california, let's have a party!

i thought it would be fun to share our itinerary for california. it's our first time visiting cali, and there are billions of things that we want to do... it's a beautiful state with heaps of places to view, eat, and explore!

1) we are flying into san jose. the third largest city in california, 45 miles SE of san fransisco. cool things about san jose include: a state of the art light-rail transportation system, a substantial arts scene, and the former agricultural mecca is now known as one of the safest and sunniest cities in the nation. a falafel drive-in? yes, please! pinkberry? yes, please!

(san jose)

2) we will be spending a bulk of our time at a beach house in santa cruz. 72 miles south of san francisco, this laid-back beach town has a famous beach boardwalk, whale-watching, hiking, biking, farmers markets, oh, and hippies. here, we will be taking a canopy tour of the redwoods via mount hermon, and spending time relaxing at the beach.

(santa cruz)

3) heading north to san fransisco, home of the golden gate bridge, golden gate park, fisherman's wharf...need i continue? here we will be biking the golden gate bridge into sausalito, visiting the california academy of sciences, touring alcatraz island, and taking some cable caradventures. another thing i will be insisting we see: the 'full house' house! ahh!

(golden gate bridge)

4) next we are headed to sonoma/napa valley. staying at the el dorado hotel, dining at the el dorado kitchen, and touring a local winerythat was reviewed by the NYT and the Wine Spectator as being their "favorite winery visit".

(sonoma vines)

i have already warned my husband that at the end of this trip i will certainly consider moving to california.

i will post photos of the trip & reviews of the places that we traveled when we return!

into the kitchen

brunch: a combination of breakfast & lunch. invented in the late 1800s, it remains a favorite for lazy weekends & city people. as a kid, i thought it was fabulous because i could order breakfast or lunch. this recipe is my favorite brunch to make at home: asparagus & fontina frittatas.

a family favorite, they are simple & delicious. although traditional frittatas are made in a skillet, i prefer to make them in individual servings. they are easy to serve and eat.

ingredients:

6 large brown eggs

12 ounces of asparagus, trimmed, cut to 1-inch pieces

3 ounces of fontina cheese, diced

1 vine ripened tomato (seeds removed), cut to 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/3 cup milk

*for the highest quality, use all organic ingredients, and the freshest veggies & eggs that you can afford.

preparation:

pre-heat oven to 375

beat eggs, add milk, salt & pepper

sauté asparagus in 1 tablespoon olive oil until tender; add tomatoes until softened

spray 12 count muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray

combine cheese, asparagus & tomato; divide evenly among muffin tin

cover with egg mixture, divide evenly among muffin tin

bake for 20 minutes or until egg mixture puffs & has set in the middle

sprinkle with parsley before serving

eat!

slow down everyone, you're moving too fast

i'm officially a graduate! my graduation was this past weekend. i had a blast celebrating with my family & friends during the weekend. i'm very thankful that my family has been so supportive during these last two years. my husband loving me when i'm a complete basket-case and overwhelmed with all of the things i couldn't possibly finish. but here i am: on the other side and i'm so glad that i pushed through, and it would not have been possible without the support and patience of my husband.

(me & hubby)

(me & diploma)

(me & parents)

i am back to work at my job full time this week (with my new title!). it's quite a change: go go go to slow slow slow. i'm excited that i will finally have time to read, create, and cook again. first on the agenda: finishing the dining room chairs & prepping for my graduation party.

now here's the sun, come to dry the rain

this is my first official "good news" post...it's been a great week!

good news #1

i'm getting a raise! finally! it's been a year in the making...now it makes sense because i will have my master's degree in just under a month...but still i've been waiting a year. i'm so stoked. it's such a relief to know that i've got a secure job when i gradate. phew.

good news #2

i'm planning to apply for contingency at the hospital when i'm done with my internship. it basically means that i will be on-call for certain shifts. i'm excited about this because my dream of someday working there may actually happen.

good news #3

we are officially going on a vacation in june! we will be spending 10 lovely days in california. i bought our plane tickets today! we're headed to san jose, santa cruz, and san francisco for certain. we're going to do a canopy tour in the redwoods & tour alcatraz... so much to plan & so much to see! i love this type of planning though...it's "adventure" planning. the best kind.

...good things are happening...finally!

i'm losing my balance on this tight rope

it's april! april is one of my favorite months. it marks the start of the spring weather here in chicago: rain! we have had some incredible thunderstorms. i love them. this city bursts to life in the spring. suddenly people are wearing shorts, restaurants have opened their outdoor seating, and there are billions of people at the lakeshore again. it really is lovely.

next month i will officially be finished with grad school! then it's back to a routine, workout schedule & most importantly...free time!