Ojai Part 1: The Love Shack and Ojala

We have just returned from the most inspiring, relaxing weekend in gorgeous Ojai. Central to the wonderfulness of our getaway was the cabin we rented: The Love Shack. This little jewel sits perched over a flowing stream, on the lush grounds of a former resort called Ojala.

Entering the gates of Ojala was like stumbling into the sweetest, sun dappled dream. The perfect cabin embodied cozy. We never saw our hosts but their personalized graciousness was felt throughout our stay.





Warm welcome from Robert and Anna.


If only you could hear the stream, the breeze through the trees, and the birds...


Softest sheets.


Making use of gifts to the cabin from previous guests.


Fruit trees surrounded the cabin.


Isn't this the most delicious porch?


Click the photos to see my photostream and possibly more descriptions. I'll be adding more photos from our trip in the next few days!

NOTE: We choose The Love Shack based on Heather's glowy recommendation. So thank you so much Heather. It was beautiful.

Vegetable Box!

I love this photo:

It looks like Sergio is coming out of the ground.





BUT, it's still sitting empty as I type. The beginnings of a trellis that Sergio designed is standing up in it so I guess it's not totally empty. I transplanted the seedlings to a couple of long plastic window boxes where they will live temporarily until we get the box completed. The poor dears had so outgrown of their little starter trays. I must admit, I haven't been a very good farmer so far.

Our calendar is so full though, not sure when we'll find the time to finish. We still need to attached the chicken wire to the bottom of the wooden frame(to keep out those gopher types) and sink it into the ground a little so it's level, and finish the trellis. Not sure if we have enough bags of dirt either. Sigh. Hopefully the baby plants won't all die in waiting.

New lips!

Something about new lipstick makes a gal feel like a new woman.



It's been years since I added new hues to my lipstick repertoire. Luckily, ULTA was promoting a buy one get one deal. I bought two and got four!



This one is called Vegas, Baby.



This one is called Elsie, Happy.

:)

Necklace uniform

I'm still wearing it. And now I've added one of my trusty favorites because I couldn't choose. So I didn't.

Saturday Scramble

Remember Jen gave us greens from her garden and homemade pesto? This is what I did with it.



Mini-heirloom tomatoes
Crimini mushrooms
Fresh mozzarella
Eggs
Garlic
Scrambled and served atop lettuce
Topped with snippets of fresh parsley, chives, and homemade pesto.
A few extra of those sweet tomatoes on the side.

yummy!

We ate out on the patio and watched all the crazy bird goings on in the yard. There has been so much going on out there lately.

Monday Meow!

Just before this, her paw was a bit more tightly tucked over both eyes. But my camera shutter startled her and she hadn't tucked quite back in just yet.

Green Fairy

Fresh picked presents on our doorstep today!



The note:

Hi Guys! The garden is growin'. You will start to benefit...now. Mixed lettuc (and a few chives)

Garden Pesto: Arugula, parsley, basil, lemon, garlic, evoo, s&p, parm & pine nuts.

All should be consumed with alcohol.

xx Jen.

Yes ma'am and THANK YOU!

P.S. I realize now that Green Fairy has many connotations, one refers to a special herb. I tweeted about this post and picked up a new follower who is probably quite disappointed that I'm merely referring to benign lettuce, chives, and pesto. sorry guy!

Dream Collective

So you all know of my obsession with Clare Vivier's bags, right? Well, she partnered with Kathryn Bentley and opened up shop in Silver Lake!

photo via seevivier.tumblr.com

If you remember, Kathryn was one of Jeana's early Closet Visit subjects. Of course, it was a lovely opening party with flowing champagne and conversation. How could I resist picking out a new bauble in such a festive atmosphere?

I chose the Crystal Mountain/Mala Beads Necklace from Kathryn Bentley's Dream Collective, her more accessible, but no less wonderful line earthy jewelry.


I wore it every day for a week and half. Here, I paired it with colorful vintage African beads I picked up at a sidewalk sale. I was told that the beads are Italian made but used in the African trade.

Other Dream Collective favorites.


um. Can I say: new obsession?

Psst! Click here to check out this photo from Racked LA. You can see me behind Kathryn, consulting Sergio on which piece to buy.

Quick Soup

Didn't feel so great this morning so I came home early from work to rest. It was lunch time and what better under-the-weather meal than soup? I quickly took stock of what I had in my kitchen and this is what I did.

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan/stock pot.
Sautee fresh garlic bits and roughly cubed purple potatoes.
Salt.
Add roughly chopped leek leaves and cover but remember to uncover and stir once in a while so potatoes don't stick too much. I needed to do a little light scraping with my wooden spoon.
Add oil as needed.
When potatoes are soft-ish but not necessarily cooked through, add dry barley and stir.
Cover for a tiny bit.
Add low-sodium broth. I used the entire box.
Salt to taste.
Add lemongrass. I cut the leaves lengthwise to release aroma but left them on the stem intact. It's not edible and this makes it easier to fish out or avoid ladling when plating.
Add a sprinkling of red chili pepper flakes and loads of white pepper powder (as found in Asian markets).
Bring to boil and then low heat simmer for 30 mins.

