Dhani... Need I say more?

Let’s talk about Dhani Tackles the Globe. First, Dhani is hot. My colorist saw him in person and confirmed for me that, yes, Dhani is a mountain of a man women, gay and straight men want to climb. Ray, my colorist, said some of the straight men at the salon agreed they had a desire to hug Dhani. Hmm… Man crushes. Straight women and gay men, uh, would like to experience a little more of Mr. Dhani. Hot, hot, Dhani Jones. I like that his athletic, competitive attitude and his ability to make fun of himself are displayed on this new series on the Travel Channel. I was skeptical at first. Wondered what this jock would do to embarrass us all over the world. But, seemingly (possibly with very good editing) he’s made a good impression thus far. Why am I writing about Dhani? Well, because this blog is also about adventures and Dhani is experiencing new places, cultures, food, drink and sport. He’s having conversations with people he can barely understand and who don’t understand him the first go around. That’s adventurous and FUN. I want to be Dhani. Charming, hot and fumbling through cultures effortlessly (with the help of his crew) with an open mind and willingness to dig right in (albeit with a better budget than most of us). *I planned to write about Dhani after a few more shows were under my belt, but I’m a big believer in going with the flow and flow happened when I was talking with Ray just yesterday and Dhani came up. I’m sure I’ll have more on Dhani later…

Mayo and Olive Oil

This is only the beginning, but you might notice an ongoing love affair I have with mayo and olive oil. I love them both dearly, equally. My mayo fetish started not long after I had to cut the whole world of food as I knew it out of my diet. Prior to gluten-freedom I enjoyed the typical amount of mayo included on a deli sandwich, in tuna salad, potato salad and on the occasional burger. In the early days post-gluten-free, I was starving for something with substance. You may not think of mayonnaise as having substance, but I was still learning how to eat. And, most of what I ate had no fat, nothing, lots of veggies and fruits. I came across an article telling me a certain brand of mayo was safe. YUM! I began using it as my main condiment of choice. Days when I ate gluten, I dipped pizza in ranch dressing. Days after gluten, pizza dipped in mayo! The best combo ever (along with hot sauce of course)! These days I dip pretty much anything savory into mayo and have had thoughts of spreading it over Namaste brownies. Decided I’d try to hold off on that temptation until I’m pregnant.

As for olive oil, I use her on everything. She’s always fresh and moist. I use her a little too freely, dousing my tuna tacos (that already have a ton of mayo), my pizzas, my bruschetta, BREAD, eggs of all kinds, anything sautéed, roasted chicken, fish, guacamole, anything and everything (except baked sweets). I love olive oil, peppery, green and aromatic olive oil. She really tastes great with sea salt, garlic, herbs, tomatoes, everything (again, except for baked sweets). Some of my favorites are Capezzana (Capezzana holds a special place in my heart, I’ll explain as we go), Poggio ai Lippini in Bolgheri, Lucini, De Cecco, and more…

Big Move to the Boonies

My first blog. I’m creating it out of procrastination. I should be packing for a big move to the boonies, looking for a job, and working on two freelance projects. I tend to accomplish a lot when I’m putting things off. Procrastination also may be a huge part of my creative process. I’ve reorganized my pantry (to make it gluten-free friendly and otherwise), gone through closets and chests of drawers only to jam everything back in doubly jumbled, stared at friends on Facebook, looked up recipes for whatever my heart fancied, searched online for the best gluten-free versions of the foods and condiments I love (mayonnaise, pickles, chocolate gelato, cookies, breads, ketchup, soy sauce, rice milk, the list goes on and on and on), went grocery shopping, chopped veggies, roasted meats, made dips and soups and tortilla chips, baked cupcakes and brownies and flourless chocolate cakes… So, you see how this procrastination thing can be productive – with things other than my “real” responsibilities. Ah, I feel good. Just writing this has taken the edge off of my procrastination. I think I’ll go through my closet now. Not because I’m putting things off, but because I have to in order to pack for the big move to the boonies…