Art & Nature

While most of the US is still grappling with tough winter conditions, we in California are basking in the sunshine and warm Spring weather. This weekend was no exception, with clear blue skies and near 80 degree temperatures. Randy was scheduled for work all weekend so the boys and I were left to entertain ourselves. I decided to take advantage of the incredible weather, so I packed a bag of snacks, sunscreen and water bottles, and headed for the San Francisco Zoo, with the boys and my niece in tow. Out of the two Bay Area zoos, the SF zoo is smaller, less hilly and more manageable for little legs to run around. 

The zoo recently renovated an awesome playground on the grounds, and I knew the kids would have a blast exploring it.

Taking a break

Sliding down an iceberg

My favorite part of the playground is the section that resembles a huge sprawling tree. It's like the treehouse you dreamed about as a kid, but better.

The "Arctic"

My baby polar bear

After exploring the playground to their heart's content, the kids were ready to visit the animals.

Checking out flamingos

Learning about So. American animals

No trip to the SF Zoo is complete without a train ride!

Cousins

Lucas woke up from a nap just in time for the train ride

The last pitstop was the gift shop where I let the kids each choose a souvenir. In true Cruz and Lucas fashion, they both snatched up swords! I guess the elephant head above the sword's handle makes it appropriate for a zoo gift shop...go figure. And in true Jessica fashion, she selected a tiny stuffed panda bear inside a fuzzy pink purse!

Showing off their souvenirs

I'm so glad I decided to take them to the zoo. I get so much satisfaction seeing them run around outside, getting fresh air and learning about animals and nature to boot. And after a hectic week at work, confined to my cubicle and conference rooms, I think I needed the fresh air and sunshine just as much. 

On Sunday, we stayed close to home and spent some time at a local art gallery, Arts Benicia. They had been advertising drop-in hours for a family art day, so the boys and I went to check it out, along with some good friends and cousin Jessie.

Getting some instruction

The kids were given a few questions to think about, and then were free to use all of the available materials to make whatever they wanted.

Questions for inspiration

Supplies

I was impressed that with just general instructions, the kids immediately sat down and began working on their own projects, no questions asked. I was reminded that children are so much more creative because they have no inhibitions, fewer boundaries and they happily allow their minds to think freely and create.

Two sets of best buddies!

The creative process 

Lucas' paper collage

After creating their pieces of art, we all headed next door to the actual art gallery. The current exhibit, Next Generation, is art created by Benicia students, from kindergarten to 12th grade. The kids were impressed that everything in the gallery was made by students just like themselves. 

It was another busy weekend, but so much fun! I could see the kids being stimulated in new ways and as a parent that makes me feel pretty good. Another school and work week begins tomorrow but already looking forward to our next weekend adventure!

Tilapia & Veggies

Here's another quick seafood weeknight dinner to share with you all. I bought the fish and veggies during my weekly grocery shopping but wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with them, but I was inspired by a dish my friend made recently with similar ingredients. I made this one up as I went along so there are lots of opportunities to tweak things to make it to your liking.

I started off by seasoning the tilapia fillets with salt and pepper on both sides. You can use any white fish you like, but you need something that will hold up to a little bit of pan frying.

Tilapia is a blank canvas

The night before I sliced up three bell peppers and one onion. I love all the different pepper colors, so pretty! Next time I will only use half an onion, it had a little too much this time around.

Next I heated up 1 Tb of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet, over medium high heat. I threw the veggies in the pan, sprinkled on some kosher salt and pepper and sauteed them until they began to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Don't cook them all the way because they will go in the oven later and can finish cooking there. Remove the veggies and set them aside on a plate.

I added another 2 Tb of olive oil to the pan and let it heat up. Then I added the tilapia to the pan and seared them briefly, about 3 minutes per side. I didn't want to cook them through either, just wanted them to get some nice color. 

I didn't take any pictures of these steps in the pan because hot oil splashed on to my arm when I carelessly threw the veggies in, and so I figured I better put the camera down and pay attention. Job hazard I tell ya.

Once the fish was done on the second side, I put them on the bed of veggies I 'd set aside (in an ovenproof baking dish). 

