After spending Tuesday night with my brother, many mugs of decaf Earl Grey with milk and honey, and a movie that put us both to sleep (again!), Wednesday morning arrived. Mark supplied me with a banana, and we were off to take the ferry into the city so he could go to work and I could visit my sister Emily for the very last leg of my trip. Emily picked me up at the ferry building and then drove me back to her apartment to feed me:

While Em “worked from home,” I took her delicious rice-veggie-chicken-tomato creation to the couch …

… and did homework blogged napped for two hours. It had been an exhausting series of days. I popped a Clementine …

… and we took off for Emily’s local farmers’ market.

The goal had been veggies, but all we found was fruit … and lots of it! Samples of pomegranate, persimmon, and apple:

Samples of raspberries and strawberries:

(Ohhhhh, to live in CA and have berries still be in season!)

And samples of Indian chutneys with flatbread and pure apple cider:

To make up for the lack of veggies at the market, Em bought tons of fruit and goodies for each of us from the Esther’s German Bakery stall:

Emily got salted pretzels for Murphy and herself. I scanned the goods, and my eyes alighted on something that resonated with the image I’d had burned into my brain ever since dinner at Olga‘s house: poppy seed bread!

The man gave me a giant slab of the bread (more like cake, really), and I ate it ALL, except for the bite I shared with Emily.

We both worked some more … until I noticed that Em had left a family-sized football team-sized tub of peanut butter open on the counter. DANGER DANGER DANGER. I got right in there with one of the newly purchased farmers’ market apples:

After some afternoon snacking and working, Em and I took off for a hilly, muddy, traily run through the Presidio and made it back home just in time for her 5pm phone meeting. When Murphy got home later, we set out for the hike (because you can’t walk around SF without it being a hike!) to Pot de Pho, a newish organic Vietnamese restaurant in the neighborhood:

I approved of the ambience, from the decorative birdcages lining the walls …

… to the wok-for-a-sink (!!!) in the bathroom:

We started off with three appetizers to split for the table.

Bánh Khoai Môn Vìt which, if you’re not fluent in Vietnamese (like I am), refers to deep-fried taro dandelion with ground duck:

The words “deep-fried” and “duck” usually do the opposite of making my mouth water, but this was actually delicious and ended up being my favorite of the three apps!

Next was the Gỏi Cuốn (hoặc Gỏi Cuốn Chay), or fresh roll with shrimp and pork:

This one was tasty, too, and Emily’s favorite of the three:

Our third appetizer was the Nem Nướng Cuốn Nha Trang, aka grilled meatball roll with green apple:

That was delish, too … my second favorite 🙂

For dinner, Emily ordered chicken pho:

Murphy ordered BBQ pork with rice noodles in a bento box:

(Soooooooooo good!)

I ordered the vegan pho because I was in the market for vegetables! The soup came through with loads of them, including fancy and exciting mushroom varieties:

My pho also came with thai basil, onions, and jalapeno on the side:

I quickly mixed my extras into the bowl and went to town.

I ate every bit of flavor out of this bowl until all that was left was a pile of plain vermicelli … which I convinced Emily to take home with her for a future kitchen project 😛

To cap our evening, we split two desserts between the three of us.

Fried baby banana with tapioca sauce:

Yummmmm yum yum yum yum. I love hot bananas.

Dessert #2 was the chocolate lavender custard:

This one was a multi-layered surprise!

Also delicious, though the lavender could have been more pronounced.

After the feast, we made our way back through the city to Emily’s apartment …

… for bedtime because I had to be up for my flight (tear) the next morning.

While Em went to her crack-of-dawn spinning class, I made myself a pot of Hawaiian coconut macadamia tea:

And putzed around the kitchen to prepare some goods for the road (sky?).

