spring in my step

Spring blooms

my favorite flowers

so good

a scoop of coffee almond sorbet

a carrot cake cupcake to split

a hot buttered latte kind of afternoon

spring is in my step

It officially feels like Spring

and

I literally have a spring in my step.

Marc and I perused one of our favorite farmers' markets today

where we enjoyed a funky little band,

picked up some roasted red pepper jam,

and had a scoop of coffee almond sorbet from one of my favorite stands

...

Scream Sorbet.

I could not help but take in all of the aromas of one of my favorite markets

...

you should have seen how many people were out.

Afterwards,

we headed to a place that has stolen my heart

...

The Buttery.

We ordered a carrot cake cupcake to split

and

I enjoyed a hot buttered latte to cap off a great day.

If you are ever in the Santa Cruz area you must:

check out the Wednesday Farmers' Market

and

go to The Buttery

...

must orders: the carrot cake cupcake and a hot buttered latte.

Bisous.

a day at the beach

playing the drums

eating lunch

admiring the views

a sunny bloom

taking it all in

my brother Ben

thinking a little too much

a decadent latte

enjoying the light

Ben and I

chocolate chip cookies upon request

dark chocolate chips are key

a treat for my brother

After a week of rain,

rain,

and more rain

...

a day at the beach was much needed.

My brother came to visit over the weekend

so,

we took the opportunity to pack up our hand drums

(a new hobby of mine),

put on our sunglasses,

and headed to one of my favorite spots

...

Santa Cruz.

The weather could not have been more perfect

...

sunny yet cool, and so refreshing.

We sat near West Cliff and ate our sandwiches,

played our drums, and admired the views.

Afterwards,

we went to a local coffee shop and relaxed,

grabbed sushi for dinner and soaked in the aromas of a great day.

Visits from family truly make me happy.

My brother left yesterday

and

I sent him off to college with a bag filled with homemade chocolate chip cookies

...

his favorite.

Happy Wednesday!

Bisous.

Guava Cake and Local Goodness

Guava Cake

a perfect slice

just for you

enjoying every bite

a juicy lucy burger with zucchini pickles

fresh flowers and blood orange soda

dabbling with making juicy lucy burgers

each patty has a dollop of tomato jam and cheese inside

homemade zucchini pickles

a photo from my jam shoot

a weekend filled with local goodness

Have you ever had Guava Cake?

Well,

this past weekend I was introduced to it

and let me tell you

...

I have never had a better slice of cake ... ever!

The cake was moist,

not too sweet,

fruity,

and pretty much heavenly.

Our good friends bought it at a bakery called Akis

where the cake usually sells out by noon.

Pretty much I know what cake I will be having at my graduation.

This weekend Marc and I stayed local

which was so refreshing.

I made a killer strawberry jam on Friday night

and let me just say,

late night jamming is quite fun.

On Saturday,

Marc and I headed over to Daniel and Monica's for juicy lucy burgers

(first tried here),

blood orange soda,

zucchini pickles,

salted pepper french fries

and

of course,

guava cake.

Daniel tried his hand at making juicy lucy burgers

and the outcome was so, so, so tasty!

While the boys watched basketball,

Monica helped me style a photo shoot for the magazine I am working on.

The lighting in Monica and Daniel's kitchen is incredible

and Monica knows a thing or two about aesthetics

so,

the shoot turned out beautifully.

All in all,

Marc and I had weekend filled with local goodness

...

just what we needed.

Happy Monday!

Bisous.

good things

morning chai lattes

lots of foam

strawberry muffins

good mornings

a sample from my photojournalism project

afternoons in the garden

a weed in the wind

I know

coffee dates

a cup of goodness

This week has been just what I've needed.

I have had time to write,

bake,

enjoy yoga,

and catch up on my blog reading.

It has been raining here but it hasn't put a damper on my week.

A quick hello to new readers and a hello to those steady and true Coeur de La readers,

I love reading your comments and love reading your blogs.

Coeur de La is approaching its two year birthday

and it got me thinking

it is time for a little revamp.

What do you want to see more of on Coeur de La

...

recipes,

how to's,

garden photos,

more fashion posts,

coffee posts,

food posts, travel posts?

I would love to know.

Would you use a recipe index if I revamped my previous one?

On another note, my sister and I

are headed on a little road trip to cap off my Spring Break.

So,

without further ado,

I will leave you with a list of good things

that I hope will carry through to the weekend.

Some good things I've been enjoying:

homemade chai lattes

reading page after page of The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook

planning my attack to create a well stocked pantry

(think jams, pickles, preservers oh my)

trips to the snow

visiting with sweet friends

strawberry muffins

pickled zucchini

morning smoothies with almond milk

trips with my camera

and

yoga mornings.

What are some good things you've been enjoying?

Happy Thursday!

Bisous

don't leave without dessert

a delicious place

you had me at blood orange

a Sunday afternoon

Mac the Goat

spicy mac n cheese

a perfect bite

don't leave without dessert

good meal bliss at Homeroom

Hello Coeur de La readers!!

I am back from a snow filled weekend.

To say it snowed would be an understatement

...

there was snow EVERYWHERE

...

fresh, soft, powdery SNOW.

We even got snowed in on Sunday

...

don't worry we made the best of it and boarded Mount Rose for a second day.

All in all,

the weekend was just what I needed to start out my break.

Now that I am home I am excited to relax,

make jams galore,

and

go to one yoga class after another.

And of course,

I will be taking a little day trip back up to Homeroom.

Don't worry,

no attendance will be taken

and

the only thing expected of you at Homeroom is to kick up your feet

and enjoy some homemade Mac n Cheese.

I love that the menu has seasonal and local

dishes to choose from.

My personal favorite was the spicy Mac n Cheese

that I paired with a blood orange cider from Two Rivers.

And,

trust me when I say this,

do not leave without dessert.

A homemade brownie topped with locally made vanilla bean ice cream

drizzled in rich caramel will send you into good meal bliss.

So,

the next time you are visiting the Bay Area make a stop at Homeroom

for some good ole (NOT FROM THE BOX) Mac n Cheese.

Happy Tuesday!

Bisous.

headed to the mountains

headed to the snow

dad, sister and I ... trying to make the same face

in my element

taking a warm break

a must stop

Blue Bottle!

Bliss!

At noon today,

my quarter will be DONE.

After numerous papers,

a 170 point final in my Sustainable Food Systems class,

and a presentation for my photojournalism project

...

the quarter is DONE.

And, only one more to go!!

This next week I will be jamming to my hearts content,

reading some of my sweet reads

...

excited to finish Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and start Twain's Feast,

taking a trip with my sister

(where I know we will drink copious amounts of coffee and eat caramel apples)

days filled yoga and running

...

ahh breaks are so sweet.

Today,

I am headed to Tahoe for three days of boarding!!

(last week I went with my dad and sister ... oh the fun we had)

Have a great weekend!!!

Bisous.