Another gorgeous sunny Southern California day. It’s days like this you wish you could spend some time outside in the fresh air instead of inside staring at your computer . . . It’s Friday, though, so methinks I will indulge in some of my absolute faves to start the weekend just a tad bit early.

1) Khiel’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve

This stuff is AMAZING!!! I have tried everything for my embarrassingly ragged cuticles and sandpaper hands, but this works like a miracle. Seriously. The first time I tried this, I couldn’t believe how soft my hands were–not greasy at all. The unsightly “cracks” and dry skin instantly vanished. And my hands stayed that way for hours!!! If you have dry, cracked hands like me, save yourself from further unnecessary suffering and buy this!!

2) Tazo® Shaken Iced Green Tea (sweetened) from Starbuck’s

I first tried this on our way back from our annual Polar Express trip (which I also highly recommend if you have young train enthusiasts!!!). I wanted something different from my usual Green Tea Latte (yes, I have a thing for green tea) and this sounded refreshing. WOW! I guzzled that Venti-sized tea like it was going out of style! Really, really crisp and refreshing. Slightly sweet (which is how I prefer to imbibe my teas). Yummy!! Okay, now I need to go get one.

ETA: I went to the Starbuck’s and they said they didn’t have it. WHA?!?! So I high-tailed it to the other coffee/tea place and picked up their Naja Iced Green Mystique Tea. OH. MY. WORD. Love you, Tazo, but I do believe there’s a new iced green tea in town. Their teas are full-leaf and come in these AMAZING flavor combinations. There’s even a chocolate tea that I have yet to try. Seriously, check them out. I hope they will  be selling the Green Mystique online soon. I WANT MORE!! :)

3) Brandi Carlile

I am so bummed that I was such a slacker and didn’t buy tix for her concert at the House of Blues tonight!!! You wanna know why? Because Brandi is such a TALENTED singer who is UNBELIEVABLE live–that’s why! I heard her first on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic”. They played “My Song” which immediately caught my attention. This girl can ROCK! How to describe…….I would say folk with a bit of country and a nice dousing of soulful rock is a fairly good description of her album “The Story” (this gets daily play time on my iPod). Such a nice break from alot of the mainstream junk that gets so much air time.

4) One World Vegetarian Cuisine

This is so gonna be dinner tonight. I’m a wannabe vegetarian. I do indulge in some meat now and then–like maybe once a week or less–but even then, in small quantities. Whether you’re veg, wannabe veg, or carnivore, this place will leave you wanting to come back for more. I even took my ueber-skeptical, meat-and-potatoes-loving hubby for their “Grilled Teriyaki Kebabs” and he was really surprised by how delicious everything was! And super affordable. I went back for the “Zesty Serendipity” (orange flavored chick-un) and, again, I was blown away. How could this not be meat?!?! And to top it all off, you’re not left waiting for a half-hour while your food cooks. Service is friendly, fast, and great. I am so excited that this is so conveniently located to us. And I can’t wait for dinner tonight!! :)

One World Vegetarian Cuisine
178 S. Glendora Ave., West Covina, CA 91790
Phone: 626-917-2727
Hours: Monday through Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

That’s all for this week. Got a Father / Son session scheduled for Sunday, so stay tuned and have a wonderful weekend! :)

~Rachelle

Happy Friday! Gosh, it’s been a while since I’ve shared with you all–we’re still unpacking and trying to get settled in the new house. Let me say that as much as the old one gave us plenty of room to roam, we are quickly falling in love with our new home sweet home. I’ve even started cooking again–a luxury that I haven’t indulged in for quite some time because the commute after work left me completely useless. I’ve gained a whole hour, now, and I am not letting it go to waste. Even though nearly 70% of my old pantry contents are still in boxes waiting for a home, I salvaged those everyday, must-have ingredients and have been making mini-trips to the store for fresh produce. Oh, and how I love our local farmer’s market! I actually look forward to getting up early on Saturday mornings to take in the wonderful Chinese greens, gorgeous red beets, heirloom carrots, and fresh flowers and plants.

Two Saturdays ago, I brought home some lovely young asparagus spears from the farmer’s market. I had in mind a gorgeous and simple soup from one of my favorite cookbooks Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson, who, incidentally, has an amazingly beautiful blog called 101cookbooks filled with lovely and mouth-watering photos and recipes. As I started my mise en place, I noticed a lonely lemon sitting on the kitchen counter. I had every intention of using it before the week was up. Hmm…. Lemons and asparagus would be nice and bright. I’ve got some pearly barley stashed somewhere. Oh, and leftover creminis from yesterday’s pizza night. A simple soup, yes. And off I went to my friend Google.

I searched for “lemon asparagus barley soup” and that’s exactly what I got! Served with some fresh french bread–oh, my word was this good!! My sister and hubby gave it the thumbs up. SO good. I substituted reduced-sodium chicken broth for the water and Veggie-Stock Gold, added the mushrooms, and voila!! So, here it is. My first Friday Favorite. Bon Appetit!!

Lemon Asparagus Barley Soup (recipe and text courtesy of The Spice House.com)

A satisfying variation on the Greek lemon chicken soup “Avgolemono”. It’s an easy vegetarian dish. The sunny colors will remind you of spring – just when young asparagus begins to come to market. Try it with blanched sugar snap peas or tiny broccoli florets, as well, but don’t add the vegetables far in advance because the acidic lemon juice will turn the vibrant green to a less appealing color. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 1/4 -1/3 pound tender, thin asparagus, trimmed and cleaned
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups onion, minced
• 1 1/2 ounces Veggie-Stock Gold
• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups barley, cooked
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• to taste, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves / Yields

Serves 4

Preparation Instructions

Steam or boil asparagus until crisp-tender. Drain, shock in cold water to stop cooking, blot dry on paper towels, and chop into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until wilted (4-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Stir in diluted Veggie-Stock Gold® and barley, and bring mixture to a boil.

Beat eggs and lemon juice together in a bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk about 1 1 /2 cups of hot stock into the egg-lemon mixture, beating constantly. Stir warmed egg mixture into the soup.

Return asparagus to soup. Season with pepper and add salt, if desired. Heat gently but do not let liquid boil. Serve at once.