Hello All!
This Spring is cruising along! P and I have been so busy. I’m teaching one wine class a week, working, working more, and trying to make some time for a social life and some fun time with P too.
We decided it was time for a quick trip and a Spring renewal so we headed to the Redwoods on the Northern California coast after I finished a sparkling wine tasting last Friday. We set out around 9pm on Friday night, drove for 5 hours, and grabbed a motel room around 2am, to wake up early and head on outdoor adventure.
I feel so lucky to be able to travel to some of the most beautiful places in the US. I have also traveled to most of Europe, and South Africa, and look forward to seeing more of world, and once again I feel fortunate to work in the wine industry, where traveling and visiting the world’s prettiest places will become a regular part of my job in the future.
If you haven’t been to the Redwoods before, it’s worth seeing, and then seeing again. It’s fresh, green, and smells like no other place on earth. The trees are very old, and incredibly huge. You get to drive up and down windy forest roads, and through land that I didn’t even know existed. It was almost like an outdoor fairy tale.
P and I planned this trip at the very last minute. We didn’t bring much in the way of healthy food, and I probably ate things I should feel ashamed of letting touch my lips, or entering my body. I am definitely paying for it now.
We decided it was time for diet overhaul. We have been using a ton of cheese as protein, fried eggs, and olive oil when it wasn’t even necessary. Although I believe these things are good for you, I think it’s time for a a bit of cleanse. Not in the traditional sense, but more of a stripping of bad foods, and couple weeks of eating really fresh food, and simple flavors. We will then start to bring back the good fats, cheeses and organic local eggs. Sometimes your body just needs clean, fresh veggies, and a ton of water. I like to think of it as a healthier cleanse.
Celery Soup
Slightly Adapted from Jill and Jewle’s Elmore The Family Chef
- 1 villadia onion, cut in medium pieces
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 leek, whites only
- ½ fennel bulb
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 head cauliflower,or 2 potatoes work too
- 12 stalks of celery, cut in medium chunks
- 1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
- 2 handfuls peas (fresh are great / frozen are ok)
- salt and pepper to taste
- hand full of chives
- Sautee onion, garlic, leek, fennel, and celery until soft, and not browned in a little bit of oil. Add more water if veggies are about to brown.
- Add Cauliflower, peas, and stock. Cook until everything is soft enough to blend.
- Add chopped parsley, and blend with hand blender, or in food processor.
- Top with chives, and salt and pepper.
alittlepicnic 