5 Random Thoughts for Your Wednesday

Tags

bunny, food, grad school, random, winter

1. I’m only two days in, but I do feel like school is going well so far. At the very least, I’ve ordered all of my textbooks, so that’s a big hassle that I can take off my to-do list. (Still no word on the missing syllabus, but I’m sure it’ll be up soon.)
2. After more than a year of happily living in our current lodgings, we’re finally experiencing some of the more obnoxious parts of renting your house. There’s the week-long wait for an electrician who tells you that he “can’t see a problem here” and the troops of folks from the management company who don’t seem to understand why my maiden name isn’t on the buzzer. (Which, seriously? I haven’t had my maiden name for more than a year. Get with the times y’all.) Today’s battle is the “property tour” for a “prospective buyer.” They gave us exactly 24 hours notice, which threw me into a cleaning frenzy. Annoyances aside, I can confidently say my house is immaculate for the tour.
   

   This lady gets me.

3. Dinner hour classes means re-thinking the way we eat dinner. For example, pork chops are not happening on a night where Bret gets home at 6:30 and I get home at 8. Taco salad is totally happening, though. In fact, it happened last night.
   

   These come from Taco Bell. Mine come from higher than Grade B beef.

4. Does anyone else’s household companion animal have a major thing for road salt? I’m telling you, I cannot keep The Bunny away from anything that’s been in the snow. It’s bizarre.
   

   It’s like this all day, every day but with boots and the entry rug.

5. If you could send up some prayers and/or positive vibes our way for some (as of yet) unbloggable happens, I would greatly appreciate it.

How’s your Wednesday going?

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7 Things We Ate on Our Trip

Tags

bacon, beer, chicken paprikash, dumplings, food, gray cattle stew, hungary, Poland, ranch dressing, sour cabbage, spaetzle, white russian

Oh my goodness gracious! Kelly took over 7 Quick Takes. Permanently. I’m not sure what sort of coup or other militaristic tomfoolery she put on to get here, but I for one welcome our new overlord with open arms and pyrotechnics. (Oh, andplusalso, SHE WROTE A BOOK. I mean, I’m not saying that you should run out and buy me her book. But I wouldn’t cry if you did.)

Anyways, I intended to have this post written and published for Black Friday — you know, so we could revel in our food comas with talk of more food. Unfortunately, my food coma was so great, I completely forgot to finish/post it.

So here’s 7 things we ate on our trip:

• Spaetzle with Bacon and Cheese.

Friends, countrymen, random stalkers — this spaetzle was so good I didn’t even bother to take a picture of it before I started eating. (Actually, you’ll discover that this was a common theme for me on this trip.) Rest assured that bacon, cheese, onions and spaetzle is a combination made in Heaven.

Also, I did not try to find ranch dressing to put on this, although it occurred to me that ranch dressing would, in fact, go well with it.

Follow it up with the world’s most recipe-adherent White Russian and then just roll yourself down the street.

• Pork Loin with Bacon, Dumplings and Sour Cabbage.

This iPhone picture really doesn’t do it justice.

I ordered this at a restaurant in Budapest. I assumed that I would get a slice of pork loin. No, no. They served me an entire pork tenderloin, braided and wrapped in bacon. It was awesome and I was sad when the limits of my stomach made me stop eating.

• Pickled Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream.

I love pickles like a sorority sister loves Franzia, so I was truly, madly, deeply thrilled to discover that Hungary is all about the pickle.

It looked like this. It was awesome.

• Pierogies.

This is not a picture of the pierogies we ate. You can’t seem to keep them around long enough to photograph. Instead, here’s a picture of our Poland’s Top Water contestants.

You know what a pieorgi is, right? Good.

• Gray Cattle Stew.

Our first night in Budapest, we wandered around looking for a place to eat. We settled on the restaurant with an Elvis tribute artist because that’s how Americans abroad roll.

Elvis Tributer, plus the menu to prove that I’m not making the name up.

Grey cattle stew is, for the record, just like any beef stew — but the cows are gray.

• Chicken Paprikash.

This is actually a picture of the last plate of paprikash I got to eat. I was sad to see it go.

