Give me sugar!!!

I love candy! Who doesn't love candy? It's sweet. It's cute. It comes in bright, colorful packaging. The sugar rush feels so good even if it might be followed by the dreaded sugar crash. There are not many candies that I don't love.  Unfortunately though there are some candies that I love but are difficult to come by.  One of these would be the amazing Green Tea Kit Kat that comes from Japan.

From Drop Box

My sister lives in Japan, and she sent some of these over a couple years ago. I have been hooked ever since. Seriously, so freaking delicious! Much to my dismay, it has been near impossible trying to find these outside of Japan.  Even with all the specialty Japanese stores in San Francisco, we have been in a huge green tea Kit Kat drought. Until now...

Enter Icandy

From Drop Box

This awesome little shop opened up a couple months ago in our neighborhood, just a few blocks south near 41st and Taraval. OMG, this place is heaven!!! They specialize in Japanese and American candy and snacks. Their selection is outstanding. They have candy I didn't even know still existed, like Now and Later. The first time I stepped foot in here I immediately fell in love. So much candy...

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

and hardly a miss in the bunch. I could do without all the dried fish snacks, but I know some people like those things. I certainly wouldn't want to deny anyone their dried fish. They have all the Japanese greats; Hello Panda, Pocky, mochi, and flavored Kit Kats. Of course I got some Green Tea Kit Kats, and also decided to try the Blueberry. Flavored Kit Kats are amazing, why don't they make these things in America?

I am so glad Icandy has opened even though I could see this place being totally dangerous. I feel like I could go in there and drop $50 on candy no problem. This place is totally one of my new favorite things and just another reason in a long list of why I love this city.

The Pizza Place

One of the greatest things about living in San Francisco is the food. There is no shortage of delicious food here. Even being a vegetarian, the choices are endless.

A favorite place of ours is just blocks away on 46th and Noriega. It is simply called The Pizza Place, and it is amazing. The Pizza Place does one style of pizza, thin crust, but you can get it meaty, vegetarian or even vegan. With your pizza you can enjoy a salad, french fries, or even braised greens.

While the greens are very tasty, our appetizer of choice is usually the Sweet Potato Steak Fries. These things are monstrous and come with homemade ranch and buffalo sauce. Both sauces are so good, it's always a dilemma trying to decide which one to dip the fries in. I usually just end up alternating every other bite.

From Drop Box

In true thin crust fashion, the pizzas here are ginormous. We always get the large so we'll have leftovers. This place has great toppings like roasted potatoes, mini tomatoes, carmelized onions and vegan pesto. Pictured below is the Besto with pesto, feta, roasted potatoes, and roasted red peppers. So totally scrumptious!

From Drop Box

In addition to the great food, the atmosphere here is totally laid back. They have cheap pitchers of PBR. A big screen TV to watch all the local teams. Mismatched plates and flatware that look they were picked up at various thrift stores. This place knows what it is and does it perfectly. I always love coming here, and am never been disappointed. I ♥ The Pizza Place

Gotta have a montage!

Happy Anniversary, San Francisco!!! We've been together four years now, do you still love me as much as I love you?

As promised, I put together a few of the pictures I've taken over the past four years. These are some of my favorite images. They have been carefully categorized and overly collaged by me in Picasa (sorry, I'm a little addicted to collages).

The City

From Collages

The Flora

From Collages

The Fauna

From Collages

Having Fun and Being Cute

From Collages

Cakes and Cupcakes

From Collages

Giants Baseball

From Collages

Battling the chill of the Fog

From Collages

We've come a long way, baby!

I'm currently working on a photo montage for our 4 year San Francisco Anniversary, which is TODAY! I figured it would be the perfect thing for this blog about how much I love this city. 

To be honest, it wasn't love at first sight.  It was a big transition for me and took some getting used to.  I was sad for a while being so far away from most of the people I really loved. Over time I came to love this place, and I think if we ever leave I will definitely leave my heart (or at least a part of it in San Francisco). 

Cheesiness aside, I found two great pictures to illustrate just how far we've all come in the past 4 years, especially the City of San Francisco.  4 amazing years and we've been through so much! 

From Collages

Theses two photos were not planned.  The first is the construction of the California Academy of Sciences as seen from the De Young Tower taken shortly after Nik and I moved here in August 2006. The second is the finished California Academy of Sciences taken from roughly the same spot in the Tower in Spring 2010.  I found these last night looking through all my photos and thought it was so appropriate for today.  Stay tuned for more amazing photos from the City by the Bay!

