Bay Area folks - pass it along..and make alternate plans until the bridge reopens.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/27/BAO81ABJTF.DTL&tsp=1

~~~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY!!~~~~

Happy Birthday Kayti!!!!!! :)

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Happy Birthday Jess!! :)

Your result for The Steampunk Style Test...

The Aristocrat

86% Elegant, 28% Technological, 70% Historical, 12% Adventurous and 14% Playful!

Take The Steampunk Style Test at HelloQuizzy

San Francisco Sidewalk Sales
Saturday, May 16, 2009

Join San Francisco merchants on Saturday May 16th as they take to the sidewalks to show off the style, creativity and plain old neat stuff that you’ll find throughout San Francisco’s local business corridors. Many of the local restaurants and boutiques are participating with sales, trunk shows, and food samples as well as live music and other activities. Be sure to stop by your neighborhood main street, or adventure across town for sidewalk sales and more as we celebrate Small Business Week!

Bayview / 3rd Street Corridor
Shop the 3rd Street Corridor
12:00 am to 6:00 pm
Third Street between Kirkwood and Yosemite

Castro and Upper Market
9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Castro between Market and 19th Street; 18th Street between Noe and Diamond;
Market between Castro and Sanchez, and Church from Market to 15th Street

Chestnut Street - Marina
10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Chestnut Street between Webster and Baker, plus side streets.

Chinatown
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Grant Avenue between California and Pacific, and Waverly Place between Sacramento Street
and Washington Street

Divisadero
11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Divisadero between Haight Street and McAllister Street

Excelsior - Outer Mission
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Mission Street between Avalon and Onondaga

Fillmore Street
12:00 am to 6:00 pm
Fillmore Street between Sutter and Jackson

Fisherman’s Wharf / Pier 39
10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Beach Street & The Embarcadero
Featuring the Local Advantage coupons, children (ages 11 and under) receive a free meal from the kids’ menu or a free attraction ticket with each purchase of an adult entree or attraction ticket at any of PIER 39’s 20 participating restaurants, attractions and shops. More information here.

Glen Park
10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Diamond between Monterey and Surrey, and Chenery between Castro and Thor

Haight Street
11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Haight Street between Central to Stanyan Street

Hayes Valley
10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Hayes Street between Franklin to Laguna;
Laguna between Fell to Hayes; Octavia Street between Grove and Fell; and Gough between Grove to Haight.

Inner Sunset
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Irving Street between 7th Avenue to 12th Avenue and on 9th Avenue between Lincoln to Judah

Leland Avenue
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Leland Avenue between Bayshore Blvd and Peabody Street

Noe Valley
8:00 am to 7:00pm
24th Street between Church to Diamond; Diamond, Castro and Church Streets between Jersey and Elizabeth

Ocean Avenue
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Ocean Avenue between Phelan Avenue and Manor Avenue

Outer Sunset
9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Irving Street between 19th Avenue to 25th Avenue.

Polk Street
11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Polk Street between California to Filbert, Green between Polk and Van Ness Avenue

Union Street
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Union Street between Van Ness Avenue and Steiner, Fillmore between Union and Lombard

West Portal
10:00 to 6:00 pm
West Portal Avenue between Ulloa to 15th Avenue
Unique “SELL & TELL”, Stroll the Avenue & “Get Smart”
Events include Merchant Demos w/ Q & A. Head-to-Toe: Hair, Skin, Jewlery, Nails, Clothes, Health-to-Wealth: Body, Eyes, Teeth, Law, IRA House & Home: Toys, Antiques, Food, Flowers, PLUS 3-Day Breast Cancer Raffle
Click for Details

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THOMAS!!!

Yay!!!!

I'm at the Sharks game!!

As the bus almost smashed into another car this morning on the bridge, I had two thoughts:

• I <3 Alan
• I need to make anUnoffical Guide to Surviving California Stoopid Plot

The stress is killing me. The impending doom is coming and I don't know what I will do. I've never been laid off. I was fired once, when I was 13 but it wasn't really a firing - I was too young to do the job, end of story, no hard feelings.

Now its different, I have an apartment, husband, bills and a kitty. I have medical needs, how will I afford any of this? I wish they would just tell us what is going on. Everyone is freaked out, people are crying in the halls because they have no retirement and fear they won't get work because its basically 1 job for every 3 people.

This is so not fun.

More pictures of inspiration


( Read more... )

- 3/4 pound beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 stalk chopped green onion
- 1 stalk chopped celery
- 4 large mushrooms
- 1 bunch of baby carrots
- 2 Roma Tomatoes
- 3 red potatoes
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- sprigs of Rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup of Dry Red Wine
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- 1/4 cup pearl barley
Dash of salt

Lightly coat meat with flour. In a large pot brown meat, celery and 1 clove of minced garlic. Stir in 1 cup of beef broth, onion, oregano and pepper. Stir in the mushrooms, baby carrots, and 1 cup of beef broth. Stir in the rest of the veggies, tomatoes, dash of salt, Red Wine, and Barley. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Place the last of the minced garlic and sprigs of rosemary on the top of the stew. Do not stir. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

At 1 hour stir stew and check for consistency. The liquid should thicken. Cook another 15 minutes. Test meat for doneness. Serves 6 cups or 4 main dish servings.

( Read more... )

1 cup pitted ripe olives
2 cloves garlic, minced (use fresh garlic)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoons capers, drained - use plain capers/nothing flavored
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/3 cups chopped heirloom tomato
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (3)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 French loaf (baguette)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup grated or shredded parm cheese

For olive paste, in a food processor bowl or blender container combine olives, garlic, vinegar, capers and the 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cover and process or blend till a nearly smooth paste forms, stopping and scrapping the sides as necessary.

For the tomato topping, in a small bowl stir together chopped tomatoes, green onions, basil, the 1 tablespoon olive oil, and pepper.

For the toast, cut bread into 1/2 inch thick slices. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees or a toaster oven until brown.

To assemble, spread each piece of toast with a thin layer of paste. Top each with about 2 tablespoons of the tomato topping and sprinkle with parm cheese. Place back in oven for 2-3 minutes (basically to melt the parm cheese).

Serve warm.

For those not on Geekcooks:

I made something called Cowboy Caviar and it went over really well. I had many folks asking for the recipe during the party, so I thought I would share with others.

Cowboy Caviar

1 - 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (2)
1/4 cup finely chopped red sweet pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used fresh garlic)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Add chopped jalapeno peppers, as much as you want (I cheated and bought a can of jalapeno's). I think I put in maybe 2 teaspoons.
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Dash of salt

In a bowl combine black-eyed peas, green onions, sweet pepper, garlic, oil, vinegar, jalapeno, black pepper, and salt. Cover and chill for 12 hours. I served the caviar in the same bowl I combined all the ingredients in but you can transfer it to a serving bowl if you want.

Eat with tortilla chips.

You can chill, covered, for up to 4 days.

Original Recipe from Better Foods New Cookbook