Friday Links

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Warby Parker is here!  Warby Parker is here!  And just in time because I've got FSA money to spend & these 2 year old Zagg's aren't going to replace themselves.  (Warby Parker)

Need a Christmas gift for a pet lover, or yourself (treat yo self!)?  My friend Sarah is here to help.  Pet portraits:  $80 for an 8" x 10".  Takes 1-2 weeks, so order now!  (Sarah Shearer)

Attention Design*Sponge fans, long-time D*S contributor, Amy Azzarito, has a book!  Get it here.  (Design*Sponge)

If you've been alive this week, you've already seen this, but I just watched it again (all 6 minutes of it) because it's kind of the best thing I've ever seen on the internet.  (YouTube)

Piecing Together The Mystery Of My Metabolism One Doctor's Appointment At A Time

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*Disclaimer:  I am not a medical professional, nor am I in a position to give medical advice.  This post is based solely on my experiences.  Please consult with a doctor before embarking on a training or meal plan.

As you all know, I competed in my first triathlon in August.  As you may also know, I gained a little bit of weight doing so.  It was probably muscle, but still, my number on the scale went up.  In fact, it went up so much that at my annual physical, my doctor sent me to a dietitian.  My doctor concurred that it's probably muscle, but was alarmed nonetheless.  She tested my thyroid, but alas, my thyroid is fine.  So off to the dietitian I go.

This was all back in August.  I couldn't get in to see the dietitian until the end of October.  I joked that I was going to get as fat as I could in the meantime so that when I finally did get in to see her, she'd really have her work cut out for her.  Yeah, I totally didn't do that.  In fact, I lost all of my triathlon weight.  Don't get me wrong, I was still fat, but normal fat.

My appointment with the dietitian was great.  We went over my work-outs, what I eat, when I eat, when I work-out, how long I work-out -- everything.  She pulled up my blood work & confirmed that I'm healthy as a horse & that my thyroid is fine.  She even joked that she wished all of her clients had the problem of working out too much (*yes, my entire life is one big first world problem joke).

Turns out, I'm carbohydrate deficient.  And yes, that's a thing.  I work out so much & fuel so poorly, that my body is in starvation mode.  Basically, my body is burning muscle & storing fat because I'm a) not eating enough & b) eating entirely the wrong things (see (*) above).

I know, you're all totally jealous, right?  I've basically been put on a bread diet.  Somewhere the 24 year old version of myself is crying & demanding a do-over.

Obviously, she did not just tell me to start eating a loaf of bread every day & send me on my merry way.  I wish.  No, she gave me a detailed meal plan full of healthy carbs, coupled with protein & eaten at specific times of day.

She said that I'm the first person she's prescribed this too, & if she's right (fingers crossed!), I'll start losing weight immediately.  She said I'll lose a fair amount of weight virtually overnight & then it will slow down to 1-2 lbs a week.  She recommended MyFitnessPal, but to track my carbs, not my calories.

Here is my meal plan:

Carbohydrate Meal Plan (1 carb = 15 grams)
Pre-workout:  1 carb
Breakfast:  2-3 carbs + 1 protein
Morning snack:  1 carb
Lunch:  2-3 carbs
Afternoon snack:  1 carb + 1 protein
Dinner:  2-3 carbs
Totals for the day:  9-12 carbs, or 135-180 grams/day

Y'all, you will not believe how hard this is for me.  I'm having so much trouble getting enough carbs in.  Now I totally see how I'm deficient.  I don't eat carbs!  Who knew?!  Dinner is my biggest problem.  At most, I get 1 carb at dinner & I'm supposed to get 2-3.

It's a work in progress, but she was right about the immediate weight loss.  I lost about 5 lbs the first week.  Then I went on vacation.  Then my scale broke.  Then it was Thanksgiving.  So who the hell knows what I weigh now.  I know, I know, I'll buy another scale.

