Monthly Archives: July 2010

by | July 15, 2010 · 9:01 am

A Day at the Harbor!

     Wheweee! Today was hotter than the underarm of the devil. Lucky for me, I’d planned a day on the coast in Ventura where the temperature stayed around 75-80F. To begin, I woke up super early and had a big ole GM.

Not sure what exactly was in this because the roommate made it, but it was a good one!
     Around 10am, I headed out with my new friend, the Irishman, and some crazy peeps (now known as the CPs) to the Ventura Harbor.
To introduce him to California, we took him to the funny hat store. I think this one suits him.
     I had to twist a couple of arms to get everyone away from the hat store (It IS quite amazing), and finally landed a seat at the wonderful, famous ANDRIA’S SEAFOOD!
If you’re ever in Ventura, you MUST visit this place – and invite me to join you! They have the best fish ‘n chips in Southern California. I split a single order with two of the CPs. I hogged all the greasiest pieces. It was magic.
     There just happens to be an arcade in Ventura Harbor, so we all loaded up on tokens and went to town!  The CPs played skeeball and foosball, I kicked the Irishman’s butt in air hockey (a tie means I win, okay?) and he kicked mine in a car-racing game. My car was broken. The steering wheel was messed up. The seat wouldn’t lock into place. The gas pedal stuck. I got distracted by the smell of more food – that’s why I crashed my car and rolled it several times! The Irishman was kind enough to let me know that I would not be driving the REAL car back home after that fiery mess on the game screen. He’s still trying to getting used to driving on the right side of the road, but doesn’t trust ME to drive? Rawr.
     What came next, you ask? Only the second best food located in the harbor:
This is a single with half cappuccino crunch and half chocolate brownie. A single = two scoops. Yet another reason to love Coastal Cone!
     We all walked in the lovely sunshine (Me loving sunshine? Who am I???) and meandered down the docks to look at all the boats. Half an hour was spent on a miniature floating dock jumping up and down and rocking it back and forth trying to make each other fall. We’re mature like that. After the sugar buzz wore off and the group started getting a little grumpy, we headed back.
     I was completely wiped out from the sun (Pretty sure I sunburned my eyes somehow…) and excitement, but I had to make a few phone calls and get scheduling and location info for a low-budget shoot I have tomorrow. That amazing audition I had last Tuesday? Yeah, I booked it :). Two days of filming = Happy me! I’ve got a crapload of sides to work on tonight and even more laundry to do so I can pack up a little wardrobe to take. Call-time is 10am – yessss for sleeping in!
     Dinner was a lovely Banana Jaffle: a recipe my dad found when he and my mom lived in Indonesia. It’s very complicated, so pay attention!
Banana Jaffle:
2 slices of whole wheat bread
1 banana
2 tbsp of salted butter, divided
1. Slice the banana into 1/2 inch segments, then liberally stack them onto one slice of bread. 
2. Cover with the other piece of bread.
3. Melt 1 tbsp of salted butter in a pan over medium heat.
4. Put the Jaffle in the melted butter.
5. Let it sizzle for about 5 minutes, checking the underside every minute to make sure it doesn’t burn.
6. Once brown, carefully lift the Jaffle out of the pan.
7. Add the other 1 tbsp of salted butter to the pan.
8. Once it’s melted, put the Jaffle in the pan with the uncooked side down.
9. Let it sizzle until brown.
10. DEVOUR.
TIP: Cooking it over a lower heat for a longer period of time makes the bananas inside steam and soften and practically melt. So good!
     I told you, it’s a tough one. It’s imperative that you use salted butter! If there’s no salt, then the sweetness of the slow-cooked banana can’t explode in your mouth and carry you to a heavenly paradise. I had a few extra banana slices left over, so once I flipped the Jaffle, I threw those into the pan and let them caramelize.
Love on a plate.
Another view: Caramelization!
     Dinner was supplemented with Magners!
I love that BevMo! carries 12oz. bottles of Magners now! I also love that the woman at checkout told me I wasn’t old enough to carry them out of the store :).
     After dinner, I downloaded my callsheet and sides and took them outside to read whilst enjoying the warm evening that was FINALLY cooling down. There’s nothing like sitting out back on a warm night, sipping an icy Magners and watching the sunset creep through the canyon. Happy sigh.
I am a blessed, thankful girl. It was a great day.
Are there any heirloom recipes that have been passed down through your family? My family has DOZENS, if not a hundred!

4 Comments

Filed under Andria's Seafood, boats, Fish n chips, green monster, Harbor, ice cream, Magners, Ventura

by | July 14, 2010 · 8:55 am

Last Class!

