Travel Time.

Rachael and Mom, deep in conversation @ Zinc.

Always taking inspiration from my oracle cards. 

We started off yesterday morning at Zinc Cafe in Solana Beach with the beautiful Rachael. Mom sipped on a pumpkin cappuccino, Rachael on some super rich hot chocolate (thats how she keeps her beautiful slender figure), and me on some chamomile herbal tea. The conversation flowed and then we picked oracle cards, obviously. You can't just "dive in", but take time to connect to whatever thoughts and emotions are pulsing through your body and then, with intention, pick a card. All of us picked the appropriate one, mine being the Emu : "This is a good time to go on a new adventure". I opened the booklet to see the full reading and it read...

"Your sense of adventure is calling you. can you hear it? Listen to your heart of hearts - the still, small voice that whispers to you of holy and exotic places and of pleasure in discovering the unfamiliar and novel, feeling confident and trusting in your instincts and intuition to guide you on your journey. Let this be a wandering pilgrimage, one where you can be appreciative of whatever circumstances you encounter and make the best of them. Have some idea of where and what you'll be doing, but don't be attached to the plan. Instead, be willing to adjust your itinerary as you are so guided. 

Dismiss the voice that says, "Yeah, sounds good, but I can't do that because..." This kind of thinking not only limits you by always keeping you in the illusion of comfort and safety, but also leads you to avoiding, the real life drama that comes from stretching your comfort zone. You need not do so in a way that puts you in any real danger, as there are many options where risk is minimal, yet the thrill and excitement of exploration is still there. 

So heed the calling, and first believe that its possible for you to act on it. And don't want too long. Life is too short. 

ASSOCIATIONS: Completion; Freedom; Innocence; Action; Attentiveness; Roaming; Wanderlust; Adventure; Pilgrimage; Restlessness; Protectiveness; Exploration; Lighthearedness; Playfulness

Full Days.

Whenever I'm away I usually manage to post even if I'm having an amazing time, because lets face it - you cant have amazing, outstanding fun all.day.long...right? There's usually a break sometime in the day where I unwind for a bit by writing a short blog. Well, this trip has not allowed me any down time. It has been jam-packed with running around visiting all of my favorite people, doing yoga, cooking, eating, beaching, playing, drinking...everything.

Saturday morning I hit up a super early hot yoga class and then met Breezie and Rachael for coffee @ Java Hut in Encinitas. We hung out and sipped coffee for three hours. These are my two most favorite ladies on the West Coast so three hours barely touched the surface of all that we had to catch up on.

Brie had some stuff to attend to, so Rach and I continued our date on the beach in Cardiff and even jumped in the water for a bit (which was surprisingly warmer than expected). Later that evening we all had dinner at Liz and Larry's house (where my mom and I are staying). I put out a spread, made two cocktails (a Gin + Basil Gimlet and Sangria), and cooked us up some dinner. It was great to have Jak with us also, Breezies boyfriend, because he's a spectacular human being (and was only back from the ocean for ONE night after 10 days away, and prepping for another 10 day trip).

Gim and Basil Gimlet (or Spritzer) with Meyer Lemons

• 6 Meyer Lemons, juiced
• Pre-bought unsweetened Lime Juice (about 1 cup)
• 1 lime sliced (as garnish)
• Gin
• Sparkling Water or Club Soda (optional: this is if you want a lighter more refreshing "spritz")
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar

Make the simple syrup by combining a huge handful of basil with the water and sugar and cooking over a medium heat for a while. Remove basil. Add the simple syrup to the lime juice and juice of the meyer lemons. Chop a bunch of basil and add to the pitcher (reserve a few leaves for garnish). Two shots of gin plus one ladle-full of the lime/basil syrup concoction and you're good to go. If you want to make the drink last, and for it to be a bit lighter, add some club soda. This cocktail is deeeelicious.

