brussel sprouts anyone?

i used to hate brussel sprouts, they always smelled funky, and had a weird texture. as i’ve grown older, i’ve developed an affinity for them, and now i consider them to be one of my favorite veggies.

i’m not sure how i thought the grew before but it was only once i started shopping at farmers markets that i found out that this is how they look when they are growing.

i picked this bad boy up a few days ago and am thinking about different way to cook them. i’ll definitely give my tried and true method a go (pan seared with garlic and olive oil and, towards the end, a splash of balsamic vinegar) but i need a few more recipes. any suggestions?

birthday fun

last saturday was the first annual day long celebration of pete's birth. we started out with some delish sonic burgers and tots. i had never been to a sonic before so the whole experience of cute girls bringing me my tots while on roller skates was pretty much awesome.

pete was super excited to order his sonic burger. he had heard they were better than five guys! his professional verdict? it was good, but hard to tell if it was better. a side by side taste comparison may need to be performed in order to more accurately judge.

the tots though? those tots are good. crispy, potatoey, everything a tater tot should be.

the next item on the agenda was a visit to the long beach aquarium. one of my favorite parts was definitely the jellyfish. i could have sat and taken pictures all day, but alas, i had to make way for some kiddies to take a peek.

on the way back to the car, we caught the tail end of gorgeous sunset and i couldn't help but snap a picture.

and finally, it was off to dinner, where we stuffed our faces full of sushi, crispy pork belly, warm chocolate torte and wine. can't wait to do it all again next year.

what's been going on in our kitchen

pete’s birthday was on monday so on sunday morning i made him pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon whipped cream and a big french press with my favorite LA coffee (www.lacoffee.com). the perfect fall breakfast, even though it’s still in the 70’s around here.

i get into routines when it comes to breakfast. last month, it was all about scrambled eggs. but it's november now and time to change it up, and lately, it's been all about oatmeal for breakfast. i prefer to make it with milk, sprinkled with slivered almonds and a drizzle of maple syrup, it’s such a delish way to start the day.

last night i made chicken in a lemon, caper, artichoke sauce and at the last minute I stirred in a dollop of crème fraiche i had left over from another meal. i really think the crème fraiche was the star here, it gave the sauce a nice tang and creaminess. it was so good, I actually licked the palte. i read recently that you can make your own crème fraiche at home, and i intend to try it out soon. i’ll let you know how it goes.