Hello!

Well, hello there! It's sure been awhile. Here's what I've been up to:

Working on my daytime, work appropriate cat eye with my tried-and-true Loreal Lineur Intense liquid liner in Black Noir

Planting an herb garden on my patio. I also planted a jalapeno to go along with all that cilantro I'll be harvesting for fresh salsa - ole!

Obsessing over California-fresh produce. It's out of this world good.

And dreaming of having my own backyard citrus. If you have never smelled a blooming citrus tree, you need to come visit me in the springtime, stat. When I step out for morning and evening walks, it smells like heaven in my neighborhood. Growing a huge one of these in my backyard is in my long term plan to happiness.

Happy weekend

Here's some interesting reads I found this week:

Yoga

Everyone's going on and on in the internet yoga community about this article. The assigning editor wrote her response. Another writer from the same site gave her opinion. Personally, I liked this smart response. And now I'm officially over it, which brings me to...

Feminism

...this interesting piece on feminism's toxic Twitter wars. Luckily I mostly read, and not post on twitter about my opinion, but I could see how difficult it could be if you are heavily invested in the medium and receive a lot of backlash. 

Food

Are you a property owner in the LA area with fruit trees overburdened with their production? Sign up here to donate your excess to a good cause. If you don't have that particular blessing of too much fruit, but are still looking to give in another way, you can register here for various events to help collect and harvest fresh food. Food Forward is an amazing organization that rescues fresh, local produce that would otherwise go to waste, connecting this abundance with people in need. I plan on joining in myself.

The benefits of Food Stamps (definitely worth the click through)...

Which will be cut by $8 billion over 10 years by the recently passed farm bill.

Random

The Napoleon complex, explained. As a short person, this might explain a lot. 

This physical art is so beautiful.

Eat happy - choose good vinegar.

Did you know balsamic vinegar is sometimes called 'wine' vinegar? That's because it's made from grapes and the juice is aged in wooden barrels just like wine - the difference being that vinegar is not allowed to ferment. The longer your balsamic is aged, the thicker and sweeter it will be, and yes, the more expensive it will be too. 

Balsamic in barrels

You'll know a true, traditional style balsamic - or 'tradizionale aceto balsamico' - by the price tag. It's usually well over $100 for one 100ml bottle. That's because it's been barrel-aged for at least 10 years, and sometimes much longer than that. It will be stored in a traditional bulb-shaped bottle, and it's usually stored in its own wooden box. This kind of balsamic is painstakingly created to be valued and savored in special moments. Not necessarily what you'd want for your regular salad dressing. 

For whipping up an everyday vinaigrette dressing, you'll want something that's much more affordable, while still maintaining the taste profile of the quality balsamic flavors - that perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. 

I'm partial to We Olive's aged balsamic vinegar. It's delicious enough that I can eat it alone on greens and be satisfied. It's a great compromise of excellent flavor and high quality - at a fairly affordable price. Plus it's made here in California, so I can feel good about buying locally. 

If you're not sure about the quality of the balsamic vinegars available to you, a decent shortcut is to try a balsamic glaze. Basically, the glaze is a cheap balsamic vinegar, reduced for thickness and sweetness. Be careful of added sugars! But a balsamic glaze is generally inexpensive (easy to DIY, too), and can be used just like the high quality aceto balsamico, without breaking the bank. 

Happy Weekend

What are your plans this weekend? I'm wrapping up a bunch of work, cooking and prepping for the upcoming week, and apartment hunting. Here's some interesting reads I found for your weekend:

Environment

This collection of photos is worth seeing - photographers traversed the Marcellus Shale formation documenting what they could of the effects of fracking. My father previously owned a house with a beautiful waterfall and river on the propery in Pennsylvania, and sold it right before the fracking boom there. It's too bad the photographers weren't able to get any shots of the workers, more of the industry and all the promise it does provide, in order to provide more of a counter to the arguments against the environmental devastation and health risks.

Yoga

After the NYTimes has reported so. many. times. on the perils of yoga, it seems other news agencies are trying to get in on the scare tactics. My advice: Listen to your own body, honor your limitations, and be patient with your practice. You can transcend boundaries as long as you're careful.

Feminism

This collection of covers comparing the Hillary Cover to images for other (mostly male) politicians basically speaks for itself. What were they thinking? Not that I'm a huge Hillary fan, but that's no justification for that type of absurdity.

Mike Huckabee (former Republican Arkansas governor) said the government shouldn't provide co-pay free birth control to women who "cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of government." He says this to argue that Democrats feel that women are "helpless and hopeless creatures" who just want government-provided birth control, and that women should be empowered to be "something other than victims of their gender." This isn't surprising considering he supported Akin's "legitimate rape" comments.

