Wally

These planters make me feel like I could have an garden in my apartment dwelling life.

They are called Wooly Pockets or Wallys, and they come in all sorts of sizes. They hang on the wall and the wool absorbs the water so they don't need drainage, the back of the planter keeps water away from the wall.

I'm not sure I'm ready to commit, but I think it would be really cool to pick live herbs from my planter. Oh so civilized. The other day I used cloth napkins instead of paper when we had guests, so maybe I'm getting there.  Of course the dish was carne asada from a market.

Baby shower: mini tomato tarts

These were ridiculously easy and delicious. Two requirements for me when I'm making food for a large group. The only thing I underestimated was that people would take two or three - leaving none for those who arrived late. Shoot.

Ingredients:
Pie dough
Roasted garlic -- either in a paste or preroasted and or roasted yourself. I bought it in a glass jar.
Fontina or gouda cheese
Tomatoes -- I used romas because they were cheap and I like their taste. Also their small size was perfect for the tarts.

To make the tart "shells," roll out the pie dough on a floured surface. I bought the premade, but I love using my grandma's recipe when I can. I used the lid of a mason jar to make the circles. Then, I put them in muffin tins. Make sure to grease up your tins to avoid tart stickage.

As filling, I layered the garlic, cheese and tomato.

I baked it according to the premade pie dough instructions. Except that their small size made them cook quicker, so I ended up only baking them for 20 minutes. So if you make them, keep an eye on them.

Best part about these tarts is that I was able to assemble them on Thursday night (minus the tomato) and then bake them the day of the shower. I'm all about preventing stress and these did just that.

Baby shower: Lemon curd parfaits

These were delish. I kind of made them up after I realized the recipe I'd printed off made a lot less than I needed. Also, I had never tried lemon curd before, and well, it is amazing.

First, I tripled this recipe, via Stephmodo:

Lemon Curd Gourmet | January 2001
Yield: Makes about 1 1/3 cups
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into bits Note: maybe it was that I tripled this recipe, but I had a really hard time getting rid of the butter. I tripled the recipe but only used one stick because of the chunkiness. I still had to throw it all into the KitchenAide to get it smooth. 

Whisk together juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes.
Transfer lemon curd to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour.

Cooks' note: Curd can be chilled up to 1 week. Also, speaking after the butter mess, I don't think you can ruin lemon curd. It sounds difficult but it isn't. 

Then I whipped cream and used some frozen berries from Costco that I thawed for 12 hours. It would have been better with fresh berries, yes, but frozen berries are more budget friendly.

I made the parfaits in little clear cups that I got at the party store for a dollar. They were originally for hubs graduation party but of course I purchased too many. I think they would be cute in martini glasses or shot glasses, of course this was a party with mostly Mormons in attendance so I don't know how that would have gone over. Probably famously.

 The layering for the parfaits went like this:

Berries

Curd

Berries

Curd

Cream

Each was topped with a berry and lemon zest. 

Every single one was devoured.

Including the one I threw in the fridge for later for myself.

Showering a baby

To date, I've hosted one bridal shower and one baby shower.

My first time as a baby shower hostess was for this gal. Love her.

We didn't so much have a theme -- other than bright colors -- and no games. I asked a few people what games we should do and no one wanted any. So I focused on a brunch instead and picked up a "table topics" baby-themed game, should the conversation wane. It didn't. People arrived at 11 and were ready to eat. They ate and talked and the guest of honor opened gifts.

The spread. I need to blog these recipes. I was impressed with myself. And most of them were less than five ingredients, i.e. bacon and asparagus. We did a lot of the prep for the Saturday shower on Thursday night. Even better.

It was a shower for church people. We have a sweet ward that is definitely supportive. I was amazed and at one point worried that everyone wasn't going to fit. But they did.

Also, I finally got to use the gigantic serving bowls I got for my wedding. Previously, I'd only used this fruit bowl to mix the six gallons of punch I made. The fruit was a highlight. Something about summer and fresh fruit. Time consuming to cut up that fruit though.

We took a page out of Martha Stewart's book, OK, we took several, but we made the infamous pom poms.

They are horribly common but they actually looked great -- and much to my husband's chagrin, they are still hanging up. There's another baby shower on Saturday, and the only way I could think of to keep the tissue unharmed was to keep it out of the way. The ceiling is out of the way, no?

All photos are by my pal Ashley, who we'll be showering next week. I was stressed, and when she showed up with her camera, I begged her to snap a few nice shots.

A hiking we will go

So I got this crazy idea to take a hike and have a picnic at the top.

Not just sandwiches, I wanted gourmet. I pictured myself drinking a sparkling soda, watching the sunset over the ocean and enjoying life.

Enter reality.

People canceling, the logistics of hauling a meal for eight for a mile-and-a-half, then hiking back in the dark were all things that I didn't put too much thought into until the day of.

So we went to Chili's and then hiked. We really love Chili's. It is pathetic how often we go there.

