San Diego Blogger Meetup, Cookbooks & Making Complicated Recipes, Gift Certificates

PinSave

This post may contain affiliate links.

Happy Humpity Hump Day Mid-Week, Bloggie Friends!  How’s your week been going so far?  I am so grateful that tonight Scott will be coming home from his business trip.  He gets in super late and I’ll already be sleeping but after 5+ days alone on single parent duty, I am anxiously awaiting his return! Kids have more energy than parents, that’s for sure!

Yesterday I had my first San Diego Blogger Meetup with Jackie of Peaces of Earth!

Two woman and young girl standing in front of window

Jackie is such a sweetheart!  She’s only been blogging 6 weeks but we connected over our mutual, non-dogmatic approach to raw vegan food and passion for physical fitness.   Jackie just ran her 1st Marathon- The San Diego Rock and Roll and so did my girl Danielle, whom sadly I missed meeting by 2 days because we were still in Phoenix. 

Woman sitting outside on chair smiling

Jackie and I chatted while Skylar kept herself busy playing with the ATM buttons

Young girl playing with ATM machine
Young girl standing by ATM machine

Scott doesn’t stand a chance with her and that smile!  He’s much older than I am (by 17 years) and is already a total sucker for Skylar.  He’s just Daddy Pushover!  Which is totally sweet and I love it!

Young girl at ATM machine smiling

And then as she did yesterday while doing her Sun Salutations….

Young girl doing yoga pose on floor

 

Young girl dancing

…She stopped pushing ATM Buttons and took a Dancing Break!

Young girl outside pointing
Close up of young girl smiling

And a snuggle and photo op break was in store, too.

Woman sitting in chair with young girl at her side smiling

Jackie was so thoughtful and brought a raw vegan treat for us, too!

Kookie Karma Banana Bread in pieces

I am so glad that Jackie and I connected.  She’s doing a program with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition that my friend Alyson of Nourished Fitness in Phoenix (who I met up with Here or Here) also did.  I guess I have a knack for finding Institute for Integrative Nutrition Girls!  Anyway, fun times and can’t wait to meet more SoCal Bloggers!  Holler at me if you’re a SoCal blogger!  

And of course, shoutout to Madeline, whom I had a zillion blogger meetups with and miss dearly!  Not Missing Phoenix, just Madeline! 

Here was our Final Meetup last month

Woman holding young girl in booth smiling

And our First Meetup in November 2009

Two woman standing on outdoor patio under umbrella

Anyway, after Jackie and I parted ways, I had to buy a headset for my phone.  It’s the law here in CA to have one and mine had broke while we were living in Phoenix and since it wasn’t the law there, I never replaced it.  Here, I had to.

Phone with new headset
Close up of phone headset

I could have spent $120 on the Jawbone or another high end bluetooth headset, but this one for $55 was more my speed.  It’s bluetooth compatible and although I only made one call on it, it seems to be fine.  

Hand holding headset close up
 I hate the static and background “whir” noise when I talk to other people on headsets, so I paid a little extra to have “improved noise reduction”.   Not sure if that benefits me or them, but hey, anything to reduce background noise!  Speaker phones and me don’t get along well either for that very reason. 
 
After I came home I had a Give Away Win Waiting for me from TeriLynn of The Daily Raw CafeTwo Books by Matthew Kenney! 
Entertaining in the Raw and Everyday Raw cookbooks
 
Remember when I posted that Matthew Kenney friened me on Facebook?
Hi Averie,
Matthew Kenney wants to be friends with you on Facebook.
Thanks,
The Facebook Team

I guess it was just foreshadowing that I was going to win a couple of his books!

Truth be told, I already own Matthew Kenney’s Everyday Raw cookbook 

See This Post for a Massive Cookbook Review
Shelf full of cookbooks

Everyday Raw was a jumping off point that inspired me to make my Raw Vegan Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Raw Vegan Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies on dehydrator tray
 Close up of one Raw Vegan Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookie

But I was thrilled to get my hands on Entertaining in the Raw

Entertaining in the Raw Book by Matthew Kenney
Back of Entertaining in the Raw book

It’s definitely not everyday food.  Holy preparation time, exotic ingredients, and contemporary highbrow foodie recipes.  But it’s fun to be inspired!

