Friday, March 28, 2008

My Little Book Club

My cousin Tiffany and I have started our own little book club. Well not really a "club" because we don't meet to talk about the books we have read (unless you count going to lunch and saying Oh by the way how did you like that book? or getting together and watching the movie), there are no discussion questions and no philosophising about the deeper meaning of the book. We just say "Hey, I read this book and I really think you would really like it". We don't even read the same book most of the time oh well that is our book club and it works for us. If you want to join let me know.

These are the three books I have read in the last month or so.......


My Life in France by Julia Child


Who would have known Julia Child was such a great writer......recipes yes, memoirs no Some interesting things I learned in this book-
Julia did not start attending cooking school at La Cordon Bleu until she was 36 years old. Can you imagine becoming such a master of something and not starting until then? There is hope for me yet..ha.

She worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) the precursor to the CIA.

Her Cambridge, MA kitchen is in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. Click here to go on a tour of her kitchen it is totally cool.

This book tells the story of Julia and two french friends (yes there were two other writers) creating the classic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking.


"The sweetness and generosity and politeness and gentleness and humanity of the French had shown me how lovely life can be if one takes time to be friendly"- Julia Child


Another fun Julia Child book is Julie and Julia. About a girl in Brooklyn who makes a goal to cook every recipe in the Mastering the Art of French Cooking and then starts keeping a blog about her experiences. You can read the blog here or buy the book or wait for the Nora Ephron movie staring Amy Adams, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci to come out in 2009.

The Other Boleyn Girl
This book took a while to get into. I read it while I was in Hawaii..on the beach, watching the whales and eating fresh pineapple. I was not so in love with the movie.

The Kite Runner


Wow I liked this book. I think I started crying in the second chapter and was weeping through the rest of it. Oh Afghanistan, the things that country has been through is truly devastating. Please read this book. Tiffany you were right about this book. I loved it!

Next time I am in San Francisco.....


I must, must, must visit this garden shop called Flora Grubb Gardens which is owned by a girl named Flora Grubb (yes Flora is her real name).
I looks like just the type of place I could totally spend the whole day exploring.

Thursday, March 27, 2008


In case you didn't know I am a huge Hale Center Theater fan. I think they do such an amazing job with their productions. I was so happy to spend "an evening at the Theater" with my friends Katie and Brenda. I think, could be totally wrong here, that this play is based on the movies Shop around the Corner, In The Good Old Summmertime and mixed up somewhere in there would be You've Got Mail.
Brenda.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Fun Day In The Big City

My friend April moved to the SLC area a couple of weeks ago and this past weekend I had the opportunity to spend the day with her. We had a fantastic breakfast at a great restaurant I have never heard of, Finn's located in Sugarhouse. They only serve breakfast and lunch and close at 2:30 everyday. The servers wore cute nostalgic aprons.


I had an iced mocha served in a tall thin glass and an omelet. I loved this place and I hope to be going back soon.

We spent the rest of the afternoon stopping at some of my favorite shops Artichokes and Co, Hip and Humble, Campo, Homegoods and two new stores.
The first new store was Steve and Berry's. They sell the Sarah Jessica Parker line Bitten. I have to say it was not what I was expecting. I thought Steve and Berry's would be a cute little boutique but it was more like Old Navy and everything was $8.98. Sadly I was very underwhelmed.
The other new store was Jones Bee Company.

I am excited to report that I am going to keep a beehive this year. Everyone thinks I am crazy but I am excited to start this new hobby. I ordered my pack of bees and a queen and I have to pick them up on the 5th of April.......more on this new adventure to come.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Update Metropolitan Dinner Photos In Post Below

Oh iphone I thought I had you figured out but no. I thought I had figured out how to upload photos to my blog but for some reason the disappear during the night. Whatever.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Starting Tomorrow........

.....I am going on a huge diet. But tonight I am having dinner at the Metropolitan in SLC with my friend Holly and I can't wait! I have checked out the menu three times today. I am debating between the Ratoil (I have no idea what this) and the barramundi (risotto). I am making a nefarious plan to throw caution to the wind and eat a ton of food and spend a lot of money.

Update- I think Holly won the food ordering contest, again, with this delightful little dish of mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms in a little philo cup. It was so delish and also very cute to look at.

I ordered Barramundi and despite my original assumption it is not risotto but fish. It was great. It was served on top of black pepper risotto.



For dessert Holly ordered the Licorice Root Panna Cotta. This was great. It had just a slight hint of licorice. I think she won for the best dessert also.

I ordered the mango upside down cake served with black pepper ice cream.

I had such a fun time going to dinner with Holly. I am already saving my money so I can go back when they start serving the spring menu.

Also, the Metropolitan was featured in the Wall Street Journal. It looks like it is from series of articles called Power Tables. They include a floor plan of the restaurants and who usually sits at which table. You can read the article here. Here is a floor plan of the Metropolitan. Guess where Holly and I sat......
Ha Ha Table number 1 The A++ Power Table.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Holiday in Hawaii

I just got back from one week in Hawaii. I was on the island of Oahu. I was invited on my first ever Hawaiian adventure by my friend Tamra. She was traveling with a group of her 3 lifelong friends. I was honored to be included on a trip with such amazing women. I think they may have been the most positive and genuinely good, happy people I have ever met. I did not hear them say one bad word or gossip about anyone the whole week we were gone. They were such an inspiration to me.
We were staying in the vacation home of Tamra's friend Karynn. It is located on the north shore of Oahu in the town of La'ie. The house is within walking distance to the LDS Temple and BYU Hawaii.
It is built on the lava rock point that is pictured below.


The living room has huge glass sliding doors that open up the whole living room onto the patio.

The patio was 2 feet from the lava rock cliff. While sitting on the patio eating breakfast we would see whales, giant turtles and surfers everyday.


Some of my favorite things we did were:

*Turtle Beach-sitting on the beach and watching the giant turtles.
*Facials and massages at Turtle Bay Resort
*Pearl Harbor
*Polynesian Cultural Center
*Waimea Valley Hike

Some of my favorites in the food department were:
*Hula Pie which we ate while sitting on the patio at of Dukes in Waikiki




*Giovanni's Shrimp (fresh shrimp scampi and rice with more garlic than you can imagine. Yumm)



* Motsumottos Shaved Ice (I tried the shaved ice with ice cream and once with beans and once without)









*Apple Bananas (we stopped at the fresh fruit stands to buy these mini bananas)



Banana Pancakes at the Hukilau Cafe



My favorite purchases


*Stacy and I bought Tiffany necklaces at the Tiffany store at the Ala Moana Mall in Honolulu.



Also in the Ala Moana Mall was the cutest store I have been into in a long time Cinnamon Girl . They design their own clothes and also have handbags and fun little accessories and gift items.









Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Peep Show

In celebration of the upcoming Easter Holiday I thought I would post a peep show......not the kind you would see in a dark dirty room in the red light district type but the type you would find in your easter basket.
The Peeps candy company hosted a diorama contest and here is the winner.

There are pictures of the other 22 finalists posted here. I really like the Dreamgirls diorama.