If you're going to San Francisco...

I'm just finishing my breakfast and about to start putting everything into my suitcase to prepare for my 4 oclock flight to San Francisco. I'm going up there to celebrate my best friends 30th birthday and party it up with other friends who live up there. I am super excited for this fun filled birthday!

If you've never been to San Francisco I highly recommend going especially if you know someone who lives there. The first time I went it was on more of a tourist type of visit and I didn't really care for Downtown San Fran but I loved the wine country and thought it was gorgeous! Now this will be my 3rd time up there as a non tourist and I love it! There are so many unique neighborhoods and things to do! I'm a little bummed that the weather isn't going to be a bit more chillier ( its going to be almost 80's). I'm not going to lie and I love the cold crisp fall weather and I even bought the cutest sweater from Anthropologie in hopes that I'd be wearing it in SFO. I guess it will have to wait until I go to Wisconsin! I think it will be perfect to wear when its like 60's and then to layer with a longsleeve shirt for when its 30-40 degrees! Pair it with some cute jeans, boots and a gorgeous long necklace and we have a smoking outfit.


I love how anthropologie is so detailed orientated. Even the back has some interesting patterning.



So, I am looking forward to going to lots of good restaurants and bars and just normal shenanigans that happen when we get together to play!

So on that note my lovies I leave you with a picture from my first trip to San Francisco.



Cheers-

Raech

Raise your hand if

you are impatient. I have no patience what so ever if i want something! Currently, my slower than a 90 year old woman computer is downloading the latest Ingrid Michaelson CD - Everybody. Its only $10.99 from Itunes people! So worth the money. Though now thinking back on it I definitely should have looked for an LP version first of it. Oh well!



2 more days till I leave for San Francisco. I am getting really excited. There is talks of an 80's cover band, a speak easy 1920's bar, sushi, japanese tea garden, a baseball game, and lots of wine! Sounds like an amazing weekend and I can't be more excited to ring in my besti-cles 30th!!

Ok, its almost done. I need to go rock out to my new ingrid tunes and start prepping for my trip!

Cheers-

Raech

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

So like every other child of the late 80's and early 90's you probably played monopoly with your family at some point. Ok, even if you weren't a child in the 80's or 90's you probably played monopoly. Usually its long elaborate games that NEVER end until someone gives up or ends up crying. This was not the case on Saturday night for us. We played it and I royal skunked Jack. I mean like to the point where he'd land on a spot of mine and owe me like $1800 for rent because I had a hotel on the property and etc..It was amazing to win. I've probably played monopoly 50 times and never ever won or even finished a game. I was a little bit sad that it was over when it was. Its not monopoly until you've played into the wee hours and someone is close to tears because they just want the game to end! Anyways, see the pic below of me winning! Jack's cards are all turned upside down because they were mortgaged to the bank. It was a little sad to see him go out like that but it sure was awesome to win!




Don't worry the loser wasn't sore about it and I made him a tasty seared ahi tuna steak dinner with wasabi mashed potato's to make him feel better. Later we played dijabooty or mancala and he beat me. So it was pretty even at this point!

Cheers

raech

Recipe Time!

I am a huge fan of Take A Bao in the Century City Mall and I was really craving their Sweet Chili Glazed Tofu Bowl. Now let me be clear, I'm not a HUGE fan of tofu. I think its good sometimes but this tofu bowl rocks my world. Its so delicious!

So here's the recipe. Its pretty loose because I wasn't sure how this was going to go so I didn't write anything down. So I hope it works out as well for you as it did for me!

Take A Bao Sweet Chili Glazed Tofu- Redux for 2

1 Stalk of Broccoli
1/2 c. uncooked brown rice
2oz of Shiitake Mushrooms
1/2 block of tofu
2 Carrots
1 bottle of World Flavors Thai Sweet Chili Kafir Lime Dipping Sauce ( sold at Whole foods in the international/Thai section)

Cook brown rice according to directions or in a rice cooker. Thinly slice the shiitakes and put in a non stick pan with evoo and cover with a lid. Cook on low until they caramelize. This is the only part that I wasn't happy with. I turned mine up to high and they got kind of rubbery instead of caramelizing. I looked numerous times online and can't find much info about caramelizing mushrooms. So I would do it the way they recommend onions which is too cook for 30-45 mins on extremely low heat which will slowly cook out any water from the mushrooms.

