Back(b)logged: Installment III: Christmas is Tiring

So, Christmas Eve was the BIG Christmas at my parents house. It was my first Christmas home in two years. It was nice to be home.....and in some ways I wanna move back out of state! Ha...

Well, it's just so much hoopla, and I really like to relax. Anyway, my mom is a magnificent cook, and ciopinno is the Christmas Eve tradition, so we gorged on wonderful seafood and wine, and got to hear my grandparents sing some carols with Grandpa on guitar. Always a special/sentimental sound to me.

Matthew and his girlfriend weren't able to make it...so I definitely missed him. It's hard to get 6 kids under one roof all at once, though!

This is the first Christmas I felt kind of old...so that sucked. Ha.

Back(b)logged: Installment II: Audrey Thomas is a Doll

So, little miss Audrey Thomas in her precious, little boots came to see me in December. We hung around in Davis, Downtown Sacramento, and spent a night in San Francisco. She is sexy, because she drinks her coffee black, plays piano and guitar, and has more integrity in her wiggly pinky finger than most people have in their lifetime of actions.

I realized when she was here that she is a lifelong friend. She can hang. She gets me. She is relaxing to be around. No stress involved. Selfless. Simple and low maintenance.

Oh, my gosh. There are not many people like her. Anyway. Parked in the valley, BARTed to the bay, hung in the Mission, slept in North Beach, Walked through little Italy, bussed through China town, walked through Downtown, and BARTed back.

Such a full and wonderful weekend....plus, steak, gin, dancing, rain, underwear shopping.

Back(b)logged: Installment I

So, I went to B3 in San Francisco (a long-ass time ago)...a burger joint with some (suggested or over-emphasized) class on Valencia, in the Misson (come on, Misson, you don't have to try so hard, you're the mother---kin Mission!!). Actually. Really good. Nice wines, good quality beef, interesting selection of toppings for a burger place, but that is what you will get in SF. Here are my half-a-bottle-of-wine-notes I sent to myself at the time.

"Fog horn cheese. Mine was over cooked. Wild mushrooms. Split. Avo. Onion. Pinot Novo of mendicino. Homeade ketchup. Atmosphere could try harder. Thank u jesus for foghorn cheese. Chose wrong wine. Crisp pickles, lovely tomatoes....good beef. Nice job on presentation. Cute bartender. Good, fresh (or good trick) fries. Ketchup has wine in it? Not sure. Spicy mustard. Horse radish." - October 4, 2010

Maybe I will add a picture...when I find where I put it.

San Francisco Weekend

I’m about to start working more frequently at my steakhouse job, so I planned a long weekend in San Francisco to hang out with my friends before my life is consumed by hours and hours at work. One night at Dillon’s...dirty martinis and vegetable scampi! Then a night at Shannon’s. Haircut, Pop’s, Taco Time, new friend, Matt(y), and so much good food.

Dillon shares an apartment with his friend, Chris. Their girlfriends are either always there or live there (?) One girlfriend has an awesome dog named Oscar. Adorable, right?!

Then off to Shannon’s Sunday Morning.

First up in the food category was this crepe place. I had what was basically a Denver omelet wrapped up in a crepe. I like that they served the heavy breakfast with a small spring mix with a light dressing reminiscent of thousand island, but fresher. Perhaps more of an oil base than a mayo one? Not sure. After brunch, we headed back to Shannon’s and started on a bottle of wine...which we eventually finished. We cut my hair prior to finishing the bottle. Had a mini fashion show, which is the usual for us. Headed out to Pop’s (dive near her place) had photobooth time, cocktails, met a friend, went to tacos, went home and slept.

Monday. Monday was my last day of the long weekend and we ate out twice...typical for me visiting SF. Boogaloos for breakfast and Fritz for lunch!

At Boogaloos I had a vegan biscuit with vegan gravy. Delicious, but I would typically choose bacon anything over anything anything...Potatoes, eggs...Shannon had a tritip sandwich.

Wandered around downtown SF, then back to the mission. Dinner at Fritz. Had amazing fries, three dipping sauces, and a salad each.

Drove home (to Stockton) at around 8, and slept like a baby. A tired baby.

Aunt Gwen's visit

Well, I got to see my Aunt Gwen, my grandma's sister, quite a bit on this visit of hers. She lives in Montana, and I don't get to see her as much as I would like. I have inherited some of her characteristics; we're both a little shy and very politically interested.

I went to Pioneer to my grandparents' house last weekend for a family barbecue and got to visit with her. Then she came down to my parents' ranch yesterday, and I got to see her again!

Marshal the football player

I went to Marshal Neal's second practice game. (He's #56)

They played Sweet Home Alabama twice over the loud speaker (we're in California). Mixed in with some country and some Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Me, mom, and little sister (Muriell), moved our chairs as the shade moved. It was a hot one.

I'm realizing that i will never be able to decide whether I like bread and butter or dill pickles better.

Watched Marshal get sacked. Not liking that part.

**I guess I should add that they lost? :(

Gettin' all domestic and shiz

So, I have been home almost two months. It took me a while to find work, and I was enjoying doing menial tasks for my mother. Feeding horses, chickens, children, doing dishes, watering plants, mucking stalls....then I got a little crazy on us.

After my mom jokingly pointed out a squished tomato on our sidewalk, calling it "sundried tomato," I thought I better try making them. My mom, sister, and I love them, and they are actually kind of expensive. We alway have tons of extra tomatoes growing in the family's garden, and it just seemed like the right idea to dry some for gifts and some for us winter.

AND THEN when I was buying jars for my sundried tomatoes, I saw liquid pectin, and the jelly they were advertising on the box was jalapeno jelly...since jalapeno jelly around Christmas time us one of my favorites, and I was buying jars anyway, I decided to give it a go!

I had never made jelly before...and have a knack for leaving things unfinished. Really, I am proud of both efforts. The jalapeno jelly went very well over cornbread muffins (made by me also...I would brag on that too, but those are too easy to brag about!) yesterday when Aunt Gwen was over to my parents' ranch. The sundried tomatoes are jarred in olive oil, and will be consumed at some point in the near future.