Southwestern Adventure
A week off from work and the goal to get my car from Phoenix to Kansas City turned into another road trip adventure. Might as well make the most of a twenty plus hour drive. With the help of an awesome app I discovered (Roadtrippers) no time restriction, we were able to squeeze a lot of sights into three days. Racing the sun was our biggest challenge because once it went down, the middle of nowhere seems a lot less welcoming. I knew I wanted to see the White Sands National Monument, so we chose a route through the southern part of New Mexico-a state I had yet to visit and one that I would definitely return to (well part of it at least). But before we made it there we stopped at "The Thing". There were signs for miles advertising this rest stop and claiming that this THING was something to be seen. So we took the bait and stopped. A great place if you need gas and souvenirs- I won't say anything more :)
Sunset was approaching and we wanted a good amount of time at the White Sands, so we got on our way and made it to the national monument. Some of these photos will be auctioned off at the Artist Relief Fund at Ballet Arizona this coming Saturday!! Come support!
As the sun disappeared so did the warmth. Our next mission was to eat and find a place to sleep. I thought it would be nice to wake up near the forest and hike so my app directed me to a wonderful hotel- The Bismark Chalet Inn in Ruidoso. It was next to several other budget hotels but was the only one with character. Even a whiskey barrel sauna! We had a real fireplace and homemade muffins waiting for us in the morning! Such an adorable town-close to Lincoln National Forest and hundreds of hiking trails!
Next stop, which was my suggestion- Roswell, New Mexico. The drive was incredible-rolling hills, trees and gorgeous views. When we got closer to the town, the beauty dwindled quite a bit and so did my high hopes. In my head I envisioned a small town with an alien themed diner, just like in the CW series Roswell that I may or may-not have been obsessed with in middle school. However, it was far from it and Max Evans was no where in sight. We ate a local diner and went into some interesting stores. There was a giant scrapbook store that we got some craft supplies at. The people working were very intense and we couldn't keep our cool as the lady was telling us about this backpack with about 20 hidden pockets. The pockets were apparently for toys... Anway, we mad sour way to the alien museum and were instantly weirded out. We went through quickly and decided to leave Roswell behind. Not our fave spot but I do recommend the TV series. I made Myles watch some of it to redeem myself.
We never looked back. Onto Texas-our goal was to make it to Cadillac Ranch before sunset. A nice texan cop slowed down our travels but we were off the hook with just a warning and back on our way. During the sunset we were still driving but it was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Califronia and Arizona have the most breathe-taking sunsets ever but I am used to seeing the clouds and colors over the ocean or through the mountains. This was 360 degrees of flat land and every direction I looked was a different color palette. The bright florescent pinks one way, then purple pastels the other, and every shade of yellow in between. We pulled up to cadillac ranch just before this stunning scene dissolved and it became dark. Cadillac ranch is ten cadillac cars that someone buried in the ground and started to paint. People from all over come and graffiti the cars. There are inches of paint layered on each car. Pretty cool to see.
Onto our next destination-a place to sleep. We made it into Oklahoma for the night and despite my efforts to find a unique hotel nearby, we settled for a Days Inn (I won't go into detail but not a place I would recommend and very iffy service!!!). But we made the most of our night and decorated picture frames from the lovely scrapbook store in Roswell. In the morning our only goal was to find an awesome coffee shop in Oklahoma City and make the final leg of the drive to Kansas City. And that we did find- Elemental Coffee Roaters! AWESOME coffee and breakfast to finish off our trip. Can't wait for the next one!!
driving discoveries
Road trips have become one of my favorite adventures. Even just day trips to a nearby town I've never been to. Sometimes it is nice to sit still but recently I can't seem to. After growing up in southern California and living in Phoenix for eight years, it was time to finally go to Joshua Tree. Myles and I decided to take a two day, one night excursion to the national park and stay nearby in Hickville Trailer Palace (an small community of themed trailers-loctaion unknown). Upon leaving, his friend commented on the ugliness of joshua trees and all of a sudden it was my mission to convince him and myself that they were not in fact ugly and that this park was going to be amazing. I set my hopes high. Hopes which started to dwindle as we drove through twenty nine palms and were not impressed with the desolate surroundings. But we trekked on and felt better once we arrived at the trailer palace. A great little retreat with archery, a pool in the center and many more communal activities on the grounds. We did however plan this trip last minute and were forced to book the Zombie Apocalypse trailer, which would NOT have been my first choice. I'm not a fan of scary movies, or scary things in general. But it was one of the bigger accommodations and they truly committed to the design. Zombie-fied gnomes lined the path to our shack that was full of detailed zombie murals and instructions on how to survive etc.
After exploring the grounds, we headed to Pioneer Town for dinner and live music. Drinks and pool and a beautiful sunset! And back at the trailer park-making new friends, rooftop hot tub and the most gorgeous display of stars I have ever seen.
The next day was our adventure into the national park. I was ready for some Joshua Trees. And boy were there a lot of them. And i do have to admit that they are some weird looking trees, but hundreds of them together are surely impressive. And some of the rocks formations are incredible.
