Roadtripping on the Coast of Cali - Post 1

While there are those who cherish raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, I hold recycling on street corners and composting in restaurants in special favor.  As I become more and more steeped in food reform as a result of my current line of work, I am feeling captivated and intensely concerned about food waste and sustainability.  The whole recycling bit goes way back...since I was very young, if green bins were nowhere to be found, I would haul stacks of paper with me until I found an appropriate home for them. Unsurprisingly, I thought Al Gore was THE man.  More recently, on a trip to India, I was struck by a simple act of recycling - while visiting my mother's village, when I couldn't find the "dustbin" after lunch, I handed my plate to the servant and watched as he tossed the chicken bones and inedible stems of spices in the backyard.  Of course!  Was I ever a fool.  There was no sophisticated system of garbage disposal there.  Return what comes from the land to the land.  If you choose to bring in products wrapped in the likes of plastic from the city, then take it with you on your way out or risk "soiling" the pristine land - this observation made my own footprint so easy to understand.

A Salad for All Seasons

When you step away from your phone and come back to ten group text messages on the topic of making quinoa...you know you are in good company.  I am very proud of my friend, Saaam, who is making a conscious effort to revolutionize her diet and eat for good health.  To encourage her new "foodstyle", we are keeping a food diary via text message to inspire each other - and, let's get real - keep each other in check.  Accountability works wonders for motivation.  My sis and I did this food diary thing awhile ago and it was really useful.  Share what you're eating, inspire your friends to try something new and celebrate small successes - I'm sure there's an app for that :)

From Corporate Carol to Non-Profit Neema

Sorry I have been MIA for awhile, friends.  I got caught up...becoming "gainfully employed" (to quote Someera) - woohoo!!!  And I've decided this momentous occasion is my cue to finally talk about the elephant in the room (thank you, Modern Family, for providing the visual - you never fail me).

Now this is a story all about how

My life got flipped turned upside down

And I'd like to take a minute just sit right there

I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air my new career came to bear

Seeing the World, One Food Market at a Time

If you ever doubt that romance is alive, just read and re-read this kind, thoughtful, creative & innocent request posted on goodfoodjobs.com.  This man is keenly aware that he eats to live while his girlfriend lives to eat, acknowledges their differences and then figures out how he can still make her happy.  Just so sweet.

It inspired me to share some pictures from the fantastic food markets I've visited: Borough Market in London with hubz and Meera (easily our favorite venue on the whole trip); Old Port Farmers Market in Quebec City where hubby and I celebrated our 2 year anno; and, Jean-Talon Market in Montreal.  It was also a gentle reminder of how lucky I am for the many kindred spirits in my life.  And in case you are wondering - in the spirit of paying it forward - of course I am applying for the position of "foodie friend" - in fact I'm using this blog post as my submission!

The Incredible Husk

Sign #1

(you know how much I LOVE plays on words)

Best. Commercial. Ever.

I was quite unsure of whether to go down this path on my blog but then I got a few signs which all echoed a resounding YES! DO IT!  I mean, what the heck, this blog is mostly about food and friendship, and digestion is an important, relevant topic to both.

New Year's Resolution: More Washing & Drying

a tribute to this blog's namesake - cilantro

In accordance with my mega-organized personality, one of my resolutions for the new year is to get our greens in shape for use as soon as they arrive at Reddy Kitchen.  I know this may sound downright silly, but we would make so many more smoothies and add so many more herbs to dishes if we could just grab them from the fridge, give 'em a quick chop and not have to worry about washing them each and every time.

Peering in to the Crystal Ball

I know I am posting this diy gift idea just as the holiday season is coming to a close (had to make sure gift recipients didn't catch wind of this surprise via the web!), but if you plan ahead like me, you'll want to keep this idea in your back pocket when the 2013 wedding season begins.

Giving Tuesdays

First there was Black Friday, then along came Cyber Monday, and this year I learned about a new concept - Giving Tuesday - my favorite one yet.  While these terms apply to the days following Thanksgiving, I chalk up the fact that Christmas fell on a Tuesday this year to more than coincidence.  (Also, for the past several years, I have been volunteering on Tuesday evenings...the stars are aligning, I tell ya!)

Kids Say...

