Edibles!

The Grayton Beer Company

Posted on May 11, 2015 by erikamae82

Back in 2011 Jamey Price began his journey of creating a beer that could be enjoyed by all. With a dream, (like so many beer lovers out the there) he started in his garage and low and behold years later, I get to introduce to you The Grayton beer company. After selling their delicious creations throughout the local community, they’ve recently opened up a taproom providing a comfortable and social environment to consume these delightfully flavored beverages.

Their website explains, “In addition to our year-round styles, our 25-tap draft wall also features small-batch brews as well as four guest taps from other Florida breweries”.

Are you a beer connoisseur (or atleast claim to be)? Click here to check out their selection to see which you think would be your favorite!

I love playing games. Billiards, cards, sports, you name it! Mix a playful atmosphere with a tasty beer, add a friendly vibe and hang up some local art and here’s what you get!

The two lovely smiles below are my new go-to partners in crime. I met Shanda only a few weeks ago and feel as if it’s been years. Don’t be surprised to see her sweet face with me abroad some day soon! Lane can be described as extremely kind, hilarious (my cheeks often hurt after a game night) and genuine.

I’ll leave this post with a quality quote form the legend, Ray Charles. Read it, think about it… Good stuff.

For more about the local scene, please check out the Seaside post from last year!

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: Florida, Grayton Beer company, Lane, local brew, santa rosa beach, Shana | Leave a comment

Coconut and cashew? Yes please!

Posted on February 10, 2015 by erikamae82

Introducing two of my favorite new products. I’m sure that the both of these have existed for years but they’ve just recently come into my life, so I thought I’d share!

We’ve all heard of soy milk when replacing lactose-rich dairy milk. I choose to limit my soy intake and to be honest, my rare indulgence of sushi, miso and edamame exceeds my preferred consumption. So years ago, I turned to almond milk and then after my adventures through Asia, fell in love with coconut milk. On the shelves now days, you can find oat, rice, quinoa, flax and even hemp milk!

Almond has a partner in crime in my culinary dreams due to the unique flavor that this product has to offer. It’s creamy, extremely smooth and has a flavor that seems to compliment both sweet and savory dishes. I’ve used it veggie plates, baked goodies, smoothies and my favorite, simply adding it to my warm tea or coffee. Good morning!

Introducing my newest buddy…. Cashew milk!

Next up is a tasty form of the coconut. This little nutrient powerhouse comes from a nut tree (even though it’s not actually in the nut family) and provides an incredible list of health benefits. So what did I find? It’s not oil, not toasted, but puréed!

When you first open it, you’ll see the natural separation between the coconut flesh and oil. I like to use both for a variety of uses so I scoop out the firm oil and store it in a different container. You can see the texture comparison between the two.

Top 3 favorite things I do with the coconut manna (besides just put a chunk in my mouth straight from the jar).

#1- Mix it right in my coffee or tea… with the cashew milk! If you have time and want to get a little fancy, throw it in a blender or bullet and watch the froth develop!
Put the mixture above with some greek yogurt and freeze it. Oh my!

#2- Add it into oatmeal. It makes for a slightly sweetened addition without using any other sugars. Sprinkle some crushed walnuts on top and I dare you not to want seconds!
Combine raw oats, coconut, honey and nut butter of your choice to make energy enhancing cookies.

#3- Use it for stir fry. I tend to favor the curry dishes… Mmmhmm, you know that’s delicious!

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: cashew milk, coconut manna, coffee, curry, oatmeal, oil, puréed | 1 Comment

“Wait, that’s real water!”

Posted on January 31, 2015 by erikamae82

I try to make it back to Oklahoma at least twice a year to visit my precious family. Although this trip was short, I was able to squeak out a general post for fun. Here’s a photo from the last visit. I love these kids!

Time with the siblings…

This day consisted of the 3 oldest and a trip to the city. First up, our excursion to the Devon Tower. This sky scraper is the tallest building in Oklahoma (39th in the United States) reaching 850 ft high with 50 floors.

