Jack's Peak, Saturday hike

Another beautiful Saturday morning hike in Monterey.  Papa B and I went to Jack's Peak and had a great hike.

When I was in highschool, my cross country team would regularly race there.  It was one of my favorite places to race because I loved being in the solitude of nature, boiling with competitive juices and adrenaline, not to mention the gorgeous view of the Monterey Bay.

We did our cross country course, backwards and then some.  We walked and talked and laughed.  There is one section that has switchbacks, it makes the really steep incline seem not so steep.  I kept telling Papa B, we used to run here and there and that was the start and there was the finish.  At the switchbacks I told him, we used to run this!  He said (switching to English, which he does for dramatic emphasis), "used to is in the past tense, Sally, you need to think in the present."  Woah!  He's totally right.

We hiked along, enjoying the scenery, smelling the pine trees - slightly green and sour smelling.  In the background you could hear the concert that was happening at the Fair Grounds.  Also occasionally we would hear planes taking off or landing, Jack's Peak is just up the road from the Monterey Airport.  There were bugs glistening in the sun light and if you pay attention you could hear the woodpeckers high up in the trees.  It was a really wonderful hike.  I hope you get there someday. 

We unfortunately did not see any mountain lions

View of the bay

Monterey bay through the trees :)

The trail

A fallen tree covered in moss and pine needles

A banana slug!!! Hi buddy.

Spider web

After our hike we came home and had lunch with Mama B.  Life is good, isn't it?

 

Lunch! Green beans with garlic, olives, red cabbage and sesame salad, cut vegies

Gingerbread Latté

The other day I had a gingerbread latté at East Village Coffee Lounge.  It was delicious.  I guess it's one of those things that is truly "American" or "Californian."  It's actually really cool to see how seasonal things become advertising tools.  You know it's fall because Starbucks Coffee and Peet's Coffee and Tea are advertising for "Gingerbread Lattés" or "Pumpkin Spice lattés."  Well I was going to have my usual tea but a little chalk board caught my eye, advertising for gingerbread and pumpkin spice lattés.  This is beyond the marketing giants of Starbucks and Peets, this is little locally owned and operated East Village.  So I ordered a pumpkin spice latté but they were out so I went with the next best thing, gingerbread.  It was great!  Beyond the flavour being delicious, the foam of the milk was nice and thick and mixed just enough with the espresso.

Anyhow, it's a lazy Saturday and I woke up from a nap wanting a gingerbread latté so I set out to make one.  I turned to my trust friend, the internet for a starting out point.  I found one recipe that called for "Gingerbread syrup," right, because if I want to make a gingerbread latté at home, I of course have gingerbread syrup.  Next.  I found a recipe that called for actual ingredients that I had around the pantry.  I messed around with it and came up with the recipe below:

Gingerbread Latté

• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. black strap molasses
• 2 tsp. honey (you could use any sweetener you like, sugar, brown sugar, etc.)
• 1 shot of espresso 
• 3/4 of a cup of milk - heated, steamed if you have the capabilities to do so 

Make your espresso in a percolator, what the Italians call a moka (a stovetop coffee maker).  While that's brewing, heat up your milk and set it aside.  In a mug mix the rest of the ingredients, pour the espresso over it and mix it really well so that all the spices get blended and the molasses and honey melt.  Add to that the hot milk.  If you wish, you can sprinkle cinnamon on top or add whipped cream for decor (and deliciousness!) 

Voila! 

Carrot Ginger Soup

It's August 1st and I've come down with a cold. 

On my drive home - in between sneezes and sniffles, I decided I wanted a really spicy soup to clear up my cold.  What better than my favorite, carrot-ginger?

(It's been a while since my last recipe post and so if this is not your thing, simply ignore the post, for the rest of you cooks and food admirers, feel free to enjoy the post or make the soup at home for yourself!)

Carrot Ginger Soup

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, diced
• a 2-3 inch long piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped 
• 1 lb. carrots, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped 
• 3-4 cups of water or vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. green or red chili powder or red chili flakes, optional
• salt and pepper to taste 

In a medium size saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for about a minute or 2.  Add the carrots, bell pepper, cinnamon and chili powder allowing the vegetables to wilt for about 5 minutes.  Raise heat to high, add water or broth and bring to a boil, once the liquid has boiled, reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes before transferring to a blender or food processor.  BE VERY CAREFUL TO NOT CLOSE THE BLENDER ALL THE WAY AS THE VAPOR PRESSURE WILL CAUSE THE CONTAINER TO EXPLODE AND HOT SOUP WILL FLY EVERYWHERE AND SCALD YOU.  I speak from experience, painful but fun memories...

