Rocco’s game

Breakfast

This morning I had a delish bowl of steel cut oatmeal with half banana, diced apple, and a handful of almonds, mixed togethor with some soymilk. It was so delicious and satisfying! I feel ready to take on today now. This pic is actually from Cooking Light and features pan seared steel cut oats which I will definately try soon.

Rocco’s game

So since the Celtics disappointed me yesterday (KG pulling a shaq and then missing another crucial shot, what!), I was interested in Rocco Mediate’s intriguing golf game. Here he is at the U.S. Open Playoffs head to head vs Tiger himself, and he is cracking jokes, chatting up reporters, and generally acting like he’s at a leisure Sunday putting green with old pals. His mental game is the complete opposite of Tiger’s. Tigers extreme taciturn focus and zen is unable to shake Rocco’s complete oblivion to stress and his ability to just have fun in the moment. I definately need to be more Rocco in my approach to life’s obstacles…I tend to get super focused and small things can stress me out. Living in the moment and just having fun is Rocco’s game. In the book, Inner Game of Tennis, and the theory is the same…when too much focus and instruction is given, causing the player to overanalyze themselves and stress out about details, they can lose their natural flow and freeze. Like Rocco, it’d be nice to be able to just have fun with it, while still giving it your best shot.

Dreaming

Of being 3 months out. I’d be done with school, out of the desert, into a cute flat in San Francisco and finally free. On an obligatory more optimistic note, I should squeeze what I can out of these last months of school, learn alot, enjoy being a student and live each day out the best I can. Yes I can (thanks obama you’ve inspired me). I think Obama must have just watched the Nutty Professor when he coined that catch phrase.

Bonne Matin

Breakfast
Ezekiel english muffin with earth balance, slices of baked savory tofu, plum, apricot, grapes.

Victory!
I love that the Celtics won. Humility & teamwork definately trump the Lakers premature swagger. Yeah Pierce & Allen!!
“And still, somehow, these Celtics rose out of the rubble together. They did it without flash, without trickery, without excuse. Pierce had gone to Doc Rivers at halftime, and declared, “I want to guard Kobe.” This has been Allen’s responsibility, but he took no offense. Pierce could stop Bryant’s posting up near the basket. He had fouls to give, and a childhood hometown to take back for himself.”

One of my favorite quotes is, “Humility is a lesson I must learn day after day.” Cockiness is always a huge turn-off to all those surrounding and a big deterrent to personal growth. I hope I can be confident in myself yet always value humility and an open mind in everything I do.

Dreaming
Sleeping in, making art, relaxing this weekend to recover from the torrent that was this week. I saw the movie Across the Universe and loved it so much. I often feel that my life is so overly structured and dictated…My dream would be to live freely, without responsibility, making art, meeting new people, traveling everywhere, without a care in the world! How great would that be?

Ce Matin

Breakfast
banana sliced on toast, boca patty, sliced apple, a few nuts, tea.

Listening to NPR
Water shortage! The last drought since 1991. Turn off faucets when brushing teeth and washing face, shorter showers, flush less (ew). I so remember the last drought like it was yesterday. It seems like everything is in shortage these days and inflated in prices, water, gas, money…abundance is definately not a reality today. As new graduates as we strike out to look for jobs, I feel that there are a lot more obstacles that we face. More older professionals are holding onto their jobs and retiring later, jobs simply aren’t as readily available. I know that we’ll all find something that suits us, but we’ll just have to dig a little harder, all the while driving less, spending less and flushing the toilet less .
Dreaming
Of living on the coast. Fresh ocean air at my doorstep, jogging along the waterfront and romantic dinners overlooking the beach. I’m obviously so very tired of living in the dry heat of the desert. My ideal apartment would have floor to ceiling windows, shiny hardwood floors, upper level with a good sized balcony, open cabinets and a warm-modern esthetic. It would also be walking distance to the park, downtown cafes, bookstores, restaurants, wholefoods! and shopping…Is that asking too much? =) It would look something like this…

Brekkie

Brekkie
I didn’t take a picture today, but I had, 2 pieces of hemp toast, 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple, edename and a handful of raw nuts.

Listening to NPR,
Hyper-miling, the practice of driving with a keen sensitivity to your expenditure of gas to obtain maximum gas mileage. Drivers drive with their shoes off for extra sensitivity to the gas pedal, do very slow california rolls, drive in the heat without ac, and etc.

How great would it be to just not have a car in this day and age? To be able to hop on the subway and get anywhere in your town, to pedal down the street on your bicycle for a piece of local cheese and fresh produce?

This would be my dream, to be able to be car-free. Think of all the money you would save on gas, oil-changes, car maintenance, insurance, parking headaches in los angeles, etc. Not to mention the peace of mind and freedom.