Check out this interior center divide. I was trying to figure out my camera so at first glance I was going to take a seat in order to focus on what I was doing. Thankfully, Joseph exclaimed “hey, that’s real water!”. This piece of work was so level that it looked like a stone setting covered in thick glass. I had to touch the liquid myself to confirm… Yup, that’s water flowing over the edges! Makes me wonder how many people have taken an accidental splash or watched their kids jump up to surprising drench!

In the elevator I got to watch three giddy teenagers with “butterflies” as the doors closed. My brother timed it, 45 seconds later we were at the entrance of our lunch destination.

Peaking over 49 floors is the Vast. A classy dining restaurant that provides window seats with a skyline view. This was thrilling for more reasons than one. First off, we’ve been talking about this for months and now it was finally happening. Secondly, these kids rarely explore a city, let alone go inside a modern building at a height like this.

They seated us next to a corner window which a perfect view for everyone. Honestly, I was so excited watching them, that I forgot to take photos of our seats. Here’s a couple shots that I found online to give you an idea.
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I got a sampler so we could all share the variety of flavors and the kids split a “fancy” hamburger and fries. Here’s the buffet plate followed by what was left of their hamburger and dessert plate.

After lunch, we dropped back down to floor level and made our way to the street. Let me pause here and explain my excitement in getting to watch these guys go through a revolving door for the first time. Adorable! They also got a kick (or just really embarrassed) out of me pretending to be stuck when it was my turn.

Here are some of the sites you may see when strolling through Oklahoma City. The top photo is of the memorial and museum from the famous Oklahoma City bombing.

Handstand? Totally.

Who’s this? Our cousins are superintendents for several jobs in the area so we swung in for a hug and hello!

Just outside of the city, the kids wanted to stop in one of their favorite stores. I say “store” lightly as this massive company is nationwide and has buildings ranging from 20,000 to almost 500,000 square feet! Inside you’ll find anything and everything you could possibly want for camping, hiking, biking, hunting, fishing and any other outdoor sport. Welcome to the Bass Pro Shop.

I lost the boys to the fishing section and Hannah found the ladies clothing. I spotted the backpacks (shocking, right?) and spent most of time taking pictures on the decor. Look around!

When they’re not out and about, you can find these guys and our two younger siblings using energy around the property. If it be exploring the creeks, making paths through the tall grass or playing with the pups.

When it’s too cold to brave the weather, you’d find them inside doing schoolwork or practicing their music. I’d absolutely love to post a video of them playing and singing, but I will keep my “big sister” promise and not expose their talent… yet.

It’s so refreshing to spend quality time with such well mannered, joyful children. Especially because I grew up as an only child, I’m so grateful to have Joseph, Hannah, Benjamin, Sarah, (with memory of her twin Elizabeth) and Rachel.

Categories: Art, Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: Bass Pro Shop, Devon tower, family, Oklahoma City, siblings, Vast | 1 Comment

My favorite Cambodian dish!

Posted on January 5, 2015 by erikamae82

Once upon a time while volunteering in Cambodia, I took a walk in a local market to see what my tummy could find (shocking, right?). I rounded a corner and spotted out what appeared to be one of my favorite vegetables with some sort of goodness in the middle. Here are the actual photos from the quaint little market outside of Phnom Phen.

I looked around for a seat, quickly realizing that the pint-size stool at my feet was the prime location to experience the meal I was about to order. Squatting low with knees in my chest, I pointed eagerly at the dish and singled for one slice, followed by my palms together in gratitide. Considering I was the tallest, whitest lady at the miniature table, I was being observed by several locals for my reaction to the first bite.

With the toddler spoon that matched my shoebox chair, I scooped up a bite and gave it a go.

How to make best friends in a foreign market:
Step1. Order something they don’t expect you to get.
Step2. Try it in front of them.
Step 3. React sincerely.

It didn’t take but a second for me to realize I had found my new favorite treat. Needless to say it became a daily routine to greet my new friends, squeeze into my usual seat (visualize Will Ferrel sitting in the classroom in the movie Elf) and indulging. Was this lunch… dessert? A meal or a snack? I have no idea but it was delicious!

