[Friday Link Round-Up]

1. I am so obsessed with the idea of a low-cost pallet succulent garden. It looks so easy and beautiful! This localspoon photo tutorial makes it a snap.

Image via The Local Spoon

2. The Kitchn this week revealed the secret to great tofu: freeze that shit. 

Image via the kitchn

3. One of my favorite blogs, Daydream Lily, just posted these lovely labels from Love Mae. These are a must-have for any aesthetically-conscious baker, like myself. Everything must be pretty!

Image via Daydream Lily

4. And another kitchn post (can you tell I think about food all day and night?): no-bake boston cream pie. Graham crackers! Chocolate! Genius!

5. A lovely travel blog on La Tartine Gourmande about Portland and Oregon in general. It makes me miss Stumptown and lazy days walking through art street fairs. Sigh. 

Image via la Tartine Gourmande

A Trip to the City

This past weekend, Tawsh, Jen, Jenna and I spent two days in the city with Leah, Benny, Jeff, Carrie, Rob, Max, Kevin, Lolly, Cassi and Alexandra. We met Jeff and Leah in Dolores Park, went to Four Barrel (my fave for the best latte in the city,) where we picked up Carrie and Cuco's Restaurant for the most amazing plantain burritos. The burritos were such an interesting texture and flavor, smoky and with heat but also a touch of sweetness. Afterwards, Max, Kevin, Cassi, Alexandra and Benny came with the crew to Smugger's Cove, a tiki bar, where we took up the entire top floor and sipped on rum cocktails all night long. I can't remember a lot of the specific drinks, but the daiquiris, the mojitos and the flaming volcano drinks were tremendous. After a couple of hours, we then headed to Underground SF, a gay dance club. So much fun and such good music - a mix of 90s pop and hiphop. Once the club closed, we headed to Kevin's, where I fell down the stairs - like what? After spending a few hours recovering, Carrie and I hit up a cheap Chinese place for lunch and Dynamo Donuts for coffee, took a nap and then met Rob at Philz for a delish chai tea latte before hitting up the Folsom Street Fair with the other amigos. The Folsom Street Fair was crazy overload of nudity, fun and general insanity. By then, we were all feeling rather awake so we walked to the Mission and had an array of delish Vietnamese dishes at Sunflower, which was Carrie's choice. And it was a good one. I had pan-fried garlic noodles with veggies, Carrie had vermicelli noodles with these phenomenal spring rolls. Others had pho, beef dishes, pot stickers. And I also had a Vietnamese iced tea - life-giving. It was a wonderful meal to end a wonderful weekend :-) (And the drive home at 4:30 in the morning was equally amazing though I was barely conscious for it.)

Once again, I am just overwhelmed by how lucky I am to have these people in my life. They are warm, intelligent, hilarious, and talented and I love them. So much.

*The song is Suckers - Get Your Body Moving

Four Barrel - 375 Valencia

Cuco's - 488 Haight

Smuggler's Cove - 650 Gough

Underground SF - 424 Haight

Dynamo Donuts - 2760 24th St

Philz Coffee - 748 Van Ness

Folsom Street Fair

Sunflower Cafe - 3111 16th

[Food + Drink Wednesdays] Veggie Bake

The other night, my friend Aviva stopped by and I wanted to throw together a tasty homemade meal with little to no ingredients because I haven't been shopping in about two weeks. That and I was feeling a little under the weather and wanted something quick and easy. Thus was born my cheesy veggie bake.

Essentially, I dumped a package of defrosted frozen veg in a casserole dish, which included carrots, corn, green beans and peas. And then I moved onto the sauce:

I sauteed a few cloves of garlic in some olive oil. Once that was done, I threw in three tbsp of yogurt, two tbsp dijon mustard, some rough chopped basil and parsley, a sprinkle of lemon pepper, a half tsp of dried Italian seasoning, pepper and salt.

Then I threw that over the veggies and sprinkled generously with grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

Bake at 400 for 20 mins and enjoy the deliciousness.

Yum.

