Butcher, Baker... Where's the Candlestick Maker?

More stores need fresh butcher shops! I'll put my request in now! Something about them that  I find so fresh, yet so old-school. I think I've spoken of this place : el Salchichero in Santa Cruz? It's a small but finely stocked charcuterie. I adore the owner and his fellow-choppers - they're dynamic, informative, and tattooed! Tiny place, big + for a perfect food field trip with the Organic Chef!
{Cousin Rick}

Hubby kissing the ceramic pork

Meat was bought! Cousin was happy. Butcher ... then Baker... in the same courtyard is Kelly's French Bakery! Yuuuummmmy  decadence...

this little starling had his "sweet" spot staked-out

 Next?  other California scenery - especially while in the Santa Cruz area. One must visit the beach - of course !!

Pleasure seeking, food indulging, and completely seizing the day - we truly DID!!

Darlings of Fast Food ? Our Family Chef Would Perish the Thought..

Taco trucks seem to be the hamburger stand de rigeuer. At least that's how I've come to see them. A hip way to get authentic food quickly. While our cousin hasn't lived in the U.S. in years, his craving for this simple dining experience had not wavered. Rick requested we hit a taco truck on his first day here.

Scrumptious street-style tacos!! soooo yummy...

The interior (^ where we did not eat) was wildly colorful and displayed vintage posters that I found oh so photographable!


No pictures of the food - but I did get the cousins sitting together ~

Did I mention that our days revolved around where to take Rick to eat?

 No, we didn't eat the chickens!

Again - no capturing of the organic food take-out excursion, just a glimpse into where we dined....
our BACKYARD...

Here's the part where there was no way in hell I was going to have a professional chef try to slice&dice with my unsharpened cutlery, nor try to find a pan that would suit his needs. Let alone attempt a meal prep in a kitchen the size of some closets......  uh uh

lamb was a fave pick

We happily chose our own customized pleasure cartons of edibles from Whole Foods. Then, I did supplement and served a homemade galette from plums off of our trees. (the least I could do)
And, believe me - I don't think I impressed the cousin!

We listened to stories of Japan...

and opted for ~ a la mode~  just to top off the evening with more goodness ! ....

Organic Man Visiting from Japan ~ AKA Rick was in Cali

We know an organic chef, he cooks Italian, he's American, and he lives in Japan. Pretty wild, huh? Rick is Hubby's cousin {by marriage}... we hadn't seen him in three years, or so. Wouldn't one think that having a chef visit your home means instant dinner party without all the work? WRONG!! My tiny cottage kitchen is not - repeat NOT an equipped spot for a pro! Instead, we shopped with the man-from-Japan.  We spent a sunny Sunday at an organic farmer's market. We bought take-out at Whole Foods (organic) hot deli-smorgy and then we felt comfortable hosting cousin in our back yard garden for dinner.

Take in the color and magnificence of the market....

This is Chef Rick ~

 

 

 

Yeah, alright.... we ate, and ate, and shopped for food, and ate some more  - seems the story of my life! hhhaaa


Cousin Chef asked for a taco truck visit! We indulged him - see that on the next post...

Stick-to-it-iveness ... Say WHAT??

No. The new year does not automatically call for resolutions. Sometimes I partake in the goal naming, sometimes not. This go-round all of it just slipped past me.Though I probably should have taken the Numero Uno resolution of dieting - 'cause, as you'll see below - the days before the ball dropped for 2013, I done had me a treasure trove of delicious EATS!!

Also, more than my fair share of fun and frolic - leaving much less time for goodly things like exercise and well-being! Additionally some trying events + sadness = {as mentioned here}highly unlikely to be kind to self!

This was a somewhat healthy meal ^.. still very indulgent!  Shall I be resolute about a goal - now - a week into the year? And if I do choose something will I stick with it?... that is the biggest goal of all : to have the stick-to-it-iveness in all facets of life.... dontcha think?

If I were one to follow trends... and in some things, I am... then the Blogland thing to do for the new year is to choose a word. Your chosen term for a goal you hope to hit in TWENTY THIRTEEN.
Maybe I'll be really bold ridiculous and say that my word is sticktoitiveness {albeit a made-up word}.


