Sunday Food Shopping

I'll post a recap of this weekend soon, but I just went to Whole Foods to get stocked up for this week. I have been out of town literally every weekend for the last 2 months, so I'm really excited that I could pick some food up today to be prepared for the week.

Items Purchased
- 6 ears of corn
- Head of romaine
- Small head of raddicio
- Bunch of green onions
- 2 peaches
- Sugar peas
- 2 potatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 4 tomatoes
- 2 lemons
- 1 box of baby arugula
- 1 roast chicken
- Fresh pasta
- Block of swiss cheese
- Container of parm
- Milk from a local farm
- Greek yogurt
- Box of instant oatmeal with flax seeds
- Bulk peanuts

Here are a couple examples of what I plan to make with all of that:
- Tonight, I'm bringing a chopped salad to Jared's before we go to see Crazy, Stupid, Love. It has lettuce, raddicio, chicken, peanuts, corn, tomato, carrots and grated swiss and I'm going to dress it with lemon, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Tomorrow, I'm going to use the peas, parm and pasta for this dish. I'll probably pair it with an arugula salad.
- I'm going to make this corn soup on Tuesday.

Hope you guys had a great weekend! What are you planning to cook up this week? 

Oh HEYYYYY Friday!

Happy Friday!! Here are some of my favorite things from this week:

- My favorite workout this week was practicing Turkish Get-Ups and 5 rounds of 300m row, 15 2 for 1 wall balls and 15 kettle bell swings finished off with 100 sit-ups for time. Whew!

- The Homefront at Churchill with some of my favorite people.

- This beautiful marriage proposal featured on Cup of Jo.

- Reading this blog makes me hungry! Hey Sica! 

- My favorite meal I made this week was leftover steak from our trip to Healdsburg and eggs with some cheddar! It's pretty basic, but I didn't do a lot of cooking this week.

- I ordered these shorts from JCrew. Yay for sales!!

- Oh and probably most importantly..... I said YES to being my bestie's Maid of Honor. I can't WAIT!!! 

We are heading up to Tahoe tonight and I'm pretty excited. Hope you all have a lovely weekend!! 

So Close, But So Far Away

I'm talking about the weekend! This weekend Jared and I are going to Tahoe with Aliza and Kyle, who I hung out with last weekend (they really are that fun/cool). Hopefully, Jared will be flying us there if we can get the plane reservation figured out.

Quick sidenote: I'm the luckiest girl in the world that I am dating a pilot (and I love flying). Jared has been flying since he was 16 and he is really amazing. He flew professionally for a while and he is also a certified instructor, although he only teaches on a limited basis now. He doesn't own a plane yet, but leases from a couple different places in the Bay Area. Below are a couple of pictures I took one day while Jared was getting the plane ready.

 

Before we leave tomorrow evening, be it by plane or car, I have to do the following:

- Finish working today (boo SalesForce revisions)

- Happy Hour tonight with some friends and maybe Jared

- CrossFit tomorrow ( Friday's are always TOUGH)

- Work (still boo to SalesForce)

- Pack and clean (maybe)

This isn't all that much to do, except I really wish it was Friday at 5:00 p.m. RIGHT. NOW. Let's hope I can make it! (a little dramatic, no?)

Things I Eat A LOT

...because I know you are SO CURIOUS!!

Greek yogurt

I eat amazing amounts of this every week. Like 2 containers. I eat it many ways, including by itself with fruit and granola, on baked yams, on spicy soups and in sauces. It is SUPER high in protein and relatively low in carbs. And it doesn't give me heart burn (yes, I am 107 years old).

Blue Bottle Coffee

Best coffee in the world, in my opinion. I buy their beans and make at least one drink a day. They are locally owned and operated, with a location in NY as well. This is probably one of my main obsessions and has ruined corporate coffee chains for me forever.

Hummus

I eat this on everything, expecially carrot sticks. Exciting. I know.



Cowgirl Creamery Cheese (especially Mt Tam)

I used to eat a lot of this with bread or crackers, but now I save it for special occassions because I feel like it would undo the ass-kicking I subject myself to at CrossFit. This would be part of my last meal on Earth, if I had to chose. 



A couple other things I consume on a regular basis:

Salad

Soups of all kinds (as long as they aren't cream based)

Eggs

Fruit (mostly berries in the summer)

Overall, I'm a pretty healthy eater, I just have to watch how much I can eat. And man, is that a lot. Thank God for CrossFit!

Weekend Wrap Up

Like most weekends in the summer, I spent the weekend with some of my favorite people at my family's cabin in Healdsburg, which is in the Sonoma wine country. This weekend's guests were my lovely friend Aliza, who is a former Kontera co-worker and introduced me to CrossFit, her boyfriend Kyle and another former Kontera friend, Ryan. 

