Hike, Bike, Eat

NEW WEBSITE!!!

2011-03-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

First off, I'd like to extend a HUGE thank you to Justin and Amanda and Any for offering to help. I ended up posting my last blog and then buying a domain right away because I'm ridiculously impatient, and now have my FIRST POST up!

Please keep in mind that it's a work in progress, and remember that I have no idea what I'm doing.

Yet.

WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE???

www.BitesnBrews.com

OBESE Tuesday!

2011-03-08T22:20:00.000-08:00

Today marks Fat Tuesday, aka "Mardi Gras" aka "eat-everything-you-can-fit-into-your-body-until-you-burst", aka "New-Years-Eve". Personally, I like to call it "OBESE Tuesday".

I make it count!

Call it whatever you want - to me it means the last day of imbibing in rich foods that I am about to give up for Lent as a small sacrifice for Jesus and the suffering He endured, resulting in His death and following resurrection, in order to give me eternal life with God.

Guys, this is serious. I'm giving up...

COFFEE!!!

Please note, I did not say caffeine. Green teas and black teas and "please-Lord-force-my-eyes-open-this-morning" teas are all open-season!

I'M ALSO GIVING UP DAIRY!!!

I know you've heard this before, but since Lent is a little more important to me than the superficial quality of my skin, this will last.

Remembrance of His suffering, PLUS clear skin.

Blessed on all counts.

In order to really appreciate what I'm about to give up, I overdosed on all the above.

Of course that had to include Indian buffet...

Including a dairy-stuffed mango lassi!

The day was spent shopping. If you know me, this is something I NEVER do! I went on a frikkin' SPREE today! My last paycheck was incinerated by my credit card. I now have jeans that don't have holes in the rear, and aren't shredding at the pockets! I also got some incredible sunglasses - they're ridiculously lame and adorable and reminiscent of six-year-old Becki (aka Becky-boo).

The "Dos Beckis" is reminiscent of current-day Becki, not six-year-old Becky-boo.

I also consumed my weight in Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas - recipe coming tomorrow, in case you've give up dairy and want to cry whilst looking at beautiful, milky (ewww) pictures.

MY PLEA FOR HELP!

Guess what! I have a question (or twenty) that I'm hoping you can help me with. I'm prepping to start my own website and need advice from all ends.

1. I have no smarts when it comes to technology. Which web host should I choose? I've been recommended WebHostingHub and told that it's great for people who are technologically challenged.

2. Once I get a host, I have no idea what to do. I don't know HTML, XML or any of the in-between. All I really want as of now is a blog that's not run under Blogger or Wordpress. Any recommended templates I should check out? Or anyone willing to design one for credit?

3. I don't know what else to ask about this - that's how little I know about the process.

PLEASE HELP ME!!!

Raw Vegan Experience!

2011-03-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

As you might recall, the last time I was in Carefree, we visited one of Ora's clients-turned-friend, Sara. She runs a raw vegan academy, and now, a successful cafe.

Her inspirational messages and quotes are all over the restaurant.

Sara was still in the building process four weeks ago, and opened THREE weeks ago!

The classroom area is set up and in use for food preparation on busy nights.

Zen decor!

We started off with a combo platter. This had almond falafel with whipped avocado on top, lemony almond hummus, olive tapenade, dill and shitake mushroom pate, a green salad with dill, kale, parsley and tons of other greens I couldn't identify...

and my favorite part of this dish: spicy seed crackers with sesame, pumpkin, flax and other things I can't name. I honestly didn't know half the ingredients that were in these! Sorry!

Ora chose the Rawgasmic sandwich. This had onion bread (made of smooshed nuts and onion) and was filled with greenery as far as the eye can see! This was layered with more whipped avocado and had a bunch of sprouts in for good measure.

I asked Sara to surprise me and choose my meal. She brought out raw vegan sushi with carrots, jicama, almond hummus, some kind of green lettuce, all wrapped in nori.

(Again, REALLY sorry I can't be more specific - I've never had such trouble identifying ingredients! These were all disguised so well!)

This was the most crunchy thing I've ever consumed in my life. It came with a lovely ginger dip. I enjoyed the flavor, but my jaw ached a little after chomping on the roll.

She also brought out her "WOW tower" - this contains almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, and tons of other seeds (argh, so sorry) that have been soaked to release the healthy enzymes, combined with carrots, (maybe) tomatoes, (maybe) spinach, all piled into a healthy tower.