I go back & forth on this, but I'm generally fine with my weight/size.  I'm a comfortable size 12.  Yeah, I'd love to be a 10 again.  Shit, I'd cut off a leg to be an 8 or a 6.  But I'm okay where I'm at.  My clothes fit & sometimes I even look good in them.  Also, I'm totes healthy.  I work-out 6 days a week, & I mean work-out.  I'm either running outside in the elements up & down the insane hills of East Nashville, or trying not to puke or dislocate an arm in Hell Class.  All of this to be said, I'm doing things right.  Maybe one day my body will reflect that, maybe not.  In the meantime, I've got my health & I've got a shit-ton of friends who do all these crazy work-outs with me.  It could be a lot worse.

Weekend Wrap Up: Long Weekend Edition

This is the first year I didn't participate in Black Friday.  I just didn't feel it this year.  Instead, I got up at 5am, went to Circuit Class, had a liquid lunch with Heidi & Allison, & drove around giving plates of pie to all my friends who had to work.

I got up early on Saturday to put up our Christmas tree.  About half way through, I needed fuel, so I made this recipe for buttermilk pancakes with all the buttermilk I had left in my fridge.  These are the best pancakes I've ever made!

I like to watch movies while I put up the tree.  I usually watch Christmas movies, but this year I watched Manhattan.

Contrary to her ambivalent expression, Linda's actually really excited about Christmas.

The tree is up!  I spent the rest of Saturday cleaning & lounging.  That night, we met Mike & Amanda for dinner at Anatolia.  John & I have eaten at Anatolia for years, but I've recently discovered their chicken stew & I'm obsessed with it!

I'm running my second half marathon in New Orleans on February 24th.  While we still have plenty of time, we're trying to go ahead & get in the habit of running long runs on Sunday.  Even though it was 70 degrees on Thanksgiving, when I awoke yesterday, it was 25 degrees.  25 degrees!  After days of binge pie & buttermilk pancake eating, the last thing ANYONE wanted was to see me squeezed into 3 layers of spandex.  You're welcome.

Me, Jaime & Heidi ran a very cold 4+ miles, then warmed ourselves with coffee & breakfast biscuits at Barista Parlor.

Last night, John & I made Mark Bittman's thai curry stew with turkey & zucchini & watched Bernie on Netflix.  So good!  Jack Black - yeah!

Thanksgiving Recipe Round Up

For Thanksgiving this year, I made pumpkin pie dip, baked cheese grits, two pumpkin pies & a buttermilk-lemon chess pie.  Here are the recipes I used:

Pumpkin Pie Dip

From Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup frozen whip cream, thawed
Gingersnap cookies, apples, or cinnamon graham cracker sticks

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese & powdered sugar until smooth.

Add in pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, & ginger.  Mix well.

Fold in the thawed whipped cream.

Serve with green apples, graham cracker sticks, or gingersnaps.

Store in refrigerator.

Baked Cheese Grits

From Better Homes and Gardens

Servings:  makes 4 or 5 side-dish servings (I usually double the recipe)

Ingredients:
2 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 cup quick-cooking grits
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 tbsp butter

Directions:
In a saucepan bring water to boiling.  Slowly add grits, stirring constantly.  Gradually stir about 1/2 cup of the grits mixture into the egg.  Return egg mixture to saucepan & stir in to combine.  Remove saucepan from heat.  Stir cheese & butter into grits mixture until melted.

