48 hours in Napa

Almost two years living in San Francisco and I still feel so lucky to call this place home. On top of that, I sometimes forget how many amazing places are just a short drive away, including Napa.

When I think of Napa, I instantly think of all the wineries. But, there is so much more to Napa, specifically downtown. Luckily, I have a friend that lives there and have frequented some of the establishments downtown before, but there are so many places I didn’t even know about.

I recently took a weekend trip up to Napa with my girl Aimee, to explore some Downtown Napa restaurants, bars, and more.

We basically ate our way around Napa, making time for one winery and a balloon ride (which was probably the best decision I’ve made in a while).

We arrived Friday night around 8pm and decided to grab a drink at Cadet before our slumber party at Vista Collina. After ordering a glass of sparkling Gamay and sparkling Riesling with a grilled cheese on the side, I knew we’d come back to Cadet again that weekend. And we did ;)

Saturday morning started bright and early at ABC for breakfast, where we shared the challah french toast with blackberry jam. Still dreaming about this dish tbh. Also, if you order the hot chocolate, say yes to the whipped cream on top.

Next up was Butter Cream Bakery & Diner, where we got a box of donuts to go. Also, their website describes themselves as “A classic diner bustling with energy and conversation which for 70 years has been serving locals a hearty meal and a cup of sass.” A cup of sass? They are speaking my love language.

After donuts, we hit up Oxbow Market, because you can’t visit Napa without making a stop here. We grabbed a drink at Ritual Coffee, picked up some Vinho Verde from Oxbow Wine Merchant, purchased some bitters from Napa Valley Distillery and wandered around Napa Bookmine.

We took a break in our Downtown Napa day and headed to Ashes & Diamonds for a quick tasting before lunch.

Then we headed back to Oxbow for some much needed and anticipated Gott’s. Gott’s holds a special place in my heart. Their impossible burger is impossible not to get, and it is the only thing I’ve ordered since I’ve lived in San Francisco and had it for the first time a year & a half ago. HIGHLY RECOMMEND OMG.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel to change. We then made a bunch of stops to round off our last evening in Napa. First up was Outland, where we tasted Poe & Forlorn Hope wines.

Next, we made our way over to Compline for a glass of bubbly + two orders of duck fat fries. Yes, two orders. Then we headed over to Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar to watch the sunset and then back to Cadet for our final drink for the night.

On our last morning, we got up bright and early at 5:30am to go on a balloon ride with Napa Valley Drifters. Both Aimee and I were a little nervous, since we both aren’t super in love with heights. We met our driver Ro, who was also the pilot and absolutely amazing, and made our way to the balloon site.

We waited until we were called over, and once that happened, we had to hurry and climb in. Then, the balloon just started climbing and we took off. Aimee and I were definitely “white knuckling” as they call it, and holding on for dear life. Once we got high enough, everything started feeling better. It was absolutely breathtaking and calming to be that high in the air, at that time of the day. It was like no one else even existed. Real talk.

We were in the air for a good hour before making our descent. The descent was definitely a little sketchy, since Ro had to constantly lower the balloon, but also raise it if needed, as he found the right wind currents to bring us to a certain location. We were trying to land in an open field where people walk their dogs but couldn’t make it. We then tried for a little park in a neighborhood but couldn’t make that either, which led us to land in a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood! It was kind of scary, but we made it to tell the tale without running into a telephone poll. With all the being said, it was one of the best experiences and I would do it again in a heartbeat. No joke.

15 days in Mexico

Mexico City

Tips:

1. If you speak Spanish, it’s a plus, but you can get by with Spanglish.

2. The roads are confusing & we definitely almost got ran over a few times. It’s organized chaos.

3. Use pesos.

4. There aren’t trash cans on every corner, so eat where you ordered food or be prepared to carry it with you for a bit.

5. Everything is really cheap. Matcha is my drink of choice and usually expensive (especially in SF costing $5 roughly), but in Mexico it’s half the price. 

