Year-round tropical

i just got back from a conference in Palm Springs...i had visions of the terrible places in Florida i used to have to visit as a kid with the word "Palm" in them, but it acutally had historic buildings and was a hang out to the likes of Ms. Monroe, Lucy and Desi, Liberace(most people probably know all this but my friends and i had no idea) with a "desert oasis in the mountains" thing going on...

palmspringsarchitecture.blogspot.com

maybe it was the massive amount of palm trees i experienced, but i have been craving fluffy tropical-ish treats  and wanted to incorporate the omega seeds i am eating this time of the month, so i invented a recipe...

just a warning, i am not a meticulous measurer and i am also baking at high altitude, but never-the-less, these turned our pretty darn good if you want something not super sweet but yummy because its not quite time to bake my favorite pumpkin spice muffins...

Palm Springs Muffins 
Either blueberry - lemon OR coconut - lime flavors
2 tbsp molasses (iron!) or honey (allergies!)
1 c. flavored organic yogurt (i used blueberry or coconut - these usually are sweetened, which is why i didn't add more sweetener)
1 egg (organic)
1/4 stick butter (goat milk)
        mix those
1 1/4 c. almond flour (naturally sweet)
1/4 c. GF flour mix (or just rice flour for a really soft texture)
2 tbs. flax (Omega 3)
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
salt to taste (i like lots of pink salt)
chia seeds
       mix those
if you used blueberry yogurt, squeeze 3 tbsp lemon juice into mixture OR lime if you used coconut

of course, add sweetener if you like it sweeter

bake 350F for 25-30 min. 

Grand Canyon anniversary

2 years of marriage in 75 million years of geological history....

thanks, North Rim, for the good time...

maybe i will call you later?

changing day

Its a weird stormy, chilly, snow on the mountain day in Flagstaff...

via the Zephyr

but i am hoping it goes away this Sunday because we are headed to the North Rim and i am no good camping in the cold and end up looking like that kid in Christmas Story who can barely walk he is so bundled...

TRADLANDS

i wish i had some tomboy clothes from  Tradlands and i could pose for some 50's ish camping photos with my plaid, ankle pants, and ballet flats... 

i mean, how else can i compete with the bounty of nature!!! and before i convert into my favorite nature time, Fall, i need to thank the Summer for the fruit and vegetables and nights sitting outside in flip flops and shorts.

'While we measure our own success in terms of personal comfort and security, the universe measures our success by how much we have learned.' Caroline Myss

BEWARE AVOCADO SPIDERS!!!

i found my Halloween decorations, which included lots of that fake spiderweb stuff, but no spiders! i needed spiders, fast. i got out my glue and paper and cardboard and made a spider that would have been frowned upon in any kindergarten class, then i scanned the room for something, anything, to make into a respectable spider...then i saw the avocado pit i had been unsuccessfully trying to sprout in a jar and EUREKA!, thus was born the avocado spider:

Step 1: gather materials...

• wire (i used rusty wire to give it an element of danger...just kidding, tetanus is a serious infection and it was the only wire we had around...i just wont stab anyone with my spiders) 
• very tiny drill bit to match the gage wire you choose
• wire clippers
• clean avocado pits (because we compost, i was able to find quite a few around the pile)
• optional paint and brush

Step 2:  clip pieces of wire for legs and drill holes in sides of avocado pits for the wire legs--you don't have to drill too far because the wire squishes in there, unless the pit is really old and hard...

Step 3: some of the avocado pits were shedding their seed coats exposing the light tan seed, in which case i painted them black with acrylic paint, 2 coats

Step 3: bend the legs and insert them 

Step 4: add eyes if so desired...India Ink looked better for eyes on the ones with their seed coat

Step 5: if you want to hang it, drill holes through the top and, using a needle, insert thread through the holes and hang that dang spider up...

did i waste a whole day making avocado spiders for everyone i know? maybe. 
did i waste money on a crappy plastic spider made half way around the world? hell no! 
happy OCTOBER

Phoenix town

so...i always thought this place was a heat bowl waste of resources...and i still pretty much do...but that doesn't mean there's not lots of cool stuff here...

i went in search of food, wandered down Roosevelt St. and ventured into Green Haus, which was way way cool (the kind of place i would like to do consignment!), and the owner suggested a good place to eat, which was very good....

 

Roosevelt St. had so much going on, and, after eating, I walked to a gallery opening and got a free beer and then walked back to my hotel...to relax. 

but i am a little mad at Phoenix....

and the company of some friends distracted me more... 

because i totally forgot to go to the leather store!

next time.