Scenes from Saturday

Just a few snapshots of Saturday afternoon and the procrastination of packing. Reading design books with your cat helps people prepare for an upcoming international trip right?

Farm Livin'

Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
Okay time for my once a month blog post.. sorry all 5 readers! I swear it's not because I don't love you, but when you work for an Internet company and are online all day, sometimes the last thing you want to do is blog. Alas, let me tell you about the Underwood Family Farm in Moorpark, CA! Just a hop, skip and a jump away from LA (45 minutes to be exact) is the Underwood Family Farm that has a "You Pick It" Farm where you can pick out your own seasonal fruits and vegetables. Tony and I pulled our little wagon through fields (and were the only people there with out kids mind you) and came home with fresh lettuce, green beans, yukon gold and purple peruvian potatoes, carrots, blackberries, strawberries, cucumbers, brussels sprouts, onions, herbs and the largest squash I have ever seen in my life (see below for Tony's "Squash Phone"). And, all of this amazing produce only cost $25!!! After our hard day of labor in the field, I came home and made Tony and I the freshest Nicoise Salad I've never tasted!

Tony taking a business call on the Squash Phone


Field of Greens


Viola! Salad Nicoise


Salad:
-Any kind of Lettuce (I like butter lettuce)
-Can of Albacore Tuna in Water
-Cucumber sliced
-Carrots sliced
-Thinly sliced red onion
-Olives
-Capers

Dressing:
-Mix 1 tbls of fresh lemon juice with 2 tbls olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste and whisk.

-Lay out all ingredients on a plate, generously drizzle dressing over salad.

Tony's 30th

Hands Off...Shes Mine - The Beat / The English Beat (USA)

A few weeks ago we trekked to Palm Spring to the Desert Star Hotel for Tony's big 30th Birthday. The Desert Star Hotel is this amazing little boutique hotel that has 6 mid century modern bungalows that open up to a spacious court yard with a salt water pool and an unobstructed view of the mountains. Since the hotel was so small, we rented out the entire hotel with a group of friends and spent the weekend BBQing, drinking and relaxing. The owners Walter and Davey gave us plenty of space and made us feel like it was our house for the weekend. It was the perfect birthday getaway!

Nick and Tony outside the Desert Star Hotel's blank sign


Poolside Bungalows


Salt Water Pool in the middle of the courtyard


My Grey Gardens Poolside look

Road Trip - Palm Springs Part Two!

Tea for Two - Doris Day

Next weekend we will be heading to Palm Springs (again) for Tony's big 30th birthday. This time, we are going to a really small boutique hotel that consists of a few mid-century modern bungalows. Since we are staying at a retro hotel, I picked up a new swimsuit and sun hat that I am calling my "Grey Garden's Look" and I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing yet...

All I need now are 10 cats and a dilapidated house and I'll look the part


Soon to come, stories of home made pool side cocktails, debauchery and possible sunburns. Stay tuned...

Cha Cha Chicken (or minus that last part if you are like me)

Tropicalia - Beck

Recently, during one of the hot weather days we've been having, Tony finally took me to Cha Cha Chicken which he has been raving about for years. Since the the restaurant is in a bustling part of Santa Monica with limited parking, we never seemed to be able to find a parking place when we attempted to dine there before and after 10 minutes of circling, gave into our hunger pains and abandoned the mission. This time we finally scored a parking spot and I got to try the magic of Cha Cha Chicken (minus the Chicken since I don't eat meat). The food was DELICIOUS! Tony of got their specialty jerk chicken and I got the spicy black pepper shrimp with rice, cabbage and plantains and a strawberry lemonade...it was pure heaven.

I highly recommend this spot for some tasty cheap eats straight of the Caribbean. Put on your finest sundress and flip flops, head to the beach and enjoy the island flavor (just don't go hungry and allow time for parking or it will take you 4 years to eat at this restaurant).

