Just Try...

{photo via pinterst}

Pick yourself up and try again...

{Alex and I being upside down goddesses at YogaLoftMB in Manhattan Beach}

Come on... you're stronger then you think...

Good thoughts bread sunbeams!

Lana Del Rey's track "Born to Die"

WHY aren't they playing her music on the radio?!

She's timeless and in my opinion, has one of the best voices of our generation. Take a listen...

Maandazi Recipe

A maandazi is a tennis ball sized gem of lightly fried dough the mamas in our Tanzanian village would cook for us for breakfast most mornings. This East African deliciousness is even better when stuffed with peanut butter, chocolate, jam, cinnamon, and/or banana OR accompanied with chai (tea in Swahili). 

I had to meticulously observe my mama prepare the maandazi dough so as to know the amount of each ingredient because the mamas do not measure things out. The amount for each ingredient is my estimation and will make about 30 maandazi. 

What you'll need:

- 7 cups flour (we used white, but I'm sure whole wheat is good too)

- 2 cups water (room temp)

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Do it!:

1. mix the yeast with a few spoonfuls of the warm water. 

2. Add sugar and salt to the water. 

3. Add the flour and gradually add in the water while kneading into dough. 

4. Knead until a smooth and elastic dough is formed - fifteen to twenty minutes.

5. Cover dough and let rise for one hour.

6. Divide the dough into several pieces.

7. Stuff dough with peanut butter, chocolate, jam, etc... if you like.

8. Heat a few cups of vegetable oil in a skillet or deep pot. Fry the dough in the hot oil, turning a few times, until they are golden brown all over. Fry only as many together as can float in the oil without touching one another. 

9. Let cool a little and EAT!!

My Musa - Monochrome

I'm back from Africa and more inspired than ever! I had the most amazing and empowering experience living and teaching English in Musa, a traditional Maasai village just outside Arusha, Tanzania the past two months. I can't wait to share my photographs and stories. Folks, there are many, so bare with me as most of my future posts will strictly be stills from my adventure. Surprisingly, I found solace and comfort in writing while I was there and therefore poured out every new experience, thought, story, and image into my little 100 paged, red-bound zen journal every single day. It has become a testament of the once in a lifetime adventure I lived. Maybe I'll write a book one day... hmm...

The following stills are some of my favorites, shown to you in black and white because I believe black and white has some artistic and emotional qualities that are just not possible to achieve in color photography. My father is a professional photography and he has told me that black and white also focuses the eye on the emotional center of the piece and that probably the best subject for black and white photography is the human face. A lot of my photographs are of the watoto (children) from my village. Black and white gives these stills a powerful aspect. Some even send chills down my arms and make me wish to return so I can be with them. 

Enjoy. 

[Daudi, Faraja, Neema, Agnes, Eppi; a small handful of my village watoto]

[Eppi singing out in the grass field in the center of our zone]

[Enoshi, Baba Ezekiel, and Faraja watercoloring for the first time inside our home]

[Faraja, Dony, and Daudi singing "Boringo!"]

[Eliyatosha, Asnati, Emmanuel, Luka; tutition kids]

[just playing on a wheel barrel]

[Petro un-shelling beans by whacking them with a stick]

[beautiful face]

[the children here don't play with dolls or barbies. they play with smaller babies.

outside my home]

[Last day of school with my standard 6 students]

[Teacher Alex and I with Wazaino, week 6 participation point winner!]

[Mzee, Mbayani, Mikael, and Eliyatosha; some very intelligent boys]

[My beautiful mama]

[Three of my siblings messing around before dinner]

[village rugrats]

[some alone time kicking the ball around]

[Nakupenda sana na Nitakumissy]

[Petro]

[Anna]

[Lucy] 

[Faraja]

[Yacobo and Eliyatosha solving a pretty advanced math problem]

[Enoshi]

all images by one life in stills 

cheezy kale chips

"Chips made out of kale?? WEIRD!", you say. 


"Don't slam it until you try it people!", I say.  


I haven't tried this specific cheezy kale chip recipe (by Angela Liddon of Oh She Glows) but I trust the result will be a prosperous one because 1) I trust the woman and 2) everything (and I mean everything) I make from her blog has been a joy to make and even more of a joy to consume. 


I guess that's why I trust the woman ;) 


I plan to make a big batch to enjoy during my 39 hour trip to Africa next week because I know I'll need some greens and I know airport "greens" won't make the cut.  


Hooray for cheezy kale!

What you'll need:

- 1 large bunch of kale, stems discarded and leaves ripped up

- 30 grams organic sundried tomatoes, soaked in water to soften for at least 1 hour (see note)

- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 1 hour

- 2 large garlic cloves

- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp soaking water from tomatoes

- 2-4 tbsp fresh basil

- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

- 3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste

Do it!:

1. In two separate bowls, soak the sundried tomatoes and cashews in water for at least 1 hour, but preferably 1.5-2 hours if possible. After soaking, reserve the tomato soaking water and set aside. Drain and rinse the cashews.
2. In a food processor, with the machine running, drop in the garlic and process until minced.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the salt. Process until smooth, scraping sides as necessary, and add salt slowly to taste.
4. Wash the kale leaves and tear the kale into pieces, discarding the stems. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner (this helps the sauce stick). Place greens into a large bowl. Pour the cheeze sauce on top of the kale and stir with a spoon. Then toss the spoon and get in there with your hands to massage the sauce into the kale until well coated. Season with salt to taste.
5. Dehydrate for about 12 hours at 105-110F. Kale chips are ready when they are super crispy and taste magnificent.

*You may also use an oven if you don't own a dehydrator. However, store kale in glass jar to keep fresh longer.

my april in stills

Day 1: reflection

Day 2: color

Day 3: mail

Day 4: someone who makes you happy

Day 5: tiny {highway 1}

Day 6: lunch {veggie grill}

Day 7: shadow {Happy Easter, you bunnies!}

Day 8: inside your wallet

Day 9: younger you

Day 10: cold {cold for the desert}

Day 11: where you ate breakfast {Two Guns Cafe}

Day 12: stairs {sitting on them}

Day 13: something you found {rad people}

Day 14: how you feel today {happy as can be}

Day 15: sunset {chinese lantern at coachella}

Day 16: flower

Day 17: something you don't like {post office delays}

Day 18: hair

Day 19: orange

Day 20: something you drew

Day 21: bottle

Day 22: the last thing you bought {wheatgrass shot}

Day 23: vegetable

Day 24: something you're grateful for {family}

Day 25: looking down

Day 26: black and white

Day 27: somewhere you went {Santa Cruz/Capitola}

Day 28: 1pm

Day 29: circle {UCSC alumni soccer game}

Day 30: something that makes you sad {not living in 714 house}