Santa Monica

I don't really like to leave my house.  I live a very comfortable life as a hermit and am quite happy to hunker down for an entire weekend in my jammies.  I do, however, like going to farmer's markets.  Every Saturday morning, I go to the Santa Monica Farmer's Market on Arizona to pick up my produce for the week.

I decided to change up my Saturday morning routine by stopping off at the beach and Will Rogers State Historic Park before my trip to the Market.  My grandpa used to love taking me to the beach and park.  It was one of my most fondest memories that I have of the time I spent with my grandpa.

As I walked across the bridge over the homeless person on my way to the beach, I mentally noted to myself that there was a reason why the area smelled so rank and foul. Someone took a dump near the bridge. I was very happy to see the light at the end of this particular tunnel.  I don't know why I was so excited to see this ugly "light" at the end of the the tunnel but I just loved the repeating curves. I was fascinated by it.

I used to love riding the waves with my grandpa holding on to me to make sure I didn't float off to sea.  I really wanted to jump into the water but was afraid of the toxic bacteria after our first rain of the season - my feet would probably fall off. As it was, I just sat there listening to the waves crashing on the sand.  I forgot how soothing that sound really was.  It was slowly lulling me to sleep so I decided it was time for me to get to my next destination.

I've been wanting to go to Will Rogers State Historic Park all summer but just couldn't get the energy together to make it there.  It's now $12 to park your car.  But it supports WRSHP so I say go for it.  I'd hate to see this place close down.  There are a few different trails that you can take.  I've done all of them at one point or another - some harder than others.  I'm amazed that my grandpa, even in his 80's would come hiking here for exercise.  Wow.

My out of shape @$$ somehow made it up to Inspiration Point.  Looking at the photo below, I'm still trying to figure out WHY this is supposed to be inspirational. Yes, yes...i KNOW it's underfunded and all that but really - this is how it always looked.  The views on a clear day are still "meh".  I sat down on the bench soaking in the peace, waiting for inspiration to strike, munching on my bagel when a group of runners made it up to the point.  I was annoyed, not by the noise or disruption of my peace, but because those people were RUNNING UP THE HILL. Show offs.

Both of these FREE activities are highly recommended if you happen to be in the Los Angeles area.  

Will Rogers State Historic Park
1501 Will Rogers Park Road
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
310-454-8212

Santa Monica Public Parking Spots

Stalker Series Part VI - Creepy Stalking...BAGELS!

I need you to know that I really debated on stalking this kid versus just making the darn oatmeal cookies that just looked so freaking delicious that I almost started it at midnight.  I mean, really...how creepy is it to stalk a kid who is almost young enough to be your son...assuming you had a baby when you were a [very, VERY young] teenager. 

Probably no more creepy than me leaving a comment on his blog that said, "If I were still in High School, I'd follow you all around campus in hopes of getting some cookies." Not that I would do that [at least not that I admit]. That would be crazy.

So, here was my dilemma.  I really want to stalk the kid but my better sense and judgment said, "Don't do it, Jen.  They may throw your @$$ in the can and how awkward would that be to explain to your family, friends, boss, and pastor why you were in jail??"  But then I thought, what if he didn't KNOW i was stalking him and just made up MENTAL conversations with him? That wouldn't really cross any boundaries, right??  I battled the crazies in my head and realized that it was even creepier that way.

So screw it.  I'm just going to stalk him the old fashioned way.  [I can hear the conversations now..."folks, I thought you should know that there's this old bag who's old enough to be my mom...well, she's stalking me right now..."] Only, no thanks to a post, I saw on his blog, I'm now stalking him for his bagels.

I love me the bagel.  [Not the bagelheads in Japan because that's even creepier than  stalking a teenager].  I mean the good old fashioned New York Style Bagel.  I saw Kamran's bagel photos and nearly took a bite out of my monitor.  Join me in my adventures in trying to interpret this recipe since I only understood half of it.

Step 1: Pouring in the sugar and yeast in ½ cup of the warm water.  Warm water? Ummm...i can stick my finger in the water...is that warm?? Is it too warm if I can only do it for 5 seconds? I let it sit for five minutes...ok, 7 minutes because I forgot about it [as usual]. I stir the mixture until it dissolves.  Crap.  This is murky.  I can't see if it's all dissolved. screw it, what's the worst that can happen??

Step 2: Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture. I add the remaining water as instructed...plus another 1/2 cup as not instructed.  Oh man.  WHY didn't i do it a little at a time??  This is sticky, goopey mess.

