Monthly Archives: November 2010

by | November 10, 2010 · 11:43 pm

Recuperation!

     It is wonderful to be back home! I’ve been recuperating from the long weekend in Arizona, and now I’m packing up my suitcase again to head BACK TO ARIZONA tomorrow! That’s right, I’ve got another art festival to attend, this time in Fountain Hills. If you’re in the area, come see me!

This has been my staple breakfast at home: A hot-boiled egg (all the rage in Germany, where my roommate recently returned from), and a Pumpkin Pie Monsta!
     I spent all day yesterday running errands and took a break a few towns over to get some lunch.
I got a personal pizza with whole wheat crust, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers and soy cheese.
My friend went all healthy on me and got a salad with heart of palm, carrots, bell peppers, walnuts, mushrooms and sesame dressing on the side.
PizzaSalad – All the ingredients here are completely organic and farmed locally! Love it!
     I’ve got to finish up laundry so I can keep packing, and head to the library to pick up some books I’ve been waiting for. Then I’m off to get my mane weed-whacked and get to end the day at my lovely retail job. Daily life is so NORMAL! I don’t know how to handle it!

1 Comment

Filed under Arizona, art festival, Fountain Hills, green business, green monster, hot-boiled egg, organic, pizza, PizzaSalad, Pumpkin Pie Monsta, salad, soy cheese

by | November 8, 2010 · 11:25 am

Goodbye, Carefree!

     Today was the final day of the Carefree Fine Arts and Wine Festival… until January. And March. That’s right, I’ll be back here three times a year! My new job kicks ass!

     To bid a fond adieu to the wonderful city of Carefree, we woke up at 6am and headed to the festival to get good parking so I could move the van as soon as the show wrapped and not have to risk running down fellow artists in the desperate attempt to get packed as soon as possible. Since we’d arrived so early, we got to enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the patio.

There’s nothing wrong with having repeats for breakfast, but this was the only place that happened to be open early, so I stuck with something semi-healthy. Veggie omelets are a good stand-by for me.
     It was a slightly busier day, so I spent a lot of time at the booth chatting with the other artists and some rabid fans who collect my artist’s oil paintings. We were lucky enough to have lunch brought to us by the amazing Chef Sara! I am head over heels for this woman’s food!!!
She brought us a raw vegan wrap made with alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, carrots, cucumber, red cabbage, falafel (not fried, being RAW and all that), and a vegan tahini sauce, surrounded by seaweed. Not too long ago, I would not have touched this with a ten-foot pole, but I was AMAZED at how delicious this was!!! Sara, can you come live with me??
My only complaint – floss is needed immediately after eating unless you want to frighten people off with your algae-covered teeth. It’s a price I’d be willing to pay!
She also brought us raw cheesecake! This one is goji berry.
I AM SO SPOILED! This was the tastiest cheesecake I’ve ever had in my entire life – no cheese needed!
She also gave me the lavender cheesecake to sample.
It was very perfume-y, but still delectable.
     I bought some of the donut holes to take home as a gift for the roommates to try. I’ll tell you, if I could afford it and all my food tasted like this, I could be a raw vegan for life! I am utterly floored by how delicious this meal was!
     When the show wrapped at 5pm, there was a desperate race for the parking lot while all of the artists fought to get their vans and trailers to their booths as quickly as possible. I managed to get the very first spot and therefore navigated to my spot very quickly. It took about three hours to break down the booth and get everything packed up, then we headed to Venues Cafe for a celebratory dinner.
Of course I had to have an Easy Street… or two. Hey, it’s a celebration after all!
I got the grilled vegetable and avocado sandwich on fresh focaccia again – if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
A group of us spent about two hours at the restaurant and I ended with a decaf cappuccino topped with warm cinnamon.
Alec, the wonderful waiter who accommodated me all SEVEN TIMES that I went into the restaurant, brought out a complimentary chocolate mousse topped with vanilla amaretto cookies and fresh orange slices.
     When we got back to the hotel, I went to the pool for a quick swim and spent half on hour floating in the warm water, staring at the stars as my breath created puffs of white in the chilly air, and thanking God for blessing me with such a precious, wonderful new adventure. I am so thankful.
A perfect ending to an amazing weekend!