Breakfast was a toasted and buttered multi-grain English muffin with market strawberries to share:

Midmorning at the ‘port, I ordered a nonfat sugar-free mocha (hellooooooo chemicals) from Peet’s and used it for dunking the honey graham Zbar Emily had donated:

Lunch came out between SF and Chicago: another toasted English muffin, this time with peanut butter and market apple, alongside a packet of “Celebremos Tu Herencia: Southwest Airlines Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month” honey roasted peanuts (and my book club book!):

There were Rockies:

And my airline-provided snack wanted to pose with them:

The lighting would not work, so the animals retired to the tray table with some tea:

(If I recall correctly, there was a chocolate chip Zbar somewhere in this food sequence as well …)

In Chicago, I found Greece:

I had been craving a Greek salad, and my significantly delayed flight (2.5 hours, grrrrrrr) provided me with sufficient time for patrolling the Midway food court until I found exactly what I needed at Pegasus:

I get SO excited about giant piles of greens topped with feta.

I was even able to order some authentic Greek water:

With that, I boarded my flight to LaGuardia, landed just before midnight, and walked outside to total winter … which did not suit my flip-flopped coatless self one bit. What happened while I was gone???

I arrived back at my apartment at 1:15 am and promptly fell into bed … the seventh bed I had inhabited in the space of one week. What’s your beds per week record?

Monday afternoon, I arrived at my sister-in-law’s house for the pièce de résistance: my nieces!



I hadn’t seen these little bundles of perfection since January 2008 when I was last in San Fran:



Twenty-one months make a huge difference in the lives of toddlers! In my professional opinion, however, the months have been kind to Ella (now four years and three months) and Dixon (now two years and seven months):



In my completely unbiased opinion, I would say the girls are actually well ahead of schedule 😀

While Ella, Dixie, and their friend Abby worked their party-planning magic in the outdoor playhouse, Camela (my sister-in-law) whipped up a gorgeous snack spread with carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, tortilla chips, salsa, and homemade guacamole:



We nibbled and gossiped about — you guessed it — boys! (Note: We did not gossip about men. We do not know any.)



As din-din time for the girls approached, Cam pulled out all the necessary supplies for the girls to make their own organic, cornmeal crust pizzas.



I approved wholeheartedly of this move, as I have written many a paper in my line of study on the importance of cooking with toddlers 😛



Cam and I also knew that we’d be “taste-testing” the girls’ creations for QA purposes, so we made a point of ensuring adequate sauce distribution:



The works of art, pre-bake:



And post-bake:



Dixie gave the final approval to remove the pies from the oven when she noticed the cheese bubbling during her oven-window vigil. Cam and I had a few slices each with the girls …



… and then swiftly bathed them and let them jump on my bed and read to them and tucked them in so we could return downstairs for our own party!

Camela handed me a strong and delicious cocktail composed of a mysterious Swiss liquor and cran-blueberry juice:



I sipped my beverage while she heated up the Chinese feast we’d been planning for months:



I don’t even know what was in there, but it was GOOD. I haven’t had Chinese food in ages! We curled up on the couch to watch our OnDemand movie selection — Duplicity — and proceeded to not be able to keep our eyes open past 9:00. Cam retrieved some homemade chocolate chip cookies and butterscotch cookies from the kitchen along with ice-cold milk in the hopes that the sugar would perk us up.



We downed the cookies and milk in moments and then fell right back asleep, of course. But it was a satisfying sleep 😀

We were all up bright and early the next morning to get the girls off to their respective schools. We snacked on the leftover breakfast toasts that Ella and Dixie could not finish and then went for brunch at Comforts:



I love the restaurant meal-sharing theme I’ve had going on lately. Cam and I ordered two meals to split. First up was this black bean chili with grilled polenta and plain yogurt:



Our other dish was the fresh artichoke crowns topped with herbed cream cheese, roasted heirloom tomatoes, and two poached eggs drizzled with pesto:



Yeah, no kidding. It was amazing! Why have I never thought to put poached eggs on top of artichokes before?? Genius.

Everything came with a side salad that we shared as well:



It was already time to collect the girls when we finished brunch, so we headed straight back to their schools to scoop them up and whisk them off to 3D Toy Story for their first movie theater experience EVER … and lots of popcorn. Ella and Dixie were both hesitant at first, but we all made it through. After the movie, my brother came over for his Tuesday night dinner and bedtime routine with the girls, and Cam prepared yet another feast (child-friendly this time) for all of us: poached haddock with mashed potatoes and cauliflower-broccoli-zucchini puree.



