Favorites: Tea Adventurer Campaign

I can't believe Lucas will be starting kindergarten this Fall. I don't think I'm over preschool yet -- he's ready, I'm not. Tea Collection recently asked me to help them launch their back-to-school campaign by sharing Lucas and Theo's hopes and dreams for the year with their #TEAADVENTURER campaign, a Tea-take on the already popular back-to-school tradition of First Day posters. I'm really loving their latest collection inspired by travels to Argentina and Bolivia (remember Lucas and Theo in their last collection inspired by India?).

We spent a Theo and mama day at Pizzaiolo (one of my favorite restaurants) in Oakland where we devoured pumpkin spice donut holes, a frittata and an almond latte, and then getting Theo his first real haircut at the the Temescal Alley Barber Shop.

Lucas wears the Colorblock Pocket Tee in Thunder, the Rayo Graphic Zip Hoodie in Heritage Blue and the French Terry Playwear Pants in Forest.

Theo wears the Colorblock Pocket Tee in Arabian Spice and the French Terry Playwear Pants in Olive Drab.

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Happy Weekend: Kids Camp Out

We had our big annual preschool camp out a few weekends ago. It's something we look forward to every year, but I was a bit sad this year knowing Lucas would be an alumni at next year's camp out. But for the next couple of years Nick will be the main camp out leader/organizer. It's a lot of work and we don't really get to hang out too much as a family during the actual camp out, but he's an outdoorsy dude who loves doing it. So many families help out, but I think Lucas and Theo think it's extra cool that their daddy is the leader. My favorite thing about camping is watching the kids run around, having fun and finding inspiration in nature. I also love everything about camp food, sitting around a fire, coffee in the morning, and I even don't mind sleeping in a tent. :)

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The Big 4-0

I can't believe I turn 40 today. I remember when I was 8 and wanted to be 12, then 12 and wanted to be 17, and then 17 and wanted to be 24 (because I thought 25 was SO old!). And now I'm working backwards and wish I were 32 again. Kind of. I guess I have mixed feelings about joining the 40's club -- mostly because I remember so clearly turning 30 and how big of a birthday that was. Time flies. But in all honesty, I'm exactly where I want to be and so grateful -- this photo says it all. Thanks Bonnie for capturing this sweet moment!

+ Photo by Bonnie Tsang

Recipe: Oh Yeah, Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's been a few weeks since I've posted a recipe -- the last post was about these Soft Baked Pretzels. It's not that I haven't been baking and cooking away, but rather I've been trying to perfect my version of the best classic chocolate chip cookie. After numerous recipe testings and listening to feedback from my select group of cookie critics, I finally found "the one" that met all my chocolate chip cookie criteria -- crispy around the edges, on the thinner side but not flat, chewy in the center, not too sweet, a little salty, perfect chocolate to dough ratio, puddles of melty layered chocolate, good the next day, and most importantly, not cakey. I hate cakey.

The recipe comes from Ashley Rodriguez of Not Without Salt on Food52 (one of my favorite blogs -- have you seen their dreamy office kitchen workspace makeover on Remodelista?). I even tried altering the recipe just a bit to see if some of my favorite elements (espresso powder, semi-sweet chocolate chips, etc.) from other recipes would make this even better. But it is perfect as is according to me and my taste buds.

Puddles and layers and flaky salt -- oh yeah!

A few must do's to make this cookie perfect:
+ Use a high quality (it really makes a difference -- the cheap stuff doesn't melt/puddle the same or taste the same) dark chocolate bar such as Divine or Valrhona and chop it up. Don't think I'll ever go back to chips unless it's an emergency.
+ Don't overmix
+ Always refrigerate the dough
+ Always sprinkle that flaky salt on top before baking
+ Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes

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West Coast Craft - Summer 2015

A few weeks ago I attended West Coast Craft with my friend Nancy mainly to shoot some photos for the Anthology magazine blog, but also because the last time I went, I was really impressed and excited about many of the vendors (including Jen E, Natalie Davis of Canoe, Half Hitch Goods and Micaela Greg. This summer's show did not disappoint. Here were some of my favorites.