Chicken paprikash is sort of the thing to eat in Hungary, right? Let me tell you, I ate a ton of it. After all, it contains all my favorite food groups — sour cream, paprika and refined, fried carbohydrates.

• Apple Pancake with Vanilla Sauce.

Get in my face.

For more quick takes, run (don’t walk) over to This Ain’t the Lyceum. (And buy me a copy of her book! I have stuff to plan, yo!)

Cookbook Storytelling: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Tags

cookbooks, food, guest posts, recipes

Catholic History Nerd was one of the very first blogs I ever read or commented on and I’m so happy that I did. Sarah is one of the sweetest people ever (even though she puts cheese on her tuna casserole, which is just gross) and I’m thrilled that she’s here to hang out with you guys today!

I love reading cookbooks, and not just for the recipe ideas. Since each section is only a page or two, they’re easy entertainment if you’re tired or have a lot on your mind. My cookbook addiction started the year I wrote my master’s thesis. I would check armfuls out of my local library and bask in the instant gratification of reading an entire book or actually finishing a (food) project in only one evening. It was a comforting break from month-long research tasks.

One of the most fun parts of reading lots of cookbooks is comparing all their different tones. Thanks to the boom of chefs becoming celebrities and celebrities writing about food, there are some ridiculous ones out there. Rachael Ray makes up cutesy rhyming nicknames for dishes. The Skinny Bitch books are basically Regina George yelling at you about the evils of meat and then ordering you to buy processed “chicken” substitutes. In Skinny Italian Real Housewife of New Jersey and convicted felon Teresa Guidice explains how buy good olive oil, dress in animal print, and cook “sexy swordfish,” whatever that means.

My favorite, though, are the lifestyle magazine books designed to inspire the feeling that you are besties with the author, just hanging out around their kitchen table. There are usually cute stories of accidentally invented dishes, name-dropping of famous friends, and glamour shots of the author bonding with local produce. Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Good is a prime example of this. Her healthy diet recommendations are actually pretty decent, but they get drowned out by the portraits of her standing in grain fields or posing with baskets of vegetables. Honorable mention goes to Shauna Ahern’s Gluten-Free Girl Everyday, which contains a killer biscuit recipe but also cites Twitter accolades in a discussion of stir-fry. Gag.

I get hypnotized by the glowing family kitchen stories – yes, I can too can live a magically delicious life full of healthy abundance! How did I never notice kale and lemons were so poetic? Then I come up for air and realize “Why am I listening to this person’s entire life story when I really just want to make dinner? I wouldn’t even want to hear my friends go on like this”

I really don’t want to say there is a gender divide in cookbook styles … but it does seem like recipes wrapped in all the feels and personal details will be written by a woman. This opens up a whole can of worms about gender stereotypes in the food world. Women are comforting nurturers, but men are the master craftsmen. It reminds me of a female chef’s rant in the movie Ratatouille about how hard she works despite her colleagues’ patronizing attitudes. “Every second counts and you CANNOT be MOMMY!” But really, the average mom is less self-absorbed than a glossy “look at what a foodie I am” photo spread.

The best cookbooks aren’t portraits of their authors. Instead, they showcase the merits of different ingredients and the wider community that inspires and enjoys them. Here are some of my favorite cookbooks that manage to blend chatter and information really well. I didn’t plan it this way, but they’re all from the South. Other places have good eats too, but the South definitely gets the concept that food means much more than filling your own plate.

The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen by Matt Lee and Ted Lee

My husband and I bought this on a whim the last day of our honeymoon in Charleston, SC, and it’s been the best souvenir ever. The recipes are full of seafood and fresh vegetables, and the images with them make us feel like we’re back in Charleston’s historic downtown. The Lee brothers love their city, and have done a ton of research about its unique history. They talk about farmers’ markets, fishermen, church teas and 1940s hostesses like they’re dishing juicy local gossip. Being history nerds, my husband and I love how much Matt and Ted reference early 20th century “receipt” books. They don’t pretend to have invented Charleston’s food; instead they’ve written a love letter to the other people who have made it so vibrant.

Favorite recipe: Pan roasted okra, corn, and tomatoes. It’ll smoke up your kitchen but it’s so worth it.

