[Super Duper Fantastic] ISFP/INFP. 4w5. World Explorer. Super Hero. Rose-colored Glasses.

When your friend’s mom asks us to help her with the consumption of the delicious fruits from the trees in her garden, how can you refuse? We sure didn’t, and last night, we transported these pluots [along with some pears] to the kitchen in cardboard boxes and paper bags.

Once in the kitchen, I went to work, sorting and washing all the fruit.

The ones pictured above were the ones that weren’t overly ripe and squashed to smithereens. If you didn’t know already, a pluot is a hybrid fruit – a cross of a plum and apricot with more plum-like tendencies. Its counterpart, the aprium, is more of an apricot. There are multiple colors because our friend’s mom’s tree grows three of the over 20 varieties of pluots.

For the overly ripe and NOT squashed pluots, I’m turning them into a pluot puree. They will be mixed with some bubbly for a pluot fizz, which I have so lovingly deemed “a Pellini,” similar to Bellini.

Before throwing them in for steaming, I slit an “x” on the bottom of each pluot.

I don’t have a steam rack set-up for any of the pots/pans just yet, so into the rice cooker they went! I used the steaming rack that came with the rice cooker instead.

The skins came off quite easily! I’m going to have to pit them tonight because by the time my fruit sorting operation was done, it was already past my bedtime. Once pitted, they’ll go into the food processor and one step closer to becoming pureed.

That’s a lot of pluots for two people, so we are inviting our friends over to help eat/drink them. I’m going to try making pluot ice cream or sorbet. I’m not sure what other recipes to try, but we need to finish these pluots before they go bad!

Why P-pesto?! Because it’s got pistachios in it! It seemed like every recipe called for pine nuts, hazel nuts or walnuts, but I had no such nuts in the house. What I did find in the house were unsalted pistachio meats, so that is what I used instead.

The sun-dried tomatoes and shrimp were subsequently added when RV came home, but I DID make the pesto and pasta:

2 cups of fresh organic basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup unsalted pistachio meats
3 garlic cloves, peeled
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

The steps + stop to scrape down sides of food processor w/ a rubber spatula, as necessary.
1 – Combine basil and pistachio meats in a food processor, pulsing a few times.
2 – Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
3 – Slowly add some of the olive oil, pulse a bit and add some more.
4 – Add the cheese, pulse until blended.
5 – Add salt and pepper to taste.

I am slowly going from “does not cook” to “sometimes dabbles in the kitchen and doesn’t poison everyone.”

I love running down to the farmers’ market on Saturday and picking up fresh organic berries! Here’s $19 in blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries:

For the longest time, I would worry about berries. You have to eat ‘em pretty quickly, or they’ll spoil. I don’t know the $$ in berries I had to toss because I left them sitting in the fridge for a little too long and had to toss everything. :/

Well, I worry no longer. RV picked up the FoodSaver v2240 [the black version to match our kitchen] for the purpose of vacuum-sealing fish, and now we use it for packing away berries too. Since we can seal ‘em away, we can buy in bulk at the farmers’ market and have enough berries for two weeks. We defrost them by sticking them into the fridge the night before and have our smoothies in the morning!

It’s a fuzzy photo, but you get the idea! I actually took the time to sort through the berries, so the overripe ones would be eaten right away, while everything else is vacuum-sealed and thrown into the freezer in portioned pouches. It takes a little extra time, but it’s so worth not squishing the ripe berries and getting the juices all over the vacuum-sealing process!

It is hot in San Francisco today. Not an understatement, as it is just under 100 degrees! That is unusual for the area, considering it was in the 50s here just weeks ago. In this heat, my only complaint – there aren’t any frozen bananas in my freezer!

Last night, I experimented with banana soft serve! I only wish today that I had saved up those bananas for this evening. There are TONS of variations on the recipe out there, but this is what I did:

I started with 2 frozen bananas in the food processor. Once creamy, I added 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 tablespoon raw almond butter, 1 tablespoon chia seeds [No added flavor, just an extra source of Omega-3s and fiber!], and a splash or two of almond milk. I pressed the magic button a few more times to get it all blended and VOILA!

Yummy and refreshing. We topped it with some chocolate syrup for a peanut butter / chocolate / banana combination! :)

Before making this culinary discovery [thanks to the Healthy Living Summit], I didn’t like to eat bananas once they were out of the JUST RIPE [completely yellow with a tinge of green] phase and in the FULLY RIPE speckled state. Stina had reassured me that if I added other ingredients, the bananas would just take on those flavors, and I’m glad I tried it!

Now I’m feening for some banana soft serve!

