The Perfect Fall Salad

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lately I have been obsessed with all things Ina Garten. you know barefoot contessa? i really think she can do no wrong. every recipe she shares is so flavorful yet simple. this is my favorite style of cooking. it would be a dream cooking alongside her. we would swap dinner party stories, measure everything to a tee and dance to her barefoot contessa jingle.
when b’s parents came to town I knew it was the perfect opportunity to go all out and try some more of ina’s recipes. we tried her lemon chicken, overnight waffles and roasted butternut squash salad. all were delectable if I do say so myself but the one that stood out to me was the salad. i loved it. b who is not a squash lover loved it. b’s parents couldn’t stop raving about it. it had all the right ingredients (not too many of them) and can be thrown together quite easily. it is the perfect fall salad.

Recipe:
Ingredients

1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch) diced
Good olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

**i will say we substituted arugula for spinach just because we are spinach salad lovers. i am sure either work great.
another bonus is butternut squash is in season so Trader Joes has them available at a killer deal!

what do you think makes a good salad? what are you favorite recipes for fall?

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#weekendinpolaroids

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this weekend we stayed local and lounged around. it was a weekend of cuddling, indian food, lds general conference, grocery shopping & motorcycle riding. it was a weekend to enjoy each other’s company and listen to latter day prophets. it was a weekend to celebrate fall .even though the weather here is still in the high 80s and not feeling at all like fall. hello indian summer / ca heat wave.

we did venture south to san martin on saturday afternoon where we navigated my very first corn maze and picked up some pumpkin decor. our apartment is now a bit more decorated for the season.

besides hitting up local parks on sundays, we also love taking a ride on b’s motorcycle. it is a fun way to get out and feel the wind through your hair. i feel at peace and a little liberated on the back seat of b’s bike. i have my best thinking sessions on the back of that bike.

cheers to the first weekend of october. you were much needed.

what were you up to this weekend?

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A Bay Area Inspired Welcome Basket

A Day at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park

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last weekend, b’s parents came to visit. they have come a few times before but always with b’s siblings so it was fun to hang out with just them and be on a double date the whole weekend. b’s parents have been to san francisco a number of times but had never been to golden gate park. b and i love golden gate park and knew they had to see it (remember it is on my top 5 parks in the bay area?). golden gate park is so vast and has such an assortment of activities it was hard deciding what to show them. stow lake kept coming into my mind every time i started to plan the weekend so that is exactly what we did.

it was a blustery day in the city when we arrived but there was no turning back now. i think the overcast weather actually helped it be less crowded and easy to find a parking space (score).
we arrived in the afternoon and headed to the stow lake boathouse where we decided on a large peddle boat that would hold 4-6 people. the peddle boat cost $34/ hour but really one hour is all you need. the boathouse also offers electric boats and row boats (last time b and i rented a row boat he did all the work so he insisted we get everyone involved with a peddle boat). the peddle boats are rather slow and don’t pick up speed even if you peddle as fast as you can. it was a calming pace though and allowed us to really take in all the scenery. i really wish i had brought my nice camera but was a little skeptical bringing it on a boat.

the lake is one large loop with many beautiful bridges that you get to pass under. there were also a plethora of geese, ducks and seagulls so bring some bread to feed them. b’s mom had come prepared with a granola bar, which entertained us for a good 30 min. the geese would eat right out of your palms. b was in heaven. the ducks were less adventurous though so we had to throw them their food.

after we finished boating, we decided to stay in the park and grab some soft serve ice cream. i had heard wonderful things about twirl and dip and knew we had to try it (we were about to try it many months ago but realized they only accept cash and we were out of luck so this time we came prepared). twirl and dip is known for their frozen yogurt dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with salt. it was really tasty but a little hard to eat since the hardened chocolate on top is quite thick (granted i had it in a cone so a cup might have worked better). i would say it is worth the mess though. the salt sprinkled on the rich chocolate was delectable. twirl and dip also offers different types of sundaes that all looked tasty as well. b’s dad had a sundae and loved every bite. next time we go i will be sure to try a sundae.

after our sweet treat, we thought it would be fun to explore the rose gardens (also located in the park). unfortunately, the road to the garden was blocked off and we tried a few different routes with no luck. it was a bit of a bummer but i will just keep it on my bay area must see/do list.

what are your favorite things to do in golden gate park?

linked to : local adventurer

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#cityweekly – Best Pizza in Silicon Valley

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#cityweekly is back. my apologies, for the random hiatus. emily and i have both been busy and then my blog was being reconstructed but it is all water on the bridge now. we are back and giving you the best of the best from coast to coast.

i recently read delancey, which is a great story about a recently married couple who opens up a pizza cafe together. the author goes into detail of the research process involved with opening up a restaurant and how her husband went near and far to sample the best pizza around the country. she also talked about what her husband thinks makes a pizza highly rated. do you think it is the dough or cheese or sauce? he claims the dough. this got me on a pizza kick.

