Small Comforts

It is raining tonight in the Bay. Not unusual really, but a little disappointing when I was hoping we were done with our (very much needed) soggy winter.



It's not just raining a little either, it's raining a lot. It is raining in that delicious way that makes you want to bunker down at home with a cup of tea and a good book, but also in that horrible way that makes the half mile slog to the transit station on your way home miserable, soggy, and ice cold.




Nature is full of surprises and blessings in disguise. I suppose for now I will have to roll with the punches, turn my radiator up, set my shoes out to dry and have a nice big bowl of something hearty and warm. Tonight I'm going for pasta with some odds and ends from the fridge, but something I really came to love this winter is roasted cabbage with bacon*. Serve it over pasta, with a fried egg and some crusty bread, or just eat it all on its own. Soft and crisp, sweet and salty, and caramelized to perfection this is a truly satisfying way to end the day.


Roasted Cabbage, with Bacon
One head of Cabbage, aprox. 1 lb. (If your cabbage is larger, cut it in half or be prepared to need 2 baking pans)
Bacon, and kind will do - I like pepper bacon, aprox. 2 slices per pound of cabbage
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Sea salt and/or Parmesan cheese to finish if you like

1) Rinse any residual dirt from your cabbage and remove any dry or browned leaves.
2) Cut into wedges, trimming the core but leaving it mostly intact. Anywhere between 8 and 16 wedges per head of cabbage should be good, aprox 1-2 inches on the thick side.
3) Arrange wedges in a single layer in a baking pan large enough to accommodate your cabbage. A 1 lb cabbage should fit in a 13x9 inch baking dish.
4) Cut the bacon into roughly 1/4-1/2 in pieces. Scatter evenly over the cabbage.
5) Apply salt and pepper liberally and drizzle with olive oil.
6) Roast at 450 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until edges are browned and caramelized and interior layers have softened and become slightly translucent.
7) Sprinkle with coarse sea salt or freshly grated Parmesan to taste. Serve over pasta, with a fried egg (I recommend the Zuni egg) or just eat it straight out of the pan. I won't tell.

*A friendly reminder to be careful about when you cook/eat this and who you eat it with, like garlic, cabbage is one of nature's blessings that likes to keeps sharing the love.

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Adventures Closer to Home

Friday night found me facing a quiet weekend at home for the first time in a few weeks. No classes, no social obligations, no work woes, and as I curled up on the couch with Jamie Oliver and a glass of white wine, the prospect of a weekend finishing up art projects and playing my guitar sounded pretty good.





Come Saturday afternoon I had succeeded in morning one of sleeping in and not much else when I get a call from this guy asking if he can crash on my couch before the Oakland Marathon on Sunday. Being an obliging sort of girl, as well as a supporter of athletes, and generally lacking in company for the evening I agreed. You won't regret it he says. Adventure and fun await he promises. There will be froyo he tells me. This all went against my homebody plans, but who turns down froyo?



Well adventure and fun did await, and I did not regret it. At least not until I had to get up at 7am on Sunday to get my friend to the race on time. First, we were off to a divey Alameda establishment hosting the first ever performance of "the Beatles." It was an art/music experience the likes of which I can honestly say I've never seen or heard before. After meeting new friends and coercing old friends to leave the comfort of their homes, we traveled onward and upwards to margaritas, froyo, and yet another questionable East Bay establishment, but really how questionable can you get in Alameda. A good time was had by all.



I ultimately failed in my own artistic and musical endeavors, but margaritas and froyo are ALWAYS a good idea. Plus, I did succeed in accomplishing a few things on Sunday so you can't say I was completely unproductive.

1) I got my friend to the race on time and picked him up again. Navigating downtown and the street closures around the lake really made this an accomplishment.
2) I ordered my new glasses. Considering that my current glasses are almost three years old, this is also quite the accomplishment.
3) Finally, I made a pretty dern good batch of waffles for marathon boy and his girlfriend Lyssette.



They weren't my favorite waffles, for that you need the Joy of Cooking and a LOT more butter, but these were a pretty good "healthy" substitute. Especially covered in syrup and served with a side of bacon.



