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

by | July 4, 2010 · 6:23 am

A Quickie

     A Quickie BLOG. If you make any snide comments on my title, I will know that you’re as immature as I am. And then I will eat chocolate because that will somehow make everything better.
    
     Because I forced you all into a picture-coma yesterday, today’s blog will be nice and short.

Morning Monster: 2 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of soymilk, 1/2 of a frozen banana, 1/2 a cup of fresh blueberries, lemon juice and ice.
     Got to work on time, but didn’t have enough coffee to keep me awake. I dozed with my eyes open and then went to Paciugo for some caffeinated gelato (not really, but they do have affogato gelato where they pour shots of espresso over your gelato choices. Why didn’t I get that? I’ll have to try it tomorrow!).
I got a small with rocky road, amaretto chocolate chip, and Grandma’s Peneche which is a vanilla made with sour cream, and ribbons of caramel made from brown sugar. The owners of this franchise actually used their grandmother’s recipe for this!
     Lunch was the boring but healthy usual:
A mini-spicy tuna roll with brown rice. Wheee.
     Vicky and I decided to decorate our counter space a little more.
We have a lot of time on our hands…
Oh yeah, that’s right – we made Edward! We gave him some white-out fangs, some lip-gloss blood, and glued sequins to his abs so he’d glitter in the light. 
Waaaaay too much time on our hands!
     Work was typical. We got a stereo and I got to blast my insanely random mix of music – Owl City to Chumbawumba to Uffie to Greg Laswell to Taylor Swift. I’m cool like that.
     After work I went over to let the LBM out, then swung by Trader Joe’s to pick up some KSS makings.
This had 2/3 a bag of chopped fresh baby greens, a chopped up zucchini that was roasted with olive oil and Herbes de Provence, 1/2 a chopped bell pepper, 1/2 a cup of Spicy Ranchero Egg White Salad, 1/2 a cup of lentils and 2 teaspoons of homemade dressing (1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a small dollop of whole grain mustard).
     How was that? Short and sweet! Now I have to head back to the LBM house where I will relax, eat a vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, and most likely fall asleep early since I have to work all day tomorrey.
What are you doing for the 4th of July?

6 Comments

Filed under gelato, kitchen sink salad, Paciugo, Trader Joe's, work

by | July 3, 2010 · 9:07 am

The Big Reveal

     I know you’ve all been on the edge of your seats wondering (okay, maybe not, but let’s just pretend), so prepare yourselves for way too many pictures of the day!

     I started the day off with a gigantic GM.

I also made some for the roommates 🙂
     My friends and I hopped in the car and headed up north to Carpinteria for the day! Our first stop was Chamomile Cafe for some organic breakfast.
We got the best seat in the house – seriously, the waitress told us that people wait in line for this booth.
We got there around 11am. The regulars had already left. No waiting here!
I got the pumpkin-pecan pancakes. Holy Heavens, these were amazing! Crunchy granola, sweetened pecans and a light-as-air pancake filled with lush pumpkin flavor: all organic ingredients and those strawberries on the side melted in my mouth!
My friend got the quiche – organic eggs, broccoli, tomatoes and cheese floating on a flaky crust, with an applesauce-covered potato pancake on the side. I may have stolen half of her quiche…
We spent over an hour lounging around enjoying the ambiance, and LOTS of coffee with soy creamer!
     The day was spent perusing through different shops. First was Porch, a whimsical little store with lots of driftwood.
 
An artist was dropping of her driftwood mirrors when we stopped by.
 My favorite: A BP-Free-Tree – I named it myself! I’m such a nerd…

