Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Fried Rice

I'm posting this from Vietnam.  I wrote it before leaving, so I'm not going to discuss my travels at all. I'm sure I am having a wonderful time.

A few months ago a bought some Thai basil.  It was a plant that was sold in a little disposable pot of dirt.  I have kept watering it, and it is still alive.  I don't think it is going to survive the week and a half I'm in Vietnam, so I picked every leaf to make this stir fried rice.

Vanilla and Cookie Crumb Bundt Cake

I like bundt cakes.  The don't require fancy decorating, and they can be transported easily.  I made this bundt cake about two weeks ago and brought it to work.  I ate a slice for breakfast.  I have a insatiable sweet tooth.  

I can eat sweets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I would be much healthier if I didn't like chocolate and desserts so much.  Sugar is my downfall.

Caramel and Coconut Chocolate Pancakes

For a few years, I have been trying to learn Mandarin.  It has been a slow process.  Sometimes my enthusiasm wanes.  Sometimes I take classes, do language exchanges, meet with a tutor, or use a computer program to study.

Last Saturday I went to a Chinese conversation meet up group.  The meeting lasted two hours.  It was a kick in the pants.  It was very humbling.  My brain was tired afterwards.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bacon

Several months ago I went to a restaurant near my office to get lunch.  I was paying for my salad when I saw chocolate chip cookies with bacon near the register.  On a whim, I bought one.

Bacon is huge right now.  People add it to all kind of desserts, such as cupcakes, bars, chocolate, candy, cookies, and ice cream.  I have made biscotti that had bacon.

Clam Chowder

In the beginning of July, I spent a few days in San Francisco.  While there, I ate clam chowder a couple of times at a very popular restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf.  It was packed to the brim with tourists.  The soup was served in a hearty, sourdough bread bowl.  

The soup was good.  When I got back, I decided to make my own clam chowder.  It was the first meal I made while getting back into the grove of things.

Tropical Fruit Salad

I'm getting  back into my normal routine.  I went to San Diego last week for a conference.  Over the fourth of July weekend, I went to San Francisco.  It was fun, but it is nice to sleep in my own bed too.

The first thing I noticed when I got off of the plane in Virginia is the sweltering humidity.  San Diego was perfectly temperate, and San Francisco was brisk.  The summer heat is nice, but it wilts my enthusiasm for outdoor activities.

Brookies with Oreos

Last week was a busy week.  I went to San Diego for a work conference.  I decided to take a little vacation after the conference over the fourth of July weekend.  I traveled to San Francisco.  

It was my first trip to San Francisco.  I had a great time.  I saw Land's End, Coit Tower, Fishermans' Wharf,  the Golden Gate Bridge, the Mission neighborhood, Chinatown, the Asian art museum, Lombard Street, and Angel Island, among other places.

Chocolate Pancakes with Mini Peanut Butter Cups

I'm writing this from San Francisco.  It is my first time visiting this city.  I was in San Diego for a work trip, and decided to take a short weekend trip to see San Francisco.

Even though I had never been here before, it sounded like a city I would enjoy living in.  I still think that's true, but some aspects of the city are different than what I anticipated.  It's a bigger city than I anticipated.