5 Days

Excited!

BBQ this weekend?

Chances are this weekend you are going to bbq for Memorial Day. Why not take a little extra time to add some special touches?

If you are thinking about burgers, here are some tasty combinations:

Avocado w/chilpotle mayo

BBQ sauce on the burger

Pepper Jack cheese

Jalapenos (a little goes a long way)

Blue cheese, feta or gorgonzola with bacon

Wheat or ciabatta bun

These toppings also go great on chicken off the grill.

If you like pasta salad, you will love these skewers.

Cook three cheese tortellinis as directed.

Cut cheddar, mozzarella, or favorite cheese in cubes.

Green olives stuffed with feta and/or kalamata olives.

Genoa salami or pepperoni

Salt and pepper

Toss in grape tomatoes and olives and coat with Italian dressing. Let sit overnight.

Skewer salad ingredients

Enjoy!

I'm going to try these ice-cream sandwiches for the first time.

Ice-cream sandwiches dipped in melted chocolate and rolled in sprinkles. Looks pretty easy.

Here is another fun treat for the kiddies.

Marshmallows on a stick dipped in chocolate and rolled in sprinkles. MMM!

If you are feeling a little more ambitious, try these s'mores bars.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
   
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
   
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

Infusion - Restaurant in Ladera Ranch

Infusion

On Monday night, 7 ladies gathered to celebrate Marlene and Chris' birthdays. We went to Infusion in Ladera Ranch. On Mondays they have a Prix Fix menu. You can choose any appetizer, entre and dessert for $36. This is a great deal because the entres alone cost $30-$36 each.

Fillet Mignon Entre

We thought the portions might be smaller but they weren't. The fillet was fantastic and the garlic mashed potatoes were tasty. I might have asked for a little more gravy.

Green Beans in Tempura Batter with a delicious sauce. These were so good!

Blackened Rib-Eye

My friend order the Rib-Eye and loved it. It was huge. Those are parmesan garlic fries.

Ahi Tower and Artichoke-feta dip. Both appetizers and all of it was delicious.

For dessert we ordered the Creme Brule, Chocolate Lava Cake and the Funnel Cake fries. The Funnel Cake Fries were the favorite hands down. They came with a raspberry, chocolate and caramel sauce. With the raspberry sauce, they tasted just like a jelly donut. SOOOO GOOD!

They are also know for their Martini's. They had every kind you could imagine. I think on Tuesdays, you can get two martinis' and an appetizer for $25. I really loved the food and Mondays are a great deal.

Jo Malone

Have you heard of Jo Malone fragrances? She started out as a little boutique frangrance shop in London.

In 1990, Jo Malone created her first fragrance. In 1994, she opened her first shop in Chelsea. Click JO MALONE to see the chronology of her business and fragrances. About 4 years ago her fragrances began popping up in Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Nordstroms. We have a Jo Malone store in South Coast Plaza.

Encouraging a fresh, modern look at the way we use fragrance, the Jo Malone philosophy of Fragrance Combining™ gives you the freedom to express yourself and your individuality. Learn how to create your own bespoke signature scent by combining two different fragrances. Spray on one cologne, let it dry, then spray a different fragrance over the top. You can use one by itself or combine with others.

I finally tried it last year and I was hooked. Not only do the perfumes smell wonderful, but the packaging is so attractive. People get excited when they see that signature cream and black box tied with a grosgrain ribbon. Simple and elegant.

Blue Agave and Cacao

The first scent I bought was a limited release of Earl Grey and Cucumber. It didn't smell anything like tea. It was wonderful. I then got the Nectarine Blossom and Honey and the Pomegranate Noir samples and used them until the little vials were bone dry. I just spent about 45 minutes at the fragrance bar and smelling various combinations with sniffs of coffee beans in between, I purchased Blue Agave and Cacao. My new favorite to mix with so many others. I bought the Orange Blossoms also. They smell great together or just by themselves.

Another way to layer the scent is by using the body creme or shower gel. The Grapefruit is light and refreshing, it gives you a real summery feeling. It was so hard to pick a fragrance. They all smelled so good. Treat yourself to an hour of smelling the various scents and finding the one that you LOVE.

click here to see all the fragrance combinations

She Knows - Online Magazine

The online magazine called, "SHE KNOWS" has written an article on decorating for Memorial Day. They have featured a picture of my table. Click on She Knows to see it.

I've never seen this magazine before but it is really good. It will be on my favorites bar.

STUDIO at Montage Hotel Laguna Beach

Friday night I had my first Montage experience. I've been to the beach below several times and it is beautiful, but I've never been inside the hotel or walked the grounds. It is a beautiful Craftsman style hotel with all suites sitting right on the beach in Laguna. It is better than the Ritz. It is better than the St. Regis. It is better than the Surf and Sand. It is better. It is the BEST.

As you enter the hotel, you are welcomed by all the staff. The lobby is elegant and calm. Everyone was dressed up and you just had that feeling that you were some place special.

We walked the grounds to get from the hotel to the restaurant called STUDIO. The grounds are beautiful. I have to say that I was so impressed with the hotel, the grounds and the view.

STUDIO is located in a little bungalow overlooking a cove and the ocean. Our reservations were for 6:30 and we sat on the patio above. We had two hours of sunshine and we shut the place down. They had heaters in the ceiling of the patio and free standing heaters and we were not cold at all. It was comfortable.