Half Hitch Goods and Welcome Stranger

Liz Robb - see more about Liz in her feature on the Anthology magazine blog

Aleksandra Zee

Brook Perdigon Textiles

That vintage stool!

Stuffed Hipster Emblems by Mimi O Chen - hilarious and oh-so-awesome!

Drawn Home - really loved those quilts!

Remedy Quarterly - the colors, the photos, the recipes!

Ilano - loved those rugs and the booth was so bright and inviting

People I've Loved - loved the quirky illustrations

Meghan Shimeck (discovered her at last year's show and I'm still wishing I owned one of her pieces) and Gallanter and Jones with the most innovative heated outdoor seating that warmed my always cold butt cheeks. Seriously. Such good design and totally functional, especially during these Bay Area "summers". Also turns out that Miranda Jones and her brother Aaron started this company. I know Miranda from her Sunset Magazine days when she worked on our house feature in the January 2011 issue! Seems like ages ago!

Pine and Boon - loved the painted dash and suede dot punch collections

Luca Jackson - Love Julia's textiles! Also love how her company name is just like Lucas' name! Julia is so sweet and has two little boys as well.

Mt. Washington Pottery - one of my favorite products at the show were these peace bells

Knotwork LA - Such neat products from this vendor, lots of stoneware with porcelain inlays

Ventana Surfboards and Supplies - With its amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail in all of its products, this company has figured it all out when it comes to environmental and social responsibility. So much respect for that!

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An Instagram GIVEAWAY with Veestro

While organizing the annual Earth Fair event at work a few months ago, I discovered a company called Veestro. They deliver 100% plant-based, chef prepared, non-GMO, ready-to-eat gourmet meals straight to your door anywhere in the U.S. I'm a big fan (the Red Curry with Tofu and Vegetables is my absolute fave, the kids loved the Chick'n Nuggets), so today I've partnered with Veestro to give away a $100 gift card to spend in their online shop. You could order juice cleanses, meal packs, or a la carte. To enter, simply follow the instructions at the end of this post.

This Red Curry with Tofu and Vegetables was SO good. It came with two scoops of brown rice and a good sized portion of curry with just the right amount of heat. Yum, yum, yum!

When Nick and I first met 12 years ago, he was a vegetarian and I was a big time carnivore. Growing up in a Chinese household, we ate some kind of meat or poultry every day (followed by a bowl of ice cream of course!). Nick has the soul of a vegetarian and he's rubbed off on me over the years. I don't know how to label what we are now, but we met somewhere in the middle -- eating mostly vegetables, fish, chicken, and turkey, with the occasional beef and ever so rare pepperoni pizza. Flexitarians? Occasional meat eaters? Either way, we try and buy mostly organic and consider the environmental impact of our purchases. We have been trying to eat even more plant-based foods because of the drought. It's not always easy, but Veestro makes healthy eating easy and delicious.

This was the Eggplant Casserole which was also saucy and delicious. I'm a little intimidated by eggplant so this was a nice treat.

The kids loved these Chick'n Nuggets without the Chipotle Sauce -- just plain. They devoured them in minutes and asked for more.

This Thai Chick'n Stew was comfort in a bowl. As much as I love tomatoes, I was hoping it had more of a coconut milk base rather than a slightly sweet tomato one. I'm usually not a huge fan of fake meat but was surprised at how much I liked this.

This Enchilada Casserole was a nice change from the Asian dishes I ordered. It had a lot of good flavor but could have been slightly less sweet. Still devoured it though!

My eating habits are a bit tricky. I'm not gluten free but love to experiment with gluten free cooking and baking. I'm not vegan nor vegetarian but try and go meatless when I can. I love salty and I love sweet, but love salty more than sweet even though I love baking more than cooking. Tricky, right?

Luckily, Veestro makes it super easy to eat healthy whether you are trying to lose weight, don't have time to cook, trying to make the switch to vegan, or just love (mostly) healthy eating like me. I'd love to try their juices next!

