favs for the rain

It's a gloomy, gray, rainy Friday here in San Francisco so to brighten it up I'm coming at you with my favorite fixations for a flood.

For wearing:

The absolute must-have rain boots

1

For your home:

(since you'll be spending extra time there)

A tent attic = Awesome incarnate

Enough said.

1

Wine, bread, and cheese by a roaring fire?

Count me in.

1

For your greenery fix:

Bring the outside IN!

Because who doesn't want a citrus tree in their living room?

1

For eating:

Cozy up with a bowl of hearty chicken stew

with butternut squash and quinoa

1

For drinking:

Right beside a steaming cup of tea

- what could be better?

1

For some socializing:

Why brave the rain, STAY IN!

Throw a delicious, gourmet pizza-making extraganza.

1

And just for fun:

Because if you're already wet,

why not?

Stay dry,

xoxo

KK

practice and perfection

So as you may remember from one of my earlier musings, I pride myself in being a pretty darn good manual driver.    I chuckle at the children who cruise around in one of those shift-for-you, park-for-you, break-for-you, navigate-for-you, call-your-friends-for-you, lock-for-you automatic automobiles.  But not only do I like to brag when it comes to my uphill and downhill stick shift skills, I also boost a big game when it comes to parking - especially in my oh-so-classically-San-Francisco sardine can of a garage.

You can see my baby tucked away there to the left

Not sure how the feat appears to an untrained viewer, but getting in and out of that little spot is a daunting task.  The first time I attempted it took me a full 15 minutes.

Each way.

While seemingly simple from the outside...

...this jarring little corner dishes out all kinds of trouble...

...as it requires you to hit a maximum turning radius

while avoiding nicking your car's lovely paint.

 

After much maneuvering in and out, however, I have become a complete and utter pro - sliding into my coveted spot within 7 seconds or less.  I tell everyone who asks (and many who don't) all about my beyond expert-like abilities when it comes to the garage.  I tell them I am able to do the same with any car.  On any day.  In any spot.  Come on now, try me. 

I now revel in the opportunity to park with an unknowing passenger who can't help but ooo and aaah at my mastery of this labyrinth of a concrete block.  I still smile remembering the first time I drove my best pal Charlotte in when she came to visit back in October - she gave the most pleasing squeal of delight being (or at least pretending to be) oh-so-impressed with my command of this convertible.

When I came back from break (a week in Florida and then a week in Switzerland), I hopped in my car ready to zoom out with all sorts of intensity, not thinking twice about my easy-as-pie morning back-out routine.  But instead of a flawless fluid finesse, that sneaky little corner caught me off guard - snapping my precious little side mirror into a frenzy.

After I calmed down from the shock of my lack of perfection, I analyzed the makings of the crushing crime scene.  It had been a measly two weeks, but my skills have already sunk to subpar.  Perhaps it wasn't my parking prowess but rather my parking practice that had pushed me up from being pitiful.  And without it (practice that is), I'd be right back down there at pitiful again.  

At first I was sad, but then excited -  if training could teach me this oh-so-mundane maneuver with such completion, it could likely do that same for just about anything.  Sky-diving, surfing, perhaps even golf.  The possibilities are endless.

Thankfully this little guy snapped right back together without a scratch to be seen - the perfect little reminder that practice, while perfection in time it makes, does not lead to a permanent skill set.  While the sky is the limit when it comes to what can be learned and even mastered, without perpetual practice, my skills will slowly and sullenly sink.

xoxo

KK

why wed?

About a year ago, while having a delicious cocktail with my fab friend Deb, she let it slip that she never planned on having a wedding.  She was head over heels for her sure-to-be hubby but felt no need to go through the whole hoopla of a big shindig. 

The second she said it my jaw dropped to the floor. 
No dress, no tux, no dad walking you down the aisle?? 
No bridesmaids, no groomsmen, no flower girls in cute little dresses??
No toasts, no cake, no dancing until your feet are sore?? 
The thought was horrific to me - I couldn't imagine not LEAPING at the once-in-a-lifetime (we all hope) opportunity to plan and throw the most sensational and special party known to mankind.

1

But after 21 days into Stefan and my engagement, I am beginning to change my tune.  It's amazing how complicated the whole process of picking a date and then selecting a location and then deciding on a venue (let alone food and drink and flowers and photography) becomes oh-so-very quickly.  

 

1, 2, 3

I always imagined the whole thing being so easy - he'd ask me, I'd say yes, we'd decide when and where and how to wed, and then all our friends and family would be positively thrilled at whatever we choose.  But that's not how it works.  Once you're engaged, the world suddenly doesn't stop and start revolving around you. (And thank goodness for that because the ratio of my weddings to other people's weddings is not all that favorable.)