Note: Cam explained that, had it not been torrentially raining outside, she would have topped the mash with fresh garden chives for a more elegant look. I assured her that the dish was plenty elegant as it was.



While I went back for seconds and thirds, the girls diligently worked through their firsts:



After dinner, it was time for more bathing, stories, and tucking … and then Mark and I were off for the next leg of my continued West Coast bed-hopping adventure.

Who are the youngest members of your family? What is their food preparation experience?

Allie and I passed through Carmel again to tie up loose ends before continuing back up to the Bay Area. In a little Carmel gift shop, some items spoke to me quite loudly:

Finally around 3:00, we set sail (in Allie’s Subaru) for points farther north. Allie revealed a serious collection of goodies, so we had snack time in the car:

I ate a plum (or two) and many slices of delicious Boars Head Swiss:

Along with some of this Sobe life water:

What I really wanted was real water, but that seemed to be in short supply throughout the entire trip!

We arrived in Allie’s little town of Benicia around 5:30, and she drove me around her neighborhood for a tour. Who knew California had so many quaint towns full of charming cottages?! I’ve visited tons of times before, but I really think this trip took the cake (hahhhhaaa) in terms of cottage quantity/quality. Allie’s abode definitely fit right into this charming category, and I immediately set myself up with some honeyed and milked yerba mate atop a vintage Quaker oats trivet and an equally vintage side table of sorts.

After a brief excursion out to Chris’s house for a visit, we headed back to Allie’s for a big-sister-prepared feast. Allie broke out a bottle of Tuscan herb olive oil and 20-year-aged balsamic vinegar from a recent Napa trip:

The precious goods made excellent dipping for toasty cheesy bread.

We followed our gourmet appetizer with this spaghetti and shrimp marinara:

Allie expertly dusted my bowl with red pepper flakes and parm:

For dessert, we split another treat from her Napa trip:

Dark chocolate-covered marzipan:

Cue collective YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Allie and I passed out by 10 and stayed out all the way until 9 the next morning! I had some nieces to visit next on my agenda, so I scrambled out of bed, threw my clothes on, and ferreted out half a grapefruit while Allie primped.

For our real breakfast, Allie pulled together one of the best meals of the entire trip!

She made a breakfast burrito consisting of eggs, gorgonzola, parmesan, tomatoes, fresh basil, onions, and peppers atop a whole wheat tortilla:

It was delicious and way hit the spot …

… especially alongside a baby juice shot of Odwalla B-Monster and more tea.

We were out the door by 11:10 and on our way to Fairfax for a visit with my nieces, my sister-in-law, and my fourth bed of the trip.

Do your vacations tend to morph into whirlwinds of activity, or do you limit them to relaxation time?

Sunday brunch took place at the famed Nepenthe restaurant in Big Sur.



While we waited for our giant table, I made the rounds to admire the view, which was only slightly tempered by the cloudy day:





Allie and I also moseyed down to the gift shop. I wanted to buy all of the dishes, but I did not.



I also wanted to eat this cake, but I restrained myself since it wasn’t actually edible:



When our table was ready, we made our way back up to the top deck, passing by some exciting alternate seating options that I will have to investigate if I ever find myself in Big Sur again.

Fire pit:



Pillow-chair benches:



Our table was located inside a giant log cabin of sorts with plenty of window space all around to facilitate view admiration.



I ordered a pot of Earl Grey and got excited about the pot and its mechanics:





The menu had some serious standout options, so Allie and I decided to share a bit with each other to maximize taste variety.

Allie ordered the pecan-topped goat cheese with slow-roasted Gilroy garlic and toasted baguette slices as her meal. It came with an entire head of roasted local garlic:



She made three little toasties for me like so:



I was freezing (as usual) and needed some comfort food stat. I ordered the soup and salad combo:



I chose the garbanzo and kidney bean salad, and soup of the day was one of my all-time favorite cloudy day flavors: tomato-basil-cheddar.



I shared half with Allie and inhaled the rest.