The trip ended on two positive notes- I still don't think Joshua Trees are ugly and we did not run into any zombies.
Farewell to Summer
Even though the fall equinox came a couple weeks ago, I've been trying to hang on to summer a bit longer. Spending this change over in Phoenix, with the beautiful weather and sun shining, helped me cling to the fancy free feeling I've had the past couple months. A magical summer of travel, new experiences, and an open mind. The last week of September I attended several yoga classes and in almost every one, the teacher spoke about the seasons changing and our lives possibly shifting. This immediately engendered a nervous feeling in my stomach and a tight sensation in my heart. Does autumn mean I have to check back into reality and possibly take myself a bit more seriously? Panicked I started to reflect on my mindset over the past few months, and how I consistently felt reassured about my decisions and why now I thought that might change. Then I realized-nope-no reality check necessary. I can take my summer state of mind into every season. Maybe the sun won't linger but I am in control of my attitude and my future. So embracing change and seeing the leaves change (here in Kansas City) I'm excited for the next couple of months. But I wanted to post my last set of summer photos from the final Wanderlust festival of the summer. In the beautiful Mont-Tremblant.
Hike and photography class with Ali!!
View from the top of the mountain.
Lakeside at Sunset
Body art by Amir for the Wanderlust Spectacular!
Posing with the lovely Chelsey Korus & Megan Stockman.
Below with MC Yogi after dancing onstage at his set!
Quixotic killing it on the main stage!
And finally a little compilation of the Wanderlust Spectacular show :)
[embed]http://http://vimeo.com/103708106[/embed]
Farewell to summer...
China in 3 days
Another airport blog post as I wait for the second leg (out of three) back to Kansas City from China. Tired but at least the long twelve hour flight is over. Still about 7 hours to go. Trying to figure out if the total travel time to and from exceeds the number of hours actually spent in China. A whirlwind, last minute trip to perform in the country's capital, Beijing, for Bvlgari's launch of their new female jewelry line, Lvcea. Quixotic received confirmation of the job a couple weeks ago, so it was an exciting challenge to create a new piece for the event- a collaboration of custom made animation, music, and choreography inspired by the diamond and ruby Lvcea watch. It was my first opportunity to be apart of this type of creative process and I'm happy to report it was a success! A beautiful culmination of art and culture. It's crazy how much time and energy goes into a four minutes piece. But the precision and synchronicity has to be spot on.
Three of us journeyed out last Sunday morning, ready for a long flight with pillows, books, snacks, and a Chinese language app on my phone (I only ended up learning hello and thank you). Four movies and three airplane meals (vegan upon request-go United!) later we were in Beijing. The airport was insane-huge and filled with people pushing to get through customs and lining up at the baggage claim with no intention of moving to let anyone through. Luckily we had an escort and driver to lead us around and get us on our way. The hotel was in the center of the city and was one of the highlights for me- spacious room with gorgeous furniture, walk in closets, claw foot bathtubs and a shower the size of a bedroom. We got hooked up. The boys had to go to the venue and load in equipment etc but I was able to workout, go for a swim in the beautiful, cabana lined pool, take a bubble bath while watching Les Miserable (there was a TV in the shower room), and pass out!
The first night and following morning were very foggy and rainy which apparently is odd for Beijing this time of year and definitely put a damper on any chance of exploring comfortably. In the morning I went to check out the venue, which was the Beijing Television Theater that they were pretty much re-designing into an event space with a tunnel entrance and stage. Production was still under way so I thought I would try to see some of the city. Shopping was my first stop, just at a mall near the hotel. Many of the same stores as the US but also a ton of Chinese candy shops. And many many animal statues and funny advertisements. Shopping was cut short when I started to notice people starring and pointing at me quite a bit. Blondes are not as abundant in China as they are in the US-not to mention the freckles, which were also shocking to one of the bathroom attendants who kept pointing at the "dots" on my arms and nose. I reached my threshold when a man starting yelling at me in Chinese and continued to follow me from store to store. I would stop and turn around to look at him and he would look the other way pretending that he wasn't following me. I quickly ducked into an H&M and ran to find refuge at my hotel.
After a nap, I woke up with a renewed sense of adventure and confidence and decided to leave the sanctuary of my hotel to see a little more of Beijing. The Forbidden City was close by and I felt good about heading to a spot where there would be other tourists. I trekked out toward the entrance of the city trying not to pay attention to the aggressive walkers and people starring. I made it to tiananmen square I got immediately discouraged when the attention escalated from pointing to people asking to take photos with me. I didn't make it inside the city and instead went to wait at the hotel cafe for my friends to return. Sam's cousin lives in Beijing with his wife, so we met them and they took us out for an authentic Chinese meal. We walked down a back alley off one of the main streets to a hidden gem. The restaurant was in a six hundred year old building- a quaint spot with a charming patio and tons of traditional artwork. We sat and plate after plate of food arrived at the table. There was no menu, just tons of dishes to share. And plenty of vegetarian options-broccoli, beans, hearts of palm, bok choy, salad, two mushroom dishes and jasmine sprinkled eggs. Not to mention the meat and fish that came out-thinly sliced beef, a whole fish, chicken concoctions and shrimp that had tasty little legs, according to Sam. A great evening and then off to a late night rehearsal!