When arriving back into the states I started research to find something that would closely resemble the magical taste of pumpkin custard or Lapov Songkya (ល្ពៅសង្ខ្យា).

To be honest, I have yet to find a recipe but I’ve had fun trying! Here was my most recent attempt (attempt: an act of trying to achieve something, typically one that is unsuccessful or not certain to succeed.)

Ingredients:
A buttercup squash (Pumpkin, Kombucha, Delicata, etc.)
4-5 Eggs (I used whole and some whites)
3/4 cup Coconut milk (it suggests cream or full fat, I used lite)
1/3 cup Sugar (I used coconut palm sugar)
1/2 tsp Salt
A dash of Cinnamon if you’re feelin spicy
Optional: In Cambodia they will often put shave ice and coconut over the top and drizzle with condensed sweetened milk. (See photos above)

Cut open the top of your pumpkin the same way you would for a Halloween carving. Take a spoon and gut your squash. For the sake of my sanity, please save your seeds and eat those too… They do not belong in the trash! Thank you.

Mix all of the ingredients saving the eggs for last.

Grab a double boiler and fill with an adequate amount of water. Crank the heat until it’s boiling. Place your squash in the over sized steamer, cut side up. Poor the liquid into the hollowed out pumpkin and close the lid.

Lower the heat and let the baby cook until the custard is cooked thoroughly and the pumpkin is tender. Remove and let cool.

This is the part in which you eagerly slice into as you contain the water in your mouth before giving this amazing dish a try…

Or in my case, you slice into it and have all the undercooked insides come pouring out into the table as your heart breaks into tiny little hungry pieces. I’m not sure if this failure was the specific recipe, the substitutions I made or in fact, that I actually didn’t follow the recipe.

I have you know, I ate the pumpkin separately with dinner and enjoyed every bite! I took the insides (what should of been custard) added oats and ground flax seed, then poured it into a baking dish and made scrumptious bars out of it. Problem solved.

So, if you want to try this Cambodian delight, I highly suggest you google it yourself and find a recipe that you think will be golden. When you find it, let me know!

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: Cambodia, custard, edible, food, pumpkin, recipes, squash, travel | 2 Comments

A taste of memories

Posted on December 31, 2014 by erikamae82

First off, I’d like to deliver my love to everyone during this holiday season. If you’re on a tropical island somewhere or shoveling snow, I wrap my thoughts around you and send a huge, happy hug!

Now if you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed the quantity of posts slowly decreasing to few and far between. Naturally, going from a volunteer based backpacking lifestyle to an extended visit to the states, my daily routine has relaxed into an enjoyable job and reuniting with old friends.

Confession time: I miss blogging!

So here’s the deal, since I’m choosing to stay in the states for a bit longer (I still can’t convince the airlines to let me volunteer for free flights) I figure I’d post about the random events, products and people that are surrounding my daily environment.

To kick off this new chapter of herhappytrails, I’m going to show you an international market that we have right here in our own backyard!

Located at: 10971 Olson Dr – Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

I’d like to think it was developed for quirky people like me that truly enjoy getting lost abroad discovering new items in local markets. (See collage below)

However, after walking through this 80,000 square foot building, I realized it’s home away from home for many international residents. It’s a perfect place to gather traditional ingredients for tasty recipes that you generally can’t find at regular shopping stores.

Let’s take a walk!

I’m grateful to have traveled enough in which several of these items were familiar to me. So familiar that I actually got choked up with flash backs of the journeys in which many of these treats were a part of.

Would you like your seafood packaged, fresh, or extremely fresh?

After you check out, you’re conveniently located in the new food court. I say “food court” lightly as this doesn’t have Kentucky Fried Chicken or a Pizza Hut, but an assortment of baked international goodies and a few restaurants offering unique menus.

I have yet to mention that my partner in crime for the day is my dear friend Varee. If you’ve been following since September of 2012, you’ll recognize her smile from our adventure in Switzerland together!

Our choice of lunch? I went with a popular Korean dish called Bibimbap (which was delicious!) and she chose a warm Vietnamese Pho noodle soup. For dessert we bit into a red bean stuffed mochi ball. Oh sweet memories of Japan!

