get your yummy back

I confess. I have been distracted – with good reason!

As of today, we are officially residents of Santa Barbara, California. Otherwise known as the “American Riviera,” Santa Barbara is perched on California’s central coast, about 90 miles north of Los Angeles. Flanked by the mountains and the sea, it is, um, paradise.

Last week, my husband, the cat, and I drove across the country. This is the third time I have made the trip across country by car, although I’d never taken I-40, which parallels the historic Route 66. We hit Nashville, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Amarillo, and Flagstaff (just to name a few cities) before cruising into California. 

Honestly, eating healthy while road-tripping is no easy task. Gas stations, hotel breakfast buffets, and food courts are mine fields for a healthy diet. Keeping a few food rules in mind, I must say, we fared pretty well. Very early on, we decided to stock up on only healthy snacks for the car. We would visit local markets to buy bananas, apples, grapes, water, and low-fat string cheese. Candy was not allowed in the car, with the exception of sugarless gum. For lunch, we would split a healthy sandwich. Sometimes we had it made to our specifications at a market deli counter and other times we paid a visit to Subway (conveniently located at EVERY gas station between DC and CA). In the evening, we were sure to start (and sometimes end) our meal with salad and we drank LOTS of water. We also made it a point to exercise every day. Feeling good about my food choices made the time in the car just that much more sufferable. 

The drive across country is a wonderful lesson in history, geography, food, and culture. It reminds me of how deeply our eating habits and food values are shaped from childhood. Growing up in California, my Mom would pick lemons, limes, and oranges from our trees to flavor our meals. We also had pomegranate and apricot trees. The climate, tradition, and foodways of California are just a few of the many reasons I am so happy to be back in Santa Barbara!  

Assuming all goes according to plan, our stuff should arrive sometime this week. Once the kitchen is up and running, I will begin testing recipes once again. Until then, I’ll be dreaming of what to do with all of the oranges, kumquats, and pineapple guavas growing in my new back yard…