Saturday, November 23, 2013

A Cozy Soup to Warm You Up


Butternut Squash
is 
just
about
t h e
perfect food
...
     colorful 
                   good for you
                 versatile
                 and
                              delicious
I made
a
cozy
soup
with
that
bad boy
....
a 
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
with
Pumpkin Seed Brittle



peeling
the
Butternut Squash
is a 
buggar
......almost broke the peeler

cut
the squash
into cubes

peel
and
cube
an 
apple

and 
cut up an 
onion
(about the same sizes)

throw in a big bowl
with
1/4 c.  Hot Pepper olive oil (or garlic flavored)
3 TBS. Curry Powder
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. tumeric
and
toss it all about

toss
the
curry - veg
mixture
onto
a parchment lined
cookie sheet
and roast in a 
400 degree oven
for 45 minutes

squash
should be
soft -
not
 mushy
simple ingredients

after
roasting 
the 
veggies
(and apple)
let cool
and 
put them
in a blender
with
the
box (or 4 c.)
of 
Chicken
or Vegetable Stock
and
blend 
until smooooooooth

pour
 soup 
into
a
pot

and heat
until warm

For the 
pumpkin seed brittle:

use
a 
non stick skillet
and heat
1/4 c. sugar
until melted 
and 
starting to caramelize

quickly
toss in
about 1/2 c.
pumpkin seeds
and stir
until
all are
coated

add 1tsp. water
to stop the cooking


quickly
dump
caramelized
seeds 
onto
waxed paper
and 
let cool
(taste a bit - delicious!!!!)

mixed
up a
colorful
salad
with
Fuyu persimmons
chevre
pea shoots
asparagus
and spinach


John's
fave
pretzel rolls

and
the 
cozy soup

Happy
cozy
tummies!

E.A.T.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

An Evening with Spain



November 7th  5:00pm - 6:30pm
at 
Petit Soleil
our friend 
(and wine salesgirl extraordinaire)
will 
be 
sharing
her expertise,
charming personality
and giggles
as 
she
talks 
about
Petit's
November wines:
   2012 Cambria Viognier 
      Santa Maria Valley, CA
   2012 Marquez de Caceres Viura
      Rioja, SP
   2011 Calina Chardonnay
      Valle de Casablanca, Chile
   
   2012 Stephen Ross Vin Gris
      Edna Valley, CA

   2012 Tensley Syrah
       Santa Barbara County, CA
   2012 Robert Hall Cuvee de Robles
       Paso Robles, CA
   2012 Curtis Winery Grenache
       Santa Ynez, CA

So glad you are joining us, Amy!!
   

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Happy Go Smile



“Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” 
― Mother Teresa

there
are
some places
that
just
make you happy

and they
make
you smile

Happy Go Smile
is 
one
of those
places


 

my happy friend
Barbara

thought
that
Cayucos
needed 
a
little shop
with
custom made

Happy Go 

well
Happy Go ANTHING
 shirts
 and
towels
and
all sorts
of happy goodies
      that
       just
           make
            you 
                 sMiLe


Barbara
  recently
       hooked
           up
              with
                 the
                     amazing
                          Cummings girls

Sarah - maker of the softest quilts EVER

and
her mom
Laurie

who
designs
and
sews
the
most
precious
children's couture
and
little
dresses
you've ever seen
t

(one of Sarah's Quilts)


I do believe
that
you
must
visit
Happy Go Smile
to 
really
feel
the 
happy

but
I included
a few
pictures
of
Happy Go SMiLe
anyway


Poncho towels
to
throw 
on 
littles
after
a swim

more 
of 
Laurie's
dresses


Barbara's
colorful
EAT
napkins

Curly Girl plaques
cards
charms
and accessories


Original art

and .........
drum roll.....

absolutely
delicious
freshly baked
cupcakes
by
Amy Bakes Cupcakes

Happy Go Smile
is
in
Cayucos
(the quintessential California beach village)

Beside
from
all
the
happy
and smiley
goodies
in the
store
Barbara
also
makes 
custom
Happy Go ....
shirts
etc.



and
Laurie and Sarah
also
have


Happy Go Smile
36 N. Ocean Ave, Cayucos, California 93430

Friday, August 23, 2013

A Change in the Air....



it
was
an
exceptionally
pretty
 morning
today

the air
is
starting
to 
change

a
feeling
like
Autumn 
 is
   just
      around
           the
                       corner


           today
               was
                    a
                      bit
                          cool

and
foggy


the
flowers
at
Petit
were
particularly
bright and glorious
in the 
gray 
fog












and
look
         what
        I
found
          now
happily
             planted
amongst
all
         the 
                                  glorious flowers


the
red cake plate

happy weekend!!!

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

The Red Cake Plate


with sadness
Petit Soleil
has
bid 
adieu
to
their 
charming
12-year-old
red cake plate

that huge gash
made it not so 
charming
anymore

the
red cake plate
was
faithful
to 
Petit Soleil

it made 
even the
not so pretty
coffee cakes
muffins
and doughnuts
look
pretty


 and 
the
red cake plate
even
went
on 
a little adventure

wanna hear?

so...
maybe
 five years ago
one of our
 employees 
   was 
scheduled 
to
work
on
Thanksgiving - 

unbeknownst to us at the time
she had invited
a few of her
Sorority sisters
for
their own
Thanksgiving soiree
     at Petit Soleil
(and with sorority sisters
 came frat brothers).
The 
next 
morning,
(a busy morning
and full house)
we discovered that
the whole coffee cake
had
disappeared
as
had
the
   red cake plate

          did it break, we wondered?

            was it hidden in some weird random place?

                did a guest take it to their room?

when we questioned
our
Thanksgiving soiree hostess
she
simply
didn't remember
even seeing
a 
coffee cake
nor the
    red cake plate

(whaaat? 
 that 
   red cake plate
     was 
       front center
        on
          the breakfast buffet 
           every
            single
              morning
                since
                  Petit Soleil opened)

.....strange

days passed
and
I found a
new
cake plate
(not charming nor red)...


and
we heard
a 
little
story


...
Another Petit employee
   was at a party
     and a guy
       mentioned
         that he had had
           quite the fun (and delicious)
              Thanksgiving
                at Petit Soleil
                  and that
                    the "coffee cake was especially delicious"


whaaaaat?
       we again questioned
         the Thanksgiving soiree hostess
           and told her
             the story
               her Fraternity brother told
                 (....she was a bit befuddled as what to say)
        but
         did admit
           to her little soiree
              but not to the coffee cake disappearance

Where was the
          red cake plate?
             "I didn't take it" she said

     and a few days later
             the
               red cake plate
                 quietly 
                     appeared
                        on 
                         Petit Soleil's doorstep
                            at 6:30 am
                


         and so
              does
anyone
know
where
we
can
find
a
new 
charming
red cake plate?