Check These Recipe Titles and Pics

Recipe in cookbook titled Ocean Vegetables and squash noodles with oyster-mushroom escabeche, faded green caviar, and miso tahini sauce
 
 
 
Photo of food in cookbook

 

Recipe in book title Green Tea Canneloni, Banana Lemongrass Cream, Almond "gelato" and goji lime saucePhoto of Cannoli in cookbook
Recipe in book titled Cinnamon Graham Cookie with Marshmallow Creme and dark Chocolate FonduePhoto of cookie in cookbook
 the Graham Cracker Cookie Crust alone in this recipe may just be worth 24 hours of dehydrating!
 
Thanks, TeriLynn of The Daily Raw Cafe, I can’t wait to put these books to use!  I’ll be sure to re-home the duplicate copy of Everyday Raw to a friend I know who’s trying to get more into the Raw scene.

From Yesterday, thanks for chiming in about everything from cold water swimming (nearly unanimous, no one likes it!) and showering at the gym or in public showers (nearly unanimous on this too, no one likes it but some of you do it, in a pinch.)

And I’m glad so many of you have lived to tell the tale if you’ve eaten Raw Green Beans which I had mentioned were possibly toxic based on some information I had read.   

Green beans

There are some plants and beans that are toxic when raw, i.e kidney beans, but I think the issue of raw green beans is more one of digestibility (too fibrous and hard to digest for many people when not softened a bit by cooking) rather than true toxicity.   For me, I don’t notice any symptoms other than increased bathroom trips from all the fiber, but then again, I am eating a handful at a time, not pounds worth at a time.   Many of you said you’ve been munching raw green beans since you were a kid without issue.

Dessert Today:  Yesterday’s Vegan Vanilla Softserve!

Four bowls of Vegan Vanilla Softserve
Yum!
Close up of one bowl of Vegan Vanilla Softserve

Gym & Weights Workout Today From This Tab: Day 3 – Chest/Shoulders

Tip of the Day: Did you check and see Who Won the Bora Bora Give Away?

 
Click Here to See who Won!

Questions 
1. Do you have an ear piece or headset for your phone?  Do you use it?  Is it a law where you live that you have to be hands-free?  Does background noise bug you as much as it does me?  You know, when you’re talking to someone on the phone and they’re on a headset and all you can hear is the white noise around them rather than what they’re really even saying?  God, I hate that!

2. Something that made you laugh today?
Me = Skylar telling me that she thinks that Pochantas is the co-pilot of the airplane that Scott’s flying home on from his business trip. 

3. Blogger Meetups.  Have you had any and with whom?  Any plans to do more?
I mentioned some of mine in the post, also Maureen of MommyRd, Bekah of BeekEats, and Shannon of Tri to Cook are some other meetups I’ve had.  I can’t wait to do more and am also thinking about a Southern California meetup!   Details to follow but if anyone’s lurking and has any ideas, feel free to email me or just comment on this post and I will see your email and can email you back.  I was thinking of picking a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and meeting in Orange County so the LA people and the San Diego people are all kind of halfway.

4. When you see recipes in cookbooks that are pretty complicated, exotic, or just beyond your typical scope, do you get inspired to make them?  Or do they just overwhelm you and just checkout and gloss over, so to speak?
I have posted here about what makes a Good Recipe for me, and honestly, the simpler the better for my daily life.  99% chance it won’t be made or with any regularity if it involves more than 4 hours of dehydrating or any ingredients that are an online-order only. 

5. Gift Certificates. 
I have a few occasions coming up where I have to buy wedding and baby gifts for friends.  I will likely buy off their registries but in general, do you like gift certificates to a particular store?  Or would you prefer cash/check?  Or do you want the gift-giver to pick something out for you that they intend for you to have?
I want cash baby!  However, I have to set the money aside mentally and not group it into bill-paying money or else I never really “get” anything special with the giver’s cash.  I admit that it gets spend on bills and life stuff, not anything special.  Which is why I can see the merit of a gift certificate or an actual gift.  Then again, it’s a gift so whatever the person gives me, I am happy about!
What do you like?  

I’m off to the Gym, Target, the Grocery Store and a running around with a 3-year-old getting-things-done kind of day.  Have a great day everyone!

Stay Tuned For A Hot Topic Post on Thursday…

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

Get the latest recipes via email!

Leave a Comment

Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Comments

  1. Hey, very cute blog! I have only been to one other blogger meet up which was with san diego style bloggers! I am looking to meet, network, and collaborate with other bloggers in the so cal area!!! Let me know if you here of any, or are going to attend any please!!!

    Thanks,