• Big bunch of basil

After dinner we headed to Zenbu to dance for a bit and then made our way to a house party where the dance party continued into the wee-hours of morning. Funny enough, I ran into Mark Richards and Kevin DeFeo, childhood friends from Ocean City, at the party. It was a blast to reconnect with them and to share the dance floor after not having seen them for over 10 years. Insanity. Walked home to Edinburg Ave, went to bed late and woke up too early, and then met up with my Mom for some coffee. Rachael, Kira, Mom and I sat down at Cardiff and soaked up some sun and enjoyed the brisk ocean for a bit before saying our goodbyes.

Straight from the beach, to Grays house for one of his world famous smoothies, and then to Del Mar for a twisting workshop with my darling Lauren Duke. The class was a bit emotional for me, I was "weeping" throughout the class, but it was nice to get rid of some of the sadness I've been holding onto. I met up with Gray after class and we fell right into our old routine, a sunset walk up to the dog park with Marble. Back to the house to cook a feast for friends (Gray invited everyone to his house so I could see all of my friends, thank you thank you Gray!) and a feast it was! A dozen awesome people, a ton of great food, and a little bit of wine, dancing and foot massages. Boom. I love my West Coast family. Again, stayed up too late and talked so much - but it still seemed too little.

Woke up this morning, excited for the day and looking forward to our morning appointment at the Korean Spa. Yay!

Friday.

@ Stone Brewery in Oceanside, Ca.

The ingredients for dinner.

Artichokes. 

Lizs Blackberry Cherry Pie.

Mom and Me and Bubbles.

We got in late Thursday night and Liz had an awesome meal prepared for us, along with some bubbly. When we woke up the next morning we lounged around the house sipping coffee before setting out along the 101 to show mom the town (the last time she was in San Diego she was 18years old). Our first "meal" of the day was beers at the Stone Brewery in Oceanside...the place was beautiful. Then we had some sushi later in the day as we made our way back south down the 101. We picked up goodies at Whole Foods and then Liz and I got to work in the kitchen. It's great to cook and collaborate alongside someone in the kitchen...Liz and I have the same theory about food, but very different approaches - so it's great to bounce ideas off one another. Also, it was great to have my beautiful friend Brie join us at dinner, who also helped out in the kitchen. There is nothing better than sharing a meal with friends you love. 

Tequila Spritzer

Cilantro Lime Tequila Spritzer with Jalapeño Slices :

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup cilantro, plus 8 'sprigs'
• 1 liter club soda
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 8 small limes)
• 8 ounces tequila, or less depending on taste
• 2 jalapeño peppers, sliced into rounds

Instructions

1. In a medium pot add water, sugar, and cilantro. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes to make a simple syrup. Strain out cilantro and discard. Chill the simple syrup mixture in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours or freeze for 1 hour to speed up the process.
2. In a large bowl combine chilled syrup, club soda, lime juice, tequila; stir. Serve over ice with a sprig of cilantro and top each drink with 2-3 jalapeño slices.

FUCKING EPIC AND SPICY AND DEEEELICIOUS AND REFRESHING! Boom. 

Cailin Callahan

www.cailincallahan.blogspot.com

BOOM.

So I'm sitting at Liz's house in San Diego, drinking the.most.perfect.cup.of.coffee out of one of her husbands brillantly thrown and glazed mugs....and I just bought my ticket for Asia. Boom. Because of the destruction to the studio, as well as a few other things, I've decided to head out on my trip early.

I leave in one month. December 6th from Newark, a layover in Paris, and then I arrive in Colombo, Sri Lanka where Gilly will pick me up and bring me back to her home on the beach in Galle. I'll be in Sri Lanka for a little over a month....hanging with Gilly, playing music at a local high end restaurant, and my friend Misel (aka Meesh, whom I lived with in Costa Rica years ago, met up with in Thailand last year as she was getting her residency, and then lived with her in Indonesia last year) will be coming for a two week visit as well!

