Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Artichoke, Spinach, and Caramelized Onions

I have had another busy week.  I week ago I went to Spain.  I was back in town for two days before leaving on a work trip to San Francisco.

I was only in San Francisco for three days, and my days were mostly filled with work stuff.  I was still able to see the pier, the ocean, and some seals.  I also walked around Chinatown and ate some tasty Mexican food.  

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

It has been a week!  These last two days at work have felt exhausting.  I haven't had to work long hours.

I have been trying to learn something new, and that has required more effort.  I feel like I have spent hours googling how to complete the task.  I have hours ahead of me too because I'm far from completing the assignment.

Tortellini Primavera

I am going to what will probably be my last baseball game of the season.  I have only gone to two other games this year, but that is pretty good for me.  I think I only went to one game last year.

I am a pretty indifferent fan, but I support the Nationals.  DC is the only city I have lived in with a professional baseball team.  I don't like watching baseball on TV, but it is fun to see in person.

Chicken Chow Mein

A few weeks ago I read a book about Chinese American food.  The author discuses the history of Chinese American foods like chop suey and chow mein.  It was fascinating to see how Chinese foods were created to appeal to the American palate.

She also wrote about fortune cookies.  She believes that fortune cookies were actually created by Japanese Americans, but they gained prominence by the efforts of Chinese American producers.  

Tomato and Artichoke Gnocchi

I went to a fun Thai restaurant yesterday.  The restaurant doesn't have a set menu.

Each person pays a set amount, and they serve you whatever they made that day.  They served us multiple  dishes.

Tuna Casarole

It is starting to feel a bit like spring around here.  The weather is warming up.  Because of the time change,  it is light out for a few hours after I finish work.

Spring is lovely.  I expect to see flowers and blossoms soon.  I can't complain of a long cold winter, but I appreciate spring nonetheless.

Chili Mac and Cheese

My parents went to Disney land last Fall.  For Christmas, they gave me socks that look like a mermaid tale and Mickey Mouse shaped pasta.  You cannot tell in these pictures, but each piece of pasta looks like Mickey's head.

I haven't made a pasta dish for a while.  For some reason, I usually make dishes that are served with rice instead of pasta.  I need to give pasta more of a chance.

Koshari

I am going to Vietnam in a little over a month.  I bought my ticket months ago.  I have been planning our itinerary.  The basic plan was just agreed upon last Sunday.

My friend who I am traveling with is willing to go along with whatever I suggest, which is pretty flexible and kind of her.  We fly into Ho Chi Min, but we will be traveling to a few northern cities during our visit too.

Shrimp Pad See Ew

A couple of sushi burrito places have opened up in my area, and I can't seem to get enough of them.  In the last month, I have eaten three sushi burritos.  They are really yummy.

It's such a fun idea.  Asian and Mexican fusion foods seem to be big.  Korean tacos took off and now sushi burritos.  Some people have very clever food ideas.

Bacon, Chicken, and Sun Dried Tomatoes Macaroni and Cheese

I made this decadent and rich macaroni and cheese recipe during the last snow storm.  There is something about being stuck inside all day because of cold weather that makes me want to eat comfort food.  I nibbled on this gooey goodness and chocolate for two days.

If I lived in a cold climate like Norway I'd probably gain at least ten pounds every winter.  I used orecchiette pasta.  I think it is adorable.  There are many, many shapes and sizes.  There are some I have never seen before, like garganelli, riceioli di sfoglia, and spighe.  I need to spend more time in gourmet grocery stores.

Pancit

For Christmas Eve, my family celebrates Christmas according to a the traditions of another country.  Every year a different country is chosen.  Last year we celebrated a Basque Christmas.  This year we celebrated a Pilipino Christmas.

We ate pancit, chicken adobo, a fruit salad with sour cream and sweetened condensed milk, an egg roll like dish called lumpia, flan, and a coconut cake made with rice flour.  Everything was superb.  I made the pancit.

Nigella Lawson's Mac and Cheese

Most of the time I have been home visiting my parents, my brother, sister in-law, and their family has been visiting too.  It has been fun to see their children.  Some years I don't see them at all, and last year I was able to see them a few times.

Their children are not picky eats, but there are foods they like more than others.  They will eat chile and waffles, but they devour macaroni and cheese, lasagna, and Captain Crunch.  I have a soft spot in my heart for carbs and sugary cold cereals too.

Vegetable Pasta

Today I went on the most delicious bike ride.  The temperature was ideal.  The leaves are still green, but Fall is in the air.

The bike path follows a river.  There were a few sail boats floating idyllically.  It was very picturesque.  

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I am going to Iceland in a month.  A couple of friends and I started thinking about a trip to Iceland a few months ago.  It's amazing it's only a month away.

I never planned on vacationing to Iceland.  I have a list of places I want to travel, and Iceland was not on that list.  I decided to go because of very convincing advertising for cheap airplane tickets. 

Shanghai Stir-Fried Noodles with Chicken

Every year my co-works have a barbecue during the summer.  We start early and continue chatting and eating until dusk. 

Yesterday was the day.  My co-workers come from a few different ethnic backgrounds, so it's fun to taste the diversity of foods.  

Garlic Noodles

I have a terrible habit, an addiction really.  I have an insatiable thirst for diet Dr. Pepper. 

I drink at least one diet Dr. Pepper every weekday.  It such a waste of money, and I'm sure it's dissolving the lining of my stomach.