OWN's You Glow Girl House Party

last Saturday night a fun group of girls got together for our irregular Girl's Night. this one was kinda special thanks to OWN and their skin care products.  the wonderful people at House Party set us up with a bunch of goodie bags.

we received:
OWN Dual Protecting Day Lotion (SPF 30......thankyouverymuch!)
OWN Refining Moisture Night Cream
OWN Day Lip Treatment (SPF 10)
OWN Nighttime Lip Therapy
and coupons for future purchases

the lip therapy products came in ice cream cone looking containers that we all thought were totally cute........and great feeling!

as part of the party, OWN gave me recipes for a "facial bar". I'm not sure if I was supposed to make them ahead of time or just have the ingredients......but I made them before hand so we could spend the evening drinking wine, chatting, and rubbing yummy smelling goo on our faces instead of chopping, blending, and cleaning. after making them, my kitchen smelled SOOO good!!

the other fun activity we had was downloading the My OWN App (in the iPhone app store) to get personalized recommendations. I had tried to practice before the party and the app seemed glitchy. every time I tried to go through the instructions the program would crash. then after taking a photo, the app kept saying it was processing and in the meantime I got an email with my results.....while the program still processed my photo. when I checked in to the app later at the party, it had done an analysis and had suggestions. it worked better for my friend Amy.

so after playing with the app and drinking a glass (or two) of wine, we started checking out the facials. I decided to do a half and half: banana honey on one side and blueberry oatmeal on the other. the two I didn't use were the cucumber and the green tea. no one used the green tea as the recipe didn't work. otherwise, we loved them all as you can tell in this less than stellar photo.

overall we had a great time! Jen and I have full sizes of some of the OWN products so I'll give you an update after I've used them for awhile. btw, you can find your own OWN items locally at Whole Foods.

Disclosure: If you hadn't figured it out from the preceding blog post, OWN gave me the products I passed out at the party and full size ones for my own use.

Soup - my new addiction #DineDowntown

I have never really been a soup fan. sure it is nice on a cold winter's night, but I like to CHEW my food! I'll never be successful on a smoothie diet unless I can have a bowl of popcorn or chips with it to snack on..........and I have yet to fool myself into thinking celery makes a nice crisp snack!

between Dine Downtown and my birthday, I have had 3 wonderful bowls of liquid amazingness in the past week!

first was the lovely Curried Cauliflower-Dungeness Crab Bisque from The Firehouse. as you can see from the photo below, they "plate" it at your seat. succulent crab is bathed in a thick cauliflower veloute (a stock and roux based sauce) that is flavored so well you have to work hard to remember you don't like cauliflower!  (did you know you can get a cup of this lovely soup along with half a sandwich at lunch for $10.95? I didn't......but do now! YUM!)

 

then there was the snuck-in bonus Dine Downtown dinner at Thir13en. seriously hadn't planned on going but was cruising menus and saw they were offering scallops! not sure why.....but I have been craving scallops for the past week. it seemed kismet and I squeeked in reservations. the scallops were amazing and totally over-satisfied my craving........but again, the soup stole the show! red curry and butternut squash from Feeding Crane Farms with some sage and cumin. so warm and rich! I joked that I was resisting licking the plate. I am not joking that I think I might start bringing a mini spatula with me to make sure I get every drop!

and finally.........The Kitchen! buttered Main lobster with puff pastry, tarragon, celery heart and mascarpone. Randall Selland explained that how they made the soup and how it came out so rich even though they didn't put any cream in it. I'd love to tell you.........but I was in a euphoric state from the flavorfulness of the dish. one of the great things about an evening at The Kitchen is that you can get seconds (or thirds.....etc) of any dish you like! seriously......this is the world's most tasty all you can eat place! with seven "acts" and a sushi intermission, I had been reluctant to even consider asking for seconds of anything.......but both myself and the other lovely birthday lady in my group had requested another bowl before we had even finished the first one! (it was served after the next course.....a nice break so you could enjoy it new all over again!)

maybe it is because this winter has seemed so cold? maybe it is because I have had the opportunity to have soups prepared and some pretty amazing places? whatever it is......I am a soup convert! I might even start making some at home!

#DineDowtown Fat City......aka: Sacramento's birthday present to the foodie in me!

Most people aren't happy having birthdays in January. I am one of them. No one wants to party and they are all broke. This situation has been resolved with Sacramento's Dine Downtown. Twenty-nine restaurants create full meals for $30/person. They do it as a draw during the slow season. I prefer to think they are helping me celebrate surviving another year on this planet! Either way, choosing the restaurants to visit during the 10 days is the hardest part........... until you get to their menus.

I have a couple reservations set already this year but am hoping to sneak in one or two more places. Last night was Fat City in Old Sacramento. As I discussed back in 2011, I am not a restaurant reviewer, just a person who enjoys food. But here is what I think........

Set in Old Sacramento, Fat City is the most casual and American in the Fat's Family of Restaurants. Most people "know" of Frank Fats on L Street as a dark men's type club where big deals are wheeled. Fat City, in contrast, has a lot of windows and brick creating an open, welcoming environment.

I was a little disappointed that the Dine Downtown menu was not presented with the dinner and drink menus. We had to ask for it. 