The texture was interesting - if you've ever had chia seeds you know that they get kind of slimy, like flax seeds, but it wasn't a BAD slimy. There was also a spicy bite to it, just a hint of chili flakes.

I ate a quarter of this and then was stuffed to the gills.

This food is DENSE!

I WAS stuffed. WAS. Until I saw the dessert trays.

We ordered a tiramisu and a sweet potato pie to split three ways. If you've never had raw vegan food and are scared to try it, GO FOR THESE DESSERTS! The tiramisu was topped with a macadamia nut cream, and layered with Sara's homemade dark chocolate and an almond and medjool date crust.

My only complaint was that I almost died eating this because I kept inhaling the powdered cocoa on top.

The sweet potato pie was like a pumpkin pie, but instead of pumpkin, it was mixed with rainbows and smiles. It contained sweet potato, parsnips, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves atop an almond and medjool date crust.

Overall, it was delicious, but I felt like I'd swallowed rocks by the end - SO DENSE!

Definitely something to try at least once in your life!

Mari's Pasta Pomodoro!

2011-03-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

A few months back, Ora and I were invited to a fellow artist's home for a homecooked meal. I fell head over heels for this pasta dish and begged Mari for her recipe. A few days ago, she sent it to me. Today, I made my dreams come true.

Not the bacon dream, the pasta dream.

I dream about food a lot...

Mari's Pasta Pomodoro

(lightly adapted)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5oz cans of petite diced tomatoes (no spices or herbs added)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 package fresh whole wheat linguini (I used Buitoni whole-wheat linguine)

1. In a deep saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add minced garlic.

2. Saute until garlic is a light brown, about two minutes.

3. Add petite diced tomatoes, stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly.

(Sorry for the painful product-placement!)

4. Add salt and sugar, stir well and let simmer while pasta cooks.

5. Cook pasta according to packaging (Buitoni's fresh pasta only takes 2-3 minutes).

6. Drain pasta and add to tomato sauce, then cook together until heated through, about 3 minutes.

7. Serve and top with freshly grated asiago cheese and fresh herbs.

Mmmm, delectable AND healthy!

At this point, I'd realized that I forgot to add a vegetable to my meal (yet again), so I roasted some broccoli and combined it with the pasta.

HOLY LUSCIOUSNESS DELICIOUSITY!

So healthy! Maybe too healthy...

A big glass of Dos Beckis should remedy that!

After an extra month of bottle-conditioning, Dos Beckis has taken on a lovely hoppy flavor!

I couldn't be happier!

And maybe some rich foods on the road - that's right!

Back to Carefree tomorrow morning!

Jinky's Kanan Cafe!

2011-03-01T23:04:00.000-08:00

I had lots of errands to run today in order to prepare for a special video recipe coming up.

Dun dun dunnnnnn!

My director and I swung by The Olive Vineyard around noon to pick up some special, super secret ingredients (what could I possibly be getting at an olive oil store? Who knows!) and I felt the rumblings of hunger in the pit of my stomach. After a glowing recommendation from the olive oil girl, we headed over to Jinky's Kanan Cafe in Agoura Hills.

This is a small chain with restaurants in Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Santa Monica and now Agoura Hills.

They're known for their ridonkulous varieties of chili.

Ridonkulous = ridiculous squared.

So. Much. Chili.

We got a sampler of four cups of chili: Himalayan beef, Hickory Turkey...

...Spicy Mango Chicken and Wild, Wild West.

SPICY!!!

The overall favorite was the Wild, Wild West chili - the only one that had beans. All the others were just crumbly meats in sauces, and not substantial enough to satisfy.

I ordered the Sedona chicken sandwich - grilled chicken, green chilies, red onion and melted cheddar on a fluffy bun.

MUST. RETURN!

I got a preview of their breakfast menu.

I've been known to dream about bacon. I really hope I don't start dreaming about their pancakes.

The Morning After

2011-02-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

We had a big wind and rain storm last night in Fountain Hills. Before the show closed for the day, they repeatedly reminded us over the intercom to strap down the tents, lift everything off the ground that could be damaged from water, and clamp all loose fabrics. We listened.

Some did not.

I armed myself with hot coffee...

and a cup of bacon.

If you have to ask, you just don't know me.

Uh-oh!

Ouch!

SPLAT!

