san francisco – toastedbunz

18 Reasons Cooking Class

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017 by toastedbunz, posted in Events, hobby, information, Recipe, Uncategorized

18 Reasons is a non-profit based in San Francisco that not only provides cooking classes to community members but also free cooking classes to low-income communities throughout the Bay Area.

The night my friends and I went was ‘Spring Soups’!

We made crispy salmon, warm potato salad with a watercress sauce/soup. A build your own tortilla soup bar and for dessert a strawberry champagne soup with vanilla ice cream, fried basil, and other accents.

Making the crispy salmon was easy and delicious.

Building the tortilla soup and adding the broth at the end allowed for a fun and different aromatic experience!

Next the crispy salmon over the warm potato salad and watercress sauce was served!

Fried Basil! I have never seen that before!

Everything we prepared was easy and delicious. This cooking class was a lot of fun and I love the mission behind 18 reasons. I highly recommend taking a class here! Enjoy!

Favs on Friday : Food and Drinks

March 10, 2017March 10, 2017 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, coffee, east bay, Events, hobby, information, Restaurant, restaurants, Uncategorized

My fav mocha…. and I am not even a mocha person, but the mocha at Blue Bottle is made with tcho and is ohhh so good. Pair it with a waffle and you have a decadently sweet breakfast.

My love affair with Firebrand continues. Not just a bakery – they serve up amazing breakfast and lunch fare… They also recently started serving beer and wine in the evenings. Need to check it out soon.

Another place I love every time I go but I just don’t go enough is Drake’s Dealership. Went here for lunch and may have had a little too much to drink, but the beers were SO good.

If you love German food head to Gaumenkitzel in Berkeley. This is my second time there and I LOVED it both times. Great for vegetarians and meat lovers alike with an extensive beer and wine menu.

Branching out from the East Bay for this last one! The Jug Shop on Polk in the City has an AMAZING selection of beer, liquor, and wine. They also put on wonderful tastings. My friend and I went there for a sour tasting and we were blown away by how extensive and delicious it was. As you can see I went home with quite a bit!!

Enjoy!

Sketch in the Park at the San Francisco Botanical Garden

February 24, 2017February 23, 2017 by toastedbunz, posted in hobby, information, people, Uncategorized

Last Sunday, my friend and I woke up early and walked down to the Botanical Garden. It was a rainy, overcast day but we found some clear spots to sit down and sketch for a while.

More and more I am trying to hobby up and not spend so much time on my computer or phone.

We sat at this little bench and sketched for awhile. It started sprinkling on us but it was still all around magical.

Trying my hand at sketching! Not a professional but having a fun time.

Really beautiful morning at the Botanical Gardens. Before 9 am you can get in for free. Once you are inside there is so much to see. The Magnolias this time of year are amazing and in the rain and fog the crowds are less but the flowers remain. Can’t wait to go back and improve my sketching!

Favorite Things this week

February 15, 2017February 14, 2017 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, coffee, east bay, exercise, Hikes, hobby, information, people, Restaurant, restaurants, talk, Uncategorized

Here are a few of my favorite things from this past week!

SO lucky that I get to view this every day as I workout! Wake up an hour early to live an hour more!

What is better on a Monday night than copious amounts of Gin…?! LOL

With a friend visiting from out of town you tend to get out a little more and this is how I found myself enjoying Gin cocktails this past Monday at Whitechapel on Polk in SF. I am through and through a beer girl but I happened to pick two cocktails that were surprisingly great!

Lunch at Firebrand… SO GOOD. I want to live in this Bakery, so delectable.

Planning a SLO trip with my bestie! Filled with the very best things… blading, hikes, camping, breweries! YAY

Forbidden Island Tiki Bar in Alameda is always a fun spot! All about that Monkey Pod drink.

One of the most amazing Mochas in all the land… at Blue Bottle Cafe. Go and enjoy!

My all time fav backyard hike… not literally backyard but 10 minutes from my house. It is an amazing challenge with bay views and it never gets old to me!

Always trying to have no/less screen time once I get home from work… tried my hand at some watercolor painting and had a blast! I won’t be quitting my day job any time soon but its fun to try my hand at different hobbies!

Beers I Love – January 2017

January 30, 2017January 26, 2017 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, east bay, hobby, information, Restaurant, restaurants, Uncategorized

I usually like to do a ‘Things I Love’ post but this month I realized everything I wanted to share was BEER… so here we have the Beers I am Loving in January 2017.

Fort Point is a brewery local to San Francisco and I have to say that the packaging is what first caught my eye in the refrigerator case at Whole Foods. We have many choices when selecting a beer at the store these days so packaging matters. I love the simplistic design and I am also a big fan of the no label, label… that being said, Manzanita made its way into my cart, home and heart. At 6.5% this Smoked Altbier brewed with charred manzanita is easy to drink but bold at the same time. As it was released in limited edition ( or so I read… ) I need to hop to the store and get a few more bottles soon.

beerwithmanzanita

Chromatic Coffee in Santa Clara is a great little spot ( in a strip mall!) to hang out with friends or get some work done on the free wifi. I worked from there one afternoon and wetted my appetite with a brew from Camino Brewing and a meat charcuterie board… I really enjoyed my lunch at the time but found myself to be extremely, EXTREMELY thirsty afterwards. meat and beer lunch

One of my newest hometown, central coast finds is Libertine… I have been a wild ale fan for a few years now and every beer of theirs I have tried has been AMAZING!

