Saturday night Gina and I hit the road for Monterey. Our couchsurfing host Ben was doing a graduate school program at the Navy Postgraduate School. Talk about a nice gig – getting paid to go to school a few blocks from the ocean! He kindly invited us to a barbecue with some of his classmates and we happily accepted.
We stopped at Ben’s place before the barbecue, not knowing what to expect. The first thing I noticed was a flatscreen plasma TV that was longer than me and a huge overstuffed three piece couch set – the ultimate bachelor pad? In addition, there was a ton of Japanese paraphenalia – everything from art to saki – representing the three years Ben spent in Okinawa, Japan.
The barbecue was wonderful – all of the guys (of course a Navy barbecue was mostly men!) were very welcoming. I felt very comfortable, despite a few hard sells on why I should be a Navy doc!
Due to my disregulated sleep cycle after a week of night shifts at the hospital, I was not tired when the barbecue started to wind down at 9:30. When Ben suggested we go to The Crown and Anchor,I happily agreed. The bar is a navy favorite and every table was full. We were even able to play a fun game of “Navy Postgraduate or Monterey Peninsula Community College?” based on the outfits that each patron was wearing. Needless to say, it was much too late before we finally rested our weary heads on Ben’s comfy man-couch.
Despite being up until the wee hours of the morning, I dragged Ben out of bed for a morning run along the Monterey coast. I knew I was in trouble when he had me huffing and puffing within 5 minutes of starting, but we managed to having an amazing run along the coast. It was fun to run with someone who can push me to our of my lazy daily run comfort zone.
We rewarded our hard work with brunch at the Trailside Cafe and Coffee House. What better way to relax than an avocado and bacon omelette, live guitar music and a seaside view? It was amazing!
We then did some antique browsing at Cannery Row Antique Mall. It was fun to see all of the relics from days past, but the prices raised some eyebrows. Despite my best intentions to have a window-shopping only sort of trip, I ended up buying two beautiful pavé bee pins to wear on my name tag at the hospital. They are the perfect juxtaposition of my dad’s honeybee hobby and my love of sparkly things and I promise to post pics soon. In addition, sparkly things are a great way to distract the kiddos while you are trying to get a good heart and lung exam! I really just do it for the children…
We finished our lazy Sunday with a walk on Carmel Beach.
After that it was back to Menlo Park so I could catch the Caltrain back to reality.
* This post is filled with pictures of Monterey that don’t fit the context of my stay. My camera was locked in the trunk of our car for the majority of our visit! I hope you enjoy them anyway.
After working a week of night shifts, I had the luck of having three days in a row off. The first thing I thought of was my friend Gina’s, offer to do a weekend getaway if I could manage the time. When she suggested we head a few hours south to Santa Cruz and Monterey for the weekend I jumped at the chance.
I’ve had past experiences with couchsurfing, both staying on people’s couches and hosting. Thankfully they have been overwhelmingly positive. Couchsurfing is the best way to see a place and perfect for people like me, on a student loan budget!
Finding a couch to surf on in California is almost a contact sport. Last summer on our California roadtrip we contacted dozens of couchsurfers in San Francisco. We received no after no. Responses ranged from “Sorry you didn’t mention the secret key word I had hidden on my profile in your message” to “Sorry, I get 17 requests a day for couches.” Seventeen requests a day! No wonder the California couchsurfers are getting burned out!
Luckily, I had an “in” to the Santa Cruz couchsurfing scene. Pat spent a week surfing – and couchsurfing – last summer. I sent Mitch an email asking if he could spare a spot for Gina and I. Even though he has a steady stream of guests through his place, I got the all clear for Gina and I to share a futon mattress for the night.
Mitch was a fantastic host. He was full of ideas for our day in Santa Cruz and even placed a stuffed animal on each of our pillows. He regaled us with stories of couchsurfers past, including about his time hosting Pat.
He was also playing foster dad to some rescue squirrels. I was happy to stand behind the safety of my camera while Gina let them run wild over her – even in her hair!
He pointed us to the awesome and local Charlie Hong Kong for dinner. The food was affordable and delicious. The place was packed and the crowd was colorful, in the “is there a hostel nearby?” sort of way.
The next morning, Gina and I woke refreshed and headed out to see Santa Cruz. Our first stop was a co-op grocery store to get some fresh coffee and some vegan baked goods. Ever the animal lover, Gina immediately made friends with one of the local patrons:
We took a walk along the ocean and saw everything from sea lions to surfers. Pat also recommended the Surf Museum, which was full of old surfing photos, uniforms and even a shark-bitten surf board.
For lunch we checked out Saturn Cafe. Gina is vegan and Saturn Cafe offers only vegetarian entrees, many of which are vegan. I had a huge salad which was not only filling, but delicious (when combined with the order of fries we shared!).
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering Pacific Ave, the tourist downtown street of Santa Cruz. Then we packed up the car and headed even further south to Monterey.
