Queenkv's Brainpickings

I suspect I enjoy menu browsing outside of restaurants more than window shopping at department stores and clothing boutiques.

I enjoy a decent deal off cute heels or a dress. However, I love a good meal. A tasty bite softens the blow of a bad day. Warm soup chases away the chill from a summer storm. A fine glass of wine makes my world a better place, on good and bad days.

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Today’s view from my yoga studio.

I rolled out my mat on our patio at our bed and breakfast, the Inn at Mavericks. I worked on sun salutations. I closed my eyes and allowed the lighthouse gongs to center my breathing. When I bent my leg into tree pose, I stared at a billowing American flag, perched on a fishing boat. I breathed in salty sea air and good vibes. I breathed out frustrations and worries from my work week. I finished my practice with a smile, thinking about one Bali medicine man’s message to Elizabeth Gilbert in “Eat Pray Love“: “Smile in your liver.”

(Yes, the book is better than the movie. However, the movie didn’t suck. Julia Roberts rules.)

Now, the sun is trying to peek out over Half Moon Bay during our Memorial weekend getaway.
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When you get older, leave your ordinary life behind and hit the open road.

I’m trying to get used to the fact that I’m officially in my 30s: married, working, domesticated and totally reliable. We have a good life in Cow Town and we have stable jobs. After a few bumps in the road, I am happy to be working as a journalist.

So when May rolled around and we stared at the reality of turning a year older, we decided to celebrate with a couple of weekend getaways.

In fact, it took us two weekends and 1,000+ miles on my hubby’s Corolla to celebrate our birthdays in May.

At the beginning of the month, we took advantage of my 3-day weekend (a prelude to my 10-day work week in the newsroom) and drove to Lake Tahoe. We left the chains behind and looked forward to hiking on the cliffs next to the lake, all under sunny skies.

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COVINA,CA – Move over, Rachel Ray and forget about $40-a-day.

My hubby and I enjoyed fresh fish, beer and beautiful beach views in Ensenada for $20.
God bless the 12 pesos-1 dollar exchange rate.

As part of my birthday weekend, I wanted to make this picture a reality: watching the waves crash as I enjoyed fresh fish on a Mexican beach.
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We spent a wet Easter Sunday in San Francisco with our friends. Because of my spiffy work schedule, my hubby suggested driving down to LA and spending the holiday weekend with family. But I didn’t like the idea of driving back home after Mass.

So, it was a pleasure to eat good food and chill with Susan and Tom. Over the last two years, we put a lot of miles on Mark’s Corolla, crossing the Carquinez and Bay Bridges. I think it’s totally worth the mileage to spend time with people I consider I close enough to be family.

This is the third year that we’ve done something special for Easter Sunday in SF, growing into a lovely tradition.

We followed Susan’s suggestion of Easter dinner at the Waterbar on the Embarcadero. The stormy weather offered a romantic backdrop to our classy feast of seafood, wine and other gourmet treats.

Before the weather turned stormy, we marked the end of Lent with steaks on the grill. When I smelled the savory, rich aroma of meat sizzling over hot flames, I nearly melted.
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I planted the white potato seedlings last March. I started digging them up at the end of June.

Joy!

According to a couple of garden-centric web sites, I should harvest the potatoes after the green vines died off. We had a few tiny ones, but a majority ended up being impressive in size.
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I love our grill! June has been a great month to toss meat, seafood and veggies over the flames.

I love the communal nature of grilling. As a married couple, we share prep duties in the kitchen. Together, we brainstorm herb and spice rubs for our proteins and vegetables. Over the weekend, I used salt, pepper and Spice Islands’ Chipotle Chile Seasoning on our shrimp kabobs.
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From my weekends of Good-byes.

Via Twitter, my Medill buddy made it home! She survived her cross-country road trip.

I am in awe anyone who’s willing to hit the highways on her own. As for myself, I’m a wuss. I need my hubby for my own road trips – from Chicago, Topeka and then back to Cali.

On Sara’s last night in San Francisco, she introduced us to Yummy Yummy on Irving Street. It’s a damn tasty place for Vietnamese food. Outside, a flock of foodies were willing to wait in chilly weather for a table.

My crab adventures left a greasy mess on my hands.
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