[Music Monday] Our Faves - A day late

My trip to Santa Cruz and SF was amazing as was seeing my Care-Bear. Playing a lot of catch-up and recovering from a cold this week. And listening to these gems:

[Friday Link Round Up]

1. Gorgeous photo essay of Paris from Kris Atomic. I want to go back.


2. After a long week, sfgirlbybay's post on beautiful beds has me daydreaming about, well, dreaming.


3. Dressing for the workplace from CNN and paring down your wardrobe from the WSJ via Corporette

4. Frangipane Fruit Tart recipe from Un Deux Senses. Must try.

5. Stream the new Zola Jesus album here. I love her and her song, Seekir.

September is Yoga Month

This was supposed to be me!

And while I want to give a rave review of how amazing it has been to use my free week of yoga card, I cannot. I went to The Yoga Tree on Valencia in SF two weeks ago to redeem my card, and the uber-zen guy sitting in the lotus position in a computer chair behind the front desk, decided to inform me that it didn't work. What the hell?

I got a bit upset, but everyone in the studio was so yoga-y and relaxed that I felt like a total beeze getting agitated, so I just went out to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant instead.

I ended up emailing the Yoga Month people and have received no response. Basically, this is just a post of me complaining that I can't afford a yoga studio membership. It makes me really sad.

For now, I will continue doing plank, downward-dog, and swan in my bedroom in the mornings. In the future, I'd like to say that I am practicing on my own, but for now, I will remain bitter until Yoga Month ends. I hope someone else got to enjoy their free week though!

[Food + Drink Wednesdays] Vegan Meal #1

So in this slow-going transition to veganism, I've been playing with a few new recipes. This one in particular has been successful. It is fried tofu, over a roast vegetable salad and a bed of greens. YUM. And surprisingly satisfying for my non-veg friends from what I've been told.

First part - the roast veg salad and dressing:

1. Peel and cube up whatever root veggies you like. I love sweet potatoes, yams, and beets. Place on cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 425 until soft.

2. For the dressing, throw in some Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil as well as some parsley and thyme. Just play with the flavors until you like what you get. Once I made this dressing and it was waaaayyyy to vinegar-y, so be light with your ratios!

3. Take out the veggies, let cool for a bit, and toss with the dressing. Best served room temp.

Second part - bed of greens:

1. I love mixed spring greens or spinach. I also tossed in some cubed avocado and tomatos. Dress simply with either lemon/balsamic and olive oil.

Third part - the fried tofu:

1. Drain and pat dry firm tofu. Cut into slices.

2. "Marinate" with salt, pepper, olive oil and then whatever spices you like. I used turmeric, seasoning salt, lemon pepper, and cayenne. Tofu has no flavor so be really, really, really generous with your seasoning. Like make sure there is almost a crust around the tofu of spices.

3. put about 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. heat up at to medium high. Place tofu in and fry until golden brown (usually takes about a minute). Flip and repeat. You may also want to sprinkle MORE spices/seasoning over the side.

Assembly:

1. clean plate.

2. bed of greens.

3. roast veg.

4. fried tofu.

5. Squeeze some lemon - voila!

Feminist: The Unmentionable Identity

I haven't uttered the word "feminist" or any variations thereof within my workplace since I started my job over a year ago. So when I finally said it this morning to a female manager whom I had never met before, it rolled off of my tongue and tasted sweet like maple syrup or melted caramel or all of the forbidden things that make you so happy you feel guilty inside. I've never been able to decide quite why that word means so much to me. I feel it is my prized possession. It is my identity. Feminism is something - maybe the only thing - I've ever felt like fighting for. And I hadn't said it for 14 months at work.

So I put together some missing pieces today. In between my meetings and brainstorming and formatting, I found what I need to keep going.

Lately I've been feeling as though I were outside of some club, banging on the door to get in. As our company moves into the digital domain, I worry that women of my generation will be left behind. We are seen as excellent coordinators, but I feel that many people don't trust our capacity to understand code or program anything at all. I can't do those things, to be sure. But I can fake it really well, and I can also readily accept opportunities to learn.

