a spring drive

going for a long drive

making a stop
for a sandwich
drifting with the wind
a glistening sun
and the sun is setting
over a red barn

When I was a baby (not too long ago)

 my mom and dad would take me on long drives

 because

 this was the only thing that would get me to fall asleep.

I believe ...

this is why I still love taking long drives.

I love sitting in the passenger seat,

taking off my shoes

and looking out the window.

Going on long drives are one of my simple pleasures

and 

luckily,

Marc is willing to drive.

One of our recent drives took us 

over the Santa Cruz Mountains

into

Santa Cruz,

along the coast

and into the small town of Pescadero.

We stopped in Santa Cruz at Kelly's French Bakery for lattes and a sandwich

then set out along the coast.

We admired the views, watched wind surfers, and took pictures.

While driving through Pescadero

we stopped at a red barn and watched the sun going down over the green

California hills.

Spring was alive on this drive 

and 

it was beautiful.

If you could go on a drive where would you go?

Bubbles and Shrimp on the Barbie

I am hard at work perfecting my bubbles

my sister and her bubbles

a perfect bubble on a Spring day

garlic bread

grilled asparagus

a garlic butter drizzle

shrimp on the barbie

a shrimp and avocado salad with wasabi dressing

the chefs .... Merci Beaucoup

Two months ago,

 my sister bought some bubbles at a local craft store.

She forgot them at my house

 and

 I found them in my linen closet.

 So,

 I did what any adult would do

 ... I threw them away

Ha just kidding

 ...

 I invited my sister over

 and

 we went to the park and played with bubbles.

 The weather was perfect

 and

 we both relaxed and laughed

 while trying to create the perfect bubble.

 All of the little kids at the park

 went wild for our bubbles

 and

 we laughed and laughed for hours.

 Later, I had two very special chefs make Marc and I dinner.

 And,

 being that Marc and I are in the kitchen quite a bit

 it was incredible having someone make dinner for us. 

We feasted on fresh asparagus,

 warm garlic bread

 and

 devoured a shrimp and avocado salad with wasabi dressing.

 I could not have made a better dinner if I tried;

 everything was so tasty.

 I love that when Spring rolls around

 I find myself outside more

 and

 enjoying meals that are prepared outside

 ... shrimp on the barbie for example.

 What is your favorite meal that someone has made for you

 and 

how are you??

Strawberry Love

I love ....

Fresh Stawberries

Picking Strawberries

Baskets of Goodness

First off,

  thank you

for all of your sweet comments on the Birthday Post.

 Today's post is inspired by Anna at Much Love

...

 different bloggers are posting about things they love,

 and

 I could not resist,

  I LOVE fresh strawberries.

 Three weeks ago

 strawberries started popping up at my local Farmers' Market

 and since then ...

  I haven't had enough of them.

 My favorite way to eat them is in a bowl with a drizzle of honey,

 and

 a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

 However,

 I love eating them right out of the basket.

 Strawberries are such a hearty, sweet fruit that are perfect for jams, pies (strawberry rhubarb), or they are perfect alone.

 What do you LOVE?

The winner of my blog birthday giveaway is Mara from M loves M. Congratulations Mara!!

 Please email me with your address so I can send you your goodies.

Enjoy your Monday everyone!!! 

* I watched Food, Inc this weekend ... have any of you seen it? What did you think? *

Happy Birthday Blog

Coeur de La

is 

now 

a year old!!!

A year ago

I started Coeur de La

because I wanted a place to put my ideas, photos and recipes

and soon it evolved into so much more.

Happy Birthday Coeur de La!!!

Thank you 

to all of my sweet followers of Coeur de La!!

I love reading your comments, emails and have loved 

getting to know all of you!!

All of you brighten my day and inspire me with your blogs.

 I feel lucky to be a part of such a 

beautiful community.

So in honor of you

 because you make Coeur de La

what it truly is

....

I am hosting a birthday giveaway

and here is what one person will receive:

a farmers' market tote... you know how much I love Farmers' Markets

a sweet or two inside the tote

a box of my favorite tea ... it's not from Paris but it's called Paris Tea

a pair of monkey slippers 

don't worry not my own ... 

I do have a pair and they are my favorite

an APRON from Sew Melly ... I already peaked in the bag

ADORABLE

and

a simple something ... it's a surprise... from my favorite store

This giveaway will end  

Saturday, March 27th at midnight

so,

to enter:

Leave a comment telling me your favorite birthday memory

be a follower of Coeur de La

and

I am curious, what is your favorite post on Coeur de La??