Blend the soup until all of the carrot, ginger, onion, etc. chunks are smooth and return to the sauce pan and reheat, reboil if you wish.

Soup can be served with a dash of cream on top, some chives, cinnamon, etc.  Delicious on a cold winter's night or if you've got a cold, like I do today. 

carrots from the Farmer's Market, ginger and my well-worn cutting board :)

Carrot-ginger soup, a dash of cream and cinnamon on top - great for a common cold!

Take time to smell the roses

It's amazing how we often are blind to the beauty that surrounds us. I live in California, on the coast and needless to say, it's gorgeous. I can see the ocean from my house and I see the ocean on my drive to work daily but if I don't make myself, I can go a long time without actually going to the beach! The other day, I was running errands and it was a gorgeous day. The Pacific Ocean was actually pacific (peaceful) and I couldn't help it, I had to go to the beach. It was magnetic. The car drove itself to the beach and I did not resist. I sat on the stone wall that separated the shore from the bike path and watched a father skip rocks with his son, girls tanning on the beach, moms trying to rest as their children dumped cold water on them, basically, your typical beach scene. I sat and just took it all in, I "people watched," relaxed, breathed, just was, and it was really nice.

Beach, to my left (Lover's Point, Pacific Grove)

Beach, to my right (Lover's Point, Pacific Grove)

I think it would be great if we allowed ourselves to do that every so often, even if it was everyday, for just 15 minutes. Stop and take time for yourself, look out at the ocean or the forest or the park and just let go. Let go of the guy who cut you off on the freeway or the person at work who was not-so-friendly to you and just enjoy your surroundings.

I love you, fog

Anybody who is familiar with West Coast climate will appreciate this.

I just spent the past 3 weeks between New York City, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia playing tourist while visiting friends. The weather was miserable. One day in Philadelphia it was dumping rain, but hot at the same time, in fact we were in the middle of a thunder storm but could not keep cool despite my being in a tank top and sandals and soaking wet! In Washington D.C., the buildings are air conditioned excessively. I believe this is unhealthy, to require a sweater to sit at your desk and then go outside and sweat instantaneously only to enter the next building and cool down far too quickly due to the cold air blasting in your face accelerating the natural process of sweating as a cooling process for the body. New York City was just muggy and hot. I could not escape the humidity, it was penetrating. You inhale and it's like you don't get enough air, it's suffocating.

I was so excited to be coming back to California, and better yet, flying into San Francisco! I had my face pressed to the window of the airplane in anticipation, turning back every 3 minutes or so to express my joy to the guy sitting next to me. You can't imagine how big the smile on my face was when we were near landing and I couldn't see a thing due to the fog, it was like you had just given me a dark chocolate mousse cake and a bottle of chilled champagne. (Maybe that's too personal of a reference. Anybody who knows me, or well, no, that's just my life.) Upon my exiting the plane and walking through the ramp connecting the plane to the gate, I had to put on my fleece! Unlike my transfer in Kansas City where I stepped off the plane and was suddenly hot, sticky and out of breath until I entered the gate, only to be shot with blasts of forced cold air from the AC vents, at which point I needed the fleece. San Francisco was naturally cold, yes! I practically ran down to baggage claim, the luggage had not yet arrived and so I bolted outside and just breathed a breath of fresh air, and then another, and another all with a goofy smile on my face.

I collected my luggage, got in my friends car and continued with this air of climate-induced euphoria as we made the drive down to Pacific Grove. As we approached the Monterey Bay, the clear blue skies turned gray, again causing this silly smile to come across my face.

Maybe I have this association with my childhood, with my family, with my friends, with memories of being a teenager or with home but fog has become something I absolutely love. The fog here is not super bad, it starts your day off fresh, cool and energizing only to burn off and give you an even more beautiful day. The landscape is made for this duality. The oak and the pine trees juxtaposed with the ocean change in color with the change in the backdrop which is the sky (or topdrop, I guess as it's the sky but that word doesn't exist.)

It's great to be home.