     Today, a Tuesday in LA, I ate real food! Shocker, I know!

First, I had coffee with my new peppermint mocha non-dairy creamer. FAIL! It tasted okay, but kind of chemically, then when I looked at the ingredients, I found there isn’t a single natural ingredient except for  water. This’ll be going back to the store tomorrow.
Breakfast was powerful! 3.5 cups of spinach, 2/3 cups of unsweetened soymilk, 1/3 a banana, 1/8 a cup of frozen berries and the juice of 2 small lemons.
     I toasted up a slice of my fresh bread and covered it with my new chimichurri sauce!
This tasted like a freshly cut lawn. I don’t know why it always turns out like this. The stuff I buy pre-made from the farmers’ market tastes amazing! I’ll try tweaking my recipe. Any tips to make it taste not-so-fresh-from-the-yard?
     It was a slow drive into the city. Luckily, I had the new Sky Sailing album to cruise along to: such a lovely album. Very relaxing and nostalgic. Go listen to “Brielle” as soon as you can! On the way in, I got hungry so I ate the single banana I’d brought with.
Banana. Exciting.
     Today was my last class for awhile. I’m trying to buffer my bank account, so my class is one of the first to be cut :(. Sadness. It was a great note to end on – adjustment day. We get a scene, perform it in front of the class, then get an adjustment (first half irritated, second half impatient, on this line, throw the paper down, on this line cross to the couch and sit, etc.) and apply it. It’s incredible to see how many actors can’t take direction. It’s much easier to work with someone who’s open to suggestion and able to handle surprises on the fly. After class, I got tons of good-bye hugs and well-wishes, and I was pretty bummed to walk away. Sniff.
     I got to interning around 4pm and had to fill out some booking info for clients. It was a busy day on the submission front and I was go-go-going! My boss wonderfully made me a ham and cheese sandwich when she found out I don’t eat on Tuesdays if I don’t have time to stop by the store, and I inhaled it!
Ham and swiss on wheat with a little mayo. Yum! Thanks, Terry!
     The drive home sucked massively, but when I got back, my roommate had made me a big KSS!
Lots of chopped lettuce, diced bell peppers, sauteed zucchini, warmed lentils and egg white salad with homemade dressing. I’m so spoiled!
I also had a glass of pear cider that I forgot to take a picture of. Take my word, it was delicious.
Dessert was another slice of bread toasted and drizzled with honey.
     I’m getting dozy and watching That 70’s Show, so since I have nothing profound to say, I’ll leave you be :). Good night!
What are some bands that you’re obsessed with? Owl City/Sky Sailing has my obsession over the last year!

4 Comments

Filed under Class, coffee, green monster, honey, kitchen sink salad, Los Angeles, sammich

by | July 13, 2010 · 8:24 am

Lovin’ the Carbs!

     Good evening! I am completely wiped out from a busy day, so let’s get through this before I pass out! The morning monster was huuuuuuge!

Okay, so it doesn’t look any bigger than normal, but this GM had the most spinach ever included! There was probably about 3.5-4 cups in this. Lovely!
     My roommate and I jumped on the trails around 9:30am and headed down our recently discovered trail. We got to the bridge where we usually turn around, but decided to keep walking and see where we ended up. I don’t know where we were. It was awesome.
We were so busy chatting and enjoying the views, that by the time we turned around, we’d added an extra half hour to the hike. 90 minutes of hiking? Sweet!
     When we got back, I refueled with another mug of coffee, and an indian-spiced KSS.
This had 1/3 a bag of chopped baby greens, 1/2 a chopped bell pepper, 1/2 a cup of warmed lentils, and some of last night’s indian-spiced chicken and vegetables reheated and thrown on top. This was so good! The chicken was still incredibly salty, but when it was combined with a plethora of veggies, it fit right in!
     I ran out to the library to pick up a couple of books that had finally come in: Up in the Air by Walter Kirn, and The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Finally I have something easy to read! I love all the beer brewing books and mountain biking books, but sometimes it’s nice just to get drawn into a story and get lost in the book. I’ll be reading The Help first, because that one is a two week loan.
     The Great Harvest Bread Company was next! I stopped in for a free slice of pumpkin-seed bread and bought another loaf of the 9 Grain bread. I’ll be throwing most of it in the freezer since I didn’t get through the last loaf. I made another batch of Chimichurri sauce to spread on top of my new bread :).
I used actual oregano, instead of marjoram like last time (The vendor at the farmers’ market gave me the wrong bunch last time, but the marjoram still worked!).
I love food processors!
I re-used the bottle from the farmers’ market that I based my recipe off of. It fit perfectly and is now chilling in the fridge.
     I pored through the Veganomicon cookbook for awhile trying to find something to make for dinner, but instead opted to go out to The Natural Cafe with my roommate, who was treating.
I got the Local Favorite – my usual. I told myself I would try something new. I knew I was lying…
My roommate got the albacore sandwich and was done with the entire thing before I’d finished my first half. He had to sit patiently while I scraped up every last crumb.
     Since he treated to dinner, I offered up dessert.
Of course we went to Paciugo! Where else would we go? I got a small with peanut butter caramel, chocolate turtle cheesecake and amaretto chocolate chip. The roommate got chocolate. Just chocolate. At a place that has 20 different flavor options. Seriously.
     There happened to be a Vitamix blender on display at Williams-Sonoma, so we dropped by and got a demonstration of the terrifying sound it makes when turned onto high speed. I’ve been obsessing over these for months now and researching everything about them. I WANT ONE!
     It’s now 9pm and we’re still uncomfortably stuffed. Since I can’t fit anymore food into my stomach, I’m going to head over to the Vitamix website and mentally drool a little. 
Are there any amazing books that you’ve read recently?

