Travellin’

We are currently on a road trip to the desert—Joshua Tree and beyond.  We will be hiking with Wisconsin friends, revisiting spots we encountered forty years ago (!) when we took our first trip together to Palm Springs, and visiting new-to-us spots like the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, and the towns of Tucson and Tubac.

Clear blue sky and caramel colored hills, boulders, cactus, sandy soil and Joshua trees frame our wanderings.  New kinds of dwellings, different kinds of life styles,  new vistas, and time to do what Sunset magazine’s recent wellness issue proclaims—Relax, Reset, Renew.

Being on the road affords time to explore fun places like the tiny World Famous Crochet Museum in Joshua Tree or nearby Pioneer Town with its old west buildings and vibe. 

It also gives ample opportunity to explore the inner landscape…who am I after these last two years?  What is mine to do now?  What inspiration might be waiting just around the bend? We shall see.

♥Food for Thought: What I’m Reading

I am enjoying a sweetly illustrated book called Why We Cook: Women on Food, Identity and Connection by Lindsay Gardner.  It is a series of “essays, interviews, recipes and more from 112 women in food.”  From Ruth Reichl to Deborah Madison to Samin Nosrat to new-to-me food entrepreneurs like Robyn Sue Fisher of Smitten Ice Cream who created the Brrr machine  which makes ice cream without preservatives, I am learning a lot.  I like the questions the author asks, like “What kitchen tools do you love most?” And “What do you cook when you are exhausted?”  It’s a fun book to dip in and out of for culinary inspiration.  

♥Food On the Road

If you ever find yourself in Paso Robles, the Paso Market Walk has lots of fun eating and drinking possibilities.  It’s a food hall with wine, beer, coffee, sandwiches, Japanese food, gelato, baked goods, home decor and garden items, and lots of outdoor tables and sleek landscaping.  Our Altruistic Artichoke sandwich from The Vreamery, was a baguette with vegan smoked Gouda, garlic herb marinated artichoke hearts, arugula, and a caramelized onion aioli sauce.  A winner.  And they have many more interesting sandwich combos, each with a clever name, that could be inspirations for at-home sandwiches.  See pasomarketwalk.com.

Another fun stop on the way to Santa Barbara is Los Alamos, a small old west town with antique malls, eating and wine establishments, and Bob’s Well Bread Bakery recommended to us by friends. We just had to explore.  We got to the bakery ten minutes before closing so they were almost out of bread, but we did snag two croissants for the following morning and a Ciabatta loaf for on-the-road sandwiches.  All were quite wonderful.

And for all of our travels, inner and outer, a quote from Hafiz,

       ♥“Stay close to anything that makes you glad you are alive.”