The New Basics.

Mary Schmeltzer is my cooking Guru. A friend of the family for many years now, I have worked for Mary helping her to cater big dinners and host events out of her amazing bayside home in Strathmere. I've learned a ton of great tricks from Mary, the importance of presentation and I've also been introduced to some great cook books! This is one of her staples, The New Basics Cookbook. I really don't like to follow recipes, but they are a great backbone to further explore and experiment on your own with a bit. SO - get ready, get set...here come some new fall recipes! The inspiration will come from the hundreds of pages of fabulous recipes in this book.

Indian Princess.

"What is life?

It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset."

-Crowfoot, Blackfoot Warrior + Orator

Lately I've been channeling my inner Indian Princess. I've always felt a respect for the Native American way of life: respect and honor for all living things, living off of the land...with gratitude, and when killing an animal - making use of every bit, leaving none to waste. It reminds me of my Dad. These are the morals I feel that he has always lived by. He's instilled this respect in me.

I'm obsessed with Native-American inspired jewelry and such lately as well. I just ordered a pair of 5 fringe Minnetonka knee high boots and already in my jewelry chest is a bunch of feather and beaded earrings. I was scrolling through ETSY.com today and found some really great pieces, but there were several that really stood out and were totally unique.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KristianaRose

http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurelwells

Two Wolves - A Cherokee Parable

An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life...

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
"Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied,
"The one you feed."

The Indian 10 Commandments:

Treat the Earth and all that dwell therein with respect
Remain close to the Great Spirit
Show great respect for your fellow beings
Work together for the benefit of all Mankind
Give assistance and kindness wherever needed
Do what you know to be right
Look after the well-being of Mind and Body
Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater Good
Be truthful and honest at all times

Take full responsibility for your actions

bianca.

bianca

5 bleecker street

between bowery + elizabeth

NYC

212.260.4666

www.biancanyc.com

Emilia, telling a story...

"If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony."

Fernand Point

SOUL SATISYING.

That is how I'd describe my dinner @ BIANCA in NYC. MmMmMmMmMm. I started with the most amazing artichoke appetizer, Carciofini; thin artichoke slices with Parmigiano in a lemon dressing ($8.50). For my entree I had Spagghetini al Pomodoro with tomato + basil ($9.50), and it was satisfying deep down into my very soul. Homemade macaroni with the most simple but perfect sauce with crushed tomatoes and fresh basil. The icing on the cake....freshly grated cheese on top. The restaurant itself was super cute and dainty. If you haven't already caught on through the past few years of food blogging - it's not just the food that makes for a great success, but it's almost as if food tastes better when the place you are eating it is special. There is nothing worse than a restaurant with no atmosphere. It was loud and cramped and cute and fabulous. Between the three of us we had: one bottle of Chianti, 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 3 espressos. The total: only $92!!

MmMm, I just wanted to drink the lemon dressing this artichoke salad was in.

Nicole and the Spagghetini al Pomodoro.

Nicole's first bit of coffee in over a year. Thank goodness for her it was one of the most delicious cups of espresso around {aside from Milk and Roses of course!}.

MILK and ROSES.

MILK and ROSES

1110 Manhattan Ave

(between Clay + DuPont)

Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY

MILK and ROSES doesn't look like much from the outside, but when you walk through the doors you are stepping into a homey, farmhouse-feeling oasis. The girls working make you feel right at home, no pretentious coffee snobs that you'll get working behind the counter at most Cafe's. I ordered my regular, an Americano, and I can whole-heartedly tell you that it's the best Americano I've had in all of my 23 years! Piping hot, smooth and strong. No shitty half and half or milk, but delicious cream that taste fresh off the farm.

I took my americano outside with me to their garden. It was a beautiful day and the backyard was warm + welcoming. There was a little bird that was stalking me...flying up to my table, tweeting at me a few times, before retreating atop the fence. Back and forth, back and forth. In a city that never sleeps, a constant hustle and bustle, I find this sweet, calm, quaint oasis. This was surely the best $2 I've ever spent in the city.