 

My first struggle came with the appetizer. I am not a beet person and while I have survived eating beets this past year it isn't something I ever expect to make a habit of........and with the other options, who really needs to?!?! That left me with 3 amazing options. I struggled, but pulled myself away from the French Onion Soup and ordered the Shrimptini.........because hubby ordered it and I knew I could sneak a taste of his! Our dining companion choose the Tomato Basil Crostini.

The Shrimptini was fastastic.......do you see all that shrimp? The dish came with a cocktail sauce that was nice and spicy. The spice was balanced out by the inclusion of smooth avocado. I was very happy with my choice!

I didn't take a photo of Jeff's French Onion Soup but that wasn't because it was lacking anything. I loved that they used a wide, shallow dish so that there was ample real estate for the cheese to be melted on top. I loved the bites I stole so much that I think I might go back and order it for lunch. The onions had a slightly sweet taste to them. Great contrast to the tang of the cheese!

Our friend was sweet and willing to share her Tomato Basil Crostini............so glad we invited her! For me, the fresh mozzarella was the highlight of the dish. I was surprised at how great it taste after seeing it cubed..........guess I expected crumbles. It sounds odd, but there was too much topping on the crostini and it was difficult to eat without losing some of the cheese and tomatoes. Please don't take that as a complaint! I was happy to scoop it up with my fork.

For our main course, our friend and I chose the Stuffed Dover Sole while hubby chose the Osso Bucco. Once again, we were all very happy with our choices.......though I would have been perfectly happy with any of the four options on the menu.

The Dover Sole had been cut thinly............mimicing a crepe.......and then stuffed with more seafood. Oh my it was tasty! Add the sauce and delicate potato gnochhi and you have a decadent entree.  My friend and I both ate our entire entree......I don't even think I offered hubby a taste.........which was fine because THIS is what he was served:

It is easy to say that the Osso Bucco was the dish of the evening. Impressive presentation only eclipsed by the tenderness and flavor of the pork.  The mashed potatoes and carrots served with the meat were good........but you remember the meat! And the serving was large enough that hubby was able to share.....and have enough to enjoy again for lunch today.

I wonder if I should warn you.........we had 6pm reservations and hubby got the 2nd to last order of Osso Bucco. I don't know if this is normal but be prepared!

Yes........our $30 meal included dessert. I wasn't going to pass on the Banana Cream Pie. Hubby managed to steel himself and get the Chocolate Cream Pie. Both were excellent with the puff pastry textured crust being the highlight. I was a little underwhelmed by the bananas. I expected a slightly more ripened banana with a stronger flavor. I had my leftovers today and the bananas had ripened and the pie had that taste I was looking for!

The three of us left the restaurant full and happy after a delicious meal. The atmosphere makes this a great choice for a date, group, or family meal. Whether you have plans to take in the Dine Downtown experience, or are just looking for a nice place for dinner........I can thoroughly recommend Fat City!

And now off to find my next menu to drool over.......

Wishing you a Holly Dolly Christmas!

as before, Christmas time reminds me of how many wonderful friends I have......and how many addresses I don't have. heck, some of them I don't even have phone numbers......but that has not lessened the friendship! thank heavens for the internet.

to each and every one of you, I thank you for your friendship!

 

though......Dolly may not quite feel the same way!

Some stuff you might win! (Giveaway)

I didn't know what to call this. It isn't like I have some humongous crazy prize I am giving away.....but I DO have an accumulation of miscellaneous fun things (I think) that I have been given/won/collected/whatever throughout the past year that I thought it would be nice to share with someone else.

Here is what you can win:

• Bath & Body Works Coconut Mango 2 oz body lotion
• Webkinz Very Merry Christmas Seal Ornament
• CODE ONLY Webkinz Reindeer (December Pet of the Month)
• Fiskars Peacock Decorative Corner Lever Punch
• Rizzoli & Isles Complete First Season DVD
• 2 Chick-Fil-A "treat" cards - each good for a sandwich, nuggets, or my favorite: milkshake (these are only good for the Arden Fair location.....please see caveat #2 below)
• Coupon for 2 lbs of Tillamook Cheese (good through 12-31-11) and bonus Tillamook toy car (please see caveat #2 below)
• Light the Town Pink light bulb from Panera in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

 ....and, I have the right to add more stuff to the box! I promise no kids or pets.

How can you win?
post a comment below. that is it! well, post it before December 4th. (and obey caveat #1 below) if you win, be prepared to give me your address when I announce the winner December 5th so I can get the package out to you asap. yes, I will only have 1 winner. some of the prizes seemed silly to pass along individually.

I have 2 small caveats:

1. you have to give something in this merry mix-up of stuff to someone else. please tell me in your comment which item you would give away, to who, and why you would give them that particular item. (I don't need specific name, addy, etc....."little ol lady next door because she still talks about her honeymoon to Hawaii" is perfectly acceptable)
2. if you do NOT live in the greater Sacramento area OR will not be visiting prior to December 31, 2011, I will exclude the Chick-Fil-A coupons from the package and figure out another way to pass those on. if you don't live locally but have a suggestion for what I do with the coupons, I'd love to hear it! ditto for the Tillamook cheese. while I think their cheese SHOULD be available everywhere, it just might not be. I can still send you the car if you want! lol!

you can enter once......and so can everyone else. I'd love to give everyone presents, but Santa would get jealous!