Cooking Up A Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans edited by Marcelle Bienvenu and Judy Walker

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, many people lost the contents of their homes, including their recipe collections. In the aftermath of the storm, the local newspaper became a valuable resource for retrieving recipes readers could remember but not quite recreate. The resulting collection is an amazing tribute of community support and how strongly food factors into New Orleans’ identity. The dishes in here originated everywhere from famous chefs to somebody’s mother-in-law’s uncle. It’s like the results of a newspaper clipping scavenger hunt.

Favorite recipes: We’ll probably never attempt the deep-fried turkey or squirrel sauce piquant, the classic jambalaya and gumbo are staples in our house.

My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking by John Besh

This last book is more personal, but it’s done very well. New Orleans chef John Besh has written several books; this most recent one is about what he and his wife feed his kids. He’s very honest about the busy restaurant schedule he keeps and how he balances that with family life. The book has lots of practical advice about how to make a big meal on weekends and then use leftovers for quick dinners. Maybe I don’t mind all the family photos since his sons go to my husband’s high school, but it’s nice that Besh doesn’t make himself the star of the show. Instead, he encourages readers to prioritize quality time with family and friends.

Favorite recipe: Cherry tomato five-minute sauce, which really does make a huge batch of fresh pasta sauce in no time.

Hungry for Hungary

Tags

eastern european food, food, hungary, mushroom paprikash, paprika, recipes

Hi All! Cat is a good blog friend of mine (and an actual legit friend of the family) who offered to cook some Eastern European food for us while I’m gone. Enjoy!

I am honored to have been invited by Elizabeth to write a guest post for her blog. As she is out traveling some of the best places in Eastern Europe, I can’t help but think about my trip out to that area of the world. While we were in Budapest, my “pseudo” family, the Henderson, and I enjoyed taking a cooking class with chefparade and we brought back several traditional recipes and a butt load of great memories. As Elizabeth is getting to see the wonderful city/cities, I thought it would be a perfect recipe to share with y’all.

Tejfolos Gombapaprikas is sort of like a Beef Stroganoff dish where there are noodles or dumplings as a bed for a creamy sauce with vegetables (and sometimes meat or poultry). I assume it is a comfort food in Hungry, much like Macaroni and Cheese in America. I like to make a few changes to the original recipe to fit with my pantry, so I don’t buy a bunch of things I don’t normally/won’t use for any other recipe.

With out further ado, here is the recipe…

Not much to look at, but tasty and filling.

Tejfolos Gombapaprikas (Creamy Mushroom Paprikash) Recipe
Serves 6 people

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of sunflower oil <Sub extra virgin olive oil>
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 pound of mushrooms
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped <Sub 1 can diced >
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 TV paprika, chopped <Sub 3 mini sweet peppers, or, as in my case, caramelize a green bell pepper>
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 handful of fresh parsley chopped
• Egg noodles or shell noodles

Preparation

• Clean onions and mushrooms.
• Chop onions, tomatoes, and pepper as finely as possible. Chop mushrooms in fourths.
• Using a large pan heat 1/2 cup of oil.
• Add onions to oil, salt lightly to sweat and soften and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Take pan off heat and stir in sweet paprika powder well.
• Return to heat and add TV paprika (sweet pepper) and tomato. Stew for 7 – 10 minutes until saucy.
• Add mushrooms and season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional sweet paprika powder.
• Cook until mushrooms and soft and juicy
• In a separate bowl, combine sour cream and 1.5 tablespoons of flour.
• Add about 1/2 cup of juices from the heated mixture into sour cream mixture while stirring constantly. <You want to do this so you don’t shock the sour cream and make it curdle, thus ruining the dish.>
• Mix well and pour all of sour cream mixture into heated mixture.
• Bring to a simmer once more adding parsley.
• Let thicken and serve over egg noodles or shell noodles.

<This recipe can be easily altered to Chicken Paprikash by substituting 8 oz of the mushrooms with cubed chicken breast and cooking it with the onion in the oil.>

Since there were no sweet peppers at my grocery store, I carmelized a green bell pepper.

