1+1= a hawaiian shaved ice

thank you soft serve serving man and both little guys at the snow cone shack for accepting our flirts and for hooking liz and i up.  well really we hooked ourselves up but we had to do a little flirting to make our idea come to life.  liz and i were on the same wave link and both wanted hawaiin shaved ice and we sweet talked our way into making it happen.  we ordered a soft serve cup split into 2 cups and then ordered a snow cone across the way and had them split it into our cups on top of the ice cream.  it wasn't nearly as great as the real thing but it did the trick for the evening.

tartine bakery

the tiny dancer and i decided to stop off at tartine bakery and pick up dessert before heading back to her place for dinner.

pizzeria delfina

85 more spots to go

#21 on the list is complete

today i got to hang out with the tiny dancer and it worked out perfectly since she lives in the city that we were able to knock on more place off the list.  here is a picture of our fresh stretched mozzarella and margarita pizza at pizzeria delfina.  the bread stick in the bottom left was literally a stick and it was served with some olive oil and dried spices to add flavor.  the mozzarella alone makes me want to go back and order one just for myself.  it was paired with some perfectly toasted bread, arugula drizzled with olive oil and it was outstanding!!  the mozzarella was great on its own but when added with the other elements it tipped the scales to making it my favorite part of the meal.  the pizza is was was actually on the list of must try before you die but let me tell you, if you go please don't skip out on ordering the cheese!  the pizza was delightful and their sauce was extremely fresh & light and it tasted exactly how sauce should be.

i need to know before i go

dear brand new,

i would love to see your show at the regency ballroom on saturday september 10th but before i commit can you please tell me your set list.  i just don't think i can pay money to see you again if all you you will play are tracks off daisy.  if you promise to play all the songs off your deja entendu cd as well as fork & knife you can count me in!

thank you in advance for this information as it will be extremely helpful in making my decision to attend.

steel train album giveaway

it's been a year since their self-titled album was released so it's only natural that they are celebrating by giving away free music.  check out steel train and enter to win some free vinyl.  if you blog, tweet, re-tweet, facebook or smack it up flip it and rub it down you can be entered to win.

you set the bar quit high..

J – jonesing for jarrod.  i’m not sure what words could help you understand how excited i was or how nervous i got as the days drew closer to this evening.  i was a mess and i literally turned into one of those pre-teen girls you see screaming and crying (yes at the same time) over justin bieber.  seriously i am thinking about how lame i must have looked to him.  let’s put this into perspective, i’m a grown 31 year old women who was unable to contain myself.  really??  why couldn’t i have been cool and collective for a few hours and then released the beast once her left?  there went my hopes/dreams i once had of us becoming friends and quickly put in the crazed stalker category.

A – all around amazed!!  even this picture shows how cool he is.  not only his voice but his personality and his willingness to not take life too seriously.  he laughed at himself, cracked a few jokes and even yelled out the word burrito when he messed up the lyrics.

R – ridiculously adorable

R – rare to find such an incredibly talented artist that somehow sounds better live with no frills or enhancement than on an album, how RAD is that?

O – outstanding well written lyrics from the heart

D – don’t think that anything from here on will satisfy!!

1 day to go..

yes i started these posts only 9 days ago but for me it feels a lot like an eternity has past while leading up to this event.  i am stoked that the day has nearly arrived.

impression that you leave

it's not always how you'd like to be seen,

well unfortunately

it's how you will be remembered

ho chow

thank you to the main asian for treating me to lunch at ho chow, happy belated bday to me!!  if you have never eaten at ho chow's in fremont you are truly missing out on some delightful chinese food.  i have not had any dish from here that i didn't like and although their prices are a bit steep for chinese it's well worth the extra money.  i don't remember which chicken or beef dish we ordered since i always switch those up but i recommend the garlic green beans, my fav.

today ended up being a fun filled day!  i got to hang with the main asian, got my hair cut, attended a wedding reception and ended the day at a bonfire in santa cruz where we made new friends.  oh and on the way home we stopped for ice cream at marianne's.