Freddy Got Finger Limed which was on tap at the end of November has left me wanting more… coffee and lime may sound like a weird combo but they work together really well in this sour.

libertineslo

Of course I had to take a little bit to go with me ( love the packaging!)… Libertine is a must stop for me every time I am on the Central Coast. Libertine to go slo

As we gear up for the release of Pliny the Younger, my friend and I were lucky enough to get the last two bottles of Pliny the Elder at Oak and Rye on a Friday night. People can talk about how overrated Pliny is till they are blue in the face… but as soon as I smell those hoppy notes and indulge in my first sip I find myself falling in love all over again. plinytheeldera-hoppydelight

Reminiscing over these delightful beers has me jonesing for another delicious brew!

Drink SF Beer Shuttle

September 19, 2016September 14, 2016 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, Events, information, Restaurant, restaurants, Uncategorized

The Drink SF Beer Shuttle is possibly one of the best ways to check out all the breweries that SF has to offer in the ones that can be hard to get to/ more out of the way. Lucky for you it is coming back around this Wednesday, September 21 so you still have a chance to experience this fun night.

If you live out in the Sunset area of San Francisco chances are you have been to Sunset Reservoir but if you haven’t I do suggest you check it out next time you are in there hood.

They had really great food and a fun atmosphere.

Next we hit Black Sands which is great and has a nice selection of food but every time I have been it is super crowded so we didn’t stay long!

Finally, we hit Barrel Head Brewhouse , where the beer is darn good and the fried green tomato sandwich gives life.

Can’t wait to get on the bus this week to visit another round of amazing SF Breweries!

Links I Love

March 4, 2016March 2, 2016 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, hobby, information, money, people, Recipe, talk, travel, Uncategorized

Do something today that your future self will thank you for.

We went a little ham at the farmers market this weekend! That being said I have made a couple yummy recipes using asparagus. Have a craving for fries but want to be a little healthier, whip up these Asparagus Fries! Okay, so they aren’t really super fry like but I think you can use your imagination. Next, I made this delicious frittata with Asparagus, Kale and Peppers, 10/10 would make again.

There is an app for just about everything these days, but I recently heard about Truebill which sounds like a dream come true for those of us who can be a little bit lazy checking every recurring charge. Haven’t tried it yet, because like I mentioned I am a bit laaazy but it sounds really awesome!

If you have read my blog for any length of time you have probably come to the realization that I enjoy beer, I would say its probably one of my favorite pastimes, reading about it, drinking it etc… so when a friend sent me this article last week with six reasons why you should date a guy who drinks beer I was laughing hysterically. Amen.

I went to Capitola last Fall and really loved it! This is a cute locals guide to the city. I hit a few things but missed some others, Oh well I guess I will have to go back!

Bay Area Delights

February 15, 2016February 3, 2016 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, east bay, Restaurant, restaurants, travel, Uncategorized

Here are a few of my favorite bites and brews in the Bay Area.

Local Brewing Co. in SOMA is a great place to taste brews, so many good ones! They also have some snacks to try if you get hungry.

Brunch at Foreign Cinema, finally. Among us we shared a cinnamon roll and two pop tarts – AHMAZING. Then all to myself I had this massive burger. It was good but up to the hype? Not sure it was *that* good.

Got to try 21 Amendment’s Ramses, which won Gold at the Great American Beer Festival under the Indigenous Beer Category. Emmer wheat, honey and dates share the sugar load with malted barley, and herbs are used in lieu of hops. I enjoyed this beer and would like to try more beers like this.

Matzo Ball Soup and Latkes OH MY! I love Wise Sons Jewish Deli. Everything I have tried here I have thoroughly enjoyed.

Cellarmaker is one of my favorite brewery’s in the city. I highly recommend coming in for some great beers.

Zazie’s is a great brunch spot in Cole Valley. Better get there early or you will be waiting in line most of your morning.

My favorite go to fat kid lunch, I B’s Hoagies in Uptown. Just looking at this photo makes my mouth water. If you find yourself outside I B’s step inside you won’t regret it.

You know you have good co-workers when they bring back beer from vacation and share it with you. Can’t wait till I have a chance to go to Portland!

Currently lovin’ KD, Lems, Beer and Girl Scout Cookies, eating healthy, and car camping with a hot tub!

February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, east bay, Events, information, travel, Uncategorized

Do something today that your future self will thank you for.

You may or not be a Super Bowl fan but bear with me on this one! Kevin Durant my favorite basketball player got to be a photographer on the sidelines of Super Bowl 50 and he wrote about his experience here. I love his writing style and how authentic and down to earth he is.

Since I have been wanting to live a more nomadic/simpler life I have been trying to not purchase more! However, I found these really cool packable boots made by a really awesome company, Lems. These boots seem like an awesome travel solution and all around space saver. If/when I make the leap and purchase them I will review them here.

Girl Scout Cookie season is here! Last year I got to indulge in a Girl Scout Cookie Beer Pairing at Woods in SF. I loved it so much that this year my friends and I are going to make our own GSC and Beer Pairing. Beer and Brewing has a great list here of the various cookies and beers that will pair well with them. Enjoy!

I love quick guides to healthy eating. This one from Refinery 29 lists a days worth of meals and snacks! I can get pretty boring with what I eat and I think it is fun to get new ideas for switching up the daily consumption.

This portable hot tub would be a fun addition to car camping trips or backyard shenanigans. With the heat wave we have been experiencing this past week in California all I want to do is play outside.

A weekend in San Diego

February 10, 2016February 12, 2016 by toastedbunz, posted in beer, east bay, Restaurant, restaurants, travel, Uncategorized

A few weeks ago I was able to visit my friend who lives in Carlsbad… and… I fell in love. Don’t get me wrong I do LOVE the Bay but something about Southern California beach towns really do it for me.