Last full day in China was a busy one. We had to get up early for a traditional good luck ceremony for the event. It involved a group offering, where we each lit incense and prayed, followed by a cooked piglet being eaten by each member of the team. Luckily there was fruit on the table as well, so I avoided eating little Wilber without offending anyone. It was very interesting to see this tradition and it seemed to bring everyone together before the big show. After that we had a couple hours before dress rehearsal so we hopped in the car and tried to run to the 798 arts district to see some local flavor! Only bummer was the traffic! Beijing is a crazy crowded city and we were not expecting the back up to be as bad as it was at 10 am. It also seems as though red lights don't mean anything there. Each intersection seemed more like a cluster of cars threatening to hit each other until someone gave up and let the other person pass. I would never attempt to operate a vehicle in this city! Once we finally arrived (an hour later) we only had thirty minutes on the clock to look around. It was the speediest art tour ever. I snapped fast photos, shopped like a tasmanian devil, and quickly scanned the sidewalks for art installations and murals. I surprisingly got gifts for most of my friends and made it down about four streets to see the art. Then back in the car, traffic jam number two, hair and makeup into dress rehearsal.
Finally show time. The event kicked off and I was ready to go! Everything seemed to flow smoothly. There was a celebrity guest, a couple of speakers, then Quixotic. I was proud to be there representing and doing my thing. It was well received and successful. Champagne and celebration to follow.
One final detail that I forgot. The bathrooms here. Thank god I was warned ahead of time (thanks Tali). No tp and a bit different than we do it in America.
To California, Canada and Back
A summer of traveling but finally getting back to my home state! A California girl at heart, I hope to some day live there again. Although I was starting this trip in Northern California. Lake Tahoe to be exact- a place I oddly had never been to before. Instant happiness and comfort upon arrival. Our hotel was a but dated but felt like a cozy lodge, very friendly staff. The layout of the festival was amazing- nestled in Squaw valley, surrounded by the most majestic looking mountains. Home of the 1960 Olympics and the model for Walt Disney's thunder mountain ride, it was a destination to remember. Delicious restaurants, food vendors, and tents for yoga that complimented the scenery. Not to mention a giant pool atop the mountain.
I was full of energy on this trip waking up early for classes and stumbling upon some incredible teachers I had no idea about. A few to mention- Jill Knouse from Portland, Oregon and Tori Reynolds and Ben Rivet of GO W/ THE FLOW. Jill's classes were full of heart and her joyful spirit spread through each class- I ended up attending two of her classes over the weekend. The GO W/ THE FLOW concept uses a lopped beatbox to match the breath rhythm of the vinyasa class-loved it!!
And of course another fun set of shows and teaching!
The next Wanderlust was up in Canada- Whistler to be exact. Another dreamy location-the drive alone from Vancouver to the mountain town blew my mind. It was a busy festival but I made time to explore the surroundings here since there was so much to see. Two gorgeous nearby lakes to swim and do some awesome photo shoots!
Another successful show :)
Photo shoot with Eric Ward
And then back to California- the south side this time! For some much needed vacation in San Diego with the boy and his family and one event in LA for Quixotic. San Diego was all about beach and fun-and despite sunscreen I definitely got a little burn because I couldn't get enough of the sun! And my boyfriend-missed him to death!
And finally to LA-to be a angel and see my hometown :)
Wanderlust Aspen
On my walk this morning I stopped by a park and started swinging. A little fair-skinned blonde girl sat next to me and told me her name was Charlotte (my mom's, my grandma's and several of my cousins' name). She was also wearing a yellow dress, which is my favorite color. It was fate. Lately I've been trying to fulfill these childlike urges, because they are just fun and why the heck not? Swinging rocks! That's what it felt like to be at Wanderlust Aspen two weeks ago. A big playground for thousands of adults to get in touch with their inner child. "Grown ups" rolling around in the grass, drinking chocolate coconut milk in the sun, learning how to crawl like animals, dancing in a Bollywood flash mob, and many other activities that you would probably not see on a daily basis. My boyfriend joined me at the festival and together we make the ultimate toddler team. Two rather tall people acting like five year olds together. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Play time.
Me and Myles on the acro playground
Movement Artistry with the lovely Megan Stockman!
Tie dye and crazy makeup!
Not to mention the gorgeous scenery of mountains, trees, and blue skies! The stage for the spectacular had the most spectacular view :) a backdrop of mountains and a slightly stormy sky gave a beautiful setting for the show. Another performance to remember. A special one for me as many of my phoenician friends were at the festival and my boyfriend smiling brightly in the audience. He greeted me side stage after the bow with huge grin and a giant hug. Go team!
