INTOXICATING!

DEFINITION: EXCITING, THRILLING, STIMULATING, HEADY, EXHILARATING.

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED ROSES, AND HAVE A FEW BUSHES GROWING IN MY YARD THAT ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO SURVIVE UNDER THE CARE OF MY BLACK THUMB..WHEN I DO GET A FEW BLOOMS I ENJOY CUTTING THEM TO MAKE FRAGRANT ARRANGEMENTS......I ALSO HAVE A MAGNOLIA TREE IN MY YARD...THE OTHER DAY I DECIDED TO CUT ONE OF THE HUGE BLOOMS AND PUT IT IN A SHALLOW BOWL....WOW, WHAT AN AMAZING SCENT, SWEET, EXOTIC, LEMONY...INTOXICATING!

SPEAKING OF FLOWERS HERE ARE SOME MORE PHOTOS OF THE BUCHART GARDENS IN VICTORIA, B.C. AS A FRIEND OF MINE SAID AFTER HER VISIT, IT FEELS SURREAL THERE...LIKE YOU ARE IN HEAVEN...LET'S HOPE HEAVEN LOOKS JUST LIKE THIS!

GREAT TO GET AWAY....GOOD TO BE HOME!

Back from a very long 11 days on vacation...we visited Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Gig Harbor, Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Victoria B.C.

In no specific order we:

Saw the amazing Buchart Gardens, took 3 ferry rides, found my dream home in Gig Harbor (PHOTO 5) , got a bird's eye view of Seattle from the Space Needle, shopped at Pike's Market, ate some great seafood, saw The Proposal (cute film!) stayed at a charming B & B, walked through beautiful lavender fields, rented a turn of the century house in Sequim, and ate way too much ice cream!!

We stopped in San Francisco first and celebrated my daugher's 21st birthday and my mother-in- law's 75th...

It was great to see the Pacific Northwest...beautiful, green, and so different from where I live. Back to reality, back to enjoying summer and to my computer so I can catch up on all of your blogs!!

Happy 4th to all!

WHERE HAVE I BEEN???

Have you noticed I haven't blogged much lately? I feel bad - my laptop crashed about a month ago and, and for some reason, I haven't been as inspired working on the desktop in the office. I am stuck at home today with no car, and have done all the cleaning I want to do, which is not much.

I was looking through the pantry for something easy to bake, and with the limited ingredients on hand, and a little web searching, I found this easy Lemon Polenta cake on the Cooking Light website--and for all you Ina fans, NO BUTTER!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
1-1/4 c. All Purpose Flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 t. baking soda
1.4 t. salt
2/3 cup reduced fat buttermilk
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
2 t. grated lemon zest


To prepare cake, coat an 8 inch round pan with cooking spray, line bottom of pan with parchment paper, coat paper with cooking spray and set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 dry ingredients (through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a wisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs and zest, stirring well with a wisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until moist. Pour batter into prepared pan, bake for 40 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on wire rack. Remove cake from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

The recipe calls for a fruit compote. I just made a lemon glaze out of confectioner's sugar and lemon juice. I think fresh raspberries or strawberries would also be great.

BOXERS OR BRIEFS??

You have probably been to a Tupperware party, maybe even a Pampered Chef party, and of course around the holidays we have the candle parties-but do you know what a boxer party is?

I didn't either until I was invited to the 1st Annual Boxer Party at a friend's house. Only requirement.... wear a pair of your husband's boxers or as I did, go to Ross and get a cute pair for CHEAP. Other requirements are bring a salad - I can do that, couscous salad which is super easy to make - see recipe below.

Well, it was a really fun day....my friend Katie "the artist" brought some clay and we all got creative and made some interesting pieces...Grace has a beautiful home, a great garden and a pool, and the weather was warm, so we all jumped in with our boxers...

One more thing....the wine was flowing....that just made it a little more fun...I look forward to the 2nd annual boxer party.

Who knows what we will create next year?

Here's the recipe for the Couscous, Chicken and Artichoke Salad

2 6 ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts
4 c. cooked and cooled couscous, orzo or other small pasta
2 c. coarsely chopped cooked chicken (I omitted it yesterday)
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
salt and ground black pepper
3 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cherry or grape tomatoes-as many or as little as you like
Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade
Coarsely chop artichoke hearts
In a large bowl, stir together couscous, artichoke hearts, marinade, chicken, green onions, parsley, pine nuts and salt and pepper to taste.
Stir gently and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with tomatoes.