Spoon grits into a 1-quart casserole.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Pie

Andrews family recipe

Makes 2 pies

Ingredients:
2 pre-made frozen pie crusts (I use Marie Calllender's)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 can pumpkin
2 cups whole milk
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp vanilla
Cool Whip, to garnish

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together.  Pour into unbaked pie crusts.  Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees & 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  Pie is done when a table knife inserted in center of pie comes out clean.  It will set more as it cools.  Cool on wire rack for 2 hours.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Buttermilk-Lemon Chess Pie

From Bon Appetit

Makes 1 9-1/2" pie

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups AP flour, plus more
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup (or more) cold buttermilk

Filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp AP flour
5 large eggs, beaten to blend
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (& possibly spilled on your dog's head)
1 3/4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt

Directions:
Crust:
Mix flour, salt, & sugar in a food processor.  Add butter; pulse until pea-size pieces of butter form.  Add 1/2 cup buttermilk; pulse until moist clumps form, adding more buttermilk by tablespoonfuls if too dry.  Form into a ball; flatten into a disk.  Wrap in plastic & chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14" round.  Transfer to pie pan; gently press onto bottom & up sides of pan.  Trim dough, leaving a 1" overhang; tuck overhang under. Crimp edges decoratively.  Line with parchment paper or foil; fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake crust until edges begin to brown, 30-35 minutes.  Remove paper & weights; bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes longer.  Let cool completely.

Filling:
Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined.  Whisk eggs & remaining 6 ingredients in a large bowl (mixture may look curdled).  Slowly whisk in dry ingredients.  Pour filling into cooled crust & bake until custard is set around edges but jiggles slightly in center, 1 hour-1 hour 15 minutes.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover & refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Friday Links

Photo:  Creature Comforts

I love this time of year when bloggers start posting snazzy gift guides.  Creature Comforts is especially good at this.  (Creature Comforts)

Which Law & Order characters did their jobs best?  (Slate via Girls of a Certain Age)

Um, what?  Chinese man sues wife for being ugly; wins $120,000.  (Birchbox)

There are few things I enjoy as much as an Onion article written by an animal:  Come On, Just Open The Door And Let Me In This Once.  (The Onion)

Birchbox Review: October goop Edition

I was so excited when Birchbox sent an email asking if I'd like a special goop Birchbox.  Um, yes, please!  If it's good enough for Gwyneth, it's good enough for me.  This box ruled!

amika | Obliphica Nourishing Mask
Birchbox description:  Packed with omega acids & vitamin C, this lush conditioning mask boosts shine & even helps repair split ends.  Full-size, $12-40
My review:  Well, this is the best thing I've ever smelled.  I used this hair mask once a week & it really made my hair soft, not to mention how good it smelled all day.  When I told Jordan, my stylist, about this she immediately knew what I was talking about & said she smelled it at a hair show awhile back & meant to buy it because it smells so good.  I went through withdrawals when my sample ran out, so I bought a full size one.  Treat yo self!

Chantecaille | Faux Cils Mascara
Birchbox description:  Meet your new wand love - this water-resistant mascara delivers exceptional volume, length, & curl.  Full-size, $42
My review:  I had a makeover recently & they used this mascara on me & I LOVED it.  Alas, it was $42, so I didn't buy it.  I probably won't ever spend that much on mascara, but man, it's really good mascara.  It smells good, too, which is strange, but nice.

DDF | Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer
Birchbox description:  This high-tech moisturizing serum fills in pores & wrinkles for instantly smoother skin, while peptides & vitamins provide long-term anti-aging benefits.  Full-size, $85
My review:  I used this & liked it, but I couldn't tell that it was any better than what I currently use.  At a whopping $85, I'll definitely stick to my Oil of Olay.

EVE LOM | Cleanser & Muslin Cloth
Birchbox description:  The balm-like cleanser gently purifies & tones skin, while the matching finely woven cloth exfoliates without causing irritation.  Full-size, $22-$50
My review:  This was one of the strangest & best products I've ever used.  It smells weird, but not necessarily bad...  I used it at night & it made my face sooooo soft, like butter soft.  But it's a little bit of a process to use.  Okay, that's an understatement, it's a sonofabitch to use.  But it works!  It's the best my face has ever felt.  I'm on the fence about buying it.  I'm thinking about buying it just to convince myself that I don't need to keep buying it.  If that makes sense...

