Love Struck: Dutch Iris Duo

Yesterday I discovered these amazing Dutch Irises blooming in my garden. I planted them in early November and had forgotten which bulbs were what. Waking up to these beauties was a lovely way to start my day.

They are almost orchid-like in their fancy, sculptural shape. I just finished Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief which involves the passion, lust, and obsession for flowers and living things. I'm not quite at that point...yet.

While looking at this picture, I recall a feng-shui principle that says displaying things in pairs is suppose to promote a positive and harmonious relationship between a couple. It must be working!

Wildflower Drive & Rainbow Dance

Spring break has come... this is one of my favorite times of year and I am always ready to skip town, explore, and have some adventures. Instead, for several reasons, (lack of funds and a dedicated-to-labwork-scientist-future-doctorate of a bf) we've decided to stick around but try to make this week a bit more special. I love the idea of staycations. I grew up in the ultimate tourist destination and have fun memories of showing our visiting relatives around Maui. I decided we will find time this week to be tourists and take advantage of the many amazing places nearby.

High on my list was spending some time in the mountains. I am a flower girl and have been eager to check out the springtime blooms in the Santa Ynez valley. We packed a picnic and headed inland and up the coast. Not only was I greeted by the rainbow of wildflowers pictured above but a

real life California rainbow:

Can you spot the pot of gold?

We pulled of the road a ton and I spent a lot of time crawling in the bushes photographing flowers and the otherworldly beauty around me. We both ran around in the misty rain admiring those romantic golden hills.

Just before sunset we settled in this lovely spot and enjoyed a picnic of crusty bread, spicy hummus, Greek salad, and sparkling apple cider. The temperature suddenly dropped so we huddled in the car as we watched the sun dip behind the hills.

This easy and simple outing reminded me of how changing things up a bit in my everyday existence can make me appreciate the life I've been given and the beauty that surrounds me even more. It also helped me remember how much fun I have with Andrew beyond the routine joys of domesticity.

How do you add *sparkle *to your life?

Cherimoya was a Bullfrog

Joy to the world,
All the boys and girls,

Joy to the fishies in the deep blue sea,

Joy to you and me.

My favorite fruit lately is the cherimoya. Mark Twain called cherimoya, with its fruity bubblegum taste, "the most delicious fruit known to men." I remember eating this white creamy "ice cream" fruit as a kid on Maui. I was thrilled to discovered it here at the local farmer's market. I found that they sell the hard, unripe cherimoya for only 99 cents a pound. After it's ripe in a few days, keep it in the fridge for a cold, yummy treat.

They do sort of look like bullfrogs don't they, with that green scaly skin? I just remembered in elementary school we used to sing "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" in class. Fun, positive song, but some racy lyrics. We also sang Bob Marley songs and "Under the Boardwalk" so go figure. I love Hawaii.

Officially Spring: Happy Vernal Equinox

Some celebratory coastal fog rolled in yesterday evening. See those misty palms? And that stately hawk perch?. I pruned the roses back to stumps in January and they are starting to bush out and bud up in anticipation of a colorful summer.

California Poppies--the state flower makes the hillsides turn orange in the springtime. I love the lacey pink-tipped foliage.

Brussel Sprout Boom: I can't quite tell when they're ready to harvest.

Crunchy Celery Patch. I ate some raw last night but I'm not sure what do with it besides ants-on-a-log and stuffing-making. Any ideas?

Months ago, I sprinkled some sweet alyssum seeds from older plants growing in the communal pathways. I'm rewarded with these white puffy flowers.

Sweet allysum close up. This South-Europe native looks delicate but is really very hardy.

I planted freesia bulbs (corms?) last fall which are supposed to do well in this Mediterranean-like climate. They are African natives with a clean, refreshing smell. Due to this wonderfully sweet scent they are frequently used in shampoos and body-lotions.

Best news of all: Andrew had his first follow up screening for cancer and has been declared healthy. The cancer center gave us some especially lovely daffodils for "daffodil days." Hooray!

Beach Ride

I live near the beach so I make an effort to find myself there often. It is really an all-ages-playground. No matter how I feel, I always feel better after a stop by the ocean. Lately I've been biking along the coast. So much more fun than the treadmill.

Family Affair. SUP (Stand Up Paddling) training. On Maui I see the pros out doing this out on the rugged north shore. There are almost always glassy conditions here, so it's pretty popular in SB.

My trusty bike. Needs some TLC but it makes me feel free and happy, like a kid. It's been so nice out, I'm getting tan. I appreciate sunshine on my bones.

Isla Vista through palm fronds.

Happy St. Patricks Day

I spy green...

Cloverful.

Bucky Balls.

The Favored Thistle. artichoke= Artic Hoke

Stealthy decor.

Where avocados come from.

Magic Beans: Celebrating Favas

I spent a glorious weekend mostly outdoors. Biking, pottery in the outdoor studio, prepping garden beds and planting summer squash and tomatoes. After living in the NW for so many years, I still wake up with a tinge of surprised when it isn't gray or raining. I feel celebratory when I see the sunshine. Fortunately, that's most days around here.

