The Zahedani Family

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas morning with my family - breakfast was amazing! Here's a picture of my sister with her new fiancé!

Christmas is certainly the time to focus on the younger members of the family - here's Aiden with Grandpa and Ardie after playing with his new Polar Express Train!

Then we went to Ardie's parent's house for lunch - we were certainly od'ing on the food! Here's me with Shadi and Nikou:

And all of us at the table:

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-24T22:34:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve at Bita and Ramin's house, and had such a good time - and what great food! We made sure to take a ton of pictures...here's my fav of Ramin, Bita and Saam!

And my favorite of Ardie and me...

Shadi and Saam:

And all of us before eating a fabulous dinner!

Truckee for the Day

2008-12-20T22:43:00.000-08:00

Ardie and I decided to go to Truckee for the day...and it was so much fun. We don't get much time just the two of us (sounds crazy, but it's true!), so it was great having that time with each other.

Our first trip was to Scrap for some treats for Indy:

And then it was all about us - hello, wine tasting...

What a handsome hubby...

Me in my new NF jacket and rainboots!

And this was what it was like for us on the way back to Folsom - can you say "snow"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj9ukA7YOy0

Patrick & Bobbin's Wedding

2008-11-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

Our friends Patrick & Bobbin got married today - what an awesome ceremony... They got married outside their restaurant - Mulvaney's B&L, and the weather was just perfect.

The decorations were amazing inside - and so was the food (of course!)...

Us with Bobbin - what a gorgeous bride!

Congratulations to such a wonderful couple!

Halloween Party

2008-11-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

We got invited to a fun adult party the next night - and Ardie and I went as Anthony and Cleopatra:

Dee and Josh as the messed-up Britany Spears and K-Fed:

Sisters hamming it up for the camera!

And girls just having fun...

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

So this Halloween we had a really full house! The cats already know the drill - sit in the window, and great all the TOT's... Here's Bogle wearing the Scaredy Cat Ribbons that I got them from the craft store:

And Indy was happy to answer the door with us, and hand out the candy - she even liked her pumpkin t-shirt!

We set out a bunch of food with a fun little menu:

Ardie and sweet Indy...gotta hold her in your arms while we still can!!!

And me with Noghle - it was a fun little night, and hopefully next year we have more trick-or-treaters!

Playing in the Backyard

2008-10-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

Indy is adjusting to life at our house so well...it's only been a week! Ardie and I have both had dogs, so we know how lucky we are to have Indy and her great little personality...

So we took her out in the backyard for a little one-on-one w/Dad while I took pictures...

Mom, these are what real abs look like. (And BTW, you need a pedicure.)

Snoozing with one of her favorite toys...Mr. Moose!

Meeting Giada

2008-10-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

So anyone who's known me for even a short length of time knows that my female crush is Giada De Laurentiis from Food Network fame. And when I found out that she was doing a book signing for her 4th cookbook - Giada's Kitchen - at the Sur La Table in San Jose, I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

I drove to S.F. and met Shadi, Fargol, Arianna and Trent - and we drove to Santana Row from there. I'd never been to this outdoor mall, and I have to say that it is certainly a place I would love to visit more frequently!

We waited in line for literally hours, but it was certainly worth the wait. Giada was so warm and personable - and it really made up for everything! (Er - at least for me!)

We were completely famished afterwards, so we had lunch at the Village Bistro (their Grilled Ham, Tomato & Gruyere sandwich is fantastic!), and then walked around a bit before going home...

Hey - get your paws off of Mommy's book!

Introducing Indy

2008-10-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

So I can't really tell you how it happened - it just did. We found the perfect dog for our family. It started out innocently enough - idle chat about how we both wanted a dog, and then progressed to weekday/weekend visits at the local shelter (where we got both cats). And we realized that we really wanted a puppy - the cats were going to totally freak if it wasn't at least close to their size, and we really wanted them to all grow up together. So I answered an ad from the local paper, and guess who we found:

A little [but not for long] Golden Retriever that we named Indiana - Indy for short - since that's where Ardie and I first met. The first night was quite the adventure - both the cats were trying to figure out who was monopolizing our room!

Day One: Quite the exhausted pup!

Fall 2008

2008-10-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? The signs of Fall have already begun - leading with the tree in our front yard shedding its leaves:

While Ardie was busy planting new trees in our backyard, I decorated the front:

And now thanks to my industrius husband, we now have several new fruit trees, including my personal favorite - a fig tree!

I can't wait to make some great recipes with them next year!

Walk for Autism

2008-09-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning we met up with Dee, Josh and Aiden for the first-annual Walk for Autism in Sacramento.