Giving Thanks......

So Thanksgiving is Thursday. Perfect time to let you know how thankful I am for you readers. You may not be many, but I love you all just the same! I'll take quality over quantity any day!!

As a thank you, I have a few sumthin sumthins to give away. I am going to do it shortly after the holiday. I haven't decided if I am going to do it in one fellow swoop or piece meal it so many can win. The only drawback to the one fellow swoop is that at least one item is local and I would hate to leave out my non-local pals.

and with that rambling completed......have a GREAT Thanksgiving! send warm thoughts to those of us working or running the Sacramento Foodbank's Run to Feed the Hungry.

Things to do......you know, pretending its Fall and all!

And here is where you expect me to tell you "go to Apple Hill....see the leaves turn.....blah, blah, blah." Assuming you live anywhere near here, you already know about Apple Hill (go early, leave early). I want to tell you about the other things happening! Let's call them the "B-side" of the things to do list! lol!!

This Thursday, September 22nd is West Wind Theaters annual Customer Appreciation Night! What is better than the drive-ins? How about FREE drive-ins!! You get your choice of Cars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Transformers 3. Long rumored to be their "last year" every year, West Wind has done a great job of remaking themselves as more of a family destination. Let's hope the weather is a bit cooler than those meteorologists are saying so we can all hang out watching movies and eating $1 nachos......oops! I forgot to mention that! Yeppers, $1 nachos!

If that puts you in the mood for some more family together time, check out Citrus Heights' Sunday Fun Day on Sunday, September 25th at Rusch Park. This is the 15th year for this free bounce house, pony rides, rock climbing wall, live entertainment, and give-away event. There will be lots of food, music, and fun for everyone in the family! I have some great photos of a cute little Ryan on the amusement rides, and the boys a bit older "steering" the fire truck, and now spinning give-away wheels. The worst part of this event.......parking! Be patient and be willing to walk. It will make life a lot easier.

So if anyone has any pull in the weather department, order up some cooler fall weather!

Winner Winner Cheesy Dinner!! Tillamook Cheese winners!

A couple weeks ago we had the awesome pleasure of inviting another family over for a wonderful fondue dinner with the cheese supplied by Tillamook. Oh, it was SO darn tasty and we had a blast!! I posted about the evening here and then gave readers a chance to win themselves some free Tillamook Cheese! They could win one of two ways: tell me how they would Share the Loaf with family or friends OR tell me a cheesy joke! (come on now......you know me, you know I couldn't resist!)

So here are our winners and their entries:

Tamaralyn Kieso said...

For my next college friend get-together, I would take my Tillamook cheese blocks and slice them. I would have several varieties. Then, I will blindfold my friends so they can guess what kind each cheese is. Because I'm from the cheese state (Wisconsin) we know a lot about cheese. I will also have my friends guess about how old we think the cheese is and what kind of milk it is made from. What a great way to educate ourselves from this game all while enjoying our favorite cheese 

Nancy Niles said...

What type of cheese isn't your cheese? NACHO CHEESE!
What do you call cheeses made in Israel? Cheeses of Nazareth!
Knock Knock
Whos there?
Gorilla
Gorilla who?
Gorrilla me a cheese sandwich, I'm hungry.

Try&TryAgain said... I would use the cheese when I babysit my friend's two young children. I would get out some fun cookie cutters and let the kids "cut the cheese". I would also make grilled cheese sandwiches that can be cut into shapes. Fun kid friendly activities with the best cheese ever!

MommyRandomness said...

My daughter is 6 and a very tender heart and loves grill cheese and we pass the local Salvation Army and when we go to the bank she sees all the people waiting on the sidewalks for lunch and she always says we should make them grill cheese so they won't be hungry while they wait...I would make grill cheeses with her to give to the people so she feels like she shared her desire to be a chef and love for grilled cheese!!! GO Tillamook!!

Oh!! doesn't that last one just pull at your heart? Thank you Tillamook for giving me the opportunity to share the fun with my friends and hear these great ideas!

And if you need a laugh, there were a few more hysterical cheesy jokes in the original post. Congrats to everyone! I'll be contacting you to get addresses to send out your cheesy rewards.

Oh, and while I know that "real" bloggers never mix topics in the same post, I don't have the patience for that! So, to update my list of giving things away:
got those bags of clothes to Goodwill and have filled up another one
2 sketch books!
I am hoping they will help inspire my friend to scrapbook more......and in turn bug me to do more! And if you are interested in what I am scrapping these days (when I DO scrapbook)......check out my scrap blog: SometimesSusanScraps

Labor Day Weekend: enough time for FUN & a little relaxation!

School has started and I can't believe how much I am already looking forward to the first holiday, Labor Day! A three day weekend somewhat guarantees me I'll get to sleep in at least ONE morning....and even offers that whispered promise of a possible date with hubby!

