a beer release weekend.

Saturday morning our alarms blared at 4:45am.
We quickly got dressed and loaded up the car with our small over-night bags, Ziggy and a bag full of snacks.
We stopped at Starbucks for a much needed triple-grande-soy-latte and headed North.

We arrived in the town of Kernville, CA at 8:20am or so and made our way to Kern River Brewing Company. They were releasing their award-wining Citra Double IPA and were allocating 6 bottles of beer (per person) for the first 70 people in line (they had 35 cases of the beer on available on Friday, 35 more on Saturday, and a last 35 on Sunday morning).
We pulled into the parking lot right at 8:30am to find that we were too late. There were already TONS of people camped outside the KRBC entrance and the KRBC president, Eric, came to tell us the bad news: “all of the beer tickets have been allocated, we reached our 70 person max about an hour ago”.

Bummed, but not devestated, we asked Eric for a breakfast recommendation and we headed to this tiny, small-town diner called The Cracked Egg. We had a leisurely breakfast on their [dog friendly!] patio and drank even more coffee. After breakfast we wandered around “downtown Kernville” for a bit and then decided to drive around and explore the vast area of the Southern Sierra Mountains.

We arrived back at the brewery at 11am and found that the line had grown, but now it was full of people wanting to enjoy a beer and have some lunch when they opened their doors at 11:30am (the bottles had been allocated, but there was still plenty available on draft). We jumped in line and within 40 minutes or so we were out on the patio, beers in hand, mingling with fellow craft beer enthusiasts.

The afternoon was spent drinking Citra by the pint for hours and hours on end. We met some wonderful people, developed new friendships, talked about food, life, and how everyone came to love craft beer. We had a fabulous day.

Around 6pm our new-found friends had to get back on the road (they had a designated driver, dont worry!) and Aaron and I ordered a little something to eat before heading to the River View Lodge (which is dog friendly!) for the night. We fell asleep around 8:30pm or so… early I know. But between the lack of sleep, early wake up, 3 hour drive and many, many pints of beer; there was no way we could stay up any longer.

Sunday morning we woke up [slightly hungover] at 4:45am and finally got ourselves out of bed at 5am.
That’s right, we were headed back to KRBC to try again to get bottles of this beloved beer.
We slowly got up, got ready, and made our way down the street to the brewery. By the time we finally arrived it was a few minutes before 6am. We got our spots in line and found out we were numbers 21 & 22! It was looking pretty good that we would be heading back to LA with 12 bottles of Citra.

Zig and I camped out; securing our spots in line for Citra.

the line around 6:30/7am

our view for the morning.

The next 5.5 hours were spent meeting more fellow beer fanatics, drinking coffee, laughing, complaining of hangovers, and eating breakfast burritos that were made at the market across the street. Yet again, we met some amazing people and formed some new friendships. Around 8am or so Eric (the president of KRBC, that we had talked to the previous morning) came around with a clipboard and started taking names down for the bottles of beer. By that time Aaron and I were numbers 23 & 24 (a group in front of us had a couple of friends join them). Right after we got our names on the clipboard (indicating we were essentially guaranteed beer; we just had to wait around until they opened) a few of our new friends started pulling out some beers and we participated in a small celebratory breakfast bottle-share.

Now, if you arent a beer snob fanatic, then this list of beers may not seem that impressive to you.
But let me tell you, having all of these beers in the same location at the same time is a HUGE deal.

These are some of the most sought out beers [IPA’s specifically] in the US.

We had (from left to right):
Citra- Kern River Brewing Company (Kernville, CA) — this one was purchased the morning before by one of our new friends
Hopslam- Bell’s Brewery (Kalamazoo, MI)
Pliny the Elder- Russian River Brewing (Santa Rosa, CA)
Zombie Dust- Three Floyds Brewing (Munster, IN)
Heady Topper- Alchemist Brewing (Waterbury, VT)

I realize I sound like a crazy-person when it comes to this.. but just trust me that if you are a beer snob, beer nerd, craft beer fanatic, etc … then it all makes sense 🙂

We had a great time enjoying these beers while standing outside in the beautiful weather waiting for 11:30am to roll around.
At 10:30am Eric came back out with his clipboard and started going down the list again, everyone who was on the list and still outside (some people actually left?) then he gave you a ticket stating that you could purchase 6 bottles of Citra.

Aaron and I got our tickets and at 11:30am. We got our 6 bottles each, a growler of their Just Outstanding IPA, loaded up the car, and headed back home.

We made it back home just in time to unload the car and shower before the Super Bowl game started.
But we also took a few moments to unload our goodies and just admire them. 2 days, 6 hours of driving, and lots of time standing in line later we had our beer!

our bounty!

My brother drove up from Irvine to watch the game and share the growler of Just Outstanding with us.

We watched the game (Aaron is a 49’ers fan, so he wasnt too happy with the way the game ended) ate some homemade salsa and guacamole, sipped on the beers that we worked so hard to get, and once the game was over my brother headed back home (with 2 bottles of Citra in hand) and Aaron and I headed to bed.

