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.

Really, Arizona?

2011-01-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

Seriously?

A little tasteless, no? Why is this still up?

On a happier note:

Soy mochas!

Pouring rain!

Vitamin C!

Back to Cali tomorrey morning!

Carbohydrate Heaven!

2011-01-15T21:02:00.000-08:00

The artist and I were invited to yet another client-turned-friend's home for dinner last night. Many, many delicious, flavorful things were devoured.

DELICIOUS PUPPY!!!! Don't worry, I'm not in the habit of devouring puppies. Or full grown dogs for that matter...

Mari made us a beautiful fresh salad appetizer with homemade basil-ranch dressing.

HOMEMADE DRESSING!!!

She served us pasta pomodoro. Simple, you say? I disagree! She sauteed garlic in olive oil until it was browned, then stirred in fresh, blanched tomatoes, strips of basil and chili flakes until the flavors married. Ribbons of fresh pasta were layered in the pot, then tossed and topped with freshly grated asiago cheese. I died and went to Carbohydrate Heaven. I like it there!

Dessert was even more special - homemade strawberry, dark chocolate chip and cracked black pepper ice cream, drizzled with balsamic syrup. A weird and WONDERFUL combination!

I found my gourmet food soulmate!

Raw Vegan Academy and Cafe!

2011-01-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

After spending seven hours in the booth and wandering the fine arts along the streets of Carefree, Arizona, the artist and I went to visit a client-turned-friend of hers who is opening up a new raw, organic vegan restaurant in the area.

Chef Sara's Raw Vegan Academy and Cafe!

This isn't your typical little hole-in-the-wall startup restaurant. This adorable little cabin-style building is nestled away from the road, surrounded by cacti, shrubs and rocks, and has the most beautiful sunset you could imagine.

Well, if you ignore the wires, it is GORGEOUS! One of those moments where you had to be there, I guess. Just take my word for it.

Sara (who you may remember from my first trip to Carefree - she brought the raw vegan cheesecakes!) has been renovating this building for a few months now. This section of the restaurant will be the "academy" room where she teaches clients how to eat, buy and LIVE the raw vegan life.

I got to go behind the counters and check out the setup.

Ready for the best part???

THE MENU!

I'll admit, some of those shots scare me, but I'll try anything once!

This place opens in two weeks! If you live in Arizona, I seriously recommend you try it. Everything Sara has ever brought to the show has been greedily shoved into my face. I love gorging and feeling healthy at the same time :)

Hi ho, hi ho, off to the booth I go!

Au Revoir, Malachi!

2011-01-13T23:19:00.000-08:00

Painfully cheesy title. Yes, Malachi is bailing on this country and taking up residence in France for six months. He's not leaving for another three weeks, but with my travel schedule for work I wasn't sure if I'd get another chance to see him. Bon Voyage lunch, it was!

We went to Vivian's Millennium Cafe, a little hole in the wall on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. To get to the patio, you actually have to walk through the kitchen!

The courtyard is ridiculously cute and cozy. It's tucked between two buildings and surrounded by plants that block out any traffic sounds. You wouldn't even know that you were in LA - and that impresses me.

One last candid shot of Malachi before he becomes snobby and too uppity and important to eat day old bread.

(French law prohibits the consumption of bread that is older than two hours.)

I ordered the chicken salad sammich on wheat which was tasty, but the REAL star of the meal was the potato salad! I don't know what they put in this - smiles, sunshine, shooting stars, warm ocean breeze... but whatever it was, it was INCREDIBLE!!! The most epic potato salad of my life. I've been daydreaming about it ever since.

Farewell, Malachi! I look forward to harassing you on the interwebs, and then in person when you return!

My First Groupon!

2011-01-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally did it. I went for it and bought myself a Groupon! I've been getting their daily e-mails for a few months now, and I finally found something that caught my eye. Can you guess what it is?

BEEEEEEEER!

Groupon in action!

We went to a place way up in Ventura County called Draughts. They had a huge selection of beer that was half off since we came during happy hour!

I got the sampler which included Draughts private honey blonde, hefeweizen, pale ale, IPA, amber and porter. I'm not sure if they brew on premise - the facilities don't appear big enough for that, but I wasn't in a big question-asking mode. I was there to relax!

We started off with an appetizer of Stuft ravioli bites.

(This place used to be called Stuft Pizza, and they are still in transition. We got the Stuft menus when we arrived...)

These were HOT, both in temperature and spice. It's nice to know that you're eating something that JUST came out of the deep fryer :)

I ordered the linguini pesto pasta. Garlicy, carby, nutty and delicious!

Oh, and have I mentioned? I haven't been doing so well with my "January Challenge". Dairy just doesn't seem to want to leave me alone...

Nor I, it.

I guess I was right when I said I don't do well with restrictions... Maybe I'll try for February ;-P

Cadillacs and High Tea!

2011-01-07T17:52:00.000-08:00

I headed out of town for a girls' midweek weekend on Wednesday. It was long overdue.

First stop on a girls midweek weekend? La Cocina for Cadillacs!

Featuring: Cohort/Fellow Blogger Allie!

And: Rascal Steph!

We sipped margaritas, crunched on sizzling tortilla chips and even sizzling-er salsa, and chowed down on flautas and tacos. Hooray for girls' night!

The next day, we decided to go for something even MORE girly, and a lot classier.

High Tea!

I got "Blueberry Fields Green Tea". It tasted like a meadow in the middle of the Grand Teton National Park, freshly-rained on while the sun casts its warm rays gently upon the glistening flowers.