Meanwhile as the mushrooms and rice are cooking. Cut broccoli up into small-medium size pieces and set aside and Julien the carrot ( but you could probably use a large cheese grater for this). Last for prep is the tofu. Open the package and run cool water over the tofu and place on papertowel and gently press any remaining water out. Than slice the tofu in 1/4" thick slices. I'm not sure how they heat their tofu at Take a Bao so I placed mine in another sautee pan and covered the tofu in water and boiled it /heated the tofu and I lifted with a slotted spatula to drain any excess water off the tofu when i was plating it. Also, you must steam the broccoli which i do the tofu and broccoli in the last 5-10 minutes when the mushrooms/rice are almost done cooking.

Than get a bowl, place a generous helping of rice and place broccoli, carmelized shiitakes, carrot shreds in the bowl and lastly placed the hot tofu on top of the bowl. Top with the Sweet Chili Kafir Lime Dipping Sauce and enjoy! The only thing is missing that Take a Bao has are marinated cucumbers. I'm sure you could just marinate them in a rice vinegar and it would be similar but I don't really think them all that much to begin with!

You should end up with something like this :



To finish it off we paired it with a bottle of sauvignon blanc that we already had open but it was delicious with it! I hope that you give it a try because it is really delicious and pretty cheap to make if you're watching your pennies and very low in calories if you're watching your waist!

Cheers-

Raech

Seriously lame.

My besticle came and I didn't even take 1 picture the entire weekend! We had lots of fun and can't wait to go visit her in SFO in 2 weeks for her birthday extravaganza!

Anyways, sorry to have such a lame short post but I've been super busy trying to work on my business. Check us out at our blog . We have some new merch in the etsy store - The Jaunty Halloween Cards! I absolutely love the illustrations on these cards! What do you think?

Here's a teaser pic of them

Its finally Friday!

I am so excited! Yesterday my best-ie ( who lives in LA) called and she had to cancel plans to go down to Orange County to visit another friend and was wondering if i'd be around to hang out this weekend! I was floored! I haven't seen her since my big birthday bash in April so naturally I was super excited and jumped on it!

Im really excited to hang out with her. We have a list of places to stop

Vanilla Bakery



I'm hoping we get up here to do some shopping!





See ya on Monday kids!

New Blog and New Merch!

Hey Guys!

Check out my other blog.

It mainly consists of my etsy store stuff and of art stuff! So check it out and we've just added a new product in the etsy store! A skeleton key pillow. So check it out here. See a teaser pic below and if you like it make sure to check it out at our etsy store! or on my other blog!




Ciao

Raech

How Effing Adorable is this?

My other half and I are both obssesed with finding random art blogs. Jack found this amazing blog called Rose-A-Petits-Pois and this girl does concept art for disney in europe! I of course love ballet and love cute little drawings so I immediately fell in love with this little set of a little ballerina who's shoes have come undone!



So adorable!


Check out some of her other stuff that I can't get enough of. I love the dreamy 60's stylization of her work! Like this one below! Love love love it.



Cheers and Happy Labor Day

R

Ruche

Just found this new website with a little help from the latest Utterly Engaged latest issue. OMG...They have such dreamy fall clothes. Right now I'm currently digging these few items from Ruche's fall line.

This yummy tweed high waisted skirt


This awesome feather top would look great with some dark jeans and boots this fall



and of course this cozy blue wool coat for when I go to chilly Wisconsin



love love love their stuff and its not too expensive!

Happy Thursday!

Raech

Hey Y'alll!

EIP ( Experiment in Poverty) is doing a great little giveaway over on her blog for Magnolia Family Vintage! All the deets are on her blog on how to enter and get 2, that's right 2 chances at winning something! Go check it out and get your chances in!!