Cranberry Whiskey Smash Cocktail
Throughout the holiday season, we find ourselves entertaining and celebrating with friends and family. Inevitably after a grand feast, I end up with leftover cranberry sauce. In an effort not to be wasteful, I’ve found creative uses for the tart and tangy sauce such as spreading it on turkey sandwiches, throwing it into smoothies, and even placing it on top of a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on occasion.
This year I came up with a new and exciting way to blow through all the leftover cranberry sauce at once with a fabulous cocktail! Though I’m not a big whiskey fan, I found this libation to flow quite smoothly once you get beyond the initial ‘bite’ of the first sip…
Read More →Spiced Pumpkin Martini ? ??
I created this cocktail on a cold, windy autumn evening recently. The warmth of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom spices just seem to sink deep into my tired body at the end of a long, cold day and warm it to the bone. As I recall, we sipped this lovely drink while handing out Halloween candy last October 31st!
Read More →Sage Roasted Winter Vegetables ?
We visited our local farmers market this morning and I was inspired by the amazing selection. We decided upon fennel root, crimini mushrooms, yellow onions, and rainbow carrots, all packed with freshness & nutrients. You can just taste the sunshine!
Read More →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.
Read More →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.Guess Where I Am…? ?
We visited Elephant Butte Reservoir located on the Rio Grande in New Mexico, just 5-short miles (8.0 km) north of the quaint little town of Truth or Consequences. The name “Elephant Butte” refers to the volcanic core making up the island at the center of the reservoir, which is said to resemble the shape of an elephant reclining on it’s side. The reservoir and the surrounding land are part of the largest state park in the state of New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake State Park…
Read More →Sticky Monkey Cocktail ? ?
This little cocktail emerged during a recent heat wave. After purchasing 20 lbs. of Cara Cara oranges at Costco, I felt compelled to mix up a thirst-quenching, yet hydrating liquid massage for my mind to greet the weekend with a splash.
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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.
Read More →Seasonal Fruit Dessert Crêpes ?
We visited our local Farmer’s Market yesterday and discovered a huge selection of amazingly sweet, juicy, yellow peaches. This fabulous find led us to the obvious conclusion that there was nothing left to do but celebrate by making some peach & vanilla ice cream crêpes for dessert! I assure you, it just doesn’t get much better than this…
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We took this photo while strolling along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. This exciting sculpture is called ‘Cupid’s Span’, created by famed pop artist Claes Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Bruggen. ?
The brightly painted fiberglass-and-steel sculpture stands approx. 60 feet (18 meters) in Rincon Park at the foot of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Installed in 2002, the artist’s inspiration for this piece was San Francisco’s reputation as the ‘City of Passion’, invoking the mythological account of Eros shooting his arrow into the center of the earth to make it fertile. Many have commented that while Cupid’s bow is symbolic of love, the shape of this magnificent work also evokes sailing ships and the Bay Bridge itself.
Read More →Le Voov! Hot Lips Martini ? ?
Along with the hot days of summer, we all need an icy cool cocktail now and then to enjoy. This lovely mixture came about by sheer laziness during a recent heat wave. Early in the morning, I had made myself an energizing, freshly squeezed juice in my Breville Juicer (available at our Le Voov! Amazon Store) after hitting a local farmer’s market. Usually, I’m fairly religious about cleaning my juicer right away, because it’s a real pain the rear to scrub if the pulp dries to the inside of the ridiculously sharp grinder blades…
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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.
Read More →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.
Read More →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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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! ?? ? ? ?
Read More →Apricot Whiskey Smash ?
I experienced my first Whiskey Smash while visiting my fabulous ‘sista’ *Margi in New Orleans. (Please see my About page for details regarding *The Sisters) Having grown up in ‘wine country’ (Northern California), I was not well acquainted with the various spirits such as Kentucky […]
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Indy 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana. My sweetie and I enjoy exploring exciting, new places & events together. This year the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 took place on Sunday, May 29, 2016. For the first time ever in the history of Indy racing this event was completely sold out, with a full-house of 350,000 people in attendance…
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