I recently ran out of my sweet paprika, so I use what I had left of my spicy paprika from my trip!

Just look at that medley of vegetables and delicious!

Sour Cream = Rich mouthfuls of great texture

Table is set. Pair with a crisp white or light bodied red.

I hope y’all enjoyed this little slice of Eastern Europe. If you like cooking, breakfast foods, cosplays, and crafting, you should pop by My Pinterest Board: Live.

How to Avoid Old Cookbooks

Tags

cookbooks, disney, food, instagram, pinterest, recipes

Kicking off our festival of friends is Beth Anne from Beth Anne’s Best. I’m beyond thrilled that she took the time to write such a great post about how she avoids using (my much beloved) old cookbooks when she’s in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy!

For the past few weeks Elizabeth has been posting about all her super old recipe books. But I have a confession…I don’t ever use recipe books. I’ve tried. I actually have a few. Every year around Lent I go to the library and browse the meatless recipe books and the books end up sitting on my desk without fail.

Now those of you reading this are probably thinking, “Well she must HATE to cook.” or “She must eat every meal out!” You are actually VERY WRONG. I actually LOVE to cook and I LOVE trying new recipes.

A lot of what I cook however is in my head. I’m Italian and have been cooking Italian food for years just watching what my mom does mostly. I’ve never really even used an Italian recipe. I will make some italian dish and post a picture on social media and I’ll get TONS of comments asking me for the recipe and I’m always telling my friends the recipe is in my head. I don’t ever measure anything and it always comes out good.

Italian food and really basic things like baking chicken, mashed potatoes, and everyday things are probably the only recipes I can make without a recipe. I LOVE baking and trying new things and use recipes often but I never use cookbooks. I’m pretty technology savvy so I really just search on the internet for recipes.

I’m also a VERY visual person. I like to be able to see a lot of pictures of what I am making before I make it. Elizabeth has mentioned this in a few of her recipe posts that a lot of the old recipe books she has been finding don’t have ANY PICTURES. I think this new phenomenon of digital photography has created us to be more visual and that includes taking tons of pictures of our food.

I was listening to a Disney podcast a few weeks ago (I don’t care judge me I love disney) and they were talking about old snacks they had at Disney World as kids. The host was looking for pictures to share with everyone on his blog but couldn’t find any because back in the 70s and 80s no one cared about taking pictures of their food. This really made me think about how digital photography has made us photograph more.

So when I am looking for a new recipe where do I go for inspiration? Well I have a few places I am going to share with you today.

First I usually go to Pinterest (I know that was too obvious). You can easily search “Chicken wings” on pinterest and a million recipes will pop up. I often will add in EASY to the search terms to help avoid SUPER COMPLICATED recipes.

Another resource is blogs or specifically link-ups. Every Lent I actually host a Lenten Meal Plan Link-Up and a lot of bloggers participate by sharing their favorite meatless meals. I also write round-up posts linking to other blogs. I have done it for 3 years now and i t’s always a huge hit! This past year we created a group Pinterest board that was a big hit and very helpful!

 

A third resource are websites like Foodily or SuperCook. The cool thing about these websites are they are good if you forgot to go grocery shopping and only have certain ingredients on hand. You can put in items like chicken, milk, garlic, mushrooms and they will give you recipes that only have those items.

A final resource I will share with you is the Evernote FOOD app. This app makes it really easy to save the recipes you find online in one place. It syncs with your regular Evernote account by creating a “Recipe Notebook.” I also use the Evernote Extension on my web browser so when I’m on a blog or website on my computer and see a recipe I like I can easily “clip it” and save it to Evernote. Then using the Evernote FOOD app I can easily open the recipes on my iPad or iPhone (it’s also available for android) so I’m not wasting a ton of paper constantly printing recipes. The Evernote Food App also allows you to browse restaurants and recipes not in your cookbook.

I hope these tips will help you find new recipes if you like pictures and don’t like using cookbooks like me!

