A few of our friends are traveling throughout Europe and Asia. Two, recently visited Istanbul, Turkey, and surprised fellow foodies with spice mixes. This surprise, along with the conclusion of Top Chef, got me thinking about spice-related indoor culinary adventures.     Sometimes you can get into a rut when it comes to cooking, relying on comfort foods or signature dishes that you rarely if ever execute wrong. This means that you're not fully utilizing all of the spices in your pantry.   Jen and Burstein's unexpected gift of two spice blends made from unidentified spices is just the kick I needed to start thinking creatively in the kitchen again. Specifically, I'm thinking about how I can spice up an evening in with friends while keeping the hosting relatively effortless on my part. Anyone up for a potluck?     There's a couple of ways to get started using spice to transform an age old tradition, the potluck, into a bold indoor adventure: Purchase (or make...

When cubes and I first started dating we had a standing Wednesday dinner date. Each Wednesday, we'd explore a new restaurant either in his neighborhood, The Mission, or in mine, SOMA. Now that we have somewhat of a routine with Gates, we've been able to bring back this tradition on our Tuesday date nights.     The Mission is filled to bursting with food options. Even if we never went back to a restaurant, I don't think we could finish eating at all of the restaurants in a year. Last week, we headed down Valencia to Lot 7 .   Update May 17, 2013: Lot 7 is no longer open.   Lot 7, a seafood and grill restaurant, has been open just over a year. The menu we were able to order from was more limited than the one they had posted on their website. It was missing Plateaux Shellfish, Oysters, and Gulf Shrimp Cocktail. I'd had my heart set on oysters, not remembering having had any since June.     What we ordered: The starters: Grilled Prawns "Ras Al Hanout" (...

It's been awhile since I showed you our home. As we get ready for Family Dinners at The Station as well as our first seder later in March, my focus has widened from my closet to the rest of the flat. It's time to finally get everything unpacked and put away.     I always seem to have more stuff than space; one can never have enough drawers for clothes. This perennial lack of storage space led me to come up with creative solutions that kept my space from looking cluttered or resembling the back of a store. For example, using vintage luggage and storing under my bed. (You may recognize the luggage from Gates' monthly portraits. My luggage pieces have always done double duty as props for photography as well as serving as everyday storage. I especially like the ability to lock pieces with items that aren't toddler safe (makeup, shoe cleaning supplies, and so on).     Another challenge I have with a mobile toddler is baby proofing my in-home office. This means I need ...

Last Friday, cubes and I had an evening out. We spent our evening dressing up in cream and black, grabbing dinner at Puerto Alegre, and attending the All Worlds Fair.     It was exciting to be on the outside looking in, attendees rather than creators for the The All Worlds Fair . I enjoyed not having to listen to critics, but missed the adrenalin rush of working behind the scenes. Before the portal opened, we caught up with friends who also arrived early: Jason, Olga, and Renee. Olga joked that for me to get the true experience of being first into the portal I should have to elbow someone, preferably someone I know who is in on the joke, out of the way.     The rules of the event stated no electronic devices. Agents had everyone put their phones into sealed pouches before entering. I liked the restriction as it allowed me to focus on fully experiencing the fair. Even without taking photos we still didn't see all of the worlds, missing at least four or more. The o...

Defining what is meant by "A Good Life" might be easier than actually achieving it. Is "A Good Life," like happiness, something that just happens when you're not looking and not trying? Can your journey to "A Good Life" help your children or others navigate to theirs?     Last week, Jennifer Cooper of Classic Play asked us a question: Is happiness a skill that can be taught? I, of course, answered " Totally agree! I think it has to do with learning where to focus - outward on material goods or inward on relationships and experiences. With whether you believe you can choose or not and that there are many paths.   " I think people who don't realize they can choose to be happy are caught working towards the life they think they want and complaining about the life they have. The worst thing that can happen is they wake up one day realizing they had a good life and just didn't know it and it's too late to enjoy it. "     A ...

