Category Archives: Food

Blue Angels in San Francisco

Posted on by
Reply

Last week was Fleet Week in San Francisco. Allen lucked out and had an amazing view from the tower. He saw them practicing Thursday then watched the whole show on Friday from level 6 on Sutro! Here’s some pictures he took…  

    
    
 Saturday he was off work so we took Charlie on a long walk over in Candlestick Recreation Area (right next door to the campground).  

we took a break after about a mile so Charlie could rest her little legs

  

there are ground squirrels all over at the park and Charlie tries to chase them into their holes

 
Then we headed down to the Wharf to watch the Blue Angels from the ground. We lucked out and found a good spot at the end of an alley. Very neat! I didn’t try to get any photos, they were just TOO fast! 

After the show we went to Fog Harbor Fish House on Pier 39. I thought it was going to be better than it was. We had calamari and clam chowder (not nearly as delicious as The Old Clam House). Then I got the Mixed Grill (shrimp, swordfish and salmon), and Allen ordered the Wild Alaskan King Salmon. It had a super disgusting taste to it, almost like propane even though I’ve never tasted propane… So he sent that back and got the Pacific Cod (that was much better). After that we were thoroughly stuffed and headed back home on the bike. Luckily we had a few blocks to walk off dinner 🙂  

Mixed Grill

  

Alaskan King Salmon

  

Pacific Cod

 
Sunday we watched the Bengals play a really close game against the Seahawks. And we got to stay home because it was actually on local tv!

5-0 now! 

   
We wanted to put the valve in the jacks but there were campers parked where we needed to pull the truck to hook up the camper in order to do that… So that had to wait.  

 
We did try to clean the water filter. The water here is gross and we are going through filters that should last 3 months in half the time. We also have a screen on the hose which gets full of debris in about a week and lessens the water pressure considerably. But there’s nowhere around here to get replacement water filters, so we are stuck with trying to clean them for now.  

 I hoping to be out of here, if not this coming weekend, then sometime next week! So I started loosely planning our trip. I use the Good Sam trip planner because it lets you put in height requirements and maps out Flying J and Pilot Travel Centers and rest areas and campgrounds along the way. We are going to go through South Dakota to change our domicile then on to Dallas to bring down the tower at Fair Park. Hopefully that job takes us until Christmastime. I’m just excited to get the heck out of San Francisco and this asphalt parking lot!

The BEST clam chowder EVER and Super Yummy Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Posted on by
1

Not together of course. That wouldn’t be so delicious. But separately=yum!

Side note: if you WANT to try chocolate covered clams, here’s a random recipe! 

 
Saturday Allen and I met my friend Dave for dinner at The Old Clam House. Dave and I went to the Academy of Art together about…. Oh, we’ll just say 7 years ago… And he lives in the city now.  

**Disclaimer: I took none of the pictures of The Old Clam House, just borrowed them from Google. 

   
He could not have picked a better place! The Old Clam House is the oldest restaurant in San Francisco. It started in 1861. If you’re ever hungry in the city I highly recommend it! We started with drinks of course. They have their own beer, brewed by Anchor Steam, so I had that. It was really good, a little lighter than Allen’s Lagunitas. It’s called Old Clam House Milwaukee Steam.  

 Then we had a sizzling iron platter of shrimp and mussels with butter to dip in. Dave hates that the place switched owners and they no longer serve sourdough bread, but they make this soda bread in a cast iron pot type thing that was really good (I wish I could make bread like that!) 

 Next came the, I think, world’s best clam chowder. Oh my goodness. I want a bowl for breakfast as I’m writing this. Fantastic.  

 Then I finally got to try cioppino! I’ve always wanted to but I was always a little iffy about it. It was really good! Allen liked it too. I was a TINY bit surprised he liked everything as much as I did.  

 Thank you Dave for a wonderful dinner! If you’re up for it, check out some of Dave’s paintings!

Now for the Chocolate Zucchini Bread…. 

I did take this photo!

