2nd Anniversary

We were lucky enough to both have our anniversary off this year (pretty good, considering it was a Monday). So we got to spend the whole day together, starting with this breakfast I cooked for Scott:

Scrambled eggs with chives, thick-sliced bacon, morning bun, fresh strawberries

I did not make the morning bun. And for those who don't know what a morning bun is, they are a Bay Area bakery specialty....a buttery, flaky, sugary coiled baked good...Scott can't resist them!

Next on the anniversary schedule was beating the heat (100 degree day!) by floating in the pool all afternoon (and trying to remedy our oh so white legs!). What a wonderful way to spend an anniversary, just floating and relaxing.

The evening held different plans for us. We've been dying to try Flour + Water, a San Francisco Italian restaurant that keeps popping up in my food magazines and in "best new restaurant" lists. It is a small place and difficult to get reservations (especially when you can't plan anything more than a week in advance due to your husband's work schedule!!) But luckily, they only reserve half the tables, leaving the other half for walk-ins. But even walking in, we had an hour wait (which we anticipated).

We ate at the bar, and unfortunately, I did not get to try any Italian wines that tempted me. I'll have to return in 2011 and have my meal with wine! But hey, our bill is so much smaller without the wine! Here's what we ate:

Antipasti

summer squash with young fennel, pearl onions & prosciutto chips

Pizza

osso-roasted bone marrow, fontina, rabe leaves & fresh horseradish

Dolce

poached cherries with celery seed cake & olive oil thyme ice cream

Gotta say, the pizza crust was to die for. And the fresh horseradish was a surprisingly mild topping that paired perfectly with the marrow. Mmmm, we were in pizza heaven! And the dessert! Who ever thought of celery seed cake? Delicious!

After dinner we headed over to North Beach to watch our friend Matt perform comedy at a bar. We haven't seen him for ages, so it was fun to reconnect, drink some awesome Sprite, and watch some comedy.

All in all, we had a relaxing day and a fun night out on the town. Next year, we'll need a babysitter for our anniversary...any takers?

Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries have become a bbq staple in our home. It's an easy side dish you can throw on the grill along with your meat and veggies. I am a huge fan of grilled dinners, because it means less dishes!Sweet potatoes are a nutritious option for summer bbqs, they are full of vitamin C, A, and B6; and sweet potatoes have more dietary fiber than a russet potato. Good healthy choice for pregnant ladies, and everyone else.Now, as the bbq itself goes, you can make these tasty nibbles on a charcoal grill or gas, although I prefer gas. In my household, the charcoal grill is Scott's, as he is partial to charcoal cooking. The gas grill has become mine, and I use it all summer when Scott is off working nights. For all of you ladies out there with gas grills, don't be afraid to use it! It is so easy, quick, and like a mentioned before...less dishes.

Sweet Potato Fries

serves 4

4 medium sweet potatoes (a general rule of thumb with potatoes is 1 per person, although sweet potatoes can be huge, in which case you might consider 1 potato per 2 people)

olive oil

salt & pepper

Peel the potatoes. Slice the potatoes into 8 wedges each. Toss the wedges in a large bowl with enough olive oil to coat, and a good sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat your gas grill and turn to low. Put potatoes on grill and cook for about 10 minutes over low heat. Turn the potatoes and cook another 10 minutes. Remove from grill when soft and grill-marked. Make sure you keep an eye on the potatoes, as they burn easily, especially on a charcoal grill! Remember that a little charring is ok, and even adds to the bbq flavor. Enjoy =)

New Camera!

With a trip to China and a new baby on the way, we decided it was time to upgrade our camera. We have been discussing the idea of switching to a digital SLR camera, and after a lot of research and shopping around, we settled on a Canon Rebel DSLR. Check out my food pictures now...its a whole new level!

Pancakes with plums and nectarines

Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies

A Worldly Fetus

My summer plans have quickly changed from a short jaunt to visit friends and family in Southern California to an overseas trip to Asia! My father-in-law invited Scott and I to come visit him in Hong Kong (where he lives), and also to Beijing. I am so excited....my fetus will be so well traveled! We leave in August, right after my trip to SoCal.

Hong Kong skyline

The Great Wall

Watermelon Agua Fresca

See, I promised more food posts, and here you go!

The past few weeks I have been craving fruit, fruit, and more fruit. It must be a pregnancy thing. I have been eating sweet cherries from the farmer's market, fresh apricots, bananas on my french toast, Harry & David pears from my father-in-law, bunches of grapes, and of course, ripe strawberries. Phew, I told you I was craving fruit!

So this weekend I bought a watermelon. The perfect fruit to cut up and snack on throughout the week. My plan was to slice it and serve it as a side to carne asada tacos for the Lakers game Sunday night...but my plan went askew when Scott dropped the watermelon while attempting to balance too many groceries! It cracked right down the middle, and broke into two. No big deal, I thought it was still salvage-able. However, upon further diagnosis, I found that the middle of the melon had transformed into complete mush. I scooped out what I could, and transferred it to a bowl. It wasn't pretty, and it wouldn't be served with my tacos. But the question remained as what to do with the unsalvage-able parts...which was probably half the watermelon!

This is where Scott redeemed himself for dropping the melon in the first place. He suggested we make watermelon aqua fresca, a sweet drink perfect for a pregnant lady. So here you go, Scott's delicious agua fresca....a perfect non-alcoholic drink for a summer day. Or, add some tequila and turn it into a margarita if you're not preggers!

Watermelon Agua Fresca

1 small-to-medium watermelon (as ripe as possible)

1-2 limes

sugar

Scoop out the watermelon flesh and blend in a blender thoroughly. Strain through a mesh sieve or strainer. Use a ladle to push the blended mixture through the sieve or strainer (to make sure you get it all through!). Add lime juice and sugar to taste. If your watermelon is really ripe, you won't need much sugar (maybe like 1 tsp), if your watermelon is not so sweet, then you need to add more sugar to taste. Add as much lime juice as you like, depending on how much lime flavor you like. If the final product is too thick, you can thin it out with a little water. You can also make this with any type of melon. Best enjoyed outdoors in the sun!

Enjoy =)

The Details

OK, so I thought maybe I should share some details about this pregnancy thingy...

We tried a whole year to get this:

And there it finally is (the head is on the right). It looks like an alien right now, but give it time! I am 12 weeks along, and this was taken at 10 weeks.

The baby is due December 15th. I wasn't planning on having a Christmas baby, but it looks like yet another December birthday will be added to the family!

We find out the sex in July, and yes, we are going to find out =)

So now you're all updated. Sorry for the absence of recipe posts, but now that I am entering my second trimester I will triumphantly return to the kitchen!