Mmmmm.... Fall.....

Oh I love it when it starts to get crisp 65 degrees outside and all the fall vegetables are at the farmers market.  It's hard to pick a favorite season for food but fall is in my top four (haha).  I just love the feeling of being all cozy in the house with something roasting away in the oven while stray dogs and the homeless sniff hungrily at our front door.  A big hunk o' meat slow braised while its lovely fat drips all over root vegetables is my idea of a last death row meal. Pure comfort food.  I am blessed to have a hubby who visits the farmers market every Wednesday and he is the first to let me know when certain produce have made their grand appearance.

An Ode to Fall Vegetables!

  

Persimmons!  You soft, sultry, musky orb!  I'll let your juices drip down my chin and arms while I suck you standing over the sink.

  Chantrelles!  Your meaty and silky flesh caresses my mouth with a sensual familiarity.

Carrots!  Your sweetness is only enhanced by the caramel you produce on a hot pan.  Your tender flesh enhances any meat.

Radishes!  Your fiery nature is mellowed to a sweet succulence you willingly give when roasted in a hot oven. 

Brussels Sprouts!  Your sweet and tender interior defies your sketchy reputation.

Okay, enough, enough.  I'm getting silly.  But truly, isn't fall fabulous!

   

Some lovely carrots and radishes from Jaime Farms...
Fresh Mahi mahi...

Seared mahi with carrots, radishes, and lambs quarters...Celebrate Fall!!

A tribute to my lil' sis!

My little sister is turning 28!

We've had such fun years together! She was my little buddy. Six years younger than me, I took her under my somewhat tattered wing and taught her everything I knew. I don't ever remember her being a nuisance like a lot of little sisters are and she always had such a good sense of humor with my teasing!

Leah and I had plenty of quality toilet time together.  Not afraid to share in one another's bodily functions! (Still not).

 

I think this was my 19th birthday.  Leah made me a hand painted green bud container box. I wish I still had it! Leah, you were only 13 in this pic! My god! Had I already tainted you with bong hits and booze? You seemed so grown up then but I look back and think "FOR SHAME! FOR SHAME!"
Leah in her punk rocker stage. Note the rabbit in the background that she handed-down to me!

Bachelorette party after she met Blake. The book title was an apt foreshadow of good things to come.

Watching my sister get married!

Of course, she was right there with me for my marriage a few years later.

I freakin love this photo!


I can never repay Lou for the gifts she has given me...

...and my husband!

So here's to you, Lou! Happy birthday!!

Fave baby items...(mamanomad post)

My sis posted on her blog about fave baby products. Now I am no baby's mamma but I get down with the Ergo Baby Carrier. Not only have I been on many a field trip with my sis toting one tot or another in this carrier but I realized I helped cook a Thanksgiving dinner toting a sleeping baby on my back. No way I could have done this without the Ergo!FOOTnote:  Check out the Padraig slippers!  (number 2 on fave products!)

Scootie!!

Look at this beauty!! A Piaggio BV250. Gets 60+ miles to the gallon and hits top speeds of 75mph! I can't believe I bought it!  It's an automatic (no messin' with a clutch or gear shifter) but it's heavier than I thought.  Noah got many chuckles watching me get all sweaty trying to maneuver it in and out of tight places.
Getting geared up for the ride! (Scared out of my wits!)  
Riding someone's else's motorcycle for practice was one thing; taking off on my own (expensive) brand new bike was a whole different experience. It will take some time but hopefully soon I'll be riding like a pro!

And yes, to anyone asking the question: I have all the necessary gear. ATGATT: All The Gear, All The Time!

Motorcycles and apple pie.

I passed my motorcycle class!!  Which means I can go to the DMV, take a written test, and get a motorcycle license.  Then I can go buy my scooter.  As much fun as riding a motorcycle is, I just don't feel safe doing it here in LA.  I'll just zip around from work and the grocery store on my scooter.  

For some reason, maybe the cool weather, I got the hankerin' to make an apple pie.  I had never made one before but the apples are beautiful right now.  I haven't had good luck with baking but tonight I pulled this out:

It turned out really tasty.  Two successful endeavors in one day.  

Moto, baby...

This was the first day of my riding class, learning how to ride a motorcycle.  I've probably been talking about learning since I was 21 or 22.  I realized that if I didn't do it now I probably never would.  So this sweet ride is what I rode today at my class.  Super comfortable... No "crotch rocket" for me.  I felt super awkward at first, like learning to drive a car for the first time. It seems like there is so much to remember:  the clutch is controlled by your left hand, you shift gears with your left foot, and gas and brake with your right hand.  It's a lot to learn but, oh baby, when I'm making those turns and shifting into 3rd gear (as high as they will let you go) it feels soooo gooood!  The more practice I got, the more natural it felt and I understand why people are so passionate about motorcycles.  I am a realist and will probably not buy a motorcycle while living in LA.  A scooter is fine for me.  But when we leave this (god forsaken) place and live somewhere where people are a little more cognizant of other drivers, Noah and I will be cruising our bikes up and down the coast...  So much fun!!