Overall, about fifteen booths were twisted into odd pretzel shapes and littered throughout the streets. Most of those vendors threw in their hats and just went home. The day was FREEZING cold, but I kept myself warm with hot coffee and freshly-cooked crepes with strawberries (the crepes booth suffered damage, but thank GOD they were able to salvage the stoves!!!).

Oh yeah, and then it snowed.

As soon as I got my camera out, the snow stopped. I'm sorry. Photojournalism skills = none.

It kinda looked like this.

I shivered through the rest of the show, packed up the booth in record time and celebrated a wonderful show with a hot meal...

As well as a glass of merlot and my first ever tiramisu.

Shattered glass, twisted metal carcasses, snowflakes, sangria and tiramisu.

Farewell, Fountain Hills!

My Day at Sofrita!

2011-02-25T21:23:00.000-08:00

I ate five meals in a row at Sofrita. I'm not ashamed. I'm uncomfortably full, but definitely not ashamed. Part one:

After setting up the booth last night, I strolled directly across the street and plopped my tired butt down in the corner table of this darling little restaurant.

Don't freak out, okay? I ordered... A SALAD!!! I think this may be the first salad I've ever ordered on the road - I tend to gravitate towards rich foods smothered in cheese, preferably fried.

The El Gran Combo - romaine, avocado, hearts of palm and fresh tomatoes drizzled with a coconut-lime vinaigrette.

I wandered back to the hotel, full of pride and greenery, blazed through a bunch of homework and aced a quiz. As I fell into the (clean, white, luxurious) bed, visions of crispy bacon danced through my head.

Seriously. I dreamt about bacon.

My dream came true! I went back to Sofrita for breakfast.

Huevos Nuevo Latino - eggs scrambled with roasted winter vegetables, served with warm tortillas, fresh salsa and fruit salad. I ordered a slice of bacon on the side.

They gave me four.

I LOVE THEM.

I ordered takeout for lunch, à la Sofrita. Are you tired of the word Sofrita yet? Sorry.

Sofrita.

I had the Cran-Raspberry Chicken Salad - grilled chicken breast with dried cranberries and raspberry mayo on crusty, whole grain bread.

Okay, I only told the partial truth. We had dinner tonight at Redendo's, but to be fair, it is the sister restaurant of Sofrita.

My dinner consisted of half a glass of Chianti, and an eighth of this huge plate of pesto pasta with goat cheese.

We accidentally (seriously, it was an accident) ordered a "bottle of sangria" when we meant "bottle of Chianti", so we had this pretty little number dropped off at our table.

I have never had sangria before.

I was moved by this drink.

I was so moved by it that when we retired to the hotel, we decided to go over to Sofrita and experience it again.

This is their winter sangria - blueberries, cranberries, grapes and an orange slice.

We split the chocolate cinnamon bread pudding - rich, luxurious and steaming hot, and then floated across the show grounds back to the warmth of our hotel.

And here I sit. So happy, so blessed, so uncomfortably full.

Best. Breakfast. EVER!

2011-02-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

On our final day in Palm Springs, we got up ridiculously early in order to try a local restaurant recommended to us by one of Ora's clients.

Cheeky's is a local brunch dig that always has a huge line surrounding the building. We attempted to have breakfast there on Sunday, but didn't have time to wait for an hour to be seated.

On Monday morning we got up bright and early, and were the second group of people waiting outside in the brisk morning.

Inside the restaurant it was warm, spacious and yet cozy at the same time. We were tucked away into a warm corner where I had the perfect vantage point to see what everyone else ordered before making my decision.

And holy crap, was it tough making a choice! Duck Confit hash with Tillamook cheddar or an apple omelet with kale??

Brioche French Toast with banana custard or Panisse cakes with maple glazed pork belly??

While I pondered, our waitress brought out heavenly pots of caffeine, accompanied by this cute glass container filled with steamed soymilk.

After a lot of deliberation and two cups of coffee, I finally decided on Blondie's Eggs Benedict with real bacon and sauteed arugula on their delicious cheddar scones.

I could have died happy right then and there.

The cheddar scones were delicate and bursting with cheddar-y flavor. The thick slices of bacon melted into salty, smoked ecstasy as soon as they touched my tongue. The bright green arugula added an earthy depth as it tenderly crunched between my teeth. The hollandaise sauce tasted rich, buttery and had a hint of lemon, and almost brought me to tears.

It was that good.

Indio vs. Palm Springs: Hotel Showdown!

