Kumasan in Auburn, CA.  Beautiful hike by the river

I've been taking a figure painting class online from the Academy of Art.  Learning so much, and it's extremely difficult by the way.  Very time intensive, and pretty much all my stuff gets graded with a "C"

Feb 2012 creations

Made Kumquat marmalade out of these

Grilled Threese sandwich.  Triple stacked 3 seed bread, aged english cheddar, caramelized purple onion, avocado pan fried in butter on a cast iron skillet.

Kumquat marmalade glazed chicken thighs with fresh garden thyme.

Asparagus Gruyere Tart

Pea Shoots, Persian cucumbers, Avocado with lemon vinaigrette.

Day 8

Happy New Year :D

Well my trip has moved from San Francisco to Sacramento where more of my family reside. Lots of laughter here, staying in the house, cooking, entertaining eachother. My Aunt is the most incredible cook, and she prepares very healthful and delicious food. You actually can see her blog with recipes if you click here: easy2bthin.

My Uncle bought a karaoke set, we we had a karaokathon until midnight. Here's a sample of my dad/uncle/cousin.

At one point, my grandfather came to visit, bringing fresh eggs in his fedora hat. He said something really striking to us all at the table, thought you might like to see this too:

Here's a highlight of my trip:

DAY 7

Morning!

Well My Parents moved on to their next destination (my house in San Francisco) and I got to have a Parent slumber party along with my roommate & his brother. We trekked around San Francisco and got to visit our favorite places It's always interesting to figure out "what would my dad like" which is usually completely different from what my mom and I would like, although in this case we could find some common ground: exotic car dealership. Dad and I posed in front of some Porsches to imagine that they were our own :)

If you haven't discovered Korean Barbecue yet, let me introduce you. You, I'm pleased to introduce you to the MASTERS OF MEAT. They have these carefully crafted marinades that just really work and they cook meat in a way that makes you feel proud and lucky to be a carnivore. Along side any meat that you may order, they will give you a myriad of small side dishes which are a combo of pickled veggies or tiny dried fishes or other marinated items, that taste AMAZING when you eat them with your food.

In Addition to the korean restaurant, my Mom and I found this store that you must visit called "Daiso" which is between SF and Daly City. It's basically a Japanese Dollar store. I will leave the discovering to you. You will thank me.

Succulent Plants by the way are supposedly very easy to manage and survive in many different climates and don't need alot of sun or water. My grandmother is an incredible gardener and has this way of making her patio seem like a magical, well kept wonderland. We took some clippings from her succulent plants (which just means cutting off some healthy shoots from the main plant) and putting them into some soil. They looked kind of sad and floppy at first, but they actually grow a root structure extremely quickly. It's been two days since we planted them, and they are starting to look strong and are beginning to grow upwards. Its really a miracle.

To top it off, my roommate was gifted a Limited Edition Beatles Rockband game for the Wii which is probably one of the most fun things you can do with a group of people. I'm having a really excellent time over this holiday and really truly value my family time. I know it's a common realization, but as I've been getting older I've really started to become aware of how fragile life is and how our family really is so precious.

Day 6 Norman Rockwellesque Vacation

Good Morning :D

Here was my lovely trip to Carmel (One of the most beautiful places to live)

We met up at my grandmother's house who I have been visiting since I was a wee lass. Carmel is one of those nostalgic places for me, the smells, the little streets, the beach. This is one of the only west coast beaches where you can bring a dog-unleashed, so the beach is always filled with happy pups playing around with each other and their fastidious owners tailing behind with plastic doggie bags.

My family is really excellent. I'm so grateful that they are in my life. I think we've all gone through alot of changing together and working our quirks out, so it's actually really fun and filling to be with eachother. We don't really plan any events, so we just sit around talking, laughing, cooking, eating.

My Grandmother Dop (the unique named coined by me when I was a toddler) makes THE BEST pancakes. Thin and fragile, buttermilky/crepe-ish. They are paired perfectly with butter and her seasonal home-made jam. This time she made a jam out of a fruit I wasn't aware of called a "pluot" which is an Aprico-Plum hybrid. So the jam was ruby apricot colored and tasted like a richer version of apricot with hidden basetones. I grew up with this every time we visit grandma and I love that i can be an adult and still come back to it. It's good every time.

The homes and such are my grandmother's neighboring houses. The town really is filled with incredible custom storybook homes on teeny tiny lots. You should go there just to take a long walk and get home inspiration.

I hope you had a really joyful holiday, whoever you may be.