Shakti Sunfire (Photo by Beau Campbell)
Megan looking fierce with the lightball
Bollywood time
(Photos by Ali Kaukas)
A fabulous festival followed by three days of road tripping! So many beautiful places in this world to see. We started the drive on Sunday and definitely made the most of our time. Leaving "colorful Colorado" to check out Utah-a state I had never ventured to before. I was shocked my the enormous red rocks and deep canyons only comparable to those of Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Our first stop was Arches National Park. We took a scenic drive, stopped for a hike, took some pictures, and headed to the next spot.
We made it to Canyonlands National Park just in time for sunset. The rocks looked ablaze and the sky was twelve shades of pink and orange.
Spent the night in Moab, got up bright and early ready for another day of sights and hiking. On the road for four hours to get to the location that was on the top of the list- Antelope Canyon. Goodbye Utah, hello Arizona. It was a bit hard to see the canyon from the road and I was happy we had a tour guide as we were climbing down a ladder into a slit canyon in the desert. Truly one of the most incredible places I have ever seen. Such unique curves in the rock, smooth lines guiding you around corners, and light leaking in casting different colors of orange, red and pink on the stone. The tour guide was amazing, taking photos for each family and informing us about the history of the canyon. Only downfall was his facts about the flash floods that occur and the different snakes we might run into along our path. I was happy to stay at the back of the line as he scared them off with different bird calls.
From Antelope to the Grand Canyon. Myles first trip and my second. Another deep canyon at sunset made the perfect closer to the day.
About to venture on for another four hour drive to Phoenix, two tired travelers decided to shack up in Flagstaff and get some rest. The next morning, we decided to have another adventure and find a forest hike. A little change of scenery from the open desert and red rock. Always finding time for a photo shoot :) Coconino National Forest
Finishing off with a drive through Sedona and making it home to the kitties and a homemade dinner.
Truly breathtaking. What a great way to put life into perspective.
"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
yellow is my life
So I haven't blogged in quite awhile. But over the past few months, any time I went out of town I took pictures with my film camera and finally finished one roll. There's something special about developing pictures some time after taking them. It's always a surprise to see how they come out. The black and white photos are shot with old old old Illford film, then there's a fun disposable camera I took to New York for New Years Eve and few from my digital SLR. Trips to San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, home in Phoenix and LA again documented by me, my boyfriend and various friends...
colorado is my life
Summer has been gone for quite some time now and I am back to the daily grind, but I still find myself talking and dreaming about vacation and the wonderful trips I took this year. A good friend that now lives in Colorado was visiting Phoenix this past weekend and he reminded me of my recent trip to Boulder. It was a really special trip in fact because three of my very best friends, who now live in various corners of the US, reunited. The four of us used to be called "The Quad" in high school a decided to bring back the fearsome foursome to see Tali's new home in Boulder. It was my first time in Colorado and I was blown away. Kate and I flew in from Los Angeles and Tyler from New York to see her new home and check out a city I had heard such wonderful things about. I see each of these friends pretty often considering how spread out we live, but not usually all together in the same place. And it felt as though no time had past since our last Quad reunion. So celebration was obviously in order and the first stop on our Colorado adventure was happy hour. Although Tali warned us to pace our drinking since we were not used to the altitude it was hard not to throw 'em back as we all caught up on each others lives and future plans. I always think that such things will not affect me, but sure enough, I was walking around downtown Boulder, breathing in thinner air than I am used to, a few drinks deep, and definitely feeling it! Needless to say it was an early night. But the next morning we were all ready for exploring the city, hiking, and more quality girl time. Within the four day trip we conquered three pretty challenging hikes and I saw some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. The Royal Arch at the base of the Rockies and Lake Isabelle were both highlights of the trip.
Tyler
Tali
Kate
One of the most gorgeous places I have ever been with three of the best girls I know! Hiking, cooking, laughing, and bringing back high school memories! Another noteworthy thing about Boulder-the high concentration of Subarus. It was seriously mind-blowing! At every stop light, every other parking meter, even on the most remote mountain roads, there were Subarus of every color surrounding me! I'm sorry Kate, I had to emphasize the Sub phenomenon. They must be reliable mountain town cars!
Now on to the sweet stuff! As promised I need to post the wonderful Pumpkin Carob Chip Muffins I recently made for a friends' birthday! The recipe is from Vegan Lunch Box and is seriously amazing! You cannot go wrong with this recipe!
Pumpkin Carob Chip Muffins (1 dozen)
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup vegan carob chips (I used mini vegan chocolate chips and worked beautifully)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin. Put pumpkin, water, canola oil, ground flax seed and vanilla in a blender and process for 1 minute. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the pumpkin mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or large spatula until well blended. Add chocolate chips. Bake for 30-35 minutes and let cool.
