Let's Talk About Cheese.

Hey Friends! And by friends I mean hi Mom, and my 8 classmates that read this blog. Long time no see. Today, I'd like to skip past the filler and get right to the point: What are your thoughts on American cheese? See the other night, my boyfriend asked me if I had any food ("FEEEED MEEE" in caveman voice), to which I replied, "Sure I can make you a grilled cheese with American." He replied in disgust and said something to the effect that he would rather die than eat American cheese. My reaction? I almost broke up with him right on the spot.

You see, I love cheese. I love really fancy cheese that smells slightly like a dirty old Italian man that hasn't showered in 2 months. I love cream cheese on my bagels and I love fresh shaved parmesan on my pasta. I love gouda on a turkey sandwich and nothing makes me weak at the knees like fresh mozzarella on a margarita pizza. However, the tried and true way to my heart is American cheese. Preferably as part of macaroni and cheese, on top of a cheeseburger or fit perfectly between two slices of bread and grilled. And don't even get me started on how good it tastes on a breakfast sandwich.

Once upon a time when I lived in an apartment in San Francisco with my girlfriends, we had a cheese drawer. That's right, a drawer in our refrigerator dedicated solely to cheese. It was glorious (see photo above).

What's your favorite type of cheese? What are your thoughts on American cheese-ya or nay?

Sutter Creek & Apple Hill

Living in California, I usually take for granted how close I live to some of the most beautiful places on earth. I've just returned from two nights in a tiny town called Sutter Creek. Located near Placerville about 2 hours from Tahoe and 90 minutes from San Francisco.

This was my second time in Sutter Creek. It's the perfect place to stay while wine tasting in the Sierra foothill wine region located in Amador county.

This was also my second time staying at the Handford House Bed & Breakfast. The location is perfect and the grounds and rooms are both quaint and modern. It's own by a young couple named Robert & Athena and they have created the ideal getaway.

Did I mention every morning they deliver fresh baked scones & coffe to your room and then serve you breakfast which includes pancakes from scratch with fresh blueberries? Swoon.

Following breakfast we ventured out to explore wine country. Since wine tasting can be a little dangerous with out sustenance, we stopped by the Amador Vintage Market to stock up on snacks.

Since last year we tasted at 5 different wineries, we made it our mission to try 5 new places. Not only did we succeed, we went beyond our expectations and went to six different tasting rooms:

Cooper Vineyards

Borjon Winery

Driven Cellars

Nine Gables Vineyards

Helwig Vineyards and Winery

and

Vino Noceto

My favorite was Borjon. Their wines were unique and the manager who was also running the tasting room could not have been nicer. Also, Borjon is the only Mexican American run winery in Amador county, the tasting room had a great western theme and the wine glasses looked like this:

When all was said and done, I made the decision that if I could, I would never leave Amador Co. or the Handford house. Alas, real life is beckoning and so is my laundry. Until next time!

Food + Friends

Being a grad student can be a little awkward at times. Like the time the girl sitting next to you in class realizes you're too old to pledge her sorority and then looks at you like you have SARS. Or when you go on Spring Break, and people assume you're going some where warm and fabulous and possibly making a guest appearance on Girls Gone Wild.

Yeah, no.

That being said, I'm pretty sure that I'm currently in the midsts of the best Spring break-ever. I haven't had one ounce of tequila and my dignity is still very much intact. I've spent the last 5 days galavanting around San Francisco with my best friends and I am now heading to wine country to relax with my boyfriend.

One of the things I miss most about living in San Francisco is the food. So every time I come back for a visit, it turns into an eating adventure. Here are some highlights from this last weekend:

Pizza night at Mya's with dough from Arizmendi Bakery

Dessert-Old Fashion Chocolate and Vanilla Buttercreme Cupcakes from Miette

(Photo's from the Miette Website, once again, I ate my cupcake before I could take a photo)

Saturday we ventured to Mission Cheese (in the Mission, of course). They're known for their gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, and it is NOT a disappointment.

Fig & Sharp Vermont Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Then, simply because it was cold outside, we ate Pho (traditional Vietnamese soup). I mean, why not?

