Time Off

I'd be away for two weeks but would blog from overseas. Have a great summer!

TRY GOOGLE MAP- It Works!

Enter this: Washington Square, Filbert St, San Francisco, CA at Google Map then GO TO STREET VIEW NEW! It's cool. You can cruise along as if you are here in our neighborhood! Enjoy!

Cherry Talk

I am baking my third cherry pie for the summer. So, I discovered- it is so easy to have a stock of cherry filling. Baking cherry pie is a breeze! Well, let's see what happens!

I always make lattice pies and I seldom do the whole crust style with just a slash of diagonal line on it to let the air out of the pie. I thought it's not challenging at all but if you are rushing to bake a pie, this style works just fine for all times!

Lattice pie is time consuming to make but it's fun and beautiful. It's like weaving a paper project in art! Tonight, I added some decor and cut out a floral motif at the center. I'd upload the photo once it's baked. Meanwhile, I thought I couldn't stand cherries anymore. But I still love it!

[And after jamming, preserving and making cherry filling for two weeks now- a total of 60 lbs, I think I am a cherry connosier by now. Whoah!]

Of Missing An International Flight And Being A "Stand-By" Passenger

This is not fun! I missed my flight last Saturday (call it dementia) thinking I should be at the airport ON SATURDAY not realizing I should have been there last Friday evening. Because of this, I have to pay $100.00 regarding the penalty for "no show up at the airport." It is imperative that I pay this amount this Thursday when I check in at 10 PM (for the 1:05 AM flight on Friday). Otherwise, I am going to be stuck on the ground. Not good, hm?

Because my travel time schedule from SFO to MNL got screwed up, my Bangkok trip was affected as well. I also paid a fine early on when I changed my flight schedule with Thai Airways International. Before I could even fly, I have already paid two penalties with two airlines! What a mess!

Indeed, my family and gfs couldn't help but laugh (especially my niece, Muriel) and wonder- why, me? What happened to me that I forgot my travel schedule?

Well, may be because I do not have a regular routine like a regular job that's why. Being a stay-at-home wife gives me my time to do things at my leisure and pace. In addition, I am not dealing with the pressure on the job, deadlines, meetings, etc. All I do is bake and cook (sometimes- I still play the piano).

But one thing that crystalized to me was knowing that since I stopped working, I could hardly remember the day and the date for the mean time. It's hard. And it's tough!Ayayay!

Anyhow, Sunday evening, we tried out to be at the airport (am just travelling by myself this time). Husband drove me to the airport. As advised by China Airlines SFO Office, I went there as “chance passenger” (they call it "STAND BY" here in the USA) and waited until 1 AM only to find out I was the only one who could not fly that morning. Ouch! My heart sank (sigh).

So we drove back home tired, stressed, and exhausted (who wouldn’t be?). We got lost zooming in and out of the extended day parking area at SFO International Airport, which was a bummer.

Finally, we were home at 2 AM.

Next morning, I was up at 6:45 AM and had to wake up moi husband (he had a meeting at 7 AM). After he has gone, I started jamming the cherries and the half of the 40 lbs. in the box; I made them into cherry pie filling I would use during the winter.I believe I wouldn't like to see, smell and eat cherries anymore next summer!

Since the jam is a lot (as I have already jammed and preserved cherries two wks ago), I am bringing home to the Philippines 4 quarts (16 coups) of them and 1 quart (4 cups) of blueberry jam.

Had I not missed my flight, all would have been perfect with me traveling with heaves of fresh cherries and blueberries apart from the chocolates I always bring home repeatedly.

On Thursday, I would buy probably just 4 lbs of fresh cherries just so my family could have a taste of this fresh fruit since they only get to eat the canned ones or the ones in the jars colored bright pink (not cherry red) in thick syrup. So since last night, I have been busy making this stuff.

Late afternoon, I had to go to Safeway to buy more Pectin for my jam. Little Boy Blue collected me on his way home, which was sweet. Ciao!

The 53rd North Beach Feastival

Celebrate Father's Day, Italian-style on June 16-17 at the 53rd Annual Precious Cheese North Beach Festival.

