On the Apple Post that Was

Sometimes, I think things are meant to be, which is a big statement of faith coming from me. About two years ago, I wrote a post about the post that never was. I bitched about not being able to pick apples and posted a photo or two. Yet, the post I was looking for never materialized, but that’s because it wasn’t the time for it yet.

Very much like “fetch”, we can’t make things happen.

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On Being a Better Human, Being Grateful

One of Bear's last photos... always the ham.

It's been a year since Bear died.

I miss the old guy. He would have liked this new place, even the snow. He would have liked the new people, the balcony, the new home surrounded by lots of places to romp.

I look at my life, the changes that took place over the last year, and mind. blown. I can't even begin to describe how different my life is now. If I could tell myself a year ago what it would be like, I don't think I would have believed it. There's a lot of great. The new and fabulous friends. The realization that I'm tougher than I thought I was. Or that I'm much more of an extrovert than I care to admit. The brilliant sunsets and drenching rainstorms. The wine bar I frequent on Mondays.

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On Dreams, Pups, and Bread: Con Pane Bakery

I wrote this post 6 months ago with the intention of publishing it then, but life, school, and a new computer got in the way. Clearly, I'm not writing much currently. At times, there wasn't much to say, and most times, there was no time to say anything. My story has changed so much in the latter half of 2013. Here's how it started...

Five weeks and counting. The committee usually meets weekly on Wednesdays. Online forums were filling up with information about acceptances and they were coming in like clockwork. It was Thursday morning and I'd just arrived home from class. Bear woke up from his nap and I let him outside to do his thing.

Resist the urge to check. Resist the urge to check. Don't call the admissions office. Don't be that kid.

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On Goodbyes and the Best Dog Ever

I love to tell the story of Bear's first poop in San Diego. At least, it was his first poop under my sole supervision. I'd never had a dog growing up, so I hardly knew the first thing about taking care of one. Due to construction at work, I had a month off to acquaint myself with my new role: dog owner.

By the way, they own us. Yeah, that was lesson #1.

Lesson #2 was picking up poop. No matter how cute a pup is; it poops. It poops a lot. They'll have a schedule, but they'll still poop. And if you're a good human being, you'll pick up the damn poop. Yes, pick it up. No, not with your bare hands! Just use the bag as a glove and bring paper towels as backup. Or figure out what works best for you.

What? That's not enough? You'll still get poop on your hands? Hey, we all touch poop at some point in our lives. Pets, children, and/or incontinence will afflict most of us at some point.

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On Contentment: Sawmill Lake

I sit on the edge of this lake and life is amazing. It's scary, frustrating, and sad, but it's also good. There are more stories coming, but I just wanted to share this.

On Direction and Apples: The Post That Never Was

Every year, I sit down and think about the direction of this blog. Given how infrequently I post, it probably sounds pretty surprising that I sit down and think about this blog at all. Nevertheless, I care about what I post and I'm always thinking about who I am as a writer. There are so many labels out there... blogger, writer, publisher, recipe developer, hobbyist, professional, photographer, storyteller...

Who am I? Why am I writing this blog?

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El Cajon Oktoberfest

This weekend, we went to the El Cajon Oktoberfest, hosted by the German American Societies of San Diego. It was a great event with lots of fantastic food. Only here for one more weekend, it's definitely worth a stop for some fantastic food and beer. The oom-pah band is awesome and everyone there takes the Chicken Dance pretty seriously.

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Romesco: On Amazing Happy Hours

Most of my posts this year have been introspective, somewhat dreary, and always bordering on the clichéd. Sure, a lot's happened. My inner voice whispers:

Yo, lady, this is still a flippin' food blog...

That's right, it is. I haven't been faithful about the posting, but when I do, it really shouldn't be constant musings on my quest for school. At this rate, Frodo and Sam took less time to get to Mordor. Let's get back to the food, with my new love Romesco (not a new restaurant, just new to me).

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Monterey, Hwy 1, Nepenthe: On Silver Linings and Space Shuttles

If things had worked out as I'd hoped, life would be very different right now. Perhaps it's me getting older, but I learned to see the silver linings in life. One more year in my beautiful home state and time to do things like drive from San Luis Obispo (more accurately, Cayucos) to Monterey via Highway 1. Lots of winding roads and spectacular vistas that can't be beat.

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Terra American Bistro: On Soothing the Soul

Multi-purpose planter is decorative and provides herbs for the restaurant.

Dan and I had an amazing meal at Terra American Bistro as a preview for San Diego Restaurant Week, starting Monday, September 17. As we sat in the warm dining room and watched the people around us, it was clear that Terra's an inviting place with great food that adds to any celebration, helps a first date along, or soothes an aching soul.

We definitely needed some soothing and if food is medicine, Terra was what the doctor ordered.