Saturday night the food was pretty unremarkable due to the fact that it was St. Patty's day and most of the restaurants in the city were packed full of people who had been drinking since 10 am.

Sunday 6 of us met for brunch at Polkers, known for their ridiculously delish burgers and for making 6 twenty-something girls feel like they may never button their pants again. I'm too embarrassed to post what I ate, but let's just say it may have involved two hamburger patties, buffalo chicken, onion rings and curly fries.

After Polkers we walked around for about an hour, and once we decided that we'd burned enough calories to justify it, we ended up eating this:

That my friends, would be rice pudding from Loving Cup. The flavors range from Heath bar flavored to cookies and cream. I went with the traditional vanilla, which never disappoints. If you're ever on Polk street in San Francisco, be sure to check them out.

That concludes my post. Ugh, I think I need to go to the gym. Wait, who am I kidding?! Stay tunned for adventures in eating and wine tasting in Sutter Creek.

The Little Town That Could

Driving west on Interstate 80 from Reno, the small town of Truckee looks drastically different than it did 20 years ago.

Truckee used to be a side trip for Lake Tahoe and Reno-bound recreation seekers, but has become a hot travel destination offering upscale shopping and dining. It's also become a mecca of second-home ownership for those with the bucks to buy in to the mountain lifestyle.

The large migration of second-home owners has landed Truckee on some very prestigious lists, such as the Wall Street Journal’s Most Expensive cities list in 2011.

Unfortunately, the higher home costs have resulted in higher paying jobs. In fact, the unemployment rate in Truckee is 11.50% (U.S. avg. is 9.10%). Recent job growth is down, last year Truckee jobs decreased by 1.33 percent. Currently, the unemployment rate in Reno is at 8.3%.

Interesting Facts about Truckee, California:

• As of 2011, Truckee's population is 16,856 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 21.51 percent.
• The median home cost in Truckee is $497,700. Home appreciation the last year has been -3.64 percent.
• Compared to the rest of the country, Truckee's cost of living is 68.30% Higher than the U.S. average.

Like Reno, the town of Truckee's Downtown area is on the verge of a revival. What's next for Truckee? The residential and commercial development at the Truckee Railyard.

Mostly abandoned since a lumber mill closed in the 1980s, the 75-acre property just east of Historic Downtown could double the size of downtown once developed.

Rick Holiday, owner and founder of Holiday Development is planning the railyard, which he bought from Union Pacific Railroad, as a mix of housing, commercial and office space with all uses feeding off of one another.

The mix of uses and a high density should add vibrancy to the center of town, Holliday said.

"Our top priority is to be able to say that we contributed to making Truckee a better place," remarks Holiday. "Every developer says that, but this one is more important because we really do want to be involved in the community."

Ground has yet to be broken on the Truckee Railyard project, but when the time comes, Truckee locals can only hope that the new development brings economic growth to the area.

Afternoon Delight @ Coffeebar

It's been an extremely dry winter here in Truckee. Last year there was over 400 inches of recorded snowfall by this time of year. This year; a measly 160 inches have fallen.

The bright side? Lots of sunshine.

I love dining Al Fresco. Any time outdoor seating is an option and the temperature is right for it, I'll take it. One of my favorite spots is Coffeebar. They have a great menu and a patio that never lacks sunshine.

Yesterday, I was feeling a little down, so I decided to treat myself to a cup of Chai Spice gelato and a Coke in a bottle from coffee bar.

Note: I only drink Coke from a bottle. Why? It's imported from Mexico and is made with real sugar as opposed to coke manufactured in the US which is made with high-fructose corn syrup.

If you're ever in Truckee, but sure to check out Coffeebar.

Follow them on Twitter

and find them on Facebook here:

The Best Bloody

I recently became an avid Bloody Mary drinker. And by avid I mean when I go out to dinner once or twice a week, it's my drink of choice. I'd say I've made progress since my, "I'll have a Midori Sour," days. I'm not sure why I'm so fond of this classic cocktail. Maybe it's the spicy splash of tobacco sauce or maybe it's that fact that some would call the Bloody Mary a "healthy" cocktail?

Regardless, last night I decided that I wanted to learn how to make my drink of choice. Since I'm hopeless when it comes to recipes, I needed some help. Luckily, my boyfriend has some bar-tending experience and he gave me mixology lesson in the art of Bloody Mary making.

