It is written ...

... in my most recent copy of Bay Weekly (I bet you were thinking "in the clouds" or something like that, due to my photo selection - I took it myself), some of the craziest horoscopes I've ever read. They were so out there, that I had to share. To start, here's mine:

Taurus (April 20-May 20): After studying your astrological omens, I closed my eyes and asked the spirits for a psychic vision that would symbolize your imminent future. The scenario that came up was a pair of toddlers dressed in fine purple satin garments and wearing golden hats. They looked like a prince and a princess and were wandering around inside a ritual circle about 10 yards in diameter, drawn with white chalk in a green meadow. Vases of cut flowers and statues of gods and goddesses ringed the circle. So what does this vision mean?

I was about ready to ask the same question. Huh?

Maybe this: Two magnificent possibilities have recently been born or will soon be born. You should cast a protective spell around them, letting them amble and dally within a proscribed area as their magic ripens.

I wonder what they could be. Any ideas?

Then, I cracked up laughing after reading my husband's sign:

Gemini (May 21-June 20): Some spas are now offering their clients "butt facials." The cost for smoothing and toning your skin in the lower realms can range up to $800 per session. At that steep price, I can't in good conscience mandate the procedure for you. But the astrological omens are favorable for you to take special care of the things at the bottom (ha, ha ... I get it) of your life, even if they are metaphorical in nature. So please brainstorm about how you could upgrade your ballast, strengthen your foundation and give your center of gravity a boost.

After reading that one aloud to my hubby, I couldn't stop snickering. My laughed turned into one of those silent ones, where you can barely breathe (tell me you know what I'm talking about). Tears rolled down my cheeks, and he began to worry.

"I'm okay," I finally was able to get out. "Want a butt facial?," and I was back to cracking up again.

I know; it's not that funny. I guess you had to be there. I need more sleep :-)

Anyway, lastly I'll share Jacob's horoscope, which actually related to his biggest obstacle at the moment (no, not the bouncing course from Bayfest, but something very similar). Here it goes:

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Michelangelo never finished two-thirds of the sculptures he started. Basketball mega-star Michael Jordan failed on 26 different occasions when he was given the ball to try the game-winning shot as time ran out. Of Bob Dylan's 57 albums, maybe only 15 of them are masterpieces. I bring this to your attention Sagittarius, in the hope that they will give you some perspective on the down times in your own track record.

You see, Jacob has been frustrated about trying to get across the monkey bars at school. He falls before he makes it to the other side. Rob Brezsny (the guy who writes these things) might be on to something. And so he continues:

More importantly, I want to let you know that in coming weeks you should have access to the kind of energy that Michelangelo, Jordan and Dylan had when they were creating their legends.

I hope this means Jacob will conquer the monkey bars soon. What do you think?

If you've managed to make it to the end of this post, you deserve a treat. Check out my latest idea on We Like It Raw. Thanks Dhru :-)

Mine's better than yours :-)

Back to the beach again, we headed to our boardwalk to celebrate Bayfest, an annual event around here. Paw Paw, Grandma Terry, Jacob and I enjoyed a leisurely stroll down the street and alongside the various vendors, who were displaying their wares and serving up the standard boardwalk fare (good thing I ate lunch before we left).

Jacob was excited to make his way to the rides, which were mostly inflatable moon bounces, slides and obstacle courses. He had a blast until the fatigue set in, probably due to the excessive jumping, as well as his lack of sleep this week (he goes to school as early as the middle schoolers now).

Poor boy suffered a bit of a meltdown to say the least, but we still managed to hang out for a while to breathe in the fresh sea air, feel the sunshine on our skin (actually it was piping hot down there) and take in all that was happening around us.

Just look at the beautiful scenery. It was such a gorgeous day that I had to share it with you :-)


Did you see the smoothie stand in the last pic? The sign stresses that their smoothies are all natural and made with real fruit. Shouldn't they be made that way anyway?

Well, in case you were wondering, I didn't get one from there. They probably were loaded with refined sugar (and maybe even some dairy), so I was happy to cool off at home with a frosty beverage of my own. I kept with the frozen banana and fresh strawberry theme, but I added some strawberry kombucha for a kick (I must have needed it after Jacob's shenanigans ... I've always liked that word).

Speaking of kombucha, I actually was able to toast with some on vacation, since I found three flavors at the Food Lion grocery store nearby. Who'd've thought? (Yeah, I know it's not good grammar, but it's what I thought at the time). Crazy, but cool :-)

"I'm a farmers market reporter"

Last week, I was invited to share my farmers market experience as part of Kerry's Farmer's Market Report. Lucky me, I was offered the chance to do it again.

So, here it goes in mostly photos:

Last night, I managed to bring my trusty camera to the beach's weekly farmers market, where I started off at Swann Farm. There, I picked up some peaches the size of softballs and a cantaloupe. I also would've grabbed one of their watermelons, but I'd already bought one the day before at a nearby stand (I had half of it for breakfast this morning).

