Five Things

Posted on February 5, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hey everybody!

It’s Five Things Wednesday already! This week has been particularly exciting for me, not really because of any epic goings-on, but simply because I’ve been reading/writing my pants off. Oh, and you know that little button on my side-bar over there? The one that says follow? If you click it, amazing things will happen. Puppies will fall from the sky and I will bake you a cake and personally deliver it to your house.*

*I unfortunately can’t guarantee that this exact thing will happen, but I can say that you will be my favorite. : )

(Nutella Banana bread, courtesy of the fantastic Joanna Goddard and her blog, A Cup of Jo. And Zoë Bakes)

Speaking of cake, it’s World Nutella Day! What better way to celebrate than to put your nutella in. a. cake? My mind is blown.

(“Shrimp Dumpling in Rabbit Shape” from Hang Ah Tea Room in SF. Look at the little ears!)

I don’t know what it is about this colder (I use this term loosely) weather that has me obsessively thinking about dim sum. Admittedly, I was at first totally put off by the idea of having such savory food for breakfast, but add some green tea, and it just feels right. It’s quite the opposite of my usual morning routine (carbs + coffee) so it feels like a refreshing reset.

(My favorite drink, at one of my favorite local cafés)

I had a meet-up this week that has me quite excited about life, in general. I’m working towards filling my life with the people and the work I love. It’s too precious to waste doing things you don’t want to do.

(Ellie Goulding “Tessellate”)

Recent song discovery. Love the video as well; Paris in black and white is a classic.

(Best quote. That is all.)

No mud. No lotus.

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on January 30, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello All! I must say, I’ve missed my “Five Things” posts. I write to you from the comfort of my home, sipping a big cup of PG Tips tea. Just so you know, I take my tea like I take my coffee, I’m afraid: strong, dark, and with lots of cream and sugar.

(Delicious tea in my favorite mug. I may no longer be in Hawaii, but I sure can pretend.)

Another one of my favorite teas has to be Republic of Tea’s Ginger Peach black tea. I drank it in abundance growing up, and, when my parents left me in Santa Barbara for college, a big cup of it was the one thing that made me feel instantly at home.

(It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Maddie! Someone can’t hold still long enough for me to take a decent photo of her. She will also lick you to death if you’re not careful.)

Speaking of feeling at home, my new favorite doggie seems to be very happy in her new home with my good friend Rachel. Despite the fact that Madeleine is her brother’s (now roommate’s) dog, I think she likes us best. Maybe.

(Sushirrito. Is it sushi or is it a burrito?)

Ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at the Geisha’s kiss. Tuna, avocado, cucumber, tomago, and a variety of vaguely Mexican/Japanese ingredients make this creative thing. I highly recommend, so do check it out next time you’re in SF and in the mood for a culinary adventure.

(The Brooklyn, at Dogwood in Oakland)

Before anyone asks, that is a homemade brandied cherry on a stick. Bar Dogwood is this week’s “new-to-me” discovery. It’s small, cozy, and serves some of the best/fanciest grilled cheese sandwiches ever. I ate it before I could take a picture of it, and the tiny pickles it was served with.

(My idea of fun on a Saturday)

Yes, I am breaking in a new pair of pointe shoes. In my house. I have quite bit of sewing/doctoring to do, as these are not the maker of Freed I usually wear, and they’re a bit on the narrow side. But, there’s nothing to make you feel more accomplished as a dancer than beating a pair of shoes to a pulp, busting out a new pair, and starting over.

Five Things (New Zealand Edition!)

Posted on January 16, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello All!

Welcome to a special edition of ‘Five Things!’ As many of you know, I spent a bit of time browning myself and enjoying summer in the Southern Hemisphere at the beginning of this year. Armed with my journal, I had every intention of documenting the details of my trip. Instead, what I ended up with was two entries, written either on the plane or in the airport, word-vomiting all of the highlights that I could remember. Yes, you will be privy to this information as soon as I can make sense of my notes (involving many arrows) and chicken scratch. I did, however, manage to play the tourist, and get some lovely snapshots of the things I saw. I confessed to my travel buddy that one of my favorite things to do in a foreign country is to eat all of the strange foods I can find, and to peruse the supermarkets for unnecessarily long periods of time. After running up and down the aisles of Countdown (the Kiwi equivalent of Safeway) the very first time, I created an edible bucket list that I dreamed of fulfilling as quickly as possible. And I did. So, here you go!

Five Things….That I Ate in New Zealand

(Kiwi-style Chicken Burger in Tauranga)

One of the first things I learned about cuisine in New Zealand is that they like to top their burgers with big slices of beetroot. This was a very good surprise to a girl that has loved beets since before she can remember. Another variation includes a fried egg and some bacon. Yum! Enjoyed this lovely meal at TOI, a cafe adjacent to a climbing gym by the name of “Vertical Assault.” Semi-awkward gym name, if there ever was one.

(Tip Top Ice Cream, Boysenberry on the left, Candy Floss on the right)

To say that I liked the ice cream in New Zealand would be an understatement. Let me be frank and say that all of their ice cream tasted like butter. Yes, very distinguishable butter flavor. Who doesn’t like their butter with a little sugar? I also enjoyed the variety of unique flavors that they had: Candy Floss (aka Cotton Candy), passion fruit, orange chocolate chip, tropical, something called “Gold Rush,” raspberry lemon fizz, lime swirl, and Hokey Pokey. “What’s hokey pokey?” You might ask. The explanation on the carton was: hokey pokey flavored ice cream, with hokey pokey pieces. Make sense? After a taste test, we found out it was just sugary sweet toffee.

