I'm going away!

[PA Baker]

DH and I are headed to San Francisco tomorrow morning! I have a couple of days of work and the rest will be all vacation! :grin: We come back next Friday, the 25th.

So everyone behave and have fun until then! I'll miss you and will eat lots in your honor!

 

[buckytom]

have fun and be safe pab. take some pics and bring us back some new recipes...

 

[In the Kitchen]

DH and I are headed to San Francisco tomorrow morning! I have a couple of days of work and the rest will be all vacation! :grin: We come back next Friday, the 25th.

So everyone behave and have fun until then! I'll miss you and will eat lots in your honor!

That is all my ex and my son talk about. Say it is so beautiful there. I am happy for you. Hope the weather is great especially for you and DH. I know you will have memorable time. Hope the food is as good as what you fix and please remember to let us know what we should expect and look for when we go there. Have lot of fun.

 

[DampCharcoal]

Yay! You finally get to go on vacation!!! Have a blast, PA!

 

[crewsk]

Have fun PA! Eat lots of yummy stuff for us!

 

[Dove]

Take warm clothes..we are back in a cold spell and rain in Sacramento so that means S.F. is too. The paper says tomorrow will be 61/54 with rain.
Dove

 

[middie]

Have fun opn your vacation pa. it's been a long time coming

 

[SizzlininIN]

Have a fun and safe trip PA!

 

[norgeskog]

Hey PA have a great time. Go to fishermans wharf. There is a nice little pub there overlooking the ocean, forgot the name, but they have the best Ramus Fizz in teh world. Have one for me. Hurry back, we will miss you.

 

[PA Baker]

Hi everyone! I'm back and slowly wading my way through all of the posts. It looks like I have days of reading to do! I missed you all and am glad to be back!

My trip, work part aside, was great. Marge, you're right it was cold and rainy the whole time, but it didn't get in the way of what we wanted to see and do. We ate lots of good food, saw Food Network filming a segment (some Al Roker special, who's not my favorite, but still neat to see) and saw lots of beautiful sites.

The best part for me, by far, was the tour of the Scharffenberger chocolate factory. It was THE BEST food tour I've ever taken. It begins with a good half hour lecture on chocolate making and their technique and includes a tasting of all of their different chocolates. It's set up just like a wine tasting--very cool! Then they give a tour of the chocolate making facilities. It's very thorough and up-close, and the best part is it's free! I took a bunch of pictures that I'll post once we get them developed. We also ate in their restaurant and I think it was one of my best meals out there. DH isn't real picky about what chocolate he eats but after that experience even he admits that there's a huge difference in something like Scharffenberger and Hershey. I think I have another convert!

 

[middie]

welcome back pa!!!! glad you had a good time!!

 

[-DEADLY SUSHI-]

and includes a tasting of all of their different chocolates.

Awwwww MAN!!!!!!!!!!! That sounds great!
How many did they have?

 

[pdswife]

Sounds like a great trip!
I'm so glad you had fun. SF is
a wonderful town.

 

[PA Baker]

Awwwww MAN!!!!!!!!!!! That sounds great!
How many did they have?

We tasted 6--cocoa nibs, a milk, 62% Semisweet, 70% Bittersweet, and 99% and 100% Unsweetened. I wouldn't recommend eating 99% or 100% but they had us try it for comparison. I'm sure it's amazing in baking!

Plus we had brunch there so while we waited for our table we shared (OK, I gave DH a bite!) a chocolate scone, then for dessert I had a chocolate hazelnut tort and DH had a piece of chocolate cheesecake with a cacao nib crust. Talk about chocolate overload! Oh, but it was soooo good!

 

[mudbug]

OK, it's official. I hate you, PA.

 

[PA Baker]

We stocked up on our supply, mud so if you want to road trip to PA I'll conduct a private tasting just for you!

(we bought milk, semi, bitter, and chocolate covered ginger--oh man, is that good!)

 

[mudbug]

OK, now I love you again. Are you going to do any baking with the chocolate-covered ginger? that would be interesting.

 

[PA Baker]

So far I've just been eating it as is. It came in a small container so I don't have a lot to work with but I'm thinking about making some of my own and playing around with it (besides I'll have to get my fix somehow after I run out!)

 

[Dove]

I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip even though it rained. That is tipical of S.F. It is a beautiful place to visit.....and is famous for putting stop signs at the middle of a very steap hill..did you go down Lombard street? That is a thrill..one I won't do again.

 

[PA Baker]

I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip even though it rained. That is tipical of S.F. It is a beautiful place to visit.....and is famous for putting stop signs at the middle of a very steap hill..did you go down Lombard street? That is a thrill..one I won't do again.

We wanted to, but when we drove by it was closed because they were filming a movie on it. We did the trolly ride--we ended up standing in the very back, practically hanging over the edge--that was enough up and down for me!