6 Comments

Filed under amaretto, Arizona, cappuccino, Carefree, cheesecake, Chef Sara, chocolate mousse, Easy Street, Fine Arts and Wine Festival, God, goji berry, lavender, lucky girl, raw organic vegan, vegan, Venues Cafe

by | November 7, 2010 · 11:10 am

Vegan Donut Holes and Jewelry!

     Exercise of the day: 35 minutes on the elliptical in the teeny fitness room at level 12, followed by triceps and bicep weights, squats and crunches, all while watching the Colorado Avalanche game (they DESTROYED the Dallas Stars, 5-0. My night is complete now 🙂 ). I refueled with some of this:

Freshly-made fudge! Wholesome, eh? The guy running the fudge booth gave me an “artist discount” on a huge chunk of fudge that was so fresh, it was still warm.
     I started the day off right – a big, heart-healthy breakfast!
I got the avocado, egg, butter lettuce, and tomato on an english muffin with a side of fruit.
     I perused the show a bit more since it was a slow day….
     …then headed back to the booth to do some reading.
Which one do I read? They’re both so well written!!!
(Is anyone else obsessed with reading menus?)
I went back to Venues Cafe for lunch and got a salad of butter lettuce, figs, goat cheese and hazelnuts drizzled with balsamic syrup and a red wine vinaigrette. 
     When I got back to the booth, a friend of my artist had stopped by and dropped off some samples from a new restaurant she’s opening in December.
RAW ORGANIC VEGAN??? GIMME!!!
Vegan fudge with ginger and coconut.
Rich, chocolate-y and heavenly.
Next up were my favorites: DONUT HOLES!
I’m going to get more info on what’s in these tomorrow, but I know that there are dates, almonds, and something freaking MAGICAL in these soft, sweet and slightly salty balls of fluff. If you do order anything from her, these would be my first recommendation!!!
     Our booth neighbor, Julie Glassman, makes some amazing jewelry. I spent a lot of the day hanging out at her booth, staring longingly at the earrings.
We also rescued a cat today. We’re responsible like that.
She creates her jewelry with powdered glass and precious metals.
Each piece is like a tiny painting!
I think I’m going to go broke working at all these shows…
     For dinner, a group of artists went to a Mexican-fusion restaurant and had some interesting conversations about art, festivals, and neuroscience. Two of the artists who do photography used to work in neuroscience, then decided to leave their company and travel the world taking incredible pictures. It was a night full of variety, that’s for sure!
The courtyard we ate at is BEAUTIFUL!
Milk Stout? Longmont, CO? I had to try it!
HOLY GEEZ. This is the thickest beer I’ve ever had. Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, but the first sip was like drinking sweetcream butter. Delicious, alcoholic sweetcream butter.
I ordered the spicy tacos with ahi tuna instead of mahi mahi.
It was served with jalapeno aiolo, spicy white beans and sliced avocado.
     I’m fairly certain I’ll be heading home with a few extra pounds on my frame, and I’m perfectly content with that. It’s a learning process :). Now I’m off to sleep so I can wake up and get to the show in five and a half hours… Oh, joy…

1 Comment

Filed under ahi tuna, butter lettuce, Colorado Avalanche, donut holes, FUDGE, Julie Glassman, milk stout, organic, raw organic vegan, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, vegan, Venues Cafe

by | November 6, 2010 · 9:21 am

Ho Hum Road and Easy Street!

Told you I wasn’t lying!!
     I have a feeling the art show blogs will be mostly pictures, because I have taken SO MANY that I want to share, plus I’m exhausted and not feeling witty at all after a full day at the festival AND an hour on the treadmill in our little fitness room at the hotel. Phew, even typing that makes my brain sore. Okay, picture attack starts….NOW!
Veggie omelette with two eggs, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and a side of home fries.
Freshly made biscuit drenched in honey.
THE ELIXER OF LIFE!!!
Our neighboring booth’s bronze sculptures and waterfalls.
Oil paintings.
Freeform pottery by Ken!
Creepy metal birds!
Appliqued mirrors!
Evil cactus that cut open my arm yesterday.
I’M GONNA KICK IT.
Lounging at lunch.
O’Dell’s Easy Street Wheat! And I just now realized why they serve it on EASY STREET.
Shut up. It’s been a long day.
Grilled veggie sammich again! These veggies are grilled in olive oil, then chilled before placed in this fresh, warm foccacia. I am in love with the hot/icy combo. Perfect for chowing down on an 85 degree day!
The genius artist herself. Eating 🙂. We make a good match!
Spider attack!
Fudge?
Fudge.
Fudge!
FUDGE!!!
So true, fudge. So true.
You can’t go wrong with Herbes de Provence! Or goat cheese…
My first time having Mediterranean food!
A promising start…
Baba Gannnouj – That’s how they spelled it. Three N’s means three times as good, yes?
YES!
     I got falafel in pita bread for dinner, but by the time it came, it was too dark and the picture didn’t come out at all. Just know that it was delicious – fried things always are.
     That’s all she wrote! She’ll take more pictures tomorrow to imprint into your minds. She’ll also stop talking in the third person, but hopes you’ll excuse her, seeing as she spent the entire day shmoozing with amazing artists, trying not to overheat in the Arizona air, eating massive amounts of food and wearing a dress.
Wearing a dress is very difficult for her.