And now I will reward you for your patience with the recipe.

Recovery Banana Wheat Waffles
Adapted from this recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
4 egg yolks
3 cups milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mashed banana (two large overripe bananas)
4 egg whites

1) Combine both flours, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl.
2) In another bowl, beat egg yolks, milk, oil, and vanilla until just combined. Add mashed bananas and beat slightly longer to break up any remaining chunks of fruit.
3) Pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture and mix until just combined.
4) In another small (very clean/grease free) bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Preferably with a mixer, but can be done by hand with patience.
5) Gently fold egg whites into the batter being careful not to over-mix.
6) Pour batter into your waffle iron according to manufacturer directions (amount of batter and grease vs. no grease). Bake according to the manufacturer directions with your iron. Makes hella waffles.

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This is so meta.

This is me, blogging about being blogged about by a blog that I am following along with on a blog challenge. If you couldn't follow that first sentence, the short version is The Kitchn used another one of my Cure photos on their website. Whoopee! It's like getting a big pat on the back for all my hard work!

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A Post that IS About Pie

As of Saturday, Spring has sprung. It seems like the start of the season has geared me up for some serious baking. Winter was all about braises, chiles, and soup, but so far Spring is all about butter and flour.



It started innocently enough with pie for a friend's birthday. I'll call this the mystery caramel apple pie, mostly because I never actually had any and therefore it is a mystery to me as to how this pie turned out. I decided to fill that sweet void by baking some cookies, then a few microwave cupcakes, a pie for pi-day, and suddenly last weekend I was on my third pie (and third pound of butter) this month.



This latest pie actually brings us right back to where we started, a birthday pie! This pie was not a mystery caramel apple pie, but it was a blackberry Asian pear surprise pie. This pie was a surprise in that it was a surprise as to whether it would actually taste good. Prior to making this pie, I had actually never eaten an Asian pear.



It started as a Strawberry Rhubarb pie, with an olive oil crust and an oat crumble to make it more "healthy." Unfortunately I could find nary a stalk of rhubarb, and when I went to the store the were sold out of strawberries (seriously, who sells out of strawberries?!). So I grabbed what was on sale/in-season which happened to be Asian pears and blackberries. If the 14 diners who inhaled it on Saturday night are any indication, I think it it worked out.




Blackberry Asian Pear (Surprise) Pie
Crust
1 cup AP Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup COLD water

Filling
2 Asian Pears, Aprox 3 cups of fruit, 1/2 inch dice
12 oz of Blackberries
1/4 tsp ginger powder
2 tbs sugar
zest of one tangerine
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 heaping tbs of flour

Crumble Topping
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbs butter

Prepare the Crust
1) Prepare a 9" pie pan by lightly greasing it with olive oil. Or if you are me and are missing your pie pan, line a 9" cake pan with parchment and hope for the best.
2) Combine the flours, salt, and sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl.
3) Add the oil and mix it in with a fork.
4) Add the water, mix with the fork until it is absorbed, then knead lightly (I do this with just one hand, in the bowl) until the dough comes together into a ball.
5) Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the ball of dough and on the rolling pin, and roll the dough out into a circle large enough to fit your tart pan. Turn the dough by 45 degrees (8 turns to a circle) every time you roll the pin forward and back, adding a little more flour underneath and on the dough if it seems on the verge of becoming sticky. Be quick and sure of yourself, try not to overwork the dough.
6) Transfer the dough carefully into the prepared pan and line it neatly. Trim the excess dough (delicious baked with a little cinnamon and sugar), and place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

While the crust is resting...

