Mahi Mahi beachside treat from your kitchen

This Mahi Mahi beachside recipe is easy to make without a BBQ or even a backyard. Living in San Francisco, I have a sliver of a backyard so I've had to improvise. Instead of grilling, I broil the fish. I hope you enjoy cooking this light and healthy meal.

Lately, fish has become a bigger part of my diet (my diet use to consist of chicken and only chicken). Please remember that Mahi Mahi can be unhealthy so try to make sure its wild. I found the Kirkland signature wild Pacific Mahi Mahi from Costco. I really like this type of fish because it has a meatier texture, the smell isn’t as fishy and it has a wonderful taste after you marinade it.

What you will need:

2 filets of 4 oz wild Mahi Mahi
¼ cup of chopped pineapple
1/2 a small chopped mango or nectarine
2 limes
1 orange
¼ cup of Lawry’s tequila lime marinade (or you can use 1/4 cup of tequila if you have it)
¼ cup small onion
2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup of fresh mint
Salt and pepper

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

In a ziplock bag, mix the tequila lime marinade (or tequila) with one of the limes, the orange and onion. Sprinkle the filet’s on both sides with salt and pepper and then put the fish into the ziplock bag. Let the fish sit in the marinade for at least two hours in the fridge.

Next preheat your broiler to high. Brush or drizzle the olive oil on the fish. Place fish filets on the broiler sheet, and broil, turning them once with a spatula, until the filets are golden on the outside, about 4-6 minutes per side.

Top the fish with pineapple and mango, garnished with the cilantro, mint and last slice of lime. Pair your fish with some rice and pour yourself a glass of chardonnay. I hope you enjoy cooking this Mahi Mahi recipe! You can share with me your recipes at shhh.under.the.sheets@gmail.com.

Social butterfly inspiration

I agree with the concept, that some people love to fly through a party and effortlessly mingle with every partygoer.  I am a self-proclaimed social butterfly, who makes sure that everyone is having a good time at a party and feeling comfortable. 

Social butterfly Definition: a very sociable person who flits from one social event to another. Etymology: likened to a butterfly flitting between flowers

Kristin Cavallari, ultimate Laguna Beach, Ca and social butterfly.

I love the name "Social Butterfly" for a restaurant because of the positive energy the name brings.







Do you like this lovely perfume bottle? 

I would feel carefree wearing this outfit at a backyard party or to a summer picnic. 

Do you consider yourself a social butterfly?

Goodbye Michael Jackson

I remember the first time Michael Jackson's music had an impact on me. I was ten years old and our fifth grade class had just finished our annual ski trip in Northern Ontario-Canada. At the end of the day, we sat on the school bus, patiently waiting to drive home after a long day of cross-country skiing. After our teacher took roll call, she realized that we were missing one student. It was very scary. One of our peers, was stuck a trail. The students on the bus sat scared and waited as a search party went out to find her. Our parents were informed about the situation, who were waiting to pick us up in Toronto.

During the next two hours, I calmed myself by playing on my cassette player the song 'Man in the Mirror.' I remember listening to the song over and over while learning and relearning the words. The song seemed to talk to me with phrases like, 'If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself then make a change.' Michael Jackson's gentle soul seemed to touch mine, as I sat waiting anxiously for news about our missing friend. The search party found "Melissa" scared, cold and ready to go home. 

All of these years later, I can still remember the words to the song.

When I heard the news that we lost Michael Jackson, a little piece of my childhood died. Goodbye Michael and thank you. What are some of your favorite Michael Jackson songs? 

Best wedding video montage

This has to be the best wedding video montage ever! I first saw this video on A Cup of Jo and instantly fell in love with Brian and Eileen's wedding party. And then it happened. My girlfriend, who is getting married this August, said to me, "We have to do a video just like Brian and Eileen's." Enjoy this clever, creative and hilarious wedding video. What song do you think we should make the video to?

Wishful Wednesday: things I can't live without

On this wishful Wednesday, I wish for more health and wishes for my loved ones and blogger friends.  I hope you enjoy some of these materialistic things I can't live without. With each following picture comes more and more color and my favorite picture is of the flower blossoms. What's your favorite pic?




These Valentino handbags are amazing because of the original shapes and color. Is there a woman out there who doesn't NEED another handbag? 



Neck pillows changed my sleep for the better. Be careful! Once you've gotten use to using these pillows, its hard to travel without them.



Our joke has always been, " I've never gone camping because I flat iron!" Maybe its not a joke after all.



This Audrey Hepburn laptop bag makes me smile.




Aspiring chefs need their utensils and wonderful recipes to get them through. Now if I could only get someone else to clean up the kitchen.





My Brita helps me drink my eight, gulp, glasses of water a day. How much water do you drink in a day?





I am getting so much joy out of writing. Tell me on this wishful Wednesday, what are some of the things that you can't live without?