2011-02-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

Let's compare a few things: Indio vs. Palm Springs.

Indio hotel hallway.

Palm Springs hotel hallway.

Indio hotel shower.

Palm Springs hotel shower.

Indio hotel comforter.

Palm Springs hotel comforter.

Indio hotel "thermostat".

Palm Springs thermostat.

Indio hotel view.

Palm Springs hotel view.

Indio hotel Becki.

Palm Springs hotel Becki.

See any difference?

Monsoon in Palm Springs!

2011-02-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

Even puppies need shelter from the torrential downpour!!!

OH MY GEEZ IT'S SO A-FRICKIN-DORABLE!!!!!

Sorry, I just couldn't contain myself. We got to Palm Springs yesterday and set the booth up in pouring rain. I seriously looked like a drowned rat by the time we were done - my jeans were soaked up to the knees and water flowed from my hair like a river.

Drowned rat, drowned cat... same difference.

We woke up to this: dreary, drizzly desert. Oxymoronic alliteration??

Luckily, we saved the artwork from complete destruction by covering all the pieces with thick plastic last night. It could have been a dreadful wake-up call!

DOUBLE RAINBOW! Oh, no wait... just a regular rainbow...

Whoa, that's a full rainbow all the way!!!

We had enough of a reprieve in the rain that I was able to go get lunch.

Turkey Cranberry sandwich on whole grain bread from Koffi!

I also got super fancy chocolates from Cafe Chocolat. The one on the left is an aged balsamic truffle - So sticky sweet and richly delicious! The one on the right was a honey lavender truffle - tasted like perfume. Not in a good way.

I also got treated to this gorgeous ring! My boss gave it to me for my birthday!

I IS SO SPOILED!

After the show wrapped at 4pm, we met up with a couple of artists at Monsoon, one of the top-rated Indian food restaurants of Palm Springs.

Eatin' at Monsoon durin' a monsoon. Tralalala!

I started with one of my favorites - Mango Lassi!

The four of us (oh, hi there, Robert!) split chicken tikka masala, baingan bartha, and chicken korma.

Of course we had to end with gajar halwa, or as I call it: butter-carrot pudding!

Heavenly.

We were originally supposed to check out the new Liam Neeson movie, but working all day in the rain, freezing your ass off can really exhaust a person.

I retired to my room with a tall glass of Stone IPA.

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny!

Praying for dry weather!!

Homebrewers' Meeting!

2011-02-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

I have been very lax with my camera use these past few days. By lax, I mean I haven't touched it, so for today's post I'm going to recycle a few from the past year.

I had my first homebrewer meeting on Sunday and my beer, Dos Beckis, was kindly received. I informed them that it was bottle-conditioned right as they tipped the entire growler upside-down and let all of the yeast sediment mix together in the pitcher. Oops. I still enjoyed the taste, and I made everyone healthier by giving them an extra dose of Vitamin B thanks to all that mixed-in yeast.

Goooooo HEALTH!

We had a tasting of five beers from the San Francisco area, followed by TWENTY tastings of members' beers. I got through ten of those tastings before I had to cover my glass. I just don't have the stamina, or the body weight to handle all that!

Now I have to head to work, so I'll leave you with my beautiful recycled pictures of.... BEER!

Wort - not quite beer, but getting there!

Redemption.

Efes.

Weasel-$#*& beer.

Old Monkeyshine by Nimbus. AKA "Face-punch" beer.

Longmont Milk Stout.

Muchas Cervezas.

Punkin Ale by Dogfish Head. 1554 by New Belgium.

Tasting with the boys. Old Rasputin, Napa Smith's Amber, Moylan's Porter, Boont Amber, and Franziskaner.

Good ole Anchor Steam - sponsor of my homebrew club :-D

A simple, and wonderful, kind of life.

My Birthday!!!

2011-02-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my "holy-crap-I'm-actually-starting-to-feel-old" birthday! Since I'm getting so old, instead of going out and getting drunk (which I only did on my 21st birthday) I spent a leisurely morning at home before taking a relaxing day trip up the coast.

First though, a healthy breakfast! Chocolate-covered Entenmann's donuts have been a staple for birthday breakfasts since I was seven! I balanced this out with a Monsta, to sustain the aged part of me.

Confetti!

We went to lunch at an Indian restaurant that we haven't been to - Flavor of India. This was rated the top Indian restaurant in Santa Barbara for 2011.