LUNA | LemonZest
Birchbox description:  These zesty snacks are a goop fave.  They're perfect to keep you full in between meals (plus they can double as a healthy dessert!).  Pack of 15, $18.75
My review:  I eat LUNA bars, so while these are weird to receive in my box, it's one I don't have to buy at the store.

Well done, Birchbox!

Weekend Wrap Up: Thanksgiving Prep Edition

I love Thanksgiving, like really love Thanksgiving.  Every year, I eagerly await the arrival of the November issues of my favorite food magazines, then I hoard them until I'm ready to give them my undivided attention.  I also save them (obvi), so after I've gone through the new ones, I can go back through my old ones.

Friday night I was finally able to sit down & go through all of my new magazines.  There's good stuff in there, people.  Good stuff!

In preparation for the Boulevard Bolt on Thursday, I ran a practice run early Saturday morning with Heidi & Allison.  Afterwards, we warmed up over coffee & complex carbs.  The Belle Meade Bread & Company makes a mean breakfast bagel, btw.  Who knew?!

My best friend since middle school / college roommate recently moved down the street from me.  She  moved to Japan when I moved to NYC & we've lost touch over the past 5-6 years, but we're back, baby!  We met for lunch at Korea House & then we spent a long time back at my house going through old pictures & re-living our youth.  Sigh...

On Saturday night, we met Sarah & Adam to see Lincoln.  Sarah has all of these ridiculous, but hilarious things that make her cry.  In addition to "athletic achievement", "Lincoln" is also on the list. She brought a package of Kleenex & I daresay she used them all.  It's an amazing movie though.  I cried, too.  Highly, highly recommend seeing it.  Daniel Day-Lewis, as always, you complete me.

Yesterday was the day I decided on my Thanksgiving menu, made a shopping list & braved the pre-Thanksgiving crowd at Publix.  By looking at this table, you'd think I'm feeding an army, or at the least, a family.  Nope.  I have a big family & we all gather for lunch on Thanksgiving.  There's already more food than we can eat, but I can't not bring anything, so I bring things.

Some years, people like what I bring.  Some years, not so much.  I'm looking at you, last year's shredded brussel sprouts with pancetta. This year, I'm sticking to things people like (baked cheese grits & pumpkin pie) & only adding one new thing:  Billy's Reid's buttermilk-lemon chess pie a la last year's Bon Appetit.  We'll see!

Yesterday was the 2nd annual Mayor's 5K Run/Walk Challenge in downtown Nashville.  I ran it last year & had a blast.  This year, my parents wanted to join me, so we walked it.  They reversed the course this year, so it wasn't all uphill, which was way better.  It was a lot of fun!  And the weather was gorgeous!

Last night, John & I re-visited an old favorite that we never make anymore:  chicken enchiladas!  So good!  I forget how much food this is though.  We'll be eating these babies all week.  Jealy?

Smitten Kitchen Love

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If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I've declared this my new favorite dinner. Brown butter mashed potatoes, you make life worth living. As a long time fan of Smitten Kitchen, I was excited to purchase her cookbook a few weeks ago. It's a great cookbook; very similar to her blog. Here is the one recipe I've made. It's life-changing.

Tomato-Glazed Meatloaves with Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Recipe:  The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Serves 6 (or 2 Baldwins 4 times)

Glaze:
4 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp table salt

Meatballs:
2 slices sandwich bread
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium stalk celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
Olive oil, for cooking
1 tsp table salt, plus more for vegetables
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground beef
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes:
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick) melted & browned
1 cup buttermilk
1-2 tsp table salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Make Glaze:
Combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan, and simmer, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Make Meatloaves:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Tear the bread into chunks and then blend it, in a food processor, into breadcrumbs. Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot to the food processor, and pulse it until they are finely chopped.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, coat the bottom with olive oil, and heat the oil for a minute; add the finely chopped vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the large bowl with breadcrumbs, then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the ingredients together with a fork. With wet hands, form the mixture into twelve 3-inch meatballs, each will weigh about 4 ounces.

