Luna and I celebrated the shortest day of the year by making Christmas cookie boxes and watching sappy Holiday movies on Netflix. We have already finished The Princess Switch: Switched Again (pure cinematic gold) and are watching the critically acclaimed A California Christmas as I type.
I LOVE Christmas baking. My two love languages are (1) feeding people (2) giving gifts. So gifting people edible treats is kind of my sweet spot. See what a did there? Gio is actively shaking his head in disappointment at my pun.
Anyway. I did all the baking for my cookie boxes on Saturday. It took about 8 hours and I celebrated with Panda Express for dinner. Here are the cookies at about 10 p.m. on Saturday.
Today I bought these boxes from Sur La Table and used some of the ribbon and tags I purchased last year at Papersource and – voila! – six Christmas cookie boxes ready to spread some joy.
Now… let’s get to the good stuff. What cookies are in those cute boxes you ask? Let me tell yah.
I hope everyone is safe, warm, and eating something that makes them happy! I know for many people this thanksgiving will be smaller than normal and that 2020 has made practicing gratitude a more challenging task (though maybe more important). I hope you are still finding ways to connect with your loved ones – and maybe creating some new Thanksgiving Traditions. Bath at 3 p.m. followed by Hallmark movies in your PJs?
Gio and I actually spent our first Thanksgiving by ourselves during my year as a Jesuit Volunteer. We worked serving meals at the St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen in the morning and then spent the afternoon watching The Real Housewives. I also tried to make us a Thanksgiving ham and brussel sprouts. They were not a success. Here are some bonus pictures from that year for you.
One of my favorite ways to feel close to family even when I am far away is making my mom’s recipes. I have never actually tried making potato rolls without her, but after the 2020 we’ve had, Thanksgiving just needed some carbs. These dinner rolls are soft, a little bit sweet, and oh so delicious. They take quite a bit of time to make because they rise twice, but the hands on time is only about an hour. Highly recommend them as the base for left-over turkey sandwiches, or for breakfast with jam, or for dessert with Nutella, or best yet right out of the oven with salted butter.
As always – let me know if you make them or if you have any questions as you bake!
Wishing you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving!
– Liz
Gram’s Potato Rolls
Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 C luke warm water
1 C sugar
2/3 C sugar
2/3 C shortening
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 C mashed potatoes
1 C scalded milk*
6-8 C flour
Directions:
Mix sugar, shortening & salt
Add eggs and mashed potatoes, then add yeast mix
Add cooled milk and flour, alternating until a soft dough is formed
Turn onto a floured board and knead, adding flour as dough become sticky. Knead until dough is smooth & elastic.
Let rise covered in a greased bowl until doubled in size.
Punch down and shape into rolls. Place on baking sheets. Cover and let rise again
Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes
Tips & Tricks:
To scald milk: heat milk until it just begins to bubble and then remove from heat and cool
We like to rub the tops of each roll with butter or margarine when they come out of the oven!
Have fun with your roll shape & size. We have made hamburger and hot dog buns, bread loafs, and more with this dough. Just know you will need to adjust your oven temp & cooking time depending on what you make!
As most of the country tightens restrictions on businesses, gathering, and dining I wanted to share a few of Gio and I’s favorite spots in the South Bay (Santa Clara, San Jose & Sunnyvale to be specific). Almost all are available for take-out/delivery and all are small local businesses we love and want to help support through this time. Fried chicken for Thanksgiving dinner, maybe? Fried chicken for dinner tonight, definitely.
Where are your favorite places to eat in the South Bay? Where should Gio and I try next?
SANTA CLARA
Jasmine Thai: Also known as the place where Liz had her first Yellow Curry. The service is not always the best but the food is more than worth the wait. Our favorite dishes are the Yellow Curry Chicken and the Drunken Noodles.
Kabob & Curry: I recently spent 10 minutes discussing just how good Kabob & Curry with a resident on my medicine rotation. Highly recommend ordering take-out ASAP.
Santa Clara Farmer’s Market: Gio and I have been going to this Saturday Market for almost 10 years now and it has a very special place in our hearts (we got engaged on SCU’s campus after a morning at the marker about 1 year ago!). Our must gets include, burritos from Ruby’s Tamale’s y Mas (don’t forget to ask for the orange sauce), Vietnamese Iced-Coffee, The Hummus Guy, and a Bearclaw from Beckman’s.
