365 Days of Breakfast

Breakfast, the rebirth of your digestive system; a gift of starting anew you can give yourself every single day if you choose to. Breakfast sets the tone for the day. Are you going to make healthy choices? Are you in too much of a hurry for a satisfying meal? Or did you not even do your body the kindness of a bite of sustenance to start your day? Breakfast counts, people.

I invite you to join me in my quest to document a year's worth of the MOST important meal of the day with the tag #365DaysOfBreakfast. I wanna know what you're eating. In the meantime, here is my first week of breakfasts out of 52.

Day 1: Mountain breakfast. Peppers and spinach scrambled eggs with a side of fresh avocado and apples. We are off to a good start.

Day 2: Breakfast on the road. Unsatisfying apple slices, soon washed down with a Burger King veggie burger. Please don't tell anyone.

Day 3: Monday blues (and pinks!). Chose sleep over freshly prepared breakfast and opted for a Luna Bar and a sunrise commute instead.

Day 4: Breakfast binge. Spent close to $10 at Sanfrancisco Coffee satisfying all my cravings. Here you see a scrambled egg croissant with lox and cheddar cheese, a small chai tea latte, and a side of grapes.

Day 5: Protein time! Plain yogurt with granola, flax seed, and protein powder.

Day 6: Mental health day. Treated self to a noon breakfast at Belly General Store in Virginia highlands where I always end up ordering the same thing: the egg tortilla with cheddar, avocado, and house mole sauce. TO DIE FOR.

Day 7: Homemade egg sammies on the porch. Served on flat bread with spinach, grilled tomato and onion, avocado and havarti cheese.

Eating your way through Barcelona. Part UNO

Food glorious food, you will sing these words often in Barcelona. Particularly if you choose to treat yourself to a night of exquisite local dining like at the charming and rightfully celebrated restaurant, La Pepita (http://www.lapepitabcn.com). Shall I commence the obscene food pornography?

Start by ordering a few appetizers to share. We dove into these so quickly I failed to get a before shot. Let the ravaged plates speak for themselves. It probably doesn't matter what you order but this was a kind of croquette with sweet sauce and tart apple slices.

Get your own individual Sammy's. You'll need to eat these crispy bad boys with a knife and fork, and lick that soy avocado goodness off your fingers. I promise not to look.

We started with (delicious) wine but quickly grew jealous of the amazing gin and tonics we saw being made at the neighboring tables. We also read the words "world famous gin and tonics" in the menu and were instantly sold. They offer corking so we corked our wine and moved on to ginnier pastures. The face I'm making is probably related to the desert I just ate, which you can admire here:

This is chilled fresh pumpkin on fluffy cheese with honey and sugared nuts. Death and instant heaven. Come to me. 

It's a casual place, but its moments like these you must use as an excuse to get out your sparkly gold peep toes. You did lug them all the way to Europe, after all.

Wearing:

Sheer blouse hand me down from friend

Shorts hand me down from same friend (I have amazing friends)

Gold sparkly Nine West peep toes from DSW and probably made through salve labor and by chopping down a rain forest... But they were on sale! and so shiny! It was a momentary weakness and I will do better in the future.

African bracelet gift from Africa

Big red ring vintage from 70s (was my mom's)

Stack rings from Sole Shoes and Accessories (scoutmob)

Black nested ring from street artist in L5P

Shell ring home made by yours truly. Shell Yeah!

Want to go to La Pepita? Here's what you need to know:

Address: Còrsega, 343 Gracia, Barcelona 08037

Phone number: +34 932 38 48 93

Closed Sunday.

MAKE A RESERVATION!! This will allow you to breeze right through the hungry waiting crowds and go straight to your table.

Go late! Like anywhere in Spain it really comes to life after 9:30/10:00

Gorges Ardèche

Have you heard of the Ardèche region of France? Me neither, until my friend, Constance, invited me to her wedding there. It's in the west and marked by winding paths through the incredible gorges. You really need a car to enjoy this region so you can explore the valleys and crags to their fullest. My mother and I spent an entire day just driving along the highway and admiring the picturesque towns we passed through and discovering the natural beauty. 

