How We Celebrate the Holidays at 18 Rabbits!

Get to know some of our team members at 18 Rabbits and how they celebrated their holiday vacations. It might inspire you to try out some new traditions next holiday season. 


Alison-Founder: "We had family over for Christmas Eve dinner at our house. Two of my siblings came with their children for a total of 13. We enjoyed scallops over sunflower sprouts with lemon zest, grass fed fillet mignon, herbed sweet potatoes, and my stepmom's famous Texas cornbread. Because we celebrate a birthday on Christmas Eve, Keri brought HoHo cakes and Tia my little niece blew out the candles. At almost 3, she wasn't the youngest though, that honor goes to Isabella who was just 2 weeks old.

We exchanged gifts and of course, all got 18 Rabbits bars and granola.

What a lovely celebration."

Zack-Marketing Manager: "I was happy to go home for Christmas this year and play with my nephew Dante! He is just over a year old, a huge Minnesota Vikings fan, loves orange pants and is a total lady killer!"

Patrick-Operations Manager: "Over Christmas break I had the great pleasure of spending time in Hawaii. I was able to climb koko head, a very steep 1200 step climb up the side of a mountain on old railroad tracks. The view was certainly worth the sweat, especially knowing we were headed to the beach later in the day.

Also I went stand up paddling and spent some great time catching up with family and celebrating my niece's first birthday!"

Christian-Intern: "At Christmas, my family has a tradition of playing a fast-paced, overly-competitive game of Charades. Even my eighty-eight year old grandmother still played this year! I have always been a huge fan of this event. I would throw a major tantrum if we did not fit the game of Charades in before my bedtime. Enthusiasm has waned a little amongst other members of my family in recent years, but for me it remains the highlight of every Christmas season."

Erin-Intern: "I was very excited to spend the holidays with family down in Southern California and participate in the 3rd annual gingerbread man decorating contest. The theme this year was "Hats off to Entertainment". Don't be fooled by the sprinkles and frosting, it can be an intense competition that is fun and something you might want to try next year!"

Gracious Granola with Yogurt and Cranberry Sauce

Whole Cranberry Sauce – Fresh Cranberries (15oz) + 1 Bottle of Purity Apple Juice (16oz)

Cranberry Sauce – the luscious berry color ushers in the holidays for me. Forget about the cookies and the pie, for me it’s about having a perpetual stock of cranberry sauce in my fridge. Whole berries immersed in red glossy liquid, there is nothing better this time of year to top my granola in the morning.

I like mine not too sweet, in fact a bit on the tart side to honor the true flavor of the fruit. A cinch to make, my version just combines Purity Apple Juice (100% apple juice, not from concentrate) and whole cranberries leaving out refined sugar.


Interesting Fact: Cranberries are one of the only prevalent fruits native to North America. The others are blueberries and concord grapes.

Reporting from 18 Rabbits, Alison

Rinse 2 container or 15 ounces of whole cranberries

Ad cranberries and apple juice to a pot

Bring cranberries and apple juice to a boil

Pour steaming cranberry sauce into airtight glass jar

Enjoy!!

A Touch of Salsa in Little Italy

When you live in San Francisco where almost every other building is a restaurant you never want to eat at the same place; there is so much to explore and too many different food styles to try. So when my sister and I went to a restaurant both Friday and Saturday night you know there is something special. Amidst the pasta and pizza of North Beach, tucked away is an amazing Mexican restaurant.  Don Pistos serves Mexican street food that tastes authentic and delicious without the expensive price tag. The ambiance is cozy (nice for a date night) and the service is just as great as the food. Check out my favorite, the tostadas, it’s like a taste of heaven with a kick to it, and don’t forget the pitcher of Sangria. Not only is it great for dinner but they also have Sunday Brunch, which sounds amazing. Not too many restaurants can claim diners coming in back to back evenings, but Don Pistos is definitely one to take on this title. So check it out and you will be happy you did!!

http://www.donpistos.com/


Erin reporting from 18 Rabbits.

Easy Eco Oatmeal

Pour all into a pan

Bring to a boil then simmer for 3-5 minutes

Stir until desired consistency

Serve in a bowl with fresh berries or dried fruit

Alison (the founder) reporting from 18 Rabbits

Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breasts

We just found this recipe and think it is a good one to share for thanksgiving!

