Up, up, and away...

I'm up at the crack of dawn this morning to drive out to Temecula, CA, for a hot air balloon ride with TEB. Today is also our 4 year anniversary, though we did not intentionally schedule the hot air balloon ride with that in mind. Happy coincidence!

photo credit: Up by VivaLaQueen

Weekend: Boogie Boarding!

August is my favorite month in San Diego. The water warms up just enough for me to venture in for a few days. I've been boogie boarding all weekend!!

photo credit: firewater by astrocruzan

Weekend: Alaska Salmon Bake

This is the last weekend locals can get a steal at the Alaska Salmon Bake, located within Pioneer Park (AKA Alaskaland). We went on Wednesday night for their beer-battered halibut and it was delicious. They have an assortment of salads and a dessert cabin. Don't miss this chance to get more than half-off the in-season price. I am chilling with family and hanging out with friends this weekend. Have a good one!

photo credit: Cayenne 05.13.09

Natural Soda: Pepsi Natural

I don't often drink soda but when I do it is coke. If a restaurant only serves pepsi then I go with water. How is it then that I find myself with a 4-pack of the new Pepsi Natural?

It has real cane sugar and am more dedicated to limiting the amount of high fructose corn syrup that goes into my body than sticking to my brand coke. If coke sold their South American version that has cane sugar in the US, then I would be buying their product. I found Pepsi Natural to have a smooth taste that was more mild than the original pepsi or coke. I'm sold and the bottles are cute too. In Fairbanks you can find Pepsi Natural at the local Fred Meyers (see locations below).

Looking for some insightful documentaries on the corn industry? check out: King Corn and The Future of Food. I am still waiting for Food, Inc. to be available on Netflix.


View Larger Map
photo credit: Pepsi Natural by Tom Carmony

Earth Day 2009: Edible Porch Gardens

Happy Earth Day!

I thought it was going to be hard to surpass our switched from paper towels to cloth napkins last year but I think we've done it. The cloth napkin change has been permanent and now we use old newspapers for cleaning glasses mirrors and windows and reusable microfiber clothes for dusting. We have also been members of a CSA, J.R. Organics, the last year and have greatly enjoyed our biweekly csa boxes. More recently, we took the plunge and planted a few edibles on our porch as the next big "being green" step. Looking for some help on container gardening, check out The Bountiful Container by McGee and Stuckey.

On the left are our lovely, flowering tomato plants. We have two kinds heirloom and better boy, both from Whole Foods. On the right is our little Serrano pepper plant. Both the pepper and the tomatoes are going to grow up to 6 feet tall and so we planted them in large containers. TEB scrounged eucalyptus branches so we could make a support triangle for the tomatoes and I suspect we might have to do the same thing for the pepper. I mixed in a bit of compost with the organic soil, 1:7 ratio.

The compost bin was set up about 8 months ago and the 100 red wriggler worms that we got from a friend have tripled into a nice population of worms willing to eat about 1/4 of our organic kitchen waste, more on containing your kitchen scraps here. The rest we throw in our apartment complex's community passive compost bin. We get rid of about 1 bag of garbage a week and that feels great. Above, you can see our compost bin on our front porch behind our shade-loving, drier dirt herbs (sage, rosemary, and oregano).

Here is our compost bin after some cantelope fruit seeds were thrown in there. I highly recommend the Wriggle Wranch kit that has several stackable bins and comes with corn husk starter (order your worms separately or snag some from a friend like we did). In the San Diego area you can buy the WRANCH at the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am - 4pm.

photo credit: Cayenne 04.22.09

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll is one of my favorite books. Tweedledum and Tweedledee are two identical twins who have opposing view on most everything. Historically references to the twins have been used to characterize polor positions on an issue.

Why do I bring this up? Well Bob Dylan has a song from is album Love and Theft titled Tweedledee and Tweedledum, lyrics here. B. Dylan also has a new album out titled Together Through Life, check it out here.

