Weekend Getaway

Last weekend, we headed to Palm Springs with some friends for a quick night getaway to the Ace Hotel. We've stayed in other Ace Hotels before and love the entire concept that each hotel is designed well but with minimal amenities to keep costs down. The Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs is a step-above it's other sister hotels since it has a pool area with functioning bar, but it still kept the same low key vibe. The hotel rooms, grounds and pool area where very nice but still kept a modern spin from the old motor lodge that stood before it. The pool area was made for pale people such as myself, complete with covers to shade your face on each lawn chair and giant circular shades that you could move when the sun changed directions. The pool scene was hip, but laid back and with the amounts of hipster parents with their hipster children and dogs running around, it felt more like you were in someones backyard. The music at the pool provided a great background for the tasty and affordable eats, not to mention the amazing drinks like the "Old School Daiquiri"made with fresh lime juice, rum and brown sugar over ice. Overall, the Ace Hotel and Swim Club is the perfect getaway giving you much bang for your buck. For the drive to Palm Springs, I highly recommend this:

Miss It So Much - Röyksopp

ACE HOTEL HIGHIGHTS

The vintage ice cream truck that will eventually serve ice cream and alcoholic snow cones

Delicious Mediterranean Plate with some of the best marinated Feta Cheese I've ever had.
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The Pool at Sunset

The Hotel Grounds

Tasty breakfast eats at the Kings Highway Diner. My Lox and Bagel came with a Broadway serenade by Linda, the 75 year old hostess with clip on earrings and an epic soul

Roadtrip - Palm Springs!

This Saturday I will be headed with friends to the new Ace Hotel in Palm Springs (a trip in inspired by my friend Emily) for some new adventures. Soon to come, stories of poolside drinks and greasy breakfast. Stay tuned...

In the meantime, a little roadtrip tune to set the mood.

Night And Day - Frank Sinatra

Sunday Blues

Last Sunday I made Blueberry Muffins with a great recipe from The Enchanted Broccoli Forrest. Nothing beats a rich cup of coffee and the smell or fruity goodness baking in the oven. I highly recommend some jazz as the soundtrack for your baking experience. One of my personal favorites is this little tune by the Ray Brown Trio.

Bon Appetite

Lil Darlin - Ray Brown Trio


1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/3 cup sugar
4 tbs. melted butter
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen -defrosted)

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease muffin tin

Sift together four, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a medium sized bowl and make a well in the center.

In a separate bowl, beat together all remaining ingredients except the berries. Pour mixture into the well and stir gently until blended, gradually adding the berries. Fill muffin cups to the rim.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove an cool on rack for 10 minutes. Enjoy.

Puff Piece

This weekend we discovered a fantastic Japanese Bakery that specializes in cream puffs. Tucked away in a strip mall off of the Japanese district of Sawtelle Blvd is Beard Papa's. At Beard Papa's you can choose which flavor of custard you want inside your cream puff and then watch as it gets injected with delicious gooey goodness. We got strawberry and chocolate and both were divine. Cream Puffs, coffee and the East Coast feed of Big Love... does it get any better than that on a Sunday?

I Scream, You Scream

For the most part, I eat pretty healthy with the exception of my never satisfied sweet tooth. One of my favorite pleasures in the entire world is Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt. Below is a list of my top 5 Ice Cream/Fro Yo spots in the city of Angels (in no particular order)

1. Mashti Malone's - Tucked away in a dirty strip mall on La Brea just above sunset is one of Hollywood's hidden gems. Mashti's is known for it's exotic flavors like Rosewater and Lavender, but the Black Cherry is out of this world! All the ice cream is made with natural ingredients and often, the owner will be in the shop, force feeding you a new flavor he is inventing.

2. Al Gelato - Not only is this place amazing for a great low-key Italian Dinner, the Gelato is tasty tasty! With huge portions and a complimentary "taste" of another flavor on your single scoop, it's worth every penny. Not to mention the rockin' Chocolate Ice flavor they have for all the lactose intolerant ice cream lovers out there.

3.Bennett's Ice Cream -An old ice cream stand in the Farmer's Market that has been around since the 60s and most of the ice cream is made on site. Bennett's is a great pick-me-up on a hot day at the Grove or Farmer's Market.


4. The Big Chill - There is always a line at this small yogurt shop off of Westwood and Olympic, but it's completely worth it. The yogurt is totally rich and creamy and doesn't need the help of a topping! Make sure you have some green as this spot only takes cash.

5. Golden Spoon - The Golden Spoon is a chain that is only in Orange County and Agoura Hills, so if you are in the valley or are up for a long trek for delic fro yo, you are in for a treat. Golden Spoon has an abundance of yummy flavors and toppings most of which are non-fat and heavenly.

Goodnight Pleasure

Lately, I've been feeling the need to majorly decompress after my LONG days at work. My nightly ritual has become curling up in a blanket with a cup of Sleepytime Tea, sliced pear with Havarti Cheese and Dark Chocolate and listening to the Weepies Album Say I Am You. My favorite tack "Gotta Have You" is the perfect song to slip away into the night to. Try it and see what happens....

Gotta Have You - The Weepies

New Beginnings

So it's time for a fresh start. After a very long dry spell of no blogging, I decided to start a new blog dedicated to the small things in life that bring me joy. You can expect an eclectic mix of posts about food/recipes, travel stories, day trips and adventures.. but most likely I'm sure there will be a heavy influence of food and more food!

And of course things like this that make my day....


Stay tuned!