These were gone fast! Enjoy :)
new york is my life
Almost two weeks ago we closed our spring season at Ballet Arizona with a tough but very rewarding Balanchine program at Symphony Hall. As it was probably the hardest show of the year, I had to keep my focus as I started to feel the itch of summer vacation. With my job I am lucky to have about 2 and half months off and I feel like I am perpetually on a high school or college schedule. I usually commit to dancing on my off season but find time for scattered vacations here and there. I spent the last week and half in New York City, a place I have visited at least once every year since I was thirteen. Every trip offers something different as the city is so diverse and changing all the time. With my recent switch the vegan team, I discovered a whole new food scene in NY and found amazing spots all over the city. My first day in town I set out from the upper west side, where I was staying with my bro (well, my brother-in-law's brother, shout out to Grant-thanks again), and had no plan but to walk, shop, and eat. Within fifteen minutes I ran into someone I knew on the street (isn't that weird how that happens in such a crowded city) and scored some tickets to see NY City Ballet the next evening. After wandering to Lincoln Center, taking the train downtown, crossing town to shop on the east side, and exploring NYU I was a bit hungry. I saw Argo Tea Cafe and ducked inside to score some pomegranate ice tea (it was 80 degress so the ice was desperately needed)! I was thrilled to see many vegan options! They had fruit bowls and whole grain vegetable bowls and gave pretty detailed nutritional information for the entire menu. They even had vegan muffins (had to try one of course)...lemon poppy seed to be exact. I haven't had lemon poppy seed in years and this was amazing and moist!
My favorite shop of the day was recommended to me by my lovely friend Bree, called Tokio Seven. Racks and racks of vintage designer clothing, jewelry, handbags, and sunglasses. I spent at least an hour and a half combing each rack and trying on dress after dress (I was on a mission to find a birthday outfit for the next night). I finally decided on a striped button up (which I later decided made me look like Beetlejuice) and a pair of Penguin aviators-no dress :(
Dinner was at DOS CAMINOS. A mexican spot that was hopping. Margaritas, guacamole, veggies tacos! YUM
The next morning (June 8th-my birthday) I strolled around the corner from Grant's apartment to a famous cafe called Cafe Lalo. This cute french coffee shop has been featured in commercial and is best known for it's scene in You've Got Mail. Not much in terms of vegan fare, but it features coffee, teas, cakes, and pastries. I was content drinking black coffee and reading amidst vintage french posters. I considered getting an irish coffee but thought it was a bit early to start the birthday celebrations. They actually offered a dairy free cheese cake- but again too early for such a rich treat!
The rest of my birthday consisted of meeting Grant for lunch (Times Square is not so vegan friendly by the way), shopping (still no dress) and seeing a Broadway show, dinner, drinks, more drinks, even more drinks, bed. I haven't been to a show in a few years and I thought it was time. The obvious choice for me was How to Succeed in Business... featuring Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe (I'm a big fan so I was happy!)
The next day I was very late in getting up but needed to find a good spot to eat. I had found a vegan restaurant on the upper west side on my phone and decided to do a walk by. From the outside the place looked very nice and the menu sounded amazing, so I gave it a try. It was called Cafe Blossom- gourmet, vegan, organic cuisine. I was craving something very fresh and light, so I ordered a raw kale salad with candied pecans, jicama, carrots, red onion in a red wine vinaigrette. A lively couple next to me (when I say couple I mean gay man and his best girl friend) ordered tempeh kabobs and black eyed pea cakes that both looked amazing and judging by their excited groans and giggles they liked them a lot. I also ordered a large chocolate chip cookie and coffee for dessert (I have to make sure the vegan baking is up to par !) I was going to save half for later but who am I kidding.It was amazing and gone before you could say cookie monster.
I've got to say, New York knows where it's at and that was only three days in the city. The rest of my trip is coming soon. Stay tuned for a weekend in Long Island and my favorite restaurant of the trip Candle 79!!
fruit is my life
Since spring is in full swing and summer is approaching, I can't help but craving fruit, fruit, fruit. The heat is definitely on here in Arizona and there's nothing better than biting into a juicy peach or a cold, crisp apple. Since, I need more than just sugar, delicious salads and other light savory meals quench my taste buds--good thing since bikini season is approaching! This gorgeous spread was put together by my crafty sister Smyth for Easter. I could not go home for the holiday but I enjoyed getting numerous food and baby pictures via text message as I was trying to sleep in (my phone is set on some annoying church-like bell). I was very jealous of all that was being cooked, even though I did whip up some top notch french toast for my household. I did not record the beauty of this french toast but I will make sure to perfect it and blog it soon. I did make some very good chocolate covered strawberries! My fruit obbsession is even creeping into my dessert selections. A glass of red wine and chocolate covered fruit? Yes please. Easy enough right? And no one can resist. Melt some vegan dark chocolate, dip, wait with anxious anticipation, and devour!