If we ever meet in person, you will surely hear about my three nieces within the first five minutes of our conversation.  In all likelihood, I will recount something really cute they said or did based on the daily newsfeed I get from my sister.  I just adore how genuinely they say "the darndest things."  And this little girl reminded me so much of them.  I don't know how it is that I never came across this video before, but it has got me and hubby laughing over and over again...what a cutie pie!

It's Holiday Card Season!

Michael's is stocked with Christmas kitsch and my beloved Costco is advertising holiday photo cards.  This means it's safe to post about a DIY greeting card idea without being that jack...o' lantern who preemptively talks about the holiday season!

No Hay Wi-Fi!?

Punta Arenas, Chile

I just don't get it.  When I was practically at the end of the earth, a stone's throw away from Antarctica, I was able to connect to free wi-fi and even FaceTime with my family from the airport.  On the other hand, when I'm traveling in the US, a lot of major airports only offer the kind of wi-fi that you have to pay for.  That's not the kind of wi-fi I like.

I was at a restaurant in NYC last night and the password to their wi-fi account was listed on the menu.  This really kind of struck me and I found myself wondering why Internet access is made so easy in places where we should engage in socializing i.e. restaurants and why there are barriers in places where we are often "flying solo" (ahah pun intended!).  I'm a social butterfly and have been known to make a friend or two at the airport, but more often than not, I'm doing my own thing when I'm there.  As I patiently wait in the boarding area (aka find a spot next to the gate entrance where I can hover and prepare to shove people out of the way so I don't get stuck checking my rollerboard!), I feel compelled to seem like I'm doing something important rather than just staring off into space.  I'm always wishing that I didn't have to ruin my already poor eyesight by squinting at my 4G-enabled phone while my shiny laptop tells me that Safari can not display the page.

On a slight tangent, I absolutely think American society, as friendly and outgoing as we are, has lost sight of the value of socializing in person for the benefit of our health and intellectual wellness.  I plead guilty.  Since reality says we are reliant on digital communication though, I do hope that airports and other places in America catch the complimentary wi-fi bug that has already reached the ends of the earth, but I also hope we can do a better job of knowing the time and place to use it.

Read this blog post my sis recently wrote called "Right There, but Unavailable".

The United States of Dreamers & Realists

For some reason, going for a run always reminds me of how lucky I am to have a supportive husband who wants me to be happy and nudges me to follow my dreams.  Maybe it's because I feel free and strong.

I meant to post this quote from Modern Family on Facebook on our wedding anniversary last month, but that day came and went.  So I'm going for the better late than never thing here.  I feel like this quote is especially fitting for us because my husband clearly has a man crush on Phil and I share many personality traits (and a haircut) with Claire.

Two peas in a pod.  (Before meeting me, my husband never flossed!  Good thing I gave that dreamer a reality check about oral hygiene.)

Stop Dilly Dallying, Start Doing

I've spent a year and a half, maybe even two years, worrying about getting my blog just right.  Spent countless hours thinking, writing, perfecting...and rarely publishing.  And then I came home this weekend and in two hours, my sister came up with a vision for her blog, designed it, produced it and started writing on it, fearlessly.  I think this proves that she is superior to me in all walks of life, but that's ok because I'm still my parents' favorite ;-) Anyway, the point is that I am lucky that the two people I spend the most time with in life, my sister and husband, are big time do-ers and non-worriers, people I can learn a lot from.  The way it goes is that they give me advice, I don't listen, and then later I change my mind and decide they were right.

So it took me awhile to get here.  My MO has always been thorough, thoughtful, methodical.  But I'm here now. And I have a lot to share about some of the things I love the most.  And I want to challenge myself to learn how to think in a different way.  Unstructured, spontaneous, roll with the punches.

I wasn't blessed with great mechanical skills, but I have a really sharp memory and I'm going to use it to give you all sorts of travel advice from all the places I have been lucky enough to visit.  I'm going to blah blah yada yada about healthy foods and sound like an extremist talking about how we have banned cereal and ketchup from our kitchen, but I really just want to be educated about food, enjoy the good stuff often and the not-so-good stuff sparingly, and gush about how happy food makes me and the togetherness it creates with my foodie friends and fam who are so awesome - not only because they love food - but because they are good, down-to-earth people at the core.  And one more thing, I am all about learning and sharing, so lots of that too.

Thanks for standing behind me sis, hubz and future readers :)