Favorite Spots: The Rooftop Garden @ Mission and 1st

Cubicles and offices can be dark and gloomy. They can leave you dreary and out-of-touch with the natural world. There are days when I'm not even sure if the sun is shining because I'm trapped in my office behind a computer screen. With such conditions, it becomes absolutely necessary to escape at lunchtime and enjoy the outdoors.

Downtown San Francisco is not exactly jam-packed with green spaces, but they do exist. My most favorite, or at least the best and closest one to my work is a rooftop garden off of First Street on Mission on top of a parking garage. This is THE spot to go to grab some rays and enjoy your lunch. There are trees and flowers and grass; it feels like an oasis among the tall concrete and glass buildings. It's not a secret place, and on sunny days can be quite crowded, but nothing can really deter me from coming here.

If you need some structure, there are a few tables and chairs. If you want to lounge around, there are a couple large, grassy areas suitable for a laying about and getting a tan. You'll definitely see a few suits taking brief naps here on the nicest of days.

I really can't think of a bad thing to say about this place. I kind of wish they had compost bins along with the trash and recycling, but that is seriously the only negative for me. Some weeks I come here every day. The sunshine can be quite addictive. Even when I don't make it out to the garden, it's reassuring knowing it is there should I need a swift kick of vitamin D or just to see some flowers in the midst of the concrete jungle.

Picnic in the Park

From Collages

I've always been a sucker for a good picnic. When Nik and I lived in Omaha, I made it a point to purchase a cute picnic basket (a Pier 1 special) to use for all my future picnics. A picnic basket is a necessity for the serious picnicker; I always wanted to be a serious picnicker.

Over the years, I've definitely packed some great picnics. During Nik and I's first picnic, I introduced him to brie and he's loved it ever since. I like to keep my picnics simple with small, snacky dishes, and I always throw in some bread and cheese, perfect picnic food.

For today's picnic I had a lot of fresh produce hanging out in the fridge from our CSA box that I wanted to incorporate. The menu consisted of:

Fresh corn salsa with tortilla chips (basic pico de gallo recipe with fresh, blanched corn added)
Spring Mix and strawberry salad with croutons and strawbery balsamic viniagrette (recipe from Vegetarian Times with a few tweaks)
Baguette with brie cheese
Double chocolate brownies
Sparkling Italian white wine

The food was so pretty and delicious. Simple and elegant as picnics should be. Thanks to Nik we had a great secluded spot in Golden Gate Park to enjoy it all. He found a nice clearing, right off of Chain of Lakes. There may not have been any sunshine, but it was a perfect picnic.

SOMA Sunshine

From Drop Box

Summer and sunshine are two things that really don't go together in San Francisco, especially for me a resident of the western edge of the city, a fog shrouded neighborhood known as the Outer Sunset. Each morning I wake up to grey skies and chilly ocean breezes. I put on cable knit tights and sweaters. There is no sunshine and it most likely isn't warm. I make sure to bring a jacket and put gloves in my purse because that ocean wind can go rogue at any moment. I board the N-Judah and it whisks me away to a totally different world, the bayside of the city.

In the summer the bayside can be foggy too, but it can also be sunny and awesome and the complete opposite of what is going on in the Sunset. I take my lunch break from work outside because that California sunshine is too good to waste and too precious to let go when you live in the City. At the end of the day I choose my method of transportation, either the train or the bus. Lately, I'm totally into the bus because the train feels so claustrophobic at rush hour.

Taking the bus means waiting at the soon to be defunct Transbay Terminal, a place that really deserves its own post because it is just that crazy of a place. While there are times you will run into crazy homeless people screaming at nothing, it's usually pretty uneventful. It is also the last few moments I have to soak up some sunshine before heading back into the fog. Yesterday as I waited for the 71-L the sun was in full effect. Glorious SOMA sunshine is amazing and it definitely helps keep the SF summer doldrums at bay.

Saturday Matinee

From Drop Box

The small town I grew up in had a two screen theater, so the Balboa Theater is extra special to me. It's a hold-out in a world full of 30 screen multiplexs boasting digital 3-D and giant IMAX screens (not to say that those things aren't awesome in their own right). There is just something so charming and nostalgic about a small neighborhood theater. Not to mention Balboa has cheap tickets ($9) and popcorn ($5 large), and it is just a short walk across the park from our apartment. It's a great deal and a little slice of history serving up modern day flix. I absolutely love Balboa, even if the seats don't have cup holders.