It was quite perfect actually. Just a little heat from the pepper and the earthy potatoes were melt in your mouth soft but held their shape in the bowl. Just a hint of lemongrass scent wafted with each spoonful.



Not bad for impromptu sick day meal making, huh? And, I personally feel soup tastes better eaten off of ceramic spoons. :)

Off to rest.

Monday Meow!

It is rare when Micio and Mia don't turn their head away from the camera. Love these two fuzzy butts.

Evolving Living Room

I don't know if you noticed the new living room painting and pole lamp two posts ago.




The painting was a Palm Springs Dazzles find. We saw it one weekend and went back the next to get it! It happened to be the Dazzles rare half-off sale so it was a TOTAL SCORE.

The lamp was not nearly as thrifty but still, quite a find. It is by Maurizio Tempestini and Sergio drove down to Long Beach to get it without telling me. He had a cakepop on hand in case I flew into a flying rage when I saw it. Silly. I really do think it finishes off the room. Don't you think so?

Leftover Fried Rice

We had leftover smoked rib roast, cauliflower, leek and rice from Mother's Day dinner. I was immensely excited about making fried rice the next day and it truly did not disappoint.

Seriously people. If you happen to have any extra day-old rice from takeout or any other meal, just throw it in a skillet with some soy sauce or salt or sauce and whatever odds and ends you've got left. Delicious. I often break in an egg or two, or top the serving off with a fried egg on top.

Which reminds me, did you see the kim chi fried rice that Jeana and Bo showcased in BapStory? Can't wait to try it!

Floral Mother's Day

We laid out a new tablecloth.



And had a great time with family.



Dad had his first iPad experience this night. The man is 81 years old and has seen a lot. But thanks to Apple, he got to experience a little magic I doubt he ever imagined when he was my age. His face had that little half-smile as he manipulated a photo on the iPad using freshly learned pinch/pull skills on the screen. So cool.

Guest Blogger for Mother's Day: Sergio

Buona festa della mamma.

Mother's Day

This is one of my favorite photos. Her expression and demeanor is so wistful and dreamy. I think this is right about when she married my dad and moved to the United States. That was about 35 years ago.



Here she is visiting her older sister in New York. It's February and she's about three months pregnant with her first child, me.



She is quite fabulous, isn't she? She and my grandmother used to sew all their own wardrobe. Unfortunately, I have not inherited any of those skills. Maybe it's time to cajole my mom into giving me a few lessons.

love you mommy.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo meal.

Fish tacos

sides:
Mango salsa
Avocado
Lime
Cheese
Margarita!

Thrifty Thursday! 5.5.11

I found these three scarves from a yard sale last weekend.


This one's my fave.

Fabulous Fava Beans

Happily, we've been trying lots of new veggies since we began frequenting the Farmer's Market as our main grocery source. We go to the market on Sunday morning and pick up whatever catches our eye. And hopefully, I can work a little kitchen magic, with the help of an online recipe search. I never have all the ingredients but I improvise. This sort of kitchen bravado isn't always reliable but hey, it's been fun.

A couple weeks ago, we bought fresh fava beans for the first time. You can see one peeking out right above the egg carton in the basket.


So, fava beans are kind of more work than I expected. In fact, even before I had finished cooking the dish, I already swore that we would never buy them again. You have to shell them twice! But then, we ate them. Yum. Yummmmmmm....

I bought them again and I cooked them last night.



What I did:

Shell beans from outer pods.
Cook beans in heavily salted water for 3 minutes.
Drain and quickly dump beans in ice water to stop the cooking.
Shell skin from beans. You'll be tempted to pop the bean out of the skins by squeezing the little suckers but you risk smashing the tasty bits if you do. (I did the first time.)
Sautée fresh garlic and onion in butter. Salt.
Toss in the beans until all coated and warm again.
Salt again as needed.

I was tempted to drizzle a bit of truffle oil on top. If I had a hunk of Parmesan I would have topped it with a few shavings. Next time, maybe I will.

Seedlings!

The eggplant finally sprouted! So teeny tiny amongst the towering cucumbers.



But now it's time for me to cull each little square to a single seedling each. I've probably let them alone for way too long already anyway.



I have been dreading this day ever since the idea came into my head to sow seeds this year. The summer I spent in Brooklyn, I grew tomato plants from seed. I refused to thin them out before planting and they definitely suffered from my moment of weakness.

But how do I choose? I love them all! ugh.

sad face.