update soon, maybe Saturday

this week has been so full and there's so much to do this weekend, but I'll try to upload all the photos I have lined up to share.

hugs and love

country in the city

evening light

A dear Portland friend was visiting and I shared a few photo apps, like this one called slow shutter were you control the shutter speed with the touch of a button. The photos turn out a little shaky if you leave it to hand held without stabilization, but I still like the effect. These are the trees out at Sutro Bath beside the ocean on a steep cliff where the ocean breeze encourages them to lean.

easy peach preserves

I opted to maximize the freshness and preserve these gems as soon as possible, pealing them and adding a bunch of sugar seemed like too much work and sweetness, but the peaches were still really firm. I decided to cut them in half and baked them... along with veggies for the week. The peaches softened and the natural sugars came out along with a smokiness. I put the bubbling peach halves into sterilized jars and topped them with a hot simple syrup or brandy and voila, dinner and preserves for winter. 

another update later today

<3

pickin' peaches

Waking up early in the city I wanted to go to the farmers market, but even more than that I wanted to go on an adventure to a farm, meet the farmers and pick a little food for myself. I called my friend Courtney and told her I could pick her up on my way and with provisions in tow, away we went over barren hills dotted with wind turbines. The temperature seemed to rise with every passing mile and before we knew it we'd left the high 60's of SF and were in true summer heat in the high 90's. The air was so warm and grassy hills so dry that I kept thinking we may have veered off course and then we saw a little oasis in amidst this dessert scene with orchards lined up below us in the valley. I'm not being dramatic when I say that we found the one last orchard with peaches on their very last day of the season. Organic peaches at 99 cents a pound was perfection... especially when the farmer told us we could eat as much as we wanted. Between the warm peaches, hot from the last bit of summer sun, and spots of shade we were pretty thrilled that our mini road trip brought us here.

wooly worm migration

We came across this little wooly worm as it made it's way across the busy trail toward the cooler grassy side and I picked it up to give it a little love and help it along. They look like friendly little pipe cleaners come to life and always make me think Fall is around the bend.... even when I find these critters near the ocean on a sunny day

the Shed

The Healdsburg SHED is one of my favorite shops with a cafe, coffee bar and fermentation bar, plus local produce and pantry items. They have an incredible selection of hand-crafted and classic kitchen, farm, and garden tools. I always pick up another French canning jar and linens along with kitchen provisions for a picnic or treat after the drive back home to SF. They offer classes and so much inspiration. Shed is located just a block off the main town square in Healdsburg with loads of small town charm and more wine tastings than most can get through in a day.

light coming through

sprawling view of the San Francisco skyline from the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge during the wee hours of a fog filled early morning

salad break

greens and protein at Blue Barn with a Chinese chicken salad and then my personal fave, the cobber.

a little fancier in Marin

the sun shined a little brighter at the Marin Mart and the flower petal dusted bags of salad greens and bacon samples from Belcampo Meat made it glow

French vibes

 a French inspired weekend with a lovely friend and her little boy in town, from Seattle, for the weekend. I adorned my fingers with super size organic raspberries and a few friends immediately recalled this scene from the French movie Amelie. A trip to Tartine has become a small tradition so we stopped for a little picnic with a manchego cheese and quince paste sandwich, fresh figs and shrub from home before making our way to the airport.

sunny sidewalks

this map of Canada is a true sidewalk sale score that I picked up for a friend and then these succulent gems seem to mimic the map tones perfectly

little oasis in the city

Flora Grubb Gardens is still one of my favorite places in SF, a true treasure.

a little rusty

traveling while standing still

stopped in at Kinokuniya Japanese bookstore to peruse the always gorgeous books and pick up a little inspiration. I flipped through this lovely book about French macaroons with tiny garnish of their infused flavor. I nibbled on a Mexican wedding cookie from Harvest Ranch Market that was lost in my bag for a bit or my subconscious saved it for the right time. So, a Mexican wedding cookie from a Castro health store with French macaroons in a Japanese bookstore... hence the travel bit. ;)

Pink Martini at Stern Grove

I was so excited to finally see Pink Martini live and at Stern Grove none the less with French tourists to the right to sing-along. This free weekly music festival is one of my favorite SF Summer traditions, to enjoy music with the smell of eucalyptus and an ocean breeze. Instead of my brief video I'll share their website instead.

brunch

 if crab eggs benedict is on the menu... I'll order it and they always seem to have it at Zazie's

hearts in SF

 I wove a new heart at that SF bridge, stopped for coffee and over at Sutro Tower for a clear view of the city that shined as bright as my morning snack of citrus and sunshine

fog + fortune cookies for breakfast

an early morning abbreviated tour of Chinatown, complete with a stop at one of the busiest fortune cookie factories before heading up to one of SF's view points with fog that lingered all day