Get it off my chest,
At school, things are coming down to the wire. 3 more months means, extreme focus to complete my thesis, finish up my patients and transfer them to the next resident and just get the hell out.

Dreaming,
Thinking of Portland. The opportunities I hear are there, the congestion is not. The Northwest neighborhood near Wallace Park, the Water, Wholefoods, and 23rd street shopping…It sounds pretty nice. I always thought I would end up in San Francisco near family and childhood friends, or in Los Angeles, where I’ve been for the past 6 yrs…but now I’m thinking, what about a change? Change always brings something new, albeit with its challenges, but I’m feeling ready for cheaper housing (I could get a gorgeous 1 bedroom in a desireable neighborhood for a mere 800!!), no-stress job searching (la, sf= saturation), and something different…We will see.

Breakfast with dimple

Banana crepe pancake

1/4 c 7 grain hot cereal
1/2 c boiling water
(soak for 10 min)
add in:
1/4 c buckwheat flour
1/4 c GF flour mix
1/4 c soy milk
1 egg white
1 t almond extract
1 t baking powder
3 T maple syrup
1 mashed banana
pinch salt

will make a thin batter. pour batter in large pan to make one large pancake. flip over and cut into sections with spatula, finish browning other side.

Enjoy with earthbalance spread, fresh fruit.

One

I love foodbeam’s post on creating one thing each day…in her words, “one day, one thing, one happy me.” I love it!

I’ll try to make an effort at something creative each day. something, anything that inspires me.

Today…a pastel sketch with my fav. medium papermate blue ink pen & pastels. My french grammer is all kinds of bad and I don’t color in the lines but I kinda like the results.

Breakfast with dimples

This wasn’t breakfast, but a frozen banana mint chip smoothie that I made before…it’s simply frozen bananas, dates, cacao nibs and fresh mint blended up…it tastes like ice cream!

My favorite time of the day is in the early morning, when everything is fresh and the story of the day has not yet unfolded. Then comes breakfast my favorite meal of the day, along with some journal writing, tea and npr. I’m going to try out posting my breakfasts & thoughts, just as a bit of online journaling when I don’t feel like putting pen to paper and would rather type. You can disregard whatever I write ( to any errant readers who stumble upon this page) as random early morning jibberish that I just felt like getting out of my system =).

On the menu

Hemp toast with Tahini spread, korean melon and apple

On my mind

Obama. At first I was a bit wary of Obama, his rhetoric and relative inexperience. The more I hear about his life story, his passion and his clear-eyed and ambitious views of what our country needs, I see more and more a president and less and less a fish out of water.

I don’t think that the criticism that Obama’s inexperience will cripple him is enough of a reason to keep him out of office. The leader should have the heart, soul and intellect of one…these he has in spades. Hearing him speak, he can move a crowd. He has charisma and he feels the words he speaks. It is about time we had this! He can lead and people will inadvertently follow. As long as he maintains his passion for change tempered with pragmatism & wise counsel, I believe that he is worthy of the the title of president. And for the first time in awhile, I’m excited to see what unfolds!

Cupcakes & a bridal shower

I’ve been doing some cupcake research for a bridal shower of a dear friend of mine. While I usually try to make everything with pure whole ingredients, I did use white sugar for the frosting & splurged on the fondant, because I adore the smooth texture. However I did switch out the sugar for organic confectioners cane sugar and white flour for WW pastry flour.

I really loved how the fresh strawberry cupcakes tasted. The vanilla cupcakes were a bit too dense for my taste, I prefer light & fluffy, and I’d like a stronger vanilla bean flavor. I used the sprinkles strawberry cupcake & frosting recipe, topped with fondant hearts & the magnolia bakery vanilla cupcake recipe with dipped fondant topping and fondant butterflies.

Here are the results!

music: puissance radio

Lemon Coconut Cashew Melties

These were deliciously smooth and melt-in-your mouth. Lemon adds zest and coconut & cashew lends a wholesome creamyness.

Gifted to my friend lindsey a lover a lemon bars, on her birthday.

Lemon Coconut Cashew Melties
Coconut flour, whole ground cashews, whole wheat pastry flour, soy flour, coconut milk, confectioners sugar, agave syrup, organic egg, lemon zest & juice, vanilla, celtic sea salt, organic butter

music by kroq

Red bean bun cookie

Adzuki beans are a favorite of mine, so I’m always trying to use it in new ways. These cookie was not too sweet, wholesome and delicious! The imprint on top of the cookie was made with the top of a whisk to resemble buns.

Gifted to my parents as a Thank you for coming all the way down for my graduation, for supporting me and for buying my ticket to Paris! =)

Red beans, whole wheat flour, flax seed, soy flour, coconut flour, celtic sea salt, canola oil, organic evaporated cane sugar, maple syrup, organic egg

music by puissance radio (french)