casacaudill

The Frames @ The Fillmore

Last night - a Sunday - Alan and I did something very out of character: we left the house to attend an event in the city.  Now, we often talk about how great it would be to do something like that but we never actually do. When it comes right down to it we're homebodies that like each other, like our home, and don't much like other people.  So we often choose to stay home instead of doing all the great things that make San Francisco and Oakland such wonderful places to live.  But not last night.  Nope, last night we ventured to the famed Fillmore Auditorium (mere blocks from our first apartment in San Francisco - and now, we didn't go there when we lived there) to see a concert.

The Frames is a band fronted by Glen Hansard, the Oscar-winning musician from the Irish movie Once. Incidentally, this is now one of my favorite movies.  Hansard formed a band called The Swell Season with his co-star in that film, Marketa Irglova, and they were playing in Saratoga this summer at the Mountain Winery.  We were going to get tickets but the concert was on a week night over an hour away from our respective jobs and there's no way we would have been able to get down there in time to see it.  Incidentally, this is also the concert where a crazy person jumped from the top of the stage scaffolding to his death right in front of the bad and the audience.  In hindsight, I'm glad we didn't manage to get tickets.

But when I saw Hansard's other band - The Frames - would be in SF over Thanksgiving weekend I jumped at the chance to get tickets.  And I'm so glad I did!  While nearly 4 hours on your feet is normally not my idea of a good time, the venue - The Fillmore - was spectacular for an intimate concert with this amazing music.  

Now, having worked in radio for a couple of years way back in the day I've been to my fair share of concerts. From Journey/Foreigner to The Barenaked Ladies to The Dave Matthews Band to Paul Simon/Bob Dylan to Jewel I've seen a ton of shows.  At one point I was seeing at least one concert a week during the summer. But never have I been this close to the stage for such an amazing act. I don't know what it is, but I just love Hansard and could watch him play/sing all night.  He's a man you can tell loves music and loves performing. So while my feet were angry, my knees were creaking and my back was aching, I had a huge smile on my face and my heart was happy. Definitely a great band that I recommend seeing if you like to hear a band really give its all for the audience.

Unfortunately it didn't occur to me to bring my camera since I had no idea how close to the stage we'd actually be, but I did manage to get a couple of good snaps with the iPhone.  And the video quality ain't so bad either.

 

 

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

While Alan was in the bathroom painting yesterday, I started decorating the Christmas tree.  This year I'm going with a bit of a funky vintage theme, similar to how I decorated the year my sister and her family came to visit.  We still need to add our special ornaments and candy canes (an addition for this year) and then the tree will be ready for presents.

thanksgiving at the casa

Originally we had planned to rent a cabin up in Tahoe and have the whole family come up and join us for the holiday.  Then we found out that people had to work today and that others had already made plans and we scrapped that idea. Good thing too, what with me not bringing home a paycheck and all (don't let anyone ever tell you Tahoe is cheap). Instead we spent a quiet and fun-filled evening with Alan's parents here at the casa. We made dinner, mother-in-law made the desserts.

This year we switched up our standard Thanksgiving menu a bit since we were only cooking for four.  And I did all of our shopping at Trader Joe's instead of Whole Foods which saved us a ton of money.   We skipped out on mashed potatoes since Alan doesn't like them and instead went with roasted parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, asparagus and brussel sprouts cooked with the turkey.  I was not a fan, but Alan seemed to like it.  Next year though?  Mashed potatoes. 

We also went a different route with the turkey.  Rather than roasting a whole bird Alan broke it down in the morning and we roasted the carcass and then made homemade turkey stock to use in our stuffing and gravy. The stock turned out really wonderful and flavorful and didn't require much extra work beyond what we were already doing.  Oh, to cook the bird we used the Tyler Florence herbed turkey recipe from the Thanksgiving issue of Better Homes & Gardens.  I was generally a fan of this mode of cooking the turkey, but if we do it again I'd skip putting the vegetables underneath as they were very soggy and I'd spend a bit of extra time crisping the skin.  After all, the best part of the turkey is the skin.

In addition to the food, we served a chilled Boujaleis Noveau from Kermit Lynch, some whiskey for my father-in-law (not a fan of the Connemara, it seems) and some Vouvrey with dinner.  After dinner we played Wii bowling, golf and Mario Kart and ended the night with a game of Scrabble.  I was victorious!