Bake Meatloaves:
Space meatballs so that they are not touching, in a baking dish. Drizzle or brush each meatball with a teaspoon or so of the tomato glaze you made earlier, and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes (ours took longer). An instant thermometer inserted into the center of a cooked meatball will register 160-165.

Brown the Butter:
In a large pot, melt 1 stick butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden, and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don't take your eyes off the pot. You may be impatient for it to start browning, but the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes:
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes, depending on your potato size; the potatoes are ready when a paring knife or cake tester can be inserted into the center with little resistance. Drain the potatoes, and wipe the pot dry.

*Peel the potatoes - I find that holding one in a pot-holdered hand and using a paring knife with the other is easiest. Repeat with remaining potatoes until they are completely peeled. **Run the potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer, then return the mashed potatoes to your emptied saucepan. Add browned butter, buttermilk, salt and black pepper to taste.

*I didn't peel my potatoes.
**I used a potato masher.

To Serve:
Serve meatloaves with additional glaze on a bed of brown butter mashed potatoes.

You're welcome. This is the only recipe you're getting. If you want more, and trust me, you want more, go buy this book.

P.S. Pull out the crockpot and check out this roundup of chili recipes for fall!

Vacation Wrap Up: San Francisco Edition

Last week John & I went to San Francisco.  We went to celebrate the completion of this huge project John has been working on, but it also coincided with our wedding anniversary, so it ended up being kind of a second honeymoon.  This was my first time in California (I know!) & I loved it.  I spent the entire trip trying to figure out how we could live there.

We got there on Tuesday & stayed through Saturday.  It was plenty of time to do everything we wanted to do, with a lot of time to do nothing.  We stayed at the Sir Francis Drake in Union Square.  The location was perfect for us as we were within walking distance to coffee, food & two H&M's.  I'm on the fence as to whether or not I'd actually recommend this hotel, so email me if you'd like more info.  We also had a rental car, which I highly recommend if you can afford it, just be careful about where you park.  We accidentally illegally parked in The Castro & got our car towed.  It was $501 to get it out of car jail & then we had to pay the city an additional $98.  Yeah.

Buckle, up.  This is going to take you the rest of the day to read.

Day One:
On our first full day there, it was cold & super foggy.  We walked to Taylor Street Coffee Shop for breakfast then got the car & headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge.  First things first though:  Lombard Street.  This may be a good time to tell you that our rental car was a Crown Victoria.  Against the advice of everyone, we got that huge car down Lombard Street.  And it was awesome!  From there, we went across the Golden Gate Bridge, which I sadly couldn't really see due to the fog, & into Sausalito.  We hiked through Muir Woods & I got to see my first redwoods.  Then, on the recommendation of Mary Katherine & Marshall, we stopped for lunch at Fish.  Y'all.  The crab roll there almost made me cry.  It was the most delicious $60 lunch I ever had.

Back across the Golden Gate Bridge & back in San Francisco, we went to Seal Rocks so I could see the seals.  Alas, there were no seals that day, but it was a pretty hike nonetheless.  From there we drove around Golden Gate Park & ended up in Haight Ashbury where John spent hours at Amoeba Music.  Then we went to The Castro.  We parked & walked around for a long time.  I really liked this part of town.  We got ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery (so good!) & I saw Melissa from Project Runway.  Stars!  They're just like us!

This is the point in the story where our rental car gets towed.  Wah wah.  $600 later....  We walked to Chinatown & ate dinner at Hunan Homes.  So good!  It was the best Chinese food I've ever had.  Then I shopped around a little & bought cheap, Chinese wares for my nieces.  We ended the night at our hotel bar, trying to dull the pain of having our car towed.  After a drink or two, John quipped, "Remember at lunch when we thought $60 was the most money we'd spend today?"  Ha!

