Adventures with Lisa & Kevin

This year Kevin had to work the days before and after Thanksgiving so we couldn't make a trip down south--Jessie had to work the day of so we decided to host a small Thanksgiving dinner at her place in San Jose!

In the afternoon we were busy cooking and Skyping with Kevin's family who were gathered at his parent's house for the feast.





Even though it was only me, Kev and Jessie for the meal itself we ended up having one of the most delicious and entertaining Thanksgivings in recent memory!


Started out with some Skyping with my family--this photo is of my mom and my Auntie Tina, but there also was my brother Derek, my Uncle Joey and my mom's boyfriend Steve.

Jess got a free cooked crab from her boss so she proceeded to pound away at it.



So...dinner was amazing. Started out with some spanakopita, fried cheese balls, and dates stuffed with dark chocolate and walnuts.

And the main event! Mushroom stuffing, apple cranberry quinoa, collard greens, roasted cauliflower (and some tri-tip [not pictured] for the meat-eatin' Kevin).

And three bottles of wine later...we started getting a little goofy.







And then the Delmar girls got into typical Delmar fashion and started posing for random photos...







But the highlight of the evening was by far this Christmas video. ENJOY and HAPPY HOLIDAYS from the Delmar sisters! :)

On Saturday 11/20 we woke up early and went on a family run! We had only run together one other time while living here and I was SO happy when Kevin agreed to go out running with me and Lola. We did the 3 mile loop in our neighborhood (which includes some killer hills and 6 flights of stairs) and it was so nice for me and Lola to show Kevin how it's done. ;)

We then met up with our favorite friends Carleigh and Scott at Stacks' restaurant in Hayes Valley. This is such a fantastic breakfast joint! Carleigh and I shared two plates--one of which was a plate of HUGE coconut, macadamia nut and banana pancakes. They were AMAZING!! Three thumbs up.






We parted ways and Kevin and I walked around the neighborhood a bit. There was a really cool art installation called Ecstasy which we enjoyed quite a bit.







Then we made our way out to the Richmond District to Sutro Heights Park to do some exploring.

Jessie joined me and Kevin on Sunday 11/14 for a little pre-Thanksgiving feast!

On the menu:

• Fancy red wine (courtesy of Jess' wine bar...we're getting spoiled with all the amazing wine she's treating us with)
  
• Salad with roasted red pepper vinaigrette
• Roasted brussel sprouts smothered in gruyere cheese
• Vegan sausage hoagies
• Pumpkin pie (from scratch!)
  

On Saturday 11/13 we woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and decided to visit the Alemany Farmer's Market in our neighborhood. It's one of the best in the city and we had only gone together once before. Now that Kevin has Saturdays off we'll definitely be visiting more often!






Probably my most favorite part of this farmer's market are the amazing murals in each stall. They are gorgeous and I can't get enough of them!









After taking Lola to the park we made our way out to Walnut Creek to visit our good friend Alison who was in town! Last time she visited (check out blog post here from February) we had a grand ol' time so we were expecting nothing less. :)

We met Alison and her friend Laura at Alison's favorite Indian restaurant Sargam and enjoyed an amazing buffet lunch! Then we spent a few hours exploring Walnut Creek's downtown area, walking and window shopping and, of course, getting pedicures! It was Kevin's first time and I'm happy to report he's a fan. :)








We then went to her family's home and spent a couple of hours hanging out (and eating Halloween chocolate) with her mom Laurel and her new kitties.


We then spent the evening with Laura and Daniel at Pyramid Brewery for some yummy nachos and beer and Club 1220, the only gay club in Walnut Creek.

We had a great time checking out Alison's old stomping grounds and can't wait to see her again!