TITLE: EARNED! Their buffet was SO GOOD!

We went to the botanic gardens to enjoy some peace and quiet - you know, because I'm old now.

Peaceful plants.

Pretty, peaceful plants.

Cute, peaceful plants.

Peaceful view.

BAD BEER. It takes a lot for me to not like a beer, but I tried these at a local brewpub and was NOT happy. The stout tasted like it had a toxic amount of Liquid Smoke in it, and the rest were flavorless or too sweet. I thought it was time to find some beer that was a guarantee.

I had to suffer through a torturous drive back down the coast.

It was really rough.

What mountain is this? Could it possibly be Ladyface?

The BEST place to spend a birthday!

ABSORBENCY!

My go-to: Blind Ambition. I know I said I'd try not to have any repeat beers this year, but it's my birthday, so shaddup.

There are very few stouts that I truly enjoy, but Ladyface's Russian Lullaby is amazing! This wasn't mine, but I had a few sips so I could appreciate the silky smooth goodness topped with coffee grounds.

I ended the evening with a Chesebro IPA. One of these at ABV (alcohol by volume, in case you didn't know) 9.5% and IBU (International bittering units) 100 is enough to leave me with a glowing, mellow feeling for a few hours. The Chesebro had a warm floral taste to it - perfect to end such a beautiful day with.

Happy birthday to me :)

Now I'm off to my first homebrewers meeting to have my beer tasted and judged.

I'M SCARED!!!

Waffle Sammiches and ADR!

2011-02-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried a sandwich where waffles are used as the bread? You have? Oh.

Well anyway, I never had before today.

I. AM. IN. LOVE.

Drool over that for a minute. I'll post this same picture gratuitously at the end again for emphasis.

I drove down to Orange today for some ADR work on a short film I did last August.

Fancy sound booth!

We had to re-record a few lines that had background noises that were drowning them out: aka AIRPLANES!!!

So much technology!

Co-star David, Vogue-ing for the camera.

After a little over three hours of ADR, the director, producer and I went for lunch at a typical sandwich shop.

OR SO I THOUGHT!!!

Bruxie, a little corner restaurant in Orange.

They have a savory selection and a sweet selection. I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so as loudly as the S'Mores sandwich with rich Belgian chocolate, graham cracker and toasted marshmallow was calling me, I went for the sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese sandwich with fresh basil, arugula and balsamic reduction.

There are no words.

The waffle that encased this happiness-stuffed filling was light and fluffy with a slight hint of sweetness. With the first bite, you get a tangy yet fresh taste of goat cheese infused with basil, the crisp crunch of arugula, the chewy sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes and to top it off, a whisper of sweet balsamic reduction that swirls around your taste buds, dancing a happy waltz.

Okay, maybe there are a few words...

A Day in Ojai!

2011-02-06T22:09:00.000-08:00

Prior to opening an amazing growler of homebrew, I spent the day in Ojai. Ojai is a small town about twenty minutes east of Ventura - and recently the site of filming for the movie Easy A.

P.S. Stanley Tucci is my hero!

Okay, enough sightseeing, let's get to the important stuff - FOOD!

We scanned the town (basically a block in length) for eateries...

and decided upon Feast Bistro.

DR. PEPPER BBQ SAUCE?? I MUST TRY!!!

This was amazing!!! A light, crispy flatbread with delicate marinara, crispy red onions, tender chicken and a zesty sweet barbecue on top.

I'm thinking soda pop reductions could be in my future...

FRIES! I had to macro the specks of salt.

Afterwards we set out to explore the town - all "block" of it.

Found some amazing Paula Deen products in Rains - the local EVERYTHING store.

Seriously, they have everything here - kitchen accessories to shoes, clothes to dishes, tourist mugs to butt massages.

Afterwards we headed to an artsy furniture store to restore the classy feeling we had prior to Paula's butt massage.

Intricate wooden clock-art!

Fancy hanging chandelier-painted-light-thingy!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IS BUT IT'S COOL!!!

Amazing base of a coffee table. Words cannot describe the awesomeness of this piece.

One of my favorite things in life is driving without a destination, getting completely lost and stumbling across something amazing. We drove for half an hour up and down winding roads, past billions (no exaggeration) of orange trees and beautiful properties.

Then, we arrived at the top of the long, windy road and found ourselves in the middle of a meditation center.

An ACTUAL meditation center!

And I...

I took the path recommended by the rock.

