OMGEE I MISS YOU GUYS

I finally have wifi for one quick minute and I wanted to say hello! and I miss you! and I'll be back to regular programming early next week….

In lieu of a real post, allow me to offer you a short list of things I've eaten/imbibed thus far on my travels in Seattle + NYC:

1 1/2 doz oysters (YAYS!)

1 rare burger on a gluten-free bun (YUM)

1 Gogol cocktail (horseradish vodka + pickled quail egg -- I mean, how could I not??)

1/2 container of mixed schawarma purchased on the street at 2am last night (perhaps I shouldn't have)



Photo by Thomas Hannnich via Celia

my *new* new year's resolution (spoiler alert: IT INVOLVES TACOS)

my new year's resolutions are bumming me out.

i do this to myself every year. tell myself i'm going to write every morning, then spiral into depression and anger when i don't write (or don't like what i'm writing) and drink whiskey while watching the bachelor and playing fucking letterpress for four hours in a row just to punish myself.



anyhoo.

here's my new resolution.

EAT TACOS.

try a new taco place once a week, or once a month, or whenever i fucking feel like it.


just. eat. tacos.


the photo is my own, from Tacodeli in Austin, which, HOLY SHIT.

i now plan to eat my way through the 10 Essential LA Tacos. if the rest of the recommends are anywhere near as good as Guisados....

What should we do in Victoria, BC?

(Friendly Victoria Seals by Fishy979)

Hi ESB,

My husband and I used your Portland trip guide (that Joanna wrote) when we went for a weekend in November. It was fabulous. Broder was amazing and we were lucky to get a table in the first batch when it opened on Sunday morning.

Anyway, we are planning to go to Victoria, BC over president's day weekend and were wondering if any locals in might be able to write a post. Obviously it is unlikely that you could post this next week for us since you will be *ahem* snorkeling. But I'm sure lots of Seattle readers (and Vancouver and everywhere else) would be interested!

On a completely different note: Would you consider a boobs-week post about pregnancy and already big(ger) boobs? I'm totally lost. When should I buy a new bra? I'm putting it off because I'll probably go up another couple sizes but I don't know.

Thanks!

*****

When I put the call out on Twitter, Rachel, a library enthusiast/government lackey/west coast adventurer, was the first and only Victorian (Victoriite?) who offered to write a guest post. Let's consider ourselves lucky that she appreciates the finer things, such as coffee coffee coffee and LOCALLY MADE GIN.

Here's Rachel:

Oh Victoria I love thee, let me count the ways. My husband, Dallas, and I moved to Victoria in August 2010 after living in Alberta for many years. I’m originally from the coast and have always wanted to move back to be closer to friends, family, and milder winters. It was easy enough to convince Dallas that Victoria was the place to be given the proximity to his true love (after me, of course) – surfing.

To be honest I didn’t really know that much about the city before moving here, but I am a quick study and have fallen in love with everything Victoria has to offer. There is an vast array of incredible restaurants, cafes, and shops – it’s no wonder that a friend of mine has referred to Victoria as the velvet ditch – once people get here they realize how sweet it is and stay put.

A word on Victoria – if you are a visitor it is most likely that you are staying downtown and/or near the Inner Harbour. If that is the case you should be able to walk to 80% of what is on this list. For the rest, a short cab ride may be in order. There is one exception to the rule, and it’s worth sorting out transport to do – The Butchart Gardens. I was a doubter for the first year of living here…I mean, it’s just a garden, right – for tourists and the elderly? However, it is pretty spectacular in every season.

(Butchart Gardens, Winter)

Coffee:
Try Habit, The Parsonage Café (home to Fernwood Coffee), Discovery, and Street Level Espresso. For tea drinkers out there, do not miss Silk Road Tea on the edge of Chinatown.

Bakeries:
Victoria does not disappoint in this category. Visit Cascadia, Bubby Roses, or Wildfire. For the Gluten-Free people in your life, Origin is a gem – a bit off the beaten path, but so worth it.

Local tip #1: To combine the above, walk across the Johnson Street Bridge (or if you’re visiting from March through October catch a harbour ferry) to Dockside Green and gorge yourself on treats from my favourite bakery, Fol Epi, and a cappuccino at Fantastico next door.

Breakfast:
Mo:Le, The Blue Fox, and Shine Cafe. A new addition, Hudson Jones is also a sure thing – Maple Bacon Sticky Bun, need I say more.