I love this guy too. And this animal.

I love this little one. If I could clone her, I think I'd have a kid tomorrow. She insisted on walking herself, which was super cute. "I walk! I walk!"

I still want to do the picnic thing. Forget reality, I shall figure it out. Glassware on top of a mountain and all.

And we'll be back on a clearer day. The sunset was behind the clouds this time and there was no ocean view. We'll be back.

The hike was Cowles Mountain. It isn't a mountain. Unless this looks like a mountain to you. If it is then we need to talk. Stat.

A craft I maybe could do

Love this T-Shirt apron from Ruffles and Stuff. Possibilities are endless and I am a fan of repurposing tees since I have drawers full of freebie ones I just can't give up. They always come with memories, be it spending a day volunteering somewhere or being part of something cool.

I also want to try making reusable bags into tees. But since I find myself getting free reusable bags everywhere, I'm not too motivated. The motivation must lie in getting the bags to the store. The hardest part I tell you.

P.S. Pretty necklace giveaway tomorrow. Yay.

Graduation party planning details

When I got the crazy idea to do a graduation party somewhere, I had no clue how. So I thought I'd write down what I learned and all.

Our first problem was that there is no cute graduation stuff. Everything was super cheesy. I had originally imagined having some sort of lawyer theme, i.e. signs that said "savory vs. sweet" and "right vs. left" or something, but it never happened.

Location:
Pepper Grove in Balboa Park charges no service fee to have up to four tables, 40 chairs, one 10x10 tent and a battery-operated stereo. Unfortunately the homeless people know this too. We had a hard time finding parking during the day, but by evening there was plenty. It is right next to a playground though, which was nice for kids.

It gets cold in May in San Diego. We should have advised our guests to bring jackets or something. At least our family who thinks they are invincible to San Diego cold. My dad was in a Snuggie.

Decoration:
Paper lanterns were from Asian Import Store. They were on sale, which was great. We got the 16-inch size, which was huge, but fun.
Battery operated lights were from eBay. And super cheap.
Luminaries were handmade, and never got used. Too windy.
Tulips were from Vons. They took about 48 hours to open - we picked them up on Friday morning and by Saturday night they were opening.
Mason jars served as vases. I thought they would be a little more manly. Thank heavens for a friend who cans.
Napkins and cups were from Party City.
Bamboo plates and sporks were reused from our wedding party three years ago, but they are similar to these.

Savory menu:
Veggie platter from Costco
Fruit platter from Costco
Meatballs from Costco, found in the frozen section, prepared in the crockpot for six hours with Yoshida's teriyaki
Kebabs, made of organic chicken cut into cubes and layered with peppers, marinated overnight and cooked for 45 minutes that morning
Carnitas from Costco found in the frozen section and cooked at the same time as the kebabs that morning

My fabulous friend made a cheese and cracker plate, bread with delicious bruschetta and hummus with a pita blossom. I assigned her to be in charge of "carbs" and I'm so glad she did.

Sweet menu:
Cream puffs from Costco (seriously do I shop anywhere else? Sad.)
Cupcakes, using this recipe from my friend Amanda.
Graduation shaped cookie cutters, using my mom's amazing recipe. She made them.
Graduation pops, from Bakerella. These were so easy and looked great.
Pudding cups or "dirt and worms" that our friend brought
Chocolate chip cookies from a friend. So grateful for friends who made things. We had so much food, but I appreciated not having to worry about it!

It was so much fun. We borrowed chaffing dishes instead of buying them because they are expensive. I do wish I would have taken the garbage and other stuff back to the vehicles -- it is in every picture and I really want it gone! I had to forego some control and just relax at some point though because we only had an hour to set up.

I'd never planned a party outdoor, off-site before. It was a lot of work. But I learned a lot and now I'm addicted. I want to do it more. Really inspired by this wedding, I love that long table and those lights. Who says you only get to plan a wedding and that's it?

We had a great time with our friends and I loved watching kids play croquet. Seriously cute.

The post grad

What do you do after graduation? Party of course!

It was so great to celebrate with our friends who have supported us through this journey.

We wanted to do something fun after graduation with the family we had in town. So we planned a party in Balboa Park, the "Central Park" of San Diego. We have lots of memories at the park so it seemed fitting.

It was cold. So my dad is in a Snuggie in every. single. picture. What a dad, right?

Bocce ball. We need to take this out to the beach and play more this summer.

This croquet set was the best $8 that we ever spent on Craigslist. The kids played with it, and while you might not think that kids with mallets are cute, I'm here to tell you that kids with mallets are adorable.

The caterers for the evening. Along with many friends who pitched in. Much appreciated. I was stressed with taking finals and people saved the day.