It was that good.

Allie and I split a traditional afternoon tea, as well as a Tuscan tea.

The traditional tea sandwiches were cucumber-thyme, and curry chicken salad (which was Ah-MAY-Zing!). The Tuscan tea had finger sandwiches with tomatoes, avocado and fresh mozzarella. Oh yeah, I already failed a little on my no dairy - just a tad of mozzarella. Oops.

The next tier held cranberry scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam. I was a happy girl.

After our ridiculously girly tea, we went to Happy Foot Spa and splurged on the "Combo #1" - a half hour foot massage and half hour full body massage. How much was this splurge, you ask? A whopping THIRTY BUCKS! Seriously, that's it!

I can't imagine a more perfect definition of "GIRLS' MIDWEEK WEEKEND!"

In other news:

I am now on a "freebies" binge. I have received ridiculous amounts of free coffee, shampoo, adult diapers (Why? Cuz they're FREE! I have no idea what to do with them all... Homeless shelter donation, maybe?), Advil, Breathe-Right nasal strips and energy bars.

I have an addiction. A weird, weird addiction...

Ladyface Tuesdays!

2011-01-04T22:38:00.000-08:00

   Ladyface has a new "thing" for Tuesdays - 20% off any cellar beers (basically any of their guest beers that are bottled). I met up with the parental unit to give it a whirl.

   Unfortunately, "cellar beers" are a wee bit pricey, even WITH the 20% off, so we ended up sticking with the Ladyface brews.

"Jumpin' Juniper" - Blind Ambition infused with Juniper berries. This was served at room temperature since it comes straight out of the cask. I liked it, but I think I would have preferred it chilled.

We split the roasted vegetable dish - roasted beets (which I've never liked until tonight), carrots and parsnips (which I've never tried before tonight). Tasty, but could have used less oil and a little more salt.

Charcuterie Plate - No idea what it means, but it had crostini, cheese (which I didn't have because of the whole "no dairy" thing), dried cranberries and dates, prosciutto and sausage.

I sampled the Chesebro IPA and wanted a glass, then it hit me. This thing is STRONG!!! 9.8% ABV!!! I had this sampler and then decided to get something a little tamer for my final beer.

REGULAR Blind Ambition = happiness!

A good time was had by all :)

I think I've found a new Tuesday tradition!

If you want to come visit, I'll be here every Tuesday that I'm in town!

P.S. Sorry Andy and Amanda, any similarities to your "Beer Monday" idea was completely unintentional!

January Challenge!

2011-01-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

I make it a point to never restrict myself when it comes to resolutions every year. I find that if I tell myself that I can't have something, I end up craving it more than ever and then feel guilty when I give in to those cravings. That's why most of my resolutions included the word "more". MORE whole grains and vegetables, MORE hiking, MORE monstas, etc. This way, I feel great when I succeed and get tons of health benefits. Win win!

However... there is one restriction I'm giving myself for the month of January. NO DAIRY!

Oh Paciugo, I'll miss you so!

Don't worry, I'm not actually bailing on them - they have plenty of non-dairy options!

The reason I'm banning dairy is because I find that my skin becomes porcelain when I keep milk products out of my diet. Every time I ditch dairy, my skin thanks me, but I find some excuse (GELATO, GELATO, GELATO) to go back, hoping that this time will be different. This is the final test - if I succeed, I will officially say goodbye to dairy forever, which will probably be better in the end anyway since I'll be ridding my body of all those added hormones. Yuck.

On a little more splurge-y note, we celebrated my wonderful mom's birthday this week! As a final goodbye to the holiday season, we went to Wood Ranch. Meat ensued.

I think I've officially fulfilled my barbeque craving.

At least for this next month :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOMMEEEEEEEEE!

What would be the most difficult food for you to give up?

Life is going to be TORTURE without gelato!

Dreams of a New Year!

2011-01-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Now that I have my resolutions securely down and written in stone (or in a really pretty notebook), I'm ready to share! FIRST though, I'd like to share some of the "Morning After" quotes that I heard at work today:
1. "Did anyone else wake up miles from their house and not know how they got there?"
2. "Anyone have a great story about last night?" "I do, but I can't share it..."
3. (In reference to someone's bruised cheek and split lip) "What happened to your face?" "I don't know yet. I'm waiting for someone to text me and tell me."

Yep. Happy New Year.

NOW for my resolutions!

1. Only try NEW beers when out - unless from a local brewery, like Ladyface, Island Brewing Company, etc... Gotta support the local breweries!

Bonus points if I try beer that scares the CRAP out of me - haha, get it? Weasel Crap Beer!

2. Spend more time with family and friends.

My GORGEOUS parents!

The lovely Tanya.

Serenading Dan.

Sleepy Malachi - who is being lame and flying off to France for six freaking months.

Sweethearts Jenny and Boa.

Grayson the Thoughtful.

Beautiful Allie.

Plus TONS more. It's a year to focus on what's really important - the people in my life.

3. Get back outdoors and HIKE!

4. Eat more vegetables, whole grains and olive oil!

Kitchen Sink Salad contains all of this!

5. Quit my retail job.

Seriously, it's hazardous to my health!

I know I said I was putting in my two weeks notice last week, but I chickened out when I told my sweet coworker and saw the look on her face. I'm such a people-pleaser.

6. Travel more!

Stormy Arizona deserts.

Bee parts.