6. Ubers are super cheap too, some rides only cost us $2. 

7. Airbnbs are super cheap as well - our first one was $54 a night and the second one was $66 a night.

8. Find a taco stand that has a line and order something.

9. Drink pulque & mezcal and/or tequila.

10. Eat churros, paletas & bugitos (bugs).

11. Apparently salsa makes the taco, so don’t forget to add it on.

12. The city center is worth a visit but it’s so busy and crowded (Mexico City is one of the most populated). We spent half a day seeing a few places (Diego Rivera, House of Tiles, Palicio de Bellas Arts) and that was it. 

13. Wear comfy shoes if you plan to walk around the city.

14. Don’t drink the tap water - buy bottled water.

15. Most restaurants don’t open until 10am for breakfast and locals usually eat dinner between 7-9pm.

16. In December it’s freezing in the morning (40s) but warms up by 11am (70s). Bring a sweater or jacket with you.

17. So many perros! Get a pet in if you can.  

18. Wander around by foot. There are so many beautiful buildings and homes.

Where we stayed:

We stayed in an airbnb both times we were in Mexico City, the first being our favorite. It is located on the outskirts of Condesa and was truly a gem. Super comfortable while also being stylish. It had everything we needed: enough towels, toilet paper, ironing board, wifi, even a washer & dryer (which we ended up using). The second airbnb was fine, but we arrived an hour & half after check-in (3:30pm) and there wasn’t any toilet paper, so we went to buy some and when we got back a couple hours later, there was some left for us. The wifi was also a bit spotty and since I was checking in on work, that was a big downside for me. I will link the first airbnb for those interested.

Peaceful Apartment with Rooftop Views of the City

Coffee Shops:

• Blend Station - highly recommend

• Dosis Cafe - highly recommend

• Cafe Milou

• Brown Caffeine Lab

• Tulio - recommend

• Lardo - recommend

• Quentin - recommend

Not pictured:

• Tierra Garat - highly recommend (iced chai was so good)

• El Pendulo

Food:

Pujol - what an experience. Highly recommend.

Lorea - interesting & thoughtful.

and more…

• Meroma - highly recommend

• Pasillo de Humo

• El Hildaguense

• Masala y Maiz - HIGHLY RECOMMEND

• Contramar

• El Califa de Leon - amazing tacos - highly recommend

• Any taco stand with a line. No, seriously.

• Fonda 99.99 - recommend

• El Tizoncito

• El Moro for churros

Not pictured:

• Huset (It was okay. We went for dinner. I would maybe recommend lunch & drinks. The space was pretty though).

What to see:

• Castillo de Chapultepec

• Biblioteca Vasconcelos - highly recommend

• Palacio de Bellas Artes

• House of Tiles - recommend

• Museo Mural Diego Rivera - recommend

• Soumaya Museum - highly recommend (it’s also free every single day)

Not pictured:

• Angel of Independence

• Zocalo

• Metropolitan Cathedral

• Neighborhoods: Polanco, La Condesa, Roma, Roma Sur, Juarez, Hipodromo, Cuauhtemoc, Tacubaya, Anzures, Centro

• Casa Luis Barragan - we didn’t get a chance to go, but this was something on my list.

• La Ciudadela Market

Bars:

• Fifty Mils at Four Seasons Hotel - both times we went they were out of acai syrup, which is needed to make the 360 cocktail. Unfortunate. The other drinks we had were good but not great.

• Hotel CondesaDF - Fun hotel with views & drinks. It seemed a little too hipster & touristy so I don’t think I’d go back, but glad we tried it.

• Loup Bar - HIGHLY RECOMMEND - SO GOOD. Great food & a great wine list.

Not pictured:

• Licoreria Limantour - HIGHLY RECOMMEND - Our favorite bar in the city. It was rated one of the 50 best bars in the world and it deserves that title. Thoughtful drinks with friendly staff.

• Baltra Bar - recommend - loved this bar. We were only one of two couples there & we met another couple who recommended a few places in CDMX as well as offering us some weed lol.

Coyoacan:

• Frida Khalo Museum

Xochimilco tips:

1. Weekdays & mornings are sleepy - we were the only people on the canal for a while.

2. Get there at noon on weekdays if you want to see more action. That is when most people start showing up and when you will see more boats serving food & drinks.