For a friend’s Spanish-themed party of sangria and tapas, I decided to try my hand at making deviled eggs. They’re bite-sized if you open up your mouth wide in a not-so-mannerly way! Also, because I don’t really follow directions very well when it comes to cooking, there’s not an official recipe yet.

Being a little on the green side, if one did not know that there were avocados involved, it might gross you out a little bit. But yes, instead of using mayonnaise, I used avocados to hold the gloopy insides together! So these are HEALTHY deviled eggs!

While the eggs were boiling, I was avocado-mashing. To prevent the green mess from turning brown, I threw in some lemon juice. For about two dozen eggs, I used four avocados and one lemon. I also added a hint of honey [which really didn't do much else] to offset the lemon.

With a sharp knife, I cut the peeled eggs in half and squeezed their yolks out. At first, I didn’t know any better, and I was trying to scoop ‘em out with a spoon. Thanks to the internet, I found the easier method! Once the eggs were all de-yolked, I mashed them in with the avocado, lemon, honey, PLUS salt, chives, Sriracha, a little bit of garlic. I tasted as I mashed to determine how much more of each flavor to add. The sister brought over some Old Bay Seasoning, so I sprinkled a little on top.

They turned out quite nicely, and it wasn’t all that hard. Just lots of steps. In terms of flavor, they were tasty and most definitely eaten up at the party. I definitely could have kicked it up a few notches with the Sriracha though. They could have been spicier, but I didn’t want to go overboard on the first try! Since I didn’t want the avocado to overpower the eggs, the ratio was about one wonderfully ripe avocado for every half dozen eggs. If I were making them for myself, I’d just sit there with a bowl of guacamole… I am an avocado fiend! :P

Since this time didn’t turn out a complete mess, I will likely try making them again, perhaps even coming up with an actual recipe for them.

I love long weekends, especially the sunny ones. My nose and lips are sunburned though. I hope they heal soon because I have a passport photo to take soon. The fees are going up next week, and I’m heading to Toronto in August courtesy of Klout and Virgin America. In the meantime, I’m vigorously applying the aloe!

Saturday: It was a day of BBQing in the East Bay.

For BBQ #1 in Walnut Creek, I prepared a white wine pineapple sangria and a rum-filled watermelon. It was my first time making both, and they turned out pretty tasty. The sangria was red, white, and blue with the addition of apples and blueberries! The not-so-secret ingredients : fresh pineapples and peach sparkling wine. They made all the difference.

In the evening, we headed to the Richmond marina for BBQ #2. I had prepared burger patties [again, first time!] for the grill, and again, success! The onions, garlic, chives, and feta I’d mixed in made the burgers extra tasty. We also combined the sangria and rum-infused watermelon remaining from the first BBQ for the second one.

There was a small fireworks show over the water after the sun had set too.

Sunday: Because it was a license-free fishing day, I agreed to go ocean fishing with RV and Victor. The water was choppier than usual, but we were still able to catch a few fish. We didn’t catch the limit like our previous fishing trips, but we came out with better fish.

My prize fish was a 3.5-lb. Vermillion Rockfish, which is probably the largest rockfish that either of us has caught. RV finally caught a Lingcod that he could keep. It was 5.5 pounds! It was Victor’s first time out there, so he was still learning the ropes. He was able to catch two for the day, so that was pretty good, considering how bad the conditions were.

Monday: We drove up to Tomales Bay Oyster Company for oysters and another day of BBQ goodness with the sister and RV’s coworker + his girlfriend. There were a lot of people who had the same idea, so it was a good thing we arrived earlier in the day [before noon!]. We ordered a bag of 50, eating some raw and grilling the rest.

I didn’t shuck any oysters, so I’m very glad I went with a few people who were willing to take over the shucking duties. We also brought other goodies to grill! So tasty and so fun!

There’s a specific time in the banana’s ripening phase in which I will actually eat it. It’s that brief period of yellow when green has faded, and spots have not yet marred the beautiful sleek exterior of the banana. The insides have not had the time to get all mushy.

If I made all of our grocery decisions [Thankfully, I don't.], I probably would never buy them. However, seeing as they are a good source of potassium and RV actually does like them, bananas do make it into our kitchen.

Yesterday morning before heading out for dim sum with friends, I decided to try out this banana bread recipe. Of course, I never seem to have the appropriate ingredients, so I made a few alterations. Instead of margarine, I used butter. I used a combination of white and brown sugars, added a teaspoon of vanilla, and a dab or two of sour cream. While the bread didn’t turn out dry, it was a little bit crumbly and not sweet enough. I think it was because I didn’t use as many bananas as the recipe asked for, and I probably overdid it on the mixing.