Me on the road = Ecastatic!

7. Drink more Monstas!

Cuz they're DELICIOUS! And good for me. And stuffs...

8. Spend more time in the kitchen.

And spend more time out back, with this amazing view!

I need to get back into my apron and start cooking, STAT!

9. Attend more blogger meetups!

Need I say more? No, no I do not.

10. Join the Homebrewers Association, as well as the local homebrew club, and BREW IT UP!

Beer is good! Beer is good! Beer is good! And stuff!

(Lyrics from an actual song)

11. Start my new website and blog. That's right, I'll be heading up an actual website this year, as well as changing the name of my blog! I'm hoping the transition will be easy for you, but there's still some time to get used to the idea before I officially move. EXCITED!!!

There you have it - a sampling of my resolutions! I have a few more, but decided that twenty feet of pictures was probably more than people could handle as it is. I hope you had a blessed beginning to your new year, and that you're as excited for what's to come as I am!

Happy New Year! Let's make it worthwhile!

Happy New BEER Eve!

2010-12-31T18:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve!!! Everyone seems to be doing resolutions in the blogosphere, but I'm still in the process of putting mine together. I'm one of those people who likes to spend the entire day thinking about new, exciting changes, jotting them down in pretty notebooks and then sharing them with family and close friends while we sit around eating shrimp canapes and sipping fine beers.

I'm fancy like that.

We had a wonderful week with my brother and sister-in-law. I haven't had so much beer in one week EVER. I'm definitely looking forward to a little detox - until MY beer is ready to try!

Speaking of which, it had a little bit of an overflow the other day. Overflow = VERY happy beer! My sis-in-law helped me save it.

MY ALMOST BEER!!! Took a reading with my hydrometer today and snuck a little taste.

HAPPY!!!

I got to try that scary Weasel Crap Beer that I've been fearing/desperately wanting to try. It was an experience! I can tell that it's a good beer, but holy crap is thick! I was fine sipping it until I started thinking about how it was made. I had a total of half a glass and then couldn't mentally handle it anymore.

Still glad I tried it!

We took "the brewers/vegans" out to Island Brewing Company in Carpinteria for a tasting while they were here.

Verdict from the beer snobs: GOOD BEER!

Yesterday, we all took a trip to the airport to ship them off to a cold, snowy place. It was sad to say goodbye, but we all had a wonderful time!

Miss you guys already!

Savory Christmas Bread Pudding!

2010-12-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

Feeling nostalgic for Christmas yet? That's where I come in - to take you back to that magical time, four whole days ago, so you can live in the peaceful, magical feeling that Christmas always brings.

Silent night, holy night.

All is calm, all is bright.

Christmas Eve always brings the reading of "The Night Before Christmas", viewings of "A Christmas Story" and the prepping of foods for Christmas Day. It's been a tradition in our family, since before I was born, to have Eggs Portugal on Christmas morning. This savory bread pudding has tender pieces of sausage, strings of cheddar cheese, delicate mushrooms and nutty whole wheat bread.

Eggs Portugal

8-10 slices whole wheat bread, cut into cubes

3/4 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 lb sausage, browned

4 eggs

1.5 tbsp prepared mustard (aka yellow mustard)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

5 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

2.5 cups milk (I use soy)

1/4 cup apple juice

1. Butter a 9x13" casserole dish.

2. Place bread cubes in bottom of dish and top with cheese, then sausage.

3. Beat the eggs with milk and mustard and pour over the top.

4. Refrigerate overnight. (VERY IMPORTANT!)

5. Before baking, stir together soup, apple juice and mushrooms and pour over the top of the casserole.

6. Bake at 300 F for 2 hours, uncovered.

7. Enjoy with a glass of apple juice or cider. (Also VERY important to enhance enjoyment!)

NOW it feels like Christmas!

Brewing My First Beer!

2010-12-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!! I hope you had a wonderful day full of family and love and food and happiness! I'll try to recap the foods sometime soon, but first, I need to recap a very important gift!

One of my presents was from my brother and his wife (aka "the vegans", now to be known as "the brewers"), and I got to utilize that today! I'll give you one guess...

If you still don't know, the brewers took me to pick up a homebrew kit!

We stopped by The Home Wine, Beer and Cheesemaking Shop in Woodland Hills to get supplies and ingredients for my first ever homebrew!

Carboy fermenter and fermenter lock and stopper.

The home brewer's bible.

Pitchable yeast.

6.5 pounds of amber extract.

I'll do a basic glazing over of the steps we took to make my beer so I don't bore you too much. First off, and the most important step:

Try an amazing beer that you've never had before - this one was made with Nelson Sauvin hops that are only grown in New Zealand. The aroma is very familiar to apricot and pineapple, and the taste has a slight similarity to orange juice, with plenty of hops aftertaste.

Me likey!

We boiled about 3 gallons of water, then added the extract and brought it back to a rolling boil.

Stirring like crazy!

Boiling sugar. Yummmm!

We added an ounce of Hallertau hops and boiled the wort for an hour, then added another ounce of hops for aroma and cooled it in an ice bath.

After the temperature had been brought down to about 75 degrees, we sanitized the fermenter and the siphoning setup with Star-San.

After draining the sanitizing fluid, we siphoned the beer directly from the boiling pot into the carboy.

Awesomeness!

Afterwards we topped it off with filtered water to bring it up to five gallons, put the stopper and air lock on, then stowed in my closet to ferment for two weeks.