SPA DAY...MOTHERS DAY GIFT...-DREAM COME TRUE!

ON SATURDAY, I SPENT THE DAY AT RANCHO LA PUERTA IN TECATE, MEXICO WITH MY BEST FRIEND....IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE... I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO VISIT THIS SPA FOR MANY YEARS, BUT NEVER COULD AFFORD THE WEEKLY COST. RECENTLY AFTER OPENING A BRAND NEW KITCHEN AND COOKING SCHOOL, THEY BEGAN OFFERING "SATURDAYS AT THE RANCH", COMPLETE WITH A THREE HOUR COOKING CLASS, USE OF THE HEALTH FACILITIES, POOL, BUFFET VEGETARIAN LUNCH AND FITNESS CLASSES....

WE ARRIVED AT ABOUT 10:00AM - A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THE SWINE FLU....TOOK A YOGA CLASS, WALKED AROUND THE BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS AND THEN SAT BY THE POOL...THEY OFFERED A HEALTHY VEGETARIAN BUFFET LUNCH...EVERYTHING SERVED IS GROWN RIGHT THERE AT RANCHO LA PUERTA!

AT 3:00PM A BUS TOOK US TO ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE THEY HAVE BUILT THE MOST AMAZING STATE OF THE ART KITCHEN, THERE ARE ACRES AND ACRES OF ORGANIC VEGGIES AND FLOWERS GROWING...

WITH A GROUP OF JUST 16, WE CHOSE ONE OF 8 DISHES TO PREPARE FOR DINNER, BETSY AND I CHOSE DESSERT..... A HEALTHY CARROT CAKE..DUH!!

WE WENT INTO THE GARDEN TO PICK SOME VEGETABLES FOR ONE OF THE RECIPES...PUT ON OFFICIAL APRONS, WHILE THE HEAD CHEF GAVE US COOKING TIPS. AFTER MIXING, CHOPPING AND SAUTEEING, WE SAT DOWN TO A DELICIOUS DINNER OF CARROT AND JICAMA SALAD, ROASTED VEGETABLES, GRILLED TILAPIA, QUINOA AND OUR CARROT CAKE!

WHAT A MOTHERS DAY GIFT....WITH SPECIAL MEMORIES WITH A GOOD FRIEND!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU!

IN HONOR OF EARTH DAY

5

I decided to take a walk through Quail Botanical Gardens, located here in Encinitas....a lovely place with a palm canyon, cactus garden, bamboo forest, and a relaxing waterfall surrounded by lush trees. This peaceful oasis is to home to plants from all over the world, and a couple of whimsical garden people. A Children's Garden has been recently added and they have great events....I am looking forward to the Chocolate Festival and the Wine Festival coming up in the next month---Wine and Chocolate and a beautiful garden...what more could a woman want??

Let's all honor Mother Earth and enjoy the nature around us ----whether it's in our backyard, a community park, or a nearby lake or ocean.

P.S. I bid on and won a brand new red Kitchen Aid Mixer on EBAY - Thanks for all your advice and suggestions!

Now, THIS is a coffee house!

Everyone has a Starbucks around the corner. How many of you have a coffee house that you have been visiting for over 25 years? One where you remember going to for a latte with your girlfriends, after aerobics class, still dressed in your leg warmers and Reebok's? Or when you were unemployed, a place to hang out and read the want ads for hours....Well, the Pannikin is that place!

The Pannikin was the original Encinitas Train Depot, built in 1888. In 1975 it become a charming yellow coffee house, with delicious teas, freshly roasted coffees and awesome baked goods...

This morning I met Janie, Panini Girl for coffee, and we reminisced about how LONG we have been coming to this special place. Besides selling its own blend of coffees, they sells lots of coffee and tea paraphernalia, and for many years it was the home of a wonderful art gallery...

Outside, there are colorful Adirondack chairs strewn all over the lawn...families come with their dogs and their kids pretty much run wild. Sometimes there is a line of 20 people outside the door.

Mostly what the Pannikin is a local place where people can come, run into their neighbors, or their 20 year old daughter's kindergarten teacher, and feel at home.

With times being the way they are, I think we all need to find a place in our community that welcomes us.... a home away from home. I hope you have a special place like this where you live.

If you do, make sure you support them.