The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good:
Frolicking in the rose gardens of Berkeley and smelling pretty flowers like Fragrant Rhododendrons. They smell like fresh melon! Mmm.



The Bad:
My camera broke. I have been borrowing cameras from friends. This stinks.

The Ugly:
My car got broken into. Parked in the EMPLOYEE parking lot of a successful Berkeley restaurant. Radio stolen. Air conditioning control system stolen. At least they had the decency to leave my bright pink sunglasses. Hmph!


The Good:
This cornbread. Yes, this is really the best ever cornbread! The secret? Browned butter—my new favorite ingredient in baked goods! I will post the recipe shortly.


The Bad:
Overeating- you know that feeling when you eat and then you just keep eating and then 30 minutes later you are so full that your stomach wants so badly to expand but is stuffed to the brim? Yah. Awful feeling. This is happening a lot lately. Come on, stomach. Toughen up, will ya?

The Ugly:
I have to move tomorrow. Just the thought of carrying heavy bags and living out of a suitcase makes me cringe.

The Good:
Fourth of July barbecues and special dinners with friends. There’s nothing like a good, hearty meal and some cheap alcohol!


More Good:
Weekend trips #1—SF mission district. Bi-rite ice creamery. Delfina pizzeria. Tartine bakery. Dolores park. Noe valley homes. Hipster shops. Dog-eared books.

Bite-Rite. Go there. Go there and wait in line. Do it. Drool over the menu. Sample the flavors—coffee toffee (really strong coffee flavor!), brown sugar with ginger caramel swirl, strawberry balsamic, burnt caramel, crème fraiche…It really is good to the last lick.


The cones are not as good as the ‘homemade with chocolate on the bottom’ cones from Ici ice cream in Berkeley. But hey, its summer and summer means ice cream shall be eaten. Go to Bi-rite. Eat your ice cream in Dolores Park. Read a story out load to friends. Flare your nostrils and smell the fresh “herb.” Lay on the grass and bask in the glory of San Francisco!


Tartine Bakery. Go for breakfast and order a cappuccino and a pastry--I recommend the morning bun or the famous bread pudding. Go for lunch and order the Croque Monsieur, an open faced sandwich consisting of thick country bread, layers of cheeses and herbs, topped off with seasonal veggies!

Weekend trips #2—Kayaking along the Russian river. Sunshine. Trees. River. Calm waters. Jumping off of large rocks into the water! Road tripping! Good friends. Right in the heart of Sonoma county…the Russian River is nestled in a quaint little town, surrounded by green trees, vineyards, and cute “mom and pop” shops! Rent a kayak and take the day to drift along the 5 mile river path.