Spring sprung while I was across the country!

On our vacation...

My bf and I just returned from our first (real) vacation together in San Fransisco. Although much of the time was spent with friends or visiting family, we still had some quality time to relax and sight-see. My family were dears and allowed us to use one of their cars whenever we wished, although a couple of times we opted to take the BART (train) into the city.

The Japanese Tea Garden in the middle of Golden Gate Park was most assuredly worth the small fee, although I think it would've been more enjoyable if there were fewer people. Maybe it would've had a more traditional atmosphere in that regard. Although I never have been a fan of misbehaving children...

Another noteworthy item are the giant sequoias that grow in the area (I just have to con the bf into uploading the photos). We took the long loop through the national park near the San Rafael bridge, which was amazing. If you made any attempt to walk and look upward you'd stumble over because their height was simply too much to not be distracted.

In the kitchen...

My boyfriend had extra time to spend vacationing, so he left early for Seattle and then we later met in SF. In the meantime I did some cooking for one (which he was sorely disappointed by, haha). I had picked up an artichoke as they were on sale, but I had never eaten one whole before, so it was quite the experience, but a most enjoyable one! I used a combination of two or three stuffed artichoke recipes as I didn't have any anchovy on hand (and I'm afraid to eat them anyway). The result was delish! I will absolutely make this again for the bf and myself.

I also had a bunch of organic kale. A friend of mine recently told me that whenever she eats it for dinner, she feels like a total powerhouse the next morning as it's packed with those good-for-you vitamins and minerals. I used half the bunch to make kale chips which turned out to be incredible! I used balsamic vinegar instead of cider vinegar as I had it on hand, but it gave it a really great flavor. The only thing I would note is that they were overly salty, so I wouldn't add any salt at all... maybe a dash if one couldn't live without...

What's next for my kitchen agenda? This incredible fresh tortellini and spring vegetable salad, I'd wager. The local farmer's market has started up, so this weekend I'll start watching for the veggies and once they're all in season here, this is what I'll be putting on my table!