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Del Mar Rendezvous: Restaurant Week Giveaway

Dan is rather ambivalent about media dinners. We've had some amazing meals thanks to PR outreach, but he remains a picky date. Say the words "group dinner" and he's out. There will be no making small talk with strangers, thankyouverymuch. However, when I first heard from Del Mar Rendezvous in January, he actually nagged me to take them up on the offer of dinner. My schedule didn't allow it, but when DMR came calling again a few weeks ago, I had to say yes.

For Dan. Of course.

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Humphreys Restaurant: On New Friends

Things didn't work out for me this summer, so I will be in San Diego another year. Blogging will be sparse, but I am taking a hiatus from my hiatus with a few posts about San Diego restaurants.

Ah, tunnel vision. As I mentioned in my last post, I signed up for a couple of summer school classes. On July 4, I had attended the first lecture for each and things hadn't picked up yet. By August 4, I had spent the entire month of July underground, practically living on campus, and being challenged by a rigorous combination of Mammalian Physiology and Cell Biology taken in five weeks.

I loved it.

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Cake: On Birthdays and Dreams Deferred

I'm trying to do homework.

I know, it's the 4th of July, right? And clearly, if I'm posting, I'm not getting much done. My heart hasn't been in much lately, just because I've been hoping for news that my life would change drastically.

The silence has been deafening.

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Pasta e Fagioli: On Stubbornness

I am incredibly lazy about soup. It's not a difficult dish to make, but I often end up obsessing about the nuances. It's not just a hot bowl of liquid, but flavors that need to be tweaked and balanced. With my obsessive need for perfection in soup, borne from a lifetime of my mother's perfect broths, I've given up.

Last week, I arrived home from a fabulously fun dinner and my throat felt a little scratchy. I chalked it up to too much wine and too little water and went to bed. The next day, the sore throat was worse, along with some heavy congestion. That was last Tuesday. Today, I'm still fighting the last dregs of the cold, which yo-yo'd from bedridden to 95% and back.

At least, it's not like last year's plague.

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The Glass is Cold: On Life, Movement, and Limbo

(top, left to right) Diane and Todd of White on Rice Couple with Joy of Joy the Baker; Dianne Jacob; Khao man gai from Nong's in Portland, OR; (middle, left to right) Coava Coffee Roasters in Portland, OR; pomegranate seeds at Mercado Hidalgo in Tijuana, Mexico; lengua (tongue) and tripe tacos from Tacos El Guero in Tijuana, Mexico; (bottom, left to right) Minassian-Young Vineyards, Paso Robles, CA; Jenks Lake, near Angelus Oaks, CA, site of Camp Blogaway; Fentons Creamery, Vacaville, CA branch

Imagine me with my face pressed against a frosted glass window, trying my damnedest to see what's on the other side. That's what life has felt like in the past couple of months. 6 trips in 9 weeks, with all of them fun and enlightening. Exhausting, too, especially for an introvert who loves people, loves to travel, but really needs time to dial down and recharge.

My last post was written on a lazy Sunday afternoon and it feels like I haven't had a chance to sit down since. The following week, I drove up to visit Todd and Diane at a lovely event featuring Joy the Baker, Cristina Ferrare, and lots of Kitchen Aid products, I had a fantastic time hanging out with everyone. While I was there, a rejection letter popped up on my email. Damn smartphones.

The weighty thought hit me... maybe I have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into medical school.

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Spring Sunday: On Relaxing Weekends

This? Sunday morning here in San Diego. Winter, we hardly knew ye.

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Sam Live Giveaway Winner!

Image from thecookingguy.com

Thank you very much for all of your entries! These were the numbers each entry was assigned based on order received.

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Sam Live: Recapping the Livecast and a Giveaway

Back in October, I had the honor of visiting Sam the Cooking Guy and the crew over at The Sam Livecast. It was a total blast. I showed up, we chatted, I watched some cooking, and next thing I knew, it was streaming over the internet. Dan said I didn't seem like too big of a spaz. Unfortunately, with fall being as busy as it was, I didn't have a chance to post about my visit.

The episode is here. I always cringe when I hear myself on a recording, like on camera or on voicemail. Yes, I do sound that ridiculous.

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Fried Balls of Deliciousness: Bitterballen and Arancini

Arancini (left) and bitterballen (right), right before kickoff at our Super Bowl party.

This is technically an Amsterdam-inspired post, although I don't have photos of the bar in Amsterdam where we tried bitterballen. In fact, there's a lot of food from Amsterdam I didn't photograph, because we ate like gluttonous kings and there isn't always good light. When I hang out with Kirk, we EAT. Our marathons have taken place in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and now Amsterdam.

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Amsterdam: On Cheese and Bringing the Magic Home

We had walked into the cheese shop from a brisk foggy cold. Pulling off our layers, we noticed the small shop was bustling with folks tasting cheese and sipping wine. Stepping down into the main area of Kaashandel Abraham Kef, we were greeted by a friendly woman who asked if we wanted to try some "khh-howda". It sounded like "chowdah," said a la Boston, and replacing the "ch" with a guttural, throat-clearing "khh" sound.

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