it definitely looks like christmas to me!
Not too much to write about over here today. I snapped these photos in the neighborhood this afternoon/evening. I took advantage of the nice weather (lots of sunshine and warmth) this afternoon to walk to the Community Health Resource Center, where I volunteer. On the way, I picked up some macarons to share. It was a bittersweet moment – since it was my last trip inside Miette before they close their Marina location on 12/31/09. A few blocks later, I fell in love with the “peace, love, and joy” window displays at Plumpjack on Fillmore. This may have had something to do with the glittery decor, but most likely it was a function of the fact that some of my favorite wines were also featured prominently in their displays! Good work, Plumpjack!
After walking the 19 blocks (UPHILL) to Pac Heights and spending the afternoon at the CHRC, I gladly accepted the invite of Todd and Juli to catch up at happy hour at Rex’s in Russian Hill. Since it was still pleasant, I walked the 14 blocks down Union Street. After half a bottle of pinot noir, we went to Nick’s Crispy Taco’s… a San Francisco classic that I’ve managed to miss in the last two years of living here! After about three hours with the crew, I headed to North Beach for dinner #2 at Joe DiMaggio’s with Liz and Anna. I never imagined when I left my apartment on foot at 1:00 pm this afternoon that I’d be out until after 11:00 pm! I’m normally not this much of a social butterfly 
After the stress of interviewing and making a decision about jobs, I was fried. I had neglected healthy eating, working out, and getting enough sleep. Consequently, I felt less than 100%. I wanted to do a day of “cleansing” and the stars seemed to align for me today. I began at the chiropractor for some weekly adjustments. I never realize how bad of shape I’m in until the doctor starts working on me. Today my neck was particularly stiff (range of motion quite restricted) but some extra traction helped. And on the way out the door? I was presenting with a little tin of treats! I ate the dark chocolate square. Dark chocolate = good for you. Detox day, remember?!
so cute! thanks kerner chiropractic!
Next, I headed to the gym. I e-mailed my trainer extraordinaire last night and I’m definitely re-enlisting her help in January. I seem to struggle finding motivation to keep up a regular work out schedule, but paying someone $65/hr seems to do the trick! At the gym, I was greeted by Santa Claus! He was making a brief visit from the North Pole. I did some easy biking and upper body exercises before throwing in the towel and sitting outside to cool down with a clementine. After the gym, I picked up a chipotle mahi mahi salad from Pacific Catch. I devoured this thing like I hadn’t seen food in days. I loved the avocado-cilantro “dressing” and the red onions and corn. I finished my Trilogy kombucha. I don’t know if this stuff actually has all of the health benefits claimed, but it was originally formulated for a patient battling cancer. I like to think that drinking it keeps me young and vibrant! (Plus, I’m a sucker for colorful packaging…)
lunchtime!
Post-salad and kombucha I showered up and headed over to Noe Valley to Dermalounge. My “holiday” facial was wonderful. In addition to a supercharged session with Skinceuticals products (that have done wonders for my complexion), Megan, my favorite skincare specialist (who is also 33 weeks pregnant with Baby #2!) gave me a hand/foot massage and a heavenly neck and shoulder rub while my custom clay mask dried. I picked up a new bottle of Simply Clean, my miracle facial cleanser and selected an ornament from their Christmas tree. I reached for the top one and inside was a 40% discount! So my $29.00 facewash and $60 facial came out to around $55! Never mind that the facial was already “holiday” priced at $60 (normally it is $110)! I was so excited about my special savings that I left Megan a 50% tip. I’ve been feeling extremely generous lately (probably as a result of having read the “Generosity Experiment” on inCourage) and besides, she has another baby on the way! (But sadly, this means no more facials with her until she’s back from maternity leave in May!)
what a glowing day at dermalounge! an extra 40% off! and my miracle facewash...
