vegan pizza day 2013
Vegan pizza day was this past Saturday and as usual we went all out. Joined by Jenn and Scott, we trekked out to Woodland Hills to visit the original Pizza Cookery. We’re huge fans of this restaurant. Not only do they have an old school family atmosphere, they’re also one of the last hold outs serving Follow Your Heart cheese (which I prefer over Daiya). They also have the most amazing cheesy garlic knots. I dream about these damn things. Which is all to say, it’s worth the drive out there, even if it’s 100 degrees out. We all split a southwestern pizza, which had a bbq pizza sauce and vegan bbq chicken. Good stuff. Great way to start the day.
Next stop was Mowhawk Bend where we met up with a few more friends. They had a bunch of specials for the occasion including the infamous macaroni & cheese calzone. Unfortunately, the specials were all kind of a let down. I was super excited about the new trinity pizza topped with cashew cheese but it was severely lacking with no sauce and just a thin layer of cheese. The peach pizza was the biggest hit of the bunch, but more of a dessert than anything. Mostly we just enjoyed the drinks and good company.
No vegan pizza day is complete without a trip to Masa of Echo Park where we’ve visited for vegan pizza day last year and the year before. I can’t get enough of their deep dish pizza, which really means I can eat about two slices before feeling like I’m going to explode but they’re so good.
It was quite a pizza adventure. Maybe next year we’ll have our own pizza party.
goodbye google reader
It’s the end of an era with the end of Google Reader. The truth is, the more recent layout left me not wanting to use it. Instead I would follow blogs I love through twitter for the most part.
With google reader going away though, it seems like a great time to update my blog list. You can follow CUTE + DELICIOUS on Blog lovin’ or on Feedly.
Do you have any blogs you’re loving right now that I should add to my list?
Annecy part 2
One of the best parts about visiting Annecy was just wandering the old streets. Every day we would walk along the canal on our way to screenings. It felt as if life was more tangible, when you’re not separated from the world by a car or vehicle of some sort. With such old buildings you could feel the history of the place, even in more updated areas. In comparison, even some of the oldest building in America feel young.
There wasn’t a whole ton of vegan options but I made due. I brought a jar of peanut butter and a few other snacks to get me through. There were quite a few cheeseless pizzas and I had some delicious white beans in tomato sauce from a Greek spot. A special shout out to Luce who tipped me off to a cafe with a tofu dish.
My favorite thing about the festival was the enthusiasm from all the students and animation fans attending. The audience would sing along to the trailer before every screening and throw paper airplanes. The outdoor screenings were packed and overall people were just super excited.
Lake Annecy
I traveled with my mother to Annecy, France for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. In between seeing films, we spent a little bit of time on the beautiful lake Annecy. Though we never had the chance to go in the water, we did take a boat tour around the massive lake. The shoreline is dotted with ancient hotels and villas surrounded by the soaring French Alps. I would love to just hole up in a little house there and spend days by the water reading or bike riding around the entire lake. It really was the quintessential summer vacation place with its relaxed atmosphere and requisite sudden rainstorms. I’m sure the the stillness of it all has contributed to my overall feeling of calmness.
summer solstice
I’m a worrier by nature, dwelling on all the things that must be taken care of and possible bad outcomes. I try to be prepared, but seemingly only in the short term, because life’s variables seem to make long term planning impossible. So many what ifs. I am also more of a list person than a goal person.
I went on an unexpected vacation (photos to come!) and for the past week, even though I’m back to real life, I’ve been feeling surprisingly care free. I found myself paying bills with a sort of glee. Life just rolls forward and I don’t have to keep track of every detail. Things will work themselves out somehow.
In part it seems that this is because summer is about to be here, yet we’ve not yet reached the fire starting temperatures that make me so irritable. Visions of camping trips, movie watching and creative projects fill my thoughts.
Maybe I’m still asleep. Normality will surely set in soon but it’s nice to record these weightless moments when everything feels good even as just a reminder for when they don’t.