I made this quick and easy layer dip for my last day of work at Stanford. While there, I lived in the graduate dorms and had no supplies to bake anything sweet. As much as I brainstormed ways to make cupcakes or even cookies, I couldn’t do anything without mixing bowls, baking pans, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla, cookie sheets, muffin tins…you get the point. Annie from Annie’s Eats posted a much more involved version of this recipe. I simplified it by using pre-dried tomatoes instead of buying my own and by buying pesto instead of making it from scratch.
The recipe was a huge hit. One of the docs I work with actually took out some scratch paper and wrote down all of the ingredients so he could share it with his wife!
INGREDIENTS
To assemble the dip:
Hummus
Pesto
Cucumber, seeded and diced
Sliced olives (black or Kalamata)
Crumbled feta cheese
Sun-dried tomatoes
DIRECTIONS
- Spread a layer of hummus over a 12 inch serving platter.
- Spread the pesto over the hummus
- Sprinkle over the cucumber, olives, feta, and sun-dried tomatoes
- Serve with pita chips
As you may have noticed, things aren’t running very smoothly around here right now. I’m in the process of switching over to a self-hosted site and to say that the process is painful is an understatement. I apologize for all of the down time, the broken links and the missing photos. I’m working 80 hour weeks on a rotation in San Francisco and I’m just going to sort through it as time permits. I promise that before long I’ll be back and better than ever!
In the meantime, try if links don’t work, try replacing runningblonde.com with runningblonde.wordpress.com in any of the posts.
And for the good news, I’m happy to finally announce the winners of the Color Me Rad 5K Giveaway!
#15 Autumn Bradley O’Rell
#21 Peter Williams
Look for an email from the race organizers to help you claim your prize! Thanks to everyone who participated.
To register for the race click here. Use the promo code ‘RONALD‘ and 20% of your registration fees go to the Ronald McDonald House.
Pat came to Stanford my last weekend there and I had to take him to one of my favorite spots in Stanford. The Cantor Arts Center is the University art museum that boasts a huge Rodin sculpture garden. They have one of the largest collections of Rodin sculptures in the world, including the fan favorite, The Thinker. Because the sculptures are made from a mold, there can be multiple “original” versions of each sculpture. There are twenty “Thinkers” all over the world including the most famous at the Musée Rodin in Paris.
I first heard of the Color Me Rad 5K race series from the Young House Love blog. When I clicked the link to the race organizer’s website, I could not believe how awesome the photos were!
It reminded me a ton of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. I remember being amazed when I saw this photo essay on the celebration.
Via the Boston Globe. I encourage you to check out the rest of the photos. They are amazing!
I was completely thrilled to find out that Color Me Rad is coming to Madison, Wisconsin on October 13! I’ve already signed up and have Pat and a few friends committed as well.
In order to spread the love, I have two free entries to the Madison, Wisconsin Color Me Rad 5K for you, dear readers!
Here’s how to enter. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do. If you mention more than one in the same post they will not be counted!
1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Share this giveaway on your blog or website and post the link below.
3. Share this giveaway on Twitter
4. Share the giveaway on Facebook
5. Pin this post on Pinterest
Each is worth one entry. I’ll announce the winner on Friday!
Registration is currently open and there is a $10 price increase on Friday, so sign up now! Use the promo code ‘RONALD‘ and 20% of your registration fees go to the Ronald McDonald House.
I’m so spoiled to live with a man who loves to cook as much as I do. Pat whipped up these fancy sandwiches for a picnic lunch one of my last weekends in Wisconsin. I never would have imagined that carrots and tapenade would be the perfect marriage for a sandwich. The spices were also a good preview for our honeymoon in Morocco next summer. You may have noticed, picnics are one of our favorite summer activities!
Moroccan Carrot and Turkey Sandwiches with Green Olive Tapenade
Adopted from Epicurious
For carrots
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 lb medium carrots (8)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 lb medium carrots (8)
For tapenade
1 1/4 cups green olives (6 to 7 oz) such as Cerignola or picholine, pitted
3 tablespoons drained bottled capers, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 flat anchovy fillet, chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cups green olives (6 to 7 oz) such as Cerignola or picholine, pitted
3 tablespoons drained bottled capers, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 flat anchovy fillet, chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
For sandwiches
12 slices good-quality pumpernickel sandwich bread
Sliced turkey meat
12 slices good-quality pumpernickel sandwich bread
Sliced turkey meat
Arugula
Prepare carrots:
Whisk together sugar, lemon juice, spices, salt, and oil in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved.Halve carrots crosswise on a long diagonal, then, starting from diagonal ends, cut into 1/16-inch-thick slices using slicer. Cook carrots in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 45 seconds. Drain well in a colander and immediately toss with dressing. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then marinate, covered and chilled, at least 4 hours.