The line for their stand is usually the longest, but well worth the wait. Their corn is very popular, and I purchased the best cucumbers of the summer there a couple weeks ago. I would've taken a pic, if I had my camera that day. Instead, one of their crew posed for this one last night (if you're reading this, see you next week).

At least I managed to get my hands on some sweet cucumbers (I hate it when they're bitter) from the same stand I purchased my watermelon. I hope to make this granita I found at work yesterday in a copy of Cooking Light magazine (someone left it on the lunch table). I never would've thought to make a frozen dessert out of cucumbers.

Speaking of granita and Cooking Light, I also brought home a recipe for Heirloom Tomato Salad with Tomato Granita, which would be lovely made out of the tomatoes I purchased from my favorite tomato guy. He lets you pick and chose your favorites, mine being the green zebra stripes hidden in the bottom of my box (they were the last ones, so I had to grab them fast). He also sells some pretty pesticide-free flower bouquets.

From there, I moved on to the Omish stand, where I found green and yellow string beans, as well as some figs. They were also selling tomatoes, baked goods, handmade bath products, clothes and more.

There was so much to experience that I was unable to capture it all. This was just a taste. Other stands had plums and apples, a sign of fall being near. There was also the usual squash and peppers, baked goods, fudge, and these gorgeously green plants. Tons of people supported the local farmers and other businesses, all carrying home their purchases in reusable totes designed specially for this event. Something tells me I'm going to miss this when its over.

Side-by-side comparison

When you last left this empty nest (well, at least for the school day), I was wondering what I was going to do to occupy my time while Jacob was away at kindergarten. It took a while to get inspired, but eventually I came up with something.

Poor pathetic me found myself on the couch, remote in hand, switching back and forth between Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart (due to the fact that I've mentioned these shows on more than one occasion, you might think I do this quite often. However, this is actually a rare occurrence).

And then, there it was: a side-by-side comparison of Rachael's recipe of the day, alongside Duff from Ace of Cakes interpretation of the same dish (although his was made out of cake).

This was right up my alley for I love to "rawify" Ms. Ray's recipes, as well as the culinary creations of other non-raw chefs/cooks. I even like to make raw versions of my mother's cooking, and take my own comparison photos, like this pasta dish I made on vacation. My mom whipped up one of Rachael's roasted vegetable and pesto pasta meals, while I used most of the same ingredients to create an uncooked serving for myself (keep in mind that I did not have my own knives or a spiral slicer on our trip).

On this particular episode, she was making pasta again (Roasted Caprese Spaghetti to be exact), and this time I had my spiral slicer ready to go. I, of course, substituted zucchini for the spaghetti, but kept many of the other ingredients the same. It is tossed with a pesto I made in basically the same fashion, except I eliminated the cheese and swapped the pine nuts for raw pumpkin seeds.

So, what did I use in place of the fresh mozzarella? Cubed mushroom. Similar to tofu (which is what I first suspected was in the original dish, based on the photo), it does a good job of absorbing the flavors around it, and it mimics the color and shape of the traditional cheese (I also happened to have some on hand).

Thanks Rachael, for inspiring another deliciously raw meal. I'm looking forward to more uncooked recipes on future shows. Hint, hint :-)

Back to school

Today, it finally hit me. Jacob started kindergarten yesterday, without a tear in sight. But now, it's starting to sink in that he'll be in school all day, while I'm left here all alone.

It's funny how the kids adjust so well to this new situation; it's the parents who worry about their precious cargo handling the trip to and from, not to mention the hours in between. Will they make new friends? Will they get along with their teacher? Will they know where to go and what to do?

I know I'm just being selfish, but I miss him already. Yesterday was much easier, since I went to work after seeing him off. I had some pics I downloaded off my camera and e-mailed to my hubby before I left. "He made it on the bus alright," I typed in the message.

Then, I kept myself busy at work, only stopping to enjoy a raw Pop-Tart I pulled out from my freezer, which seemed perfect for the occasion. You may remember the post I did about them on We Like It Raw in February. They've even turned up again on Gone Raw recently (Thanks hannah.hunnicutt for reminding me about that blast from the past).

Okay, so maybe I did catch myself looking at the clock a bit, anxiously awaiting the time my boy would be home. I wanted to call and find out about his day.

When the moment arrived, I raced for my cellphone, dialing the digits as fast as my fingers would allow. His sweet little voice on the other end of the line was still happy, telling me all about the fun he had.

So why am I so sad today? I guess it's just going to take a little while to get used to him not being here. Maybe I'll be able to find some more time to focus on my interests. You may even hear from me more on this site. Hey Dhru, I should put some stuff together for you, too.

