NaBloPoMo Day 26: New Cookware and Green Space

Say hello to my little friend.

Thanks to two generous gift cards, a sale and a free shipping offer, I'm the proud owner of a new Le Creuset Two-in-One 2-Quart Pot and Pan.

I thought a 2-quart pot might be kind of small but it's actually a good size. Yet it's small enough to look so cute on the stove top. And the pan is small enough to handle but big enough to saute four servings of a carrot side dish. I didn't plan it well so the first thing I made with the pot was a spinach and bean sprout miso soup. Hahaha. I'll have to do braised vegetables or some other dish worthy of a fancy cast iron pan some other time.

Today's Hike

I met up with a friend whom I hadn't seen in about a year. She wanted to try the Temescal Canyon Trail in the Pacific Palisades, because the last time she went she wasn't able to make it up to Skull Rock.

We were a bit unprepared in terms of not being familiar with the trail, and we couldn't find signs that pointed to Skull Rock in particular, but managed to make it up! We were blessed with great weather, which allowed plenty of gorgeous views down the coast and into the canyon. At around 4 miles for the loop, despite some pretty steep areas, it's a very accessible hike. Most people didn't wear packs but just carried a Nalgene bottle of water.

I got there a little earlier than our meeting time, so I just sat on a tree stump near the parking lot and waited, and people-watched. There were lots of people heading up, dressed in nice athletic wear (lots of Lululemon!), mostly Caucasian, a few Asians. Those who drove into the parking lot drove Mercedes and other luxury cars. This is in the middle of Pacific Palisades, after all.

So of course I thought, why can't there be a nicely-maintained, accessible, spacious green space in the inner city? Why did I have to drive up 15 miles up the coast to get a chance to experience this?

But I realized that I've nver really been to the Kenneth Hahn Regional Park. I think I'd like to check it out and see how it compares as green space to places like the Temescal Gateway Park.

More to come on this very informal parks survey!