I had a couple of Christmas gifts to tend to downtown and I even tempted fate by parking at a meter and NOT plugging it with money while I ran to pick something up. Of course I would have put money in the meter to play it safe… if I had remembered to bring quarters. Unfortunately my wallet was devoid of coins. Ironically, the DPT was less than 20 yards from my car. Fortunately, they were distracted with directing traffic. I came back to my car in 10 minutes and I didn’t have a ticket. Considering the volume of parking tickets I accrue on a very consistent basis, this was another win for me! Had to take a picture!
take that, DPT! no money from me today...
Later, I stopped by the W hotel. What luck I was in! The hotel staff was out picketing. Elbowing my way past (mostly) peaceful protesters, I finally managed to get in the door, laughing at the irony. Good thing I was in a nice, relaxed state of mind!
workers protesting at the w hotel
Around town today, I was particularly fancied with the Christmas decorations. I loved the big Christmas tree at the Bank of America in the Castro (note rainbow flag). I also thought the tree in the second floor lobby of the St. Regis was charming.
i spy with my eye, two christmas trees
Tonight I had a Marina dinner date with Anna. I wanted to continue my trend of healthy eating, so I asked her if she’d be up for sushi. We ended up at Ace Wasabi’s Rock N Roll Sushi. I had a great roll with rock shrimp, scallop, carmelized pecans, and mango/avocado slices. I also had a few skewers of asparagus tempura and a bunch of edamame. Keeping with the “detox day” theme, I said “no” to cocktails and stuck with water. We made it to dinner just in the nick of time to play their nightly round of Bingo!
sushi, edamame, and BINGO at ace wasabi!
Before I crash into bed and declare Detox Day a total success, I’m going to jump in a rose and chamomile bubble bath and treat myself to a few spoonfuls of Sonoma Strawberry sorbetto. I feel so awesome after a day totally focused on myself that I’m thinking this needs to become a quarterly ritual. Gotta love on yourself every once in awhile!
I had my heart set on staying in the Bay Area. Today was a test of my commitment to that sentiment. I had arranged to spend some time in Walnut Creek today, getting my first work assignment and getting some stuff set up on my MacBook to bridge the gap until my new Deloitte-issued laptop is available. I left home at 9:05 am, thinking that 55-minutes would be ample time to get over to the East Bay. As an aside, let me admit that it was hard to wake up this morning at 6:45 am. Why on earth did I set my alarm for so early? I did aspire to go to the gym, but bed felt so warm and inviting that my best intentions didn’t pan out. I ate two clementines in bed and decided that a regular early morning fruit-induced sugar boost was a good antidote to that AM hypoglycemia. As the grogginess wore off (a result of a rise in blood sugar thanks to those clems…), I chipped away at the 19 blog posts in my Google Reader, flipped through the morning e-mails and finally got my act together to clean up. I threw my Wall Street Journal in my Herve Chapelier monogrammed tote, grabbed an Odwalla Bar for the road, and jumped in the car.
odwalla bar, gps, glasses, and we're off!
By the way, don’t you love the rope knot I devised for my lavender pashmina? I see more rope knots in the future. Maybe I’ll even commit a future post on how to tie rope knots (although I’m sure you could figure it out on your own…).
Of course I had to deal with rain. Bahhhhh. I may not like cold, but I despise rain even more. Or at least having to go out in it. Fine if I can sit inside and eat cookies while snuggled under blankets all day. But drive in rain? OH NO. Californian’s dread this experience.
On the way home, I dealt with another Northern California classic. Fog. Thick and unavoidable. Of course, hoping to capture the perfect blog photo, I put many lives on the line to take pictures while attempting to drive through it. Never again, I promise, Mom! Notice how in the photo below, the Bay Bridge just kind of disappears. Visibility was like 25 feet.
welcome to the bay, trick...
