As a number of you might already know, last week I finally launched the big project I’ve hinted to over the last three months, which I consider to be my GO big or GO home attempt to this whole Project Love thing I’ve been talking about here during this past year. There’s a lot of project-ing (project-ification?) going on in my life right now.
The gist – I want this year to be my year of love. So I decided that one way or the other, I’m going to find love. Even if it means dating 50 different guys in one year.
So, I’m doing just that. I’m going on 50 Food Truck Dates in a year, and writing about it. This “writing about it” means a new site, a new blog, and a lot of my energy, time and focus over the next year to make it BIG. Writing focus, promotion focus, community building focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. So I can make a book deal happen. (After all, writing some sort of memoir is on my Bucket List!)
I have many back stories and layers to how I finally decided to go for this idea. The full details of which probably only two or three people know of in my life. I suppose that’s early incentive to buy my book when it comes out. I promise it’s the stuff romantic comedies are made of.
In the meantime, what does this new site and focus mean for That’s What Je Said? I will most definitely still be around, so don’t totally tune our or delete me from your reader. This blog is a big part of my life and I can’t imagine every completely letting it go. It will still be the place I pop into to share my favorite San Francisco restaurant, photos of how I spend my time, and the things that are weighing on my mind occasionally. However, the time commitment and frequency of posting that needs to happen with my new project means it will take some of my time away from here, unfortunately. I encourage all of you, however, to also bookmark and visit my new blog, 50 Food Truck Dates, if you’d like to tune into my happenings on a more frequent, weekly basis.
Thanks for the support, blog lovelies.
Currently Feeling: Happy after a successful first “Girls Book Hangover Club” meeting at my house!
Currently Anticipating: Vegas next week for work and Seattle for pleasure!
Currently Needing: To figure out how you could invent a pill to get over someone – wouldn’t that be the best pill EVERRRR?!
Recently, an article was written for the New York Times (coincidentally by the husband of one of my favorite bloggers, Joanna from Cup of Joe) about how it can be difficult to make friends after 30. The post has sparked a lot of conversation, and I’ve seen a lot of commentary and social shares from people agreeing or disagreeing with the sentiment of the author, Alex Williams. Williams writes that making friends later in life (your 30s and beyond) can be difficult and is often attributed to us all being a little bit more busy, and a little pickier with what our priorities are and expectations in friendship.
//image// D. Sharon Pruitt
Personally, I’ve been particularly hyper-aware of this during my first year in San Francisco as I’ve been working to fill my “pool of friends,” as Williams calls it. I’ve met a lot of people over this past year and have had many conversations with those who are also in different stages of making new friends: either brand new to a city and what sometimes equates to desperately searching for new friends, struggling to understand the idiosyncrasies of new or changing friendships, or unfortunately, sometimes removing friendships that aren’t working.
I’ve been really lucky in life with friends – close female and male relationships seemingly have come naturally and easily to me thus far. I feel surrounded by friends who feel like my family and a good list I could dial up if shit completely hit the fan, and I needed someone to talk to, pick me up, rescue me, rub my feet and feed me bonbons (just joking – that’s gross).
Saturday I had the immense pleasure of attending a Great-Gastby-themed wine party at CE Cellars Estate in Napa Valley. I first heard about CE Cellars because they were the wine sponsor at a Clue-themed party I attended in May, and the description for their summer kick-off party they were advertising was everything I stand for in life: costumes, games, music, good food, wine and friends. It doesn’t get better than that, people.
I really dig what CE Cellars stands for – CE is an acronym for “casual entertaining” – and they’re about bringing a more personal, less snobby approach to their wine through a social club. Yesterday they poured a wine called, “Fish,” which pairs with – you guessed it – fish. And a super yummy red called, “Steak…” I’ll leave you to finish that one. I’m also kinda in love with their packaging for Bash, their proprietary red blend. The bottle has repeating symbols on it, but features ONE symbol that isn’t repeated. When the wine owner, Preston O’Connor, told me this at the Clue party, I immediately had to search the bottle to find the one non-repeating symbol. It’s fun little schticks like this that I appreciate (why not make a game out of everything in life?!)