 

---

Beth Anne is a twenty-something blogger who currently resides in North Florida and blogs at BethAnnesBest. She blogs about everything in her life including being single, her cats, her travels and her faith. She is currently recounting her recent trip to Europe. Some words she uses to describe herself are: disney addict, catholic, social media junkie, and extreme couponer. When she isn’t blogging you can find her on twitter or instagram. She also enjoys spending her free time at the beach, experimenting with new recipes, and traveling.

Better Homes and Gardens Easy Skillet Meals

Tags

aligncenter, better homes and gardens, cooking, food, funny things, holidays, pictures, recipes, vintage

What book is this?

AKA “Meals for People who Hate Doing Dishes”

This is Better Homes and Gardens Easy Skillet Meals. Published in 1972, this book appears to be part of a whole series of cookbooks put out by the company. I was initially attracted to this particular cookbook because I have a skillet and one pot meals are hyper appealing to me right now.

You gotta educate yourself before you get on the skillet cooking band wagon.

Where did you acquire this fabulous cookbook?

Aquinas got a book donation. There were so many books that we didn’t quite have enough room to house them all — so I got to take a bunch home. A little part of me ought to feel guilty for depriving our students of such a great book, but I really don’t.

Another fun bonus: recipes that have been deemed especially thrifty come with a green stamp of approval.

What’s the best part of this cookbook?

I had no idea that Midwestistan and the Mountains were so culturally similar. I’ll have to take it up with my Berkeley cohort.

There’s a lot to love about this book. First, there’s the whole premise of the thing — easy meals that you can cook in a single skillet. To make it even more awesome, the book is broken down into sections for region, meal and occasion. (Side note: Isn’t it great to step back in time to see what other decades viewed as “regional” food?!) Also, the food in this book is the food that we eat. I know that lots of people have eschewed cream of crap in favor of clean eating and paleo, but in this house, we’re still be fans of white bread, white rice and things wrapped in bacon.

Doesn’t this picture just make you want to go camping in a forest with an outdoorsman like JPII?

Plus, you know, pictures. There are pictures.

Can you actually use this book?

Yes. It’s a no-brainer. I can’t even make an disclaimers. I’m going to be using this book until I die or Bret has a heart attack.

…But I probably won’t be making this. Because it looks a little sketch.

The First Ladies Cook Book

Tags

cookbook, first ladies, food, meatloaf, politics, recipe

Tell me about the book.

The First Ladies Cook Book was published by Parents’ Magazine Press in MCMLXIX (1969). Mine comes in a trusty plastic dust jacket with some really excellent gold lettering.

Look at that lettering.

My favorite part of the title page is the Home Economist that they had on staff.

How did you get this book?

This is another one from my Grandma’s basement. She got it from her boss at Mutual Metal. From what I understand, he enjoyed giving his employees all sorts of books — cookbooks, books of poetry, encyclopedias and so on and so forth.

A gift from Mutual Metal.

What’s the best part of this book?

Unlike the last cookbook I showed you, this book actually has pictures. For example, as you flip through, you can see pictures of all the presidents’ china — which, as a plate nerd, I’m really into. Also, there is a lot of historical information.

Nixon in happier times.

Wine Jelly. It’s a thing.

This book also has a bunch of cool pictures of original cookbooks that the first ladies may have used.

Can you actually use this book?

That depends. There’s a lot of weird food in here. However, there are also some pretty standard staples. Like, for example, Harry S. Truman’s favorite foods.

Harry S. Truman is my kind of man.

There are 7 Days in a Week

Tags

7qt, days, deep dish pizza, food, grey's anatomy, lists

Another busy week is over! Let’s consider what we got up to:

— 1 —

Saturday.

After staying up entirely too late with friends who were over for Fajita Friday, we slept in until way past a respectable waking time. Once we were finally up and moving, we watched some football, picked up the kitchen and made a plan for the evening:

Pizza and Gone Girl.

First things first — I’m of the opinion that Chicago-style deep dish pizza is proof that Satan exists and is trying to destroy goodness and happiness. For that reason, I was really into the pizza we got on Saturday. Exhibit A:

After we stuffed our faces, we headed to the movies. I read Gone Girl earlier this year and found it to be a quick, entertaining and extremely dark read. If you’re into that sort of thing, you’d love the movie. If you don’t want to have to think about what would happen if your spouse is a manipulative sociopath, skip it.