The Precious Cheese North Beach Festival is the oldest urban street fair in the country, attracting more than 150,000 visitors annually. Each year the event promotes the Italian and Beat history of the San Francisco's North Beach area as well as highlighting entertainers and craftspeople from throughout the nation.

Listen to music in the heart of Washington Square Park, stroll through booths of juried arts and crafts or taste fine cuisine from some of San Francisco's best restaurants - the Festival has something for every taste - from the artistic to the eclectic and everything in between.Festival highlights include:

• Juried arts & crafts

• Artist Terry R. Marashlian will showcase his limited-edition North Beach Festival recycled "coins"

• Animal Blessings at the National Shrine of St. Francis


• Arte di Gesso (Italian street chalk art)

In addition to vendors offering attendees great Italian fare, the Precious Cheese North Beach Festival will host two beer gardens, one at Green St. /Columbus Ave. and Union St./Columbus Ave. Beer and wine will also be sold at other local North Beach bars and restaurants.

Live entertainment:
Alternative, Rhythm & Blues, Latin Rock, Pop Rock, Reggae, Salsa & Swing

Sponsored by: Precious Cheese , North Beach Chamber of Commerce

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

North Beach: A major tourist attraction located in a prime area between Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown, North Beach is San Francisco’s Little Italy and the West Coast Home of the Beat Generation. One of San Francisco’s top 10
tourist attractions.

Attendance: Consistently over 120,000 representing all parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, and including visitors from across the country and around the world. This is a destination event.

Demographics: Broad age and race, with sophisticated tastes and mid to upper income. (Not a lot of children.)

Statistics: San Francisco receives upwards of 13 million visitors annually. Four plus billion dollars in related sales.

Marketing Varied and extensive. Sponsorship opportunities can be through Opportunities: custom tailored association, specific level or through underwriting of specific components or activities.

Producer: Team PRO Event, Inc. in association with Garland Public Relations and the North Beach Chamber of Commerce. The North Beach Festival is organized under the highest professional standards.

Event: The 53rd Annual North Beach Festival is a famous and well-established, two-day event. It is the oldest street fair in San Francisco and is believed to be the oldest, continuously-held urban arts and crafts festival in the
country. It was started in 1954 by a group of Beat Generation artisans. This is a juried show.

Location: The event takes place on (Upper) Grant Avenue, Vallejo, Green and
Union Streets and Washington Square Park, in the heart of San Francisco
in North Beach, in the northeast quadrant of San Francisco.

Dates: Father’s Day Weekend - Saturday, June 16th and Sunday, June 17th,
2007.

Hours of Event: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Attendance: 120,000 plus

Media Coverage: Television, Radio, Magazine, Internet and Newspapers.

*COMPONENT OPPORTUNITIES*

Washington Square Main Stage: Showcasing a strong and diversified program of music. Sponsorship options include high visibility signage and specific representation at the Entertainment Main Stage Area in Washington Square Park adjacent to and visible from Columbus Avenue, one of San Francisco’s major thoroughfares. This is a Sponsorship Level all to itself ($10,000), or associated
with the General Levels or Custom Levels of Sponsorship.

Green Street Stage: Showcasing a program of Swing and Salsa Music with a dance floor. Sponsorship options include high visibility signage and specific representations at the Green Street Stage Area. This is a Sponsorship Level all to itself ($5,000), or associated with General Levels or Custom Levels of Sponsorship.

Arte Di Gesso (Street Chalk Art Competition): Presenting the traditional street painting or chalk art of Italy, this component features a beautiful representation of classic and modern artwork. There are approximately 30 professional artists who compete and work on 10’x10’ sections of Stockton Street.
Sponsorship in this area can be associated with the overall presentation ($4,000), or through the underwriting of individual artists and spaces.

St. Francis Animal Blessing: This component has become so popular that it is now held both days at the historic landmark, the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, a world-renowned site located in the heart of North Beach. The 350-seat shrine is filled to capacity both days with dogs, cats, reptiles, and
birds and always garners excellent media coverage. A Franciscan friar conducts the blessing ceremony. ($4,000)

NOTE: Information here and logo (except for the photos)were taken from the official site of North Beach Festival at: www.northbeachfestival.com or click the side bar and go to link.

