So Hott

Jalapeños and lavender. Oh baby, you so cray cray. Sometimes accidents happen and the results are beautiful.

Let me start from the beginning. I came across some promising jalapeños at the farm today, so I do what I always do when I have killer jalapeños.

I make hot sauce, duh. Fortunately, I also had a bit of cilantro in the fridge that was nearing the end.

Green on green action = brilliant.

Hott Sauce

Combine 3 large spicy jalapeños (de-seeded) with 1 clove of garlic and as much cilantro as you can handle. Add 1 Tbsp (maybe 1.5 Tbsp) of apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp sea salt, and a squeeze of lime if you're feeling extra verde. Blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator.

So hott.

Ready for immersion.

Simultaneously I was making 3 other things, as I so often do, one of which was a veggie barley salad from my fav vegan cookbook.

Barley Corn Salad
(modifications below)

• 8 large brussel sprouts, steamed & quartered
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1 cup corn
• 1/4 cup (or more) red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup green onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp flax oil or olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Italian parsley, minced*
• 1 1/2 tsp tarragon, fresh minced*
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Sea salt, to taste
• Black pepper, ground to taste

*left out

"Place water and barley in a medium pot and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, approximately 45 minutes."

"Fluff grains with a fork, add to large mixing bowl with remaining ingredients and mix well."

Based on ingredients I already had, like some dang lavender sea salt, I made the following modifications.

• Replace plain Jane sea salt with a pink sea salt, lavender blend (you can do this, ask me how)
• Replace Italian parsely with lacinato kale
• Add 1/4 cup finely sliced carrot
• Add 1/4 - 1/3 freshly grated Parmesan
• Add 1-2 Tbsp jalapeño hot sauce (from above recipe)

lavender sea salt

jalapeño, lavender, barley ménage à trois

your body wants this

 Like I said, sometimes accidents happen and sometimes it's so dang beautiful. I must also admit, barley is one of my favorite grains, right up there with whole oat groats. I could go into more detail, but as I read out loud anything I try to write about barley, it sounds wildly inappropriate. Let that be your official barley advertisement.

Life Changes & Tacos

Once again it feels like I am beginning a new chapter in life (wtf, enough already). Despite my tendency to be cranky about changes, I am as grateful as the horizon is wide.

This is the view from my new neighborhood - sunset after a rain storm reminiscent of the east coast.

I am at the end of my first weekend in my new home. Most of what I have is still in boxes (most of what I have is still in a storage unit on the east coast), but more importantly I am grateful. I am grateful it rained this weekend versus last weekend while I was moving; I am grateful for my cozy, bright kitchen in my sweet little beach bungalow; I am grateful for the generosity of the beautiful people who helped me get here (with a lovely new collection of dishes, eating utensils, and cute Ikea storage containers); I am grateful for the little Mexican store across the street where they make the tiniest little tortillas, so I can make tiny little tacos for my super cute friends.

breakfast-for-dinner-tacos + mango avocado salsa

breakfast-for-dinner tacos deconstructed

 My friends are so cute - they came over and dolled me up for a vintage housewife photo shoot in my new kitchen while I made tacos (like a nice southern Californian vintage housewife).

"Do vintage housewives make tacos?"

"In southern California, they do."

We were banking on shrimp tacos, but I spent all my money moving and making ends meet, and there was no more money in the pot. Fortunately, I spend my Saturdays working at a charming little farm stand, and when I hang around colorful, luscious produce all day, I spend what little money I have left on the most necessary and/or seductive options.

The menu of my first beach bungalow dinner party included breakfast-for-dinner tacos with fried eggs, cabbage carrot slaw, avocado, and salsa fresca. We also had mango avocado salsa, made with some seriously seductive mangoes. They were so sweet and juicy, it was freaking inappropriate. The girls found cane sugar Coca Cola & rice pudding at the little Mexican store across the street, so we had sweet beverages and a sweet dessert to top it all off. It was so so dang delicious!

Beach bungalow dinner party #1

Let me just say, I am so easily torn apart by life changes, I don't know how I would have made it through this weekend without such wonderful friends. What is life without friends and food? and music? I should mention, the soundtrack to the photo shoot was provided by the most lovely, Zee Avi.

So, to all my friends, far and wide, please know how much you mean to me. I cherish the gifts and the memories more than you know... I only wish we could all get together for tacos more often. <3