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Summer Black Bean & Avocado Salad
There is nothing better during the hot summer months than cool black beans doing the samba with crunchy red peppers and rich, buttery avocado, all dressed up in a cilantro-lime vinaigrette. This recipe was inspired by a Mexican salad made at the first restaurant I ever worked at in my teen years. I never did get the exact recipe, so I decided to develop my own version based upon the dreamy recollection of my seasoned and discerning palate.
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When attempting to photograph a troop of Rhesus Macaque monkeys in the wild, always keep a watchful eye on the dominant male of the harem…
This naughty little monkey climbed my long braid just like it was a jungle vine and mounted my head, while whooping loudly. I’d swear all the female monkeys in the troop were laughing with delight.
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Lox & Dill Scramble ?
I developed the Le Voov! Lox Scramble with my Mother’s mentality prevailing. Clean out the older food in the refrigerator by Sunday! We served an appetizer requiring lox at a party the previous day, and I wanted to make good use of it quickly so it would maintain it’s freshness.
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The addition of a small quantity of Gruyere cheese makes for a deep blending of flavors both bright and rich in this lovely scramble. -
Cilantro Lime Shrimp Ceviche ? ?
Ceviche is a summertime favorite for us. The bold aroma of freshly chopped cilantro and sliced limes teases the taste buds as you create this super-simple, incredibly tasty dish.
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Massive Mandala On The Beach!
As we were driving along the coast, somewhere between Half Moon Bay & Santa Cruz, when we came across this huge mandala created on a sandy beach.A mandala (Sanskrit: मण्डल, circle) is a geometric concentrically structured pattern representing the cosmos or the universe. In many spiritual traditions the creation of a mandala is a practice to invite focus, meditation or an induction into trance state. Mandalas are also used to establish a sacred space.
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We had an enchanting visit to Safari West in the heart of California’s Sonoma wine country recently, where this picture was taken. Commonly known as the ‘Sonoma Serengeti’, Safari West is comprised of 400 acres cradled in the mountainous area above Santa Rosa. Visitors are welcome to wander the trails and partake in the open-truck safaris to experience over 1000 exotic African species of mammals and birds within the natural habitat of this beautiful wildlife preserve.
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Green Eggs & Ham in a Cup! ?
On a lazy weekend, I’ll spend a bit more time creating a lovely breakfast for my family and friends. However, during the week, it needs to be quick and easy. This combination of Black Forest ham, eggs, mushrooms, fresh basil pesto, scallions and Gruyère cheese is a perfectly delightful breakfast to savor! I make this glorious, healthy breakfast on the weekend, and enjoy it again and again just by heating up the leftovers during the busy weekdays.
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Chimichurri Sauce
We have used this sauce on everything from Filet Mignon to fish tacos, chicken to a fresh vegetable stir-fry, and it never fails to impress. The blending of classic chimichurri ingredients with the delightful, rich flavors of chutney inspired the development of this recipe. I always double the batch so I have leftovers to throw into a stir-fry or over morning eggs. Please feel free to contact us and let us know your favorite application for this fabulous exotic condiment. Enjoy! 🙂
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We took this picture while vacationing in Lake Tahoe, California. Every time I look at this photo it makes me smile with the memories of our exciting day sporting around the lake in a speed boat, dragging a tube with some member of our party white knuckled, trying to hang on for dear life! This was followed by the inevitable yipping and howling after the individual on the tube was projected, at high velocity, through the air, and touched down in the water with an exhilarating splash.
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Summer Pasta Salad ? ? ?
As with most pasta, this salad gets better and better over time. As the pasta cools, the flavors mingle and blend into a lovely group of complementary flavors on the palate. This recipe is perfect for a BBQ or party because it’s easy to make and it feeds a lot of hungry people!
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On a rainy day last December, we visited the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, which is affiliated with University of California, Santa Cruz. To celebrate the seasons, they had decorated the giant whale skeleton out front with thousands of Christmas lights. After out tour, the sun broke through the clouds and provided a lovely rainbow right over the facility. What a glorious treat!
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Last 4th of July, we spent a glorious night watching the San Francisco Fireworks from Angel Island State Park. We took the Blue & Gold Fleet ferry service out from the Embarcadero and enjoyed an afternoon of great food, celebration, and merry making with hundreds of other people. Once the fireworks got started, there was clapping, whistles and singing from all around the port. What a wonderful place to enjoy our country’s Independence Day! ?? ? ? ?
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The Druid Cemetery, Cuffey’s Cove, Mendocino, California. Honestly, it is unclear why there is a Druid cemetery in Mendocino, and the more locals I spoke to, the wilder the stories became…
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This picture was taken at the Puerto Vallarta Zoo in Mismaloya, Mexico. Just prior to this photo being taken, the giraffe bent down and licked the sweat from the back of my ear!! Feeding a giraffe a carrot from my mouth was also a pretty thrilling experience!
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Hotel Sofitel, Redwood City, California: Dale Chihuly’s Glass Chandelier. This amazing explosion of blue and green blown glass greets the eye in the lobby of the Sofitel hotel. I first became acquainted with Chihuly’s ethereal mastery of glass sculpture while visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium exhibition entitled “Jellies: Living Art” in 2002. Photography of his work is gorgeous, but viewing it with your own eyes is nothing short of pure magic!
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San Francisco Bay, California. The photo of the Stämpfli Express was taken by one of my talented masters rowing teammates Karen Gheno last December. I’m in the #7 seat from the bow (back/left side) of the boat!
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