sf farmers market

although the morning didn't feel like it was going to be a nice day in sf it turned out to be gorgeous!!

here is a picture of my porchetta sandwich from roli roti (#12 off the 100 must try before you die sf)and my breakfast plate from rose pistola.  i have actually had the porchetta before and was not a fan but i thought i'd give it another shot at wowing me but i'm here to report that i do not like this sandwich!!  while i like to eat fatty foods i do not enjoy eating pieces of fat and this sandwich was half full of fat.  even after pulling out chunks of fat before i began to eat i still managed to find fat in each bite.  i understand that cooking it in/with fat helps enhance the flavors but this was an overkill.  i think the flavor would have been just as good if they'd cooked it in the pork belly then removed the belly before serving the pork loin.  anyhow i realize i may stand alone on this issue but i am not a fan nor would i recommend this to a friend.  if i decide to try roli roti for a third time i will order the chicken.  thankfully i did enjoy my arugula egg scramble with bacon and potatoes so all was not lost.

pistachios cream filled donuts.. yes i did!

this is a slice of coconut cake from miette, i know it's not the ginger snaps that are mentioned as #49 of the must try list but i can't seem to deviate from my routine at the ferry building.

2 days to go..

literally i fell without warning, i can no longer contain this madness that consumes me.  freaking jarrod gorbel is coming to my house!!!!!!!!!!!  is this registering to anyone else?  am i alone in the world?  does anyone other thank myself think this is news worthy?

i need help, i need you

3 days to go..

could this really be?  over the past few months i've had some restless nights of sleep and if you know me you know this is not normal.  i've been waking up or not falling asleep right away as i lay there thinking of how awesome this truly is.  actually all my thoughts have not been so peaceful happy thoughts.  some have been a panic type fear that something is going to go wrong and jarrod won't be coming after all.  even though i know in my head this is going down i still feel like somehow at the last minute i will have been played for a fool and that the joke is on me.  jarrod please DO NOT stand me up, that would be great!

makes all the pain worth it,

somewhat abusive i can get used to it,

and i cannot sleep without knowing

4 days to go..

it's around the corner and ever since this morning my palms have started sweating each time i talk about it.  i hope it stops before he arrives because he owes me a rematch game of roshambo, no more beginners luck for you jarrod, it's on.

searching through you for any signs of authenticity

testing your wit measuring your ability

thowback thursday - california love

hApPy BiRtHdAy TuPaC
california knows how to party.. and today i hope we do you proud!

this song may be older but it's one of the very best west coast anthems and this jam still gets mad radio play out here.
let's show these fools how we do this on the west side
cause you and i know it's the best side

5 days to go..

cereal to think in just under one week jarrod will be playing a private show at my house.  man this song is so fitting cause i do want each breath and i will have to remember to breath while he's in my house.  no passing out allowed!

wherever you will be that's what i call home

6 days to go..

time was finally on our side..

hot and cold, here then gone

dooooon't want this to end!

'lack of hesitation replaced all decision making'

7 days to go..

silly i know but please understand that i'm trying to get out my craziness before jarrod arrives.  i don't want him to think i'm a crazed teen at a NKOTB concert.

i feel heartless, i can't forgive.

8 days to go..

i can still not believe that this is my reality and that in 8 short days from today jarrod will be at my house, life really is great!!

what will it take to put you at ease?

not a moment too soon

for my 21st birthday my sister and cousin took me to see tim mcgraw for the first time.  we had sweet seats in the forth or fifth row center stage so i thought it was only right that i attend his show 10yrs later for my 31st birthday.  i remember that night so many years ago being AMAZING and not wanting the show to end but what has stood out in my mind the most from that evening was tim's younger brother.  tim pulled him out onto the stage and introduced him the the crowd and in my opinion he was even hotter than tim.  i'm not sure where to find you tim's brother but believe me when i say even without tim's voice you'd be my pick of the family.

