LOVE day

this year was our first valentines as husband & wife. in the past we usually avoid the crowds & have a day date instead of dinner out. this valentines we decided to keep it low key, so the hubby & i stayed in & he cooked most of our dinner. it's such a nice treat for me since i usually do the cooking. 

he made my favorite (his version is truly the best! even better than olive garden) zuppa toscanna soup & bbq-ed rib eye steaks for us. i roasted brussel sprouts & lightly tossed then in balsamic reduction. our dinner was absolutely delicious!

i was so hungry that I didn't get a chance to take photos. however, i did take a photo of the soup prep & triple chocolate brownies i baked his co-workers. the brownies were made a festive with cake toppers i made the night before & i decorated the kitchen with heart garlands i crafted & reused from the previous year. 

                                      

san francisco outting

the bff & i had a day date in sf today. i haven't seen her since our wedding so it felt great to be reunited again. we started our morning walking around haight street. we also scoped out the area in which she will be working at starting tomorrow. 

the bay area has been undergoing odd winter weather. while the east coast is experiencing their coldest winter, it feels like spring here. sometimes it's almost even like summer. with fall & winter being my favorite months i certainly miss cold & cozy winter days. however. we took advantage of sun's prescence & had lunch at delfina & ice cream at bi rite. 

i ordered my favorite spicy cauliflower dish. it's a combination of chewy, crunchy, soft, spicy, mild, & briny. absolutely delicious! we also shared pizza. after lunch we walked down the street for an obligatory salted caramel ice cream. 

hello & farewell

a little over a week later, im still feeling quite jet lagged. bed time is in between the hours of 6(am)-8(am) instead of 10(pm)-11(pm). the hubby & i, when we do sleep early, wake up at random hours in the wee morning & their goes our efforts to sleep at a decent time. 

laundry has yet to be folded, were only half way unpacked, things need to go to storage or donation, grocery & meal planning need to commence & none or barely half of it has been done. 

as soon we arrived back from our honeymoon our main priority was spending time with my parents before they were off. my tito & tita hosted a small dinner at their house as both a welcome to the newlyweds & farewell to the retirees.

tito chris made the delicious duck, brussels sprouts, & the dacquoise..oh that chocolate espresso dacquoise it was beyond divine! crispy layers of almond & hazelnut meringue sandwiched in buttercream. it was gone in less than 10 minutes & had all of us wanting more! 

thanksgiving 2013

my efforts to sleep are proving to be futile as im up an hour after since my last post. i got to scrolling through my photos & noticed most of my home cooking photos are absent. i had hoped to catch up my blog with my cooking adventures but alas those photos are long gone. i made the terrible mistake of switching out of an iphone after the hubs accidentally placed my phone in the washer. thought it might be time to switch to a phone with a bigger screen for my korean dramas. lesson learned to never switch out of the intuitive smartness & simplicity of an iphone for customizable features (i hardly used them). i came across several problems with my samsung S4 after having had it only for only 4 months. i switched back. 

while aimlessly scrolling through my photos i came across thanksgiving pictures. my contribution this year was a cambodian noodle dish i learned from a friends sister. i had it at their family party & couldn't enough of it. it was my second time making it & it proved to be a success based on opinions at our thanksgiving gathering. 

i started by soaking peppers in water to soften them for the dressing. it looks like it may cause high levels of spiciness but on the contrary it only adds flavor. those who weren't fond of spicy foods couldn't detect it, so it was safe for all to eat.

 i transported the different elements of my crispy noodle cambodian salad separately so that it remained crunchy until it was ready for serving. 

arrived & everyone had a huge feast! so very thankful to be able to eat an abundance good food with good people! we feasted on the traditional turkey, honeybaked ham, cranberry sauce, pancit, lumpia, & crabs to name a few of the deliciousness that lay before my eyes. a filipino/american menu is always a winner in my book during the holidays! 

brown apple betty

next to an apple crisp, my favorite apple dessert is a brown apple betty. it's a no fuss warm & comforting dessert that tastes such little prep time. its easy to throw together as their is little mixing & even less mess! i absolutely love the crispness of the bread & much prefer it to the crust of an apple pie. topped with whip cream or vanilla ice cream & you're not to far away from a wholesome goodie at your fingertips.

belated birthday post

the bff took me out for my birthday at what has come to be one of my favorite places, in napa, to have brunch. everything was superb including my favorite part of any meal..dessert! i love anything infused with lavender. from lotion scents all the way to food! my lavender creme brûlée surely didn't disappoint!

brix also proved to be much better in person than what the website shows as far as a wedding venue is concerned. we walked around after brunch & enjoyed the intimate setting it offered.

bestie & bruschetta

today, i enjoyed a leisurely lunch with the bestie that involved a menu with extensive options for bruschetta. we left with our bellies full & satisfied with our chosen picks. proscuitto with figs & apple with brie were both our top favorites.

holy guacamole

theirs just something about the slowness of sundays that make leisurely trips to the grocery store much more sweeter. i had a sudden craving for guacamole & making it fresh is the best way to go.

monday market

berkeley bowl is one of those markets i love grocery shopping at. they have a vast selection of produce along with a deli that serves a yummy array of foods & they even have an olive bar. today i picked up a few ingredients for dinner and my favorite veggie chips.

i scream for ice cream

late night dessert run on cold days in the mission district of san francisco for ice cream at bi-rite! i tend to gravitate towards unconventional flavors & no matter the countless times ive deviated to test & try other flavors, i always go back to honey lavender & caramel balsamic.

pocky sticks

i have a sweet tooth & it throbs for asian desserts & candy. ive gone through boxes of these pocky sticks & not only does it taste like real lychee, but it smells like it too.

did someone say seafood

i recently discovered a gem of a spot that satiates my craving for seafood. best of all garlic noodles is offered as a side dish unlike boiling crab in san jose or rockin crawfish in oakland. i was delighted to try hot & juicy when visiting my parents in las vegas several years ago & excited when boiling crab opened in san jose. the bay area was finally going to have its own version of hot & juicy so the bf & i tried it opening weekend. since then business has been successful as wait times can be lengthy. spoiled by the quick & attentive service when it first opened driving quite a distance while waiting hours to be seated isnt worth it. also, i have yet to master a garlic noodle recipe & until then cajun is my go to spot. best of all i dont have to wait in like for hours in san jose, pay toll to cross the bridge for SF, or drive 30 minutes to oakland. its about mere 10-15 minute drive from my place. in the past week & a half I've been to cajun 3 times!

i noticed after swirling my seafood item of choice into my favored sauce (she bang extra spicy) im left extremely thirsty since its laden with sodium. nonetheless, delicious & i can't wait for the next visit.

la boulange

la boulange is one of those places that will never fail me for lunch. my usual consists of a delicious open faced tuna melt sandwich with apples, celery, tomato, & cheddar on top of peasant bread with a side of french onion soup. for dessert macaroons are a must.