sunday funday.
to most people, "sunday funday" is the designated term for spending the last day of your weekend at either a bottomless mimosa brunch or a nearby happy hour. for me, sunday funday means three things:
1. diet cream soda
2. birthday hats
3. takeout
to celebrate olive's very first birthday, we had a long relaxing day of laziness and lifetime movies. when dinnertime rolled around, it occured to me that i had chinese food on the brain.
my first thought was, "oh right. it's sunday!"
although the oaks gourmet's pizza night ended up swaying me in a different direction with their lamb and feta special, i couldn't get spicy orange chicken out of my head. this is where the story comes in.
in the two and a half years that sara and i spent as roomies, there was one tradition that never failed to end our weekends. sunday night was always chinese food scary movie night. there was nothing better than spreading our endless boxes and containers out on the living room floor and watching horror flicks all night long. we would eat enough food for six people, play our fortune cookie game, and then wait for the other one to inevitably say,
"okay i'm getting my ice cream. do you want yours?"
those sundays were always extra special when sara had been back in south carolina for the weekend because it seemed like we had so much to catch up on. as we'd both drag our oversized bags of clean laundry up the three flights of stairs and exchange stories of homecooked meals, it was such a comfort to know that crab wontons and blockbuster were in our future. i can't tell you exactly which sunday started this tradition--what we ordered or which movies were watched--but it made sunday claim a very special place in my heart and in my stomach. almost one year later and two thousand miles apart, that craving for noodles and hot and sour soup still finds its way into the end of my week and never fails to make me miss my best friend.
tonight i may have ended up with a pizza on my lap, but spring rolls were in my heart.
in other news...i went to the beach on friday!
the full time job starts tomorrow and i decided that i should take advantage of being able to hit the beach on a weekday while i still can. i couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day.
i had beautiful weather, a good book, and increasing tan lines.
and just when i thought my day could get any better...
i saw a lady carrying fruit on her head.
as delicious as her pineapples and mangos looked, i was saving my appetite for my favorite santa monica lunch spot. although the bergamot cafe may seem like just another place to grab a sandwich or a salad--their food is healthy and fresh and their drinks are perfect for a hot day. my favorite is their mint lemonade, but since they were out of it i went with the blackberry iced green tea instead.
on my first trip to the bergamot cafe a few months ago, i posted about their delicious roast beef and avocado sandwich. i was in a veggie mood today so i decided to try out their "sassy garden avocado sandwich." i was proud of myself for trying something new, but i knew it would just be ridiculous if i passed up their amazing coleslaw that i had the last time i was there. i've had a lot of coleslaw in my life...and this one is in my top three.
things got a little messy as i sat in traffic picking avocado off of my bathing suit and watching chipolte aioli run down my fingers--but it was worth every bite.
speaking of avocados...
i decided my contribution to a friend's birthday potluck cookout would be my famous guacamole. people have asked me what makes it so special and to be honest, i think it's just the right blend of a few simple ingredients. guacamole isn't rocket science and it certainly doesn't require a lot of fancy touches. it's just the perfect integration of avocados, diced tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos, hot sauce, lime juice, lime zest, salt, and pepper. the trick is not adding too much of any one ingredient. you taste as you go until you have the perfect salty, citrusy, creamy blend of chip-dipping goodness.
it also helps to have a kitchen assistant.
to see a few other yummy things i cooked this week,
No comments:
Post a Comment