Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Dinner with a 'Foreign Flair'

We are currently enjoying time with my folks in South Carolina.  We're having a relaxing visit hanging out at the house, drinking good beer and getting ready for Christmas.  I have been trying to do more cooking lately.  I really like to explore various ethnic cuisines.  Last night I prepared a very basic veggie stir-fry that seemed to please our palates.  There were no complaints, and we all had clean plates, so that is a positive sign.  This morning I started thumbing through Mom's cookbooks searching for a soup recipe to fix for tonight.  I decided to go with the Russian soup borsch, which is one of my favorites.  Aaron and I ate plenty of this beet filled soup while we traveled through Poland, and it is a perfect meal for a cold winter evening.  The recipe as follows

Borsch-from Better Homes and Gardens, Meals with a Foreign Flair

Add 2 cups shredded beets and 1 cup each chopped carrots and chopped onions to 3.5 cups boiling salted water; cook 20 minutes.  Add 1 can beef broth (or vegetable broth), 1 cup shredded cabbage, 1 tablespoon butter; cook uncovered 15 minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice; pour into 6 bowls, and add a dollop of sour cream to each.

Mom, Aaron and I dined on the Borsch while Dad chose to go with chicken noodle, since he isn't a beet fan.  On the side we ate popovers with butter and strawberry jam.  It was a lovely combination!  The soup turned out well with a very pleasing flavor.  I used canned beets because there were no fresh ones to be found at the market today.  Next time I might try using one can of plain beets and one of pickled just to add a bit more flavor.  I think tomorrow night we are having sandwiches, but I plan to help Mom with fixing dinner for the whole family on Saturday.  She is planning on making a variety of delicious quiches.  More fine dining experiences in the near future! 

Sunday, December 12, 2010

1,275 Miles

We had planned on leaving California on Thursday mid-morning after Aaron got off his last shift, but we decided to head out on Friday instead.  The thought of packing and driving after a long night of work was pretty unbearable.  It was nice to have Thursday free for Aaron to nap and for me to slowly get things together.  I even managed to go shopping and workout briefly.

Our goal was to be on the road by 6:30 on Friday, and we did quite well in achieving that early hour as we were driving by 6:44 to be exact.  The drive to Sacramento took us only two hours, and wasn't too bad even though the roads were already congested with commuters.  Once in town we found a little cafe for breakfast before heading to our storage space to park my car for the month.  So Friday was a very long day, and we didn't make it to Salt Lake until 9:15 or so.  At least it was a scenic ride taking us through the snow clad Sierra Nevada mountains and then onto the unusual state of Nevada.  After leaving Reno, I-80 leads to a very barren terrain.  There are no trees and no towns for many miles, and you look out onto rolling brown hills with cold and forbidding snow capped mountains in the distance.  Although the landscape is harsh and uninviting, I really love it.  It is truly a unique sight for a southern girl like me.  Overall Friday was overcast with big threatening gray clouds and very little sunshine.  We actually managed to get into a snow shower about 80 or so miles outside of Salt Lake City.  This was a bit concerning since it was snowing very hard and sticking to the roads, and the only real warm items in the car were Zuri's blankets.  Fortunately we drove out of the storm within about ten minutes and didn't have any more snow for the rest of the trip.

Saturday morning we managed to sleep in until 8:30 and didn't get leave until well after 9 o'clock.  The skies were clear, which made for a lovely day of driving.  We were in Wyoming by mid morning, and there isn't much scenery to take note of along this stretch of the drive.  Treeless hills that go on forever pretty much sums it up.  Once in Cheyenne we dropped down to I-25 that took us to Fort Collins.  We even made it for Claire's 1st birthday party, which was fun.  Both girls are getting so big, and it is just amazing to observe how much they grow with each visit!  We got back to Rosanne and Dean's by 8:30 and visited with them for a while before crashing. Overall it was a really successful road trip with no unwanted interruptions.  We listened to good music, talked about politics and our future travels, and ate plenty of Subway sandwiches.  All of these things combined makes for quality time spent on the road.

Today we have just relaxed with Aaron's parents, and we are preparing for our trip to South Carolina tomorrow.  Lots to look forward to these days!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Pics of Alcatraz Trip







We have had a busy past few days.  My schedule at work is so choppy this week, that I am having a difficult time remembering what day it is. Oh well, just very typical.

