Girls’ Weekend Treat Boxes


Hello Friends! In an hour I’ll be heading out for a girls’ weekend with my mom, sisters and sister-in-law. We’ve never done a girls’ weekend before, but we thought it would be a fun thing to do before my middle sister, Laurel, has her baby girl in April. My sister-in-law, Deanna, is flying down from Seattle and my brother will be having his own guys’ weekend, watching their three little boys. Thanks, Paul! We’ll be in Los Gatos and the Santa Cruz mountains and plan to eat at some great restaurants, shop and hang out with each other.
treat box interior
I decided to make little treat boxes for our weekend and thought you might like to see them. The candied sunflower seeds recipe is from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day cookbook. I hope to share the ginger molasses cookie recipe with you soon–it’s an old family favorite. As for the chocolate covered almond’s, those are from good old Trader Joe’s. The cute packaging is from Cost Plus World Market. Time for me to get going! Enjoy your weekend!
treat box contents

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Recipe Roundup: Citrus Salad, Two Ways

citrus salads, 2 waysI know what you’re thinking: “Doesn’t Andrea know it’s Super Bowl weekend? Where are the game time snacks? Why the citrus salads? This is a weekend to indulge.” I may be the least interested person in the Super Bowl, but I promise you, these two citrus salads are perfect for game day. I can bet that after an afternoon of hot wings, cheese dip and beer, you’ll be craving something light and refreshing, and these salads will fit the bill. And who knows? They’re so colorful and pretty you just might find yourself pulling these salads out for your game day guests. The recipes come from two of my favorite food blogs, Green Kitchen Stories and Not Without Salt. Click on over to their beautiful sites for the recipes.

grapefruit salad
citrus saladP.S. There’s another reason I thought today was a good grapefruit day–it’s my dear friend Laura’s birthday! This girl loves her citrus and says morning isn’t morning without citrus. Happy Birthday, Friend!

Posted in dessert, Recipes, snacks | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A Slice of Now

seagull_sunshine

And now for something a little different: a fun questionnaire from Erica’s blog. :)

Right now I’m:

listening… to the Feist station on Pandora. Have you seen Pandora come through the TV? It’s so convenient!

watchingDownton Abbey, the current BBC Masterpiece Theater series, playing on Sunday nights at 9PM PST. Complex characterization, gripping storyline and lovely costumes.

readingChicago Manual of Style and Guide to Copyediting by Amy Einsohn. Riveting, huh? They’re for a class I’m taking (but don’t tell anyone I like reading them too). My fun reading right now consists of blogs!

eating… a smoothie of frozen bananas, frozen mixed berries, yogurt and milk. Mixed with my immersion blender, of course!

drinkingYorkshire brand black tea with milk. I love a strong black tea, and Yorkshire delivers.

wearing… jeans and a long-sleeved tee.

hoping… these clouds bring some rain. I’m ready to hit the slopes again!

feeling… a little sleepy…it’s mid-afternoon and I’m sitting right next to our space heater—not the best combo for fighting the afternoon drowse.

wanting…. a pair of Hafflinger slippers. Anyone have preferences for a hard sole or soft sole?

needing… to learn how to take better care of my plants. I can’t seem to find the balance between over-watering and under-watering.

thinking… I should nail down a dinner plan soon.

enjoying… the Bar Method. I’ve been going for over a year and I still look forward to class just as much as when I began. And it’s still interesting and still tough.

wishing… the kitchen would magically clean itself when I snap my fingers, like in Mary Poppins. C’est la vie!

What about you?

 

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Whole Wheat Yogurt Flatbreads

flatbread dough ballThis recipe is a keeper: I’ve already made these flatbreads four times in the last two weeks and I’m sure I’ll be making more of them this week. Thanks to the third (and final) cookbook I received for Christmas, Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty, I’ve discovered a new favorite in our household. Ottolenghi pairs the flatbreads with barley and mushroom ragout, but I’ve been serving them in lieu of roti with our dal (lentils) and saag (mustard greens). There’s no questions that it takes plenty of practice to master roti, but these flatbreads can be mastered by even the novice cook on the first or second try.

flatbread dough in small portionsThe main difference between these flatbreads and roti is that the flatbreads incorporate yogurt (instead of water) and baking powder (as oppose to no leavening agent). I’m no kitchen scientist, but I believe the yogurt gives the dough a soft texture that is easier to roll out than the roti dough I was making. The baking powder kick-starts the rising process of the dough, so breads do not rely solely on steam to make them rise.

flatbread dough rolled flatDon’t get me wrong—roti is delicious when made by an expert. But if you’re not willing to invest the time in learning how to make roti, these flatbreads are for you.

cooked flatbreadsThese versatile flatbreads adapt well to many cuisines. Serve them alongside a spicy Pakistani or Indian curry; filled with roasted lamb, tzatziki and Greek-style salad; or topped with jack cheese, black beans and salsa.