(I'm sure that Aiden would have preferred to ride this all the way there!)

A successful finish!

Calling All 80's Fans...

2008-09-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ardie got us tickets to see Heart and Journey, playing at Shoreline this past weekend. We met up with friends and bbq'd in Walnut Creek, and then drove to Palo Alto to pick up Shadi and Babak.

Here are some pictures from all of the fun:

"Don't Stop Believing"...

Farnaz's Book Signing

2008-09-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Farnaz is Ardie's cousin's girlfriend, and she is so amazing. She wrote a book called Waiting for an Ordinary Day.

The book is based on her experiences as a Wall Street Journal journalist, and it's already got rave reviews. (Just check out this review from the New York Times' notorious Michiko Kakutani of Sex in the City fame.)

Here are some pictures of us in San Francisco for her West Coast book signing tour! Here's Ardie and Nikou w/Farnaz:

And portions of the Zahedani's!

Adventures in Chi-Town - Day Four

2008-09-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

The weather had gone from bad to worse at this point, so Ardie and I tried to do as many things indoors as possible! The Tribune Tower was a must-see on our list of Chicago landmarks.

The building's design was the result of an international competition for "the most beautiful office building in the world," held in 1922 by the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

This winning entry, complete with a crowning tower of flying buttresses, is derived a French cathedral and gives the building its striking silhouette.

The base of the building is studded with over 120 stones from famed sites and structures in all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries. They range from the Parthenon, Taj Mahal - and even these stones from the White House and the Alamo:

In the courtyard you'll see this great statue of American revolutionary Nathan Hale:

In 2006 the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum opened, occupying two stories of the building. It's filled with all kinds of trivia - and even opportunities to hop on your soapbox!

Can you say "President Ardavan Zahedani"?

We had a fantastic lunch at the Nordstrom Café, and bought some amazing chocolates from Vosges Haute Chocolate - wow... Their Naga Chocolate Bar features sweet Indian curry, coconut and deep milk chocolate, and it is without a doubt my new favorite!

Then with coffee in hand, we set out again into the weather...

To finish off our Chicago experience, Ardie took us to see Jersey Boys - one of the best new musicals on Broadway, and the winner of 4 Tonys in 2006!

The musical is based on the lives of one of the most successful 1960's rock 'n roll groups, Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons.

Here is one blurry picture of the stage, and another of the interior of the Bank of America Theatre - simply another amazing building here in the city:

Then it was back to the loft to pack - but not without me snapping up one last pictures of Chicago...

Just another reason why we will always love the skyline and the city of...

Adventures in Chi-Town - Day Three

2008-09-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday the rain began in earnest, but that didn't dampen our spirits! We took the metro to Orange - one of the best breakfast places in the city. We have to come back!

Just take a look at their menu - they feature a BYOB policy, so you can make your own mimosa with their selection of fresh juices...yummy!

Ardie had the Popeye's Breakfast (eggs scrambled with spinach, oven-roasted tomatoes and white cheddar cheese) and I had the Green Eggs and Ham (eggs scrambled with basil pesto, pancetta and mozzarella). Here's a picture of the Fruity Pebbles Pancakes that we [also] had!

Next we went to Wrigley Field - here is the front of one of the brownstones we saw along the way...can you say Cubbies spirit?

Well, then it started POURING rain...so we ducked into Harry Caray's Tavern right across the street for one of the best Bloody Mary's that we've ever had!

Yikes...then it was back into the crazy weather...

And onto the subway!

We began at the Magnificent Mile - probably the most amazing selection of stores and boutiques that I've ever been to...and guess where Ardie took me?

You guessed it - we walked out of there with a little blue box, and an Elsa Peretti "l" inital pendant...thanks, honey!!!

Afterwards, we went to Rosebud on Rush - a fantastic Italian restaurant. We split the most fantastic stuffed mushrooms, and a meat ravioli to die for...here's a picture of us running in the rain to get there!

That night we got ready to go see Wicked - one of the best Broadway shows for 5 years running!

We got to the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre in time for a vodka cran and a glass of champagne - or two!

The theatre is truely phenomenal...these pictures really don't even do it justice!

The set before the play began...

It was simply spectacular!!! And as they say...

Our last stop of the night was to Second City - one of the best comedy and improv shows in the country. It was soo much fun - we couldn't stop laughing!!!

Here's the view of the lobby - complete with pictures of past and present comedy icons, like Tina Fey and tons of Saturday Night Live fav's!

We got home at 3 am - and couldn't resist some late night pizza...one of the top 10 foodie reasons to visit Chicago! We ordered a pizza from Ranalli's on Clark (founded in 1937) - made of cheese, pepperoni and artichokes...yumm-o!

