YUM

This is my new favorite snack. Randomly came across it at a Starbucks, and totally fell in love...

It is called Two Moms in the Raw Granola. This is the blueberry Gluten Free variety. It is handmade, 100% Organic, 100% Raw, Dairy free, Wheat free, Gluten free and 100% Vegan friendly.

And it really is good...I hear you groaning back there...but give it a try!

'Tis the Season?

So, we have established that I love where I live....right?

But, God Bless....there are no seasons here. It is either really hot, kinda hot or just warm. Take, for example, the weather this week. It is the last weekend in October, Halloween is just days away....all my friends in far (and not so far) flung places are thoroughly enjoying fall, and changing leaves, and anticipating snow, and curling up by the fire....and it is 90 freaking degrees here. Seriously, we set a record yesterday. I just got a cappuccino because I needed an afternoon pick me up and now I am having a hot flash.

How is a person supposed to get into the Holiday/Fall/Winter season when it is 90 degrees?? While I must admit, I would love to have snow, I would be totally happy with just having 70 degrees for the high. I live in the land of evergreens, so I will never get changing leaves...but I am okay with that (sort of). During our 2 weeks of winter every year, I do get to use my fireplace, and enjoy it thoroughly. But, come on....I would like to actually break out my sweaters and boots without looking ridiculous.

These are the times I miss CA. Not that we had much weather changes in SD, because we really didn't...but cooler weather and no humidity was nice. And having the mountains and snow within an hour was nice...and hey, can I get an AMEN on driving to Alpine or Julian for fresh pies?

The other day I was online looking at cabins for rent in Idyllwild, Ca....one of my favorite places. It is so small and quaint and rustic. I just love it there. And there is a pie shop on the main street that is to die for. And the hiking. And snow. And mountains. We actually got snowed in up there one time for 3 days when I was pregnant with Gabby... **SIGH**

Oh well, back to my coffee and daydreams of cooler weather. 

I just love this.....

I am hooked on a song. I can listen to Lover Lay Down by DMB over and over and over.  Maybe it's the sax, which is just so awesome to me....or maybe it's Dave Matthew's voice, which is equally awesome to me....but I just love this song....take a minute for yourself, go out to Grooveshark and take a listen...I bet you'll like it too~ Happy Monday all!

Pretty Dresses

I get to dress up tonight in a pretty dress and awesome gold heels and wear a mask....all for a good cause! I am going to the Daniel Guiding Hearts Gala...which is a masked ball...can't wait! Pics to follow~ In the meantime....check out Daniel.  it's a great cause helping kids in Jacksonville!

P.S.  I love playing dress up :)

The way to my heart is through my stomach

I love food. Good food. Don't get me wrong, bad food is sometimes so good too....Burker King whoppers are my weakness...especially when pregnant, hungover or deprived of carbs for any length of time. But really good food is just so sexy. Especially when paired with really good wine. Mmmmmm....food. And I love to cook...anything and everything. Difficult or easy. I just love to cook...and eat. :) I love to cook for my friends or family...any kind of big gathering (it's easier than cooking for one picky teen). Which is why I went to culinary school...except I figured out that I don't want to be a chef in a restaurant, so it's been kind of interesting.

But...tonight I am cooking. Last night I didn't cook...it was one of those days, so dinner was pulled pork from the Lakeshore Produce Market (it was lunch today too....you should try it), but tonight I am cooking. I am having several friends over for our weekly Girls Night In Dinner and to celebrate KA's birthday. So I am going to make a Lemon Chicken with Croutons (which is sooooo yummy), roasted haricort vert, a Pear & Goat Cheese salad and for desert...a flourless chocolate cake with rasberry sorbet. All of which is gluten free with the exception of the croutons, which technically could be too since I have a great GF french bread mix.

Why Gluten Free you ask? Well, one of my friends, was diagnosed with a gluten allergy several months ago, so she cut out gluten and has never looked back. After seeing what a difference it made with her, I also cut out gluten...just to give it a try, and look back longingly quite often. I am being re-allergy tested in the next few weeks, so we will see what a difference that makes in my longing. However, I can feel the difference. And, in my gluten free state...I have found several replacements, alternative choices mostly made with brown rice that I never would have considered that are OMG yummy. Like pasta...which I love or the GF Pantry Brownie Mix. Holy Smokes....those bad boys are to die for. Seriously. Like the big O good. I could eat them every day, all day....and have before. You should try them. But, as I get further into this, and figuring out more healthy food decisions, I am sure more things will be cut out or added in. So be on the lookout of my ever changing culinary adventures~

Peace out.

When I grow up....

....I want to be.....?????

When I was growing up, firmly ensconced in "The Bubble", I was asked by a teacher one day (we all were...it was a whole class thing), "What do you want to be when you grow up?" We were all to decide what we wanted to be at age 6 or so, write a few sentences about it and draw a picture. Well friends, I had aspirations, BIG aspirations. I wanted to be.....an Ortega Housewife and be in the Junior League. I am not kidding. My biggest aspiration in life was not to be a doctor or astronaut, but to be a housewife. How crazy is that?? My mom's friends still get a huge kick out of this paper to this day....and my mom has saved it for prosperity's sake.

The thing is...as I grew up and forgot said paper, I did have aspirations. I did want to be a doctor or a lawyer (everyone agrees I would be a VERY good lawyer) and at one point even a Marine Biologist. I wanted to be the Real Deal. That super successful something when I went back to my high school reunions. But as the years have passed, and I have done so many different things career wise, I have come to realize one thing. I really actually do want to be an Ortega Housewife and be in the Junior League (well maybe not in the JL, but you get the point). I do not want to work. I want to be at home with my kids (yes, I know I only have one...but I am open to more!). I know that I NEED my job, but I don't want it. It's boring. And I have the attention span of a gnat. I am tired of sitting next to completely insane people (who laugh at really odd times), doing ridiculously boring work, and missing the good stuff. Which is just QT with the kiddo. And lunch with friends, and cleaning my house, and going to yoga, and just enjoying my life!

I know the grass is always greener on the other side....and I know I get bored when I am home and poor because I am in-between contracts...but I really want to be a stay at home mom right now. Maybe one day I will be a greatly in demand personal chef and will get to work my own hours and make lots of money and be home for the good stuff. Oh, lotto, where are you?

I want.....

....New furniture....and I am really jealous that my friend's is being delivered today.

.....a new kitchen...REAAAALLLLYYY bad. Mine is very poorly designed and has no storage!

....hardwood floors....won't someone please donate them to me???

Oh, and world peace. :)