A Place Where You Should Go...in Naples, FL

The second-to-last night of our two week vacation with family down in Naples, FL, Scott and I visited a magical little restaurant called Baleen's, in the La Playa Hotel.  We didn't feel up to ponying up for dinner, so our plan was to just have drinks and dessert and watch the sunset.

It was breathtakingly gorgeous and these sad little pictures I snapped with my phone don't near do it justice.
Every night when the sun goes down, they ring the big brass bell up on the porch and everyone claps.  The waiters light torches and heat lamps that lurk everywhere and the firepit is going to keep you cozy by the ocean, the sound of the waves in your ears.  
It was so fun to bury our toes in the sand, watch the sun slip into the Gulf and sip on pomegranate martinis as we fought over the last bite of homemade bananas foster ice cream over a moist dark chocolate cake, sitting on a bed of caramelized bananas, "Monkey in the Middle."  Scott had the White Chocolate Key Lime Tart, but I like mine better.  Good thing for him.

I highly recommend seeking out this spot if you're in the area, but prepare yourself for mediocre service if you sit in the bar section, as we did.  With only one waitress working the entire area it took an hour and half for us to order and receive one round of drinks and dessert. Worth it though...the drinks ended up being free.  Whoo hooo!

The perfect end to a wonderful vacation.

More Pictures from Morro Bay, CA

Incredible homemade ice cream at Hoppe's, a gem of a restaurant right on the ocean in Cayucos, CA.  Amy, Garett her husband and I had a wonderful meal my last day there.  What fun memories!  
The hot and sour soup Garett made on Valentine's day, I can still taste the ginger in that...awesome.
Amy on a walk down Morro Bay Beach.
Lunch at Rosie's, with sea lions swimming in the water down at our feet.  Great fish tacos and ohmygosh garlic fries.  Ohhhh.  Amy, Garett, their adorable son Wyatt (who is Sam's pen-pal, he just doesn't know it yet) and her dad, John.
Elephant seals sunning themselves, mating, and generally being huge and (the males at least) gross along Highway 1.
Morro Bay Rock.  Nothing like it.
Chefs in the kitchen on Valentine's Day.  Thanks again sweet friends!

Gale Gand's Cocoa Krispy Treats...for Mary

This was a dessert I made probably five times in two months over the Christmas season last year.  Super easy, better for you then regular Rice Krispy Treats (protein from peanut butter, ahem.) and just plain delicious.

Gale Gand's Chocolate Krispies (From her Chocolate and Vanilla Cookbook)

4 cups cocoa krispies

1/2 cup light Karo corn syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

4 oz. chocolate chips, melted (optional if you're lazy like me)

Boil the sugar and syrup together until sugar is melted completely.  Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter.  Add cocoa krispies and combine well.  Press into a greased 9x13 pan and drizzle the melted chocolate over top.  

Unfortunately, they don't freeze well, that's about the only bummer.

Trip to Central Coast, California

These pictures are LONG overdue, I had a dream trip back in February to see my precious friend Amy out in San Luis Obispo.  Our first night we stayed at this brilliant little place with Yurts, called Treebones.  Check it out, great concept and super affordable for that part of the country.

Cozy little bedroom with a sink and an electric heater.  Now that's what I call camping!

I was obsessed with the fact that succulents grow in the wild out there...who knew those tiny plants at Trader Joe's in the pots had flowers!

A New Talent

Sam learned this new trick while we were down in Florida, more to come.