Winter Berries

As winter approaches, it is time to look around and enjoy the changing landscape. Autumn colors have faded.  Bright red berries are the star of the season -- Winterberry Holly, Firethorn, Bearberry, Hawthorn Berry. They surely add a beautiful contrast to the browns and evergreens.

Here are some photos I snapped during lunch walk with a colleague.

Blackberry Cocktail on Ice Glass

Husband's drink at Boneyard Bistro --  Blackberry Frost Cocktail.  

On this drink, Reyka vodka, Solerno blood orange liqueur, muddled blackberries and fresh lemon juice. Served on a glass made entirely of ice.

Cheers! The glass is melting.

Bonefish Grill

Just stumbled upon this restaurant while driving at the parking lot of Northridge Fashion Center.  So why not give it a try, right?

On the table...

• BFG Imperial Dip -- creamy crab meat, shrimp and scallops served with crispy flatbread chips
• Chilean Sea Bass with Pan-Asian Sauce and White Truffle Mac + Cheese
• Wild Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa and Crab Fried Rice

Delicious food, great service and good value. We are coming back for sure.

Burger & Fries

Located on Verdugo Road in Glendale, Eden Burger serves burgers cooked to perfection.

Had lunch here with a close friend. I had the Firehouse which is made of dry-aged beef, jalapeño bacon, habanero jack, giardiniera, tomato, avocado and mayonnaise. So flavorful!

It came with a serving of perfect thin and crisp fries.

Pork Chop, Couscous and Veggies

Two pieces of bone-in center cut pork chop sprinkled with a dash of salt and a good cracking of peppercorns then cooked on a grill pan. 

Served with roasted sweet potatoes, couscous and salad greens topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Fresh Mozzarella with Truffle

...mixed with organic tomatoes and fresh basil from the garden, drizzled with organic extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with rock salt and pepper. Then spooned over garlic-rubbed toasted baguette.
 
Hmmmm...truffle-licious!

Lemon Ricotta Pancake

...served with blueberry lemon sauce is what I had for breakfast which I shared with the Little Guy. Husband had barley soup and Irish benedict. Where? At Zzyzx Cafe. 

Whenever I see Zzyzx I can't help myself think of scrabble. It's a high-scoring word after all at 42 points and can capture a win if it crosses a triple word square... smiley :-)

Migratory Birds

Look up! A huge flock of migratory birds swarms across the sky in Westlake Village as they make the arduous journey from their breeding grounds up north to their southern wintering grounds.

Sunrise

Watching the sun rise above the horizon on this beautiful Sunday morning.

Adopt a Family for Christmas

Our Parish is participating in the Adopt a Family for the Holidays.  The tag we got from the Angel tree the other Sunday is from a 11-year old boy.  Hopefully, these will brighten his Christmas Day.

Time for Another Haircut

After the housewarming party we went straight to the children's hair salon to have the Little Guy's hair trimmed.

Hide-and-Seek

Found you!

Housewarming Gift

Just finished wrapping this present for a housewarming party tomorrow.  May their new home bring them years of happy memories.

Ogunquit, Maine

The lobster roll I had for lunch inspired me to post the snapshots we took during our trip to Ogunquit a few years back.

As I had mentioned in my previous blog, this place is one of my favorite.  The rocky shores, the quaint boutiques and galleries, the restaurants serving the most delicious lobsters, the charming houses by the cove.... I so love Ogunquit and I will move here in a heartbeat.

Maine Lobster Roll

A New England style roll filled with mouthwatering lobster meat with a touch of mayo.

Beyond delicious!!!

I love lobster.  I like Maine.  Ogunquit, Maine is actually one of my favorite seaside towns in the United States -- so quaint, so pretty.  More here

After the rain

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pit.......ter---pat.....ter.

The rain has stopped.

Silvery raindrops clung to the leaves

The sun reappears on the horizon.  

The birds start to sing again.

A happy day!

Soy Lemon Beef Steak

Two slabs of New York steak cut into strips and marinated in soy sauce and lemon juice for about an hour then cooked in crushed garlic, thinly sliced onion and cracked peppercorns.

Garnished with a sprig of rosemary.

Congee and Rain

Grateful for a warm comforting dinner on this rainy evening— a bowl of congee with salted eggs, century eggs, fermented bean curd and salted bamboo shoot & mustard greens in chili oil.

Salmon, Couscous and Asparagus

On this lovely Monday evening we're having this grilled salmon, Israeli couscous with mushroom and grilled asparagus.

Healthy and delicious!

Autumn Foliage Comes Late in Los Angeles

It’s already December and autumn leaves are just peaking in Los Angeles.  The gingko trees, the sumac, tulip trees, maple and oak trees lining the streets are colorful and cheerful.  Yellow, brilliant crimson, bright orange, gold and red. Autumn colors are everywhere. 

Get out there and enjoy. The leaves are falling pretty quickly.