little indulgences

Because I'm doing this detox, all week long, I've had smoothies, every morning. Which, I don't mind, because they are so refreshing and yummy, especially during the heat of summer. Peaches, strawberries, bananas, chia seeds and coconut oil - sounds good, right?

I woke up today, and all I wanted was some eggs.

I love eggs, but I've cut down tremendously on how much I eat. According to ayurveda, the yolks are too "hot" for Pittas. But, every once in awhile, I indulge in some farm fresh eggs. Please, do yourself a favor, and buy local, farm eggs. They taste so much better. No, not all eggs are perfectly white. Look how pretty! Brown, white, and light sky blue. And, the yolks are so vibrant.

A week ago, it would've been a different excuse

I have not been to yoga in three weeks! I took a week off, and one somehow turned into three. Oops! I think it is great though to give yourself a little time off from anything. Then, when you come back to it, you realize how much you love it (or in some cases, hate it).

This morning, I finally got my ass out of bed to go to my favorite yoga class. It's a "Silent Hot" class, which means that it is 26 poses, for an hour and a half.  The room is heated to about 104 degrees. (Very similar to traditional Bikram, but you cannot call it "Bikram Yoga" unless you are a certified teacher by Bikram himself and follow his specific 26 poses in sequence.) The class is "silent", because the instructor only cues the next pose; they do not describe each pose in depth. It is a super intense class, which really challenges you not only physically, but mentally, because the voice in your head is the only one you hear.

I woke up ten minutes early, so I could do my ten minutes of meditation before class. I have been doing this each morning, as a part of my 8-week detox. I forgot to change the hour on my alarm, so I was sitting there, and realized that it had been a pretty long time. I opened my eyes, looked at the clock, and had missed the bus to yoga!!!
You win some, you lose some: I did miss yoga this morning, but I did have one of my best meditations this week.

For someone who has always been intimidated by the thought of meditation, it is much "easier" than I thought. Sitting in silence, listening to your breathe, and trying to let your thoughts pass you by, for ten minutes! Very scary. But, I am enjoying it. We'll see if I'm saying the same thing in a few weeks, when I am up to 30 minutes a day.

out in the open

You know how I have been desperately trying to save my money lately? Well, I have been doing a really good job, but not a great job. Unfortunately, in order to really really save and not be completely broke after I've put money away, I think I need to be a bit anti-social (when it comes to nightlife). I do not have an easy time going out with a friend for a drink and then going home. No, it usually turns into an escapade of emotions flowing over from one margarita to the next. Yes, I can go out and not drink, but it's just not as much fun! So, I will be spending my nights at home, drinking "Up All Night" - the most delicious chamomile tea blend from LAMILL, which just totally knocks you out. I should do an entire post just on LAMILL. They are incredible.

Anyway, I am finally ready and able to tell you all what I have been saving for (and by "you all" I mean my mother and my two friends who follow this blog): I am going to Bali. That's right. And I am going to complete my yoga teacher training, while I am there. Yes, yes I am! And right before I go to Bali, I am moving from the lovely little Boulder, CO, back to Los Angeles. Yeaaaah! 

Last week, I gave my notice to my boss, at Frasca Food and Wine, where I have spent the last two and a half years totally immersed in the world of fine dining, Italian wine and culture, and Friulian food. Frasca truly became my family, and it will be very difficult to leave them. But, I cannot express how excited I am for this new chapter.

In order to prepare for this training, the teacher suggests an 8-week detox, which includes cutting down a percentage each week of fatty foods, refined sugars, tobacco, alcohol, etc. And, replacing those with more greens, whole grains, etc. So, it will be quite similar to the cleanse I did a few months ago, but much longer and not so intense (I only say that since it's a gradual progression of cutting things out of your diet). I think this will be a great way to cut down on drinking and eating out. Also, smoking. What I am really excited about though is that the detox includes meditation everyday. For the first two weeks, I will cut out 25% of the "vices" and practice 10 minutes of meditation everyday, and progress from there. This is my little meditation setup:

I went to the grocery store today, got some fruits and veggies - only things that I needed to last me until I get paid again. I spent $30. I was estimating that I could do the shopping for $25, so I did pretty good.

I am also going to try and increase how often I do yoga. I am going to try for about 5 times a week. I would also like to go hiking! I have been saying that for months now, but I am actually going to do it. Just you wait and see.

This is what I have, so I will use it.

