It's Christmastime in the City

Soon it will be Christmas Day.

Happy Holidays!

"These Pretzels are Making Me Thirsty"

(Seinfeld)

Every year, I make one (then another) batch of Chex Mix during the holidays.

And, every year, I wonder what to do with all the leftover pretzels.

But not anymore!

I now have 3 new recipes...

Holiday Pretzel Treats
Ingredients:
Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug
M&M's candy

Instructions:
- Heat the oven to 170F
- Set the pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
- Top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug
- Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon
- Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss
- Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes

Mmmmmmm

Jingle Bells Chocolate Pretzels
Ingredients:

1 cup Hershey's Special Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Hershey's Premier White Chips, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, or oil), divided
Salted or unsalted pretzels

Instructions:
- Cover tray or cookie sheet with wax paper
- Place chocolate chips, 2/3 cup white chips and 1 tablespoon shortening in medium microwave-safe bowl
- Microwave at Medium (50%) 1 minute; stir.
- Microwave at Medium an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds, until chips are melted when stirred
- Using fork, dip each pretzel into chocolate mixture
- Tap fork on side of bowl to remove excess chocolate
- Place coated pretzels on prepared tray
- Place remaining 1/3 cup white chips and remaining 1/2 teaspoon shortening in small microwave-safe bowl
- Microwave at Medium 15 to 30 seconds or until chips are melted when stirred
- Using tines of fork, drizzle chip mixture across pretzels
- Refrigerate until coating is set
- Store in airtight container in cool, dry place

And last but not least...

Pretzel Dip
Ingredients:
1 pint mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup grated onion
1 teaspoon horseradish (jar)
3/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
8 drops tabasco
1/2 teaspoon dry yellow mustard
3/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions:
- Mix
- Chill

(So easy!)

I may have to buy more pretzels...

Close Enough

One thing I wanted to do during my last trip to California was go to a winery.  

But, I ran out of time.

Luckily, my friend Kris had a voucher from White Silo Farm and Winery in Sherman, Connecticut  (just a 90-minute drive from New York City) for a tour of the vineyard, wine tasting, picnic lunch and a "free" bottle of wine.

For two!

And, luckily (for me), her husband had plans this weekend.

My favorite was the rhubarb 

Old apple press, used to make the rhubarb wine

It was a gorgeous day, and the wine was delicious.

I still need to check out a winery (or two) in California, but this, for now, was definitely close enough!

Going Back to Cali

I'd thought about taking a trip to Iowa last weekend.


Then a friend suggested Northern California:  Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur...


Sorry Iowa (maybe next time).


I landed in San Francisco at 3:30pm, rented a car and drove Highway 1 down the Pacific Coast at sunset.

I'd made reservation at Hotel Abrego in Monterey, but first I had to stop at Fishwife at Asilomar Beach in Pacific Grove for the award-winning Tilapia Cancun (delicious!).


The next morning, after breakfast at Loulou's Griddle in the Middle (located, appropriately, at the middle of Municipal Wharf #2),

I headed south on Seventeen Mile Drive, back to Highway 1 towards Carmel and Big Sur.

In Big Sur, I stopped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park for the short hike to McWay Falls.

Later, on the way back to Monterey, I had dinner at The Grill on Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea (so charming!), where I tried Sand Dabs for the first time (and loved them!).


The next morning, I had to go back to Loulou's for breakfast (it's that good!), then, since it was raining, decided to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, located on historic Cannery Row (made famous by John Steinbeck's incredible book Cannery Row: (Centennial Edition)).

Dancing!

Then it was time to head back to San Francisco, to visit my good friend from Lemons & Chambray.


We had our traditional thai dinner at Shana Thai Restaurant in Mountain View, then sat up talking at her home in Menlo Park until we couldn't stay awake any longer.


In the morning, we headed to the Palo Alto Creamery Fountain & Grill for some of my friend's (justifiably!) favorite french toast.

It looks old-fashioned because it is.

(Opened in 1923!)

Look at these apple pies!

There was a short wait, so we walked next door to Bells Books.  

Should we go in?

Yes, we should!

I love to support local, independent bookstores (and, love books in general), so bought Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña, and Richard Fariña,  a biography of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez (Menlo Park resident!) living in Greenwich Village in the 60's,  The Subterraneans, by Jack Kerouac, and a vintage edition of Gem of the Prairie: An Informal History of the Chicago Underworldby Herbert Asbury (who also wrote The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld (Vintage), among other books).

After breakfast, my friend's husband took their kids to see Puss in Boots, while we did some shopping at the Savers thrift store in Redwood City.

This place is amazing!  I found a black AG Adriano Goldschmied corduroy jacket, and a long black cardigan by Matty M for $7 each.

$7!

Unfortunately, by then it was almost time to leave for my overnight flight back to New York, but not before a quick cheeseburger and fries at In-N-Out Burger (my first, but hopefully not last!).

Although I do miss Iowa, I think I made a good choice!

It's Un-Gap-ceptable

As previously mentioned, I wanted to make the Gap-tastic Cowl for my friend Gypsy Girl.


The pattern suggested Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky (with 3 stitches and 5 rows per 1 inch in seed stitch).  But I used Hometown USA Yarn (with 2.25 stitches and 3 rows per inch) instead.


That would've been fine, but...  

I didn't adjust the pattern. 


(oops)


So, I cast on 131 stitches, and happily knit and purled in circles until I eventually ran out of yarn.

It's pretty...

But, too long.  


WAY too long...


(131 stitches at 3 stitches per inch = approximately 44 inches.  But 131 stitches at 2.25 stitches per inch = 58 inches!)


Since it's a big circle, it should hang down almost 22 inches, or to about waist level.  But this cowl hangs almost 30 inches.


Luckily, Lion Brand yarn is inexpensive, and the pattern is easy.


So, Gypsy Girl will get her cowl (eventually)!

It's a Boy!

And, a girl!

My neighbors "adopted" two dogs from Puerto Rico, but (conveniently), I'm the only one who can take them in.

1st Walk

"Tiny Tim" (he has a broken leg)

The goal is to get them adopted (together!).

Unless...

Time Flies!

It's been over a year since the last Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York.

And this year, I was prepared.

I had two patterns (the Gap-tastic Cowl and La Cape Capuche) and one checkbook.

And, of course, the Sheep & Wool Festival provided the rest...

Action Shot

Before & After