I don't have any clothes left in my closet, but I think beer is more important anyway!

Now I just need to think up a name - any suggestions? It's an amber ale, so I'll probably include "amber" in the name. Maybe Dec-Amber? Too corny?

C'mon, I need help here!

Christmas Eve at Ladyface!

2010-12-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve!!! My brother and his wife (whom shall now be referred to as "the vegans") are in town for the holidays. They're home-brewers and total beer snobs (that's where I learned my beer-snobbery), so we went to Ladyface for an early lunch and beer tasting.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!

Ladyface Mountain!

We all started off with different beers. Starting from the top left and going clockwise: Picture City Porter, Ladyface IPA, Blind Ambition Amber, La Blonde, and the seasonal "O Smokey Night".

I was very happy with my Blind Ambition - I've always been partial to ambers.

Blind Ambition post-swirling.

It's always necessary to start with sweet potato fries, especially if they come with red ale ketchup! The taste of the ale was actually present in the sauce and added a malty depth to the ketchup. I could've sipped it straight from the cup!

Having "the vegans" in the house always makes me crave meat to compensate for the overload of tofu and legumes that they use to fill our fridge. I ordered the grass-fed, free-range burger with white cheddar on a pretzel bun. It came with sliced red onions bathed in balsamic vinegar, organic tomatoes and butter lettuce on the side.

Dessert consisted of dreamy, delicate chocolate crepes stuffed with slightly-sweet chantilly cream and drizzled with raspberry compote.

They suggested that the crepes be paired with Liefman's slightly sour lambic brewed with cherries.

It actually had small fragments of cherries in it!

Obviously we weren't satisfied with the dessert, OR the beer-pairing.

We were so unimpressed that we bought another bottle to take home for post-church enjoyment.

Such suffering :)

After a long lunch, we ventured back to the brewery section of the alehouse and brasserie.

They were in the middle of boiling their La Blanche Witbier, and we got a chance to talk with the brewmaster, David Griffiths, as well as the owner of the restaurant, Cyrena Nouzille.

Some of their seasonals were being fermented in French oak barrels.

It was a really tough way to spend Christmas Eve, but we felt it was our duty to help support the local business. We're off to attend Christmas Eve service, and then we'll be spending the evening sipping fine brews and enjoying some quality time with our little family. I'm feeling extremely blessed this season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Molasses-Spiked Sirups Kager!

2010-12-22T21:32:00.000-08:00

Sirups Kager are Danish spice cookies that are overloaded with butter, sugar and spicy goodness. This year, I attempted to recreate an old family recipe and make it a little healthier. They turned out delicious, but I think from now on I'll let Christmas cookies be fatty and overly sweet the way they're supposed to be. However, if you're looking for a semi-healthy alternative to the fat and sugar-laden cookie, read on!

Molasses-Spiked Sirups Kager

1 cup (2 sticks) vegan butter, softened

1 cup LOOSELY packed brown sugar

1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

1/4 cup agave nectar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp baking soda mixed with 1 tsp water

3-4 cups whole oat flour, as needed

1. Cream vegan butter with sugar, molasses and agave nectar.

2. Stir in cinnamon, cloves and baking soda mixture.

3. Add oat flour a little at a time, mixing well after each addition until a stiff dough forms.

I recommend only using 3 cups of oat flour, otherwise the cookies will taste powdery.

4. Roll dough into a log in wax paper and refrigerate for at least one hour.

5. While waiting for the dough to firm up, take a spatula, scrape out any remainder of dough from the mixing bowl and consume - it's vegan and safe to eat!!!

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

7. Take the dough out of the refrigerator, unwrap and slice into 1-inch thick segments.

8. Bake until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes.

I was pleased overall with how these turned out, but I still prefer the traditional version. The oat flour made the texture a little powdery, but the flavor was amazing! The combination of molasses and agave in place of corn syrup (as the original recipe asks for) really adds a powerful aroma of spice, and an added benefit of healthy iron, calcium and potassium (plus MUCH more!) to each crispy little cookie.

What's your favorite Christmas/holiday cookie?

Not Your Standard Mall Fare!

2010-12-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been to the food court at your local mall? If you haven't (which is doubtful), let me be the one to break this to you: it sucks. It sucks unless you're looking for nothing but deep-fried, mechanically separated meat that has been sitting under heating lamps for hours - if you're into that, then please, close this page at once!

If you have GOOD taste, however, let me introduce to you what mall food can really consist of:

MALLS have this stuff? It's true!

Ahi tuna stack with Ponzu sauce and fried wontons.

Sweet potato fries with garlic aioli.

Crispy beef with garlic, balsamic, cherry sauce and hot chili peppers.

(This stuff will literally melt on your tongue!)

Garlic-orange chicken with tempura peppers.

Chopped garden salad with lime vinaigrette.

Lemon-garlic roasted chicken over arugula and grilled corn.

Lemony shrimp in Amazing-Heaven-Sent Sauce (I named this one myself).

Dessert. Nothing better than teeny chocolate-mint sticks!

As you can see, mall food doesn't have to be painful and gut-wrenching. My parental unit took me out to this delicious feast at Nordstrom's restaurant "Blue Stove", and completely made my Christmas season. There is nothing better than spending quality time with your loved ones over a glass of red wine and a delicious array of tapas-sized dishes. We were past stuffed and full of joy and love after this feast.

On a second, and even better note, I'll be turning in my two-week notice tomorrey! I've never been more happy to leave a job in my life! I am so sick of retail, and ready to move upward with my new job as an artist's assistant - more details on that coming up soon!

