Let's Move Like a Dancer

My back has been killing me lately.
Yeah, I know--lots of sitting during the week, plenty of walking in the cool evenings, but not enough attention to stretching, bending and standing up really straight. Many friends who are starting their gardens, spending hours crouching, are also complaining. Sore aching backs abound this time of the year.
It's time to think like dancers!
Here's how. Crank up the music (my favorites are jazz and salsa) and loosen up all your parts. Smile and stretch -- long and straight. Pretend you are the sleekest, snazziest performer on stage and show off your moves. (Oh yeah, this is best done when it's just you and the dog in the room. Your dog always thinks you are amazing.)
Classical music with slow smooth ballet moves is another option, if your taste runs more to the yoga style of dancing.

And then there are some days when nothing has gone as planned. Deadlines are shuffled, paperwork gets lost, the car breaks down and the universe is totally conspiring against us.
Then, a mellow walk--or even a brisk jog--is just not going to cut it.
It is either eat our weight in chocolate (or in my case corn chips) or put on the rock 'n' roll and DANCE, DANCE, DANCE.

Anyway, I think you get my drift. Summer is here, we are stiff as boards and it's gonna take some extra action to get our abs, back and shoulders back in the groove.

Which brings us to: What do dancers eat?
Welp, a little research found that they are big on liquid meals, like smoothies.
Dancers always need more fluids and smoothies are healthy, portable and quick to digest.  Works for me.
In that vein here's a tasty, super-easy smoothie recipe I adapted -- with milk for protein and plenty of sweetness without sugar.

Sweet Dancer's Smoothie 
1 frozen banana
1 cup of orange juice (fresh squeezed if possible) 
1/2 orange peeled
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt or 3/4 cup nonfat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Blend everything with ice.

Swing those hips -- and enjoy!
Joan

(Photos, from top : Martha Graham Dance Company, Amarillo College, Pirouette Dance Academy)

Tip of the Hat to Craft Beer

I know I generally focus on wine, but I've been feeling the urge to branch out. And here in wine country we are surrounded by brewpubs and breweries. So I went back to my (college) roots and asked my buddies to bring me to speed with Craft Beer, which by the way, is a great way to meet outspoken, clever people (my favorite).

Here are some beer-makers with stories that I uncovered, both in my backyard and across the country.

Jesus loves beer – and Twitter.

Monday Night Brewing in Atlanta (photo above) started as a hobby for a Bible-study group of coat-and tie-office types who used to met after work on Mondays. It went from 12 barrels a month in mid-2011 to 170 barrels a month this year, thanks mainly to Twitter. Folks on Twitter helped pick the logo and suggest names for new beers. 

The brand’s slogan “Weekends are overrated,” is backed with a label showing a man in a suit and tap handles shaped like neckties. 

How Small is Nano?

You thought micro was small, but now nano-breweries are popping up around the country. Take Old Redwood Brewing, in Windsor, CA. Four partners opened the tiny brewery and tasting room in August 2012 and within four hours they sold almost a quarter of their first-month’s production. As with most nanos. Old Redwood Brewing depends on word of mouth, Facebook banter, limited hours and small batches to draw in the curious. If they have any extra beer, they pour it at local fundraisers. 

For my big Craft Beer story about the indies battle with the big boys, you can find it here.

cheers.

Joan

 

Weekend at the Del

Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego.
I strongly recommend you visit this place, because they make a killer Manhattan in the downstairs bar. Plus they have done an impressive job in bringing the grand dame back to a new modern life -- despite the wear and tear from the sea air.
(It 's also home to the set of Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot in the fall of 1958. See more in this cool slideshow.)