4 Comments

Filed under gelato, green monster, hike, kitchen sink salad, Natural Cafe, Paciugo, Vitamix

by | July 12, 2010 · 8:22 am

Surprise Training!

     Hello all! I hope you had an amazing Sunday! I had to work, but it was actually a really good day, overall! It helped to start with this:

This baby had 3 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/3 a cup of frozen cherries, 1/2 a banana and lemon juice!
     I missed my Monsta! I had a full shift at work today, so after a lovely Monsta and cup of coffee, I headed out. When I got inside, I was surprised to find that I had four hours of training today. That would’ve been good to know before I’d arrived, but I can deal! The most important change that the training brought around: TWO LUNCHES!!!
     First lunch was…
Subway! I had a 6-inch on wheat with turkey, roast beef, pepperjack cheese, spinach, cucumber, tomato, green peppers, a little mayo and mustard. And a few chapters of my newest bike book!
     Training was not as painful as I was expecting! It was very interactive and basically involved lots of girls chatting and throwing around ideas. The time didn’t drag, and at the end of it, I got to have my second lunch!
GELATO! I got a small with peanut butter cookies, mint chocolate chip and amaretto chocolate chip. I LOVE TRAINING DAYS!!!
     The rest of work was interesting – we got two counterfeit $100 bills that somehow slipped by unnoticed (if I hadn’t been in training, this wouldn’t have happened :P) : people can be really clever/awful nowadays. Acid-washing bills is common now??? 
     I came home to an awesome dinner that the roommates had made – Indian-spiced chicken tenders and grilled vegetables.
This was delicious! The chicken was pre-marinated from Trader Joe’s and very salty, but no salt was involved in the veggies, so it balanced out.
And a Stockyard! This is a cheaper-priced, better quality beer than New Belgium’s 1554. I’ll be repeating this one, for sure!
     Well, that’s all the pictures I’ve got for you, folks! Nice and easy, eh? I’m currently watching ‘New Moon’ (which I own, as well as Twilight – I saw Twilight in theatres and hated it, and as soon as it came out on DVD, I bought it. I told you I was weird!) while sipping the remains of my beer and trying to plan out a productive day tomorrow. I’ll leave you now with the question of the day:
What do you most look forward to in your week?

5 Comments

Filed under beer, green monster, grilled vegetables, Indian-spiced chicken, Paciugo, Stockyard, Subway, work

by | July 11, 2010 · 9:46 am

Street Fairs and Death Traps

     Today was a day full of surprises: some good, some not so good. When I got up this morning, I had a single cup of coffee in preparation for the family breakfast at Coogie’s Beach Cafe! Warning signs appeared as we walked in the door: they’d had a full renovation of the restaurant. Sometimes change is good – in this case, why would they try to fix something that’s not broken to begin with??? The interior was very sterile and blocky, not friendly, light and cozy like it used to be. Now let’s get to the food!

     We sat down at the table and I ordered my soy mocha.

I think they forgot to add the espresso. This tasted like hot chocolate, which isn’t a bad thing unless you only had one cup of coffee in preparation for the caffeine overload.
     When we used to go here every Saturday, I’d order the chocolate chip pancakes. One of the changes they made – no more chocolate chip pancakes :(. I went for the breakfast burrito: eggs, bacon, cheese, sour cream, potatoes, guacamole and pico de gallo!
Try #1. The burrito was barely warm and already congealed. I had to send it back to be reheated (I hate sending things back. I feel like an annoyance, but if I can’t eat it, I don’t want to pay for it).
     