3. If you go on the weekend, be prepared for all the locals to be there as well - apparently it gets really busy.

4. It can be chilly so bring a sweater. 

5. Order a quesadilla or taco while on the canals.

6. If you have time and are with a group - do the 4 hour ride to see more (Isla de las Munecas).

Oaxaca

Tips:

1. There are no Ubers, only taxis. 

2. Stay downtown so you’re close to everything & don’t need to get a taxi unless going on a day trip.

3. Drink mezcal.

4. Eat Oaxaca cheese & other ingredients indigenous to Oaxaca & nearby. 

5. Talk to locals.

6. Visit the markets & buy local handmade goods. 

7. There are a lot of stray dogs <3.

8. Eat at El Destilado & Casa Oaxaca.

Verana

I was doing all the research trying to find us a place to stay near the beach that wasn’t a massive, overcrowded resort with a million people. I was looking for something that was a little more secluded and quiet. After extensive research and typing “chic boutique hotels in Mexico” multiple times, I stumbled upon Verana. When I made it to the website, it said “I am Verana, meet me. Finding me is part of the adventure. Take a taxi from Puerto Vallarta to Boca de Tomatlan. Catch a boat to Yelapa. The boat curves down through the Bay of Banderas. Suddenly the driver cuts the engine to drift in towards the coast. The mules are standing on the rocks. Your luggage is strapped to their backs, and you hike up the hill into the jungle. I will be waiting for you.” I was instantly hooked.

It was just like the website said. We flew into PVR, took an Uber (I would recommend over a taxi as it was half the price), Moses, the boat driver was waiting for us even though our flight was 45 min late. We hopped on and headed towards Verana. When we arrived about 20-30 min later, Jorge was there waiting for us to accompany us to the hotel. We hiked 15-20 min up to the top where the hotel sat, nestled in the jungle with views of the ocean from every angle. It was breathtaking. We were greeted by the staff & got to grab lunch before heading to our room. We stay in the Pool House, which had 2 beds, wonderful views, our own private pool and no doors. We changed, went on a little tour of the property & then headed back to the restaurant and bar for a Tequila & mezcal tasting. Paul really enjoyed it but I wasn’t a fan until Joel, the bartender, used what I spit out to make a killer margarita.

The first night was interesting. Every night, someone from the Verana team comes in to do the turndown service, where they light candles, tidy up and make sure the mosquito nets are tucked in while everyone is at dinner. Once we returned to our room, it was time to slip under the covers and tuck the remaining parts of the net in. Sleeping under the stars with all the sounds of nature commence! We could hear it all - crickets, birds, creatures of the night. The first night was the weirdest, just because it was something we weren’t used to. Also because they explicitly state on their website that you may see a scorpion and you may get stung by one. They are apart of Mexico. This was on my mind the first night, as you can imagine. Every other night after the first felt like a breeze, and was actually really enjoyable. To answer all those questions about scorpions, we never saw one.

In nature, bugs don’t go away. The most annoying thing about not having doors, was the gnats. They would really come out viciously around 8-9am during coffee & tea arrival and then again during sundown, 5-6pm before dinner. Not going to lie, we headed to the library a couple of evenings before dinner since it had doors and hung out there.

Some other fun activities we did while at Verana were taking a cooking class with the chef. She showed us how to make a basic pico de gallo, guacamole & then how to make mole from scratch. The mole we made consisted of tomatoes, sesame seeds, peanuts, almonds, Mexican Chocolate, dried chilies with the seeds removed, garlic, salt & pepper, cinnamon sticks, onions, chicken stock, pumpkin seeds, cumin, bay, oregano, and more. We then cooked some shrimp to make mole & shrimp tacos. Muy bien! We also went to the spa. I got a facial and then Paul joined me after it for our massages. He did a deep tissue massage and I did the hot stone massage. BEST THING EVER. Lastly, we visited Yelapa with some friends we met at Verana (Paul actually knew the guy from when he was younger living in Bradford/Leeds - small world?). Yelapa is only a 20 min or so walk from Verana and there is a dedicated trail to take you there. Unfortunately, we visited on Christmas day, so most of all the shops and restaurants were closed, but I would highly recommend it. There are so many places to eat, drink, and pet dogs. There are also a couple of waterfalls and you can make your way to the beach and chill there too.