Preston hosted the Great Gastby party at his family’s estate in Napa Valley – a breathtaking homestead with gorgeous vineyards leading up to a house in the middle of gardens and a backyard set up with family-style tables for wine tasting and lunch. The grounds even had a pool, poolhouse and outdoor barbecues! How lucky to have grown up in such beauty.
Secret slides! Secret slides, you guys. I probably don’t even need to explain why this qualifies for one of Je’s SF-Best Crowns. My friend Jess dug up an article on these secret slides from Broke Ass Stuart (a well-known SF blogger, for those of you not located here), and we immediately worked visiting these slides into the first weekend we could.
It’s not necessarily that they’re the best slides ever, but it’s just so random and fun to go on a hunt for secret slides. Plus, anytime someone tells me something is “SECRET” or “UNDERGROUND,” I immediately need to experience it for myself. I’m like that 5 year old child that hates naps cause I don’t want to miss out on any of the fun.
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Psych!
But you guys, I did almost meet a male model last week on a Grouper date. I was *this* close to realizing one of my lifelong dreams. Squeal! I honestly don’t know how I got so close to perfection, and I’m still walking around this week like nothing amazing and life-changing almost happened to me.
Here’s how the story goes: I went on a Grouper date last week with two of my San Francisco ladies, Lauren and Jess…let’s just say it was one part awkward with two parts semi-decent-looking-but-really-not-interesting, one part missing-in-action-male-model and three parts amazingly-interesting-and-funny-and-irresistible.
I’ll give you a minute to figure that one out, and if you can’t, read on…
I found an article about how Grouper was launching in San Francisco, and because I’ll try most anything once all in the name of a good story for my blog (except this), we signed up. Grouper is a pretty cool concept that helps take some of the “edge” off online dating or blind dates – one girl gets chosen for the date, and she brings two of her friends, and one guy gets chosen for the date, and he brings two of his friends. Each person pays $20, and you get one free drink with your registration. All you have to do is show up, mingle with the five other people on a “date,” make some conversation, collect your free drink and VOILA instant love, or friends, or a fun night, or something. (If you Google Grouper just totes ignore those articles about it being a scam, or fishy, or how the CEO stepped down. NBD).
I went into the date a bit nervous, per usual. I think it’s the unexpected that puts me a little on edge… what are they going to be like…will they show up…am I going to be the only girl they won’t like…is it going to be totally awkward?
Well, we got “totally awkward” off on the right foot when the three of us walked into Elixir in the Mission and there was a table with a rather LARGE sign that said, “This table is RESERVED for GROUPER Group!” Like slap a Post-It on my forehead that I’m on a blind date from the Internet, and I’ll walk around the bar for shits and giggles. THIS is how I choose to spend my Wednesday nights, people.
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Tonight I tried a new recipe from the Pink of Perfection blog that I found on Pinterest - Bulgur Wheat, Pomegranate Salad with Walnut-Crusted Chicken Breast.
I’m always looking for new ways to keep healthy, “clean cooking” in my diet, but interesting ways to cook my proteins and new side dishes to mix them up with. This was a perfect combination of a tasty side dish and a new technique to cook chicken that I haven’t tried before. Just workin’ daily on my number one goal in life – training to become the perfect wifey. 
The best thing about this recipe – it is SUPERCHARGED with super foods. I crosschecked the recipe with this list of 100 Super Foods for Your Diet, and TEN of the 15 ingredients are super foods. Super foods should be an important part of your daily diet because they fight infection, enhance your immune system, and protect against diseases such as cancer. *Steps off soap box* Specifically, the side salad is jampacked with one of my all-time fav super foods: pomegranates.
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After at least two weeks of hitting the town every night, or recuperating from hitting the town every night, my adult duties have been officially beyond the point of acceptable neglect.
I’ve been out of groceries for at least a month. So bad, that this week I caught myself eating stale taco shells with ground taco meat from the freezer (no tomatoes, lettuce or salsa) served with a side of applesauce for dinner. The real (single) housewives of white trash! P.S. Why isn’t that a Bravo show?!
