Hello wonderful readers!
I have been conspicuously absent from this space for awhile now. While I still have a great love for all things food, art and flora I felt like there was more I wanted to do in this web-space. Over the past few months I have been working on a new concept and over the course of the last month I have finally launched that new concept in the form of a new blog. You will find that it is a different format, different feel, and different blog altogether.
It is called "If I were my own best friend...".
Basically it is the advice I would give myself if I were smart enough to listen to myself (and other stuff of the same ilk.)
Here is the link:
http://ifiweremyownbestfriend.wordpress.com/
Check it out. If you like it, feel free to subscribe via email or RSS feed.
I have enjoyed the interactions, comments and growth that have come from this blog. I hope you will find something worth reading or following on the new one!
Thank you again for the great experience. I hope to see you at the new site.
With thanks,
Rachel
P.S. I will be shutting this one down in the near future. Thanks again!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
An exploration of spring
Let's talk about flora...
I don't know about you, but spring can be tough! It's sunny one day, rainy the next. I'm breaking out my shorts and tank tops, then I'm hunting for my woolen socks. I have whiplash from the rapid changes in direction the weather keeps taking (and I even live in a temperate zone!).
One thing I've noticed, that remains common to spring, regardless of the mercurial weather, are the daffodils! I see them sprouting through the dirt, reaching for the sun, and blossoming with reckless abandon all around. Their fabulous yellow petals brighten up the dreariest days and yards. Daffodils remind me that the weather will eventually even out and that consistently warmer, sunnier days are just around the corner.
When I was shopping at Trader Joe's last week, (on a day that started out 50 degrees and raining, then ended up 70 degrees and sunny) I found bundles of daffodil stalks (10 stalks for only $1.29)!! The helpful guy at the store told me all I had to do was put the stalks in a vase with water, and in a couple days they would start blooming! You can't beat that for ease! Since I don't have a yard to plant bulbs in, this was going to be the closest I would get to having daffodils in my house. I brought home a couple dozen and spread them around in various vases.
Interspersed throughout this post are a few pictures I took as they started to open up and blossom! (Can you tell I have been trying to play around with the camera??)
Do you love spring?? Or are you already looking forward to the warm (and more consistent) weather of summer??
I don't know about you, but spring can be tough! It's sunny one day, rainy the next. I'm breaking out my shorts and tank tops, then I'm hunting for my woolen socks. I have whiplash from the rapid changes in direction the weather keeps taking (and I even live in a temperate zone!).
One thing I've noticed, that remains common to spring, regardless of the mercurial weather, are the daffodils! I see them sprouting through the dirt, reaching for the sun, and blossoming with reckless abandon all around. Their fabulous yellow petals brighten up the dreariest days and yards. Daffodils remind me that the weather will eventually even out and that consistently warmer, sunnier days are just around the corner.
When I was shopping at Trader Joe's last week, (on a day that started out 50 degrees and raining, then ended up 70 degrees and sunny) I found bundles of daffodil stalks (10 stalks for only $1.29)!! The helpful guy at the store told me all I had to do was put the stalks in a vase with water, and in a couple days they would start blooming! You can't beat that for ease! Since I don't have a yard to plant bulbs in, this was going to be the closest I would get to having daffodils in my house. I brought home a couple dozen and spread them around in various vases.
Interspersed throughout this post are a few pictures I took as they started to open up and blossom! (Can you tell I have been trying to play around with the camera??)
Do you love spring?? Or are you already looking forward to the warm (and more consistent) weather of summer??
Sunday, March 20, 2011
San Diego Zoo
Let's talk about... The Zoo!
What: The San Diego Zoo
Where: in San Diego, at Balboa park
When: Hours vary by season, check the website
Cost: $40 per adult, $30 for children 3-11, Free for children under 3
Website: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/index.php
Last weekend we took a trip to San Diego and had the opportunity to wander around the Zoo. At first I was a little bit skeptical that a zoo could deliver $36 (it's usually $40 per adult, but I found $4-off-coupons at the hotel!) of entertainment, but I was wrong!
I felt like the Zoo experience was actually worth the money. While I still struggle with the idea of these animals being locked up in cages and living their lives in what amounts to a jail, I was amazed by many of the habitats that have been built. They are integrated and spaced in such a way that as I wandered through the pathways I started to feel like I was in a jungle or at the dessert or transported to the plains (excepting of course the bars, wires, and plexiglass).