But just when I start thinking wonderful thoughts of kicking back, that old adage comes crashing through: "the universe hates an empty calendar." This must be why there are SO many things to do this weekend! And believe me when I tell you, there is something for everyone: young at heart, old fashioned at heart, and gay at heart! (sorry! just couldn't pass that one up!)

Here are my top picks for this coming Labor Day weekend:

• Sacramento Gold Rush Days: Did you know I was a history major in college? They called it "social science" but it really was history! Anyway, I used to participate in events like this on the side. The folks from the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (and others) are going to truck in a bunch of dirt to Old Sacramento, have loads of people in period costumes (like I used to do), and pretend Proposition 13 and Governor Terminator didn't exist! The sites says the year is 1850, but if you want to attend the preview night on Friday, it will only be 1849......as in $18.49! If you can hold on until the clock strikes 1850, the event is free and runs from 10am to 5pm. No planning ahead necessary! If you are good at planning ahead (to go back in time) check out the Old Sacramento Underground Tours while you are there! The site also has a great schedule of performances and events.....you know, in case you are good at that planning ahead thing.

• If you want a more colorful weekend, how about checking out Sacramento's own Rainbow Festival! This event runs Friday through Sunday (you will need Monday to rest). The Rainbow Festival is held to raise awareness and raise money for charities that provide support and services to the Lesbian and Gay Community......and to have a blast!!! The main event is the festival street fair Sunday from 10am to 6pm. There will be entertainment, vendors, etc. J and L Streets between 19th & 21st will be blocked until about 8pm Sunday night for the Festival.

• Should the Rainbow Festival prove a bit TOO colorful for you, how about Sacramento's 20th Annual Chalk it Up! Held at Fremont Park Saturday through Monday, this will feature artists creating works of chalk art, kids activities, and even your own opportunity to create your own personal square!! If nothing else, you might want to check out the festival just to get a chance to track down your favorite elusive food truck! AND, Blackbird Kitchen & Bar is going to be there! These are the awesome people who fed us some AMAZING oysters at the last Sacramento TweetUp! I am SO looking forward to these guys opening for business! Anyway, come get your hands dirty (or chalky), listen to some music, and be a kid again!!

• However, should your weekend plans include a belated spring cleaning.....or early fall cleaning, maybe you are looking for something a bit more practical? How about an e-waste event? You are in luck! One is being held this Saturday from 9am to 1pm in the parking lot by the softball field at Mira Loma High School!
• They can accept: monitors, tvs, PCs, VCRs, stereo equipment, speakers, keyboards, mouse(s), PDAs, digital cameras, zip drives, telephones, cell phones, printers, copiers, toasters (huh, didn't know about that one), blenders, microwaves, laser and multifunction scanners and fax machines. They'll even destroy your hardrive!!
• They cannot take: household appliances like fridges or washers/dryers, furniture (seriously people? when is furniture considered e-waste??), hazardous household waste like: flourescent light bulbs, paint, pesticides, used oil, cleaning supplies, and tires......again, not e-waste!
• While you are there, consider making a donation. That IS what it is all about, right?
  

So, a big beautiful weekend ahead of you! Lots of fun things to do......and still get that lazy morning to sleep in! If you decide to check out any of the events listed above, please let me know! Also, remember to take a moment and tell me how you would have some fun sharing Tillamook Cheese! I have some great ideas (and terrific jokes) already!

Sharing Loaf Love! And you can too!

Thanks to all the fun I had with them at the Sacramento Zoo last month, I was fortunate to receive a very special care package from Tillamook Cheese. They call it a "Baby Loaf Box". The wonderful people at Tillamook asked that I use the contents to Share the "Loaf" Love to bring friends and family together for some cheesy fun. (and promote Tillamook's awesome cheese of course!) Honestly, the possibilities for sharing the cheese were endless and a bit overwhelming. A favorite idea that didn't make the cut was a "build your own nacho bar." I don't think it will be too long before you hear me blog about that happening....maybe a football game party?

Anyway, as you may remember, our family tries to have a game night each Sunday where we end the weekend and start the week playing games and reconnecting. Recently, these have gone the wayside to last minute errands, Scout meetings, etc. Tillamook Loaf Love was just the incentive we needed to get back to this favorite habit.

We invited the Powers family over for a Sunday night fondue. The Monterey Jack and Medium Cheddar Baby Loafs were perfect for this! (yes, shredded cheese would be easier, but I have 2 kids that want to help and shredding cheese is a great way to let them help!) I wanted a nice balance between the more classic fondue dipping items and more "kid" fun kind of bits. By the time the Powers arrived, we had lots of goodies ready to dip: sausage, meatballs, tortellini, lots of veggies, apples, soft pretzels, and tator tots. Ready for dipping were a white wine Monterey Jack cheese with some garlic and nutmeg (surprising but tasty!) and a beer bacon Cheddar cheese fondue with bacon pieces, mustard, horseradish, and Worcheshire sauce.

Eight people around the table, dipping and talking made for a fun, loud meal! Lots of laughter, reaching arms and tasty cheese fondue! It was fun seeing how the same items tasted different in the two different cheese pots.

The kids decided their favorite dipping items were meatballs that had been baked and halved and the chunked sourdough bread. (don't tell the kids, but I think they ate more veggies tonight than they normally do!)

