When the Moon Hits the Sky...

It is officially a full moon tonight, and to top that craziness off, I am told that Mercury is in retrograde for the next two weeks! When mercury is in retrograde, technology is supposed to be wacky, and I am having major internet troubles lately (which may or may not be due to the fact that I have resorted to stealing internet from our neighbors so I don't have to pay another bill) but nonetheless, it isn't working as well as it could be. The full moon definitely is playing a part in this, but also, it is our last week of classes, so we are way more stressed than usual. This past weekend, cosmopolitans with Acai vodka helped de-stress, as well as delicious scallops. Always a great pick-me-up. My horoscope today told me that "You need to take the time on a regular basis to take care of yourself. If you don't, you won't be able to continue to help others." In that case, lets kick this 'tude with a good movie tonight and a large cup of green tea. Antioxidants work every time.

My favorite Color is Rainbow

This past summer while babysitting an adorable four year old girl named Charlotte, I heard one of my favorite kid-quotes of all time. I asked Charlotte what her favorite color was, her reply "Well... I have two favorite colors. Rainbow and Sparkle." After that, I knew she was going to be a fun little one to hang out with! We were totally on the same page. Who doesn't love rainbow and sparkle? I made a salad the other day that had a rainbow of colors in it, which made me think of Charlotte. So many veggies made a perfect salad, and leftover veggies were rolled up in a flax and quinoa wrap the next day. Yum. Its been so sunny out the past few days that I am loving being outside. Today was beautiful, and the thunder just rolled in, which sounds incredibly powerful and gorgeous. I've missed a lot of thunderstorms in my life because I sleep pretty deeply, so on the off chance that I hear one, I love every minute of it. Rainy days and thunderstorms make me want comfort food, so I made a homemade mac&cheese for lunch today. It is the simplest recipe I could have made up: Gluten-free (and fun shaped) noodles with olive oil, cheese, baby tomatoes and a sprinkle of salt and pep. It was dreamy! Perfect for today. Off to my last writing class of my college career (we're getting free frozen yogurt today!) Ohh how I love the end of the school year! Oh, and HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Ohmmm

Entering back to Boston after a quick trip to the island is always difficult. Even visiting for such a short time puts my body back into island mode, where I go to sleep early, wake up with the sun and have a generally calmer disposition about my surroundings. One honnnnnk of a truck speeding by and I'm back in city mode. It's a beautiful thing to have a city life and an island life, and I am honored to have and appreciate both. There is something so balancing about the island. Whether its because I am in a temporary food coma due to the delicious food there, or not, it is always a serene place, rain or shine. We did a few beach walks last weekend and the sound of the waves crashing and the pebbles being drifted back into the ocean is truly magical- it sounds just like a rain stick. As one of my yoga instructors always says at the end of each class: Adhi ohm shanti shani ohm- may peace fill your world.

The Windy City Visits the Island

I'm lounging in my bed this morning after an unbelievably restful night's sleep, now listening to the birds chirping outside my window. I am indeed at home and not missing the sounds of the city at all. My roommate and amazing gal pal, Meghan is from Chicago, and this is her first trip to the island! It has been a rainy one, but still beautiful. I love the chance to show someone new about the place I know so well, it also gives me the rare opportunity to literally drive around the island and see it again, through the eyes of someone new. Our first stop on Friday night was called Backdoor Donuts, which is quite literally the back exit door of a bakery which they open and serve fresh, hot donuts out of. Meghan's first time experience would not have been complete without an apple fritter, which comes about the size your head (we split it with the two of us and my sister- I don't need Meg to have a heart attack the first day on the island). The next morning, we ventured out to the Scottish Bakehouse to devour some breakfast sando's. Egg, cheese, spinach, tomato, onions and avocado on whole wheat toast was my hefty choice for the morning. Incredible, and it lasts until dinner, so $5 for all of that is a pretty amazing deal! After romping around the island in our rain boots for the remainder of the day, the breakfast sandwich was beginning to wear off around 6:00, so we headed to the newly opened Slice of Life, so Meghan could get her much talked about fried green tomato sandwich (I'm told the basil mayo makes the sandwich) and I, the asian salmon salad, where there are veggies piled high and a fresh cut of salmon on top. Delicious! Home for my dad's freshly baked cookies, large glasses of Shiraz and a girlie movie to top off the day.

Sunday in the Park

Well hello there sunshine! Just got back to my apartment after the day in the park. The park is what the Big Dig got right so far. So beautiful, even amidst the heavy traffic on all sides. It truly is a little sanctuary in the middle of the city. Today was filled with essential park goodies: Liberte' yogurt (the Plum and Walnut genre is my personal favorite), the game of Boggle, David Sedaris' hi.lar.ious whirlwind of a book, "When You are Engulfed in Flames" and a fresh coat of lavender nail polish to top off the park-goer look. Though, with so many people walking around, the games and books are an afterthought to people watching. I've learned so much of people's personal lives today just by watching and hearing bits of conversations that I wonder who knows things like that about me?

A Very Veggie Easter

Today is Easter. It is also the first day that it truly feels like Springtime in Boston! Perhaps that is thanks to the gorgeous weather we're having, the incredible company and conversations we had, or the puppies I just got to hold in the park across the street! It is also the first day of baseball season, so one of my best and dearest friends is in "the best mood I could ever be in," so who could ask for more? For Easter I made lightly roasted asparagus piled high with freshly ripened cantaloupe and creamy mozzarella (one of my favorite combinations of food). Also included in the meal were roasted tomatoes, a huge Waldorf salad and spinach pasta with homemade spicy tomato sauce. A delicious feast topped off with cold bubbly champagne- Delicious! To please all of the guests, I made a vegan/gluten-free carrot cake. Almond meal in replace of flour is incredible and tofu cream cheese for the coveted cream cheese frosting tasted surprisingly just like real thing! Loads of strawberries layered atop my creation; The verdict- it was a winner! Going to basque in my veggie/ sun-kissed/ puppy love coma until my second wind comes to finish the leftovers!