We sent the boys off to the Padres vs. Dodgers game and did most of the prep the night before so Saturday was a perfect, stress-free day. We slept in, I sent off husband to "graduation practice" and got to blow dry my hair, paint my nails, spend time in my pajamas, and then got everything ready. After graduation we had about an hour to set everything up and trek back to our house for the food. It was rushed and I had to surrender control of a few things, but it was such a perfect day, I didn't care.

Nice, printable invites

Wish I'd know about Download and Print before I ordered the hubs' law school announcements.

Definitely will be remembering it for the next party. Even if it is just to create a few for a dinner party. There is just something fun about printing off an invite, and when it is free, well, it is much easier to find opportunities! I love how nice-looking, non-cheesy they are.

I am thrilled at how husband's law school announcment turned out though. Perfectly conveys how we feel - not stuffy, but happy.

It was designed by Wenda of Tucci Paper Company. She was great to work with and very affordable. I printed off the invites on tan, textured paper. So they look better than this, but you get the idea.

Download and Print link via How About Orange

Amazing cupcake recipes

Ming Makes Cupcakes makes me want sugar. All sorts of great ingredients. Makes me want to get messy in the kitchen. Love the combo of ingredients. 

I still haven't figured what kind of cupcakes to get for hubs' graduation party. Part of me wants to make them - but when? It will be a busy weekend. Family in town. Freezing seems risky, as I don't want soggy sponges. And what if I totally bomb the recipe? It has happened more times than I care to admit. 

But grocery store cupcakes are sick. I bought some a few weeks ago, thinking maybe they would work, and maybe it it was just Albertson's, but they were icky.

That leaves a cupcakery but that is expensive. I think I might be in for that route though. Grad school is making me pay for convenience way more than I'd like. 

I've also considered buying the Sprinkles cupcake mix from Williams and Sonoma. A mix-meets-cupcakery route perhaps?

Ah well. 

My OCD side needs these plates

Food isn't allowed to touch on my plate. I hate it. The thought of a roll meeting jello or mashed potatoes making friends with raspberry jam makes me cringe.

Husband says it is abnormal, but I say I am just caring about what I put into my body. Why should I eat something that doesn't taste good? It is tainted.

Lest that makes me sound snobbish, I generally solve the problem by using multiple plates. Salad plates are my best friend. 

When I saw these plates at Generate Design, I fell in love. I could totally do that.

Five a day

This is my current food plan. I pack it all up before work and eat throughout the day. It is easy, which I definitely need, and I am noticing that I feel healthier. It includes an apple, a banana, a potato, and a mixed green salad with cherry tomatoes

I've struggled with eating salads forever. I feel like a rabbit. But recently I discovered bacon and salad. Everything is better with bacon. A half slice of bacon every day hopefully won't kill me.

A few weeks in and I'm feeling better -- let's just say I have the digestive system of Jamie Lee Curtis and I think the greens are helping with that.

Potatoes are starchy I know, but they have a lot of redeeming qualities -- potassium, vitamin C, etc. Maybe they just have a bad reputation?

I suppose the next step is to go organic. I can see it in my future -- I know that it isn't natural for all of the apples in the Costco pack to be the exact same size to fit the packaging -- but we'll have to budget for it too. So far I'm proud of us for budgeting for more produce. We're getting there

A happy holiday

I'm more than a little proud of my Easter ham.

Ahem, can we compare this to last year's dinner? Huge improvement. The ham was served with asparagus, mashed potatoes, roasted onions and a salad.

We also added some great friends. You know you have good friends when you make them smile and they all say "oh, this is going on the blog," and they smile anyway. It feels so nice to be accepted! And they ate my food, which is also really nice. I felt loved all night.

Husband and I have decided that it took awhile, but now we feel tied to San Diego. These people are a few of the reasons why.

Some pretty ranunculas made my house feel ever-so-pretty. I still can't stop staring at them. This is pre-food of course, but a happy table.

We ended the day with games and a cake infused with lemon, lavender and honey. I think the recipe is good, but maybe it needs a little tweaking to help the flavors come out more.

P.S. the earthquake was freaky. Small, yes. But totally weird to be stirring something over a hot stove and suddenly wonder "is the earth shaking, or is this just me?" Once, I realized what was going on, I turned off the stove top and oven and went outside.
I think it is almost the unknown of wondering if it is going to get worse and last a long time that is worse than losing your balance for a moment. That fear lasts a long time after the fact, too. I hate not being in control.

An Easter bonfire

And that is the only thing I think peeps are good for. S'mores goodness. The sick sugary outside hard and melts for a sort of (majorly sort of) Creme brulee effect. 

Also, I was rocking some weird layers and shorter hair a year ago. 

Also, I can't find those glasses anywhere. Life is getting a little unsafe. 

Pi day

Celebrated with a lot of apple, some cream and pudding, rounded to the nearest Saturday.



Complete with kids, learning a friend is expecting and an argument with husband over what fraction equals pi. Just FYI, 22/7 is 3.14

I thought it was a creative idea, and mucho thanks to our friends for inviting us.