mipmup.

i bought them because they were cute.

do you ever buy stuff because it's cute? because of the packaging or whatever? i am a complete sucker for that, so of course i fell for the adorable baby eggplant. and i don't even like eggplant all that much. but there i was, buying a pound of it. for the hell of it.

i baked it with my fresh garlic stems, olive oil and s&p. then i tasted it and decided that i didn't like it, so i found a recipe for some dip and adapted it to suit my finicky palate. i added roasted red peppers, chickpeas and red pepper flakes. next time, i'd just forget the capers. i served it up with some pita chips i made (those suckers cook fast!) and for the carnivores, baked chicken with lemon and garlic and an ensalata with hearts of palm and roasted beets (can i turn into a beet for eating too many?).

those cuties turned out to help me make a nice meal.

friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week:

• sonya dakar stuff. whilst in the bliss after the much-needed facial and massage i had last week, i turned over like the pansy i am and bought product. every seasoned consumer knows the golden rule: thou shalt not buy product whilst in the bliss after a much-needed facial and massage. however, i am a product whore and i am weak. that said, i'm also incredibly giddy over this new (to me) line. my aesthetician recommended the omega-3 repair complex because my skin is so dry. never knew that. i always thought i had oily skin. this is an oil, but it feels fine. it's not goopy or anything and it smells like spa. because of my "congested" (is that a euphemism for "do you even wash your face?"), she also recommended the triple-action scrub. not sure what's so triple action about it, but it feels like i'm doing something. and hey! i got carded twice over the weekend, so maybe it's working! i also like this line because my aesthetician said that they are free of animal-derived ingredients. i have to check with the company directly, but i'm optimistic. repair complex, $35; scrub, $45.

• alternative medicine magazine. i picked up this mag because it had an article on cancer-fighting supplements (my sister-in-law's mother has breast cancer) and subscribed the next day. i found the articles informative, the layout clean and though there are a lot of ads, the editorial made it worth it. in fact, i found out that my favorite "natural" toothpaste (tom's of maine) has some nasty ingredients (like sodium lauryl sulfate, a harsh chemical foaming agent), so i'm switching. i think i'm going to try one by weleda. i'll keep you posted. newsstand, $4.95; subscription, $19.95 for 10 issues.

• hanro nightgown. is it me or is everything grabbing you in the most recent garnet hill catalog (except the tucked-in t-shirts)? i once had a nightgown that my better half forced me to throw away because it was just too shabby. i loved that gown. it was soft, billowy, comfortable. probably not the sexiest thing in the world, but i adored it anyway. i was thrilled to see this one, which makes me reminiscent for days of old. i wonder if it's as soft as my old one? should i find out for $126?

• turquoise creative papers. i want to wrap up this site and eat it like a tofu burrito. how beautiful is it? i need to froggy and lilly note cards. today. right this minute! unfortunately, i can't find them online and i don't know their price.

• a party skirt. i am usually not one for skirts because i've always detested the shape of my legs, despite the protests of a] my mother since i was about 14 and b] my better half since i met him. but! i've been walking a lot and i feel a bit more confident, so when i saw this skirt, i had to try it on. it's so fun and feminine, i felt like a million bucks and had to get it. luckily, it was on sale in-store! regular price, $295.

photo/art credits: sonya dakar; alternative medicine magazine; garnet hill; turquoise creative; nordstrom.

roots.

i finally got around to planting some roots. yes, it's been two years and a month since we moved in, but hey. at least the are in and apparently from this photo, growing.

when we moved in, we left behind a house to which we became too attached for renters. it was an adorable 1920s craftsman with little rooms, too few closets and too great a view. when we first walked in after spying it online, i knew this was it. spacious living room. built-ins. separate dining room. og crystal doorknobs. gross vinyl flooring which we replaced. we figured if we were going to live there for a while, we might as well make it the way we wanted it.

unfortunately, our landlord passed away little over a year after we moved in and his heir decided to sell the place and make a cool $2.8 million. who could blame her? according to urban legend, she was living in a trailer park and had been for most of her life.