By the end of the night I was feeling very fatigued and had the chills and my whole body ached.  I ended up going to bed wearing a sweatshirt with the hoodie pulled up and two layers of blankets.  I woke up this morning feeling somewhat better but still not great.  I think I came down with that crappy virus so many people on my Facebook and Twitter streams were also complaining about.

Still, all in all it was a wonderful day and this year I have so much to be thankful for - not the least of which is my partner in crime, the yin to my yang, the wind beneath my wings, my very bestest friend: Alan.

Here's to hoping you had all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!

All photos taken with my iPhone using either Hipstamatic of Insta.gram.

 

stopping to smell the roses

... err, the flowers.

cooking at the casa: curried butternut squash soup

Since we're gearing up for Thanksgiving (TON O'LEFTOVERS) I haven't been doing much cooking this week, but last week in addition to the lasagna I posted about previously, I also made a curried butternut squash soup that Alan really seemed to enjoy.  It makes an easy (although not necessarily quick) meal on a cold winter's night. I recommend making this dish when it's raining outside and you can curl up by the fire while eating it.

Step 1:  Buy pre-cut butternut squash cubes from Trader Joe's.  

(Note: right now they have giant bags on sale because of Thanksgiving.)

Step 2:  Finely chop 1 onion and 1 head of garlic and sauté in butter and olive oil

(Note: use as much as you want, I won't tell)

Step 3:  Throw in the squash & stir regularly so nothing sticks

(Note: you might have to add more butter or oil at this point)

Step 4:  Add in 8 cups of chicken broth & bring to a boil

Step 5:  After the soup has been boiling for 3-5 minutes, reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes so that the squash gets nice and squishy

Step 6: Add as much cream as you like.  (I go with about 1/2 cup for this recipe)  

Step 7: Continue simmering for 5-8 minutes

Step 8: Add in 2 tbsp curry powder,  1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric and 2 tbsp of brown sugar 

(Note: you can add in more sugar if you like it sweeter.  But don't use white sugar!  I beg you.  Also, feel free to add more curry powder if you like it to have more kick.  I like a subtle curry flavor so that the flavor of the squash isn't masked by too many spices.)

Step 9:  Use an immersion blender to blend the whole thing up.  Make sure there are no chunks left.  This usually takes about 3-4 minutes.  

Step 10:  Serve & eat.  But don't eat immediately because this sucker will be HOT and you will burn your tongue.  

 

living room for christmas?

I'm trying to think of a way to make the Christmas tree fit in the living room this year.  The corner window in the dining room is the perfect place for it but then I can't really see it and let's be honest, for all the time and effort it takes to decorate a tree, it needs to be seen directly and not via peripheral vision.  Here's the current setup:

And here's what it looked like last year:

cooking at the casa

Ever since I quit my job, I've been on a mission to revisit all the things I love but haven't had time for these past 6-9 months.  At the top of that list is cooking.  Sure I would make dinner 1-2 times a week but invariably it was the recipes I knew by heart, the meals I could whip up in my sleep (I'm looking at you braised chicken, sauteed greens and roasted potatoes). 

Last night I decided to make lasagna, a dish that once upon a time I used to do quite well but recent versions (as in, last winter) were somewhat lacking.  I can't even remember the last time I made lasagna, except to say that it wasn't great and we didn't even eat all the leftovers. That very rarely happens with one of our favorite foods.

So last night I pulled out the puttanesca I'd made several weeks ago to defrost and made my way to the grocery store to pick up the fixings.  Now, I'll say this, the way I make lasagna is not cheap.  Thankfully, I make a ton of it so we can eat it for many meals.  But if you're looking for recommendations on cooking on a budget (you know, being unemployed and all), this is not the meal to look to.  The cheese & sausage alone cost a small fortune.

Knowing that the puttanesca wasn't going to be enough sauce for a fully loaded 9x13 meal, I whipped up even MORE sauce to go between all the layers of cheesy goodness.  

Step 1 - Saute the onions

Step 2 - Add chopped garlic!  (And yes, that is a full head of garlic)

Step 3 - Add fresh herbs (sorry, no photos)

Step 4 - Stir in 2 pounds of sausage (I went with hot and sweet Italian)

Step 5 - Add the sauce (in addition to the homemade puttanesca, I added in a jar of Barilla roasted garlic pasta sauce)

Step 6 - boil the noodles

I know a lot of people have started using the no-boil pasta sheets but I dunno.  There's just something about them that I don't trust.  They don't look like pasta.  They look ... like impostors.  If you've used 'em and have had good luck, let me know.  Otherwise, I'm continuing to do this the hard way.