Adventures in Chi-Town - Day Two

2008-09-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

Friday was a very busy day! First we had coffee at Intelligensia - one of the best coffee houses in Chicago. Their mocha and banana bread was the best start to our morning!

Here's the hubby getting his java on...

Next, we went on the city's Architectural Boat Tour - what an amazing history the city has - and phenomenal buildings to boot. It really does take 1.5 hours to see it all.

Below you'll see the Trump International Hotel & Tower - from the first seasson of Apprentice fame...

A mixed-use structure, the Civic Opera Building houses both a 3400-seat auditorium and more than half a million square feet of office and retail space.

And the best part of the ride...the bar onboard! ;)

We had lunch at Reza's - and their lunch buffet was crazy...nothing like a little Persian food when you're far away from home!

Yummy kabob...but nothing like Nikou's! :)

That night we met up with Jon and Stephanie, who moved to Chicago so Jon can go to business school. They are such great friends!

They took us to Tsunami - a fabulous Japanese restaurant in the Gold Coast, and can you say sushi...what a fun night!

Adventures in Chi-Town - Day One

2008-09-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

Ardie and I traveled to Chicago this past weekend for a wee bit of rest and relaxation...it's the closest thing that we're going to get to a honeymoon this year, I think! Here are some highlights from the trip, and be sure to visit our Kodak Gallery link for all of the pictures!

Thursday we had dinner at the Lounge on 95th - part of the John Hancock Observatory. What an amazing view, and a handsome date!

Cheers, baby!!!

Gosh...just couldn't get enough of the view...

Vino at Bogle

2008-08-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

Our favorite winery - without a doubt - is Bogle in Clarksburg. Not only did Ardie take me there on our 3rd date, but the wines are simply fantastic! On this hot day, here is a picture of our featured beverage:

Here I am with Sylvester, the winery's gatto:

And my sweet hubby, with a glass of Bogle's Chard:

If you haven't had a chance, make sure to get a bottle of their Phantom - one of Ardie's all-time favorites!

A pic of the beautiful winery setting:

Saam's Black Belt

2008-08-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

We were so proud to watch Saam get his black belt from Kovar's...what an achievement!

Posing with his Dad, Ramin after completing his last exam!

With the whole family - yay, Saam!

Aiden's 8th Birthday

2008-08-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

For Aiden's 8th birthday, we celebrated with the family at Strikes Family Entertainment Center in Rocklin...a night of bowling and beer - at least for the adults!

Josh and Ardie throwin' a few back... ;)

Blowing out the candles on his Wall-e cupcakes!

McNear's Beach

2008-08-04T19:23:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend we adventured with Ardie's parents and sister to McNear's Beach - a bayside park in Marin County. While we were there, some folks fishing next to us caught a baby Leopard Shark! It was pretty cool to touch it, and realize that soon it is going to be 7' long! Hello, sharkie...

Ardie and Naser; me with Shadi & Nikou...

And the other Mr. and Mrs. "Z" enjoying the sun!

Tahoe

2008-07-26T16:31:00.001-07:00

Our trip to Tahoe was great - it started out with dinner at Mikuni's in North Lake Tahoe...I guess that this is beginning to be a theme with us? Anyways, it was really a lot of fun - especially after we got a few beers in the guys! ;)

Here's our cute cabin:

The next day we went tubing down the Truckee River - what an adventure...here is us before - and my smiley bear pancake from this awesome breakfast place in Truckee called Squeeze In! Here are our yummy breakfasts:

Well, here's the adventure part...Ardie lost his shirt, sunglasses and - drumroll - wedding ring!!! We did get a replacement ring - the real question is: how long will it last? ;)

That night we went to the Hyatt for some champagne with everyone - what a fun time, and gorgeous sunset view...

And here's us sight-seeing before we left!

Dee's 30th Birthday Party

2008-07-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Dee's 30th birthday at Mikuni Sushi Restaurant & Bar in midtown Sacramento last night. It was awesome, and so many friends came out to celebrate - what a fun night! You'll love your 30's, honey!!!

The 4th of July

2008-07-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at our house - all decorated up for the 4th of July! The cute flags in the front are from my favorite store...Target!

The family all together to celebrate Grandpa's birthday!

Look at that cake!

So I Guess I'll Start With...

2008-07-01T20:27:00.001-07:00

So I guess I'll start with the wedding... Gosh, it feels like so much time has passed, but it was really less than two months ago!! What a blast...we were lucky enough to have 240 of our family and close friends there - and we literally partied the night away! The poor people at the Granite Bay Golf Club...we were there until 2:30 am! I'm including a few photos from the 'big day'!

The happy couple!