Sugar Pie's Doodles Via Yahoo Instant Messenger Chat- June 16, 2007

North Beach Festival 2007

I missed my flight today at 1 AM, Saturday- can you believe that? I should have psyched myself to be at the airport last night (Friday) at 9:30 PM. Now, am trying to get a flight tomorrow midnight (for June 18 flight) Monday, so I need to be at SFO International Airport at around 10 PM tomorrow if Fairy Good Mother helps me get a seat. HELP!I should learn my lesson well. Geez whiz! With a 100 dollars penalty, I sure hope my airline could give me a booking. Otherwise I'd leave on the 22nd- yikes! I have a reunion on that day in Bangkok! Anyhow, my airline urged me to call them at 7 AM and from there, I'd find out if I could have a seat! Am crossing my fingers! Relative to this, I only realized I was supposed to be at the airport last night when I was on chat with my little niece (Sugar Pie). She had a good laugh when I told her that, "I think I missed my flight!"
In retrospect, she made several illustrations of me on my realization and disappointment (I was bringing fresh cherries and blueberries), and found humor in my forgetfulnessto fly on the right date and time...mamamia! While on chat and on doodle at yahoo IM, she did several illustrations of me. She was very spontaneous and candid; has a grasp of visualization and perspective. She is great for a 12-year old kid! Take note: I will load our chat with doodle later. You'd be amazed!



Meanwhile, here are some photos today, being the North Beach Festival. We relocated here last year on North Beach Day on June 18th- Sunday. Today is the first day of this two-day affair. There were jazz bands at Grant Street earlier, drinks for sale, street artists on Vallejo, stalls of arts and crafts on Grant and a lot more at Washington Square. We have yet to check that out. Meanwhile, here are some scenes I captured. Enjoy!

First Time Canning Experience~ Lo And Behold!

(L) the 18 lbs. cherries I bought yesterday in Chinatown is quite reasonable for $14.00 a box!

(L) The cherry with a pin pricked on it

While sitting here in my flat, I am still waiting for the last jar of the preserve cherries to come to a magnificent boil then I could rest a bit (whoah) to do the cherry jam this afternoon (if I am still on for it). Otherwise, I am already tired and exhausted!

(L) The cherry pitter

Early on today, I began my kitchen espionage by pricking both ends of each cherry to refrain it from breaking. I did this for at least 5 quarts of cherries (20 cups)! The other 5 quarts, I pitted them to get rid of the seeds. The former has seeds so it would be nice to nibble on them during the wintertime when I sip my wine. Those without seeds, I’d jam or my be preserve them as well. Later, I could think if I’d make them into cherry sauce or a cherry pie filling. This project is quite useful since the cherry season is short according to moi esposo. If I want to keep some for the winter, he said, I should move and do the work soonest. So I did!

(L) The cherry ready to be squeezed to let go its seed using the cherry pitter

Last Sunday, husband and moi bought 6 canning jars in Sur La Table in Ferry Plaza. Today, I was excited to clean them with warm water and soap- then rinsed them after which I poured boiling water on a saucepan where I loaded them- to prep them for the canning process.

(L) The pitted cherry on my hand- look at my thumb! It was heavily stained by cherry juice!

PRESERVE CHERRIES

I did my assignment and got my info at Purdue University, IN online. Where else? Seemed fine and easy to do and yes it is! I chose to use the very light syrup since the cherries I have are quite sweet. I need not add extra sweetener to them. I also wanted them to taste as natural as possible.

PROCEDURE

I poured the boiling syrup (10 ½ cups water and 1 ½ cups sugar) over the cherries in the jars. Before doing this I discovered something based on my research: I must shake first the cherries before pouring the liquid concoction into the jar. This enables the cherries to compress in the jar without compromising shape, color and space. I gave an allowance of a half-inch space to set the lid over it.

THE CANNING PROCESS


(R) The cherries inside the cherry jars- these are the "preserved cherries." They are not jams nor jellies but cherries in very light syrup. They have seeds. The light syrup enables the cherries' natural taste and flavor to remain as they as natural as possible.

