gobblepalooza

Home already :)
I thought Black Friday might be a pretty hectic day for HQ - but really, it's only hectic for people who work in functions like Site Productions, who have to deal with errors on the website. Only one other person on my team was in the office, and she got in at 10 and left at 1. I spent my morning surfing the internet for gift ideas, and answered one work-related email. Hey though - this beats taking the day off for PTO, and *certainly* beats working in the stores!


I think this photo sums up my Thanksgiving best (click on photos to enlarge):

Too. Much. Food. But oh so good!

I have to admit, while nothing beats going home for Thanksgiving, I think we did a pretty amazing job on our own. I think we went about it in just the right way: assigning everyone a couple dishes they were excited about making, coming together in the afternoon, helping out with the turkey, and eating stress-free. Luckily there was no pressure to impress anyone, low expectations, and a Trader Joe's around the corner just in case - not that we needed it.

I started out the morning heading to Calafoods to buy the necessary stuff for pumpkin pie v. 2.1 and cranberry relish. (One thing I had forgotten to mention in the last blog entry was that the pie I made was only 50% from scratch - I used 1/2 roasted acorn squash puree, 1/2 canned pumpkin - because the farmer's market was completely out of sugar pie pumpkins. Hence, when I had to make the second pie, there was still just enough of both to get by - I didn't have to re-roast a pumpkin, thank goodness.)

The pie turned out BEAUTIFULLY if I do say so myself. I was also particularly proud of the crust - I used Martha's pate brisee recipe and added cinnamon, clove, and brown sugar to spice it up a little. Also, I used Heidi's Spice-Kissed Pumpkin Pie recipe, but added extra cinnamon (about 1/2 tbsp), ginger, and allspice. I was also inspired by Top Chef to make the crust prettier.

Preparation:


Execution :)


I also made 2 kinds of cranberry sauce: one relish, Mom's classic, and another saucepan style, which was also REALLY good (recipe here - talk to me about all the changes I made). There were NO leftovers of either cranberry sauce - I was really shocked that everyone ate the real stuff and loved it.

I got to Julie's (the hostess, who lives in North Beach) around 3, and the turkey was already well under way. The butcher at Trader Joe's gave her a 30-minute rundown of exactly how to cook the turkey, and she seemed very confident that it was going to turn out perfectly. And believe it or not, it did!

In the oven:


And out, on-time, with a happy Julie:


Rachel brought mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cornbread stuffing - here she is with her boyfriend, Bennett:


Tenley brought sourdough stuffing, and Jared brought brussel sprouts (yum) and Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole, which was to-DIE for delicious.

The girls and the turkey (from left to right: Rachel, Julie, me, Tenley)


Jared admiring the spread:


And other miscellaneous photos of food, dinner, and the resulting food coma:






Everyone said that the pumpkin pie was the best they'd ever had (I agreed) - and the best part about the dinner is that I have enough leftovers to last for at least 2 more meals :)

After dinner, we watched Love, Actually, which is one of my favorite Christmas movies ever - I've seen it at least 5 times.

No plans yet this weekend - though i am supposed to go shopping for my adopt-a-family kid sometime soon. I'm going to be working in the stores again all next week though, so I better rest up!

Reading: Middlesex
Listening: All I Want For Christmas Is You, Mariah Carey

sugar sugar

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while - I've been busy baking. Baking, baking, baking. After my final project presentation last week (which went super well! more on that later), I baked the Orange and Oat Scones from 101 Cookbooks for my team, which were extremely tasty. I was licking the batter all along the way, and didn't even have to feel guilty about it because there were no eggs! Only copious amounts of butter...

(Picture stolen from 101 Cookbooks - mine weren't nearly so pretty)


Then, a couple days ago, I got inspired by a new issue of Bon Appetit and made Triple Ginger Cookies. The batter was SUPER tasty, but the cookie consistency was disappointing - they were soft and fluffy, and I think I was hoping for something denser and chewier. The recipe calls for butter, so I might try substituting margarine or shortening next time, or adding baking powder to the recipe. I also wanted about 3 times as much chopped crystallized ginger in there.

But somehow, Tim said that these were the "best cookies I've ever made." Best. Ever? Let's look back on my baking history here: I've made him chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, raggedy robins, iced oatmeal lemon cookies - all of which are way better than these cookies. We don't tend to agree on desserts anyway, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but maybe we'll be able to work through our differences somehow...

