There were once 6 sisters, one with a young daughter.  They were hiking in the woods together and came upon a patch of wild onions.  The onions smelled so good and were so delicious that the sisters gobbled them all up.  When they returned home to their respective husbands, the men said that the women had skunk breath and kicked them all out of their homes.  The wives ran away and when the husbands came to take them back, the women ran up into the sky and became the 7 Pleiades.  The young daughter is the 7th star trailing off to the side.  
I read this story when I was a young girl and always remember it when I look up into the night sky and see the Pleiades.  They are one of my favorite star constellations. 

~Onions are one of my favorite foods.  They are the work-horse of the kitchen pantry and definitely my number one staple.... besides rice!

My mother always had green onions growing in our back yard since she used them all the time in her Japanese cooking.  She would buy a bundle from the store, lop off the green parts to use and stick the bottoms in a glass of water until the roots started growing.  Then she would plant them outside and have fresh green onions for most of the year.  Once they would go to seed, she'd pull them up and start over again with a new bundle.   

I've tried growing green onion from seed and from grocery store trimmings.  Definitely easier just to plant the trimmings.  The seeds take forever to germinate and grow.  However, if you want to control whether or not they are organic, then seeds are the way to go. 

The onions need to dry out a bit.  I washed mine, pulled off the roots and let them dry in a colander for a couple of days.  They shouldn't touch each other.  Too much dampness and they will start to rot.  Theoretically,  the brown withered stalks are strong enough to braid but I used some string for support.   

Next year I would like to add to my onion project....I need to learn how to stagger my planting so it doesn't all come to harvest at the same time.  I think bulbs or seeds will be the easiest way for me to control that.  The starts need to be planted as quickly as possible.  
Worth the effort?  Yes!  

Rest is not idleness and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summers day, listening to the murmur of  water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.  ~John Lubbock


Summer is officially here!  Time to enjoy life and the longer days.  In that vein of thought, I have a Vietnamese cole slaw recipe I'd like to share with you.  I love having easy to make recipes where you don't have to measure out ingredients carefully.  This recipe is perfect for using up your leftover Costco chicken!  This meal took me 30 minutes and that included cooking my chicken.

P.S. It's a pretty authentic recipe because I got it from my sister in law's mother in law (take a second to register that). Her name is Tuyet and she is from Vietnam.

Basic ingredients: Oil, rice vinegar*, green cabbage, white or brown onion, salt and pepper to taste

Basic additions: Cooked shredded or cubed chicken, chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts

Shred cabbage as fine as you can.  It should be as close to paper thin as you can get it.  Thinly slice onion; paper thin also.

 Mix the cabbage and onion together in a bowl.  Add vinegar and massage it into the cabbage mix. It will start to wilt.  Keep massaging it for another minute or two.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Put cabbage mix into serving bowl.  

*Seasoned rice vinegar has salt and sugar added.  

You can use any type of salad oil.  I like to use olive oil just because i like the flavor of of it.  
A basic vinaigrette recipe is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.  I like to use a 2:1 ratio because I like the tartness of the vinegar and rice vinegar is very mild.  

Put chopped chicken on top.  Sprinkle with cilantro and then chopped peanuts.  Enjoy!  

When I started to garden on my patio, I had a dream of Southern France dancing in my head.  I envisioned the look of a rustic French countryside home with glazed potteries in earth tone colors of browns, reds, terra cotta, and ochre.  Never mind that I live in a modern looking house built in the late 80's and it's in a subdivision with an HOA.  Plus, I didnt realize how expensive that little French dream was until I went to buy my first pot.  Those glazed pots are not something you can just load up on unless you have a fat wallet.  While I do still love the idea of a French countryside look, the reality is that I cant afford to use those for everyday gardening so I had to explore other options.  
My second choice was clay.  I can still get a rustic feel for a lot less money though it can still be pretty pricey especially if the pot has an interesting shape and detail.  The smooth mass produced clay pots are much more expensive than the ones brought up from Mexico.  The ones from Mexico are very textural and often have hand detail on them.  They are heavier in weight. If it's heavy to pick up as you're buying it, wait till you put soil and a plant in it.  There can be a downside to clay.  It's porous in nature and so when we have our dry or hot San Diego weather conditions, moisture can wick out of the pot and the plants need to be watered more often.  

Another option is plastic.  Plastic containers are easy to carry since they are so lightweight and they hold in moisture well.  They do have a tendency to break down eventually.  Another thing I have experienced with the more decorative plastic pots is that there is usually only one little drainage hole.  I don't think that is enough and I have to make extra holes.  Actually I have to ask my husband to do it for me but he's very accommodating.   

 I have used Rubbermaid storage containers. They are lightweight, sturdy and cheap.  Drainage holes have to be put in but they hold a lot of soil.  Ive also just reused the black plastic grow pots from the nursery.  Being black, they will have a tendancy to get too hot if the sun is intense.  Last year I grew quite a few vegatables in these black pots and they did fine.  I have seen people insulate their black pots with foil and bubble wrap.  