Local tip #2: if you want to avoid waiting in a long line for brunch on the weekend, check out The Superior – a creative menu, and live music as well. They also do dinner and drinks properly too!

Lunch: Hernande’z for the tacos, Foo for Asian street food, and Pig for BBQ. Red Fish, Blue Fish has, hands down, the best fish and chips in the city.

(Red Fish Blue Fish by Karlie85)

Local tip #3: if you are in Victoria from Monday to Friday, lunch at Relish or Devour are amazeballs – some of the best food Victoria has to offer at these 2 spots.
Drinks:

Victoria has a surprising number of beer producers for its size. Get acquainted with pints from Driftwood, Phillips, Hoyne, Lighthouse or Van Island. I like the view at the Flying Otter or Spinnakers and the low key nature of Garrick’s Head.

For cocktails, sit at the bar at Veneto, Clive’s or the Bengal Lounge at the Empress Hotel. My favourite spot for wine is Stage, where the food is also incredible.

Dinner:

If you’re looking for casual, Ferris’ Grill has the best falafel and the chicken penne soup that you will not regret trying (it may sound weird, but just trust me). Rebar is where vegetarians and those who love them gather. [Editor's Note: I ♥ REBAR.] If you want to be charmed beyond belief, visit Skinnytato, a mom-and-pop Polish place. Pizzeria Prima Strada serves the BEST pizza, Neapolitan-style (certified by the VPN).

(Ferris' Grill)

Local tip #4: if you’re at the Cook Street Prima Strada, you will most likely wait for a table as they don’t take reservations. But hey, it’s ok – head across the street to the Beagle Pub to continue your quest to try all the local micro brews. Your cell will ring when your table is ready!

Ulla is a sure thing for a special occasion dinner – beautiful food, drinks, staff, space. I’m also looking forward to my upcoming birthday dinner at Zambri’s, which I’ve been wanting to try since we moved here.

Believe it or not, there is more to do in Victoria than eat. Victoria is also a great place to shop – find something for yourself at Susaion, Still Life, Lark & Sparrow or my personal favourite, Smoking Lily.

Browse for books at Munro’s, jewelry at Violette, buy ESB some of her favourite deodorant at Emporia. New to Yates St is Nest & Cradle – worth checking out for you and your home. Because you’re already at the Atrium building to drink coffee at Habit, stop in at Cook Culture for your kitchen.

Now that you’ve eaten and shopped yourself silly, a long walk is in order. Victoria is notorious for views of its picturesque inner harbour, which you can walk along from downtown all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf where you will see a floating community and feed fish to friendly seals, if that’s your thing (come on…I know it is). Another great walk is found at Ogden Point, where the Breakwater stretches nearly a kilometre into the sea, and then along Dallas Road, where you look out across the strait to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

(Fisherman's Wharf by Hummingbird604)

As I mentioned earlier, a visit to The Butchart Gardens is worth it, even if gardens aren’t really your thing (*raises hand*). Before heading to the Gardens, stop at Hilary’s or Choux Choux for a picnic to take with you. If you are driving out that way, why not visit Sea Cider and then Victoria Spirits – two local producers who are making exceptional hard cider and gin that will make you weep.

p.s. Because I gather you are preggers, you should also stop at Hip Baby on lower Johnson, and check out the clothing for littles at Smoking Lily/Milkman's Daughter.

Also: If anyone wants to answer the bra question, feel free to dive in.

What should I do in Portland??

Dear ESB,

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a bride or engaged or anything (I do have an amazing jazz musician for a boyfriend...does that help?) but I'm thinking of taking a solo trip to Portland, first weekend in November, to be by myself/get some writing done/SEE THE WORLD!

On the OFF CHANCE that you have some time to spare (plus I know you love Portland and I know you take care of your girls, so)--any idea where I should go? What I should do? Incredible coffee shops to write in? Places to walk? Will the weather be icky?

*****

I rly didn't think I'd manage to get this one up.... But lo and behold: when I tweeted "Anyone want to write a What To Do In Portland guest post?" it took Joanna Bean Martin exactly 3 seconds to volunteer.

Remember Joanna?? She is only ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE EAST SIDE BRIDES. It will take me some time for me to get over the fact that she left Los Angeles, but whatever.

