List 97

Love: The Oaktown Spice Shop. At first I was jealous that someone had actually executed an idea that always lurked in the back of my mind: opening a version of Milwaukee's Spice House out here in the Bay Area. But then I met the guys who did it, found out that they, in fact, were from Milwaukee and had worked at the Spice House, and couldn't hold it against them. Their Better Than Everything Bagel Spice mix is a new favorite.

Like: The *free* Video Star app that lets you easily create professional-looking music videos, complete with a wide range of effects and seemless jump cuts to allow for costume and location changes. We now have a veritable library of Stella's takes on One Direction, Taylor Swift and Adele.

Discovery: Spencer's Pantry, a restaurant that comes to your house. My friend Jaime arranged this as a birthday dinner for her husband James last month, and it was such a lovely evening - an intimate, delicious, relaxed 6-course dinner in the comfort of your home, for no more than you'd spend at a nice restaurant. Chef Spencer grows or forages most of what he serves - vegetables from his own and his parents' gardens, eggs from a friend's chickens.  

Obsession: Stella's, with typewriters. We've raised her to appreciate all things vintage, and it's finally manifesting itself. A trip to San Francisco's The Perish Trust turned her onto typewriters and prompted one of the best questions ever: "Did you live in the Time of the Typewriter?" "Yes," I said, "I was alive when Smith Coronas walked the Earth." Truth be told, if I concentrate, I can still conjure up the smell of Liquid Paper. Her new-found fixation has had me scouring Etsy for the perfect candy-colored relic for her birthday later this year.

Complaint: I've been making my French Press coffee wrong for, like, ever!? I had the chance to meet Peet's Coffee Master Roaster Doug Walsh and learned a lot about the art and science behind what Peet's calls an Uncompromised Cup of coffee. Here are their precise instructions. Try it their way and you will notice a difference. Possible next experiment: would this sexy wood-handled press pot put it even further over the top?

List 96

Love: Having the prospect of a dinner out at Oakland's brand-spanking new Ramen Shop to look forward to when I emerge from my January Clean Program.  It was started by some Chez Panisse vets and is apparently already racking up 90 minute wait times.

Like: The idea of getting an indoor fiddle leaf fig tree, maybe for a corner of our sunny, West-facing dining room.  I saw this example on  Pinterest and like its wide, green leaves.  Plus it would be nice to harvest plump figs later this year without the problem of birds getting to the ripe fruit first.

Discovery: Barrel-aging cocktails without the barrel. Negronis have been off the menu for me this month, which meant it was the perfect time to barrel age a couple in this cool 2-cup glass jar with a bit of barrel wood inside, a very thoughtful gift from my friend Ralph.

barrel-aged cocktail kit found here

Obsession: Healthy grains and vegetables have been my constant companions during this experimental month of strictly clean eating, and I've come to feel satisfied by them in ways I simply wasn't before. So even though I don't have to, next week I imagine making things like roasted vegetable salads with lentils or quinoa, and spaghetti squash instead of pasta, and continuing to crave my new favorite daytime drink, the Energizer from The Plant Cafe - carrots, beets, parsley and ginger.  Clean January will yield to Cleanish February.

Roasted Vegetables with Quinoa recipe

Roasted Fall Vegetables with Lentils recipe

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs recipe

Complaint: That I haven't yet been able to cook from Charles Phan's gorgeous cookbook, which I got for Christmas, because nearly every recipe that catches my eye contains a few verboten ingredients. Still, it was a treat to flip through it this month and dream of things to try come February.

List 95

Love: Our new, honest-to-goodness, non-reproduction 1960s Eames wire bikini chair, successfully won on ebay in December. It's the perfect partner for the mid-century style desk we have in the living room, and gave us a head start on our 2013 house resolution, which is to continue to replace and update some of our living room furnishings, particularly the pieces that Fritz, Clara and their claws have done a number on.

Like: These blank cards from one of my all-time favorite etsy shops, girlscantell.  Having a bunch of them and stamps in my desk drawer at the ready should help me deliver on my 2013 resolution to be better about sending thoughtful thank you notes rather than emails.

Shop link

Discovery: That I have a number of terrific, unread books just waiting for me on my kindle iPad.  Beautiful Ruins was one I bought early last summer and never got around to. Hearing it named the #1 fiction title of 2012 on NPR's Fresh Air the other day prompted me to finally give it a go, and it's completely living up to all expectations so far.  I resolve to read books I already have before buying new ones - especially new ones of the disposable YA dystopian ilk. Gone Girl, that means you're next. 

Obsession: Cleansing and juicing are all the rage, judging by the office refrigerator which is bursting with bottles of green juices and tupperware containers full of quinoa salads. For my part, in 2013, I intend to keep making my morning kale smoothies 5+ days a week, to try out the occasional 3-day juice cleanse, and even kick-off what I hope to be a year of more moderation (but still lots of good food and restaurants) with the 21-Day Clean Program.  William-Sonoma's juicing feature, which is pretty to look at and features roll-over recipes for juices of all colors under the sun, made from seemingly endless combinations of a fruits and vegetables, is bonus inspiration.  Meatballs, Negronis, and ice cream, I'll see you in February.

The Plant Cafe's Dino Kale Salad, a 2013 Staple

Complaint: I've lost count of the number of our friends and relatives in the past couple of years who've expressed shock and disappointment that we, who pretty much have never met a prestige cable show we didn't love, have never. ever. watched. Breaking. Bad.  Well, shut your mouth.  We got box sets for Christmas from my brother and I resolve that we will be hitting it hard over the next few months.  Because we don't live under a rock, we couldn't help but pick up the gist of Walter White's arc, but can't wait to experience how it all happened. 

List 94

Love: My friend Lisa's idea, from her blog Picnic, for inexpensive, stylish present wrapping:  brown paper bag + binder clip + any wintery Instagram picture. This is especially brilliant for people like myself whose presents tend to look like they were wrapped by a small child, or perhaps even an animal lacking opposable thumbs. 

Like: This always reliable, always delicious Smoked Salmon Dip from Bon Appetit, for any holiday cocktail party.

Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe

Discovery: Some of my favorite gift ideas for the year...

For the geek, any (all?) of these Star Wars prints from etsy's CONCEPCIONSTUDIOS. 

For ladies/readers, these lovely versions of the chick canon, sold at Anthropologie.

For the entertainer, monogrammed cocktail napkins from Mark & Graham, in the typewriter font.

For me (hopefully), some new rain gear: a Pendleton umbrella and L.L. Bean Maine hunting boots, based on their original 1912 model.

Obsession: My new favorite weeknight dinner - Eggs with Chickpeas, Spinach and Tomato - which is as easy as it is comforting during this hectic holiday month. Bonus: it's healthy too.

Recipe here.

Complaint: Stella's, not mine: that we only have "totally, completely not-exciting" strands of white lights decorating the trees in front of our house.  She is deeply disappointed that we haven't gone full Christmas Wonderland like the houses on Alameda's Thompson Ave, who've been putting on a show every December since 1938 (save for during World War II mandatory blackouts), and where we went to walk around and mail her Santa letter last weekend.  For my part, I'm glad that other people go for it, so I don't have to.