I leave this post with an adorable holiday house made from Pocky packages.

Merry days to you all!

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: Bibimbap, food, grocery, international, local market, pho, USA | 2 Comments

Kimchi- short and sweet (and a little spicy)

Posted on September 29, 2014 by erikamae82

As you’ve seen before, I worked at the award winning vegan bar called Raw and Juicy and got to experience some of the most flavorful tastes that were designed around fruit, raw vegetables, nuts, seeds and love.

On this day, the ever so talented chef Kevin held a class teaching the traditional way to create Kimchi. Yes please!

Chopped fresh veggies, a sprinkle of salt and a throurough massage leads us to the final step of sealing the jar.

Care for a bit more spice? Blend up a variety of peppers, ginger and garlic to top it off. Yum!

Now we wait… For 3 days!

Update: Seventy two long hours later, I finally got to enjoy my homemade goodies, well worth it! Side note for all of you backpackers out there, this doesn’t need to be refrigerated and only requires a few ingredients. Brilliant for the road!

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: Chef Kevin, Cooking class, Florida, kimchi | Leave a comment

The best kept, not so secret… Café Moya

Posted on September 10, 2014 by erikamae82

There are times I’ve eaten somewhere and the food was good and the ambience was comfortable. Then there are occasions in which the entire experience was exactly that… An experience! Café Moya falls under one of those categories in which you leave feeling filled up with not only delicious nutrients, but love and all the fluffy feel good stuff.

When you walk in to this quaint little shop, you’re greeted with a simple welcoming area that invites you to take a seat and relax.

Judging from her baked goods display… We missed out!

To be honest (not that I ever lie) but I was expecting your typical menu offering bagels and soup with the dessert of cupcakes.
To my surprise, we were given the menu’s below. Fresh food and creative ingredients with flavor combinations that leave your taste buds debating on which to order.

We finally chose to split a cassava wrap that was delightfully filled with falafel, hummus, cucumber, tomato, and fresh salad.

My apologies, as this meal was so delicious that we devoured it before any photos were taken. Whoops.

Following the moments of completing our dish (which I’m sure we pretended to do so slowly and calm, while wishing we could inhale it all in one glorious bite), we decided that “sharing” such a magnificent order gave us permission to “share” another one. Right? This technically meant we were still under the pig-out ranking.

With way too much thought put into it, we ordered another cassava wrap, this time with eggplant, kalamata olives, feta and avocado with some sort of sauce that resembled a light creamy vinegerette.

My apologies once more, as we even joked about forgetting the picture of the first plate… again, the salvation in our mouths must have blocked the brain cells to remember a second photo. Just take my word for it, simply amazing!

So, there we were, attempting to refrain from drooling when a sweet woman approached the table to confirm that the plate (that was licked clean) was “ok”.

“Ok!? It was delicious! Please tell the owner that we thoroughly enjoyed our experience”. She replied with “thank you”. It was her! The mastermind behind our unforgettable lunch not only came to check on the giggling girls in the corner, but proceeded to sit down and have a long chat.

Marguerite’s creative cooking, bright smile and generosity is such a fond memory. I guarantee her café will forever remain on my “must do” list of Bajan eats from this point forward.

If you live anywhere on the island of Barbados, please swing in and tell her we say hello (that’s of course after you order, enjoy and wipe the crumbs off your face). If you’re a sea away from this amazing place, I encourage you to check out their facebook page here.

Categories: Edibles!, Travel talk, Uncategorized | Tags: Barbados, best food, cafe Moya, cassava wrap, local treats | 2 Comments

Mr.Delicious doesn’t serve pig tails

Posted on September 6, 2014 by erikamae82

Although several of my recent posts of Barbados have been mostly of major events or daily excursions, (if you haven’t seen them, I suggest checking out Down de Road and Paint me up mudder cup) they’re just a small part of what this beautiful island has to offer. I’d like to share with you a bundle of our “down time” days between the Carnival celebrations.

Here’s a walk to the famous Miami Beach where there sits a popular palm tree that you’ve seen pop up in my blog several times.

This setting seems to provide quality opportunities for classic photos.

