Basquing in a fun dining experience...

On the corner of F Street and Mariposa Street sits the Basque Hotel. A single swinging door beckons patrons in to a dark, old bar area with the main dining area to the right through another set of swing doors. I honestly don't think this establishment is used as hotel anymore, but the dining experience is definitely a unique one! I've seen some rather harsh reviews given to the Basque Hotel, but I beg to differ. I've only eaten there twice but both times came away with a happy, full belly. The ambiance leaves much to be desired, so if you're looking for a pristine, fancy joint, this is not your place. It's dingy and dark. It looks like it hasn't been updated for over 50 years. But the food is amazing and the atmosphere holds a certain rustic charm. The Basque Hotel definitely lacks any trace of the cookie cutter, perfectly polished corporate restaurant. And sometimes that is so refreshing.

Our bible study group met at the Basque for dinner this past week and enjoyed a hearty meal served family style at one of the long tables. After placing our orders for the main meat dish (I had the fried chicken) the waitress started to bring out a wide array of courses. Included in our meal were fresh bread, soup, green salad, potato salad to die for, rice and beef stew. These dishes were all served before we even received the main course! The food is plentiful and tastes wonderfully homemade. I swear it tastes like my grandma Babchuk is back in the kitchen cooking up a storm! Perhaps that is why I'm partial to giving the Basque Hotel a sparkling review...it's imperfections and tasty food are comforting, just like grandma's house.

Crepe Heaven

When I was young, my mom would occasionally make crepes for dessert. We ate them with vanilla ice cream and homemade chocolate sauce. Yum. Although my mom's crepes were delicious, I never truly knew the ecstasy of a "real" French crepe until I visited Paris in 2002. I remember the first time I sank my teeth into that warm thin crepe filled with the creamy hazelnut and chocolatey goodness of Nutella and sweet slices of banana. My girlfriends and I just came from seeing the Basilique du Sacre Coeur in Montmartre and ordered our crepes from a nearby street vendor. As we stood on a stone staircase with views of the city stretching below us, I savored every bite, thoroughly enjoying my first French crepe and that pristine Paris moment.

Paris ~ April 2002

Last Saturday I had a hankering for crepes. We packed up the baby and headed to Le Parisien, a french bakery located in the Park Place shopping center at Palm and Nees. The bakery, owned and operated by two couples from Paris, serves up a wonderful selection of sandwiches on crusty baguettes or buttery croissants, sweet and savory crepes, soups, French pastries, and coffee drinks. Although I do love their Dodu sandwich on a fresh croissant, I was craving something a little sweeter on the menu: the Nutella banana crepe. It was perfection. The bakery itself has many "American" influences with the Pepsi machine behind the counter and a local radio station playing in the background. But for some reason, perhaps it is knowing that the bakery is owner by Parisians or overhearing a conversation in French at a nearby table, Le Parisien causes me to reminisce about my fond travel memories and dream of new destinations. And, more importantly, it satisfies my craving for Nutella banana crepes!

Me and the babe :)

Little did I know...

Up until now, I've posted mainly about travel related topics or things we've done in Fresno or something new I've tried (like my unfinished 30 x 30 list!), but these past five weeks have taken me on a different kind of journey, a destination I've never seen the likes of nor could have fully imagined without having traveled it on my own. This journey began in the wee hours of the morning on December 30 when I first gazed at the sweet face of my son.

Parenthood: there is nothing in the world like it. It is a mixture of amazing and amazingly difficult. As much as I felt prepared through classes, reading parenting books and listening to countless stories from friends who already walked this same road, little did I know....

...that I could stare at his beautiful face for hours on end and kiss his soft cheeks a million times each day. I see him all the time and yet I seem to find something new and wonderful about him every time I look at him. His facial expressions crack us up and give endless amounts of amusement.

...that all those parents who told us to get as much sleep as we could before the baby came really knew what they were talking about! For the first few weeks I felt like we were surviving off of short cat naps in between feedings. It was exhausting. Now Wes is sleeping for about five hours between his night time feedings, which means I am getting a glorious four hours of uninterrupted sleep!

...how much my heart would break listening to his cries. That helpless newborn cry is so sad.

...how hard it would be to get out of the house with an infant. No joke, these little humans come with an insane amount of “stuff”. It’s a logistical challenge timing our outings between feedings in order to utilize that window of time where baby is content or sleeping. Not to mention the last minute diaper changes right when you’re about to head out the door!

...that witnessing my husband be a daddy would cause me to fall even more in love with him. I knew he had a tender heart before, but as I watch him love our boy and selflessly care for me during these postpartum days, I am beyond thankful.

...how unsure and worried I could feel about everything. My prayer life has grown exponentially as I learn to navigate the unpredictable waters of caring for a newborn.

...the joy a little babe would bring to so many people. It’s amazing how this little one, whose only job is to pooh, pee, eat and sleep, can cause the heart to soar.

Turning 30: It's not so bad after all!

Well, the big 3-0 has come and gone and left me feeling...pretty much the same as I did on October 17! In fact, it was a splendid birthday; a day full of kind wishes, thoughtful presents, and expressions of love. And the celebrations will continue with a dinner date tonight as well as a Mad Men cocktail party Jeremy is throwing me at the end of the month! I'd say that turning 30 was a complete success!