so this week we are talking best pizza in silicon valley and dc. i love pizza however, don’t eat it a lot because of the calories. but sometimes all your body wants is the comfort of fresh dough and melted cheese. sometimes there are days when calories should be thrown to the wayside.

below are my picks for the best pizza in silicon valley. don’t forget to check out emily’s blog for the best pizza in dc!

delfina (locations in sf, burlingame and palo alto) – i have eaten delfina at the burlingame location and palo alto location. both experiences were wonderful. i love this place. i love their menu. i love their staff. i love their decor. and i love their pizza. you can taste the freshness of their cheese and toppings in every bite. i have tried the margherita and prosciutto pie and really loved both for different reasons. i have also tried delfina’s chicken salad nicoise which is a great entree if you are not in the pizza mood. it was incredibly flavorful and filling. i would also recommend ordering an appetizer of burrata. oh my goodness their burrata is to die for and i crave it every day. the bread on the side of burrata is perfectly toasted and delfina soaks it in olive oil before serving. yummmm

blue line pizza (locations in mountain view, campbell, burlingame, san carlos and daly city) – another great pizza shop with multiple locations for all to enjoy! blue line offers both deep dish and thin crust style pizzas but be warned the deep dish takes a little longer to cook. some people claim it is the best deep dish in the bay area though so it may be worth your wait depending on your crust preference. their deep dish is a corn meal crust if that sways you. i really enjoyed the white pie and pesto chicken!

bibo’s (san jose) – bibo’s is ny quality pizza! the slices are large. crust is crisp and thin so you can fold it in half. the owner is from new york. what more could you ask for? bibo’s has also perfected the sauce to cheese ratio to give you maximum flavor. i would recommend checking out bibo’s when you want a simpler pizza with 3 toppings or less. it is a smaller place so i always opt for pick up.

terun pizza (palo alto) – terun creates neapolitan style pizzas just the way i like it. all their toppings are fresh and high quality. i am actually devouring the san daniele pizza as i type this. that is how much i love this place. the prosciutto and large shavings of parmesan cheese covered the whole pizza. i also love the hint of truffle oil i tasted in the crust. terun is the place you go if you want to feel like you are in northern italy again. viva l’italia.

pizzetta 211 (sf) – according to delancey, this is one of the top 3 pizza places in the bay area and i would have to agree! pizzetta offers tasty thin crust pizza with farm to table toppings. they switch up the menu weekly to ensure all the ingredients in the pizza are in season. pizzetta is also very creative with their toppings and offer a variety like I have never seen at most pizza places. farm egg and asparagus on a pizza? yes please.

and of course if you are in the city there is also tony’s, which is the most famous of them all. i have heard amazing things but am sorry to say i have not had the opportunity to go so did not include it in my post. it is on my list though so will let you know what i think when i go!

what do you thinks makes an award winning pizza?
what are you favorite pizza spots in your city?

linked to : local adventurer

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Guide to Santa Cruz: Apple Picking at Gizdich Ranch

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to kick off this fall season, b and i headed down to watsonville. watsonville is a small rural town located in santa cruz county (about 20 miles south east of santa cruz). There are a number of orchards to choose from but after careful research, we decided on gizdich ranch. gizdich ranch offers four different types of apples and still allows you to pick from their strawberry fields. we started off the summer by picking strawberries so the only way to end it for us was picking apples. there was quite a few people there which made parking a little bit of a headache. we were also probably the only adults there without kids (oh well, kids at heart). we walked up and down the orchard, scouring the property for the crème de la crème of apples (one of the workers was nice enough to give us a little tutorial about the different types and why each type would be desired over the other). b was all about the red delicious (even though he kept saying they were not as nearly as tall and proportionate as they are in the store). I was all about the golden delicious. both are the sweetest of the 4 varieties to choose from. who would have guessed?

gizdich ranch charges you $1.40/ pound and provides a bucket for your use during the picking process. we did not even think of bringing a bag. whoops.

gizdich ranch also has a café/bakery/grocery store on site that offers lunch, pies, already picked apples (but where is the fun in that?) and apple juice. we arrived at the café (after picking the best apples there were in the orchard) around 1pm and it was packed. The line was estimated to be about one hour which my stomach could not handle. so we opted for some fresh apple juice available at the store nearby and picked up some authentic mexican food in town (you know it is authentic when they call your number in spanish). i really really wish I would have been able to try a slice of apple pie but i guess it means we have something to look forward to next time. and we will be sure to arrive early. the store next door offers frozen pies but i have heard they do not taste as good.

i plan on making apple crumble with our freshly picked apples so stay tuned for a recipe!

one item can now be checked off my fall bucket list. hooray.

what are you looking forward to doing this fall?