Moving right along with the traditional jump shot that Hayden and I started back at Machu Picchu to Yosemite, followed by Stonehenge and now Barbados!

Hungry along the way? No problem man! Mr. Delicious sells some quality Roti’s and fish cakes on the beach.

After a therapeutic walk to the famous palm tree, we were lucky enough to run into friends at a secret look out on the south coast. A little table hidden away in the casual Surfers Cafe.

On the island, you can often keep hydrated by the abundance of coconut products that are around every corner. My favorite are the venders that will also divi out the meat and jelly from inside as well. Follow me to the coconut boys!

Wendy’s is a local joint that provides traditional Bajan food, a full bar and indoor/outdoor seating. If you’re lucky to land here on a Friday night, you’ll also get serenaded with good ol’ karaoke.

Take a look at the edible (at least they say so) item below. I’ll give you one guess at what Ryan is unwrapping… Give up?

Pork tail. Yes, that is a sauced up squiggly piece of meat from the tail of a pig. Umm, no please.

If the wagger of Wilbur doesn’t appeal to your appetite, there’s always a solid chance that you’d pass a Chefette on the way home. This would be the “McDonalds” of the island. I choose to avoid drive through restaurants, but this one had a salad bar, so Bree and I decided to dig in! My favorite part is the secret booths. “How dare you see what I’m eating!”

This is where I see fit to put in the only picture we captured of our new friends Nick and Shana. We spent hours with toes in the sand and stomach aches from the natural comedy that took over our time together. On this day, they joined us for a Chefette experience and as you can see (by the cradling of their meal) they’re fans of the popular Roti!

I’ll complete this post with a few random photos that may snag your eyes attention while gazing around the island. Enjoy!

When your heart aches a bit flying away from this divine country, there’s always one last glimpse of the natural beauty that takes up this space of our beautiful planet.

For more posts on the random fun facts, the people, food and sights of this marvelous place, please click here and snoop around! Until next time Barbados…

Categories: Edibles!, Travel talk, Uncategorized | Tags: Barbados, Bus, Chefette, fish cake, market, Miami beach, pig tail, random, Roti, Wendy's | Leave a comment

Raw and Juicy

Posted on July 25, 2014 by erikamae82

I’m extremely excited to announce that the place I’m lucky enough to call my “job” has been listed in the Top 10 Juice Bars in the nation by US Today! Keep in mind we’re in a tiny Airstream that fits 3 people (4 is a cozy party) that sits on a quaint beach side street. Some of the other “best of’s” are in major cities like Atlanta, L.A, Nashville and such, so clearly the heart and energy behind Raw and Juicy speaks in volumes!

Curious of the creator behind this magical place serving things like the Spicy Rabbit, Green Goddess and Spiked Melon? Meet Jenifer Kuntz by clicking here.

I’d love to do a huge post with hundreds of photos of us playing with fruit, veggies, blenders and more (aka- “working”) but in the midst of fun, I rarely remember my camera.

So instead, I’ll post a few that were captured and link you directly to their website which is well worth a look. Please take a moment and embrace what is the Raw and Juicy Life.

Working? Sure, you can a all it that.

So this is Carinne, a happy little lady who happened to drop the blender lid behind our freezer. Our compact area provides such a tight squeeze, this is what I turned around to after hearing the strenuous sounds of go-go gadget arm!

When you order from this superb place, let me confirm that any smoothie with coconut meat, milk or water legitimately comes straight from the source. It takes solid effort, but it’s well worth the results!

As well as full description of each amazing item on our menu, I could also go into an entire post about every lovely person I get to share this space with. Instead, I will just send my full gratitude to Christin, Kevin, Daisy, Jesse, Corinne, Shen, Michelle, Jo Jo, Kayla, and Grayton. You make my work-world a vibrant place full of positive energy and mindful thoughts… Thank you.

Categories: Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: airstream, food, organic, raw and juicy, seaside florida, work | 1 Comment

Tulsa, more than just the Drillers.

Posted on July 9, 2014 by erikamae82

I’ve been loving life on the road now for 2 1/2 years. Homeless but never unsettled… traveling solo, but rarely alone. What a dream.