Chocolate addicts unite

Has the following ever happened to you? You’re looking over the dinner menu at a restaurant and your eyes skim right over the entrées and skip to the dessert section. When the waitress comes to take your order, all you want to do is skip dinner and eat dessert. Words like chocolate mousse, tiramisu and chocolate flourless cake all swirl in your head. Your waitress tells you about the dinner specials and although you’re hungry, your mind keeps wandering back to the treats on the dessert menu. Guilty! Party of one – yours truly. (Check out this chocolate interview post!)

Sometimes, I’ll think of the dessert that I want and make sure that my earlier courses are light enough. So for example, if I want a sundae then I’ll order salmon instead of the fettuccini alfredo. Does this make me a chocoholic?

My friends also seem to know about my chocolate addiction, as my girlfriend just gave me the gift of ‘Emergency chocolate’ from Bloomsberry & Co. (a self described ‘happy designer chocolate company’). ‘Think Chocolate’ is their company motto. They create wrappers on the bars of their chocolate that say:

‘For immediate relief of: Chocolate cravings, lovesickness, exam pressure, mild anxiety and extreme hunger.

Directions for use: Tear open wrappers, break off desired dosage, and consume. Alternatively massage into the affected area. Repeat dosage as required until finished. If symptoms persist consult your local confectioner.’

On top of it all we, chocoholics, shouldn’t feel bad, as reports say ‘eating a piece of dark chocolate can have daily health benefits.’ The good news is chocolate can be ‘heart healthy.’ In the article Health Benefits of Chocolate, it states, “Chocolate has flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease.” Though my bubble burst a little when I read that milk and white chocolate cannot make the same health claims. Experts suggest that we should eat chocolate within moderation (while continuing to eat nutritiously and exercise regularly).

And once the emergency chocolate hit my lips, I knew that all would be right in the world. Have you ever had dessert first?

Our love story: Guilty weekend pleasures

We returned home to San Francisco from Hawaii. After spending so much time together, it was strange to return to our separate homes. Mine was in the neighborhood of Nob Hill in San Francisco and at the time, Honey was living in Larkspur (Larkspur is north of the city and about a thirty-minute ferry ride). We said our goodbyes and then made plans to spend the next weekend together in Larkspur. When people find themselves in a new relationship, sometimes guilty pleasures can develop.

The weekend couldn’t come fast enough for me. I packed up, met Honey after work and we took the peaceful ferry over to Larkspur. As we got to the steps of his apartment, I started to feel run down and tired. I’m sure it was due to all of the travel and being sad that I was no longer in paradise. Honey suggested that we rest and stay in for the weekend to recharge.

Now I don’t know about you, but I am a horrible patient. It takes a lot for me to sit down and relax. I always seem to have to do something or talk to someone. Honey had recently purchased ‘The Office’ DVDs. He convinced me to sit down, order food in and watch one episode. I have a British sense of humor and enjoy sarcasm, awkward pauses and character development; Honey thought the show was made for me. Well, one episode led to two and before we knew it, we had watched five episodes and I was hooked into the characters lives. I loved being in his apartment shut in from the outside world. Daylight turned into night and the popcorn we were eating turned into pizza.

By the end of the weekend, we had finished an entire season of ‘The Office.’ I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I actually felt better by the end of the weekend because of the laughter and relaxation.

And then it happened. A few weeks later, Honey offered to me ‘LOST’ on DVD. It was a show that I had heard a lot about, but had never watched. I didn’t take into account that if I watched it alone, I could scare myself. I learned that my guilty pleasure was watching shows all at once. What are some of the relationship guilty pleasures you love to do?

Introducing cable car girl: my SF photo shoot

I had heard about the project ‘I live here in SF’ a couple of months ago and I felt an instant connection to the author, tangobaby. When we met, we shared so many different experiences of the same city. We talked about movies, restaurants, and hidden alleyways. She made me feel very comfortable doing my first San Francisco photo shoot with her.

A year ago, I started writing cable car confessions, which has been a wonderful way of capturing the magic of this city, the interesting people we meet, and their unique stories. This is why I wanted to be photographed for her San Francisco project. It allows us all to meet the locals of SF and discover what their neighborhoods’ mean to them. 

Seven years ago, this city had a pull for me. I would visit on weekends and sit in at the Crepe House on Polk Street to people watch and wish I was living here. As San Franciscans, we all have roommates, love connections, strange experiences, tough times, food suggestions and muni stories to share.

Last week, Tangobaby and I did a photo shoot around my neighborhood. We went down to the end of the cable car line to find an empty car. We asked the conductor (he’s in one of the photos) if we could use the cable car for our blogs. I really like the photos on the cable car, but let me tell you a little secret. While we were taking the pictures, there was another conductor taking a cat nap on the inside of the cable car. 