It was a fabulous, exhausting and fun weekend that was worth every mile driven and every hour in line.
I’m so grateful that I have people to share my love of craft beer with!

We will definitely be back to Kern River Brewing Co soon… and we may not even wait until the next Citra release.
Thank you Kernville for being so dog friendly.

YogaWorks 300hr Professional Program Final Project

When I found out that we had to do a final project for the YogaWorks 300hr Professional Program I, of course, gravitated towards something food related. I remember being pretty fascinated with how my mentor Joan Hyman ate during our 200hr Teacher Training last year so I thought: “hmm, I wonder what other Los Angeles based yoga instructors eat?”

I ended up “interviewing” a handful of YogaWorks senior teachers asking them 7 questions:
#1. Do you follow any type of “diet” or “eating lifestyle” such as vegetarian, vegan,  raw, Ayurveda, etc? If so, do you care to share your thoughts on how this improves your over-all health and practice?

#2. What is your go-to meal or snack that you feel fuels your body before a yoga class? Or do you practice in the morning before eating anything at all?

#3. What is your favorite post-yoga meal or snack?

#4. If you go out to eat in Los Angeles, where do you like to go? Is there any specific reason you choose this particular establishment?

#5. Is there one food item that you feel you cannot live without?

#6. I’m asking everyone to share one of your favorite recipes. It can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack, or even dessert; it can be simple or complex. Whatever you love to cook at home that you feel is a good representation of your preferred way of eating and contributes to your overall health and yoga practice.

#7. Do you have any tips or suggestions regarding food, health, and how you feel this relates to yoga?

 
I compiled the answers and organized them in a little pamphlet-type-book titled food & yoga and I am really happy with how it turned out! I love how similar these teachers answers are and I also love that I agree with so much of what they had to say.

I presented this to my 300hr TT group as well as my mentor this past weekend and I wanted to share it with you:

A special thanks to Joan Hyman, Carmen Fitzgibbon, Anne Van Valkenburg, Kia Miller, Lisa Walford, and Jennifer Elliott for their contribution to this project!

ted talk tuesday: why i’m a weekday vegetarian

I try not to push any sort of agenda in terms of a particular diet or eating lifestyle because I feel that each person needs to find their own way and discover what works for them. However, there is incredible data available that shows how reducing your meat intake can not only improve your overall health, but can really impact the planet in a positive way as well.

The “Meatless Monday’s” movement has been gaining in popularity (and was even endorsed by our Los Angeles mayor recently); but I also like Graham Hill’s idea too, especially if you arent ready to make the jump to being a full-time vegetarian:

a peek inside our kitchen: refrigerator, freezer & pantry

I’ve had several questions regarding our refrigerator, freezer and pantry situation.
Things like “how much space do you have?”, “how much food do you typically keep on hand?”, “how do you store your bulk goods?” and “how big is your freezer?!”

so, I decided, what better way to answer those questions than with photos?

Here’s a peek into our refrigerator, freezer, pantry, and the area on our counter-top designated for produce.
Feel free to ask any questions regarding what you see (or don’t see).

Enjoy!

ted talk tuesday: how to cut an onion

This is a great TED Talk for yogis & foodies alike. The speaker takes two subjects: food & yoga/meditation [both of which are extremely important to me] and merges them together to show how they relate and can aid one another.

and, at the end, she teaches us how to properly cut an onion. Enjoy!

recipe: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies

These cookies are delicious. DELICIOUS!
I absolutely love them! and no, you cannot tell they contain zucchini at all.

If youre craving a gooey, chocolatey cookie but done want something completely unhealthy; these would be a great option. These satisfy any sugar or chocolate craving without loads of guilt (or trans fats or preservatives).

 

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
(from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5 tbls unsalted butter (vegan butter works too)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
1 large, free range egg
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup confectioners sugar (for rolling the dough in)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*
In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder and whisk or sift to combine. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, vanilla extract and sugars. Use a stand or hand mixer to mix until creamy. Add the egg and shredded zucchini and mix just until combined. Pour in the flour mixture (I typically do this in thirds) and mix just until combined. Add the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips, mix to integrate into dough.

If desired, sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on a plate so you can roll the balls of cookie dough in the sugar. Roll the dough into balls and roll them in the sugar if desired. Space cookie dough evenly on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled cookie sheet.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.

recipe: Whole Wheat Zucchini & Applesauce Muffins

You already know my feelings on having healthy, filling muffins around the house. Here is yet another wonderful muffin recipe that I love and make often.

Whole Wheat Zucchini & Applesauce Muffins
(adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded zucchici
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup applesauce (homemade, or unsweetened organic if store-bought)
2 large, free range eggs
1/3 cup walnut or flaxseed oil (I strongly suggest avoiding canola oil)
1 tablespoon + 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*
Combine flour and the next 5 ingredients (through baking powder) in a large bowl, stir well.
Combine zucchini, applesauce, eggs, walnut oil, and vanilla in a smaller bowl; add to dry ingredients.
Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake at 350* for 17 minutes. If using loaf pans: divide batter evenly between 2 loaf pans and bake at 350* for 1 hour 15 minutes.