     When it came back, they had made a new burrito from scratch. It was pretty bad. The only things inside were massive amounts of eggs and bacon, a little bit of cheese, and…. oh wait, that’s it. I had a forkful of the eggs inside, then finished up the tortilla chips and guacamole on the outside. Hooray for breakfast…
My parents had better luck: my mom got whole wheat blueberry pancakes, and my dad got filet mignon chili. He actually had to send his back to be reheated too. What’s happened to this place???
     After my last visit EVER to Coogie’s (I’ll miss the good times – I wish they hadn’t screwed it up), we enjoyed a foggy ride up the coast.
I don’t know why I love clouds so much, but they make me happy!
     We got to our second destination, Squashed Grapes in Camarillo. I’ve been reading about this place online and they carry a lot of beer/wine making supplies.

A pretty cute little place, but I was misinformed online and thought they brewed beer on premises as well. Well, it’s a start!
     We walked outside and discovered that there was a BIG street fair going on in Old Town!
This ride was the most terrifying thing I’d ever seen: It throws the cars in a revolution while lifting them up, then dropping them Tower of Terror-style. If there’s one bolt loose, Godspeed, everyone!
     Here’s the food section:
Fried foods should not be piled this high. Don’t worry, I didn’t touch the fried donuts with whipped-cream mountains, or the fried potato chips that were glued together with cheese.
     Back to the fun, non-deadly section:
The ferris wheel could be deadly, I guess. Also, the strings on the puppets could strangle children… Hmm….
Okay, hot tubs and bungee jumping on the street: it’s just too much!
     There were no purchases made at the fair, but it was quite entertaining/frightening. After the long drive home, I dropped onto the couch to play with my dad’s new iPad while he and my mom went out for accessories. There was an Amanda Bynes marathon playing (in tribute of her “retirement”?) so I zoned out and played air hockey on the iPad while Sydney White flashed across the screen. I’m a dork – I’m okay with it.
     Dinner was reheated/refurbished Summer Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder – a little more of everything was added in to increase the volume and make for some more leftovers.
Possibly one of the easiest, healthiest comfort foods to make – as long as you like chopping things with big knives :). 
I also had a Stockyard Oatmeal Stout while watching my DVDs of the show Extras – written/directed/acted by Ricky Gervais. Another AMAZING show! Ashley Jensen is one talented lady – LOVE her, and Ricky!
     I apologize again for another picture overdose. Tomorrow will only be pictures of work food and possibly a few friends, so I wanted to buffer you for that boredom. Enjoy your Sundays!!!
What’s your favorite breakfast joint/meal?

6 Comments

Filed under beer, camarillo, Extras, iPad, Ricky Gervais, squashed grapes, Street fair

by | July 10, 2010 · 9:31 am

Happy Birthday, Dad!

     Happy birthday to my pops!!! We had a jam-packed schedule today, and I was lucky enough to be able to sleep in, then woke up to this:

My mom made the monsters! No idea exactly what’s in these, but I know they were green and delicious! Thanks, mom!
     My dad had a little work to do before we headed out, but my mom and I were able to pry him away to give him his presents.
I think he’s pretty happy with his new iPad! My mom got him that – I bought him shirts, ’cause I’m poor.
     With my crazy metabolism, I got hungry around 10am and heated up a little whole wheat pasta. I also had a honey stick to keep up the blood sugar. I’m obsessed with honey sticks!
 
     We left the house around 11:30am and made our way up to Santa Barbara. There was some consideration about stopping at The Taj in Ventura, but instead we passed right on by and went to The Taj in Santa Barbara. A very dramatic difference, I know.
Mango Lassi followed by chicken curry, veggie korma, saag and some fried potato thingies.
A second serving of chana masala and veggie korma, buttery-carrots-dessert (I really should learn the name for that), sugary doughnut and shiny garlic naan.
     This gigantic meal left us all in a lot of wonderful pain, so we wandered State Street on foot for awhile and checked out some of the local stores. Lush is a new discovery that’s always fun for the girls out there! My dad wasn’t a fan, but was sweet enough to let us stop in for a few minutes.
     For his birthday, my dad decided he wanted to go kayaking! He’s been searching for one to purchase to help with his ocean-fishing habit and wanted to give a different style a try. We went to the harbor in Santa Barbara and stopped by Paddle Sports for a trial. 
Kathy helped us out – such a helpful, sweet woman.
So many colors! And he’s off!
This was a Hobie Mirage Revolution that has a pedal-system. It slices through the water at crazy speeds, and if you decide to be a purist, you can pluck the paddle from the side and get your upper body workout as well. Have you ever tried a pedal-kayak? Do you have a preference?
     My mom and I watched him cruising in the open ocean for about half an hour, then retired to Brophy Bros. to split a beer and enjoy the harbor views.
We split an Anchor Steam. I wasn’t a big fan of this one – it was pretty bitter, but it sure tasted good enough for a warm, breezy day spent on the ocean!
     My dad test drove another kayak for an hour, then returned to shore tired and ready to refuel. This called for Dargan’s!
I’ve been trying new beers lately. This one is a simple Firestone Double Barrel Ale, which I’d never had before. It was all right. Nothing to write home about, or try again.
My pops had his favorite – A Black Velvet: Half Strongbow cider, half Guinness.
     We also split massive quantities of food. My dad had the big workout, but his appetite afterwards was contagious.