Aside from fruit, another treat that spring brings is flowers. I can never resist buying flowers when I go to the farmers market. Particularly sunflowers. Sunflowers can make me happy anywhere, anytime. Someone recently asked me if girls really actually liked getting flowers from men...ummmm...really? DUH yes...flowers have some magical effect on us. I'm not even a sappy girl and I obviously welcome flowers from anyone! My sister came to visit a few weeks ago and brought I friend that I had never met. She is a florist and filled our house with the most outstanding lilies and tulips. The best part was that most of the lilies were wee buds when she placed them in vases. Then one by one they opened to reveal the most vibrant colors and life. I didn't even know I liked tulips until that weekend. Yasmine gave me a beautiful bouquet of purple tulips and white lilies. She also made some bad ass vegan cookies that I need to learn how to make and brought vegan challah--I didn't even know it existed and now I'm having dreams about it! Yasmine, you and your good vibes are welcome back anytime for kite flying and yummy food. 
On to some recipes! Since I am very bad at following instructions, I have a few original concoctions to share. Pizza of course--easy enough. I started with a vegan herb crust (store bought--the lazy way) and loaded it with a bunch of spicy stuff! This chipotle pizza is not for the meek! I covered the dough with a spicy salsa for the sauce, layered it with beet greens, kale, mini heirloom tomatoes, and topped it with red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Not the lightest meal but I think I had a rough day--needed to release my anger through cooking. But the end result was not too bad. Especially the next morning for breakfast! I love me a cold pizza!
Another delicious meal I recently made was an Asian noodle dish. My Aunt Mary made a similar pasta recently and I tried to recreate it with my own flare.
Ingredients:
Japanese soba noodles
sesame oil
liquid aminos
wheat free teriyaki sauce
sesame seeds
green onions
spinach
broccoli
I first sauteed some broccoli and spinach with the liquid aminos and green onions. Then I cooked up the buckwheat soba noodles and combined the sesame oil and teriyaki for sauce. Threw on the veggies and topped it with sesame seeds. So simple and soooo good. You can eat it hot or chill it in the fridge for a bit. I served it with mushroom miso soup and a side of seaweed cracker and wasabi peas. A very good Asian meal! I think it was even better the next day once all the flavors of Asia set in!!
Well that's all for now. Going to make some chewy orange, date, oatmeal cookies. Stay tuned.
hiking is my life
This is a shot from a lovely little hike I took a few weeks ago. Well, it started out lovely, but two hours later a lost and confused Beau stumbled off the trail and into a residential neighborhood. It was my first time hiking at Squaw Peak and I was supposed to meet a group for a yoga hike. When it got canceled I figured I would just hike on my own-I mean how hard can it be when there are maps and trail marks etc. Harder than I thought apparently! The nature trail proved to be a bit boring as it was not very difficult, so I started on a different trail that had "loop" in the title. I figured a loop would bring me back to where I started. This trail was awesome and I got really into the hike. However, about an hour and a half later I checked my watch and realized I had a mani/pedi appointment with my roommates. I tried to finish the so-called loop and ended up asking a fellow hiker where the Dreamy Draw entrance was, where I had parked my car. It was not close...another hour trek over the mountain. So, I leaped off the trail and headed toward a residential neighborhood...sorry to whomever's driveway I intruded upon. I had to call my roomies in defeat and have them pick me up on 24th St and Lincoln. Needless to say, we were a bit late to our appointments and I was very dirty...sorry to the poor man that gave me a pedicure after hiking for 2 hours!
Anyway, onto some delicious food recipes!! Our soup of the week a pretty simple pea soup from the Soup Bible of Course. It was very vibrant green color and tasted amazing!
Fresh Pea Soup St Germain
Ingredients:
a small knob of butter (earth balance)
2 or 3 shallots
3 cups shelled fresh peas (we opted for organic frozen peas)
2 1/4 cups water
salt and pepper
croutons to garnish
1. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the shallots and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the peas and water and season with salt and pepper. (We also threw a bouillon cube in there) Cover and simmer for about 12-18 minutes stirring occasionally.
3. When the peas are tender, ladle them into a blender with a little of the cooking liquid and process until smooth.
4. Strain the soup and heat through without boiling. Add the seasoning and serve hot with croutons.
I made some croutons by cutting whole wheat sourdough bread into cubes, rolling them in olive oil and garlic, and sticking them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. YUM!
The dessert this week was three dozen chocolate chocolate chip cookies. I needed to gives some friends treats and also just have some goodies around the house! I used a very simple vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe and tweaked a few things. The original recipe is from Hell Yeah It's Vegan (http://hellyeahitsvegan.com/?p=2055). Very simple and easy recipe! I just added a few scoops of cocoa powder and a bit extra flour because they seemed a bit oily to me. Turned out pretty amazing!
Cannot go wrong with these chocolate classics! I also experimented with a few recipes of my own. I was going to a baby shower and wanted to bring a snacky tofu dish. Why not fry some tofu and stick some toothpicks in it? I used extra firm tofu and drained it by pressing it between two plates. Then I cut the tofu into bite sized cubes. I made a marinate with liquid aminos and sesame oil, and let the tofu sit in it for a few hours. Next comes the fun part. I stir-fried the cubes in a little bit of live oil making sure each side of each cubes was cooked until brown and a bit crusty. I served the tofu cubes on toothpicks with a wheat free teriyaki dipping sauce. I loved them...very good for entertaining!
