A Little Fresh Air

There’s a weird thing that happens when what you love to do becomes what you must do.  The blessing of full-time content creation stays a blessing (totally stays a blessing), but it’s also work (aka werk). I feel the need, every once in a while, to slow to a simmer.

I’ve been in the kitchen most of the year.  There is zero complaint in that sentence.  I’ve mostly been working on my next cookbook (October 2014!), making tripods out of stacks of cookbooks (totally professional), and washing a lot of dishes.

This Fall I gave myself some fresh air in a place I’d never been.  I spent a few glorious days in North Carolina, and I’m not sure exactly how I made it on the plane back to California because I’m sure my heart is still in Asheville.

Original photography shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR. The filmmaker’s camera.

The sky is big.  The trees are generous.  The people are easy to laugh and kind.  The mountains are blue, and green, and orange, and deep.  Such a great place!

Let me show you!

I started my little journey in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Have you been there?  It’s incredible!  The beach is literally covered is shells.  In California, you’d be hard pressed to find just one of these shells.  On the Outer Banks this is just the ground!

The closer you walk to the water, the smaller and smoother the shells get.

Smooth little seashell stones!  You can dig and dig and still find these smooth shell pieces.

This is where I just sat on the ground and stared at these waves.

I feel like east coast waves have a different rhythm than west coast waves.  They’re deeper and darker.

I want to walk into these waves forever.  It’s like a siren song.

Beach stairway (to heaven).

This is where we stayed in the Outer Banks.

Uh huh. Four floors and multiple decks.  I mean…

I was here to teach a few pie baking and food styling workshops.  If going to a beach house is work, then I’ll work forever and always.

I drove from the Outer Banks to Asheville, North Carolina.

I only killed two squirrels on the drive.  I feel really bad about it.

I made my way to visit Ashley, Glenn, and Huxley.  Do you know Ashley from Small Measure?  She and her family live in a beautifully cozy home just outside of Asheville.  They walked me around the garden and chicken coop surrounded by trees and falling leaves.  Even though we’re new friends, we cozied up in the living room and chatted about what is good and big in life.  Glenn made us the sort of meal that I never even knew I was missing: ham and apples, kimchi, eggs, and fresh cider.

Theirs is the kind of home that feels like a warm, welcome hug (with really good snacks).

I stopped the car to take some walks.

I watched my friend Tyler throw a boomerang.

I learned that it’s either harder than it looks, or I throw like a girl (both).

Up in the mountains I found a… I want to call this dude a Forest Police Officer, but I know that can’t be right.

I’m sorry. I live in a city.

I really needed to see some green.

And eat some green.  I made this Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Hash for breakfast.

It seems I never miss an opportunity to take pictures of my food.

I cooked in a lot, but I also ate at some really wonderful places in Asheville.

Tulepo Honey Cafe, Curate, and French Broad Chocolate were my favorite!

There always comes the day the pack up and ship out.  It’s hard to say goodbye to a place with so much fresh air, inspiration, falling leaves, and good light. Asheville, I’ll be back.

I eventually made my way home, found my way back into the kitchen, and make these (self-proclaimed) incredible Pumpkin Pecan Scones.  If you want to make Stella Got Her Groove Back jokes… now would be a fantastic time for that.

Tomorrow we’re talking about DIY gift giving.  We’re in the holiday game!  I hope we can all find some time for deep breathing in it.  I love you, byebye!