After dinner, the kids played Wii and the grown-ups sat around and chatted. The evening was definitely a success!

So, wanna know how "you can too" share in the Tillamook Loaf Love? Well, in the Baby Loaf Box were some coupons (and what I call "party favors".........see the photos with the two Baby Loafs) for me to share with my blog readers! The coupons are good for 2lbs of Tillamook Cheese!! (did you know the cheddar is aged and someone actually tastes it to make sure it is aging nicely? I want THAT job!!)

Here is the deal:
Tillamook asked that I have my blog readers post their ideas for how to Share the Loaf with their family and/or friends. The most creative ideas will win free cheese!
And since you know how I love puns, I am going to give the best cheesy joke or pun free cheese too!!
You have until September 10th to post your ideas and jokes!!

And when you win, be sure to check out Tillamook's blog or website for some great recipes using that tasty cheese!

Disclosure: In case you hadn't figured it out, in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR Part 255, Tillamook Cheese has generously supplied me with complimentary tasty cheese for promotional purposes.

but why??

so, one of the reasons I haven't posted very often is because I was debating my blog's focus. at first I think it started as an online diary of sorts, but I did as good a job with that as I did with my pencil & paper diaries as a teen!

a while ago I changed the tag line of the blog to represent the focus I intended for myself. pretty much a cool way of saying "who, what, where" thinking I would talk about the things I do (like read books), the places I go (like movie reviews), and people......a catch-all for everything else.

I started by doing my famous amateur restaurant review and then thought I would do a full scale "The Help" review. that last part hasn't happened (yet!). the most recent post was about an event happening this weekend that is just quirky and fun! hopefully if you live locally you have already visited the Sacramento Zoo, and who can complain about a cute van and cheese? overall, I would love to let people know about things they might like but might miss if I someone doesn't tell them about it!

anyway, these are some of the things I would like to include in this blog......along with my overall general randomness that is always a favorite of mine! lol!!

if you are named Arlyn and are reading this....

you should probably go check out my scrapbook blog.

if you aren't named Arlyn, you are very welcome to look but I can guarantee that Arlyn hasn't seen it recently. I would have heard about it! of course, I think she said she has over 200 posts in her reader to get caught up on. she might not read this until sometime this summer!

Being a restaurant reviewer isn't as easy as it looks!

I know being a restaurant reviewer sounds like a dream job. And honestly, it still does. But it is a lot harder than you would think! I am not talking Mike Rowe Dirty Jobs hard....but it isn't a cake walk!

Tonight I had the unique pleasure of being a restaurant reviewer......at least well kinda. A friend of mine, Kristy (aka cakegrrl) was doing a preview review for the upcoming Dine Downtown Restaurant week (ending on MY birthday, btw!) and asked me to join her (thank you, Kristy, SO very much.....what a welcome respite in an overly crazy day/week). Okay, so how fun does that sound?? We went to Capitol Garage and got to order off the special $30 prix fixe menu that will be available starting on January 7th. Our meals included a salad, entree, dessert, and a glass of wine. I don't drink but if I did, I would tell you that they had some very nice wines to compliment their offerings. Kristy gets to do the "real" review so you can check out pictures of my lovely dinner along with her professional review over on her blog! I had to "pay my way" by giving her feedback about everything. So here goes!

I started with the Chipotle Caesar salad. You probably know I usually go for the spinach salad, but tonight was a night for trying something new! I am so glad I did! The dressing was spicy, maybe too spicy for me but Jeff would have loved it and probably asked for a soup bowl of it! lol! But the dressing was easily balanced by the avocado and I wouldn't hesitate to order it again....and again....and again. The crispy tortilla strips were a terrific topping and I will take them any day over croutons (or popcorn, potato chips, or just about any savory snack).

For my entree, I had the Crab Cake Linguini. This was tasty, tasty, tasty and they gave me so much food! I had expected one measly crab cake along with pasta and bread but there were two HUGE crab cakes covering a major portion of my plate. In fact, the crab cakes were so big I could have skipped the pasta completely and been a happy camper! Regarding the pasta, it was just good. Even though the menu forewarns you that there is prosciutto, it still comes as a shock. I found the pasta a little salty but expect that most others would be fine with it. As for the main feature, I was surprised by two things: how moist the crab cakes were and that they had potato chunks in them. We decided they were moist because they had so much crab meat in them and the potatoes provided a great texture balance for the flaky crab meat. Another positive, the flavor of the potato gave my taste buds a break so that the next taste of crab was as wonderful as the first taste. I had intended to eat one of the crab cakes but was enjoying them so much that I had almost finished the second before I caught myself. (I hope Kristy posted a picture of my plate. It was so pretty looking!)

Dessert was cheesecake. In this case it was Black Bottom Cheesecake and Butterfinger Cheesecake. They were personal cupcake sized desserts and almost too pretty to eat! The Butterfinger came home as a loving surprise for the boys. According to them, it had a strong butterscotch flavor. I couldn't understand what Ryan said because his mouth was full.....of a second bite! The Black Bottom started with a chocolate cookie crust (yum!), followed by a berry puree cake with a delicate taste. The top layer, the cheesecake, was so light that it felt almost like a whipped cream. This was topped with a sprinkling of cocoa and some juicy blackberries! As a dense cheesecake lover, I was surprised how much I liked this dessert! Looking at the cheesecake you would have expected a heavy chocolate and fruit and a heavy cheesecake to stand up against the rest. Instead, it was a delightful end to the meal. Perfect to linger over along with a cup of coffee and good conversation!