My favorite stanza from Tweedledee & Tweedledum:
Tweedle-dee Dee and Tweedle-dee Dum
All that and more and then some
They walk among the stately trees
They know the secrets of the breeze

photo credit: Wikipedia here

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet

I am fumbling through my first few days on twitter. A little late to join the tweeting world but I finally did it. If you are reading on google reader then click on through to the blog and sign up to follow me on twitter. Or search for cayenne_carob on the twitter site.

photo credit: bird on branch silhouettes by Tubes.

Little People: Playtime Tents

I saw this fun play tent over at DesignMom and immediately emailed my mom to see if she thought it would be hard to make. Mom said, "Sure we can make that out of stuff in my stash." This is a perfect project for the stash pile. Yay for a fun project, now all I need to do is get to Alaska!

The green-leaf fabric looks familiar...IKEA?

The flags are a great touch. Here are a some easy directions for making a fabric garland at Purl Bee.

photo credit: etsy seller Mignon who makes this neat greenhouse tent. there are a few tents available for sale now.

Fun Stuff: A Homemade Life

My friend O'Malley sent me something in the mail that totally cured my Monday Blues. He was lucky enough to be able to attend one of Molly Wizenberg's book events for her new book, A Homemade Life. I had spoken to him before the event and expressed my disappointment that there was not going to be a book event in San Diego. It was such a wonderful surprise to find a postcard sent from O'Mally but with a personalized message written by Molly. It truely made my day. O'Mally and Molly, THANK YOU!

I have not gotten a chance to pick up Molly's new book but I hope to get a copy soon. I'm on the wait-list for my public library.

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table
by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette

Find Molly's book events here.

{UPDATE} San Diego: Pearl Hotel's Dive-In Theater

THE PEARL HOTEL:

The atmosphere was inviting, modern, and used light to its advantage. The lounge/restaurant seating was intimate and perfect for small groups. We had a view of the outdoor movie screen through the glass doors. I would imagine that during better weather, when you could actually have the doors open, the atmosphere would be entirely different.

THE FOOD:
I had the Pearl Plum Collins. ANA had the Marie Antoinette which she said was tasty. Our table started with the scallops for an appetizer. The thick medallions were drizzled with garlic sauce and they melted in your mouth. The menu claimed that The Pearl has the "best burger in town". We could not resist that challenge and 3 burgers were ordered at our table. No false advertising here; the burger was FANTASTIC!

I had the mushroom risotto, which was also unbelievable good. The risotto had a soft texture, yet not mushy. Surprisingly spicy I thought this dish would have been great as a small side but was too rich for an entire entree.

THE MOVIE:
We had come to watch Tootsie but were distracted by the food. Not necessarily a bad thing. Since it was raining the restaurant glass doors were closed but they had decent indoor speakers, though the sound could have been louder. Rain or shine you can keep The Pearl Hotel's Dive-in Theater on your list of midweek social events. I am eying Tacorita Tuesdays for my next visit.

THE ROOMS:
Everyone noticed the light fixture (coral pendant) from DWR that illuminated the outside stairway to the second floor hotel rooms. Before leaving we were able to take a tour of the rooms. They were modern but cozy and reasonably priced. The attention to detail was apparent from the unique bathroom sinks to the beta fish bowls in each hotel room. The Pearl Hotel really is a hidden gem in an unlikely part of town that evokes the hipster stylings of more northwest cities, like Portland or Seattle.

photo credit: the pearl hotel website

Fun Stuff: Western Spaghetti by PES

Western Spaghetti by PES

Fun Stuff: Yule Log Screen Saver by PES

Yule log by PES, download it here.

{UPDATE} Anh Q and THREAD

Last week I posted about TNT's Eco Fashion Show. Now you can see my favorite dress completely finished. See more pictures on anh q's blog here. Below is another favorite from Anh Q's collection. This is a dress I would love if it had pockets. There is room for them but I don't actually know if they are hidden in the poofs of the mini skirt.

If you are looking to buy some indie fashion check out the THREAD show this Sunday. Details and to buy tickets go here. Thanks to Anh Q for letting me know that she had posted pictures from the fashion show.