Prepare the filling
7) Place all of the ingredients except the flour in a large bowl. Carefully mix the ingredients mix ingredients together with a folding motion and either a large spoon or spatula. Mix just enough to distribute the spices and citrus.
8) Sprinkle the flour over the mixed fruit and mix gently to combine. Try to keep the blackberries whole.

and...
Prepare the Topping
9) Use a fork to combine the crumble ingredients, if you are having difficulty incorporating the butter, melt until softened but not liquefied (aprox 15-30 seconds)

then...
Put it All Together
10) Blind bake the crust - take the crust out of the fridge, prick it repeatedly with a fork, and bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Just to dry the surface to the touch.
11) Gently fill the crust with the pie filling, and evenly top with crumble topping.
12) Bake at 400 degrees for an additional 15-18 minutes (until lightly golden brown), then lower the temp to 350 and bake until the crust is cooked and the topping is a deep golden brown, about 15 minutes depending on the oven and how long you cooked prior to the final bake.

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A Post that is Not About Pie

I know I said I would tell you more about pie and bread today but it is 11 o'clock and I haven't eaten dinner yet so you will be getting another short and sweet post about my AWESOME home improvements in the kitchen. As the title suggests, this is a post that is not about pie. And that's okay.



This is a pic of my BEAUTIFUL new Fiestaware pitcher in Tangerine. It's filled with two bunches of daffodils that I picked up this weekend. They were on sale, two bunches for $3. What a steal.


(After image on the right).

This is my new storage closet. Formerly a dank, depressing, sorry excuse for a pantry, it is now a perfectly fine home for gardening supplies, cleaning supplies, lightbulbs, and reusable bags. Woot.



But THIS. Oh my, THIS is my masterpiece of the evening. Say hello to my new pantry. Thank you Ikea. After purchasing a lovely birch-wood open shelving unit on Sunday, I took a trip to Home Depot only to find that my 1930's lath and plaster wall (that happened to be sans stud in the area I wanted to hang my unit from) wouldn't support the shelving unit with out a lot of work. And even then I could only look forward to about a year before ripping out fist sized chunks of plaster. Not really gonna work for me.


(After image on the right).

It may not fit EXACTLY in the space allotted like the previous unit, and (environment forgive me) it may be medium density fiber board, but it sits upright, is bolted to the wall but without threatening to tear it down, and holds my super tall pasta jar on its sleek adjustable shelves. Oh yeah.

I may decide it needs a nice door, or a fabric curtain, but I am going to say that it is a 10 MILLION times over improvement from what I had before which was dark and inaccessible. I love it. I want to marry it. I think I can look forward to many happy culinary adventures with my new kitchen. This must be love.

CURE CHECKLIST (We are currently in the middle of week 4)

Week One: Check!

Week Two: Check!

Week Three: Catch Up on the First Two Weeks Check!
Deep Clean EVERYTHING In Progress...
Work on your Special Project Check!
Add Something Beautiful Check! (my new Fiestaware Pitcher arrived today!)

Week Four (Ends Friday!): Catch Up on the First Three Weeks Workin' on it...
Restock Ingredients Check!
Consider New Equipment Check!
Add Fresh Flowers Check!
Work on your Special Project CHECK!
Take After Photos In Progress...

Looks like I just have a bit of deep cleaning left to do... sounds like I've got a few fun evenings ahead of me.

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Cure Update!

So as I mentioned back in the beginning of March my kitchen is undergoing a cure. Even though I haven't talked about it much, I have been making progress. Its a process though, and for every two steps forward it's one step back, like the hiccup I came upon on this weekend when searching out a new storage solution at Ikea/Home Depot on Sunday. After two extra hours searching the stores for knowledgeable help, and two fallen bread loaves because I didn't get home in time to bake them before the yeast died, I still have to make another trip to both stores tomorrow for some returns/exchanges.



I have also been distracted by more delightful things like bread and pie, about which you will hear more tomorrow. For now, just enjoy this quick glimpse of my lovely and reorganized spice cabinet and glasses cupboard.



CURE CHECKLIST (We are currently in the middle of week 4)

Week One: Take Before Photos Check!
De-clutter and Purge Old Food Check!
Wipe Everything Down and Put It Back Check!

Week Two: Take Before Photos Check!
De-clutter and Purge Tools and Cookware Check!
Wipe Everything Down and Put It Back Check!
Decide on a Special Project Check! I'm adding more pantry space to an underutilized alcove in my kitchen!