Since February, I have been looking for sandals for my dearest friend's wedding this August. The first pair that I had my eye on, was a beautiful wedge by Proenza Schouler. For a mere $800, they could have been mine. But, I held off, knowing that I could find something that I loved just as much and didn't cost me two months worth of groceries.
I have looked for countless hours online and in stores, for the perfect shoe, to go with my Zero + Maria Cornejo dress. From those hours, the months dragged on, and I have since then been put on a very tight budget (which, again, I cannot disclose what I am saving for quite yet). So, I thought of just wearing some great Joie sandals that I bought last year on sale. But, those sandals are worn, and I needed something a bit simpler. So, this morning, I was perusing Gilt, and I found a great, simple little flat sandal for $35 DOLLARS.

Then, I go on to read my horoscope:

There’s a simple principle for keeping your head above water, fiscally speaking, Earn more than you spend. Today’s cosmic influences shine a bright light on where you’ve been falling short of that ideal, and where you may need to trim back. For starters, it’s time to get real about the difference “luxury” and “necessity.” You don’t have to deprive yourself, but if you’ve got champagne tastes on a PBR budget, you need to either scale back a little or find a way to reel in more cash so you can afford the finer things that you crave.

This has been my biggest struggle/project/motto this summer: saving and living within my means.

Therefore, I have been eating out less, and trying to eat what I have bought from the grocery store, before it goes bad! I always buy tons of fruits and veggies, but by the time I get around to eating them, they've gone bad. So, I am letting myself buy a few fruits and veggies at a time, and I am not going to the grocery store, until I finish my perishables. We'll see how long this lasts, but it does mean getting a bit creative in the kitchen. Yesterday, for lunch I had a sammy with celery, buffalo mozzarella, dill, and mayo... I thought it was delicious and simple, just how I like my food. (Maybe not the healthiest thing, but I'll figure that out as time goes on.) 

And, this morning, I made a great smoothie with frozen blueberries and peaches, and a banana that was just  a bit too ripe to eat on it's own. 

I must say, that once I finally get the hang of saving my money, it is kind of fun, and a very rewarding feeling (and bank account). 

let's try simplicity.

I am on a saving money journey. Boy, is it a journey. Do you remember when I wrote about how beautiful it was to see the woman on the garden tour living within her means? I need to do that, big time. I am saving up for something, that I cannot share at this time, but I will so so soon! And, boy, do I need to SAVE! I don't have too much time either...

Okay, so, let's try simplicity. Let's try to be happy with what we have. Be content. I want to think about what I am spending my money on and be fulfilled with the things around me. 

My biggest expenditure is no doubt about it on food. And drink.

I have really tried to cut down on eating out. That helps a lot. Oh, how I love to eat out. 

Stop.

Right now, saving money is far more important than going out to brunch, lunch, and dinner all in one day (yes, brunch and then lunch). Time to focus on eating healthy, going to yoga, maybe even actually going on a hike (I told myself that I would go on a hike every other week this summer. Yes, it's now July. And, no, I have not gone on one). 

It's about having fun with what you have: trying new outfits with clothes, making new things for lunch before all the veggies go bad, being creative.

Be creative!

Goodbye Spring.

Happy solstice! In honor of the summer solstice, I said a farewell to my beloved spring vegetables last night. Fava beans and english peas, goodbye.

After work on Saturday night, there was fresh pappardelle and trenette left over that I stocked up on. I went to the market the next day and bought about 3 pounds of favas, definitely leaving few for anyone else, sorry! I made the fava bean puree one last time and took it to my friend's birthday bbq. Big hit! I made sure to stash some favas for myself, so I could make my last spring veggie pasta of the season.

I don't cook with favas very often. This was actually the first season that I ever had - I was always intimidated by them. But whoa, they are definitely now one of my favorites. And, super easy, just need a lot of love and time to prepare. So, since I am new to the fava world, I decided to cook them very similar to how they are done for the puree. Except, I doubled the mis en place (but used half the olive oil), added shallot, used far less favas, and obviously, didn't puree them. And, I added yummy english peas!

I reserved about 3/4 cup pasta water and added it to the fava and pea mixture.
Garnished the dish with some Pecorino Ginepro. nom nom.

Now, it's time for lima beans...

Paige, is that ayurvedic?

My dear friend Matthew, who I work with, constantly questions the ayurvedic lifestyle that I am experimenting with. He is always behind me, asking if what I am putting into my body is ayurvedic. It's a torture method to get under my skin, but he does help remind me to ask myself that question... constantly. So, thank you Matthew, for your snide reminders :)  And, no ice cream is not very ayurvedic.

