T.W.O.

A San Francisco Weekend

Published on November 5, 2013November 4, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

T.W.O. reunited in San Francisco this past weekend and had a great time with friends and family! Below are some highlights of the fabulous three days.

A marketplace, office space, meeting spot and event space – this building has it all. Not only is the architecture of the building spectacular with its high ceilings and natural light, it is also an iconic building to the city with its 245-foot tall clock tower that was designed after the 12th-century Giralda bell tower in Sevilla, Spain. In the 1930’s, the Ferry Building was the second busiest transit terminal in the world, but with the construction of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge, it has become less of a transit terminal and more of a marketplace.

Chili Night Dinner Party

Being the first day of November, T.W.O. deiced to cook chili and cornbread for their small dinner party. In addition to the Fall menu, T.W.O. created a tablescape that gave the small city apartment a cozy feel. It was a wonderful night of good food, views and people. The cornbread recipe can be found HERE and we will be featuring the chili recipe on Thursday.

Golden Gate Bridge Runs

On the weekends, T.W.O. likes to start off the day with a great exercise. It helps that there is a spectacular view along the way! (Well sometimes…if it’s a typical San Francisco morning, you might not see the bridge, yet alone the water.)

Sonoma County Afternoon Drive

Forty-five minutes across the Golden Gate Bridge and you are in wine country! T.W.O. + family took a day trip to get out of the city and enjoy the beautiful scenery, food and wineries. They went to three wineries – VJB Cellars, Imagery and Ram’s Gate. In the next couple of weeks we will be highlighting each winery individually. Stay tuned!

Chili – Cornbread

Published on November 4, 2013November 4, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Fall is in full swing at T.W.O.’s house and that means cornbread and chili are on the menu. Learn how to make a chili-cornbread that is a great addition to your chili supper.

Ingredients:

– 2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
– 2 eggs
– 2/3 cup milk (T.W.O. used almond milk)
– 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
– 1 can cream of corn, 14.75 oz can
– 1 can diced Ortega chili, 7 oz can

Preheat oven to 400°. In a bowl, mix cornbread mix, egg and milk until creamy. Slowly add in ¾ cup cheese, cream of corn and Ortega chili. Once mixed, pour batter into a greased 8.5 x 11 pyrex dish. Sprinkle ¼ cup of cheese on top of the cornbread before putting in the oven.

Batter is Ready!

Cooking in the oven

Cook for 20-25 minutes. Once done, take the cornbread out and serve immediately. Add some honey if desired and your chili night will be complete! Later this week, T.W.O. will be featuring their chili recipe, so stay tuned!

Happy Baking!

Pumpkin Bread + Roaring Treat

Published on October 31, 2013October 31, 2013 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Dessert – doesn’t matter what time of day you eat Pumpkin Bread. It is good, warm, cold or in some cases frozen! Find out how to make T.W.O.’s delicious pumpkin bread recipe below. In honor of Halloween, there is a special bonus recipe included in the post. Scroll down to get a T.W.O. Trick or Treat!

Ingredients:

– 3 cups sugar
– 1 cup vegetable oil
– 2/3 cup water
– 4 eggs
– 2 cups canned pumpkin (T.W.O. always adds two extra spoonfuls in the dough)
– 3 ½ cups unbleached flour
– 2 teaspoons baking soda
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 1 Tablespoon nutmeg
– 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a mixer (T.W.O. uses a KitchenAid), cream sugar and oil together until it becomes a little fluffy. Add eggs, pumpkin and water. Once everything is mixed well, slowly add the flour, soda, and powder. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl so that the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Next, add in nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Place batter into greased pans and put in the oven for about 1.5 hours or until down.

A T.W.O. Trick or Treat!!

Since Halloween is today, T.W.O. decided to dress up their pumpkin bread. That’s right, food can play dress up too! This year, T.W.O. went with the “tiger” theme. Let’s see how this recipe roars! Thanks to T.W.O.’s brother for the vision of combining t.w.o. favorite ingredients…pumpkin and brownie!

The main ingredient to make this tiger pumpkin bread is brownie mix. Follow the directions on the box and set the brownie batter aside. Make the pumpkin bread batter as given above, but instead of pouring all the pumpkin bread batter into the pan, you are going to want to make layers with the brownie batter.

Your final product: sassy bread that is sure to WOW your audience! The rich gooeyness of the brownie mix and the fluffy pumpkin bread is a great combination.

Happy Baking!

A 25 Mile Bike Tour Over The Golden Gate Bridge

Published on October 30, 2013October 28, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

This past weekend T.W.O.’s family was in town to visit San Francisco. And like most visits, we try to accomplish a new activity. This time, T.W.O. & family decided to rent bikes and ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and back. Our 25 mile journey was filled with steep hills, long inclines, great views, perfect weather and wonderful people.

