For our annual Halloween party I created a black light bar and made drinks that glow in a black light. Tonic water glows well under a black light because of the quinine in it, so I made “Gin & Bubonic” and tonic water ice cubes. I also had “Dr. Rotten’s Ultimate Embalming Fluid” (Tampico blueberry juice and tonic water) and Toxic Waste (Mountain Dew). Our guests loved it…but were scared to walk past the haunt that hovered over the bar (me).
For years Celestial Seasonings tea had the same staid design on their tea boxes, but I was pleased to see a new warm and beautiful design for their African rooibos and honeybush teas. I am usually a green tea drinker, but I have become hooked on the deep flavor and smell of rooibos and I love that it is caffeine free. It’s a nice feeling to know that I am drinking tea from the leaves of an exotic bush that grows in beautiful Africa. It helps to ease, but not cure, some raunchy traveling withdrawals.
If I were to fall in love with a woman, it would be Misty Tosh. She is fierce, fun, feisty and gorgeous. The beautiful, colorful blog of her fascinating life and travels makes me want to sell everything and run off with her to Baja and enjoy margaritas and Coronas on the beach.
This is an ode to summer called the I-Am-Going-To-Miss-Summer-and-Farmer’s-Markets-Delightful-Treats-Lunch. Beautiful late summer lettuce and tomato salad with olive oil and homemade white balsamic vinegar, partnered with a bowl of organic strawberries. Must be eaten outside in the last warm sunlight of the season.
Tonight I am going to visit the West Street Market and then try to view the photos of Franz Szony at his gallery downtown. I love his style of freakish photography and Photoshopness. It would be great if he could do his version of portraits of all the famous faces in town. This woman above is definitely a wine walker.
My mom found this box of chocolate with my name written all over it. How apropos! I thought the logo and the package design was pretty and reminded me of the Tom Waits song, “Chocolate Jesus”. Now, if only someone like Tom would write a song about me…
The Cibo Naturals sausage ravioli from Costco is some of the tastiest, lightest and most beautiful pasta I have ever had. Like most bland ravioli, they don’t need any sauce. I just mix up some garlic, olive oil and italian parsley and add it to the hot pasta. Every person who has seen me eating it, has commented on the heavenly smell. Lunch. Que bella!
As I was perusing the Farmgirl Fare blog, I came across her review for the book Comfort Food. The lovely cover design struck me as so dark, juicy and sensual, that I nearly licked my monitor. That would be one of my dream jobs: to design cookbook covers.
Morningstar Farms has a tasty array of non-meat burgers. They are quite pretty too. Today for lunch I had the Tomato and Basil Pizza Burgers. Soy tastes so much better when I don’t cook it and if I put a little mayo on top. 
A new Whole Foods recently opened up in Reno. People seem to be pretty crazy about it, judging from the crowds this weekend. Since shopping seems to be down across the nation, I think making food shopping a visceral experience with natural color, scents, beauty and form will get people out of their homes.
