Month: August 2020

Weekend Wrap and This Dessert

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Normally we venture out of the city on day trips to satisfy our wanderlust. But as most of you know, we are battling fires all around northern California, which seems to be the norm in recent years, except this one adds to the already sad state of our new lifestyle. So, Saturday we did some chores, and ran errands, mostly shopping for essentials – to be out but to stay indoors if you will – and in the evening had cocktails and watched silly and surely entertaining films here and here. On Sunday we took a chance, venturing across the Golden Gate, and staying close by, in Sausalito to explore and yet be ready if need be to return home and be indoors. So, we walked as usual up the steep hills, and through the narrow streets, with me wanting to capture photographs of the smoke filled air mixed with the picturesque small town of Sausalito. The color contrast to my eye was the most fascinating.   We decided this weekend, not to ponder over …

Boutique Hotel Pick – Tree Hotels

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This category – Boutique Hotel Picks – I’ve decided to bring back after I sort of stopped posting (since April 2020) due to our inability to travel. But wen I saw this article about Modern Tree Hotels, I wander if anyone would consider the option, past the RV surge right now, for accommodations: featured image source and full credit

What Are Your Plans This Weekend

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The air quality near San Francisco is deemed very unhealthy this morning, seems almost overnight new fires have sparked or spread. Since by Thursday morning we were able to breathe a little, but throughout the night it became unbearable once again-this time the smell of rubber burning is the best way to describe  it.  What’s worse is that there is no rain  in the forecast, so the idea of this situation lingering on, is concerning. Our next door neighbor decided to have a small classroom in the garage of his home. Where six kids plus their parents would try their best to give their children the classroom experience needed for positive development. They kids have recess in the backyard, and a lunch time outdoors, all monitored by different parents each day. It’s kind of refreshing, since their time for a break, is the time I take my break from my computer, which I normally don’t do. Discovering new trails is pretty much out of the question for us this weekend, as there is nowhere to …

Lifestyle: Trivia Distractions

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As 2020 continues to evolve in ways none of us has ever imagined possible, we need to remember that for the sake of our mental health, we must find ways to distract ourselves – even if for only a few hours a day. We must make time for simple or small distractions to build up the tolerance needed to sustain humanity as we know it. For this very reason, we will continue the positive thinking approach at Raw Silk and Saffron and hope. That through this process, we can become solid. With that said, I was watching a comedy special on Netflix last night, and it got me thinking more so than laughing as the comedian Demetri  Martin pointed out one trivia after another to get us all thinking. It was the most refreshing show comedy skit I’ve seen in a while.  I highly recommend a gander. Until then, here’s what got me curious enough to share: And just in case the above did not distract you in a positive way, then read on about …

Travel: Three Day Weekends

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In the states, we have Labor Day weekend coming up – first weekend in September, which represents the end to summer and even marks the formal beginning of a school year. This year as we know it, is a bit off (scratch that) a lot off and planning a three-day getaway is probably on the back of everyone’s mind, considering the fires in the west, the hurricanes in the south, and rain in between. But for the sake of mental health, we should make an effort to be outdoors, safely of course, abiding by all the rules – masks, six feet apart, and everything else asked of us to stay healthy. Featured image offers up ten best places to spend the labor day weekend

Weekend Recap and Some Thoughts

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With nowhere to go – considering the relentless fires all around the bay area, I felt extremely sad when I woke up Saturday and scrolled through the local news, about the parks, the redwoods, the animals, the air, and all things in distress due to the fires we have yet to contain in northern California. Twenty-twenty has topped one of the worst for the twenty-first century and we are doing everything to stay positive, focused, upbeat, and push onward. After breakfast, we headed out to Burlingame, to the post office to ship some care packages to a loved one in the military.  The quaint village, I’d like to call it, was covered in smoke, and the air quality the most unhealthiest, making it near impossible to walk through Burlingame Avenue without gasping for air, or feeling the need to rub our eyes.  I figured since we were unable to venture out anywhere along the coast, or even through trails inland, we would instead head to the Central Park and hang out at the Japanese Garden …

What Are Your Plans This Weekend

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On Monday I knew exactly what I wanted to do on the weekend, but by Tuesday, the fires (some say due to the electrical storms we experienced in California) near Napa/Sonoma – across the Golden Gate, pretty much most of Marin county, quickly covered the skies, since then making it very difficult to breathe, let alone consider being outdoors. Sadness on all levels as this year continues to be the most challenging. But we must stay positive, focused, and aim to find some joy in our every day life to keep on going. I know most of you are busy these coming weeks prepping your kids for school – whether virtual or in an actual classroom, the concerns are the same for parents in striving to make the coming academic year a healthy and productive one for everyone. There are other concerns of course – political, economic, relationships and mental health – about those we can all discuss if you like or stay on a positive note here at Raw Silk and Saffron. Please drop …

Lifestyle: Work Life Balance

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I feel these days I work more hours and do more chores than before COVID-19. Checking work emails the second I wake up, which is four in the morning and then again at night right before bed (mind you we are a global company) But that does not excuse the fact, I find it difficult to disconnect from work after an eight hour shift.   Are you finding yourself doing the same? The other craziness I’ve noticed is how high the chores have piled up, each day with hardly any downtime during the week (I force my long walks over the weekend to help recharge) but that’s not enough, because by the end of each day, I am drained. As always, the internet reads my mind and sends reminders like these (countries with the best work-life balance in Europe) to help me adhere to some sort of normalcy. For the rest of the surprising countries, go here   – How do you work-life balance? featured image source and full credit

Decor: Finding Inspiration

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One of the benefits of lock down, after the initial adjustment period, is that we are all finding ways to finding joy. Whether its renting RVs and going camping, eating outdoors in terraces, rooftops and curbside, walking instead of the gym, and even embarking on minor or some even major renovations.   All in the name of feeling good. I am actually loving the transition into this new lifestyle and learning so much from my surroundings. So today, I just want to share a few renovations I sort of stumbled on  and felt super charged up by the eclectic creativity of the homeowners that I decided to share them here – in case you’re needing decor ideas to incorporate into your style or just something fun to watch to take off the edge:   Featured image source and full credit

Food: Dinner Tonight – Mac and Cheese

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I did an inventory this morning of all things in my kitchen pantry and otherwise for ingredients to create a variety of meals to satisfy my lovely mum’s cravings  – which is cheese, bread, cheese, more cheese and more bread and oh some jam. I found two boxes of organic mac and cheese and figured as a side dish 🙂 I’d make it with the leftover rotisserie chicken I picked up last night from the grocery store on my walk.  Then this recipe happened, and as we all know, I’ll improvise part boxed and part fresh ingredients and serve it up. Now I’m wondering if anyone will eat the chicken.  Here’s the recipe just in case you haven’t the boxed version of M&C. INGREDIENTS 6 tablespoons salted butter 1-2 cloves garlic, grated 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers 1 pound your favorite short cut pasta 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed 2 cups milk 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese 1 cup shredded Havarti or fontina cheese 4-6 ounces Brie, rind removed and chopped 1/4 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper use more or less to taste kosher salt and black pepper 1 cup cherry tomatoes, …