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I'm looking for some new snacks to eat while watching the Superbowl next weekend. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of Sausage Balls. I know you can't believe that. But it's true. Don't worry Don, we'll still have sausage balls. But maybe we can add a few new things this year too. So here I am, flipping through Food and Wine magazine when I come upon a recipe for Crispy Chickpeas  by chef Jason Travi. I don't know about you, but anytime I use chickpeas in a recipe I can't resist snacking on them. So I figure fried chickpeas could be pretty darn tasty, right? Here's how they look on the Food and Wine website. We'll see what happens when I make them. Ha!  I'll post pictures tomorrow.  Happy Saturday everyone!

Elli and I were chatting the other night. She loves hanging out and talking. It's really fun and I hope she still wants to tell me things as she gets older. We were talking about school, so I took the opportunity to ask her about a girl in her class that I'm curious about. I feel sorry for this little girl. Her hair is always wet and uncombed. Her clothes are too small and don't fit right and nothing ever matches. She's a mess. She's crying for help - in my humble opinion. She has a younger sister, too, who is exactly like her, only 4 inches shorter. I see her every day. And every day I think to myself "that poor little thing needs a hairbrush, and a cute outfit." Now don't get me wrong, I don't think she should be turned into a girly girl. But jeez, a hairbrush and a nice pair of jeans and a cute t-shirt from Old Navy would be seriously cute on her. The leggings and tight shirts are just wrong. She wears clothes you would see on a 2 yea...

I took Elli with me to Sur la Table (the kitchen store) recently. And this is what we bought. We didn't really need new salt and pepper shakers. But I'm a sucker. And now we have these cute bunny shakers that actually work really well - you just pinch the ears together and voila, freshly ground salt and pepper. Plus they have a magnet on the back. Love that. Chef'n Salt and Pepper Ball Grinders And yes, I did remember to purchase what I originally went in the store for - a new Silpat for baking. Our baby sitter actually sliced mine open in several places. Gasp! So I had to buy a new one. I almost had a heart attack when I saw it on the cookie sheet. I guess I forgot to tell her not use a BUTCHER KNIFE on my precious Silpat liner. What is a Silpat you ask? ( Gasp, again. ) It's only the greatest invention for the kitchen EVER. It's a silicon liner for cookie sheets. You no longer have to grease cookie sheets and your cookies don't burn. It's the ...

Rain, rain go away. Even the spiders don't want to play. Cool, huh? This was hanging by the house. I couldn't resist getting a picture. The water looked like diamonds!

Last week I got to go on a field trip with Elli's third grade class to the Noe Valley Bakery in San Francisco. This didn't happen accidentally. At the beginning of the year we got to sign up for which field trip we'd like to chaperone. Lucky for me I was the one that attended the meeting. Cuz I signed myself up for the bakery trip and signed Don up for the Miwok Indian museum trip. (hee hee hee)  Don't worry. He loves history, he'll be fine. So we all drove into San Francisco to the bakery. I had never been before but had heard great things. I had three kids in my car, two girls and a boy. They talked non-stop the entire way. And I mean non-stop. The conversation would shift based on what they saw as we were driving down Lombard and Divisidero. There was a long conversation about the motel Alexis' family owns on Lombard. Then one of them spotted a smoke shop. This conversation was hilarious. Elli didn't see any smoke coming from it so didn't...

This is the perfect recipe to make tonight. It's easy to make, delicious and tastes fantastic with a nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes. (It's tastier than it looks in the picture.) It's made with yummy pasta, porcini mushrooms, peas, sausage and a creamy tomato sauce made with a touch of sherry. It's fantastic for any night of the week. Or for a dinner party with company. Your guests will be impressed. We got this recipe from our favorite Italian restaurant in Westport, Connecticut called Via Sforza . I asked the chef for the recipe when I was coordinating a fund-raising cookbook for FCA (Family and Children's Agency) in CT. They were kind enough to share it with me. They knew I liked this a lot, since we were in their restaurant nearly every week and I ordered it every time. I'm especially grateful for it now since we don't live there anymore. Now we can make it anytime. I do make a few of my own...

What's Dooce you ask?  It's one of the funniest blogs I've found recently. You have to check it out. The author, Heather Armstrong, is hilarious. Her stories about everyday life are so real and honest. She doesn't hide anything. And, she takes amazing pics of her family and her dogs. I don't know what kind of camera or lens she uses but I want it. Yesterday's post called  Three Sets of Ten  is about going to the gym and working out with a trainer for the first time in a long time. It had me on the floor laughing. Read it and you'll see what I mean. You won't be disappointed.

