Rockabilly on the radio, a thermos full of iced coffee, shades on, I headed down the 101 towards some of my favorite people on earth.  By the time I hit the I5, I was listening to This American Life, a road trip companion second only to my husband.  Nine hours after the time I left Sonoma County, I arrived in Murrietta, CA. There, waiting for me, were Maggy and Sharon of Three Many Cooks and Erika of Ivory Hut. I arrived just in time for a big round of hugs and kisses and a beautiful dinner.

I had met Maggy a year prior- we were introduced by Irvin Lin of Eat The Love. From the moment Maggy and I met, it was true love (for reals). We began working together on a couple of projects almost immediately and I would spend two more weekends with her in the coming months- including my 39^th birthday.

This year, Maggy came to visit in March, just before I moved to Sonoma County and saying goodbye was not as hard knowing I’d be seeing her in less than a month.

I was in Murrieta for the very first Big Travelling Potluck. I showed up a few days early—ostensibly to help, but really to hang out with The Anderson Clan, Erika, and my dear friends Deb and Rod from Smith Bites.

Maggy, Pam, and Erika work year round to pull off events that you have to see to believe. The days and weeks leading up to The Big Potluck are long and hard and fun and inspiring- I was lucky to be a part of the crew.

Here are some of my favorite moments from The Big Travelling Potluck in no particular order.

1. Arriving, road-weary and exhausted then being showered with love and affection from my friends and seeing the glorious grounds for the first time.
2. Working in the kitchen with Pam, learning loads about cooking for a crowd and about Pam.
3. Quiet talks with Rod and Deb about life, food, and music.
4. Avocados (that is all)
5. Bunnies, frogs, lizards, and birds literally everywhere (you can’t say that about most food blogging events
6. Morning yoga on the deck overlooking the platea
7. Seeing friends and soon-to-be-friends step off the bus on Friday night. The  night filled with hugs, and kisses and giggles
8. The way the house smelled of lavender and strawberries when putting together the yogurt parfaits for Saturday morning breakfas
9. Avocado again. Seriously, what would you do with an endless supply of fresh California avocado?
10. Matt Armenderiz’s proclamation that “Creativity is Making Shit”
11. Helen Jane’s unique ability to bring it all back to Billy Ocean
12. Looking across the room and seeing two of my dear friends (Kristin Guy of TheCusinerd and Brooke Burton of Food Woolf) together. The magic of this was that they hadn’t met previously, and I had been telling them of one another for quite some time.
13. Meeting Sharon, the third of the Three Many Cooks, and loving her as I knew I would.
14. All the many hugs from Ethan Adeland. We finally met and made up for lost time.
15. One Word: Mason
16. A live performance of There’s No Business like Show Business by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman)
17.  Waking up to the scent of Cinnamon and Coffee each day, a trick I now use in my French Press at home
18.  My time with Jeanine from The One Campaign and Barret of FashionAble. I feel so fortunate to know people who are so truly passionate about what they do. Also, I love my scarf!
19. Loving on Heidi, Carrie Anne, Maria, and Dara, friends I made in Utah last summer, your blogging community is filled with beautiful and kind people. I suppose Becky of The Vintage Mixer had a pretty good excuse for not being there.
20.  Photo booth shenanigans
21.  This
22. And This
23. And This
24. The never ending salad bowl
25.  Making pineapple guacamole with Team Guac and Roll. We were robbed! I’m totally gonna corner Gaby on that one.
26. Showing Deb and Rod my favorite way to eat an avocado. Yes, I know, I’ve mentioned the avocados before, but honestly, the look on Deb’s face as I ate my avocado salad was amazing. Plus, I was eating avocado. #winning

I really wish I was attending The Big Potluck in July, and if you’re going

1. I’m totally jealous
2. I want a full report
3. Make sure to give extra eight-second hugs on my behalf.

Each spring, the conference season begins.  I adore seeing friends from around the globe, taking in all of the new information presented, and visiting new places, but food on the road is often less-than-ideal.

Good food to-go is more important to me than ever since I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, last year. This yogurt parfait full of nuts, seeds and fruit provides me with a healthy, fulfilling meal for road trips and plane rides alike.  And let me tell you, I’ve been in planes, busses, and cars a lot this spring.