What are your favorite family-oriented meals during the holidays?

Santa Barbara Boyz!

2010-12-19T22:59:00.000-08:00

I spelled boys with a Z. I hope you forgive me.

Grayson, Sitler and Frank were seniors when I was a freshman at UCSB. They took me and my friends Joelle and Christina under their wings (and into The Brew - their awesome, yet slightly disgustingly dirty house) the entire year. Every time we get together is a wonderful overload of happiness and joy!

On Tuesday I drove up to Island Brewing Company in Carpinteria to meet with Grayson for a beer.

A glass of Jubilee and a view of the beach? Okay, if I must!

Gray decided to grow a beard to keep his chin warm for snowboarding season!

(His actual words)

Whilst at the brewery, Grayson surprised me with the news that our friend Sitler was in town, and that I was being kidnapped. I would not be going back home that night. I didn't resist, although my toothbrush was missed.

Grayson, mistletoe and Sitler?

Sitler looks slightly creeped out... Just a bit...

Apparently they sell this tequila for a few bucks in Mexico. We all stared in awe and fear at the bottle, but no one had the guts to consume any.

Frank the Tank sterilizing his keg.

Got guns?

Closet beer! Frank, when do I get to try this??

We spent the night testing out freshly tapped homebrews, eating homemade eggplant parmesan and debaucher-ing (not a real word, but accurate) to our hearts content, just like old times. Then we all ended up crashing on the couch around midnight and watching the BBC, not like old times. Sleeping before 1am? I think we're getting old!

FLASHBACK TIME:

Becki and Grayson circa 2006

Becki and Sitler (and my lovely roommates Joelle and Christina) circa 2006.

Becki and Frank the Tank circa 2006.

I love my boyz!

Tucson: Part Four!

2010-12-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, I did something I've NEVER done before... I purchased a beer, drank a quarter of it and LEFT THE REST! I know, I don't believe it either!

At lunch, the waiter recommended Old Monkeyshine by Nimbus. This is a VERY potent beer. I didn't leave it because I didn't like it, I left it because after a quarter of it, I was feeling quite fuzzy around the edges - not good when you have to go back to work.

I also had half of a roast beef and cheddar sandwich on a french roll from Delectables. I LOVE it when restaurants use white cheddar. It makes me feel a bit healthier not having all that artificial dye weaving its way through my system.

In an attempt to get back to my booth, I had to take on a powerful force of nature: crowds at a stoplight.

Aaaaaaah, here they come!!!!

I barely survived. I hid away in the booth until it was time for dinner.

After we broke down the booth (in a record hour and forty-five minutes!!!), we went to Caruso's for some massive portions of pasta. And bread.

Since I didn't finish my brew at lunch, I decided to give it another go. This time I got Dirty Guera by Nimbus - nice and smooth, with a much lower ABV than Old Monkeyshine.

I ordered the "spinach ravioli" which ended up being green ravioli stuffed with cheese. Not quite what I had in mind...

The next day we rose at 6am and headed back to Cali. We stopped for lunch at Hadley, which is apparently famous for its date shakes. I know, I've never heard of it either.

The place is covered with autographed headshots...

...which begs the question, do these people carry around headshots with them, just waiting for the opportunity to pass them out?

I got a small date shake - if they're famous, you gotta try!

I was not impressed. However, if you like gritty vanilla milkshakes, these are for you!

I ordered the vegetarian sandwich topped with blended avocado and cream cheese, sprouts, lettuce and tomato. Again, not impressed.

I finally made it back after a NINE HOUR drive and collapsed in a happy heap on the couch with a book, a cup of tea and a blanket.

It's so good to be home.

Tucson: Part Three!

2010-12-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

My mornings in Tucson consisted of lunch for breakfast. Every day. I fell in love with the beautiful Sabine's Cafe Passe, where I grabbed panini every morning.

Roasted bell pepper, avocado slices, fresh tomatoes, lettuce and a slice of pepperjack cheese piled on top of nine-grain bread and pressed until melted.

Something else I may have to recreate at home!

During the festival on Saturday, I had some time to go and explore a little more. I stumbled across a dance studio that was advertising a free dance show. How could I not check that out? FREE!

CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!!

All the dancing made me ravenous! I visited a local college hangout for lunch.

"We love your bum." Definitely a college hangout.

It was packed inside, so I grabbed a New Belgium Abbey and grabbed the first seat I found.

I placed my order and spent AN HOUR waiting for it to arrive. Luckily they had plenty of photography on the walls to check out, and all of the patrons were incredibly trashed and rowdy and fun to watch.

This is the HALF-ORDER of their "Lady Madonna" sandwich. It is PILED with turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. I ate a quarter of it and was stuffed. I also demolished most of the sweet potato fries.

We had an amazing day of sales and decided to celebrate with dinner and drinks at the hotel.

There were no complaints about the view.

We were nestled in a corner outside where we enjoyed the incredible scenery and were serenaded by acoustic guitar.

How could I not? Cadillac margarita with a sugar rim!

We started with guacamole, prepared fresh tableside with a mortar and pestle, that was full of avocado, fresh tomatoes, lime zest, jalapeno and onions.

I also can't say no to salmon!

This nears the top of my "favorite salmon entree EVER" list. The salmon was delicate and crispy on the outside, set atop a bed of rich, flavorful steamed lentils and spinach, and covered with tangy Peperonata - caramelized bell peppers.