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package herb-seasoned bread stuffing mix
• 2 skinless boneless turkey breasts
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 (8 ounce) packages dried, sweetened cranberries
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 lettuce leaves
• 1/2 cup pecan halves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
2. With a sharp knife, butterfly breasts open to lay flat. Place each breast between two sheets of waxed paper, and flatten with a mallet. Spread the prepared stuffing to within 1/4 inch of the edge of each breast. Sprinkle each one with chopped pecans and dried cranberries, reserving some of the cranberries for garnish. Roll up tightly in a jellyroll style, starting with the long end. Tuck in ends, and tie in sections with string, about 4 sections around the middle and one running the length of the roll to secure the ends.
3. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully brown rolls on all sides.
4. Place skillet in oven, uncovered. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is at 170 degrees F (78 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Do not let these get overly dry.
5. Allow rolls to set for 15 minutes before removing string, and slicing into 1/2 to 3/4 inch circles. Leave one roll whole, and slice the other for presentation. Stuffing will be spiraled into meat. Present on your prettiest platter on a bed of curly lettuce, and garnish by sprinkling with the remaining 1/2 cup pecan halves and the reserved dried cranberries.

www.allrecipes.com

Blackjack’s Bar recipe... a good starter for Thanksgiving!

3 1/2 cups 18 Rabbits Veritas Granola
4 T unsalted butter, melted
8 oz. Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Chocolate
1 cup coconut, medium shredded unsweetened
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts or walnuts, roughly chopped
1 T cacao nibs (optional)
10 oz. sweetened condensed milk
Add granola to a food processor and blend to a coarse meal. Put in bowl with melted butter and clump together with hands. Turn out into 9X9 pan and press down. Chop chocolate with serrated knife and distribute evenly over crust. Sprinkle nuts and then coconut. Pour sweetened condensed milk on the top.

Bake 325°F for 12-15 minutes until coconut is toasted and golden. Remove to wire rack to cool. Cut into squares.

Makes 25 wheat free bars

Takin' it to the Streets

 Some of the best food in SF is being made on the streets. It's not just the tacos and bacon wrapped hotdogs--the streets are scaling it up! I know this isn't just a recent trend, but I have had the pleasure of being introduced to it by helping out my older brother Casey in his pizza-making venture called Casey's Pizza (or to the locals, Casey's Street Pizza).  Casey has been perfecting his pizza making recipe for a few years, and has future plans of opening a restaurant, but for now he is hitting the streets with a Weber Grill. Casey makes his pies with top notch ingredients and a killer crust, and has been getting some rave reviews.  
 Pizza isn't the only delicious food that has been selling.  Casey has been selling with a variety of different vendors, including Nosh This (making some addictive bacon brittle, called Bacon Crack, and a gourmet SF Frito Pie) and Kayvon (a magician in the kitchen that makes Persian and Mayan food--best tacos in SF to date). These street guys are the real deal. Makes me want to make my own stuff on the street.  Anyone interested in Christian's Pasta and Tomato Sauce??
The last two weekends, Casey has been making pizza (pieing?!) at some local open art studio events (Workspace and ArcSF), which have been huge hits. Tonight he is selling at 5PM in Hayes Valley. Follow @caseyspizza for exact location. Pop by and pie it up!

Christian reporting from 18 Rabbits. 

Pink Filosofy

For a fabulous friday I thought "Pink Filosofy" its perfect to end the week with a brush of new style. This Colombian brand just came out to the market with a nice style to wear daily!. Behind the brand is the way they help single mothers by being the ones working on the production process and making the cloth very comfy and fresh.

Take a look and judge yourself...

ana reporting from 18 Rabbits.