Step 7 - layer the noodles, sauce and cheese (shredded mozzarella and ricotta) over and over again.  Top with sliced rounds of solid mozzarella.  Because I was shopping at Safeway last night I didn't use any fancy cheeses.  A friend on Facebook asked me what cheese I used - it's the Precious brand, whole milk hunk o'cheese.  Nothing special, indeed, but it cooked up nice & golden last night.  

Step 8 - bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 9 - Remove from stove, ooh & aww over how pretty it looks

Oh, and if you're lucky enough to live in the Bay Area, while you're cooking I recommend popping open a bottle of Anchor Steam's annual Holiday ale.  Sure, beer & pasta don't really go together, but I didn't feel like opening a bottle of wine just for me so this was a very fine replacement.

 

HOT DAMN, MADAME!

Last night Alan went out for dinner & drinks with his friends, leaving me alone to play single gal in the city. Because I'm a bit of a hermit and would much rather spend time at home than out galavanting, I decided to make breakfast for dinner, drink our last beer, and watch Twilight. It was the perfect evening, made even better by the best damn Croque Madame I've been able to cook up since having it back in 2008 in Paris. I skipped the mornay sauce (or béchamel, depending on which recipe you look at), instead using a bit of dijon mustard to give it some moistness and a bit of tang, and I think that was the exact right route to take because the flavor was outstanding.  It was so good that I am contemplating making up another one for lunch today!

Photos taken with my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app

holiday decor love

Oh god.  It's not even Thanksgiving yet and already my favorite magazines and blogs are talking to me about Christmas.  And don't get me started on how many times I've changed my mind about what we're doing for Christmas cards this year.  While this year I'm feeling a lot less bah humbug about it all than I have in years past, I'm still not entirely hip to the whole "let's start Christmas in October!"  That said, I saw this project from the @MSLiving Twitter handle and thought YES! I COULD SO DO THIS.  This is a cute project and these ornaments will look absolutely marvelous on my tree covered with Amy Butler paper chains.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

 These ornamental balls are made from holiday cards from Christmases past. 

Cut out twenty circles: For a small ball, trace around the base of a jar that's about 1 1/4 inches in diameter; for a large one, trace around the bottom of a glass. 

Cut another circle the same size from cardboard; on it, draw an equilateral triangle, points touching the edge of the circle. Cut out triangle; trace it onto the inside of each of the 20 circles. Score, and fold along all the lines. 

Next, use clear-drying craft glue to join one flap each from two circles -- triangles should point in the same direction. Using the same technique, attach the flaps of three more circles to these two, forming what will be the top. Make the bottom in the same way. 

Glue remaining 10 circles together, this time with triangle points alternating up and down, forming a straight line. Glue the two end flaps to form a ring; this will be the middle section. Then glue top and bottom pieces to the flaps of the middle section. 

Use a needle to create a small hole, and hang from silver thread.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Holiday Card Ornaments - Martha Stewart Holidays

Playing Tourist: Jack London Square

Once upon a time we used to own a loft in Oakland's Jack London Square.  It was 1600+ square feet of reclaimed industrial space and it was a beauty.  Then a terrible remodeling neighbor moved in next door, wreaking havoc on our lives and the building (he started a fire that engaged the sprinklers and flooded our unit).  Then the HOA board went crooked and thought it was a perfectly fine thing to ask us to pay for other people's $$$ window replacements because we had a bigger unit than they did.  Right.  

When we first purchased the unit we were told that a market hall similar to San Francisco's Ferry Building had been approved and construction would start at any minute. It never did.  What construction did start was several other multi-unit condo complexes and our lives became even more disrupted by the constant barrage of trucks and their crews at sun up, the sound of jackhammers and bulldozers until sunset.  We got out as quickly as we could.  

That was 4+ years ago, and Jack London Square is finally coming together, albeit much more slowly than any of the developers would have you believe.  While there are several fancy new condo complexes, none are at capacity.  While the market hall building finally went up, it stands as a vacant shell of a reminder of the economy, or lack thereof.  The Barnes & Noble packed up and headed out.  