Joanna and her husband Ike headquarter Afterall, their production company/design agency, inside Lucas, a salon and arts space in Downtown Portland. So I guess if you're Gretchen Jones, you could, say, get a bang trim while they work with you on the redesign for your site.

Anyhoo. Here's Joanna's advice for what to do/see/imbibe in Portland:

I've had a love affair with Portland for a while. So much so, that I got married there two years ago and finally made the move with my husband Ike and one-year old son Julian from L.A. last spring. Since then, we've headquartered and made ourselves at home in Northeast Portland.

If you were my guest and we only had 48 hours, this is what we’d do: drink, eat, shop, repeat. Day 1 is jam-packed. Day 2 is a little -- just a little -- more relaxed.

Day 1:
Pre-breakfast coffee at Woodlawn Coffee & Pastry. The pastries are worth the trip. This coffee shop is in one of the newly revitalized pockets of Portland and even though it's busy there’s always a seat here. (If you’re not feeling Gluten, Tula just opened and I hear it’s divine.)

Head to N Mississippi and put an order in at The Big Egg food cart, which is usually about a 45 min wait on the weekend. I recommend the Breakfast Wrap. Disclaimer: I am neither a breakfast burrito lover nor a wrap person, but this is the BEST egg-bacon-potato combo I’ve ever eaten.

Local Tip #1: say you want it how Dori likes it. She’s friend and regular at The Big Egg.

While you wait for your wrap, walk south to The Mississippi shopping district.
The Meadow: specialty salt and chocolate shop
Sunlan: the coolest light bulb store you've ever seen
Paxton Gate: oddities, curiosities and what nots
Pastaworks: fancy Italian market (delicious sandwiches)

Local Tip #2: Eat your wrap while sitting on a bench overlooking the river at Mocks Crest Park (a hidden empty lot that was recently declared a city park overlooking the Willamette River (will-AM-et not will-AMET) with views of downtown and the West Hills.

Next, head west over the river and choose your own adventure: Downtown/Pearl District or NW 23rd north of Burnside. Either area is good for walking/shopping...
Good classic vintage: Magpie, Avalon, Ray’s Ragtime
For your tax-free Isabel Marant and Rachel Comey fix: Odessa, Francis May
For your home: Alder & Co, Woonwinkel, Pendleton Home Store
Portland’s version of Pearl River Mart: Cargo
For your man: Lizard Lounge, The Woodlands, Dunderdon, Blackbird
For reading a book outside: Jamison Square, Classical Chinese Garden
Get lost inside for awhile: Museum of Contemporary Craft, Powell's [Editor's note: I would just like to point out that this book store has a SOLID five stars on yelp, with 1072 reviews. Also, H is a big fan of Powell's technical bookstore.]
For wishing you had more money: Drive around the West Hills and into Washington Park (beautiful houses surround the park, beautiful views from the park)

Pick up an afternoon coffee at the Stumptown at the Ace or Barista in the Pearl or a quick cocktail at Clyde Commons (Rec: Part and Parcel on the rocks) or Kask (High Desert Swizzle: mezcal and crushed ice). Ok, I like tequila.

Head up Highway 30 W towards Scappoose and follow signs for The St Johns Bridge. It wouldn’t be a complete Portland experience without visiting this bridge and Cathedral Park below it.  While in St Johns, get a Halibut Sandwich from Burgerville (our very own local/sustainable fast food chain).

Day 2: I’ve saved my faves for Day 2. This itinerary is East Side heavy because it’s the side of the river I live on, and frankly, if you’re reading ESB, it probably means it’s the side of the river you’d live on too. [Editor's Note: Yessssssssssssssssssssssssss.]

Read: YOU HAVE TO HAVE BREAKFAST AT BRODER. If nothing else on this list, do that.
Get lost in a vintage warehouse: House of Vintage
Favorite curated vintage shops: Palace, Rad Summer, Half Pint
Best place to go broke: Una
Buy something that makes you feel intelligent: Stand Up Comedy
Best place to buy crystal jewels: Sword & Fern
Nice gifts: Nationale
Local gifts: Local Goods
Get an afternoon coffee and hang out with some cool looking people: Heart
Portland loves sandwiches: Bunk, Meat Cheese Bread, Laurelhurst Market

Local Tip #3: The line at Voo Doo Donuts is never ending and moves insanely slow. If you’re a donut person, definitely get the Maple Bacon, but if you’re not, like me, go across the street and get a drink at Valentine's.

