I went to Philz for the first time (for the peeps who don’t live in the Bay Area, Philz is a full on THING for coffee snobs). They opened one in Davis a while ago, but I can’t justify spending $$$$ on coffee when I am perfectly in love with the stuff I make at home. Alas. It was high time I at least saw what all the fuss was about. My friend walked me through the ordering process (it’s single cup pour over like most boutique cafes right now). I went with one of their signature drinks – an iced mint mojito (but decaf with almond milk). It was interesting…I’m not sure if its worth $5 but it was a treat (and mostly as an excuse to take my friend out because she needed it). It was good enough to order it again. 😛
That was a million years ago though.
Here are a few more snapshots because I am so far behind I’m not sure if I will ever catch up.
I made another loaf of seedy bread. Make a loaf guys! It’s perfect for fall…although have you been having the weirdest weather where you are too? It is bizarre over here. Tuesday was rainy for a second but 70 degrees and humid at the same time, as if we were in Hawaii!? And now it’s been overcast and stormy looking on and off, but still warm, bordering hot. Bizarre bizarre bizarre. I wonder when Fall will actually arrive. Regardless of the time of year, this bread is a nice breakfast, topped with whatever or eaten plain.
First one I had with cashew buttah.
Next up was this gem that I brought home from Hawaii.
Let’s break this down…Macadamia nut (YES). Honey (YES). Coconut (YES). Peanut butter (YES). YES YES YES!
This is the perfect meal to enjoy by myself with a cup of coffee while the kids are in school.
That scenario happens only once a week, because of all the other crap I have going on, but once a week is still a victory. Kyle and I look at the calendar at the start of the week and based on his work schedule he picks a day to drop off both kids. I honestly don’t know who loves “daddy drop off day” the most in our family. Even though it’s such a simple thing, it’s important to him and so we prioritize it.
I typically go on long bike rides as soon as I finish feeding the kids breakfast and when I come home the house is quiet and I can shower in peace and eat slowly and do as little or as much as I want to. It’s hard to force myself to not go a mile a minute because time without kids is time that I can take care of business but I need to force myself to have a few seconds of down time in order to keep all the balls I’m juggling in the air throughout the rest of the week. And the rest of the mornings can be whatever because I know I have that one morning to myself.
Bulk veggie prep with no waste because I brought my own veggie bags. I washed and chopped the carrots right away, but didn’t get to the Brussels sprouts until the next day.
It’s October!
Pancake prep…
Made a few days’ worth.
Weekend solo time with my firstborn.
We “adventured” at a new park, collecting a bag of leaves, sticks, feathers, and other random treasures from nature that we then brought home to glue to a huge piece of cardboard (that he also found while we were wandering).
A bottle of glue and an hour later I had the happiest kiddo on the planet.
It really doesn’t take much with this guy…
Meanwhile Kyle and V were at the Folsom zoo having a blast.
Here are those Brussels. $8 worth of them to be exact…which will last NO TIME AT ALL. We fight over them. 😛
It took us a few months to figure this out, but dinner out with friends is the new play date. Because everyone is busy and our kids go to different schools and do different activities now; now we catch up around meals. Works for me! 🙂
We went to Selland’s and got a bunch of stuff to share, but they were having issues and some stuff never arrived. Annoying. The Swedish meatballs (above) were the BEST THING. Salty and rich and just plain old dreamyyyyyyy. The mac n cheese was for Kyle, but V stole most of it. She’s a cute thief, that’s how she gets away with it.
We also got two kinds of chicken – teriyaki thighs and lemon herb breasts.
It was all good though. Selland’s always is.
Kyle was out of town and came home to a cheesy strata allll for him. He’s always happy to get home, but this doesn’t hurt either.
Woah, P is really starting to look like Kyle! V has your cheeks!
Ah Philz! Rewind to 2012? My ex-boyfriend lived three doors down from a Philz in San Francisco. There was consistently a line down the block, because it would take the barista an eternity to make a cup of coffee (while gossiping?) All the permeations and combinations for just a cup of coffee? If I am going to be spending 5 bucks, I better be getting an almond milk latte with a shot of something else 😉 You are a rockstar! I am happy to see you take time for yourself!
I am a TOTAL sucker for fancy coffee!! Not flavors and such (mint?? Not in my coffee, thanks) but for the unique roasts and a good espresso with a proper crema ontop makes me so happy.
I don’t understand how you had that magical macadamia blend ut butter in the house and didn’t open it immediately! Haha, i would have had a spoon in that constantly.
Your alone morning sounds fantastic and much needed :))
I forgot about it (it was hidden behind other nut butters) and as soon as I saw it in the pantry it made it’s way into my mouth asap.
Random question for you: what kind of griddle do you use for making pancakes? We make them often enough that I’m considering asking for one for my bday/Christmas.
I have a Lodge that covers two burners, but my stove is so massive that if there were a bigger one it would fit better. The Lodge is amazing though and I leave it permanently on one side of the stove because we use it so often. Seasoned well and needs no fuss or anything