Spice Dish

Creativity Sparks

Dali Themed Street Art. Creative.

I went to a book club a little while ago. It was full of strangers. I’ve never, in my life, done that before. We had an amazing conversation and I left completely creatively energized. It wasn’t just that I was using my critical thinking skills for the first time in months, but that I was trying something new. I realized that I needed to do lots more of this sort of thing--  not in the interest of 'self improvement' but simply for the sake of experience. For fostering creativity. For enjoying life. So I came up with a list of “Creativity Sparks” (i.e. stuff I’ve never done before but am going to try in  order to keep  my brain excited and to experience new things) Hey if Stephen Fry can get pierced, I can find things I've never done!

I’m not calling it a ‘bucket list’ because I don’t care if I do or don’t do these before I die. Dying is not the point. Some are little things, some are big life altering things. Some are free and some make me thankful I have no kids in need of a college education. 

I think I know which one I’ll start with, but I’m not sure. I don’t even know how closely I’ll be keeping track, hell I don’t even know how many items are on this list! (Just counted... 64) Here I go. Here’s to creativity!

Ride in a hot air balloon
See the northern lights
Take a sailing lesson
Write a book
Have a conversation in a language other than english
Send a message in a bottle.
Ride a camel (or elephant) etc
Take a ballroom dance class
Learn to play a musical instrument
Take a singing lesson
Make a complete fool of myself
Eat at the French Laundry
Learn to juggle
Learn to drive a stick shift
Spend three months getting my body into athletic shape
Go fishing and eat my catch
Ride a motorcycle
Work on a farm for a day
Learn a new skill (no idea what yet)
Make soup dumplings
Run a 5k (not walk)
Find a food I've never eaten and eat it
Go to a jazz show
Play a game of ice hockey
Go horseback riding along the beach
Learn to ski
Take a fencing lesson
Go on a helicopter ride
Sleep overnight on a train
Collect fresh chicken eggs from a nest
Go to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Try a new restaurant in San Francisco
See the Parthenon in Greece
Go to Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Read Moby dick
Visit the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy
Spend an afternoon in El Prado in Madrid, Spain
See "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso at the Museo Reina Sofia
Spend a week in Bora Bora
Attend a Japanese tea ceremony
Learn to sculpt
Learn how to perform a magic trick
Learn to knit one thing
Make cheese
Watch lawrence of Arabia
Face a fear (not sure which one)
Become financially literate
Go to an auction at Christie's or Sotheby's
Sleep in a castle
Create a well-stocked pantry
Go to a yoga class by myself
Become an 'expert' at something
Write an article and have it published
Register for NaNoWriMo and write a novel in one month
Do NaBloPoMo for one month
Write a cookbook
Audition for something
Travel to another city to go to a concert/show (performer TBD)
Try fugu
Get a tarot card reading
Get hypnotized (for what I have no idea)
Eat something I've grown
Travel solo (even a day trip)
Get rid of 100 of my possessions

 

So what about you? You have a list? 

EB

Time To Run

You see those ladies right there? Those are the amazing ladies of my family who got together in Paso Robles this weekend for a 1/2 Marathon and 5k. 

We wine tasted, we carbo loaded, we talked about lost family members and caught up with younger ones.  It was a great weekend and I know how lucky I was to share in it.

Thanks ladies. I wouldn't be who I am without you.

 

EB

Flea Market For The Win!

I love San Francisco (I mean I don't think I'm shocking any of you by saying that), but every once in a while a girl just needs to get out of Dodge. I was feeling restless a few weeks ago when I got an email from a friend asking if I was still up for the Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market. The what? Where? I emailed her back wanting to know how intoxicated I was when I agreed to this mission. I then immediately emailed her again, to say "Screw it, I'm in!"

http://www.rgcshows.com/

To say the place is massive would not begin to describe it. This thing is HUGE. There are maps, there are sections, there are thousands of vendors. You will get lost (and you will buy a 1$ hot dog and 6$ beer because you don't know when you'll make it out). It happens on the 2nd Sunday of every month and it's the worlds largest flea market! I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into when I said yes. We exhausted ourselves wandering the aisles. I picked up some vintage fashions and a few amazing cooking pamphlets (more on those later) and my friend got a pair of foo dogs she just couldn't live without. My most fabulous purchase of the day? These:

Kitschy, creepy and perfectly at home in the bathroom. So, if you have one too many and agree to a weekend road trip to Pasadena, don't question it... just go. You won't be disappointed. 

Happy shopping!

EB

Sad State of Affairs

Sad isn’t it? For all my spouting off about CSA boxes and big Sunday meals and the goodness of fresh ingredients…. that is my fridge. AND I don’t live alone. That is a two person fridge. No I’m not on some juice cleanse, or fast or diet of any sort. That’s just what our fridge generally looks like. Champagne? Check. Sriracha sauce? Always. There’s some Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel and real parmigiano reggiano from Lucca in there, but not much else.

 

Yes, there are remnants of food projects in there… some roasted cauliflower, a half a jar of carrots I pickled, a drizzle of homemade tomato soup. But honestly that is a sad sad showing. Why does my fridge look like this? Does yours?

EB

Resolutions 2012!

Happy New Year's!

