We headed down to San Diego for a wonderful weekend and holiday celebration with Dad and Dulce. We spent Saturday at their home with a dinner feast of antipasto, seafood pasta, tamales, and more cookies than we could eat. On Sunday, we hopped on a harbor cruise for brunch. The food was more than we bargained for…all-you-could-eat snow crab legs, sushi, waffles, made-to-order omelets, bottomless mimosas and a dessert bar that included a chocolate fountain. Even better than the food were the views as we cruised through San Diego Bay. Definitely a great weekend with Dad and Dulce!

Another wonderful birthday celebration for our mom. In typical family fashion, we headed over to Rose Hills first to give my dad some holiday decorations. Then we had lunch at my mom’s restaurant of choice, Newport Seafood Restaurant in Rowland Heights. While the one in San Gabriel is better (I just checked its yelp reviews and it has 923 reviews and 4.5 stars!), this one didn’t disappoint. Finally we headed back to mom’s house for presents and cake.

One of my favorite fall and winter dessert to make. This gingerbread is simple and has a nice, subtle flavor…not overly sweet at all. And the lemon icing is the perfect topping, adding a fresh, modern touch to the rustic gingerbread.

Fresh Gingerbread with Lemon Icing

Gingerbread
1/2 cup + 2 tbs butter
1/2 cup + 2 tbs brown sugar
3/4 cup + 1 tbs light corn syrup
3/4 cup + 1 tbs molasses
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 cup + 2 tbs milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking soda (dissolved in 2 tbs warm water)
2 cups flour

Icing
2 tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbs warm water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Over medium heat, melt butter with the sugar, syrup, molasses, ginger and cinnamon. Remove saucepan from heat and add milk, eggs and baking soda.

With the flour in a large bowl, pour liquid ingredients in the flour and beat until well mixed. The batter should be very liquidy. Pour the batter into a 12 x 8 inch pan (greased and lined with parchment paper). Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until risen and firm. Be careful not to overcook, as bread should remain a little sticky.

As the bread is cooling, make the icing. Whisk lemon juice into the powdered sugar, then gradually add water. Icing should be thick, so be careful not to add too much water. Spread icing over cooled gingerbread. Leave icing to set before cutting.

An early morning dive at Shaw’s Cove in Laguna Beach, CA before heading off for Thanksgiving dinner with family. First dive with the new Aquatica housing and Salvo 35W HIDs.

Too many cylinders to count. Getting gear ready for a long weekend of diving with some out-of-town friends.