 

I found the recipe here: With The Grains

I modified it a little to fit what I had and cut it in half. I love it! The closest way I can think to describe it is it’s kinda like a chocolate muffin. It’s not too sweet. But it doesn’t taste like zucchini at all. I’ll definitely make it again.  Here’s the version I made: 

  • 1 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour (I sifted mine)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350 or convection oven to 325.
  2. Place the shredded zucchini on paper towels to absorb some of the moisture while you mix everything else. 
  3. Whisk together in a large bowl: the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt 
  4. Whisk in a medium bowl: eggs, butter, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla
  5. Pour wet into dry and stir together. (It will be thicker than cake mix, almost like a really wet bread dough)
  6. Fold in zucchini. 
  7. Pour/spoon into a parchment lined 9×5 loaf pan and top with chocolate chips. 
  8. Bake 45-55 minutes, or 60 minutes in the convection oven. (I rotated mine once)
  9. Place on a wire rack to cool. 
  10. Enjoy! And don’t forget to share with the neighbors 🙂

Almost an ENTIRE week of bad dinners!

Posted on by
Reply

Occasionally, well, more than occasionally, I get on a kick where I want to try lots of new recipes.  I go off of what’s on sale at the store then Google things to make.  I use a lot of Rachael Ray recipes (I too am a garlic fanatic!) but I also get them from all over the web. I usually jot them down on scraps of notebook paper then when it comes time to make them I have to go searching for the little scribbled recipe.

This past week there was a sale on bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.  I hardly ever cook with bone-in chicken, but I thought what the heck, it’s on sale! Here was my menu:

Allen joked on Thursday night that I was 0 for 4 for the week. But I pulled a win out on Friday with the Bacony Egg Noodles! I knew he would like bacon. And I didn’t think everything else was THAT bad…

But tonight we are meeting a guy I went to school with for dinner at The Old Clam House. So that should be delicious and I won’t have to cook it! First we have to take Charlie to get a much needed mani-pedi and go grocery shopping. Since tomorrow will be tied up with football! Go Bengals! Who Dey!

Bread Machine Deliciousness…

Posted on by
8

I’ve been experimenting with different recipes in my bread machine lately… (An Oster Expressbake)

Mostly because I’ve been trying to get the perfect sandwich bread for Allen’s lunches.  

It’s also been kind of dreary here in San Francisco lately. However, there’s an end in sight! From what I gather we need to be in Dallas by the first part of November… I can’t wait! The tower they were working on at Fair Park is coming down. I’m hoping we can swing through South Dakota and change our domicile on the way-even though it’s not really “on the way”).

Anyhow, back to bread: About a month ago I made this honey wheat bread that had an egg in it (my first bread using an egg) and Allen loved it. I think the egg holds it together better (for sandwiches that travel in a backpack on a motorcycle especially). Well… I can’t find that recipe again! I’ve looked in my search history and through all my scattered notes on paper throughout the house (I have plenty of those!)… Nada. So I’ve been trying different recipes looking for something that holds together well and has a nice texture and flavor. 

I finally found two that Allen says are delicious! (I wrote them down in a safe place!) First, the runner-up: 

French Countryside Bread (1LB loaf)

  • 3/4 cup + 1 tsp water
  • 2 1/4 tsp oil
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 3 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp yeast (rapid rise/active dry)

Basic/White Setting; Medium Crust Color
The WINNER is moist and holds together well with less crumbs than normal and has a slight buttery flavor:

1LB Egg Bread (from Fleischmann’s)

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs butter/margarine (I used unsalted butter)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs sugar
  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp yeast (rapid rise/active dry)

White/Basic Setting; Medium Crust Color
While I was perusing Fleischmann’s recipes, I came across one for Cinnamon Raisin Bread and decided to try that out. Allen, who claims not to like raisins, loved it! I’m thinking I could make it during the holidays for a little treat or breakfast toast… 

Cinnamon Raisin 1LB Loaf

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbs butter or margarine (I used unsalted butter)
  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 4 tsp dry milk
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp yeast (rapid rise/active dry)
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Add all ingredients except raisins. 

White/Basic Setting; Medium Crust Color

Add raisins at beep, towards the end of the kneading cycle. 
Happy bread making! 

P.S. We finally got our new valve for the leveling jacks, but haven’t put it on yet. The weekends have been filled with football and we haven’t found the time quite yet (getting to the bar at 9am to watch the Bengals play has been a little rough on us!)

This New Fad: “Cold-Brewed Coffee”

Posted on by
3

When the weather is warm, there is nothing better than a big glass, or cup in my case, of iced coffee in the morning, or afternoon for that matter!