And then tonight I baked another pumpkin pie - the real thing! - for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner with the RMPs. It didn't turn out as beautifully as the first one - I think there were air bubbles under the crust that burst and cracked the surface of the pie, but I think it will taste even better. For those of you who don't know my thanksgiving plans, I'm going to an RMP "strays" potluck party. Though I didn't have high expectations for the dinner, I actually think it's going to be quite good. Currently on the menu:

Turkey
Stuffing (cornbread and regular)
Sweet potatoes
Mashed potatoes
Green beans
Brussel sprouts
Cranberry relish (fresh! mom's recipe)
Pumpkin pie
Ice cream

I'll be missing out on curried fruit, so Mom will have to add that to the list of things to make for Christmas dinner. I couldn't bring any because i don't have any corningware/similar bakeware. Not that we have space in the kitchen for that... but I miss it for the express purpose of making curried fruit, chicken diable, and chicken and rice.

So let's see, what has happened this week. Sara came in town! Yay!!! We met up with a few Stanford alums for dinner at Darbar on Friday night (amazing), then Saturday, met at Mayfield Bakery with Becca for brunch before heading over to Big Game :)



Big Game was very fun, mildly debaucherous. We hung out at the Sigma Nu alumni tailgate for a while, and ran into a lot of current tridelts who caught me up on all the gossip. It's particularly interesting to me to see where the seniors are going to be working next year - Cordova will be at Google, Snorm at Bain, Kyla with TFA, etc etc. Sara and I got tickets to the game, but got distracted in actually going TO the game, and ended up selling them to Melissa and Jess Lu who wanted them much more desperately than we did (though I'm not sure they made it to the actual game either...)

In the end, Stanford lost the game, and I'm pretty sure it's because I didn't watch it. Instead, I went to Thai City, and had some fabulous thai food with Tim, Tom, Lauren, and Sara. Sara and I barely survived the caltrain ride before coming home and passing out at 11:30.

Sunday was my day of accomplishments! I wrote thank you notes, picked up the tv stand, bought a microwave, went grocery shopping, and worked out. Of course, the microwave hasn't been taken out of the box, and the TV stand hasn't been set up, but that's what this weekend is for :)

Oh yes, I meant to tell you about my final project/the final week of my rotation. The presentation went so much more smoothly than either of our practice rounds, and we managed to get through the whole thing in our timeline. I was commended on my presentation style, which is so amazing for me because I usually get tripped up on nerves! And Kate, my partner, did really well too.

I'm sad to be leaving the Women's Plus team, but I'm excited to be moving on to a new function: Old Navy Production, Girls Woven Tops & Accessories. Old Navy again... sort of bummed about that, but hey - I'll know the business *very* well at the end of this one.

Bring on the sparkles/sequins/sassy slogans!!





STOP THE PRESSES.

I just wrapped up the pumpkin pie that I made, and realized.



...


I forgot the sugar in the pie.

Dammit.

Kati and I just tasted it... it's bad. Bad. AUGHSKDJ. Well, it would be really good if there were sugar in it. It was seasoned well - I especially like the coconut milk instead of sweetened condensed, though it could have used more cinnamon. It's also missing bourbon, too, though I don't have any on hand. Maybe I can break in to Tim's apartment and steal some...

Well, tomorrow will include more baking than I had planned. That's ok - I'll just be so sick of pumpkin pie I won't want to make another for at least a year!

Reading: Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides. It's awesome.

A quote to leave you with, from a Vanity Fair interview with Andre Agassi:
VF: "Whose talents do you most admire?"
AA: "Roger Federer."

Ballsy.

kanpai!

I hate how early it gets dark in the wintertime. It makes me feel like it's so much later than it really is. Right now, it's 6:45, and I'm pretty much ready to go to bed - I couldn't motivate myself to go to the gym after work today, and I'm trying to convince myself that I should at least go wash my sheets/towels at the laundromat if I'm not going to the gym, but even that sounds tremendously unappealing. Maybe I'll call it "Life Day Off" and see how that works out...

Had another great weekend: Friday night, Tim's band had an album release party at a bar in the Inner Richmond called the Abbey Tavern, and it was a great show (for those of you who haven't heard his band's music, listen here!). They drew a pretty large crowd who seemed really into their music, and delivered a high-energy show of both original songs and covers. Tim's fun coworkers also showed up in force, and now that I know all of them, I'm all the more excited about the Bain Holiday party :)

Before the show, Tim and I got takeout at a place called Burma Superstar, which is a ridiculously popular Burmese restaurant on Clement Street. Tim and a few of his coworkers and I tried to get dinner there about a year ago, but gave up after waiting for over 1.5 hours for a table (for 4 people!). This time, we had the perfect solution: we ordered takeout! It was ready in 20 minutes, and we waltzed right by all the people that had been waiting outside in the cold for way too long, and didn't have to pay tip :)

I had never had Burmese food before, but it was delicious! We had the Tea Leaf salad , (which is listed as one of the 100 Things To Try Before You Die according to 7x7 Magazine - of which I've now accomplished 8), the Rainbow Salad, and a black bean chicken dish (which wasn't quite as special, but very solid).