Enjoy, let me know what you think and tell me the stories and memories that these pictures bring. Without further ado...introducing cable car girl 

I Live Here: SF

Award time!

Under the Sheets-shhh was given its ninth award this week. I was honored to receive this award by the wonderful Carlotta from the blog My Way! I was excited to get this 'charming and honest' award.

Charming & Honest Award: This award is bestowed to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award (and link back to Under the Sheets-shhh.)

As the Under the Sheets-shhh friendly blogger, my blogging advice to you is:  Stay true to yourself and give back to the blogging community. Which is why I love getting this award for being charming and honest. Thank you Carlotta, you're such a sweetie!

So I pass this lovely award to the following friendly bloggers. They are all just charming...

Loft in Soho

Girl v. The World

Pink Peony

My Quirks and My Compass

Boubouteatime

It's Unbeweavable!

The Tale of a Southern Belle

Pink Cupcake

Wishful Wednesday: summer favorites

On this Wishful Wednesday, I wish for the sun to stay out in San Francisco. So far we have had some amazing weekends, but as soon as Monday rolls around the fog rolls in. Here are some of my summer favorites. What do you wish for this summer?




Click here for some summer hairsyles ideas. I love the side-swept pony tail. It keeps me cool and looks stylish.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream...

Lovely cover up from Victoria's Secret. Just lovely...
H&M straw hats. These hats are affordable and my straw hat has lasted me, knock on wood, for two years. 


This is exactly how I look, when I see a cute boy at the pool!

OK, now its your turn to tell me, what do you wish for this summer? I pinky swear to keep your secret just between us.

Can taking a daily vitamin be bad for your health?

Yes, they can be bad for your health! According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, vitamins in high doses can affect your health. I am shocked to hear the news. My entire life, I have been taking vitamins and vitamin supplements. It wasn’t until recently that I sat with a nutritionist friend of mine to discover what foods I should be eating more of and foods I should avoid. I thought a vitamin would also help correct my poor eating habits. Didn’t drink enough milk? Take some calcium.

In the article, ‘Are too many vitamins bad for your health?’ it stated, “The information that large doses of some vitamins can be harmful is not new. When taken in excess, the fat-soluble vitamins -- vitamins A, D, E and K -- are stored in body fat tissues. This can lead to toxic buildup in the liver, brain and heart.”

This was news to me!

I have always been a dancer. Only recently, though, have I become a “foodie,” “an aspiring cook,” -- you get my drift… Before my revelation that food was an art unto its self, I would pay little attention to my food choices. Carbs and chocolate would call to me in the night. I tried ‘balancing’ it all by taking a daily vitamin. In fact, I took those suckers like candy. I had read that taking certain vitamins could help with fatigue, headaches and yes the dreaded PMS. I even frequently suggested ‘resting, drinking more water and taking a daily vitamin,’ to friends who were suffering various ailments.

After visiting my nutritionist, I corrected some of my poorer eating habits – chocolate is always a welcome treat. She introduced me to the site, ‘Fitnesspal.com.’ For the past 3 months, I have been actively tracking my foods and working out. But even during the past three months, I took vitamins as part of my daily routine.

So how should we get all the vitamins we need?

The doctor on the show told the viewers that ‘Nothing can replace a diet of vegetables and fruits and the wrong dosage of a vitamin can actually be damaging to your health.’ The only vitamin that he recommended we all need to take more of is vitamin D. Why you may ask? Since we are all taking better care of our skin and wearing sunscreen daily our bodies are not getting enough sun, which naturally soaks in vitamin D.

There’s plenty of great information around on healthy eating. I recommend this one; it covers the 29 healthiest foods on our planet. What are your thoughts on vitamins being “bad” for you? Are you as shocked as I am? What other sites, references would you recommend?

San Francisco weekend festival taken over by the dogs

This weekend was the North Beach festival in San Francisco. This festival had vendors, live jazz music, street chalk, interactive art for children. And as soon as I heard about the afternoon animal blessings at the St. Assisi church, I knew that I had to see it for myself and take pictures as proof.

Every year, the North Beach Festival’s presenter chooses an animal or animal advocacy group to be honored at the St. Francis of Assisi animal blessing. I was thrilled to hear that this year, the festival honored Muttville, a San Francisco senior dog rescue. Over the years, Muttville has rescued over 350 dogs.


The church was filled with cats, fish, a turtle, hermit crabs and almost completely covered with dogs and their owners. The dogs were well behaved, except for the occasional bark and scratch.

In past years the church has also been visited by turtles, rabbits, an elderly tortoise on a red velvet pillow, iguana's and parrots, but yesterday it was all about the dogs.

The church was looked like a circus waiting to be blessed. 

Holy water for dogs?

A sunny festival Sunday in San Francisco.

What did you do you this weekend? Would you have believed me about the animal blessings without seeing these pictures? It really is a dog life!