I've been trying to get Elli to read every night. It's like pushing a boulder up hill. She doesn't want to do it. I've bought her a million kinds of books and she's checked books out of the library. We even joined a book club with some of her friends so she could see how fun and exiting reading can be. Her idea of reading is picking out a book meant for kindergartners with lots of pictures. The problem is,  she's in 3rd grade now and needs to be reading chapter books. Each week they go to the library at school. They are allowed to choose any book they want. She would bring home comics and picture books. I finally put my foot down and told her no more baby books. It wasn't working. She would cry and pout and generally make MY life miserable. I knew I was walking a fine line. I don't want her to hate reading, but I knew the minute she found a book she liked, this drama would be over. We just hadn't found that book yet.  Until this week. Elli ca...

What's up with our bodies as we age? I know it doesn't happen overnight. But seriously. It's like you wake up one morning with back fat. How is that possible?  I seriously nearly hurled in the bathroom recently when I saw my back in the mirror in the bathroom. Who is that? I thought to myself. She has no shape. No waste. And what are those lines, and is that a roll of.....what the hey? Maybe if I shut my eyes it'll...... nope still there. But that's not the most disturbing thing I've seen recently. This photo is worse. I gasped when I first saw it on the BlogherFood site. And to make matters worse, the photo is public. H-U-M-I-L-I-A-T-I-O-N. I was at the Blogher food conference in San Francisco in September and was taking pictures of the chocolate demonstration with Elizabeth Faulkner.  I was reaching up to try to catch a glimpse of the chocolate box she was mixing up when someone took a photo from the opposite side - which unfortunately had me in it. My...

Betcha never heard of a lipstick cookie before, huh? Well that's the nickname Elli and I gave to the Pecan Shortbread cookies I made for Christmas. I've been making this cookie forever. The recipe is from Martha. But she got it from Ina. It's an easy, reliable, totally delicious, buttery, flaky, cookie. I make it even easier by rolling the dough into a log and making them slice and bake cookies. That way I don't have to roll out the dough and use a round cookie cutter and re-chill then bake, then re-roll and cut, etc. I just slice and bake. It makes it so easy. This year I thought I would make them fancy by rolling the dough in hot pink sugar to make them look more Christmasy. What was I thinking? I think it was the flu and the fever. I had one day of feeling good which is the day I baked. Clearly I wasn't thinking....clearly. The result is a ridiculous looking cookie that is buttery delicious but very strange looking. Like it's been kissed by your gre...

So the other day my friend Wilfred Wong from BevMo called me up to tell me he was on his way to Ches Panisse for lunch. Here's how our conversation went. "Hi Kris, it's Wilfred, guess what I'm doing? he says. "I don't know. Tasting fabulous wine somewhere?" I reply. "Nope, going to Ches Panisse for lunch." he says. "Ooooh. I'm so jealous! I just finished my frozen lunch and you're on your way to Ches Panisse for a business lunch. I wish I could go." I say. "Well, I just thought you might like to know that I'm going there. You're a foodie." he says. "Well, I'm extremely jealous. I've never been there. I want to go too!" I reply. "Ha, ha, ha. Maybe we can go sometime." Wilfred says.  "Have a good time. Don't think about me sitting at my desk while you're eating that fabulous food, and drinking wine and I'm not. Go have fun!" I say.  Nice, righ...

Ok. Confession time. My original resolution was to drink wine on the weekends only. Ha! Last night I lasted about 1 minute. I had a really long day. Got home a little later than usual. And before I knew it I was pouring myself a glass of wine. It's ok.  We have these teeny tiny little chardonnay glasses. I poured in 4oz. Which isn't much. I felt much better, and it didn't throw off my day. It's all about moderation. One small glass is better than two large glasses. So I guess I'm still on track. Sort of. I have lost 5lbs so far, which is awe-some. The 10in10 challenge is keeping me motivated. Bottomline, I'm doing ok on the diet - even if I'm cheating a little. I'm exercising again. I did 20 minutes of pilates this morning. And I'm so proud of Don, he's going to the gym every other day. And today he is trying an intro to yoga class. I love that he's getting into it. Elli is concerned because he hasn't made any friends at the club...

We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We have the ocean, mountains, vineyards, wildlife - it's a vacation destination. And we live here. Amazing. Last Saturday afternoon we hiked up 2 miles to the West Point Inn on Mt. Tamalpais. Otherwise known as Mt. Tam. The Inn has rooms and cabins you can rent and a community kitchen for cooking. There is electricity in the kitchen and living room of the main house until 10pm - and that's it. Even the bathroom is dark. So flashlights or battery lamps are required after dark which makes it fun for the kids. There's nothing like running around with a headlamp on! Most of the time is spent hiking around the cabin or lazily hanging out on the big front porch (with a nice glass of wine.) You can watch the fog below and the stars above. You truly feel like you're on top of the world. Elli her friend Emma on the hike to the Inn. The view from the path. Gorgeous. Kris, Elli and Don's shadow. ...

