new captain at the docks

Looks like a successful landing and a perfect first day.  Sail with Captain Matthew on the Schooner Olad!

spoiled with flora

Only the good stuff - lillies, gerbera daisies, and foxgloves from my sweetie. He likes to leave a bouquet on the door to our apartment when I fly home, to greet me on my arrival. We made it in rather late because I made him meet me right off the plane-train-bus ride at our favorite Indian restaurant downtown. A girl needs Paneer Tikka Masala the moment she lands in SF.

crabster roll

We've been having beautiful sunny days here in SF this week; guess it's Indian Summer, pt. 2. Means you have to hang out in the park every chance you get, especially since it starts getting dark around 5pm. Matt got out of work early enough on a Friday to stop by the fish market on Valencia, and surprised me with crustaceans for dinner. Lobster for me, crab for him.


His crab was ginormous!! 2 lbs. This meant plenty of leftovers. So we picnic'd in Dolores Park the next day. The fog had already rolled into the Sunset, so we knew Golden Gate would be chilly, but ever sunny Dolores gave us enough sunshine to enjoy our crabster rolls and a little afternoon nap in the park.

Got Matt his new tee at the Noe Valley Harvest Festival. I like building up his wardrobe with handmade/local artist tees at craft fairs. The goldfish is saying "Where the f%@#'s my bicycle?", which is funny on a boy who goes through withdrawls if he can't ride his bike everyday.

We remembered that the fish & bicycle joke is that, "a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle", so then he was worried it was some feminist/antifeminist tee. The phrase was actually coined from a philosophical text that said "A man needs God like a fish needs a bicycle". So our goldfish is either looking for religion, or a domestic partner, or maybe he really did just lost his bike. Must have parked it at the Main Library, cos that's where all ours got stolen.

Crabster Rolls
Lobster tail & one claw meat, roughly chopped
1/2 Crab body & leg meat
Mayo, one large dollop
1 Scallion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. Celery salt

Mix together in large bowl, adjusting mayo & seasoning to taste. Stuff as much as you possibly can into large whole wheat deli rolls, sliced open vertically. Enjoy in sunny park.

notes he leaves

Round about October I start making Xmas gift lists on the white-erase board in the hall by the door - the catchall place for apt/to-do lists. Most are not really a finalized holiday requests, but more of a collection of assorted, "oh wouldn't it be cool if I had a new one of these..." thoughts.

Matthew likes to add his own recommendations.

sunday afternoon bakery

Yes, that’s the cookbook balanced on top of the coffeemaker. That’s how much counter space we have. But we play bakery anyway.


Because nothing beats thin, gooey chocolate chip cookies with a glass of cold soy milk while you’re lying on the couch, watching Next Food Network Star episodes back to back.

***
After the cookie photo-shoot I spent a week looking for the camera, which was in the pocket of my apron, hanging in the pantry.

coconut lemon cupcakes - scofield says thank you

The boys next door at Mickey's Monkey agreed to babysit our fish Scofeild while Matt & I were at the wedding last weekend. Naturally, thank-you-cupcakes were in order. As you may remember, I tend to bake lots of cupcakes to sweeten up the neighborhood. I was feeling in a summery, tropical mood, so I dropped shredded coconut into the white cake batter. The little darlings came out all golden brown, like they'd been tanning at the beach.

Oh yum. Looks like they need a little lemony frosting to finish them off...




Yeah, there we go. A little sprinkle of shredded coconut, et voila.

welcomed home

Awwwwh. Doesn’t he get extra points for creative presentation? Matt met me at the bus stop downtown after I took the BART home from the airport. As I (finally) got to our door, this is what I found. What a cutie.