Day Trippin'-Santa Cruz

Tony and I love to go on little adventures and now that we have new territory to explore, we've been making an effort to take day trips on weekends. Since Tony grew up in Southern California, he hasn't been to many of the treasures in Northern California. A few weeks ago, we decided to venture south to Santa Cruz to explore where the redwoods meet the ocean. We went to the infamous mystery spot (which was indeed, very mysterious), ate at the legendary vegetarian haven Saturn Cafe, and explored the beaches. It was a great way to kick off our first of many weekend expeditions.



The Mystery Spot in all its glory. I am actualy standing upright in this picture.

Go Green

One of the best things about my new hood is the awesome Farmers Market held two blocks from my house. I've made a Sunday tradition of grabbing a cup of coffee and walking over to see what's fresh. Many of my meals have been inspired by the seasonal goodies they've had lately and since it's the tale end of winter, there is an abundance of leafy greens. On last Sunday's trip, there was a special on Swiss Chard (a fantastic super food that doesn't always come to mind when I'm shopping). When I got back to my apartment, I had a mild freak out as to how I was going to use up all of this Swiss Chard but soon remembered that I had a killer recipe for Swiss-Chard, Potato and Chickpea Stew. This rustic Spanish Stew although vegetarian, is incredibly hearty and filling, super healthy and best when cooked with your loved one. Topped with a hard boiled egg, it's the perfect quick dinner on a cold night. You can find the recipe here.

Slow Cookin'


Finished Product

Everything Old is New Again

Alright , so it's been a while. We decided it was time for a change and in January 2010, we left our cozy westside neighborhood in Los Angeles and headed North to Oakland. So far, I am LOVING the East Bay and the city of Oakland. The local farmers market, the amazing food and wine culture in the Bay Area and having seasons again has inspired me to cook, travel and blog again. Also, with this move, Tony decided that it's time we got a DV-R (which I can't believe we ever lived without) and I've been able to nerd out and record all of my favorite cooking shows during the day so I've been exposed to even more recipes than before. So with this new year, comes the revitalization of Vanilla Pleasures, the Oakland Edition.

So... on with the show. Since I now live in an area that has normal seasons and it is Winter, I have been craving comfort foods lately. Tony surprised me this Christmas with a beautiful Lemon Yellow Kitchen Aid Mixer so I've been baking up a storm. After work last week I watched a recorded episode of Giada at Home where she made Peanut Butter Cookies with Blackberry Jam. This recipe combines all of my favorite ingredients (peanut butter, chocolate and berry jam) and tastes like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in cookie form. I made this recipe this past very cold Oscar Sunday and took them to a party and they were an instant hit. I highly recommend making these bad boys when you need to warm up your soul or you just need some comfort food.