A San Francisco Saturday

My Saturdays usually consist of me lounging around in yoga pants, watching Netflix and cleaning up the house. This past weekend, however, I actually got out and did not just one, but three different events around the city! It was an awesome change, although I was wiped out for a couple of days after.

First stop: brunch! Of course. This week we tried out Just For You Cafe. Beignets, mimosas, breakfast burritos... can't go wrong.

The beignets were cheap ($1.75 each) and fresh from the fryer - yum!

I went with a fresh grapefruit mimosa, and Alex opted for champagne, which came in a water glass and was almost filled to the top. My kind of place!

I got a breakfast burrito, because I crave those way more often than I actually have easy access to them. It was the perfect complement to my sugary beignet and mimosa. 

Next up: the de Young Museum in the heart of Golden Gate Park. There's an exhibit on Jean Paul Gaultier, whose name I'm ashamed to say I'd never heard (spoiler alert: he's the guy behind Madonna's iconic cona bras). I really enjoyed the exhibit. Lots of couture fashion, which isn't usually my thing, but it was really awesome to see it all as works of art. I didn't want to be that guy and take photos of the whole thing, but I got one closeup of a denim and ostrich feather number. It was fantastic and I totally recommend stopping by if you're in SF before August!

The last stop of the night - Hot Glass Cold Beer at Public Glass. Honestly, I think this is one of the coolest things to do in the city. Twenty five bucks gets you a handblown glass or chalice, snacks, demonstrations, and all the beer and wine you want in your lovely new cup.

I picked out the lovely glass above - I love the bold orange rim. As you can see below, there is quite a variety of options.

mmm, IPA.

demos!

I was given a free pendant from one of the demos! I haven't put it on a chain left, but I'm excited to have a wearable souvenir. Alex got a matching one!!

Isn't this amazing? A glass flower inside another pendant. I am just floored whenever I look at it.

And now, back to my regularly scheduled week.. but hey, it could be worse! This week has basically been like Christmas, except Santa is me and all my presents are new platform wedges. Pictures to come soon, I hope!

Outfit bits and pieces

I'm kind of phasing out my fancier camera, and I had some issues figuring out the self timer feature on my other camera this morn (don't worry - Google has since cleared things up for me). Thus - little self-portrait snaps of various pieces of my outfit.

I recently ordered this scarf, and while I love it, I can't quite figure out how to wear it. It looks nice in these photos, but the top/front looked awkward (the scarf is a little too short and my hair is a little too curly), so I took it off after the pictures. I guess I'll try again another day...

I am pretty excited about this new cardigan - it just came this week. It's a pretty spring pink-tangerine color, and it's a lovely light weight, perfect for San Francisco layering.

I kind of liked the juxtaposition of black and spring colors (this is the closest I get to pastels). What do you think?

details: wedges and cardigan: ModCloth; tank top and shorts: Express (old); tights: We Love Colors; scarf: Red Velvet

Maybe the best brunch ever

I never used to be a breakfast person, and I thought that brunch was just a terrible thing that forced breakfast up into my beloved lunch's time slot. And then - San Francisco changed everything. I started having weekly brunch dates with my friend Alex, and I discovered that brunch foods can be some of the most delicious. The biggest selling point for me was the fact that brunch is basically the one time it's totally acceptable to overindulge in three of my favorite things all at once - delicious food, coffee, and booze.

This week, Alex and I (along with her roomies, Carmen and Henry) tried a new place - Hair of the Dogpatch. It's actually a temporary popup inside of Yield Wine Bar over in the Dogpatch neighborhood (a place I never venture to). Oh my goodness, the trek was completely worth it.

 Alex and me   |   Carmen and Henry

For starters, I got to avoid breakfast-y foods entirely - the menu was an all-you-can-eat vegetarian tapas lineup.

menu, via my instagram

$20 got us all you can eat food and a mimosa each!

Mimosas came out first. They were a little more orangey than I like, but the fact that it was straight-from-the orange juice, no sugar added totally made up for it. Yum.

Next, lots and lots of food.

little bite-size salads

tortilla espanola - like a frittata with tons of veggies

patatas bravas

flatbread

At this point I had finished my mimosa and started to order another, but the server offered up champagne with housemade syrups instead. Lemongrass ginger, lavender lemon, or strawberry rose. Umm, yes please!

mine - lemon lavender. very subtle but definitely delicious.

Alex got strawberry rose

After finishing everything but the tortilla/frittata, we got to order more of our faves. I got more pickled veggies (not pictured, but delicious - asparagus, carrots, ramps, and some root vegetables), and we split seconds of the flatbread and fried dates with chevre (also not pictured - they weren't much to look at but sure were tasty!). All in all, one of the best brunches I've ever had. If you're in SF, definitely go check it out. It's only temporary, so make it over in the next few months!!