The Tea Leaf Salad:


Black Bean Chicken with Asparagus:


Also before the show, while Tim was setting up/sound-checking/drinking beer with purpose, I toodled off to Green Apple Bookstore, which is a stunningly awesome used/new bookstore that I wish I lived closer to (though perhaps that's good for my wallet...) Piled from floor to ceiling with books, sprinkled throughout with stickies of staff recommendations, it's a very happy place. The vibe reminds me a lot of Shakespeare and Co. in Paris, though perhaps bigger.





I spent about 2 hours there, and could have sat there much longer, but ended up walking out with 3 books: Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides; On Beauty, by Zadie Smith; and All The Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy. I just finished The Road, also by Cormac McCarthy, and LOVED it - could barely put it down, despite how utterly dark, bleak, and depressing it was. I cried at the end, which is always a good indicator of a book that got under your skin. I'd highly recommend it.

Anyway, I'm reading Middlesex first, and I'll keep you posted. It's good so far...

Saturday, after watching Stanford beat USC (!!!), Tim and I went down to Stanford to meet up with his parents Lauren, his sister, for dinner at a Japanese restaurant I can't remember the name of. It's the one in the same complex as the Secret Safeway off Sand Hill - you've probably passed it without giving it a second glance. It was AWESOME, and we left SO full, with *just enough* of a food coma to make sitting through Lauren's symphony show slightly challenging.

Sunday, went to the Bell Tower with the roommates/a few other SF tridelts for a delicious brunch, then met up with Jane and Nate in Japantown to hang out for the afternoon. I adore all the cuteness of Japantown (sushi-shaped erasers, chopstick holders, slippers, Hello Kitty stationary, etc etc), and I couldn't resist buying myself an Origami-a-Day desk calendar. We walked up Fillmore Street through Pac Heights and headed over to Tim's for a beer before driving to Yu-Zen for some excellent sushi (excellent as always). I'm a little concerned about giving myself mercury poisoning, with all the sushi I've been eating, but I think it's worth it?

Jane and Nate at the height of Pac Heights overlooking the Golden Gate bridge. So great to see them!!


I'll be presenting my final project tomorrow... wish me luck! I'm so excited to know that by this time tomorrow, I'll be done done done. Happy hour, anyone?

PS - I'm thinking about dying my hair. Reddish blonde. Strawberry blonde, perhaps. Something like this:


Or like this, but with highlights/lowlights:


(Clearly, dying my hair will transform me into Amy Adams or Gwyneth Paltrow...)

Thoughts?

trick or treat, chicken feet!

My favorite costume I saw on Halloween:

Only a San Francisco child would dress up as a meter cop - albeit one who gave out chocolate hearts instead of tickets :)

After somewhat of an iffy week (working on the final project for my first rotation = stressful), I had an awesome weekend. Friday night, Tim and I went out for sushi at Yu-Zen, which just got an awesome review in SF Weekly. It's great to see them get good press - considering their location on the edge of the universe, they can use all the help they can get. I only hope it won't get too difficult to get a table!

Saturday, I watched the Stanford-Oregon game.
By myself.
In my apartment.
I turned it on at lunch, intending to watch the first few minutes, and ended up sitting there for the next 4 hours (hooting and hollering when Stanford scored - probably scaring the neighbors). I even got to narrate the last few minutes to my dad when his coverage got cut off in KY. It was such an exciting game, and it's great to see the team finally eligible for a bowl game! Now all we have to do is beat Cal and USC and maybe we'll end up in the Rose Bowl?

Saturday night, went over to Tim and Dave's for cocktails before going out with Tim's friend Tom and his new girlfriend, Michelle. Great story: Tom had a huge crush on Michelle during middle school, but she was the "unattainable cute girl." When she ended up moving to San Francisco, she contacted him by Facebook, and they started dating. Dinner was pretty good, but overpriced and stingy on portions. I left the restaurant feeling hungry and poor.

Sunday, though, was the best: Tim and I took our bikes on their first "long" ride, to Sausalito and back! It's a popular route for tourists, so I wasn't too worried, but my butt hurt from the bike seat. We ate lunch at a deli in Sausalito, wandered along the shoreline, and headed back before the sun set. We cooked a delicious dinner: tuna steak au poivre with soy dipping sauce, sweet potatoes, and Heidi's brussel sprouts recipe, which I've made 3 times this week. My farmer's market brussel sprouts were way better than the ones we got at Safeway, but I'm convinced that the trick is to get tiny ones.

