72 and Sunny

If you live in California or have visited, you might be familiar with the saying that the weather is always "72 and sunny."  It really holds true and this Thanksgiving holiday, it didn't let us down.  The weather couldn't have been better.  I sometimes wonder why we even have folks who forecast the weather here.  Anyway, here are some photos of the rocky coastline and beach area in Palos Verdes, CA.  If you love to hike and ride your bike, this is a great place to enjoy an afternoon. 

 

 

Baltic Amber

My family is Latvian and one thing the country and culture is known for is its Baltic amber.  If you ever have a chance to visit the beautiful country like I did several years ago, you can easily purchase some Baltic jewelry in one of the hundred shops or outdoor stalls selling it.  It's quite inexpensive and I love the different shades it comes in - everything from green to honey to molasses.  Needless to say, I have a ton of it that has been handed down to me or given as a gift...and I'm not complaining.  I'll be posting more images of Latvian jewelry in the coming weeks...

How to Take the Chill Away

Today was nothing but cold and rainy and after a day full of running errands outside, all I wanted to do was enjoy a warm bowl of soup while watching a movie.  I was feeling a bit lazy but refused to buy ready-made soup so I made this recipe from scratch.  Admittedly, I did take one shortcut and bought a roasted chicken to add to the soup.

Roasted Chicken & Egg Noodle Soup

-1 roasted chicken, about 2 lbs. (meat cut up into bite-size pieces)
-1-2 T. olive oil
-2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped
-1 cup onion, diced
-3 celery stalks, chopped
-1 t. garlic, chopped
-2 cups egg noodles (I actually used German spaetzle b/c it was in my cupboard but any egg noodle will do)
-1 bag fresh spinach
-2 T. fresh dill, chopped
-8-10 cups chicken broth

Sauté onion, celery, garlic and carrots in stock pot w/ olive oil.  Once slightly tender, add chicken stock and bring to boil.  Add egg noodles and cook until cooked through.  While noodles are cooking, chop up roasted chicken meat into pieces and add to soup.  Add washed spinach and simmer until wilted.  Garnish with fresh chopped dill.  Enjoy!

 

A Study in Textures

Retro Camera Fun

Having fun with the Retro Camera Polaroid app on my HTC EVO phone at Hermosa Beach, CA.

 

 

 

 

Fragrant Bloom

LA Autumn

LA in autumn doesn't quite compare with New England but I'll take what I can get.  Here's a shot I took while rambling through the South Coast Botanical Garden.

Autumn in New York

Although I haven't lived in NYC for nearly 5 years now, I miss it every time this year.  Here's a photo from my archives of a garden of mums in Central Park. 

A Foggy Day

While the East Coast got pummeled with an early snowfall, folks near the beach in Southern California were shrouded in fog.  Here's a photo of a set of steps at Torrance Beach aka "Rat Beach."  Incidentally, it's not named Rat Beach because of vermin but because it stands for "right above Torrance."