1 Comment

Filed under baba gannouj, biscuits, coffee, creepy metal birds, devil-possessed cactus, Easy Street, Easy Street Wheat, Efes, falafel, FUDGE, Ho Hum Road, O'Dell's, oil painting, Pottery, sculptures

by | November 5, 2010 · 10:49 am

Blurbin’ from Carefree!

     Good freakin’ night! It’s 11:30pm and I just got back from setting up the booth for the Carefree Fine Arts and Wine festival, so I’m going to walk you through my day with blurbs. Prepare yourself for the onslaught.

Up before the sun!
Goodbye, pumpkin. Thanks for the good times!
HUGE windmills in the desert!
Break time?
COFFEE!!! And unsweetened granola – ah-may-zing!
Hotel decor.
Mas decor. Una puerta bella!
Livin’ it up on Easy Street!
The Carefree town center – also known as the wine tasting section 😀
Dinnertime?
Decisions, decisions…
Grilled vegetable sammich + sweet potato fries = DROOL!
I am SO going back for dessert tomorrey!
Setup time!
FORD OVERDOSE!
Our booth before…
Our booth four hours into it!
(Finishing up tomorrow)
RANDOM TREE!
Giada on the left???
Battle wound from a fight with a cactus.
I lost.
ANY QUESTIONS?

2 Comments

Filed under Arizona, art festival, battle scars, Carefree, dead pumpkin, Easy Street, Ford, Giada DeLaurentiis, grilled vegetables, hotel, sammich, windmills, wine festival

by | November 4, 2010 · 9:08 am

Weasel Crap Beer?!?

     I woke up this morning, put on my gym clothes and was on the elliptical at the gym before my brain registered what was happening. 45 minutes at level 9 – I was dying! It was awesome.

I refueled with a slice of Great Harvest Whole Grain bread with peanut butter and some of Trader Joe’s Cranberry Apple Butter! This apple butter is ah-may-zing!
     I went to the library to pick up a book for my road trip tomorrey. I finished “The Girl Who Played With Fire” this morning and wanted more! I had a hold on the final book in the trilogy, but it won’t be in for another month, so I splurged and RENTED the next book, “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” for a whole dollar! I think a buck for a week is worth it, plus it supports my local library, which I would die without.
After all the book renting, I needed a big Kitchen Sink Salad to replenish my energy. This had 1/2 a bag of mixed greens, 1/2 of a chopped bell pepper, 1/2 cup egg white salad, 1/2 cup steamed lentils, 1/2 of a zucchini sauteed with herbes de provence and 1/2 of an avocado with a light balsamic dressing. Many halves make a HUGE salad!
     Since it’s my last night at home for a few days, I went out to a local wine shop to pick up some fancy brews. I found the FANCIEST of fancy beers!
Let me tell you about this beer. Mikkeller Geek Brunch Weasel beer is brewed with the most expensive coffee in the world. This coffee is made by feeding weasels coffee berries. The berries go through their digestive tract and come out the other end, where they’re brewed into coffee: yes, the coffee beans are crapped out by said weasels. This coffee was added into this beer, which was then stamped with a $15.99 price for 15oz. 
Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn’t have the guts to try it…yet. With a 7 hour road trip ahead of me tomorrow, it just didn’t seem like a good risk to take.
Next time!
After the search for beer, MORE refueling was needed! We ordered in thai food, because lunch yesterday just wasn’t enough! We split tom kha gai, pad ke mao, pad thai and pineapple fried brown rice. All the dishes had meat in them, which I avoided. 
Luckily, even though I didn’t get the Weasel Crap Beer, I found plenty to try!
Oh beer, how much I’ve missed you!
First up: The Midas Touch! This one was a sweet pale ale, brewed with honey, muscat grapes and saffron. I’m not a huge fan of sweet beers, but this one had enough hops to keep me happy. I won’t be getting this one again, but I’d definitely recommend it to any wine lovers out there! You’ll love the sweet honey undertones!
     I’d love to write more, but I have to finish packing for the long drive to Scottsdale, Arizona tomorrow for my new job! Woohoo! I’ll repeat for any new readers: I’ll be at the Carefree Fine Arts and Wine Festival from November 5th-7th, working at one of the artist’s booths! 
Anyone in the Scottsdale/Carefree area want to meet up??

