I’ve lived in Southern California for about 99% of my life and it still continues to intrigue and amaze me. This past week I spent an afternoon hanging out in Venice and while I’ve visited before, I’d never really looked though the area with the keen eye of exploration.

I checked out a “real food” shop called Another Kind of Sunrise, a paleo-friendly breakfast bar in the heart of Abbot Kinney. I also took a stroll down to Intelligensia, my #1 favorite coffee roaster for the past 7 or 8 years. I also window-shopped, laid on the beach, walked the canals, I even took a yoga class at a friend’s new studio Yoga Salt.

One of my repeat visits was to the local Whole Foods.

If you have never been to the Venice Whole Foods, you must put it on you list. In most areas, Whole Foods is just another uppity organic grocer. In Venice, Whole Foods is an eccentric, Los Angeleno hippie playground. If I lived closer, I would go just to people watch, let alone actually buy anything. But buy something I did and I was not disappointed in the off-beat offerings from this fanciful location.

Two Words: Golden Milk.

The color drew me in, but the ingredients are what really piqued my interest. I’ve been enjoying making my own cashew milk for the past month or so and the promise of a new delicious, superfood milk inspiration is what justified the $9 a bottle purchase.

Golden Milk

2 c. cashew pieces (soaked overnight and rinsed)
7 dates, pitted
2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. sea salt
6 c. filtered water

1. Blend well in a high-speed blender.