The gorgeous clear weather continued in the Bay Area and we decided to take advantage of it by grabbing brunch with my parents at Nick's Restaurant in Pacifica.     On Saturday, we introduced Gates to scrambled eggs. At first we didn't think she liked them, preferring the potatoes instead. Then, we discovered that Gates does not like children sized silverware. (She also prefers to eat while seated in your lap over a high chair.) Once we switched to a regular fork, Gates was happily chowing down on both the eggs and the potatoes. Unsurprisingly, Gates also likes bacon; another item she got to try for the first time.     With Gates, we've been following a strategy of baby-led weaning. Basically that means Gates takes the initiative. We knew she was interested in our foods when we could no longer casually eat in her room while she played. We had briefly turned our attention to the cat and she raced across the floor to the charcuterie platter. Of course I proceeded ...

When you ask for something, what's the worst that could happen? It's not hearing no. The worst thing? Nothing. And nothing is what WILL happen if you don't ask and if you don't take action.     At Alt Summit, Meg Keene of A Practical Wedding offered this advice: "Start small, and send out five emails to potential advertisers/sponsors." But starting is the hardest part. Taking those first, unaided baby steps when you've never walked before is hard. You could fall. Or, you could succeed. But, until you try, until you ask, something is certain: nothing will happen.     Let's say you get past your doubts. You hit send and you wait. And you wait. No response is neither failure nor success. Your email could have been lost. Filed away for action later and forgotten. You have to ask again. Chris Gardner of Man Made DIY says it's ok to be persistent: one tailored email a week regarding a specific project over a month.   When you want something you ha...

On Monday, we joined my parents for a morning at The Zoo. Our day trip and one of Gates' toys has me planning a Zoo Animal-themed party for her birthday in April.     Monday was Gates' second time to the zoo and her first time really being able to see the animals and to people watch. (We alternated having her in the Ergo and the Chicco KeyFit 30 when we went on Christmas Eve.) Lots of people had the same idea. Luckily, we're members so we were able to breeze past the long lines (which started shortly after 10:00AM).   The day was overcast and the highs weren't out of the 50s, so we were glad for the cozy fleece foot muff. Many of the animals were inside, or, like the lemurs, huddled together for warmth. Gates definitely enjoyed herself until she got a little too cold (we didn't have mittens for her hands and she didn't want to keep them inside the muff) and wanted to be held. When we got home, Gates played with her giraffes and elephants.     Among Gates...

Tuesday afternoon I made up a batch of Hamantaschen dough and put it in the fridge to chill over night. Yesterday morning I realized my flour to liquid mixture was off and feared I was on the path to something went horribly wrong (SWHW) rather than to tasty sweet and savory Purim treats. Luckily, all ended well.     So here's my tasty (totally confirmed by cubes without any bias) dairy-free, refined-sugar free Hamantaschen recipe. I started with the Basic Hamantaschen Dough (pareve) recipe from Orthodox Union and went from there.   First, a couple of things about the unmodified recipe I started with. Skip this paragraph if you just want to know what I did. Depending on where you live, sea level or altitude and how moist your flour is or isn't, the ratio of liquids to dry ingredients is off. Based on how dry my flour was I should have stopped adding somewhere between three and a half to four and a quarter cups. Dough when mixed correctly and ready for shaping should wi...

In San Francisco, you can go years without ever leaving your corner of the city. While we've lived in The Mission for over two years, we hadn't really ventured out past 18th for dinner. With our move to The Station we're now exploring spots south of 18th.     Recently we discovered LoLo on 22nd. We found it while walking to meet friends at the Foreign Cinema. The smells wafting from the open door were tantalizing. Also, it was packed. Two signs that move a restaurant to the top of our date night idea list.   Do you explore beyond your neighborhood? Or, do you stick to familiar haunts?   Turns out filling LoLo to capacity isn't hard to do, as it, like Sushi Zone, is small. They have a couple of tables out in front on the sidewalk (nice for when the weather warms up) and maybe five tables inside, two two tops in the window and at least two four tops. To avoid disappointment or a long wait, make a reservation ahead of time. Sure, it takes some of the spontaneity ou...

Purim is like Carnivale for Jews. It's a holiday where you're encouraged to excess. The most traditional treat for Ashkenazi Jews is Hamantaschen. Most recipes are sweet, but for cubes, who prefers savory to sweet, I've included a mix in my recipe roundup.     You might be curious why there's so many baked goods available at Purim. The easy answer is Passover is coming. Before Passover starts, all chametz (leavening) needs to be removed from the kitchen. (Ashkenazi have the strictest definition of chametz, which includes rice, corn, and beans!) To avoid waste, bakers attempt to use up all of their flour to avoid having to throw it out. The result? Tons of desserts.   Want to try making Hamantaschen for yourself? Here are a few recipes sure to please anyone's tastebuds (from top left clockwise): Easy Hamantaschen Recipe Chocolate-Dipped Hamantaschen Eggless Hamantaschen Step-by-step Butter-based Hamantaschen For those who aren't fans of sweets, some savor...