when we moved into our new place with its quirky add-ons, weird electrical and funky colonial style, complete with pine paneling we are not allowed to paint white, we were less than thrilled. i cried because i hated it so much. but. it was less rent. it was in a good location and it was roomier. but i was not having any of the "investment woes" of days past.

so we didn't do anything. we left the dirt as dirt. left the (really bad) light fixtures where they were. left the pine paneling dark brown. but an odd thing happened when dad moved in. i started to fix up things. i planted (see evidence above), i bought new light fixtures (granted, they're from ikea, so i won't be heartbroken if they don't come with us), i bought new curtains and shades. and i feel a helluva lot better.

i know that this spot isn't forever and that we may move tomorrow. as one friend put it, we're "portable." i like being portable. but it feels good to have some roots, too.

[in other news: is this the weirdest couple or what? what happened to the south american?]

head trip.

it's hard for me to give up control sometimes and i seem to be learning this lesson of late. the last eight months since my dad's accident have taught me so much about that. i'm not quite sure what it is about control and me. i'm not a superfreak about it, but i do like to know what's going on and i'm sure it's off-putting at times to say the least. i'm working hard to resolve that and just work on acceptance (and no, not in a weird new-agey way). this past weekend proved to be an excellent exercise in losing control - for fun.

my better half (and i never use that term lightly) surprised me with a weekend away. i wasn't really supposed to know where we were going (though he slipped on a "sourdough bread" comment), so i had some idea. we were off to san francisco.

i started the weekend on thursday by using a gift certificate to a spa our friends had given me as a "thank you" for doing some design work. my dad kicked in a service, so i spent a couple of hours basking in the glow that is pampering: a facial and deep tissue massage. why, oh, why hadn't i done this sooner? these used to be like eating or breathing to me several years ago. my point? highly recommended. go.

after flying to sf on southworst, we stayed at the opulent, rich-with-history palace hotel on market. and because my brother-in-law is one of those people who are obsessed with points, we used some of them to upgrade our room to a pretty sweet one with a view of the transamerica building (apparently a big deal according to our sf pals). i'm big on the comfort of hotel bathrooms and this one came with a dimmer, so it was a-ok by me. i liked the hotel because of the richness of the decor and the history. notably, the pied piper bar and the promenade area through which newly-married couples used to be carried by horse (it pays to befriend a history major). i fell in love with the glass ceilings on the main floor and over the pool.

i got to do whatever i wanted, so i chose to go to the ferry plaza farmers' market on saturday morning. yes, i've gone there many times before, but i love that place. got my fix of eatwell farm goodies, including some juicy strawberries that my nephew and i indulged in, and said "hello" to one of my friend's friends who didn't remember me. but seeing as i'm invisible, that's no big surprise. i also liked the vintage electric streetcars, which (oddly) i never noticed before.

i just like exploring the permanent stalls, too. how great is absolutely everything at miette? from the design of their stall (vintage but not overdone, super clean) to the design of their pastries and of course, their branding. i heart them. i also enjoyed the extensive (and so attractively displayed) unusual spice collection at boulette's larder. i was dawdling in sur la table and lo and behold! there was a book signing taking place by tyler florence, one of my chef crushes (hey, i like his food, too!). i thought it was so geeky, that i just had to buy the book and get it signed. (i won't talk about the rachael ray lovers in front of me.) he was kind enough to dog-ear some of his favorite veggie recipes. my better half asked rachael or giada? and of course, he chose giada, but said "rachael is great, too." yeah right. the line consisted of about 85% women. i'm sure they like his cooking, too.

for dinner, we went to millennium restaurant, an upscale vegetarian establishment. i have wanted to try it for a while. i'm even on their mailing list. i like the fact that they support organic food production, sustainable agriculture and (yeah!) composting. they do not use any genetically modified foods. the dinner was fantastic. i enjoyed some thai dolmas (not on their online menu) and a warm spinach salad. i tried the black bean mole torte and thought i should have had that. for dessert, and i'm really not one for dessert, we selected a corn meal strawberry shortcake. it was so great i nearly polished it off myself. i want to recreate that, so if anyone has any clues, please let me know! the other five diners were not vegetarians, but i felt that they were satiated and enjoyed the meal (well, my brother-in-law, the guy who orders two steaks for dinner, admitted to eating tacos beforehand, but - ). can't wait to go back.