We really enjoyed our time at Verana, although we would probably stay in a different room next time. Here is their website, with the Pool House where we stayed.

Yelapa:

I told my mom that we decided to go to Mexico for our Christmas break and the first thing she said to me was “where”. I told her Mexico City, Oaxaca & Yelapa. She then asked “are you scared?”. My first reaction was “no?? Why would I be scared??”. She is used to going to Cabo & Cancun and staying at dedicated tourist & foreigner resorts. There is nothing wrong with that, but that’s not how you really get to know a country or city. Why not do both?

Mexico was beautiful, breathtaking, raw, colorful and the people were some of the most hardworking I’ve ever seen. It was so easy to fall in love with Mexico. I felt more safe in Mexico City than I do in some parts of the U.S. I can’t wait to go back and explore more of the country, especially the bits that most people don’t go to.

Thanks for following along, as always.

- Halee

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

I used to make Chicken Pot Pie quite often when Paul and I were living in England, but once Paul started cooking more, I stopped. Well that all changed yesterday, when I spent hours in the kitchen making dough and filling for Chicken Pot Pie...and let me just tell you, I was very pleased with myself ;)

After 

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE PIE CRUST:

·         2 1/2 cups flour

·         1 tbsp sugar

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup cold unsalted butter -  cut into cubes

·         1/2 cup cold whole milk

·         1 egg, beaten, for the egg wash

FOR THE FILLING:

·         1/4 cup unsalted butter

·         1/3 cup diced onion

·         1 1/2-2 medium carrots sliced (about 3/4-1 cup)

·         1 bunch of broccolini (about 1 cup) 

·         1 Russet potato chopped

·         1 sweet potato or yam chopped

·         2 cloves garlic minced

·         1/3 cup flour

·         1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

·         1 tbsp minced fresh Italian parsley

·         2 teaspoons salt

·         1 teaspoon black pepper

·         1 and 3/4 cups chicken broth

·         1/2 cup heavy cream

·         2-3 chicken breasts shredded

·         1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt 

·         ½ teaspoon white pepper 

1.    First, make the pie crust. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in an electric mixer. Add the cubed butter and pulse. Continue pulsing until all of the butter is incorporated into the flour mixture, resembling sand or pea size pieces. Place the flour mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the butter.

2.    While your butter is in the freezer, boil your chicken and potatoes in water for 10 minutes. Your potatoes & chicken shouldn't be completely cooked since they will be cooked further in the oven. Once they are done, strain and let your chicken cool before shredding. Shred your chicken and set aside with the potatoes. 

3.    Remove your flour mixture from freezer and add your milk. Pulse until it comes together. If the mixture is too dry, add water, a tbsp at a time. Divide the dough in two and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge while you make the filling (at least one hour).

4.    To make the filling, heat the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots, broccolini, and garlic and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the flour, salt, garlic salt, black pepper, white pepper, thyme, parsley, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Whisk until there are no flour lumps and then simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Stir in the shredded chicken and potatoes. Remove from heat and set aside while you roll out the pie dough.

5.    Preheat oven to 400°F.

6.    Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a circle large enough to fit inside your pan or ceramic dish. Tip: your dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to your pie pan. Pat with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Trim the extra overhang of dough with a knife and discard. Fill pie with filling. Roll out the second disk of dough and carefully cover the pie (or make any design your heart desires, like circles). Make sure to use your egg wash to seal the bottom pie crust to the top and around the edges. Trim the extra overhang off the sides if there are any. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork or your fingers, if necessary. With a sharp knife, slice a few small slits in the center of the top crust. Using a pastry brush, brush the crust and edges with the rest of your egg wash.

7.    Bake for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cool for 20-30 minutes and then cut into slices and serve. Note: save for leftovers or cool completely and freeze for up to 1 month.

Enjoy!