--------------------------------------------------------
Night Time:
Local Tip #4: Happy Hour Menus abound in Portland. It’s the best way to get the most bang for your buck at the best restaurants in town.

Favorite Happy Hours: Tasty N Sons, Sapphire Hotel, Clyde Common, Produce Row, Central
If you’re still hungry: Olympic Provisions (NW location), Gruner, Navarre, Luce, Grain & Gristle

For a lively bar scene: Dig A Pony, Bye and Bye, Bunk Bar, Yes and No, Rontoms

For some local lore: Hubers, Driftwood, Jake’s, Dan & Louis
Because it wouldn’t be Portland, without mentioning a strip club: Magic Garden is kinda awesome, Mary’s is a classic, Sassy’s is debauchery.

Local Tip #5: Portland is a great city to see live music. It’s a town full of musicians and music lovers, therefor it’s also a town full of lots of great venues. Some of my favorite are: Roseland, Doug Fir, East End, Someday Lounge, Wonder Ballroom

There is a lot missing from this list, but I think it will give you a good taste of why Portland is awesome, and lead you to places to do some discovering on your own.

Our lady Joanna has chosen to ignore your "Will the weather be icky?" question so I'll go ahead and answer it for her: Yes.

See helpful hints here from Vancouver/Seattle ladies regarding dressing for rain.

(Photos by Nikki Fenix)

what should pasty Minnesotans do in LA?

May 11

Dear ESB,

I have a close-knit group of high school friends from Minnesota. Over time we've all moved away from home and live in various parts of the country, but we still keep in contact and are involved in each other's lives. We get to see each other during holidays, but that's usually a hectic time filled with family obligations. Weddings are our best chance to party together, and now one of my dear friends is getting married in L.A.! All of us are super excited about our friend's wedding. Not only is he marrying a kick ass girl, but we will be meeting up in California instead of Minnesota, which will be a fun vacation for us pasty Northerns. We are planning to stay several days for the wedding and explore the city as much as possible.

I thought maybe you and your L.A. readers, as insiders and very cool people, could suggest fun and interesting things for us to do in L.A. Or restaurants. We love food, especially strange food. The wedding is in July.

On a related note, I'm also getting married this summer, and my FH and I are going to Coronado for our honeymoon. If people in the San Diego area have any suggestions, those would also be welcome as well.

Sincerely,
Wannabe in LA

*****

June 13

Make a reservation at Animal (ANY RESERVATION YOU CAN GET, trust me) and await further instructions.

*****

July approaches!

Hokay. Rather than giving you an exhaustive list of my favorite spots in LA, I thought I'd narrow it down to five or so and let everyone else chime in.

Animal
I hope you made that reservation. Be sure to order the foie gras loco moco. It's the most expensive item on the menu, but I swear to you it's one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten. The bacon chocolate crunch bar is also killer. All of it is killer.

Yuca's
A James Beard Award-winning taco stand. You have to get the cochinita pibil torta (slow-roasted pork sandwich), which is the specialty of the house. I can't do tortas because of the whole gluten thing -- I get the tacos -- but H always orders at least two tortas for himself.

In-N-Out Burger
You know you have to visit In-N-Out while you're here, right? There are all kinds of secret ways to order that are not listed on the menu. I order my burgers "animal style" (with pickles and grilled onions), "protein style" (on a bun made of lettuce), "with mustard instead" (mustard instead of the special sauce).

Jumbo's Clown Room
This is a super fun place to have drinks in the early evening, when it's easy to get a table and the hipster pole dancers are the most skilful. Legend has it Courtney Love once danced at Jumbo's, and David Lynch used to come here to write. Bonus: It's just a few blocks away from Thai Patio, one of our perennial faves. The food is delish and there's usually an ambiguously gendered Thai person singing very sincere covers of 80's/90's hits.

Flore Vegan
LA it up for realz and go to Silver Lake for a vegan smoothie. (I mean, you did just eat all that meat.) The raw avocado & citrus smoothie from Flore is sooooo good. Bonus: You can stop into Reform School and the Mohawk General Store while you're in the neighborhood.

Polaroid by Raymond Molinar

Merry Merry, you guys.

I plan to stay off the blogs until the new year, but I'll be tweeting now and then (and thinking of you fondly).