To enter the giveaway for a $100 Veestro gift card:

• Follow @good_on_paper and @VeestroFood on Instagram, leave a comment and tag a friend who would love this service.

• If you don't have Instagram you can leave your email in the comments below

• Please comment by Friday, June 26th, 12pm PST

• This giveaway is for U.S. residents only

• I will announce a winner selected by random number generator by Monday, June 29th

Best of luck!

Also, Veestro is offering a special 20% off discount site-wide for Good on Paper readers. Enter code GOODONPAPER20 at checkout through July 3, 2015.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Reichel Broussard (@copycatchic) for winning the gift card!

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From Splinter to Surgery -- A Crazy Weekend

This past weekend was so much fun and so stressful at the same time. Lucas played his last T-ball game of the season against his good friend Judah's team followed by a sweet celebration party where each kid got some mad props by the coaches along with a pint-sized trophy. The best part of the game was when Lucas ran to home plate and hugged the catcher, his friend Judah! Total sportsmanship! We also had a fun play date at our house with homemade waffles. On Sunday we went to the swimming pool with some friends and had a fun day in the sun.

And then it happened. Lucas was walking on a wooden retaining wall barefoot (ice cream in hand!) and got a splinter. It bled right away and he was in a lot of pain. At first glance it seemed like a normal splinter, but when when we took a closer look, it was a cut with what looked like a small pebble embedded underneath the skin. Ouch.

We first tried to get the splinter out after soaking his foot in warm water. I ended up texting our friend/neighbor who is an ER doctor and he offered to take a look at it. Two and a half hours later and well past Lucas' bedtime, the nerve block he injected didn't seem to work and Lucas wouldn't keep still. We went home and I called to make an appointment with our pediatrician the next morning.

Before our appointment, we stopped at Blue Bottle Coffee in Oakland’s historic W.C. Morse building. I figured we would have a nice mama and me breakfast date before heading to the doctor's office to do all the not-so-fun stuff. I was in awe of this building -- the high ceilings, the flood of natural light, the mix of old and new and those waffles. With chocolate ganache drizzled on top.

Our next stop was the pediatrician's office. After one look at the wound, he immediately referred us to a podiatrist. They took x-rays of both feet which came out clean -- but didn't rule out that there might still be something deeply embedded. I didn't realize x-rays don't catch wood, just shadows. The podiatrist recommended surgery which was scheduled the next day.

On our way home, we got some delicious lunch at one of my favorite spots, Summer Kitchen. And then some yummy ice cream right next door at Ici -- vanilla creme brulee for Lucas and Earl Grey for me. I figured since he wouldn't be able to eat for the next 12 hours in preparation for surgery, we would at least stuff ourselves silly with his favorite foods.

The next day Lucas got prepped for surgery and was SO brave and sweet the entire time. He got to watch shows on tv and received lots of attention from the amazing staff. We arrived promptly at 10 a.m. as surgery was scheduled for noon. How cute and sad is he with that hospital gown? I kept a strong exterior for Lucas but was so nervous and scared inside.

And then the waiting began.... for the next 7 hours we waited patiently to get into the operating room (apparently the surgery before his took a lot longer than expected). The staff wheeled the gurney around to different areas throughout the day. By the time Lucas got in, he hadn't eaten or drank a thing for 23 hours. Poor guy! What a trooper!

The actual surgery lasted about 15 minutes and we were SO relieved when it was all over. Turns out there was a toothpick-like piece of wood the punctured the bottom of his foot -- went straight in versus sideways like a splinter). Ouch. The first thing Lucas said when he woke up was, "Hi Mama, can I have my popsicle now?" Oh, my brave boy -- I love him so much.

+ Photos taken with my iPhone 5
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Banchan Workshop No. 3

A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to attend and shoot photos at the Banchan Workshop No. 3 at The Berkeley Kitchens hosted by Selina Lee of Skycreatives and Feastly. Remember Banchan Workshop No. 2 and how delicious and fun that was? I love Korean food!