I like felt grow bags for potatoes.  They are a bit pricey but they are easy for me to maneuver and I can just turn the bag over to harvest my potatoes. I've had my grow bags now for two years and they still look very strong. I have seen people use hay bales and used tires for potatoes but I just dont have the space to try either one of those. It's cool to see through the internet how people repurpose food cans, buckets, pipes, cabinets etc to be able to make room for growing their own little gardens.

 
I will still keep my little piece of French countryside dream...it just wont be all in glazed pottery.  

Being healthy seems to be on everybody's mind and sometimes feels like a chore. Lucky for us who live in San Diego being healthy and eating natural doesn't have to be a chore. Below I will show ways how San Diegans can make healthy choices.

#1: Shop at Farmers Markets:
Eating organic and purchasing from local farmers can often seem challenging and expensive. One of the amazing benefits of living in beautiful California is that we get the freshest fruits and vegetables. In San Diego we can go to a Farmers Market everyday of the week. Here is a helpful picture listing all the Farmers  Markets at different days of the week.  We found this list at http://sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Farmers-Markets.php. Our personal favorite is the North Park one since it's so close to our office, and who doesn't love a nice stroll through North Park?

#2 Go on Hikes
Sometimes it's refreshing to leave the gym by going outside and hikes are the best way to get some of that San Diego fresh air. There are too many trails to really list on this blog about health in San Diego. Maybe we'll have to make a complete separate blog post about hiking trails in San Diego. But, for now our personal favorites are listed below:

A.  Cowles Mountain:
This is an interesting hike because it is the highest point in the City of San Diego, yet it's also a great hike for beginners or even those who never work out. It's not very steep and you'll find dogs, beginners, children and seniors taking on this hike. Don't get us wrong if you pick a good pace you will  definitely get a work out and work up a sweat. When you get to the top you can take the most breathtakin pictures of San Diego and also "check in" on Instagram: "On top of Cowles MOuntain 1,591 feet".

B. Torrey Pines Trail
Speaking of breathtaking views, this may be the best of the best as the trail hugs along the cliffs of Torrey Pines and over the beautiful beaches. This is also not a difficult hike and it's just a great way to spend quality time with family on a day off. The best time for this hike is around sunset when it's not too hot and you get to see the most beautiful sunset.

C. Iron Mountain
Don't let  the intimidating name fool you this is also a nice hike for all levels. You  are  greeted with a cool looking ranch-style sign and at the top you'll find a beautiful view of Ramona.

For all these hikes we recommend sunscreen, hats, lots of water and a some snacks. This hike will also have less of a crowd then the other two (Cowles and Torrey Pines). 

Going back to our healthy in San Diego list...

#3 Do Yoga
Yes you can practice Yoga in practically every city of the United States, but what makes Yoga even better in San Diego is all the different types of Yoga to practice and all the different locations to practice at. For example, you can do Yoga on a paddle board out on the bay... talk about working on your balance. You can also find people doing Yoga at the beach and taking in that fresh salt water air. There are so many different types of Yoga you can choose from in San Diego. From Heated (Bikrum), Prenatal, Aerial Yoga, Acro Yoga and the list goes on. 

#4 Run on the beach
You can accomplish this on any beach, it's just a matter of lacing up those tennis shoes and doing it.

#5 Do water activities 
paddle boarding - Great way to work on your balance and those abs. You will feel like you had a complete body workout after a good 40 minutes to an hour adventure. Additionally, you may see some fun wild life like sea lions, fish, seagulls, jellyfish and more. There's nothing quite like a good workout coupled with nature. 

surfing - This is an activity you can do all year long as long as you have a wet suit. There's something euphoric and relaxing about surfing, this activity will definitely release those endorphins. 

swimming the cove - Again something you can do all year long as long as you have a wet suit. If you swim all the way to the pier and back it's a 3 mile swim. But on top of that you're swimming against wind and waves so it's not a nice and easy 3 mile pool swim. (I would recommend wearing fins.) It's so fun seeing the seals and the fish, but be careful not to swim through the jelly fish, that is never a fun experience. 

kayaking - this is a lot like paddle boarding where you can get a great arm and ab workout while also being in the great outdoors. If you kayak in La Jolla you can go through the caves but be careful of the tides. 

#6 Get acupuncture
Of course we're going to encourage some acupuncture because it's so relaxing and invigorating. There are many acupuncturists throughout San Diego so finding a good one will not be a difficult task. Going in at least once a month can be a great way to maintain your health. 

#7 Hike the mud caves
These mud caves are located east  in Borrego Springs and they are really fun to hike through, although they can also be very dangerous so it wouldn't hurt to go with a guide first. 

#8 Go rock climbing

In San Diego you have the option of both outdoor and indoor rock climbing. For those who like the outdoors you can tackle Mission Gorge Rock climbing and if you just want that quick workout you can go to indoor rock climbing like Solid Rock Gym. http://www.solidrockgym.com/

Being Healthy and maintaining a nice tan while also boosting those endorphin's can be an enjoyable thing to do in San Diego. With our perfect weather all year long and great accessibility to fresh fruits and vegetables it can be easy and inexpensive to be healthy. For all the local San Diegans take advantage of what our city has to offer and live a healthy life to live a happier life