-Halee

Violet's Tavern

Guess what? There’s another bar that has opened its doors in the Richmond. Violet’s Tavern, located on 2301 Clement, is serving up some American classics but the focus is seafood and drinks (plus, it's the team behind Fiorella!). 

The inside décor is stunning, with deep blue marbled wallpaper from the same company who did Fiorella’s famous wallpaper – Brooklyn’s Flavor Paper. Plants hang from the bar shelves, giving it a very home-y & comfy vibe that makes you want to stay forever. 

While we were there, the bar was buzzing with folks trying to get their hands on beautiful cocktails. Some of my favorites: Spindrift Cobbler - Riesling, Lime, Chareau Aloe Liqueur, Salted Nori Syrup and Lime Bitters, Stolen Tart – Tree Craft Gin, Christian Drouin calvados, rosemary, house-made raspberry cordial, lemon, Bolivar bitters and club soda, and Papi Suave – Plantation 3 Star rum, Cimarron Blanco Tequila, Ancho Verde liqueur, Merlet Apricot liqueur, lime, sage and Angostura bitters. 

The cocktails had my attention from the moment we walked in, but let’s not forget about the food. The selection of East & West Coast Oysters, Baked Stuffed Clams and House-made chips & Dips (Roasted Onion & Duck liver) were top-notch. I am still dreaming about that Roasted Onion dip. 

The space isn’t large, and it was hard to maneuver around, but, they are doing well with what they have. They have installed hooks all along the seating area for bags and purses, that way customers aren’t crowding floor space. 

Overall, I am excited for the Richmond and everything that is popping up – gives us an excuse to explore our city more – and The Pearl and Violet’s are amazing places to start. I look forward to visiting Violet’s again and trying their Fried Chicken with cheddar biscuits, macaroni salad and hot honey. HELLO. 

Until next time, 

Halee

Marin Headlands Day Hike

Let me preface by saying this is my favorite Bay Area hike SO FAR. I plan to go on many more adventures, but this hike is worth documenting, noting and sharing. 

Depending on your schedule and if you are driving or taking the bus sort of dictates where you start. Ideally, I'd recommend starting at Battery Spencer, making your way down to Kirby Cove and back up to Conzelman Road all the way to Point Bonita Lighthouse (4.4 miles according to Google). Now the only reason I recommend doing it this way is because Point Bonita Lighthouse doesn't open until 12:30pm. Keep in mind that PBL is only open Saturday, Sunday and Monday 12:30-3:30pm. I like to start my hikes early, so it made sense for me to start at Battery Spencer/Kirby Cove and end at PBL. Now, if you have already seen PBL and don't need to go inside the gate/see it again or you are a late hiker, starting at PBL and ending at Battery Spencer is an option, which was the route we took when doing this hike for the first time. Once you see PBL, you don't really need to see it again do you? There are already tons of other beautiful sights around you that the idea of trying to make it to PBL with a 3-hour window in mind is crazy annoying.

I'm going to share my route of starting at Kirby Cove and ending at PBL. Please feel free to do the complete opposite ;)

1. Start at Battery Spencer to get some pictures of the GGB, of course.  

Battery Spencer view. 

2. From Battery Spencer, head down to Kirby Cove to get some more pictures of the GGB. You might also be lucky enough to swing on the infamous swing if it hasn't been cut down already. 

On the way to Kirby Cove. 

Hikers Club. 

Kirby Cove. 

GGB at Kirby Cove. 

Kirby Cove. No swing so this tree will do. 

3. Make sure to check out your surroundings before leaving each spot; you never know what you'll find. Most places I visit that I have seen on IG aren't what I've expected or are too crowded with people that have the same idea in mind. I'm usually more impressed with other sights found off the beaten path.

4. Head back up to Conzelman Road and take it all the way until you hit Field Road. Make sure to stop along the way to take in those views! For instance, Headlands Lookout is one of my favorite spots to stop and snap a few pictures. Take a left at Field Road until you come to PBL. PBL is free and like I mentioned, only open Saturday, Sunday and Monday 12:30-3:30. We ended up going on Memorial Day which was probably the worst idea ever. There were a lot of people there and we had to wait in line to cross the bridge over to the lighthouse. Once we crossed, there really wasn't much space and we were out of there within 30 minutes. My favorite part about PBL was capturing it from afar, but it was nice to experience and see IRL.

