Monthly Archives: December 2014

Life

happy holidays

December 19, 2014

happy holidays

When you have a blog or are active on social media, there’s often this feeling of having to feed the beast constantly. Take a break? Take vacation? Hardly!

But actually, this time, I’m going to take that break. I’m going to take some time off from the blog until the new year (or maybe New Year’s Eve). Part of that time will be spent working, while the rest will be spent engaging in some G-rated fun, like watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, baking, hiking, long coffee dates, and more. Eaman and I were in San Diego last year during the holidays, and having that time in a fairly empty city felt like a staycation. We were forced to not think about work because no one was around. So even though we have to parse out some of that time for our to-do list (#selfemployment), we’re hoping to recreate some of last year’s fun and actually take a break.

Enjoy your holidays, safe travels, and happy holidays. I’ll still be around on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and I guarantee I’ll be spending more than a couple hours throughout the holidays on Pinterest with some gummy bears by my side. That’s my kind of holiday vacation.

image via

Food

freekeh salad with shallots, chickpeas, and yogurt

December 17, 2014

Freekeh with caramelized shallots, chickpeas, and yogurt // My SoCal'd Life, a lifestyle blog

My family was in town last week and when we get together, we’re not, how you say, a very active people. My parents aren’t the hiking type, they’re not much for the beach, and they’d rather eat out than “trouble me” with having to cook for them. (My mom saves the cooking for herself when I go back to New Jersey.) Paired with last Friday’s surprising (and welcome) downpour, we ate out four days straight. The closest we got to eating at home was picking up takeout. And as much as I loved my meals at Puesto, Cafe 21, Amarin Thai, Hanna’s Gourmet, Grill House Cafe, Cafe 976, and Extraordinary Desserts, this week is all about recalibrating with healthy food.

Yesterday I made one of my new favorites, a freekeh “salad” with caramelized shallots, chickpeas, and yogurt, a recipe that I spotted in a recent Martha Stewart Living issue. What is freekeh, you ask? It’s an ancient grain derived from the Middle East that’s packed with protein and fiber and sold at speciality grocerers like Whole Foods, where I got mine, and online. It reminds me a bit of bulgar and barley, so if you can’t find freekeh, I think it’s safe to sub one of those two and adjust cooking times. (FYI, I used cracked freekeh, which worked just fine.) This recipe also incorporates pomegranate for a nice dose of seasonality and sweetness.

The great vegetarian food blog Cookie and Kate has a great note about cooking freekeh. I’ve tried both of her techniques—letting it cook long enough to absorb its moisture and yield a risotto-type consistency as well as cooking until tender and then letting the freekeh steam for 5 minutes to get a fluffier texture—and I prefer the latter method, which I used this time around.

Take a look:

read more

monthly favorites

5 november favorites

December 15, 2014

Better late than never—here are 5 great things I ate, saw and did last month:

Orange County road trip

1. Newport/Laguna beach day trip.

Friendsgiving

2. Friendsgiving as our Thanksgiving.

Screen shot 2014-11-10 at 11.00.46 PM0

3. Moderating Creative Connection’s women entrepreneurs panel. I was honored to be asked to host a panel for Creative Connection, a San Diego women’s networking group, at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla. The event brought together Bridget of Badunkachunk, graphic designer/blogger Mrs. Lilien and designer/event planner Melissa of Pow Wow Design Studio to speak about their experiences as business owners to an audience of eager, inquisitive professionals. The three women spoke so candidly and openly with all of us that—I have to admit—I almost got a little choked up. Part of that was because I connected so much to what they were talking about and the other part was that I was giddy moderating my first panel. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, so thanks to Creative Connection for making that happen. We all left that event feeling a little extra inspired.

Wow Wow Waffle // My SoCal'd Life, a lifestyle blog

4. Wow Wow Waffle—ooh, I’m still thinking about how much I love this hidden North Park waffle shop.

Central Park // via My SoCal'd Life, a lifestyle blog

5. Going back East for a week. Being at home with my family and seeing friends in New York and Boston during a random, non-holiday week in November was one of the most relaxing times I’ve had in a while. (It helped that I didn’t have much work.) I didn’t blog or Instagram about my trip all that much, but maybe that’s why it was so relaxing. I truly love documenting my adventures and sharing recommendations, but it was so nice to go out to eat or meet a friend and not take a photo of a pretty sign or adorable dessert. OK, I did take that above picture of Central Park, but wouldn’t you want to savor those fall colors, too?

 

 

Creative Profiles

7 questions with beverage director terri wedell

December 12, 2014

terri-waters-catering

Terri Wedell has a job most people fantasize about, serving as a marketing coordinator for a fine foods cafe/catering business while sipping and sampling wine all day as the brand’s beverage director. I’m so used to seeing men dominate the restaurant and wine scene that it’s so refreshing to see a woman running things. And as I soon learned after meeting her a few months ago, Terri’s also fun, smart and charming to boot.