Step 3: I'm supposed to flour the countertop.  At what point is it too much flour??  Oh wait...it probably doesn't matter since my dough is still a sticky mess.  I knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic - or rather until my arms are about to fall off.  I mean, HOW DO THESE PEOPLE KNEAD THE DOUGH FOR SO LONG??  "Try to work in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough" the instructions said. Secretly, I'm hoping for firm and stiff arms instead.

Step 4: I brush the bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat - did I just remove the lightly brushed oil on the bowl when i turned the dough to coat? Does it matter?  Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise. During that hour, I did nothing productive.  Kamran, I'm sure, made 4 types of cookies, 3 tarts, 2 cakes, and roasted a partridge in a pear tree during that time*. 



Step 5: I punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.  Geez.  I hope I punched it down enough.  I'm not one for oppression or keeping anything down.

Step 6: I eyeball and attempt to cut 8 equal pieces of my very fluffy, puffy dough.   Unfortunately, my depth perception hasn't been the same since my faulty lasik surgery so they come out in varying sizes. I saw the picture of Kamran's hand shaping the equal [precisely measured] ball.  Ummm...I had to use 2 hands to shape it.  I hope to God he just has inordinately large hands and it isn't because I really messed something up.  His photos on his blog show a perfect ball.  Mine looked like it was massacred by Edward Scissorhands. 

Step 7: I poke holes into the bagels.  Unevenly, of course. 

Step 8: I generously allow 15 minutes for my bagels to rest instead of the 10 minutes per the instructions...and not because I forgot about them [again]. Riiiight. 

Step 9: Time to boil the bagels. Hmmm...what exactly does he mean when he says that they'll float to the top after a few seconds? Mine never sank. Were they supposed to?? Crap. I've got a bad feeling about this.

Step 10: I'm still perplexed as to why my bagels are so freaking huge and puffy.  WTH?? I don't even bother with the sesame topping because my bagels look more like balloons than bagels.  It would roll right off.

Step 12: aaahhh...20 minutes to surf the net while the bagels bake.  AND I actually remembered to set my timer. [score 10 points!]

Step 13: Too bad it only needed 17 minutes to brown.  *SIGH* [minus 15 points.]

Step 14: I toast one and had it with the best elderberry jam EVER.

Ok, so it came out puffier than I would've liked.  It's my first try. I'm most definitely trying this again! Thanks for the encouragement, Kamran! [and for not calling the cops on me - special thanks for THAT!]

Please note: i've never baked with yeast before.  I was traumatized in high school chem by a disastrous lab assignment involving yeast and never really got over it.  Some people are afraid of public speaking - me, it's yeast.

* I'm still trying to get over the fact that this 17 year old has produced this amazing blog, does his homework, takes AP courses, and bakes like a maniac. When I was in high school, my favorite past times included trying to see how long I could go without opening a textbook, getting my homework done DURING class, and picking lint out of my belly button.  Those were good times.

Ferry Market Building Farmer's Market - San Francisco

On my last trip up to Napa, I swung by the Ferry Building during a non-farmer's market day.  I missed out on some fabulousness. Emily from Foodzie recommended that I get to Primavera for their Chilaquiles.  Come on, NACHOS for breakfast? Of course I love this stuff.  It's one of my favorite meals of all time.

I first became aware of Frog Hollow from a friend who I thought was calling it, "Frogolo".  Through a comedy of errors, I finally discovered that it was Frog Hollow, the best fruit ever.  It's about $3.90 a pound at the ferry market but it is the BEST fruit I've ever had.

They served grilled peaches the weekend I was there.  The sweet, juicy nectar from the peach was absolutely amazing.  

I wandered through stall after stall of fresh veggies, cheese, fruits, plants, and mushrooms.  I found a lot of asian veggies here that I can't readily find in my local markets.  It makes it feel so exotic.  It was an amazing smorgasboard of offerings.  I only wish that we had this place in Los Angeles!  

 

I know I'm a simple person but really...how many different colors and types of radishes are there?  I love the spicy crunchiness of radishes and was sad that I couldn't grab a few bunches to munch on.  Look how beautiful they are!

One of the best parts of the Farmer's Market was getting to see these group of swing dancers dancing around the area right in front of the building.  It was amazing!  People were having such a great time and the spontaneity of the dancing almost made me want to get out there and dance.  But i don't dance.  I sprain ankles by walking.

Ferry Building Farmers Market
One Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA 94111


Tuesday 10:00am - 2:00pm
Thursday 10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 2:00pm

another owie...

I'm constantly on the move in my job.  My brain tends to move faster than my body, which causes a problem for me in terms of coordination skills [i'm freakishly uncoordinated.  something you wouldn't expect from a person who did gymnastics for years!].