Monday Aaron got off of work and crashed for three short hours before our friends Chris and Karen arrived into town from Monterey.  They're a couple we met in Wisconsin a couple of years ago, and we have managed to stay in close contact.  They just recently got married and will be moving permanently up to Rochester, MN to work at Mayo Clinic.  We always have such a good time when we hang out together, and my face usually hurts from laughing too much from their crazy stories.  It is so much fun!!!

So, on Monday afternoon they came over and we headed into San Francisco to go on the evening Alcatraz tour.  We managed to get there early, so we went to a nearby restaurant for appetizers and drinks.  We ordered a few various food items and two rounds of drinks and the bill was well over $100.00.  Wow!  I suppose we should pay closer attention to prices next time, but that takes some of the fun out of it!  After eating we went to get in line for the ferry to Alcatraz.  I was stunned by how many Europeans and Asians were standing in line.  Aaron and I are so glad they are here and supporting our weak economy!  The ferry ride was brutally cold, but it was a clear evening, so we had to stand on the outer deck and take in the amazing views of the city and Golden Gate Bridge.  The evening sky over the bridge was a perfect combination of orange and pink, and it was truly a mesmerizing sight.  Once to Alcatraz we got off the boat and made our way up the rock to the main prison.  The whole experience was really quite eerie, but that was to be expected.  We each received a headset that took us through a walking-audio tour.  The audio part was very informative, and the sound effects were fantastic.  Aaron even found out that tourists can pay to spend the night on the island.  Maybe that would be a fun Christmas gift for him!  Hmmmm...  So I won't go into too many details of the tour, but it was well worth the money and lots of fun to do with Chris and Karen.  Following our time in SF we went back to our town and drank beer on University Ave.  It is where all of the undergrads spend their wild college nights, and we love to drink quality brew with them at all of the quaint little pubs that line the street.   A perfect ending to a great day.

I worked on Tuesday, but Wednesday proved to be very productive as we found an apartment in the city and even managed to sign the lease and get the keys all by 4pm.  Not too bad!  The apartment building is 51 years old, so it is quite dated, but it has lots of charm and character.  It is only three floors, and the outside is painted a variety of 70's colors that remind me of The Price is Right studio.  Even though the grounds are small and there is very little green space, I was so impressed with the flowers that have been planted around the building.  We will live on the second floor in a very spacious 1 bedroom apartment.  The kitchen is very small, but the living room and bedroom are big, so we will have plenty of space for all of our stuff.  The landlord was so nice and had the lease ready for us to sign by 3pm.  The surrounding neighborhood seems safe, and I can even see UCSF hospital from the bedroom window.  Also, Golden Gate Park is just across the street, so Zuri will get plenty of exercise without going too far.  We also managed to get into Chinatown for a couple of hours to eat at my favorite Thai restaurant.  They have the best peanut tofu sauce in town, and it always gives me heartburn, but I can't seem to stay away!

The past couple of days I worked, and now I am off for one lonely day before going back tomorrow.  I am thrilled to only have three shifts left!  Today is for the gym, errands and hiking with a friend, and holiday beer in the evening.  I found a great Christmas beer that has a  nutmeg and cinnamon flavor.  Drinking this is a heavenly experience!

Monday, November 29, 2010

A Few Pics of Stanford

I had a little extra time yesterday to wander around Stanford and grab a few shots.  It is really a beautiful campus.  Lucky students who get to attend such a beautiful school!  I hope they all have the opportunity to get acquainted with Thomas Sowell, as he is the finest and most intelligent man around!! 











Sunday, November 28, 2010

Biking Half Moon Bay

So this morning I got out of bed at a decent hour and decided to load my bike into the car and go to Half Moon Bay.  It proved to be a fine decision, as it was an excellent way to spend the morning hours.  My off road biking skills are basic, but it is so much fun to get off the pavement and onto the trails.  The path is on the cliffs overlooking the ocean and provides stunning views of the coastline.  The beaches are so different here than the Carolina ones that I am used to, but I like them both so much.  The beauty here never ceases to amaze me, and I had plenty of moments this morning to park my bike, take in the scenery, breath the fresh morning air, and to take some pictures.


