Zen and the Curse of Paula Deen

As the long holiday weekend approaches, the overflow of organic produce continues at our house. I'm going to attempt Pioneer Woman's Peach Cobbler with Maple Cream Sauce sometime this weekend. We have more peaches than any two people can handle, both yellow and white. I think the white peaches are sort of watery and tasteless, but I figure they'll be fine all sugared up in a dessert. Tonight I made Chocolate Zucchini Cake. You would never know there was zucchini in it, but I think it helps make the cake delightfully moist (For recipe click here). And yes, as soon as this holiday weekend is over, my husband and I will both be in need of Weight Watchers. I had good intentions with this veggie project, but instead of eating them in their natural healthy form, I keep morphing them into fattening desserts, made with lots of butter. It's like Paula Deen's evil spirit is perched on my shoulder every time I cook.

In other news, I went to my first yoga class in two years on Wednesday. I am not the most coordinated or flexible woman. My physical therapist once asked if I'd ever been in a serious car accident, because my neck and my back are so whacked out. I think this proves how badly I need yoga, but it also means I am embarrassingly awful at all the moves. While everyone else is bending their ankles behind their ears with serene calm looks on their faces, my hips are cracking, and pretty much every muscle is spasming, resulting in full body shakes that make it impossible for me to hold any pose for more than two seconds. Despite this, I enjoy class. The girls I met were very friendly, I think it is so relaxing, and I am determined to improve my skills. I will be a yoga master in no time. Namaste.

Happy 4th of July everyone! My parents and sister in Minnesota are visiting Canada for the holiday weekend (leave it to my family to do everything backwards). Meanwhile, here in the desert we have planned a quiet weekend of movie watching, good food, and much earned rest. We'll be meeting up with some friends on Monday for fireworks and a potluck dinner. I hope you all have a very safe and fun 4th of July weekend.

In closing, I'd like to share a quote/prayer I was forwarded from my dear friend Katie this week. It was exactly what I needed to read at that particular moment. I hope you appreciate it like I did:
"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

My Love, My Dyson...

As I was preparing for my hosting duties for last week's girls night (which was awesome, by the way), I naturally thought to vacuum the house. Our battle scarred Eureka, which had been ailing even before our move from Ohio, finally uttered its last breath. First it made groaning noises, and then it just shut off. It lived only 2 years, unable to survive the onslaught of pet hair and desert sand. We immediately sought a more worthy replacement. My friend Emily (also a multi-dog owner) recommended a Dyson. As much as it hurt the pocket book, after some shopping around to compare, we bit the bullet. The result? I am smitten.

As Emily had warned us, the Dyson lifted "a whole animal" out of our carpet on the first try. The couch and hard floor attachments work fabulously. I will never buy a cheap vacuum again. It actually makes me look forward to vacuuming (I am looking into this, it may be a psychiatric condition). Pet hair, do your worst!

In other news, we attended our first Dodgers game yesterday. The drive was relatively short, but it felt like we had wandered into another dimension. In a little more than an hour we went from 90 degrees/blistering sun/desert sand/sticks to 70 degrees/partly cloudy/everything green and lush/metropolis. The stadium is quite impressive, and coming from a baseball obsessed family that cannot take a vacation without building in a baseball game, I know a thing or two about this subject. The Dodgers did not play well, but we had fun anyway. I ate my first Dodger dog and indulged in some garlic fries (not exactly an item you'd want to consume on a first date, but after almost three years of marriage, hell yes). I hope we will be able to get to a few more games before the season raps up.

Today has been a lazy day. I ordered myself a compost kitchen bin on Amazon, which I have discovered is practically a necessity in order to compost effectively and not have a stinky kitchen. Our fridge is overflowing with organic produce, so I will be making veggie pasta tonight with salad and honeydew melon for sides. Due to a sudden influx of carrots, I will be attempting Paula Deen's carrot cake recipe tomorrow. I've been trying to watch something upbeat on TV all day, but have not had much luck. After watching two consecutive MSNBC documentaries (on the Jonestown massacre and Casey Anthony trial), I am in need of a Will Farrell movie or a stiff drink, perhaps both.

Hope everyone had a great Father's Day weekend! I miss my Dad a lot, and can't wait for him to visit in the fall. I'm looking forward to a productive week of getting registered for school, and hopefully an outlet mall trip. Updates on my baking escapades and shopping sprees to come!

Confronting the Fear

Yesterday we had an awesome day with our friends at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I'd been trying to remember the last time I had been to an amusement park, I think it was about a decade ago at Valleyfair (Shakopee holla!). I enjoy rides a lot, but with them comes automatic anxiety attacks, that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Well, as soon as we came out of the mountains and Santa Clarita came in view, I knew my psyche was in trouble. I've never seen rides as menacing (and architecturally impressive) as those at Six Flags.

The X2 was our first coaster of the day. I'd like to tell you about it, but my eyes were closed the whole time. My companions said it was probably the best one of the day. I'll take their word for it. The lines were long in between rides, but we enjoyed the people watching. Our favorites included a woman with a collarbone piercing (ow?!), and a man with a red star tattoo over his eye (possibly a Kiss aficionado). My mental nemesis for the day was a coaster called Tatsu. I have had recurring nightmares where I am falling since childhood, and this ride brought those dreams to life. The whole ride you are on your stomach, like your back is attached to the coaster's track. So basically when you drop, it is like you are going headfirst into the ground. Sort of makes you feel all warm and cuddly inside. NOT.

The downside of the day was waiting in line for the Superman ride. You wait in this white cave (Krpyton, I was told) with hundreds of other Californians wreaking strongly of sweat and other bodily odors, while 30 degree air is blown out of giant ceiling fans. After a half hour in captivity with no movement, we took a group vote and bailed out of the cave. A little kid asked me as we walked past, "was it that scary?!?" I had to smile. We finished the day out with one of the old wooden coasters, which was great fun with no line. It seemed like a classic finish to a really great summer day.

Going Green!

Today is such a beautiful day. The temperatures have been so moderate since we arrived a few months ago (sadly it won't stay that way). The sun is shining, there's a pleasant breeze, and my neighbor's rose bushes are in full bloom. We started off the day picking up our first basket from Abundant Harvest Organics. There was so much produce, it was overwhelming! It will be a challenge for me to utilize all this great food and make sure it doesn't go to waste. At lunch my husband and I ate fresh salads, he ate his first ever pluot, and I indulged in some Rainier cherries. I swear, even the lettuce tasted better than store bought. And for those of you who haven't had Rainier cherries, they are the upper class of cherry society...you will not be disappointed.

We also got our compost bin all set up. I hope we get the right mix going, so it breaks down correctly. This is a very new concept to us, but it seems like a good thing. Anything that reduces our trash waste has to be a positive change. The dogs got their vaccinations this morning. I was worried they would act a little under the weather as a result, but they are so energetic today! Tess & Buster were riveted by the composting project. They will be even more excited to find out a play date is scheduled for this afternoon with their best friends Moose and Dixie, while we humans enjoy a barbecue with friends.

Tomorrow we're taking our second crack at hiking in the Angeles Forest. I found out the specifics of what's closed and what's open, and found out about a great visitor's center where they can help us decide on a specific trail. So hopefully in my next entry I'll have some great pictures! Hope you're enjoying beautiful summer weather wherever this day finds you.