Food

This is an interesting article on intermittent fasting, a form of dieting which is touted as a healthy choice for dieting, the best lifestyle to stay healthy over time, but also a worrisome choice to those with possible histories of disordered eating. A scientist is currently doing an NIH-funded study comparing people doing six months of every-other-day dieting, as compared to six months of every-day calorie restriction. I'm curious to see the outcome.

Eat more salads.

Just a quick post today. I've been running around shopping for a new car - you definitely need one living here in California. And lately I've been craving and throwing together a Greek salad, and it tastes amazing for something that's just a simple twist on your traditional vinaigrette dressing.

For a single salad, start with one freshly chopped garlic clove, and a bit of grainy dijon mustard. Add the juice of half a lemon and a few dashes of white wine vinegar. Throw in about a half a teaspoon of dried oregano. Slowly drizzle in your olive oil and whisk together, tasting until you like the blend.

I threw in some leftover quinoa for protein, greek olives, and feta cheese. It really hit the spot today for lunch - so tasty, quick, and filling. 

Eat Happy Mondays - choose good olive oil.

Your choice of olive oil will make or break the quality of the vinaigrette you use it in. It can also have tremendous ramifications for your health. The better quality, and the fresher your olive oil, the better the health benefits you can gain from including it in your diet. 

A recent meta-analysis of 18 independent studies showed that conformity to the Mediterranean Diet (high in olive oil) confers consistent protection against cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and overall mortality.  This is clearly evidence to recommend this lifestyle to anyone who wishes to age in good health while enjoying their food. 

Beautiful olive tree

The Mediterranean diet is plant-based and full of antioxidant rich foods, which means a high intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and olive oil, combined with a moderate intake of fish and alcohol (usually wine), and a low intake of dairy, meat and meat products, and sweets. Basically how I try to eat!

But how your olive oil is made is so important. It's easy to buy a bottle without really knowing what you're getting. If you're in California, you can benefit from local growers and the California Olive Oil Council label, so you can be sure of where your olives were grown and where your oil was made. 

Wherever you live, your finest olive oils will be labelled extra-virgin, which means no chemicals or extreme heat were used in the production process. Ideally, the bottle you buy should provide a harvest date and a bottling date so you know how fresh it is - try to buy within 18 months from the harvest at the most, and consume within 30 days of opening for best taste and freshness.

Olive oil at the mill

Remember to store your olive oil in a dark bottle, away from light and heat to avoid oxidation and preserve it as long as possible. Want to learn more about olive oil? There's an International Olive Oil School  (that has webinars) where you can learn advanced tasting techniques, food pairings, and most importantly, how to know a high quality oil when you taste one. And here's a great quick online guide to tasting olive oils and what to look for. 

Happy weekend

Ayutthaya, Thailand, from my trip in 2008. 

A reminder of the impermanence of all things

I hope you have some time to set aside for yourself this weekend. I'm trying to get outside to relax and enjoy the sun for at least an hour every.single.day. no matter how busy I might be, and it's been nice to indulge myself in the sunshine. Here's some interesting reads I found for your weekend:

Fashion

Cheap-clothing giant H&M warned they might raise prices to pay higher wages to its factory workers. "Might" being the operative word. I don't shop much at H&M but I might consider it; I'll gladly pay a little more if I know it means a worker is no longer living below the poverty line.


Feminism

A Virginia Republican Congressman suggested that access to abortion should be restricted because more children = more jobs. People actually think like this! I'm frightened by people in power who seem to have the mentality that women's value lies solely in their ability to create babies.


Some good news: Out of all that abortion legislation I talked about last week, a North Carolina law that required doctors to display and explain ultrasounds images to women seeking abortions was struck down yesterday.


A Rothstein Kass study showed that women-owned and managed hedge funds outperform the market. A few pension funds and institutional investors have even created mandates to invest into these women-run funds, but those mandates are not the norm. Overall, the it seems that most investors don't expect to allocate more to women-owned or managed funds, but it's comforting to know that this guy was wrong.


Food

Wal-Mart joined the CIW's the Fair Food program. This is a BIG DEAL for organized labor. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers in Florida's tomato fields have been dealing with food industry giants for an extra penny per pound to go directly, which goes directly to workers. Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King, Chipotle, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's have all signed on, but this is certainly the largest private food buyer in the US. This is a great take on this historic moment.

Did you know the cashew shell is toxic? And cashews are never sold raw, since they contain an resin that can cause rashes and be toxic as well.