What stands today are several good restaurants and a beautiful location for a Sunday Farmer's Market.  

It being a warm one yesterday - 75 degrees in November?!? - we decided to head down to JLS, check out progress in the area and buy some fresh produce for last night's dinner. Probably because it's mid-November and no one expected these global warming temps, but the market seemed much smaller than I remembered it being in the past.  Rather than fruit & vegetable stalls as far as the eye could see - not to mention artists and musicians - the market was made up of about 100 yards worth of vendors, most of them selling the exact same produce - onions, squash, persimmons, greens.  

In addition to some extremely awesome baja fish tacos from Cholita Linda's, we grabbed some honey, leeks, persimmons and grass fed organic tri-tip to throw on the grill.  When we got home we realized the beef had been packaged and frozen way back in July.  Oops.  

No matter, it was a beautiful day down by the water and it was fun to reminisce about the good - and bad - times we had while living in JLS.  While I miss the urban lifestyle a bit sometimes, including having the coolest place of anyone we know, I have to say I don't miss fighting for parking. 

It's easy being green

Well, at least, it's easy using things that are green when they just smell so damn wonderful.

As I was thinking about my favorite products lately I realized that all of them are green, and in all cases they are eco after a fashion.  They are either made from all-natural ingredients, or they aren't tested on animals (something that's important to me). So without further ado, what are my favorite green products?

Want

Having been the proud owners of Ikea beds for as long as I can remember, I'd really like to get a grown-up bed to go with our grown-up mattress.  I change my mind frequently about what I actually want.  This is today's contender.

 

NaNoWriMo

Two years ago I started writing the novel I'd long wanted to write. I reached approximately 24,000 words (50 some-odd pages) and then the writing I get paid to do took over and I stepped away. Over the last few years I've revisited the story, mostly for edits to the first couple of chapters to tighten up the characters, story line, flow and overall effect of the narrative. I never got past the first three chapters, tweaking and revising and wordsmithing. I decided that this year I'd use the month of November to finally put the story to bed. You see, this month marks National Novel Writing Month - or NaNoWriMo as many people know it - and therefore no better time than now to try to reach that 50,000 word count. If I can get to 75,000, I'll be even more pleased.

Given that we're several days into the month already and people are starting to talk about NaNoWriMo on their blogs and on Twitter, I took the opportunity to go back to that two year old story. And like always, did some major edits to the first part of it. My heroine is a stronger, more compelling main character and the descriptions are much more vivid and impactful than they were before. I've also removed some areas that I was having trouble with to make some of the background story easier for me to remember as I get further into the narrative.

One of the funnest things about this project - aside from the fact that I'm finally writing the story I've always wanted to write to see if I'm actually "a writer" - is that I'm getting to revisit our trip to Ireland exactly one year ago as the setting.  Now that I've seen the fields of clover and smelled the peat smoke in the air myself on a cold winter day, the telling of it all has a much more authentic feel and that makes me feel incredibly good about where I'm at in the process. 

Now if only I didn't have to keep writing the word nipple.

Blogger?

I'm thinking of switching the blog over to Blogger because I just don't need a pro Typepad account given that I don't actually have many readers or have a huge audience that requires me spending $189/year on a blog platform. The thing is, I don't want to have to redesign my blog template from scratch. That CSS stuff made my head want to explode. Does anyone have recommendations for folks that do pretty, yet simple, yet stylish templates for Blogger?  I had found two people about a year ago but they both seem to have shut down their shops. Thanks!

speculation

There's been some speculation about what my cryptic note from this weekend could possibly mean - some people insisting that even though I said I'm not pregnant that I actually am - so I wanted to take a moment to clarity lest too many people are in a tizzy. :-)

After 4+ years of complaining about how utterly terrible and craptastic the bathroom is at casacaudill, we're finally going to STOP complaining and actually DO something about it.

Instead of renting a cabin in Tahoe for Thanksgiving for the family, we're going to take that money and instead put it toward sprucing up the joint (kind of like what we did for Memorial Day weekend where we decided not to go to Vegas and instead paint the living room).  So far I've got a general color in mind for the paint, and there will be some architectural(ish) changes we make as well.  Still trying to decide on a couple of other points, but I'm looking forward to the room not being embarrassing and looking like it came from the 80s.