Ad Hoc, Yountville
Earlier this week I showed you our pictures from The French Laundry and today I'm gonna give you a sneak peak of our Brunch at Ad Hoc (another EXCELLENT Thomas Keller restaurant in Yountville). We've been to Ad Hoc three times now and I think this particular menu has been my FAVORITE! Here's the deal about Ad Hoc-- everyday they post a new menu and you get exactly what they serve! It's family style. As in, they bring enough food for your party and you dish it out on your own plates. Three courses for $34 a person (for Brunch) was music to my ears after our fancy pants dinner at The French Laundry. The cool part is that you can get second helpings if you want! The portions are always plenty for the two of us so we've never asked, but I'm pretty sure I know a few people who would!
Continue reading→
#3. Go to the French Laundry (again!)
You may remember that I had a goal to dine at The French Laundry during my 31st year of existence. I've been there twice before at different points in my life but I've been aching to try it again. Some people save money to buy a car, others save for expensive handbags or electronics. I save money for food. It's always been this way, I swear. Before you say, "Tracy! You could have bought groceries for a few weeks with that meal from The French Laundry," let me tell you the experience this past weekend was...EPIC. Epic in flashing lights, EPIC.
#3. Go to the French Laundry (again!) = DONE. But I couldn't have done it without some help!
Continue reading→
Tahoe Vacation 2011
We're back from our week long trip to Tahoe and boy am I WIPED. Here's what we saw/ate/did:
Continue reading→
A day in the city
Stars aligned yesterday and I was FINALLY able to meet one of my favorite people online- Miss James of Bleubird Vintage! She was out visiting from TX, so my favorite gal pal, Alex (from Modern Kiddo!) and I spent the WHOLE day with her yesterday. We all had SUCH a blast!
Here's what our day looked like:
Continue reading→
Jam Making 101 @ Blue Chair Fruit
On Sunday I took the Jam Making 101 class at Blue Chair Fruit Company in Oakland! I had a delicious time learning from Rachel Saunders, the woman behind Blue Chair Fruit Company! I've had her cookbook for awhile and I've wanted to make my own jam, but I lacked the confidence & drive to get going. This class definitely gave me the jump start I needed. I can't wait to go to the farmer's market this weekend to pick up some fruit. Also, I should note that I completed another item from my 31 comes before 32 list ! #16. Learn how to do canning!
The goal of the class was not to just follow a recipe and make jam, but to understand the elements of jam, how to test for balance prior to cooking and how to preserve a fruit's flavor integrity while making a jam. In the class, we made 4 different variations of a Strawberry Raspberry Jam. Two of the jams were original recipes and the other two were based on what we, as a class wanted in a jam. I can't wait to taste the final results (which should show up in my mailbox soon!).
Continue reading→
Our Sunday Adventure!
We wanted to do something different today...something that would take up a large chunk of the day and take advantage of the beautiful weather we've been having in the Bay Area. Casey suggested we go to Roaring Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The last time he went was on a field trip as a kid! Cooper and I were totally down to ride a steam engine train! Here's what we saw:
Continue reading→
Joy Retreat: Part 2
When I was preparing for the Joy Retreat, I waffled with the idea of skipping the painting session because I thought I needed time to prepare for my workshop. Honestly, I've never really enjoyed painting. I love mixing paint and playing with colors but when it comes to painting, I've always been unhappy with my results. Coming up with something on my own in the medium has always been a challenge for me. When things don't look right, I can only see mistakes! It's hard for me to get past that.
The night before I left for my trip, something pulled my car towards the art supply store on the way home from work. Suddenly I was leaving with a huge bag of painting supplies. Something inside me said that if I'm embark on this journey, I really have to force myself to go out of my comfort zone. DIVE IN HEAD FIRST, TRACY! I think this proved to be the biggest lesson on my trip away. Who better to guide me through my painting struggles than Mati Rose! She's a true spark! Her zeal for creating and her enthusiasm for creative play & experimentation changed my perspective of painting. I truly had fun and I was relaxed in a way that I never thought was possible. Thank you Mati for getting me out of my comfort zone. You helped me tap into a side of my creative spirit that was dormant for over a decade. For that, I am soo grateful.
Continue reading→
365- Week 13
A food related photo every day until 2012. Here's Week 13:
97/365 Roasted strawberries for breakfast with pineapple Greek yogurt.
(I'll post the recipe soon! It's from the new Super Natural Every Day Cookbook)