We hung around a bit longer to admire the view some more:



From Nepenthe, Allie and I hopped back in her car to begin the next leg of our journey and embark on part three of my bed-hopping west coast extravaganza.

What are your top three cloudy, chilly day comfort foods/beverages? Mine are earl grey tea with milk and honey, oatmeal, and tomato soup. I was three for three on Sunday, and all before noon! 😀

I woke up with a definite food hangover the morning after the wedding. I picked at my cup of fruit and ignored the Danish in an attempt to cancel out the 80 slices of cake from the night before.



There was no time for a run Saturday morning since I woke up at 9 and we had to be at the morning-after brunch by 10. I was still full, and my plan was to eat nothing.



I admired my dad’s bagel with cream cheese, cucumber, and tomato:



And then I gave in. After the wedding the night before, my sisters and I had spearheaded a movement to pack up all the extra cocktail hour appetizers and wedding cake. The scene from the reception bar 12 hours earlier:



When the highlights of the previous night appeared at the brunch, I could not resist the artichokes, the marinated mushrooms, and the strawberry garnish.



Oh right, and a sliver of wheat bagel with gorgonzola:



Ummmm, and 1/4 blueberry bagel:



(And lots of cubes of cheese that leapt into my mouth too fast for the camera!)

I also kidnapped baby Jack again … until his dad found me out and demanded that I step away from the child:



I had a hard time letting go …



But I consoled myself with the box of cake that I had lovingly pieced together in one box like a giant cake puzzle the night before:



The brilliantly talented cake baker (Barb) and I discussed the beauty of the cake carnage while I downed approximately one dozen more slices:



After the brunch, my sisters and I intended to go for a run on the beach. But I started gossiping about boys, and our run turned into an hour-long walk. That was fine with me, though — quality sister time trumps exercise any day:-D

After our walk, the girls helped me pack up my stuff and haul it a few blocks up the road to their hotel. Murphy had gone back up to SF for the opening night of his new bar, so there was a Sarah-sized piece of bed calling my name at the Wayfarer Inn. The room was nestled right behind this charming patio arrangement:



Once settled in my new digs, Emily, Allie, Chris (Allie’s boyfriend), and I bounded to the lobby for the complimentary wine and cheese hour:



I looked … but I did not touch!



I made myself some English breakfast tea and settled down at the table to drool over everyone else’s cheese plates. My stomach just couldn’t take any more solids at this point!



We chatted more, Allie announced she was pregnant, I had a heart attack, and then she announced she was joking. Good times.

Shortly thereafter, Mark came to collect us in his siblingmobile for a trip to Morgan Winery for a wine tasting. Emily dove in, but I passed due to my consistently overstuffed belly.



However, when Mark resurfaced with olives, feta, and gummy bears, I found room for them:



After the tasting, we headed back into Carmel for a farewell pizza party at Lobos Lodge where my dad and stepmom were staying. I kicked things off with a collection of Andes mints the hotel left on our pillows and a green tea ginger ale:



The pizza soon arrived from Pizza My Heart to a flurry of activity:



Everyone quickly moved in for the kill.



We ordered a large Big Sur with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, and whole garlic cloves:



And a large feta, sundried tomato, and olive:



And a medium pepperoni:



I had baby slices of the two exciting types:



And a couple more baby slices after that. Just look at this beautiful garlic:



Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm …



We capped the night with a slideshow of my millions of food pictures. It wasn’t even my idea, but everyone was fascinated:



Have you ever seen such enthusiasm over a photo of poached eggs?

Back at the Wayfarer Inn the next morning, I went for one last rejuvenating four mile run on the beach and then took part in a light breakfast to tide me over until brunch plans. The hotel had an excellent selection, right down to the make-your-own-waffles-from-scratch station:



My body was craving wholesome simplicity, so I went with an old standby:



A quarter cup of instant oats, half a banana, a spoonful of cranberry granola, apple juice, tea, and a mealy apple (that I did not eat):



This bowl tasted just like home.



And my tummy thanked me for going easy.



After breakfast, Allie and I loaded her car with our luggage and then busted out of Carmel en route to brunch in Big Sur …

If you had to choose, would you snatch babies or cakes?