Photo by you fail via @TeenAngster

p.s. Should you care to eat chocolate chip cookies until you feel ill, I highly recommend this recipe from Gluten-Free Girl. My dad keeps saying, "They're just as good as any regular chocolate chip cookie." And he takes his chocolate chip cookies very seriously.

Celia's Gluten-Free Mac N' Cheese

(a wee guest post from our chef-in-residence)

Hi all,

So, I'm sure that those of you who've been reading ESB for a while know that she isn't exactly best friends with Mr. Gluten. I gave her a modified recipe for my mac n' cheese, and since she has some gluten intolerant readers out there, she asked me to share it with you as well. I'm usually not a fan of switching up recipes because you lose so much of what the dish is really about, but this one is definitely a winner in my book. (On that note, if you're lactose intolerant, you should probably skip the whole mac n' cheese pipe dream all together and go make yourself some tacos or something.)

Gluten-Free Mac N' Cheese

16 oz. pasta
4 cups heavy cream
(roughly) 1 1/2 cups cheese

First, cook your pasta to al dente, drain and set aside. Yes, I know you can't eat regular pasta... BUT you can use rice pasta which they sell at every Trader Joe's across the country. I also came across this corn pasta at a local gourmet shop the other day, and although I have not tried it, I think it's safe to say it would work just as well. Don't feel restricted to just elbows either. Rotelli, ribbed penne and shells are all lovely choices for mac n' cheese too. As far as portions go, I would say that one 16 oz. package of pasta is enough for four healthy servings.

Next up is making the bechamel. Traditional bechamel requires flour, but I came across a cream sauce by Ina Garten a few years ago that only uses cream. Keep in mind that you MUST use heavy cream for this technique, or it will not work. No cutting corners with half & half, or SOY MILK for fuck's sake. You're making mac n' cheese here, which in no way goes hand in hand with counting calories, mkay? As I was saying, put 4 cups of heavy cream in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Keep the cream at a boil for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will see that it will slowly start to thicken and become the consistency of a very smooth and silky cream sauce.

Now it's time to add the cheese (hooray!). Once your sauce has come to the perfect consistency, take it off of the heat. I've found that mixing the cheese in while it's still on the burner often leads to the sauce separating. Which is totally fine, it's just doesn't make for an attractive looking sauce. I like to use a combination of cheddar, parmesan and chevre* for my mac, and honestly, I do this completely to taste. I find the cheddar makes the sauce rich, the parmesan adds flavor, and the chevre gives it an unexpected kick. You can use whichever cheeses you'd like, but I think three different ones is best. I would use about 1/2-3/4 of a cup of all the cheeses combined for each cup of cream sauce (you want it cheesy, don't you?). Slowly whisk them in until melted and fully incorporated. If the sauce starts to cool and it's not melting the cheese very well, put it back on the burner for a minute just to bring the heat back up. Taste your sauce and season to taste.

Toss the sauce with your pasta over low-medium heat to bring it all back up to temperature. You can serve it like this or put it in a baking dish, top with gluten-free bread crumbs, and bake until golden and bubbly.

OPTIONAL: I toss in roasted garlic, halved grape tomatoes and baby arugula to my mac. For some reason, it makes me feel better about eating something that is VERY bad for me. I've also come across versions that incorporate peas, mushrooms, or chopped up bacon... all of which are so good!

(Photo by Peonies and Polaroids, our food-photographer-in-residence)
_____________________________

*Editor's Note: Don't be intimidated by the fancy chef lingo. Chevre = goat cheese, which you can also find at Trader Joe's.

H-town's Favorite Lentil Salad

One of my best meatspace friends emailed me recently with this dilemma:  

I'm trying not to eat bread because I think it's making me fat (and sugar for that matter). What do I eat? I'm tired of eggs, and I'm tired of almonds, and I don't and won't eat meat unless it came from an un-endangered fish. What do I do?

I think you have some answers.

I don't really know what I eat. Let's be honest, half the time we eat CRACKERS AND CHEESE for dinner because we're too lazy or too caught up to cook. BAD BAD BAD.

But. Quinoa, we eat a lot of quinoa. With stir fry or roast chicken (not helpful) or whatever. It's also good cold and salad-y with greens and goat cheese and maybe some pine nuts. Lots of soft polenta. (Often with eggs, though. You said you're sick of eggs.) Lots of risotto.

I really like this lentil dal recipe. I serve it with rice since I can't eat naan.