(okay, so I didn't really have any extra things to begin with because I have a micro-kitchen and have no room for extra stuff, but I DID clean out my tupperware drawer. This was an easy week)

Week Three: Catch Up on the First Two Weeks Check!
Deep Clean EVERYTHING In Progress...
Work on your Special Project In Progress...
Add Something Beautiful Check! (my new Fiestaware Pitcher arrived today!)

Week Four (Ends Friday!): Catch Up on the First Three Weeks Workin' on it...
Restock Ingredients Check!
Consider New Equipment Check. I decided I didn't really need any new equipment, but I had to work hard to talk myself out of a new Kitchenaid.
Add Fresh Flowers Check!
Work on your Special Project In Progress...
Take After Photos In Progress...

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Not Naan

Much like my recipe from Tuesday was not Dal Masala, this grilled flat bread was not naan. It may not have been what I was expecting, but OH BOY was it tasty. I would say that it tasted a bit like soft pretzels - chewy, salty, and a hint of sweetness. I would have been perfectly happy to eat the whole batch with just some butter and salt, but I did end up using it as a foil for my spicy lentils when I had leftovers the next day. Indian Spiced Lentils and Not Naan, it was meant to be.

Not Naan
Based off of this recipe, adjusted for ingredients on hand, or not on hand
1/2 Package of Yeast (I used RapidRise, but I think you are supposed to use regular)
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbs Sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cups Flour
1 tsp salt

Optional:
Butter
Kosher Salt
Garlic Clove

1) Mix yeast and water, let stand 10 minutes. It should be frothy (though mine wasn't).
2) Add sugar, egg, salt, and flour. Mix to form a soft dough.
3) Knead on a floured surface until smooth, form into a ball, place in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise for an hour.
4) After dough has risen for an hour, it should have doubled in size, punch down and knead a few times. Break off into golf-ball sized pieces, roll, and place on a tray. Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
5) After 30 minutes sough should have again doubled in size. It is at this point where you may freeze the dough if you wish (or have gotten lazy and don't want to make your not naan anymore). If you are making your naan, preheat a griddle over high heat. Oil the surface, roll out your naan, and grill until brown on both sides. Flip frequently.
6) When finished rub with butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. Rub half a garlic clove on it if you wish.

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Accidental Lentils

One of the themes of my blog is "accidentally on purpose" because even if things don't always turn out how you wanted them to, I tend to believe they turn out how they were meant to for better or worse.



My attempt to recreate an Indian lentil dish, Dal Masala, turned out a bit like an American adaptation of a foreign film - all the elements are there, but its just not the same. In many cases viewers say that the American version is inferior to the original, but if you look at it as its own entity entirely, it may be campy, but it's still pretty enjoyable.





While I could say that my dish wasn't as good as the original, I am choosing to look at it as an entirely new product. The lentils were very good on their own, so why bring them down by comparing them to something they are not and can never be (at least until I find a local Indian grocer)? This dish is not a poor reproduction of Dal Masala, it's Indian Spiced Lentils, and it's delicious.

Indian Spiced Lentils
1 cup of Lentils
1/2 of a 28oz. can of diced Tomatoes
1/2 an Onion, diced to 1/4" pieces
2-3 Large Cloves of Garlic
1-2 Heaping Tablespoons of Curry Powder
1/4 tsp Mustard Seed, crushed
1/4 tsp Cumin Seed, crushed
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 Cardamom Pods
3-4 Chiles de Arbol (small red chiles)
5-10 shakes of Powdered Ginger (an approximate measurement)
Bay Leaf
Olive Oil
Vinegar - Milder White Vinegar, like White Wine or White Balsamic
Water

1) Pour several large glugs of Olive Oil into the bottom of a medium-large sized pot with a well-fitting lid, turn heat to medium.

2) When oil is hot, add diced onion. Brown the onion gently, as it starts to turn yellow add Curry Powder, Mustard Seed, Cumin Seed, Cinnamon, Cardamom, and garlic to the pot and continue to cook over medium heat to toast the spices.