I might be drooling as I remember this right now. Or that could be the novocaine from my visit to the dentist...

We also split a vegan tamale pie that was filled with corn, black beans and elbow macaroni, and topped with a tamale dough, cabbage and tomatoes. This wasn't quite as worthwhile.

I filled my plate and then cleared it completely. I also got seconds (and possibly thirds) of the salmon.

Becki was a happy girl.

Adorable Puppy Attack!

2010-12-12T22:37:00.000-08:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything, except for the fact that I miss my little Buddha (her actual name is Sonoma, but her name changes with my mood: when she had that swollen face, I called her "Puffer". When she's yapping away for no good reason, I call her "Shaddupyadangdog!". When she's being adorable, I call her "Ooooohlookatthebaybeeeeee!").

I'm strange. We all knew this.

"Hey Buddha, wanna play?"

"WHY AREN'T YOU PAYING ATTENTION TO ME, MUFFINHEAD?"

"GIMME THE CHIP!"

That is all.

Tucson: Part Two!

2010-12-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

We've had a busy two days here in Tucson! The 4th Avenue Winter Street Fair received a record number of visitors on Friday! Luckily, I still had enough time to escape the booth and wander around.

This street fair is referred to as the "flea market" by the fine artists who attend. I definitely noticed that the majority of the sales here are random trinkets that have no use.

Three dollar bracelets, anyone?

TONS of clothes!

It always bothers me when I go to a booth that sells clothing and the tag says, "Made in Nepal." Why can't these people sew their own clothes and sell them? I want something authentic that I can't order online from a production factory located overseas!

After we wrapped for the day, my cousin Stephanie came by to show me the not-so-dirty-and-ghetto part of Tucson. I'll be honest, didn't think such a place existed.

I was wrong! Steph took me to a local barbecue place, Daisy Mae's, nestled in the hills of Tucson.

When you enter, there are dollar bills signed and stapled to the walls. Once a year, Daisy Mae's donates all these dollars to a charity.

My beautiful cousin and the host promised me that the ribs would rock my world.

My world was ROCKED. These ribs were so tender that when you touched the fork to them, the meat just melted off. I demolished the entire plate and didn't regret a single forkful!

It was a struggle to lift myself out of the chair after consuming eighteen thousand pounds of ribs, but I eventually rolled myself back out to her car.

Afterwards we headed to the University of Arizona campus to check out the area.

We also visited the A-FRICKIN-MAZING games/lounge area. This place was decked out with pool tables, DDR, ping-pong tables and random video games.

If you didn't know, I am a billiards FANATIC! I used to play every weekend with my family when I was still wearing overalls, and am still in love with the game!

Afterwards, Steph drove me back to the hotel where I ended with a nightcap and Skype-d with the family.

I have no complaints about anything in life at this moment.

Tucson: Part One!

2010-12-09T23:46:00.000-08:00

After a painful nine hour drive, we finally made it to Tucson. We checked into a lovely hotel that has individual cottages tucked away in the mountains and headed to the show to set up.

First things first: FOOD! In order to be as helpful as possible in set-up, I must be fueled!

I strolled the streets searching for restaurants. Most of them were closed, yet all of the tattoo parlors, bars and smoke shops were still swamped.

I just don't get it.

Luckily I found a cute little place, Delectables, that was open for another ten minutes and they were gracious enough to seat and feed me. I asked the waitress for her recommendation and got the chicken, pesto and Brie sandwich on a french roll.

This was delicious, but somehow I've never been able to come to terms with the fact that I'm eating wax when I'm consuming Brie cheese. Anyone else have this issue?

Post fooding, we were serenaded by a band (I thought it was one of those listed, but they aren't playing until tomorrow...) while setting up our tent. These guys were GOOD! I wanted to go in and listen, but had to find contentment with listening to their songs through the window. If only I knew who they were :-/

The booths are up! Time for me to crash on my lovely Tempur-pedic mattress in preparation for the long day tomorrey!

I make no apologies for my awful grammar in this post. YOU spend nine hours on the road and three and a half lifting heavy booth material, then we can talk.

Avocado, Heirloom Tomato and Walnut Salad

2010-12-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

I had a ripe avocado that was begging to be used before I leave for Tucson, Arizona tomorrow. I wanted something light and summery to match the beautiful weather we've been having here in Southern California. Enter my inspiration: Lemonade!

I first visited Lemonade during my first blogger meet-up back in August, and fell in love with their avocado, cherry tomato and pine nut salad tossed in a lime vinaigrette. I've been dreaming about it for months!

Avocado, Heirloom Tomato and Walnut Salad

(inspired by Lemonade)

1 ripe avocado

2/3 cup baby heirloom tomatoes, cut in half

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1/2 lime

1 tsp olive oil

1 tablespoon cherry balsamic vinegar

1. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit.

2. With the tip of a sharp knife, trace a checkerboard design into the flesh of the avocado and gently scoop the diced flesh into a mixing bowl.

3. Add the heirloom tomatoes and walnuts to the avocado.

4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the juice of the lime, olive oil and cherry balsamic vinegar and whisk until emulsified.

5. Pour the dressing over the avocado, tomatoes and walnuts and gently toss to cover.

Makes two servings.

If you don't have cherry balsamic, any balsamic vinegar will do. The balsamic MADE the salad! Don't skip that ingredient!