The service was amazing. Very old school. The Handsome Husband has traveled all over and has eaten at some very nice restaurants and he said nothing has compared to this. They always sat down the dishes at the same time, ladies first. They served an amuse bouche and little desserts at the end. They kept the water glasses filled, the crumbs off the table and your drink refreshed. The service was prompt; they were present but they were not intrusive. They were friendly and courteous but never familiar, they were always professional. The food was excellent. As an added treat, they gave us a spiced coffee cake with marmalade in a cute jar and some candied almonds to take home in a cute little Studio bag. It is a very expensive restaurant (I'm talking second mortgage to pay) for something very special, but you will feel pampered and spoiled.

It's the WEEKEND - Go See BRIDESMAIDS!

This is got to be the funniest movie I have ever seen. I LOVED it!

REVIEW: Annie’s best friend since childhood, Lillian (Maya Rudolph) has just gotten engaged. Lillian wants Annie to be her maid of honor, which includes planning the shower and bachelorette party. Annie is of course happy for her friend, but the situation only serves to highlight her own currently poor life situation.

The fly in the ointment here is the very attractive, rich and poised Helen (Rose Byrne) who has taken the express route to being Lillian’s new bestest friend ever. The driving story is Annie’s attempts to stay in control of the pre-wedding festivities while Helen tries to be “helpful” – while undermining Annie’s plans.

Along for the ride are a group of ladies that each have their own personality quirks and issues – one is a frustrated mother and wife who describes her foul-mouthed, back-talking teenage boys in excruciating “overshare” detail. Another is a naive, wide-eyed newlywed (of course, these two are paired up for an in-depth heart to heart later in the film). But the woman who runs away with the movie is Megan, the gruff, overweight member of the group. She is played hilariously by Melissa McCarthy with a down to earth earnestness that somehow works even when she is doing and saying outrageous things. (Review taken from Screenrant). You can also see the trailer by clicking on Screenrant.

Melissa McCarthy is extremely FUNNY in this movie. She was by far my favorite.

Guys will like this movie. Don't take children under 18. See it with your girlfriends, you won't be sorry! I'm going to see it again and will probably purchase it. Yes, I liked it that much.

Parisian Tablescape

Delaney had invited two new friends and one best friend over to Sunday Dinner. We would be entertaining 7 girls and 2 guys all in, perfect time to breakout a Parisian themed tablescape. I think girls can appreciate it.

While shopping at a new super store, TPT Home, I can across these wonderful Paris themed napkins. That was all I needed to inspire me.

I grabbed a rusted iron fleur de lis from the back yard along with some iceburg roses. A little Eiffel Tower made an appearance. I dug out this coffee filter/cupcake wrapper pom garland I made for Alyssa's bridal shower. They reminded me of a can-can girls skirt. The garland added just that little dash of color the table needed.

To break up all the black and white, I added the blue napkins under the others.

We had a great dinner of chicken shish-ka-bobs with pineapple, zucchini, onion and red bell peppers, rice, bread and yummy dessert. We played celebrity after and we all had a lot of fun!

Tablecloth, Damask dishes - TJ MAXX

Eiffel Tower, Paris themed napkins - TPT Home (Tai Pan Trading)

Glasses - Anthropologie

A few things here and there

Alyssa took her sisters to Stagecoach, a two day country music concert. They had a lot of fun together.

Delaney with friends Kaki and Sydney. Cinco De Mayo Party.

The Handsome Husband gets together with friends from high school. Jim, Mark, John and Bob. I think that these guys have typical names from the 50-60's Nowadays these guys would be named: Jacob, Tyler, Ryan, and Stone. Names sure have changed.

Alyssa and Greg in Jamaica. Only pic. You would think it would be on a beach with clear blue water and some palm trees. This is all I got. Lucky to have it. This child does not take pictures.

Delaney and Katie in Miami for Spring Break.

6 girls. Delaney, Natalie, Amy, Lynn, Kendall and Katie.

Different club every night with Limo's and VIP service. Oh to be young and pretty!

Delaney (left) and Kaki as Tuffy the Titan during Greek week.

I like to see all this school spirit.

Restaurants in Vancouver

Salam Bombay Indian Restaurant

This restaurant had a good atmosphere and good food. We had the Chef's Table which was a small sampling of two or more items from each category on the menu. The waiter bragged about how authentic and spicy their food was, but HH was disappointed in the spiciness of the Lamb Vindaloo. He requested an "8" in spiciness and got about a "3". I liked it. Other than that the food was good. Average cost $12-40 CD per person. Chef's table was $40 pp.

Zefferelli's Italian

This was my favorite! The food was amazing, the atmosphere was romantic and the bank of windows looking at the trees was fabulous. The service was great. HH (who doesn't really like pasta) loved his Linguine Putanesca. He ate every bite and there was a lot! It was linguine with shimp, capers and olives in a spicy tomato sauce. I had the Penne Michelangelo. It was penne, chicken, sundried tomato and peas in a creamy tomato sauce. Excellent value. $17 average price for entree. You'll have left overs.

Joe Fortes

This place is hopping! Great bar scene here. I had the best steak of any steak house I've ever been in and the horseradish and bacon mashed potatoes were divine. It is really loud and the tables small. It is also expensive. Dinner, drinks and tip: $200 CD. (I had a diet coke and HH had 2 beers, no wine).

Inside Joe Fortes.