But! I love ice cream so so much. My mom and I would go out for ice cream all of the time. She is always reliable to have at least one flavor (sometimes four!) in the freezer. There is a great old fashioned soda fountain in South Pasadena that reminds me of my childhood. It is called the Fair Oaks Pharmacy. Malts, banana royales, Rickey's Phosphate, egg creams, burgers, fries, I was obsessed.
I came across another old fashioned soda fountain, Soda Jerks, that used to be in Pasadena, but now relocated to the Santa Monica Pier. I worked at their old location in high school, and my love for ice cream really became intense. I would make milkshakes for breakfast, literally. Soda Jerks serves Fosselman's Ice Cream, which in my opinion is the best.

Needless to say, I really love the whole idea of old fashioned soda shops. It reminds me of the scene in The Music Man, when Professor Hill and Marian are in the ice cream parlor. A movie that my father introduced to me as a child and remains one of my favorites.

Being in Colorado, I have learned that people do not seem to share this same infatuation for ice cream. There are some great places, don't get me wrong, but an old fashioned soda shop is hard to come by. Yesterday, my boyfriend and I went on a drive to the little town of Lyons, to try out their ice cream parlor. Lyons Soda Fountain & Bakery was delicious and well worth the drive. I had a strawberry ice cream soda, "Soda in the Hay" and my boyfriend, Matthew (different Matthew than above!) had a banana royale. We will definitely be returning. And, they have patty melts - one of my favorite pre-vegetarian meals.

There's Matthew and I in the mirror!

I made Matthew get Mallo Creme on his sundae - yum!!

I think it's safe to say that I am desperately missing California. So many of my posts relate back to my childhood and places I love in L.A. - mostly revolving around food, but it's where I fell in love with food!

Eccentric Artists' Gardens

Poor me: living in my little studio in an alley, with no yard of my own. I have quite a few indoor plants to make up for my lack of yard, but it's just not the same! I want to sip my prosecco and eat my olives, surrounded by lush greenery. Since that is not the case, I decided to go on a garden tour of the eccentric artists around the little town of Boulder. It was so lovely! These gardens are a true expression of their inhibiter. It was a great way to spend a warm afternoon.

I just love this view: water-stained glass, weathered wood, bright sunlight. This picture was taken, looking out from Rebecca DiDomenico's greenhouse.

I complimented the woman who owned this home on her array of umbrellas. She had four or five of them overlapping one another. I could have sat there in the shade all afternoon. She told me how she used to be sad and hard on herself, because she couldn't afford a gazebo, so she saw the umbrellas as the next best thing. These umbrellas were one of my favorites on the tour. They made her yard so inviting and comfortable.  How refreshing and beautiful to live within your means.

This gate!

in a year. (in a nutshell.)

I started drinking sea veggies, just over a year ago. Yes, drinking.

I was asking my yoga teacher, Julie (lots of thanks to the inspiration in my life goes to Jules), what this drink called Body Balance was all about. It is sold at the studio, and I had tried it, but just had no idea what it was. She just so happened to be attending a Body Balance conference the upcoming weekend and asked if I wanted to join her. I accepted, having no idea what I was getting myself into.
Julie works for Life Force Int. and the conference was a very in-depth meeting of their amazing and beneficial products. I learned a lot about sea vegetables, to say the least. I also heard some inspiring stories about how this drink has really saved people's lives: removing cancer, treating depression, weight loss and increased energy.

But, seriously, look into sea veggies. The amount of nutrients that comes from these plants is crazy! Calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, iodine, Vitamins A, B, B2, B6, B12, C, folic acid, niacin... to name a few! Even my ayurvedic book talks about how great they are. But, if I am looking from a Pitta perspective, I should have them only occasionally. Quick interjection: speaking of a Pitta perspective, I took another dosha quiz and it seems like my dosha is changing a bit; I could possibly now be a Pitta Kapha?! Does that mean that I am balancing out a bit more?? Does that mean that I am unbalanced even more? I must do some more reading. Anyways, so yes, I now drink Body Balance, which also has aloe vera in it, which is incredibly rich in nutrients/minerals/amino acids.

All that being said, about three weeks after I started drinking my sea veggies, I decided to stop eating meat. And, by stop eating meat, I should say that I significantly decreased my intake and changed which types of meats I was eating. This all came about from my ayurveda experiments. As a Pitta (if that really is what I still am?!), a purely vegetarian diet is recommended, but I can have chicken, venison, rabbit, and turkey, if I am going to eat meat. Tough change in my life! Being totally obsessed with food, I used to be the type of person that would put bacon into everything, overload on seafood when I would go back home to California, and yeah, you get it. But, now I like to think that I am obsessed with food in a totally different way: a way in which I use food to benefit my body, soul, and mind. Yes, I'm still working on doing that all the time - my chicken wing binge still plays a very avid role in my life. BUT, I'm working on it. Good.