We had spicy chicken skewers with curry sauce and peanut sauce and Irish potato skins.
Next came seared ahi tuna with a sesame dressing and spring greens. I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. YUM to the ahi tuna, MEH to the beer.
     The highlight of the meal came last: Irish Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Irish Cream! 
A La Mode! This was the most amazing dessert I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a LOT of desserts in my lifetime, so this is saying something! 
The bread was soft and chewy with swirls of cinnamon and dense chocolate chips strewn throughout. Irish cream was drizzled over the top and blended with the chocolate sauce. The ice cream slowly melted and was absorbed by the sticky-sweet bread. I freaked out. I may have cried tears of joy.
     We walked around Ventura for a little, visited the used book store again, then headed back home. Firefly, one of the most amazing/cancelled shows ever is now playing on DVD as my dad plays with his new iPad and a cool breeze whispers through the open windows. I love being home with my family :).
     Tomorrow we’ll start with a breakfast/brunch at Coogie’s Beach Cafe in Malibu, and a lovely drive along the coast. I am so blessed to have such an amazing family and to be able to spend so much time with them! I hope you all have equally incredible Friday nights. 
Give your parents a hug – physical or emotional. It’s all good.

3 Comments

Filed under Bread pudding, Dargan's, green monster, irish pub, kayak, ocean, Santa Barbara

by | July 9, 2010 · 10:28 am

Weight Watchers?!

     Ahhh, I love my Friday! That’s right, I am DONE with work for two whole days! My dad’s birthday is tomorrow, so I’ll be spending the next two days with the parental unit, spoiling him like crazy. Wait, I also get to have indian food and beer when I take him out for his birthday lunch? I didn’t know that! What an unexpected surprise!

     As always, I started my day with a Monsta!

2 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/3 a banana, 1/4 a cup of frozen cherries, and the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
      I woke up ridiculously perky, and ready to get back on the trails! We did the same trail as yesterday, and I brought my camera to document.
  
The marine layer was thick, and the air was very chilly and lovely. We hiked 2.86 miles in about an hour, and took our time to enjoy the views.

     After the hike, I had a mini-lunch of protein pasta:
This was some Barilla Plus with marinara sauce and a little goat cheese.
     This mini-lunch was followed by… ANOTHER mini-lunch!
THIS was whole wheat pasta with bell pepper, spinach, zucchini, marinara sauce and more goat cheese. The first pasta was protein, this was whole wheat. Total balance :).
     A little fro-yo seemed necessary after the sweaty hike up the hill, and the double serving of hot pasta!
A small chocolate, peanut butter and cake batter yogurt, topped with strawberries, brownie bits and cookie dough.
     Today was…. wait for it…. FARMERS’ MARKET DAY!!! Prepare yourselves: picture overload ahead:
ORANGE and YELLOW raspberries?? Why were they not offering samples? I’m dying to try them!