Oh and I failed to mention another unglamorous aspect of the commute to Walnut Creek: becoming de facto B&T. Yes that’s, “Bridge” and “Tunnel.” Unfortunately, crossing the Bay Bridge means a $4.00 toll. And a trip through the Caldacott tunnel means sitting in traffic since two lanes are closed. See representative photos of tunnel traffic and the toll line for the bridge, below.
la la la, i love to waste time in traffic, la la...
The good news is that I won’t have to deal with a commute like this too often. Maybe just a few times a month. And so far I am having a positive “onboarding” experience at Deloitte. There are a zillion forms to complete and I’ve spent more time (and money) than I’d like to admit filling out paperwork and (shudder) faxing it to the appropriate departments. And at FedEx Kinko’s, it costs $2.49 to send a one page fax. Gah! I haven’t completed the Independence stuff yet, but I have a hunch that some trades and asset reallocations will be necessary to avoid conflicts of interest. Tonight I ordered my Corporate Credit Card (will be great to have this for travel/business expenses) and did a bunch of stuff on the “Pre-hire” website. I’m going on payroll effective Monday and it will be awesome to get a paycheck again that is not issued by the State of California Employment Development Department!
I am feeling a little overwhelmed tonight. Part of it has something to do with neglecting a workout schedule recently and not eating very well today. (Think along the lines of four clementines, some pecans, an Odwalla bar, kombucha, and some stuffed shells… not very balanced!). I have a chiropractor appointment and a “holiday facial” tomorrow at Dermalounge (my miracle skincare center) and I hope to knock the last of my Christmas-related errands off the to do list before heading home this weekend. I better rest up! Goodnight!
Tonight was the Young Adult Christmas Party at St. Vincent de Paul, where I go to church. Now normally when people are asked to “bring a bottle of wine or a dessert to share” they bring the cheapest bottle of wine in the closet or the $4.99 container of something Pepperidge Farm. But not me.
I was convinced that I was going to make the best dessert. The one that everyone wanted to try. The one that everyone talked about. Striving for beautiful presentation and a homemade touch of elegance, I dreamed up some peppermint mousse shots… and then I got to work making them!
peppermint mousse shots
I’ll admit, making these was most of the fun I’ve had in awhile. I modified a very simple recipe that required NO EGG. Everything I used was organic, save for the gelatin and heavy whipping cream. But yes, we’re talking organic chocolate, organic peppermint oil, organic mint, and even organic butter. Your final product is only as good as the ingredients that go into it… this I have learned. I found the perfect 2 oz. plastic shot glasses at Bev-Mo for $4.99. I wanted to find little decorative silver spoons but I ran out of time this afternoon. I resorted to popsicle sticks for serving and since the mousse was nice and thick, this worked perfectly. Plus, I had popsicle sticks in my craft supply caddy and by writing “Peppermint MOUSSE” on each one in red and green, it added a homemade touch that turned out to be totally charming.
who knew that popsicle sticks would make such wonderful spoons??!
As I listened to my Charlie Brown Christmas album while I made mousse, I mentally checked off the list of Christmas “traditions.” Put up the tree. Done. Volunteer. Yep, did that yesterday. Buy presents for my family. Ordered a couple things on Amazon yesterday. Send cards. That’s been done, too. So what was left? Oh! Donate money, duh! I wrote my check to the church’s Advent Giving Tree. I feel privileged to have increased the amount from what I gave last year. Hopefully every year I’ll be able to give a little bit more to help families in need. Feeling pleased with myself for completing most of the annual holiday “to do’s” I slipped on a cute (albeit totally wrinkled) dress with black tights and my black flats. (Yes, you know the ones…!)
The party was excellent. When I walked in the door, everyone was reaching for one of my little shot glasses! By the time I zig-zagged through the crowd (there were over 100 people in attendance) to set down the plate, nearly half of my peppermint mousse shots were gone! People came up to me the entire night to praise my latest confection. Mission accomplished. Over various treats, we enjoyed a slideshow of events from the year (hiking, wine country bike trip, volunteering, Yosemite, Tahoe, and church socials), sang “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” and best of all – caught up with friendly faces old and new. My decision to accept the job in San Francisco was completely validated by being known by people around the room. I’ve worked hard to meet new people… and after two years… I finally see the fruits of that effort. What a great gift!