Even though it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to, the kitchen still smelled amazing! The car smelled fantastic too since we were out of the house soon after, banana bread in tow. I will have to try again when RV leaves enough overly ripened bananas sitting around.

I don’t suppose this really counts as cooking, but last night, I made dessert. At first I got all huffy because RV ate half the strawberries during the day, leaving only half a box for the dessert. It ended up being enough for just the two of us, so I don’t know what I was getting all pissy about. The recipe was adapted from several recipes I found online to what we had in our refrigerator [Kern's Guava Nectar!] and the amount of effort I really wanted to put into it [None!].

Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons Kern’s Guava Nectar
Fresh organic strawberries

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl whip the cream and sugar with a mixer until thick but not stiff. Add the sour cream and beat until mixture is thoroughly combined. Continue to beat while gradually pouring in the guava nectar.

While a little bit on the watery side, it was still quite tasty. I used more guava nectar than the other recipes had suggested in terms of a fruity liquid. Plus, I probably didn’t whip the cream long enough. The sour cream was a bit overpowering, so I’ll have to use less in the future.

Everyone starts with 24 hours in a day. How the 24 is allocated is where we differ. In order to maximize the ratio of awesome moments to available hours [that's 24 hours less sleep time, less $-making work time], I need to stop wasting time on ventures that offer no return whatsoever. They are the kinds you invest hours of time/effort for a big “fuck you” at the end.

So over it and determined to make the most of my 24 hours, I’d rather focus my energies on the positive than the negative. So far, what’s gone right?

MoA #1: After a week-long trial period paid in lunches, RV has signed on with a company! Salaried with benefits. Looks like he beat me to the full-time employment game. I’m still on contract, but on track to be signed on. Anyway, two incomes are better than one!

MoA #2: In an attempt to make cupcakes with brownie mix. I followed the instructions for the brownie mix [MY BAD!] and ended up with rock-hard brownies in cup form. It’s all a learning experience, regardless of how obvious a mistake I made and how embarrassing that can be. More than half have been eaten by RV, friends who came over for a movie night, and me. Once one gets over the rock hard exterior, there’s actually a delicious and chewy brownie inside! So even with the failed 101 in 1001 task, it wasn’t really a waste.

MoA #3: Festizio show at Red Devil Lounge on Sunday night. Great chance to support my friends’ band + check out a venue I’d never been to. It was their last show before they’re locking themselves up to record an EP in May, so it wasn’t one to be missed.

MoA #4: Inspired by Marie aka The Simplist and in an effort to get organized, I found a coupon for the Freedom Filer. 20% off! My set of tabs is coming in the mail soon, so I can get the file cabinet in order. Hours spent on sifting through paperwork will result in something magical, I hope.

It’s not even Hump Day, and it appears that my week is going well. What moments of awesome have you acknowledged thus far this week?

Here I am, posing with the mixer, as if just by owning the mixer I will be able to create magic in the kitchen. Well, it wasn’t magic, but at least it got me trying some recipes. RV won’t be the only one in the kitchen now, and I think he’ll appreciate that. Plus, he has more of a sweet tooth than I do, so he’ll be all over those desserts.

Any that turn out decently will probably end up at friends’ birthday parties. In fact, I brought the Lemon Snowflake Cookies [original recipe linked] to a birthday party the following evening, and they were a hit. A little on the cakey side as I mentioned before, but still quite tasty. And this evening, one of the friends who had come over for dinner the other night mentioned how much he liked the Slightly Lemon Lime Pie – I’d made him take a giant slice home, so that RV and I wouldn’t have to eat an entire half of a pie.

With the newly found baking confidence boost, I was convinced that I could make more. So I went ahead and sent a Facebook update asking friends and acquaintances for recommended cupcake recipes and basically hit jackpot. I am surrounded by foodies, so I shouldn’t really be surprised by the response. I’m pretty sure that a lot of the recipes are above my beginner baking skills, but I’m planning on giving them a shot anyway.

One of my 101 in 1001 is to learn to bake edible cupcakes – keyword: edible. It can’t be that difficult, right? So here’s the list so that I keep track:

- Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes
- Chiffon Cake
- Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Cupcakes that my friend Jen has made in the past
- Chocolate-Raspberry Cupcakes [from Kelly Leigh]
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Bacon Cream Cheese Frosting [from Erin]

They sound delicious, don’t they? That’s enough cupcakes to keep the mixer busy for awhile… I might try the cookies again, using the correct ingredients, but I may try looking for a different pie recipe. RV loves key lime pies, so I can’t say I won’t make them ever again, even though I don’t really eat them. Below: mixer in Lemon Snowflake Cookies action and the Slightly Lemon Lime Pie.