Comments Off on Weasel Crap Beer?!?

Filed under beer, cranberry apple butter, Dogfish Head, Great Harvest, gym, kitchen sink salad, Midas Touch, Mikkeller Geek Brunch Weasel, thai food, Trader Joe's, Weasel Crap Beer

by | November 3, 2010 · 8:30 am

Pancakes and German Presents!

     I stocked up on canned pumpkin today! I’ve tried Trader Joe’s brand and I’ve tried Libby’s, and I’ve come to the conclusion that Libby’s trumps all! It smells and tastes the most fresh, and made my Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes incredible!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes
Dry Ingredients
1/3 cup whole rolled oats
1/3 cup oat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin spice
Pinch of salt
Handful of chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened soymilk
     1. In one bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
     2. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients and mix well.
     3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry.
     4. Pour a heaping tablespoon of batter onto a greased skillet and cook over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, or until the edges look dry and bubbles on top have popped.
     5. Flip the pancakes and cook on the other side for another two minutes.
     6. Plate the pancakes and top with honey and extra chocolate chips. There’s no such thing as too much chocolate!
Adoration. Yum!
     I had to head to the airport on Halloween around 6pm to pick up the roommates and visited the creepiest haunt of them all: LAX! I’ve never seen so much traffic! It took about an hour to find and pick up the roommates from the international terminal. Luckily, I got lots of presents when they returned, so the trip was worth it ;-)!
Wasabi chocolate, kashmir-chilli chocolate, indische chocolate, lavender chocolate, wild garlic and a candle from Munchen (aka Munich, Germany)!
     Yesterday we celebrated with a trip to the local Indian buffet:
Chicken tikka masala, ridiculously spicy vegetables, daal and chana masala. I had a few pieces of chicken and massively regretted it later. After two weeks of no meat, I had a stomachache for the rest of the day!
     Back to hiking!
Ahhh, I love the trails! I’m itching to go camping again!
     Today the roommates were finally starting to feel a little more conscious after recovering from jet lag, so we went out to rediscover the town.
I had a lunch special of pad thai. I didn’t eat any of the chicken after yesterday’s pain! Thai tea helped as well!
I went to the grocery store to pick up my latest freebie: I got a coupon for a free Cottonelle sample in the mail yesterday and picked it up today. I love free stuff!!!
     I went over to the local plaza and read a little of “The Girl Who Played with Fire” before discovering that there was a new bakery!
OH MY GEEZ, CUPCAKES!
This was my first time visiting Crumbs, and definitely not my last!
I’ve tried Sprinkles which tastes exactly like Bisquik with frosting,vand these trump those by far! I had the Boston Cream Pie cupcake that tasted like heaven in a wrapper. No regrets!
Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE where I live?
Red wine at sunset…
…and cumin-scented German chocolate.
It’s a rough life.

I’ll be going to Carefree, Arizona for the Carefree Fine Art and Wine Festival on Thursday! If there are any Arizon-ites who would like to meet up, meet me on the corner of Easy Street and Ho Hum Street (no joke, those are the actual names of the streets) from Friday, November 5th through Sunday, November 7th!

3 Comments

Filed under chocolate chip pumpkin pancakes, Cottonelle, Crumbs, cupcakes, free sample, Germany, hike, hiking, Indian Food, Munich, pad thai, presents, red wine, thai food