Stan’s Donuts This family owned donut shop lives up to the hype. They are currently only doing take-out but Gio & I’s favorite Saturday’s were spent sitting at the counter drinking coffee and getting to know the other patrons.
Taplands Excellent beer selection and great atmosphere. They have a limited food menu (cheese boards, panini’s and pita) but it more than does the trick.
SAN JOSE:
Aqui Cal-Mex: Are you ready to get Swirl-ed? Aqui takes “industrial strength” frozen margaritas and swirls them with other alcohol to make very delicious and very potent drinks. Rumor has it, right now you can order these to go. If you go in person, I highly recommend a DD or utilizing uber/lyft. Did I mention the drinks are potent?
Cafe Rosalena: Best Breakfast Burrito in the bay (fight me). I’ve heard their salads are also excellent but have never eaten them. These delicious burrito bebes were a highlight of our distanced birthday celebration we threw back in June!
Kenji Sushi: My favorite Sushi place. Period. All the sushi was fresh and flavorful and the hot food (Udon & appetizers) were always amazing. This is one of the places I miss the most since leaving SCU.
La Victoria Taqueria: Famous for the orange sauce – La Victoria’s is a south bay staple. With multiple locations across San Jose it’s easy to find one close to you.
Paper Planes: A hipster mixologists wonderland. Delicious drinks, cool vibe. Would recommend as a classy start to an evening in Downtown San Jose.
The Loft: The Loft is one of my favorite places to go out in San Jose (when going out is a thing we do again). Highly suggest leaving a little bit before closing and walking to La Victorias for a late night burrito before heading home.
Zannato’s Market: Do you like giant delicious sandwiches, cookies, deli sides and a drink for only $10? Yeah. So do I. This locally owned market also features excellent local beer selection, butcher, and all your other general grocery store goods.
Nox Cookie Bar: This bakery, run by a Santa Clara University alum (GOBRONCOS!) is personally responsible for helping me survive graduation event season when I worked at Santa Clara’s Alumni Association. My favorite is the Chocolate Chip and Chunk with Sea Salt and the Oatmeal Raisin. Did I mention they deliver until 2:30 am? You.are.welcome.
SUNNYVALE:
Lados: Home to the best fried chicken sandwich I have ever consumed. (I know I’m out here making some bold statements today). My mouth is literally watering thinking of this food. Last time a got a side of chicken strips to have on my salads throughout the week, they lasted approx. 48 hrs.
This blog post is brought to you by trying to find things to do with my brain that don’t involve refreshing election results.
It’s been a while since I have been here. Between COVID, my grandpa’s passing, planning a wedding, applying to residency and studying for my next licensing exam the last few months have just been, a lot. Thank you to everyone who reached out – your presence has been noticed and appreciated even if your messages have not been replied to.
Today I’d thought I would share a recipe that quickly became a family favorite. It’s a Cooking Light recipe by Julianna Grimes and it is just so crunchy/sweet/tangy/good I could eat it daily. If you don’t believe me, the 47 reviewers can back me up.
These take about an hour to make, less if you make your sauce before hand. I imagine they would also make for amazing left-overs if meal prep is more your style. I’ve personally never had the will-power to not eat it all for dinner – but let me know if you do!
Finally – here is a picture on my mom chowing down for proof of deliciousness. As always I would love to know if you make these and please feel free to drop any questions or comments below!
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 T lower-sodium soy sauce, divided
1/4 C plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 T canola oil, divided
1/2 T honey
1 T dark sesame oil
2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 T coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanut
3/4 C diagonally sliced celery
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1/3 C sliced green onions
1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 lime wedges
Instructions:
Placed chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce to bag; seal. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place 1/4 cup cornstarch in a shallow dish. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Add chicken to cornstarch in dish, and toss chicken to thoroughly coat. Shake off excess cornstarch.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of coated chicken; saute for 6 minutes or until done, turning to brown. Remove chicken from pan using a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Repeat the procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil and coated chicken.
Combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, honey, dark sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sambal oelek in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring twice. Stir in garlic. Combine soy sauce mixture, chicken, peanuts, and celery; toss to coat chicken.
Toast tortillas under broiler or on a griddle until lightly blistered, turning frequently. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates; divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Top each taco with green onions and bell pepper strips; serve with lime wedges.
Fall is the time of the year I most dream about moving home to the PNW. There is nothing like sweating in the inevitable September heat wave to make you long for the cool nights and crispy mornings of Washington. Also, Gio has decided to try and recreate Starbuck’s Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew at home so we have a LOT of canned pumpkin in this household. Enter my mom’s pumpkin bar recipe – it’s the perfect way to savor a little taste of fall before the leaves start to turn.
These were a fall staple growing up and after making them I understand why. They take approximately 20 minutes to comes together and another 30 in the oven and then less than an hour later – voila you have delicious pumpkin cake ready to eat for dessert (or breakfast as we tend to do around here). Pro tip – double the frosting and make cookie sandwiches with my Grandma’s oatmeal raisin cookies for a truly decadent treat.
Finally – before we jump to the recipe – if you have been watching the news you have probably heard of the wild fires that have been devastating northern California for the past few weeks. I personally have been caring for patients evacuated from hospitals in the middle of the night and who don’t have homes to return to. A jewelry company, Delicora Jewelry, run by a fellow Santa Clara University alumna is selling this California Necklace with 100% of proceeds going to Wildfire Relief Efforts through Calfire. If you are able – it’s a beautiful piece of jewelry and easy way to help.
On to the recipe…
Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 2/3 C sugar
1 C vegetable oil
1 16 oz can of pumpkin
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 C chopped walnuts (optional)
1 3 oz package of cream cheese
1/2 C softened margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 C sifted powdered sugar
Instructions:
Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy
In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix
Stir in nuts if using
Pour into ungreased 15″x10″x1″ baking pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Make the frosting: cream together cream cheese and margarine, stir in vanilla, add powdered sugar a little at a time beating until mixture is smooth.
Frost cooled pumpkin bars and serve!
Tips & Tricks:
I used a 9″ square baking pan because that’s what I had. Just adjust the cook time to about 35 minutes to account for the thicker bars!
I hope ya’ll enjoyed learning about Gio and I’s trip to New York this last December. I thought I’d do a similar post out our trip to San Diego last spring (since we won’t be going anywhere new soon). For those of you who are new to my travel posts here’s what we do: for each day of our vacation I’ll give you a highlights real with 3 points.
Something we’d do again (Repeat it)
Something we would either not do again or do differently (Delete it)
The best things we ate because #foodislife (Eat It)
Ok – here we go!
Day 1:
Repeat It: Our Hotel – La Valencia Gio picked the location for our vacation and my only request was a pool. This hotel did. not. disappoint. We loved that the location was walkable to beaches, restaurants, and shops, and we LOVED the pool. We also got upgraded to a courtyard suite when we checked in and our room was beautiful with a small balcony and a seating area.
Delete It: The sunburn I got immediately when we arrived. My winter skin was not ready for the San Diego sun. I bought extra sunscreen but it was already too late.
Tacos & Margaritas at Puesto Full disclosure I cannot attest to the food quality because we were meeting up with my college roommate and our appetizer was a pitcher of margaritas. BUT I can say that the margaritas were delicious.
Dessert at Living Room Cafe My roommate recommended this cozy cafe & wine bar because dinner was over and we weren’t done chatting. The desserts were delicious and the outside seating had an excellent vibe.
Day 2:
Repeat It:La Jolla Open Aire Market This was one of the most amazing farmers’ markets I’ve ever been too! The only mistake we made was eating breakfast before we went. We still went home with a bag full of delicious bread, cheese, and fruit to snack on in our room or by the pool!
Delete It: Dinner at Karl Straus Brewery Ok, so the beer was good. But the food (burger for Gio, salad for me) did not hit the spot. I also spent approx. 4 hours by the pool this day so I may have just needed water.
Eat It:
Breakfast at AT Coffee House. Sadly this restaurant was hit hard by the COVID-19 shut down and won’t be reopening. But they had delicious coffee and great pastries for a morning by the ocean.