Wearing: gap shorts hand-downs, thrifted floral blouse, bed stu brand loafers from Bridge Boutique, vintage sunnies.

In France, lunchtime is over by 2 PM. Restaurants usually close by then, and reopen later for dinner. Our jet lagged tummies rumbling at 3, we had no real hope of finding an open restaurant along the sparsely populated Ardèche gorges, but the trees parted to reveal this precious little spot tucked away along the winding highway. It's called Auberge du Pouzat. To our surprise and good fortune, the kind owner and waitress (and adorable dog) welcomed us. We had some cold white wine and toasted to our delicious salad and our good luck. 

The pies were of course staring at us the entire time, and when the waitress told me the cherries had been picked from her own garden that very morning, we couldn't resist. 

Kind of like we couldn't resist these eyes that said "throw my bone ONE more time?" 

If you'd like to travel in Ardèche, here is some useful vocabulary for you: 

Un carafe du vin rouge/blanc/rosé - a small pitcher of wine. Trust me, you want a small pitcher! SOOO inexpensive and good! Just be careful driving along the cliffs!

Grottes - caves... Famous naturally forming underground masterpieces, really worth a visit.

Carte - map. Get one. Learn to read it. Foreal doe.

"Ça vous a plu?" Servers might say this to you. It means "did you enjoy it?" Say "oui" or "ça m'a plu" if you like a challenge. 

Kentucky Cool

Historic facades along Whiskey Row in down town Louisville

As I approach the little table where author David Sedaris is signing copies of his book, Lets Explore Diabetes with Owls, I see for myself that putting duct tape over his mouth for the signing "express lane" was no empty threat. He peers up at my aunt and me through kind eyes and a mouth strapped with pink floral duct tape and says "mmm mmm mmm mmm" which I think means "Hi, how are you." I look with surprise as he proceeds to write MY name in the book. We had come for my aunt. "It's for me? Aw, thank you so much, Ellen!" I say, and David says "mmm mmm!" (how sweet) and adds "mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmmm" (here's a kitty cat for you) and draws a cartoon cat under his signature. I happen to love cats. Could this day possibly improve?

This kind of cultural richness, a block party in honor of a vocally liberal and openly gay author, hosted by a tiny independent bookstore and a dusty old antique shop might not be the kind of experience you would expect in Kentucky... but that's Louisville for you! A little air pocket of liberal, walkable, charm in a sea of red, which still knows how to hold onto traditions like horse racing and bourbon.

KY bourbon at the Silver Dollar, served neat and on the rocks :)

In Louisville, you can laugh your butt off at a literary reading of one of your favorite authors, walk to a wine shop where an expert will sell you the perfect cheese to go with your tuscan wine, then go eat your fill of locally sourced vegetarian food (Roots - EAT HERE!). When evening falls, you can head to any of the unique little bars around town (the Silver Dollar!) and choose from an almost overwhelmingly large selection of bourbons at equally alarmingly affordable prices. 

If you're not too hung over, you can spend the next day at the adorable walking bridge that goes (almost) all the way to Indiana. When I was there, the bridge wasn't completed to actually let you walk off of it into Indiana, but it still makes for a charming stroll and a great way to test out your new KEENS and see if they are worthy of your upcoming European excursion. Okay, that last part might just apply to me. 

My KEEN CNX's on their first real trial run across the pedestrian bridge. Besides some new-shoe blister action on my heel, I'd say they passed the test!

If you want to get REALLY traditional, Churchill Downs, the famous track that hosts the Kentucky Derby every year, is not far away. Park for free in one of the neighborhoods and head in to catch a few races. It only costs 3 dollars to get in, and you can bet on a horse for a minimum of 3 dollars. Make sure you have your money out and your bet in your head BEFORE you approach the window. Apparently it's a total rookie move to stand at the counter hemming and hawing. Nope, you gotta march right up there, slap your three singles on the table and say something like "Three dollars on Stinky Sailor Smile to win!" That's how you come off as a local. Some advice: basing your bets on the weirdest horse name is not a successful strategy in my experience.