Headlands Lookout.

Battery Rathbone McIndoe. 

Entrance to PBL.

Across the bridge at PBL in one of the buildings. 

Point Bonita Lighthouse 

5. Wander off. Head back up Field Road and take a left at Mendell Road to check out Battery Mendell. This is where I really enjoyed our hike. It was much more quiet and there were so many flowers blooming everywhere. Battery Mendell was pretty neat too (try prying one of the doors open, maybe you'll get lucky). Heading back up Field Road or Conzelman Road, you'll find two more Batteries: Battery Wallace and Battery Wallace 2. If you have time there are tons more to explore that I am leaving out, but that's for another time. For instance: Rodeo Beach, Tennessee Valley Beach, Muir Beach, Stinson Beach. 

Battery Mendell. 

Blending in.

California summer. 

We hiked down Rodeo Lagoon Vista Point for this shot. 

Tyler looking fly. 

An old Mercedes on Conzelman Road. 

6. Head up the trail to catch the 76x back to the city. You deserve a warm bath and a full glass of wine after the day you just had, so go make it happen. 

Until next time, 

Halee

Pearl Restaurant

Pearl Restaurant, owned by and next to Pizzetta 211, has opened its doors in the Richmond District. They are currently serving breakfast (starting 6/4), dinner and brunch. Co-chefs Mel Lopez and Joyce Conway have created a menu that caters to the ingredients and produce in California seasonally. They are making everything in-house from scratch, with the exception of the bread they get from Acme.

I popped in to sample their brunch yesterday with a handful of others and it did not disappoint. Take a look!

Stunning corner booth.

Coffee using Andytown Coffee Roasters will be served during breakfast and brunch. 

Coffee station.

Local Halibut Crudo - strawberry, marcona almond, serrano chili, nuoc cham and cilantro.

Coastal Scrub - gin, dolin dry, pamplemousse, citrus, honey and garbage tincture.

Copa De Oro - rye, cream sherry, nocino, cherry and xocolate mole bitters.

Eggs in Purgatory - lamb sausage, spicy san marzano tomatoes, rosemary polenta and house-made pita bread. 

Chicory Caesar - crispy prosciutto, shaved parmesan and garlic croutons.

Berre Berre Spiced Carrot Soup - mint yogurt, pepitas and urfa.

Smoked Salmon Tartine + Berre Berre Spiced Carrot Soup

Omelette - herbed goat cheese, confit cherry tomatoes, fried shallots and home fries.

Dutch Baby - strawberry preserve, almonds and whipped creme fraiche.

For a peek at their list of menus, including brunch: Menus. 

Honestly, everything we tried was great, but if I had to choose a favorite dish from their brunch menu, it'd have to be the Chicory Caesar or Eggs in Purgatory. I don't really eat salad much but when I come across a salad like this one, it's one that I want to recreate at home and eat every week. SO GOOD. And for the Eggs in Purgatory, there isn't much to say.  Lamb sausage, spicy san marzano tomatoes, rosemary polenta AND house-made pita bread!! Sign me up. To top off brunch, breakfast is rumored to have coffee and fresh baked goods, including wood-fired bagels. Sign me up for that too. And for dinner, well there is fresh hand-made pasta and a Tomahawk Chop (chili-cheese polenta, cipollini onion, asparagus, sauce bernaise - may take up to 45 minutes) to share between 4 people. 

We had such a great time and can't wait to go back for breakfast or dinner (or both). If you're in the Richmond, make sure to check this place out, and grab a slice of Pizzetta after ;)

Cheers, 

Halee

Sun Basket Review

Sun Basket, an organic food delivery service based in the Bay area, reached out to have me review their product. I haven't blogged, let alone reviewed a product, in such a long time so I wasn't sure this was something I wanted to commit to. 