Carrot overload and fresh corn. I love summer!
 So many flowers!
Local and organic: My favorite way to buy!
     We picked up a bunch of different veggies, fruits and fresh eggs for upcoming recipes:
Spinach, mixed baby greens, potatoes, parsley and oregano, broccoli, corn, a massive onion, strawberries, fresh eggs and honey.
I’m very confused… the last time I made my chimichurri sauce, I requested oregano, but I think they gave me marjoram, because today the vendor gave me something I didn’t recognize. Any input? Can you tell if this is oregano or marjoram (14th picture down – I couldn’t link the specific picture) ? HELP!
     For dinner I made Summer Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder with all the fresh farmers’ market ingredients. Yes, this is a Weight Watchers recipe that I stumbled across, but it’s a good one!
Some adjustments I made to the recipe: I used unsweetened soymilk instead of regular milk, used 6 small potatoes instead of 1 yukon, added a little more celery and red bell pepper than recommended, and DRENCHED it with TJ’s Jalapeno Pepper Hot Sauce. This recipe took a total of 20 minutes to make, including husking the corn! 
All of the ingredients were fresh from the market, and made the soup taste like it was JUST picked, which it probably was :).
     I had to scarf down a bowl of this soup in 5 minutes in order to get to work on time. I still wound up a few minutes late. Whoops. I figured a small gelato would help me get over my tardiness-guilt.
This had rocky road, mint chocolate chip, and amaretto chocolate chip. It filled all the air-holes in my stomach from eating the chowder so fast. Yes, I had two frozen desserts today! Yes, it was so worth it!
     Work consisted of packing boxes, unpacking even more boxes, and a friend stopped by to hang out and help me pass the time without going completely crazy. Before I knew it, I was headed home. At home, I was welcomed by something that I NEVER have… WINE!
This is Brochelle Rose. It’s a known fact that I do not like wine. That is, I didn’t like it until I met this wine!
Me gusta mucho! I find that red wines are too heavy, white wines are too vinegary, but this is a perfect blend of soft and sweet, and almost feels like it has a little carbonation!
     I had two glasses of the wine, watched two episodes of Glee, and am now ready to spend the next two days spending some quality time with the parental unit, enjoying their lovely company. Have I mentioned yet that I have the best parents? It’s just a fact. Yeah.
Any big plans for your weekends? If you need ideas, I recommend painful hikes and bike rides! 
🙂
     

10 Comments

Filed under chowder, farmers' market, frozen yogurt, green monster, tutti frutti, weight watchers

by | July 8, 2010 · 10:07 am

Blog Name Redeemed!

     I am back on the exercise wagon!!! Today, I completely overdid my workout and loved every second of it! I hiked. I biked. I ate! Boo to the yah!

     First, we’ll start with first things first. Firstly…

I had breakfast before my monster! This was an omelette with 2 eggs, 1/2 a cup of spinach, 2 teaspoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I use the ones that are soaked in oil, then drain them – the flavor is so much better than dry!), and 1 teaspoon of goat cheese.
     My roommate was up late last night, and me, being the wonderful person that I am, decided to wait until both my roommates were awake to share the awesomeness that is the Green Monster!
By the time they were both awake, I’d eaten my omelette and was pretty full, so I had a half of a Monsta. Mine had 1 cup of spinach, 1/3 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/8 a cup of frozen cherries, 1/3 of a banana and lemon juice.
     We got on the trail very, very late. For a change, my roomie and I tried a different trail – this was decided halfway to the national park while we were in the car, and I had no camera to document. It was beautiful! There was a thick marine layer and we walked through mist for the entire hour. This trail was a steep downhill for 1.43 miles, but that meant that it was another 1.43 miles back up that steep hill. It hurt. I loved it!
     After we got back to the house, I decided that since I was all sweaty and gross anyway, I might as well get on my bike! I biked down to the local library to return some books, and pick up some more. It took me about 5 minutes to lock my bike because I wanted to lock my wheel and frame to the bike rack, but alas, it wouldn’t fit. 
I figured that since I’m not at UCSB anymore, no one will be out to steal my tire or bike seat.
It was still there when I came out! Yay!!!
     I biked around with a full backpack – about 6.75 miles of which only the last .2 miles KILLED me! I don’t think I can detail the hill I live on enough to make you understand the pain that is involved in the climb up. I’ll have to post a picture tomorrey.
     I finally removed the 40 pounds of books that I’d had strapped to my back, and collapsed onto the couch.
My interests of the week: Flexitarianism, Veganism and mountain biking!
     I read the flexitarian book and wasn’t very inspired. It’s not as much of a nutritional info book as it is a mixture of random recipes. Meh. Next! The Veganomicon book (included in my favorites –>) is pretty cool! I’ll probably be dabbling in that during the next week – I’m going to do a week of veganism, just to see if I can! If you haven’t noticed, I really enjoy ridiculous challenges that have no real purpose to them except to prove that I can do anything :). The other books I’ll get to tomorrow.
     After showering, I chugged about 48 ounces of water immediately, then had a mini-salad to calm my stomach while I sauteed some zucchini.
1 cup of chopped lettuce and 1/4 a cup of chopped bell pepper with 1 teaspoon of homemade balsamic dressing.
Lots of Herbes de Provence!
Lunch was 1/4 cup of Barilla Plus pasta with tomato-basil marinara, 1/8 a cup of my sauteed zucchini and a teaspoon of goat cheese.
     After fooding, I fell into the barcalounger and flipped through some of my books. Before I knew it, my alarm was going off to remind me that I had to go to work. I threw on some clothes and makeup (blah), grabbed some books and headed out.
     My first stop was to get a little more calories into my system. I worked hard today!
OOOOOH YEAAAAH! I had a small with amaretto chocolate chip, rocky road and Grandma’s Penuche from Paciugo. This totally made my day!
     I actually had work to do at work! I was slammed with unpacking and repacking of boxes, cleaning counters and all that fun stuff, so the time flew by. It’s such a nice change to not be staring at the minutes creeping by on the clock.
     When I got home, I was going to have a nice hot cup of tea, but instead I went for this:
Stockyard Oatmeal Stout! This had a wonderful mocha smell, and tasted like a rich coffee with some toffee/chocolate mixed in. It was very smooth and had a great amount of carbonation – some of you may know that I don’t like flat beers I.E. Guinness and the like. I’ll be back for this one, especially since it’s only a dollar down at my local Trader Joe’s!
     I now feel warm and sleepy – the perfect way to feel after a beer, so I’m off to read some of my mountain biking books and prepare for another day tomorrow full of exercise, FARMERS’ MARKET, cooking and another late shift at work.
Anyone up for a week-long vegan challenge? C’mon, give it a try!