Tough Mudder race

This past weekend my apartment mates and I took part in the Tough Mudder race (http://toughmudder.com/) at Bear Valley Ski Resort in Northern California.  Tough Mudder is a 7 mile run up and down a ski mountain with 19 different obstacles mixed in throughout the race.  Some of the obstacles include running up the halfpipe while snow blowers are blowing cold mist in your face, running through a mud pit, climbing over horizontal hanging logs that are 8 feet off the ground, and carrying a log 200 yards.  All in all the obstacles were not hard, but what was hard was running to an obstacle, doing it, and then running to the next one.  We didn't take any breaks and finished the course in 1 hour and 33 minutes.  I think our speed was directly correlated with the 18 Rabbits Haute Diggity Date Bars we all ate before the race.  We called ourselves The Lazy Lizards after a very relaxed bulldog we saw one Saturday morning at the farmers market at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.  This dog way sprawled out in its owners arms with one eye opened and my roommate Kyle said, "That dog sure looks relaxed." and the owner responded, "Yep, he's a real lazy lizard..."  It was that relaxed bull dog that inspired us to go run 7 miles up and down a ski mountain with various obstacles.

Getting the Blues....

...on  a Monday??? Here's one way to lift your spirits--Beautiful Jewels from Robindira Unsworth, an inspiration and a new mother to baby girl India. 

Thanks for making my Monday morning Blues Robindira!

Claire, reporting from the Sales Department at 18 Rabbits

Lets finish the week laughing :)

I just want to transmit some laughing with this video. A good way to end our weekdays and welcome a good weekend!



Ana reporting from 18 Rabbits

Celebrating !

Here at the 18 Rabbits den we are celebrating birthdays with a yummy homemade carrot cake from Heather's kitchen.  The recipe comes from one of her favorite cook books called Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan which is an awesome book for excellent bake goods.  FYI you can reduce the sugar in the icing, I reduced it by a half a cup but I would say that you could probably reduce it further and it would still be delicious.

Reporting for 18 Rabbits Headquarters this is Heather (The Accountant) Signing off 

Polenta Battered Fish

Watch Alison cooking up a storm on Good Cookin with Bruce Aidells! That Polenta Battered Fish is looking good! Take a look at the recipe below. 


http://livewellnetwork.com/Good-Cookin-With-Bruce-Aidells/episodes/Polenta-Battered-Fish/8041023


It was another foggy day in San Francisco, which makes me think of London and who doesn't think of quintessential fish and chips.  Here's my version, a tad healthier, with a polenta batter that magically turns into cornbread in the pan.  In my family, we use 6 ounces as a proper portion size for fish because you leave lots of room in your belly for the chips.  

Healthy Twist on Fish and Chips (stayed tuned for the chips)

Serves 4 - 6 oz portion per person

1/2 cup spelt flour (or all purpose flour)

1/2 cup polenta

pinch of salt and pepper

1    egg

1/2 cup sparkling water

2 t. honey

1 1/2 pounds 24 of Ling cod or Halibut (cut into 10-12 cubes, remove any lingering bones) 

In a bowl, whisk together spelt flour, polenta, salt and peper.  In another small bowl, whisk egg.  Add egg and sparkling water to flour mixture.  Whisk in a bit of honey.  Dip fish and fry in a skillet over medium high heat with a 1/4 inch of high heat sunflower oil.  Serve with lemon and chips!


Alison reporting from 18 Rabbits  (founder and CEO)

Make Polenta batter and use tongs to coat fish

Fry fish in a few tablespoons of high heat sunflower oilhttp://livewellnetwork.com/Good-Cookin-With-Bruce-Aidells/episodes/Polenta-Battered-Fish/8041023

Flip fish when golden brown

Serve polenta battered fish with lemon

NY Fashion Week!

When I'm not out selling 18 Rabbits, I'm thinking about Fashion. With NYFW ending I have a few things to report.

"Mid Calf make it half caff!"

Classy, old world sophistication is my takeaway from NYFW. 70's inspired creations for Fall  flowed into Spring 2011 with dresses and skirts hitting the mid calf. Reminds me of my mother, so feminine and fresh. Here are a few I love from Tory Burch, Jill Stuart and Derek lam:

But youth was not forgotten as evident bellow--in what I call simple Cali chic. I love how Band of Outsiders paired their short skirt with metallic brogues a.k.a wingtips, which are still going strong for Spring 2011. Also, how about the Baha from Tory Burch?? Love that she is brining it back! She surprised me this season. Although, I might have styled it with a mid calf skirt!!!


Claire reporting from the 18 Rabbits Sales Team.