Beyond Amazing, it's Jumptastic!!!

From Drop Box

Witnessed on Saturday, July 3rd, one giant jumper made to look like Scooby and the gang's Mystery Machine.

This jumper was so amazing that my husband came home from his run in the park and told me to get dressed immediately, so I could go see it for myself. Its glory was something that had to be witnessed in person. I must say it did not disappoint. The picture may not be totally clear, but this jumper had two compartments; one for jumping, and one that contained a giant slide. OMG!!! A jumper lover's dream come true.

Wide Open Spaces

So I'm taking a break from city life for a week. I came back to Kansas to go to my cousin's wedding and to visit with my family and friends. I always enjoy coming back. It's like a totally different world here. A world I spent 20+ years of my life in and love visiting, but one I think would drive me absolutely insane if I had to spend an extended period of time here. It's quiet. There is space everywhere, wide open green space. Unfortunately, it is totally land-locked. Below is a photo of my parent's yard/garden. They own about 1/2 of the block they live on.



Things are a little slower paced, not that I feel that San Francisco is particularly fast-paced, but definitely speedier than Iola, KS. Everyone drives everywhere. Wal-Mart is not only a store but a source of amusement and social interaction. There's a handful of fast food restaurants and a couple sit-down restaurants. People have yards. There is no public transportation. Diversity, not so much. People will always notice things and people that are different and usually have an opinion about them.

I don't say these things to be negative; it really just is the way things are. For some people, it works. For others, like me, a week is about all I can take. I miss the hundreds of restaurants in San Francisco. I miss my Muni chariots. I miss the ocean. I miss the neverending cast of characters I get to see on a daily basis. I miss things going on after 9pm, besides drinking and fornicating of course. I miss the anonymity. I miss everything I could ever want being at my disposal.

I will say, I do like the quiet here, and it's hard to find a spot where the stars are brighter at night. This place has it charms, and it will certainly always be where I came from; but being here always makes me miss San Francisco.

Grass, we don't need no stinkin' grass!

A glorious jumper sighting! Seen on the way back from the Mini-Ortega library branch (currently under construction, check out their construction blog under "All Things Awesome and Amazing").



The sidewalk jumper is just proof of how tenacious and resourceful San Franciscans can be. Don't have a yard, but want to throw an awesome birthday party...no problem, set that shit up on the sidewalk! It's all good.

Backyards Galore!

As promised long ago, this post will be delving into the strange and sometimes elusive creature known as the San Francisco backyard. Given the fact that I live in the Sunset, backyards in my neighborhood are not that rare. However, they are definitely a different beast than the backyards I grew up with in the Midwest. In small town Kansas where I was born and raised, backyards were expansive and green. A blessing in the all the recreation they allowed for, but a curse in the work they required to maintain. In the city, the backyard is not a given. It is a luxury this densely packed area does not give up lightly or cheaply. With more and more condos being built, it is an amenity that many will simply live without. Being lucky enough to have access to a shared backyard, I relish sunny weekends like this one. Weekends where going to the beach or the park would be awesome, but for some reason you don't even want to leave your own backyard because it is just that perfect.

So you might ask, what is so special/weird about San Francisco backyards? First off, they rarely involve grass. You don't see many yards that are just grass fence to fence. I'm sure this has a lot to do with the soil out here being mostly sand and not very conducive to growing grass. They usually involve a lot of concrete or brick, something to keep maintenance to a minimum and to create a nice are for hanging out. For those that have the time and/or money, they are often meticulously landscaped. Sometimes they are just a strange conglomeration of whatever will grow and storage sheds. I think our neighbor's yard falls under this last category.

You can also see just how carefully the land here is parceled out. With houses so close together and yards so small, you definitely want to make sure everyone gets their fair share. Every time I look out and see all the adjoining fences it just makes me think of some crazy jigsaw puzzle or tetris game.

When it comes to our yard, it definitely has a life of it's own. There are parts that have been carefully cultivated and other areas that have just been allowed to grow as they choose. Of course there is the designated lounging area to enjoy our chunk of California sunshine.

