between me and my dad when I called today:

Dad: "Hello?"

Me: "Hi Dad!"

Dad: "Hi Mindy! Happy Friday!"

Me: "It's Thursday, Dad."

Gee, it must be nice to be retired.

Seriously?

2009-10-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Today on lunch I was waiting in line behind a guy in a business suit at my local Subway sandwich shop. He thought he was hot shit, yakking away on his phone as the line inched forward. When it was his turn to order, however, he made up for his obnoxious behavior by allowing me a front row seat to the following exchange:

Subway Sandwich Maker: "Would you like a six-inch or footlong?"

His reply? "What's the difference?"

LMAO!!

Lazy Lady's App

2009-10-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Shrek is convinced that I need this for this.

If you're too lazy to visit the links, it's an app to turn your iPhone into a wireless air mouse/remote control for your computer/entertainment system. The demo is pretty convincing, as are the reviews and the app's price at $0.99.

No Membership Required Part 2

2009-10-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

Yo, you can also stock up on drugs, too, at Costco and the like. It's a federal law: no membership required to get a prescription filled at warehouse club pharmacies. The only catch is they only accept cash.

No Membership Required

2009-10-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

For those of you residing in states where Costco carries distilled liquor - California being one of them - good news! I just read in my November issue of Glamour that you can purchase all the Grey Goose and Kirkland Vodka, etc. that you want without having a membership. Couldn't find the original Glamour article online to link, but found this and this. Both very helpful and should be read before you go to pick up your booze sans membership.

On a similar note, I'm ready for a legit vodka tasting; one where we can actually reveal what's what at the end! I've enlisted the "discerning palates" of a few friends (aka enthusiasm for drinkin' vodka!) and we'll be pitting Kirkland vs. Grey Goose vs. Belvedere vs. Ketel One this Friday. Hopefully I'll have some definite results to post this weekend.

Cheers!

Bar Keeper's Friend to the Rescue

2009-10-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

It's not just for pots and pans anymore! Tonight I used Bar Keeper's Friend to scrub away a nasty water ring in the toilet. Okay, okay - Shrek scrubbed it away, but it was my idea to try it when nothing else worked. ;)

Movie Mania

2009-10-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

My weekend started off social-enough with happy hour, dinner, and a movie double date on Friday. However, the remainder was rather anti-social as Shrek and I took full advantage of our new Netflix account. I managed to watch all 4 episodes of Gossip Girl Season 1 Disc 1 before 8 a.m. on Saturday (Hey, I was up at 5!) followed by the 3 episodes of Mad Men Season 1 on Disc 1. It was then, after blowing through our 2-discs out at a time limit, that I decided to explore Netflix's "Watch Instantly" on your computer feature.

WHOA, talk about movies and TV shows galore! Good stuff, too, with Showtime programming like Weeds. (Thanks for the suggestion, J!) Get this, all 4 seasons of Weeds are available to watch immediately on your computer, episode after episode. All you have to do is click on the little "next" arrow and the next episode starts. No buffering, no lag, and commercial-free. As of tonight at 9:42 p.m., we're already in the middle of Season 2.

For a more comfortable viewing experience, I hooked my MacBook up to our 50" TV and surround sound via a DVI-HDMI cable Shrek got on Amazon.com for $0.99! (Seriously, he paid $3.50 including shipping for a cable that is $40+ at Best Buy.) For the ultimate lazy weekend, I use my wireless mouse as a remote control.

The only downside? I can't surf the internet or blog while my computer's otherwise engaged.... Which explains why no posts went up yesterday!

Tip: to get your Mac's screen displayed on your TV, there is an extra step. After hooking up your laptop to your TV via a DVI-HDMI cable:

1. Go to System Preferences (under the Apple Icon)
2. Displays
3. Detect Displays

* * *

10/28 update: Only Seasons 1 and 2 of Weeds can be accessed online to view instantly.

Magazines: Not Just For Reading

2009-10-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

My secret for storing my boots? I roll my old magazines and stick them in my boots to keep their shape.

Before:

After:

Caught

2009-10-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but my internal alarm clock gets me up and outta bed at 5 a.m. on weekends due to my Monday-Friday early morning gym habit. However, I've quite grown to appreciate this quirk.

Shrek and I share our 2-bedroom, 1 bathroom tiny apartment and work for the same company. Working for the same company - this is as far as I will go into ever mentioning work on this blog - translates to us keeping the same work hours, receiving the same holidays off, and, for the most part, taking the same vacation days... Which is nice, but it also means we see A LOT of each other. Now, I grew up an only child. On an island. Meaning, I like my me-time. Hence, I really cherish those early morning hours I get to myself, as I'm sure Shrek cherishes his sleep while I do my thing and the hours he gets to himself after I go to bed. He usually joins me when I go to bed for a snuggle before slipping back out to WOW or whatnot once I've drifted off. This pattern usually translates into each of us getting anywhere from 3-5 hours to ourselves each day which works for us.

This morning was no exception. Up at 5, I emptied the dishwasher, put Gossip Girl on, and started blogging. Shrek wandered out around 6, still half asleep, on a detour from the bathroom before going back to bed. Shrek, bleary-eyed, asked "What's going on out here? What is that smell?"

I forgot to mention: I'd also baked some Ling-Ling Costco egg rolls to enjoy with all of the above activities ;)

Neat Freak

2009-10-24T07:15:00.001-07:00

First, let me start by saying that I love Shrek and am the happiest I have ever been cohabiting. We have been living together for about 1.5 years now. However, Shrek's idea of "organized" and "cleaning up" drives me nutty sometimes. I don't know if it's a boy thing (my dad is the same way) or just a Shrek thing, but Shrek creates little piles of mail, paperwork, discs, empty electronic boxes and manuals all over the apartment and calls it a day. For example, this is what I came out to this morning:

Sure, it's not as bad as it could be, but when you live in a tiny 2-bed, 1 bath apartment clutter just makes the space look smaller. Plus, I'm definitely a clutter-free "find a home for it or toss it" person. Just look at my desktop. Bare minimum. Therefore, I found a home for it all.

Much better! All it took was a minute or two and a $0.99 file holder. And, thankfully, instead of being annoyed with my tidying Shrek actually expressed appreciation.

Note to Self

2009-10-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

Note to self: do not watch Gossip Girl before bed. I had nightmares last night. Seriously. The show is so scary ridiculous, but I absolutely LOVE THE CLOTHES, especially Serena's.

Proof

2009-10-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

I've started taking snapshots of the comments I receive on Facebook regarding my blog and posting them here as proof that I've got readers other than my parents and themaykazine. :P

Some of my faves follow:

Referring to Cozy

Referring to Worth the Wait - and the Price

Referring to Success! and Goody Drawer

Thank you for all the comments and please keep them coming!

All Clear

2009-10-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

Some people love 'em. I can't stand 'em. I'm talkin' thongs. However, instead of going this itty bitty route I have embraced the low-rise hipster. Gap's Ultra Low Lacy Dotted Girl Short, to be specific.

While cleaning out my closet I discovered I've acquired 25+ pairs of these lacy wonders. Seriously, they are wonderful. Instead of a perpetual wedgie, these rarely ride up and they don't cause lines. Imagine! I love my leggings, dresses, and skinny jeans as much as the next amateur fashionista and never have I had to think twice about my undies causing lines.