For my birthday this year, I wanted to do something a little different. How different? Other worldly different. cubes and I will be "marvel[ing] at the wonders of the pasts that never were, presents not of our Earth, and futures that never will be again" at The All Worlds Fair.     Little did I know visitors to The All Worlds Fair would be requested to wear monochrome, white on black, emphasizing white, with strict checks to ensure adherence.   A quick scan of both of cubes' and my closets reveals few all white options. I have a cream Grecian Goddess style dress from the 1990s, a 1960s Cameo Evening Fashions brocade wedding dress from G. Fox & Co., and a bolt of cream fabric from a never made Emma Frost costume.   Now we could let our fingers do the walking and source a costume from the Internet, but first, what fun is that? And second, we're doing the #havenotwant challenge . This is completely an unnecessary expenditure. So, time to get creative.   What ...

Each spring, printers, book artists and artisans, scholars, and more descend on the Bay Area from all corners of the world. With them, they bring the most amazing collection of fine press editions and artist books. The affair? The Codex International Book Fair .     When my husband forwarded me the event info from a colleague, I had visions of book fairs I attended as a child. Rows of folding tables in a dimly lit auditorium stacked with paperback books. With those visions dancing in my head I almost didn't make the short drive from San Francisco to Richmond. Luckily, I did.   Work Pictured: Peeping Toms, Fall 2012, Origami tessellation designed by Eric Gjerde and printed, illustrated, & executed by Radha Pandey, students Master of Fine Arts, Book Arts, The University of Iowa, Center for The Book .   First, this is nothing like the book fairs of my youth. Instead of mass produced cheap paperbacks, hand crafted, limited -- or one of a kind -- works of art are neat...

When you go to a conference, have you ever paid attention to the music played between sessions? It's typically pretty upbeat. It's designed to grab you. To get you moving. To get you believing. Believing you can do anything.     Like many, after I returned home from Alt I was overwhelmed with a seemingly never ending to do list and the realization that I was a content creator. What had started out as a diary of sorts and had morphed into a place to try out content and scheduling ideas for work was now more.   Looking back just over the past year, I'm amazed at how much this blog has grown. It's actually a little scary. Now, I've always wanted to publish quality content -- at least spell checked and with a point. But, that definition of quality has evolved. At first posts didn't always have images. Now they do. Some of the early images weren't my best work, quick, poorly lit iPhone shots. Now I plan images and time when I take them to take advantage of nat...

Blogging is at the same time incredibly personal and in-your-face public. When I hit publish I never know whether or not someone will comment. I don't know whether people who read it think I'm crazy. So, when Holly Becker suggested giving our favorite bloggers a virtual hug , I was in.     Here are five bloggers who make my days brighter: Nicole of Making It Lovely : The first homework assignment of Blogging Your Way had us identify five blogs we read that we couldn't be like. I loved Nicole's blog for how open she was about her life. In my journal, I noted I couldn't be like her because I didn't have children and I wasn't likely to own a home in this lifetime. Since then, I've taken two Blogging Your Way classes that Nicole co-taught. I've learned so much from her; where this blog is today is due to her help and guidance. (At Alt, I got incredibly tongue tied and barely managed to say thank you.) Kathleen of Jeremy and Kathleen : I knew Kathlee...

I traveled extensively throughout the world when I was six. I was an armchair traveler and my vehicle was Time-Life's Foods of The World cookbook series . Today's indoor adventure? Armchair traveling!     Now for this indoor adventure, armchair traveling, you don't have to own regional cookbooks or travel guides, you just need access to your local library or the Internet. The San Francisco Public Library system actually has most of Time-Life's series in its stacks. If you'd rather have your own copy, visit a local used bookstore or head to eBay or Etsy where you can find a volume or two for under $10.     This adventure is good for all ages, and the best part? If you don't know how to cook you can still participate.   These first few steps apply to both adventures: Pick your country. Choose a movie either about your country or set in your country. For Europe, you have A Room with A View (Netflix Streaming), In Search of History: The Knights Templar (Netf...