Whisk together sugar, lemon juice, spices, salt, and oil in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved.Halve carrots crosswise on a long diagonal, then, starting from diagonal ends, cut into 1/16-inch-thick slices using slicer. Cook carrots in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 45 seconds. Drain well in a colander and immediately toss with dressing. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then marinate, covered and chilled, at least 4 hours.
Make tapenade and assemble sandwiches:
Pulse olives with capers, parsley, anchovy, zest, lemon juice, and pepper in a food processor until coarsely chopped, then scrape down side of bowl with a rubber spatula. Pulsing motor, add oil in a slow stream and continue to pulse until mixture is finely chopped (do not pulse to a paste).
Pulse olives with capers, parsley, anchovy, zest, lemon juice, and pepper in a food processor until coarsely chopped, then scrape down side of bowl with a rubber spatula. Pulsing motor, add oil in a slow stream and continue to pulse until mixture is finely chopped (do not pulse to a paste).
Spread tapenade on half the bread, layer with sliced turkey and arugula, then carrots.
I loved the Palo Alto Monday Night Gourmet Vegetarian Dinners (say that four times fast!) so much that I went back again this past week. This dinner was even better than the last!
Chef James Holloway didn’t disappoint with the following menu:
Red Bean Vegetable Soup
Garbanzo Bean Cutlets w/Shitake Gravy
Quinoa and Fresh Corn Salad
Roast Cauliflower w/Braised Russian Red Kale
Romaine Ceasar Salad
Millet Sunnyseed Cookies
Mint Melange Tea
This time I was a pro, and even had friends to meet there. I reunited with Nalini and Gina from my first dinner. We had an instant connection last week and it was so nice to see them again. The whole dinner was spent getting to know them better and I couldn’t have asked for a better meal to do it over. The conversation was never boring and ranged from lame medical students to vegan blogs. We even tried to shake James Holloway down for the recipes. He was pretty tight lipped, but did spill that the chickpea cutlets also have yellow and red potatoes, brown rice, and leeks in them. I’m hoping that Nalini can figure out the recipe so I can share it on the blog. They were amazing!
I got a little bolder with using my camera, now that I had outed myself to them as a blogger. I’m really trying to use my camera to capture the moment. Not only do I want this blog to be a place for me to share my ideas, I want it to also serve as a diary of sorts that I can look back on and be reminded of prior adventures.
Say it ain’t so! It appears that my favorite organizer from the early ’90′s is making a renaissance. Caboodles are making a comeback! According to Style.com, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the birth of the beauty box next month, Caboodles is re-releasing the very first model, a peach and cream-colored wonder, called My First Love in a limited 1,000-piece run.
When I was in elementary school, I definitely had one of these in teal and purple. I used to to hold things like my Lipsmackers lipgloss and my Jane cosmetics. Who has two thumbs and rocked brown lipstick covered with teal lipgloss? This girl, that’s who! Considering how conservative my parents were it’s a wonder I was let out of the house! I distinctly remember congratulating myself on how natural my three shades of deep purple eyeshadow looked. Oy vay. Will you be standing in line for this limited edition item?
Via Refinery29 via Style
I’ve been reading the Macro Chef blog for quite a while. I’m not sure how I stumbled upon his musings, but I do know that he cooks delicious meals with vegetarian ingredients that are healthy yet full of flavor. He often writes in his blog about Monday Night Gourmet Vegetarian Dinners in his hometown of Palo Alto. They have always sounded so wonderful – relaxed dining with local and fresh ingredients shared with strangers who are destined to become close friends. After all, what better way to meet people than to break bread (or gourmet vegan cookies) with them?
The Monday night dinners take place about 10 minutes away from my little dorm on the Stanford campus, so I hopped on my bike and checked one out last weekend! I am trying to challenge myself to be more comfortable bring my camera around to social situations. It still feels very awkward to take shots of acquaintances and even more of complete strangers!
The meal was amazing. Just check out the menu!
Chickpea soup with summer vegetables
Tempeh in lemon coconut sauce over basmati rice
Roasted summer squash
Chopped salad with fresh mint and cilantro
Toasted almond cookies
Lemon ginger tea
The meal was set up in an assembly line, manned by volunteers. My plate was heaped with food, but I still couldn’t resist going back for seconds!
Luckily for me, the company was just as good as the food! I ended up at the solo table with an eclectic group of individuals. There was everyone from a French couchsurfer who was headed back home the next day to pick grapes in his homeland, to a recently-divorced Russian lady, to a colorectal surgeon to an entrepreneur who runs a vegan beauty. Needless to say, the conversation was never boring!
I had such a great time, that I went back for more this week. I’ll share more photos and stories from that meal soon! I promise that this time I got braver and took even more photos.
The whole experience cost only $15 and is used to fund future dinners. I highly recommend checking them out if you are in the Palo Alto area. For more information, check out the Peninsula Macro Website.
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