We have heard so much about this talked about restaurant here in the Bay Area – Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. The restaurant is so popular that you have to plan at least a month in advance just to make a reservation, and cross your fingers and hope that you can get a reservation. On top of that, there are guidelines for when one can call to make that reservation; one has to wait for the exact day to the month when you want to go for dinner. This is what I did; I patiently waited to the exact day one month before Hitesh’s birthday to make dinner reservations for his special birthday celebration with the family. I was fortunate enough to make reservations for the day that I requested! This is how we ended up going to Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. Was it worth the hype and the wait? YES, YES, YES. Continue reading Dinner at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California
Tag Archives: california
Swati & Tarak’s Italian Inspired Hillside Garden Retreat
Our friends Swati and Tarak have a beautiful home with an amazing Italian inspired hillside garden right here in the South Bay. This graceful terraced back yard is a wonderful representation of how you can transform a steep hill into a lovely lush green landscape filled with flowers, greenery, trees, and a fruit orchard.
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Half Moon Bay Nursery in Half Moon Bay, California
When was the last time you stopped by a plant nursery with soft classical music playing in the background? A nursery where during the holidays there is hot apple cider waiting to be sipped by their customers. A nursery that is more of an experience than a functional errand to purchase some plants. Half Moon Bay Nursery in Half Moon Bay, California is one of those places which is a destination rather than just a plant nursery where one goes to, to just buy a few garden plants.
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Succulents
Aaah succulents… For years I never gave them a second look. I was too spellbound by flowering plants to bother with succulents. They were just green looking plants, what’s so special about these? I thought.
And then a serious drought hit California a few years ago. Drought resistant plants and all types of low-water requiring plants were available at the nurseries, and guess what? I kept seeing more and more succulents as an option for drought tolerant plants for our gardens. Gardening magazines were enticing gardeners with succulent gardens.
I started seeing succulents in beautiful floral arrangements and in gorgeous potted plant ensembles. Succulents were getting their just dues, they were being spotlighted everywhere. I had to pay attention now. They were looking pretty darn good, now that they were being used in lovely creative ways. I got intrigued. I started giving them a second glance. Continue reading Succulents
Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden. Old Palo Alto, California
Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden is a historic home and garden located in old Palo Alto, California. The story of how this lovely home became a historic home and garden can be credited to Ms. Elizabeth Gamble who lived in Palo Alto with her family.
Elizabeth’s family – the Gamble family moved to Palo Alto back in 1902 and had four children: James, George, Elizabeth Frances, and Launcelot. Palo Alto at that time was a little town with a population of a mere 3000. One of the kids Elizabeth, decided after college to spend the remainder of her life in the Gamble family home on Waverley Street in Palo Alto.
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Lemonade Syrup
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.🍋🍋
I got a bunch of lemons from Elaine whom I met through my other friend Rose. Elaine had buckets and buckets of lemons – literally buckets of lemons to give away. I met Elaine recently to pick up over 200 lemons – did I count them? Yes! In fact I counted 275 lemons to be exact. Continue reading Lemonade Syrup
A Weekend in San Francisco. Fort Baker, Fort Mason & The Ferry Building
It was a warm sunny weekend when we went to San Francisco in the end of February and our plan was to relax at Fort Baker, grab lunch at Fort Mason, and stroll by the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge.
With a cool breeze and the most beautiful blue skies with puffs of white clouds, the City by the Bay couldn’t have been any more perfect on this weekend.
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Visit to a Goat Farm in Pescadero, California
The twins were turning 10, and this was one of those times when I just didn’t want to plan and organize yet another kids birthday party. Those of you who have kids know this, there are countless kid’s birthday parties, and we as parents are trying to make our child’s birthday unique in some way or another. Parents have done every themed party and original idea there is out there to make their child’s birthday special. I was one of those parents who just didn’t want to do that yet again – that is, go out of my mind trying to be creative and original for another birthday celebration.
This was the year when as a Mom I just wanted to take a break from kids birthday parties. So I asked the twins if they were okay with NOT having a birthday party that year if I promised to make their birthday very special. The twins thought about this and discussed it among themselves and decided to trust me. Now I was on the hook to deliver! But I knew what I had planned for their 10th birthday would not disappoint.
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Daffodil Daydreams 2017 at Filoli Gardens in Woodside, California
Want to see a sea of sunny daffodils blooming in profusion? Daffodils, daffodils, and more daffodils, as far as the eye can see? A trip to Filoli Gardens Daffodil Dreams in Woodside, California is something truly magical and the perfect early springtime nature excursion.
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Bouquets to Art 2017 at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, California
Last April, I went to de Young Museum’s Bouquets to Art exhibition in San Francisco, California, and what a spectacular show it was! It truly was like nothing I had ever seen before. Floral arrangements that mimic artwork at the de Yong Museum’s permanent collection? What a novel idea and positively amazing!
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