Okay, so with the B.B., the "vegetarian" diet, wow, I feel so much better! I have noticed how easy it is for my body to digest food. My weight doesn't fluctuate like it used to, and I lost weight. My energy levels have definitely increased.

It's strange for me to say, but Body Balance really did change my life. It inspires me to take care of myself. It helps me take care of myself.

xo.

snack time

butter. 

veggies, blanched, then slightly sauteed with lemon, butter, salt and pepper.

Toast, ricotta, veggies.

A really great thing that I have started doing again, with the cleanse inspiration, is cooking.

I have always loved spending time in the kitchen. But for some reason, when I moved into my little studio apartment and upped my hours working in a restaurant, the thought of cooking in close quarters was exhausting. I started spending way too much money eating out. So, thank you cleanse, for getting me back in my kitchen. And, loving it.

One of my favorite cookbooks is "Sunday Suppers at Lucques" by Suzanne Goin. I think that Suzanne is arguably the best chef in Los Angeles. My mother and I had the pleasure of going to Lucques a few years ago and having a Sunday supper there. What an absolute joy, just a lovely place, with great seasonal, local food. Tavern is fantastic too. Well, all of her restaurants are, so next time you're in LA, test them out.

I made her fava bean spread, with feta and olive cured olives. So delicious. Fava beans are one of those things that you just have to snatch up as many as possible anytime you see them. Their short season makes them that much more special. A lot of times, I see them on menus, with someone using them because they're now a cult food. But, their taste is never really captured. You can't have too much going on in a dish with favas, or else you have no idea what they taste like. Suzanne's recipe makes you understand and appreciate this beautiful little bean. Instead of a baguette, I got my favorite naturally leavened bread. And, I kept the left over spread for days in the fridge, and just snacked on it, like I usually do with hummus. Get a great springy, bright white to go along.

Like it never happened, but it did.

It's been about a week since I finished my 14 day cleanse. I am back to eating my pasta at 11:30 at work, with my glass of wine. No bueno.
I can justify it, because this delicious meal and perfectly paired wine is part of my pay. And, what a beautiful way to end a night of battle.
No, not so beautiful when the glass of white and tajarin, followed by a beer, followed by chocolate cassata, and then a horrid stomach ache this morning.
Last week I was feeling so energetic, healthy, happy. This week, I am being hard on myself for behaving like a stoned 16 year old.
And, don't get me wrong, the ladies that set this cleanse up gave me clear and reasonable guidelines on how to come off the cleanse and eat in a way that I am cleansing all the time. But, I am struggling with the way I look at food. I LOVE food. I always have, always will. I have also been in stages of my life where I really hate food, or more so, the way I eat.
Okay, so where's this happy medium? 80/20? Eating like I was on the cleanse 80% of the time, then giving into my American way of eating 20% of the time - e.g. wings, fries, and seven beers... and some bourbon. I know exactly what to do, but putting it into practice is so challenging.

This is more personal than I intended this blog to be. I am stopping now.

I've been cupped.

Yesterday, I had my third session with my intuitive massage therapist. It was definitely our best session yet. To start, she noticed that my neck was "out". She explained that a vertebrae in my spine had twisted, which was causing tension on the tendons linked to it. She suggested I go to the chiropractor, which I had never done before, because frankly, they scare the shit out of me. But apparently, it's best to go to the chiropractor directly after a massage, because your body is warmed up.
She continued her massage, after kind of terrifying me and my vertebrae. She did a LOT of work on my back, particularly my left side. Now, she does deep tissue massage, breathing technique, and energy work. This is no relaxation massage at the spa. It is downright emotional and sometimes uncomfortable.
Towards the end of the session, she asked if I had ever tried cupping. I said that I had heard of it, never tried it, but was open to it, and asked her to explain it a bit more.
In Chinese medicine, cupping is commonly used down the meridian line of the body, to align your chi. You place the cups on different organs, and the Chinese believe that each organ is tied to a different emotion: lungs - grief, heart - love, kidneys - fear, liver - your ability to let go. (I believe I got those all right, by the time she was explaining all of this to me, I was pretty relaxed and still slightly concerned about my vertebrae.) The cupping can cause bruising, and the more you bruise in a particular area, can either mean that you are not handling that specific emotion in a healthy manner or that your body has toxins and tension that is moving out.

