Blast From the Past

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had lived in the SF bay area while working at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. I had the opportunity this month to return to beautiful Marin County for a family event. I can't even begin to express how beautiful Marin County is. It it situated just north of the Golden Gate Bridge and is filled with scenic vistas and quaint communities. I lived in Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Marin Headlands when I first arrived for my job out there. I then moved to Mill Valley, where I had an apartment with a co-worker.

It was fun to spend our time visiting some of my old haunts and sampling California cuisine. I wish so badly that we could have fresh, local, and organic food here in Oklahoma...Marin County certainly has it figured out. Chris and I certainly won't turn down a good meal! We ate our way through a four day weekend and soaked up the views! We had our new baby, a Canon EOS Rebel XS, to keep us company. It's clear we still need to read the manual, but it was so much fun to click away...

Our ride for the weekend.

Anyone Care for a Banger?

Our first stop in California was In 'n Out Burger. Oh goodness! My tastebuds have missed that special sauce! After our lunch, we made our way into Marin County. Our first top was the Marin Headlands, where I lived in government housing for a few months. It's just north of San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge. Much to our delight, it was quite chilly...and just as beautiful as we remembered.

I should mention that we stayed at the Pelican Inn in Muir Beach. It's an "English" inn, complete with english pub fare and quaint rooms. We slept with the windows open and loved every minute of it! We enjoyed a dinner in the pub the first night and woke to a complete english breakfast each morning. We ate eggs, toast, bangers, and roasted tomatoes. We loved it all on morning #1. Then, the same breakfast appeared on mornings #2 and #3. Suffice to say that if Chris and I never have another banger, we'll be pretty set. I think I'll stick to my American breakfast of cereal and yogurt, if I'm lucky. Please, please, hold the bangers!

mmmmmmm. bangers.

happy girl in marin county.

A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action

So this is supposed to be a "food blog"...it must be thematic, or so Jonny T and Amy say. I haven't done much real cooking this week for some reason. Don't get me wrong, Chris and I aren't starving. I just haven't had the make from scratch itch. Never fear, loyal readers, I promise I will fill these pages with great recipes soon!

In more exciting news, Chris and I have just purchased a new camera that will be along for my new kitchen adventures...and a few mini vacations away from Oklahoma in the near future. Everyone join Amy in a leg kick for the new camera! It will even be documenting our trip this weekend...

We are leaving tomorrow night to start our journey to OKC to fly to the San Francisco Bay area for a long weekend trip on Thursday morning. The remarriage of a parent is the occasion. While Chris and I can't say that we're too excited about the event itself, we are pumped about the culinary treats that await us. I lived in Mill Valley five years ago while working at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. There I discovered a world of fresh, organic, and incredibly sophisticated food....and In 'n Out Burger.

Oh, the humanity, it's soooo good! We'll arrive in Oakland at noon on Thursday. There's no doubt where we'll be within the hour! What I love most is the secret menu (well, everyone else might already know about it, but I'm still cool). I'll be getting a protein pack myself...

One Hot Tamale

Tonight after work Chris and I headed north to Eric's house. He is my counterpart at work and, often, my partner in crime. Eric's lovely wife, Liz, is a master of many things...sewing, cooking, volutneering. Not owning a sewing machine, I contacted Liz recently to see if she could help me with some dress alterations. When we arrived tonight, their house smelled yummy. After I paraded around in a dress on top of my ranger pants and boots and Liz pinned me, we were set to head home. But before we could leave, Liz opened the lid on a pot on the stove to reveal the source of the divine smell in the house...and I saw what was cooking. It was a big pot of homemade tamales. Chris and I left their house with 6 tamales in a little tupperware container. I spent the drive home with the tamales on my lap, thinking about how good they were going to be. When I arrived home, I quickly prepared our plates, complete with a sprinkle of cheese and sour cream...and we were in tamale heaven! Thank you, Liz!

These Veggies are the Bomb!

I'd love to brag that I prepare delicious, healthy, and homemade lunches to take to work. There is an occasional leftover from our favorite dinners...tuna casserole, turkey chili...but Chris and I have discovered the wonders of Amy's frozen dinners They're portable, suprisingly delicious, and healthy. They even fit into our Weight Watcher's plan. Today I enjoyed the Veggie Loaf. Try 'em, you won't miss the meat! photo courtesy of amys.com

Hello Bloggy World!

Against my better judgement...and thanks to the Trenkle kids, I am starting a blog. My recipe for life includes cooking, baking, adventure, and a dash of humor. Every day is a comedy of errors. My life as a Park Ranger has taken me (and now my fiance, Chris) across the country...and here to Oklahoma. Join me as I drive way too far in search of real, organic food...and plan my Austin, TX wedding...