A Fine (Clean) Dining Experience

It's that time of the month again ... you know, my wine club! Tonight we dined at a little place called Mill Valley Kitchen. The web site for the restaurant can provide a great glimpse into the atmosphere of what you can expect at MVK. It's a very clean, bright experience that hints at the menu of "local" fresh, clean cuisine. I will say they make it super easy to eat vegan or gluten-free - the menu is nicely labeled. So, it made my ordering a delight!

Some folks might encounter this food and be concerned about the frou-frou aspects ... but the food delivered - while it was clean and healthy, it had taste that made it stand out.

My first course was a warm spinach salad, with red onions, mint, kalamata olives and goat cheese, tipped with medium-rare sirloin. Unfortunately, my stupid phone/camera went on the blitz and what appeared to have been a great photo when I was there ...  uploaded like this ...

All I can say is that it tasted much better than the photo looks. The goat cheese and kalamata olives were a great combinations of salty creamy and the spinach was just slightly warmed - not wilted.

Instead of ordering a main course, I decided to order three of the sides/snacks: first was a gingered-shiitake quinoa. Right now I am on a serious shiitake kick. I love these mushrooms, there is something about the flavor that just makes my mouth dance when I am able to savor the little morsels. Next was a lovely coconut sweet potato mash ... the texture was a smooth, silky, creamy puree with a hint of coconut. They melted in my mouth. The last item I had was there roasted vegetables, with a plethora of vegetables from eggplant to mushrooms to asparagus.

Here's the sad excuse of a picture my phone ended up taking ... (Not sure if you can even see anything ... urgh!)

Both courses were enjoyed with (gasp!) a Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier (yes, a white wine in February!) But it was a perfect balance with all the veggie goodness.

To end the evening, I enjoyed a maple panna cotta - topped with black sea salt. This girl likes salt, and I love maple ... so it was just the perfect bite of dessert to top off the evening.

Other than my phone camera resulting in an epic fail! the evening was a culinary treat. Unfortunately, on the way home, I almost met a deer horns to headlines. However, my reflexes were quick and I am now safely home, thinking longingly of my take-home box of goodness in the refrigerator!



The Day of Love

D and I have been together for almost a dozen years. I cannot believe that (and yes, I already know that I am going to get something commissioned for our next wedding anniversary, since it's pottery and I happen to have some connections ... tee hee) But I will say even after a dozen years, he doesn't cease to amaze me.

So, Valentine's Day was very apparently here ... in full force, the mobs at the floral shops was mind-boggling, the chocolate stores were practically bought out. Everyone was looking for how to exemplify their love. D and I don't make a big deal out of the day. (Our point is why do we wait for one day to demonstrate our love ... ) Now with K at school, we recognize there will be some external influences who may increase the perceived importance of this day. Fortunately, he's just in Kindergarten, there's not too much importance placed on it.

D and I agreed we weren't going to go out of our way, we don't want our boys to feel obligated about the holiday. So, on my way home, I stopped by a bakery and picked up some French macaroons that they had on hand (and looked at the crazy special section they had set aside for those who had participated in their V-day preorder.) And I proceeded on my way home.

I checked Facebook on the bus, as I do pretty much every day, and saw a note from my MIL who commented about how D made a special Vegan lunch for his dad (it's his birthday) and that they spent their afternoon playing as a family. It made me smile, he's a good husband, dad and son. When I got home, he showed me a special dessert cookbook and chocolates his parents gave us for V-day, and then he made an off comment about how Cupcake (one of our favorite bakery spots) makes gluten-free cupcakes. I gave him this look ... and asked him why he found that out...

He had called yesterday to see if they made gluten-free goods and then ordered a special cupcake for me. (He also got cupcakes for his parents and the boys and himself.) I shared that I got macaroons ...but clearly, he showed me his thoughtfulness was once again amazing and special. I can't believe he went out of his way to order me a special cupcake and then drove 30 minutes to pick it up. This is just an example of how wonderful and thoughtful my life partner can be ... especially when I am not expecting anything.

In Search of Perfect Education

Okay, confession ... it has taken me until now to watch Waiting for Superman. Yes, the documentary that rocked the airwaves last year as it took a critical look at the U.S. education system. It took me two days to watch, as it was my commute entertainment (thank you Netflix streaming and my smart phone -- you do make the bus ride slightly more enjoyable.) And it left me asking lots of internal questions.

First, I always watch documentaries with a bit of skepticism. I mean, documentaries are told through one person's lens. Yes, they use interviews, testimonials and other people's stories to shape the film ... but through the power of narrative and editing ... it is still one perspective. And documentaries are typically created to leave a powerful impression. To make you think, make you question, and cause an emotional reaction. Waiting for Superman did just that.

As a parent, I have made the commitment to be as involved as much as possible in my children's education. So, I attend the PTO meetings, volunteer as much as possible and I also have agreed to represent my son's school as part of a special parent review board of the school curriculum. Part of me has gotten this involved so that I can cultivate the right relationships to ensure my children receive the best experience they can.

Part of this is so that I can campaign to try to ensure my son gets the First Grade teacher I want him to get. Yes, it's a political campaign ... and watching a silly documentary has only affirmed my convictions to do my part to ensure my children get every opportunity in life that I can help make available. Of course, it is as equally important that my children apply themselves and put forth their own personal effort. But I also now expect that the educators and leaders in the school system (because, wow is it ever a system) do their best to ensure every opportunity possible.

Because at the end of the day ... none of us can do this alone.

Color Blind?

Earlier this week, as I was brushing K's teeth, we somehow happened upon the topic of the different colors people come in. (One thing D and I are always amazed at is when we ask him about kids in his class, and he tries to explain what they look like, he never refers to them as a color - he'll explain they have long hair, wear glasses, have dark skin or light hair ... but that's where he keeps the description: light or dark.)

So, here we were talking and I asked K what color he was. He quickly said he was white (which admittedly, he does get a bit pale in the winter compared to the summer.) But I was sort of shocked that he said white, because his coloring is much closer to his dad's coloring. When he was younger, he described himself as beige. It made me wonder what will my son identify as when he's older. Will he see himself as white, Asian, or something different?

Just the week before, I was with a friend of mine, who's husband is also a different ethnicity than she is and they have one child and another on the way. She asked me what ethnicity we had put on our sons' birth certificates. I told her I couldn't remember off-hand, but if I could only pick one ... I think I picked Asian (of course, now I really should go look.) We talked about how it's difficult to determine what's best for your child ... is it to pick an ethnicity that is considered a minority and encourage your child to leverage their ethnicity for scholarships, etc.

It's a tough choice for a parent ... but it quickly becomes your child's choice when they get older to select their own identity. I read an article recently about how children who are half-Asian are selecting their other half when identifying themselves for college (regardless of that half, be it African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic) because schools that have you identify your ethnicity supposedly have higher standards for Asians, so while they may score high on their entrance tests, they have to score even higher to be considered for admittance. While I can only hope - that if that is true - it will change before my children go to college that this will change. I don't want them to have to feel like they ever have to deny half their heritage for any reason.

I hope that one day, the world will truly become color blind.