4 Comments

Filed under beer, bike, green monster, hike, library, marine layer, omelette, Paciugo, pasta, salad, vegan, zucchini

by | July 7, 2010 · 9:26 am

A Vegan Day!

     Today was a whirlwind! I went vegan for the entire day – mostly by accident, but I changed my tune at the end of the day. It was exhausting! Have you ever tried being vegan for an extended period of time? My brother has been a vegan for 10 years – I think I rebelled again veganism because of that, but I’m open to try again…. maybe…. eventually….

     I woke up to some beautiful “June” Gloom in July, and finally got to start the day with a big mug (or two) of coffee!

It’s been very difficult for me to be at the LBM house where they have no coffee maker! I don’t know how they survive!
     I used up the last of the spinach this morning, and discovered that we were out of berries, so after digging through the freezer, my roommate came up with a bag of frozen mango. Don’t ask me how long it’s been there… I don’t even want to think about it.
2 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of unsweetened soymilk, 1/4 a cup of frozen mango, 1/2 a frozen banana and the juice of 1 lemon.
     I jumped in my car and got on the highway to head into LA for class. I was running a little late and didn’t have time to stop and get food stuffs, so I grabbed a banana and a kiwi from the fruit bowl before I left the house. Since I ate the banana on the freeway on the drive out, I figured taking a picture would probably be frowned upon by police/other drivers/many people who read the blog.
     Class today was “small, medium and large” day. We got our scenes, ran lines outside for an hour, then came back and got our running order. Basically, the scenes are shown in order from the “smallest”, meaning the most conversational, to the “largest”, which means the most dramatic/comedic ones, that usually include lots of sight gags and screaming. Mine was a medium scene which was mostly just a conversation except for the one line I got to get pissed off and storm out the door. Wheeee!
     My audition afterwards went amazingly! I got to the casting studio early because I’ve been called in to this place many times before, and if you don’t show up early, you end up with a line of 5 people in front of you, which can take up to 45 minutes to get through. After a short wait, they brought me in and I had 2 scenes with the new (and very cute) casting assistant/reader. It always helps to have someone cute to read with when you need to have chemistry in a scene ;-). I got to have a southern accent, flirt, and argue. The CD gave me an adjustment, we ran the first scene again, then did profiles on camera. I spent a few minutes afterwards chatting and reconnecting with the CD, then headed out. Happy, happy times! I don’t think it could’ve gone any better, and for now, that’s good enough for me :).
     When I finally got to the talent manager’s office (about an hour later than I was supposed to because of my audish), I sat down and was treated to an apple/strawberry juice by the sweet older lady who shares another area of the office building.
Lots of delicious fiber and hard work going on here!
I sliced up my kiwi and inhaled it. I used to eat kiwis by cutting them in half and scooping out the insides with a spoon, but I discovered a few weeks ago that the skins are edible, and now I’m hooked!
     Work was really busy! Episodics are finally casting again! The past few weeks have been pretty slow with a few pilots and a few features, but now that the regular shows are back from hiatus, I’m working non-stop with no breaks until I leave at 7pm. It’s hard work, but I really do like it!
     I swung by Trader Joe’s on the way home and picked up a bag of spinach and frozen berries for my monster tomorrow, as well as a bag of lettuce to make a vegan KSS for dinner, and a new beer.
This had 3/4 a bag of chopped baby lettuce, 1/2 a cup of warmed lentils, 1/4 a cup of chopped bell pepper, 2 small zucchinis that were sauteed in olive oil and herbes de provence until soft and caramelized, and a teaspoon of homemade dressing.
     The shocker comes here – I didn’t drink the beer! I just wasn’t feeling it today – are you concerned? Instead I had a tall glass of water, collapsed on the couch and watched an episode of That 70’s Show. Tomorrey will be a day full of hiking, filming auditions, and then working a late shift. I’m looking forward to being back on the trails! It’s been far too long.
How’s the weather in your area? Are you jealous of the Cali chill?