Non-Dairy Gelato at Bobboi We went here every.single.day after we tried it. Perfect as a way to cool down after long stretches in the sun.
Day 3:
Repeat It: La Jolla Beach (pictured above) Just off Coast Blvd. we found this little beach as we walked South away from the hotel. It was a perfect place for a picnic lunch and reading a book in the sun. Plus, it was only a 10 minute walk from Bobboi Gellato so you can guess where we went on our way home.
The food here was actually ok (not great). But the service was real bad. It took us over an hour to get our check after we finished our meal. Gio would like the record to show that he would repeat this because, “we tell the story all the time”.
Eat It:
Breakfast with a view at Brockton Villa Gio loved there cold-brew and my breakfast tacos (above) were excellent.
Sandwiches to take to the beach at Deli-licious Sandwich Shop This sandwich shop is only open during the week. But is perfect for an easy and affordable lunch to take to the beach!
Repeat It: Coronado Beaches We went to Coronado for an afternoon to visit my Nana and I was so sad we didn’t find these beaches until our last day.
Delete It: Downtown San Diego This is something we would do again, but do differently. We walked from Little Italy to the Gas Lamp District along the water on a Tuesday morning and really nothing was open. We definitely want to try this again and would love any recommendation you have!
Eat It:
Coffee Cup – a.k.a best breakfast we ate in San Diego We broke our “breakfast while looking at the ocean” rule to try this spot about 2 blocks away from our hotel and I am so glad we did. We actually went here 1 more time before we left for the airport because it was just so dang good.
Have you been to San Diego? What are you favorite spots?
This recipe combines three of my favorite things (1) fresh summer corn (2) soup (3) items that taste good with bread. The inspiration is the corn chowder my grandma used to make. She always served it with BLTs, so the addition of bacon felt fitting.
Overall, this recipe is a great way to use fresh summer produce – I’m looking at you 4 ears of corn I impulse bought at the farmers marker. The recipe is also VERY flexible so feel free to go crazy with whatever your garden (or grocery delivery) has to offer!
Spicy Summer Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
6 slices bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 4oz can of jalapeños or green chilis
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, pealed and chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 ears of fresh corn, shucked and kernels cut off cob
2 Zucchini or Summer Squash, chopped
1 can full fat coconut broth
Toppings of your choice: Minced Parsley, shredded cheese, green onions
Instructions:
In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, fry bacon pieces until crispy. Remove cooked bacon from pan and rest on paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
Reserve approx. 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot. Add the onion, jalapeños, and spices cooking until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add potatoes and 4 cups of broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook until potatoes are fork tender (about 15 – 20 minutes)
Add zucchini, corn, and can of coconut milk, cook for another 10 minutes.
Stir in previously cooked bacon and you are ready to eat!
Tips & Tricks:
For a creamier soup remove two cups from the pot and toss in a blender, blend until smooth and then recombine. You could also use an immersion blender for this if you have one!
Continuing our walk down travel memory lane with a dreamy drive through Montana to celebrate our dear friends, Kori & Drake’s Wedding in Bozeman. This post will be formatted a little bit differently because we moved locations each day so I’m ditching the repeat it, delete it, eat it format and instead ya’ll are just getting some random highlights.
If you haven’t been to Montana – it really is a must see. I grew up begging my parents, “Can we PLEASE go somewhere WARM for vacation instead of MT?!” Now that I live in CA I find myself missing our drives through the mountains. We did this trip with my parents (who btw celebrate their 29th anniversary today!) and it was a really wonderful get away!
DAY 1:
STAY: Residence Inn by Marriott Missoula Downtown The hotel had just opened when we stayed in March 2019 but we loved it and would definitely stay again. It had easy valet parking and a great complimentary breakfast. The rooms were spacious, clean, and each has a small kitchen if you were planning a longer stay!
FOOD & DRINK:
BBQ at The Snake Pit Located just off I 90 in Kingston, ID this place has some freakin delicious BBQ. The aesthetic is very, um, rustic. But the food is consistently delicious and my parent’s consider this a MT road trip staple. Dinner at Iza Restaurant According to an article in the Missoulian they closed in Dec 2019 which is SO SAD because the food was good not only the first day but also delicious the next day when we ate it at 1 AM after Drake & Kori’s Wedding After Dinner Drinks at The Dram Shop Affordable Tap Room with tons of local MT beer walking distance from the hotel!
