FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Meeting @JoyTheBaker!

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Last night was full of firsts.  First book signing, first time meeting Joy the Baker, first time meeting up with other members of the Austin Food Bloggers Alliance.  It was….  overwhelming, full of hiccups, but totally good.  As Joy would say, it was real life.

Julie and Jessica met me at BookPeople about an hour before the event was scheduled to begin.  We chatted it up, aware of any movement behind the curtain that could have been Joy.  Meanwhile, Megan and Steff held down a table at Contigo.  We coordinated through Twitter and concluded that it was up to me to invite Joy to dinner.  Uh oh, yikes, WTF, why me?  All thoughts that cruised through my head at an unimaginable pace.

When I approached the signing table, the only words word I could manage to squeeze out was “hi”.  Then silence.  Thankfully Joy is, self-admittedly, no stranger to awkward, and was able to get a mini dialogue going.  Mini, mini, I mean mini.  But!  I was able to use Megan as my crutch and let Joy know that we had a table at an Austin hip spot off the beaten path and that she should join.

I headed to Contigo to make sure we had enough space and Julie and Jessica stayed behind to assure Joy I wasn’t a creepster re-invite her to dinner.  Julie and Jessica arrived at Contigo, sans Joy, and we ordered food and cocktails and began to get merry.  Shortly after, Megan informed the table that Joy was on her way.  Really!?!?  Perhaps the awkwardness was more endearing than creepy…  Perhaps.

Joy plopped right down next to us as if she was meeting old friends.  And in a way she was.  After all, we knew years and years of Joy the Baker’s story.  But what we got for the next few hours was a bit of Joy Wilson’s story.  I will remember last night as the night I sat next to Joy Wilson on a picnic bench, slurping cocktails, sharing stories.  And for that memory, my friends, I am thankful!

Cutie Petutie Saturday

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When you start your Saturday morning with a breakfast this cute, more cuteness is sure to follow.  I gobbled up my favorite eggy breakfast and headed to Target for mission bike basket.  

 

I fully intended on buying a pink milk crate, but the office supply section lured me in.  The logistics of actually attaching a basket to a bike were beyond me, but I assumed bungee chord and I assumed correctly.  I filled the basket with necessary goods and hit the pavement.  I was super happy with my new bike, but I was really intimidated by all the cars.  I rode in the bike lane until I hit the Lance Armstrong Bikeway and rode that until it stopped, which was nowhere near as far as I had hoped.  I most definitely need a riding partner next time to show me the rules of the road for I am clueless!

When I got home, I chopped up some ripe cantaloupe and prepped some PB&J for lunch with Jodie.

 

We’re off to Barton Springs!  Happy Saturday!

Slumber Weekend

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Let me just start by saying that my intention for this weekend was to be productive.  I woke up on Saturday, cleaned house, stuffed my new bike in the back of the Jetta, learned how to remove/replace the front tire, and saw a missed call from Kara as I plopped my sweaty self back in the driver’s seat.  Would I like to head down the street and lay out by the pool with her and Jodie?  Uhh yeah.  Would I like a refreshing citrus cocktail?  Uh huh.  Would I like girl power tequila shots with orange slices, more citrus cocktail, TNT margaritas, and TNT tequila shots?  Why not…

Thankfully we were within super short walking distance to wherever we went, because we were ridiculous!  So ridiculous that all three of us fell fast asleep, still suited up in swimwear, in Kara’s living room before 9PM.  A mere 12 hours later, we awoke, ready for a more responsible day.  We reconvened after a couple hours, ready to get our Greenbelt on!

 

We hiked a solid 8 miles, confident that tequila was oozing out of our pores.  Can that happen??

When we got back to Kara’s, she made us an incredibly delish salad with baby greens, radishes, cucumber, carrots, cranberries, couscous, and a citrus balsamic dressing.  A how-to on that dressing will be coming shortly because there’s no doubt that I’ll be getting the recipe from her!

Kalu James

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Spending a Sunday afternoon at a private show on the lake among your closest friends?  I promise you, it doesn’t get much better.  Together we gathered in Wade’s living room to support beaming passion and beauty.  Together we gathered to support the dream of Mr. Kalu James.

As he belted lyrics like “gotta save the eruption in my soul… got my eyes set on the prize”, I wanted to want something as badly as Kalu.  And in that moment, I did.  With eyes squeezed shut, Kalu’s captivating vocals and chords made you want for his dreams too.

You can read more about Kalu’s project Some Sort of Fusion on Kickstarter.  Check it out and pass it along!