I went up alone on Friday night and had a yummy dinner of take-out salad and sweet potato fries from Healdsburg Bar and Grill. After watching a few episodes of Sex and the City on my laptop (we don't have a TV or Internet at the house), I headed to bed early-ish, which I tend to do most Friday nights. 

Saturday morning, the dog and I met our guests at the Farmer's Market to buy some fresh food for dinner that evening. We bought some amazing corn, zucchini, onions, blackberries and mostly grass-fed beef right from the farmer. We also bought some bread from my favorite bakery, which has withstood the test of time and tourists, the Creamery. Finally, we picked up some picnic lunches from Oakville Market to bring with us to the wineries. Back at the house, we took the dog down to the creek that runs behind our house and let her run around before we headed out to taste wine. 

First stop for wine tasting was Armida, which is right down the street from the house. Their wine is good  and they have a great picnic area and a bocce ball court. We, of course, played guys against girls (which also ended up being right handers versus left handers) and the ladies were victorious. 

Next stop was Everette Ridge for a generous 9 taste wine flight and a great host. They also have a beautiful deck, where we were able to do the entire tasting. I purchased a bottle of red from both wineries, a Syrah from Armida and Diablita from Everette Ridge, which is a blended red. Kyle was nice enough to be our DD, which was greatly appreciated. 

We headed back to the house for some naps (Kyle and Aliza) and coffee (Ryan and I) and then we headed out to Bear Republic to do a beer tasting on their patio. Since I'm not a huge beer drinker and I had sobered up by this time, I drove so Kyle could partake. It was a beautiful afternoon that turned into a great evening. 

We headed to the house and Kyle whipped up a delish dinner in the newly remodeled kitchen. We lingered over dinner and a couple bottles of Reisling that we purchased at Armida, all accompanied by great conversation. 

Sunday we woke up and had coffee and headed in to town for breakfast. We took the dog to the creek when we got home and then played some board games on the porch (I won Uno!!). After snacking on dinner left-overs, we all headed home and dealt with the Sunday bridge traffic. I tried to muster the energy to go to the store, but pizza pick up won in the end. Thanks Little Star for saving the day again! 

Great break from the City and now for another busy week!! I managed to hit CrossFit 4 times last week and I'm hoping for a repeat performance this week. How was your weekend? 

Dinosaur for Lunch

Today, I treated myself to one of my favorite lunch-time specials: Dinosaur!!

I'm not talking about the extinct, prehistoric creatures, but one of my favorite restaurants a couple blocks away from work.

This small establishment keeps it simple by serving a limited menu of different banh mi, spring rolls, chips and bottled drinks. Their sandwiches are to die for, and I especially love The Pork, which is grilled, marinated pork, pickled radishes and carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, fresh jalapenos and a little homemade mayo. One of the best parts of this perfect-sized sando is the price....under $5! If you are ever in the Mission/Castro 'hood, you should really check it out!





Dinner with Emy!

Yesterday, my friend Emy, who also happens to be Serena's dogwalker (and one of her all-time favorite humans), offered to make dinner for me. Not being one to turn down a free meal, especially when I know there is promise of it being really tasty, I gladly accepted. After work yesterday, I took the dog for a walk at the wind tunnel that is Alamo Square, although it was less of a walk and more of a lay down and roll around with the ball (see picture below). Then Emy met me at my place. She was kind enough to come over, so Serena (aka the world's most spoiled dog) didn't have to stay home alone. 

Really?

Emy brought the makings of dinner and we chatted in the kitchen while she whipped up dinner. The end result was a very delish Japanese fusion pasta dish that I could not get enough of and a fresh, summery salad. She called her dish mentaiko spagehtti and it was comprised of mentaiko (spice cod roe, which I think are fish eggs), butter, shiso leaves (yum!) and nori (double yum!). Below is a picture that doesn't give the dish justice, but you have to trust me, it was great! It reminded me of Japanese carbonara and it was equally as easy to make. This will soon be added to my list of favorites and hopefully I can recreate it myself.

Yum!

Recipe for Mentaiko Spagehtti

1/2 a box of spagehtti

Water for cooking the pasta

2-3 Tablespoons butter

1 package mentaiko (found at a Japanese specialy store)

Handful shiso leaves, torn into small pieces

1 package nori, cut into small strips

Cook pasta according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, scrap the mentaiko out of the casing. When the pasta is almost done, heat the butter in a medium to large skillet. Once the butter has all melted and starts to foam, add the mentaiko and turn off the burner. Stir the mentaiko to separate it. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the water. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to combine, adding pasta water if it gets too thick. Serve into bowls or plates and top with the shiso and nori to taste. EAT LOTS!

