Goat Cheese? Yes! Please.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting "El Camino de las Cabras" Goat Dairy, which translates to "the way of the goats," or as I like to call it... the best experience I've had in Texas!

I have always been the outgoing type, so when some of my friends informed me that they were going on a trip that included horseback-riding, wine-tasting, and a visit to a goat farm, I knew I was going to finally break the series of some-what rather uneventful weekends in Texas. After learning how to two-step and buying a pair of cowboy boots, my weekends have become rather monotonous. Horseback-riding and wine-tasting were also a blast, but my favorite part of the day was definitely the dairy!

We arrived at the dairy and were greeted by the owner who promptly directed to put booties on over our shoes to keep the cheese making area free from contaminants. She then taught us about the process of cheese making and gave us a sample goat milk! At first, we were a bit leery after she warned that many of the goats had been eating a lot of weeds since recently the rain had sprouted up little patches of green in the desert... not really knowing what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the milk was very fresh and clean tasting. She also brought out two trays of goat cheese; one tray was filled with mild flavors and the second was filled with spicier selections that included hot peppers and spices. The goat cheese was very flavorful as expected and we knew that we had found a nice addition to our wine tasting later in the day!

The overall favorite cheese with most in our group was, of course, the feta. "Rosemary Garlic" and "Pistachio Thyme" were my two personal favorites, which I have been eating daily since purchasing. (Luckily, the products from this dairy are sold at the larger liquor stores in the area, so when I run out I will be able to get more easily!)

We also learned about the milking process and met some of the goats as they were being milked. Another interesting tidbit learned at the dairy was that many goat farmers also raise llamas which help protect the goats from predators as they assimilate into the herd and protect their smaller counterparts.

I really enjoyed petting the baby goats. I guess they heard about how much milk we had been drinking though, because as you can see, they tried to get revenge by nibbling on my pants and backpack straps! 

If you ever have the chance, I suggest you visit a goat dairy! It turned out to be both a very memorable and educational adventure. Many dairies also make other products that utilize goat milk including soaps that tend to be very moisturizing due to the cream content of the milk.

A walk on the beach

When we first arrived...

I have loved the beach ever since I was a little girl… My parents have told me the story of the first time I went to the beach and as soon as my feet were on the sand, I was darting to the ocean; my older sisters chasing after me and luckily catching me before I was picked up by a wave and taken out to sea. The salty breeze in my hair and the warm grains of sand between my toes are always comforting and soothing to me… as though the sea is whispering to me, “Welcome home.” Although only about an hour of our trip was spent at the beach capturing snapshots, climbing on rocks, and running across the sand, it was definitely my favorite part of the weekend.

2 out of 3

Don’t get me wrong… finding a dress in the window display that I loved and buying the last one in my size was very serendipitous, but enjoying the sun in my bare feet next to crashing waves was definitely the highlight for me.

We set out that afternoon in hopes of finding some shopping in Santa Barbara, the first outlet we went to had handmade slippers priced at about $195 and yacht apparel priced at about $500 per shirt which was just a bit too much on our pitiful salaries. However, we decided we should go to a mall instead and there were found a store having it’s grand opening, ANGL. All three ladies lucked out and found a vast array of tops, shorts, dresses, and accessories. Surprisingly, we each found and bought a dress!

The other ladies bought some tops and shorts as well, but later that night, I ended up ordering another dress online and taking advantage of the 15% off promotional code we received with our purchases. I will post pictures soon after it gets delivered and maybe a few more shots of this one when I get the hang of my new tripod.

Friend sporting her new top and shorts!

On the drive down, I had spotted a few beaches from the freeway and kept the names in mind on the drive back. Luckily we headed back in the late afternoon and around sunset we were at the exit for Refugio State Beach, which has a nice area for camping and direct access to the beach. Parking only cost us ten dollars, which was $2 per person and, in my opinion, well worth the amount of exploring, memories, and photographs obtained at the site.

My friends were out of the car in no time, but one friend remained and changed into some of her newly acquired clothing in the backseat of my car. We thought that the boys had already headed to the beach to take pictures, so we walked to the point and climbed along the rocks until we found a more secluded beach to take some pictures.

The steep climb down to the beach...

We heard voices from above and saw young little girls who were concerned that our purse and backpack might drift away as the waves came crashing in with the tide. We took a few pictures before we decided that the boys must have stopped at the bathroom to change into shorts and we returned to the public beach. We saw the young girls coming down a dirt path above us and asked if they had seen our friends. Indeed they had and we followed the path to the top of the cliffs and met up with our friends almost directly above where we had just been taking pictures. Enticed by the sight of a seagull fighting a crab on the beach below and being the adventurous sorts, we decided not to go all the way back around, but to save some time and climb down the rocks to our original site for photography.

Gorgeous sunset

We left shortly after sunset, but were able to take some beautiful photographs in the meantime.

Making Way for 2012

Yesterday was pretty much a wasted day... 15 hours of flights and travel to make it from Pennsylvania to California. However, today was very productive. The day started out with unpacking and doing a bit of laundry. Then, I cleaned my room and discarded some trash and things I didn't really need, such as packaging from a few of my Christmas gifts, old receipts, and things that no one else would want or need that I felt I no longer needed. Next, I tackled my drawers and closets; going through all of my clothes to donate to Goodwill and also threw out some old clothes such as socks and an old warn pair of sandals on which the zipper had broke and the heels were starting to wear away. A lot of the time, I will try to sell my clothes at a consignment shop in hopes of getting some return, but it is still the holiday season and I felt that these items would make a better donation.

I also went shopping with a friend and helped him find a new pair of shoes. We also went out to eat, and I managed to find some time to buy groceries and steam my clothes with my new steamer. I am so happy with it. It was the one thing that I wanted for Christmas and it works like magic!

On that note...
Warning: Going off on a Tangent here.

Although I previously posted some resolutions or goals for the new year, I've decided that I'd like to try to put more money into savings and follow a stricter budget. I also hope to have less clutter and to stop being such a pack rat (and this will also help me live a healthier lifestyle as less clutter = less stress).

Today was a great start for both of these goals! :) I've removed 3 bags of garbage and 2 bags of clothing for donations... I also saved about $20 just by steaming my uniform by hand rather than taking them to dry cleaning.

Back to the point...

I have such a positive outlook for this year! I will be moving a few times (once to Texas and then who knows?), receiving a promotion and more training for my job, and  Right now I don't feel like there is anything holding me back from reaching my goals and being happy in 2012. I cannot wait to see what this year has in store... I'm ready for whatever comes my way!



What are your goals for 2012 and what are you doing to make them happen?