A complete meal

At this point I decided it needed a sauce because it was looking a little dry. I rummaged through my pantry and found a can of coconut milk so I popped it open and poured into the pan. In a minute or so it started boiling so I lowered the heat to medium-low just to keep it simmering. Using a wooden spoon I scraped up  all the yummy bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (i.e. deglazed the pan), because those are basically nuggets of flavor! I seasoned the coconut milk with a few splashes of fish sauce, and squeezed in some lemon juice (a generous wedge) to help balance out the richness. Next time I think I will add green curry paste and kaffir leaf, for a Thai-style dish. You could also deglaze the pan with chicken broth, white wine and a few Tb of butter for a nice smooth sauce. The possibilities are endless!

Once I was satisfied with the seasoning of the sauce, I poured it over the fish and veggies, then into the oven the whole dish went. I cooked it for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees, just to finish cooking the fish. And for some final color and freshness, I added chopped parsley. Done and done!

We ate the fish with quinoa (Cruz preferred rice), and it was a tasty meal without any heaviness. 

The whole meal took me under an hour to cook, perfect for a weeknight!

Farm Dinner & Meadery Tour

Last weekend I had a fantastic girl's night out - we drove out to West Marin and enjoyed a mead tasting, tour of a meadery, followed by a delightful farm-to-table dinner. It was a fun thing to do off the beaten path and a learning experience to boot. I had never heard of, let alone tasted, mead until that evening. What is mead you ask? It's wine made from fermented honey! So instead of grapes, honey is used. I don't know about you, but that blew my hair back!

The evening festivities took place at Heidrun Meadery in picturesque Point Reyes. Upon arriving, I entered a greenhouse and was delighted by the beautiful tablescape, the twinkling lights and a sweet crystal chandelier overhead. I immediately forgot I was in a greenhouse.

Tablescape

Welcome to Heidrun

I was told that all of the floral arrangements were made by a woman who lived in town, and boy, were they a feast for the eyes. The colors, the variation, arrangement and scents were perfection. She even incorporated fresh herbs and a cabbage variety to make it even more interesting.

Floral beauties

I couldn't stop admiring the flowers all night, and as such, kept snapping photos of them.

The setting was perfectly designed and planned for, allowing guests to mingle and enjoy the space.

Beverages and take home treats

Shortly after arrival we began the mead tasting. 4 varietals were offered, each one quite different. Because honey can be collected from a wide array of flowers, which are grown in many different regions and climates, the possibilities seem almost endless in terms of potential flavors. For example, honey collected from a wildflower in Southern California will taste different from a wildflower in Vermont, resulting in potentially two different tasting wines.

The 4 we tasted were made from the following: Lehua Blossom from the Big Island of Hawaii, Oregon Meadowfoam Blossom, California Orange Blossom and Madras Carrot Blossom. Each one was unique, flavorful and tasty! 

Mead lineup

And what's wine without some cheese? I honestly could have eaten just this cheese platter and drank mead and been completely happy - I mean, what else do you need in life?

Well, I suppose fresh oysters are a good addition too. Not pictured were the other amazing appetizers - beet salad and smoked steelhead on crackers. YUM!

Sluuurrrpp!

Here is the landscape behind the meadery, isn't it pretty? It rained for two days prior, so everything looked verdant and refreshed. 

Bonfire ring and lots of natural seating

Picture perfect

Last shot of the gorgeous blooms - I love the special touch of honeycomb to the table decor.

Rustic beauty

Here are the roughly 700 lb metal drums full of raw honey from all over the country. Heidrun hopes to one day produce their own bulk supply of honey, but in the meantime, they source it from many places.

Unfortunately I couldn't take any more photographs, but our hosts proceeded to walk us through the complete mead-making process. It was both fascinating and educational, and certainly gave me a true appreciation of the time, effort and care that goes into making a bottle of the sparkling stuff.