2 Comments

Filed under Acting, audition, casting director, fiber, green monster, juice, kitchen sink salad, kiwi

by | July 6, 2010 · 8:15 am

Happy Belated 4th of July!

     Ohhhh, dear! I fear I must attack you with another barrage of pictures since I was offline all weekend thanks to the LBM. So, let’s recap:

After Saturday’s KSS, I went back to the LBM house and tried the Mission St. Brown Ale. It had a good full flavor, but a little bitterness at the end, and definitely tasted a bit cheap. Not something I’ll be getting again.
     I woke up early on the 4th of July (Happy belated Independence Day, all you Americans out there!) so I could fit in a good breakfast before work.
I had french toast! Woohoo! I had two slices of Trader Joe’s frozen french toast, sliced up two strawberries (plus one for a pretty garnish) and drizzled it with pure maple syrup. I had a huge mug of green tea with it and lounged around the house until work.
     The green tea didn’t cut it. I got a major caffeine withdrawl headache at work, and went to pick up a small honey-almond latte and a tipperary bon-bon. Caffeine and sugar are made for each other!
Yummmm!
     I met up with Vicky, her boyfriend Oliver, and Ashley for lunch.
 
 
We’re strange, yes. 
I decided that since it was a holiday, I would have a big fatty sandwich from Stone Oven. I got the garlic basil chicken sandwich (Again. I’m boring, I know.) with basil pasta salad, and had half. So worth it.
     After work, I swung by Trader Joe’s and Albertson’s to pick up some celebration supplies.
Ooooh, yeah! I finished the rest of my sandwich, a mini-bag of barbecue chips, two chocolate chip vegan cookies, a scotchmallow and apple pie truffle, and both of those beers. I tried a new one – Kostriker Shwarzbier. It’s a German black lager that was surprisingly light and tasty! There was no bitter taste which surprised me, considering it was a dark beer. I followed it with the Franziskaner – I know that I love Franziskaner, and just in case Kostriker didn’t turn out, I wanted to end on a good note. It ended very well :).
     The only fireworks I heard were in the neighborhood park where I was dog-sitting. To answer your question: no, I didn’t go watch, or even see any fireworks. I enjoyed having a small party with the LBM, watching some really cheesy TV shows and drinking my good beer. I was even more happy with my decision this morning at 7:30am when I woke up to get ready for another full shift at work.
     Today started with another round of french toast. I started with it plain, but it needed some color and health from the strawberries.
Now it’s healthy!
     I had time to pick up a coffee before work, so I had no withdrawl today :). It was actually very busy today, which was nice because it made the day go by so much faster. My wonderful parental unit came to take me to lunch. We went to the Lazy Dog Cafe :).
When at the Dog, you must always start with their spicy edamame!
I got the Hawaiian Ahi Poke… AGAIN!
We split a big order of the nachos. 
I ate too much. It was awesome. My parents rock :).
     The rest of work flew by. I got home and had a big KSS.
This had half a bag of lettuce, 1/2 a chopped and sauteed zucchini, LIBERALLY sprinkled with HdP, 1/4 a chopped bell pepper, 1/2 a cup of warmed lentils, and 1/2 a cup of homemade egg white salad. The egg white salad at TJ’s was getting too expensive, so this was made with 8 hard boiled eggs that had the yolks removed, then the whites were finely chopped and mixed with garlic aoili mustard, finely diced red bell pepper, a touch of soy sour cream and 2 of the removed yolks mashed in to give it a little substance.
This will keep in the fridge for about 3 days before I’m too nervous to eat it again :).
 
Oh yes, and a Magner’s!
Dessert was too many of the vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies split amongst my roommates and me. There is no “off” switch on me when it comes to food lately. Let’s remedy that this week.
     Now that I’ve once again bombarded you with photos, I’ll leave you in peace. I’m off to unpack from the weekend at the LBM house, and to go through some sides for an audition I have tomorrow right after class. Tomorrow’s blog will be very late – I’m having dinner with a friend in LA and I’ll be coming back after 9pm.
Enjoy your Tuesdays! Stay off the highways so I can live vicariously through you :).

1 Comment

Filed under beer, Independence Day, Lazy Dog Cafe, little blurry monster, Trader Joe's, work