we shopped at union square and i couldn't find a stitch of clothing that i wanted. go figure. we should have gone to union street or somewhere more "boutiquey." i did manage to pick up a cool backpack, that is now hurting my back. any suggestions for a better one?

on sunday, our goal was to take in an early-morning hike like this one, but the clouds came in and scared us away. i was looking forward to showing my better half the home of cowgirl creamery, since that's one of his favorites, but alas, we'll save it for our next trip. happily, the trip wasn't wasted. we got a quick coffee and chai at caffe divino in sausalito. god, i love their chai.

what else to do if we can't hike? dim sum! with the same gang that joined in for our millenium trip, we enjoyed a really huge meal at harbor village in embarcadero 4 (that left us oddly bloated). their house-made chili paste is too die for. probably explains the bloating. anyway, i know there are a ton of cheaper and probably better restaurants for dim sum, but i like this one because it's clean and it's good. it is also very pricey.

afterward, we loaded up the pack with some eats from acme bread and most unfortunately, no salami from mastrelli's (same owners i believe as my beloved molinari and also closed sunday), and headed back to la.

the only bad thing about the trip was that it was too short, as most vacations are. but then again, that's something i just couldn't control.

photo/art credits (why didn't i bring the camera?): cardcow.com; palace hotel; miette; cowgirl creamery.

it figures.

i always get sad to see something go, even if i don't like it.

take, for example, the tree in our backyard that would scatter an opaque blanket of leaves over the just-swept patio. apparently, our neighbors had enough and called our landlord to have it trimmed. i don't think they meant butchered though.

i really despised that tree and all its evil yard waste. but then again.

i did love its swaying branches, sort of drooping over our patio and sheltering me from the morning rays while working on my computer. it also offered privacy from the construction crew who is building a mcmansion behind us.

unfortunately, it now looks like charlie brown's head and all the construction dudes can see me working in my robe and slippers.

me no likey.

---

can everyone think good thoughts for giao today?

babysitting.

help farmers' markets.

i was directed to the following post at chowhound by my good friend over at life begins @ thirty. even if you don't live in los angeles, or within the areas which are represented by the council, but support the idea of sustainable agriculture*, please contact the council and let your voice be heard.

pompea smith, executive director of sustainable economic enterprises of los angeles (the operator of the hollywood farmers' market, hollywood-sears farmers' market, and central avenue farmers' market) has alerted us to this troubling development. the markets need our help: please continue reading and contact your city council representative this week. also, please circulate this notice.

"thank you for your support on the l.a. city special events ordinance last june where we successfully appealed to the budget & finance committee of the city council to recommend a waiver of all fees and charges for certified farmers' markets. unfortunately, this issue still has not been completely resolved. the ordinance was recently returned to the budget & finance committee from the city attorney's office and has been passed on to the full council without the recommended changes.

farmers' markets are currently granted street closure permits including a waiver of all fees through council motions. under this new ordinance, council motions would be eliminated and all certified farmers' markets that take place on l.a. city streets and parking lots would be required to pay a weekly permit fee of $528. markets operated by nonprofit organizations can apply to have fees waived for only two weeks out of the entire year. this would still total over $26,000 in fees per year per market and would result in the closure of a majority of the affected markets. it would subsequently have a detrimental effect on food assistance programs based at farmers' markets such as the food stamp program and women, infants & children (wic) and seniors farmers' market nutrition programs. this new policy would also have regional ramifications, setting a precedent for all neighboring cities.

we are asking the city council to recognize the importance of farmers' markets in our communities and to include additional language in the ordinance waiving all weekly permit fees for farmers' markets.

we are asking you to help l.a. farmers' markets by writing a letter of support of farmers' markets to your local city council person and/or all city councilmembers. attached is a sample letter for your use as well as contact information for all council districts. [please click on the links to download word documents.]

the council will most likely vote on this ordinance next tuesday, april 19th. please contact your council person by monday (april 18). we may also be looking for supporters to testify at the city council meeting next tuesday. we will send out more details about this as they become available.

thank you in advance for your support."

click here to send your letter to all council members. letter courtesy of slow food la (you may have to fiddle with the email body; there are some weird characters generated from the program i used).

