Driving up PCH last weekend, I spotted a new American Apparel shop. Yep, there’s another one (everywhere you turn it seems, just like Starbuck’s). But news via Racked LA: the store is in the same space that once housed a surf shop, with a wave mural above it by a surfer and surfboard shaper, and American Apparel commissioned the artist to restore the mural. Good nod to history. (Image from Racked LA).
Via Boing Boing, here is a post about a mysterious blob on Alaska’s coastline that is harming wildlife. It’s not clear what it is, but it’s an obvious reminder that we’ve got to properly dispose of our waste and reduce our dependency on toxins. –Stef McDonald
Sneak preview of the Venice Beach Skate Park being built.
Possibly the best dessert ever: Homemade Rice Krispie Treats with Ice Cream. Melt the marshmallows, add the Rice Krispies, then fold in the ice cream and serve immediately. (Friends Jon and Jenn battled over credit for the inspirational idea at a dinner party last night.)
I named the last fish (Henry VIII) and Mr. MVP got to name this one. He chose Mary-Jo-Lisa, from a Ting Ting’s song. I worried that the song would get stuck in my head each time I passed the bowl and spotted her, but it’s one of those songs that is too fun to bother me. It’s a good thing to say about a song so I believe it bodes well for the new fish.
My new favorite soap comes from Soaptopia, a shop in Mar Vista (they also sell their products online and in select stores). How perfect is this one for a post-surf shower? Ocean’s 12 contains seaweed, palm oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and lemongrass essential oil, among the all-natural ingredients. Very refreshing.
Two summer treats in the neighborhood are served on sticks: the frozen banana covered in chocolate and nuts from Charly Temmel’s ice cream shop in Venice and the corn dog from the Hot Dog on a Stick stand in Santa Monica. They’re best enjoyed while riding your bike one-handed at the beach.
Our latest Surf Like A Girl pro interview is with Stephanie Gilmore. (Photo courtesy of Rip Curl.)
We saw this woman on the road in Santa Monica–check out those wheels! We had to learn more about her and found this video on YouTube. One comment: rad.–Stef McDonald
Photos taken in Venice Beach, CA.
Photo taken in Venice Beach, CA.
Photo taken on Ocean Front Walk in Venice, CA.
My loved ones in NY are promised some sunshine after nearly a month’s worth of rainy and grey days. Here in LA, June gloom appears to be lifting. Yep, here comes the sun!
That means lathering up. I won’t leave the house without protection from the sun: SPF in my lotion for my face, a hat and sunglasses in my bag, and a tube of sunscreen for use if the rest of me might be exposed to sun’s rays. Concern for health is certainly a factor but it’s also vanity–keeping those wrinkles and sunspots away.
The sunscreen I use is not from Coppertone or Banana Boat and it’s not from those other companies that claim to be “natural” when they pack their products with the same harmful ingredients. Products from so many well-known brands are made with chemicals linked to cancer, organ system toxicity, endocrine disruption, and more. Even worse: the products don’t prove to be as effective as the company claims. Potentially harmful and not very useful? Not what I’m looking for in a sunscreen (or any skincare product).
I’m happy paying a bit more on alternative options that provide safe protection from the sun’s rays and give me peace of mind–and finding one that fits this bill is easy by consulting the Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep” site, which ranks products that have been independently tested for safety. The best ranked product happens to be my favorite: the SPF30 tube from Soleo Organics, which contains zinc oxide (the same white stuff found on the noses of lifeguards everywhere).
Big pink and fluffy hydrangeas are in bloom.
Photo taken at the Picnic des Chefs event this weekend. This is why I love to carry a bag: there’s always a place to put a baguette.
Photo taken in Venice Beach.
Blueberry season is here and I’m in danger of turning as blue in the face as Violet from “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.” We went picking for blueberries at a local farm on Sunday and filled three quart-sized containers. The tiny berries are irresistible and I’m baking something every night.
Where I grew up, there were wild blueberry bushes in the neighborhood and we would pick enough to make muffins. One of my earliest baking memories involves making muffins with Dominique from around the block and messing up the recipe by confusing the salt and sugar measurements. (The oversalted muffins were hard as rocks.) I’ve since learned to follow a recipe more closely and to improvise carefully.
Instead of making a traditional blueberry pie the other night, I opted for mini-pies baked in ramekins. They were like little pots of love.
To make them, I make a pie dough based on Martha Stewart’s recipe. She calls for butter in the recipe, but I use a combination of butter and vegetable shortening (the shortening makes the crust more flaky). Half the dough was used for a pie shell and the other half I used for making tarts and the mini-pies.
Blueberry Mini-Pies (Pots of Love)
Ingredients:
1 cup of blueberries
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of corn starch
Pie dough
Makes: 2 mini-pies
Preheat oven at 375 degrees
Lightly spray ramekins with canola oil and dust with flour
Take a piece of pie dough (the size of a lemon) and roll on lightly floured surface
Repeat with second piece of dough
Fill ramekins with rolled dough and crimp on the edges like you would a pie crust, on the inside rim of the ramekins
Mix 1 cup of berries in a bowl with sugar, lemon juice and corn starch
Add berries to ramekins and bake for 30 minutes, until edge of crust is golden
Photo taken on Ocean Front Walk in Venice, CA.
I like the cat in the hat. I also love cats that play the keyboard, like this web star:
Creepy roadside photo taken on Ocean Front Walk in Venice, where American Apparel was setting up for a pop-up shop rummage sale.
Stef McDonald 