weekly scenes

Summer is finally in full swing, and life has been good. My garden is blooming like crazy. We finally ate our first pickings from the vegetables, and it was so satisfactory. I've also been out and about a lot. Brunches across town with good friends, work trips to NYC, and little adventures to the beach have all made their way into the past week. I've been happily tiring myself out for the sake of enjoyment. There is just so much to enjoy these days... 

road trip to rehoboth

Last weekend there was an impromptu trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. For some crazy reason, it was the first I've made it to the beach this summer. It felt so good to get into the ocean. Floating there, waves swaying under my body, I couldn't have been happier. I'm a water sign, and I swear, there has always been a special connection. My soul yearns for it, and it was so good to finally get it. Especially with a good crew & fun times.  

gastronomics of china

Man-o-man did I eat when I was in China. Outside of being a pescatarian my rule is that I will try anything at least once. Century eggs that have been buried under the ground to, essentially, rot, fish "tofu," strange fruits...I.Ate.It.All. And I did not stop. All diets out the window when I'm on vacation, that's how I roll. 

It was a fun adventure of the palette, but mostly I fell in love with the whole attitude around food in general. I love the way they eat around the same dish. They really share the food on that's on the table. It's not weird to double dip or eat right off the serving plate. They also have a connection with their food - from raising it, to killing it, to cooking it - in a way that we really miss here in America. There, it isn't blinked at twice by anyone when you come home with a live animal. You most likely know the person that grew your soy beans, and you may have even picked the lotus root yourself. It's a step back to basics, a step back to community. My goal now is to try and preserve what I witnessed for my life here at home.  

china: favorite snaps

I finally just went through the last of my China photos. The vacation might have happened in May, but I snapped so many pictures that it took a lot of time to weigh through them all. As I did so, I went back and picked out a couple of favorites from the journey. There are so many great memories here. Hope you enjoy!

weekly scenes

I've had a lot of quiet moments around the house lately. My new kitchen is one of my favorite places to be. Its neutral colors illuminated by the natural light refresh and engergize. I work away there on projects for the garden and cooking up experiments. My two companions, Marley & Dot, like to watch along as I do. 

I've made it out at times to enjoy little guilty pleasures with friends and lovers as well. It's always important that I do. I can get caught up in the calmness of independence, but laughing and discussing with others are two of the most healthy things. Sometimes I forget that my soul needs them; however, as soon as I find myself drained and emotional it quickly comes back to me.

The answer is in learning to balance. I'm learning more and more that it's not a passive thing. Finding balance is an active venture. It takes attention, understanding, and ability to act.

banana almond crunch "ice cream"

I completed a Whole30 about a month ago. Doing so taught me a lot about skipping dairy and going vegan. I quickly came to realize that I wasn't going to be able to live with out a sweet treat once in awhile, and I had to figure out ways to satisfy the craving in a vegan, no added sugar kind of way. Following a restricted diet, it's important to concentrate on what you can eat and finding ways for those foods to satisfy your needs. I happen to consider ice cream on a hot summer day a need, and so this vegan banana ice cream was born. Not only is it dairy-free, but it also has the added benefit of some nutrient blasting maca powder as well.

Ingredients (serves 1):

2 Bananas

1/2 Cup Almonds

1 Tbsp. Maca Powder

1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Slice banana and lay pieces out on a piece of wax paper

2. Roll the piece of wax paper up, making sure a layer of wax paper is in between slices. Stick in the freezer for at least 1 hour to freeze bananas.

3. Chop almonds in a food processor and set aside in a small dish. Add bananas to the food processor and blend until an ice cream texture is reached.

4. Add maca powder, almonds, and vanilla. Blend a bit more until all is evenly mixed in.

5. Garnish with sea salt and eat right away, or store in freezer.

4th of july adventures

Fourth of July was Adam's and my first whole day together since New Years Day. We made the most of it, waking up early to bike to our favorite brunch spot. Afterward we made our way out toward Reading, PA and explored French Creek State Park. The long hike worked up our appetite, and we ended up at an adorable ice cream parlor in the middle of nowhere for dinner. The adventure kept rolling into the next as we explored the rural area full of beautiful farms, old homes, and expansive spaces. God bless America, it was a day well spent. :)