End result: I would go again. I would go again and eat the same thing again.

So about it being so darn difficult and oh poor poor Susan having to eat this awesome food.....seriously, this isn't for most people!
First off, you have to STOP AND TASTE YOUR FOOD! No more shoveling it down so you can get it all plus dessert down before your stomach tries to tell you its full! You have to take small bites and let them sit on your tongue and pay attention to the texture and how the flavors mingle.
Second, you have to realize that YOU ARE NOT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE!! What does this mean? When you taste something you have to think whether you like something but also how other people might like it. Some of the food I ate tonight wasn't seasoned exactly how I would have if I were the chef. Having said that, I know that the other 9 out of 10 people that will be eating the same thing would have loved it the way it was.
And third....I can't remember the third thing but it was really important. Oh yes, I had to TALK ABOUT WHAT I ATE! Who does that? I am not some critic on the FoodNetwork so what gives me the right to tell anyone if food is good or bad and whether they should or should not try it? And if we talk about the food during dinner, when oh when can we get caught up on all the fun things? (Rhetorical question.....you sit around enjoying the restaurant and the company after you eat. No rushing off to the next thing! What a welcome joy!)

So, while I will not be quitting my day job, please know I will suffer through tasting excellent meals, considering others, and talking about my food again, just for you! Aren't I a peach?

Sending you a Christmas card.....

so while writing our Christmas letter and printing the labels, I realized that many of the people I have the most interaction with are not those I am sending cards to. Many of the people I really should be wishing the best of the holiday season are those on Twitter or Facebook....or even Foursquare. I spend time with them every day....but don't have addresses or even phone numbers in most cases!

in 2010, I made countless new wonderful friends, learned so many things, and have had a blast thanks to people I may never met! so if you are one of those people.....and you KNOW who you are.....please accept this as my Christmas card to you.....and imagine that everyone in the family hand signed it....cuz we did!


oh....and if you are thinking "but I AM one of those people that Susan sends a Christmas card to every year" then have no fear.....it is on its way! I mailed them on the 22nd. so you might want to print out the one above and put in with your other cards until the real one arrives!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Cecilie

I lost a lot when LM closed it's virtual doors and message board! one of the biggest losses was regular daily ongoing contact with people such as Cecilie. she lived in Denmark at the time and we had actually gotten to meet IRL twice when she came to the States.

I follow her blog. as it is mostly in Danish (and I have yet to totally master the language) I have done a crummy job of keeping in contact. In fact, I was thinking just that last night. I miss chatting with her. she has such a grounded view of life.

what a coincidence that I should wake up to find a post on my Google Reader (which I don't think is very conducive to POSTING on people's blogs, but does make it a lot easier to READ them) a new post from Cecilie! this one is written in Danish and then English!! (cuz she really does care about us!) oh, and it is a contest for participation......

so I would recommend taking a moment to head over to visit Cecilie's Blog and check out her contest, especially if you are a scrapbooker. even if you are not, she offers a great peek into the wonderful world outside of the United States and is a FANTASTIC photographer! her nature shots are amazing!

12 of 12......the man about town edition

or really it should be the WOMAN about town......but whatever!

sorry I haven't been blogging recently. it isn't as though nothing has been happening.......just no time. I really need to get mobile blogging set up! really I do!

and with that........ on with the show!

a little different order to my photos and you will see why at the end! but in general this is a tour of the art pieces and odd/interesting things I see in my day to day life as a downtown worker! this first one is the clock/sign from an old nolongerinbusiness bank. if I get off the train a stop early I get to see it after getting my Starbucks. I didn't think it worked and am still not sure. it was only off by about 10 minutes when I took this photo, but that might have been a coincidence! lol!
because the 2 blocks between that sign and Starbucks can be a little dicey, I instead walk through the downtown mall. it has security, business traffic, and a Jamba for those mornings where I don't want Starbucks but still want something. while waiting to cross the street, I can watch the Hard Rock guitar spin around and around.

supposedly they are going to get rid of this and update this end of the mall. I have heard they are going to replace it with a Time Square kinda rolling marque. I say forget it and keep the guitar! anyway........just past the guitar are the granite guards to the mall.

rather odd looking. this is the female of the pair. I actually like the tiles cascading down the column but have no clue why she is holding a ball, wearing that mask, or even there for that matter! pre-caffeine this is even more confusing.

not to be outdone by the cool statues and such located in our classy downtown area, our building has its own piece of art.