But it was worth it for the view.

Or the views.

I could have stayed there forever, listening to the silence.

Ojai = Peace

Introducing... Dos Beckis!!!!

2011-02-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

I MADE BEER!

GOOD beer! DRINKABLE beer! TASTY beer!

I'M SO PSYCHED!!!

The name: DOS BECKIS

Roll your eyes, I don't care. This was based off an amazing suggestion by an old friend/Lonelygirl15 fan, modelmotion.

MM - I owe you! Genius idea :)

First pour!

Pops and me sharing the first sip!

Thinking... thinking...

OKAY BY ME!!!

My beer with the recipe I used.

Some changes I made: Hallertau instead of Spaltz hops and 1007 German Ale Wyeast instead of Safale 56.

Translation: It's GOOD!

I carbonated my beer in 9 growlers instead of bottles. I was a bit worried about having bombs or not getting carbonation, but all that worry flew out the window as soon as I heard that lovely "phssssst" as I twisted off the cap.

Happiness.

Pretty color! A little bit of a chill haze, but I don't care!

I asked my dad for a description of this beer. His answer: "Delicious. Alcoholic. Makes me burp."

And that, my friends, is the official vignette of Dos Beckis.

Urbane Cafe and The Olive Vineyard!

2011-02-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to try out a new restaurant in Agoura Hills called Urbane Cafe. By "opportunity" I mean I was in the area and my roommate treated me to a sammich. I'm still waiting for my invitations to delicious restaurants, free of charge *hint hint*.

ANYWAY, Urbane Cafe prides themselves on using fresh ingredients, freshly baked bread, and homemade sauces and dressings.

The art out front isn't too shabby either!

The setting and service inside is very Baja Fresh-style. You order at the counter and then pick up the food when your pages goes off. My favorite part about this? NO TIPPING!

It's always nice to save money when you're a starving writer/actor.

They have a good-sized menu. Plenty of choices, but not too overwhelming.

I asked for the cashier's recommendation and ordered the So-Cal Sandwich - grilled chicken, avocado, pepper jack cheese, tomatillo salsa, green leaf lettuce and chipotle mayo.

It wound up being solely a chipotle mayo sammich - not that I was complaining! I love me some fatty foods, I just prefer to taste other ingredients at the same time.

I used about five billion napkins while consuming the mayo sammich.

I love exposed brick! If I ever am forced to move into LA, I'll only concede if my house or apartment has an exposed brick wall.

Next door to the restaurant is The Olive Vineyard - an olive oil and balsamic vinegar TASTING ROOM aka Heaven!

So many wonderful tanks! Almost as good as beer barrels!

My roommate and I tasted tons of different balsamic vinegars - honey and ginger, tahitian vanilla, 18-year aged, dark chocolate, jalapeno and our personal favorite which we bought: cinnamon and pear!

Their olive oils are all organic (they're still waiting for their certification on a few), and include flavors like Tuscan herb, wild mushroom and sage, Persian lime and butter - no flavors added (so they say - it's hard to believe that olive oil can naturally taste and smell EXACTLY like butter)!

Redemption

It was a good day.

Cake and Ponies!

2011-01-31T16:04:00.000-08:00

I survived.

I'm shocked. I was fairly certain that I would either be shot, strangled or die of some infectious disease that I inhaled whilst in the "hotel", but I'm alive as of now.

Now don't get me wrong, the hotel was absolutely awful, but the weekend wasn't all bad! Here are some things that helped me erase the horrifying images of the "Royal Plaza Inn".

P.S. Don't stay there. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Cake. Need I say more?

No, no I do not.

Ponies! Even when they're trying to consume my camera, they make me happy!

Photography skillz. It ain't much, but it ain't nothing.

It ain't no thang.

Don't ask.

Polo matches! I watched one during a break from the art show. I had no idea what was going on, but it was exciting - especially when the horse pounded their way across the field.

HORSEQUAKE!!!

Thai tea, thai food - it's all good!

Other things that helped to take my mind off of this (our amazing view from the "hotel")

and this (our wonderful "security system" on the sliding glass door that wouldn't close all the way)...

S'more cupcake. Yep, all the horror is vanquished with one bite of this.

I'm pretty easy to please.

I'm Going to Die!

2011-01-29T23:07:00.000-08:00

WHAT IS IT???

WHAT IS IT????

If you don't hear from me by Monday evening, just know that I loved you all.