I used my largest casserole for beef stew and there, I placed neatly the first 4 jars with cherries; poured hot water from tap until it was over an inch higher than the jar itself. I boiled them for 20 minutes. Adjustments was done in terms of lowering the temperature of the stove as soon as the water begins to boil After the process was done, I took off the water from the casserole to make it easy for me to lift the jars one by one. As you know, I do not have the real *canner* for this project.( A canner is a container for holding the canning jars with a matching lifter to get the jars from the canner after the boiling time). However, it worked for me! Later, I placed the jars on the table to air cool them. They are still hot right now. Take note: you are not supposed to open the lid! The canning process seals the jar!

(L) The Sur La Table canning jar from Germany. This comes in to be more expensive than the American mason jar brands. But it is nicer in industrial design and in terms of aesthetics, I suppose so.
Next, I placed the 2 tall jars: one canning jar and one recycled jar where the Kalamata olives were stored when we bought it at Costco. Following the advise of moi husband (that I could use “any jar” as long as it is boiled), I did just that. Used that “any jar” to my nightmare! Once the water in the casserole began to boil, I saw one, two, then three, four and many more cherries floating in the water! Caramba! I got the soup ladle and checked out the boiling water- guess what? It was cherry red in color! I thought, “This is it! Little Boy Blue’s advice is absolutely wrong!” I always give him the benefit of the doubt since he always wants to participate, watch, or join in my kitchen soiree…the least I could do is take some tips from him (which for most times isn’t right since the kitchen isn’t’ really his domain)!

DISCOVERY TIME USING “NOT THE REAL CANNING JAR”

(R)
Preserve cherries in canning jars

First, I lifted the Mason jar (canning jar); checked it out- et voile, it is perfect! Inspired, I put it on the table together with the ones in smaller jars. Second, I got the soup ladle once more and fished out to get the cherries floating in the casserole! They were quite a lot this time- like I think I saw 30 of them swimming in hot water! I put on the potholder gloves, used the tong, and then lifted the whole jar with the bottomless pit. Whoah! I knew it! I dropped it in the kitchen bag box that I am discarding later. Then, I took off the remaining piece that seals the bottom of the jar. Holy Cow! Major disaster! The jar was cut into two! Later, I would tease moi husband and say,

“You really are not the royalty in the kitchen but moi- see what happens when you insist I do what you suggest me to do? ” (I would narrate my misgivings with complete stage blocking -*haha*).

Right now with my wet hair dripping all over me (I had a hot bath), I try to manage multi-tasking: writing down this entry and drying my hair, bit by bit. BTW, I would fly out in a few days’ time and this would be my last project before jet setting overseas. I will not be blogging for three weeks or if ever I may do it, it would be a shorty since I have a hectic schedule meeting people.

In perspective, there are so many things to do in the kitchen but certainly canning and making preserve cherries is a new experience for me! Indeed, I always find joy in doing things in my kitchen like a high school science experiment. I love it, especially if I am on my own and alone take note! Why? Because I could afford to make mistakes without having to feel sorry or conscious about it. And as for my canning experience, it was worth the long journey I had from morning till evening. It is tiring but quite satisfying. The truth be told~I never had anything to do with it in my life before marriage. We didn't do this sort of thing because the cost is unbearable where I originally came from. Here in the USA, it is affordable so I do it. And with the time in my hands, I can do everything I want at will being a stay-at-home wife. Prior to this, my domain was certainly not the kitchen but the art room, exhibition halls, galleries, music room and the stage! Now, my kitchen is everything to me, can you beat that? Ciao!

Of Dried Sea Horses in Chinatown SFO And A Lot More To Explore At North Beach

I took this photograph (L)yesterday as we were walking along Chinatown at around 11 AM. I was reprimanded by the Chinese vendor (a woman younger than I am), would you believe, for taking 2 snap shots of these sea horses! Traffic on foot yesterday to Chinatown was fairly good. Local and foreign tourists swarm our city and they are back to celebrating and worshipping the sun with some obsession and personality. Some come in full gear of pull over or sweats and jacket, too. Others are more liberal and gutsy~ they tend to show some flesh (despite the very chilly weather we have herein the city) if only to show off (*ta-dah*)!


For lunch, we tried out a sandwich @ Giordano's, an all-in-one sandwich place in North Beach. A couple we met later in the afternoon (at an Irish Pub on Columbus) raved about Giordano’s and quipped that it was featured on cable TV. Hearing us speak about it delighted them in a way. They plan to check it out, they said.