And the weather was SUPER warm last week in San Francisco! Like, abnormally hot, record-breaking, school closing heat… And being parked in an asphalt parking lot doesn’t help matters…
I saw a how-to for cold brewed coffee on a blog I follow. Then that same evening I saw a Starbucks commercial for cold brewed coffee, so I knew I had to try it. I was a little worried it wouldn’t be strong enough for my liking, but followed the instructions nonetheless (something I do very rarely).IMG_2560-0
It was super simple to make, the hardest part was remembering to do it the night before so it was ready in the morning!
I don’t have a coffee grinder. I’m not a coffee connoisseur. I drink Folgers Classic Roast on a daily basis, and enjoy a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks on occasion. I also don’t own cheesecloth. But, the owner of the blog said it should be fine if I used a coffee filter in place of cheesecloth. (Here’s a link to the original post from Italian Home Kitchen ) And here’s what I did:
  • I put 5 big spoonfuls of coffee into the largest cup I had, which turned out to be a bartender mixing thing and actually that worked out pretty well. Then I filled it up with cold water. I put the lid on it. Then I went to bed. And slept.
  • When I woke up the next morning I got my mesh strainer out, along with a coffee filter, some wax paper, scissors, and a giant Starbucks cup. (I hang onto decent plastic cups-it saves us having to buy them, and since we don’t travel around with glass, why not?)IMG_2561-0
  • I put the strainer over the empty cup, cut a hole in the middle of the wax paper, and put the coffee filter in the open spot. Then I began the painfully slow process of straining the coffee from the coffee grounds. It was about as slow as a drip coffee maker, but when you have to stand there and watch, it feels like waiting for a pot of water to boil, or watching paint dry. Ok, maybe it’s not that bad. But I was anxious to try this new cold brewed coffee!IMG_2563
It came out super dark colored and instead of my assumption that it would be too weak, I was afraid it would be way too strong.IMG_2562
So after I got it all strained I poured it over ice and added some milk and sugar like I would with iced coffee.IMG_2564-0
Then I tasted it.
(I swished it around as if I were a coffee connoisseur)
Very good.
I’d say it’s milder than iced coffee.
It was pretty yummy.
It doesn’t have as much of an acidic taste as hot or normal brewed coffee does.
I liked it.
I had two full cups.
I’ll probably make it again.

Craving a Donut Hole!

Posted on by
1

I love donut holes.  

 But I’m actually talking about the donut hole in weather systems.  

 Our neighbor Carmen scored us some tickets for the Reds vs. Giants game tonight and the weather people are calling for rain.  

Last year after the Reds vs Giants

 I know the ENTIRE state of California needs rain terribly, so I’m hoping for a donut hole just over AT&T Stadium!   

  
Let’s go RedLegs!

Confession: I’m not an avid baseball fan, and I have no Reds gear, so I will be wearing my Giants jersey I got about 8years ago…  

Last year I borrowed a Reds jersey to go overtop my Giants one

  

The view from our seats last year.

 
I’m super excited for garlic fries! And I hope they don’t get soggy from rain!  

yum!

Roasted Garbanzo Beans

Posted on by
1

I’ve roasted garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, years ago. They are a crunchy, healthy snack and you can flavor them however you want.

I saw a post about Sweet and Spicy Roasted Nuts that caught my attention and it brought back the distant memory of roasted garbanzo beans.
Then my mouth started to water. And I added garbanzo beans to my shopping list.
I was afraid to make them “sweet” because they roast so much longer than the cashews in the original post that gave me the idea. So I just went with a similar concoction to what I’ve done in the past.
IMG_2585-2
Instead of an actual oven, I used our convection microwave. It occurred to me that the reason I haven’t made these in FOREVER is because I haven’t had access to an “oven” that will cook things for long periods of time.  The camper oven is small and heats from the bottom, so it’s a little difficult to use. It’s definitely something you need to adjust to and account for!
Here’s the general recipe I followed:
***Full disclosure: I never measure ingredients (unless I’m using my bread maker). I eyeball and account for my preference of how I want the dish to taste. Sometimes I will use my palm or pinch with my fingers, but it’s nothing I could communicate in an actual measurement. So I say, just go with what you think will taste good. Or measure.
  • 2 cans of garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed, dried
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • cumin
  • chili powder
  • cayenne pepper
Rinse the beans then drain them. I spread them on a paper towels then roll them around a bit to dry them off. I also pick out the little “skins” that fall off. I drizzled them with olive oil then sprinkled them with seasoning.
IMG_2578-0

The wine is only for my sanity, not a part of the recipe!

