When life gives you lemons, find some tequila

FRIDAY

I just finished a post at work, tidied up my desk and texted my man to ask if we were meeting at Vik's for some cold beers right after work. He texted me back saying he was in an accident, he's okay and to call him when I got the chance.

When I first read his text my heart dropped into the very bottom of my stomach. 

He said he was fine but is he really fine??

My fiance rides a motorcycle, so him getting hit by a car is serious. Thankfully, he wears steel-toe boots and the asshole clipped the side of him with very little damage to his actual body. Because of the steel in his shoes, he didn't lose his foot. Instead he has an extremely sore foot and dented motorcycle with a really bad oil leak. Driving in rush hour through San Francisco usually means you aren't going that fast. Given these circumstances my fiance didn't get seriously hurt.

I left work early because I had no idea if I was needed. Dealing with the police, tow trucks, insurance and on-going traffic kept him a bit busy. When we finally spoke on the phone he said he was fine and the tow truck would have him home in a few hours.

I asked him if there was anything I could do in the meantime until he got home. 

"Can we please eat some meat tonight?"

Yes. Yes we can.

We had two new york strips medium, baked potatoes with sharp cheddar and yogurt instead of sour cream, creamed collards, sauteed mushrooms and jus. Red wine. Chocolate brownies and Tillamook vanilla ice-cream.

If you get hit by a car, you get these features.

SATURDAY

Steel cut oats spiel: Love them. 

It's like brown rice and grits had a baby.  They're easy to cook, good for you and have great texture.

So here I took a picture a little later than I should have. Basically I sauteed some leeks, carrots, baby portobellos and garlic in olive oil on low. Once the veggies were cooked until just soft, I toasted some steel cut oats in the same pan.

Then I ladled in homemade vegetable stock, one ladle at a time. Much like risotto.

Vegetable stock is the easiest thing in the world to make and you can rarely mess it up..

Throughout the week, collect trim and scraps from cooking. 

Examples: mushroom stems, leek tops, onion peels, carrots, tiny cloves of garlic that are too annoying to peel and chop, etc. Throw in a few bay leaves, peppercorns and fennel seed.

Simmer for 30 minutes and strain.

The end result of my savory steel cut oats is about here...

They take around 15 - 20 minutes to cook. You want to simmer on low and stir frequently. I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish. We ate this with cheesy, soft scrambled eggs with asparagus and kale and multi-grain toast. I drizzled everything with some California olive oil and cracked black pepper.

The rest our of Saturday was spent putting up a chicken wire fence so our dogs and our neighbors dogs stop trying to attack each other through the feeble wooden fence. It's a shame they aren't friends. I wish they were but I think the fence dividing them causes more aggression because they can never meet. I'd be willing to let them meet but I need the neighbors to agree. And they seem to like their privacy.

To be extremely honest, I really thought we might get some kind of casserole or a bottle of wine from one of our neighbors when we first moved to the neighborhood... 

Is that crazy of me to think or hope for? Is this just a southern thing? I've made quiches and casseroles for my new neighbors back in Georgia... 

Seems our neighborhood likes to stay divided by fences.

We're only three months in and I have to keep reminding myself of that a lot. 

I count down the days until my sister and her family come to stay with us for a few days. 

It'll be nice.

Saturday for dinner we went back to Vik's and sat out on the barge with some cold beers. I couldn't help but tear up for a minute, sitting next to my man.. 

I'm so thankfully he wasn't seriously hurt in his accident. I'm thankful we're able to sit out on a barge and drink  beer without a worry. We have each other and that alone is more than a lot of people have. I'm thankful I found my soul mate and that he is with me for one more day and hopefully, for the rest of my days.

SUNDAY

We woke up early on Sunday. A lot of stressful worrying started to brew in the house. Just normal stress after an accident when your main ride to and from work is out of service.. 

A lot of annoying phone calls back and forth with insurance and adjusters not working on Sundays (understandably). 

We can't let this stress ruin the day. It's Sunday Funday! 

Leave your worries at the door.

There was nothing we could do about dealing with the accident. No one of any authority was working and to keep trying to get a hold of someone was pointless.

We decided to get out of the house and get some fresh air.

Before we got to the beach we stopped off in Larkspur for Food Truck Sundays with Off the Grid and got some Peruvian sandwiches from Sanguchon. Amazing! 

I was little preoccupied with Hank on the leash and people everywhere to get a good picture. Plus the sandwiches were messy and too good to put down.

But here is a cool picture of a bee doing it's thing..

Rodeo Beach

When we first arrived we made our way onto the beach and quickly realized we were one of the only ones with clothes on. All around us were tan, naked bodies laid out all over the beach. We're not against nudity.. we just weren't exactly dressed correctly and kept walking.

We hiked through sand, dirt and numerous stairs leading us all over the hills and cliffs to different parts of the beach. It was breathtaking.

We finally reached a nice and quiet beach right next to the Golden Gate Bridge. We really couldn't have asked for a better hike.

