San Diego Back Country....

One of my favorite things to do in San Diego County is to head out to Julian for the day. I actually prefer to get a cozy hotel room, rent a cabin or camp overnight, but the day drive out is fun too. Yesterday was a dreary (and lovely!) fall day and Julian seemed like the place to go. Sometimes all the freeways, traffic and people in San Diego get to me....and I just want to be where there are open spaces and old world charm. Julian and the drive there has it all. They also have some cute little wineries, restaurants, and tons of apple orchards. It is actually apple harvest right now so most people go and pick some apples. We have some many apples from our CSA and my cousin Rosemary's house that we thought it would be a waste.

First we stopped in Santa Ysabel which is on the way. We went to this really odd little "treasure shop" with lots of faux indian goods...mostly made in Pakistan? It was VERY odd.....

 I actually really wanted this basket but couldn't buy it once I realized it was made in Pakistan? Seemed to odd?

 Hsss.....

So, we ventured out to Hawk Watch (which is actually outside of Julian). It was a bit of a long drive, but the wine was very nice and the owners were so friendly. The winery was very pretty too...lots of over sized pots of flowers, big white wooden chairs everywhere, and two fat cats watching over the whole thing. I definitely recommend checking it out.

Next up, we went to the oddest fruit stand I have ever encountered. There were three random people sitting in chairs on the side of the road selling all of these random squashes, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, etc. I wanted to take a picture, but was worried they might get a riffle and shoot me. The roads in this part of the county are definitely....rustic? I bought some lemon cucumbers and a little edible pumpkin.

We then ventured to a biker bar called The Hideout, which is right by the lake we camped at earlier in the year. There were plenty of bikers when we arrived, but they all dissipated as we were there. There were also a handful of rat rods like Aaron's car, but he wouldn't let me take pictures..I guess that is against biker bar policy. As the bikers thinned out, I took some shots and even did some yoga on stage!!!!! Aaron was SO embarrassed. I guess I am not all that tough....at least I like Budweiser!

Then we headed up to Wynola, which is another little town on the way to Julian (we never actually made it to Julian proper...but that is the fun of it, just poking around and finding what you find). We tasted some cider and liked it so much we bought some with some appetizers we had, and we took a couple of bottles home. I think Aaron was over me taking pictures at this point! 

All in all, a great fall day in one of my favorite places.

I am LOVING fall. It's been cold and rainy and I just love it. I have a newfound love for squash, pumpkin, sweaters, blankets, cuddling, cider, and baking. I am also loving going to hot yoga...it's pretty easy to get in that hot room when it's cold and rainy outside.  I have some new recipes to share...coming soon.

Lindseeeeeeeeeee

One more post before this old lady falls asleep on her computer. Speaking of old... I am turning 31 on April 3rd. I guess I will need to update the "about me" portion of the blog. Meh. I was thinking about it today and as a gift to myself for my birthday, I am going to promise myself to do yoga everyday, at least once a day, between now and my birthday. Even if I can't make it to the studio, I can find a podcast or video, or show on cable, or just jump on my mat, and do some yoga. I must make time for my yoga practice....it leaves me feeling rested, calm, happy, and ready to cope with my crazy life!

Back to one of my most favorite people in the world... Lindsey. My sister is rad. She is hot, funny (sometimes a little too funny...ahem), smart, driven, sarcastic, and totally individual. You will never meet anyone else like her.....see...............this is at a dive bar in Ramona. Lindsey doesn't really "do" East County San Diego. We stopped for a beer on the way up to Julian. Julian is a little mining town East of SD. I love it. There are little hotels, restaurants, wineries, camping, etc. I really love it! Lindsey on the other hand....

We both went to SDSU. She was a freshman when I was a senior. We were both in Alpha Phi there, lived in a house together, and shared many of the same friends. It was a great year! While I have stayed in SD, Lindsey has gone to Chicago for grad school and is now living in San Francisco. But I think she still has a place in her heart for San Diego and comes to visit from time to time. I don't always get 100% of her attention...the girl has TONS of friends in SD that all want to see her when she is here.  It's no wonder...she is fabulous!

Among the many outings we had, we spent Valentine's Day together with Aaron and Peroni. So we went up to Julian with plans to go to a few wineries but it was packed (it was Valentine's Day) and Lindsey was really tired from clubbing downtown with her friends. Dude...one more reason I feel old. I don't remember the last time I went clubbing? It sounds so unappealing and expensive. I would much rather eat at a nice restaurant.

We did go to one winery which is very nice, J Jenkins. I have had some really fun times at this spot...the wine here is very nice, the owners are lovely, the view is great, and I have had many smiles here. Here are some pretty pictures of the winery, Lindsey, Aaron and Peroni. We also had sandwiches from a bakery and deli named Dudley's. I had an awesome veggie sandwich. Yum. I tried to take some pictures but they did not come out.

After we had wine we went into the little town of Julian and the wineries were just too packed. We ended up at this restaurant and sat outside sharing a slice of Julian's famous apple pie and hot coffee drinks.

Then we started driving home and Lindsey and Aaron (and Peroni for that matter) all promptly fell asleep. :) As soon as we got home...they all continued napping while I put together an amazing Valentine's dinner to share with my two favorite people. Aaron and I made special homemade presents for each other which we traded in the morning. I made Aaron homemade cookies and cards and decorations. He beaded me a necklace and bracelet...what a guy!!!! Valentine's dinner out is always so chaotic and expensive so I thought it would be much more fun to make a yummy, healthy dinner at home. And we are trying to save money, so homemade presents made sense.

Dinner included Chinese inspired cuisine: 

Steamed Silken Tofu with Soy Sauce and Sauteed Spinach

Stir Fried Asparagus and Tomatoes

Fried eggs with oyster sauce and green onions

Cabbage salad with carrots, green onions

Steamed rice with a cool packet of little beans and lentils from an Asian grocery store

I got all the ideas from Kylie Kwong's Book, Simple Chinese Cooking. She lives in Australia and makes amazing, fresh, and healthy Chinese food. 

This tofu dish was particularly amazing. The tofu steamed was so creamy and amazing tasting! I highly recommend this book. I think Kylie has a few.

We had a great time with Lindsey and I was so happy to spend a ton of time with her! She loved my healthy cooking, too. 

Now to leave you with my cooking pest  friend, Peroni:

He helped me make some really good things last week, including these pretty VEGAN grilled cheese and great lentil soup with kale. This dinner was incredibly good, so low in fat, and completely vegan. The cheese is made from soy and is from Trader Joes. It melts gorgeously! 

Good night blog friends... I have another hectic day tomorrow!