Today she chats about drinking champagne in bed and social media addiction…among other things.

Name: Terri Wedell
Age: 28
Neighborhood: Golden Hill/South Park
Job: Beverage Director & Marketing Coordinator at Waters Fine Catering

What did you eat for breakfast today?
Organic eggs and green tea. I am definitely not a morning person, so I need a very strict breakfast routine in order to make it out of the door in time. Although if today were Saturday morning, I would be sipping a glass of champagne… in bed!

What’s the best thing about your job?
Without a doubt the people that I work with at Waters, and all the people I have met in this industry over the years. There is such a camaraderie between the people that work in restaurants. I think it’s really hard to completely understand all that we do and the mindset behind it, unless you have experienced it for yourself.

The worst?
That the wine cellar at Waters isn’t my own personal sipping cup?!? It’s pretty drool-worthy to say the least.

How do you tackle a creative block?
Instagram & Pinterest! I love scrolling around throughout the day, even if it’s just looking at things that are completely unrelated to what I am working on. I feel like I always come away inspired. #SocialMediaAddict

What are you currently reading?
Gone Girl. Yeah, yeah, I know I am a couple years behind on this one, but I am completely addicted! I even read it while I am stopped at red lights.

What’s your favorite spot in San Diego and why?
Without a doubt Torrey Pines. I grew up right across the lagoon and it reminds me so much of my childhood. Busting out a morning workout while breathing in that view is so refreshing.

What was the most awesome thing about today?
The aromas wafting from our kitchen doing some heavy holiday prep! It’s a combination of everything festive you can imagine… Brioche Bread Pudding, Fresh Cranberry Compote, Roast Turkey & Gravy, Salted Caramel Valrhona Brownies, I could go on and on. It’s a pretty dangerous place to work and stay in shape!

Thanks, Terri! You can also find her on Instagram and Pinterest, and Waters on Twitter.

around san diego - San Diego eats + drinks

rare form + fairweather in the east village

December 10, 2014

Rare Form San Diego // My SoCal'd Life, a lifestyle blog

San Diego’s East Village is where all the magic is happening. It’s where cool food ventures and innovative public projects meet, and it’s where I go if I want a dose of real city living. And the restaurants by CH Projects, the team behind Polite Provisions, Underbelly and many other uber-cool venues, is where I go when I want a dose of city eating.

This June CH opened the stylish East Village deli, Rare Form, followed by Fairweather, a rooftop bar with a penchant for tropical drinks two months later. The former is a dim, library-like space with banker’s lamps, Baroque-style paintings and religious undertones; my mind is still processing how or why those elements go together. That said, the sandwiches are well-made—the namesake Rare Form sandwich is a gigantic pastrami-filled ode to New York—and the fries are dynamite. They also make fresh lemonade, and though I can tell the ingredients are natural, it was neither here nor there. Out of everything we chowed down, the soft pretzel and dipping sauces were tops.

I liked Rare Form, sure. But I love Fairweather. I love the blue and white tiles on the front bar, the view atop Petco Park, the cozy banquettes, the Shazam-worthy salsa playlist, the intimate atmosphere and the bartenders, who hand you a menu and then throw in that they can actually make anything you want. Local cocktail king Anthony Schmidt gave Eaman a tropical play on a negroni, and for me, the best mocktail I’ve ever had. It was mixed with their house-made passionfruit syrup, and when I asked him about the recipe, it was refreshing to hear how much thought he put into a non-alcoholic drink. Let me tell you, that’s a rare thing.

Here’s a closer look at the deli-bar combo:

read more

Design + Interiors

farm to table photography workshop

December 8, 2014

leichtag-farm-encinitas-workshops

Everything I’ve learned about photography, I learned through a combination of Eaman teaching me (after he studied the Canon manual) and blog posts of tips. I generally understand the lingo—F-stop, aperture, rule of thirds, bokeh—but have never been confident enough to shoot in Manual mode. But yesterday I attended a very cool donation-based photo workshop, hosted by Erin and Chris of Honest Films and the Leichtag Foundation, where I picked up some really valuable tips, met a group of fantastic women and literally ate dinner next to horses on a farm while the blazing red sun set.

At the Foundation’s dreamy 67-acre farm in Encinitas, we spent the afternoon learning about composition, light manipulation and more before experimenting with both indoor and outdoor settings. Like I said, I do know a little from practice, but that’s always been in aperture mode. Once Chris showed me how to shoot in manual, my mind was blown! It really does pay to be in control of all the elements. (No, I’m not going to post a tutorial. I’m not an expert yet!)