Don't worry about me; I'll make it through :-)

Mmm ... so "toasty" :-)

I've always wanted to be a food critic (unfortunately, there aren't many restaurants around here catering to my food preferences, i.e., raw vegan), or perhaps a product reviewer. Thanks to my buddy Jeff from NaturalZing, I've now been given the opportunity to take a fairly new product for a test drive.

I so wish I had this product in my hot little hands before leaving on vacation. But alas, it had to wait until my return.

You see, I'm referring to Lydia's Organics newest raw cereal addition, Vanilla Crunch Cereal (according to Jeff, the line has also added Apricot Sun Cereal, which would have been perfect for watching the sunrise on the beach).

Unfortunately, Lydia's website mentions the fact that to make room for its new flavors (which also include the Lemon Ginger Bar, Figtastic Bar, Cacao Crunch and Fiesta Cracker), as well as to improve the line/streamline production, some of its past products will be making their departure.

"We will be discontinuing our triple pack (4.5 oz) size bars, the 8oz size Savory Trail Mix and we will be ceasing production on the Crystal Manna Bar, Apple Ginger Bar, Apple Fig Bar, Curry Crackers, and Luna Nori Sprinkles. Some of these products are no longer available and others will be phased out as the newer foods are made available in August."

But, that's okay. As long as the company keeps its cereals (as well as its Luna Nori Crackers; I've always liked them in a pinch), it's fine by me.

I actually have fond memories of Lydia's cereal helping me through a beach vacation a few summers ago. I was first introduced to the product line at a little store called Water To Go, not far from the Bay Bridge. I recall stopping by there on the way to Ocean City in hopes of finding some prepared snacks to keep me raw that week.

I picked up some bars and crackers, but was most impressed with the cereal. Perfect for travel, I ate it dry on its own, sprinkled on top of fruit, mashed into a bowl of ripe bananas or drowning in almond milk (lucky me, I had my Magic Bullet along for the ride, as well as some raw almond butter, which makes a quick "milk").

Usually, I would choose the Grainless Apple Cereal or the Berry Good Cereal, which had set themselves apart from many of the raw pack by not adding buckwheat to the mix. So, you can understand my hesitation when Jeff first gave me a bag of the Vanilla Crunch with these ingredients: apples, sprouted sunflower seeds, sprouted buckwheat, coconut, raisins, agave nectar, vanilla.

Don't get me wrong; I'll eat buckwheat groats on occasion, but many of the prepackaged raw cereals are mostly sprouted buckwheat with very little else. To my surprise, this combination cast this seed (yes, it's actually a seed) in a supporting role with coconut as its star (at least in my opinion).

To me, the most predominant flavor (outside of the tender dried apples pieces and plump raisins, which made their way into every bite, like the two scoops of raisins in my childhood Raisin Bran) was the coconut. Although the name suggests a basic vanilla variety, I actually preferred its more complex notes, reminiscent of toasted coconut (must be due to the "toasting" in the dehydrator). Maybe they should have called it "Coconut Crunch Cereal."

My first few bites I tried dry (no fruit or "milk"), as not to mask its true taste and texture. It's good on its own, but I still prefer it in the traditional cereal fashion.

Opting to stick with the apple and coconut theme, I chopped up some Pink Lady apples, added them to my cereal bowl and poured on some coconut milk. Not a bad combination, if I do say so myself. And, since I had to pause a bit for a photo op prior to diving into my bowl of deliciousness, I was impressed at how it absorbed some of the liquid, while still maintaining its "crunch."

Overall, I give this raw convenience product high marks for taste, texture, versatility and shelf life (mine says best if used by 1/11/09). It's even reasonably priced at a little more than $8 for a 16-oz. bag. I'd reconsider the name, but that's just a suggestion :-)

Missing melons for breakfast

I was so spoiled while on vacation. I started out everyday with a run/walk on the beach, and then I cooled off on the balcony with an entire melon to myself. Yum-O!

It's such a treat to be able to just sit down with a bowl full of melon, especially when you use the melon as your bowl (I think nature planned it that way). Just grab a spoon and eat :-)

I was lucky to have a variety of melons from the farmers market nearby. Sometimes I ate cantaloupe or honeydew, while other days I opted for a personal size watermelon, like a Sugar Baby or this yellow flesh variety (pictured below). Those were the best.

In my opinion, local melons have the most wonderful flavor. They are also very economical. The lady who sold me the yellow watermelons, priced them at 3 for $5. She also charged me $2 for the honeydew, and tossed in an extra ripe one for free.

The freebie melon was ginormous. It was nearly the size of a traditional oblong watermelon (okay, maybe not as big, but I said "almost"). I got a deal, since it needed to be eaten that day, which my mom and I had no problem with doing. It was amazing.

So, I guess I did eat more than my share of melon last week. It probably is time for a change. I had plums for breakfast today, before heading over to Jacob's new school for orientation. He starts kindergarten on Wednesday.

Maybe I'm just sad that vacation is over. I go back to work tomorrow. At least I have a lot of memories to share, and there is always time to make more :-)