The Amora Table

Every road trip has that one stop you refuse to skip.

For us, it’s Java Beach Café before heading south. Giant pastries, sandwiches packed carefully (yes…I asked for the toppings on the side again 😂) that becomes lunch from the cooler later in the day.

We also drove the route Garren used to take when he commuted to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We searched for the little farm stand he remembered, but it was gone. Thankfully, another nearby stand gave us a new tradition to look forward to - with melons, peaches, tomatoes, and enough fresh produce to fill tomorrow’s meals.

Sometimes the places change, but the feeling doesn’t.

Pull up a chair …

Is there a road trip stop you’d be heartbroken to find gone?

Day 1 in California is officially in the books.

Somehow the Bay Bridge traffic actually cooperated this year, which meant we got to enjoy the drive and all the familiar sights that brought back memories of living here - 99 Ranch, Trader Joe’s, Fort Funston, and finally our long-awaited stop at Banana Island for Malaysian food we’ve been craving all year.

Our hotel wasn’t exactly luxurious (no microwave, no soap 😅), but the ocean view made up for a lot.

And for everyone who questioned packing an air fryer…

Our crispy squid turned soft from steaming in the takeout container during the drive. Five minutes in the air fryer and it was back to crispy perfection.

Team Air Fryer: 1.

The kitchen bag also earned bonus points today thanks to the reusable containers, utensils, wine opener, sponge, and dish soap. I may have packed half a kitchen…but I have zero regrets.

Pull up a chair …

What’s one thing you’ve packed on vacation that everyone thought was unnecessary…until it wasn’t?

The biggest debate before this road trip wasn’t where to stop…

It was whether the air fryer deserved a seat in the car.

Garren said, “Just don’t order fries.”

I laughed.

Then he suggested throwing leftovers away.

Also no.

If you’ve ever looked at leftover fries and immediately thought about breakfast hash, loaded fries, or crispy snack plates…you get it.

So the compromise was simple: If I could fit it inside my luggage, it could come.

Challenge accepted.

Every time this air fryer gets used over the next two weeks, I’m documenting it as evidence.

Pull up a chair …

Team Air Fryer or Team Leave It At Home?

What do you do when the backyard plums are ripening faster than you can eat them?

Apparently, you puree them and make pancakes.

Norrin and I have been gathering plums from our little tree all week, so I blended some into pancake batter with whole wheat flour, vanilla, eggs, and a little extra fiber power. The batter needed some adjusting, breakfast happened a little out of order, and Garren’s plate ended up with runny eggs right on top because that’s how he likes it.

A little backyard fruit, a little breakfast experiment, and one more way to use what’s ripe before it gets away from us.

Pull up a chair - today the plums became pancakes.

The backyard plum tree is still winning.

We have too many plums to use before our road trip, so guess who’s getting plums at work tomorrow?

And somehow, even after setting some aside to share, there were still too many extra-ripe, juicy ones on the counter. So I chopped them up, simmered them down into a plum purée, and packed it away in the freezer for future recipes.

The plum pancakes are coming. Probably other plum experiments too.

Pull up a chair - apparently we’re in our plum era.

Our little backyard plum tree has been busy.

Norrin and I have been going out every day this week to gather what’s fallen, pick what’s ripe, and imagine all the things these plums might become.

So far, we’ve shared some with neighbors, eaten plenty straight from the tree, and made up a few very important plum songs along the way.

Pull up a chair - plum season has officially arrived.