Brook Benton & Dinah Washington - Baby You've Got What It Takes (1959)

This is one of my favorite songs....a perfect way to end the month....aye? this is dinah washington and brook benton....apparently they didnt like each other....here is to a fabulous september!

Last Weekend

Chinatown Summer Nights are coming to a close....this is the last weekend....

You must go right before dusk....so you can see it without its glowing beauty....

Then at dusk....that is when the magic happens....like in spirited away when the little city begins to light up....

When the darkness comes....it is even more beautiful....

Bring your kids....if you have any....its sure to remain in their brain forever....it did in mine....

You can pick up some cheap goodies for the kids or for the kid in yourself....

The opposite entrance during the day....Go!

Sunday Salad

This salad was inspired by SundaySuppers....if you havent been there....please go there and see their deliciousness....
Salad
black russians,mini yellow cherries,and yellow pears(if you dont have your own tomato garden go ahead and buy 2 large heirlooms for this)
one thinly sliced romaine heart
8 ounces of whole wheat penne(cooled) after i cook them i toss in olive oil and a little salt and pepper
1 can of cannellini beans drained because i was too hot and lazy to cook them from scratch
1/4 cup toasted pinenuts
15 large basil leaves(rolled and thinly sliced)
1/8 cup of chopped up mint and parsley
I like my food herby so if this is too much for you then use less

Salad Dressing
Limey Vinaigrette
I make a large batch because i use it for all sorts of other things.... like i mix it in rice or marinate some meat with it.... sometimes we dip our bread into it....whatever you think it might be good with....
6 limes juiced and zested(because i have a lime tree....you could use lemons but 2 not six....and i love things tangy)
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp of finely chopped red onion
1 tsp of salt and pepper
half a cup olive oil
you can also add herbs if you would like.... fresh would be best
I put these ingredients in jar with a lid and shake like a wild woman

Add your salad ingredients in a bowl.... lightly toss and then add half or less of the dressing depending on how you like it....toss again in the dressing and eat up my friends....ENJOY!

A Little Something To Get The Morning Rolling

I totally dig this song....obviously.

Naked Ladies Have Returned

Can you see them in the background?

So lovely....

So fragrant....

Here they are paired up with bougainvilla....thank you lillian where ever you maybe....the lady who lived in my home before I....then she had to leave because her husband died....rest in peace arnold....

Water and Wood

I have been doing lots of experiments lately....these are my latest....wood blocks with water color pencils....i think they turned out quite pretty....

So when the chaos of my home settles down....

There will be new cards,prints,and wooden blocks in the shop....what do you think of my blocks....

Good Things

To make lunch with.....

My daughter's little hands.....

Tomatoes from the garden.....

Rearrange

So now that we finally in the last throes of switching out the office to be the children's room....

I now have a beside table again....of course it is loaded up with craps right now....

There are so many things to place now....the rest of the house currently looks like the office threw up in it....oh well....sometimes it is an adventure to go through all your junk and decide to finally get rid of certain things and make way for the new stuff....

A Very Merry Unbirthday to You! (yes, you)

I dont mean to be repetitive and i know everyday except your ACTUAL birthday is your unbirthday....but my friend april and i have a private joke about this....we consider our six month birthday our unbirthday....well monday was mine and my daughter went crazy for this little scene....so the whole movie is here today from netflix....i hope you enjoy this as much as she did!

Salad Days

When the weather heats up.....

And you just feel too lazy to really cook.....

This salad is perfect....

Yummy dressing with lemon....

Mustard, herbs from the garden,salt,pepper, rice vinegar, and olive oil.....really that is all the cooking i can stand.....this past weekend friday to sunday we stayed up until 2am and then up at the crack of dawn with kids.....yeah we like punishment.....so its been salad and bean and cheese burritos from down the street.....that is what lazy cooking at my house looks like...how was your weekend....i have pictures from chinatown to post later....it was fun fun fun!

April

To my lovely friend.......HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY........did you think i forgot?

Locust Flowers

These flowers are the reason why the locust tree in our backyard is my favorite tree....i had forgotten i had taken these pictures this past spring.....

Big white clusters of white pea like flowers with a delicate scent....

They bloom but once a year....but it is definitely worth the wait....see you next year you delicious white beauties!