I'm craving a hot bowl of hearty home-made soup. But I'm not in the mood to make it. Ha! Anyone want to send me some of their leftovers? I read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday titled "The Gift of Soup."   The writer, Amanda Gold, packed up containers of soup for all her friends that had babies. I'm so jealous. I would love it if someone brought me some yummy home-made soup. Wait a minute. My neighbor Elaine did that last week. Love her. She surprised us and brought over turkey soup. It was awesome on so many levels. One, it was delicious. Two, I didn't have to cook. Three, there was a lot of it so Don had it for lunch the next day. Four, I didn't have to make a ginormous mess in the kitchen making it. It was awesome. Don made some homemade corn bread to eat with it. It was perfect. His cornbread is the best. He adds creamed corn, diced jalapeno and cheddar cheese. He bakes it in the cast iron skillet. mmm, mmm, mmm. There is nothi...

There is nothing like cozying up on the couch with a plush blanket and having a beautiful fireplace to stare at. And how about that view of the bay? I especially love these fireplaces covered in tile from Heath Ceramics  . The colors of the tile and accompanying upholstered furniture is so soothing. And no, this is not my home. I wish. I love the texture of the white tile and the neutral colors in the room. The custom cushion on the fireplace is nice, too. You can easily punch it up with accessories and pillows. A nice red or chartreuse vase would be pretty. There is something about gray that I find so soothing. I love the shiny finish on the fireplace and the floors. It pairs well with the wool texture on the couch. Of course no one lives in a home this neat and clean. Where are the shoes and backpacks at the front door!! Photos courtesy of Heath Ceramics.

Trying to make the right choice for lunch when eating out is tough. I ate lunch at Panera today. I thought I made a good choice. Then I found the nutrionals and it wasn't really the best choice.  I chose the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich and an apple. Sounds like a good choice, right? It looks healthy. But check out how much sodium and carbs were in this sandwich. Holy smokes. Mediterranean Veggie  on wheat bread with salad peppers, feta, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, and cilantro hummus. 610 calories 3g saturated fat 1450mg sodium!!!! 102g carbs I think I'm going to be sick to my stomach. Next time I'll order a Classic Cafe Salad it only has 170 calories and 270 mg of sodium. Much better! I am shocked at how much sodium is in everything. It kind of makes me wonder how many calories and mg of sodium are in the things I eat - that aren't as healthy. Even the kids menu made my eyes pop. The kids grilled cheese had 300 calories and 890 mg of sodium. h...

I am serious about my first resolution to lose weight and exercise more. I know a lot of people have this goal at the beginning of the year. But this year is different. I guess a lot of people say that too. I'm serious though. I am so happy that 2009 is over I want things to be different. I'm going to make it a better year.  So Don and I both signed up on SparkPeople to help us track our exercise and nutrition. It's free. Which is awesome, since we are not rolling in the dough at the moment. It's a really cool site. They tell you what to eat. How much to exercise. What exercises to do. It's all scheduled out for you. Love it! Love it! Love it! So needless to say, I'm not going to rush over to Mike's to get the shortbread recipe. That will have to wait until next Christmas. I also pledged to be part of the 10in10 challenge started by Lori Lange ( recipe girl ) a blogger and twitterer that I follow. I am committed. Ok. It's only day five. But I...

On New Year's Eve we went outside at the stroke of midnight to bang pans, hoot and holler, and wish the entire neighborhood a happy new year. It's the one time of the year where making noise at midnight is generally accepted. Our neighbors, Mike and Elaine, happened to be outside too drinking 12 year old Dom Perignon - of which I got a sip. Yum - my. Mike is from Scotland. Elaine is from the south somewhere. She asked if we were having black eyed peas on new years day. We usually do but when I looked at Safeway I couldn't find any. I wasn't too upset because they taste like dirt. I figured there must be another traditional "good luck" food. And I found it from Mike. In Scotland, they make shortbread for good luck. Now we're talking. Yummy buttery shortbread. That's more like it. I have never seen or tasted shortbread like this. I HAVE to get the recipe. Of course it doesn't exactly work with my "lose 10 pounds" goal. But I don't...

Wow. There are so many things I want for 2010. I don't even know where to begin. I don't want to overwhelm myself with resolutions, but I really feel energized to do a lot in 2010. So why not make a big 'ol list right? I'm not going to make 'em sound all pretty either. I'm just going to say it as it is. My long list for 2010 : 1. Exercise. I'm getting fat. I need to lose 10 lbs. (Then I won't need to buy a new pair of jeans.) 2. Make more money. I went backwards last year. I need to reverse this!!! 3. Quit complaining. No one wants to hear a whiner. 4. Drink (a little) less wine. 5. Watch tv with Don sometimes. (instead of going upstairs to watch reality tv.) 6. Be more patient with Elli and her homework. 7. Quit fantasizing about living somewhere else. I need to get over it. 8. Do what makes me happy. Like writing this blog, photography and cooking. 9. Make new friends. Sad, I know. But true. 10. Be nicer to my co-workers. Try to make my acc...