I harvested the first of my fava beans. Fava beans are also known as "English Broad Beans" and were the only beans Europeans knew before discovering American legumes. The magic beans featured in "Jack and the Beanstalk were probably favas. They are so quick growing and low maintenance that if I threw some out the window like Jack's mom, I might have some plants in a few days. Plus, they do branch out in a ladder-esque way that would make them the right shape for climbing. The reason most of us don't eat or see fava beans regularly is because they are not very cost effective to produce. The big spongy pods only have about two or three beans in them each:

Labor intensive, yes. But so worth it. Fava beans taste like gold...buttery, with a rich, almost meaty taste. They are super high in protein and have been a staple for people around the world for ages.

The prepackaged kind at Trader Joe's are not very yummy...I think they may have to be fresh to be really appreciated. If you don't have any growing space, I've also seen them for sale in the springtime at farmer's markets. I sauteed mine with a some chopped garlic and a splash of olive oil--I'm glad that I only had to share with A:

I staggered my planting so I' ll hopefully have many more to harvest (the blossoms smell SO good). I look forward to sharing some different recipes--and maybe even some beans, or at least some seeds so you can experience your own magic beans.

Because the World is Round...

It turns me on. -The Beatles

California living=friends with excess citrus.

The Mahina Shines. My youngest sister's
middle name is "moon" in Hawaiian.
Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moon light,
someone IS thinking of you, and loving you tonight.

Nature's candy. Sweet as sunshine. I love this Golden State.
My lust for fresh fruit often reminds me of a favorite poem from my English Major days: "Goblin Market" by Cristina Rosetti (tiny excerpt below).

Figs to fill your mouth,
Citrons from the South,
Sweet to tongue and sound to eye;
Come buy, come buy.

Pretty secksy for kiddie stuff... repressed Victorians tend to ooze with sensuality.

Fit for a mermaid landing, don't you think?

Sushi Baby

I ate a lot of sushi growing up. Hawaii has a ton of Asian influence and sushi rolls are the snack of choice at most gas-station-marts, 711s, or mom & pop grocery stores. The three groceries in the little tropical town I grew up in were Ohashi's, Fukashima's and Hanzawa's (all three are still kicking--I hope). Hey, do they even have "general stores" on the mainland? After our beach trips, my friends and I would scrounge up loose change in our cars and pool together money for Maki Sushi (around 40 cents each--dyed daikon radish, egg, raw carrot, and canned tunafish flavored with soy sauce) and Sushi Cones ( 65 cents--sweet rice with grated carrot in a fried tofu wrapper) . Ahh, teenagers... I never had "real" restaurant sushi until my college years in Portland, Oregon. And that was also affordable (gotta love Oregon for that) and delicious.

We've been on an even stricter budget lately, paying off med bills/student loans and getting by on A's student stipend. While I figure out a way to make us some money, I've gotten even more creative in the kitchen. Our menu focuses mainly on bulk-bin items and fruits and veggies (plus our garden provides gloriously). Along with our pre-made frozen bulk-bin-beans, eggs and tofu are our main protein. So, the other night I was putting together an uninspired dinner of tofu/veggie stirfry and rice, I saw some packages of nori seaweed wrappers leftover from a sushi party we once had. The mood of our dinner quickly changed from boring rice bowls to a festive sushi party for two. Once you learn how to work one of those little sushi mats and have the ingredients to season the rice on hand (sugar, salt, rice vinegar) making sushi is simple and has lots of room for error. It doesn't even require fish or seafood. The other night I had to inform someone of the difference between sushi and sashimi (raw fish). But yeah, sushi often does have sashimi in it. Not the gas station kind though. ;-)

Trivia I recall from my two years of studying Japanese in high school:

1. Sushi chefs are supposed to be men. (Oops!)
2. You should always refuse a gift twice before accepting it (unrelated and probably totally incorrect!)
3. Sushi should always be cut by dividing it in half. Start cutting the long roll in the middle, then half, again, then again. Otherwise, you will be cursed.

Oh, and I discovered a bread knife works wonderfully for the cutting part.

In the sushi pictured above I put in several grilled asparagus spears, some sauteed tofu, a fried egg cut up into strips, avocado, and raw carrot. You could add cabbage, smoked salmon, even cream cheese. Before our Recession Proof Diet, I bought barbecued eel in a tin foil package at the Asian market for a fancier creation.

Orderly, colorful sushi is certainly a lot prettier than a sloppy bowl of rice goulash. And it is far more photogenic!

What do YOU like in your sushi?

Up to...

More nighttime photography. I got an awesome new tripod for only $4 (floor model) at the camera store. This pictures was actually taken pre-tripod, by holding my breath as I precariously balanced my camera on a chain-link fence.

Bunny love: I was a on bunny duty while my neighbors were out of town. So soft and cute! And what healthy eaters! Though Sparkles-the-Beta is much adored, I looked forward to eventually having a mammal as a pet.

Andrew's little sister and her new Belgian husband are staying with us while they secure a home in Los Angeles. We've had some fabulous quality time with them and are excited to have some family living nearby. And today is their one year anniversary. Congrats!

I've been playing with the manual setting on my camera. It's tricky and I have tons to learn, but I'm having fun playing around. I'm even enjoying messing up, as in the image above.