I skipped the panda experience (due to an atrociously long line) but managed to wander through almost all of the rest of the Zoo in about 3 hours. There were a plethora of birds, the requisite creepy crawlers and slitherers, monkeys, bears, tigers, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, sleeping hippos, and so much more! As I meandered I learned about the animals; I was reminded of the amazing biodiversity of this planet and the fragile state so many of these populations exist in now. I had an opportunity to see animals I will probably never see in the wild and I feel the Zoo experience allowed me to better remember and respect these great and amazing creatures.
Scattered throughout are a few pictures of both the common and uncommon I was able to see while wandering the Zoo. Please enjoy, and if you are in San Diego looking for something to do consider adding this to your list.
What: The San Diego Zoo
Where: in San Diego, at Balboa park
When: Hours vary by season, check the website
Cost: $40 per adult, $30 for children 3-11, Free for children under 3
Website: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/index.php
Last weekend we took a trip to San Diego and had the opportunity to wander around the Zoo. At first I was a little bit skeptical that a zoo could deliver $36 (it's usually $40 per adult, but I found $4-off-coupons at the hotel!) of entertainment, but I was wrong!
I felt like the Zoo experience was actually worth the money. While I still struggle with the idea of these animals being locked up in cages and living their lives in what amounts to a jail, I was amazed by many of the habitats that have been built. They are integrated and spaced in such a way that as I wandered through the pathways I started to feel like I was in a jungle or at the dessert or transported to the plains (excepting of course the bars, wires, and plexiglass).
Scattered throughout are a few pictures of both the common and uncommon I was able to see while wandering the Zoo. Please enjoy, and if you are in San Diego looking for something to do consider adding this to your list.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Arcimboldo
Let's talk about Art!
Who: Giuseppe Arcimboldo
When: Born in 1526, Died in 1592
Where: Born in Milan, traveled to Lombardy, worked in Vienna, then Prague, finally returned to Milan
What: an amazing artist you have probably never heard of before
For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Arcimboldo
Arcimboldo is best known for his detailed and fanciful portraits, most of which are made up of a variety of plants, animals and objects put together to create a person. The individual pieces of each portrait contribute to the overall sense of who the person is that is being portrayed. Every detail is built from smaller objects and items to provide a sense of who the person in the portrait actually is. In the portrait of Spring, featured below, over 80 different species of flowers have been identified.
Arcimboldo was greatly influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, who had spent considerable time in Milan as a court artist. Historians report that much of Arcimboldo's early work was done as a natural illustrator of birds, plants, and animals, all of which were completed in the style of da Vinci. During his lifetime Arcimboldo served Maximillian II, who became Holy Roman Emperor in 1564, and Rudolf II, who succeeded his father in 1576.
Throughout his years serving the Roman Emperors Arcimboldo painted many portraits of the court (few of which have survived) as well as the more fanciful compositions I have included here. In his later years he explored the challenge of reversible paintings, such as the one above, which can be viewed from the top OR the bottom. In this case the painting is either a bowl of produce or a gardener. I suppose for the fickle art lover this is the best of both worlds, you can have a still life one day and a portrait the next!
Who: Giuseppe Arcimboldo
When: Born in 1526, Died in 1592
Where: Born in Milan, traveled to Lombardy, worked in Vienna, then Prague, finally returned to Milan
What: an amazing artist you have probably never heard of before
For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Arcimboldo
Arcimboldo is best known for his detailed and fanciful portraits, most of which are made up of a variety of plants, animals and objects put together to create a person. The individual pieces of each portrait contribute to the overall sense of who the person is that is being portrayed. Every detail is built from smaller objects and items to provide a sense of who the person in the portrait actually is. In the portrait of Spring, featured below, over 80 different species of flowers have been identified.
Arcimboldo was greatly influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, who had spent considerable time in Milan as a court artist. Historians report that much of Arcimboldo's early work was done as a natural illustrator of birds, plants, and animals, all of which were completed in the style of da Vinci. During his lifetime Arcimboldo served Maximillian II, who became Holy Roman Emperor in 1564, and Rudolf II, who succeeded his father in 1576.
Throughout his years serving the Roman Emperors Arcimboldo painted many portraits of the court (few of which have survived) as well as the more fanciful compositions I have included here. In his later years he explored the challenge of reversible paintings, such as the one above, which can be viewed from the top OR the bottom. In this case the painting is either a bowl of produce or a gardener. I suppose for the fickle art lover this is the best of both worlds, you can have a still life one day and a portrait the next!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Extreme Exposure
Let's talk about Art!
