Weekend Tradition - Homemade Brunch

Everyone has their own traditions, but brunch is one that I think carries across the board. Who doesn't love to sleep in and then sit for a leisurely mid morning meal comprised of your favorite breakfast foods and bottomless coffee? I for one, am a HUGE fan of brunch!

Andy and I have made brunch our unspoken tradition. It just morphed into being and is now a weekly tradition. When I say brunch, I mean homemade brunch. The kind where you sleep in, then the first person wakes up (Andy) and gets the coffee started while the other person slowly crawls out of bed (Me) to help with the grand production of cooking food. Yes, that would be our weekend tradition. Sometimes however, we opt to eat out out for brunch, but usually it is made at home.

In our household, Andy is the brunch cook. I cook dinner a lot of evenings, so he takes over where brunch is concerned. He likes to play loud (sometimes techno) music and the kitchen becomes his canvas. He makes everything from fluffy pancakes, to crispy bacon (my favorite), to grilled grapefruit. His foods may not always look beautiful, and the kitchen may be a complete mess, but the tastes, oh the tastes! That boy knows how to pack some flavor!

This last weekend Andy whipped up a new creation for our Saturday brunch. He made sourdough orange zest french toast. Wow! The orange zest really added a punch of flavor. Then he made a blueberry compote for drizzling on top of the french toast. Literally, melt in my mouth delicious! Andy is also learning how to master cooking bacon in the oven. Our bacon is slowly becoming the perfect amount of crispy. (Keep my bacon crispy, or even burn it and I am a happy gal. What I can't stand is the floppy limp stuff, yuck!)

If you want to try Andy's french toast here's what he did:

Orange Zest French Toast
-6-8 pieces sourdough bread (regular works too)
-4 eggs
-1 cup milk
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-2-3 Tablespoons zest from orange

Beat eggs and milk together. Add salt, cinnamon, and orange zest. Beat everything together really well. Dip both sides of the bread into the egg mixture and place in a buttered pan. Fry on medium heat until both sides are light brown.

Blueberry Compote
-2-3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen work)
-1/3 cup water
-1/4 cup sugar, honey, or agave nectar

Combine everything on the stove top and mix while heating, bring to a low boil. If you want a thicker compote add a few teaspoons of cornstarch.

Marin Headlands & The Golden Gate Bridge

Last weekend Andy and I set out to explore the area near the Golden Gate Bridge. We first crossed the bridge in all its red beauty and grandeur. I walked across the bridge when I was younger, but hardly remembered it, so the drive was very cool. I was like a kid in a candy shop ohhh'ing and ahh'ing with my camera erect and my head hanging out the window. I applaud Andy for putting up with my silly needs to snap pictures of everything while barking orders at him to get us in the right position for the picture that I am looking for. What else are husbands for right? :)

After crossing the bridge we wound around all sorts of curvy roads, passing fancy houses, and wondering when we might catch another view of the bridge. Finally, we found our way to the Marin Headlands State Park. It took us up a long road that offered many perfect views of the bridge, the bay, and San Francisco in all of its glory. Really, what a place!

After stopping about 3-4 times to admire the view and you guessed it- take more pictures, we found a parking spot at the bottom of the hills. From there, we found some hiking paths and set out. Mr. Buckles was all too excited to finally get out of the car and explore the area. We headed up, up, up the hillside. Farther from the bridge, but higher with beautiful views of the bay and its many little islands.

We discovered a real gem in the Marin Headlands State Park. But of course, what isn't a gem in this area?? Next time I think we'll go back and hike out to some of the beaches. The other side of the Golden Gate Bridge has a lot to offer and we will definitely have fun exploring it!

Lake Tahoe Skiing

Last weekend Andy and I went skiing at Lake Tahoe. We went to the Sierra at Tahoe ski resort to be exact. Though there are about 10 other ski resorts to chose from! Variety is always nice.

This was my first time skiing on the West Coast and Andy's second time. It was amazing, words can't describe how awesome it was! We spent our whole day in awe. The snow was packed and perfectly groomed, the sun was shining, and overall conditions were great. Beyond great in fact, perfect!

I had fun skiing on the groomed slopes while Andy would take off into the woods to ski the powder (6 fresh inches when we got there), then we'd meet up at the bottom and ride the lift to another slope. Mid-day we took a break at the tiki bar on the back side of the mountain. We enjoyed fish tacos, chips and salsa, and beer. Fish tacos have never tasted so good. And all of this to a reggae soundtrack playing on some loud speakers in the background. Does skiing get any better?

I think we have found the most ideal place to live in the whole world. Amazing skiing and beautiful beaches all within about 3 hours. That, along with laid back people, amazing food, and chill lifestyles. We are really just in awe with the Bay Area.

What are you up to this weekend? I think we plan to head into San Francisco for restaurant week. I can't wait for some amazing food, and at great prices it'll be even better.

This is where we stopped on the way home. Nothing satisfies more than an In-N-Out burger!

Peninsula Beaches

Ahh the beaches of the San Francisco Peninsula! Last weekend was the first 'real' weekend that Andy and I have had in the Bay Area. Our first weekend we moved in, then it was New Years, so finally we had a nothing-to-do weekend. It was great! We started by driving to Half Moon Bay. It was a lovely drive through green hills and past little farms and flower stands. We also passed a few vineyards that we hope to go back and visit. From Half Moon Bay, we drove up highway 1 and stopped at a few more beaches. It was a wonderful leisurely day of overcast skies, playing on the beach, watching surfers, and sampling the local cuisine (crab). I love that this is home now!

What are you doing this weekend? I think we plan on heading to the slopes...Lake Tahoe!