bears on barson

Jon and I are counting down the weekends we have before the baby comes, so today we went to Monterey for a quick day trip. I'm a very big girl right now, so we were hella efficient and spent most of the day at the public library #lit. (literally.)

Our first stop was Compagno's Market and Deli, a local sandwich shop with excessive military decor?  It was delicious and seriously the whole sandwich is such a good deal- $12.50 for a sandwich the size of a large take out tray. No really look at the picture of Jon eating the sandwich. It required two hands to hold HALF of the sandwich. He is eating the other half for dinner as I type this.

Second, we went to Revival Ice Cream because that is what I have wanted to do for almost two years. We got Rose Tea (with cream cheese and white chocolate) and the Bee's Knees (burnt honey, bee pollen, beeswax, and honeycomb candy) in a waffle cone and it was perfect. Other flavors included: Apple Miso, Eucalyptus Mint, and some coconut milk flavor with lots of herbs.

After that, we just hung out at the Monterey public library (the first public library in California! Did you know!?) It was a great library- the clientele was mostly very old and the one guy at the table next to us typed with so much strength, I couldn't stop laughing.

Anyway, we dropped by a few places to pick up groceries- the Wharf Marketplace and one of those "10 artichokes for a dollar!" stands on the side of Highway 1, spending the rest of the drive home brainstorming names for our baby boy.

I am going to miss days like this one when we become a family of three!!

I have a sweet memory of one morning when Jon and I were on our honeymoon in Portugal. He woke up early and told me he'd pick up breakfast nearby. Waking up to him clutching pastries in a paper bag was one of the first moments post-wedding that I realized my new normal included a breakfast partner to eat with everyday.

AND THEN HE NEVER GOT ME BREAKFAST AGAIN. Just kidding. He did.

One of the other sweet memories that I have was the first morning we woke up in Santa Cruz. We hadn't unpacked anything except for our bed, and boxes lined the edge of every room. I was exhausted from the move and Jon decided to pick up some breakfast for us at The Buttery. He came home with a fresh baguette, pastries, and some cheese and fruit from Shopper's Corner. We unpacked two plates and a butter knife and sitting on a carpet that smelled like dog, we ate our first meal as a family in our new city.

• There are two lines: the one is for the bakery where you are served by taking a ticket number, the other is for the cafe and restaurant.
• Their Francese is our favorite baguette because it has a delicious crisp that lasts a few days. Their French bread is super chewy, so we usually get it to go with soups or stews.
• The outdoor seating is way nicer than inside because the lines just get so crazy in there!

I will leave the elegant bento boxes to the professionals and instead highlight this lunch that I made almost entirely from ingredients at Grocery Outlet. Don't hate! Our location has freaking Three Twins Ice Cream, Talenti Gelato, and Bonne Maman jam, so get off of me.

It kept pretty well, but I wish I could have toasted my English muffins with some butter. It was soft :(
Regardless, each sandwich is $0.65, I will not complain.

Ingredients: (is this really even necessary?)

• 1 egg, fried over easy
• 1 slice of thick cut bacon, fried
• 1 English muffin, (REALLY SHOULD HAVE TOASTED IT)
• 1 handful of baby kale
• Add mayonnaise, butter, or a delicious aioli to spice that motha up.