Try 'em out! And don't get lost hiking :)
yoga is my life
Happy Baby! One of my favorite yoga poses. Every time a teacher instructs the class to go into happy baby I think of my beautiful niece Aven pictured to the left. She is definitely one of the happiest babies I have ever met. Speaking of yoga I took the most amazing class last night at LifePower in Scottsdale. The teacher, Anton Mackey led an exceptionally inspiring class that both kicked my butt and helped me let go of any stress in my life (at least for a couple of hours!). Great music, great energy, and truly challenging sequences. I practiced next to my friend Guru, who is a gorgeous yogini with some pretty fierce tricks up her sleeve. I recently took some photographs of her and wanted to share!
Beautiful and inspirational! So lucky to have such an incredible subject to photograph! Get out and try yoga if you never have !!! Namaste
gravy is my life
I always love hearing dramatic Thanksgiving stories. In-laws criticizing their new daughter-in-law's cooking. Families fighting and screaming after two bottles of wine. Someone getting a turkey stuck on their head-wait that was in a Friends episode. Anyway, my family likes to keep it simple-most of the time. Aside from a few tense moments over god knows what, Thanksgiving was a success both in terms of food and family bonding. Even when my older sister shattered a glass jar of olives and yelled an odd saying I have never heard before (you know what I'm talking about sis) right at the height of the cooking, all was calm and forgotten a few minutes later. Although our dinner started 2 hours later than originally planned and our meal was slightly cold after going around the table and saying what everyone was thankful for, it was our best Thanksgiving yet! And with a new addition to the family, baby Aven, everyone was very happy and full. Aside from the turkey my mom made for the men in the family (which I tried not to look at) the spread was entirely vegan and organic. Here is the menu:
We started out with wine of course....lots and lots of wine!
mashed potatoes (made with Earth Balance and soy milk)
Real Food Daily gravy
greens peas
"creamed" kale and collard greens
Tuscan Tomato Bread stuffing
lemon sorbet (to cleanse the palette)
roasted carrots with onions and caraway seeds
sweet potato tempeh casserole
canned cranberry sauce (I'm obsessed with the canned stuff-I don't know why!)
apple crisp
pumpkin fudge brownies
Very hearty and very healthy! My contribution was the Tuscan Tomato Bread Stuffing, which I made in a previous entry as a soup (see Dates are my Life). Since it turned out more like a stuffing, I decided to make it for Thanksgiving.
This time we used 100 % whole wheat bread made fresh that morning by my wonderful sister that is a whiz with the bread machine. It turned out as delicious as ever even though by the time we ate it it was a bit cold (my dish was ready on schedule of course)! One of the other highlights of the meal was Smyth's "Creamed" kale. She got the recipe from Whole Food Kitchen. She used a mixture of kale and collard greens, which tasted amazing!
"Creamed" Kale
The roasted carrots were an invention of Whitney's and turned out so crazy good! I went back for seconds and thirds on these guys. She roasted several multi-colored whole carrots at 400 degrees until very tender. They were topped with olive oil, thinly sliced onions, sea salt, and caraway seeds. I would never have thought to put the seeds on, but the flavor complimented the carrots very well.
After the first meal, and seconds, and for a few of us thirds...we were stuffed. As is the point of Thanksgiving. But there's always room for dessert. A few hours later at least. This year we went for tradition and started with a simple apple crisp recipe. Smyth made this using a recipe from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch. The Skinny Bitch series is actually what made me go vegan initially. A blunt approach to vegan-ism and plenty of tasty recipes. I highly recommend this recipe, especially around the holidays-its hard to believe that there isn't a trace of butter in it!
Skinny Bitch Apple Crisp
Topping:
1/2 cup refined coconut oil (and more for the pan)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oats
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup sucanat (or other dry sweetener)
Filling:
1 tbsp sugar (brown or white)
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
8 cups chopped and peeled apples
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon for the filling and mix. Add the apples, lemon, juice and vanilla and mix. Combine all the topping dry ingredients, then cut in the coconut oil and mix until it's all incorporated and the largest chunks are the size of peas. Oil an 8x8 baking dish. Put in filling and spread the topping evenly over the top. Bake for 40 minutes. Enjoy!
Smyth and I finished this off for breakfast in the morning as well!
The second dessert was equally as scrumptious, not as traditional. Whit made Pumpkin Fudge Brownies compliments of Post Punk Vegan Kitchen (http://www.theppk.com/2007/09/pumpkin-pie-brownie/). Amazing and super fudgey!