At the end of April, I had the joy of attending The Big Potluck, which is an amazing event put on by my dear friends Maggy, Pam, and Erika. This year, was the first year they hosted an event on the west coast. Just like the Pennsylvania Summer Potluck, I left inspired, full-up-with-love, and totally exhausted (in a good way)

Memorial Day Weekend, it was my first time at Camp Blogaway which I was able to attend thanks to the generosity of my friends at Kerrygold and Green Valley Organics.  There, I saw old friends including some I’d never met in person- friends like Dr. Jean, Kate McDermott, and Nancie McDermott (no relation).  Camp Blogaway is held at an actual camp and it was so much fun bunking with Laura and Mimi my new Camp BFFs. We had such fun even though I was that kid at camp… the one who gets sick and misses all the fun.

Now, we’re in June, and I’m travelling to Austin, TX for Blogher Food. This travel day will be a long one as I board a bus from Santa Rosa to San Francisco Airport and then a plane to Austin.  I am prepared, too. I’ve got my yogurt parfait in a Mason Jar and plenty of candied ginger for my bus ride.

For a homebody like me, three conferences in six weeks is a lot, so you’d think I’d have spent every weekend at home in between, but instead I’ve been busy with everything from The Food Blogger Bake Sale to Press Trips to the Dry Creek Valley (more on that soon) to doggie adoption drives. In total, I’ve spent only two weekends at home since moving to our new place seven weeks ago.

I have so much to fill you in on. Photos I can’t wait to share, more news on the doggie front, and full reports on some really awesome events. But for now, I’ll pack my bags with summer dresses and sunscreen and leave you with this recipe for a gorgeous yogurt parfait in a jar.

The sun shines through our bedroom windows; it is the only alarm clock I need.  I pause to kiss Joshua lightly, and leave him to sleep a bit longer. Little Lucy follows behind me as I head up our spiral staircase to begin my day. Water boiling for tea, pot bellied stove taking the chill out of the early morning air, this is how each day begins.

Tea in hand, Lucy and I walk out onto the back deck, and that’s when I look up.  Not a day goes by that I don’t marvel at the beauty and serenity of where we live. Rough patches aside, I feel as though we’ve hit the karmic lottery.

For the last five years, Joshua and I have had very different work schedules, and our meals together were few and far between. Now, on most days, we are eating two to three meals a day together.  Of all of the amazing things about our move, this might be my very favorite.

On Monday, I opened up the fridge, knowing I needed to head to the store before dinner, but hoping I might be able to scrounge something up for a quick lunch.  I poked around and found a nice piece of Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese, a basket of local strawberries, some gluten free sandwich bread, and a small bowl of lovely blueberries.  Suddenly, the idea for a spicy sweet berry chutney came to mind and a grilled cheese sandwich was born.

A little note about Kerrygold:
I am thrilled to be a part of the Kerrygold Blogger Network. I think most people would feel lucky to get free stuff from such an awesome company.  Kerrygold is also sending me to summer camp, that’s right! Three Days and two nights at Camp Blogaway, lucky me!! I love being aligned with a company who has such standards of quality. Please know that I only work with companies I believe in, and I Kerrygold really fits that bill. Also, though I’ve gotten free stuff from Kerrygold, before, I paid for this cheese and butter from my own pocket- as I have for years.  This is not a sponsored post and Kerrygold does not require or even suggest that I post a recipe in exchange for my ticket to Camp Blogaway.

In life, there are times of relative calm, times of turbulence, and times of growth and change.  As humans, it is within our nature,  to seek that which is calm, steady, comfortable and safe.   This behavior is ingrained in us, stemming from a time when safety and stability were crucial to our survival and evolution.

Since March, I have experienced great joy, anticipation, deep love, kindness, energy, weariness, worry, and terrible staggering loss.  If you were to look at my life two months ago, and my life today, it is nearly unrecognizable. I have never felt more grateful for my friends, family, and utterly incredible husband.

In the beginning of March, my sweet Ruby dog began struggling to climb the stairs. After a week or so of tests and treatment, we received the soul-shaking news that she had cancer of the bladder. Just a day or so later, we heard that we’d gotten a little house on the Russian River in western Sonoma County.

So, we set about preparing to move, all the while, giving Ruby lots of love, meds, and IM fluids.  Our Lola was by Ruby’s side every day until the morning that Ruby suddenly couldn’t move without whimpering.  That evening, the house call vet arrived, and we held Ruby until her last breath. It’s sometimes hard to know the right time for euthanasia, and before the vet came, Ruby perked up for an hour or so. Joshua and I both began to question, but in the end we relied on wisdom and compassion rather than the desire to keep our sweet little girl at our sides.

