Lolla 2014

Happy Monday lovelies.  I'm beyond exhausted from a fabulous day in Lollaland on Saturday and celebrating the Mister's birthday on Sunday.  I can't believe I've been missing out all these years, on Lollapalooza.  Here's to reliving the fun!

Travels :: Puerto Rico

We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday in Puerto Rico this month.  This was our third trip to Puerto Rico, and if you've never been it's a hidden gem.  There's a perfect blend of eating, sight-seeing, hanging out on the beach, outdoor activities, and shopping.  And it's the best way to getaway to somewhere tropical without needing a passport.  We stayed at the Marriott this trip, which had several great restaurants and stores within walking distance.  However, my favorite place to stay in Puerto Rico is still the Ritz, you should note that it's not centrally located and you'll be taking cabs everywhere if you stay here, but the accommodations are so worth it.  Here are just a few highlights from our trip and of course restaurant recommendations...

No trip to Puerto Rico would be complete without a stop at El Morro, one of Puerto Rico's oldest forts.  But what I think you can discern from this picture is that my family loves stripes, haha.



The little Man is a true water baby.  While he loved chasing the waves he enjoyed splashing around in the pool more.

Running around in Old San Juan.  We grabbed lunch there on two days once at the El Picoteo & at a cute little brunch spot the next day.  And we ate at Tantra for dinner, which is one of the best Asian/Indian and Latin fusion places I've tried. 



We also ate dinner at Ali Baba which had some of the most delicious Mediterranean dishes, their lamb is delicious!  On our last night, we grabbed some incredible pasta at Il Bacaro Venezia.

Travels :: SoCal Recap

Last month we spent a little over a week in southern California visiting friends and family.  With stops in San Diego, Orange County, and Visilia.  We had the best time lounging in the sun, playing in the sand, and feasting on some delicious eats.   

Making some new friends with the beached sea lions in La Jolla.

Of course no trip to San Diego would be complete without a trip to the zoo.  And we had to check out the panda exhibit.

The little Man's first beach and ocean experience.  He loved chasing after the waves despite the cold Pacific Ocean temperatures.



{view from Faulkner's Winery}





{Wien's is the perfect spot for a picnic}



We made a pit stop in Temecula to check out a few wineries.  Our first stop was Falkner Winery.  They have the best views of Temecula valley and while we were there we picked up a bottle of their luscious lips (both white and red varieties).  The name is a bit ridiculous but it goes down oh so smoothly, and I can't wait to make sangria with the red.  Our next stop was Wiens Cellars, which is the perfect place for a picnic.  We ended up with a bottle of their Sangiovese. 

Other notable eats:  We had the best ahi poke since we were in Hawaii, at Bear Flag.  They have the freshest and incredibly tasty fish tacos too!  We also sampled all the varieties of doughnuts at Side Car.  My favorite had to be the butter & salt or the malasadas.  We also had the delectable Earl Grey Tea pie from The Pie Hole in LA, trust me you'll want to try this!

St Patty's Day Celebrations

Happy St. Patty's Day!  We celebrated this weekend with an Irish themed breakfast and libations at some of our favorite watering holes across the city.  Breakfast included the Mister's amazing-from-scratch pancakes with a little food coloring, topped with whipped cream and marshmallows.  Yes, I sifted through an entire box of Lucky Charms and picked out all the marshmallows, they truly are magically delicious!  And the potatoes were my own creation of 3 tablespoons of butter, a clove of garlic (grated), salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning.  Toss together and bake at 375 for 25 minutes till golden brown and crispy.  Our green themed soiree included cupcakes with Bailey's Irish Cream frosting, you can find the recipe here, and lime jello shots.  I added rum and lychee flavored liqueur in the following ratio: 3 oz rum, 3 oz lychee liqueur, 2 oz cold water.  Hope you lovelies celebrated your Irish heritage (or lack thereof) in style.


 

{sign via}







Travels :: Bali Part 3 {Eats}

The perfect Tasty Thursday, a recap of some of our delicious eats from Bali.  I will say this, we can get Italian, Mexican, steak etc anytime we want back home.  The Mister and I knew we wanted to experience as much of the true Balinese cuisine as possible.  Here's a look at where and what we ate in Seminyak.



{via: 1 | 2}

Our first night we feasted at Sarong, sadly I didn't have a camera with me and my iPhone battery died.  You'll just have to take my word for it that the food was incredible and the ambiance, heavenly.  What we ate: seared scallop with green mango sambal; tuna tartar with edamame, ginger flower, nashi pear, shisho leaf, alfalfa topped with a chili soy dressing; Light green curry fish with Thai eggplant, oyster mushrooms, in a coconut cream topped with sweet basil; chicken kasoori kebab marinated in saffron yogurt, kasoori methi, served alongside green mango salad.  This was an insane amount of food but every bite was incredible, my personal favorites were the chicken kassori kebab and the tuna tartar.