Day Two:
We awoke to gorgeous weather, so we went to Coit Tower to get a better look at the city & the Golden Gate Bridge.  Definitely worth it, especially since the non-English speaking man I stopped & asked to take our picture is clearly a world famous photographer skilled at taking pictures where you look 20 lbs lighter.  Thank you, mystery photographer, for the best pictures of us that have ever been taken.  If you haven't seen me in person lately, I've lost weight, but not that much weight.  The man is a magician.

From Coit Tower, which my phone kept changing to Coot Tower, so that's what I want to call it, we went to the Ferry Building to walk around & eat lunch.  I loved the Ferry Building.  Nashvillians, it's like a cross between The Arcade & The Farmers' Market + food trucks.  It was awesome.  We ate at the  4505 Meats food truck.  Y'all.  Mind.  Blown.  It was another meal that almost made me cry.  Their spicy garlic chimichurri fries & their cheeseburger topped with a fried egg...  OMG.  Tears, y'all.  Tears.

A day & a half in & we were hilariously already out of things to do.  It was also starting to rain.  So we drove to Santa Cruz & then drove the Pacific Coast Highway back to San Francisco.  Even though it was overcast & raining, it was still a beautiful drive.  We stopped here & there & snapped pics.

Back in San Fran, we parked the car & took a siesta, then went back out to shop a little before dinner.  In the 8+ years that I've known John, I think this is the first time he's gone into an actual store, a store that other people go into, & bought something.  It kind of blew my mind.  Meanwhile, in the time it took John to buy one pair of jeans, I hit Zara, Aldo, H&M & Uniqlo.  But I was saving the best for last:  Madewell.  Hilariously, & purely by accident, I was wearing head to toe Madewell, so I basically had a target on my back.  I can't remember the last time a sales associate payed me that much attention.  And it totally worked.  I bought a new gray cardigan & a circle scarf.  And by "I bought", I mean John bought because once you spend $600 to get your car out of jail, it's all just one big disaster you'll deal with later anyway.

We grabbed dinner at a place next door to Madewell called John's Grill.  It has some tie-in to a celebrity  and/or The Maltese Falcon - ?  I didn't understand.  It was kind of like if The Palm & Maggiano's had a baby.  Ridiculous restaurant.  Delicious steak.

Day Three:
On our final full day there, we walked to Dottie's for brunch.  Dottie's came highly recommended & we were excited to try it.  Unfortunately, John got accosted & subsequently peed on by a homeless lady while we were waiting in line, but that's another 1,000,000 word post for another day.  We stood in line for easily an hour, but I daresay it was worth it (said the one Baldwin who didn't get peed on.  Okay, he didn't really get peed on, more like peed beside, but still).  Best brunch I've ever had.  Ever!  Y'all, they had buttermilk dill toast!!!  Tiffany, you would have died.

After Dottie's, we shopped a little bit more.  What can I say?  There were multiple H&M's.  I had to see what they all had!  We also walked to the SFMOMA Museum Store, where I bought a birthday present for my niece.  And maybe some auxiliary Christmas presents for friends...

John wanted to spend a little more quality time with the Crown Victoria, so we decided to drive around some more.  We drove through more of Golden Gate Park & finally stopped & got a snack & some hot chocolate.  It was cold!  Then we found Strawberry Hill & hiked to the top of that.  So pretty!  Well, aside from all the teenagers hiding out smoking weed.  But you know, it's San Francisco, you expect that.

Hilarious side note, as we were getting back to our car, an older Chinese couple came up to us & asked if they could use our phone.  They didn't speak any English.  They were apparently lost & their daughter was driving around trying to find them.  Little did they know, but they didn't just stop an Eagle Scout, no, they stopped the 1999 Maryland State Orienteering Champion.  So John talked to their daughter on my phone, while he used his phone to track her until he got her there.  It was kind of amazing.

