A Side of Sweet

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Local Tourists :: Exploring San Francisco

Even though we’ve lived in San Francisco for almost four months, there are still a lot of the ‘typical’ tourist things that Pat and I haven’t seen yet. This past weekend, we hopped on our bikes for a tour of San Francisco’s top spots.

Exploring San Francisco - The Presidio

If you haven’t taken the time to become a local tourist yet, I highly recommend it! We had a blast checking out places like Alamo Square, home of the famous Painted Ladies…

Exploring San Francisco - Painted Ladies Alamo Square

…and Coit Tower perched high up on Telegraph Hill. We put the bike route into our GPS and apparently walking up a million stairs was a better way to get there than riding our bikes!

Exploring San Francisco - Coit Tower & Telegraph Hill

And what trip to San Francisco is complete without a stop at Fort Point, at the base of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge? This wasn’t a first time for either of us, but no matter how often I see it (we can see it from our street in the Outer Sunset) it still gives me warm fuzzies.Exploring San Francisco - Golden Gate Bridge & Fort Point

A quick kiss in Crissy Field…Exploring San Francisco - Crissy Field

…and we were on to the Ferry Building. Although we were to late for the Farmer’s Market, we stopped for a coffee flavored macron and a carrot cupcake at Miette and to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the ceramics at Heath.

Exploring San Francisco - Ferry BuildingExploring San Francisco - Ferry Building - Miette MacaronsExploring San Francisco - Ferry Building - Miette CupcakesExploring San Francisco - Ferry Building - Heath CeramicsExploring San Francisco - Fort Mason   Dolores Park in the Mission district is the Madison, WI version of the Memorial Union Terrace. There are always people outside hanging out and they even host outdoor movie nights. It’s high on my to-do list, but unfortunately I don’t think I’ll make it until next summer.Exploring San Francisco - Dolores Park

We also stopped for our second sweets of the day at Bi-Rite Creamery across the street from the park. Per usual, the line was out the door and around the block. Their salted caramel ice cream is legendary! I also saw that they have a cookbook for sale – I am going to buy it and make all of their amazing recipes ASAP!

Exploring San Francisco - Dolores Park - Bi-Rite Creamery

The thing that sparked this adventure was a scavenger hunt hosted by one of my favorite San Francisco Blogs, The Bold Italic. We had to photograph ourselves wearing these tiny blue jeans at all of the spots we visited! Hopefully we’ll be the lucky winners!Exploring San Francisco - Crissy Field Exploring San Francisco - Dolores Park and Crissy Field

Have you ever explored your hometown as a tourist?

October 1, 2013  â€¢  Filed Under: Travel 2 Comments

Protein-Packed Chia Seed Granola Recipe

VegetarianVegan

An easy protein packed chia seed granola recipe, also packed with fiber and omega-3’s! It’s the perfect way to start each day.
Healthy Protein-Packed Chia Seed Granola Recipe - Gluten Free!

Today I want to share another recipe for homemade granola with you. You’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s true!

An important part of your important breakfast is getting healthy protein so your body has the energy to do everything you demand of it. Thanks to the pecans and almonds, this granola is protein packed…. Read More »

September 23, 2013  â€¢  Filed Under: Breakfast/Brunch, Gluten Free Recipes, Healthy Snacks, Recipes, Snacks 7 Comments

Wedding Details:: Dessert Table & Decorations

I just want to share a few details from the wedding with you. Several of them I’ve already shared in various forms on the blog.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that I made all the desserts for the wedding! I found an old table at Goodwill and decorated it with a string of handmade glittered letters.

DIY Dessert Table with Glitter Letter StringDIY Dessert Table with Glitter Cake Topper DIY Dessert Table Tiramisu with Chocolate CurlsDIY Dessert Table Tiramisu with S'mores Cupcakes and Glitter Letter String

One of my girlfriends with infinitely more patience than me stayed at our place late one night and decorated all of these beautiful sugar cookies.DIY Dessert Table - Wedding Sugar CookiesI printed our menus out using our home inkjet printer. I bought the fork and spoon stamp and embossed the image. I absolutely love teacups and spent months leading up to the wedding scouring local thrift stores for pretty ones to decorate the tables with. At the last minute, we decided to fill them with flowers we cut from the bush in front of our apartment!Wedding Details - Homemade Menu and Teacup DecorationsWedding Details - Teacup DecorationsOur florals were done by a local florist using flowers most of which were locally grown. We had a teeny-weeny floral budget and I was absolutely blown away by what he did.Wedding Details - Gilded Vases I decorated the vases with one of my favorite craft items – Martha Stewart’s liquid gilding paint. I cut a circle out of cardboard, turned the vase over and used it to delineate the area that needed to be painted. It was a 5 minute DIY that turned my $.60 thrift store vases into something special.Wedding Details - Gilded VasesWedding Details - Gilded Vases

