Browse Day: August 18, 2013

Basil

IMG_4430I bought this basil plant from Trader Joe’s for $2.99.  It had grown so big and bushy that I was able to harvest some basil to make caprese salad and pesto a month ago.  I took such good care of it that it kept growing to a point where I could harvest more leaves a second time.  This is what the plant looked like AFTER I had harvested the leaves.  Woot.  I’m definitely getting my money’s worth (and more) out of this plant.

IMG_4431Look at how much I got from a second harvest!

IMG_4432So, I made some pesto.  Notice the baby food processor?  It’s great for more than just baby food!  This is what it looked like when I put the leaves, garlic cloves, and some pine nuts in the machine.

IMG_4433Then I added some shredded parmigiano reggiano and olive oil to make it nice and smooth.  Once I seasoned it with salt and pepper, it was ready to go!  IMG_4434

We made pasta with chicken tonight for dinner.  The bowl is all wrong for this photo but you get the point.  So, we had enough pesto for dinner tonight and a little bit reserved for Kumquat to eat later this week with her pasta wheels.  Yippee!

Hard Water

DSC_2976On Saturday morning, we walked down to America’s Cup Park to check out Team Oracle USA’s practice race.  DSC_2978We got a good view of the Bay Bridge and I could even see the new eastern span to the left of Treasure Island.

DSC_2987We got there early enough to have a wide open view of the two catamarans racing on the bay.  DSC_3012

Here they are coming in to the finish line.  They ride so close to the spectator’s area.DSC_3017 DSC_3022This is a mural that people can color if they write down one thing they can do to help the environment.  I wrote “compost” and then colored the yellow and blue fish on the left closest to the surface of the water.  It’s a color-by-number sort of thing.  Pretty cool.

DSC_3026For lunch, we went to a new place called Hard Water, which is a whiskey bar that serves southern food.  It’s such a pretty space.

IMG_4400We ordered the Roffignac Cocktail made with Redemption rye, lemon, grapefruit, red hembarig syrup, and soda water.  Yum.

DSC_3030After a half-dozen raw oysters, we had the fried chicken sandwich and mac&cheese.  The chicken sandwich had slices of mortadella and jalapeno that added lots of flavor and texture.  The mac&cheese had hot sauce and tasty bread crumbs on top.  Both were delicious and we brought home the leftover mac for baby to eat for dinner the next day.  Can’t let all that tasty stuff go to waste!