Surf in Sri Lanka

I'll then go to Goa in India, {where Gillys friend Gary will collect me from the airport} and I'm spending a month, in a hut, doing yoga and exploring Agonda beach. Also, I'll be in town for CARNIVAL (yes, the same as Brazils). Goa has deep roots in Portugese culture, hence the Carnival celebration.

Agonda Beach, Goa

After a month in Goa, I'm heading north of Delhi to Rishikesh for two months. A vegetarian, booze free town with yoga, yoga, yoga and more yoga on every corner. There are ahsrams, ayurvedic healing centers, and being at the foothills of the Himalayas, there is great hiking and caves to explore. 

Rishikesh, India

From Rishikesh I'm headed to Pokhara, Nepal for a few weeks of more yoga, meditation, and a proper trek of the Annapurna Circuit.

Pokhara, Nepal

After Nepal I'm heading back for a two week surf vacation in Arugum Bay in Sri Lanka, which is on the east coast and has firing, perfect rights. Then, I'll be home on May 22nd to work on the 25th. 

Life is beautiful. 

"Life should be both complex and simple. So whenever you feel that something is now becoming troublesome, immediately move before you become unaware. Remain flowing and homeless. Work hard so that you can relax. Relax deeply so that you become capable of working.

There is no need to be afraid. You can lose only that which needs to be lost. And it is good to lose it soon, because the longer it stays, the stronger it becomes, and one does not know anything about tomorrow. Don't die before realizing your authentic being. 

Human growth requires that one moves from one polarity to another. Sometimes being alone is perfectly good: one needs one's own space, one needs to forget the whole world, and to be oneself."
--OSHO

Pre-Vacation Staycation Continued...

Mom and her Spicy Korean Soup.

And so the pre-vacation Staycation continues. The days are blurring together, and until I saw more than a dozen people in costume- I hadn't realized it was Halloween. Mom and I got our fitness jam on this morning and then headed to center city to Giwa for some epic Korean eats. I'm sure that there is a super cheap hole-in-the-wall , super-authentic Korean place somewhere in the city, but Giwa was pretty damn good. Mom had the spicy kimchi soup and I had the vegetarian Dol Sot BiBimBop. It was served piping hot in a cast iron pot, with kimchi and pickled cucumbers. In Central America, I have seen FIGHTS go down over the "carruncha", the crispy rice at the bottom of the pot. Well, this dish had the best damn "carruncha" that I've ever had.

After lunch we strolled around and (unfortunately) strolled through anthropologie and lululemon, where I treated myself to a few nice things :) The conversation at lunch had actually been about how when I'm traveling I don't want "things" and I don't feel attached to "things", being completely content with my modest backpack of goods. But being home, I want STUFF. I love "things"...$90 yoga pants? Yes please. 10 of them. Meanwhile, that'd pay for 2 months of a good life in Asia. Ayeyaya. So after spending (too much) money on some of my favorite things in my two favorite stores, I walked down the block and carved into the cement was exactly what I was thinking...

Brooke and I did a yoga class at Dhyana, and then my mom joined us and we had a kickass Mexican meal at Distrito in West Philly. Octopus Ceviche, lobster tacos, tortilla soup, jicama salad, and unbelievable margaritas. Brooke was super stoked on the decor as well, which included a VW beetle that was made into a seating area.

Another great night on our pre-vacation Staycation.

Wodding and Pumpkin Carving.

Lazy morning, free coffee and breakfast from one of the hotel employee admirers, and then lounging in the room with mom. We headed down to the gym around 11 and got our fitness on...boom. Mom rode the bike and did her workout while I had my iPod on full blast, running up and down flights of stairs and trudging through my homemade WOD. I realize that I haven't explained crossfit very much and since I'm sure that you speak less "CrossFit" than I do, I should atleast specify that WOD means "Workout of the Day". The one I created for myself today was:

Warm Up:

*Vinyasa

*Hold Plank, Forearm Plank, ardha navasana (arms overhead), locust

WOD:

5 flights of stairs 3x then 20 mountain climbers, twenty jumps from plank to squat and back, 20 alternate knee to elbow

*repeat 3x

Short vinyasa to reconnect with breath, then:

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:

-5 push-ups

-10 sit-ups

-15 air squat

Ended with a Yin series:

Supra baddha konasana, twist R + L, wide knee child's, saddle, headstand. 