I feel that "feminism" and "gender" don't come up at work because there is an unspoken acknowledgement that my field is 90% female-dominated. How could we possibly be promoting gender inequality in the workplace when we employ so many women? That would be the logical conclusion. But keep in mind that my industry is one of the lowest-paid out there. Does it surprise you, then, that it is dominated by women in all but the highest of the high positions (CEO, Vice Presidents, etc.)? I worked at a feminist publishing company and almost at the Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor for a time. I've stared the statistics down, hoping that I could change things if I glared at the numbers long enough. I've been through many a sleepless night wondering if I've been looked over because I uphold so many of the stereotypes of my "womanhood". I'm sick of feeling like I have to change myself to be heard.

Today, during that meeting, the word felt so right as I compared my previous workplace, which was very conscious and critical of gender identities and norms, to my current one. The woman sitting across from me, tattoos covering her arms, nodded and smiled like we had just entered a secret pact. We understood one another. We said the unspeakable.

For the rest of the day, I felt energized by just acknowledging my own gender identity and all the things I've fought for in the past. Isn't that strange? I think that is something men could never understand and something they even fear a little bit. Women really do have an understanding for each other's unique challenges and struggles and, even more, for each other's unique strengths and ability to connect with one another. Everyone should be a feminist, of course, but a woman who acknowledges her own feminist activism within the workplace is a powerful thing indeed.

Now that I've said the word, I don't know where to take things from there. I would like to find a mentor or even mentor someone else outside of work, but, like everything else in life, the task seems insurmountable at this point.

Either way, I am bringing back that side of myself. I just haven't quite decided how. I have to do things that are socially acceptable after all. And being a self-proclaimed feminist at work has never been socially acceptable.

[Music Monday] Men I'd Like to Marry

I'm seeing Bon Iver tonight. I can't focus right now, I'm so excited.

[Things We Adore Sunday] Baking Frenzy, Beds, Pendleton Portland Collection, The Arrival of Autumn

This is a special edition of Things We Adore Sunday. Today, I am going to write what I am thankful for, and then follow that up with some things I adore. I wouldn't want to leave you hanging like that.

I have literally been on my feet all day. I woke up at 8 am, went to the grocery store to get some heavy whipping cream, then proceeded to bake for 12 hours straight. Yes, 12 hours. I took a one-hour break to run (on my feet) and shower (also, standing). I even ate standing up. This cannot be healthy, but it was a small glimpse into what my life would be if I decided to turn South by San Francisco into a real, full-fledged business. And it scared the crap out of me. Still, I loved it too. I was covered in flour, had blackberry juice stains on my fingers, and apple splattered all over my apron. I didn't stop to clean up until the end, I just kept stirring and mixing and pouring and boiling and whipping (by hand, of course) and molding about three dozen mini pies and a batch of cookies.

These are the cookies I made. They're bomb. Peanut butter is the best.

It was glorious.

What did I bake, you ask? Well, consider this the start of the Things I Adore List, because I adore each and every one of these recipes. They remind me of my childhood or of living in San Francisco or of family gatherings on the Jones River Bend in Tennessee.

Things I Adore:
1. Baby Banana Cream Pie (so cute!)
2. Peanut Butter Cream Pie (childhood in a pie crust)
3. Blueberry Lemon Curd Pie
4. Pecan Pie with Sorghum
5. Date-Pecan Pie
6. Apple-Pear Pie
7. Strawberry Mint Pie
8. Blackberry-Nectarine Pie
9. Lemon Chess Pie
10. Peaches and Cream Pie (my favorite pie of all time)
11. Peanut Butter Cookies
Yes, I really baked all of these today. My brain hurts.

Other Things I Adore
12. Looking at photos of beds. I am trying to imagine myself finally relaxing today. I do love a nice bed. Like this one:

via Fuck Yeah Domesticity

13. The Pendleton Portland Collection. I've always loved Pendleton's scarves, but if I could wear that outfit below, I'm pretty sure I'd kick some major ass. And that bag. Oh, dear. In love. 

via Honey Kennedy 

14. Red work pants. I've been dreaming of wearing this outfit to an interview or a conference for weeks. How can you not notice someone who is wearing an outfit that fantastic? The colors are so fall, and I am so ready for autumn to begin.

via The Glitter Guide

15. Speaking of autumn, I ADORE Autumn. I can't wait for all the fall flavors: pumpkin, cinnamon, root vegetables, deep-flavored chutneys, kale, (vegan) stew. I've been collecting recipes that I cannot wait to unleash on friends and family as soon as this Bay Area heat wave disappears. This Mango Chutney-Ginger Baked Tofu with Cranberry Basmati Rice fits the bill perfectly.