I roasted them in the convection oven on 375 degrees for about 40 minutes total, I stirred them around twice.
In a regular oven you would do 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
I like mine crunchy, so inevitably some of them will get a little burnt. I like those little guys too.
IMG_2582-0
Just to be totally honest, I love these, but Allen thinks they are disgusting.  But then again, he uses that word to describe a lot of things. It drives me nuts. And he knows it.
IMG_2590
He has described as disgusting the following things that come to mind:
  • wine
  • roasted garlic
  • ground turkey (he will eat an entire serving and more of spaghetti or chili or “sausage” though)
  • my toothpaste

Anyway, if you’re in the market for a spicy, crunchy snack, and you’re not as crazy as my boyfriend, I say give these little guys a try!

Cheers to football Sunday!

IMG_2600

Lemonade Bread FAIL!

Posted on by
Reply

Since I’ve had my breadmaker, I’ve been trying all kinds of different recipes. Most have come out super yummy. I had high hopes for this one: Lemonade Bread.

Doesn’t that just sound delicious?! I thought it could be like a light dessert, similar to lemon cake but not quite as sweet… I found the recipe here. I’ve made other recipes from this list and they’ve turned out great! (Mexican Sunset Bread, Garden Herb Bread…) But this time… Nope. Not at all good! 

Once I added all the ingredients and the cycle started and the machine started to knead the bread and work its magic, I quickly realized there wasn’t nearly enough liquid. So I stopped the cycle. I added some more lemonade concentrate, then some water. I restarted the cycle, it was too wet so I sprinkled some flour. I finally got the dough ball looking relatively normal. So I stopped fretting and cleaned up.  

 
It finished baking when Allen was home. I opened the lid to the same dough ball. Only it was fully baked. It didn’t rise at all! And it was heavy! Allen said it could break a window! 

I knew I had to throw it out but I tasted a little piece for good measure! SO sour! Definitely way too much lemonade contentrate was involved in the making of my cement ball. 

Now, here in the grand parking lot of Candlestick RV Park on the outskirts of the city, we have LOTS of stray cats and a few huge raccoons that we see almost nightly when we walk Charlie. So Allen suggested I see if the cats or coons wanted to try my “bread”. I set it in an empty parking spot that night. These pictures were taken the next morning.  

   
Untouched! And Charlie didn’t even want anything to do with it! You know it has to be bad when raccoons won’t eat it! Lesson learned: check the recipe before baking and compare to what I KNOW works… 

Homemade Pizza

Posted on by
2

Ever since we got the new camper with a convection microwave, I’ve been wanting to make homemade pizza. 

My first attempt at cauliflower pizza did not turn out so well. The directions said to steam and drain the cauliflower, getting rid of the excess moisture, before grating it and maxing it with cheese and egg and shaping it like a pizza crust. I skipped the steaming and draining part so the “crust” never got crispy enough to hold together. I still want to try it again…  

 
  
After that didn’t work, and I got the Breadmaker, I decided to make actual pizza dough. This time it came out super delicious! I think the only thing I will do differently next time is bake the crust on its own with no toppings for ten minutes or so beforehand, so it gets a little more done without the cheese and toppings getting too brown.  

  

pepperoni, jalapenos, bell peppers and onions

  
And by the way, Allen took his very first blog photos for this post! 😉 Good job babe! 

Here is the recipe I used for the dough:

1.5 pounds: 1/2tsp salt, 3cups all-purpose flour, 1-1/2tsp active dry yeast, 1cup water, 2tbs EVOO, and I added about a tbs of Italian seasoning 

  1. Measure all ingredients into bread pan. 
  2. Select the dough cycle on the breadmaker. 
  3. Pat dough into a 12″ round pizza pan. 
  4. Preheat oven to 400• (I did the convection oven to 375• because you always go 25• lower than the recipe calls for. 
  5. Spread sauce and toppings over dough. 
  6. Bake 15-20 minutes. (I went 30 because the convection oven seems to take longer.)

***As I mentioned before, next time I will bake the crust on its own for about 10minutes THEN add the toppings. OR I could bake it in the regular oven. Since camper ovens are so small, they tend to burn the bottom of everything, since that’s where the heat comes from. We usually try to avoid using it altogether.  But that might be perfect for pizza!

On another note about the camper oven: we discovered in the old camper, before we had a convection oven in our lives, that if you cover the oven rack with aluminum foil, it helps to distribute the heat a little more evenly, but it also takes longer for things to cook.