And once we finished our outdoor shoot during that beautiful golden hour, we all sat down to a vegetarian feast in a lush green field. We basically belonged in Kinfolk. The co-organizers, Gabi and my friend, Anabelle, arranged quite the spread: fresh pesto, cheese, wheat bread, dried fruit, olives and nuts not to mention all the desserts from our indoor shoot. It was one of my more awesome Sundays as of late. And in case you’re interested, this Thursday the Jewish Food Justice Fellowship is hosting a dinner and screening of the food documentary Fed Up at the property. These organizations are all about focusing on quality, seasonal, organic food, and how it can bring a community together.

Here are a few snaps of my snaps from the workshop:

read more

Creative Profiles

7 questions with designer ashley ann bennett + a giveaway! [closed]

December 5, 2014

artist/designer Ashley Ann Bennett // My SoCal'd Life

To go along with Wednesday’s small business-themed gift guide, today I’m sharing a 7 Questions With artist and designer Ashley Ann Bennett, whose shop includes hand-painted and hand-cut leather accessories as well as hand-painted clothing, like tanks, scarves and leggings. (Must add this to my yoga wardrobe.) I met Ashley at a holiday shopping event at The Headquarters recently and was so impressed by the detail and creativity in each of her designs.

Today she talks about setting her own schedule and watching seals in La Jolla…among other things. Plus, we’re giving away $50 to Ashley’s Etsy shop! More on that below…

Name: Ashley Ann Bennett
Age: 27
Neighborhood: My studio is in Point Loma & I live in La Jolla
Job: Artist/Designer

What did you eat for breakfast today?
Greek yogurt with fresh berries & gluten free granola, yum!

What’s the best thing about your job?
The best thing is getting to paint and create everyday, it’s how my mind has always worked and being able to make a living from ideas that just pop into my head is just amazing! I also love being able to set my own schedule and travel when I want to.

The worst?
It takes a lot of energy and time to run the business side of things: shipping, customer service, inventory, ordering. It’s a lot to do on top of designing and painting every item.

How do you tackle a creative block?
When I feel my creative juices are blocked it’s always related to stress. Being outside breathing the fresh air some how puts things in perspective for me, I take my dog, Hercules, to Sunset Cliffs or to the park near my house and we just run around.

What are you currently reading?
Mine Until by Jessica Yaffa. Jessica is the founder of a San Diego non-profit (No Silence No Violence). Her book outlines her life and story that drove her to help women & children escape the hold of domestic violence. It is heart-wrenching but so moving!

What’s your favorite spot in San Diego and why?
I love walking around downtown La Jolla, watching the seals sun bathe, popping in and out of the shops. Plus there are amazing restaurants!

What was the most awesome thing about today?
Today I got to play around with a new design, a snowflake cuff for the upcoming holiday. I get so much energy and excitement when an idea comes to life and goes from being a doodle to becoming wearable art!

And because it’s the holiday season and I love my readers so, I’ve partnered with Ashley to give away one $50 gift card to her Etsy shop! Yes, you can pick anything you want from the shop, and here’s how:

1. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. There are multiple ways to enter, so the more times you enter, the better your chances of winning.
2. The contest will run until 11:59 p.m. PST on Thursday, December 11, after which a winner will be chosen at random.
3. Open to U.S. residents only.

Good luck and happy Friday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photo by Pablø Gándara Pizá

***Congratulations to the giveaway winner, LaMesha Staples***

around san diego - Style + Beauty

san diego-style gift guide: for her, him, home and the kiddies

December 3, 2014

Gifts for Her, Him, the Kids and Home: All from San Diego shops! // My SoCal'd Life, a lifestyle blog

Gift guides can go one of two ways: 1. They can be beautiful but totally unattainable with ludicrous prices or 2. They can be well-edited with every budget in mind. I’d like to think mine is of the latter bunch. So here are 10 giftables for her, him, the kids and the home, all from San Diego small businesses!

Leather envelope laptop case no. 003 by Shop Boutonne, $119

Hip Hip Hooray coasters by Odd Daughter Paper Co., $20 for set of 6

Frailera glitter sandals by Avarcas, $54

Gourmet Sea Salt Sampler Set by Salt Farm, $32 (Purchase in store or over the phone)

Siren Mexican blanket from Gunn and Swain, $35

Rosewood coriander organic and soy candle by Often Wander, $24 (available in store and by phone, but she also has other candles on her site!)

Gold-dipped rose quartz earrings by JaxKelly, $25

French New Wave art clutch by Modern Haus Design, $165

Recycled Stone Brewery beer glasses by Bottles & Wood, $30 each

Chaser Ellis tote by Rais Case, $345