Toddy, your wife is so fancy

This episode of Giada at Home had me laughing harder than any SNL show I've ever seen. Giada decided to make some of her husband Todd's favorite midwestern dishes from his childhood and in the process, made her in-laws look like boorish unsophisticates.


How? Before making each dish, Giada had Todd's mom explain how she made the dish for Todd as a kid. Never did such well-intentioned plans go so wrong. To wit:

Spanish Rice
Todd's Mom: Todd just loved when I made a box of rice and dumped in ketchup and hamburger meat. We called it Spanish rice.

And then, without meaning to, Giada shows what uncultured hicks they were by make HER version of "Spanish Rice" with pancetta and saffron rice (with no boxes or ketchup of course).

Orange Cake
Todd's Mom: Todd's favorite dessert growing up was orange cake. I just used a Duncan Heinz box cake mix. He loved it.

Giada continues her damning with faint commentary by baking a cake from scratch with lots of fresh orange zest.

I wonder if there's any tension in the kitchen at family get togethers? Does Giada have to keep her face from blanching when Todd's mom asks her to please pass the aerosal cheese whip? Ha ha ha ha.

No, but really, I do like Giada's cooking show and I think she's adorable. Although she looks really wierd when she flashes her toothy grin (not unlike a hot Italian Cheshire cat), it's hard not to like someone who is so obviously genuinely excited and delighted by food. I LOVE food (not love, but LOVE), so anyone who LOVES food is automatically accepted in my book.


And her baby Jade is always on the show and she's tooooooo cute!

A Tip Top Tam Time

The corporate law gods smiled down on me this weekend and I FINALLY got to hang out with Tammy and do what we had planned to do months ago--eat fried chicken sandwiches at Bakesale Betty's!

The first time we tried, Tammy cancelled cuz she stubbed her toe and broke it!

The second time we tried, I had to cancel to work all Saturday.

The third time we tried, I also had to cancel to work all Saturday.

The fourth time we tried, WE DID IT!!!! And here are the pics to prove it. (Fourth time's the charm?)


Mmmm...it doesn't get better than fried chicken and pickled cole slaw. Tammy came prepared with her own saracha and garlic-infused mayo (which I sadly forgot to try!)--yes, those little containers are from her, not from the restaurant! Notice also, the dee-licious, fresh-squeezed, zingy lemon slush drink.


And of course, we (okay, really, I) had to have dessert. As a preggo, dessert has become mandatory with every meal. Fresh strawberries and whipped cream on buttery, flaky shortcake. Aka, heaven.


And as if fantastic food and great company wasn't enough, I spotted something I've been coveting ever since moving to the east bay--a (really good) knitting store close to where I live!!!!!! Um, I know where I'm going to spend the majority of my maternity leave time.


We spent the whole time rubbing our oily cheeks against their super expensive cashmere and angora yarns--oohing and aahhing. Sorry knit store! But they're so soft. So so so soft. Yeah, we kinda turned into Lenny in Of Mice and Men.

Check out these beautiful natural yarns. Made my hands shake and itch for some size 13 needles.


Love these nubby textures and deep colors. (Just ignore the fact that these kinda look like dreadlocks).


And cute-as-a-button buttons!


The best part is they have classes and free drop-in help. I can FINALLY ask somehow how to finish my half-abandoned projects!

And because it was a beautiful day and we both went to Cal, we just had to take a stroll on campus. We noticed this huge billboard of Cal students and, because we're shallow lookists, spent about a half hour looking for hot guys and girls. Yeah, some things never change.


Btw, Jen, if you're reading this--Is this a pic of your sister Carol?! (The top asian chick, second to the left). But she didn't go to Cal, did she? She has a twin somewhere!