Lola seemed sadder and slower, but she was 10 and had just lost her friend.  We knew we wanted to adopt a dog before we moved, since we had signed an agreement to move with two dogs. Also, our Lola had never been an only pet.  We went to an adoption drive for Rocket Dog Rescue to ask them to keep eyes peeled for a one to two year old pit bull or pit mix for us. We wanted a female who was extra cuddly, and good with people and other animals. We, in no way, expected to leave with a five-month old hound dog, but that’s exactly what happened. Lola and Lucy were completely inseparable, constantly licking and chewing on each other’s faces. They played for hours on end, and would then curl up together on just one dog bed rather than be apart.

Three weeks later, we moved.  Though the move, itself, was no fun, our new home is ridiculously amazing. Every morning, I wake up and think I might be the luckiest girl in the world. I moved to paradise! My new town is friendly and gentle and full of life.  I walk to the river and watch the ducks and the kids playing in the water.  I sit in my yard and look up at beautiful old redwoods.  I listen to birds singing and squawking and watch them take flight.  I smell the air and marvel at its sweetness.  My life here feels full and beautiful. I feel gratitude in knowing that sadness does not equal unhappiness.

Less than two weeks after the move, I hopped in my car and headed to southern California to spend five days with some of my favorite people.  The days I spent helping Maggy, Pam, and Erika get ready for the Big Traveling Potluck were happy and full. I can’t imagine a better way to spend time than in the kitchen (and the barn) with these three amazing women as well as Sharon, Rod and Deb, and Chris.  On Friday night, guests arrived and The Potluck began (more on that in an upcoming post).

When I pulled up to the house on Sunday night, I was happy to see my sister-in-law and her partner had arrived with my absurdly adorable niece. In the midst of my joy, though, I noticed that Lola had lost a LOT of weight in the five or six days I was gone.  She seemed really really tired.

Wednesday morning, my sister-in-law came downstairs to tell us that Lola had died in the night.

I felt as though I’d been hit with a brick, my two dogs gone… in just six weeks time? It seemed unthinkable and unfair.

The feeling only worsened when we went upstairs and found that she had died of internal bleeding from the medication she took for her hip dysplasia.  Processing the sadness and guilt while trying to find someone to take her body, was entirely surreal.  No one could come clean our carpets, no one could come get our Lola, and the shelter didn’t open until noon.  In the end, we had to rent a steam cleaner and we had to drive 20 miles down winding roads with our poor dead dog in the back of our car. Country living is truly awesome, and sometimes pretty difficult as well.

So, now, here I am on rainy Sunday, drinking chai by the pot bellied stove. Lucy is at my side, Joshua is in San Francisco working on a film. This is my first real weekend day here in my new home. In the quiet stillness of the early morning, I feel relieved that I have finally been able to write this.  In the back of my head sits the hope that the act of writing it all down, might be the key to slowing this cycle of chaos.

Then, I remember something Anais Nin said,

“In chaos, there is fertility”.

So I sit with love, loss, change, sadness, and joy. Traveling through life, we may encounter turbulence, but the bumpy ride need not interrupt the stillness inside.

Wishing you well,

Sabrina, The Tomato Tart

My friend Irvin, of Eat The Love, sent me a text saying “I made this and it’s so you”. I tapped on the attached photo and saw luscious rosemary lemon bread. He was right, it was so me.

My feelings about citrus are well-documented and I love putting rosemary in sweet baked goods. It’s nice to have a friend who knows me so well.

So Irvin and I got to talking, and he came up with this really cool idea… What it we each made our own version of a recipe? Like if I put my spin on his Lemon Rosemary Bread and then we each did a version of a recipe that I love. Then, what if we posted those recipes on the same day? You can’t help but love this guy. He’s adorable and super smart.

So I set to work thinking about what I’d like to do with my rosemary lemon bread. We based the recipe off of this fantastic looking lemon loaf from Simply Recipes. I knew mine would be gluten-free, extra lemony, and full of fresh chopped rosemary from my backyard. I’d go for an unprocessed sweetner and oh, I’d add some buttermilk for sure.

So what happened when this little loaf came out of the oven? A delicious little cake happened, that’s what. It’s got a tender crumb, but it’s also hearty- more of a sweet quick bread than a cake.  The coconut palm sugar give a dark molassesey taste and the happy scent of lemons and rosemary fills the air.

For the flour mix, I made a full 100gm batch of all purpose gluten free flour blend. Even though the recipe only calls for 170 grams, I like having a flour blend all ready to use.  I base my blends on Shauna’s from Gluten Free Girl.  There are no gums, no funny ingredients, and it tastes fantastic.