  





















On days when the sun is out Half Moon Bay is such an inviting and quaint village.  There are so many people out and about enjoying themselves.  It is amazing the difference when it is cloudy here though.  The towering cliffs with their wind-blown trees along the with intense surf give off very mysterious and eerie vibes!  Rain or shine, it is most certainly a favorite place to visit, and we are so lucky that it is only a few miles down the road.  I think we might go back on Wednesday, and I already can't wait!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

It is so hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only two days away.  I have cooked all day for our early T-day feast with fellow travelers tonight.  Not having a mixer is challenging and adds plenty of minutes to preparation time.  Oh well, at least my arms are getting a nice workout.  I am looking very forward to once again sitting around the dinner table with friends and good food.  Let's see, I have prepared a baked chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, and some delicious nutritionally dense ooey-gooey pumpkin bars.  The girls will be bringing over all kinds of yummy items as well, so it will most certainly be a great night.  Aaron even said that I have outdone myself!  

Lately work has been rather sad, and I find myself becoming quite emotional about many of our sweet little patients.  I think it is especially sad this time of year with the holidays just around the corner.  Ever since I walked the halls of the hospital on Halloween to accompany my patient for trick-or-treating I just haven't been the same.  Random little insignificant moments (joyous or sad) make me very emotional.  I loved seeing the patients all dressed up and festive, so that their iv polls carried along weren't even noticeable.  There were plenty of witches, princesses, batman's, and even a little girl dressed as a teapot.  It is so easy to forget what 'normal' is when working in the ICU setting.  The hospital did such a wonderful job hosting this event and making all of the children feel special.  It was awesome, and it left me with a greater appreciation for what I do as a nurse and for the people that I work with here. So even when the days seem long and I feel overworked, I think back to Halloween and am reminded why I became a nurse.

So anyway, I have so much to be thankful for this year as with all of the previous years.  It is great to live here in the bay area with my little family.  We get to explore and have so much fun on our days off.  I have really loved working out here, and I find my job very fulfilling right now.  It will be bittersweet to say goodbye to all of the nice folks I have met in the next couple of weeks.  We are so excited about the spending the upcoming Christmas season with our families and friends.  I got to spend six months traveling the world last year.  Oh my, the list could just go on and on, but these are some of the things that come to mind.  So much to be thankful for!  Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Getting ready to cook in our little kitchen here in PA!
Greetings!  Last night was so much fun!  Aaron and I had Tami and Jenn over for dinner.  I managed to make a Thai coconut soup without botching it up too badly.  The lemon grass was still a bit hard to chew, but it was edible, and we all seemed to enjoy it.  For dessert I went ultra basic with a chocolate/cream cheese dip.  Chocolate teddy grahams are just perfect for dipping into this delightful mixture!  The girls brought over some fine white wines from Napa Valley.  It was a lovely meal.   
I just love having friends over for dinner, even though I am a very marginal cook at best.  Nothing beats sitting around the dinner table eating, drinking quality wine, and sharing lively conversation.  I met Tami and Jenn on my first day of orientation at Lucille Packard, and it has been wonderful getting to know them better over the past several months since moving to Palo Alto. 
Today has been quite lovely as well.  I managed to be out of bed by 7:00, so I made a quick breakfast, walked Zuri, and headed to the train station to journey into San Francisco for the late morning/early afternoon.  Since we arrived here in August I have loved spending my days off riding the Caltrain into the city and wandering the streets aimlessly.  San Fran is just such an interesting and diverse place, and it seems like each little neighborhood provides it's own unique culture.  My goal today was to spend time in the SF Museum of Modern Art.  I tend to be a bit leery about modern art, but I try to always give it a chance.  After reading The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver I really wanted to see the paintings by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.  Rivera was so talented and had such an interesting life.  I only found a handful of Rivera paintings and one by Kahlo, but it was just so great to see them in person.  The museum also had quite a bit of Matisse on display as well.  Seeing his Woman with a Hat painting just about made my day.  It was perfect.  Currently they also have a unique exhibit called "How Wine Became Modern," and it was fun to walk through as well, especially after our recent getaway to Napa and Sonoma.
After spending several hours in the museum I headed out to find a cafe for lunch.  I stumbled upon a little sushi joint that had an inexpensive lunch menu.  I found a quiet little table in the back corner to park myself.  The miso soup, sushi and beer were excellent and provided me with plenty of extra energy to make the long walk back to the train station. 
So it was a short day in the city, but that is just what I was looking for.  A little bit of culture, art and sushi were just what I needed for a perfect experience.  Now I am back in Palo Alto with Aaron and Zuri.  We have spent some time calling various apartments in San Fran so that we will have a place to live in January when we relocate.  I am looking very forward to our upcoming move!!!  Getting ready to hit the gym, take my friends to the airport, and then relaxing with my book and a beer!
Cheers!!