I actually tried to get a photo with a person IN it so you could see how tall and skinny this thing is. it has to be 20 feet tall. blech!

for lunch, I met a scrapping friend, Deb. she only works a couple blocks away so I walked over to meet her. on the way I passed the world's ugliest building. I believe once they actually finish it Guiness will be out to authenticate the title.

yes, that blue stuff is permanent! at first I thought it must be some plastic coating that was protecting something while construction was going on.......but no! and the tan stuff is a mottled fake marble kinda stuff. the darn thing looks like a hospital. a really ugly outdated hospital where people never seem to get better because it is depressing just being there!

but lunch was nice! we met at Il Forniao. not a regular haunt of mine, but it was really nice to have an enjoyable grown-up meal with a friend. (and get a rare photo of us together at the same time)

on the way back to the office, I snapped a photo of a statue that still catches me off guard when I see it.

perfect for a real estate broker's building, don't you think?!?!? it is actually a really neat statue and the detailing is wonderful. I don't know why I am still startled when I see it.

after that I snapped a nice photo of our building. not a super exciting building......but not a contender for world's ugliest either! lol!!

after finishing my day of work, I trot on over to catch Light Rail home. I took a photo of the Capitol, but you have already seen one in a previous 12of12. it looks the same! lol! though maybe I should do monthly shots of it like I used to my office window so we can see the changing seasons?!?! we shall see!

anyway, at the spot where I get off Light Rail (if I don't make a Starbucks or Jamba run) there is this sign. depending on how the lights are running I also pass it on my way to catch Light Rail in the other direction.

that is it! just this marker on the side of the light pole. ta-da! no synagogue, just a sign.

when I got to my Light Rail pick up spot about a week or so after starting to work downtown, I first noticed this building. it is the Stanford Home. I KNEW I wanted to get a picture of it! this is where famed Leland Stanford of the Big Four, former governor, etc used to live. I love the irony of his old house being dwarfed by the huge building behind him. I am sorry about all the street lights and such in the photo but atleast I waited for the vanpool bus to pull away. I was told that there is a state agency that uses the house for their offices!

then I catch the train and start the first leg of my trip home (or would it be the second leg after walking to the train being my first leg?!?!?) anyway, I take the train and on the way home we pass the Sacramento Cathedral. I don't have time to get off the train to take a picture, but can see it through my window twice a day.

sorry for the glare from the strip lighting in the train. guess it gives it all that *real* feeling?!?! anyway, I finish my ride home, walk to my car, and then die of heat stroke.......

yep! it was 70 when I got in the car this morning. and it got up to 109 while driving home. l-o-v-e-l-y!! and while usually one can brush it off with a quip about it being a dry heat........it has been MUGGY here recently! an energy sucking horrible heat! (which is why this didn't get posted last night)

that is my 12of12 for August! thanks for checking me out!

bookend birthdays.....

things have been crazy around here. trying to get in the swing of the new job has taken quite a toll on my free time. dh is working on taking over making dinners and R is helping out a bit more around the house. thankfully summer is almost upon us and that means that atleast I won't have to do the morning carpool before catching Light Rail to work.

today, being June 2nd is the calm in the eye of the storm. R's birthday was yesterday and D's birthday is tomorrow. we celebrated this year with a miserable day at Great America. it was cold and windy and the boys lasted about 5 hours before wanting to head home. on top of that lunch almost killed us all it was so gross. if anything might push me to becoming a vegetarian......it was that hamburger! all in all we spent more time driving back and forth than we did at the park.

yesterday we went to Melting Pot for the next part of the ongoing party train. we joined a grown up couple for a lovely dinner. thankfully no hamburger there and the food is always superb!!

today was our day to rest from stuffing ourselves and tomorrow we will be off to Red Robin for the last of our great birthday parties. seems silly but Red Robin is our traditional place of celebration. we go every year on Gotcha Day and for birthdays.

D turns 10 this year. it isn't as shocking as when R turned 10. I wonder if that has anything to do with being the second child or because he hasn't actually been with us for all those years? not really sure other than it is still strange to think that he is 10.......

so anyway........hopefully I will be back up to speed and blogging AND scrapping more. I sure hope so!

12 of 12.....CHA CHA CHA style!

I truly expected to have an AMAZING 12 of 12 to show you.....full of exciting sneak peeks from the Craft and Hobby Association show......but it didn't quite happen that way! atleast you can go check them out at LM!

this first shot is what it looked like out my hotel window. well.....KINDA.....add a layer of smog and it would be a closer image! lol!!


this is me with my friends the Shore Thing penguins at the Imaginesce booth. this picture isn't very good. I debated cheating and posting the photo of me with them that a friend took earlier in the show...I just don't get why people don't think that I would actually want the full penguins in the shot! (I'll probably post the other one later....it truly was cute!) oh....and you can see a little sneak of the apron I made myself out of the new Cosmo Cricket fabric!!

aaaah.....home sweet home! lol!! this is the Cosmo Cricket booth. see all those people.....yes that is what it was like for most of the event. in fact, this was actually rather empty compared to most of the time. it was kinda weird.....we would get 5 to 10 minutes of downtime and then get slammed again.

if you are a scrapbooker you might recognize this lady's pretty face! if not, open up the March CK and check out her layouts on pages 66 & 67! we had lunch and hung out together a bit on Sunday and Tuesday. I love that I get to see my internet friends at the show!