Spending time on pinterest and on food blogs, you may get the impression that we bloggers never buy anything. We’ll DIY anything from fruit leather  to hand foraged soda pop  to homemade sous vide machines.

It’s true, the homemade bug has bitten me. I make a lot of my condiments, my granola, my horchata, and once I even attempted to rock out some donut-infused vodka. But, I also love trying new foods from the market. You won’t catch me buying Easter-hued Oreos, or the latest flavor of Doritos. Instead, you’ll find me in the “health food” aisle often slipping into the raw foods section.

I’ll admit to going through ten packages of roasted seaweed in as many days, and I’ll stalk a coconut chip like nobody’s business. So, when Sesame Gifts suggested partnering up to create a healthy snack box, I jumped.

Sesame is a super cool gifting app for your iphone, and they also have a web store too. What you get in your Sesame box is hand-selected by people like Stephanie Hua of Lick My Spoon and me! The stuff inside is amazing (of course) but half the fun is opening your Sesame box (get it? Open Sesame?) From the second it arrived, my Sesame Healthy Snacks Box was pure joy- the adorable box, the special note, and fun little tags all had me smiling from ear to ear.

Inside, were some of my favorite gluten-free and vegan snacks- many from right here in San Francisco!

• Coconut chips from Dang
• Kale chips from Pachamama
• 
Raw chocolate coconut macarons from Pachamama
• Roasted seaweed strips from Seaweed Love
• Roasted salted almonds from Nunes
• Chocolate covered Acai berries

So, one of the perks of creating a box is that I get to share the joy. You have two chances to win
1. $50 gift credit to Sesame
2. A Sesame Healthy Snacks Box
Also, all of my readers can use this code to save $5 off of a Sesame Gift!
(please note, the code only works in the iphone app, not on the web)

So, enter the giveaway for your chance to win. The contest will run until Tuesday the 5th, and the winners will be announced within 48 hours.
Good Luck and Happy Snacking!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am not above waxing poetic about my love of breakfast. At least ¼ of my instagrams feature breakfast as the subject. I wasn’t always this way. Until I was in my 20’s, I wasn’t crazy about eating the morning. When I did eat breakfast, it was almost always savory; I remember eating spinach for Saturday morning breakfasts when I was five or six. Soup was another favorite.

And then, I met Joshua. When we were first dating, I cooked a lot of breakfasts for my man. (Take that as you will). It went that way for five whole weeks, and then, I took a job in LA and said goodbye to my handsome San Francisco “fling”.  When I got to Southern California, I realized two things.

1. Angelenos LOVE breakfast. It seemed there was an “Omelette Haven” or an “Egg Hamlet” or a “Nice Yolks” on every corner.
2. I was head over heels for the guy who liked his eggs over medium, his cereal bowl overflowing, and his oatmeal served nice and hot.

Living in a hotel near work while I searched for an apartment, I ate at a lot of those egg-centric diners (ha ha). I switched from my usual scrambled to fried, just to feel nearer to my guy. Each time I dipped my toast in yolk, I thought of how Joshua eats his eggs: He carefully eats the whites, getting as close to the yolk as possible. Then, he scoops the yolk up with his fork and eats it in one bite.

I was lovesick. Eggs, oatmeal, and hash browns became a proxy for my love.  Our separation didn’t last long- within a couple of weeks we were shacked up in that inn on Sepulveda looking for an apartment together.

We moved to a little place in Venice Beach, and as soon as the moving truck arrived, I set about cooking breakfast each and every day.  That’s when my breakfast habit was formed. Now, I can’t go a day without it.

14 years later, our days of beach-side living are long-gone, and lazy weekday mornings are few and far between. The frittatas, baked eggs, breakfast tacos, and pancakes are reserved for weekends. Most days, I eat breakfast at the office, but I make sure that it’s always fulfilling.

My favorite office breakfast is plain Greek yogurt, dressed up with anything from fresh kiwis to chia and sesame seeds.  And sometimes, I whip up a batch of homemade granola just to make things extra interesting.

Of course, homemade granola isn’t just for yogurt.  I keep a mason jar on my desk and one in my car (emergency gluten free traffic snacks!).  A bowl of homemade granola with raw milk is truly a treat. I’ve added granola to salads, ice cream, and muffins and even given it as a hostess gift. Because if I can give the gift of breakfast, I’ve done a good deed for the day.

Check out these granola recipes from around the web
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Granola
A Formula for Granola
Blueberry Pistachio Granola
Autumn Granola
Maple Pecan Granola

Happy Valentine’s Day.