This salad is buttery, tangy and refreshing, with a nice crunch from the added walnuts. I have a feeling I'll be making this a LOT over the holidays for my brother and his wife who are both vegans, and visiting from snowy Colorado. One of the perks of living in California is having avocados year round! I have to share the wealth!

Another perk is hiking in 68 degree weather while the rest of the country is spiraling into a deep, cold winter.

I'm off to Arizona again tomorrey!

Tempe Festival of the Arts

2010-12-07T18:56:00.000-08:00

I got to spend yet another weekend wandering the warm streets of Arizona, perusing the amazing artwork of over five hundred artists, feasting at some incredible local restaurants and being serenaded by street musicians. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it!

On Thursday night, the city wasn't able to close the streets until 9:30pm, so we started setup around 10pm. I lifted boxes full of canvases, erected (if you laughed at that word then you're as immature as I am) the tent, hung gigantic original oil paintings and used power tools to my heart's content (nothing sexier than a chick holding a power drill, right? Just humor me). We finished around 2am, sped back to the hotel and collapsed into a coma-like sleep until 8am the next morning.

It was quiet on Friday, so I was able to spend most of the day exploring the booths of the other artists.

There were plenty to see!

This festival had more jewelry and trinkets than the previous ones, probably because the holidays and gift-giving times are coming up.

There were also plenty of fried festival foods to consume.

I didn't partake in any of these foods.

And by "didn't partake", I mean I definitely feasted upon the Island Noodles. They were kind enough to give me a half portion since I can't physically fit an entire serving into myself. This container was packed with asparagus, broccoli, chunks of sweet potatoes and red cabbage.

I fell in love. I'm pretty easy to please.

I'm also easily amused.

In case you can't read that, the sign says:

(Happy Healthy High Horny Herbs)

I told you I'm easily amused.

I also found some parts of the town that hadn't been remodeled. I'm sure you're sick of hearing me saying how much I adore abandoned buildings and ghost towns. Too bad. I LOVE ABANDONED BUILDINGS!!!

These beautiful condos have a sad history. The man who funded them, Scott Coles, apparently saw no other way out when the economy crashed and committed suicide. These buildings and construction on them have been abandoned since his death in 2008.

Since we're on a sad note, I'd like to note how many street kids were walking around Tempe. Every single one I met was extremely upbeat, and more than willing to serenade me with a song accompanied with a ukelele. I just can't imagine not having the support I have from my amazing parents and their acceptance and understanding of my dreams. I love and appreciate you so much, mom and dad!!!

When the booth got busy, I ran across the street to Crave and got hummus topped with shawarma chicken and fried pita to snack on.

When the booth was empty, I got up and went to some of the artists to purchase some artsy home decor.

I am completely obsessed with these light switch covers, made by Campbell Auer.

It's possible that I've bought enough to cover almost all of the light switches at my house. Almost...

On a side note, I want to see this film. Any film that receives that many "FUNNY" reviews definitely needs to be seen.

That's a short summary of my weekend in Tempe, AZ! I still have a dinner party to sum up, but this blog is long enough, so I won't force you to put up with another barrage of pictures until tomorrey!

Tempe Wrap Party!

2010-12-05T22:41:00.000-08:00

We're done with the show!!! I'll do a full recap tomorrow when I'm home and rested and have better internet connection, but for now I'll share with you the amazing foods we celebrated with.

Cadillac margaritas are food. Don't argue with me on this.

Cheese that you can set on fire? YES PLEASE!

Beautiful, sizzling happiness!

Seared Ahi! There's my balanced part of the meal!

Aaaand cheesy bread rolls with pesto olive oil. This may have nixed the health benefits of the tuna...

If the bread didn't do it, the chocolate toffee mousse with Kahlua definitely did.

I found out something incredibly exciting today! I've been named one of "LA's top 100 non-celebrity bloggers that you should take to lunch"! I have no idea what this means, but I'm pretty sure it means that you should all be inviting me to lunch. At least, that's what I got from reading the article. I repeat, don't argue with me on this!

I'm going to pass out now - taking down a gigantic booth and then feasting upon delicious food that has been set on fire is quite exhausting.

Take my word for it!

Rapid Fire Blog!

2010-12-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

I just got back from an hour at the hotel gym. After a 12 hour day. After 5 hours of sleep. Needless to say, this blog will be quick, otherwise I may fall asleep on the keyboard.

BAM! Sunset on the drive out.

BAM! More sunset!

BAM! Desert at sunset!

Rat-a-tat-tat! Busy booth at the festival!

Sha-Bop! ART!

THWACK! Surrealist photography!

BOOM! Clothes made from plastic bottles!

Ka-pow! Paintings!

Ka-CHING! Wine glasses waiting for tastings!

BANG! Overpriced painted umbrellas!

THWOP! Carvings!

MEEP! Arizona State University!

BARK! Dog on a jewelry counter, trying on a diamond-studded collar.

HONK! Hooters directly across from our booth!

HISS! Fire juggler!

Kaplooey! A map of the gigantic show!

Ole! TexMex restaurant we ate at for dinner tonight!

SIZZLE! Free skillet cornbread with whipped honey-butter!

CRUNCH! Grilled shrimp and avocado on mini-tostadas with chipotle sauce!

BAM! My head hitting the pillow.

G'night!

Hanging with Celebrities!

2010-12-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

The Monstas are back!!!

Or they were yesterday! This baby had 5 cups of spinach, 1/2 a banana, 1/3 a cup of soymilk, 1/2 cup of frozen berries, 1 lemon and a splash of vanilla extract.