Being his first time on a beach, Hank wasted no time letting loose.

Aaaaaaannnnddddd for dinner, I made chicken and rice that I'm pretty proud of. 

It was just one of those meals where the flavors were just right.

I am a big fan of baked rice over stove-top rice or even using my rice maker.

For me, I do brown rice and cover with filtered water just above the first knuckle on my index finger, cover in foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, give or take a few.

As for last night goes, I seared chicken I fabricated into eight pieces and then baked them in the oven to finish cooking in the same pan I cooked my brown rice in (raw brown rice and seared chicken). 

I made some chicken dashi using homemade chicken stock, a quick saute of red cabbage, snap peas and asparagus and made a sauce with soy sauce, sesame oil, raw honey,  rice vinegar, pinch of salt, white pepper, toasted sesame seeds and raw sugar. I used the sauce for the baked brown rice and poured the chicken dashi over the chicken. We were a bit sun burnt and sore from the hike so a nice, home-cooked meal like this was very comforting.

There is no moral to the story of my weekend. 

I'm just thankful now more than ever for what I have and live day to day. 

It's all about today. Right now. Not yesterday and not tomorrow.

My weekend and faux biscuits -n- gravy

After a long and relaxing weekend, I feel refreshed. Normally my love and I try to get out and go hiking or visit some new places, but this weekend we spent most of our time at home and it was lovely.

Friday started off with a half-day at work. Work, by the way, is going great. I'm given more responsibilities every week and feel like I'm building a good amount of trust with my co-workers. As I sit here and write this I notice the dirt under my fingernails is gone. I never disliked dirt under my nails, I just didn't think it'd ever really go away.

 After work my love and I went to Vik's Wheelhouse after a long and dreadful visit to the DMV. 

Why does the DMV always feel so eery?

Either way, we are officially California residents.

Woohoo!

Our initial plan was to go to Mare Island Brewing Company and get a beer but they don't open until 5pm on Fridays and it was 4:30pm. We didn't want to wait and the floating barge at Vik's Wheelhouse was seriously calling our name. 

We got a couple delicious Anchor Steams and sat out on the deck in the sun. 

Looking out into the water and drinking beers with your babe is where it's at!

We got the mixed seafood boil and what a treat! 

Whole lobster, crab legs, mussels, shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn swimming in garlic butter and broth.. worth every penny. We also got the clam chowder and it was amazing. 

Vallejo is showing us its charm slowly but surely.

Saturday we finally hung some pictures in the house. What a difference pictures and mirrors make. 

Our new home finally feels like home.

Adjusting to new settings makes for a new kind of home. 

It's been fun decorating a little differently. New windows, new trees and new plants all shifted my decorating style. Leaving the windows open and the blinds pulled up exposes all the natural lighting and green outside. I decorated trying to match the exterior throughout the yard and house.

That night we made some chicken tacos. Using dried ancho and pasilla chiles changes everything. I take two of each and lightly toast them in oil in a pan.  

You can use the same oil from the chiles for further cooking like searing chicken. 

Then I take them out and rehydrate them in simmering water for a few minutes until soft. Deseed and stem them, then buzz them up in a blender with a few raw garlic cloves, a handful of cilantro and white vinegar. Add the paste to chili, a sauce or mix in some braised meat. 

So good!

Sunday morning we were in the mood for something southern. 

Or, we are always in the mood for southern food. 

As I've mentioned before, trying to find organic meat around here can be arduous. I am still a fan of using Torfurky products every now and then. This time was particularly awesome.

Faux Biscuits -n- Gravy

Use half a yellow onion and cut small dice. Sweat the onions in a pan over medium low heat in olive oil. Throw in a bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the onions are soft, add your tofurky "ground beef". You're just getting the "ground beef" nice and hot. Then add about a tablespoon of AP flour and stir. You want to incorporate the flour completely.

The onions and "ground beef" will start to soak up the flour and get thick. 

Because we are not actually vegetarian, I added a little homemade chicken stock for flavor. You can skip this step or add vegetable stock. You can really do whatever you want.. At this point, you could throw everything on the ground and let your dogs have a field day. You know, adjust as needed.

 I let the chicken stock reduce down and then I added non-fat milk. Season generously with cracked black pepper. I also added white pepper. I love the musky-ness of white pepper. Salt to taste.

Simmer this on low until the consistency is nice and thick. Continue to stir every now and then. 

As it cooks, it gets darker.

I warmed some wheat english muffins in the oven and cooked some eggs over-easy.

Cut your english muffins, biscuits or croissants in half, pour over the seasoned gravy and top with eggs. 

I like my gravy thick faux sho.

My love said he couldn't even tell it wasn't the real thing.

But it is real! It was a flavorful and delicious breakfast that filled us up and made us happy. 

That's all that matters.

Sunday night we made deviled eggs, grilled some chicken and vegetables and watched The League. We LOVE The League.

A great weekend spent mostly inside cooking, flirting, drinking wine, playing with the dogs and lounging on the couch.

How was your weekend?