After doing my research I learned a lot about Sun Basket and was very impressed: 

• Sun Basket is a certified organic handler, and strives to source organic produce 100% of the time (currently over 99% of their produce is organic).
• Organic ingredients are clearly labeled on delivery.
• They work exclusively with ranchers and farmers who raise their animals responsibly and sustainably. 
• All of their seafood is wild-caught, never farmed.
• All of their fisheries are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a leading authority in sustainable seafood.
• Their meal plans are dietitian-approved like Paleo, Lean & Clean, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, and more, which make healthy eating easy.
• Their packaging is 100% recyclable and compostable.
• Sun Basket works with local farmers, ranchers, fishermen and shops to offer the best ingredients each week. 
• The executive chef/owner of Sun Basket, Justine Kelly, spent time at Slanted Door restaurant. She also was mentioned in Gourmet Magazine and had an appearance on Iron Chef.

All of these details about Sun Basket (+ many more) made me say "let's do this". I received my first week's meals this past week and will receive my second batch next week. Each box included 3 meals, of my choosing, to prepare. I chose Lemongrass Tofu, Salmon and Quinoa Bowls and Tomato-Coconut Shrimp this week. Out of the three, my favorite were the Lemongrass Tofu + Tomato-Coconut Shrimp. 

Lemongrass Tofu

Lemongrass Tofu with shiitake mushrooms and coconut black rice.

This meal was so flavorful and fun to make! The process was simple enough for anyone to execute, whether you are comfortable in the kitchen or not. Starting with the rice, you let that cook for a good 30 minutes. While the rice is cooking, you are able to prepare and cook everything else. This made things almost effortless.

What was inside (serves 2): 

• Black Rice
• Coconut milk
• Dried shiitake mushrooms
• Hodo Soy firm tofu
• Onion 
• Fresh cilantro
• Sun Basket Lemongrass paste (lemongrass, EVOO, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, ground turmeric)
• Sunflower sprouts
• Sun Basket stir-fry blend (gluten-free tamari, sesame oil, fresh garlic, fresh ginger)

Tomato-Coconut Shrimp

Tomato-Coconut Shrimp over broccoli "rice".

This meal, like Lemongrass Tofu, was bursting with the right amount of flavors that both Paul and I pleasantly enjoyed. The broccoli rice was a nice addition to an already healthy-ish meal. This is one I will gladly recreate again and am looking forward to the results. 

What's inside (serves 2):

• Broccoli rice
• Wild gulf shrimp
• Red chile flakes
• Onion
• Peeled fresh garlic
• Lemon
• Fresh parsley
• Fresh basil
• Diced tomatoes
• Coconut milk
• Baby spinach
• Shaved coconut

Things to know about Sun Basket:

• Pricing does seem to be a bit steep; $11.99 per serving. Considering all of the local organic ingredients they use, it may be worth this price, especially if you don't have all the time in the world to go grocery shopping. The fact that they provide the exact measurements of what you need in each dish is convenient and makes things incredibly easy. (easy seems to be the constant word here). 
• You can choose 2, 3, or 4 meals per week (depending on your menu plan) and can mix & match them (making some vegetarian, paleo, gluten free, etc.) within your meal plan (classic/family).
• You can skip a delivery or cancel your plan at any time. 
• Sun Basket ships to most zip codes in the United States, excluding AK, HI, MT, & parts of NM.
• Your pantry should include olive, grapeseed or sunflower oil, plus salt and freshly-ground pepper. They occasionally call for wine or butter as an optional recipe item. You'll need basic pots and pans, a knife, and basic utensils.

I really enjoyed the first week's meal plan and am excited to try next week's! Check back in to see my thoughts when I review Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs, Bucatini Pomodoro and Saigon Noodles with Braised Tofu. 

Cheers, Halee

Blueberry + Peach Cobbler Bars

I have been itching to bake ever since we moved into our apartment here in San Francisco. I tried baking a couple of weeks ago and it was a total fail. Cookies turned out too hard and muffins too dry. But, with anything, there's always room for improvement. 

I had a bag of peaches and some blueberries that were just sitting in the fridge, so I decided that I needed to use them and what better way than to bake something. At first it was going to be a pie, then muffins, and then I thought "bars". I found a great recipe from Smitten Kitchen for blueberry crumb bars, and I decided to just throw in some peaches and call them "blueberry & peach cobbler bars", which has a nice ring to it. 

