Raspberry Deliciousness

One of the things that I'm going to miss about summer dinner parties is Raspberry Lambic.  It's technically a beer, but it's sweet and bubbley and so delicious.  So refreshing during the hot, sticky summer.

Although, I am enjoying this cool, crisp autumn weather we're FINALLY getting.  Feels like Halloween!

The Little Tercel That Could

This weekend, my car hit 100,000 miles and she's still going strong.

It was Easter weekend 1997 when my parents bought my cute, 2-door, silver Toyota Tercel.  It was a last-minute purchase to replace the beige/brown, hand-me-down 1984 Toyota Corolla, which was parked in front of our house and totalled by a drunk driver who had his license suspended (prior DUI), a concealed weapon in his car, and no car insurance (of course).  Fortunately, no one was hurt and I got a new car!

Since high school, me and my little Tercel have lived in 3 states and the District of Columbia; we've driven cross country with daddy from Moraga to Chapel Hill; and shared so many memories together.

She's not fancy and a little rough around the edges.  She doesn't have power locks, windows, or ANYTHING actually; she doesn't have cruise control; she accelerates best when you turn off the A/C button; she's missing a front right hubcap; and I have to replace the bulb in the back middle brake light... but it's what's on the inside that makes her so special to me.

She's the little engine that could... and I hope to be blogging when she makes it to her 200,000 mile marker... I think she can, I think she can, I think she can...

Romaine Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing

If you're bored of caesar salad, here's a delicious alternative from Food & Wine (of course)!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and garlic and season with salt and pepper.

Plate the lettuce, drizzle the dressing over, then sprinkle the cheese on top. Enjoy!

First Day of My Fourth Decade

The day is finally here.  I'm 30.

We're just about to head over to dinner at Nora's and I'm sporting my beautiful new earrings Michael got me.  He has such good taste - I'm a lucky girl.

Overall, today has been a wonderful and low-key birthday.  Let's hope that sets the tone for the beginning of my fourth decade.

Chopped!

It's official!  I have short hair!  Here's a comparison. 

Before (April 2010):

After (October 2010):



Pretty drastic but I love it!  And thank goodness Michael loves it too!  I'm calling it my 30-year-old hair style.  I think it makes me look at tad more sophisticated (aka "older"). 

So are you wondering what I did with the 10+ inches of hair I chopped off?  Donated it, of course!  Locks of Love makes wigs for kids that have lost hair because of medical issues (i.e. cancer) and can't afford hairpieces. 

It's an awesome new hair style and helps sick kids feel a little happier... what's not to like about that?

We'll Need A Bigger Suitcase

One of our favorite things about traveling is bringing back food and drinks that we can't find here in the States!  Thanks to my friend that just forwarded me David Lebovitz's blog, thus rendering me horribly unproductive at work today, I just found my shopping list!

Mustard
Salt
Jams
Salted Butter
Lentils
Kitchen Gadgets (Michael's all over that one!)
Speculoos Cream (sounds delicious!)
Valrhona Cocoa Powder
Hazelnut Prailine Paste
Oui, s'il vous plait!!!

The only thing that we probably don't need to get from his top ten list is Biogaze since we already keep a jar of Bao Fu Ling from China in the kitchen (and Lord knows it's come in handy!)