     We wandered down the main road to check out the campground (I told you there’d be tents! I’m wishing we’d gotten a site there now, but it was really packed for the 4th of July weekend).
They ended up having an outdoor movie screen there for all the vacationers. What an awesome way to spend a weekend! Not that I’m jealous: I’m glad to be working Saturday and Sunday :P.
     Have you stopped to visit your local museum lately? We did! Well, it’s not quite local, but we found the Carpinteria History Museum, and stopped in to check it out. 
This is a record player from one of the first houses EVER in Carpinteria. The gentleman who worked there turned the crank and showed us that it actually works! It was absolutely amazing to listen to the music while looking at the school room:
Everything in here was donated from an actual schoolhouse in the 1940’s!
The kitchen was stocked full with old cans and furniture that were taken from that first house which was sadly torn down to make way for new construction.
This is a dollhouse that was made by a high school class as a group project in 1936 (forgive me if the dates are a little off). It was so intricate and beautiful! Of course it was updated with a little electricity so museum-goers could enjoy all the minute details.
This place has no government funding, so we all chipped in a little cash to help keep it alive. I’ve always been a sucker for museums. I find it fascinating to look at things from the past and envision the people that used, cared for, and enjoyed them – like this carriage that probably carried entire families through the town, up on the cliffs that overlook the beautiful Pacific.
     We let the history soak into us a bit, wandered around, and found a really cool little art gallery on a side street: Anderson Art Collective. My favorite pieces there were the Sexy Skulls <– You’ll want to click there :). One of the artists was there in the studio working, and happens to be incredibly gorgeous. Ladies, beware, his smile can melt you, AND the wax. Here’s some of his work. 
     Before we headed to the main attraction, we hit up Siam Thai for some fuel.
Pad Kee Mao with beef (I’m really failing on this Flexitarian thing…).
Pad Thai with chicken.
     Next comes the main event of the day: Something I’ve been wanting to do for a looooong time!
Island Brewing Company in Carpinteria!!!
We all started off with a sampler. Paradise Pale Ale – not a fan: too bland and bitter. Island Pale Ale: much smoother and a little more depth. Jubilee: Love in a glass – sweet and silky and smooth, with a nice caramel aftertaste. Blackbird Porter: smelled a little nail-polishy, but tasted good! And finally, the Holiday Cask Ale: Smelled strongly of molasses and was very rich, and the roommates thought it smelled and tasted a bit like brandy (I wouldn’t know, never having tried brandy), but definitely was an unexpected punch to the face (9% ABV).
We went with the Jubilee and the Weiss (the brewery’s Hefeweisen, in case you didn’t get that 🙂 ).
     After spilling half of the Jubilee (I was a total idiot and spilled the glass all over my friends while telling a story with excessive hand motions – did that after only having the sampler, thank you very much), we finished the dregs of the glass and I apologized to the staff excessively while hiding my face behind my hands. My friend kindly and generously bought me an Islands Brewery sweatshirt to make me feel better :). Okay, all better!
     Dinner was next! We stopped at Giovanni’s and split a mini pizza between the three of us.
This pizza was delicious, and REAL! The sauce had tons of oregano and rosemary sprinkled throughout. I had two slices with ham, pepperoni, mushrooms (which I picked off), olives (which I picked off), green peppers and sausage. I was serious when I said I was failing the Flexitarianism!
     After wandering around the town, we stopped at the beach to watch the waves and the sunset.
 
A beautiful ending to an amazing day!
     Now it’s only 10pm, and I have to go crash because I’ve got a full day of work starting at 8:30am. Woohoo. Can’t wait. Oh! And I get to watch the LBM (Little Blurry Monster for all you new readers) again, so my post tomorrey will be a little late, or it might have to wait until Sunday – my bike has been calling me from its stand in the garage. I can’t ignore it for too much longer!
All you normal people, enjoy your weekends and be blessed!!!
  

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Filed under beach, beer, Carpinteria, Chamomile Cafe, Islands Brewing Company, organic, pad kee mow, pad thai, vegan

by | July 2, 2010 · 8:28 am

Mediterranean Delicacies

     GOOOOOD Thursday, all! I hope you got to start your day off as wonderfully as I did!

This Monsta was nothing but FRESH! 3 cups of fresh spinach, 3/4 a cup of soymilk, 1/2 a cup of fresh blueberries, fresh lemon juice, 1/2 a fresh banana and some fresh ice! 🙂
     I had a full day at work, but the good news is that it’s now officially July, which could mean only one thing… FREE GODIVA (If you belong to the Godiva Rewards Club, you get a free piece every month). Yes, I track time through chocolate. What’s wrong with that?
Godiva is kind of a diva. It doesn’t like to be photographed and always comes out blurry – it’s a defense mechanism.
     I didn’t make breakfast after the GM, so I had to snack on the Clif bar I had leftover from Tuesday.
     I was planning on going to the farmers’ market for lunch and feasting on the samples, but when I stepped outside in my all-black ensemble (mandatory for work) I realized that it was about 90 degrees, and the parking lot where they hold the market would be quite painful. Instead I went to Lazy Dog for a farmers’ market-inspired meal.
This is the Mediterranean Veggie Foccacia Sandwich. Grilled eggplant, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, sliced onions, fresh goat cheese, and sun-dried tomato hummus on rosemary foccacia bread. Oh yeah, and french fries :).
     I had half the sandwich and half the fries, as well as a few edamame on the side. I was so full, I didn’t even have the room to stop at Paciugo! After an hour back at work, I did need to have a little See’s, just to keep me awake!
Scotchmallow, apple pie truffle, dark peppermints and a tipperary bon-bon.
     I got home around 6:30pm and it was still very warm out, so I sat out back with a glass of Magners and listened to Owl City’s new/old song “Brielle” while watching the sunset.
A nice, crisp cider for a warm night out – perfect! An Owl City soundtrack to accompany the view? Priceless!
     Dinner was the remaining half of my sandwich, with a chocolate soy ice cream sandwich for dessert. 
So. Full.
     I’m going to be crashing super early tonight in preparation for tomorrey! There will be lots of pictures, lots of words, and lots of happiness! 
Have an amazing Friday! I’ll see you here tomorrow night 🙂
(A compilation of artwork my coworkers and I made 🙂 We be creative.)