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend

and 

again,

Thank you for supporting Coeur de La.

Two of my Favorites

on our way

stopping for a chai latte at La Boulange

waiting at Taylor's

the ahi burger with sweet potato fries

a refreshing glass of lemonade

a stop for a whoopie pie

one of my favorite places

chantilly eclair

toasting to a lovely day

I love taking Day Trips 

...

 and

 when the weather is right

 there are two places I love to visit:

 Taylor's Refresher and Bouchon Bakery.

 Both,

 are located about 15 minutes from each other

 and

 I absolutely can't visit one without visiting the other.

 If you happen to be in the Napa Valley

 you must put these on your list of musts.

 Marc and I always order the Ahi Burger at Taylor's

 with a side of sweet potato fries and a fresh cup of lemonade.

 By far

... 

the Ahi Burger is the best burger I have ever tried

and

 my taste buds always thank me.

 Luckily, we split the burger

 because

 just down the road is one of the loveliest bakeries I know

.... 

Bouchon Bakery.

 A stop in the Napa Valley wouldn't be the same without stopping here.

 Just look at the eclair we ordered,

 fresh,

 soft,

 and

 filled to the brim with whipped cream.

And, to wash it down

we always go to Domaine Chandon

for a glass of champagne!!

  Throw in a whoopie pie and a chai latte,

 and our day is complete.

 Where are your favorite places to day trip?

 And,

are you a creature of habit,

 is there somewhere you must go,

 or a sweet you must order?

My blog's first birthday is on Friday

 and

 I am celebrating with a giveaway for all of you.

 Hello to my new followers, how are you? 

Supposedly, Taylor's Refresher is now Gott's ...

when Marc and I went recently it was still Taylor's

is the name change true?

is this true?

Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream

an exciting find

rose petal buttercream

a baking success

all dressed up

I saved one for you

The other day while grocery shopping,

 I stumbled upon rose petal jelly.

 A few weeks back,

I had rose petal ice cream that made me fall in love with roses!

  Ok, maybe I didn't fall in love with roses

 but

 the point I am trying to make is that it was incredible.

 I decided to buy the rose petal jelly

 and

 see what I could make with it.

 After, several minutes of contemplating I knew what I would make

....

 Vanilla Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream.

 I was a bit apprehensive

 because

 I have had a couple baking mishaps,

 but thought

 .... why not give baking another shot,

 and so I did.

 I followed the directions word for word,

 measurement by measurement

 and

 ingredient for ingredient.

 And, what do you know

 the cupcakes came out perfectly!! 

The buttercream frosting was simple

 and fun to make. 

Here is the recipe for you buttercream lovers!! 

Rose Petal Buttercream

1 cup of butter (2 sticks at room temperature)

4-5 cups powdered sugar (however, I used 4)

1/2 cup rose petal jelly (I used 4 tablespoons)

1 drop of red food coloring (I added this... it's Spring and I wanted a light pink frosting)

 

1.in a medium bowl beat butter till creamy

2. add powdered sugar

3. add 4 tablespoons of rose petal jelly, or however much you would prefer

4. add 1 drop of red food coloring if you desire a pink frosting 

5. with a mixer beat the powdered sugar and butter until creamy

I made several small changes to the rose petal buttercream

however,

you can find the original recipe at cupcakeblog.com

Enjoy!!

So, if you are in the mood for the perfect Spring cupcake

 give these cupcakes a try.

 I was amazed that the frosting actually tasted like roses.

 I loved the combination of the vanilla cupcake and the rose petal buttercream,

 perfect for a soft spring day!!!

What is your favorite jam? And, how are you enjoying Spring?

Celebrating Spring at Crown and Crumpet

a place for more than tea

I love this sign

all of the details are delightful

my favorite print

tea

a cup of Paris tea and sweets

celebrating Spring with Tea and Friends

There is no better way to celebrate Spring

 than with a a cup of tea

.... 

and

 that is exactly what I did.

If you live in San Francisco or visiting,

 you must go to Crown and Crumpet.

 I first heard of Crown and Crumpet through Sfgirlbybay

 when she blogged about it,

and I knew immediately

 I had to go there.

 Myself and three friends went

 and

 we could not have been more delighted.

 Crown and Crumpet is a treasure.

 The menu is amazing

 with a wide variety of sweets, savory dishes and teas.

 A must order is the Paris Tea,

 it is light, creamy and simply wonderful.

