winter fraulien

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good times on a cold night

rebel with a cause

this year for christmas, the bf and i have decided to buy one big ticket item for both of us to share. we vacillated between a couple- espresso machine, luggage, flat screen tv and finally decided on a good digital camera. lots of searching and researching took place as you can imagine and we finally settled on the Canon Digital Rebelxsi package from Costco. not only did we get the camera and lens, but we also got an additional 18-200 OS lens, camera bag (professional style) and 4GB memory card...all for $699. go Costco!

we are so excited about our new toy and i've been geeking around the house trying it out.



front yard orchids blooming




"wild" figs growing in the front yard...bush style. strange yet beautiful.

SAMBAZON

Sambazon Year in Photos 2009 from Sambazon Acai on Vimeo.

christmas party was last friday. so much fun. here's the "year in review" video we watched after dinner. good group of people!

winter yum

4 organic local, sweet potatoes
2T butter melted
fresh thyme and sage
ground pepper and salt
1/4 c. grated good parm

hot damn. i made this one last night due to all the sweet potatoes we've acquired from our farm basket. i used what i had in the kitchen and it turned out amazing!

-peel the sweet potatoes and thinly slice them on a mandolin.
-use a square baking dish and lightly oil the bottom.
-begin to layer the dish with potatoes, herbs, pepper and a little bit of butter until you use all ingredients.
-cook in a 350* oven for 20 minutes
-after 20 minutes, add the grated parm to top and cook until golden brown

C is for California

my mom sent me this photo yesterday from C Magazine.
love it. so southern california christmas.

"It was photographer Slim Aarons' self-described mission to document "attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places." In 1954, long before his signature phots of the jet set would open the floodgates for the age of paparazzi, he captured a quite moment at home in L.A. with his wife, Rita, taking a Christmas Swim."

it's raining...

so i'm going pretend shopping and here's what i bought:

modernica swirl hanging light


hummmm, for the bathroom?

tgif...and then some

how you like DEM carrots?!

aren't my purple carrots lovely?! i think so. every two weeks when our CSA basket arrives, it's like a surprise gift (well one that you pay for). what will be we be cooking this week? what new veg or fruit have i never tried or prepared that i will now...like it or not. i really can not praise a CSA enough and highly recommend one if you have one in your area. it makes you eat fresh. it makes you eat local. it makes you eat seasonal. it makes you eat at home!

believe you me, there have been plenty of lazy days where i feel like walking down the street to the many different restaurants, hungry to take my money. but then i look at my fridge, full and colorful with far healthier food than i know i'll be eating "out there". this CSA keeps me in and for this i'm thankful. now instead of making that last minute rash decision to throw in the gloves and spend money for a mediocre meal, i'm using my creative juices in the kitchen to build my own masterpiece.


and they're white in the middle!


i decided to use them in the base of a pasta sauce with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, onions, garlic and turkey meatballs. soooooooo booya!

soul food

i'm about to let you in on a couple of secrets.
#1: soups are my THING. once the temp dips below 70* (this is rare where i live) =/ i go into soup mode.
#2: this cream of tomato soup is the best i've ever had....and i made it! i have no idea where it comes from due to the fact that it's scribbled on the back of an old gym schedule. i think i've had it about 5 years and it's a special day when i decide to make it.

i'm going to give you the recipe the way i wrote it which is the easiest way to follow. here we go:

The Secret That Campbell's Doesn't Want You to Have

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
-remove tomatoes from can and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. (reserve the liquid)
-sprinkle the tomatoes with brown sugar
Roast @ 450* for 30 min

In a large soup pan, melt 4T. of butter
-add 4 minced shallots and sweat in the pan until soft
-add 1T. tomato paste (i didn't have any today so i added 2T. of minced smoked sun dried tomatoes...i'm going this route for now on)
-pinch of allspice (i don't have any so i gave a pinch of paprika)
-cover and sweat 7-10 min.
-add 2T flour, cook 30 sec.
-add 1 3/4 chicken broth plus 3 c. reserved tomatoes and juice (the original can usually doesn't have enough so i always buy an extra 28 oz. can of CHOPPED tomatoes and add this until 3 c. is reached)
-add roasted tomates
-bring to a boil over medium heat

Cook 10 minutes
(if you don't have a hand blender...YOU SHOULD! Cuisinart is my fav...then follow the next step)
-strain the solids from the liquids
-add the solids to blender w/ 1 c. liquid (it's much easier if you had that hand blender people! you blend the whole thing in the same pot...but you got the point.)
-add back to the sauce pan
-add 1/2 c. cream
-add 2T. brandy or dry sherry (i used the later)
-salt/pep & cayenne to taste

WA-LA! done seriously fabu. try it. you'll never go back. get some sharp white cheddar, crusty sourdough and make some grilled cheese to go with this baby.

tasty

with the right shades and right location (my house) these babies could be bangin. but @ $295 for the pair, me thinks not!