 

*sustainable agriculture: farming that provides a secure living for farm families; maintains the natural   environment and resources; supports the rural community; and offers respect   and fair treatment to all involved, from farm workers to consumers to the animals raised for food (source: sustainable table).

friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week:

• cool glass vases. i love the design of these vases. clean, but interesting. i'd be happy with any of these. $40-49.

• grosgrain flip-flops. my obsession with all things grosgrain can safely continue. i need these. the end. $24.50. currently boycotting.

• butterfly scarf. i think this scarf is just dreamy and so sweet. and! it's made of silk so even my allergic-to-every-fiber skin could wear it. $125.

• non-cheesy personalized labels. these are the antithesis of those colorful images ones that i absolutely hate. these are so chic, how do i pick just one? $35.

• james perse. i've always been about comfort and it seems like i've finally found my clothing soulmate. these clothes are so soft, so easy to wear that i might just clear out my entire closet and replace everything with all things james perse.

photo/art credit: j. crew; moma; iomoi; eluxury.com/james perse; fiorella.

hungry.

this is the look i get everyday at 5:00 p.m. sharp. oft it is accompanied by a chin atop my knee.

ps look who managed to borrow an actual real-live digital camera?

i have worms.

and i'm obsessed with trash.

i got to a point where i felt like yes, i recycle. yes, i reuse. yes, i reduce. our recycle cans are always full and our "regular" trash cans are not.

however, there is still the trash. as a culture, we generate an incredible amount of waste (e.g. "forty-three thousand tons of food is thrown out in the united states each day.") and i wanted to do my part by recycling our organic materials. we cook every day, make coffee (now that we have a coffee maker that is better-half approved; long story) and i started to think about the possibilities for all that waste, or at least ours.

i always thought of compost as some stinky mess, but after attending a city-sponosered class on composting, i changed my ways.

i've started out with worm composting, where about a pound of worms are housed in a pest-proof container with some bedding and our food scraps (no meat, no dairy, just like me). it's been a couple of weeks and they are alive and well. this option is great if you don't have a yard and just want to recycle your kitchen discard pile.

i'm going to order a "regular" composter for the yard because i think we have too much waste for our little friends to eat. i think that it is a little more work because i will need to balance the greens and browns, but i'm going to give it a go.

the end result will be compost for the garden, or what will be a garden. our yard is a pretty big mess, but i just planted some nasturtiums, morning glory seeds (and yes, i want them to take over) and some little white flowers, so maybe the compost will go to good use.

i'm a tad bit obsessed with the worms. "i wonder how the worms are today." "do the worms have enough water?" "hey, look! the worms are eating that peel. isn't it great how you can't tell what it was before?" i think my better half and my dad think i'm a bit "touched," but that's ok.

so far, here are some lessons learned:

• make sure that the container in which you keep your kitchen material before you take it out is leak-proof. or use a trash bag. this one, i can assure you, is not. however, i'm on a kick where everything functional has to look good, too, so i vowed no tupperware. that said, it may be a good idea to listen to your compost instructor when she says something like, "i've been doing this for 25 years and i use a tupperware container kept in the fridge."
• mold is good, not startling.
• move the food into the bedding. if you don't, it will not be found or eaten and your worms will not be your friends any more.
• hearing yourself say this: "stop! don't throw that away. the worms can eat it!" may become commonplace at your table after a meal.
• on a roadtrip, wondering aloud how the worms are doing might not make for a romantic journey.
• scolding your better half for putting coffee grounds in the trashcan may not make for a good start to the day.

resources:
what's your ecological footprint?
how to compost (please ignore the whole composting toilet discussion. i have to draw the line somewhere.).
compost guide.
buy composting materials.