Encounters with nature

One of the things I love about Kiawah is the uncrowded natural beauty. You can go to the beach in the height of summer, look to your left and right and find that you're the only one out there.

You can also go crabbing. Brett's family put chicken necks in a wire cage, and caught some blue crabs to steam. Other crabbing techniques are to put chicken necks on a string and toss the line into the water. This approach often attracts gators as well as crabs. Personally, I'm much more comfortable with the cage approach.

Brett and I went biking one day and while riding along a little too quickly I skidded off the path and through a spider web. Normally not a big deal, but with spiders like this one (body the size of a nickel) it can be a little disconcerting. Luckily I hit the web below the spider and didn't end up with any unexpected passengers.

Ahhh....Kiawah

Over Labor Day Weekend, Brett and I flew to Charleston, SC to visit his grandmother. She lives on Kiawah Island, which is a beautiful barrier island on the coast. It's known for its plentiful golf courses and ritzy resort & spa - but I love it for the laid back atmosphere, uncrowded beaches, and natural beauty. Unlike towns like Ocean City, MD which have gone condo and strip mall crazy, Kiawah remains fairly undeveloped, with strict building codes and plenty of nature spotting.
It's not uncommon to see deer, dolphins playing in the river, and lots of shore and marsh birds. You might even see a gator or two. We rented a house near the marsh, and enjoyed wide water views and gorgeous sunsets. It was a great place to unwind after a hectic summer.

Adventures at 99 Ranch

Shopping at 99 Ranch isn't for the faint of heart. It's a crowded Asian grocery store chain with great deals on produce and seafood, and an interesting assortment of Asian food products. Personally, I love shopping there. They have live Maine lobsters for $6.99 a pound, and pre-made dim sum that can be as good as what you find in a restaurant for a fraction of the price.


Last weekend I picked up some steamed turnip cake. I got a 1 lb brick of it for $3 - and I sliced it and fried it up in some peanut oil. Delicious, and at a fraction of the $4 charge for a few small pieces.

I also picked up some lobsters and clams for a clambake in the seafood department. It's a little smellier than most grocery store seafood places, but it's fascinating to watch workers scoop live fish from a tank to present to a customer, and then see that same live fish thrown onto a table, beaten over the head with a mallet, and then cleaned and filleted for the customer on the spot. While somewhat unsettling, it's a fascinating show - and at least you know the fish is fresh.

I can't wait to try out the karaoke place next door with some friends. Private rooms so you can scream your heart out in private. I feel "Living on a Prayer" is in my future.

Kelp Noodles

I was shopping at Berkeley Bowl a few weeks ago and in the Asian refrigerated section I saw this bag of kelp noodles. They looked like cellophane noodles, but had only 18 calories in the entire package! I love finding low cal foods that actually taste good (and as I'm sure you know, that can be difficult) - so I popped them in my cart.

I decided to make a Chinese cellophane noodle dish, using the kelp noodles as a substitute. I tried one straight out of the package, and they were snappy in texture but pretty non-descript. The package said "neutral taste" - and they were right.

After throwing them in with the sauce, they became soft like a regular noodle - and the result was tasty!

Although my picture of the finished product doesn't do them justice - I'll be experimenting with these again!

Rainbow Rum Cake

I was invited to a friend's house for a Pink Saturday party this weeekend, so I decided to make a rainbow rum cake to fit with the theme. It's the same recipe as a regular rum cake - but with food coloring. I got the idea for the rainbow cake from a blog (Omnomicon) and adapted it for the pans I had on hand. It was a blast to make. I simply made the cake batter according to the recipe, and then added gel based food coloring.

I made some mini-cupcakes...


..and a loaf.


They were so fun looking..


...especially the loaf pan slices. I drizzled (soaked) the cupcakes and slices in a rum glaze, and they were complete.


Sadly, we never found the party they were intended for - but somehow I don't think my co-workers will mind a little alcohol infused breakfast treat on Monday morning :-)

Rodeo Beach

One of the things we love about living in Marin is the proximity to the beaches. Granted, the water isn't terribly warm - but it's still a nice place to spend an afternoon, and the drive is only 20 minutes.



Even Holly was smiling :-)

Happy 6th Anniversary Brett!

Over the past 6 years, wedding anniversaries have been anything but the typical dinner out for me and Brett. Our first one was spent at my mom's funeral. Our third was forgotten (by both of us) in the frenzy of moving to California. If it weren't for the e-mail from Brett's sister or the call from his mom, I think it would have been days before we realized the goof. We were that hazed.

Our 4th was spent wandering our new home town of Amsterdam, learning the rules about cash only restaurants and a town that seemed to run on a banking system we weren't yet a part of. Our 5th was spent on a cruise in the Baltic seas, in between port calls to Russia and Estonia.

This year, we're going back to basics. We're heading up to wine country for lunch, followed by overpriced cookies from a bakery nearby. While we're lucky to be able to celebrate our anniversary today, it's not the date that counts. It's the journey in between that matters most.

Happy Anniversary Brett!