Makes: 4 flatbreads
Time: 30 minutes active; 90 minutes total

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup yogurt
2 tablespoons ghee, butter or oil (to cook the flatbreads)

Make the Whole Wheat Yogurt Flatbreads

Stir together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and pour the yogurt into the well. Stir the yogurt into the flour until it is fully incorporated. You may need to use your hands. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky; add more yogurt if the dough is dry. Knead the dough on a clean surface for one minute and refrigerate for one hour.

Heat one to two teaspoons of ghee, butter or oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Dust your hands, rolling pin and a work surface with flour. Divide the dough into four equal portions, rolling each portion into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into flat round about 1/8th inch thick, using a conservative amount of flour as necessary. When the pan is hot, place a dough round on the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the flatbread is browned and has no raw spots. Remove flatbread to a covered container or cloth to keep warm and continue cooking remaining flatbreads, adding more ghee, butter or oil to the pan as necessary.

The flatbreads are best the day they are made, but will reheat moderately well for three days.

Posted in breads, dinner, Recipes | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Bay Area Excursions

Today I’d like to share with  you three Bay Area excursions Sam and I have taken since Christmas.

Point Reyes and Sonoma

point reyes beach

The road leading to the beach at Pt. Reyes. I marveled at the vivid colors of the ocean and vegetation.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Sam, our friend Rebecca and I took a daytrip to Point Reyes and Sonoma. We braved the chilly wind on the beach at the Point Reyes National Seashore; ate goat and lamb burgers at the Marin Sun Farms Butcher Shop; slurped oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Farm; tasted some very good Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs at Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery; and ate disappointing baked goods at the Downtown Bakery in Healdsburg (I guess it’s hard to top Tartine). I can’t wait to go back to the Hog Island Oyster Company for a picnic. They have picnic tables, barbecues and stalls where you can buy oysters to take home or eat on the spot.

 

hog shack

The Hog Shack at the Hog Island Oyster Company, where you can buy fresh oysters to complement your picnic.

sam and oysters

Oysters! We opted for raw oysters, but you can also buy barbecued oysters.

Bike Ride Across Golden Gate Bridge

gg bridge sunset

Golden Gate Bridge at Sunset, taken from the ferry.

A few weekends ago, Sam and I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and rode our bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. The nine-mile ride was surprisingly quick and easy. There are a few big hills, but I grew up at the top of a very big hill and have learned to power up the hills. We were lucky to have a completely clear, sunny day—no fog spoiled our views. I finally fulfilled my goal of eating a whole crab when we had lunch at Horizons on the pier. Yum! We took the ferry back to Fishermen’s Warf and got to enjoy a beautiful sunset behind the silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge.

gg bridge sunset2

Golden Gate Bridge at sunset.

Fort Point

Right before New Year’s, Sam and I rode our bikes to Crissy Field and went inside Fort Point for the first time. Fort Point is an old army fort at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge that was completed right before the Civil War to protect San Francisco from invaders. You can take a self-guided tour for free or stop by for an organized event, such as a weekly candlelight tour or a Civil War day featuring Civil War Re-enactors (this Saturday, January 28, 10am-5pm). The stone corridors and narrow staircases reminded me touring castles and cathedrals in England. San Francisco may not be a very old city, but it does have its share of history. On the way home, we stopped for lunch at the Warming Hut Cafe and Bookstore, which has a great selection of soups, salads and sandwiches. The Warming Hut is also a great place to buy good quality San Francisco souvenirs, guidebooks and cookbooks.

I love the Bay Area and feel so blessed to live right in the heart of San Francisco. Whether I’m exploring the shops in the City, visiting historical monuments or soaking up the natural beauty, I know there’s always something fun to do—and something good to eat.

Posted in Informational, Restaurants & Excursions | Tagged , | 1 Comment
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