Tasty Tuesday

One of the many great things about living in a big city like LA is all the exposure you get to cultures of all over the world. I love being able to hop in my car and escape to a whole new country for awhile in one of these somewhat exotic neighborhoods. There's Little Ethiopia, Korea Town, Little Tokyo and so so many others.

Last Sunday my friend Tracy and I decided to take a trip to Little Ethiopia. We both LOVE Ethiopian food so we were in heaven. We headed over to Fairfax to eat at Messob. It has been rated the best Ethiopian restaurant in Little Ethiopia plus one of my roommates recommended it so we had to go there. I was very happy with the food and vowed to return very soon.

I found the following quote and thought it described the area so well. ''There's a block-long section of South Fairfax Avenue that transports passersby to a distant land. In Little Ethiopia, the lively conversations are in Amharic and the pungent smells are from spices uncommon to most American palates. Be ready to pass the injera bread.... "

Something else amazing that I ate this past weekend with Tracy was this delicious carrot and pecan cake. It was seriously the best thing I've tasted in forever!! It was at a nice restaurant next to the Kodak Theater in Hollywood so I don't have the recipe. If anyone has a recipe for carrot and pecan cake, then PLEASE send it my way! Thanks!

Weekend Picture Recap

I had a wonderful weekend here in LA with my close friend from college, Tracy. It went by way too fast and I was incredibly sad to see her leave this afternoon. I cannot wait for the day till we live at least on the same coast! I think that this weekend was a wonderful combination of planned outings and events mixed in with down time and relaxing in my living room. Right, Tracy?! Haha!

Here are a few of the highlights:

We spent a few hours hanging out on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica before taking her to the airport. We also walked over to the Santa Monica Pier. She had never been over there before plus it's a perfect spot for pictures. We decided that I must go there on a date in the near future! : )


My roommate Swati had a speak-easy themed fund-raiser cocktail party for her work, Zocalo Public Square on Saturday night so we attended that fully dressed the part. It was fun to get all dressed up with Tracy (I made her wear a long blond wig, which she loved) and be at a classy event. The picture in the middle is courtesy of Zocalo Public Square.


Since New York isn't exactly known for it's sunny skies, we spent Saturday laying out at the beach. Sadly, Tracy didn't get to wear her swimsuit at all this summer in NY so she was super excited to wear one here. I cannot tell you how amazing it was just to lay out with her and simply talk. It was great beach weather for us and I am happy to report that I DID NOT GET BURNT! I was all about my 100 SPF sunscreen!!


During the day on Friday, I did my best to give Tracy a tour of Hollywood. I got us a hotel room at the W so we were able to park there and just walk up and down Hollywood Blvd. Of course we had to get a cheesy pic in front of the "Hollywood" sign. This was one of the best views we found. We also took several pictures in front of a few stars with our fave celebs names on them.


Then on Friday night, we met up with a few new and old friends for dinner at Velvet Margarita just a couple blocks from our hotel. It was a lovely night full of great conversation and delicious Mexican food.


On Sunday, my sister drove to LA with Lucas so Tracy could finally him. We spent time at Griffith Park lounging in the grass and enjoying the train museum at Travel Town. Lucas absolutely adores trains so he was in heaven there. It was such a sweet day and I loved getting to spend it with three of my favorite people in the world!

LA Weekend with a Visitor!

My dear friend Tracy is coming to visit me today and staying till Monday. She is my second official visitor here in LA and I'm really excited! I feel like I haven't spent a entire weekend in town forever so it will be fun to be here in LA sightseeing and enjoying the city with her. I have a rough schedule of things for us to do while she is here so we can make the most of the time together. Stay tuned for a detailed description on our adventures!

This picture was taken the last time we were together which was almost a year ago!! So not ok! I am so glad that we are fixing this!!

What I'm Loving Wednesdays

I am absolutely loving Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Power Berries-Antioxidants. They are amazing but highly addictive. My friend Mya introduced them to when we went wine tasting near Santa Barbara. They were the perfect snack with lots and lots of wine.

I just had to literally force myself to put the bag down and even now want to go back in for more. Ugh! I should put the bag back into the kitchen cupboard. If you haven't tried these yet, I highly recommend them but don't say I didn't warn you! : )

According to the Trader Joes website, "These dark chocolate covered powerberries start with centers of real fruit juice pieces made from the juices of Acai, Pomegranate, Cranberry and Blueberry, all known for their Natural Powerhouse Antioxidants and other nutrients. They are then enveloped in smooth dark chocolate, creating a flavorful confection that is a sweet, tart and rich taste sensation all at once. Powerberries make a great gluten-free, low sodium snack. Snack guilt-free!"

Wordless Wednesdays

I took this picture in San Francisco this past weekend and I just love all the colors in it. It was towards the end of Day 3 and I was exhausted but still couldn't pass up a photo-op!

3 Day Walk Recap in Pictures

My sister and I had a great Susan G. Komen 3 Day For the Cure Walk and both ended Day 3 in pretty good shape. I only have a few blisters on my feet and my sister had some knee and calf pain.

I am feeling a little sore and generally achy today but I can't imagine that lasting too long. The blisters on my feet are another story. I won't be wearing closed-toed shoes for awhile. I can certainly forget about heels this weekend! Ugh!

Of course I brought my camera along with us on the walk, here are a few of my favorite pictures:

3 Day Walk

Today begins the 3 Day Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk in San Francisco. Over the course of 3 days, my sister and I will be walking 60 miles all in the fight against Breast Cancer! This is is Day 1!

Whew! Believe me when I say this is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! (The picture on the left is from when I did this walk two years ago in San Diego) Seriously! The Half-Marathon that I ran a few weeks ago was nothing compared to this event. You are probably thinking, but walking isn't that hard, right?! Well, it is. Just think, all you are doing is walking all-day-long! From sun up to sun down, you are walking. Those muscles get so strained and sore from doing the same movement all day long. Ok, I better stop talking about how tough it is.

While it may be the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, it is also the most rewarding experience ever. To walk next to women going through chemo or to even walk with someone who has lost their mother, daughter, sister or someone else to this awful disease really is moving and inspiring. It is truly a symbol of how brave and strong they are. This is why I walk.

Please do wish my sister and I a walk free of blisters, calf cramps, shin splints, sunburns and any other annoying and painful ailments! Thanks! I'll be back on Monday to report on it all!