Window Shopping

On our trip last week we spent some time in Carmel. There's a lot to say about Carmel, but one of my favorite things to do there was window shop. And perhaps the window I stared at the longest was at the Carmel Bakery. This little establishment has been in business since the early 1900's and they're still baking in style. Their window showcased their cute side:


It showcased their ability to "wow" customers:


And there was a little humor thrown in there, too:


After staring a bit, we finally realized that the gingerbread men were not actually being "wowed." They were really frightened by their neighbors:


Don't you love witty confections? And the ice cream, coffee, and *brownies* at this place aren't bad either!

Farm Fresh Eating

For our getaway last week we headed south to the Monterey Bay area. The amazing thing about that region is that there are so many different things to see and do. Just north of the Bay is some major farm country, including the Artichoke Capitol of the World ~ Castroville, CA.


I loved showing my toddler the process of how we get our food. We saw enormous fields of artichokes.


There were a number of roadside farmstands featuring the "just-picked" local bounty.


Did you know that the edible part of the artichoke is actually the plant's flower? Honestly, the plants are quite beautiful, particularly with the wild yellow mustard growing around it (which is actually a weed!).


And of course, the local restaurants feature the artichoke in all kinds of inventive ways, like deep-fried artichokes at The Whole Enchilada. We didn't have one on this trip, but we did several years ago. Yum!

So Much to Say, So Little Time!

I can't wait to tell you about the trip I went on with my hubby and toddler last week. As soon as I get a break, I promise I'll be back! Stay tuned. . .

Veggie Sophistication

A few weeks ago I realized how much my cooking style has changed, particularly since I've been cooking for three rather than two. Not only do I cook less often than I used to, but my cooking has lost a lot of sophistication. I used to make the occasional fancy meal for my hubby and I, sometimes even with multiple courses. Now. . .not so much.

There are several reasons for this change. My toddler's tastes influence my menu selection a great deal. I'm also super practical, so I'm always considering what things will taste like the next day for lunch. But the biggest reason for the current state of things is that I just have so little time.

I've been trying to elevate my style just the teensiest bit. I have tried to make a few meals that are a bit more "upscale," if you will. And the great thing is that I've found that it really doesn't take much to fancy things up a bit.

Perhaps you're wondering what makes a vegetarian meal more "upscale." Afterall, we don't get the benefit of filet mignon or other fancy cuts of meat. In my mind, there are three things that add sophistication to any meal.

• Nice, flavorful cheeses
• Exotic mushrooms
• Any form of cooking with wine

With this tripartite in mind, I recently turned to an old favorite recipe that incorporates all three. It's a recipe from Rachael Ray for a spaghetti risotto. My toddler gets her spaghetti. I get my risotto. And we all get the cheese, mushroom, and wine combo.



I have barely adapted the original recipe, so I'm linking directly to it. I usually use fresh mushrooms if they're available (about 12 oz. of any combination), I use walnuts since I always have them on hand, and I skip the arugula and lemon juice part of the recipe. The result is always fantastic, so I'm so glad to have re-discovered this old {slightly} upscale favorite!

A Little Tea Etiquette

In a few weeks I will be co-hosting a bridal tea for a dear friend. I've finalized most of the details at this point, and boy has it been interesting. We probably all know that afternoon teas can be very "proper" affairs, but I was still fascinated by how many tea-related things are floating around out there.

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Did you know that there's a proper way to hold a tea cup? There is. "One's fingers are placed to the front and back of the handle with the pinkie finger tilted slightly up for balance. It is rude to loop fingers through the handle or to hold the body of the cup with the palm of the hand."

Another important tip on stirring (of all things!): "It is considered rude to stir one's tea in wide circular motions. Proper etiquette requires the teaspoon to be held at the six o'clock position to begin. Then, any added liquid is folded lightly towards the twelve o'clock position two or three times." Whew, I better be careful of that one! More tea-sipping etiquette found here.

I found so many little things designated specifically for teas. There's the teaspoon, of course:

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And, according to Crane, tea affairs have their own style of invitation. The "tea length invitation" is tall and narrow like this one in the middle:

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There are also tea length programs for weddings:

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You may already be familiar with the tea length dress:

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The official word is that modernly "if a dress falls above the ankle and below the knee, it may be properly considered a tea length dress. Anything longer may be considered 'ballerina length' or 'maxi length.'" Historically, a tea length dress was quite different:

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Quirky etiquette tidbits ~ maybe not all that relevant, but still fun!

Pure Indulgence

This past week I ate at so many great places, including several local spots that I've been intending to visit for a while. Perhaps my favorite discovery was my trip to Paris via Le Petit Boutique and Cafe in Sacramento. I had such a fun time pretending I was actually in Paris enjoying three of France's greatest offerings ~ shopping, coffee, and pastry. Not to mention the Parisian-style people-watching I did with my friend Une Femme Curieuse. Ooh-la-la, what fun!

This little place is so cute, with its oh-so-French ornate wallpaper, antique furniture, and even handwritten signs for the menu. I had cafe au lait in an oversized coffee cup, which was artfully served much like this:

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And I had a splendid little hazelnut mousse confection. It was molded much like the mousse in this picture, plus it had alternating layers of chocolate and nuggat:

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This advice may come as a surprise, but for your next trip to Paris you might just consider heading to Sacramento!

The Irish Faceoff

Hope you had a great St. Patrick's Day! Did you do anything fun?

It was a pretty regular day for me, but I did use the holiday as an excuse to visit one of our local cupcake shops. I had heard that they offer a cupcake made with Guinness, so I set out to investigate. Yesterday they had TWO Irish flavors, so I staged a tasting.


The contenders:

Luck O' the Irish
Irish coffee cake with Bailey's Irish cream cheese frosting.

v.

The Dubliner
Guinness Stout chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. It's why Irish eyes are smiling!

Any guess which would be your favorite? Between my hubby and I it was uncontested. Luck O' the Irish all the way!