Next door on the other side is cat heaven. This shady yard with just the right mix of plants, grass, and concrete is a favorite of the neighborhood cats. They can often be seen soaking up some rays and being lazy back there.

This is just a small snapshot of the diverse backyards that exist here in the city, a subject that is of great interest to me. When space comes at a premium how exactly do people choose to use it?

Adventures Courtesy of Muni

Any San Franciscan knows how frustrating Muni can be. Our public transportation system is seriously lacking some proper organization. Delays, packed buses and trains, waiting for ungodly amounts of time just to trek across a 49 square mile patch of land are all too common. But this post is not about how much Muni sucks because there's enough of that going around these days. Just check out The N-Judah Chronicles and the recent cover story from SF Weekly, Muni Death Sprial It's all well-researched, insightful stuff about how much Muni is failing San Francisco and how we need to fix it now. All stuff I totally agree with, but not necessarily things I want to get into on my blog.

Long ago I decided to not let Muni delays/failures ruin my day because that would just mean too many crappy days. I rely on Muni daily to get to work. We have our ups and downs. Lately a lot of downs; no electricity in the Sunset Tunnel, tracks stuck at Church and Duboce, a fatality at Castro station causing a system wide shutdown of LRVs, yikes!!! It can literally make you start screaming at crowded buses that pass you by and don't stop because they are too full. But again I digress.

I've decided to take the shitty situations that Muni gives me and turn them into adventures. With my trusty Cliq XT at my side, I have become the queen of alternate routes home. There is one great thing about Muni; it covers every fucking block of this city or close to it. If one bus is screwed up, you can usually find another way to your destination. Tuesday was the day the tracks at Church and Duboce got stuck in the direction of the J, so no Ns could go out of the tunnel. I got dumped off at Van Ness station only to find that the next 71, my favorite alternative home, was about 20 minutes off. I whipped out my trusty Cliq to find the nearest bus that would take me to the western side of the city. If I can get within 10 blocks of home my feet can take me the rest of the way. The 5-Fulton was coming up and only a few blocks away. I hoofed it over to McAllister and Gough in full rain gear (thank goodness it was no longer raining) just as the 5 pulled up. Perfect timing! The bus was pretty full, but moved along at a good speed. It was great to see parts of the city I rarely visit. Each neighborhood is just so cute and interesting in its own way. Plus the views from some of those hills are simply spectacular. I eventually made it all the way to 43rd Avenue, got off the bus and headed into the park near Chain of Lakes. I love Golden Gate Park, and the Chain of Lakes are an idyllic setting for water fowl of all kinds. I didn't see any birds on my way home, but it was still a beautiful walk. North Lake was perfect and serene.

From Drop Box

Wildflowers were in bloom everywhere. As always some of the one million trees in the park were doing their best to look impressive.

From Drop Box

I took some trails through the woods, witnessed some very blue post-rain skies,

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

and ended up right across the street from our block.

From Drop Box

So even after being totally let down by Muni, I made it home and actually had a interesting adventure in the process.

Jumper Sighting

From Drop Box

One yellow and red jumper spotted in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, April 3, 2010. Jumpers are one of my most favorite things to see in the city. To me a jumper means that some kid is having one of the most awesome birthday parties ever. Maybe this craze is everywhere, but the jumper definitely has San Francisco in its grasp and isn't letting go. This will be a recurring post,as summer approaches and I see more sweet jumpers. I definitely want to get some pictures of the popular sidewalk jumper for those afflicted by tiny San Francisco yard syndrome.

Lazy Weekend

With no great plans this weekend, Saturday was spent running a few errands. Picked up some shoes for Christina's wedding at DSW in Daly City, essentials at Target (including Cadbury Creme Eggs), lunch at El Torreador, and a spontaneous piece of tiramisu from West Portal Bakery. El Torreador is amazing. I love their spinach enchiladas and sangria...so good!!!! Although I did branch out and try the vegetarian burrito, an excellent blend of rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, and pico de gallo. Simple and delicious! Plus they have some of the hottest and tastiest complimentary salsa ever.

Tiramisu is a weakness for me, and any time I see tiramisu I HAVE to try it. The pieces at West Portal Bakery were no exception.

From Kimonade and the Big City

Defintitely more cakey than traditional tiramisu but delicious nonetheless. I really am easy to please though, and there aren't many tiramisus that I don't like.

The El niño effect has been wreaking havoc today and giving us some monsoon like weather.

