There is something so special about a lunch date with a small group of close girlfriends. This past weekend I left my husband happily watching a hockey (or was it football) game at home and met some of my good girlfriends at Perch Los Angeles, a restaurant in the heart of downtown.
The Last Bookstore Los Angeles
In an era of declining number of traditional bookstores, The Last Bookstore stands proud in an obscure building of downtown Los Angeles. This place is easily overlooked as you walk along the “up-and-coming” neighborhoods of downtown — meaning this area can be a bit grimy.
Oasis Date Garden
During a recent heat wave in Los Angeles my husband turned to me and said, “Let’s go to Palm Springs!” He said this as if the desert was the most logical place to escape a heat wave. The crazier thing was that I said, “Let’s do it!” I have spent most of my life going down to the desert for weekend get-aways as my grandparents and parents have had vacation homes in the area. Now one of my brothers and his wife have a vacation place there too so it is really fun to get out of the city and have some mini family pow-wows under the desert sky.
Ojai Studio Artists Tour 2014 Weekend in Review
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Ojai Artists Tour, my husband and I had made plans to attend the 2014 Ojai Studio Artists Tour — what a great weekend and display of talent, varied personalities and artistic mediums! We even stumbled upon some llamas, pets of one of the artists.
Bougainvillea Care
The bougainvillea is a beautiful flowering plant that has long been reported to me as an extremely hardy plant — able to survive anything. Okay, not true! They require some love and attention which I found out after almost killing mine within a week! My mentor at the local gardening store told me this was a record. (He has since gone back to school for social work where I know he will thrive as he was so patient with me. I’m sure my endless need for gardening 101 hand holding didn’t play a role in his decision, right?)
Potato Kale Soup
There is something special about the potato. It can be served up in so many ways and in so many places. Did you know the potato was the first vegetable to be grown in space? In honor of that (and my husband being a space man), I introduce to you his Potato Kale Soup.
It’s a Grand Day at Grand Central Market Los Angeles
Within the interlacing streets of downtown Los Angeles lies Grand Central Market, a warehouse style building filled with various food stalls and bustling eateries. The day my husband and I visited was a particularly hot day in the city. We had taken the metro downtown and walked to the market. By the time we arrived at our destination, I was getting a bit weary of the city “perfume” shall we call it and ready to eat (go figure!). To my delight, we were surrounded by a bounty of food options. Our three favorites were (in no particular order):
Got Walnuts? You Should!
Since I was a little kid I have always craved walnuts. This often overlooked fruit (yes, nuts are a fruit) is slowly making its way up the “nuts to watch” list. Aside from them being a delicious topping to an ice cream sundae, they are a healthy nut alternative to the often thought of almond.
Ojai Artists Tour
One of my favorite spots to visit is Ojai, California. It has a laid back, almost hippie vibe (but not with the dirty feet, dancing in circles nonsense).
Coming up in a couple of weeks is their Ojai Studio Artists Tour. This event includes over 50 local (professional) artists who open their studios to visitors for a rare, behind-the-scenes look at their collections. It will be held over Columbus weekend, October 11-13.
Sushi, Fingers or Chopsticks?
As you all know, I am a lover of food — almost all types. Recently I was reminiscing about the delights of sushi and how it is, for me, a finger food. This lead me to do some investigating. Here are some curious tidbits I found:
- Even though most people in the U.S. use chopsticks to eat sushi, it’s traditionally eaten with the fingers.
- Sushi caught on originally as a cheap, quick snack to eat with the hands while enjoying a theater performance.
Things to ponder when you next sit down to a plate of this delight, enjoy!