Thanks MILK + ROSES for the delightful service, delicious espresso, and dreamy haven that you've created.

NYC Jaunt : Part II

NAIL salon, Greenpoint , BROOKLYN

NYC

September

Jaunt #1; Part II

Whoa. So I now realize that I left out ALOT of details in the blog below about day 1 of Jaunt #1 in NYC. To begin, in Little Italy was the Italian Festival for Saint Gennaro. The whole part of town was in a tizzy with arcade-esque games, food stalls and lots and lots o' italians! This was where we enjoyed our sangrias. Afterwards at Eight Mile Creek {the Australian restaurant and pub: http://www.eightmilecreek.com/ 240 mulberry st New York, NY 10012 (212) 431-4635} I was delighted to find that Ravi was bartending. He is great! G and I started off with Elderflower cocktails {elderflower cordial, vodka, champagne and limeade} and then we downed some COOPERS, an Australian beer. We said goodbye and when Emily and I made our way to Webster Hall for the Caribou concert it started to POUR RAIN! We ducked into a random, dark bar and a few minutes later in walks MICHAEL CERA {superbad, arrested development, nick + norah's infinite playlist}!!!!! BAH. I'm obsessed, he is certainly my celebrity crush. We had two pints, I goo-goo and gaa-gaa'd over Michael Cera, and then once the rain let up we headed to our final destination. We ended up leaving the concert early because the lights were making Em nauseous. Anyways, those were the details I left out. NOW, for day #2. Em had left for work and I putzed in her apartment: blogged, facebooked and uploaded some photos. Grabbed and shower and then hit the streets. I love Em's new Polish town. I cruised down to a cafe that Emily had recommended, Milk and Roses. Pardon my french, but it was fucking AMAZING. So amazing that I won't touch on anymore details right now, because this place needs a blog entry all its own. Enjoyed an Americano and the lovely atmosphere before heading to the NAIL salon by Em's place for a $7.50 manicure {a mani-pedi is $17.50}. The asian woman yelled at me for my awful, ugly, short, stubby bitten nails. Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know lady. Sat next to a sweet soul sista who found me and my life so entertaining. We talked about black girl booties and her 9 year old daughter, who was going to be very jealous of her mothers new bright orange mani-pedi.

Mani's: $7.50

After my manicure I texted Olia to see if she was around the office. Lucky me...she was!! I made my way to the neighboring borough, Williamsburg. My old stomping grounds. Olia was a GREAT boss. A super laid-back Russian jewelry maker, who insisted upon long coffee breaks and lunch on the roof. She would Reiki all of our jewelry before it went out, and burnt sage over it as well. She sells at high end boutiques, Henry Bendell, as well as online : check her out... www.oliadesigns.com Also in the office is Megan Hill and Corinne, Olia's right hand chickadee. We enjoyed a delightful lunch on the rooftop, analyzing the publics obsession with vampires, bringing back OBAMA t-shirts because he needs support now more than ever, and how Megan is getting "old" and loosing touch with the hip music "those kids" are listening to these days. HA. SO much fun to reconnect with these lovely ladies....

Olia, Meg + Corinne.