A success of a meal that took all day to prepare. Fun with the family and good food. It's all gravy!
dates are my life
This is Winston, sitting on my bed, ignoring my commands, and sleeping better than I have in weeks. He is punishing me for being out of town and busy. The only time he pays me any attention these days are when I am cooking-in hopes that some stray piece of food will slip out of my hand and onto the floor where he can snatch it up at lightening speed. Unfortunately, I have been using lots and lots of onions lately and last night a big chuck flew off my cutting board and was in his mouth in half a second. I found it later discarded under the dining room table. The next item he managed to steal was a garlic clove and then a slice of shallot...all discarded. Needless to say the soup I made was very flavorful and full of all these ingredients. The soup this Monday was vegan tortilla soup from the Real Food Daily Cookbook. One of the best vegan restaurants in LA in my opinion! I found a blog that had tested the recipe and tweaked it a bit and I tried the suggestions. (http://spiceislandvegan.blogspot.com/search?q=tortilla+soup) The soup was delicious but definitely a bit spicy! We ate it with organic whole grain tortilla chips from Traders Joe's and homemade guacamole. I tend to just throw a bunch of yummy ingredients in with the avocado when I make guacamole, but this one definitely stood out to me so I will try and remember what I threw in. I started with 3 avocados and added lime juice, one shallot, Spike seasoning, ground cumin and sea salt. The meal was amazing but left my mouth on fire!
And while we are on the subject of soups the previous Monday my roommates and I made a tomato bread soup from my Vegan Italiano cookbook. I am sad to say that it was my first time cooking from Vegan Italiano but happy to say how amazing this recipe was! Although I'm not sure I can really call it soup as the bread dominated the dish, which I'm not complaining about! Very filling though.
Tuscan-Style Baked Bread and Tomato Soup with Basil
1 loaf day-old peasant bread cubed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes cut into chunks
1 cups fresh basil chopped
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 tbsp dry white wine
Preheat oven to 350 F. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a large ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes stirring after 10. Remove and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, half the garlic, salt, and pepper. Bake for 2-3 more minutes and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large oven proof skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the rest of the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, half the basil, half the broth, the wine, salt, and pepper-simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the bread cubes to the skillet along with the remaining basil and broth, stirring well to combine. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Serve !!!
(before adding the bread)
(after adding the bread)
I even enjoyed it the next day cold and pretty soggy :) Now onto desserts!!! Last week I came into work and there was a huge container of dates up for grabs on the table. People always bring in treats for the dancers, but as these were not cookies or cake no one was touching them. So I took it upon myself to use them to their full potential. Of course after trying a few and falling in love with the heavenly honey flavor, I baked with them. On my lunch break I went home and made oatmeal cookies with a date jam topping. (http://www.myvegancookies.com/vegan-cookie-recipes/vegan-date-filled-cookie-recipe) The cookies were very fluffy and not too sweet. With the date topping they reminded me of fig newtons cookies (minus the fig part ?).
The second half of the dates I stole went to another batch of energy balls. I tried a new recipe with lemon and coconut! Amazing!
Lemon Coconut Balls
7 large honey dates
2 tablespoons almond meal
handful of raw cashews
lemon juice
unsweetened shaved coconut
Combine all the ingredients in a small food processor until well blended. Add extra cashews if you want a firmer texture. Roll spoonfuls of the date mixture into small balls and roll in the coconut until covered. Refrigerate and enjoy!
I highly recommend all of these recipes! Just don't let your dog eat the scraps!
ballet is my life
Taking a break from the food posts and dedicating today to ballet. Since Wednesday evening Ballet Arizona has been presenting Ballet Under the Stars to ballet lovers around Phoenix. We bring excerpts from past and present seasons to parks in the greater Phoenix area for free. You can bring a blanket, food, wine, and watch some dancing with scenic backdrops from Sun City to Glendale. Tonight is the second to last show and we are headed to Steele Indian School Park on Indian School and 3rd St. The program includes sections from A Midsummer Night's Dream and Divertimento No. 15 and well as a full length performance of The Four Temperaments. You should come out and support the arts in Phoenix! Not to mention that it takes a lot of energy to perform in the heat while trying to not swat the bugs that the stage lights attract. Not the most comfortable setting for the dancers but as long as there are fans and no rain...the show must go on! So, here are some ballet photographs to inspire you to come see the show.
These are two shots from a Mixed Rep program that Ballet Arizona performed at the Orpheum Theatre. Former Ballet AZ dancers Heather Haar and Ross Clarke.
These are a few from a series I shot at the Ballet Arizona studios, inspired by Balanchine's La Valse. This is one of my favorite dancers in the company, Chelsea Early. She will be in the show tonight! You have two more chances to see the show so stop by!
Saturday, September 25th at Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix Sunday, September 26th at Sahuaro Ranch Park, Glendale
schmee is my life
First and foremost happy birthday to my dear little sister Smyth. You are no longer a teenager. You are now officially in your 20's! Too bad this birthday doesn't come with any new privileges. Only feeling older. In the spirit of your birthday I am dedicating this post to you and sharing some awesome portraits of the one and only Schmee. I wish I were in Cali to celebrate your special day-possibly with some cake, wine, a Beatles cover band, karaoke-whatever shenanigans I'm sure you'll get into! We did this photo shoot in Phoenix a couple of months ago and then I forgot all about it. So, here are some shots you have never seen before.
Legs for days! The prettiest little sis ever...take no prisoners! Have an extra drink for me tonight...a Beau sized drink :) Cheers and besos.