Anh Q: Eco Fashion Show

I loved last night's eco fashion show. My favorite piece was this drapey, grey dress that had a stunning open back. Made by anh q she used organic bamboo fabric, cotton, and silk remnants from another dress. Check out designer anh q's website and blog here.

photo credit: silver dress from wok in progress; grey bamboo unfinished from anh q's blog

San Diego, CA: Thursday Night Thing MCASD

Tonight is the TNT (Thursday Night Thing) at the Museum of Contemporary Art SD Downtown.

Who: TNT
What: ECO Fashion Show at 7:30 and rerun at 8:30p
Where: Jacobs & Copley Buildings
1100 & 1001 Kettner Blvd. (between Broadway and B Street) San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 858 454 3541

From the MCASD website:

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND: AN ECO-CHIC FASHION SHOW

Inspired by the exhibition Human/Nature: Artists Respond to a Changing Planet, TNT goes green with a fashion show featuring the best in eco-friendly style from up-and-coming local designers. Grab a front-row seat to view innovative clothing designs created from sustainable, organic, and repurposed materials. Models' hair and makeup by FRESH: An Urban Hair Salon and runway music provided by Mark E. Quark. Plus, enjoy live live performances by Monsters from Mars and Doves & Desperados.

Check out a few of my favorite fashion bloggers:
Style Saves the World
The Adventures of an Urban Socialite
WikstenMade

Fairbanks, AK: Santa Claus House

If you find yourself in Fairbanks with small kids (or hey big kids like us enjoy it too), the Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska is one stop you might want to consider. It breaks up the ride out to the Knotty Shop and you can take a picture with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Bring your own camera and snap as many pictures as you want for free!
I generally ignore all the standard christmas decorations and head straight back toward the restrooms because they cover the hallway with all the letters they receive addressed to "Santa Claus, North Pole." Yup, everyone one of those arrives at the this small town about 150 miles south of the Arctic Circle. So technically it is not really the North Pole but I think it is close enough.

photo credit: Cayenne 11.30.08

Fairbanks, AK: Knotty Shop and Sled Dog Rides

Sunday we took a ride out to the Knotty Shop for some homemade ice cream and free sled dog rides. I don't think the Knotty Shop has a website but getting there is easy. Head out on the highway to North Pole and go a bit past Eielson A.F.B., ~30-40 minute drive from Fairbanks. You cannot miss the Alaskan creatures made out of diamond willow and burls. Below is a picture of me riding on the back of a small four-dog team.

photo credit: TEB 11.30.08

Fairbanks, AK: Fireworks

There has been plenty to do in Fairbanks this weekend. Saturday there was the Santa Train and holiday bazaar at Alaskaland and then a 15 minute fireworks show. The fireworks were staged on the corner of Alaskaland near the river off of Pegar Road. Even though we were a little late the perfect watching spot was off the side of the road looking up through the hoarfrost-covered-trees.

photo credit: TEB 11.29.08

Birthday Roadtrip Part I: Santa Monica

In celebration of TEB's birthday we took a California road trip with his parents. Road tripping can be a little stressful but we had a fantastic time. Our first stop was in Santa Monica to meet up with TEB's parents, who had arrived a few days earlier to take advantage of the LA sun before we headed north.

We were in Santa Monica just a night but we managed to eat a yummy fish dinner at Reel Inn in Malibu. In the morning TEB and I biked all the way to Venice Beach on some old beach cruisers. If I did not live up a big hill from the beach, I would get one of these. After a relaxing breakfast at the Channel Road Inn, we hit the road for our 8 hour drive north.

photo credit: Postcards from Southern California #3 by Auntie K;

Weekend: Ray at Night

This weekend I am going to the monthly art walk on Ray Street in North Park, Ray at Night. I go a couple of times a year and it is always a good time. It is not the best time to eat dinner down there because the wait is often very long due to the crowds of people that are walking around the art galleries.

You should try any of the followings eateries in the North Park Area:
Zensei Sushi - hipster sushi that is south of ray street so it will be less crowded
Apertivo - good for large groups and for light Italian-style tapas
Saguaro's Mexican Food - classic burrito place off of 30th order the california burrito
Ranchos Cochina - plenty of vegetarian options but you will have to wait a long time for a table

Crazy Burger - (closer to El Cajon but on 30th) I love the venison burger but there are 20+ options