3) When the onion is thoroughly softened and browned, and the spices are well toasted, add tomatoes, Ginger, and Bay Leaf. Stir with a wooden spoon, the acid in the tomatoes should deglaze the bottom of the pot.

4) Add Lentils and water to cover plus an additional 1/2" of depth. Bring to a hearty simmer but do not boil, then turn down to medium-low, cover and check after 35 minutes for water level and doneness. If water level is low add enough to just cover, stir in and check again every 10-15 minutes.

5) When almost finished cooking to desired softness add salt to taste. Finish cooking (the lentils should hold their shape, but spread easily when squished and have the density of oatmeal, not soup) and serve with a splash of vinegar stirred in to brighten.

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Happy Pi Day!

Just a quick check-in folks. Its been a bit busy over here at Casa de Rosa between work, school, life, and my troubling need to sleep, but I wanted to show you all this lovely picture of my pi day pie (March 14th - 3.14...). It was the traveling pie show today as I packed up my crusts, my filling ingredients, and my baking accoutrements and headed over to my friend Lyssette's. The pie turned out great, even if I do think the flavor profile it slightly resembled a McFastFood's apple pie (in a good way). After a great dinner with friends, there was just enough left for both Lyssette and I to be able to have a slice for breakfast tomorrow. And pie for breakfast is in fact one of life's great pleasures.



I used this pie-crust recipe. I usually use the Pioneer Woman's pie crust, but wanted to branch out. I used all butter though instead of the small amount of shortening and mostly butter called for in the recipe. I think in the future I would keep the small bit of shortening to loosen up the dough a little. It was pretty tight when I rolled it out and was very difficult to get to the proper thickness. The filling was just diced apples, white and brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, lemon juice, vanilla, and cornstarch to thicken. Put it all together and bake 15-20 minutes at 425 and then 35-45 at 350 until golden brown.

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Sad Veggie Soup

I don't hold back on here so I am going to show you something most bloggers wouldn't, and its not going to be pretty. These veggies came out of my fridge on Friday. Before that they came from my CSA - three weeks ago.



Admit it, you've seen vegetables like this in your fridge. You bought them at the grocery, or the farmer's market, or were gifted with over abundance from a friend's yard and had the best of intentions that they would soon be a part of a delicious meal. But then work happens, and life happens, and take-out happens, and newer, fresher vegetables happen and suddenly you open up the vegetable drawer and find those sad, limp, brown around the edges shells of their former selves.




Not to worry though, these veggies may be sad now, but they will perk right up with a little tender loving care and a quick trim from a sharp knife. If you really needed to sharpen them up a quick shock in ice water can also help out, but for our purposes today I don't think that's necessary.



This recipe isn't much of a recipe. It is, as many of the things I cook are, extremely flexible and much more of a rough guide. I used leek, potato, and romanesco because its what I had.



If you have broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, corn, asparagus, or celery I am pretty sure it would work just as well. Just try to keep like veggies together, and go with your gut as to what would taste good. Corn and pepper would work well together for example.



Milk doesn't necessarily go with every combination, so you may exclude it if you like. If you don't use a starchy vegetable, like potato, you can thicken your soup with a mix of equal parts flour and butter (try one tablespoon of each to start) mashed together and mixed in to the hot soup after it has been pureed in the blender.




Sad Veggie Soup
2 Leeks, greens and any wilted layers removed
1 Small Head of Romanesco, trimmed
1 Medium Potato
3/4 cup Milk
1-2 tsp Dijon Mustard
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Chile Powder
Jerk Seasoning*

*My Jerk mix is predominantly thyme with sugar, salt, allspice and chile. The combo added oomph to my soup that I wasn't getting, and worked with my veggies. Feel free to add whatever flavors float your boat and will go with your veggies. Rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and any of the other green herbs are good places to start.

