food and wine :: food and wine

Who's the luckiest girl? Me. Why? I'm going back to the land of delicious food & wine this weekend with the LA Times Food & Wine Festival. Last month, the Food Truck Fest, this month... even more awesomeness. (I wonder what the fall will bring?!?) The best part about this weekend? I'll get to support my little pal, Georgia as she mixes cocktails cocktails cocktails in anticipation of her launch on Cooking Channel. Oh, and She & Him will be playing. And although I'm NOT a fan of Zooey the actress (I use that term loosely), I like the damn songs, so there you go...

L.A Street Food Festival

While waiting in line at the L.A Street Food Festival back in July, Nick & I were approached by reporter, Krista Simmons, asking questions & snapping pictures. She followed us as we made our way through the line, us posing between shuffles forward. All the while asking us who we were, why we were here, why we loved food trucks, and such and such. She was sweet. And fun. And we got our photo taken, so that's cool.

Fast forward a week and I receive an email from a young-ish, hip coworker who does not usually grace my Inbox. All it includes is a sassy comment and link to the LA Times. Turns out, we made the paper. Well, not the PAPER, but the news. The only hiccup? Let me see if you can guess:

The Twitterati have transformed these road stoves into something much more than a place to find cheap, unique eats; they're now a meeting point for young singles to connect. A collision of technology, food and followers, the food truck phenomenon has become like a roving dating service and street meat market.

We're the headline photo, but WE'RE MARRIED. Ooops. I guess if you don't look closely you could overlook Nick's wedding ring. But, I'm not complaining... we're suckers for seeing our faces in print.

little miss manners

Sometimes I meet adults who might wanna give these children's books a quick little read...

And please don't tell my mother I said this: I'm so SO very thankful that she taught drilled into me all the manners she did. The more I meet adults who chew with their mouth open I just want to reach across the table and hold their lips closed tightly between my pointer and middle finger (just like my mother did). And people who touch their bare feet in public? Gah... don't get me started.

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a dose of reality

A gentle self-reminder of how very, very lucky I am at this moment. Take nothing for granted, Megan.

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1 deal, 2 deal, 3 deal, 4

I woke up one morning last week thinking about our New York City trip and food. Delicious food. I think that's what I'm looking forward to the most*. Well, that, and spending eleven days frolicking the city streets alone with my husband. The only puzzle about this trip and all the amazing food we will be faced with is how to afford those meals. Yes, it all comes down to money. So, my brilliant, early morning thought? Groupon. Groupon and all its like-minded pals, such as Living Social and InBundles. And honestly, in the few days I've been following these sites we've already purchased four excellent, mouth-watering deals:

 Indian cuisine @ top-rated Darbar Grill ($50 of goodness for $25):

Tuscan fare @ critically acclaimed Bread Tribeca ($30 of goodness for $15):

Delectable French pastries and espresso @ Ceci-Cela Patisserie ($15 of goodness for $7):

Sunday evening burgers @ Good Restaurant ($25 of goodness for $10):

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* And, for honesty's sake, food is in close tie with the walkability and public transportation. Yes, I am the geek that dreams of  a world with no cars.

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baby ballet

These silver Baby Bloch ballet shoes make my former-dancer / baby-obsessed heart dance a happy, happy dance. (I guess if we have a boy this may not be my first choice of shoes, but if it's a girl...)

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brilliance

Magic- A Belly Grows from The Panic Room Videos on Vimeo.



I've read Pacing The Panic Room for a while now... ever since Cole's Maternity Series first went viral. I'm not sure how I first stumbled upon it. Maybe from here? (Which would make sense since this was first posted on ohdeedoh days after my non-pregnancy saga began. (More on that later.)) But, suffice it to say, the way Ryan saw his wife and captured the beauty of her pregnant belly made my heart flutter. It is/was/and will most likely always be awe-inspiring. And now, with his new found career success & strides I cannot help but feel immense happiness for him. And hope. Hope that each artist, with a little bit of luck and a ton of blood sweat & tears will have his day. Here's to you Ryan. (Thank you.)

a single moment: the farm

Today I'm dreaming of this farm. Of its quiet. Peace. Of its endless, breathtaking beauty. I'm reliving the significant moments I've had there.The moments of extreme joy. Love. Passion.

At the moment I took this photo my husband's family is just beyond those structures preparing for an evening of sausage making. The winter sun is setting. And I have stolen away to capture the farm where I made the most important decision of my life... where I answered him, "yes".

christmas morning locale

Guess where we'll be sleeping this holiday season... The Williamsburg Guesthouse: A gorgeous ivy-covered red carriage house in trendy Williamsburg. (Eeeek.) Check out the description:

1st Floor Suite

we have a beautifully renovated 2-room suite
a queen-size bed
beautiful organic linens + towels
a fully stocked eat-in kitchen with all new appliances
organic coffee + tea fresh-baked goods
flat screen tv, wifi
tastefully furnished + full of natural light
over-looking a lovely flower-filled courtyard
private bath with shower

All of that (organic, natural) goodness for a whopping $117/night. To call it budget-friendly is an understatement. In short: we are in heaven with this find (and its adorable owner, Lucy). Williamsburg, here we come (!)

PS: Airbnb is a pretty darn amazing site.

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scenes from my mother's garden

PS: This is her first season growing a garden. Doesn't it look just amazing?

baking goodness

Here I sit @ ye good ol' day job thinking, "before I start on this one (endless) task, let me check in with A Cup Of Jo for a little goodness." Bad call. And not because I wasn't delighted by what I found (that doesn't happen with her yummy blog). But now I, too, am writing my own post and dreaming about the taste of these...

Now, normally I encounter something delicious-looking online and give it only a passing glance. (As I have learned three years into eating gluten-free, every damn thing contains flour.) But THIS recipe, ladies and gentlemen, is gluten-freakin'-free. GAH. So, Joanna Goddard and Smitten Kitchen... I {heart} you.

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be jealous, please

Guess where we'll be this Christmas and New Years? Think magic and excitement and cold and delicious food. You guessed it (!) New York (freakin') City.

The tickets are booked. 11 days of delight with my lovely husband. I can't wait to help him fall in love with the city the way I did so many years ago...

Here's to (hopefully) our last holiday without a little one (!) Eeeks.

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san francisco: part one