Again, I'm not a New Years resolution kind of gal, just never have been. But lovely Marisa, of Food In Jars inspired me this morning. Just because I don't do personal resolutions doesn't mean I can't make some bloggy ones! So here goes, my Blog Resolutions for 2012:

1- To post more vintage cookbooks (you guys seem to like those)

2- Maybe a little re-design (change is good right?)

3- In general, just be more consistent with my posting (I can do it!)

Sound good? Ok then. Happy 2012!

EB

Of Anniversaries and Things

My first picture posted

I started SpiceDish four years ago. FOUR. It’s strange where life takes you in four years. I’ve never been a diary keeper (too embarrassing) but I realize now that SpiceDish is a diary of sorts. Looking back on past posts I can see when I was happy at my work (fewer posts), when I needed escape (more posts), when I was engaged with the blogosphere (lots of comments), and when I was playing recluse (no comments).

I can see when larger life issues, very personal ones, took precedence over posting or when I was compelled to post by those same issues.

I have met some truly amazing people because of SpiceDish. People like Bethany, Victoria, Sarah and Jessie.  I have been let into many other worlds in the past years and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

Like a lot of you, I’m at yet another crossroads in life. The ‘what’s next’ type. The ‘can I really make that happen’ type.  I have no idea where I will be come next October’s blogiversary, and that’s a bit scary. I do know that I’ll be able to look over the year’s posts and see where I’ve been. And that is comforting.

Here’s to another year.

Enjoy-

EB

 

Spring Is In The Air

It seems I have jumped into an age old ritual without realizing I was doing it. Spring Cleaning.

This morning I found myself sucking up dust bunnies, reorganizing books, putting pilly sweaters from the top-shelf of the closet into the donation bag, filing that pile of papers that had taken over my dresser....
I even went so far as to buy a pot of daffodils.

I have never been a formal Spring cleaner, but when life gets a little dissarayed, I feel like I can think better when things are tidy. As someone who is generally un-tidy (I'm not a slob mind you, I'm just friggin' busy ok!!), a simple thing like buying a new fluffy pillow and putting clean sheets on the bed can really do wonders for my sanity, clarity and overall well-being. (You know, for when the bacon and martinis just aren't enough).

I figured I should commit to this thing and so I turned to the experts to see what they had to say on the subject. There are some great tips out there. So put down the bacon and start cleanin'!

Here is TipNut's ultimate Spring Cleaning Guide

Apartment Therapy's Decluttering Guide & Spring Cleaning for Your Plants Guide

Your computer could use a little spring sprucing up too! Courtesy of Geek Sugar.

And then what to do with all your Spring Cleaning waste? SF Gate says recycle of course!

 

EB

Resolutions Away!

It's that resolutiony time of year it seems. I've never been much of one for the "quit smoking," "lose 10 lbs," "call my mother more often" type of resolutions, or any type really. But this year, as I looked back on last, I realized that my crazy little life got in the way of well... my life. The things I love most kind of fell to the wayside while I dealt with other things. So, for the first year in many (or maybe ever) I'm making a few resolutions. Declaritive statement time. My New Year's Resoultions for 2011 are to:

Eat: Elsewhere. There are literally thousands of restaurants in this city, and I go to a lot of them. But every once in a while I realize I have a few places that have become go-to's more often than they should be. Places like George's have been on my list of to-get-to's for ages. I walk by it weekly. Yet I've never made it inside. 2011 is your year George!

 

Listen: Music. There is some amazing live music in this city on a nightly basis. I've started taking that for granted and getting lazy about going to shows. Hey... I've got a work schedule that's a little less than stellar... but I need to kick it into gear and get out there and discover the next great group to sell out.

 

Do: "Stuff". Another thing this city is full of? Odd, hidden little places. Like the Seward St Slides. These kinds of things are always in my mind, but rarely on my calendar. It's time to fix that.

 

See: Movies! Specifically at the Red Vic, the Castro & the 101 year old Roxie. I love films. Hell, I teach film! But I rarely get to the theater to see them, much less the awesome indie theaters we have. Way beyond the blockbusters, these theaters show gems like everyone's fave "The Room."

Make: Food. This last year was one of many changes and unfortunately what took a hit was my cooking. I simply don't really cook anymore. New year, new(ish) kitchen. Let's do this thing! I'll finally tackle the stack of recipes and books in my kitchen that unfortunately became dust collectors last year.

So that's it. A fairly doable list I think. Oh well, those and to actually friggin' blog this year. Sheesh.

 

EB

Christmas Time in The City

Officially smacked in the face with Christmas spirit this morning (that and a headache from last night's dinner party). How do you know when it's Christmas in the city?

The tree and weddings at City Hall

The smells in my kitchen

Whimsically attired gate lions

Ice skating at the Ferry Building.

 

Merry Christmas San Francisco.

However, whatever you celebrate... enjoy the season. Happy New Year!

EB

Camera Phone Chronicles

Some boxes are still packed (my camera is wallowing in one of them), books are still in piles, the pantry is conspicuously empty... but I'm home.

The weather was beyond stunning today so I took the opportunity to explore my new little piece of the world.

There is a bewildering amount of eateries... even by SF standards!

There are things to discover around every corner.

Food just isn't abundant, but has a local sensibility.

Local 'graffiti' is better than a lot of gallery collections.

... and clearly... the folks in the hood have a sense of humor.

It's good o be home.

EB