Brunch: 26 Beach, Venice, CA

This morning, we met up with our friends S & A for breakfast at 26 Beach. Arriving once they opened at 9am, we beat the rush (when we left at 10am, there was a line at the door!).  We decided on this place after reading about it's 4 star reviews on yelp.

Do: Unique LA Summer 2011, Santa Monica this weekend!

From the website: www.uniquela.com
"The largest independent design show in the country, attendees get the rare chance to meet and shop directly from over 250 hand-selected designers and artists. The exciting two-day shopping event makes it easy for you to buy local and support LA’s economy, discover great design and deals, join in community, and have a blast! Over 95% of the products at the show are proudly made right here in the USA!   On top of shopping the wide variety of offerings, the event boasts many exciting Extras & Amenities, including free workshops, an eco lounge, and two cafes featuring some of LA’s best restaurants and gourmet food trucks. Plan to spend the day with us!"

When: July 30 &31 (Sat & Sun) 2011// 11am- 6pm

Where: The Barker Hanger (At Santa Monica Air Center)

Cost: $10 at the door, $8 in advance online (kids 12 and under are free) . 10% of ticket sales go to non-profit Heal the Bay

Do: Santa Monica's Farmers Market

One of the many wonderful things about living in Santa Monica is its great farmers markets. There are four per week (info below), but many have described Wednesday as the favorite amongst chefs and foodies.   The downside is that it runs from 8:30am-1:30pm, which makes it nearly impossible for full time employed people to go to.

Listen: "Dance Me to the End of Love" by The Civil Wars

I started listening to The Civil Wars last week and am hooked! I'm featuring them again this week for Music Monday. This is a lovely cover of a Leonard Cohen song. If you like what you hear, you can download their live album for FREE here.

Cook: British Egg and Beans on Toast Breakfast

This is one of our favorite hearty breakfast recipes. I was actually introduced to the idea of eggs and beans by my friend Eylul when she was my neighbor in Providence, RI. It was only later that I learned eggs and beans is a popular breakfast dish in Britain (above photo taken in London).  Luckily, this delicious and nutritious (protein rich) breakfast is super easy to make!  

Listen: "Barton Hollow" : The Civil Wars | OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO | [HD]

The Civil Wars is an awesome band introduced to me by my friend, Brittany.

Happy Music Monday!

Cook: Mache Grapefruit and Macademia nut salad with citrus dressing

We are back from vacation! It was hard to leave beautiful South Africa but we're happy to be back home in lovely LA. :) Here is an exotic salad that is perfect for this warm summer weather !

Ingredients:

• one 6 oz bag of mache lettuce
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, toasted (I just used dry roasted ones)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice 
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime
• zest of one lime
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (the recipe calls for 1/2 but I always use less)
• salt and pepper to taste

On Vacation!

Hi Everyone!  We are currently on vacation in South Africa and are busy tracking animals on our safari (photo below taken today!)

I will resume regular posting early next week. Thanks for following our blog! Have a wonderful weekend!

My Morning Jacket - Wonderful(The Way I Feel) (live)

Happy July 4th! Happy music monday :)

* for previous music monday songs, look under category "Listen"

Bake: Apricot and White Chocolate Scones

J and I spent the day in London today. Yes, that's right! London, UK. We are en route to South Africa and had a 9 hour layover. We decided to be adventurous and took the Heathrow Express Train (only 15 min!) to Paddington Station and spent the day walking around and window shopping in Notting Hill, Portobello Market, Bond St and had some tea and scones at Picadilly Circus.   I will share more fun posts from our day in London, but first here is a scone recipe I've been meaning to share!   This is a blast from the past. I have to give credit to my dear friend Sarah who first introduced me to this wonderful recipe. I actually posted it on my previous blog, and am sharing it again here since these are soooo good (and quite easy to make! :)

Cook: Pasta with pancetta and peas

Pasta with pancetta and peas is a simple and comforting dinner recipe. I served this with butternut squash soup and roasted cauliflower.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz fettucine (I used slightly less than one box of thin spaghetti)
• 8 oz pancetta, diced (I used 2- 4oz packages of diced pancetta from Trader Joe's)
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 (10 oz) bag of frozen peas
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2  to one whole lemon, juiced.