Recipe and Photo via A Dash of East

Okay, time to collapse in my bed and dream of autumn leaves and pumpkin pound cake. So happy to be off my feet again. Poor babies! I might just have to get them a pedicure tomorrow.

[Things We Adore Sunday]

I do adore getting ahead on my week. But with another load of laundry to go and two sets of reading notes to finish, it may be a bit difficult this week. However, there are many things to be happy about.

1. Bon Iver in LA tomorrow! (and this lovely video of Bon Iver in Montmartre, Paris)

2. Friend's weddings - My lovely Larissa had a wedding in Carpinteria this weekend and I got to meet my friend Katja's gorgeous addition to the familia - 6 month old Stella!

3. The Sephora by O.P.I. Gold Blast nail polish - can't wait to try it!

4. The Naked Palette by Urban Decay. Been pining for ages and finally invested!

5. Gorgeous 2011 Emmy fashion from Emily Blunt, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Kate Winslet.

Source: brunchatsaks.blogspot.com via Brunch at Saks on Pinterest

Source: brunchatsaks.blogspot.com via Brunch at Saks on Pinterest

Source: brunchatsaks.blogspot.com via Brunch at Saks on Pinterest

[Friday Link Round Up]

Annie Leibovitz/Vogue

1. Wonderful op-ed, "Memoirs of A Geisha," by a New York Times columnist, Maureen Dowd, on the newly released audio interview clips of Jackie O. I had mixed feelings after reading and listening to the original article. This column was illuminating. Loved it.

2. Fascinating article from the New Yorker about the plight of and fight for independent bookstores: SHOULD WE FIGHT TO SAVE INDIE BOOKSTORES?

3. Vogue cover story on Michelle Williams, styled as Marilyn Monroe. Michelle Williams has come into her and I'm stunned by her grace. And of course, the photos by Annie Leibovitz are gorg as always.

4. Some of my fave online mags have new issues. Check them out for gorgeous inspiration, crafts, and interiors.
Lonny
Sweet Paul Magazine
Adore

Portland's Local Beauty Products

While Ambs and I were in Portland, we stopped by a small local grocery store that stocked an entire row of locally produced beauty products. (They also had a shelf of Portland-produced hot sauces, but that is for another post). Naturally, we tried pretty much everything they had, and we walked away with the following:

Wild Rose Eye Cream by Wild Carrot Herbals

This stuff is awesome, so gentle around the eyes and smells like an effing bouqet of roses hit you in the face. In a good way. 

Almond-Aloe Facial Moisturizer by Earth Science

This is actually made in Santa Barbara, so I sort of took issue with buying it. But it's so light and smells really nice. Thumbs up. 

And because I am not made of money, I also made myself a wish list for next time I'm far up north:

Willamina Brightening Mask

$52 from Spa Willamina in Portland

Alima Satin Matte Foundation

This stuff is all-natural and goes on really light

And I desperately want to get my eyebrows sugared. I know that sounds weird, but it's basically just using sugar, lemon, and water to remove hair. Strange, but wonderful. 

Sugar Me Portland is the city's first and only sugaring studio. They're way ahead of their time on this one. Sign me up. 

[From Scratch] Ending the Summer with a Dinner Party

A few weeks ago (during this blog interim of ours), my friends and I got together to celebrate the summer with a get-together at my home in Bernal Heights. Everyone brought food, we played records, and just had a generally amazing time.

Now it's time for fall. Is it wrong that I am so excited to break out my scarves again and sip coffee indoors and buy some vegan boots and watch leaves fall?

But though I'm excited for a new season, here is a photo homage to what went down at the dinner party and how much I have enjoyed this foggy summer here in San Francisco. Despite my complaints, I love the fact that I can eat ramen happily year-round.

Fig, prosciutto, and chevre on fresh bread

Maureen brought this Irish dish that had fortunes in it! What a surprise!