MISSED PHOTO OPPORTUNITY RIGHT HERE!!!!
after lunch I came back to the booth. shortly thereafter in walks Lisa D, Noni (Donna.....but they call her Noni and I am hoping that now I can too!), and Moriah. I was so happy that they had stopped by and so excited to finally meet Moriah that I spaced on taking a photo with them! what a bad scrapbooker I am! needless to say we had a lovely conversation about scrapbooking and the vital importance of black t-shirts!

if you haven't checked out Cosmo Cricket's blog.....you really should!! this button is all about Jon the Warehouse Guy. starting back on January 11th he started trying to give sneak peeks for all the new Cosmo Cricket stuff. the posts were an awesome success!! he wasn't actually at CHA on Tuesday (which is why there is a photo of the button instead of him) but he was there on Sunday. I cracked up as women ran up to him to say hello and have their photo taken with him!

no one will ever be able to say that Cosmo Cricket doesn't know how to have fun! remember those 5 to 10 minute lulls between the crowds?!?! well......during this one Lindsay cranked up the music and started dancing with his wife! the reason he looks so odd in this photo......yeah......he is singing along! (btw.....he dances MUCH better than he sings! lol!!) oooh...... and check out the background. see those really big images on the walls?!?!? those are the die cuts for Get Happy and Cogsmo enlarged. they are big ol' magnets! LOVE THEM!!! wish they would make them for sale!

sadly.....I needed to head home Tuesday night. Lindsay was supposed to give me a ride but ended up having a dinner meeting with a supplier.......so I had to get alternate transportation. this late in the game I was stuck with the option of a TownCar or a taxi. I haven't taken a taxi since the dude tried to kill us in Atlanta so when the concierge at the hotel told me it would only be $5 more for a TownCar I went for it. what a comfy ride!! and my driver was really nice and we chatted scrapbooking all the way to the airport. MUCH better than praying for my life the entire trip!

ANOTHER MISSED PHOTO OPPORTUNITY....though not as exciting as the previous one.
when I got to the airport and through security, I walked to my gate and passed the gift store. they had a nice big sign for a Webkinz sale! a chance look scored me a retired Gorilla! so I bought 2 more Webkinz to hide away in my stash.

when I got to my gate I thought it might be cool to take a picture of the flight info. why....I am not sure! probably because I knew I was going to be tight on photos.


when I landed in Sacto I got off the plane and saw this WONDERFULLY TERRIFIC SIGN for the Sacto Zoo. I think the penguins have gone back to the San Francisco Zoo.....but this is the first time I had seen this sign at the airport......so I had to take a picture of it to go along with my other penguin photo from earlier.

THIS is the best photo! I actually can't believe I have never taken a photo of it before. our family usually flies Southwest and therefore we walk up and down this river path often. the boys always take their carry-on roller bags and walk along the crooked river path. and it is funny.....no matter how grumpy other people seem to be and no matter what kind of rush they seem to be in......people usually smile and watch the boys do this. probably not so much now that they are older. it looked much cuter when they were younger! but still....I tend to follow the river myself! (R is sitting next to me while I proof read this and even without reading what I wrote said, "the river path. I always walk down it." lol!)

usually one of the first photos of the day.......here is my odometer. it is 10:30ish at night and I am in the airport parking garage trying to warm up my car a bit. looks like I need an oil change!

I came home and walked in to the kitchen to see this. R was sick while I was gone and I guess J decided we needed the FAMILY PACK of Halls! oh well.....they don't go bad and he said he got a really good price!
so that was my exciting day at CHA. maybe I should have taken a picture of my feet?? I was wearing my favorite funky green Champion shoes. oh so very comfortable! even so......by 4:30 I was ready to plop down on the carpet and cry because my feet hurt so much.

tomorrow I will try to post the other random shots I got at CHA.

I survived....

the snoozefest that was the Super Bowl. yes, one of our guests yesterday won $200 in his football pool. but other than that, and trying to not miss any good commercials, the most exciting action was watching me try and coordinate the cooking of all the not-so-healthy snack foods.

however....this morning I woke up to determine that my over-a-week-long cold has officially become a sinus infection. my appointment is at 1 today.

mi casa su lss.....

I don't really know Spanish but that is supposed to say something like "my house is your local scrapbook store." had a friend over to scrapbook. people think I am joking when I say not to worry about forgetting something because I probably have it. yep!

anyway......we had a great time and got very little scrapbooking done. but sometimes that is okay, right?!?!? I have been struggling with creativity so it was nice to just take my time and not worry about something. I ended up doing 1 two-pager layout using those old Deluxe Designs ColorBlocking templates. remember those things?!?!? up until the very VERY end I wasn't really happy with how it was looking. but now that it is complete I like it. I am now part way into another two pager that won't win any awards either but will be nice looking and will mean I am done with Easter 2006!!!

in other news.....yesterday I made Jerk Pork Roast in the crock pot. just found a jerk recipe online and used the rub on the pork before putting it in the crock pot. made some Zatarians rice with it and had a lovely dinner!! the pork turned out really good. I marveled at how yummy it was. I was a little worried when it was cooking.

tomorrow will be a day filled with football and scrapbooking. in my dreams it will also be warm enough for the boys to play outside. those are my favorite days.....football noises from the living room.....boys playing noises from outside.....and me scrapping away!