So very much.

Sniff.

Welcome to Indio!

2011-01-27T21:22:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen the movie Napoleon Dynamite? That movie takes place in a small town called Preston, Idaho, where the main street is residential, kids aspire to work at the local chicken farm or motel, and duplexes reign supreme. I've found the "Preston of the West". It's called Indio.

We're staying at a three-star hotel in Central Indio in California. Let me give you a little look at what our room includes.

You can purchase threadbare sheets, lumpy pillows, scratchy towels and ripped comforters for these low prices!!! I'd love to purchase the coffee maker, iron and ironing board, but our room seems to be without those - yet somehow we have two fridges.

One of these refrigerators even works!!!

Yaaaaay, warm, empty mini-bar!

This helpful sign lets you know that you have absolutely no control over the temperature of your room, but if you happen to get a little chilly, you can turn on one of these handy space-heaters!

It's the size of my HAND! How HAND-y!!!

There's ample space to store your clothes in the closet. You didn't want to hang anything up, right?

If you did, we have FOUR partial hangers to use!

OR you can stack your clothes on the shelf - just make sure they weigh less than 1.03lbs!

This hotel also features some soft lights for when you want to relax and enjoy the ambiance of your lovely room.

Doesn't it feel great to be in the spotlight?

We even have a sliding-glass door with a beautiful view!

Do YOU want to know what's in the bag? I sure don't!

I don't know about you, but I like it when the floor of the shower is an enticing shade of brown!

I also enjoy those mind-provoking games: You want cold water, you should turn the knob towards "Cold", right? Guess again! Instead, you'll be scalded!!

I learn by DOING!

Pain makes me learn FASTER!

This hotel even features high security!

Chains keep me safe. Whatever you do, do NOT press the button when you leave!

My button is missing - this expedites the process!

Thanks for not making me waste time, hotel!

So if you've had a long hard day, just come on back and walk down these friendly halls.

So warm and inviting!

Collapse into your lumpy bed complete with an itchy wool blanket, fiddle with the heater/cooler even though it'll make no difference, and settle into a fitful sleep as you listen the one working fridge leak water onto the stained carpets.

All this can be yours for this astonishing price!

(We did NOT pay that. I would like you to know this one serious fact!)

I don't even want to know what a two-star "hotel" looks like.

BUT WAIT! There's more!

Other amenities you can enjoy include massages at a local spa down the street!

Aaah, so relaxi.....wait....

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HER FACE????

This tour has been brought to you by Becki.

Please return tomorrow for happier, prettier pictures and experiences.

NO TIME!

2011-01-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

I have to pack!

No time to blog!!!!

GREEN IS PRETTY!

MY TOWN IS PRETTY!

I FINALLY TRIED ROASTED BROCCOLI!!!

I cheated on this blog and wrote ANOTHER blog!!!

I'M GONNA MAKE DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP AND CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES NOW!!!

and I still need to pack!!!

Brewing with the Boys!

2011-01-24T22:48:00.000-08:00

My boys from college are INTENSE brewers and invited me up for a brew day on Saturday. I was out the door by 8am and when I arrived, they'd already gotten started! Post-college guys getting up before noon on a Saturday?

That's dedication to the craft!

Frank the Tank already had his mash (the grains are submerged in water and raised to a temperature that breaks down the starches into sugars) ready to sparge.

Sparging is when the wort (the liquid that contains the sugar from the mash) is drained from the mash tun (a big pot with a false bottom where you heat the mash) and water is poured over to extract as much of the sugars as possible.

Grayson demonstrates here:

Grayson the Scholar sparging his mash in a studious manner.

When brewing, it's important to have a homebrew on hand. This was one of Frank's latest kegs - de-freakin-licious. If I wasn't sure about homebrew quality before (which I was), I sure would be now! This had lovely notes of toffee and happiness.

It's also important to be well-fed. Grayson and I ran out for propane tanks, jugs of water and burritos. I got a grilled veggie burrito (NO CHEESE/DAIRY FOR A WEEK NOW!) that was so succulent (heehee, succulent) it made me giggle.

I placed it in a cup, which makes it taste better.

It's also important to have beer glasses on hand. I don't know why, but I trust Frank and Grayson when it comes to this stuff.

Frank's Scottish Midget Ale (yes, that's really its name) boiling away!

Chillin' the wort with a wort chiller - an apparatus that connects to a hose or other water source that sends cold water in one end and out the other. When you place it (after sanitizing it!) in your wort, it cools it down much faster.