Mmm, parsley and heirloom tomatoes

Lovely wine

Ryan brought sushi at the last minute. Total save.

Marie's zucchini muffins

Then the food was pretty much decimated

Yep.

Nika wishing everyone a happy summer

[Food and Drink Wednesdays] Mini Peanut Butter Cream Pies

My latest project was making a dozen miniature peanut butter cream pies with the recipe I found in the White Lily Cookbook from somewhere around the 1970s-ish. It's super easy to make. All you need is your basic crust rolled out into muffin tins, peanut butter and powdered sugar (about a 1:2 ratio), pudding (use Jell-O heat & serve or make yours from scratch), and whipped cream topping. Super simple, super comforting. 

From the White Lily Cookbook

Making the pudding: be sure to cover it with plastic as it cools to avoid a film on top

For the whipped cream, you'll need heavy cream and powdered sugar

Then whip that stuff together

The peanut layer on the bottom is just natural creamy peanut butter and powdered sugar pressed into the pastry

The final, adorable product: crust, layer of peanut butter, layer of pudding, layer of whipped cream. Some chopped peanuts on top would be amazing.

[Op-Ed Tuesday] Grad School Musings

I have numerous reasons for attending law school. And one of those reasons, although it fluctuates in importance, is the dismal state of the job market and my lack of applicable skills to compete in said market. Hiding out in law school, as well as my master's program, and incurring a pathetically astronomical amount of debt is a great plan. I live off high interest loans, kill myself with work, and still have enough energy to enjoy happy hours with my now-employed friends. “Employed” happens to be a flexible term. This term does not have to indicate full-time salaried work with benefits. It can hourly. It can be part-time. Hell, it can be anything that gives you some sum of money for a couple hours a week of labor that utilizes nothing you learned in college. But what sets me apart from these friends, is that they have an income. They are also honing skills that will help them in the future. I, on the other hand, am embarking on another three years of learning theory, argument strategies, and a new way to write, that may or may not have a job remotely relating to the J.D. I hope to one day earn. My future scares me. As does my loan amount. But not nearly as much as the prospect of searching for a job, paying bills with the meager salary I will inevitably earn, figuring out what health insurance to purchase, learning how to save money, and essentially, becoming a real, functioning person.

These reasons lent themselves to my shock this morning when I read on the WSJ, that MBA admissions was down 10 percent this year. The article discussed how generally, in weak economics, grad admissions across the board, and especially MBA programs, see an increase in applications. And yet this time is different. This could because of decreasing opportunities for graduate school funding, the limiting and ending of subsidized loans, increasing loan interest rates, and the fact that even if you manage to get through those hurdles, having an advanced degree may not mean anything when you're applying for a job, fresh-faced with no “real-life” experience.

So I'm stuck. I'm really stuck with law school. At least I can bask in the gloriousness of over-caffeination and constant intellectual stimulation for three years and sigh at my imminent demise post-graduation. And then I'll be stuck with the real world and all it's demands. Either way, this isn't looking good to me, so I think I'll drink some over-priced almond milk and take a nap.

[Music Monday] Bon Iver - Bon Iver Review

You already know my obsession with Bon Iver. It's almost disturbing. And feeding my unhealthy love for Bon Iver is the fact that I am seeing him next Monday at Universal City Walk with friends Alexis and Steph. So I thought that a belated-but-still-relevant-because-everything-Justin-Vernon-thinks-says-does-sings-will-always-be-relevant review of his newest album was in order.

The beauty of Bon Iver's music is its ability to inspire instant images and feelings from song to song. In honor of that, this review of Bon Iver's self-titled album is less structured, more stream of consciousness, and you'll have to excuse me if its a little fragmented or my images are less relate-able. Sorry 'bout it.

In general, this is quintessential Bon Iver, music that can be played on misty mornings, late summer nights and solo drives down PCH. Haunting vocals, incredible guitar work are obvs for Justin Vernon, but this most recent work has an electronic vibe with some 80s/90s influence that is perplexingly attractive. These songs are certainly different from For Emma, Forever Ago, and follow a similar quietness of the Blood Bank age.