If you missed this sold out class, Selina and Feastly will be hosting Banchan Workshop No. 4 (Korean Street Food) on September 26th in San Francisco. Sign up here.

Love these tea towels by Vintage Create Room

Fluffy rolled egg demo

Would love to try making these Korean meatballs with ground turkey.

How cute are these mini bibim bap bowls with quail eggs? I could have eaten every one of those bowls -- so good!

Dessert included almond petits fours by Cakes Made by M.E. and coffee by Blue Moby Coffee.

+ Featured on Anthology Magazine
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Steep Ravine Cabins at Stinson Beach

Right before Memorial Day weekend, Nick took Lucas on a "big boys" trip to the Steep Ravine Cabins, just south of Stinson Beach.  Each bare-bones cabin dates back to the 1940s, and features a wood-burning stove, a dining table, sleeping platforms (apparently very hard so bring a tent mattress) and an outdoor barbeque. Perched high up on the side of a cliff, the expansive ocean views are to die for. I had never heard of these cabins before, but apparently you need to book them months in advance, and be quick -- reservations are available on the first day of the month at 8 a.m. PST, and the entire month books up in minutes. Seriously? Well, we were lucky that my friend Lisa did all the hard work for us and booked it quick style. Her plans fell through, she sent out an email to friends offering up her spot, I forwarded it to Nick thinking it might be a fun Daddy-and-Lucas trip (not realizing it was a hot commodity, duh!), and of course Nick jumped on it. Score!

We do a lot as a family, but I am a huge fan of one-on-one trips with the kids. Remember my Spring Break Trip to Legoland with Lucas? It's fun, easier than traveling with both kids (why did I ever complain when there was just one?), and best of all, Nick and I both get much-needed bonding time with each of the boys. The kids crave it and everyone is in a great mood when we reunite.

Crazy amazing views overlooking the ocean!

This trip coincided with a fun project Lucas' preschool class will be doing throughout the year and beyond:  a small stuffed tiger, named Ella, goes home with each child along with a journal. During her week-long visit with us, we jotted down our adventures in the journal and included photos or drawings of our activities. It was the perfect opportunity to take Ella to the Steep Ravine Cabins! Tucked into the side pocket of Lucas' backpack, Ella got to see the breathtaking views from the cabin, collect driftwood, learn how to eat a hot dog correctly (according to Lucas), sleep in a sleeping bag, and take a dip in the ocean at Stinson Beach.

+ Photos taken by Nick with iPhone 4
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Recipe: Soft Baked Pretzels (Baking with Kids)

A couple of weeks ago, I volunteered to make homemade soft pretzels with Lucas' preschool class. I made them last year as well and they were such a big hit with the kids and the teachers so I figured I would make them again. Plus, who doesn't love a soft baked pretzel, salty and dripping with melted butter?

Lucas helped me knead the dough in his jammies before heading off to school. He's a great helper in the kitchen -- remember how he peeled those Brussels sprouts? I let the dough rise for an hour while I got the kids ready and dropped off at school. The kids were super excited to make their own pretzels! They used their listening/following instructions skills to roll out their own dough and twist them into a pretzel shape. I dipped them in a baking soda/warm water bath (this gives the pretzels a nice golden-brown color) and then laid them out onto parchment paper on a tray. I used a Sharpie to write kids' initials next to their pretzel. The kids also had to be extra patient as the dough had to rise again for 15 minutes and then bake in the oven. When they were ready, the only complaint I heard was that they all wanted more!

Each pretzel was unique and they kids were so proud. I offered two dipping sauces, ranch and nacho cheese, but most kids wanted them plain with salt.

+ Click here for a printable PDF (Note: This recipe makes 6 pretzels but I quadrupled the recipe for the kids project)
+ Photos taken with my iPhone 5 (excuse the not-so-great quality of the photos -- I had flour and butter all over my hands and surrounded by 20+ preschoolers)
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