Rainy Days

We had a rather dry winter in the bay area this year. Like... hardly any rain at all. And this is our "rainy season". It was both exciting and annoying when the rain finally picked up this month. We had another nice, sunny week last week, but it looks like we're in for more rain for the next week or so.

I love this ring from etsy, and it was perfect for the weather. I got a sunshiney one, too, but I'm a cloudy weather girl,
so I think I'll be getting more use out of this one.

The downside to the rain: riding my bike to and from work is terrible. I ended up taking Muni more.
This was one of the worst days, during the above-ground leg of my ride home.

My sunny yellow JoTotes bag, happily repelling rain from my things!

It seems like the east coast started getting spring just as our weather went downhill... How are things where you are?

Modest Workwear

If I worked at a job that required me to dress professionally and modestly, this is what I imagine I would wear. It doesn't show off skin or curves, but I still get to wear fun shoes and bright tights. It was fun to dress a bit fancier than my usual casual A-line dress and boots or flats. Fancy Friday is the new Casual Friday!

dress: Gap (3 years ago); tights: We Love Colors; shoes: ModCloth (pre-employment)

What do you think? Do you work at a 'business casual' job? Could you get away with an outfit like this at the office?

Rainy Day | Pi Day

I've been feeling sick and tired for ages now (like... two months), but things are finally looking up, so let's just jump back in to real life, shall we? Today was nasty and rainy out, while the rest of the country is finally getting warm, sunny weather. But honestly I don't mind a bit of weather (we've had an awfully mild and dry winter). I did attempt to bike in to work this morning, though, and it was no good. Next time, muni instead!

I tried to look on the bright side. I just got a new, lovely bike pannier bag (from Po Campo - I'm in love with their company now!). While I don't have a rack to hang it on yet, it fit nicely on the front of the bike, and it kept all of my stuff completely dry. It's a bit small, so I'll probably get a second one once I get the whole rack thing figured out.

Muddy leg - long pants would have been a good idea.

rainy view from the office.

Once I changed clothes and dried off, I was rewarded with pie! Today was pie day (3/14), and ModCloth celebrated with not one but three rounds of pies at work! I managed to get some pictures of the ones at breakfast.

The covered pies are variations on egg/veggie/vegan savory pies, and I tried the frontmost pie, pineapple blueberry. Tasty! Apparently I missed Moroccan lentil pie at lunch, and I did get a little slice of vanilla flan pie in the mid-afternoon. Oh my!

(Apparently we got these at Peasant Pies in SF, if you're in the area and want some delicious pie!)

Chilaquiles!

Ok, ok. While I sure am good at wasting passing a lot of time browsing online, making (and eating!) food is still my true passion. Life has been feeling a little incomplete lately, and I think a huge part of it is a lack of time spent in the kitchen (seriously, wouldn't I just make the best 50s housewife??). So, here is a food post I've been putting off for far too long - chilaquiles!

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Mmmm, one of my favorite breakfasts, and Tim's favorite by far! It's a little different every time, but the key ingredients are tortillas (or chips), salsa, and eggs, often with ground turkey or sausage, black beans, onions, fresh bell or jalapeno peppers, and other delicious bits thrown in - whatever you happen to have around. Here is how I made these recently. Try your own version and let me know how it goes! (scroll down for recipe)

Tim-approved! ✓

Ingredients - by the way, this is the BEST salsa!

chop or tear your tortillas

Add tortillas and combine

Create a space and add eggs

Ready to serve - doesn't look like much, but yum!

Sometimes I add all three. Don't judge.

Chilaquiles

serves 2-3 as listed, but super easy to double or triple!

1 tablespoon neutral oil - I use light olive oil or canola

1/4 of a medium-sized red onion, finely chopped

about 1/2 cup ground meat or sausage (I like using chicken or turkey)

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

salsa to taste - I use about 1/2 cup

4 taco-sized corn tortillas, chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon cumin

1-2 teaspoons chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

4 eggs

for serving:

monterey jack or pepper jack cheese, grated

extra salsa and various hot sauces

chopped cilantro (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a large, flat skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until just softened. Add the sausage or ground meat and brown for several minutes, stirring and breaking up large pieces.
3. When the sausage is no longer pink, add the black beans and stir to combine. Add salsa and cook until heated through.
4. Add tortillas and spices and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir to coat the tortillas in salsa and mix in the spices.
5. Push everything off to one side so there is an empty space, and crack your eggs into that spot. When they start to get opaque, scramble the eggs with your spoon. When they are about half done (still a bit shiny), stir the eggs into the rest of your chilaquiles.
6. If you want a bit of a crispy texture, let this cook, untouched, for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir and repeat.
7. Remove from the heat and serve hot with grated cheese, salsa, hot sauce, and cilantro.

sadly lacking cilantro :( otherwise delicious!