Albondigas

super simple and delicious, albondigas is the best chilly weather food. you can google it for a billion recipes, but i’m sure none will be as good and as seriously easy as my friend nancy’s. after all, while once eating some of hers, her young son miguel proclaimed “mom, THIS IS THE LIFE!”

-sauté a bit of onion and tomato in a soup pot until the onion is clear and the tomato is broken down

-nancy does beef albondigas, so she would next add water and beef consume (or stock). i like turkey, so i add chicken stock and water

-add in whatever vegetables you want- zucchini, potatoes, carrots…

-mix the meat with a pinch of white rice, shape into small-ish meatballs and set in to the soup

-simmer until all is cooked through

-top your bowl with shredded raw cabbage, lime and tapatio and eat it with warm tortillas.

They Invented Pesto

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every american traveling in italy is doing so with the help of the book. you think he is totally lame. he is. but every person- EVERY PERSON is hiding the book in their backpack. and he tells us all to go to cinque terre. he writes over and over how amazing it is. everyone goes. everyone. it is crowded with people hiding the book in their backpacks. but it is so worth it. go. so worth it. it looks like this photograph with your own eyes. and stay at the hostel. they are very kind and will break the rules and let you sleep all day in your bunk on your too-much-pesto-and-limoncello deathbed and watch out your window as little grandmoms pick basil and lemons from their tiny terrace gardens carved into the sides of the mountain.

Khao Pun

some of my favorite family gatherings have not been my own but my friend sarah’s. and, honestly, that is pretty much because they feature gigantic pots of
khao pun. as demonstrated by lorena above, khao pun is basically a bundle of noodles with a brothy sauce ladled on top and then covered with tons and tons of herbs (mint, cilantro, basil…), lettuces and lime. it’s so fresh and addictive. and goes really well with shots of hennessy taken out of risqué shot glasses wielded by sarah's grandparents.

Coatsey's Corner

hockey time means coatsey’s corner time and that is a good time.

Art Hearts

so cute and happy, chris uphues’ work is awesome. he painted the exterior of the fred flare office with his sweet rainbow hearts. i saw them in person over the summer and they are so fun and random- smiling heart faces in the middle of a block of warehouses.

Best Strawberries. Hands Down.

weaver’s orchard is just plain awesome. family owned and operated, they’ve expanded a lot over the years but still are the nicest, friendliest folks to grow apples ever. you can pick your own stuff or, for the lazybones/fair skinned, they have a jam-packed store full of their amazing produce (and amazing samples of it all too-bonus!) plus they have a nice ye old amish country selection of goods for the tourist in you. but the best thing (besides the baby goats outside and the peach milkshakes at their summer festival) is the cider- fresh pressed in the fall or sold in little cider popsicles in the summer.

Lumpia Party

my friend rita first introduced me to lumpia, in particular lumpia shanghai (pictured) and turron. i wish i could find a better picture of turron…it’s sweet plantains wrapped up spring roll-style, fried and covered with melty brown sugar or honey. serrrriously. lumpia party at my house!

Hola/Bonjour

the taco tote. pretty much the best thing that ever happened. ever.

Portulaca

we have a few varieties of portulaca growing in our backyard oasis this summer. they just bloom and bloom with barely any work. and the colors are super serious summer.

Summer Love

let's talk nails. for serious.