Always organic? Not in this economy...

.
So I try to buy organic as much as I can- it tastes much better, helps preserve the environment and often supports mid-sized and small farms- but (as I'm sure many of you understand) in the last few years it's become too expensive to buy everything organic.
So then how do I decide, standing there in the produce aisle biting my lip, which kinds of apples to buy? For a while I was choosing based on price: potatoes, onions and carrots are cheap anyway, so going organic there wasn't much of a price jump. Raspberries? Forget about it.
But I recently came across this handy pocket guide and thought it might help my readers too. Below is a little card you can print out and put in your wallet that shows which produce gets coated in pesticides (so buy organic!), and which ones are less heavily sprayed (so save your pennies!).
Plus, it's cute.

Breakfast In A Time Of Sorrow

.

When things are terrible, I find it helps to seek beauty in small places. This morning I toasted a blue corn tortilla over the open flame of a gas stove, laid a slice of pepperjack cheese over it, poached one of Betty Lou's eggs and chopped a fragrant golden tomato. Then I drizzled the whole thing with olive oil and sprinkled it with rough sea salt. I made good coffee.
Sometimes, this is enough.

Happy Spring!

I celebrated Easter (named after the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Dawn, Eastre) by having my friend Ruth over for brunch. Because in my heart is a magical 7-year-old girl, we also dyed Easter eggs. Here are mine:


I enjoy making art that serves no purpose. The last month and a half I've been in achieve-mode, not a state I recommend. It's exhausting. Sunday was truly a day of rest, what a treat to eat homemade waffles with sliced strawberries, drink lavendar tea, zone out with pretty colors and hang with one of my peeps... heck, I even ate some Peeps. But not Ruth.

And I like eggs, they're an innately hopeful food. Eggs symbolize the promise of new life, purity and innocence, and an elegant dinner in about three minutes (omelet, anyone?). I can get into that holiday.

Dinner, 5 Minutes Late

This was one of the pieces I exhibited Friday night.

People had strong reactions to it. One guy dragged his girlfriend over, pointed, and said, "That's every Thanksgiving my whole life." Some folks ran off, and a lot of nodded vigorously with tight lips. People sought me out to share what they thought.

What a gift it was to make art, have the chance to put it into the world, and receive such a big response. I am blessed.

Many thanks to Tara for the photo! I came home that night to discover my camera had no film in it. Time to go digital, I suspect. If I can get clear photos of the other two pieces, I'll post those too. I did one with egg timers that people freaked out about. Mind-blowing. I can't believe this is my life.

Makin' food art

Tomorrow night I'm putting some artwork into the public sphere for the first time ever. Yikes! It's for my friend Russell's monthly club down in Chinatown, Knobturnal. If you live in L.A. and are free, please come by! It's food art; I have far too much experience with food and have had brushes with art, hopefully it'll balance out into deliciously disturbing pieces. Two are done (one's a bit naughty), and the third I'll assemble there. They're not even edible- it's really art.
In my family growing up my sister Jen was The Artist (my dad is a closet artist, he's great at drawing feet). I was The Writer, hey... and there was no point in trying to live up to Jen's talent. I'm glad I found a roundabout way to make a little art of my own.
Despite my difficulties with technology, I'll do my best to post some photos of the work... though it's best seen in person!