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heroes in a half shell

i destroyed our shredder last week.  apparently it really can't handle more than 8 pieces of paper.  so we bought another one, but this one can only handle 6 pieces of paper!  i'll really have to practice some self control.  there's something so satisfying about shredding paper. 

our new shredder has several icons down its side indicating what's not to go in there.  for instance: no paperclips, no hands, no neck ties, no hair.  there's one of a spray can--i'm guessing that means we shouldn't spray anything into it?  but the last one really puzzles me.  i'm not sure if it means no babies in the shredder or no diapers in the shredder...hmmm....

at last!

we love our apartment!  it gets lots of light, has character and is right off of piedmont avenue.  but we've resigned to the fact that our shower stinks.  it has horrible water pressure!  the water pretty much dribbles out, so you have to stand super close to the wall and get as much under the shower head as you can to get wet.  also, the shower head is quite low.  its not really a problem for me, but more for todd.  he has to crouch under the shower head and cup water in his hands and throw it on himself.  kind of like will ferrell on Elf :)  whenever we'd go on vacation, the highlight of staying at hotels was the "amazing" water pressure!

when we first moved in, we swapped out the shower head, thinking this was the culprit.  but it only helped a little.  so we just figured it was a plumbing issue, since our place is on the older end of things.  but we recently started asking around and sharing our shower woes with others.  todd's mom pointed out that it's probably not the plumbing since the water pressure of the bathroom sink and kitchen sink were pretty hearty.  also, our neighbors told us their water pressure is pretty good.  anywho...todd examined the shower head and found a bent piece of something that was obstructing the water flow and a little plastic thing that was also in the way.  i think it was actually built in to help save water...but out you go!

anywho, the pressure is so much better.  or maybe normal to most people.  but compared to what we used to have, it's phenomenal!  i'm sure you can tell how excited i am about this, considering i wrote an entire entry about it :)

happy showering to all!

not bad

so a coworker told me about Trader Joe's chocolate croissants and i gotta say, not too shabby :)  they're in the frozen food section and come four in a package for about $4.  its a little startling at first because they're super tiny.  but you're actually supposed to leave them out the night before, before you go to bed.  and as you're sleeping, they rise and expand.  it was pretty awesome, because when we woke up the croissant was sitting at the table reading the paper.  "good morning boltons.  i trust you slept well".  okay, well no.  they grow to be about 3x its original size.

anywho, you bake it for 30 minutes and it becomes a nice crispy brown.  it was a little dry and a little light on the chocolate.  and you can't exactly have one the instant you have a massive craving, given it takes several hours to rise at room temperature.  but it was actually better than half of the other croissants i've had :)

food mission

i am currently on the search for the best croissant ever.  yes, EVER! :)  flaky, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, preferably filled with delicious, good quality chocolate or almond filling.  this is what i've found so far:

*  Piedmont Cafe and Bakery, Oakland:  blech!  while it was big and cheap, the croissant was soggy, greasy and tasted deep fried.  kind of tasted like a donut.  i don't have anything against donuts, but just not what i was looking for.  and it was covered with a weird sugar glaze.

*  Zocalo Coffeehouse, San Leandro:  i had semi-high hopes for this place because it was a cute coffee shop in the middle of nowhere.  it was soft, but definitely not flaky.  the worst part though was that it was filled with a waxy bar of chocolate.  i even think it was *gasp* milk chocolate!!! www.zocalo.com

*  La Farine, Oakland:  the croissant here was pretty good.  i got one late in the day, so i wasn't sure if the croissant was not-so-flaky because of that or because it just wasn't.  the almond filling was subtle, not as punch in the face as i'd like.  i'd be interested in trying their chocolate croissant.  www.lafarine.com

*  Acme Bread, Berkeley:  it smelled so good in this tiny bakery, that i just couldn't wait to get a croissant.  but i was SO disappointed!  it was soft, light, but again not flaky.  and inside were these two tiny strips of tootsie roll kind of chocolate.  didn't even bother finishing it.

*  Cafe Aquarius, Emeryville:  a cute little cafe tucked away in an industrial area.  i didn't think i'd like the croissant based on the looks of it.  just because it looked a little cookie cutter or mass produced.  but i was quite surprised.  i got the ham and cheese croissant, which was very tasty!  the only downside was that the ham was rolled pretty tight and placed in the middle of the croissant vs. dispersed evenly.  ehh, not that big of a deal.  i'd like to go back and try their chocolate croissant.  the only downside is that they're only open monday through friday.

*  Ladyfingers, Oakland:  this bakery is located under the freeway and is a little unwelcoming.  one yelp review said it was called 'ladyfingers' because of the grumpy lady behind the counter who gives you the finger when you walk in.  pretty funny.  maybe she's just not a morning person.  had a chocolate croissant and a ham and cheese croissant.  they tasted good, but were pretty soggy--especially the ham and cheese.  there was flake and crisp only on the outer edge.  www.ladyfingersbakery.com

*  Fat Apple's, El Cerrito:  while it's more of an almond danish than a croissant, its awesome!  its definitely a punch in the face kind of almond pastry.  no joke.  flaky bottom, almond paste, almond topping, sugary glaze.  oh, so good. 

*  Tartine, San Francisco:  AWESOME!  :)  oh man, if it weren't all the way out in the city (which intimidates me with its one way streets and limited parking), i'd come here all the time.  the chocolate croissant was delicious!  the texture was perfect--flaky, crispy and not to mention ginormous.  inside was a yummy, smooth dark chocolate.  the almond croissant was also very yummy!  almond paste on the outside, almonds on the outside, the same flaky, crispy goodness.  mmm...so good.  www.tartinebakery.com

clearly, Tartine is the winner :)  but i'm still on the search for a good croissant in the east bay.  although, maybe its better i not find one.  otherwise i'll need to use the butteriness of the croissant to grease my way out of our apartment :)