The Last Poppy

The Last Poppy

I have this fantasy.  I am running through a field of golden poppies.  No shoes.  Just soft velvety flowers underneath my feet.  The skirt of my dress dancing in the breeze.  The sun hitting my face and the wind tossing my hair in every direction.

Reality check.  Running barefoot in a field is not pleasant.  There are rocks.  And snakes.  And last I checked, stepping on a California poppy is a punishable offense.

Three Tickets to NASCAR

Classy folks

By now, I’ve told you stories about a Christmas tree bonfire, a magical fairy, a blue-bellied lizard and a house with eyes.  Now I’m going to tell you the story of how I ended up at NASCAR.

In March, I persuaded my roommate and my little sister to come with me to the Integratron near Joshua Tree National Park.  The Integratron is sound chamber in the middle of the desert built in 1954 by George van Tassel, who claims to have received the plans from aliens.  Today, the public can attend 30-minute sound baths at the Integratron, in which quartz crystal singing bowls are played to deliver healing and rejuvenation to the energy centers of the body.  Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.  It’s a trip.

Once Upon a Time in the Desert

If only this house could talk.

As promised in my previous post, I'd like to tell you another story.  This one is about a magical fairy, a blue-bellied lizard, and house with eyes.

In February, I called my friend Stacey and told her I wanted to go on an adventure.  I met Stacey in preschool before I could count to ten.  She is a magical fairy, a yoga teacher, a vegan chef, a raw chocolatier, and a world traveler.

Stacey told me she was going to take me to a special place called Liberty Advance, a yoga retreat center near San Diego.  On that weekend, we would join a dozen teachers who had volunteered to do some maintenance on the retreat property.

When we arrived on a Friday night, I felt a little disoriented.  The light from my hi-beams led us down a dirt road for several miles.  When we reached the end of the road, the house greeted us with two glowing eyes that had been painted on the second story windows.

Little Man, Lady Killer

My Nephew Rowan

To my nephew Rowan,

I met you once before you were born.  I'm not gonna lie.  You looked like an alien.  But don’t worry, your mommy once told me that I was from Mars, so you're not alone.  I remember seeing your little webbed toes on the ultrasound machine and looking forward to the day when I'd get to introduce you to This Little Piggy.  And that one.

Goodbye 2011. Hello Adventure.

This is me getting into trouble.

It's been four months since my last post, and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed because I have so many stories to tell you.  Right now, you may be asking yourself, “Wait, isn't this a food blog?!”  I’ve been asking myself the same question for the past few days.  The only answer I’ve come up with is that sometimes in life you have to get out of the kitchen and into the world.  Cheesy, I know.  But more like a spicy jalapeno jack than a mild cheddar.

My recent adventures beyond the kitchen began on New Years Day.  I woke up in the morning and said to my roommate, "Today we are going to get into trouble".  Since she's a good sport, she helped me drag our Christmas tree out of the apartment and tie it to the roof of my car.   After a quick supply run, we drove to the beach...  The one with the fire pits.

Things I'll Tell You When You're Older

Maybe it's a little early to be giving my nephew advice, especially since he's not even born yet. But in the midst of planning my big sister's baby shower, I've written down a few things I don't want to forget to tell him...

Lydia's Eggs Benedict

Lydia's Eggs Benedict

When my godmother Lydia announced that she was going to make Eggs Benedict on Sunday morning, I set my alarm clock to wake up early.  If you've ever had Lydia's Eggs Benedict, you'd be up early on a Sunday morning too.