I followed up with a green lunch. I had a big Kitchen Sink Salad with 1/2 a bag of mixed baby greens, 1 sauteed zucchini, 1/2 a container of egg white salad, 1/2 a cup of warmed lentils and 1/2 of a red bell pepper.

Today didn't start the same. I had a hot boiled egg and had to run out the door to work an early shift. I bailed out after four hours so I could go to an audition in Valley Village, then went to meet up with Dan for lunch.

Hi, Dan!

We went to Miceli's on Ventura Blvd.

LOVED the Chianti decor!

We split a FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!! Has anyone ever heard of that? I hadn't, and neither had our waiter, but he had a lot of fun running around the restaurant yelling, "Fire in the hole!!!" and coming up to our table after we were served asking, "how do you like the fire in your holes?"

Very mature.

It was dark in there, hence the blurry pic. A FIRE IN THE HOLE has pepperoni, jalapeno and pineapple. I think I have a new favorite pizza!

After lunch I met up with Tanya at Starbucks on Ventura Blvd. If you ever want to see the most beautiful, narcissistic people in the world, there's where you should go! I walked past the three outside tables, all occupied by gorgeous humans reading highlighted scripts, and into the cafe where there were at least a dozen people all working on screenplays on their computers. I totally blended in in my baggy sweatshirt, flip flops and jeans that have washed to shreds. Totally...

I had a tall soy chai and Tanya (now a vegan and looking AH-MAY-ZING!) had a decaf tea. We spent a while catching up, then headed over to Urban Outfitters to do some shopping and stumbled upon not only one, but TWO ridiculously successful actors.

Sarah Hyland (in the middle) from Modern Family...

(who is just as adorable in person)

And Ms. Clarissa herself, Melissa Joan Hart!

I recognized them, but I'm not one to let them know! Gotta let those actors have their peace after a long day on set. Sigh, I'm not jealous at all...

It's a crazy, small world out there in the big city! As for me, I'm off to another big city - Tempe, Arizona! I'm back on the clock for my artsy job and I'll be at the Tempe Festival of the Arts from December 3rd through December 5th! If there are any ASU students out there, come visit! I'm right on your main street! As for YOU, prepare yourself for another onslaught of creative pictures of creative arts!

Don't say I didn't warn you!

Creepy Encounters!

2010-11-29T23:06:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those encounters with someone that leaves you completely freaked out? I have!

Sometimes, I just create creepy moments.

Cuz I CAN, that's why!

Creepy Encounter #1:
Black Friday, 4am. Guy walks into store with a bunch of friends, all eyes bloodshot to high heaven. Guy smiles at me, I smile back so as to not seem like I'm enraged that I'm working at 4am. Guy sidles (yes, sidles) over to me, still smiling in a creeper-fashion.
Guy: (Reaching out his hand) Hi, I'm Markus.
Me: (Shaking his hand, avoiding the temptation to crush his fingers) Hi, I'm Becki.
Markus: Do you have a boyfriend, Becki?
Me: Yes.
Markus: Can I have your number anyway?
Me: No. Thanks, though! (See how I refrained from complete evility? No, evility is not a word. Yes, I'm still using it in my grammarific blog.)

Creepy Encounter #2:
Since we're on the subject of weird guys, here's another lovely anecdote.
Guy: (After making really awkward small talk as I helped him select cologne.) So... do you have a boyfriend?
Me: Yes.
Guy: That's okay, I can share.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

Creepy Encounter #3:
A new coworker walks over to me as I stand at my counter.
Coworker: I Googled you.
Coworker walks away. I suppress a shiver of fear.

Creepy Encounter #4:
I tend to speed-walk through the mall. No reason except that once you've worked in a mall, you don't want to spend any more time than necessary passing by all of the stores. Anyway, back to the encounter.
(I walk by the jewelry store on my way to gorge myself on See's.)
Jewelry man: (Literally sprinting after me, and with a French accent) Why? Why is you walks so fast?
Me: Um, I'm in a hurry?
Jewelry man: (Chuckling as he walks to back to his store) Oh!! Zis is why you walks fast. I understand now.
(This might be more of an awkward encounter, rather than creepy, but I decided to cover all my bases.)

Creepy Encounter #5:
Girl walks up to Windsor window and begins inexplicably chuckling to herself.
Girl takes camera out of her purse and takes a picture of the store window.
Girl gets home and posts picture to her blog.

My friend Jazzlyn is a model extraordinaire! I love stumbling across her ads. They're EVERYWHERE!!!

And yes, in case you were wondering, creepy encounter #5 was me.

Creepy Encounter #6:

My lovely mom took me out to lunch at Lazy Dog today. The salad dressing had been stepped in by a dog. A very, Lazy Dog. (Cue the painful groans.)

Ugh, my joke is so bromidic even I'M disgusted with myself.

Moving on. We split an appetizer of spicy edamame.

I had a Mediterranean pizzetti. De-luscious!

Time for some beer tasting? OKAY! Dogfish Head's limited edition Pangaea, brewed with crystalized ginger. I couldn't taste any ginger, but I still appreciated the thought.

I don't think I've ever had a complaint when it comes to Dogfish Head, especially now that they have their show Brew Masters! (Thanks for letting me know about that, Heather!)

Thank you for putting up with my random post and horrible grammar and words that aren't real words.

You're awesome.

Disclaimer: No animals, living or stuffed, were harmed in the writing of this blog.