Oatmeal Friday

They enlisted me to make crockpot oatmeal at work. Something new and different (and actually healthy (shhh))!
It turned out pretty well, a little overdone for my taste, but loved by the masses. I'm amazed.

Tried a new veggie recipe

... and then made it a meal, by adding an egg, rice and some avocado.
From one of my fave blogs 101 Cookbooks, I tried the Spring Ragout Recipe. I had some asparagus and fava beans from the farmer's market I needed to use up, and they were delicious in this dish. The recipe also called for peas, but since I didn't have any on hand, I made due without, and didn't miss them at all! Ready in like 5 minutes (once you've double-peeled the favas).

And how cute is that plate?! (a gift from one of my BFFs)

quick and easy

Weeknight pasta

Palm Springs

On the last handful of vacations, I have had good intentions of taking snapshots to document great food, cool design, interesting landscape, and overall good times. Then I get there, take a few pics, and realize that I need to unplug. I want to just live it, and not struggle to document it (which often impedes the natural flow of living it). So, it is another balancing act, I guess. Such is life.
Anyhoo- my recent trip to Palm Springs was great! All of the above: great friends, good times, cool design, tasty food, new experiences, blooming desert flowers, etc. Few pics because of the aforementioned need to relax and just be. That and the fact that I was in water much of the time, at the pool, jacuzzi, or in the rain.

Lunch, brunch, cocktails, hip places, and friends

Palm Springs is an interesting place. Close enough to San Diego and LA, but feels far away from reality when you're there. California is such an extraordinary place; so many different worlds are right here, within a 2-hour drive! There I go again, getting all sappy with Cali-appreciation again. I will need to go back to the desert again before it gets too hot.

And to properly enjoy the Mad Men season premier, I will have...

I would have made one of my fave cocktails: A Little Bit Country. But apparently we are out of Bourbon. So, I used Irish Whisky instead. Thus I'm calling it A Wee Bit Irish.

Baked oatmeal

Vegan sausage, crimini mushroom and arugula burrito with avo and a michelada for dinner

Sent from my iPhone

food photography

Lately I have been very interested in food photography! Here's another super cool image of food...

By Maren Caruso

food AND music

Two subjects right up my alley! I came across this on the internet today. I love thinking about food and music in new ways. Add in photography, and it's a new cultural movement! By Philip Karlberg, check it...

two, 200, twice a week

My 2 year blog anniversary is approaching in June (I know, huge news!) AND I am close-ish to accomplishing 200 posts.
So that means (that I have a calculator and a lot of free time on my hands this morning) that I must post approximately 2 times a week until then to make it all happen at the same time.
Exciting stuff!! With upcoming trips to Palm Springs, Chicago and New Orleans, I think I will have plenty of food to talk about. Also- I have a photo class coming up, and a big backyard re-do. I won't be able to stop blogging about all of that. Stay tuned!
btw- does this kangaroo paw look like it's giving me the horn-hands?

Braised short ribs, wrapped in banana leaves in black molé with figs

I often see a recipe in a magazine, dog-ear it for later, and never get back to it. But this recipe I just found in the most recent Sunset Magazine and had to make it straight away! It was easy and delicious, just needed to get it started early so it could cook all day. I just love it when the aroma of that evening's dinner starts filling up the house before noon!

Short ribs ready to braise in the oven for 4 hours, with coarsely chopped onion, garlic, and several branches of thyme and rosemary

After braising, the meat is taken out, wrapped in banana leaves, and baked for another half hour while you heat up mole sauce with figs

Served with brown rice, topped with toasted pepitas. And to drink, Chilean cabernet

Gee

Photos of my lovely yard last Saturday. Gorgeous color, gorgeous day, glorious to be outside!

There's a good chance that this is dinner

Dinner

Typical mid-week dinner. Black beans, brown rice, sautéed crimini mushrooms with cilantro, avocado and rooster sauce

La Cabanita

We had a lovely early dinner here with good pal Amy, after a riveting lecture series at the Crime Lab.

It turns out that fresh lime juice, Cazadores, and club soda is delicious! Made right, you'd never miss all the sweetness from the mix, and triple sec

Three chiles on a plate. Different stuffings, different sauces