Brooke and Tommy picked mom and me up a little before 3pm and we headed to Kraftworks for a late lunch, some harvest brews, and...some pumpkin carving!!! The pub is having a contest and had a pumpkin carving station set up in the back of the restaurant. And even better was that the pumpkin was free!!! It was a super fun time and I'm hoping that Brooke has off tomorrow too so we can play somewhere else in town. 

Laying in bed now, tossing around the idea of heading out on my adventure earlier than expected. The OC zen den was pretty damaged in the storm and it'll be a while before its back up and running. Until then we have our margate studio, but I'm taking it as a sign that maybe I should begin my journey sooner than later. I hear that the hiking is great and crowds are low the month of December in Nepal....

Tommy and Brooke....team Serwatka.

Pumpking Carving Fun.

Cailin Callahan

www.cailincallahan.blogspot.com

Wise and Stupid, Stay Safe.

Yesterday I said "Fuck It", and ever since then I am just enjoying my time stuck in this hotel. The pillows are epic, the drinks are strong, the company is good and the amenities are awesome....what more do you need? The staff is particularly friendly towards me (more specifically the men), im pretty sure that my big butt and lululemons are in charge of that- and maybe my huge smile doesn't hurt. But that combination got mom and me a huge discount on dinner last night, free water bottles and many admirers and sweet (albeit inappropriate) comments. All joking aside, I'm really concerned about my friends back home...especially those who chose to stay, and for my friends who are fireman who are forced to be in the middle of all this mess. The yellow house being swallowed by the bay is my friend Samantha's, and that was hours and hours before the storm hit and before the tide was high. The second is the Avalon wawa, with still 11' more of tide to come in. And the third is a wave down in cape may. This storm is no joke, and the destruction is something that we will be dealing with for a long time to come.

Another reminder of how fragile life is...of how powerful Mother Nature is....and a reminder that things are just "things" and the only important thing is our health. I am so attached to our home, physically and energetically. Standing in our garage, surrounded by my Dads "things", I feel connected to him. I have felt sick to my stomach thinking of all of the "things" my friends will have lost in the storm. I try to remind myself that if my dads stuff was gone that it would be okay, but fuck--it would suck. Suck suck suck fucking suck.

Everyone please say a prayer for my good friends Chris Paisley and Crit, as they are stuck in the firehouse in Margate around-the-clock. The bulk of the storm may have passed, but the aftermath is just as dangerous. Live wires, fires...the list is endless. Osho always says that there isn't good and bad ideas, there's just Wise and Stupid. Don't be stupid! Stay safe!

ShitFuckedSandy at the Sheraton.



Shitfuck fucking fuck motherfucker shittttttt. That's how I felt when I woke up this morning. I wanted to rebel yell and cry and scream to the universe to cut me a fucking break. Jesus Fucking Christ. A few deep breaths and I resolved to float with the river, instead of trying to push it...cause pushing it wasn't going to get me anywhere.


Mom and I already had reservations at the Sheraton Four Points, next to the airport in Philly, for Sunday night because we had an early flight on Monday morning to San Diego. The hurricane started to make it's presence known on Saturday night and into Sunday morning it wasn't looking too great for the Jersey Shore. We were optimistic and headed to Philly, hoping that our 7am flight on Monday would get us out of dodge before the shit hit the fan. It was a windy drive up to Philly but we made it and got settled into our room. We found out that our 7am flight was cancelled, but we were rescheduled for a 1:30pm flight later in the day. Okay, still optimistic, still hoping for the best. We went out to dinner at the Pub & Kitchen with our friend Suzie and enjoyed a delicious dinner, joking that even if we didn't get out atleast we would enjoy a "staycation" and some fun in Philly.