I came out of her office feeling incredible. Full of energy and smiles. I went straight to the chiropractor. A day of firsts, right?

I almost walked out when I was signing the consent forms - so scary! What if they cause a fracture or a disc slip?! Suck it up, just try it.
First of all, the chiropractic doctor was the nicest young man. And, he was so excited to see that I had just gotten cupped, which I used to convince myself that I was doing the right thing. Yeah, good job Paige. About 7 minutes later, he was all done, I was realigned again. No slipped discs or fractures, phew.

Went home, drank tons of water and still drinking it. I am a bit tender today from all the work, but not sore, and the bruises don't hurt.

Mom, I know you were concerned about my delicate skin, but I think my new alien looking back is kinda sexy.

Honeysuckle

I grew up in Pasadena, and my good friends up the street had huge honeysuckle bushes lining their driveway. We would spend hours around the bushes, breaking off the flower, popping the bottom portion off, and sucking the nectar that came out of it, probably destroying some poor bugs' food supply.

I was shopping for candles last week, and I always buy the same one: Votivo - Red Currant. The store was out of Red Currant, so I spent some time sifting through the other scents, and found Honeysuckle. Such a perfect fresh spring and summer scent that reminds me of home.

The great thing about Votivo's candles is that you don't have to burn them for too long to get a great scent from it. Also, the glass cups that they come in become my own glassware once I'm done. When the candle has about 1/4 inch of wax left, put it in the freezer. The next day, take a knife to the wax, and it will pop right out. 

Day 14

Last day of the cleanse.

Whoa. What a crazy two weeks. I have lots to catch you up on - not all today.

I think I am more nervous about ending my cleanse than I was starting it. I am very good at disciplining myself, so stopping the smoking and the drinking wasn't too much of a challenge, especially for just two weeks (well, I did allow myself to enjoy some wine a couple of the days. Okay, and a few drags of a cigarette.) But still, I did pretty damn good. But now, without a suggested daily regimen, I can do whatever I want. Scary. It's like going back to your home town and cramming in all of your favorite meals in three days. That's exactly what I don't want to happen tomorrow.

I am just hoping that I can implement a lot of what I learned about food and myself into my everyday. Like, eat your fruits and veggies! My skin looks amazing, I've lost weight (and not only weight, but inches), I have loads more energy, and my senses have totally heightened, especially sense of smell and eye sight. Obviously. If I'm eating what nature provides, what we are supposed to eat, I would hope to feel better.

The people who decided to do this cleanse are all amazing women, and it was such a pleasure to feel a connection with these people, based on taking care of ourselves and wanting something more out of our food.

This cleanse also opened my eyes to the world of raw foods. I have always been pretty good about eating whole foods, but the raw food aisle, I steered clear from. I kept the thought of "eating raw" on the same lines as de-caff coffee and the gluten-free mania. And yes, some of it is not good, and almost all of it is over-priced. But these "snackaroons" are out of control good. Check out Laughing Giraffe; if you live in Boulder, CO, all the grocery stores have a raw food section, but you can order these online too. BUT, this also makes you think how easy it is to make yummy raw food snacks at home. Most of the time, you just throw the ingredients in a food processor.

I am obviously not going to eat raw all the time. So, on to my new favorite meal.

Lettuce Wraps. 

Grab your favorite veggies and fruits, I used:

purple and green cabbage

cucumber

celery

red bell pepper

fresh english peas

green onion

avocado

carrots

champagne mango

arugula

basil

lime juice

iceberg lettuce for the wrap

Chop the fruits and veggies, and put in a large bowl.

dressing:

sesame oil

fresh ginger

fresh garlic

apple juice

rice wine vinegar

sesame seeds

raw honey

salt

pepper

I have no idea how much of each ingredient I added, sorry! Just play around.

chicken:

For the cleanse, I couldn't use any soy products, but a good teriyaki or soy sauce marinade might be fun.

boneless, skinless chicken breast

coconut oil (my new favorite ingredient.)

raw tahini

unsweetened coconut chips, chopped

garlic

fresh ginger

lemon juice

salt

If you put the marinade in the fridge, the tahini and coconut oil get too hard, so I kept the chicken in the marinade at room temperature, for about an hour.

You can make loads of this, and it will stay fresh for a few days. Be sure to keep the veggies/fruit undressed and sealed in the fridge, the dressing in its own container. If you do this, make sure you don't cut the avocado until right before you dress the salad.