1) Clean and prep the vegetables. Wash, trim off any wilted or brown areas, and cut into smaller pieces to speed cooking.
2) Cook your veggies. Drizzle the leeks and romanesco with olive oil, salt and pepper liberally, and roast at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cook the potato in a sauce pan with the milk and enough water to cover the potatoes. Simmer over medium heat until fork tender, approximately 10-15 minutes.
3) Blend the soup. Put the potatoes, leeks, and romanesco in a blender with a few splashes of the potato cooking liquid, enough to lubricate the mix. Go slowly, pulse on a lower setting before adding more liquid and speeding it up. Be careful as hot liquids expand in the blender and may explode or cause injury. Add liquid and blend until soup reaches the desired consistency.
4) Season and Serve. Add the blended soup back into the potato pot and season to taste with mustard, chile powder, jerk seasoning, and additional salt and pepper. Enjoy.

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Bread.

Fresh. Baked. Bread.



Smell it. Taste it. Say it with me now...
Fresh Baked Bread.
Its like a little prayer. Well, it is for anyone who isn't avoiding carbs anyways.



I don't know what too me so long. This recipe has been floating around the internet for almost FOUR years. Where was I? Drooling over the thought, and lamenting my lack of appropriate cookware.




No knead bread was introduced to the the world by Jim Lahey of the Sullivan Street Bakery via Mark Bittman of the New York Times, though its based off of recipes that have been around for ages. Its got 4 ingredients, 5 if you are me and you like to mess with things, and is so easy a 4 year old can do it.



There were two problems with this recipe that do put it out of the reach of some (including me for so long). One, this recipe takes time. By trading out the physical effort, one must put in almost a whole day of waiting. So hard!



Secondly, one needs a large pot that can be put in a very, VERY, hot oven. My new baby came in handy in this capacity, but, as this is a fairly recent acquisition, I was ill-equipped before now.



If you have the hardware, and you have the patience, please make this bread. Its so good. Fresh baked bread is pretty much always good, but THIS bread is really good. It's chewy, full of big holes for filling with butter, and has a crispy crunchy golden crust. Do it. Do it now. What are you waiting for?


No Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

(I made mine with a bit of whole wheat flour from my farm, but if you don't have any or don't want to use any, just use all all-purpose flour)

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast (like Fleischmann's RapidRise)
3/4 tsp kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water

Special Equipment: a large (6-8 quart) heavy pot with a well-fitted lid.

1) Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2) Slowly pour in the warm water.
3) Stir into a gooey, sticky mess of dough, cover, set aside. It will look wet. It's supposed to.
4) Ignore the dough for 8-10 hours.
5) Uncover, and with wet hands, lift the dough out of the bowl and fold over on itself several times. Just flop it around, this is not kneading, this is just poking it. This helps, I promise. This will help get more of those delightful big bubbles.
6) Put the dough back in the bowl, cover, ignore for another 8-10 hours.
7) Sprinkle some cornmeal or flour on a board, and with wet hands, lift the dough out of your bowl and drop on the board.
8) Fold it over and flop it on itself a couple more times and shape as best you can into a ball-like shape.
9) Place the ball of dough onto a floured towel (NOT terry cloth) or piece of parchment paper. Place back in the bowl and let it rise another 1-2 hours.
10) 30 minutes before the dough is finished with its final rise, place the pot in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
11) When your dough has finished its final rise (it should be about double the size), quickly open the oven, lift off the lid of the pot, drop your dough in the pot, bake for 30 minutes.
12) Remove the lid of the pot and bake an additional 15-30 minutes. The bread should look brown, shiny, and thump when you tap it.

Let cool, slather with butter, enjoy!

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A Case of the Blahs

I mentioned on Wednesday that I would elaborate on why exactly I will be spending this weekend, at least in part, cleaning my kitchen and I am here to say, my kitchen has a case of the blahs.

Everyday can't be all glamor, fame, and Martha, some days will always be cheese on toast and pajamas till Three Noon. But something that can help that feeling of doldrums is to give your home a little once over and take some time to think about how you use your space. Underutilized space, mess, and clutter can create little energy vortexes in your home that make it so much less fun to spend time in, and right now I need to re-energize my kitchen.