DAY 2:
STAY: The Lark Hotel, Bozeman MT Great location, amazing service, but really thin walls. They put earplugs and white noise machines in the rooms for a reason.
ACTIVITIES: Clark Fork Farmer’s Market: If you have read our other travel posts you know we love a good farmer’s market. Before heading to Bozeman we walked from the Residence Inn to the Clark Fork Farmer’s Market. If you can tell from the photo below – we liked what we found. I would highly recommend you plan a Saturday morning in Missoula to see this!
DRAKE & KORI GET MARRIED! Let me tell you, this was weddinggoals. First, communication leading up to the wedding and their food and hotel recommendations were A +++. Then they bussed us to this unbelievable venue for a sweet and thoughtful ceremony, amazing dinner, bonfire complete with S’mores, and a bus-ride back to local bar to keep the night going. We were so touched to witness their love in a place that is special to all of us!
FOOD & DRINK: Starky’s for Lunch This restaurant has also closed and is apparently reopening as a placecalled Reverly! If it is anything like Starky’s it will be tasty.
DAY 3:
Can we all just take a moment to recognize how annoyingly photogenic Gio is. Jacket: Marine Layer
STAY: Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa When staying at Chico you have a lot of different lodging options. In the main building accommodations are more rustic and then there is also new construction that is 3-4 minute walk to the hotel lobby and pools. My dad sent us to the room farther away without realizing he had booked a suite. I will never really understand the middle of the room jacuzzi tub but I did appreciate the towel animals.
ACTIVITIES: Hot Springs The pools at Chico are always pretty full, but they are always clean and it’s cool to experience the natural hot-springs. Be warned natural hot springs are a little stinky (sulfar smell) but your nose will adjust.
Horse Riding This was my first time on a horse and I LOVED IT! We were supposed to do a 2 hour trail ride but there was a storm passing through and it wasn’t safe to take the horses out of the stables. Even with an abbreviated ride it was still fun!
FOOD & DRINK: Breakfast at JAM: Great coffee & a breakfast sandwich that is , “right out of a hung-over boy’sdreams” – Gio Lunch at Chico Salon: Classic bar food and live music on site at the Chico resort. Dinner in the Dining Room at Chico Fine dining in the middle of the Mountains. I’ve been here multiple timesand it has never disappointed.
DAY 4:
On day 4 we drove from Bozeman back to Spokane. It takes about 6 hr 30 minutes but you gain an hour back because you cross from Mountain to Pacific time. One stop you cannot miss is getting a Huckleberry Milkshake at the St. Regis Travel Center. Huckleberry’s are an Inland NW summer staple andthis truck-stop turned tourist destination is a MT road trip classic. Gas up, look at the Live Trout Aquarium, grab lunch, and browse the MT gift shop while munching on the complementary popcorn.
I’m getting ready to go back into the hospital after a few months of online learning and am trying to set myself up for success. My usual eating patterns while on rotations (especially the ones without a dedicated noon conference) looks something like this:
5AM: Ugh it’s early, guess i’ll eat something (usually yogurt) to go with this coffee 8AM: Time for morning teaching, why yes I will eat that muffin. 9 AM – 6:30 PM: Round, Round, OR, Procedure, Write Notes, hmm I’m hungry. Drinks more coffee. Look Cake! (Why is there always cake?!) Look random zombie skittles. Look stale potato chips in the work room. 7 PM: Get home and realized I am SO.HUNGRY.OHMYGOSH.LETS.EAT.SOME.TORTILLA.CHIPS. 7:15 PM Convince Gio to order Doordash so neither of us have to cook or do dishes.
It’s not a great plan for the wallet or the body. So, I’m trying something new. My mom used to meal plan for the entire month, which seemed really intimidating at first. Once I sat down to do it only took an hour or two to finish. I planned only dinners and used a mix of recipes from the sources below leaving 2-3 nights per week left open for left-overs. I also colored coded it because it’s just prettier that way.
Sources:
Easy household staples (my goal is to share those recipes here as a we go)
Adventures of a Wannabe Sungoddess 