1

Instead, things just keep turning as they always did and there still ends up being a plethora of others' wishes and schedules and constraints to be juggled when wedding decisions are being made.  In our case, so much so that I've gotten very close to throwing in the towel - forcing my mom and Charlotte and sister and - most of all - Stefan to deal with my bridezilla-like breakdowns, which let me tell you: are by no means lady-like.

1

With all this stress and concern over making those around us pleased with the nuptials, it's easy to lose sight of the most important part of the whole process: the fact that we're deciding to spend the rest of our lives together.  Really one wedding weekend does not a marriage make.  We could get married at the local trash dump and it would still be magical - I'd still be going home with Stefan as my permanent other half. 
In fact, that's not a half bad idea; I bet there aren't too many people who decide to do that - at least it would be original.

So for all of you who are wondering when and where and how and what, you're just going to hold your horses: Stefan and I might have quite a few things to juggle, but we're not letting it make us lose sight of the main act: us saying "I do" (or "I will" as they say in die Schweiz).  Together we're quite the pair of acrobats and we're in the middle of planning a darn magical show.  Stay tuned.

 

1

xoxo
KK

captivating canapé

So as you've probably deduced from this blog, Stefan and I absolutely adore an aperitif.  When we first started dating, our go-to night out was wine and cheese on one of our unreal roofs (which we discovered shortly after our first date, were only blocks away from one another).  We'd often have so much fun chatting and munching and drinking and chatting, we'd skip dinner altogether.

The view from the roof at Stefan's old apartment.

But after a holiday break filled with a whole lot of cookies and not so many carrots, and with a fruit bowl that has looked like this since we got back:

Yep - that's right.  A whole lot of Swiss-military-issued

chocolate courtesy of Stefan's stint in the Swiss armed forces last month.

...we decided to revamp our evening tradition with an eye towards our waistlines.  So when we invited our wonderfully fun and fabulously French neighbor over for a drink, I made a few slight revisions.

First, in addition to our traditional classic French baguette, I bought a crunchy and delicious multi grain loaf cut extra thin - perfect for some smoked salmon and sliced onions.

Second, I concocted my own healthy version of a creamy curry dip - inspired by the beyond heavenly (and likely not low-cal) rendition at Larry's Market in Milwaukee.  It's always one of my favorite treats to revisit when I head home.

2 cups plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons curry,

a few good dashes of Worcestershire,

and pinch of sugar and salt

While we still had a tad bit of cheese, smoked salmon with fruit and veggies (paired with my curry dip) were the event's centerpiece.

While we hadn't warned our French friend about our new health-conscience culinary commitment, she seemed to be on completely the same page.  Along with the bottle of bubbly she brought, she came armed with a beautiful bowl of the creamiest, most luxurious mint pea soup I've ever sipped.

Just saute onions in a frying pan,

add chicken stock and bring to a boil,

add frozen split peas and cook for 3-5 minutes,

add mint and salt & pepper (and a bit of cream) to taste,

puree until smooth.

Enjoy!

The whole evening was positively lovely; I hardly missed the hearty helping of cheese at all.  

But it wasn't the multi-grain bread or the melon or the curry dip that was mouth-watering (while I hate to admit it, my spread didn't hold a candle to Larry's fine concoction), it was the company that was delicious, the conversation that was scrumptious, the bubbly banter of our friend's new job and our new engagement and the San Francisco sunshine that made the evening delectable. 

xoxo

KK

favs from mom

In brainstorming my favs for this week, I realized that a lot of my current favorites - scratch that, almost all of my ALWAYS favorites - are courtesy of my fabulously stylish and tantalizingly tasteful madre.  So in honor of her, I am sharing my favorites from the mothership - her fashion sense, her gifts, her recipes, her tastes, her habits, her words of wisdom.  Enjoy!

For wearing:

Boutique-bought black and white sweater,

J. Crew Excursion Quilted Vest,

Joe's "The Skinny" jean, 

J. Crew Booker Boots

(plus the red framed print behind me)

ALL gifts from my lovely mom

Ralph Lauren Merino-Wool Blend Dress

(plus leather chair gifted to Stefan)

(plus Alcatraz print gifted to me)

Again, ALL gifts from - you guessed it - MOM



For eating:

Her unbelievably delicious Caesar salad dressing

(6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 1 egg,

3 tablespoons lemon juice and Parmesan cheese to taste)

To die for!
1

Her Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Roll

We were always the coolest kids in school

when it came in with us a birthday treat

(you can find a close second to her rendition here)

For drinking: 

She's got me head over heels for this divine bubbly.