Here's what you'll need:

CRUMBS

• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 cup (8 ounces or 225 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1 large egg

FRUIT

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 3-4 peaches chopped

 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly and slightly come together. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries and chopped peaches. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer evenly.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour (give or take 10 minutes depending on your oven and how brown you want it on top), or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Save in fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months to eat at a later date.

These are perfect for a morning or mid-day snack, especially when you're on the go. Stick them in the fridge and grab one before you head out the door. 

Enjoy!

-Halee

Life Update + Our New Abode

It's been awhile hasn't it?! Life has definitely been a little crazy for us these last two months with new jobs, a new apartment and generally everything new around us! We've been trying to navigate our way through SF, especially our new 'hood, to become familiar with our surroundings.

Paul and I finally have our favorite grocery stores we like to go to; Trader Joe's for weekend trips when we need a lot of things, Le Beau Market for quality and specialty items (fruit and veggies etc.), Belcampo for meat, and Flatiron for wine. We have SO many good restaurants around us, but we try to cook at home at least 4 times a week, leaving us a few times to eat out (can you blame us?)

My job was located in the Mission, but we just recently moved offices closer to our apartment. Before, I was leaving our apartment at 7:45 a.m. every morning to get to work by 9 a.m. I would get off at 5:30 p.m and wouldn't get home until 6:30 p.m. My commute included about nearly an hour of walking every day and an hour of bus every day (2 hours total commute everyday). Now, it should only take me 20 minutes to walk to work, which really excites me! It takes Paul about 20-30 minutes to walk to work as well, so hopefully him and I have extraordinary calves, butts, and/or abs in the near future. 

Paul and I just recently joined a co-ed soccer team too! We have already played a couple of games, and let me tell you, the weather for soccer here compared to Texas is really incomparable. I do not miss that Texas heat (but I do miss other things including queso, bbq, and a handful of people). 

We have been living in our apartment for a month now (crazy!) and we finally feel like it has come together. We still need a few things, and still want to update some pieces of furniture in the future, but overall it feels like home. Here are some photos of our place for your viewing pleasure - I will also link some of our items so you know where we purchased them. 

Zhori Bar Cart from Wayfair

Pillow from Etsy

Zona 75" Etagere Bookcase from Wayfair

Ottis Lianne Red Area Rug from Wayfair

Freestanding Wood Coat Stand from Wayfair

Banner from Matriarch Handmade

Pascal Dining Chair from Wayfair

Regina in stuffed animal form

All the closet space!

Ilkley map from Uncommon Objects

Hallway views

Table from Stuff

Apron from Hedley and Bennett

Golden Gate to the left (even though I didn't get it in the picture)

Coit Tower to the right

And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading and scrolling through. I can't tell you what my next post will be, but it will have something to do with baking, traveling, or more updates on life in SF.

-Halee 

Artifact Uprising Prints

I have been a huge Artifact Uprising fan for years, ever since I got my first instagram book made by them. I believe my collection so far equals to 3 books, and now some 5x7 prints, that I am super excited about. 

Why am I excited you ask? Well, we will be moving into our new apartment in (hopefully) 3 weeks time, and I can't wait to showcase these photos throughout our new home. I plan on framing some of them and using holders for some of them too (check out these wood block holders on Artifact Uprising's site here). Of course I will be displaying the photo-books I have already, which I did at our old house, but I am excited to see how it all comes together in our new place. 

If you aren't familiar with Artifact Uprising, they are a team of individuals who decided that photos on our phones and laptops should be transferred to books or pictures that we can display in our home and therefore can never get deleted or lost. They truly believe in people and our ability to do great things. If you want to learn more about how they started as a business and become a fan like myself, you can read about them here. 

If you guys are interested in Artifact Uprising and ordering some prints, use code PRINT25TGS! This will get you a set of everyday prints (seen here), not including shipping. You can choose any size and the code is good until August 11th. Hope some of you get your hands on some prints! Leave me any questions or comments below.

Until next time,

Halee