Giordano’s called an “all-in-one sandwich” because they smack the French fries and green salad right into your sandwich! When you chew it, everything is there in your palette all at once and that is the novelty behind it, no more, no less. Personally, it is not anything superb that I would recommend you to try out but husband was intrigued with its copyright ad that goes with its logo outside of the door. Therefore, we tried it but now we know better!

Overall, the SFO weather last weekend was nice. There was no fog for the whole week but it was breezy and chilly nonetheless. Outdoor chairs and tables at cafes and bistros are almost always, continually filled up with patrons eating, chatting, smoking, sipping wine, or drinking beer. At times, I think that they look like clones of people from Europe, but some of them really are from there! Well, North Beach is Little Italy so it really has a semblance of Italy. In fact, this is the most European side of the city.

After lunch, we walked along Mason and dropped off the magazines I borrowed at our North Beach Library. From there, we walked a few blocks more until we were in this uncanny art supplies store. Reluctant to enter this dark basement at first, I asked husband to inspect it as a prelude to me walking down there. Therefore, I waited by the entrance door. Minutes later, he came back to where I was and said thatI would love the place so I better check it out fast and easy! Indeed, I was scared to walk down there because I am afraid of heights. Had I been there and saw nothing interesting, I know it would have been a waste because I am afraid of heights and depths. With this in mind, I started to stress a bit. I was caressing the banister like it was my husband’s anatomy. Boy, it was tough to think that I could trip then that's the end of my day. My grip was tight. Moments later, my hands began to sweat. It was a sight you would not want to see me for I look handicapped with my inability to walk down in an easy fashion. I struggled through the time I was pacing my way to the basement. Then, I remember being in Acropolis in Greece. My mind brought me back to that moment in time I hyperventilated going up at Acropolis. However, I did it for the sake of confronting my phantom which is the heights. History was right between my eyes and I would not miss that chance to be in Greece and not see the perspective from the famous Acropolis!

From the art supply store, we went north of Fisherman's Wharf and went at Cost Plus on Taylor. There, I bought an assorted collection of spices akin to Indian, French, Greek, and Italian cooking. At Cost Plus as well, I was able to purchase “pappadums”(a crunchy Indian pita crackers, round like a Swiss pancake but flat and thin like an Italian thin pizza) which is eaten as hor’s doeuvres in Indian cuisine. Well, I thought I was lucky to have found this. I also bought a bottle each of mango chutney and hot pickled mango. I have long ago been craving for this food and yesterday was just my day that I was able to get them.

Beside Cost Plus is Starbucks,. It is located inside Barnes and Noble and is on the right side as you enter this bookshop. Husband designated himself to be there and texted me later on where to find him.

When I arrived to collect him, he was surrounded by books. We had to set them aside back at the shelving to give me some space. Atop the table were an empty piece of plate where he had eaten a piece of twisted cinnamon bread, and a large cup of coffee. Once seated, I asked him if he would like to try out some Indian food I bought. Would he? Oh boy, and he did it! But after finishing his plate, he said,

“Wow, that surely is so spicy! To like it you really have to acquire the taste for it!”

(Translation: “I won’t eat this ever again!”)

“Haha!" I had a good laugh. At least he tried!

At Barnes and Noble’s Starbucks, he was reading the latest best seller of Cormick McCarthy's “Road.” He was almost done with it when I said,

“Could we now go to Canary?”

“Sure.” And we did.

The Canary was the old factory building of Del Monte Corporation. After the company has relocated their factory elsewhere, this place was converted into a beautiful mall. The building is really awesome and it is made of bricks. Canary is the place to check out if you are within the area of the Fisherman's Wharf for it has many quaint little shops that include an olive oil store that mimics the one we saw in St. Helena’s town at Napa Valley.

