Poco-Cocoa

Things & Stuff

  • Day in my life #2

    Hi guys! I decided to do another day-in-my-life post today. It felt like such a busy day!

    8:30a Justin is up. I am not. It’s cold outside of the bed, and the kitties are swarming me to keep me warm. I stay snuggled in and read blogs on my phone.

    10:00a Justin comes in to check on me. I tell him it’s way too cold to get out of bed. He hands me my warm pajama pants and waits until I’m up and in them. He spoils me.

    10:15a Hot cocoa!

    10:20a Downstairs to work on the book. Answer emails, convert recipes, organize chapters. It takes me an hour to write up one recipe, because the ingredients are so foreign, it’s poorly organized, and the amounts are not usable terms. Ah, chefs. I chat online with my friend E. about writing and chefs and recipes.

    11:45a I decide I need food before I tackle the next recipe. Shower and head to lunch.

    12:30p After a weekend of heavy food and cocktails, I’m craving some nourishing veggies and beans, which means Casa de Luz. After a vegetable soup and a salad, I receive this plate of goodness, with greens and veggies and pickle and beans and grains and yum. There are three men at the table next to me who are also enjoying their veggies, while talking of eating Schlotzky’s and Lucy’s Fried Chicken.

    1:15p Back to the casa for more work. I’m tackling another difficult recipe, but I’m losing steam.

    1:50p Internet break! Highlights:

    • A tiny pocket letterpress!
    • I adored this post by our friends Rachel & Logan. I miss them so much!
    • Polenta and ratatouille. Zomg yum.
    • Miss Moss featured these hilarious old book covers!
    • I realllly want to make these apricot coconut energy bars.

    2:25p Oops! Too long of a break! I rush through prepping for my meeting at 3pm.

    2:45p Out the door and headed to my meeting.

    3:00p Meet with Jam at Thai Fresh to talk recipes and background for the book. She is so pretty in her black dress and silver belt, with a flower in her hair.

    3:45p I can’t seem to leave places without buying something. Fish sauce for Justin and Thai tea for me.

    3:50p I make a wrong turn, like I always do, around the Southwest Parkway area on my way to Target. I thankfully end up in front of Specs, which is one of the places I needed to go. I go straight for the goods: Old Overholt Rye, St. Germaine, Michael’s Celtic Irish Cream, and El Dorado 12 Year Rum. The cashier doesn’t card me – his sign says he will card anyone under the age of 30. I sadly realize I am not under the age of 30, and I don’t look it, either.

    4:05p I make it to Target! Commence filling my basket – shelf extenders, towel baskets, magazine holders, litter, paper towels… and a few surprises for Justin and friends.

    5:10p I make it OUT of Target. The gal in the line next to me gave me the sweetest smile, and had such a twinkle in her eye. I love happy people.

    5:25p Home, unload, give Justin his Valentine SweeTarts. It’s a tradition – I always give him holiday SweeTarts in fun shapes.

    5:45p After being in restaurants for lunch and my meeting, I smell like I’ve been deep-fried. It’s in my hair! Quick shower and fun texts with friends.

    6:15p Back downstairs to work on the book.

    7:05p We’re out the door and headed north to Asia Cafe for a huge dinner with friends to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Happy Year of the Dragon!

    7:30p We all gather around a huge lazy Susan table and order way too much food. Then, somehow, we eat almost all of it. There’s pork with mustard greens, pork with chiles, crispy duck, dumplings, spicy fish, salt and pepper squid, ma po tofu, bok choy with mushrooms, pork with sweet potato, cucumber salad, pickles, rice… I can’t remember everything we ate. My favorites were the spicy fish, the salt and pepper squid, and the ma po tofu.

    Eleven people can eat a lot of food. And drink a lot of Riesling. I love that P., P., and W. all had plaid shirts, beards, and glasses.

    9:30p We all part ways and head home. We pass a Krispy Kreme and decide we just have to stop and buy a few doughnuts for a snack and breakfast. We haven’t had Krispy Kremes in… a few years, maybe?

    I choose a chocolate iced, chocolate-creme filled doughnut that is out-of-this-world good. I thought it would have white cream, but CHOCOLATE?! It was so good that with every bite, I’d say, “Mmmmmmmmmm.”

    9:45p We grab our laptops and hang out on the couch, blogging and watching movies and digesting. I’m headed to bed soon, I think.

    Good night, everyone!♥

    January 23, 2012
    Everyday Life
    Canon Rebel T1i, cats, edibles, restaurants, Roux
  • Weekend Moments

    Hi guys! I made another video of tiny moments of my weekend. I tried to keep each clip really short, so it would just be a kind of glimpse at things.