*the baked muffins freeze well.

Recipe: Spicy Chipotle Hummus

Hummus is something that we go through a lot of for snacks, lunches, and even dinners if Aaron comes home late from work and just wants a little something before bed.

We have tried dozens of brands and flavors of hummus. From Whole Foods, to Trader Joe’s, to Ralphs, etc we have tried them all. And the one we kept coming back to was the Spicy Hummus at Trader Joe’s. The problem is, we rarely shop at Trader Joe’s anymore; and it was getting to the point that their Spicy Hummus was one of the very few items that we would even purchase there.

Then, Food Babe pointed out that most commercial hummus’ contain preservatives as well as canola oil (which is likely laden with GMO’s!) instead of olive oil. Sure enough, when I checked the [rather lengthy] ingredients list on our beloved Spicy Hummus there it was “oil blend- containing canola, sunflower and/or safflower oil”. Our household is really trying to limit our intake of foods that likely contain GMO’s (and unnecessary preservatives!); so we decided that from this point forward we would be making our own hummus.

So far, this recipe is the closest that we have gotten to the delicious flavor of the Spicy Hummus we love[d] so much.

Spicy Chipotle Hummus

Ingredients:
1 can Eden Organic garbanzo beans
1/2 can Chipotle Chilies in Adobo sauce
1/4 organic Tahini
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tbls paprika
1 tbls cumin
2 tbls fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Add all ingredients into a large food processor; process until smooth.

Freezes well; and lasts about 5-7 days in the refrigerator.

Recipe: Spicy Tomato Soup

I really love this soup. Its creamy but contains no dairy (or milk alternative), its filling, it has a slightly spicy undertone, and its a great thing to have around your house during all seasons.

We made a big batch yesterday and ended up freezing the entire thing. Its just so good to have on hand if you’re in need of a quick meal, an additional to a meal, or perhaps even a dose of comfort food (tomato soup will always be one of my go-to comfort foods).

Spicy Tomato Soup
(adapted slightly from Food Babe)

Ingredients:

1 tsp of olive oil
1 medium white onion chopped
4 carrots chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you want it spicier)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tbsp fresh basil
24 ounces of pureed tomatoes
1 quart of vegetable broth or stock
1 can of Eden Farms white beans (can be Cannelloni or Great Northern) strained and rinsed
2 cups water
diced fresh tomatoes (optional; if you have them around the house)
1 bunch Dino kale, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large pot
2. Add onion and carrots and cook for about 4-5 mins
3. Add garlic next and cook another 2 mins
4. Add spices, broth, water, and tomatoes to pot and bring to a boil
5. Once soup is at a boil, reduce to simmer and add beans
6. Simmer soup for 25 mins
7. Puree soup using an immersion blender

Food Babe recommends adding a bunch of chopped kale to the soup just prior to serving, and I have to agree. The addition of kale not only adds tons of great nutrients to the soup, it also adds a wonderful flavor and texture to it as well.

Pair the soup with crackers, roasted veggies, or even a grilled cheese sandwich (the second part of my go-to comfort food dish).

Freezes well!

a day of cooking & baking.

We try to keep a variety of food in the freezer for daily use. Sauces, soups, muffins, cookie dough, fresh fish, etc that we can defrost and use on the days that making everything from scratch just doesnt work.

Our food reserves were running a little low, so we chose to have a “cooking & baking” day yesterday in order to stockpile some foods for the coming weeks. I try to have a freshly cooked homemade meal ready for Aaron when he comes home from work, but there are days when time just wont allow it. So, on these days, I rely on our freezer to help me with a homemade meal.

Yesterday morning while drinking our coffee, Aaron and I made out our grocery list and Aaron went to Whole Foods before things got too crazy (we have learned that its simply not worth going to the Whole Foods by our house on a weekend afternoon).

Aaron came home with our bounty and then we piled everything up on the counter top.  I added the items from our CSA that we were planning on using and then divided everything up based on which recipe it would be going with (organization is key!)

Yesterday we made:
Spicy Tomato Soup
Roasted Tomato & Garlic Marinara (to be used as pizza or pasta sauce)
Spicy Chipotle Hummus
Whole Wheat Zucchini & Applesauce Muffins
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
Pizza Dough

Instead of putting all of the recipes on one single blog post, I decided to write up the recipes separately so that they are easier to reference.

Aaron and I plan to have one of these “baking & cooking” days about once a month or so in order to keep a decent amount of food in our stockpile. While, yes, it did take all day. We also had fun doing it. We were able to schedule the recipes out so that while one thing was cooking, the other person was prepping the next recipe or doing the dishes (and boy, did we do a lot of dishes yesterday!) We were also able to have the football game going, once the afternoon rolled around we popped open a beer, and just had fun being around the house doing two of the things that we love to do: cook & bake.