Flower Day!

IMG_0509, originally uploaded by TTT with Toulouse.

Toulouse leaving Open Air Flowers for Petit Soleil......wait until you see how really pretty and fresh these will look in the dining room

July 20

Isn't this the cutest sign? Maggie, one of Petit's former employees, gave this to us because after working at Petit for two plus years. She became a true KItCheN Diva...and she was thankful! We miss Maggie!

We miss all our girls after they leave.

I think she found this cute sign at Hand's Gallery. All "friends of Toulouse" shop at

Hands Gallery

for

really special gifts.

(I'll show you what fun stuff Annie, Andrew and John got me for

my birthday in the next post).

.....

Toulouse hanging in front of his home.

These are the apricots I used in the Olive Oil Apricot Cake.

I think I am starting to "get" this blog thing.

it is much easier being a car

that just has to drive around to fun places

or park in front of fun places

.....

so, Caroline! I promised you that I would begin this blog on my birthday

I did!

but it has taken me a few days,

and numerous calls and visits

with Jenny

to "get" this crazy blogging world.

Fruit Crazy and an Olive Oil Apricot Cake

July 17

An abundanza of glorious fruit is filling our orchard right now…take a peek!

I picked a peck of pluots and plums and apricots (not really a peck – it sounded kind of cute, though)

Olive Oil Apricot Cake

ooolala delish!

(I am pretty sure that you can swap out the apricots for pluots or plums. I will try each and let you know sometime soon.)

Here’s the recipe:

Apricot Olive Oil Cake


1 pound (about 6) ripe apricots, sliced or chopped into 1-inch pieces.


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour


1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


1/4 teaspoon salt


1/3 cup cornmeal


1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan


1 cup granulated sugar


zest from one medium orange

3 large eggs


1/3 cup non fat Greek yogurt (I love FAGE)


1 teaspoon fresh orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with olive oil.

Sift the flour, and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in salt and cornmeal.

In a separate bow, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, and eggs. Add orange zest, orange juice, and yogurt, and whisk thoroughly to combine. Add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing until incorporated.

Spread about half of the mixture into the springform pan, spreading evenly. Place about half of the apricot pieces over the batter. Pour the rest of the batter into the pan and top with the remaining apricots.

Bake for 350ºF for about 35 minutes until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

***by the way, the cake would be amazing for breakfast with a cup of Peet’s French Roast or for dessert with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and a little glass of Late Harvest Orange Muscat

The cake disappeared pretty quickly – I love having the kids home (no leftovers!)

And speaking of leftovers

Annie made Spring Rolls!

She made them with:

Thai rice papers

filled with julienned

Carrots,

Cucumbers,

Steamed asparagus,

Red peppers and

Cellophane noodles

We dipped them in a Spicy Peanut Sauce!

So good! And healthy!

Nice job, Annie!

I am proud!

I looked for the leftover Spring Rolls for breakfast the next morning (I don’t always eat Petit Soleil food for breakfast) and all the Spring rolls were gone. They, evidently, disappeared at two in the morning when the kids got home from downtown.

Andrew made a coffee cake with the Pluots at Petit...it got

really

GREAT reviews...

watch for that recipe, too!

Bon Appetit!

Toulouse says "NO!" to drinking and driving!

John, Annie, Dianne and Andrew

Toulouse's friends

July 16

A fun day filled with a limo ride, stellar wines, a lovely dinner, laughs, debates and other shenanigans shared with my favorite peeps, Annie, Andrew and John.

Guy, from Elegant Image Limo, picked us up at 3:30p . He was our timekeeper keeping us on track on as we visited four really exceptional wineries in Paso Robles:

Midnight Cellars

Dark Star Cellars

Brian Benson Cellars

Four Vines

We really wanted to indulge in Grey Wolf wines as I really LOVE Grey Wolf wines – but, alas, Guy with his invisible whip, moved us along in perfect time so that we wouldn’t miss our dinner reservation at 6:30 at

Justin Winery's Deborah's Room

….mental note – Grey Wolf Cellars sometime soon.

SADLY, so sadly, my camera died so I couldn’t take pictures of our elegant repast in

Deborah’s Room.

I devoured :

Wilted Spinach Salad with a perfectly poached organic egg

Sea Bass seared and perched perfectly atop Israeli Couscous

Marscapone lemon Cheesecake…

Each course came perfectly paired with Justin wines –

The two-hour plus experience was lovely and memorable – alas we were all quite loud and giddy afterwards in the limo ride back home!

Toulouse stayed at home - thankfully, because when you go wine tasting always better to have a driver....

But you know that! Duh!

As I learn more about blogging, how to add photos, quotes, music etc. I am sure you will have a

blast reading about

Toulouse and his adventures with me,

and sometimes with Annie and Andrew and John

(and maybe even Nottie, Huckleberry and Phinn).

I promise this will get better!

Keep reading!