    Details:

    • On Friday we met friends at Nubian Queen Lola’s for dinner. We shared gumbo with cornbread. I had the best fried catfish and shrimp with cabbage and yams, and Justin had the most awesome pork chop sandwich ever. Lola cooks and serves every dish herself. She sat down at our table to take our order, and each time we chose something, (“I’d like the cabbage, please”), she’d say, “Ooooh, you’re gonna love that.” She’s amazing.
    • After dinner we hopped over to the Volstead for drinks. Justin (the bartender) whipped up some lovely beverages for us. After that, E. and N. came to our place and I played bartender to them (I love making cocktails).
    • On Saturday, we spent the day reorganizing the kitchen and cleaning. Yuck.
    • Saturday night, we went to Foreign & Domestic for dinner. They were slammed – so many people! We sat at the counter (our favorite spot) and ate and ate and ate. Ned likes to play this game with us called “I will send you 800 dishes and laugh at you when you can’t finish them all.” We ordered two appetizers, two entrees, and one dessert, and ended up with four appetizers, two entrees, and three desserts. (Sigh, Ned.) We had beef tongue pastrami, white anchovy tartine, beef heart tartare, and pigs brains with huckleberries. Justin had the gnocchi with bacon and broccoli, and I had the redfish with sweet potato puree, rutabagas, and persillade. We shared Jodi’s chocolate trifle, topped with almond sherbet and a pomegranate macaroon. Then Ned sent out the banana tart and the cranberry and chocolate bread pudding. He’s so mean. We love him. 🙂
    • After dinner, we hopped over to Hotel San Jose for drinks with Jodi and friends, and then our friend J. and Ned popped in. Ned and Justin made plans to play basketball at lunch. There was a lot of trash talking.
    • After that, J. and N. came to our place and I whipped up drinks for everyone. I love being a hostess.
    • On Sunday, I finished up cleaning and rearranging the kitchen. I still need another shelf divider and a few other things, but it looks much better!
    • I had some vegetable soup and avocado toast with sea salt and pepper for lunch.
    • I spent the afternoon at my desk, working on book stuff. I organize things with post-it notes on my bulletin boards.
    • We decided pizza was needed for dinner, so we drove down to Home Slice. We were lucky enough to grab seats at the counter, and had our favorite: half Caesar salad for me, half Greek salad for J, and a tomato pie. Yum.
    • Also, I love my cats.

    So, it was a weekend full of food and cocktails. I would say that this week I’m going to cook at home every night, but that would be a lie – Monday we’re going to Asia Cafe with E. and N. ♥

    January 22, 2012
    Everyday Life, Videos
    Austin, cats, edibles, iPhone, Justin, Little, me, restaurants, Roux, video
  • Oh, hi!

    Internets! I’ve been away. There’s been a lot of this going on (see above), but I think I have finally come ’round the bend, and am feeling better. It’s been a rough winter, but thanks to help from lots of friends and family and docs, I believe the worst of it is over.

    I’m still having trouble getting motivated to carry my camera around. I’m not sure why – I think I’m wanting to do something differently. I’ve thought of shooting mostly film, or Polaroids, or iPhone photos, or videos – but I think my favorite daily images come from my digital camera. I just have to pick it up again, because I miss taking photos, and oddly enough, I miss editing photos.

    I do want to do a some more videos – I forgot how fun those are! And maybe day-in-the-life posts, or daily eats posts, or movie still posts – I’m just ready to be back in this little space.

    So anyway! All of you out there, thank you for your support, and I hope spring is on its way to you, too! (It’s 74 degrees today in Austin.) 🙂

    January 22, 2012
    Everyday Life
    Canon Rebel T1i, cats, Little, Roux
  • Movie Moments: Amelie (part 2)

    So I’ve shared some of my favorite drink moments in Amélie, and now, here are some of my favorite food moments!

    Sweet cherry earrings…

    Raspberry fingers…

    Dipping your fingers into a sack of lentils…

    Cracking open the top of a creme brûlée…

    Shopping for the perfect endive at Mssr. Collignon’s shop…

    Slurping soup from enormous spoons at your father’s place (of course with a carafe of red wine nearby)…

    A simple dinner for one – pasta with cheese and butter, and a simple salad…

    Amélie baking her “famous plum cake“…

    Dominique Bretodeau’s perfectly roasted chicken, which he carves and enjoys slowly, starting with the oysters (yum)…

    And of course, the grocery surprise that Lucien brings Mssr. Dufayel – caviar, foie gras, and champagne.

    Ah, Amélie. A feast for the eyes.

    January 15, 2012
    Everyday Life
    fun finds
  • Mason Jar Michelada

    I’ve figured out this mix for myself. Justin likes to add lots of spicy things as well, but I like a simple, not-too-spicy michelada. Today I used Bohemia beer, but your favorite Mexican beer will do nicely. I love using the mason jar because it’s already marked with amounts on the side, making it super-easy to make the drink. 🙂

    January 10, 2012
    Edibles
    Canon Rebel T1i, cocktails, edibles
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