Since some of us didn’t have road bikes, we had to rent hybrid bikes from the local shop on Lombard Street – Bike & View. Book online before going to the shop to pick up your bike…you save $10! T.W.O. highly recommends using Bike & View. The store was located in a convenient location, service was spectacular and the bikes were durable. Each rental comes with a bike lock and helmet. Safety first!

Golden Gate Bridge Crossing

Crossing the GG Bridge on a bike is exhilarating. Being that high up on a bridge with water beneath you while pedestrians and cars are near, gets your heart rate pumping. On the way back, the fog horn was going off which meant that a portion of the bridge was fogged in. Yep, that’s right- we had to ride through a fog bank to get to the other side. Once we crossed, the sun was shining again and it was 10 degrees colder in SF than it was in Marin.

Cavallo Point

Once we dropped down into Sausalito we rode to Cavallo Point to see the hotel and great views this resort has to offer. It’s a great spot to grab brunch or a sunset drink on a clear day.

Sausalito

After leaving Cavallo Point, we rode through the town. The streets were bustling and the restaurants were crowded with people enjoying the beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Fish

Just north of the town center is one of T.W.O.’s favorite lunch spots, Fish. This was a great spot to stop for the halfway point on the ride. Known for their views and seafood, Fish offers a variety of food for everyone’s taste buds. Fish sandwiches, salads, oysters, soups, and hamburgers – you can’t go wrong at Fish. Note – they only take cash, so make sure you hit up the ATM prior to going unless you want to pay the ATM fee onsite.

T.W.O. & family had a great time riding and exploring on Saturday. After 25 miles of some challenging hills (the hill coming out of Sausalito towards the GG Bridge), a great meal and adventures, we all can’t wait to do it again soon! Hopefully with the entire family!

Happy trails ahead!

Never T.W.O. Much Plaid

Published on October 29, 2013October 25, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

1. Mini-plaid market popover by Madewell ; 2. Checked Top with Zips by Zara; 3. Eddie Tweed Blouse by Rhyme Los Angeles ;4. Camel Plaid Scarf by Tildon; 5. Plaid Vegan Leather Sleeve Coat by Hive & Honey

6. Textured Plaid Shift Dress by Coincidence & Chance; 7. Leather-Panel Plaid Dress by Joie 8. Day Dreaming Plaid Loafers by Joie; 9. Marisa Plaid Ankle Pants by Loft

Roasted Butternut Squash with Swiss Chard

Published on October 28, 2013October 24, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Picture this: A cold autumn’s night with green vegetables, toasted pine nuts, butternut squash and goat cheese. Sounds T.W.O. perfect, right? Well it is! Check out how to make this dish below.

Ingredients:

– 1 large butternut squash
– 2 large shallots, quartered
-4 gloves of garlic, skinned and halved
– 1 ½ Tablespoon cinnamon
– 1 ½ Tablespoon nutmeg
-1 large head Swiss chard, stems and leaves chopped separately
-¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
-¾ cups dried cranberries
– ¼ cup honey goat cheese, crumbled
– balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

Preheat oven to 375ᴼ. Peel the squash and cut in half lengthwise. Seed the squash and cut into bite-size cubes. Spray/brush the squash with olive oil and mix in cinnamon and nutmeg. Once the squash is coated, place on a baking sheet and cook for about 30-40 minutes until soft. Check the squash periodically and mix.

At the 20 minute mark, add the garlic and the shallots to the butternut squash on the baking pan in the oven.

While the squash medley is cooking, chop the Swish chard stems and sauté in a fry pan for 3 minutes with a drixzle of balsamic vinegar. After 2 minutes, add the Swish chard leaves.

Mix in the cranberries and the roasted pine nuts.

Remove the squash, shallots and garlic from the oven and add to the Swish chard mixture. Once mixed, remove from stove and plate the ingredients. Add the goat cheese to the top for garnish. Serve immediately.

T.W.O. enjoys having this for leftovers for lunch the next day. Just heat it up in the microwave or on the stove and you will have another tasty meal!

Happy cooking!!!

Deep Dish Pizza

Published on October 25, 2013October 21, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Friday Night Pizza!!! T.W.O. decided to spice up Friday Night Pizza night and make a deep dish pizza. That’s right, pizza pie! T.W.O.’s brother made a deep dish pie a couple weeks ago, which inspired us to try our own version. Grab your rolling pin, pie dish, ingredients and let’s start cooking!

Ingredients:

– Pizza dough
– Flour
– Cornmeal
– Mozzarella cheese, 1 inch block
– Marinara sauce (T.W.O. uses Molinari’s homemade marinara sauce)
– 1 large head of broccoli, chopped
– 1 can of olives, diced
– 1 small package of mushrooms, diced
– 2 jalapeno, diced

Preheat oven to 425ᴼ.

