From My Kitchen: Hungary Meets Spain

To reminisce our travels to Hungary and Spain, tonight’s dinner is Goulash Soup made with beef, tomato, paprika, potato and roasted bell pepper – the classic ingredients in a typical Goulash Soup.  Then I added green olives with pimiento to add a Spanish touch.

A Summery Way to Work Those Weekend Calories Off

I enjoy walking.  I like to feel the sun on my cheek, breath the fresh air in and photograph the beautiful scenery. 

Here’s a picture I took from today’s lunch break walk…

After Ice Cream Walk

 
How long do we have to walk to burn off a scoop of ice cream? 

First Ice Cream of the Summer

Happy Summer!  As the weather gets warmer, our eyes widen in excitement at the thought of delighting our taste buds with a favorite summertime treat -- ICE CREAM!

Sunday Brunch at Home Restaurant in Los Feliz

This casual neighborhood restaurant on Hillhurst is popular -  with significant waits during evenings and weekends. 

Arrived a short while after opening on a Sunday morning and were quickly seated on a table next to the fountain.

Atmosphere was relaxed and congenial. Our server was amazing and very attentive. Sign by the entrance says “There’s No Place Like Home.”  He indeed made us feel truly at home.

Brunch gets 5 stars.  There’s a lot of dishes to choose from on the menu.  I ordered Huevos Rancheros, husband had Crab Benedict and both were especially good. 

This is truly a gem in Los Feliz and we’ll definitely be returning for more
.

Address: 1760 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 
Phone:(323) 669-0211

 

On a Summer Evening

I packed the picnic onto a tray -- artichoke hearts, olives, baguette toasted and rubbed with garlic, fresh tomato, basil & mozzarella, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, a drip of olive oil -- we gathered for a garden picnic and spread ourselves out on a giant blanket.

As dusk settled, we popped a tempranillo rose.  Stars started to appear right above us. It was beautiful!  

We may have more of this in the weeks to come...

Whole Foods Kids' Club

A snapshot and a video of the Little Guy playing around with the complimentary White Grape juice from Whole Foods.  He actually prefers water and milk over juice, which is a good thing since juices usually contain added sugar. 

Panini Cafe

We had lunch there today.  On the table -- a Chicken Kabob and a Chicken Panini...

Address: 21600 Victory Boulevard, Woodland Hills, CA 91303

Phone   :818.992.3330

 

Play Space Adventure

The Little One had a great time climbing on the bright colorful animals. Today he favored the turtle; last time it was the lioness. 

Address:  6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd  

               Canoga Park, CA 91303

After School

Bye-bye classmates, bye-bye, see you Monday :-)

And on we walked up the block, like we always do, and back...

Petunias in Bright Red Flower Box

How’s everyone doing on this gorgeous Friday? This bright red flower box on our patio jumps with vibrant petunias this morning.  I love petunias, they bloom all summer long.  We didn’t plan the color scheme, but the dark purple flowers sure look great next to  magenta and coral crush.

The petunias look happy and so are we :-)

Hike at Hollywood Hills

I feel like I’m sitting in the calm before the storm. Figuratively speaking of course.  July is a hectic month for us at work. It’s the end of another quarter this coming Sunday.  My mind is racing from one project to the next… I jot down to-do notes.  So far I have prepared everything I’m supposed to before Monday hits.  So now I wait…

And while on the "wait mode" I joined a colleague for a took a 2-mile walk up and down the hill.

Cheers friends. Have a great rest of the week!

Mid-week Catch-up

Happy Hump Day!  I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday.  Hope you guys have a stunning week so far! Today, I met a friend for lunch at Mantee Café, a charming Mediterranean restaurant in Studio City.

Address: 10962 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604

Phone   :818.761-6565

Lullaby & Goodnight

Just wanted to share this precious photo of the Little Guy asleep…

Oh, Sweet Summer Sun!

Summer has arrived this past Saturday.  The sun is out, but it feels like it's a few degrees cooler than normal for this time of year... so perfect for lunch time walk :-) 

Alcove Cafe & Bakery

Standing on the hillside neighborhood of  Los Feliz, the charming Alcove Café offers a hidden oasis of natural splendor, tranquility and delicious-ness.

On the table:  Shrimp + Crab Omelette  and Meat Lovers Omelette

Address: 1929 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 
Phone   :323.644.0100

 

My Summer Style

White shirt, shorts, flip-flops and sunglasses ... bring on summer, the Little One is ready to roll!

Hair Snipped for Summer

Onward to Summer!  The Little One had his second haircut at The Yellow Balloon this morning.  Ta-dah!!! 

New Word: Book

I am keeping track of when the Little Guy first use a new word in context.  Tonight, he handed his ABC book and said… boo, boo :-)

Gourmandise Friday: A Taste of Mexico

There's no shortage of Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles -- from high-end down to family taquerias.  Tonight we picked a mariscos place and had some mouthwatering parillada, tostada and a glass of michelada (for hubby) to wash it all down.

Last Day of Spring

Bidding the beautiful season adieu with these snapshots of the Little One from one of our afternoon walks.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Father’s Day at Bourbon Steak

We celebrated Father's Day at Bourbon Steak at The Americana in Glendale.

Wishing a Happy Father's Day to all the great dads! To my dad, thank you for the wonderful life you have given me. My gratitude is endless and continues to grow each passing day! And to my sweet hubby, you are a great husband and a father beyond compare. The Little Guy and I are the luckiest!

Lovely Saturday in Santa Monica

We had a reservation at Connie & Ted in West Hollywood but valet was full and we couldn't find a street parking so we decided to drive down towards Santa Monica. 

Toddler Art Class: Father's Day Handprint/Footprint Crafts

The Little Guy's gift for Daddy on Father's Day :-)

Organic Blueberries

A typical breakfast on a typical Saturday while in season, blueberries are packed with antioxidant --  sometimes sweet, sometimes a little tart, but always delicious.

Eating with a Spoon

Letting the Little Guy exert his independence to his heart’s content while Mommy cringes to think of the impending mess that awaits...

Go Deutschland!

World Cup kicks-off today and we are rooting for Germany – go Deutschland!

Sunday Routine after Mass

So our typical Sunday routine – church, brunch and grocery shopping.  Today after hearing Mass, we drove and drove along Ventura Blvd looking for a place to have brunch.  Hubby suggested Blu Jam Café, but the line was long so we continued driving to Encino and ended up at Rosti Tuscan Kitchen.

On the table:  Margherita Pizza, Seafood Risotto and Risotto Al Forno

The next hour we spent grocery shopping at Wholefoods Market.

Slide, Swing and Walking Down the Hill

This morning we woke up extra early, grabbed a sandwich and coffee from a Vietnamese place and headed to the park.  It was gloomy and a bit chilly so instead of spreading the picnic blanket out, we walked down the hill and sat in one of the benches by the lake, ate the sandwich and waited for the sun to come out. Once we finally got some sunshine we walked to the playground. The Little Guy played on the slide with a little help from Daddy and had a great time on the baby swing.

Happy weekend to you all!

Here are some photos we snapped…

A Wine and Cheese Picnic @ Home

Of course, we still love to dine out on Friday nights but with a toddler in tow it can be challenging. So tonight we decided to have a cozy indoor wine and cheese picnic -- sans blanket.