Here is a song-by-song breakdown and a Grooveshark playlist so you can listen along :-)

Perth: Epitomizes that 80s/90s almost soft rock sounds, super mellow

Minnesota, WI: Bolder vocals, more singable than other songs, and I love percussion/guitar interplay... sooooo good

Holocene: the breakup song of the album, definitely fit for an introspective rainy day, if I were in a different mood listening to this, it would probably instantly inspire tears

Towers: The layering of eras and instruments on this album is tremendous – this has a little 60s/folk thing going on, but like not. It's confusing but again, appealing in provocation. I like it.

Michicant: the road trip song, picturing myself driving down the 101 at dusk with soy chai tea latte

Hinnon, TX: haunting and ethereal. Just listen to it.

Wash.: my favorite with the gentle piano and Vernon's angelic voice. I just want to wrap myself up in this song.

Calgary: You should have already heard this single, since it's been everywhere on the blogosphere and I only mentioned it like 3000 times. People who called it boring obvs didn't wait for the glorious buildup that happens around minute two... idiots.

Lisbon, OH: electronic, grows on me, but the lack of Vernon vocals = eh.

Beth/Rest: The review on Music Ninja said this song would be polarizing and I agree. Not sure about the retro influence, def some 90s shiz going on, but melancholy, calming with a beach on a gray day feel.

[Things We Adore Sunday] Mustard

Finally, fall has arrived with the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte! I'm going to ignore the Mordor-like hell of Los Angeles' 100 degree weather and bask in the daydreams of changing leaves, crisp weather, apple pies and scarves. And part of this daydream you may ask? Yes, yes, yes! The color Mustard. I love it. It flatters every skin tone, is bright without being garish, and Anthropologie loves it. I don't need any more reasons than that. So I stalked Mustard on Pinterest and now I leave these inspiration pieces for you to enjoy :-)

1. Mustard Home Goods

Source: etsy.com via Amber on Pinterest

Mustard Dresses

Source: hanneli.com via Amber on Pinterest

3. Mustard Prints

Source: elphicks.bigcartel.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: None via Amber on Pinterest

4. Mustard Jackets

Source: karlascloset.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

5. Mustard Shoes

Source: jcrew.com via Amber on Pinterest

6. Mustard purses

Source: glo.msn.com via Amber on Pinterest

Welcome Back!

After taking a few weeks to recalibrate our existence, Carrie and I are ready to rededicate ourselves to this blog. From now on, you will see several primary changes evident in our posts - more original text and photography, an increased influence of eco-consciousness/political awareness across the board, and a new and improved structure.

Our past posts have always focused on things that Carrie and I have found interesting, but we haven't necessarily expounded... well, anything. From now on, our readers will be made aware of why these things are interesting to us, why they should be interesting to us, and how each post contributes to the purpose of this eco-friendly, feminist and culturally aware blog. We aim to provide engaging textual support for the choices we make on this blog and in life. Furthermore, we both are striving to improve our photographic skills, so you will see more original photography from the both of us.

The latter two goals are entwined. The new structure of this blog will be as follows:

• Sunday: Things We Adore - The same as before, with more original text.
• Monday: Music Monday - Fuller posts with longer playlists, reviews, and profiles of what's on repeat on our respective music gadgets.
• Tuesday: Op-Ed - Full opinion columns on whatever news has struck a chord. We would like these to be fully researched and engaging pieces that our readers can learn from.
• Wednesday: From Scratch - We have very often posted recipes that we would like to try. But now we are actually going to make them, review them, and change these recipes up. (Carrie has always been much better at this, so now I have to pick up the slack.)
• Thursday: Wild Card
• Friday: Friday Link Round-Up - Again, more commentary from us.
• Saturday: Wild Card

So what's this Wild Card business? Carrie and I decided that we wanted a little more freedom with posts. We felt that the topics we previously assigned limited the scope of what we want to address. Topics on Wild Card days may include and are not limited to: DIY Beauty, DIY Decor, Exercise, Inspiration, Out on the Town, Thrifting News, Fashion Attack, and Daily Outfit Posts. Let us know if there are any other posts you would like to see :-)

We hope that you like the changes we make during our individual self-improvement journeys and the evolution of this blog.

Besos!

Carrie and Amber