A Peak Into My Mornings

About 3-4 mornings a week, I get up at 5:15 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. and head towards Crissy Field for a CrossFit workout and dog walk combo. So far I LOVE CrossFit. I feel stronger and more in shape than I ever have before. I usually think there is no way in hell I will be able to finish the workout, but that is never an option. If I workout at 6 a.m., I walk the dog after my workout, and if I workout at 7 a.m., I walk her before. This is one of my favorite parts of the day, because everything is quiet and I know I'm doing something that is going to make my whole day better. The dog loves the beach too, and she usually rockets around and barks at me to play with her. The shots below are common scenes from my dog walks. I feel so fortunate to live in such a naturally beautiful place, and I try my hardest to take advantage of the beauty as much as possible.

So lucky to have this frequent view

Dog Smile

Rocketing around!

Reminiscing

While recently collecting picture for a book that I made for my Dad for Father's Day using blurb.com, I came across some of my favorite pictures from the past. 

 One of my all time favorite pictures of my Dad. Every time I look at this photo I notice something new. 

 You know just standing on a horse, next to a guy on a latter. 

 Baby Buck. This is the horse we still own to this day. He was born on Cinco de Mayo, 4 months before me, and he is a major part of our family. I always joke that if he hadn't been born, I would have had a twin brother. 

 Getting to know each other.

One of my favorite trips to Ireland. I feel so lucky to have had opportunities to see some of our big, big world. 

Only a Week and a Half Late

Here are some highlights from our time at the Monson Vineyard (aka the Ranch) over 4th of July weekend.

Hey there, cutie!

Swing batter!! Playing on the homemade field.

Gorgeous view.

How Can.....

...... a dog this sweet and cute.....

...produce this much fur from one brushing!?

It's amazing she's not bald.

Sunday Shopping!

This Sunday I went to the Renegade Craft Fair with Rosie and Aliza at Fort Mason. We also met up with Lauren, Leah and Leah's beautiful pooch Frannie. If you have never been to a Renegade Fair, you should really check it out. They have some of the coolest finds at all price points. This was my third time shopping the fair and I always walk away with some amazing pieces. Last Christmas, the fair was the main source of all my presents (and a few for myself, as well).

I made some great purchases yesterday, including the gorgeous gold hoops above. They are really a two-for-one deal, because you can take the little charms off.

I also bought some earrings and a hair pin from oh, hello friend. So cute and very affordable!

Part of the reason I love this fair is the support for small, often local artists. My Mom made ceramics and I used to help her at her booth at similar fairs and festivals. I distinctly remember going to all the other booths and bargaining with the other artists to make a trade of some of my Mom's work for an items that I liked. Thinking back on that now I have a couple of thoughts:

1. I had no fear and could really talk to anyone.

2. It must have been hilarious to have an 8 or 9 year old ask to make a trade, but it usually worked. Maybe we should put the barter system back in place?

The Embarcadero in the Evening

Last night, I took the dog for a walk along the Embarcadero while Jared went running. I had already worked out (died) that morning at CrossFit, so we just went for a leisurely stroll. The Giants were about to start a game against the Padres, so there were a ton of people in black and Orange walking the opposite direction. We were a bit like salmon swimming up stream. We stopped to take a break and enjoy the sun, so I snapped some pictures.

The Bay Bridge. Not as famous as that other bridge in the City, and, honestly, the last place I would want to be in an earthquake. Actually, I have an ongoing debate in my head trying to decide if it would be worse to be on the Bay Bridge or in BART (which runs underwater) during a quake. Hopefully, I'll never find out.

Miss Serena with a fire boat in the background. I have a million pictures of this dog's profile because whenever I take out a camera (or even the camera on my phone) she will NOT make eye contact. Such a weird mid-sized animal.

I promise 4th of July pictures will be coming soon!

Life Saving Product: Label M Dry Shampoo

I would consider myself pretty low maintenance. I am blessed with curly hair, so I don't have to do much there, and SF is pretty low key, so I don't wear much make up. Since I only use a few products, I generally try to find higher quality options that won't break the bank. While getting my hair cut and colored for the first time in a long time with Kristina at Population, she so kindly informed me that I really only needed to wash my hair every 3-4 days. I didn't immediately agree until she showed me the merits of my new best friend, Label M Dry Shampoo.