After lunch in Brooklyn I headed Uptown to meet up with Lance, a very good friend of mine and also the producer of my first album. We talked about his life after separating from his wife, his kids, his job...but mostly we talked about music, and recording album #2. I can't wait, that's going to be my project this winter. Left Lance and met up with Nicole Gorton who's in visiting from California. We bopped and shopped our way around SOHO before meeting up with our friend Cyrus Sutton and his girlfriend Anastasia. Cy is an amazing surfer and an outstanding filmmaker. He was in town for the East Coast debut of his new film "Stoked + Broke" at the Tribeca Surf Film Festival. We all agreed to meet up later in the night @ a party in Brooklyn. We parted ways and then Nicole + I met up with Miss Emilia at an adorable little Italian restaurant, Bianca, on Bleecker between bowery + elizabeth. Again, a meal so outstanding that it needs a blog all its own. So, I'll just leave it at that for now. Said goodbye to Em after dinner then headed to Brooklyn to reunite with Cy, Anastasia and the group at a rooftop BBQ for all the filmmakers. A good time was had, as always. The night continued and then both places we'd had lined up to sleep at that night fell through. We ended up staying on Grand Street in Chinatown at a friend of a friend of a friends place. Thank God for friends of friends! HA. I woke up at 6am so that I could catch my bus and be home in time to start my day. G'damn, I love jaunting!!!

Cy, Nicole + Anastasia, dancing around a dumpster couch in Brooklyn...

Two beautiful, beautiful ladies: Nicole + Anastasia.

The California Crew...cruising on the NYC Subway!

Jaunting.

Jaunting. Yep, it's actually a word {I looked it up in the dictionary}.

jaunt (jônt, jänt)

n.

A short trip or excursion, usually for pleasure; an outing.

intr.v. jaunt·ed, jaunt·ing, jaunts

To make a short journey.

Anyways, JAUNT #1 of the season: NYC. There won't be any travel abroad, so I plan on getting down and dirty all over the US of A. Headed into the City yesterday morning, arriving around noon. I met up with my best friend from college, Gina Enberg. We did our usual loop: H+M in the city, then downtown for "dollar dumplings" aka Vanessa's Dumpling House on Eldridge. Followed by TaiPan Bakery on Canal for coffee and sweet bread, and then Little Italy for a refreshment {aka Sangria} + Cannolis. We chatted and bopped and shopped and caught up. THEN we headed to my favorite bar in the city...8 Mile Creek. Well, maybe it's not my absolute favorite, but I really really really like it. It's an Australian pub and the bartender, Ravi, makes up a mean cocktail. Emily met up with us here, we said farewell to Gina, and then Corks and I headed uptown to meet with NICOLE GORTON who'd just flown in from California. No, she didn't fly in to see Caribou in concert, but she did fly in to catch the Igor swell. Yep, she's pretty amazing. Danced it up, laughed it up, said our farewells. I crashed at Em's new place in Brooklyn {Greenpoint} and it's ammmmaaazing. Lots of light, lots of space. Corks had to go to work, and after I finish this blog I'm going to pack it up and start checking out the new neighborhood. Going to be meeting up with Nicole for lunch @ Cafe Habana and I cannot WAIT to eat their delicious grilled corn.

Jaunt #2: NANTUCKET, a short jaunt visiting my Uncle Sean in this awesome NorthEast coast town :) Details to

come...

New Friends.

My new friends sent me a message {"Great to have met you!"} along with this photo!

friend

/frɛnd/ Show Spelled[frend]

–noun

1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter:

3. a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile

• The tendency to desire what is best for the other
• Sympathy and empathy
• Honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one's counterpart
• Mutual understanding and compassion
• Trust in one another (able express feelings - including of the other's actions - without the fear of being judged); able to go to each other for emotional support
• Positive reciprocity - a relationship is based on equal give and take between the two parties.

You are never too old to make new friends! I felt like a kid on the beach, meeting my new friends in the sand...hanging out, having some laughs, and then lining up another play date! Ha. I went to Strathmere to hang out with my family and get in a surf. The waves were big and beautiful and NO ONE WAS OUT. Of course, the waves were breaking all of the way out on the sandbar, which is half way to freaking China! Walking down the beach was a woman in a wetsuit, so I said

"Hey - are you paddling out? Where you going to go?"

She said, "I don't know! I'm new to this beach."

So I said "Well, let's paddle out together."

She said, "Okay. My name's Muna."

I said, "Great! My name's Cailin."