(R), The "turn around" of the cable car in Mason

Canary has a courtyard and there, people come to snack on, sit down or just while away the time before going to their next destination. At the courtyard, a Filipino band was performing a genre of music, mostly dance music and jazz. Being two dance enthusiasts ourselves, we were thrilled to hear their music! And at the moment, we were just in awe. So as soon as we found a spot to dump our grocery bags, we took off our jackets, and started to kick off! As always, our dancing always gives us a lot of fun as a couple. Moments later, we caught the attention of the organizer and she prompted us to stay at the center of the stage. Wow! In a second, 3 couples joined us as well. Oh, it was wonderful! Suddenly, with the music and the dancing going on at the same time, it just got so festive and convivial. After the music, we sat down to recharge our energy. We needed some air to pace our breathing. Gosh, we were both sweaty despite the perfect weather we had yesterday! Our adrenalin was working. As we rested for a nick of time, people at our back were raving about our dance move. Tee-ha! We surely had a ball!

Incidentally, it was an early celebration of the Philippine Independence Day. It is actually on June 12 but the Filipino community from the Bay Area has done some advance celebration since the independence day itself falls on a weekday. They created a one-week program of activities relative to this. The musical extravaganza was one of them. Well, we were happy to have gone to Canary as it really energized us with the dancing part of it! After our stint at Canary, we walked then hopped over at the Indian Irish Pub on Powell. There, we met this couple (Rod and Jean) from Pensylvannia who just touched down from the airport. They too, like us, have found their feet dragging them at the pub. Jean striked a conversation with us.

“What’s the drinking age in California?”

After that, our connection just evolved. We hit it off as couples! We had a great time, too, chatting with them. With their luggage M.I.A. (missing in action), they decided to explore the city while waiting for it to manifest in their hotel door by the wharf. They are a wonderful couple and they added up the "element of surprise" as our day stretched out.

Relatively, we invited them to the “North Beach Festival” this weekend in our neighborhood. The event attracts visitors by the thousands. This will take place this Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17 from 10 AM to 4:30 PM. Jazz bands, flea market people plus arts and crafts folks will generate their time, talents, and energy to make this a colorful event just like last year. BTW, we will celebrate our first year anniversary as San Franciscans on June 18th. We relocated here last year from the suburbs and at noontime on a Sunday, our moving company was in panic because at least 25,000 people came by. The whole part of North Beach in Union, Grant, Vallejo and Columbus was filled up with people, walking, eating and drinking on the road. Our poor driver had nowhere else to park and decided to squeeze it out in our alley. Well, this year, we anticipate more people to come and jam with the rest of the populace during this weekend's event. Likely, they will come like colonies, herds, and migrants of birds from another continent. This is all. I have to read this again to check out if I missed out on an error. Until next blog, well~have a great start of the week ahead of you. Ciao!

The Love Dress

A woman stopped by unannounced at her son's house. She knocked on the door then immediately walked in. She was shocked to see her daughter-in-law laying on the couch, totally naked. Soft music was playing, and the aroma of perfume filled the room.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm waiting for Mike to come home from work," the daughter-in-law answered.

"But you're naked!" the mother-in-law exclaimed.

"This is my love dress," the daughter-in-law explained.

"Love dress? But you're naked!"

"Mike loves me to wear this dress," she explained.

"It excites him to no end. Every time he sees me in this dress, he instantly becomes romantic and ravages me for hours on end. He can't get enough of me."


The mother-in-law left. When she got home, she undressed, showered, put on her best perfume, dimmed the lights, put on a romantic CD, and laid on the couch waiting for
her husband to arrive. Finally, her husband came home. He walked in and saw her laying there so provocatively.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"This is my love dress," she whispered, sensually.

"Needs ironing," he said. "What's for dinner?

HE NEVER HEARD THE SHOT.......

(Thanks to EMILY P. of Jacksonville, FL who sent this in today!)

Savoy Tivoli

Video clip below was taken at Savor Tivoli on Grant. We come down here whenever this jazz band plays here on Saturdays from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. As usual, our day won't be complete without us dancing. And as it was, the band made noise to welcome us as we danced with gusto! We have been a familiar fixture here whenever we feel like coming in this nook.

Next week is North Beach Festival and jazz bands in Bay Area and SFO are coming over to our park to join the crew of different visual artists and musicians. Various stalls for food and flea market items would be available. The event promises to bring in at least 25,000 people as it was last year. So come by and celebrate with us! We relocated here last year on North Beach Day so this is kind of sentimental for us, you know. Be sure to turn on the volume of your audio to watch this! Good day!