Haaaa - I know what my first stick-to-it will be :  STICKY BUNS!!  nah, not really...

Tapas Together

Summer party picnicking at it's easiest - which might also mean at it's best!...
I called two other couples at the last minute.
Spread a tablecloth or two.
Chilled a bottle of wine, or two.
Plated the simplest and most delicious savory samples.

and VOILA!!!  A tapas party..

Short, simple, sweet, sublime - SUMMER

Edited : I've decided to link to another blog : Romantic Home.... click and go see all of the inspiration!
              My first time checking the blog: Cedar Hill Ranch. A Texas gal with French style. I loved the post on her  fave place for a summer picnic! Go and see..

Day In The Life Of Me

A plain old day, regular, quiet - in fact rather dull. Not my usual running around with outings. It was grey, and it rained {finally}, so I decided to stay in and ->

Spent a strangely inordinate amount of time in my bathroom ~

salle de bain = salon of the bath {French}... fyi

Applied a face masque and then had the gall to photograph myself.... oh geeeesh! ~

pay no attention to the lip lines and creases.... the mask only serves to accentuate them! hhaaa

Added some of my Spring Chicken Serum after the mask was rinsed~

You heard right. That little bottle on the left is filled with a potion made by another blogger named Jayme. She is the Tales From The Coop Keeper tender. Don't know if her secret recipe has real live chicken-any-part in it, but 'tis very emollient!

I drank some tea and had me an egg from the next-door-chickens, that are now known as the party-in-my-yard-chickens. Aka - Clarabelle and Biloxi Brown. {Story on them soon}

Fussed about some more in the Salle de Bain ~

Love that new gadget hanging from the towel bar. I had a plant in it. Think it will instead have an extra roll of TP. The pot and hooks were found at IKEA, and were shown in the kitchen area for utensils - but rather like my version!

Foofed the towels and took a steamy, long shower. You'd think a bath, the way this post is going - wouldn't ya? Nope, I'm not a bath kinda girl.

A great big French bar ^ a la the Hubby!


Had a view of the rainy day out my window, beyond the orchid ~

Took in one of the few Academy Award films that I missed.  A Better Life  - the story of a Mexican immigrant {illegal} and the better life he hoped to give his only child and himself here in California.
Dimian Bishir was nominated for Best Actor and was deserving of the nod.


Gathered a grocery list and finally left the abode... looking very coiffed, and spit-shined {if I do say so myself} after the day of Le Salle de Bain! haaa

I capped the day off with a lovely evening... time spent with some pals!

And a divine meal ~

Now, didn't that quiet and grey day turn into something scrumptious?  And, I don't just mean the food.

Party In A Glass

Funny fact - a personal fact, inconsequential, silly and smile inducing...

Straws make me HAPPY !



straw photos from Pinterest


It came to my attention when I pour myself a lunchtime drink, everything is more sparkly when I drink it from a straw! Having myself lots of soda water lately, adding lemon slices here and splashes of fruit juice there....
and it all becomes less common when I drink from a straw.

Ready for another personal fact? When I sip from a straw - well, I don't place it straight in the center of my lips, NOPE.. seems that I put the straw as far off to one side as possible. THAT makes hubby laugh.

Party all the time at my house!  HA!

Can't Beet This

Dining alfresco with a crisp bite to the air and a pink tinge in the sky.  I've planted some fall crop veggies in the raised beds and ritually browse the market for fall produce too.

Beets head my shopping list every couple of days. I can't get enough of Ina Garten's roasted beets! We've enjoyed them at dinner for nights in a row! They're quite the taste sensation as a salad with goat cheese, apples (and I've added figs) ~

Along with cool air and a Fall feeling, we appreciate a hearty meat for dinner. This evening I fried lamb chops in cast iron ~

Meat in general, and lamb particularly are on the chopping block from our diets here. 

And, while the carbs on our menus should also be cut down - we can never resist temptation of this beautiful loaf of deliciousness ~




artichoke, garlic bread from Pescadero Beach


It's a work in progress to get Hubby healthy and for both of us to maintain that same lifestyle for the future too. We're on the right path. Hubby is improving still. You can't beet beat that either!