And just like that, a friendship was born! Muna is somewhat of a beginner, so I kept an eye on her just to make sure that she was okay. Her friends, also concerned, were standing alongside the beach keeping a close eye on her as well. She caught 2 waves and then headed in. When I got out of the water the group of gals hollered me over in their direction. We started chatting and I posted up for a while. Turns out one of the group, Nikki, dates Basil - who is Greg Becks cousin. How about THAT for a small world? Anyways, we had a great time - exchanged contact information, and my next trip to Philly I plan to hang out with my new friends.

Merlot.

Bacchus we thank who gave us wine
Which warms the blood within our veins;
That nectar is itself divine.
The man who drinks not, yet attains
By godly grace to human rank
Would be an angel if he drank.
Pierre Motin
French drinking song

This Wednesday @ Natali we picked MERLOT. MmMmMm Merlot. Love it. We had a blast, as always. Here are some shots:

Me + My Merlot Cluster.

This was just one post!

Sammy and Kev, collecting our grapes to bring to Chuck....

...so that Chuck can start the process.

And then...my favorite part....drinking and eating w/ boss man Ray!!!

Wine buffs write and talk as though the food and wine will be in your mouth at the same time, that one is there to be poured over the other. This is bullshit. Gustatory enjoyment comes from food and wine and cigars of your liking. So far no one has said that a Monte Cristo is the only cigar to smoke after Armagnac, Romeo and Juliet after Calvados ... but the time may yet come.
Clement Freud
"...No-one Else Has Complained"

Redirecting the Sails...

So, 8 months of travel planned! India! Panama! Bali! with trips to Hawaii and California here and there! And now, South Jersey. But you know what, it's okay. There is an ebb and flow to life and you just have to follow it - not fight it. There is nowhere I'd rather be than with my Dad this winter. With this said, I was cruising my friend Chris Del Moros' blog: www.collecticlife.blogspot.com and his post today really hit home....

*** You can't change the wind,
but you can redirect your sails.....

So here's to redirecting the sails. Thanks Chris for sharing the wisdom. namaste.

The Dead Dog

Christian, Me, Tully + Meg

The Dead Dog.

Random name for a bar, I know, but there is actually a story behind it. It's my favorite bar in Jersey, and the only bar in Sea Isle City worth going to. I love the bartenders {Bill, Mark, Scott, Jamie}, I love the live acoustic music every night, I love the beers on tap, and I just get a good vibe from this homey place. I play there sometimes with Christian, and this past Saturday we played for a packed crowd. Thanks to everybody who came out!!

The Mildred's Gals coming out to support!!

Orange Aura

About a month ago, during class, Eileen said that she saw my aura. It was a golden orange. And she was 100% sure of it. I was quite jealous, because I've never seen an aura before...perhaps I haven't been looking hard enough. A few days later she gave me an old book, David Tansleys' "The Raiment of Light: A Study of the Human Aura". Well, I've been going through all of the STUFF I have, and rediscovered this book. I started skimming through it and read about my aura. Wow. Pretty trippy stuff. Turns out an orange aura is "HARMONY THROUGH CONFLICT". How appropriate.

The book says...

ORANGE - 4th Ray of Harmony through Conflict

• strong affections
• sympathy
• physical courage
• artistic creativity
• appreciation of the relationships between colour
• spontaneity and joy
• quickness of intellect

On the negative side of the fourth ray can express itself as:

• ambivalence, and instability
• inaccuracy
• lack of moral courage
• impulsiveness
• moodiness
• self-centredness
• worry
• extravagance

"This is the ray of the person of artistic temperament. Often the fourth ray person is torn by inner conflict as the higher and lower forces of their nature battle for supremacy. They may be wild speculators or gamblers when carried away by their fiery side {rajas} of their natures, or indolent and a moral coward when the tamasic {inertia} aspect of their nature dominates".

"ORANGE: Bright orange indicates vitality and health. This colour when played upon the aura will help to step up the vital forces of the etheric body, thus imparting a sense of increased vitality. It often indicates a strong, vital personality, self-control, thoughtfulness, consideration, intellectual development, pride, ambition and selfish goals. Orange is often looked upon as a symbol of wholesomness."