I will repeat - CLEANLINESS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING when it comes to brewing beer! Grayson knows this, as you can see.

Everything was going just great.

Until...

Beer pong. Oh, dear Lord.

Time ceased to mean anything.

Growlers, homebrews and six-packs covered the table.

It was a good day.

Bottling Day!

2011-01-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

I spent Friday night bottling my first brew! Without the guidance and help from my brother and his wife, the pro-brewers, I had to give it a go on my own, with massive paranoia.

I had a mental spaz-out when I couldn't recall how to put together the racking cane...

My brother reminded me over the phone, "Relax, don't worry. Have a homebrew." Since I had no homebrew available yet, I settled for Red Nectar, recommended by a guy who works at the local wine and beer store.

With my substitute homebrew in hand, I got down to business.

CLEAN! If you ever brew and want to know the most important aspect of brewing, it is sanitization! Yeast likes to eat sugar, but bacteria likes to kill yeast, so if you're not careful, you'll end up with skunk beer.

Skunk beer is not a good thing.

First I soaked my growlers in Star San, then soaked paper towels in Star San and placed them over the tops to keep out any devil bacteria.

Next I got to work on starting the siphon using the racking cane that I finally figured out how to put together. It was embarrassingly easy. I hope my brother isn't reading this...

I filled the growlers using a bottling tube that has a spring loaded tip that lets the beer flow when you press down on the bottom of the bottle, then dropped in four carbonation pellets - the lazy man/beginner's primer.

Gravity is kind of necessary for a siphon. My original standing approach failed.

I filled nine growlers as well as a 500mL bottle, screwed the caps on ridiculously tight and covered them with paper bags, just in case they decide that exploding would be fun.

After all that hard work, I whipped up a quick pasta dish using my new cookbook! I sauteed whole cherry tomatoes in olive oil and garlic until they popped open, then tossed them into brown rice pasta with arugula and goat cheese. Simple, delicious and healthy!

Then I promptly passed out from exhaustion.

Back to the Basics!

2011-01-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

Dairy-free for five days and already my skin is looking so much better. Crap. Obviously I'm happy that my skin is clearing up, but DAMN am I gonna miss my gelato!

I am SO thankful they carry dairy-free sorbets and soy options!

I tried a little variation for breakfast yesterday - MIGAS! I snagged this recipe from Jenna, cut it in half and substituted baked blue corn tortilla chips for regular fried, and shallots for onions.

No cheese, but it was still pretty good!

Green Monstas and Kitchen Sink Salads are back with a vengeance! This one had half a bag of mixed greens, 1/2 of a zucchini sauteed with herbes de provnce, 1/2 a cup of lentils, 1/2 a chopped bell pepper and 1/2 a can of yellowfin tuna in olive oil (the oil drained out, obviously).

I've missed these!

The hikes are back as well! Went on an INTENSE one this morning to enjoy the beautiful 68 degree day and now I'm full of happy endorphins!

Today is bottling day!!! I'll be sipping some good brews while I bottle my beer (the official name will be posted when I pour the first glass), and then cooking up an amazing meal with my new cookbook from Williams Sonoma! Tomorrow is BREWING DAY!!! I'm heading up the coast to brew with some of my boys from college.

Have I mentioned how very awesome my life is?

:-D

Things I Love: Part I

2011-01-19T16:09:00.000-08:00

I love bread.

I love when Amanda and Andy go to Great Harvest to buy bread, and inspire me to also go to Great Harvest to buy bread.

I love free samples of bread from Great Harvest.

I love that their "samples" are the size of my arm.

I love freshly baked biscuits...

...where the honey...

...slowly melts...

...into each fluffy pillow.

I love cornbread served with whipped honey-butter.

I love sweet bread that crumbles when you bite into it.

I love whole-wheat stuffing.

I love savory bread pudding.

I love sweet bread pudding.

I Love Bread

The end.

I Like Free Stuff!

2011-01-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

But really now, who doesn't?

Honestly, who can say no to free Excedrin, Advil, Garnier shampoo, Playtex tampons, Good Nites underwear, Borba drink mixes, Depend adult underwear and coconut oil recipe books?

C'mon, it's FREE!

(These freebies, minus a few coffee samples and Emergen-C packets that I've already consumed, have been accumulated over the course of a month.)

I have a full-blown addiction.