Back on the East Coast

I can't believe that my month of paid vacation is almost over. In just 11 short days I will be reporting to my very own cubicle to start my Outreach work, and begin visiting Virginia public schools. The definite highlight of my vacation was my trip out to California last week to visit Katie and Dave. I've always told everyone (and convinced myself) that I'd never live in California. Too crowded, lines of people everywhere, crazy drivers. But Katie really showed me the other side: the variety of fresh food at your fingertips, gorgeous hiking trails, and how great it feels to be surrounded by others also trying to "live green!"

We actually made lemonade...from lemons picked in the backyard. Dave juiced the lemons in their state-of-the-art juicer (it is intense!) while Katie made a simple syrup to sweeten it up just a bit. I stood by excitedly waiting to taste the finished product. Light, fresh, and delicious.
You'll notice in these pictures that we are drinking out of Mason jars. That's their new thing: gradually cutting out plastics by using glass jars to store things in. Dave has figured out that the jars make excellent drinking containers for anything that possibly needs to be shaken or stirred.

Dinner that night was straight from the farmer's market--vegetable tostadas (grilled zucchini, portabello mushrooms, and scallions on a flour tortilla topped with homemade salsa and feta cheese). Katie and I also made incredible margaritas while we were preparing dinner. Of course!

It is this kind of lifestyle that I could really get used to! My favorite part about cooking...and eating...is taking a "whole" food and turning it into something delicious. Knowing each ingredient and its origin makes the food taste that much better, and makes your body feel better too. It might be all in my head, but I like it! And I think it is definitely easier to cook (and eat) that way in California.

So we did more than just eat, I promise. Katie, and even John (my brother who lives 20 minutes away) took me out on some great hikes. Katie's hikes were attempted run-hikes where she would set little goals for me, like "run to that next patch of trees" or "run to that bend in the trail." It worked out well, because the spurts of running were never very long because the trails were so steep. Katie was kind enough to only make me run on level ground. I'm a beginner, after all, and she didn't want to scare me off!!


So that's a brief summary of my week in California. Of course there are more details---like the kitchen filled with smoke, Dave climbing the entrance to an office building, and eating my first goat. But this will have to do for now. And don't panic, I'm not moving to California...yet.