We Are Gathered Here Today . . . . .

Dearly Beloved,

We are gathered here today to say goodbye to my cup, my favorite cup, my Fonzie cup.

Just about every morning I would enjoy a cup of coffee, an Arthur Fonzilatte out of it. And in the afternoon it wasn't unheard of for me to have Fonzie Tea. I also have fond memories of reaching for my Fonzie up to have a glass of water.

Yes, that's you on the right. My favorite cup. Your brother on the left met his end pretty quick when I left him in the sink over night and the decal on the glass slipped off. From then on I was always careful not to leave you in the sink and not to submerge you in water except for when washing.

Then this morning, this dreadful morning as I was getting a glass of water from a different cup my elbow knocked you off the counter. You fell to the floor with a big crashing noise and shattered into little pieces.

You were a great cup. When I put hot things in you, you didn't get too hot to hold. When I put cold things in you, you didn't create too much condensation on the outside, thus making you slippery. You were easy to wash; my hand and the sponge could get all the way to the bottom of the glass to wash you without any problem. You didn't leave rings on the table.

You were a great cup. I will miss you.

.... And the Horse You Came in On, An Open Letter to Peet's in Embarcadero Station

So today I needed a second cup of coffee. I usually do go with just one in the morning before I leave the house, but today, two was necessary. It was so necessary that I couldn't wait to get to the office for my cup of joe.


I went to the Peet's inside Embarcadero Station.


Now I love me some savory scones. I was excited to see they had a kale and cheddar scone. I ordered one. I think they get their scones from Raison D’être. Super yummy scones, for sure. Not enough places have savory scones and I was happy to see it there.


While I was waiting for my coffee with room (which had no "room," btw) I thought it would be nice to get a marble loaf for my co-worker. We are having a busy week and I though he would appreciate the treat. I asked the cashier "Pip" for a marble loaf slice. He looked at me, put his arms akimbo, cocked his head to the side and said "You want a Kale and Cheddar Scone AND a Marble Loaf? I looked at him and said "yes, and a small coffee."


OK, maybe I am PMSing and just read the guy wrong, but really?


That is not your job, Pip. Your job is to sell stuff, not to judge the customer to her face. Your job is to sell stuff and if you would like, you're free to go in the back and make fun and judge all you want, but in front of the customer, it's your job to sell. Buy adding that extra marble loaf I increased the sale in that transaction by 30%. I'll be sure to never do that again.


Love,
Andrea


P.S. I am not a crackpot

Gluten Free Vegan Goodness. Huh.

You know me. I like food.

I try to eat more vegetables than non-vegetables. I try to eat food that's in season and food that comes from local sources. I try to limit my carbs and not have them at every meal. I prepare most of my own food and don't buy prepared food from the freezer section. I don't worry about food allergies

I say all this because of the delicious dessert I had tonight.  It was Vegan, Gluten Free, Raw and Sugar Free. I didn't buy it because it had those qualities. I bought it because it sounded really really freaking good. I had it once before tonight and I had been looking for it ever since. I bought it at one of the Food Wholes in The City. I found it in the cold case next to the bakery department. I don't go to The Food Whole very often but every time I went I looked for this treat in the same spot. Unfortunately I came up with snake eyes every subsequent time and couldn't find it.

Tonight the Kiddies and I went to a different Food Whole. I was kind of meandering through the aisles while my youngest nibbled on the hard boiled egg we had pilfered from the salad bar (it was necessary to keep her quiet and usually a nibble on the salad bar does the job) when I came upon a cold case in the frozen aisle. Oh my gosh, it was there. This yummy yummy delight was there. I bought a container and after the two littles had gone to bed, my oldest and I, with spoons in hand, dug in.  So yummy.

So what was it? What was it that was so delicious even though it didn't contain all the traditional dessert stuffs? Cacao-Coconut Mousse. It's made from Coconut Cream, Dates, Cacao, Carob, Spices and some good 'ole Citric Acid.

So it's rich and creamy and doesn't have the sticky mouth-feel that I get from dates (even though I love dates because they are so yummy I don't like the sweaters they leave on my teeth). It has little bits of coconut in it; not a whole lot but enough to notice. The coconut cream sits on your tongue and sort of melts and coats your taste buds.

It is super rich and The Girl and I were only able to eat a few big spoonfuls each, but that's OK because that means there is more to love tomorrow, and possibly the next day.

So thank you Shakti Distinct Desserts from Planetary Products in Berkeley, CA. You made a delicious dessert and it looked so delicious I didn't dismiss it when I saw VEGAN and GLUTEN FREE and NO SUGAR ADDED on the label.

I will buy it almost every time I see it. Now if only Whole Foods would keep it in the same place in every store, and fix their parking lots so that they aren't such a pain in the ass to get in and out of . . . . .but that part isn't your fault and you have no control over that. Also, Whole Foods' parking lots and how crowded, confusing, small and stupid they are is a blog post for another time.

Until I write it, and after I write it as well, please go buy some Cacao-Coconut Mousse, grab a few spoons and share it with your oldest daughter. You'll be glad you did.

And the Award for the Most Expedient Mammogram Goes To .....

Today I had my annual mammogram.



Most expedient mammogram ever; from the parking to the pressing to the pork bun.

It was like I was on a Kaiser conveyor belt, but in a good way. I pulled into the parking lot to find a great parking space waiting for me. I walked over to the elevator and just as I was about to push the button, the elevator opened. I got off the elevator, walked across the lobby and just as I got to the next elevator, another door opened, as though it knew I was coming. I got to the floor where they do the mammograms and there was nobody in line. The receptionist was efficient and friendly. I filled out some paperwork and no sooner did I fill it out did the mammogrammer call my name (pronounced correctly, no less). She led me into the dressing room, gave me a gown and told me she was ready when I was. I walked into the mammogram room, smiled pretty for the camera, and in 5 minutes I was back in the elevator on my way home. (I skipped the pork bun this time - why there is a Sugarbowl Bakery in the lobby at Kaiser, I don't know, but some days I'm sure glad there is. They make great pork buns.)

My mammogrammer was named Lilia. She had great mammogrammar. She didn't tell me to hold still or hold my breath when she was about to take pictures of my girls. Instead she used really great mammogrammar and told me to "Cease Movement" and "Suspend Respiration." Another thing she did was something no other mammogrammer has ever done for me. She showed me my pictures and explained to me what makes a good picture and what makes a bad picture, like making sure you could see certain muscles in various parts of the mammogram to let the doctors know they were receiving a complete image to evaluate.

When you go for your next mammogram, you should have Lilia be your mammogrammer. She'll greet you with a smile, pronounce your name correctly and make you feel well informed and comfortable.

If you're over 40 don't forget to get your annual mammogram. If you're under 40, and if you're over 40 as well, make sure to do regular checks of your girls and to get things checked out if something doesn't feel quite right. Mammograms don't hurt. They are a little uncomfortable, but not painful. Five minutes of a little discomfort is a small price to pay for making sure your chi-chis are healthy, and if you go to Kaiser in San Francisco, you can get a mammogram from Lilia then get a pork bun afterwards.