Collage Time!

I think I'm going to try and make a collage a day, for inspiration. There is a lot of great stuff out there. Although I didn't keep track of where all these things came from (I probably should have), next time I'll try to.

Here's today's:


I'm going to google how to make this image larger without clicking on it.

LEMON BARS

You like how I keep CAPITALIZING the titles of my posts? I'm kind of getting annoyed by it. I think I just capitalize it so it looks like I'm shouting it. Like, "LEMON BARS!". Actually, not really. I think I just do it because I can't think of a better title, and it just looks more important with the capital letters. But if I saw you I wouldn't shout it like "LEMON BARS!!!!!". I would just say it with emphasis and a little enthusiasm, more like, "LEMONNNNN BARSSSSSS...", see, no exclamations.
On to the main topic. Lemons. These are not from my CSA, although there were a few tiny lemons in the basket and I think I used one. These are from my backyard, thus they are organic and pesticide free. Citrus fruits are interesting to me because I always think of them as these refreshing summery fruits, when they're actually ripening right now.
These pretty lemons inspired me to search up a lemon bar recipe.


I spared the life of this alien looking one. Sometimes our tree has the craziest shaped lemons. I think Saxton Freymann could put this one into good use, maybe make it some weird Siamese twin animal.
I've never actually made lemon bars before, in fact lemon pastries or lemon flavored cakes and such have never appealed to me. But lemon bars seem to be universally liked, and after trying some homemade ones from my aunt's friend, I decided to give it a go. I based my recipe off this one here. You're right, all I did was google the phrase "best lemon bars" and I got this recipe. Google is handy like that.
I didn't follow the recipe to a tee. I usually do my own variation depending on how much of the ingredients I have. I decided I only wanted to use 1/2 a cup of butter since my pan was small, so I halved the flour count as well. I also only used 3 eggs and less sugar. I figured you can always dust more powdered sugar on top if it's not sweet enough anyway, plus I don't like things to be too sweet (though some people live for that...obesity in America!). Anyhoo, they came out really well, almost perfect I couwould say. My one mistake was that some of my edges stuck to the foil I lined my pan with, so I recommend buttering the pan or the foil first.
All's well that ends well, whatever that means...here's to a beautiful saturday:

South Coast Farms CSA Update!

Yahoo! Although a bit delayed, here are pictures from last week's CSA pickup!





A big basket full of organic treats. A lot of the vegetables I wasn't familiar with so I was doing a lot of google-ing and wikipedia-ing to figure out what they were. Luckily, each week the farms email you a few blurbs on whats in the basket, as well as recipes to try out. It's pretty exciting and it's fun being introduced to vegetables I wouldn't normally try out at the supermarket. Kohlrabi? Kale? Tat soi, anybody?
So far I've made a simple sauteed kohlrabi and rosemary shortbread. I'll post pictures and recipes soon! Meanwhile, my mother is shouting at me each new segment they're showing on the travel channel, so I guess I'll go and watch. Ta ta...

The LA Times. Sigh.

An imaginary scene from the LA Times offices:

"Hey, Jim?"
"Yea Bob?"
"We don't got enough stories to fill the front page again--"
"Yea? *sigh* Well, there's gotta be something..."
"Hmm, well I can't find anything..."
"Hey wait! I got it! What was that hobby you were tellin' me about, the one your wife's been doing with the stickers and the paper cut-outs...what's that called again?"
"SCRAPBOOKING!"
*high five*


Number one.
WHY oh WHY is there an article on the front page of the LA Times about SCRAPBOOKING? For the sake of my sanity, please LA Times please pleeease with three e's please don't do this to my mental health by putting this bullshit story on the cover of your laughing stock of a newspaper. Come on. People ridicule your goddamn newspaper enough already!!! There is no way in hell, no fathomable reason in the whole world I can think of that would justify putting this on front page.
This wasn't front page Calendar section. This was hardcore actual front page. This is perfect ammunition for New York Times readers to use against us here on the west coast! SIGH.

NEW YEAR'S AND RESOLUTIONS AND CSA'S!

Happy New Year!
I know a lot of people have a new year's resolution to eat healthier and I just wanted to share this organization that I'm joining called Community Supported Agricultural (CSA).
Considering all the pesticides and genetically modified/processed foods out there that we don't even know we're eating, maybe it's not such a bad idea to think about the following:
CSA's.
How it works is that you pay for a weekly or biweekly supply of organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables ranging between 25-35 lbs of food and costing around $30-40. I'm splitting the food with my roomate, so that would be $15 for myself every two weeks to eat pesticide free organic produce. If you've ever been to Whole Foods or Mother's Market you know how pricey buying organic can be, so economically it's a pretty good deal.
Since I'm still living in the OC I've joined this local one (http://www.southcoastfarms.com) which has about 12 different pick up locations for your weekly/bi weekly pickup. but there are CSA's all over LA County and throughout the states, just google it and find one near you.
You'll be eating healthy AND helping support local farms. AND it would give you a chance to try new recipes according to whatever fruits and vegetables are in season! ISN"T THIS THE MOST AMAZING AND ENLIGHTENING DISCOVERY OF THE NEW YEAR?!
If not, then sorry. But I'm pretty excited.