After the tour, we sat down at the long communal table for a farm dinner. All of the meat and produce came from a local farm in the West Marin area, and the chef incorporated mead into the main and dessert courses. I am a huge proponent of supporting local farms and growers as much as possible, and eating food that is seasonal and grown sustainably. There is nothing that compares to food that is made using fresh ingredients that is harvested just before cooking, and did not travel over 1,000 miles to get on your plate. 

The menu included a mixed greens salad (made decadent by the addition of clotted jersey cream), slow-cooked, mead brined pork shoulder on a bed of polenta, and finally, a chevre panna cotta with mead soaked sultanas and a pecan crumble topping. Each course was paired with local wines. 

Cast of characters of a superb meal

Love the rustic charm 

But by far, the best part of the evening was the company. Although I came with two girlfriends, it was a wonderful experience to sit down and share a meal with people who we may never have met otherwise. I am a believer in the power of food to bring people together, and this was another example of that. I had almost nothing in common with the people who I sat with, and yet the conversation and laughter never stopped. 

But as the cliche goes, all good things must come to an end. Luckily, I had several bottle of mead and these fresh baked cookies to take home!

Apricot & Coconut cookies

The dinner was organized by Elizabeth at West Marin Food and Farm Tours and I highly recommend them. They offer a number of different types of tours and there is something for everyone. I cannot wait to plan a date for Randy and I, or maybe another girl's night out. Cheers!

Candids 2/17-2/24

Some more candids from the second half of February of our little family :)

Randy started volunteering in Cruz's classroom on some of his days off, and it makes them both VERY happy. Cruz adores his Daddy and there is nothing better than getting to spend more time with him, especially in his classroom. Randy enjoys it too because he gets to see firsthand, what a -day-in-the-kindergarten-life really looks like!

So happy together

Showing Dad his skills

The boys got a surprise package in the mail, sent with love by Tati Annette all the way from Guam! They were so excited to open it, and even more so when they pulled out all kinds of treats like clothes, books, a Power Ranger DVD and yummy mango snacks. The mango snacks were opened immediately and they were two very happy campers.

Who doesn't love getting packages int he mail?

Lucas was particularly clingy to his older brother during school drop-off one morning. So much that he wouldn't let Cruz run around and play on the playground with his friends, and just kept hugging him tightly.

This melts my heart.

As if one surprise package isn't enough, the boys got another one later in the week, this time from Auntie April. It was chock full of their favorite sticky eyeballs, glow in the dark stuff, stickers, and lots of other treats. They can be so spoiled by the people in their lives sometimes. We are so thankful for our family and friends!

So much fun in one box

I came across a recipe for baked donuts from one of my favorite chefs, Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and I knew I had to try it. So when Friday morning rolled around I gave it a shot. The recipe was very simple and so easy to do (no harder than making pancakes).

For simplicity (and in the interest of time), I made cinnamon sugar donuts and boy were they good. They were moist, tender and just the right amount of sweet. And since they were homemade and baked (not fried), I felt a little less guilty for eating one. And then a second one. Whatever, it's Friday!

Simple and sweet

Another fun development this week - I tried out my first Dailey Method class. It's a low-impact class that's a mixture of yoga, pilates and barre exercises. It was so different and fun...well as fun as exercise goes. I totally underestimated it and got a really good workout. Best part? These super cute socks that have grip on the bottom that we wear in class. 

Be positive!

Over the weekend we stopped by our local Safeway to support our favorite Brownie Girl Scout, Jessie! We bought several boxes of crack, I mean cookies.

Cutest cookie salesgirl

It was another weekend, and another birthday party. I tell ya, once you have kids, you go to more birthday parties than you ever have in your entire life. Even more than when you were a kid! This party was held at Chuck E. Cheese, which I loathe and abhor. It's always crowded with a million kids running around, lights flashing, music blaring, giant rat walking around, and I'm sure it's basically a giant petri dish of germs. Blechhh. However, my kids love it so much and because I refuse to take them, I grudgingly relent and go whenever we are invited to a birthday party. So I took one for the team and they had a great time.

The following Monday rolled around, and here is Lucas, clinging to his big brother as soon as he wakes up in the morning. I love that they are so loving and affectionate to each other.

Brotherly love