Tony drinking his fruit juice


Tony's chicken

Far Out

One of my favorite things to make on the weekends is this killer homemade Granola recipe that was posted on slashfood.com sometime last year. This recipe is super easy and sooo good. Accompanied by Tony's famous soft boiled eggs and a cup of mocha java, this breakfast is the perfect start to a lazy weekend morning. Unleash your inner hippie and enjoy.




Granola: (FYI.. Trader Joe's is a great place to get all of the ingredients for this)
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried fruit (apricots, craisins,blueberries etc... i bough a mixed golden raisin package w/ cranberries, raisins and blueberries at trader Joe's that made this mighty tasty)
1/4 cup cooking oil (anything but olive oil)
1/2 cup honey

Mix the oats, nuts, and grains in a large bowl. Measure the oil into a measuring cup and swirl it around the cup before pouring into the bowl. Measure out the honey in the same unwashed cup (the oil helps the honey exit the cup).Toss everything together until evenly coated, then pour into a baking pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 mins, turning it with a rubber spatula every 10 mins so everything cooks evenly and looks golden brown. When it's finished cooking, return the mixture to the bowl and add in the raisins, fruit and coconut and stir gently several times so it doesn't clump. Serve with yogurt of milk and enjoy!

The Weight - The Band

"What France Would Taste Like"

Alright, so I know that I said I wouldn't disappear for weeks at a time with out blogging but I'm guilty as charged! The past 2 weeks have consisted of traveling to NYC for work, Connecticut for a lovely Passover, back to LA for Easter Sunday and then this past weekend to a bridal shower in Oakland. So as I'm sure you can imagine, I haven't had much time to cook. However, during my travels I have been living vicariously through Molly Wizenberg of Organette who has written this lovely book, A Homemade Life sharing stories and recipes from her life. There is a rockin' Chocolate Cupcake with Bittersweet Glaze recipe in here as well as many recipes for some tasty French treats from when she lived in Paris. One in particular that I fell in love with is a recipe for Bouchons au Thon (which are an egg and tuna mixture you bake in muffin tines) which she claims sum up what "France would taste like" and I have to say she is right. I made these in between trips and I was instantly taken to Paris for the 2 minutes it took me to inhale them. So if you too don't have much time for the kitchen lately, I highly recommend this read to get you inspired to cook or to book a trip to Paris.

La Vie En Rose - Edith Piaf

Weekend Getaway

Last weekend, we headed to Palm Springs with some friends for a quick night getaway to the Ace Hotel. We've stayed in other Ace Hotels before and love the entire concept that each hotel is designed well but with minimal amenities to keep costs down. The Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs is a step-above it's other sister hotels since it has a pool area with functioning bar, but it still kept the same low key vibe. The hotel rooms, grounds and pool area where very nice but still kept a modern spin from the old motor lodge that stood before it. The pool area was made for pale people such as myself, complete with covers to shade your face on each lawn chair and giant circular shades that you could move when the sun changed directions. The pool scene was hip, but laid back and with the amounts of hipster parents with their hipster children and dogs running around, it felt more like you were in someones backyard. The music at the pool provided a great background for the tasty and affordable eats, not to mention the amazing drinks like the "Old School Daiquiri"made with fresh lime juice, rum and brown sugar over ice. Overall, the Ace Hotel and Swim Club is the perfect getaway giving you much bang for your buck. For the drive to Palm Springs, I highly recommend this:

Miss It So Much - Röyksopp

ACE HOTEL HIGHIGHTS

The vintage ice cream truck that will eventually serve ice cream and alcoholic snow cones

Delicious Mediterranean Plate with some of the best marinated Feta Cheese I've ever had.
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The Pool at Sunset

The Hotel Grounds

Tasty breakfast eats at the Kings Highway Diner. My Lox and Bagel came with a Broadway serenade by Linda, the 75 year old hostess with clip on earrings and an epic soul