Random

An interesting article that questions the mantra "do what you love." I never really gave this idea a second thought - and in fact, felt encouraged my entire life to find something I'm passionate about to be the seeds of a career. I definitely look up to and envy those who have found their livelihood in a profession that they love. This article calls "Do What You Love" the ultimate anti-worker ideology - because maybe work should feel like work, so workers demand and receive fair compensation and benefits in exchange for what they do. So that work is not divided into that which is lovable (creative, intellectual, socially prestigious) and that which is not (the cubicle drones, manual laborers). I have been encouraged to stop focusing on finding love for a career - and start finding love for life, for the pursuit of knowledge, for the happiness I can find outside of work - and I find it interesting how fully this idea of "do what you love" has penetrated my philosophies and my life. So this is something I have never before considered, that I need to think deeply about.

Happy Friday

I didn't make it to the farmers market this Thursday, so I'll have to hit it today or tomorrow instead. The last time I went, there was so much local citrus fruit that I was really overwhelmed and I didn't end up getting any. I think this week I'll have to go in with a plan. 

I was so ecstatic when a student brought in some lemons for me fresh picked from her backyard tree on Tuesday, and I've been dreaming about a citrus tree of my own. 

Fresh from a student's tree! It smelled like heaven.

For now, I'll focus on trying to buy what's in season - and lucky for me, the main winter crop in California is citrus. Mandarin oranges are the ones that are seedless, sweet, and easy to peel. Tangerines are probably the only type of Mandarin I'm used to getting in New York, that have a thicker skin and a slightly darker orange color than other Mandarins. There's a huge variety in types, and I've been getting the Minneola Tangelos on the regular, which vary in size and sweetness but have a steady, bright orange color.  

These are mandarins

I've also tried the Cara Cara Pink Navel Orange, which is sweet and not acidic. It has a beautiful pink flesh. It's almost like a blood orange, without as much of the tartness in that signature tart/sweet blend. 

Beautiful fruit

I've even recently seen little kumquat trees in pots for sale. I thought long and hard about it before I decided I had to wait. Eventually I'll have my own space with my own yard (hopefully) and I'll be able to buy as many little fruit trees as I want. Patience! For now, my plan is to buy as many of the weird varieties that I've never seen before. I'm going to stay away from the familiar and go for the local varieties. Why not, right?

Eat Happy Mondays - make salads.

Rather than focusing my energy on diets and restricting calories, I try to focus instead on the things I want to eat more of each day, like fresh green salads, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, vegetarian sources of protein, and healthy fats. My father always made a fresh vinaigrette dressing each time he would make a chopped salad, and I'm so grateful that I got to learn from him. It's an easy way to add some more delicious to your everyday. 

A vinaigrette is basically just an emulsion of of vinegar and oil. The golden ratio is about 1 part vinegar to 2 or 3 parts oil - but always adjusting to taste. Mix it up in a small bowl (best if it has steep sides) using a fork or a small whisk. The taste is going to depend So MUCH on what type of vinegar, and what type of oil you're using. Stay tuned for future posts on vinegars and oils, and how to know what to buy.

I like to start with my vinegar element - whether it's a balsamic, an apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice. Gently drizzle in your olive oil, whisking all the while, until your dressing starts to come together. And don't be afraid to adjust your dressing to suit your taste. So, as your mixing the dressing, taste it by dipping in a piece of lettuce so you'll see how well your flavors blend. No licking the fork!

Vinagrette

If you're using a vinegar that's sweet enough, you won't need to add any sweetener. If you're using lemon juice or something else that's a bit tart, you might want to add a bit of honey to sweeten it up. Keep adjusting until you find the blend you like. 

You'll notice that you might want a slightly sweeter dressing if you're using a peppery green like arugula, cress, or mizuna, or maybe something with a bright, citrusy taste if you're using a more bitter green like frisee, raddichio, or kale. Mix it up and try different combinations to find what you like best. (Not sure about different types of greens? This is a great infographic that will help sort things out).  

My favorite part of making fresh dressing when you make a salad is that you can so easily customize it depending on your mood and what ingredients you have on hand. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of vinegar. Add crushed fresh garlic or chopped fresh herbs. Try a tahini or miso-based dressing for a totally different flavor and texture. Whisk in some grainy mustard to help thicken it up and add another dimension of flavor. It's a great way to change it up on a regular basis, even if you're eating from the same salad greens, day after day. 

Have a happy weekend.

Here's some interesting reads for your weekend!

In yoga:

Yogadork.com shares how John Friend (formerly of Anusara, Inc.) is staging his comeback. I truly loved the practice of Anusara, and was disheartened to hear about JF's behavior (sleeping with married students, hiding questionable financial practices, sending goafers for his pot and abusing his power to intimidate anyone who tried to step outside the circle).  I was lucky enough to enjoy the benefits of the practice while I was stationed far, far outside of the JF circle - much like my relationship to Bikram.  

I laughed out loud at this slideshow from mindbodygreen.com but then couldn't figure out if it is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek or if it's serious!! Um, yes, I will always warm up before attempting to take pictures of myself in forearm-stand-scorpion. Thanks.

