Grow Where You Are Planted...

Spearmint Lavender Sage

Everything Grows with Love

(pungent herb box outside kitchen window

...it's forever gardening season in this climate!)

August 2013

Bringing What We Know to Our Tables...

After traveling 2,500 miles in a Prius with a boyfriend, a dog, a brother, two bags of clothes, nine plants, spanning over nine state lines in four days to California we made it to our new digs and have begun building a new nest with old items.

I am contemplating my direction in life. What a luxury, eh?! I seem to find myself in these positions often. One door closes (in the form of a job, or a home) and another opens. Here I am wide eyed, with many routes to take. With small experience in many areas (I seem to spread myself thin with the cooking, the nannying, the teaching) I am going to first look into my cooking options professionally. While this "profession" comes to fruition, in the mean time I will continue to cook, to explore with this wonderful blog that is my table.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella

clearly my first meal in new kitchen

August 2013

 Arugula Lemon Olive Oil and Romano

clearly my other first mean in new kitchen

August 2013

Mouth Watering

Delicious Summer and

Last Meals in My Cincinnati Kitch

August 2013

Asheville Flavah

 

Whilst in Asheville, we explored... we really explored. From music to food, restaurants galore, drinks alcoholic and non, nature, hiking, fresh air,  a comfy rental mountain home, friends and lots of love. A swirl of beautiful energy. A noteworthy possible recreation on my behalf is the above salad. Seemingly raw kale (which surprised me because typically such would be bitter, this was not), a soft sweet potato, a yellow raisin, white onion, I believe pecan halves, and lastly the strength to the salad the pink whole peppercorns.

 

French Broad Brewery

A Pilsner (if I remember correctly?!)

 

The Sunset Terrace Cairpirinah

At the Grove Park Inn

Cane Rum, Ginger Lime Simple Syrup, Blueberries,

Club Soda, Sprite, Lime Wedge

 Massive Drum Cirle 

Asheville July 2013

A Tasty Drink 'o Nature

 Homemade Coffee Drink 

in an Asheville Mountain Home Rental

July 2013

We went to Asheville with some close buddies. The one guy we traveled with, created a tasty soy coffee drink with fresh whip cream and crushed chocolate sprinkled on top (m&ms for color and crushed coffee beans for added flavor and color)  It was a fun simple creative way to enjoy the vacation morning. Slurped up the drink then sipped in some nature...

 

Change Your Perspective

I understand we don't all have the luxury to walk to the beach to sit and eat your hand prepared dinner, but this post is meant to highlight the spaces in which we consume our creations. Mix it up. Make it an event. Take it outside in the back yard, picnic in the park, sit on pillows on the floor with a movie...

My Mother and I 

Anna Maria Island, FL

July 2013

Flying July

Since I have made the move to move, I have also made the decision to travel most of my July month, visiting with friends and family. Reason for the lack of posts aka the lack of creating time in the kitchen but I have all the while been surrounded by good food, good drink and of course, good company. July literally provides me with 4 days at home. From an East Coast road trip, to a Minnesota/Wisconsin road trip to a flight to Anna Maria Island, Florida and lastly a road trip to Asheville, North Carolina this coming and long weekend. After that, it's pack up and go. Newport Beach, here I come!

Back to the grub though, when I was visiting my family in Anna Maria, my ma and I managed to make some good tasty meals, many of which were consumed with a view on the beach. Because I was in vacay mode, I only managed to capture a few good snaps. Here was a nice breakfast my mother and I shared together. I love working with what you have. Especially in someones stocked fridge. Like a toy box...what to play with? what to create?!

Here was our egg white omelet topped with tomato basil mozzarella (I seriously can not get away from the combination this summer!?!) and our stuffed avocado (olive oil, sea salt, diced tomato and red onion). I just love seeing everything you are about to eat. It's so simple! And anything done with love translates. Smiles and love to you all. Life is good, keep it simple...