I am going to be doing the Spring Kitchen Cure hosted by the Kitchn, part of the Apartment Therapy blog group. The Cure makes it easy to make over your space (in this case, the kitchen) a little at a time until you turn around and find out that you've actually made a much bigger difference than you thought possible.

Today is the end of week one (of four) and I thought I'd share a little of my progress. Part one of the first week's assignment was to take some before pictures, especially of your fridge, freezer, and pantry. You may think your space is okay, but try taking a before and after of your freezer and you will be AMAZED.





The second part of the assignment was then to purge anything that needs to be gotten rid of. Got any undated freezer mysteries? Toss 'em. Four year old jar of unknown condiment you used once? Toss that too. Spices, oils, or vinegars that are past their prime? Gone baby gone!

Finally, wipe down every surface, bottle and jar before you put it away. I have to say, just the act of throwing away the few things I did (I tend to keep my fridge pretty clear - I'm a bit of an expiration nut) was very satisfying. I can't wait to work on week two and straighten up my utensil and tupperware drawers (yes, I realize the dorkiness of that statement, but I stand by it).

The kitchen is pretty much one of my favorite places in a home and mine could use a little pick-me up before spring and summer roll around and I want to do nothing but cook all of that yummy fresh produce. I think this cure is just what the doctor ordered. Don't worry, I will be putting up a special weekend post with TWO recipes I made with some of the odds and ends I needed to clear out but just couldn't bear to throw away. Also, next week, look for recipes for Masala Daal and Naan. I'm feeling spicy.

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Weekend Adventures: Fort Mason and Stanford Campus

I am well aware that it is now Wednesday so this post may seem a little belated, but I think sometimes Wednesdays can use a little pick me up. It is good to remind oneself that the middle of the week means the Saturday will only get closer, and who doesn't love the weekend?



This upcoming weekend is holding a wealth of possibilities (most of them involving me cleaning my kitchen, more on that on Friday), and I can only hope that it is as plainly awesome as the last.



Last weekend was one of those weekends that is pretty much perfect. Not too exciting but not too boring, come Sunday night you feeling content with yourself and come Monday morning you are refreshed and excited for the week.



Starting off on Saturday, I spent my day at Fort Mason. This semester I am taking a print making class in one of the historical buildings which I have to say is one of the most satisfying things I've done artistically. Nothing like dropping a plate into the acid bath and watching your image come to life, or pulling back the freshly printed paper - still damp - and knowing that that print is the worthwhile final product of all of your labors.



I think I'll share some of my work later on, but right now I just want to mention the view. Of all the places in San Francisco to have a class, you could do a lot worse than Fort Mason. The fresh sea air and the sound of boats and gulls are grounding, and the sight lines to the Golden Gate, Sausalito, and Alcatraz are spectacular - perfect inspirations for putting pen to paper and etching needle to plate. I don't even mind getting up at the crack of dawn to drive in by 8:30am (I don't even get up that early to go to work - where they pay me).



Sunday was a mini road-trip with a good friend to the other side of the Bay and Stanford University. We went to cheer on our Alma Mater at a horse show that was being held there, and spent the afternoon wandering around the campus.



Stanford has a gorgeous campus, and when it is supposed to be pouring but you luck out on one of the few sunny days in February, a good long walk on a sunny campus is awfully satisfying.



We wandered from the historic barn, past the greenway in the center of campus and over to the Rodin sculpture garden and the Stanford Mausoleum. We also stopped by the cactus garden. It looked like the century plants will be blooming soon. Those stalks are pretty impressive.



The day wound down with a milkshake (to prevent starvation should we become stuck in traffic) and dinner of Indian food and good conversation. Pretty much the perfect way to say "Peace Out" to those two days of weekly freedom.



Just something to think about in regards to life and friendship. Back on campus, past the mausoleum, is a lovely memorial statue of an angel where I may or may not have hopped the fence to better see the inscription. I then also may or may not have psyched myself out and gotten stuck on the wrong side of the wrought iron fence.



When finding yourself stuck on the wrong side of a fence and your companion has a camera in hand, a true friend will put the camera down and help you back over the fence.

Even if she is laughing at you the whole time.

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