Yet another reason. My mother loved it.
Cheers,
Joan

Breakfast for Dinner, Oh Joy

Okay admit it, sometimes we work night and day. Big project, big deadline. We all know the drill. That's the time when one of my all-time favorite meals comes in handy--good, ole Breakfast For Dinner. Because, after all, who says if it's the beginning or end of the day when the hours are all running together as we toil at our desks.
I got the Breakfast-For-Dinner bug in Europe, with those midnight suppers in the moonlight at the corner cafe. Way more romantic than foraging through the fridge for a few eggs because, really, who had time to go to the market?
But the BFD routine works either way -- Deadline Day or moonlight supper. For me, the meal usually means eggs and whatever veggies, onions, beans, potatoes etc. that I can scrounge up. I cook them in a little olive oil and roll 'em up in a wheat tortilla. Maybe salsa or chutney on top, if I can find it.

But what wine to drink with our eggs? Because gawd knows, we deserve a glass or two after the crazy hours we're putting in. My fave is a sparkling white or rose from a local winery. I've also heard that Barbera, a light red, works very well.
And the best part of the BFD habit is yet to come.  Put on your sweater, take the last swallow of wine and go out for a stroll under the stars before calling it a night. Loosen your knotted shoulders as you look upward. Even deadlines can't steal the stars from us.

Happy dreams,
Joan

Bringing the Farmers Market to Our Desks

So there is this new interesting idea afoot. It is a way to order food -- such as winter squash --  from local farmers and then have it delivered weekly to the place were we are working (or working out).
Farmigo is trying to bring this to Northern California  and New York City.
In the south, Silo is doing it in South Carolina.
I think it has promise--since there is less waste and transport, it seems more convenient and less costly for farmers as well as us buyers.
My local pals and I already swap fresh veggies/fruit that we grow during harvest-time when we meet for Wednesday coffee. This would open that up to our local farmers, and bring a lot more variety into the mix.
I wonder if other folks will join up. Would you? If the idea grabs your fancy, get more info at
Farmigo and at SILO. For an inside look, Farmigo also has a friendly Facebook page.

In the meantime, winter squash are great for post-holiday meals and to heat the kitchen. Here's a simple way to do 'em. It uses the fresh rosemary that grows like a weed around here.

Rosemary Roasted Squash 

1. Peel and cube one large butternut squash or 2 smaller squash.

2. Mix cubes with 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 springs of chopped fresh rosemary, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Plus a sprinkle of back pepper.

3. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes until squash is caramelized and light brown.

Enjoy with a nice Pinot Noir and Roasted Chicken or Pork.
You're welcome.
Joan

How Cold Are We?

While it's dim outside and rain is dripping all afternoon,  it's easy to get bummed out about the cold.
But this isn't really cold, not even close. I have to keep telling myself that.
Here's some pictures to remind us all of what cold really is. And to point out -- once again -- that cold is beautiful and that it is a big reason I love to go skiing. Real cold is actually amazing to someone who grew up in the dry valleys of Southern California.
So please join me: Let's enjoy these pictures, then go make some soup. And maybe have a little Port before bed.
Cheers, Joan

Locavores Are No Longer Weirdos?

It's harvest season here in Wine Country so the air smells like squished grapes.  Local garden tomatoes and squash, local bread and trees full of oranges are everywhere. But how about the rest of the year? How big of a deal is local food, really?
Turns out it is a really big deal, even after your favorite farmers markets have shut down for the winter. Fresh local food has gone mainstream year round. Yep, we locavores are no longer weirdos. (foodies can still be kinda ridiculous, what with the one-asparagus-on-a-plate for $10 thing)  Here's a bunch of stats proving how local has grown.

Like you perhaps, I fall in love with a local produce market in every town I visit--beautiful food and good prices. But the granddaddy has to be  Wegmans Markets in the East, partly because it is in places where the alternative is Walmart. Plus it snows there a lot, so forget winter gardens. Lately I learned that Wegmans even has its own research farm, now open to the public.This is a chain that is trying to teach customers raised on pizza, buffalo wings and donuts how to grill veggies and try whole gains. I've got to give them credit. Curious? Here's the deal on Wegmans.

Now, go make yourself a Harvest snack:
A slab of sourdough brushed with herb- flavored olive oil. Add a slice of newly picked tomato and basil leaves. Finish your computer work and go sit on the porch. Add wine.

Smile, sip and enjoy.