So we went to our local super market, and came home with this:

I've been advised to keep the actual proportions of the recipe a secret, but here's the basic idea with a few tricks:

• Pour over ice two shots (about 3 oz.) of the mix, and 1 shot (1.5 oz) of vodka in a 10-12 oz. glass.
• Stir
• Fill the glass to the rim with tomato or vegetable juice.
• Garnish with lemon, lime, olives, celery etc-the choices are endless.
• Finish off by squeezing the juice of some sort of fresh citrus into the drink
• Enjoy!

Tricks:

• Make a large amount of the actual mix to be saved for future use, it tastes better with time and can be frozen.
• Some people prefer a more classic tomato juice but I'm a fan of spicy V8. I think it adds just the right about of sweetness to an otherwise very savory drink.
• Try a flavored vodka such as Absolute Peppar or any Wasabi infused vodka for an extra kick.
• If you're feeling fancy, garnish the drink with a shrimp. It's reminiscent of a shrimp cocktail and adds protein!

Hopefully the finished product looks something like this*:

(Image from one of my favorite food blogs: http://realgirlskitchen.com/)

*I drank my homemade cocktail before I had a chance to take a picture of the finished product.

The Key To Success?

In 2009 CNN Money published an article titled, Most Lucrative College Degrees.

Included in CNN's post was the following data:

In 2010 CBS Money Watch provided us with an article titled, Top 20 Best-Paying College Degrees in 2010. Accompanying the article was this video and the following statistics:

1. 
   

College Degree Starting Median Pay Mid-career Pay:

1. Aerospace engineering $59,400 $108,000
2. Chemical engineering $64,800 $108,000
3. Electrical engineering $60,800 $104,000
4. Nuclear engineering $63,900 $104,000
5. Applied mathematics $56,400 $101,000
6. Biomedical engineering $54,800 $101,000
7. Physics $50,700 $99,600
8. Computer engineering $61,200 $87,700
9. Economics $48,800 $97,800
10. Computer science $56,200 $97,700
11. Civil engineering $53,500 $93,400
12. Statistics $50,000 $93,400
13. Finance $47,500 $91,500
14. Software engineering $56,700 $91,300
15. Management info. systems $50,900 $90,300
16. Mathematics $46,400 $88,300
17. Government $41,500 $88,300
18. Information systems $49,300 $87,100
19. Construction Management $50,400 $87,000

And then again in 2011, we were treated to Time Magazine's annual list of The 20 Best-and Worst Paid College Majors.

Highest-Earning Majors:

1. Mining and Mineral Engineering
2. Metallurgical Engineering
3. Mechanical Engineering
4. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
5. Electrical Engineering
6. Chemical Engineering
7. Aerospace Engineering
8. Mathematics and Computer Sciences
9. Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration
10. Petroleum Engineering

Lowest-Earning Majors:

1. Health and Medical Preparatory Programs
2. Visual and Performing Arts
3. Communication-Disorders Sciences and Services
4. Studio Arts
5. Drama and Theater Arts
6. Social Work
7. Human Services and Community Organizations
8. Theology and Religious Vocations
9. Early-Childhood Education
10. Counseling and Psychology

The view the complete slide show click here.

So what is the common dominator here? Math.

According to the CNN Money article, "Math majors don't always get much respect on college campuses, but fat post-grad wallets should be enough to give them a boost."

"Math is at the crux of who gets paid," said Ed Koc, director of research at NACE. "If you have those skills, you are an extremely valuable asset. We don't generate enough people like that in this country."

As a journalsim student, I have always boasted proudly that I am "horrible" at math. I've tried time and time again to concur the subject, but it always fails me. All of the statistics listed above cause me to wonder if my lack of understanding of the subject is causing much more harm than I realize? I've often complained about the lack of opportunity I'm presented with; is it possible that I'm simply in the wrong industry?

That question can be taken with a very large grain of salt. The truth of the matter is that I will never be great at math, nor do I want to be an engineer. What I want is to have success that's worthy of putting on a top-ten list.

In the mean time, I might start brushing up on my algebra.