 We got back to the hotel and decided to post up at the bar, afterall ...we didn't want to think about it, we just wanted to drink about it. Boom. Two rounds and then we found out that our 1:30pm had been cancelled. Still wtih smiles on our faces we decided to just roll with it and make the best of the situation. Another day in Philly wouldn't be so bad...





After dinner we headed back to the hotel so that the driver (that'd be me) could enjoy a cocktail. Dirty Martinis for me and White Russians for mom...we made quick friends with our bartender Laura, and found out from our neighbors at the bar, flight attendants, that our flight was for sure cancelled. We tried to stay positive and enjoy our cocktails despite the bad news.



Well, when I woke up this morning, I couldn't help but to feel sad. A few tears rolled down my cheeks as I allowed myself to feel sorry for myself, but only for a few minutes. Mom and I really needed this trip, like really really needed it. The days are seeming to become more and more challenging and I'm just tired of feeling this overwhelming sadness all.the.fucking.time. Mom and I had a pow-wow and tried to stay positive and come up with a game plan. We had hoped to drive home, but the parkway was unsafe and closed down. Plan B: stay in Philly...well, all the hotels were booked up! Thankfully we have an amazing friend Sharon who works at the AC Sheraton and her connection solidified us a room for another night. Okay, time for breakfast and coffee. Mom started crying first, and then I followed when the song from Dirty Dancing came over the radio (my Dad and I loved to dance to "I've had, the time of my life..." all the time when I was a kid). Fuck it. Fuck that. Fuck this. I am so fucking tired of crying, and this morning I decided that I wasn't going to cry anymore. Atleast not anymore today. I said goodbye to my Mom, put on my workout clothes, and grabbed my ipod - headed for the gym. I made up my own CrossFit WOD, and did a vinyasa flow and Yin series. Sweat is a powerful way to heal, and though I have HATED to work out my whole life, I have really found some peace in the CrossFit workouts (don't tell anybody though! haha).

Cailins Hurricane Sandy Sheraton WOD:

Warm Up: 

A Vinyasa flow, several rounds of Sun Salutations A + B.

Part 1:

1/4 mile "uphill, high intensity" elliptical + 15 pushups + 15 abmats + holding handstand for 15breaths.

repeat 4x (with 1 minute rest between)

Again, a short vinyasa to keep my body and breath moving, and to stretch out the body.

Part 2:

20-15-10-5 of...

Renegade Row (push up stance, wide legs, with weights in your hands. Lift one, then other).

Air squats

and holding Navasana for x amount of breaths (20breaths, 15breaths, etc)

I finished my WOD with a full Yin series (Wide Knee Childs, Sphinx, Saddle, Pigeon) and a headstand.





Rocking out and sweating it out in the beautiful gym at the neighboring hotel, ALoft. "Don't push the river, float with the river." Making the best of a less-than-desirable situation.

After nearly two hours of moving and grooving and sweating and centering I felt a bit better. I just kept repeating to myself "You can't PUSH the river, you have to FLOAT with the river"...so, I guess I'll just have to surrender and float. I arrived back in our room with a smile on my face, and to my surprise, mom was smiling too. She booked us a flight for Thursday evening, so now we will be away from November 1st until November 9th, and until then we are enjoying our Philly "staycation" at the Sheraton. I have carved out a little space to yoga and meditate and read....and I've made friends with all the girls at the front desk, so they hook it up with pool, hot tub, gym and internet connections. I hope that everyone is staying safe in this shitfuckmess that is Sandy. I've been following on facebook and the destruction is insane. Fingers crossed and positivity sent up that everyone is staying warm and healthy.  



I've made myself a little space in the room for reading, meditation, and yoga.



Old House and One Day at a Time.

