good bye san francisco

to ensure that this isn't a weepy, melancholy post i've decided to celebrate my time here with a top ten list of places you should experience when you live or visit here, no particular order:

1. hayes valley, cutest spot in the heart of the city. delicious food of all types and blue bottle coffee
2. marin headlands, on the off chance my wedding didn't convince you its an incredible place to ramble and enjoy a break from the city
3. fillmore street, browser books, bun mee, taco bar and crossroads trading company, bam saturday fun is done
4. ferry building, i've shared it all, the farmer's market the food stalls, the secret blue bottle coffee cart out front but the secret i've never shared. 3 $ pork buns at out the door, satisfying, cheap, perfectly steamed.
5. berkeley, this has become a more recent haunt, indian rock, chez panisse, la note, angelina's, local 123 are my favorites, not to mention the best chipotle in the bay area
{atleast most convenient for us}
6. pescadero and pigeon point lighthouse
7. ocean beach, sutro heights park and lands end
8. sightglass cafe
9. chestnut street, i'm going to miss marina meats and grocery, delarosa, marina lounge, the movie theaters, plutos, marina deli, kara's cupcakes and all only a 10 minute walk from my house, can you tell i'm a bit spoiled?
10. crissy field and palace of fine arts- say hi to the swans.

i hate good byes so i'm just going to say see you later. thanks for all you've given me.

happy weekend!

packing, packing, packing is all we've been doing lately besides errands and saying goodbye so it hasn't been the best week. but we can't wait to start our road trip and get started in our new/old home of fort worth. i haven't really talked about the trip because its seemed so far away and not real. but here it is, starting next week we'll head north to portland and then southeast to home, hopefully hitting up the grand canyon on the way. we are so excited but also haven't researched much in the way of sightseeing as we've been overwhelmed about packing it all up, have i mentioned that yet? i hate packing, and getting there, seeing that we have a slightly unreliable volkswagen van.
but that's where you come in, i'd love to hear any ideas for great stops along the way, in portland as well as nevada, utah, new mexico, west texas. we have a long way to go but we don't want to miss anything so hook us up. we'd also love to hear your favorite road trip survival tips. in exchange i'm going to post a top ten list for san francisco next week!

ashram

we visited an ashram last week with a friend from jacob's work. it was in castro valley, which is an incredibly beautiful area with rolling hills and huge skies. i enjoyed the time to think and contemplate, especially as we walked the labyrinth. Amma was the holy lady who visited the area and brought followers from all over the state and beyond. we enjoyed the break from our normal lives and seeing a different facet of california life.

cafe love: nash baker

no this is not a cafe but one of my favorite things to enjoy at a cafe. these pastries, and many more, are served at readers cafe and at the summit. i did not previously think much of croissants. i didn't really understand the fuss, except that they sounded french. i'd tried the pastry before but did not really understand the allure until trying nash baker's. with a gibralter it is perfection, the sweet milk and espresso mixing with the crunchy flakiness of the bread to form the perfect start to a day. i've had customers come in and compare these treats to the likes of Tartine, the standard itself here in San Francisco. i think you'll agree that they're the best and feel that this is one more reason to come by in my last week at reader's cafe.

happy weekend!

packing and preparations filled this week, but we did take a break to eat at Roam. this is the best burger i've ever had (and i've had a lot of burgers). it had an egg on it with a slightly spicy chili sauce. yum. when you add a blue bottle coffee shake, zucchini fries and a ginger lime soda i was in heaven. i highly suggest you eat there this weekend.

i also made these delicious enchiladas. yum. if you crave tex mex and don't have access or have ever wondered exactly what tex mex means. make these, now. they are amazing and encapsulate the flavorful spiciness of the cuisine i love.

i can't wait to make have dinner with some good friends, work a bit and enjoy a cookout. summer is underway. even if that does mean fog, i'll enjoy it while i can. what are your weekend plans?

transitions

i feel that moving has made me very aware of my surroundings. i love the neighborhood i live in. all the individual houses and colorful buildings and interesting doors. all framed by the backdrop of the bay and the golden gate bridge. i am soaking it all up to take with me when we go back home. i think i'll remember the smells the most. as you can see from this door there is an abundance of flowers; roses, snap dragons, flowers whose names i don't know and my favorite jasmine. the blooms fill the even the air with beauty.

cafe love: blue bottle

while i've already shared these photos here, it was not part of my cafe love series and i wanted to share them again. because i like them that much. its true. i also love blue bottle that much. they are the first third wave cafe that i experienced and hold the standard for delicious coffee, attention to coffee farmers and coolness. {vien, my blue bottle trainer, travelled to japan to learn how to brew siphon pot coffee, that says it all}

we sell their coffee at readers cafe, where i work, and constantly get great feedback. i also loved their training. i've gotten very consistent with latte art.

they have cafes at many locations in the bay area and brooklyn with rumors of a larger expansion. fingers crossed that they'll stay true to their quality and standards.

happy weekend!

i think this movie will make your weekend, entirely. yes its that good. jacob now wants to live in paris, i already wanted to so no big news for me that its now on our list.

i'm also excited about preparing for a couple of photography shows this month. i sold my first photo this week and i'm working on getting some more prints prepared and framed. i can't wait to see how it goes, but i'm {trying} not to count my chickens before they hatch.

i read a great book this week, called motion of the ocean. its about a couple who get married and sail around the pacific. but its also about the ups and downs a couple goes through in love and marriage. its beautiful and funny. i love reflecting on and seeing how other people experience transitions. i don't feel i handle them well at all so its nice to get tips and know i'm not alone in my {over} emotions.

i hope you enjoy the beginning of summer. i can't wait for months of tomatoes and sunshine!

french toast

we've been messing around with french toast for a while but last week jacob perfected the creme brulee crust from melissa clark's recipe so i wanted to share the picture and the recipe here.

1 cup packed light brown sugar

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm

2 large eggs, well beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 (10 oz) sourdough bread, sliced thinly

1. preheat the oven to 375 '. in a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and butter until the sugar is completely dissolved ( i didn't combine them enough but jacob took it all the way and that's what made it truly delicious) Pour the mixture into a large rimmed baking sheet (about 11x17 inches)

2. in a pie pan or other shallow dish, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. coat both sides of the bread slices in the egg mixture, letting the bread soak up the custard for atleast 15 minutes, then place them on the prepared baking sheet over the brown sugar mixture. bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops of the bread are golden brown and the sugar is bubbling.

3. serve immediately while still hot, with the crunchy brown sugar side up, spooning more of the pan syrup over the tops.

it was delicious, especially with bacon.