— 2 —

Sunday.

Sunday was another lazy day. I read a book and ate leftover fajitas while Bret watched a CLE (continuing legal education) DVD about DUI-defense. (Let me tell you right now — driving while under the influence of alcohol or other substances is not cool, man.)

Eventually, we got ourselves put together enough to go to Mass and the grocery store. Then Bret made pork chops and brussel sprouts (which were awesome if you’re into that sort of thing).

— 3 —

Monday.

Aquinas was closed to observe the bank holiday, so we had a free night to go hang out with our friends from church.

 

This is when we were listening to stories from the ER.

— 4 —

Tuesday.

When I woke up on Tuesday, I thought I was going to be meeting up with a friend for dinner and bowling so I blew through all of my chores like a boss. Unfortunately, due to the weather and a sudden work conflict, we couldn’t get together.

I didn’t take any pictures because I didn’t do anything worth taking a picture of.

— 5 —

Wednesday.

Wednesday was another rainy day, so I took advantage of the inclement weather to catch up on some of the 11 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy that have accumulated on my DVR over the past 6 months.* After I finished up with work and television, I headed out on an adventure to a bowling alley with this lady:

Fun Fact: We got these shirts for free if we agreed to pose for a picture.

— 6 —

Thursday

Thursday was a normal, regular old Thursday complete with a morning workout and yet another episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Then, I dashed off for lunch with my parents and a few family friends. I also:

• Toiled away on the November/December Lector schedule.
• Found some people to take over my blog while I’m gone (thank you all! I love you so much!).
• Picked my little brother up from the airport.
• Went to a Pastoral Council Meeting.
• Ate a grilled cheese sandwich.

It was actually a really busy day.

— 7 —

Friday

I don’t know what the rest of Friday will look like, but it started with this:

*One day, we’ll have a long discussion about Grey’s Anatomy and why I still love it even though it’s extremely problematic.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Betty Crocker’s New Dinner for Two

Tags

aligncenter, betty crocker, canned beef, chipped beef, cookbook collection, cooking, crabmeat, dinner, dinners for two, food, macaroni and cheese, mayonnaise, noodle ring, recipes, vintage

Awhile back, Amanda and I were chatting about my super old cookbook collection. Since she seemed interested — and I have nothing else worth talking about today — I figured I’d show you a really old cookbook.

What’s the story with this cookbook?

Betty Crocker’s New Dinner for Two Cook Book was written in 1964. It came to my kitchen from my mother who got it from my grandmother. Which, if you knew her, you’d think is really funny because the big joke was always that she didn’t cook. Realistically, she must have cooked — she had 6 kids, after all.

Whether my grandmother cooked or not, this is still a really nifty book. I’m really into the fact that Betty Crocker sets everything up as complete meal plans. I mean, sure, I might not pair “Noodle Ring with Crab Meat Romanoff” with “Asparagus Tips with Mayonnaise” but some people think that’s delicious.

Hands down the best page in the book.

What’s the best part of this cookbook?

The most entertaining part of this cookbook for me has been the major differences between how people ate back in the day and the present. For example, veal — that tasty, tasty, baby protein that is such a fine dining thing today — is a suggested meal option for “young couples on a budget.”

On Tuesdays, we eat veal.

Can anyone (practically) use this cookbook?

You know you want this “puffy omelette.”

That depends. How much do you like mayonnaise? Because if you like mayonnaise a lot, you’ll love this cookbook. If you’re like Kendra and think mayonnaise ruins sandwiches and happiness, then you probably won’t find much worth eating.

Nevertheless it’s a cool way to get a first hand look at what life was like in 1964.

Regional favorites that you have never heard of.

I wish our weeknight dinners looked this elegant.

I want to have a buffet that looks like this.

Old people, take note! Betty’s got you covered.

Tasty, tasty, tasty.

What do you want to see next? Depression-era recipes, a cookbook from the 1980s, a cooking school manual from 1930 or 1970s floral arrangements?