the girls from work and i headed to shoreline for a night of mcgraw mania and it was so much fun!!  even if you are not a fan of country music you can at least appreciate that this man can hang a t-shirt.  i mean lets just talk for a minute on his perfect shoulders, chest and back.. i am certain that somewhere in the retail world there are store mannequin that was molded from his body and that there are tons of girls buying shirts for their boyfriends hoping it looks as good on them as it did in the store but it won't.

ok back to the music, tim is a good singer and i really like almost all of his songs but there is something about seeing this man live on stage that will make you a forever fan!  he is an amazing entertainer who interacts with his audience and enters the crowd.  he taunts the ladies with his flirtatious sway and body language that send the crowd into a frenzy.  i'm not sure what it is about this man but overall he is the complete package of a country superstar!

the start of my single digit countdown, only 9 days to go..

until jarrod gorbel will be sitting in my living room and singing to me and my friends.. HOLY GOAT I CANNOT WAIT!!!

what if i told you there is another way though this?

happy birthday to me

thank you all for such a wonderful day and thoughtful gifts!!!

i love them all, i mean you all

straw

for my birthday dinner this year i decided to go with a new spot in sf called straw.

naturally i had to order this dish since chicken and waffles is one of my all time favorite meals.  as you can see in the picture this was anything but my standard chicken and waffles plate.  straw's spin on a monte cristo: fried chicken and swiss cheese sandwiched between belgian waffles and smothered in raspberry jam.  'wow' is the best word that comes to mind as i describe the party that was happening in my mouth with each bite.  i have just been introduced to a meal i never knew i was missing in my life until now.  did i mention yet that the tots are sweet potato tater tots served with bbq sauce?  HOLLA!!

so i'm not a photographer and this picture really showcases that fact.  so trust me when i say despite this awful picture you must go to straw and try the ring master!!  this burger showcases just how fun and outside the box straw truly is, it's a burger served on a house-glazed doughnut with cheddar cheese.  i am certain some of you just shuttered and are currently thinking how disgusting that sounds but let me tell you that you are indeed wrong.  i guess a few of you may not be a fan of salty and sweet but as for me i am a fan.  in fact i'm a HUGE fan when salty and sweet are united as one and this burger is a perfect example of why you should not turn your nose up and be closed off to something strange or different when it comes to food.

yes i realize that i just ate an entire meal (the monte cristo) and a half (split the ringmaster burger with peter) but it's my birthday and of course ordered dessert.

this is my root beer float, simple enough right?  well of course it's got some flare at straw so they serve it inside out with root beer flavored gelato with a cream soda... loved it!

a BIG thank you to straw for twisting things up and doing what you do and for sharing all of that with the me.

iceberg shake & armadillo willy's

who's seeing jack's mannequin this summer?

not me!  and to add to my personal pity party no we did not make the video even though liz and i sent in our saddest of sad faces begging for them to come to sf.

little hell

don't forget to purchase your copy of 'little hell' by city and colour today!!!

dallas plays live on MTV today 6/7/11 & on MTV news 6/23/11

listen to full album here

homemade choco taco

after making the taco shaped waffles cones i filled them with softened ice cream and threw them back into the freezer.  as you can see in the picture below we immediately started adding toppings but they were dripping off since the ice cream was so melted.  after awhile in the freezer we were able to top them with toppings and THEY WERE DELICIOUS!!!  i will be making these wonderful creations again for sure.

waffle cone recipe

ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup flour

2 tbls vanilla extract

½ cup unsalted butter (melted & cooled)

1 tsp baking powder

¾ cup of sugar

directions:  beat eggs, adding sugar gradually. beat until smooth.  add cooled butter and vanilla.  sift flour and baking powder.  blend into egg mixture until smooth. dough will be sticky.

farewell lunch at la pinata

oddly enough i never ordered this before even though i frequent la pinata.  so i thought i'd switch it up and go with the sampler platter and i do not regret my decision.