The next morning we headed out to do a little shopping, a little while later we were famished.  So we stopped in for a quick bite at Grocer & Grind.  This was by far my least favorite place that we ate at.  The food was good, but there are definitely better options in Seminyak.  If you are looking for a break from the local Balinese cuisine, this easy going cafe as plenty of sandwich, salad, and pizza options to choose from, and it's family friendly.  We ate:  tofu pad thai (a little too sweet for my tastes), and tandoori chicken pizza with roasted peppers, served with cucumber & mint yogurt.  

We went to Biku for some tea, and so that I could get a tarot card reading, when in Rome (Bali), right?  Anyways tea was great, we both ordered the Asian high tea for two, I ordered the Darjeeling while the Mister ordered the traditional Oolong tea.  If tea isn't your thing, they have a full service menu with everything from Asian flavors to burgers and steak,  and their outdoor patio is so dreamy.  And as for my tarot reading, she had some pretty interesting things to say without me giving her anything to go on, regardless it was all in good fun.

{sporting the dress I scored for a bargin at the Seminyak Square market}

 Our last night we were supposed to have dinner at Menega Cafe on Jimbaran Bay.  Picture outdoor seating, at sunset, where you pick from the catch of the day and tell them how you'd like it prepared.  Sounds amazing, right?  Sadly we wouldn't know.  The one downside to Bali is the traffic; what is only 8 miles (13 kilometers) is actually an hour and a half trip, ugh.  Our concierge suggested Merah Putih, and I am so glad he did.  Not only is the place visually stunning, the food is divine.  What we drank: the archipelago cooler (Finlanda vodka, ginger flower, kaffier ling, soursop) & Kaffier lime crush (Finlandia vodka, passion fruit, kaffier lime leaves, apple).  What we ate: Perkedel Jagung (corn fritters, eggplant sambal, & spiced corn); Scallop & Lobster 'Pangsit' (Scampi dumplings, seaweed, with a tomato confit); Ikan Bakar Sambal Matha (Whole char grilled Jimbaran fish, topped with eggplant & shallots);  Slow Roasted Suckling Pig.  I guess I got my Jimbaran fish after all.

When I was looking at places to try in Seminyak, this boutique coffee house kept popping up over and over again.  On our last morning in Bali we managed to grab coffee at Revolver Espresso Cafe.  The only downside, it's a bit challenging to find, as in the entrance is down an alleyway, or you could the back entrance which is through a store.  If you do want to find this place, and I recommend you, tell your taxi driver to drop you off by the Bali clinic, as the alleyway is across the street.  The place itself is a little kitchy, imagine a western saloon set from the 80's, with mismatched china, and yes revolvers on the wall.  The staff is super friendly and helpful with their suggestions.  I wish we had breakfast there every morning.  What we ordered:  Espresso, iced coffee, & the Smith & Western (yes their menu is inspired by their love of firearms). 

Travels :: Bali Part 2 {Shopping & Relaxing}

The Mister and I decided to do a little exploring each morning after our morning coffee, and each day yielded a new find.  Our hotel was located literally within walking distance of some amazing stores.  Our first stop was Samantha Robinson's porcelain store: full of gorgeous one-of-a-kind handmade pieces.  A few streets down we hit up Kody & Ko: an eclectic housewares store (I am obsessed with all the vibrant pieces); Hobo: another housewares store full of beautiful neutral pieces (we brought home one of those lovely sailboats); House of Feather.  I met Heater, who is so lovely, of House of Feather while we were pursuing the lovely jewelry she curates.  If you love jewelry and gorgeous pieces, you will be obsessed with this store.  I managed to find a couple fabulous bracelets for my lady loves.  Another great find were a pair of adorable shorts at Bali Boat Shed.  Not to be discounted, the roadside markets have some great pieces.  I bargained my way to a lovely printed maxi dress (although I'm sure I could have gotten her to go lower on her price) at Seminyak Square.  And being in Seminyak, there are plenty of designer stores to choose from, some of our favorites include: Lily-Jean, Lulu Yasmine, & Magali Pascal.  And the perfect way to end an afternoon of shopping is relaxing at the spa.  We booked ourselves a couples exfoliating massage at Body Works.  After an hour long Balinese massage, they exfoliate you with a traditional Javanese 'lulur', followed by a relaxing soak in their massive tub.  Translation, two hours of pure bliss!