I really wanted to have a “lounge area”. I found this amazing victorian couch on Craigslist for $99. We were able to sell it before we moved so we didn’t lose any money on it. I looked into renting on and they were hundreds of dollars – just to rent! You can’t see it in the photo, but I found a door in someone’s trash and Pat painted it ‘distressed’ looking and we put it on two crates to make a coffee table.Wedding Details - Lounge from Thrift Stores Finds

The gilded disposible plates, gilded cups, and tealights are all DIY’s I’ve already shared on the blogs. Click on the links to be taken to those posts! The huge wine glasses were Pat’s parents are their wedding! The disposable wooden silverware was a bargain buy from Party City.Wedding Details - Rustic Gold and Burlaps DIYs

The homemade napkins were probably one of the most time consuming DIY’s I did. It really took all of my friends, Pat’s mom and even Pat to help to get them done. It turned out to be a massive undertaking to hand sew each napkin and stamp them with our wedding date. I’m so glad I did though! We have a stack of them now and they are an awesome keepsake!Wedding Details - Homemade Hand Stamped NapkinsWedding Details - Homemade Hand Stamped Napkins

Wedding Details - Honey Jar Party Favors

I embossed the place cards and Pat’s mom lettered them. I shared the honey jars, filled with my Dad’s honey, here.Wedding Details - Handmade Place Cards Wedding Details - Handmade Place Cards    Wedding Details - Handmade Place Cards

We had an open bar, so to keep down on costs, we offered local beer and a few wine options and two ‘signature cocktails’. By offering only two drinks, I was able to get away with buying a few handles of liquor instead of many small bottles.Wedding Details - Open Bar on a Budget

Our food was done by Blue Plate Catering. They were absolutely a pleasure to work with. We were very sure we wanted local food to be prominently featured and they created this amazing Farmer’s Market Salad for us. I have a salmon recipe that I absolutely love that my dad has been making for me since I was little. It’s one of my first memories of my childhood, eating that salmon. They recreated the dish perfectly for our wedding day. It was melt-in-your mouth perfect.Wedding Details - Farmer's Market Salad

See more of our wedding photos & DIYs:

DIY Hanging Twine Balls
First Look Wedding Photos, Part I
First Look Wedding Photos, Part II
Wedding Dance Party Photos
Wedding Details – Dessert Table & Table Decorations
Wedding Updo – How to Chalk Your Hair
Wedding Ceremony Pictures
Wedding Getting Ready Pictures
Vintage Drawer Pulls as Placecard Holders DIY
DIY Wedding Photobooth Setup with Printable
DIY Gilded Upcycled Plastic Cups
DIY Glitter Upcycled Silverware
DIY Honey Jar Wedding Favors
Rustic Wedding Cake Frosting Technique
Stuffed S’mores Cupcakes Recipe
DIY Glitter Swizzle Sticks
DIY Embossed Envelopes
Engagement Photos, Part I
Engagement Photos, Part II

September 20, 2013  â€¢  Filed Under: DIY, Paper Projects, Party Ideas, Wedding, Wedding Inspiration 5 Comments

Wedding :: Dance Party!

Even though we had a very small wedding, with only 35 guests, they still new how to boogie! We had a great dance party to end off a great night. I think two of the most important factors in this were having a great DJ…and an open bar! 🙂  I love these photos and all of the crazy energy they capture!

Photos by the incredible Kinsey and Josh Mhire of Kinsey Mhire Photography.

Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Olin Park Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Olin Park Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography My signature dance move – two hands in the air. The combination of my in-laws present and the snug wedding dress meant I kept things pretty PG all night long.Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Yes ladies and gentleman, that’s my husband in the lower left corner in the above photo.Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Madison, WI Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Small DIY Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Small DIY Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Small DIY Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Small DIY Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Small DIY Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Small DIY Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography My father-in-law. Crushing it.Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography You can’t have a party without a little Cha Cha slide action!Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography P+K Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography P+K Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography Probably one of the best photos of Pat ever. How lucky am I to have married a man who likes to get down on the dance floor!? Too funny!P+K Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography P+K Wedding :: Dance Party - Kinsey Mhire Photography

Thanks so much for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Bloglovin’, Snapchat(@asideofsweet), or Twitter, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts (see sidebar).

