Today, I surprised myself with the best vegetable dip I’ve made so far. It’s a huge improvement over my first attempt to use yogurt as a dip base many years ago – a watery, tangy concoction that caused my uncles to tease me mercilessly for many family gatherings thereafter. (We all have to start somewhere!)

Mediterranean Vegetable Dip

Ingredients: Greek yogurt (Trader Joe’s 2%, 1.5 cup), olive oil (1 tsp), garlic (3 cloves), olives (6 Kalamata), sundried tomatoes (1 tsp), home grown herbs, spices (together about 2 tsp – basil, sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme, lemon verbena, white pepper, smoked Spanish paprika, cumin)

1. Cut garlic, olives, and sundried tomatoes into small pieces.
2. Sweat (avoid roasting/burning) garlic, olives, and sundried tomatoes in olive oil.
3. Mash mixture with a soft spatula as ingredients soften.
4. Powder herbs, pepper, and paprika in mortar and pestle.
5. Add herb mixture to pan with heat on low briefly to warm and release flavors while blending into paste.
6. Turn off heat.
7. Add yogurt briefly to pan to blend ingredients.
8. Pour mixture into a bowl to mix more thoroughly with remaining cold yogurt.
9. Refrigerate for an hour or more to allow flavors to blend.

Thanks to Stonyfield for posting recipes to inspire this improvisation and to my friends for encouraging me to share my recipes!

What are you creating this Thanksgiving?

The post Ruth Kalinka’s Mediterranean Vegetable Dip appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.

Are you going? Spread the word!

1. Post a badge on your own site.
2. Write a quick post describing what WordCamp Philly is and why you’re going.
3. Encourage friends and colleagues to sign up.

The post WordCamp Philly 2012 appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.

Today, I received questions from a friend who would love to know more about gardening but is feeling a bit overwhelmed. Her questions mirror many I’ve been answering since I started paying more attention to my plants.

How do you know all this stuff? How do I learn?

Growing up gardening and cooking has probably given me a bit of an edge, but that didn’t magically make me great with plants. Over time, I grew to appreciate (and water) them more. I manage my urban container garden through experimentation as well as plenty of advice from fellow plant lovers and Google. It’s amazing what great answers you can get when you enter a decent description of something you found in your soil!

What can I start right now?

Being late summer, I wouldn’t recommend flowers, fruits, veggies, or anything you’re not going to overwinter this late in the season. The exception is that you should plant spring bulbs in the fall.

Herbs are great for immediate green thumb gratification year round. They’re easy to grow and most bugs and critters will leave them alone. Actually getting to enjoy the fruits of your labor will make you a much happier gardener. You can also seed salad greens now. There is nothing like homegrown arugula harvested minutes before dinner.

My plants are sun lovers that enjoy hot, dry, southern exposure outdoors in the summer, and sunny windowsills in the winter (South, East, or West), but many of them would tolerate a bit more shade and water. All of these herbs have done well for me: mint (in its own container ONLY, mint is invasive and will take over), oregano, rosemary, lemon verbena, basil, lemon basil, lemongrass, sage, and dill.

The one herb I have found challenging to keep alive is cilantro because the heat makes it dry out and bolt (blossom) more quickly than other herbs.

Should I get plants or seeds?

A few weeks ago, I planted Genovese basil, lemon basil, dill, and arugula seeds for a late summer crop. The plants are looking great but delicate. Approaching September, you’ll be better off getting plants because they’ll be stronger for winter.

As soon as you buy herb plants, be sure to transplant them. This is probably the biggest mistake most of us make with container plants, but it applies to any house plants you get from the store. Gently massage their roots when you transplant because they’re usually already root bound and need to breathe to thrive. Give each plant a larger container with more soil immediately, and give them as much outdoor time in their new containers as you can before autumn.

When the season gets cooler and darker, plants start responding to the change in light and temperature, so late September or mid-October is a good time to bring them indoors. I like to select my strongest plants and upgrade their pots a month or two before bringing them indoors to really maximize their summer growing season. Doing this improves their chances of staying healthy through winter.

By overwintering (growing indoors during the winter), you can enjoy fresh herbs year round and get a jump start in the spring with full grown plants.

Happy planting! What are your favorite gardening tips?

The post Tips for the Novice Gardener appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.

To better answer these questions and more, I’ve created a new Services page, updated my About page, and updated links on the sidebar. Check out the changes and let me know what other questions I can answer!

The post New: Services page launched! appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.

I’m very passionate about the topic and co-speaker I planned, but I have decided not to submit a panel for SXSW 2013. This has raised many mixed feelings, but ultimately I feel fantastic about making the decision to focus my time and energy on other priorities. In the meantime, I’ve begun preparing my SXSW 2014 panel submission!

Are you submitting a panel? Let me know when I can vote for yours!

The post Prioritizing: SXSW 2013 appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.

Taking a moment to compose myself, I made my way to a beguiling Italian Rosé twinkling under the lights (Lunae Mea Rosa Golfo dei Poeti IGT 2011 by Lunae Bosoni Winery). Ignoring, for a moment, professional wine taster rule #1 (always spit and dump), I walked with my rosé while getting my bearings.

Having quickly given up on juggling the floor plan, wine glass, and tasting notebook, I had no idea how the wineries were organized and just made my way toward a few familiar French names. Serendipitously, I’d placed myself in the heart of Old World wines and a very enjoyable evening studying the classics.

