Kicking things off by giving a PSA that the farmers market fruit and veg is getting insanely summery and delicious. I know we’re spoiled we can get so much good stuff throughout the year, but the soil is happy this season and a rainbow is bursting forth to be enjoyed! The canary melon (the bright yellow one on the bottom left) from Weiser farms was out of this world!
The other night I was feeling moody and sad because I still couldn’t hear from my right ear due to an ear infection (still can’t!). I needed something to get me out of my head about it—I needed to zoom out on life. I turned on the TV and this three-part Thoreau documentary appeared. It was just what the doctor ordered. I have a renewed sense of awe for this author, his words somehow, yet of course still relevant, even 170+ years later.
Spending literally 5 minutes at the Huntington Gardens serves an immediate boost of joy. I really liked the “This Land Is” exhibition that’s currently on in the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery; upon reading about it further just found this connection with Thoreau: “The Huntington holds the bulk of the seven manuscript drafts of Walden—more than 1,200 pages—as well as the book’s page proofs, marked for correction by the printing house and by Thoreau himself.”
Taking things even further back with this latin phrase “Cor ad cor loquitur” which means “Heart speaks to heart.” I’ve been trying to live in this way as much as possible recently. Removing the fear from my brain and replacing it with the truth in my heart, with a naive, but innate certainty that speaking with the heart with good intentions will connect you to the heart you’re addressing. It might not happen right away, but it will in some way, in its own time. What other way is there to live truly?
My neighbor is never not gardening without a cigar in tow and it always makes me smile. He must remind me of my abuelito who liked to smoke cigars too.
We recently took a camping trip to Los Padres National Forest, located a half hour north of SLO. I love planning a camp menu and settled on a couple favorite recipes for breakfasts. For Day 1, I cooked some eggs in this shakshuka sauce that I pre-made at home and served it with a baguette we picked up from a local bakery on the way into our site. Day 2 was a repeat favorite recipe, listed below:
Leah’s Overnight Oats
from Mother Grains by Roxana Jullapat
1/3 c (35 g) old-fashioned rolled oats Combine the oats, seeds, coconut, salt, spices, and date in a 12-ounce glass jar. Add enough oat milk to cover the oat mixture. Cover the jar with its lid and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, add 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (if using) and 1 tablespoon maple syrup and give it a good stir. Taste and add more to taste. Finish with almond butter and fresh fruit if desired. Eat immediately. Tasty, right? You could make habit of overnight oats. Later in the day, don’t forget to prep your oats for the following morning.
1 tbsp raw pumpkins seeds
1 tsp flaxseed
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cardamom
1 medjool date, pitted and chopped
1/2 c (120 ml) oat milk, or enough to cover (*I usually sub almond but any milk would work here)
I’ve been struggling to keep up with my Rancho Gordo bean subscription so I’ve been sharing the wealth with friends and family. At a recent Dodger Game, I brought in a bag of Cranberry beans to give to my cousin. While passing through security, the guard threw me a puzzled look and immediately followed up with “What, you forgot your Crockpot?” 😂
Seedy recently opened in Lincoln Heights and is so good that I’ve already been back twice in one month. Their menu is small, considered, and so incredibly tasty! The vibe is relaxed and the prices are right. I can’t wait to try their whole menu.
Saving this cute idea for how to wrap compound butter.
What a joy to experience our first drive-in movie! I’m glad we went with seasoned friends who came ready with portable radios. We enjoyed a wholesome night watching Toy Story 5 from the trunk of our car, wrapped in a blankets and munching on dried mangoes. Bonus that Bruce was also, predictably, burrowed beneath the blankets asleep the whole time.
Mid-way through the three-part documentary, I paused and pulled up Civil Disobedience on my Libby and saved it to read before bed. It’s brilliant and has so many good lines. Two of my favorites, “Must a citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator?“ and “I came into this world, not chiefly to make this a good place to live in, but to live in it, be it good or bad.” I’m now reading his Walking which is enjoyable in a different way. —Michelle
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