May it be filled with delicious food and even more delicious company.

From my heart, to yours
XO
Sabrina
The Tomato Tart

When I was about six, I worked it out in my head that if August 4th was my birthday, February 2nd must be my half birthday. While I wasn’t exactly right about that, you’ve got to love the logic behind it. Fast forward 20 years to August 28th, 1999- that was the day I met my future husband. So, by my six year old logic, February 14th is our “halfiversary” and we celebrate it accordingly.

I am one of those people that adores Valentine’s Day- not the stuffed teddy bears with “I Love You” t-shirts and not the cheesy Hallmark cards. Honestly, it’s not even the excessive amounts of chocolate we’re allowed to consume. I love Valentine’s Day because it’s one day, set aside each year, to celebrate love in all its many forms.

Sharing homemade foods is one of my favorite ways to express my love for friends, family, and my man. I feel such joy when I get to see someone I care for savoring a bite of something I’ve made for them.

Two years ago, Joshua and I celebrated Valentine’s Day with heart-themed dinner (quite literally). Last year, I surprised him with vegan strawberry cashew smoothies and champagne and roses caramel. This year, I’ve created an amazing vegan treat, a decidedly decadent one. You see, Joshua loves chocolate—when I say “love” I mean it. When he was a boy, he could sniff out the chocolate bars his dad tried to hide in a hidden jacket pocket. When we were first living together, I watched him devour most of dark chocolate mousse cake and then bounce off the walls until he nearly threw up (just like an overgrown six year old). The man loves chocolate.

This dark chocolate tart is a perfect fit for us- dark chocolate for him and a blood orange caramel for me all wrapped up in a crunchy nutty crust. This tart is also beyond simple to make. The only baking you do is 10 minutes for the tasty and simple gluten-free crust. So instead of spending your whole afternoon slaving over dessert, you can sneak in a little makeout session or paint your toenails or call your bestie or iron your sheets (or well, you get the picture). The rest is just a bit of stirring and a bit of chilling (while you chill).

The key to this tart is to use the very best ingredients you can get your hands on. I used Tcho 66% baking disks, local blood oranges, and gorgeous raw cashews and hazelnuts. If you’d prefer to use almonds or pecans, they would also be amazing. For the blood orange caramel, you might experiment with other varieties of citrus like grapefruit, lemon, or even yuzu. Go wild with this one, after all, it’s Valentine’s Day.

Love + Tarts = a Really Good Day
Happy Valentine’s Day, friends
X
Sabrina

Little did I know, when Maggy Keet of Three Many Cooks. invited me on a trip to Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery, that I would meet some of the loveliest people I know.  One of those folks was Jess Goldman Foung of Sodium Girl. Jess and I sat across from one another at my favorite Thai Restaurant, Lers Ros, but Jess wasn’t eating. You see, Jess was diagnosed with Lupus in 2004 and the disease attacked her kidneys. She was supposed to be on dialysis for the rest of her days, but with healthy lifestyle changes, Jess is living it up, to her heart (and kidney’s) content. Eating almost no sodium at all, Jess still manages to make gorgeous and tasty food.

Jess’s fantastic cookbook Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook was released today! When she asked me to participate in a sodium-free recipe rally, I was all over it. Joshua and I eat a pretty clean diet and since we don’t eat processed foods, neither of us has a huge taste for the salty stuff. That being said, I do use a variety of sea salts and natural mineral-rich salt in my cooking. It’s an easy crutch to just add a bit of salt to perk up the flavor of a dish. Was I up for the challenge? Of course, I’m up for it- I decided to push myself and makeover one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Buffalo Chicken- and not just lower sodium, I’m going for lower fat, whole food, gluten free Buffalo Chicken. Because it’s Heart Health Month, and I totally love you guys!

Oh, and speaking of love, as if tangy, spicy, healthier Buffalo Chicken wasn’t enough, you can enter for a chance to win a Vitamix 5200 Superhealthy Lifestyle Package- a value of almost $650.00   Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget belowfor a chance to win!

I hope you’ll make this heart healthier Buffalo Chicken and that you’ll be inspired to try a salt-free dish of your own. I also hope you’ll check out the other bloggers contributing including my darling friend Lisa of With Style and Grace and the lovely Laurie of Recipe Girl.

More Buffalo Chicken Recipes:

My very own Vegan Buffalo Wings (a favorite recipe ‘round here)
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Buffalo Chicken Chili
Buffalo Chicken Pizza

a Rafflecopter giveaway