Tim couldn't eat a bite...


Dave has befriended a girl who works at one of his favorite hole-in-the-wall chinese food restaurants, called Shanghai Dumpling King. She made him soup, which he heated up last night for dinner - and to his surprise, it had CHICKEN FEET in it!!!




Of course i tried one. Tasted like fat, pretty boring, but makes for a great story!

Finished Ender's Game last week, and started Cormac McCarthy's The Road. It's really, really dark, but surprisingly readable.
No new music lately! Need recommendations!

the legs feed the wolf, gentlemen

A weekend full of accomplishments and adventures!

1) Baked a pumpkin pie from scratch

On Saturday, I woke up and decided I needed to make a pumpkin pie from scratch - using real pumpkins, a homemade crust, and a new recipe from 101 Cookbooks (recipe here). I went to the farmer's market at the Ferry Building and charmed a farmer into giving me a good deal on sugar pie pumpkins, bought a whole bunch of other goodies that now I'm frantically trying to figure out how to use before they go bad, and made it home by about noon. Here are my pumpkins pre-mutilation:

(Aren't they cute?)
I then chopped them up (giving my Shun knife a good workout - not that the pumpkins were any match for the knife!) and roasted them for about an hour, until the flesh was falling off from the skin.

Then I made the pie crust using Martha's pate brisee recipe, which was somewhat of an adventure because my baby cuisinart couldn't handle the whole recipe's ingredients, so I had to readjust halfway through, pour flour out of the cuisinart, and make two batches. Flour was all over the kitchen by the end of the process.

Then I made the filling, mashing/pureeing the pumpkin, adding the usual spice suspects, and coconut milk instead of the sweetened condensed I usually use. I also substituted almond extract for vanilla, which I think was a mistake, but certainly doesn't taste *bad*. Then I sent it into the oven for another 50 minutes...

And the pie came out beautifully! Needless to say it tastes great. I have some adjustments to make before the Thanksgiving round, but all in all it was quite a success (and the roommates have REALLY enjoyed it, so that always feels good!).



2) Ran a half marathon

Last night, Becca came up from Palo Alto, and we went out with some of the Tridelt girls who are living on the peninsula for thai food. The girls came to the city to celebrate Halloween; Molly, one of my roommates, helped do the PR for some huge party at the civic center that they were all going to. However, because of the race, Becca and I couldn't really celebrate halloween, so we figured going out for dinner would have to be celebration enough. After dinner, we headed home to watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall - probably the least festive Halloween movie choice, but it was really funny (I'll have to recommend it to Rob). We made it to bed by about 11:30, and set our alarms for a 6AM wakeup call.

Oh so early! (Before the race)



The race was stunningly beautiful - sunny, warm, and mostly clear. Going across the Golden Gate bridge was foggy for the first half (almost eerie - couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of me!), then opened out on the Marin side to the most beautiful, sunshine-y view of the Bay. I wish I could have taken pictures along the way.

While I knew I wanted to race strong, I didn't expect to beat my last year's time. Last year, we trained a lot more intensely, ran more miles more regularly, and even incorporated speed workouts - I ended up finishing in 2:12, running almost exactly 10 minute miles. Since I didn't have a watch this year, I paced myself based on how I was feeling, trying really hard not to go too fast in the beginning. I felt pretty good for miles 1-10, but halfway through mile 11, I got the worst stomach cramp of my life, and could barely walk to the water station. Water helped a lot though, and I was able to finish strong.

Here's the kicker though: I beat my last year's time by 10 minutes! My official finish time was 2:02:23. I ran an average of 9:22/mile, which I didn't honestly think I was capable of. Becca also did super well, finishing in 1:39, the same time as last year for her. We're really unsure why we did so well this year - I suspect spinning has made me stronger/quicker, but a lot of it was probably mental too. We knew we could finish, and that the quicker we ran, the quicker it would be over :) Overall, though, it was very enjoyable, and I felt SO accomplished.

Post-race:
(check out what a rat's nest my hair became!)





Afterwards, we went out to brunch with Raquel and Christian to an amazing spot called Olea, right next to my house. I treated myself to the challah french toast and ate the whole thing without feeling the least bit guilty.

Our new roommate moved in, and we now have FURNITURE and a TV!! It feels like a real home. I'll post pictures soon - but for now, I'm super, super tired, so it may be my bedtime. On to dream of new adventures...

Reading: Ender's Game, almost finished
Listening: the best of my Half Marathon Mix:
Invaders Must Die - Prodigy
The Reeling - Passion Pit
Armour Love - La Roux
Knights of Cydonia - Muse
Gimme Sympathy - Metric
Stillness Is The Move - Dirty Projectors