arizona is my life

Back to the Grand Canyon State. Funny enough I have never been to the Grand Canyon after 4 years of living in Phoenix. It's on my list. I made the drive yesterday and couldn't help snapping some pictures of the desert scenery out my car window. Not the smartest move while driving on the highway. Arizona can be such a stunning state. Then the heat hit me. Not the most pleasant welcome home. But I got to my beautiful new apartment, where my new roommate was waiting, cracked a bottle of wine and avoided unloading the pounds of clothes in my car. Also had the pleasure of meeting the roomie's dog. A new best friend for Winston! Alfred and Winston.

Started back at work today and really had to get my spirit and energy up. Always a bit nerve racking on the first day back. I whipped up some "energy balls" for the week. They taste a lot like Lara Bars. They are the perfect snack and simple simple simple to make. In a small food processor, combine dates (I used organic honey dates from the farmers' market) and raw cashews (or any other raw nut that tickles your fancy). In this batch I added dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla extract, and cheyenne pepper (for a little kick). I just play around with flavors and texture until I like what I have. Another good option is adding cocoa powder, raisins, lemon juice-any flavor you are in the mood for! A particularly stellar batch my sister made used walnuts and chocolate...tasted like a brownie! Then roll the mixture into ball shapes and refrigerate.

I topped off the evening at Postino for some wine and bruschetta. By far one of the best spots in Phoenix. Although I cannot eat most of the flavors of bruschetta (lots o' cheese) I can still enjoy some sparkling wine and socialize with friends, both old and new. It's gonna be a good year.