This is a direct result of my trying to think faster than my body can move:

I've been duct taping my ankle since I don't want word getting out that i sprained my ankle AGAIN.  It's just too embarrassing for words.  All in a day's work.  Suck it up and get the job done!

How did i end up here?

Last weekend, I was living the high life in San Fran - views of the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge from my hotel room; eating at Contigo with some of the most exotic dishes I've had in years; and meeting  some of my blogger heroes at the Food Blogger After Party.  In stark contrast, this weekend I've got a view a hotel parking lot and miles and miles of flat, grey, rainy scenery.  Help...I'm lost in Oklahoma City...

All right, I exaggerate. I'm not lost.  I know exactly where I am. It's not all bad.  I thought, "Here's my chance to bring my blog back to being a travel blog..." Unfortunately, the only thing I've done since landing here is to drag my friend, Carrie, to the Oldest Antique Bar in Oklahoma - Eischen's in Okarche.  After I pet the world's cutest dog, trout:

Eischen's SALOON was opened in 1896 until the prohibition.  Eischen's BAR opened shortly have the end of prohibition by the grandson's of the original Eischen's Saloon.  What's so spectacular about this place aside from being the oldest bar in Oklahoma??  Well, they've also got some of the best fried chicken I've ever had.  And I don't even like fried chicken. 

Battling through the rain [ok, so it was a light sprinkling but it doesn't rain in Southern California so i'm just not used to it] and traveling an hour from Edmond, we finally arrived in Okarche [after getting lost because Carrie had folded the instructions in half and a crucial part of the instructions was on the crease of the fold]!  The first thing we noticed when we got out of the car was the smell of fried chicken wafting out of the bar.

After circling the building to find the front entrance [made us a little crazy because the smell of fried chicken was even stronger the closer we got], we decided that we liked the back much better. 

The menu was short and sweet with only a limited number of options. It's great for indecisive people like me who can't make up their minds.  Diet cokes were expensive at a $1.50 per can...Beers were actually a better value and were served up quicker. 

Apparently, one size fits all - whole chickens only so Carrie and I decided to share an order of fried chicken and okra. After a brief 45 minute wait for our order [the waitress assured me that I was lucky I didn't have to wait 2 hours for it], the piping hot chicken finally arrived.  The chicken was wonderful juicy on the inside [as it should be] and crispy on the outside [again, as it should be].  What was so amazing about this chicken was how it MELTED in my mouth.

After stuffing my fat face with fried stuff, I felt the need to take a [short] walk through the very small town.  The area was quaint, yet stark.  Modern, yet a throw back from yester year.  

If you find yourself going through Oklahoma, I recommend you swing through Okarche and enjoy some fried chicken!  But only if you've got the time.  

Eischen's Bar

108 S 2nd
Okarche, OK 73762

405.364.9939

Oatmeal Cookies...

I was originally going to do another segment of the Stalker Series but I had an attack of conscience on the person I wanted to stalk.  I need to battle out the argument "for" and the argument "against" in my brain. Until the issue is resolved [both moral and legal], you'll just have to be patient with me as I try to quench my cravings for a really good oatmeal cookie like the one I saw on this blog.

I'm heading out to Oklahoma City next week for work and am meeting up with one of my dearest friends in the world!  I made a batch of financiers and thought how great they'd be to bring along for my friend.  They would have been the perfect gift for her since I just know she'd love it. I know this because I love them so.  I love them so much that I ate them. Now I'm empty handed again and my mother would shoot me if I went to visit a without a gift!  I needed a Plan B.

I found this recipe clipping in my piles of recipes [ironic that someone who doesn't really cook or bake has enough recipes to put the local public library to shame].  I believe it came from the Los Angeles Times.  But I don't stake my life on that fact.  For the sake of this post, I'm saying it's the LA Times and I'm saying it with conviction.  Because really, that's all I've got.

Extra Crisp and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

adapted from the LA Times recipe from a long, long time ago

1/3 cup butter

1-1/2 cups oatmeal

1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup cranberries

Melt Butter and set aside to cool. 

Using a food processor, ground oatmeal & pistachio until flour like consistency.  Add granulated and brown sugars, salt and process until smooth.  In separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, vanilla and eggs. Stir into oatmeal mixture, adding the cranberries and chocolate chips.  Chill dough for 20 minutes.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and set on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Flatten slightly with moist fingers.

Bake at 350 degrees until edges are nicely browned and tops of cookies are medium golden, 9 to 11 minutes.  Cool well on baking sheets, about 10 minutes, before atempting to remove with metal spatula or icing knife.  Cookies can also be brought to room temperature and flattened more to make them larger, more crisp and lacy-like.  Cover loosely and keep refrigerated.