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Filed under farmers' market, Godiva, green monster, Lazy Dog Cafe, See's Candies, work

by | July 1, 2010 · 9:30 am

My Trip Around the World

     I absolutely love waking up with nothing on my schedule! Those days are very few and far between, so if I can find one, I’ll embrace it with open arms. Today wasn’t quite one of those days. To be fair, the only thing I had on my schedule was getting my hair done, so I guess it still counts :).

     I had an hour and a half in the hot seat at the salon (at 8:30am, mind you!) and got back home with half a pound less of hair on my head, and ready to eat half a pound to balance it out!

I cooked up some roast beef hash from Trader Joe’s, threw an egg in the middle of it, then made it all fancy with some ketchup lines. Gourmet!
     I had a second gigantic mug of coffee to try and wake up some more, and then did something I’ve never done before. MIDDAY MONSTER!!!
Okay, not that epic, but it was good! 3 cups of spinach, 3/4 a cup of soymilk, 1/4 a cup of fresh raspberries, 1/2 of a frozen banana, a handful of frozen strawberries, the juice of 1/2 a lemon and a handful of ice.
     My Monsta liquid lunch wasn’t quite enough, so I stopped by Tutti Frutti to get some frozen yogurt.
A little bit of non-fat chocolate raspberry, birthday cake and cookies ‘n cream with dark chocolate chips, fresh strawberries, brownie bits and a chocolate pirouette. 
     What else would I do with my day off, you ask? Well, I went on a trip around the world! The first stop was New England.
     Then we headed to Sicily…
     Then to a small town by Florence…
     And then finally to Japan…
     Okay, so it wasn’t around the world, but HOW AWESOME IS MY TOWN??? I drive 15 minutes and I get all of this :). JOY!
     I got to open up my latest fancy beer – Alesmith Decadence Anniversary Ale.
Holy POW! Beware: this is a STRONG beer (11% ABV)! It was very, very sweet, and has a very raisin-y taste to it. There is a bitter finish that helps balance out the sweetness, but doesn’t cancel it! Very sweet! It’s difficult to have more than one glass, but either way, be careful with this one!
     Dinner was a huge KSS! HUGE!
This had an entire bag of chopped baby greens, 1/2 a chopped bell pepper, a cup of sauteed yellow squash and asparagus that was liberally sprinkled with Herbes de Provence, 1/2 a cup of warmed lentils and a cup of egg white salad with 1 teaspoon of homemade dressing.
     I had a hard time finishing the salad (don’t fret, I did eventually finish it), but somehow found a way to fit two hunks of pineapple upside-down cake into my belly. The cake was made with Betty Crocker angel food cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple. Very simple, relatively healthy, and way too addictive. I also had a chocolate soy ice cream sandwich. That beer rid me of all of my self-control!!! I blame the high ABV!
     I watched the movie “When In Rome” tonight. Um… I can’t recall any time I’ve ever seen anything so painful in my life. I was literally cringing throughout the entire thing. I forgave Will Arnett because he’s Will Arnett. I forgave Josh Duhamel because he’s pretty. I don’t forgive Jon Heder, but I do feel bad for Efran Ramirez (Juan aka Pedro) who probably begged the producers not to credit him on IMDB. Dax Shepard was the only redeeming part of this film, and he was just playing himself. It just… I can’t… I mean… Ouch…
     I’ll leave you with one last image of peace before I embark upon a full shift at work tomorrey. Keep guessing about Friday! No correct answers yet 🙂
A lovely lake on a quiet afternoon. Happy Sigh.

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Filed under day off, eat, FOOD, green monster, kitchen sink salad, movies, When In Rome