Can I move here?

June 24, 2010May 27, 20112 Comments

Hello, my name is Jenna and I am a Napa-aholic. I seriously can’t stay away from this place. I love to travel and visit new places but at some point I am always ready to go home. However, when I am in Northern California, I can’t help but look around and get the feeling that I have to live here at some point in my life. It is magical.

And so was the food. You ready?

First up was my absolute favorite find from my last trip–Fremont Diner. Reggie and I HAD to have those Biscuits & Gravy one more time and this time we brought my family.

Side note: My sisters and I gave my mom this trip to Napa for a Mother’s Day present and scheduled the trip so that it landed smack dab in the middle of her birthday weekend! We also bought her a cooking class while we were up there–it was spectacular and will most definitely be my next blog.

2 glorious french press pots caffeinated us for our day of wine tasting. I love coffee from the french press. If you are a coffee lover, there really isn’t anything better. Okay, maybe a good cappuccino. 😉

We waited patiently for our food, inhaling the aroma of our sausage sizzling in the kitchen and playing with my camera. If you are in a hurry, this is not the place to stop for a quick bite. But if you want something really special, pull up a chair, grab some fresh coffee, juice, wine and in about 20 minutes you will receive some incredible food.

Biscuits & Gravy

Kitchen Sink—think Biscuits & Gravy plus some incredibly flavorful local, smoked ham, crispy fried chicken and an over easy egg.

Grilled Breakfast Sandwich–featuring that beautiful smoked ham, fried egg, and cheese. That buttery panini is the stuff dreams are made of. Mmmmm

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes–melt in your mouth delicious. They were thin like a crepe but crispy on the edges from what I could only guess was a quick fry in some butter.

And we may have ordered dessert with breakfast…yes, dessert. How could I turn down this Caramel Buttermilk Cake? You’re right, I couldn’t. 🙂

And a Nectarine & Raspberry Fried Pie. This was nothing like the fried dough I grew up eating in New Hampshire. Instead, this was exactly how you would picture a fried pie to be. Flaky, buttery crust on the outside bursting with ripe juicy fruit. My dad has a thing for fruit desserts so as soon as this beauty was delivered this is what he looked like:

Look at that concentration. He means business!

Reggie looked on in disbelief!

Finally, he shared. I could tell you how good this pie was but I will just let me dad tell you…

Yea, he loved it!

Can’t wait to show you our other adventures.

xo,

Jenna

Take it Outside

June 12, 2010May 27, 20112 Comments

First, I have to say how happy I am about the Celtic’s win last night! What an incredible game! Yesterday was actually all around incredible. My sister-in-law, Kauna, is in town from Colorado and we are having a blast with her. Our morning started with a little bit of this:

My new obsession– a Dirty Chai from the North End Caffe. My friend Christy turned me on to this glorious concoction. I would argue that the North End has the best Chai tea in the South Bay and then when you add a shot of espresso (to make it dirrrrrty), I am in heaven!

After breakfast, we decided to drive down to Laguna Beach to go on a hike. Aside from the killer ocean view, my favorite part of the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park is that there are several trails so even if you visit the park often, you are seeing new (and beautiful) scenery every time. We did some killer hills today and ended up hiking for about 3 hours.

Hiking is easily one of my favorite ways to exercise. I love being outdoors and really enjoying everything this beautiful state has to offer. Having 2 of my favorite people with me just made the experience even better. 🙂

xo,

Jenna

Making Substitutions

June 9, 2010May 27, 2011Leave a comment

So ever since I went on the No Biscuits and Gravy Left Unturned Tour, I have been obsessed with replicating my own version at home. Only one problem—I am really trying to eat only local meat (if at all) and I couldn’t find any local sausage. So, I went with the next best thing—veggie sausage. This one to be exact:

I used this as my recipe but I saved some more time by using these:

These little babies were delicious! Plus, they make a lot more sense for us because there are only 2 of us so I can pull a couple out then toss the rest back in the fridge.

I topped my serving with an over easy egg because that is how I roll. A little hot sauce would have been the perfect addition. I will be sure to add that next time-and there will be a next time because this recipe was perfect! So delicious and filling.

xo,

Jenna

Obsession

June 8, 2010May 27, 20112 Comments

So as you know, I have a bit of an obsession with LA food trucks. I have documented my love for Buttermilk, Kogi, and most recently World Fare. However, there is only one truck that I must visit every week. Ladies and gentlemen meet my obsession: GET SHAVED!

Get shaved features the only shave ice that is as good as some of my Island favorites like Matsumoto’s. Most of the time when people say they are serving shave ice, you are left with a chunky, overly sweet treat. The perfect shave ice should contain ice that is so fine, it is fluffy. The syrup should taste like the real fruit, with just a tough of sweetness. Get Shaved is the real deal people.

Luckily, this truck is always within a reasonable driving distance at least once a week. And because I am a reasonable person, I make it a point to go. The key is to get ice cream with your shave ice. Seriously–the vanilla addition makes the bottom taste like different flavored creamsicles.

His: Pineapple, Passion Fruit, and Mango

Hers: Blue Vanilla, Pineapple, and Passion Fruit

We also both asked for a little bit of Li Hing Mui powder which is equally sweet, sour, and salty. So good!

Off to go plan my next adventure! My beautiful sister-in-law is coming to visit today!

xo,

Jenna

Hello, I Love You

Tag: Travel

Can I move here?

Take it Outside

Making Substitutions

Obsession