See more of our wedding photos & DIYs:

DIY Hanging Twine Balls
First Look Wedding Photos, Part I
First Look Wedding Photos, Part II
Wedding Dance Party Photos
Wedding Details – Dessert Table & Table Decorations
Wedding Updo – How to Chalk Your Hair
Wedding Ceremony Pictures
Wedding Getting Ready Pictures
Vintage Drawer Pulls as Placecard Holders DIY
DIY Wedding Photobooth Setup with Printable
DIY Gilded Upcycled Plastic Cups
DIY Glitter Upcycled Silverware
DIY Honey Jar Wedding Favors
Rustic Wedding Cake Frosting Technique
Stuffed S’mores Cupcakes Recipe
DIY Glitter Swizzle Sticks
DIY Embossed Envelopes
Engagement Photos, Part I
Engagement Photos, Part II

September 18, 2013  â€¢  Filed Under: Wedding No Comments

Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam

VegetarianVegan

Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam Recipe + The Honest Company

The end of September is approaching, but here in Northern California, we are just starting to get our “summer” weather. I’m 95% thankful to have left the hot and muggy summers of Wisconsin far behind. Still, there’s that remaining 5% that misses it as I sit here tapping away at my computer well before sunrise, wrapped up in a fleece blanket drinking maple hot cocoa. No matter how nice it gets during the day in San Francisco, there will just never be one of those warm summer nights where you can sit at an outdoor table in a sundress with bare legs and bare shoulders. Le Sigh. It also doesn’t help that we live in a garden level (aka basement, aka one wall of windows) apartment in the Outer Sunset (aka fog belt of the foggiest city in the country).

Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam Recipe - Living Well

Yesterday, I took the first part of a 14-hour exam that marks the end of the licensing process for me to become a ‘real’ physician. For USMLE Step 3, we’re all working full (or twice full) time jobs, so the expectation is to study a little, when you can and to just pass. Even so, for the last few days that I’ve been studying, I’ve completely slipped back into medical student mode. It’s so easy to forget that crushing anxiety and guilt that comes about doing anything but preparing for a big exam. Now that I have a big girl job, my nights and days off are mostly my own. That means I don’t have to feel guilty about watching the new season of The Mindy Project (love her!) or making and photographing a batch of strawberry jam for A Side of Sweet. During my entirety of medical school, there was this teeny black cloud of doubt and guilt that cast a shadow over most of life’s pleasures. “Do I really have time to enjoy myself like this right now? That big cardiology exam is just a week away….” I guess being back in that mind space makes me grateful that now I can separate work and life most days.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam Recipe - Living Well

Ok, bleh. Back to more fun and interesting things, like saving the last of summer’s bounty in the form of this recipe for Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam. This recipe is pectin-free, as the seeds from the strawberries release a natural form of pectin to help this recipe ‘jell-up’. The recipe is easy, super-spreadable and delicious! Don’t be intimidated by canning. All you need are some mason jars and a big pot. There is also no reason to can this recipe if you plan to eat it within a few weeks of making it. Just keep it in the fridge after it’s finished.

Something that’s always on my mind when I’m working with fresh produce is the unseen chemicals and contaminants that are on the fruits and veggies that I buy. I make an effort to buy organic produce, both to keep myself and the environment healthier, but even so, it’s hard to know what is really on that innocent-appearing pint of strawberries. The way I think about it, pesticides are made to last through rainstorms, so how good can running water over your produce really be?

That’s why I’ve started using a produce wash on my fruits and veggies. Trader Joe’s makes a concentrate that you can mix with water. It’s cheap and it lasts forever. The Honest Company also makes one.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam Recipe +The Honest Company Giveaway and Discount Code

running!Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam Recipe +The Honest Company Giveaway and Discount Code

September 17, 2013  â€¢  Filed Under: Breakfast/Brunch, Gluten Free Recipes, Recipes, Snacks, Summer Treats, Vegan Recipes 14 Comments

Apricot Quinoa Granola

Vegetarian

_DSC0945

I’ve been sitting on this apricot quinoa granola recipe for wayyy too long, especially considering how good it is! Thanks to the gentle urging of some recent houseguests (thanks guys!), I’ve dusted off the recipe and have it ready to share on the blog!

Healthy Apricot Quinoa Granola - Gluten Free & Vegan!

It’s no secret that I’m a huge homemade granola fan. This recipe is unique because it has quinoa in it! When I think of quinoa, I think of a superfood that makes for a perfect summer salad dish or as a substitute for rice to make a dish healthier. When I was browsing the bulk granola section at my local co-op (where I get many of my granola inspirations), I noticed quinoa in a mix and new I had to try it! I have to say I was really pleased with the results. It’s a great way to add healthy protein to your breakfast and it adds a really interesting crunch.

Apricot Quinoa Granola Recipe - a breakfast superfood

Apricot Quinoa Granola Recipe

 

September 16, 2013  â€¢  Filed Under: Breakfast/Brunch, Healthy Snacks, Recipes, Snacks No Comments

Welcome!

San Francisco Food, Fashion, Travel Blogger

Hi! I’m Kelly. I live in San Francisco with my husband, Pat, and our puppy, Maddie. Here you’ll find recipes, DIYs, style, travel & a glimpse into our adventures. To learn a little more about me, Click Here.

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