A New Tradition...

DH loves Christmas Trees. Who doesn't, right? I mean, I love them and all too but more in theory than in practice. They smell great, look great and are surely festive but man, are they messy. Plus, there's the whole fire hazard element but we won't go there. That's exactly enough of the Bah Humbug spirit!

Since we decided to stay local this year, I insisted we take advantage of the local trade and chop down our own from one of the many Christmas tree farms in Sonoma County. 

There's more Christmas tree farms than you'd know what to do with out in West County. How DH landed on Frosty Mountain Farms was beyond me. All the same, we arrived an hour before sunset and were directed to grab a saw and dolly and be on our way.

With over 12 acres of trees, most of which are Douglas Firs, there was a lot of ground to cover before the sun dropped completely. While walking up and down the field of trees, DH declared, "Wherever we are, let's make this a yearly tradition". I concurred.

There were loads of winning trees but we set our hearts on a smaller tree with several pine cones near the top because really, who can resist a Christmas tree with its own pine cones in it!? 

(No one is the answer)

DH set to sawing it down, a task we both reconciled would be extremely difficult but in reality was surprisingly effortless. At $7.50 a foot, our hand-sawed Douglas Fir was just under $40. 

To the first of many family traditions to come!

On Location: Eating In on Kauai Island

Cooking away from home is a real treat to me. Eating out is a great way to take in the culture and traditions but something about shopping at local markets and preparing a home cooked meal feels like the most truly authentic experience.

Between the ample fresh fish markets and daily farmer's markets, Kauai is an ideal springboard upon which to do some seriously delicious at-home cooking. As we were staying on the North Shore, the markets we frequented were in Hanalei but truly there is great, fresh fish and fruit to be had the island over. 

The avocados are the size of your face and run between $1-2. It truly is paradise!


Among some of our favorite meals...

Ahi Belly tacos. You've heard of pork belly but have you ever heard of ahi belly? We hadn't so of course we had to try it. Again lightly seared on a high heat grill draws the excess fat out of this cut and makes for an incredible fish taco fish. We also ate the seared ahi belly over brown rice which was equally great.

Sushi grade striped marlin, lightly seared. Raw kale salad with peanut chile pepper dressing and corn on the cob, both grown within miles of where we were staying. This meal made our Christmas Eve dinner deliciously non-traditional.

Macadamia nut pancakes with ginger syrup and poached eggs provided the perfect Christmas breakfast.

Rainbow chard frittata was delightful but the strange, unidentified root vegetable we paired it with was less than stellar. Physically, the tuber looked more like a yam but tasted more like a parsnip or turnip. Not our favorite.

I could not speak highly enough about the bananas in Kauai. If Butter Date were to have a sister site in Kauai, it would be named 'Apple Banana' because these bananas were out of this world. Completely unlike anything you'd find on the mainland they are half the size and twice as flavorful with a slight apple crispness to them. Yum!

Christmas Breakfast; Kauai Style

For as long as I can remember and probably long before that, my parents have hosted Christmas morning breakfast. Being a nuclear family of three, it was a big shift having the 9 McFadden's up to the house. The festivities have only grown over the years as spouses and children have come into the mix. Somehow though, there's always enough space and food to go around. It is, and long has been, my favorite Christmas tradition. A very close second being Christmas pajamas!

Being the food obsessed lunatic I am, I've been controlling the menu for the last six years. I've managed to drive just about everyone crazy with my elaborate baked eggs, stratas and egg sandwiches.

This year though, DH and I decided to go out of town for the holiday, but that doesn't mean the tradition would die. I was relieved to hear my cousin Maggie would take the reigns at home. As for us, after an idyllic sunrise dip in the Pacific, we whipped up some macadamia nut pancakes and poached eggs. Since we didn't have any real maple syrup and since buying any on this island would cost more than my car payment, I decided to make a syrup!

Instead of maple though, I opted for a ginger infused simple syrup. 
Dee-licous! 