From Drop Box

So the order of the day was staying in and watching Netflix instant watch movies. We watched Beer Wars, and the sucker I am it made me want Dogfish Ale so bad. Thankfully the local coop, Other Avenues carries an excellent selection of microbrews and Dogfish just happens to be one of them. We picked up a couple of the Midas Touch and some of our favorite bread.

From Kimonade and the Big City

Lazy weekends are some of the best weekends. Love it, and love drinking some good beer while watching more Netflix.

Lemons in the Sunset

Lemons growing in California is probably not going to surprise anyone, but this tree in the Sunset amazes me every time I see it.

From Kimonade and the Big City

You might ask, why is this so amazing? First off this is San Francisco; we are not located in warm, sunny southern California. Northern California is a whole different beast, and San Francisco has it's very own particular climate. Even within San Francisco there are further subdivisions of climate known as microclimates. In the Sunset the climate is generally cold and foggy with constant ocean breezes, not exactly ideal for growing a lot of fruits, especially citrus. Somehow this tree manages against all odds, and it seems to produce a good number of lemons. I love seeing it on my walks around the neighborhood. It makes me wish I had a lemon tree in our yard.

The beach is love

San Francisco will probably never win any Best Beach Awards. More than half the time the beach is shrouded in a thick fog known as the Marine layer. The water rarely rises above the chilly temperature of 55°F. This isn't sunny SoCal, but when the weather is nice you better believe the beach will be bumpin'. Today was no exception. Of course I missed most of the gorgeous, sunny day hidden away in my windowless office downtown; however, I managed to leave work a litte early and catch the last couple hours of sunshine.

Ocean Beach is awesome for many reasons. First, it's approximately five blocks from my house. I love living by the beach. I don't always get down there every day, but I always see it to and from my walk to Muni and I love it. I love how it shimmers in the sun and takes on the colors of the sky. Blue sky = blue ocean. Gray sky = gray ocean. I don't think I ever want to live anywhere that isn't walking distance to the beach ever again. Maybe growing up ocean deprived in a land-locked state took it's toll on me.

Second, it's a protected area for snowly plovers, pretty much the cutest bird that has ever lived. These guys are so cute and tiny, and they run so fast following the waves in and out looking for food. I love the thought that the beach is host to bunches of snowy plover families living out their cute existence in the California sunshine.

Third, there is never a shortage of crazy people hanging out here. One day Nik and I were walking along the sea wall when I guy stopped us and asked us if we had any "extra weed". "Extra weed" just seems like one of the most hilarious concepts ever to me. As if I just carry around tiny bags of excess weed to give to strangers in need.

Fourth, the graffiti. The picture below says it all.

I could go on and on about what is great about Ocean Beach; the surfers, the crazy kites, the happy dogs that love the ocean. All I really need to say is, "The beach is beautiful. The beach is amazing. I love the beach!!!"

Favorite Spots: The Tower at De Young Museum

San Franciso is a beautiful city. There is no shortage of great spots to enjoy amazing views of the city, the ocean, and the surrounding areas. One of my favorites is the Tower at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. On a clear day the views of the city here are spetacular.

Behind the tightly packed houses and businesses of the Richmond District, you can see the top of the Golden Gate Bridge peeking out from behind the hills of the Presidio (Flat Grace is still enjoying her visit).

Beyond the park and the surrounding neighborhoods, you can see the buildings downtown including the Transamerica Pyramid.

You can see Mt. Sutro and the living roof of the Academy of Sciences.

You can see JFK Drive winding through the park and some of the one million trees that live there.

You can see the ocean, the bay, the Marin headlands, and many of San Francisco's unique neighborhoods. I absolutely love coming here. It reminds me of what a great city I live in, a city so wonderful that people come from all over the world to see it. I get to live here every day, and I love it.

Golden Bowls!!!

Golden Bowls are one of our favorite dinners. It's vegetarian comfort food at it's finest. Pan-fried tofu cubes and sauteed veggies atop a bed of steamed rice all drenched in yeast gravy. The recipe comes courtesy of The Grit Restaurant in Athens, Georgia. We were introduced to their lovely cookbook by our friend Trisha and have been addicted to the Grit Yeast Gravy ever since. Gravy really does make everything better.

With our powers combined, Nik and I made the amazingly delicious dinner below.

Tag Team Cooking

1..2..3..4...Golden Bowls!!!