 I loved the details in Crown and Crumpet:

 the saucers and teapots had cute sayings, and the sugar cubes were small delicate pastel flowers.

 The decor was bright,

 whimsical

 and

 all together LOVELY.

 I met the owner Amy

 while browsing through Crown and Crumpet's shop.

 She was incredibly friendly

 and

 passionate about what she and husband are doing.

You can tell they have put so much love into Crown and Crumpet.

 So,

 the next time you are in San Francisco

 stop into Crown and Crumpet

 and

 you will see that you get much more than a cup of tea!!

So,

 I will be blogging here and there this week.

 However, I will be reading your lovely blogs as much as I can.

 Sending you much love!!!

Caroline

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Marc enjoyed some Guinness while baking

Sporting my new red glasses and admiring the Pineapple Buttercream

Marc and his Magic

Pineapple Butterceam Frosting: DELICIOUS

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

After feeling like I've been hanging upside down... from being sick to finals...

I thought.... why not make a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!

I found a recipe.... courtesy of the oh so lovely Paula Deen

and

Marc and I 

spent the evening in the kitchen. 

I must give credit where credit is deserved.... 

I only made the Pineapple Buttercream Frosting

Marc made the rest.... and when it comes to baking I am not as precise as he is.

For example

I find it perfectly normal to change recipes 

by 

adding extra sticks of butter to recipes

and

any baker knows 

that the recipe is a recipe for a reason

STICK TO IT... 

I suppose this is why

 I love to cook because I can improvise!!

So, while Marc measured, and stirred

I watched and awed at his precision.... I love when Marc is in the kitchen!!!

I whipped up the Pineapple Buttercream Frosting... 

such an easy recipe:

1/2 cup of butter... softened (don't worry I did not add extra this time)

2 tablespoons pineapple juice... I did change this and it's worth it

I added 3 tablespoons 

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

and

simply mix it together until creamy, smooth and buttery

This Frosting is incredible!!!

So

Marc whipped up his batter, drizzled brown sugar on his baking dishes

and 

finished his recipe.... 

45 minutes later

we had Pineapple Upside-Down Cake!!!

(we left out the cherries in the recipe but that is our own personal preference)

What is your favorite thing to bake, cook or create?

Happy Thursday

and 

if you haven't already.... enter The Pleated Poppy Giveaway

Giveaway ends Saturday.

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I am sporting green and can't be happier....

I take my last final for the quarter

in

one hour

and 

after

I am

RELAXING!!!

I hope all of you have a very Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

And,

a lovely day!!

I could not resist using this photo,

It is of my friend Monica embracing Spring and also making a wish.

How do you embrace Spring?

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time

a day to begin transforming winter's dreams

into

Summer's Magic

-Adrienne Cook

(picture taken by Monica's husband Daniel)

A Visit Home...

bringing the bikes

dessert at one of my favorite restaurants.... The Union Hotel

my dad

Enchiladas at my Grandma's 

Marc being Marc ;P

Hello

enjoying a Saturday afternoon bike ride

Spring is in full bloom

my brother

Home

Over the weekend, 

Marc and I decided to head home to visit with family.

 I always seem to forget how much I love the town where I grew up

.... when I was younger I could not stand how small it was

 and 

it hasn't been till recently

 that I have fallen in love with this quaint little town. 

While we were in Benicia... yes this is where I grew up... 

Marc and I... 

went to lunch at our favorite restaurant The Union Hotel

 with my dad and his fiancee

 The Union Hotel is where Marc and I had our rehearsal dinner

so it brings back great memories.

 The Union Hotel has the best desserts and lemonade,

 and I love going here whenever I am home.

In the afternoon,

we went on a bike ride downtown with our brothers,

 and 

I forgot how much I love being on my bike. 

On our bike ride we:

 stopped at a local cafe

 my brother ordered a pop, Eric and I had tea, and Marc had water.

I could not believe how beautiful the trees were, they were in full bloom

after our break,

we cruised passed old Victorians,

 reminisced

 about when all four of us worked as lifeguards at our local pool

and

 cruised around the Marina,

 and

 I got to thinking about how I would love to try sailing

Later that night

 Marc and I visited with my grandma

.... we enjoyed her homemade enchiladas, rice and beans.

 Marc and I started a recipe book for of all her recipes

... something that I know our family will hold dear

Going home was exactly what I needed

.....

 this week is quite crazy with finals

 so

 it was absolutely lovely relaxing at home.

What is your favorite thing about going home?

 And, where is home for you?

XO