Chinatown Summer Nights

I love chinatown in los angeles....as a kid it was my favorite place to visit....it was so magical....with lanterns and shops filled to the brim with nice stuff and lots of crippy craps for kids of all ages....i used to have an egg flower soup spoon and fan collection....this is also where i learned to love deep fried crispiness, hot mustard, and how to use chopsticks....although i am not very good at it now....the good news is china town has not lost its ability to seem magical to me....

This travel blog photo's source is TravelPod page: The Gate to China Town, Los Angeles, United States

This month chinatown is hosting a summer nights program every saturday this august....its free and if you go to their site they even have coupons for restaurants....next saturday there is a workshop on making lanterns....and its FREE....so go....its a family event....you may even run into my family!!!!!

Little Dragon - Wink

Here is a little funk for your late morning blahs....yukimi nagano sounds like erykah badu here....this album is from 2007....

You're So Hot

Tuesday night i scored a big a** bag of jalapenos for 94 cents....i knew i was making the pintos and needed to make salsa....so i froze some to use later and then i made jalapeno boats....

Here is my little helper from yesterday....

I sauteed the corn,onion,garlic,and mexican oregano with chopped up roasted jalapenos and mixed in some shredded cheese....i also sprinkled with a little cheese on top....although the top photo looks like i put a bunch....i assure you i did not....i have also been trying to not use a lot of salt since i have developed high blood pressure....these need more salt for sure though....the corn out sweeted the salt i added....

Here are the jalapenos prestuffed....take out the seeds and try the take out the white veins after you have sliced them in half....pour a little bit of olive oil in your baking dish....mix the jalapenos up in the oil....i did it with my fingers....then sprinkle with a little salt....after you fill them....put them in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes....when that time has passed....add your sprinkled cheese and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes longer....you can also add sour cream if you would like and you are afraid they might be too spicy....for me they are not!

Roasted jalapenos....unfortunately i didnt get a good all over scorch....that is really the trick to getting all the skin off....

Here is my salsa....there is no cilantro....i am not a big fan so i did not include it....i think next year i will grow some....that way it will look pretty in the garden and i dont have to waste my money buying a big bunch i am never gonna use up....

Hey Good Looking....

So today has been a big cooking day....i cooked garbanzos and pintos....the above was lunch....left over diced tomatoes with fresh oregano and basil with onion and garlic....the corn and red onion were sauteed first and then cubed pork tenderloin and garbanzos with fresh basil....the diced tomatoes are added last with a quick stir because this pan was at more high than medium heat....
if this really looked good to you and you want to know how i make this exactly....drop me a line....i realize my description may be confusing....

Yummy garbanzos for all kinds of delights....like hummus....my husband is a vegetarian....so beans must always be at hand....

LOOK....how pretty is that red onion and corn....i made a big bowl of this to use in dishes for the remainder of the week....my recommendation is.... if you are going to eat your onion raw....dont precut it....it get really intense....of course if thats how you like it than do it....

Fresh corn most of the time is ALWAYS necessary....frozen corn is tolerable....mmmm....maybe not....my vegetables were totally HOT looking today....how babelicious is this corn....how corny am i???

Herbs

from my garden....delicious recipes to come soon!

The Los Angeles Arboretum

Last saturday my best friend and i went out the arboretum to see the california philharmonic....

I had never been there in the evening....i must say it was quite pretty....

We were on the lawn....this is the view behind us....those are the san gabriel mountains....

the arboretum is located in arcadia california....this is also where i grew up....i always seem to forget how pretty and quiet it is there....as a kid i couldnt stand living in suburbia....now i live in the half rough and tumble city of fontana california....its part super funky(not in a good way) and part brand new beautiful homes and communities....but this is where we could afford to purchase a little more than half of an acre and it is mostly quiet in my particular area....

So we took this opportunity to indulge in a food fest....yes there was wine and tea....

There was chicken thai chiles cashews....

Delicious heirloom tomato bruschetta....i ate a whole lot of that!

Fried rice and salad with a sweet asian sausage....there were supposed to be cookies....but i had baking disasters....so i only brought the chicken....

Here is my girl Harumi....oh my god we both ate so much....polished off a bottle of wine....and you know when you are somewhere and you have eaten too much and you wish you could just lay down....well being on the lawn meant we could....it was definitely a great night!