Wow.

What color are YOU?

Cajun Catfish

MMMMMMM So delicious. I want to eat it AGAIN. Yesterday Dad had a long infusion: Avastin and Chemo, as well as meeting with Dr.Lehrman. He was in the chair for a while so Mom and I decided to head to Trader Joe's for some goodies. Before we went shopping though we stopped for lunch @ Redwood. We've been here before with my Grandparents for lunch, and it's delicious. I got their special: Catfish Sandwich! I had the catfish cooked cajun style. It was served on a roll with thinly shredded lettuce, tomato, red onion and the most perfect pickles - they were borderline between still being a cucumber and almost becoming a pickle. The lemon was grilled so it was super juicy, and it was served with some of the best tartar sauce I've ever had out at a restaurant. To complete the plate was shoestring french fries...my favorite. I literally cleaned every speck of food off my plate. So delicious.
Mom got the smoked salmon appetizer, which is huge!! She gets this everytime she comes, and I will agree...it's amazing. Egg, capers, red onion, a huge piece of smoked salmon, delightfully thin and satisfying crackers and a spicy mayonnaise. MMMMM.

Natali Picking Party.

There is something that I'm so excited about, and I'm going to share it with you....

Natali Vineyards.

LOVE Natali Vineyards. My mother invited me to one of their picking parties last year and I've been hooked ever since. Such a quality group of people, and their love for wine is felt through their passion for the product and their grapes. Ray, Al, Chuck, Sammy and of course Kevin. Well, lucky for me - it's time to harvest! Every Wednesday is their "Picking Party". You work for 3 hours in the vineyard picking grapes and then you are rewarded with some amazing lunch, some wine - and you leave with a bottle as well!! Sign me up! If you're looking for me on a Wednesday afternoon, now you know where to find me....

A little bird made a nest in the Sauvignon Blanc!

My "picking partner" Gail + Me.

Ray, the boss man and head chef, with mixmaster Chuck as sous chef!

Chuck, Ray and FOOD!

We dine on proscuitto wrapped asparagus, grilled vegetables, tom + moz and grilled chicken stuffed with ricotta, spinach and roasted pine nuts.

Loving life, these bastards have the best jobs around, Sammy + Kev.

Kundalini Meditation Time

I took this picture the other day at 6am. The waves were perfect, the beach was empty and there was no breeze. The moon was shining and the sun was still 20 minutes from showing it's face. It was such a perfect day of waves, and it's days like this that I'm so thankful for.

As most of you know, the BEACH has been my "yoga studio" all summer. SO AMAZING. Imagine yourself in this photo, just by the waters edge, breathing and moving and taking your being to a whole new level both physically and spiritually? Pretty epic.

Tuesday's class was really amazing. There was only 3 people at class: Eileen, Regina and Jennifer - the core of my class. We did a kundalini inspired class and it was awesome. Lots of breathing exercises, holding poses, and ending with a meditation. SAT NAM.

Quality Dad Time.

Been getting lots of quality time with Dad lately. We've been dragging his ass down to the beach and taking him out to lunch!! He's been feeling great and has the twinkle still in his blue eyes.

This was one of the plane banners that few by that day when we had Dad on the beach. All of the nonsense they usually have flying by and then this.... coincidence? Don't think so.

BAILEY : Uncle Jimmy's new puppy, logging some beach time. Love it.

Dad, Nelly {his sister} and I going for our walk.

And just when you think you've had as much fun as humanly possible...we end up at MIKES SEAFOOD for lunch, our favorite. Clams 1/2, Fried Clams, Steamers....life is beautiful.

My Aunt Kate posted this Dr.Seuss quote on my Dad's facebook and I wanted to share.

Dear Brain Tumor - listen up....

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"~ Dr. Seuss