And then there's H's very favorite lentil salad:

Mediterranean Lentil Salad with Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette (adapted from a San Francisco Examiner Magazine recipe by Jim Wood my mom clipped for me a kajillion years ago)
1 cup lentils
5 cups water
1 tomato, cored and chopped
Sparse 1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (kalamata olives work in a pinch, but they're not as good)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 stalks celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (Thyme gives me hives, so I skip it. But maybe you like thyme.)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or Italian parsley (I prefer cilantro)

1. Combine lentils and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain, transfer to a large bowl, and let cool. Add tomato, olives, feta and celery and toss.

2. Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, and thyme in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Whisk in salt and pepper. I find that the dressing is tastier if you let it sit for a little while. Gives the garlic time to marinate.

3. Pour vinaigrette over salad, toss and season to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve. (Or, if you decide to skip the thyme, add the cilantro to the dressing instead.)

This was intended as a first course but we eat it as a main. If you're feeling crazy, serve it over quinoa.* Delish! I usually double the recipe so we can have leftovers. It's even better the next day.

(Image by Julia Randall)

*I told you we eat a lot of quinoa. You can make it in the rice cooker, b/t/w. Same ratio as brown rice: 1 1/2 cups water to 1 cup quinoa. And I like to add a dash of olive oil.

I am a person who makes muffins

I don't mean to brag... But on Sunday I made muffins for, like, the second time in two weeks. I whipped up* Rachel's lemon-ginger muffins (using a mixture of chickpea flour, corn flour, cornstarch and tapioca flour in place of the dreaded wheat flour) and H-town dubbed them World's Best Muffins.

Hey, we don't get to eat baked goods very often. I think I'd actually forgotten how good baked goods are. 

(Image via FFFFOUND!)

*And by whipped up, I mean: preheated the oven, chopped ginger and cooked it up with sugar, realized I didn't have any eggs, walked to Vons, bought eggs along with party size bag of barbecue potato chips, and proceeded with recipe while I ate barbecue chips dipped in ranch dressing. The butter for the muffins got nice and soft while I dilly-dallyed, which made for super easy hand-mixing. Who needs a KitchenAid?

she says "Macaron!"

Generally I am meh about wedding favors. But the story behind these is too good....

Marci loves macarons, Ben loves macaroons. So they decided to give every guest this gold box with one macaron and one macaroon inside.

Design by Erin Jang. Visit The Indigo Bunting for more pics.

(Via forty-sixth at grace)

pop-up wedding inspiration

You have to check out today's inspiration board on snippet & ink.

a) I do love the pop-up wedding concept, even if I disapprove of a groom in a tuxedo t-shirt. (Did I say that already?)
b) The mustache. The real live mustache that is attached to his face.
plus
c) I love a single blossom in a jar. Obv.
d) I was just thinking about leather clutches. More on that later.
and
#5 It's a gluten-free wedding! Macarons are gluten-free!

I'm pretty sure she did the board just for me.

(Photo courtesy of Grand Opening Gallery via New York Magazine)

Am I turning into a hippie?

I was standing in the bulk aisle of Whole Foods the other day when I decided I needed to make my own granola.

Let me explain.

I just figured out foods that are very high/extremely high in salicylates give me hives.* Raspberries, strawberries and green peppers seem to be the worst. And I will never touch fresh tarragon again.

But suddenly I'm wary of everything on the list. (Poor H-town is so frustrated. He doesn't know what he's allowed to cook.) Every effing granola in the bins at WF contained almonds or dried raspberries or dried cranberries or almonds.**

So here's what I bought:

1. Raw oats
2. Whole, raw cashews
3. Pumpkin seeds
4. Banana chips

Anyone have a recipe I could modify? Of course honey is also on the extremely high list. Can you even make granola without honey? Would it be sacrilegious to use good old fashioned sugar?

*This I need on top of a wheat sensitivity, right?

**Yes, I was consulting the list on my iPhone in the middle of the Hollywood Whole Foods (which has wifi, b/t/w). I was having a grupster moment.***

***Phew. I'm not a hippie.

(Image courtesy of my whimsy)

Macarons to suit your palette

Paulette of Los Angeles. In flavors (and colors) like Caribbean Chocolate, Madagascar Vanilla, Sicilian Pistachio, Columbian Coffee and Violet Cassis.

Thanks to Oh Joy! for spotting these beauties.