It's a process, and a different process for each individual. Lately, my Mom, and several of my parents friends, have been feeling a pull towards a house that my parents lived in from 1980-1985. It's right around the corner from our home...a house that I drive past several times a day. Joe King (my Dads best man and best friend) has had a dream that (a young version of my) Dad is standing on the back porch, laughing (as he always did), shouting "Come on in Joe! Don't be scared". When he told Mom about his dream, she said that she too has been feeling like she needed to visit the old house. So, on day 49, we headed over. I've heard many {crazy, inappropriate, insane} stories about all the good times had at 365 Main Street. My parents said that yes, it's a dump now - and yes, it was a dump way back when. But it's where they fell in love. We contacted the owner of the house who said unfortunately the house had been gutted, but that we were more than welcome to take a look around. When we walked inside Mom told me where everything was, and described in detail the layout of the house and told several funny stories about the good times had in this tiny home. She pointed out to the yard to where the dog kennel was, and their garden...to the tub where all of Kizzys puppies were born, and to the little room that my parents shared (and to the window where Moms underwear were hanging on the day that PopPop Callahan barged in!). Mom cried a bit, and I could tell that being at 365 Main Street was what she needed to wish Dad along to his next life. For me though, it wasn't what I needed...which actually added to my sadness. 

The front of 365 Main Street.

The house where they fell in love. 

Not much has changed...just moving the door a bit to the right and removing the window. This is the porch where Dads been standing and laughing on Joes dreams. 

The owner of the house told us that we were welcome to keep anything that we found inside the house. Tucked away in the corner was an old piece of bouy, from one of Dads traps, which is now over 31 years old....

When we got home, Mom pulled out some photos of the old house. From top left there is Dad in their room, sleeping on their mattress (which just laid on the floor) with Moms cat "Booger". The next is Christmas morning in their little house, this was the day that Dad proposed. In the middle is Mom Dad and Kizzy on the back porch. Bottom left is Dad with booger on Christmas morning and to the right is Mom with their dogs and Pheasants from one of her first hunting trips. 

 When we got home I napped for a bit, trying to shake it - and couldn't. So I went out to my Dads garage - into the "War Room"....surrounded by all of his bows and arrows that he made, and deer skulls that we'd painted when I was a little kid. I grabbed a "wish" candle and wrote on it a little prayer - and then lit it and sat in meditation. There was a lot going through my mind - memories, sadness, frustrations, anger....but it ended with me as a little girl, sitting next to him by a river, resting my head on his shoulder. One day at a time, one day at a time.

I once asked a bird,
"How is it that you fly in this gravity
Of darkness?"
She responded,
"Love lifts
Me."

~Hafiz

Forty Nine Days.

My Dad died 49 days ago. There are moments that it feels like it's been an eternity,  there are days that it feels like only yesterday, and then there are days where it just doesn't seem real. Though I have been wanting and searching for him, he hasn't been around....not in my dreams... no "signs". A few times I have woken up in the middle of the night, and hoping that he was there I would say out loud "DAD? Dad? Is that you?". I have tried calling out to him in the car, and screaming his name out at the beach, but he hasn't come. In Buddhism they believe that the soul takes 49 days to find it's next life, for the spirit to be born again into it's next adventure. So maybe that's why I haven't felt him...because maybe he's still been in transition. I'm not a religious person, but I feel more connected to Buddhism than any other organized religion. So for 49 days now I have been praying that his soul finds a home, and some peace. I have been clinging to him, with two hands, tight grasp, and maybe that's whats keeping him from moving on...so today I'm lighting a candle, taking in some silence, and saying goodbye...offering up my final prayer that he is wherever he needs to be. With Karma like his, this next life he's about to embark on is bound to be pretty fucking amazing. I only wish that I could join him wherever he is, but there's time for that I suppose - and he'll be waiting for me until I get there..and when I do, I'll have lots of stories to tell, "World Dominations" to brag about and some epic tall-tale-Fishing-stories.

Death is one of two things...

Either it is annihilation, and the dead have no consciousness of anything;

or, as we are told, it is really a change:

a migration of the soul from one place to another.

~ Socrates ~

Great Friends Great Meals.