Stella and I spent all day cleaning, cooking and organizing today. And everything is amazing* on the homefront once again…
I have a freezer full of homemade meals to grab for lunches or dinner, fresh salsa from scratch in the fridge, and stuffed peppers simmering in the crockpot overnight. I bought a new wicker trunk from Pier 1 for my bedroom (to store shoes discretely) and a fun new cream shag rug for the living room. Laundry is done, folded and put away. Lilies are in a vase, a new basil plants sits in my kitchen windowsill, and everything is scrub-a-dubbed, organized and smelling clean.
Even Stella is saying, “Ahhhhh.”
*The top photo with fun writing was taken on the new iPhone photo app I downloaded today, Quiption. You can overlay fun text on your photos and even send them as real postcards! Thanks @ronschott for the tip!
Currently Feeling: Ready to take on my week, equipped with healthy food to fuel my body!
Currently Anticipating: A fun beer launch party for Churchkey Can Co. on Tuesday.
Currently Needing: To buy my ticket to Greece! September is rapidly approaching.
For Memorial Day this year, I decided to take a road trip to visit one of my best friends from college who lives in Hermosa Beach. My friend Janelle and I left San Francisco Saturday morning in my VW Bug, arriving in L.A. at 6 o’clock that evening.
Driving down California’s I-5 is no picnic. It’s probably the most boring drive I’ve done as of yet – no towns, zero people, nothing much to look at and miles of hills and barren yellow grass for about seven hours. Blech! We did try to make it a bit more fun though, with Pandora, Spotify and iPod music serenading us the whole way. (Seriously, what did people do in the days of tapes and CDs). And we did manage to stop for some road-side margs and guacamole!
I’ve really been on a poached egg kick as of late. I eat one every morning in my oatmeal, I add one to the top of polenta I make at home (with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan), and I gravitate toward everything on a menu with a poached egg. Everything is made better with poached eggs! I cannot tell a lie.
This dish was one of the best dishes I’ve had since I’ve lived in San Francisco – so simple, yet so tasty, with a little bit of naughty (bacon and eggs) and nice (no carbs). Warm, local asparagus, topped with crispy house-made pancetta, a poached egg (poached in truffle oil!) and drizzled with vinaigrette.
My dining partner and I both ordered it, and both licked the plate and then talked at least twice since then about how good it was. I’m definitely going to try to recreate it at home!
If you’d rather eat the original, it can be found at a bar called District in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco. District is a super cool wine bar with a great atmosphere and a good looking crowd – perfect for after-work drinks!
Currently Feeling: A little under the weather – boo sniffly nose.
Currently Anticipating: 70 degrees in SF on Thursday and Friday!
Currently Needing: About 14 extra hours in the day. Oh, and someone to grocery shop and clean my house.
I used to be in love with Lush. When I was younger, it was only in Canada and was on the top of my list of places to visit when on shopping trips to Vancouver, B.C. The store smells like a dream with unlimited girly products in fun packaging that make you swoon such as fizzy bath bombs dipped in roses and massage oils shaped like chocolate bars. It’s been years since I’ve been in one though, so I was excited to find a Lush near my office in downtown San Francisco!
Last week, I purchased two of their product that are.to.die for, so I thought I’d share them here with my curly headed gals (or those who need a little moisture in their lives). All one or two of you. Bueller… Bueller…
Curly Wurly is a conditioning shampoo that you can use every day (even if you have dried-out curly hair!) It’s like a coconut moisture milkshake with actual slivers of coconut, and I want to eat it then rub it all over my head, over and over. (Weird).
R&B (Restore & Balance) is a leave -in conditioner that smells like the best Hawaiian sunblock ever, combined with the prettiest bouquet of lilacs and lilies. It leaves my hair so soft and adds back in the moisture that’s sucked out from having a frizzy curly Jew fro on top of your head all day. I literally walk down the hall at work, shaking my head back and forth, so I can smell myself. (Weird, again).
AND, I officially reached my limit of using the word “moist” on my blog for the year. Enjoy!
Currently Feeling: Somewhat frustrated, bummed and annoyed, but surprisingly upbeat!
Currently Anticipating: Showing my cancer fundraising support at the Mr. Marina competition tomorrow – should be a bit ridiculous, but a good time!
Currently Needing: To grocery shop – gah! Not having fresh fruit and veggies at my house for meals grosses me out.
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