DH is and old pro at the poaching station so the eggs were perfetto too!

Hope the family is managing without me...mele kilikimaka everyone!

On Location: Kauai!

Apologies to the loyal readers of butterdate for the long absence. Since the Thanksgiving festivities I've all but kept out of the kitchen. In fact, just about every waking minute's been leading up to DH and I's Christmas vacation to the garden isle of Kauai.

I am not one to boast but the beauty and natural bounty of this island are too good not to write about; its just so 'butterdate' here! Throughout the next two weeks we will be posting highlights from our adventures here. Hiking, kayaking, biking and beaching...and of course eating will be the focus of these travel guide-posts.
Hope these find you well, warm and full with holiday cheer, wherever you may be!
xx
e+dh

A (3 Gallon) Bowlful of Granola

Homemade Granola

Good granola is all about the right proportion. I call it the oats:guts ratio, the 'guts' typically being the combo of nuts and dried fruits but can really include anything from chia seeds to chocolate chips. The fun of granola is it's kitchen sink quality where just about anything goes, to varying success.

the 'guts': roasted almonds, pepitas, sunflower and sesame seeds & coconut 

I prefer a nuttier, seedier granola; not so much savory just not overly sweet. 
Homemade granola is close to our hearts because we have been making it together for Christmas gifts since we've been together. The very smell of roasting nuts and toasted oats is nostalgic and pleasant. 
Our favorite is a honey-sweetened granola with roast pepitas, almonds, black and white sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and coconut flakes. This nut/seed-heavy granola is then lightly studded with a few dried sour cherries and chunks of aromatic crystalized ginger to give it a little kick.

raw and ready to roast!

lightly toasted coconut flakes

Roasting your own nuts and seeds (and coconut) is the only way to go; its cheaper and it tastes better, a real no-brainer.

coating the oats on the stovetop

I pre-toast the oats as well and then mix them with browned butter and local honey on the stove top. In the past I've used oil in lieu of butter to make it vegan and maple syrup instead of honey but the butter-honey-stovetop method seems to be the best way to ensure a good granola 'clump', highly important to DH!

13 quart bowl full of homemade granola

There few things in life as gratifying as holding a 13 quart bowl full of granola!

Linus Love

Roadster Classic

Upon learning we would be moving to the Bay Area this past fall, I figured I would ask for a bicycle for Christmas. What little I knew of the Bay Area seemed to have a strong bike culture, especially East Bay. I figured this would be as good a time as any to finally learn how to ride a bike.

Merry Christmas, Emily!

 Yes, you read that right, I have never officially learned how to ride a bike. For whatever reason, I never asked for a bike for Christmases or birthdays growing up, as most everyone else did and learned then. To be honest, the idea of riding a bike, especially on city streets has always terrified me.

The loving and ever generous DH granted my Christmas wish in the form of a brand new, custom built Linus bike. Not only is this bicycle a beautiful piece of artisan craftsmanship, it has proved to be the perfect vehicle. Single speed, back pedal brakes and upright handle bars make it the very best 'first bicycle' to learn on.

At the Berkeley Aquatic Park

I would be lying if I said I just hopped right on was instantly a cyclist. There was a bit of a learning curve and some frightful moments at the start. That said though, this truly is the city of cyclists. In Berkeley there are what's called Bicycle Boulevards wherein bicycles have the right-of-way and car traffic is discouraged.

At Berkeley Farmer's Market

Now Linus and I go everywhere together. I rarely ever drive my car anymore and when I do, I find myself missing my Linus. Saturdays now entail cycling all around town, exploring new streets and neighborhoods and stopping for bite to eat or a beverage along the way. Cycling is like the salt to any activity, it just enhances the flavor!

Outside Chez Panisse

It's a shame the phrase "it's changed my life" is so extreme because it sums up my sentiments perfectly. My only question is 'why didn't I ask for one of these things 20+ years ago!?'