The star of my Oscar party, an organic salad with arugula, shredded cabbage, heirloom tomatoes, avocados, limequat ( combination of lime and kumquats but the skin is edible ), raspberries, mango slices, jicama, organic winter green salad mix. Yes, I cheated with a bottle of citrus dressing from Feast from the East, but later as the bottle of dressing got consumed, I reverted to my own salad dressing: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic, mustard and one teaspoon of sugar or honey.
Nancy 's hands preparing her condiments for the fish taco, prepared by Corina, with help from Sergio. They chopped tomatoes, made their own salsas from scratch and Corina made her own breading for the Vietnamese basa fish ( aquacultured catfish ). Wow, it was a blast!
Corina, with her breading by her side, and the Vietnamese basa fish for fish tacos.
The moonrise that my hubby and I watched one shivering Los Angeles night. We caught the sunset and the moonrise and walked the trail down in moonlight. Okay, yes, sometimes, in my old age, I am hopeful for romance and it gets manifested even if so cold, so windy but oh, so delicious a view!!
So, are the blooming reddish pink roses in my neighbor's front yard, tended by " Green Art " Landscape Services.
Corina, pictured above is my first born. Below is her toddler photo.
I like to indulge her with a week long celebration of her birthday not so much with parties, but with new services, like a new make-up and a hair-do by Rodrigo Alcover, dressed in red in the photo above, or her own wedding dress designed by a Parisian-inspired haute couture atelier, Carlyn Nuyda Calloway, CEO and Founder of Thumbelina Designs, Inc.
Okay, now, na...I am no fashionista, but I know what beauty is when I see it. And my daughter is a first rate fashionista but does so at bargain basement prices. She is quite incredible at finding deals. Recently, she bought me Nike workout clothes which I normally purchased online for two thirds more of the prices she bought them. She does not skimp on value, but she finds them at bargain bottom sales.
It reminded me of my trip to Europe where we found necklaces for sale at $2, yes, just two dollars, but with the artisan craftsmanship of silversmiths from India. Apparently, Indian -French folks import necklaces and jewelry made by Indian silversmiths and sell them in Parisian farmers' markets at a dollar or two. It was quite a find for me and my friend who explored Paris last spring.
Anyhow, one weekend after her makeover, she cooked lasagna for my friends. She decided to make it semi-vegetarian and added spinach and mushrooms to the lasagna, perhaps inspired by our dinner at L.A. Tavern where a vegetarian lasagna is to die for. LA Tavern's lasagna has wild mushroom, garlic, asiago cheese for $27. But, the one made by my daughter was priceless, she added carrots and a unique brand of sausage and two different types of cheeses. My friends raved about it.
The star of my Oscar party was an organic salad with arugula, shredded cabbage, heirloom tomatoes, avocados, limequat ( combination of lime and kumquats but the skin is edible ), raspberries, mango slices, jicama, organic winter green salad mix. Yes, I cheated with a bottle of citrus dressing from Feast from the East, but later as the bottle of dressing got consumed, I reverted to my own salad dressing: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic, mustard and one teaspoon of sugar or honey. I am cooking more from vegetables and fruits and it makes me feel triumphant when most of the items in our refrigerator are green vegetables.
How did the Oscar turn out? Well, the most memorable one for me was Sandra Bullock in how she raved about her husband, Jesse James. There was Monique who also spoke of her love of her husband and Jeff Bridges who heaped on his admiration for his two decade - long wedded wife. I thought it stood out for me in how these actors and actresses revered their families and their spouses.
Back to my Oscar weekend, it felt good to see my daughter with her new makeup and hairdo. Here is her toddler photo years ago, I dare not say her age for fear of being censored. Anyhow, she is a fine woman of substance and I love her a lot!
