Paper Goods.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  I'm obsessed with paper goods!  I've always loved stationary but following our wedding, I'm officially over the edge.  I mean getting to choose coordinating announcements, shower invitations, shower thank you notes, wedding invitations, place cards, menus, and wedding thank you notes was seriously one of the most fun parts of planning!  If I could decide on a style for personalized stationary, I'd have reams of it!  Anyway, that's not even the secret.  The secret is Verrier.  

Last year around this time I was in New York City for work and I found this delightful stall at a pop-up shop at the Chelsea Market.  Ashleigh and her mom/partner Jude were so sweet, and when we got to talking it turns out Ashleigh is originally from Mill Valley, born in San Francisco - like me!  Well, as soon as I told her we were set to get married in Mill Valley, we were fast friends.  She's a fashion designer but also makes the.most.amazing prints and cards.  I bought several pieces that day and I've been buying a steady stream of thank you notes from her website since.  She really has a card for all purposes.  I may or may not have purchased birthday cards for all of my girlfriends that I've saved to send throughout the year...

I la-la-la-LOVE this set of thank you notes.  I've given my first set out and I've seen more than one card face cut out and framed around my office.  How's that for double-duty?  Anyway, if you're crazy for paper goods like me, check out her shop online or in NYC!

Am I the only one who's crazy for paper?

Birthday, Part I.

This past weekend the hubby took me to Sonoma to celebrate the big 3 - 0.  Originally, we were going to go to Napa and eat at the Culinary Institute (which is actually in St. Helena), but after my husband made the reservation they called to say they'd be closed for spring break - boo!  So we decided to try something slightly new and go to Sonoma instead of the much hyped Napa.  And it was great!!  My birthday fell on Easter Sunday so I'm not sure if that made it quieter or busier but it was perfect.  

First we went to Cornerstone, which was a little development with tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops.  Next, we went to a smaller family estate, where they offered to take us on a tour of their caves when the hubby mentioned it was my birthday!

Our hotel was fab!  We stayed at The Lodge, which was a stone's throw from the charming downtown.  The customer service was great and the rate was good considering the resort atmosphere.  We stopped mid-day to eat lunch on the pool deck.  Delightful!  After lunch we went did more tasting in another little town called Glen Ellen.  

We had dinner at The Girl and the Fig, which was great.  We had some great cocktails, some mediocre rose (shhh!), and some YUMMY salad and asparagus appetizer.  We were pretty full from eating.all.day, so we opted not to get dessert.  Later we ordered room service from the hotel restaurant. This was just so so, but there is always something so luxurious about ordering room service!  

I was on the hunt for a winery that makes champagne, so the next day we stopped at a chateau with a gorgeous view, where I had just about the best breakfast I've ever had!  Yes, please!

And this is one of the things I love most about my husband - the laughter never ends.  We were laughing about almonds.  Yep.

Next weekend I'm going to LA with my girlfriends and I can't wait!  And between then and now, I'll have my head buried in books.

Meme.

I've been buried in school work this past week but trying to keep my spirits up with a few laughs! This might be my all time favorite internet meme.

I just love the little guy's conviction.  I laugh every time I think of it.  And of course, I'd like to think of myself as someone who keeps it exceptionally real.  I suppose my girlfriends can attest to that - or not!

P.S.  If anyone would like to know about the misplacement of minority math students in ninth grade geometry or residential segregation and its association to crime, you know where to find me!

Sunday Shopping.

I was thinking it might be fun to do a weekly meal planning series.  To kick it off, I'll tell you how we plan our weekly meals and what's most important to us in planning.

First, we HAVE to get our groceries over the weekend.  If that doesn't happen, the rest of our week is a total mess. Second, I plan a specific dinner menu for each night.  Mostly I'll only plan five nights worth to allow for anything that might come up.  The hubby sometimes forgets to tell me about business dinners, guys' night out, etc.  I also like to be able to switch the meals around within the week to accommodate other changes that crop up - like I just don't feel like fish tacos tonight!

A couple of other key elements for us are potential for leftovers and level of effort/time.  I used to cook 80% of the time but being in graduate school - particularly these last two semesters - has totally turned our night-time routine up-side-down!  Thank goodness for the hubby.  He's now on deck to cook the two nights I'm in school, and the reality is he winds up cooking the two nights in between, too, because I'm either exhausted or still doing reading/homework throughout the week.  So, given the current situation I try to plan at least one meal that will have enough leftovers for another night's dinner.  Alternatively, I try to think about what would make for good lunches.  And because I'm still doing the planning and shopping, I try to think about recipes that won't be too complicated or time consuming if he has to step in unexpectedly.  A quick note here - the hubby is a fantastic cook!  I mean, everything he makes is seriously good!  But you know how after years of doing it your own way, you tend to write yourself notes in shorthand, or you forget to document a change or shortcut from a recipe you've been making for forever?  The devil is in the details, and those darn details have started more than a few fights!

Finally, this is probably obvious, but it took some serious effort on my part to get it down.  I carefully check to see what we have left from the week prior so that we minimize anything in our fridge going bad.  This also helps me sequence the menus.  Call me crazy, but I also like to check the week's weather forecast.  At this very moment we happen to be having a downpour and lasagna sounds so comforting!  But the weather has been crazy, and what if it's 75 degrees on Monday night and lasagna winds up being way too heavy?  Details I tell you!

Anyway, on to this week's menu:

Sunday: Lasanga (I couldn't resist!)

I use my mom's recipe, which is traditional Sicilian style.  The hubby says there's too much cheese and not enough meat, but I've been eating it and making it this way my whole life.  I know the recipe by heart now but one of these days I'll write it up and post it.

Monday: Crab cakes and edamame

I love Trader Joe's Maryland style crab cakes.  Delish!  I like to serve it with edamame on the side - aso from TJ's.

Tuesday: Southwestern Quinoa

We love this recipe!  This is one of my go-to blogs for healthy recipes.  When we can find it (did you know the world is currently suffering from a shortage?!), I throw in shrimp.  Another shout-out to TJ's - we love their Red Argentinian uncooked, deveined shrimp.  This recipe makes for great weekday lunches, too! 

Wendesday: Tuna Melts

Yum!  The hubby likes to make open faced tuna melts.  We use sourdough bread (gluten-cheat!) and extra sharp cheddar cheese.

Thursday: Leftovers

Usually I plan leftovers more carefully, but I'll be dining alone Thursday evening, so I'll either eat leftover lasagna or leftover Southwestern Quinoa.

Friday and Saturday, as usual, we'll wing it!  What are some of your favorite weeknight dinners?