My little 30x30 project, on the other hand, did not fair as well. I had wonderful intentions (as we all do), but...time got away from me, I was lazy, I was busy, I started strong and finished weak, I was pregnant....numerous excuses abound. I managed to cross off eight to-do items from my list of 30. It seems kind of lame that less than 1/3 of the list was completed. However, my 30th year lasts for another 364 days, and therefore I will strive to accomplish more as the year unfolds.

1. cross the Golden Gate bridge on foot or bike

2. eat breakfast on the beach

3. make Grandma Babchuk's cabbage rolls recipe

4. pay for a stranger's coffee in the Starbucks drive-thru

5. watch "The Wizard of Oz"

6. bake homemade bread

7. travel out of state or country (Seattle 3.19.11-3.21.11)

8. buy myself a bouquet of fresh flowers (irises 3.27.11)

9. plant a vegetable garden

10. paint in my living room/kitchen/dining area...maybe

11. finish reading the Harry Potter series before the last movie hits theaters in July (5.10.11)

12. fit my booty back into my favorite pair of jeans

13. write and mail a handwritten letter every week

14. purchase printmaking supplies and create an original lino-cut print (9.10.11)

15. go dancing (Paso Robles - 3.11.11)

16. refinish an old buffet/sideboard table for my dining area

17. volunteer (Serve Dei w/ Life Group 5.23.11)

18. scrapbook SF '10 & Seattle trips

19. hike in Sequoia National Park

20. go to a concert

21. deliver cookies to a neighbor

22. send our sponsor child, Rakib, six letters, notes or pictures

23. leave 30 sticky notes of encouragement in random places

24. eat at Dusty Buns Bistro (9.22.11)

25. do one pull-up

26. wash my car once a month

27. tip a server the full amount of my entire bill

28. go on a hot date to Ripe Tomato

29. roast a whole chicken (7.17.11)

30. take a yoga class


So here's to finishing my list before next year!

Dusty Buns

The sun was setting, the line was long, the patrons were hungry and the Dusty Buns Bistro was busy filling orders. Every Thursday the popular food truck can be found in front of Cafe Corazon on Wishon Avenue in the Tower District. On this particular Thursday evening, Angelica, Michelle and I met up to taste the gourmet sandwiches made with local, organic ingredients on fresh, homemade Dusty Buns.

I opted for the original Dusty Bun, a delicious combination of organic chipotle roast chicken with a sesame bell pepper slaw. A side of Bistro Fries, seared marble potatoes with a chili aioli dipping sauce, rounded out the meal. Even in Fresno's blazing late-September heat, it was definitely a meal worth waiting for.

August in Canada

Returning to Fresno after a week spent in the rolling green hills of Saskatchewan is always a tough thing. Don’t get me wrong, I like Fresno. I really do. But home is where the heart is, and my first home will always be Saskatchewan. Each visit is guaranteed to leave me feeling refreshed and relaxed. The prairies are one of my favorite places on earth. The expansive, deep blue sky stretches endlessly, making it feel as though you’re living inside a giant snow globe. The horizons are so clear and crisp, you can literally see for miles across the fields of crops and trees. The pace is slower, everyone waves to you while driving on the gravel roads (even strangers), there’s always a familiar face at the local cafe, friendly conversations are had while filling up at the gas pump, a fresh, homemade cookie is offered at the shoe repair store, every summer meal is sure to include a bounty from the garden and is enjoyed outside....it may sound like some Norman Rockwell painting, but it’s the small place on earth where I was privileged to grow up and where I love to return.

Anniversary Retreat

On July 20, Jeremy & I celebrated our 9th anniversary. Yes, nine years. I know, we’re an old married couple, minus the old part! To properly ring in our years of wedded bliss, we ventured to the Central Coast for a weekend away. Pacific Grove was the destination, the Gosby House Inn was our quaint bed and breakfast, low-60s were the promised temperatures, and relaxation was on the menu. After driving through the Pacheco Pass, the temperature reading in our car made a dramatic drop from the 99 degree heat of Fresno to the cool breath of fresh Pacific air. As we pulled in to Pacific Grove that evening, the sky was overcast, and it was 58 F. It felt like winter. We loved it.

Our time was spent walking, reading and eating. We excelled at all three. The seaside pathway that winds from Pacific Grove into Monterey affords expansive views of the ocean to the west and the quaint coastal houses to the east. On Saturday morning we headed out for a long walk and brought our books along, just in case we felt like stopping for a read. On our way back we found a quiet bench just off the path, perfect for reading, that looked over the rocky shoreline and dark waves below. I ended up reading an entire book in 24 hours and Jeremy made a sizable dent in his novel over the course of the weekend. It was perfection. Sprinkled in between our walking and reading, we ate amazing fish tacos at Peppers for lunch, and I savored a delicious plate of homemade lobster ravioli for dinner that night. We concluded our time away on Sunday with more walking and, of course, a tasty lunch to send us on our way home. The Red House Cafe served up unusual sandwiches that did not disappoint. My grilled cheese was a heavenly combination of Fontina cheese, roasted red peppers and artichokes on fresh bread with an olive aioli sauce. Yum.

I realize this may sound like a holiday fit for a 90-year-old, but we loved every minute of our lazy weekend away. It’s always such a wonderful feeling to escape the summer heat and retreat to the coast for a time.