Yeah, there are some gaps. But there's this.

Bakers, Like, Totally

For whatever reason, when I come to LA to visit my in-laws I like to bake. It started a couple Christmases ago when I decided I wanted to try to make Bourbon balls as gifts for friends and former colleagues I'd be visiting, and since then it's sort of been something I do with help from Laila.

Together, Laila and I have made Christmas cookies, lemon meringue pie (a disaster!), coconut cream pie, and, most recently, carrot cake and red velvet cupcakes. I LOVE carrot cake and this recipe was just amazing, as was the accompanying recipe for cream cheese icing.

Laila is usually involved in the process at the very beginning and at the very end. Like I say, "Hmmm, what should we make?" and then once it's made, she comes in and decorates or eats, depending on what's necessary. This time she got extra crafty with the decorations on the cupcakes, adding squares of chocolate, chocolate shavings and even shredded coconut to the menu of toppings.

 Baking with Laila is definitely becoming one of my favorite LA traditions, right up there with Real Food Daily.

LA Familia

Mack and I got to hang with our rowdy neighbors a few days ago and I love these people like you would not believe.

They lived upstairs from us in Venice, and even though on the surface we look like complete opposites, hanging out with Bill and Sandra is like spending time with people I grew up with -- namely the Troyers, a group of brothers whose garages served as the backdrop for much of my childhood. They're loud, they cuss, they're tattooed, they're big drinkers, they're basically white trash, but they're good people, so good that they'd take your dogs to the vet even after they'd moved an hour away and you'd thrown shit on their sidewalk for years before that (true story). What you see is what you get, and that is my favorite character trait in people. Sure, they're rough around the edges -- who isn't -- but they are pure gold at their core.

They're originally from New York, but California has softened them. They're now vegetarians and recycling is a major priority. While we were hanging out, Sandra went outside to have a cigarette and their little girl, Sadie, started screaming in the squeakiest 3-year-old voice, "SMOKING IS BAD!! SMOKING IS BAD" Screaming it and chasing after her mom to make sure she got the message. Sadie is also a vegetarian. And a genius.

We taught her how to do the middle finger.

No, it's not good for a 3-year-old to give the middle finger, but it's also not good for a three-year-old to suck on a pacifier or not be potty trained, and Sadie doesn't do those things. She's not your typical kid, because her parents aren't your typical parents. That's why I like them so much. Some kids read Curious George; Sadie reads Pat the Zombie. Some kids watch Disney movies; Sadie watches horror movies. Some kids play with dolls; Sadie plays with snakes.

We got to see their new house, a fortress hidden behind a 30-foot-tall wall of bougainvillea. Sandra has a studio to do her makeup stuff, Billy has a workshop to do his motorcycle stuff, Sadie has a back yard to do her kid stuff. And in the midst of car parts, broken toys, and a janky tire swing, there's a beautiful garden, full of flowers and vegetables and solar powered lights. That yard is the perfect metaphor for these people.