What: The Annenberg Space for Photography
Current Exhibit: Extreme Exposure
When: exhibit opened in October 2010 and will run through April 17, 2011
Where: 2000 Avenue of the Stars #10, Los Angeles, CA, 90067
Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday
Cost: General admission is free, you only have to pay for parking (on the weekend with validation it cost $1, I don't know about the weekdays)
Website (for more info): http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/
The current exhibit is called Extreme Exposure and is a combination of five photographers' works. Each of these photographers have done amazing work in some of the Earth's most extreme environments (hence the exhibit name!). The exhibit can be explored through a combination of photographs, video shorts that allow the photographers to explain or expand on the works you see, Microsoft surface tables, and a library with further reading and longer videos.
I was touched and awed by the works I saw in the exhibit.
Each of these amazing photographers seemed to become part of their environment and it shows in their finished works. If you are in Los Angeles and have a chance to visit the exhibit I HIGHLY recommend it!
Happy Art-ing!
What: The Annenberg Space for Photography
Current Exhibit: Extreme Exposure
When: exhibit opened in October 2010 and will run through April 17, 2011
Where: 2000 Avenue of the Stars #10, Los Angeles, CA, 90067
Hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday
Cost: General admission is free, you only have to pay for parking (on the weekend with validation it cost $1, I don't know about the weekdays)
Website (for more info): http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/
The current exhibit is called Extreme Exposure and is a combination of five photographers' works. Each of these photographers have done amazing work in some of the Earth's most extreme environments (hence the exhibit name!). The exhibit can be explored through a combination of photographs, video shorts that allow the photographers to explain or expand on the works you see, Microsoft surface tables, and a library with further reading and longer videos.
I was touched and awed by the works I saw in the exhibit.
- Clyde Butcher has done stunning black and white film work in Florida and throughout the nation's national parks. As I viewed many of his pieces I felt if I took one step forward I would be in the photograph and no longer observing it. If I closed my eyes I imagined I would hear the sounds of the swamp just from looking at his pictures of the Florida wetlands.
- Paul Nicklen's photographs showed me animals throughout the coldest climates in the world, above and under water. His work is stunning and his methods are terrifying for anyone sane. From leopard seals to narwhal whales to polar bears to penguins he allowed me to see these animals in ways I have never seen before.
- Michael Nichols had some of the most amazing animal photographs I have ever witnessed. Tigers leaping from cliffs, owls swooping down for food, hippos surfing and so much more. He also created a phenomenal photograph of a redwood tree that stopped me in my tracks (you have to see it to believe it).
- Donna and Stephen O'Meara are a wife and husband team who have spent their lives taking stunning pictures of erupting volcanoes all over the globe. The colors and compositions are bold and beautiful.Their images of the volcano that erupted in Iceland in April of 2010 are gorgeous.
Each of these amazing photographers seemed to become part of their environment and it shows in their finished works. If you are in Los Angeles and have a chance to visit the exhibit I HIGHLY recommend it!
Happy Art-ing!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Garden Bus!
Let's talk about plants!
I saw this post on the GOOD magazine website and immediately knew I had to share it.
http://www.urbangardensweb.com/2011/02/01/gardens-on-top-of-city-busses/
The organization is called Bus Roots - it was developed by an NYU student for a masters thesis. The gist is this: he is using the top of a public bus to plant a garden! Each bus top is 340 square feet. There are approximately 4,500 buses in the fleet. If each bus had a garden on top, that would add 1,530,000 square feet of rolling garden space to the city!!!
It made me think: what space could I use to create more greenery? What would that do for my environment, both on a small and large scale? What would it do for my neighbors? I can only imagine sitting in an office building at work, glancing out my second or third story window for a quick mental break, and a garden rolls by on the top of a bus. How would that change my outlook in the moment? How would it change my outlook over time?
I am so inspired by people who think outside the proverbial box, or in this case think on top of it.
I saw this post on the GOOD magazine website and immediately knew I had to share it.
http://www.urbangardensweb.com/2011/02/01/gardens-on-top-of-city-busses/
The organization is called Bus Roots - it was developed by an NYU student for a masters thesis. The gist is this: he is using the top of a public bus to plant a garden! Each bus top is 340 square feet. There are approximately 4,500 buses in the fleet. If each bus had a garden on top, that would add 1,530,000 square feet of rolling garden space to the city!!!