First, roll out dough on a flour, cornmeal surface. Make sure to evenly roll out the dough in a circular shape so it fits in the pie dish. Once completed, place the dough in the pie dish and pat in place. Add some flour and cornmeal to the bottom of the dough so it will help absorb some of the juices.

Cut thin mozzarella slices from the block of cheese and lay on the bottom. Next, drizzle some marinara sauce to cover the cheese. Add the cut vegetables to the pie and layer cut slices of cheese in between. Once you have all your ingredients in the pie, top with the remaining marinara. The sauce should fill in the gaps between the vegetables.

Put the pizza pie in the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes. You will know when the pizza is ready when the sauce is “bubbling”. Take out and top with parmesan cheese.

Let the pizza sit for about 10 minutes prior to cutting. Once served, sit down and enjoy your deep dish pizza pie!

Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!!!

Cheers,

“Neutral Living” By T.W.O.

Published on October 23, 2013October 18, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

T.W.O.‘s Inspiration

(Copyright – Staples Design Group)

T.W.O.‘s Design Board

(1) Pierce Sectional Sofa (2) Gia Candle Holders, (3) Coffee Table
(4) Maulvrier Area Rug (5) Morton Silver Serving Tray (6) Stella Frames
(7) Lucianna Medallion Pillow

Neutral Living Room page2

(8) Metropolitan Console Table (9) Bellesol Mirrors (10) Pendant Clock
(11) Phalaenopsis Orchid (12) Metropolitan Side Table (13) Blue Vase (14) Palladian Table Lamp

T.W.O. used Houzz.com to search for their Neutral Living Space Board.

Happy Designing!!!

Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey, Swiss Chard, Cranberries & Spicy Dijon, Lemon Vinaigrette

Published on October 22, 2013October 16, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey, Swiss Chard, Cranberries & Spicy Dijon, Lemon Vinaigrette

Fall is in the air, and it’s also in T.W.O.’s cooking! Check out how to make this easy and tasty recipe the whole family will love. It’s great as an entrée, side dish or even lunch! T.W.O. doubled the recipe and was able to enjoy it throughout the week…leftovers are the best!

Ingredients

Spicy Dijon Dressing:

– 4-5 tablespoons spicy Dijon mustard
– 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
– ¼ cup rice vinegar
– ½ lemon, juiced
– Krazy Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Spaghetti Squash:

– 1 large spaghetti squash
– 1 pound lean ground turkey meat
– 1 bunch of Swiss chard leaves, removed from steam
– ½ – 1 cup dried cranberries
– Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375ᴼ F. Using a sharp knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and the “strings” just like you would when carving a pumpkin. Once clean, place the squash, face down in a sprayed Pyrex pan. Salt and Pepper to taste. Put the Pyrex in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes.

While the spaghetti squash is cooking, sauté the ground turkey meat with pepper and Krazy Salt. Once thoroughly cooked, put aside.

Next, sauté the chopped Swiss chard leaves in a lightly oiled pan. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes. Once complete, add the cranberries and ground turkey meat.

To make the dressing, add all the ingredients in a cup and whisk for about 2 minutes.

After 40 minutes, take the spaghetti squash out of the oven and let cool for 4 minutes. Once cooled, take a fork and “stroke” the squash from top to bottom to get the “spaghetti” noodles and put in a large mixing bowl. Continue to do this until you scrape to the skin.

Once the spaghetti is ready, add the Swiss chard, cranberry, turkey mixture to the squash. Mix lightly. (You don’t want to break the spaghetti) Add the dressing and mix. T.W.O. highly suggests serving this dish warm, so you can immediately plate it!

Happy Fall cooking!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published on October 21, 2013October 21, 2013 by T.W.O.1 Comment

T.W.O. has made a ton of chocolate chip cookies in their lifetime and we discovered that throughout the years, new recipes are constantly evolving. Most recently, T.W.O. adapted this recipe that has a secret ingredient. Find out the trick to making the best chocolate chip cookie!

Ingredients:

– 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
– 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, soften
– ¾ cups light brown sugar
– ½ cup sugar
– 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
– 3 teaspoons vanilla
– 2 cups chocolate chips

In a bowl, mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg and yolk together. (T.W.O. uses a KitchenAid mixer!) Once mixed well, add the flour, baking soda and the secret ingredient CORNSTARCH! After 3 minutes, slowly add in the chocolate chips. Place the dough in the refrigerator overnight or for a minimum 3 hours.

Don’t forget to taste the dough!

When you are ready to bake the cookies, take the dough out of the refrigerator. Pre-heat 350ᴼF. Let the dough sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes while the oven is pre-heating. Roll the dough into balls and place them on an oil-sprayed cookie sheet. Next, place the cookies in the oven for 10-11 minutes depending on your oven.