(Lattes at One2One in Ponsonby)

This might fall in to the “Things I Drank” category, but I just had to share. After living off of instant coffee while camping, nothing is better than real espresso with nice, thick foam. We wandered in to this lovely cafe in Ponsonby while visiting Auckland. Not only was the coffee lovely, but so was the beautiful garden patio out back. Despite the fact that the garden was filled with the most massively aggressive little birds I’ve ever encountered, we enjoyed some much needed down time here. Remember, just because the birds are small, doesn’t mean they won’t pull your cookie right out of your hand as you eat it. Defend your pastries, everyone.

(CHEEZELS.)

Pardon the blurry car photo, but I had to share. If a cheese puff and a Cheez-it had babies, they would be Cheezels. And also amazing. I first purchased this treat from a gas station in Matamata on our way to the Shire. Everyone was silent until we finished the bag, refusing to get out of the car until the last Cheezel was consumed. I brought two bags back with me, but alas, they are already gone.

(Best. Dinner. Ever. Jammin’ Cream Donut ice cream.)

This, ladies and gentleman, is a photo of myself, in the car, eating ice cream for dinner.

As many of you know, being an independent adult, I have made it my mission in life to do and/or eat all the things my parents told me not to. That is how this photo came to be. I am clearly very excited. But, who wouldn’t be a pint of cinnamon-and-cream flavored ice cream with donut pieces and raspberry jam swirl in your hands? I dare you not to be thrilled. And, yes, Hawaiian Airlines, this is the reason why I did not want you to wake me up and serve me dinner at 1am. I was full. Thank you very much.

Love,

EVA ♥

2 Babies, 1 Turkey, and Many Pies

Posted on December 3, 2013 by 4evamaria

Happy November/December All!

I hope you had as lovely of a Thanksgiving as I did.

I ate all the things.

Most of you know that I’ve spent the last 4 years’ Thanksgiving celebrations down in the lovely city of San Luis Obispo, with some of my favorite ladies. It’s a trip I look forward to every year. Also known as “Orphan Thanksgiving,” it’s our own version of the holiday, and we do it right. This year we even had a centerpiece…wait for it….with pumpkins from the garden out back. We also had 3 different kinds of homemade pie. One of my favorite things is adding to the tradition every year. So far, this includes horrible made-for-TV holiday movies and a post-meal parade around the block. Our latest celebration featured the newest member of the tribe, Mr. Ewan, in his own Thanksgiving day attire. I’d like to think that he enjoyed the sweet potatoes as much as we did, at least the ones that made it in to his mouth. In other news, congratulations are due to the lovely Perisho family, and their newest member: Cooper James. I was obsessively attached to my phone, awaiting the news of his arrival most of the weekend. I see a trip to Seattle in the near future I can’t wait to meet him! Cheers to many, many things to be thankful for this year, and to good friends.

Love,

EVA ♥

Five Things!

Posted on November 14, 2013 by 4evamaria

Hello Everybody!!

It’s Five things time again. Yes, time to see the collection of random things I’ve amassed over the week and documented on my phone. Off we go:

(No. 10: Everything & Nothing. My new perfume acquisition)

Smells like sweet orange, pressed petals, desert moss and tea leaves. So unique.

(A new drink discovery)

Almond water- essentially an Afghan dessert in a glass. Delicious!

(World’s tiniest Gummy Bears)

Courtesy of one of my students. Straight from their own Halloween loot. They know they’re my favorite. ♥

(This is the part of my blog where there’s two cocktails!)

The jalapeño infused”Rosa Picante” on the right, from Redwood Room.

(And a bit of silliness)

The above gif is my general reaction to a complement. I am an unabashed dork. Just saying.

Weekend Recap

Posted on October 28, 2013 by 4evamaria

Oh, hello! It looks like someone finally decided it was fall. It was so windy outside this Sunday, I ran in to Target to buy myself a hat and gloves. And yes, that’s the official story and I’m sticking with it! Now, I have a lovely little white beanie complete with a marabou poof keeping my head warm. This is clearly an essential.

Though I had no crazy, Halloween-themed parties to go to this year, I did have quite a few memorable things planned for the weekend:

Friday night featured a concert I had been looking forward to for quite some time. The one and only: “The Naked and Famous.” I had never been to the Fox in downtown Oakland, and the venue was 10 times more beautiful than I expected.

Fabulous view. Nosebleed seats and all.

I’d like to think that my 12 year-old self would have thought I was such the “cool kid.” Also had a wonderful time at Make Westing, both before and after the show.

My Saturday involved very fabulous girl time, afternoon tea, and a screening of Downton Abbey, Season 4. (Oh my goodness, such drama! The most dignified soap opera around.)

The menu included:

Scones, Blueberry Financiers,

Apple spice cakes with whiskey glaze

Flour-less chocolate cakes

Egg salad

& a variety of tea sandwiches .

Curried chicken, cucumber mint mascarpone, and smoked salmon.

And there was of course, tea. And wine. Which rendered my mother completely incapable of taking pictures, so no group photos for this bit, I’m afraid.

To top it all off, I got my Halloween wish by carving pumpkins with the lovely Rachel and the kiddos she watches.