It was too early to eat, but it was cold & dark, so we drove to Mission & walked around until we were hungry.  On Yewknee's recommendation, we tried Mission Chinese Food.  We put our name on a hanging, unattended clip board on the door & got in line.  It was early, so it didn't take long & they seat you family-style, so it goes faster.  We ordered the salt cod fried rice & the thrice cooked bacon.  It's not necessarily a sichuan restaurant, but it's all pretty spicy.  Like light your colon on fire spicy.  It was the most painful, delicious Chinese food I've ever had.  I loved it.  And our seat mates shared.  Score!  They let us try their kung pao pastrami & it was AMAZING.

Sadly, my body had an adverse reaction to the food, so I got a little sick.  We had plans to meet our friends Ryan & Jessica, who were also in town, at the infamous tiki bar, Smuggler's Cove, but I was basically dying a slow death & felt like all of my internal organs were melting, so we just went back to the hotel.  I felt bad for ruining our last night there, but there was really nothing I could do about it.

Not that anyone is still reading at this point, but all in all, this was a fantastic vacation.  I love San Francisco so much.  Thanks to everyone who gave me recommendations.  They were all spot-on!  Most of all, thank you to my husband who spent roughly one million dollars to take me on this amazing vacation.  Team Baldwin!

Full San Francisco photostream here.

Four Year Anniversary

Four years ago today, John & I were married. We've already faced our share of ups & downs (thanks for nothing, economy) & we made it through. Even though we're on an upswing now, it's comforting to know that when, inevitably, the bad times hit again, we'll survive.

John, I've said it before & I'll say it again: marrying you is the smartest thing I've ever done. You're an amazing husband. Happy anniversary. I love you.

Weekend Wrap Up: Anthony Bourdain Edition

On Saturday morning, I met Jenn for yoga at Sanctuary in Green Hills, where, ahem, I did my first full backbend (yeah, I did!).  Thank you very much, Hell Class.  Afterwards, I went over to Hill Center for coffee & breakfast at Whole Foods, then shopped around a little.  I want everything in West Elm right now, including all this amazing fox stuff.

Still at Hill Center, I meandered down to Cosmetic Market & treated myself (treat yo self!) to some Oribe hair conditioner.  Hey, I did a backbend; I deserve this.

On Saturday night, John & I trekked downtown to see Anthony Bourdain at TPAC.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was fun.  Well, until the Q&A portion.  All night & continuing into the next day, John shouted out fake questions.  Here are my favorites (CAPS to denote the volume of John's voice):

"MISTER BOURDAIN, HAVE YOU EVER STARED INTO THE ABYSS AND FOUND THAT THE ABYSS IS STARING BACK AT YOU?!"

"HI, UM, MISTER BOURDAIN, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO MEN'S WAREHOUSE & DID YOU LIKE THE WAY YOU LOOKED?!"

"MISTER BOURDAIN, IS THAT YOUR FATHER'S OLDSMOBILE?!"

On Sunday, Jaime & I ran a very cold 3 miles through the Richland Creek Greenway.  Hello, running tights!

Fed up with the stream of meh books I've read this year, I spent all weekend reading The Art Of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein.  This book has been recommended to me over the years by 1 million people, so I finally read it.  It didn't change my life or anything, but I liked it.  And Linda got a lot of extra attention as a result.

Friday Links

Kate Spade has a new, lower-priced line called Saturday coming out in March.  Prices will range from $30 for jewelry to $100 for clothes.  (Making It Lovely)

I received my new Smitten Kitchen cookbook this week!  I love it so much!  Congrats, Deb!  Get your own copy here.  (Smitten Kitchen)

There are few things that I find as relaxing as painting my own nails.  But...  I'm actually not very good at it, which is why this tip from Birchbox has changed my life.  (Birchbox)

I put this on Facebook, but in case you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend it:  Your Guide to the Indistinguishable Men of Nashville.  (Vulture via Girls of a Certain Age)

Tom Hanks Performs Slam Poetry About "Full House".  Just watch it.  (Jimmy Fallon)