September is All-American Breakfast month so go out and do you patriotic duty by having some healthy, delicious American style breakfasts this month!
Note: A good place to try is Jeanine’s Restaurant and Bakery in Montecito, yum!
Author Archives: Sharon W
Lotusland Gardens in Montecito, California
Tucked within the winding roads of Montecito, California lies Lotusland — the brain child of Ganna Walska. She herself was quite a character (born in Poland, became an opera singer, married six times, acquired great wealth), and her gardens are splendid. Seeing that I am desperately trying to keep our garden plants and pots alive (perhaps even flourish one day), this sounded like a great place to visit. Upon hearing Lotusland had a topiary garden that surrounds a horticultural clock, I couldn’t miss it!
Charlie’s Coffee House South Pasadena
I love funky, fun, independent coffee houses and am always on the look out for new ones. Not too long ago, as my beloved and I searched for the entrance to Hermon Trail for a hike, I spotted one of these elusive gems. A few days later I decided to visit my new find, Charlie’s Coffee House. To my delight, this place has enough funk to make it cool while still maintaining an order and cleanliness that keeps it from being grunge chic…jackpot!
Easy Caprese Salad Bowl Recipe
Long live the tomato! It’s a wonderful fruit which offers many health benefits including better heart health, better skin texture, cancer fighting agents, better sleep, and less chance of depression (my beloved gobbles up a tomato every morning and he has skin like a child and a curiously happy disposition – hmmm, coincidence?). So when this month’s food challenge for Cooks in the Kitchen was the tomato, I was “in” and ready to throw down my recipe. It’s easy, fast, and quite tasty. Let’s go…
Jeannine’s for Breakfast in Montecito, California
My honey and I were visiting Montecito for my niece’s wedding recently and had the good fortune to eat at Jeannine’s Restaurant and Bakery. To say their french toast is good would be like saying Van Gogh had some nice paintings. This place has french toast like no other!
Wine Shop at Lake Mission Viejo
A Hidden Vine on the Lake wine shop at Lake Mission Viejo is one of my favorite destinations, even though I am not much of a drinker. Three reasons (other than the obvious robust selection of wines) for this are:
Dogs + Good Health
It has long been studied, and proven, that having a dog can do a multitude of positive things for your health including…
- be more physically active
(Let’s go for a walk.)
Frozen Bananas, Balboa Island, and Birthdays
It was just my birthday and to my delight my husband took me to the happiest place on earth! No, not Disneyland…Sugar and Spice the frozen banana stand on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. If you have not been here yet, I suggest you run (not walk) to it and grab your treat.
Hermon Trail in Los Angeles — Get Moving!
I was driving with my husband on the 110 freeway in Los Angeles not too long ago and pointed out a trail I had seen people walking along that went up a steep mountain (well, perhaps it was a steep hill) not too far from the freeway. As I looked at him, I realized my mistake but had no way to rewind the words that had just come out of my mouth. You guessed it, that weekend we were climbing the beast and what fun it was!
Patriotic Roses
As an American, have you ever looked at a beautiful rose and felt a pang of patriotism?
There’s a good reason for that…
In 1986, the rose was designated the official flower and floral emblem of the United States of America — America the beautiful indeed!