In feminism:

The Guttmacher Institute put out this summary of their review of laws affecting reproductive health and rights. More state abortion restrictions were enacted in 2011-2013 than in the entire previous decade. Worth the read and very frightening to think how few people notice and care about these shifts - how quietly a lot of this legislation was passed. This reminds me of Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian future where women's bodies are controlled by the state - except this is really happening. Shudder.

I definitely agree with this Flavorwire article from Michelle Dean about Lena Dunham's nudity in the HBO show Girls. Despite all my own reservations about the show, it is nice to have an in-your-face reminder of the beauty standards that we hold so near and dear, no matter how advanced our understanding of those standards may be.

In food:
Found this great site this week, where you can track what farm your food comes from in real time in your area. Not really a read, but a great tool.

NPR.org points us to Nathanael Johnson's summary of his question-everything series on GMOs, compiled over 6 months in 2013. Disclosure: I read the NPR article, but haven't been through Johnson's series yet. It's clear that the studies are conflicting about whether GMOs are harmful as food - but it is hard to ignore the other elements that are important in decision making about GMOs beyond food safety. Whether they actually make any difference in feeding the hungry. The problem of patents and big-ag corporations and the affects on farmers. Although the safety issues are where the priority may lie in studies, it's important for us to remember that the issue of GMOs goes well beyond our bodies - it goes into our soil quality, our world, and the sustainability of the farming methods that they require. Can you even grow GMOs organically? I'm not too sure about that and I'll probably be spending some time this weekend reading through this entire series to learn more.

Here's a fascinating article from Salon.com about when farming meets big data. The article targets Monsanto specifically, probably for name recognition of big-ag alone, but discusses an interesting trend where companies are developing and banking on analysis and data-driven mechanization of farming. The manipulation of farmers is no new news, and this article paints yet another frightening picture of the possibilities for large-scale control of the food industry.

Happy Friday.

I have a lazy weekend planned, filled with lounging in the California sunshine, catching up on some work, and cooking. I bought a beautiful orange cauliflower at the farmers market yesterday, and I'm debating whether to try something new. 

Generally, I just roast cauliflower, because it gets this sweet, creamy delicious flavor, and it's super simple with just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. But I'm considering trying something a little different this time. 

From My Darling Lemon Thyme

I'm a huge salad fan, and I like to throw quinoa in at every opportunity, so of course I love this beautiful Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea and Quinoa salad. This is definitely something I can see myself throwing together - delicious, easy, with multiple layers of texture and flavor. 

From My New Roots

I'm fascinated by this idea of a whole roasted tandoori cauliflower - I've got everything but cardamom in my spices. This would definitely be outside of my cooking comfort zone, and I like a good challenge. I think it's good to go outside the lines every once in a while. 

I'm consistently blown away by how much better all the fruits and veggies are than what I had gotten used to in New York. I'm so grateful to be here in California. The fresh and local lifestyle is definitely - so far - the #1 most amazing part of living here :)

Happy ever after.

It's hard to know where to begin when wedding planning! Especially when most of the guides/sites/blogs are about a much bigger event than I'm hoping to have. 

Rob and I got engaged in March (wow, how time flies!). I was super excited (obv) that we were both ready for a deeper commitment.  We had been discussing leaving New York for years, and deliberating where we wanted to spend the next part of our lives. So, in May we officially decided we were going to move to California. We gave ourselves one last summer in New York,and drove across the country in October.

Here's us at the Grand Canyon. It was chilly in the shade.

We agreed to put all wedding planning on hold, since the trip was an investment in itself, and since we're not sure where exactly we will end up living and what kind of space we will have, and what our routines will be like. 

Here's my feet in sunny Santa Fe. It is a beautiful little city.

BUT we can still plan certain things for our special day. Like the cake. Or, as I think we will have instead - donuts. 

I'm inspired by this donut-tier from this real wedding. 

In New York, the only good donuts I ever had were from Krispy Kreme, and the only Krispy Kreme I ever went to closed down. So the only other donut option was Dunkin' Donuts. In California, neighborhoods have small, family owned donut shops, and DD doesn't even exist! 

I never went to DD - I've always more of a Starbuck's girl. I prioritize coffee. (Fact: my first appliance purchase of my life was a Breville espresso machine. Totally worth the investment.) And wouldn't you know it - there are also little, independently owned coffee shops everywhere in California. It's amazing.

Anyway. The donuts at the local shops here are SPECTACULAR. I personally prefer salty to sweet in my indulgences but I still have a soft spot for these freshly-made donuts. 

I'll need a pretty tiered stand, like this wooden one:

Or maybe a more modern style, like these stacked glass stands:

The flowers are a whole different story. That will take some more deliberation. I'm just happy we've planned the first element of our wedding, and that it's something delicious, simple, and totally DIY-able.