Nov 30

Nov 30 5 Things I'm Loving: Nov 2020 Edition

Dessert, Life, Photography, Recipe, Travel

How is 2020 almost over? With Thanksgiving and Christmas at the end, time almost flies way too fast!

Alan and I treated ourselves to a vacation this month and headed up to Tahoe for a few days and it was a real treat. We haven’t left San Francisco since shelter in place started so this was our longest time away from home and from work! We found a place that was dog-friendly and advertised as well-cleaned (COVID concerns, you know?), and even Momo didn’t mind the snow.

The trip was definitely the highlight of November, but I have a few more things that made me happy that you might enjoy too. Keep scrolling!

1 - Ikeda’s Market

Look at the height of this Key Lime Pie!

No trip to Tahoe (or anywhere beyond Sacramento) is complete without a stop at Ikeda’s Market. This place is a landmark! Started years ago by a Japanese farmer and his wife, they have legit some of the best pies I’ve ever had. There are two locations, one in Davis and one in Auburn, but the one in Auburn is definitely the best because it has an attached restaurant.

My recs: the Banana Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Chicken Pot Pie. Alan tried the wagyu burger when we were there and the one bite I got (lol) was pretty good!

2 - Zero Zero’s Stoner Bread

Zero Zero does takeout and delivery now! I love that they have frozen pizzas that you can save for later, but the best dish on the menu is their Stoner Bread. Think garlic bread, but taken to the next level so you feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven once you’ve eaten it. Too aggressive? That means you just need to try it!

The stoner bread is made with sourdough bread sliced and filled with garlic, Calabrian chilis, basil, and three different kinds of cheese. It’s so good when eaten fresh and the cheese is all melted and the garlic is blasting you in the face with its smell!

3 - Mille Feuille Nabe from Just One Cookbook

Cold weather foods are honestly my jam. Eating some hot ass food and then curling up under a blanket to watch TV is the best! Mille Feuille Nabe brings together the best of both worlds — it’s like hot pot but then you get a delicious soup afterward for noodles or more rice to soak in. Putting it together is also a beautiful process. I loved the look all together when you have all the layers of meat and cabbage!

When it comes to Japanese recipes, my go-to site is Just One Cookbook, and this recipe was a home run. I used sliced pork belly and Napa cabbage, and we ate it with rice. The leftovers were eaten the next day with a big batch of udon and a soft boiled egg. It was so delicious!

4 - Beef with Egg Gravy

Alan has made this like 15 times since shelter in place started, but we finally nailed down the recipe with some help from my parents! If you haven’t tried Beef and Egg Gravy over Rice yet, now is the time. It seems like a super simple dish but the flavors combined are so delicious.

I love just mixing it all together so that the rice absorbs the gravy, and then stuffing my face so each bite contains some velvety beef and flavorful rice! Try it out yourself.

5 - Snow Bunny Momo

I love all versions of Momo, but watching her trying to walk around in the snow is probably one of the cutest. I have a little snow jacket and boots from her first trip to Tahoe last year, and you better believe I was excited to break them out again for our latest vacation. She was so funny and unhappy walking around with the little booties on!

We did eventually just let her run around without the boots because she seemed more comfortable and didn’t seem to mind the snow, but it was super cute the first day to see her struggle. And the snow jacket was adorable, but also was not loved even though it did make it super easy for her to go to the bathroom 😆