If you're just a tourist in gambling-land like me, your real expense will come from the pricy drinks. You can't go to the races and NOT have a mint julep, that's just not American. So shell out the $10+ dollars and enjoy the novelty glass that you get to keep. If you're lucky, you'll get a gigantic stalk of mint growing out of your beverage to tickle your nose with fragrance while you drink and yell obscenities at the track (depending on if this is your first or third julep). 

All in all, Louisville is a town that knows how to balance classics with contemporaries. You can walk anywhere you please, and you never know when you might run into one of your favorite authors! Comedian Jim Gaffigan is scheduled for later this month, so you might want to get to Louisville sooner rather than later. 

Destination, Georgia: Moody Forest and Red Earth Farm

Georgians, you don't have to travel across the continent to California to see a rare and stunning ecosystem with majestic trees. Look no further than your own Coastal Plains region, which boasts the world's only longleaf pine ecosystem. This ecosystem once covered the vast majority of the southeast, but has now been reduced to less than 1% of its natural glory. It has become one of the rarest (and most breathtaking) ecosystems with the most diverse and rare wildlife population in Georgia, and which I was fortunate enough to visit along with my students a few weeks ago. 

In Moody Forest in Appling County, GA, I put my arms around 200+ year old trees. I could almost feel their wise hearts beating deep inside. Kids picked edible berries and grasses, and we saw a rare bird that can only be found in the longleaf forest. In our nostrils was a rich and savory smokiness, coming from a controlled burn not far away. That's how they keep the forest floor healthy and allow new growth to take root and flourish. Georgia author, Janisse Ray, prizes these trees and this forest deeply, saying “I carry the landscape inside me like an ache. The story of who I am cannot be severed from the story of the flatwoods” (Ecology of a Cracker Childhood).  Even from my short visit to Moody Forest, I could sense why. There's something magic about trees that watched our ancestors settle this land, and continue to watch as we tiny humans delve into the depths of the woods with our children in 2013. 

Our guide was the aforementioned kind and spirited author, Janisse Ray herself, who opened up her prized stomping grounds for us to explore, as well as her home and farm, Red Earth Farm, which is another amazing destination once your in the area. Especially if you're interested in ethical, natural, locally sourced food. They do amazing work there, and make it a priority to educate the public about the farm food movement. If you're visiting the longleaf pines, do yourself a favor and schedule a visit to Red Earth Farm too for organic produce or one of their cool workshops (make your own cheese, anyone??)

Janisse was too hospitable, letting the kids roam free on her farm, feeding goats, terrorizing chickens, being terrorized by an over-friendly turkey, and absorbing the good a unique place like this can do for souls. I'm overflowing with gratitude and hope for the future. My next visit to Tavia's Trail in Moody Forest will not be too long in coming. 

How to get there: The following instructions are taken from Shan Cammack and Hilary Smith's Public Lands Profile: Miracle of Moody Forest: "From Baxley, take U.S. 1 north for about eight miles. Turn right onto Asbury Church Road and go about three miles. Turn left onto Jake Moody Road, go about a mile, and then turn right onto East River Road. The trailhead for Tavia's Trail is at the intersection and the office is about a mile to the east." 

For more information about the two trails that run through this ecosystem, contact the Nature Conservancy's preserve manager at (912) 366-9549.

feeling foodie

Maybe I'm hanging out with too many food bloggers, or reading too much Asian Cajuns (who are seamlessly merging their amazing outfit posts with delicious bites around town), but I've had the impulse to photograph my meals lately.

After our strenuous day of beautification at Brock Cassidie, our ever generous mother took my sister and me out to lunch at Anis Cafe and Bistro in Buckhead.

Their outdoor patio combined with refreshing white wine was a thing of perfection this late summer day.

I had a delicious croque salmon with sweet tomato, soft goat cheese, roasted Bermuda onion, and capers. The soup du jour was some yummy squash soup.

Upon hearing it was a special occasion (when is having beautiful wedding-day hair and makeup done not an occasion?), our sweet waitress brought us a much un-needed sampler plate of deserts. The tiny bites of creme brulee were made right in the spoons... they were so good, they didn't survive long enough for a photo!