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Let’s Fall for Fall: Fall Bucketlist

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i’m baaaaack!

what do you think of the new blog set up? there are still a few kinks we are sorting through but would love to hear your feedback!

anyways, let’s move on to the biggest subject in the blogging world right now…FALL.
I adore fall. my love for fall grew when i moved to utah for school and got to experience all four seasons (growing up in southern california you don’t really notice the season change).
i love sweaters, pumpkins, apples, cuddling and costumes. i love brisk nights and warm fires. i love seeing the leaves change colors. i love how it starts off the holiday season.

i decided to create a fall bucketlist this year and hope to check everything off before december. i notice when i have some sort of game plan or list, i always get more things done and have a more memorable season. cheers to fall 2014!

what is on your fall bucket list?

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Guide to Silicon Valley: Hakone Garden

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last weekend, b surprised me with an afternoon date at hakone garden. hakone garden is the oldest japanese garden in the western hemisphere. the original construction of the gardens began in 1917. isabel stine had just returned from a year long voyage in japan and had all the inspiration she needed to make a breathtaking and authentic japanese garden. hakone garden is 18 acres and can be seen within a hour.

i loved the peace and tranquility i felt immediately upon entering the garden. there were less than 15 people there when we arrived and all that could be heard was the crashing of the waterfall and birds chirping.

one of my favorite spots, besides the lake, was the bamboo garden. the bamboo garden at hakone garden is said to represent the close friendship with saratoga’s sister city, muko-shi, japan (a suburb southwest of kyoto). i love how much thought is put into the symbolism of each aspect of a japanese garden. every plant, stone, bridge is placed in a certain spot for a specific reason and not just to “look pretty”.

there was a wedding reception being set up as we were leaving the garden. the bride wore a beautiful traditional japanese kimono. all her family and bridesmaids were also in kimonos. it was stunning. makes me want to head to kyoto!

don’t forget to pick up some fish food at the hakone gift shop (also where you purchase entry tickets) so you are able to feed the koi and turtles! this was b’s favorite part.

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#weekendinpolaroids

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this weekend we welcomed fall.

i made spiced pumpkin oatmeal cookies with maple glaze. it is a great recipe and a yummy treat to bring to any upcoming gathering!

we went apple picking in watsonville, which is about one hour south of us in santa cruz county. more details to come!

i had been craving beard papa since last week and we finally stopped by for a delectable vanilla cream puff! who knew beard papa has locations all across the world?

and i participated in my church’s talent show by performing a choreographed dance dressed as a gangster rabbit (don’t ask) with two of my friends. i never would have participated had it not been for my friend, keri. do you have one of those friends that just makes you feel like a kid again? she is always getting me to participate in activities i otherwise wouldn’t. she has taught me to not take myself too seriously. i am so grateful for good friends to make memories with.

what did you do this weekend?

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Currently

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reading: delancey . so far so good. it is about a recently married couple who decides to open a restaurant together. it is a fun read and easy to get into. i really love learning about the research that goes into opening a restaurant. i enjoy how genuine the author’s words are for such a personal story. she really allows you to see a window into their marriage and their corporate lives. the author also shares original recipes from their home kitchen as well as the delancey restaurant (will let you know once i make something)! oh and another bonus is she references restaurants she adores in new york, seattle and the bay area. i know where i am eating next date night!

craving: the cookie dough cafe. last night, b and i were watching shark tank when these cute sisters came on to feature their idea of edible cookie dough. They had concocted the perfect recipe for eggless cookie dough and marketed the product all over illinois. how amazing is that? it comes in 4 different flavors and encourages you to eat cookie dough by the spoon! since the show, they have expanded to select grocery stores in the south and east coast. when they presented their product, i instantly became a fan. the sharks also thought of the idea to bring cookie dough cafe to sports arenas and hotels. i love cookie dough more than the cooked cookie product. please come to the west coast cookie dough cafe!

trying to remember: this quote. i will be the first to admit, i get down and sometimes feel like i am not pretty enough or skinny enough or have clear enough skin or my hair is awful. society paints an unobtainable picture of beauty. i have to remember to rise above and remember my soul is what should matter.

dreaming of: an adventure somewhere overseas. b and i have been discussing our travel goals for the future and i can’t help but want to do it all right now. i want to see the world. i want to experience new cultures. i want to meet people that change my perspective. i want to have it all.

beauty need: i have decided i would like to go a little blonder. i used to be incredibly blonde while b and i were dating and in the beginning of our marriage. then i had the bright idea to go dark. i thought it could be my destiny. i looked at olivia wilde and thought if she looks better dark what if i do too? granted i am no olivia wilde but i would always wonder if i never tried it. i liked being a brunette okay. i didn’t feel like myself though. since then, i have been slowly lightening to this golden/jennifer aniston color over the past year. every time i tell my hair stylist i want to go lighter she says she will do it but wants to keep the golden undertone with my complexion. sure, whatever you have to do but make me blonde! long story short, it is never that much of a difference and she is charging me an arm and a leg. i need a new hair stylist that specializes in blondes. anyone have any recommendations in the bay area?

thanks for reading!

linked to: treat yo self

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