Oh what a shame.

For writing: 

Her emphasis on the value of a hand-written note

Sure, you can tell someone "thank you" or "I love you"

or "I am thinking of you" in milliseconds nowadays,

but somehow the extra few days in delivery

change the message in the most magical way

For rejuvenating: 

Her uncanny ability to sleep just about anywhere

(me demonstrating my inherited skills on a road trip)

For saying:

If you know her, you'll know she LOVES to say this.

For the longest time, I thought it was the silliest of sayings. 

OF COURSE, it is what it is. 

But after awhile, I realized the true intention of the phrase:

what has happened is over and done with,

stop stressing/worrying/getting anxious about it,

accept it, and move on or deal with it.  Pure brilliance.

1

Enjoy your weekend - it's gorgeous here and I am already salivating at thought of a trip to the ferry building farmer's market and a long run with Stefan on our favorite Pacific-lined trail.  I'll report back next week!

xoxo

KK 

surprised, pleasantly

I have a tendency to catalog things in my life within my very orderly, but somewhat rigid, mental filing system.  I make a judgment about something - I like this food, I don't like that sweater, I enjoy spending time with her - and then I file. 
Done and done.

Very rarely do I revisit my placements.  I trust my judgment and don't want to waste time reassessing what has already been assessed.

But recently, there have been a few times where I've been forced to pull out an old, dusty file and reevaluate.

Take lavender for instance.  For me - it was always a soup, detergent, or maybe a candle. 

 

1

Perhaps the essence could be allowed to be added to an already existing and much-more-prominent food flavor (lavender lemonade or lavender peach jam), but I couldn't imagine lavender standing all on it's own for eating.

But then someone brought some delicious Boulange treats into the office.
And I bit into a purple macaroon.
And it was lavender.
Just lavender and nothing else.

1, 2

The second I realized it, my jaw clenched up expecting the soapy taste of a sud-soaking detergent bubbling up within my cheek, but instead I was pleasantly surprised.  The taste was sweet, yet refreshing, calming and inviting, and all kinds of delicious macaroon goodness.

I admit it - I was wrong.  I pulled out my file and relabeled.  Lavender does have a place in culinary confection all to itself. 

Or take young adult fiction - the day I graduated from middle school, I pronounced this file of literary genre over.  I was an ADULT, not a little girl: I no longer read The Baby-sitters Club or Judy Blume.  

But then I read the first chapter of The Hunger Games and my tune quickly changed.  If you haven't taken the plunge yet, do it - regardless of your literary inclinations, you will love.

 

1

Then there's carnations.  I've always despised these terribly tacky flowers.  While I respect their positioning in a cheesy single-stem vase at a Denny's or equal-caliber establishment, I could never be happy with a bouquet of these blossoms for myself, especially when paired with babies breath - which comes in almost equally as awful. 

1

But then while at the cheese shop picking up some essentials, I stumbled across the most gorgeous bouquet of blooms in their tantalizing display right inside their front door.  As I stepped in closer to check out the name and price of these maroon beauties, I was shocked.

They were carnations.  My mind was racing as I tried to place them in the correct category: did I, or did I not, like this species of plant?  I liked it, but would I like it tomorrow?  Did I have to reassess and refile immediately?  Could I just keep this one file open for now?

But then I realized it's not just true about scents or books or greenery, it's amazing how often I place a person into a category where they may or may not belong.  And even if they do belong, they might not a few years, weeks, or days later.  I certainly am not the same category of person I was 6 months ago - how should I expect those around me to fit nicely into one mental file or another forever and ever?

They say "people don't change," but I actually don't believe that one bit.  I can't make a person change, but people change all the time: I am changing right this very moment just like everyone else - I should give those around me a little more credit for that.
(I'll have you know: my mental filing cabinet has just been thrown out of our two-story window.)

xoxo
KK

Do#2: Write Odes to Your Loved Ones (please read in limerick style)

A little treat to get you through the week. The east coast has been busy the past few days so hopefully this will be somewhat enjoyable or at least comical and endearing.

There once was a girl named KK,

Who knew how to take a great va-cay,

So she jumped on a plane,

And was never the same,

Because a marriage was much in the make-y,

The boy, his name was Stefan,

And believe me he was just no plain John,

He knew how to ski,

And had more than a key,

To KK's heart, the beautiful swan,

The rest, is yet to be told,

Her wedding soon to unfold,

It will certainly be sweet,

And a radiant treat,

To see them happily grow old.