This stuff is amazing! I just brush my hair out, spray this on the roots and do a little styling. It smells great, so it freshens everything up, even after working out. My hair also seems much healthier and softer, due to the lack of daily washing. Priced at $26 per bottle, I was a little hesitant (remeber, I work at a non-profit in a super expensive city), but Kristina informed me that I lasts forever. It's been a month since I started using it 3-4 days a week, and so far so good. If you are in the market, I highly recommend this product.

*This isn't a paid post, as only 4 people read my blog and Label M has no clue who I am.

Just Another Day at Work

A great way to fend off summertime frizz and boredom!

Preview of Pics From the 4th Festivities

View from Everette Ridge in Healdsburg

Smitten Ice Cream in Hayes Valley

This 4th of July started out with ice cream and continued with lots of good food and great wine.

Jared and I went to Healdsburg/Geyserville for some fun in the sun. Our friends and their family live on Monson Vinyard and they threw a huge, weekend-long bash. There was tennis ball baseball (on an amazing, hand-built field), square dancing and lots of wine tasting. We even caught the fireworks show on our way back into the City.

I snapped the pictures above with my phone, but I will be adding more when I have a chance to download them from my camera.

Hope you had a safe and fun 4th as well!

Stop to Smell the Roses

A couple of the pictures I took a few evenings ago on a walk in the Rose Garden in Golden Gate Park. The Rose Garden is one of my most favorite places in the City and I always feel so relaxed after a quick visit.

Matters of the Heart

Since a few of my close friends have recently inquired about the heart procedure I mentioned a couple of days ago, I thought it would be appropriate (and save me a lot of text messaging) to explain what the heck I'm talking about.

Let me start by saying, I didn't make a big deal about it beforehand because I was a little scared and it was easier to just not talk about it much. Distraction, distraction, distraction!

This whole, little journey started back at the end of March (it actually stated 7 years ago, but I'll get back to that). I was walking to work one morning, through the park (as in the park that was in Full House that I happen to live by), and all the sudden I felt really light-headed and my heart was RACING. This had happened before and I usually could just sit down and take some deep breaths and it would go away. That, unfortunately, was not working this time. After about 10 minutes of some extreme heart beating, I finally called 911 and told them I thought I was having a panic attack. A few minutes later a fire truck showed up and assessed the situation with such clever insights as,

"You don't seem to be panicking"

and

"Are you SURE you didn't do any drugs this morning?"

Finally, the EMTs showed up, and coincidentally, one of them had worked at a cardiologist's office previously. She kindly informed me that I wasn't having a panic attack, but I have a condition called Supraventricular Tachycardia or SVT.

(If you would like to know more about it see here.)

Basically, all people have normal and abnormal electrical nodes in the hearts while they are developing in utero, and the abnormal ones go away before birth. One of my abnormal nodes just never went away. Every now and then it is triggered and causes my upper ventricles to start racing. Like, over 200 beats per minute racing. One EMT clocked it at 270 at one point!

This is not actually that serious, unless you are old, have another condition or routinely pass out because of it. After talking to the doctor, I realized that I have had this since I was about 18 and always thought it was a panic attack. There are three types of treatment:

1. By holding your breath, gagging yourself or a couple other things, you can stimulate a nerve that causes everything to go back to normal. I had been doing this in the past without knowing it, hence never being diagnosed.

2. Take a beta blocker all the time. These suck! I had to take them for a week and felt horrible.

3. A simple low-risk, high-yield procedure. This is where I ended up.

After that episode and a subsequent doctor's visit, I decided I wasn't quite ready for the procedure, because it only happened every 6-8 months and I could always get it under control on my own, with the exception of the last time. The doctor was great, and said since I wasn't in any danger of doing any damage to my heart, I didn't need the procedure at that time.

Fast forward to May and SVT struck again. I was about to workout (aka have my ass kicked) at CrossFit, when the old ticker got to racing. Two very nice strangers drove me to the hospital, but I got it to stop on the way after about 15 minutes. I went in just in case, but decided now was the time to revisit the procedure option. I was uncomfortable with the fact that it had only been 2 months since the previous episode and it was getting harder to get them under control.

So Monday, I went to Santa Clara and had the procedure done. It was a full day at the hospital, but the procedure itself only took an hour. They make a small inscion in your femoral vein and run some catheters to your heart. They trigger the abnormal node to map its location and then use heat to burn it off. I was only sedated and I'm pretty sure I chatted away through the whole thing. I bet the doctor loved that. After it was over, I had to lay flat for 4 hours and then show them I could walk around and then we went home. A couple days rest and I'm good as new, minus SVT.

Thank you all for your concern and support. A small bump in the road, but now I don't have to worry about it anymore.