Volunteering abroad has allowed me to experience a wide range of lifestyles, careers, religions, traditions and so on. In regards to food and accommodations, I’ve been able to pleasantly earn my way through volunteering and bartering, that in itself has been an adventure!

Well, turns out there was opportunity right near my own back yard!

Work hard (barely) and play hard (relax) seemed to be the theme of my whirlwind trip to Tulsa. A few projects to assist in and a partner in harmless crime was my position to fill during this visit to see my long time family friend, Ryan. We spent a summer together over 15 years ago and lost touch until last year. Fun fact, we both traveled to Asia and Japan within months of each other without even knowing it!

Assignment number one? Taxes…. enough said.

How it began…

The controlled chaos…

The gorgeous results…

I’ll pause here for you to meet Chris Farley…. Cute, lazy and completely lovable.

Project number two called for some creative minds, dirty toes and one bandaid thanks to the gorgeous cactus plant.

If you know me at all, you’ll know that cooking is hardly a chore but rather a candidate for one of my top 5 favorite activities. With that said, playing in his kitchen was far from work and more of a treat. Friends, meet one of my happy places.

Where was Ryan during my crazy culinary play-time? Clearly he knew that without his effort, it was going to be an all veggie dinner. I found him out back firing up the grill.

The result of our powers combined equaled a huge hunk of meat and my roasted veggies, a cucumber-tomato-onion salad with a side of homemade guacamole and salsa with lentil chips. Yum.

I’ll give you one guess to figure out which plate belonged to him…

Ryan served up dessert with an unofficial-officially proper scotch tasting.

If you ever make your way through Tulsa and you have a great deal of appreciation for creative drinks in a unique ambiance, I highly suggest you check out Valkyrie.

They provide carefully selected craft beer, worldly wine and your classic cocktails using quality ingredients. By “quality” I mean they make their own mixers, infusions and juices with local produce and a lot of love. From lavender, jalepeño, to cucumber and homemade ginger beer, the menu offers a variety for the people who stick to the classics. It also caters to those of us who search for a new flavor with each order. Choose from the “shaken” or “stirred” list and wait for the masterpiece to present itself. I tried the “Shake rattle, bang your head” which was a brilliant combination of Gin, jalepeños, chartreuse, cucumber and lime.

After enjoying these wonderful beverages, what better way to test your hand-eye coordination than a few friendly games of pool and shuffle board. To prevent public embarrassment, I won’t say the name of who came in 2nd place… I’ll simply post a picture of who dominated both games.

For my last evening, we went to a local restaurant that offered a classy menu with a fine wine list. Unfortunately we managed to order items that didn’t produce the flavors it had flaunted. I’m thinking we just caught the chef on an off day, so if you choose to dine at Tall Grass, I wish you an amazing edible experience!

Our selection for the appetizer was bone marrow. Notice how he just pushed the interior mass into a pudding-like pile. The first taste to hit my palette was salt. Not a “salty” flavor, but actual sodium… like I licked a salt shaker. There wasn’t a second flavor due to the speed in which I removed it from my mouth. Hmmm, no thank you.

For dinner I ordered a root salad with an apple cider vinegar dressing and he went for the pecan crusted halibut (sounds marvelous, right?). Dessert was a fancy wine that neither one of us had ever heard of, but definitely proved to be the most flavorful item on the table.

The best photo of the evening was catching Ryan in his ever so sophisticated pose with a cheeky grin. Perfect for the energy of the evening, well done… Well done!

Lastly, I’ll wrap up this post in gratitude for the very much appreciated moments outside. A breath of fresh air, solid sunshine and good conversation was a perfect compliment to this mini trip.

Ryan, this unexpected and perfectly timed get-away was hopefully just the first of many. Cheers to Japanese bloody Mary’s, squeaky windmills, kale chips and the best sports team ever… The Drillers! Thank you for everything.

Categories: Accommodations, Edibles!, Uncategorized | Tags: cooking, garden, Oklahoma, scotch, tallgrass, taxes, tulsa, valkyrie | Leave a comment