In under three minutes, I was meeting new people and enjoying friendly conversation. It was easy once I got started. Afterall, most of the wine people I know are passionate about learning and sharing. I especially enjoyed my conversations with vendors who were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and unpretentious.

Bob Trimble, The Wine Guy, represented Louis Latour and introduced me to my first Grand Cru in a vertical tasting of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Barbara Eden of Luxe Vintages sampled a variety of artisanal wines that can be found at Garces Trading Company, including an aromatic Sancerre that would be perfect with soft shell crab.

Gail Nyvelt of the Wine Merchant provided my first taste of a wine recommended years ago, E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2006.

Not only did the representatives share wonderful wines, but they also offered insight into opportunities for me as a designer, social media consultant, and brand representative in the wine world.

Bob Trimble, The Wine Guy representing Louis Latour at Philadelphia Wine Festival 2012. Photo by PAWineSpirits

Overall, it was an excellent first wine festival. I enjoyed some of the best wine I’ve ever tasted, expanded my palate, met passionate wine people, and made professional connections. I didn’t taste the food (there was a whole dessert lounge!) or as many wines as I will next time, but I met new people and took my wine education to a new level, which is exactly why I was there.

Did you attend the festival? What wines do you recommend?

Luxe Vintages imports sampled at Philadelphia Wine Festival 2012. I liked them all, but I was particularly smitten with the Sancerre. What a gorgeous nose!

The post Philadelphia Wine Festival 2012 appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.

Today, I finished the day job on a very happy note. My replacements (yes, it took 2!) are lovely and ready to run the show. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to tell most of our regular patients at the chiropractic office that I would be leaving and to share my exciting new plans during the past month.

Most wanted to stay in touch, made sure we exchanged contact details, asked me to keep them posted, invited me to meet for lunch, and insisted that this is not goodbye, just “see you later”. I left with lots of hugs, congratulations, well wishes, love, and everyone very confident in my future. Several wished me luck and then immediately added that I don’t actually need luck; that I’ll be amazing in anything I do.

From the beginning, it was inevitable that I would eventually outgrow the day job and need to focus afresh on my professional goals. However, it was a wonderful fit for a long time. I loved the people and the impact I had on both the business and people’s lives. I practically bounced into the office each morning, excited for the day ahead. But, in the end, I’d also experienced the growing pains of leaving the nest for a few months, and it was time to move on.

As I left today, walking in the brilliant summery sunshine on an unseasonably warm spring day, I was moved by the realization that by taking my next steps, I was also allowing two wonderful women to take theirs. How lucky I was to find that space when I did, and now it’s their turn.

What’s Next?

Chasing what’s next is another project, but now there is more time and space for that focus. Assuming everything comes together in a timely fashion, all will truly be well.

I’ve been talking to people in my network and searching for new opportunities in design and social media. Working directly with people at the day job has been delightful, and I want more of that in my tech career. I have enjoyed touching so many lives and want to continue engaging with people online and off.

Being able to be transparent with our patient community during this process has been wonderful. I’ve been free to have open, passionate conversations about my future and received such an outpouring of love and enthusiasm from everyone.

As I move on, I will also return to this community in new ways. Next week, I’ll cover a shift for one of my replacements. I’ll also keep getting adjusted while I make changes in my life. And I’ll keep seeing the wonderful people I’ve grown to love in my time there.

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. While my future details are in flux (and the task list is quite astounding), I am on to exciting new adventures!

I hope all is well in your world! Thanks for being part of mine.

The post Spreading My Wings appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.

My advance preparations, as well as the mentoring I did before the conference, served me well in the inevitable chaos and serendipity that is SXSW. I met wonderful people, made important connections, articulated my professional direction, and accomplished many of my goals while helping others reach theirs.

I felt profoundly inspired, energized, and grateful. I did so much, and yet there was still so much more to do. I met and reunited with so many people, and yet there were still so many more I would have liked to have seen. It’s truly astounding to realize just how much happened at SXSW as I write my recaps, plan followup, and make notes for next year.

The panels I selected provided inspiration and new ideas to explore, while gathering people with similar interests and facilitating networking. To delve deeper into specific topics, I attend meetups and other conferences throughout the year. At SXSW, the content creates starting points for human connections with others in our vast and diverse industry.

This weekend, I have been in withdrawal, missing the people, social activities, geek conversations, hotel housekeeping(!), and even the ease of sponsored food and drink. (I’d thought I’d miss my kitchen, but I found some really great meals in Austin!)

Being present and surviving a week of SXSW was the easy part. Figuring out how to harness all of that amazingness and integrate it into everyday life is another challenge, but one I eagerly embrace as I map out the year ahead.

How was your SXSW? How do you plan to continue bringing SXSW into your daily life?

The post SXSW 2012 – Recap appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.

CNN Grill VIP event.

Hung out with Adria Richards, Dionne Fox, Michael O’Donnell, Mary Pryor, Dennis Yang, Ryan Lawler, Charlie Springer, Rolf Rando, Elliot Oshman, Cathy Brooks, Scott Beale, Dennis Crowley, & more.

Ran into old friends, met new friends, enjoyed excellent conversation, amazing customer service, great food, and a wonderful shelter from torrential rain. I’m off to the next event so I’ll keep this brief, but I’m loving every minute of SXSW so far… as always!

The post SXSW 2012 – Day 1 – Rainy Day People appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.

Xīn nián kuài lè! Gōng xǐ fā cái! 新年快樂! 恭喜發財!

The post Lions Dancing appeared first on Ruth Kalinka Designs.