It made me think: what space could I use to create more greenery? What would that do for my environment, both on a small and large scale? What would it do for my neighbors? I can only imagine sitting in an office building at work, glancing out my second or third story window for a quick mental break, and a garden rolls by on the top of a bus. How would that change my outlook in the moment? How would it change my outlook over time?
I am so inspired by people who think outside the proverbial box, or in this case think on top of it.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
El Centro
Let's talk about food!
I'm going to try something a little different this year... restaurant reviews!
We'll start with a place I visited last year, but it was phenomenal and has stuck with me, so I figured why not start there?!?!
In case you are ever traveling to NYC, have spent the entire day shifting from a cramped airplane seat on a full flight, to a cramped train seat, to rush-hour subway traffic with 50 pounds of luggage, a sinus infection and a broken toe... this is the place for you! It was the perfect find, after a harrowing day of travel; quick and kind service, delicious food, and tasty margaritas. The giant neon cactus above the entrance was a beacon, pulling us home!
Restaurant: El Centro
Address: 824 9th Avenue @ 54th Street, NYC, NY 10019
Phone: 646.763.6585
Web: www.elcentro-nyc.com
The Service: quick, friendly, efficient
The Ambience: eclectic, homey, comfortable; a tight fit at some of the tables, but the booths and chairs were comfy; lights were down, atmosphere was relaxed, post-work drinks and appetizers for some, full meals for many; I loved the Corona-bottle-chandeliers!
The Food: We both tucked into a large bowl of tasty chips, lightly salted and warm! In my opinion, the salsa was closer to spaghetti sauce; the tomatoes were coarsely chopped and I didn't taste much cilantro or jalapeno, but it went down smoothly with the super-tasty chips. And after 12 hours of traveling, who really cares?!?!
For the main course, we both chose the pozole soup with chicken - a white hominy soup with avocado, radish, and oregano. All I can say is YUM and I have to figure out how to recreate this dish! The soup was warm and roasty with just the right level of spiciness (my sinuses actually started to open!). The pozole melted in my mouth and the broth was perfectly complemented by a few thin slices of avocado and shredded chicken. The radish added a nice crunch to the soup and I happily finished the whole bowl.
The Drinks: margaritas on the rocks with salt - solid, zesty, not too sweet, not too much ice; they went well with the chips and salsa (and they went quickly)
The Money: $10-20/person for entree and one drink - seemed pretty reasonable to me for an NYC dinner
Cheers! (Or should I say Ole!)
I'm going to try something a little different this year... restaurant reviews!
We'll start with a place I visited last year, but it was phenomenal and has stuck with me, so I figured why not start there?!?!
In case you are ever traveling to NYC, have spent the entire day shifting from a cramped airplane seat on a full flight, to a cramped train seat, to rush-hour subway traffic with 50 pounds of luggage, a sinus infection and a broken toe... this is the place for you! It was the perfect find, after a harrowing day of travel; quick and kind service, delicious food, and tasty margaritas. The giant neon cactus above the entrance was a beacon, pulling us home!
Restaurant: El Centro
Address: 824 9th Avenue @ 54th Street, NYC, NY 10019
Phone: 646.763.6585
Web: www.elcentro-nyc.com
The Service: quick, friendly, efficient
The Ambience: eclectic, homey, comfortable; a tight fit at some of the tables, but the booths and chairs were comfy; lights were down, atmosphere was relaxed, post-work drinks and appetizers for some, full meals for many; I loved the Corona-bottle-chandeliers!
The Food: We both tucked into a large bowl of tasty chips, lightly salted and warm! In my opinion, the salsa was closer to spaghetti sauce; the tomatoes were coarsely chopped and I didn't taste much cilantro or jalapeno, but it went down smoothly with the super-tasty chips. And after 12 hours of traveling, who really cares?!?!
For the main course, we both chose the pozole soup with chicken - a white hominy soup with avocado, radish, and oregano. All I can say is YUM and I have to figure out how to recreate this dish! The soup was warm and roasty with just the right level of spiciness (my sinuses actually started to open!). The pozole melted in my mouth and the broth was perfectly complemented by a few thin slices of avocado and shredded chicken. The radish added a nice crunch to the soup and I happily finished the whole bowl.
The Drinks: margaritas on the rocks with salt - solid, zesty, not too sweet, not too much ice; they went well with the chips and salsa (and they went quickly)
The Money: $10-20/person for entree and one drink - seemed pretty reasonable to me for an NYC dinner
Cheers! (Or should I say Ole!)
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