Before I forget, I better share the recipe for my (now) famous peppermint mousse. Maybe I’ll have another opportunity to whip up another batch, soon!
Peppermint Mousse Shots
1. Peppermint Extract
2. Fresh Mint
3. Heavy Whipping Cream
4. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
5. Unsalted Butter
6. Salt
7. Decorating Sugar (optional)
8. Unflavored gelatin
9. Shot Glasses (I used the hard plastic disposable type)
10. Popsicle Sticks or Small Spoons
ready to make your mousse? here's what we'll be using...
Put a metal baking bowl and beaters in the freezer. In a double boiler, heat 12 oz. of chocolate chips, 4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tbsp peppermint extract and a pinch of salt. Remove from heat when chocolate is 3/4 melted. Stir until melted and allow to cool to just above “body temperature.” In a wet measuring cup, add 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream and 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin. Stir and allow to “gel” for 10 mins (set a timer!). After ten minutes, gently heat the cream/gelatin mix in a water bath. DO NOT burn or boil the cream/gelatin mix. Remove from heat and add to the just-above body temperature chocolate mixture.
In the “frozen” metal baking bowl, add the remainder of a 1 pint container of heavy whipping cream (aka: about 1 and 3/4 c.). Beat to medium peaks. Stir in approximately 1/2 c. of whipped cream to the chocolate/gelatin mixture. Set aside approx. 1/2 c. of whipped cream to top the shots. In two batches, fold in the remainder of the whipped cream. Do not overwork the mixture. Some swirling is acceptable. Using a knife of a spoon, put the mousse into shot glasses. Top with a very thin layer of whipped cream and decorative sugar. Refrigerate for at least 1 hr but no longer than overnight (cover if cooling overnight). Rinse and remove 20 small mint leaves. Just before serving, insert popsicle sticks (or spoons) and a fresh mint leaf to the top of each mousse shot. Arrange on a plate and enjoy! Yields 20 two-ounce shots.
aren't they gorgeous?!
–
After the party, Catherine and I ventured back down to Chestnut Street for a light (and unplanned!) dinner at Delarosa. I was thrilled to finally get into try the new Italian kitchen. (Granted, it was after 9:00 pm and the place was still buzzing!) I’ll post a review to Yelp sometime tomorrow, but in general, I was very impressed. Our prosciutto and arugula pizza wasn’t quite as wonderful as the one I remember from Beretta (the same people own both places, plus a third restaurant called Star Belly) but it’s awesome to have an alternative to the Marina’s very well known A16.
When I finally wandered in the door, I was struck by the pile of packages! It must be the holiday season. Oh wait, IT IS the holiday season and YES, the post office has been a nightmare. I spent 30 mins in line to mail a package to a friend (from SF) at in Ohio. Fortunately, my patience in line was somehow rewarded by the postal gods and goddesses. I got a package from Mom today! In addition to mail and my mini-chopper that I couldn’t carry on the plane coming back from Thanksgiving, Mom sent some adorable hand towels and a jar of merlot jelly. Hmmm, intriuging…
what beautiful packages next to the poinsettias! oh and one is for ME!