Homemade Pepper Jelly and Pickeled String Beans from Adenas garden and kitchen. I told her the other day that if I played for the other team, and if she didn't have an amazzzzing boyfriend, that I'd marry the shit outta her. Such a generous person, amazing gardener and chef and just and all around amazing human being.

We had a little girls get-together the other night at Pam Traceys house for {CrossFit} Sams birthday. I made the food: curried cauliflower soup, spicy sesame string beans, brussel sprout salad with dates and pepitas, and sauteed greens. Oh yeah, I also juiced pomegranates and made a cardamom simply syrup for some kick ass antioxidant-packed-Pom-Martinis.

Tuesday night has become Family Dinner Night with Brad + Ro and Me + Mom. We alternate, one Tuesday I cook at our house, Ro cooks the following at their house. Last night we started dinner with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot(!!!!) and an amazing plum tomato tart with basil.

Everything we ate was home-grown or killed by a friend. The yukon gold potatoes, shittake mushrooms and plum tomatoes were from Rochelles fathers garden. The venison roast was killed by Ro's cousin. And the swiss chard that I made was from our garden. The wine...from Spain! haha.

Brad and Ro, our epic hosts.

Holy Shitballs. I have been eating some AMAZING meals this past week: cooked by me, cooked by friends, grown from our very own gardens. Last night at our Tuesday Night Supper Club it was Rochelles turn to cook and she really outdid herself. The venison roast was cooked to perfection....and for any of you cringing right now, saying that you "dont like venison" or "venison tastes too gamey", then you just haven't had it cooked properly. Often people OVERCOOK it because it's "Wild Game!", don't do that.

Rochelle's Venison Roast: (P)

• venison roast
• fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper
• a few cloves of garlic
• evoo

Generously dress the roast with chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. First you drizzle some EVOO into a skillet and sear the venison steak at a fairly high heat. Throw in a few unpeeled cloves of garlic. You want to kind of caramelize the outside so that you are sealing in the juices. With meat - the rule is HOT and FAST or LOW and SLOW. Obviously this was Hot and Fast. So you sear the meat and then just transfer the skillet into the oven (400degrees f) for about 10minutes and let the meat finish off cooking. When you pull the roast out of the oven you MUST let it "rest". For about 5-10minutes. Cover it with some tin foil and walk.away.  The roast was served alongside sauteed shiitake mushrooms which were just done in evoo, salt and pepper and were unnnnnbelieveable.


Cailins Greens with Garlic, Ginger and Cumin: (P, V, VG)

• one bunch of Kale
• one bunch of Swiss Chard
• one clove of garlic
• a tablespoon or two of fresh minced ginger
• one jalapeno
• cumin
• salt
• evoo or coconut oil

Begin by washing your greens, obviously. With the swiss chard you want all of it, stems included. Kale - discard the stems, keeping only the leafy greens. In a skillet drizzle some oil in (I recommend coconut oil) and sautee your diced jalapeno, garlic, and ginger for a minute or two. Then throw in your greens and sprinkle with some salt and cumin. It'll take about 5 minutes for the greens to cook down. Enjoy.

Hands down the best gig, and by far my most favorite gig. The Dead Dog was packed-full of all of my favorite people, from every end of the spectrum: childhood friends, yoga friends, surf friends, work friends, philly friends and even my Momma and all of her friends! I played the first set by myself and Christian and I rocked it out until 2 in the morning. It was a perfect final evening. The first set was a bit hard, I played most of the songs that Dad had always loved and requested, but with such an epic support system in the crowd I got through it. Love Love Love to everyone who made it out, thank you. 

Good Times. Good Friends.

After teaching two classes, I met Erika, Pam, Brandon, Paisley and Luther at  Living Well for some crossfit.

Sweaty and buzzed, we crossed the street and joined Adena and Luther for some dancing madness.

Spent the day on Essex in Margate, soaking up this October sun.

Adam Green, one of my favorite people in the world, telling a hysterical story about his epic wipe-out in AC last week. 

Beautiful Day.