7 Things I Did/Saw/Learned When I Disappeared This Week

Tags

aligncenter, Berkeley, cats, Chicago, Dirty, dresscode, Earthquakes, food, Midwest, Mothership, NorCal, pictures, St. John the Worker, travel, Trees, wine, work

You may have noticed that I fell off the face of the Earth this week without even saying anything. I’m sorry friends! I didn’t mean it. I went on a wild and crazy adventure to Northern California. 3 days, 2 nights, 18 hours in transit — I thought I’d have time to let you know what I was up to, but that just didn’t happen.

There’s Alcatraz and the Golden Gate. I didn’t actually get to see much of San Francisco, but after a strange journey on the BART from the airport to my hotel, I paid a cab to take me to the airport. It was worth every penny for the great views and awesome conversation.

I was up to a lot though. Here’s the rundown of things I did/saw/learned/ate.

— 1 —

I saw The Mothership.

The only reason why I went to Northern California was to visit my company’s headquarters — aptly called “The Mothership” by one of our founders. Honestly, I’m still processing the whole experience, but let’s just say that the whole thing was very enlightening. 

This is not The Mothership. It’s another picture from my cab ride. Isn’t the ocean beautiful?

For better or worse, I have a much better understanding of how the sausage is made. (Also, I discovered that people are either much shorter or much taller than I thought they were. Since this has happened to me before, I think I should stop making assumptions about people’s height.)

— 2 —

I visited UC Berkeley.

Growing up, I heard a lot about Berkeley. Mostly, the word “Berkeley” was used to describe a certain type of liberal hippy that we should all aspire to avoid. (For example, “If you think Berkeley’s liberal wait to you see ______.”)

The most liberal thing I saw all day.

Despite the University’s place in my family’s folklore, I had never actually seen it. So, on an early Wednesday morning walk, I conquered my fears and went for a visit.

Very hilly. Very green.

Halls of learning.

It’s pretty beautiful and very hilly. I can’t really speak to the liberal/hippy nature because no one else was there, but I didn’t see anyone particularly scary looking.

— 3 —

Speaking of Berkeley, it’s kind of a dirty place.

I’m so glad you exist, Streets and Sanitation. I missed you so much.

Andy was in town with me and the one conclusion we came to independently is that Berkeley is a ridiculously dirty place. There’s just a lot of detritus everywhere — which seems strange because I assumed that the average Northern Californian would eschew littering. Either way, I returned home with a bolstered appreciation for Chicago’s Streets and Sanitation Department.

— 4 —

Apparently, I live in a soulless backwater. Or a gritty, urban war zone. I never really got to the bottom of that one.

I really wish I had asked more questions when the Californians I encountered talked about the Midwest — but I was too dumbfounded to get into it too much.

Not pictured: All the malaise and cultural stagnation that my colleagues think I experience on a daily basis.

Just to let you all know, here in Midwestistan we enjoy a variety of infrastructural benefits including running water, high speed internet and paved roads. Also, we think this year’s bumper corn crop will keep the warring factions at bay.

Darwin the Cat thinks of Chicago with concern.

— 5 —

I ate some delightful foods.

The one thing that I regret about my adventure is that I didn’t eat enough delightful foods. There just wasn’t the time. Let’s see, here’s what I ate:

• A cheese quesadilla.
• A spinach salad with salmon and a variety of fruits, seeds and nuts.
• Some enchiladas.
• A piece of chocolate torte.
• Two very sad sliders.
• A chocolate chip cookie.

In between, I drank a lot of coffee.

I didn’t eat these trees, but aren’t they cool?

So big!

— 6 —

I met a wine supplier.

My first night at the motel, after going on an adventure for a quesadilla, I sat outside and ended up talking to Jacob, a wine supplier from Oregon in town on business. We talked about how strange the business dresscode is in Berkeley and then he gave me two bottles of wine.

Speaking of dress code, I would call this “business casual.” Apparently, this is “super formal to the point of discomfort” in NorCal.

See? There are nice people everywhere.

Jacob and I bonded over shared terror at seeing this sign by the coffee station.

— 7 —

I went to Saint John the Worker.

It was pretty impressive inside. Although the whole thing was carpeted, which I guess you can do if you don’t have to deal with road salt for four months a year.

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