Time for bed! Or at least time to get in bed with my laptop and favorite blogs in Google Reader …
The day began in earnest. I had gnocchi for breakfast, contemplated going to the gym, decided against it, showered, bought some Christmas gifts on Amazon, and headed over to St. Vincent de Paul Society, where the Notre Dame Club was working in the kitchen this afternoon. I had a lovely time organizing canned goods and peeling sweet potatoes. I also learned a lot more about the charity, which is the premier Catholic “charity” (though they are unaffiliated with the organization Catholic Charities) in San Francisco. They receive state and county funding and house up to 300 homeless men and women each night. A remarkable organization with a big job to do.
making spirits bright... by making a meal for the homeless
On the way home from volunteering, I caught a few more glimpses of Christmas: big red bows around the palm trees on Market Street. And a car convertible hauling home a fresh cut pine. Funny, where I’m from… people don’t drive convertibles around in December. They put them in the garage and they keep them there until at least April.
it's christmastime... in california
I went to church at 5:15 where I ran into Marianne and Catherine. Afterwards, I raced to the Apple Store to pick up a Christmas gift. Man, iPod accessories are really expensive. I came home and made a fairly unimpressive dinner. The photos do it way more justice that it deserves. I tossed some yellow and red bell peppers into some teriyaki sauce with liberal amounts of garlic and a pinch of chili powder. Near the end, I tossed in some beef strips and finished it off with sesame seeds. I can’t quite find the energy to post the recipe… and I’m not even sure it warrants posting.
i do love this photo of red/yellow peppers + jalapeno!
After dinner, I settled down on the sofa with a mug of peppermint hot chocolate and “Jingle All the Way” on tv. I figured that was appropriate as Arnold is now the governor of California. As soon as I was settled, I heard sirens. Police cars. No big deal. Then a fire truck. Not a biggie. An ambulance, too. Didn’t think twice about it. I’m used to hearing sirens and even seeing the occasional fire truck. But after hearing seven straight sires and having them stop on my street, I knew something was up. Curiosity killed the cat, and me too, apparently. Flocks of neighbors gravitated towards the intersection of Scott and Jefferson streets – just one block from where I live.
smoke, firemen, fire hoses, fire trucks... chaotic
I couldn’t get close enough to the fire, but I counted nine fire trucks. Ladders were set up. Smoke filled the neighborhood. I could see flames. Hoses were all over the place. Firefighters were getting dressed in the street, running around with axes. Police officers were on every corner. Upon hearing the dispatchers discussing what hospital to take “burn victims” I became freaked out. There was a major fire burning (see video here) less than a block away from me, the neighborhood was flocking outside and flashing lights lit up the streets. As the smoke became heavier, I ran back inside to shut an open window and to call Dad, the retired firefighter. I wasn’t sure what to do and quite frankly, I was very worried.
concerned neighbors speak to relief coordinators as firefighters work to extinguish the fire
Thirty minutes later, I went back outside and was able to get close enough to identify which two buildings had been engulfed. Neighbors were offering coats and displaced families stood outside with their arms around each other in disbelief. A woman from the Red Cross was helping instruct people where to go. Several dozen firefighters remained on the scene, working to put out “hot spots.”
in action
This time, the news media was also on the scene, getting coverage of the fire. Yikes. I watched the news report a few minutes ago which reported that the fire may have began with an explosion (which I didn’t hear). One resident was found unconscious inside and taken to the hospital. One firefighter suffered from heat/smoke inhalation and also went to the hospital. A few minutes ago the last ambulance finally pulled away from the front of my apartment. A very hectic and tragic night in the neighborhood.
On a final note, some happier news, I just found out that I won a FABULOUS prize on One Scoop at a Time. I met Linda, who writes this blog, at the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival last month. So what do I win? Two Reidel wine glasses, a bottle of St. Supery Chardonnay, two sets of Emile Henry plateware, and a SIX MONTH SUPPLY of Bertolli Frozen meals. I’ve really moved away from frozen foods, but their line up includes some delicious options: chicken florentine, chicken parmigiana, chicken fettucine, shrimp scampi… yum!
Bertolli was a big sponsor of the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival and I can’t help but feel like a lucky duck tonight! This is the second major blog giveaway I’ve won in the last two months! Remember the Jamie Young $400 mother of pearl lamp???! It totally pays to read blogs and leave comments. Sometimes fabulous prizes are out there, just waiting to be claimed!
There goes another fire truck. Whew, it has been a long day…
