Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Two Falls and the Case of the Disappearing Post...


WHAT THE HECK!




have any
of
you
bloggers
had a
post
just
disappear?

I mean,
where
did
it
go?


poof!


gone...

the post
was about
our
Mother's Day
adventure

we
adventured
to
IMG_1536
I was
rocking
my
brand new
Adidas
trail shoes
(Happy Mother's Day present from me)
IMG_1537


so
NOW
I have to try
to recreate
that
post
here's
the gist
of it
...


********

Salmon Creek Falls
is
about
1 1/2 hours
north
of
SLO
on
Hwy 1


on the
southern end
of
Big Sur
not too
far
beyond Ragged Point

this is
what
you see from the highway
_MG_1515

The
waterfall
is crazy
wild
because
of all the
rain
we
have had
this past spring



the trail head
is
just off
the highway
_MG_1514

our goal?
Estrella Camp!
_MG_1513

On
to the falls -> -> ->

Annie leads
IMG_1500

John and Andrew
follow
IMG_1499
I am
lollygagging
a bit
taking pictures
..
a short hike to the
waterfall


crashing
down
...
lovely
_MG_1478


_MG_1477
the air
is
clean
and
thankfully
cool

the water
pools
and
cascades
down
again
down
to
the
Pacific Ocean
below
_MG_1471

If
you
are
brave,
you can climb
up
on to the
rocks
_MG_1481



Off the
rocks
and
back
on the
trail
we
charge upwards
_MG_1489

up
up
up
UP
(I am breathing a bit heavy now)

that's
highway one below
_MG_1487

because
it
was
Mother's Day
a nice hiker
took our picture
_MG_1492
there
are
beautiful wildflowers
along the
trail
(and Poison Oak)
IMG_1494
huff -puff
up
up

higher
still


"hey! Let me take a picture!"
snap
IMG_1496

the views
are
spectacular
IMG_1501


IMG_1504

After
hiking
about
an
hour
or so
I hear this
voice
from
behind me
"I should have eaten something.
I'm hungry"
..
no food
or
water
with us
I am feeling
a
grumpy attack
coming on
from
that
hungry hiker


time to turn around
and head
back
down
the trail
_MG_1505
If
you
remember,
I
did mention
that the
trail
is quite
steep
and very rocky

and
full
of blooming Yuccas
(Andrew snagged one for my hair)
_MG_1506
and
back
to
that
steep trail
...
all those
loose
rocks..

I tripped

BOOM!


for
whatever reason,
B O O M!
down
I went
knees bloody,
hands bloody
and
scraped
(Yucca flower flew off somewhere)
John,
my dear hubby,
so empathetically
muttered
"thank GOD you weren't carrying the camera!!"



shaky
and
wobbly
we continue down

a little
fresh
water stream to wash off all the blood
ouch..
_MG_1510

looking
back up
...
there
are the Yuccas!
_MG_1516

the hike
was
fun
breathtakingly beautiful
and
we are
planning
a
return trip
to
Salmon Creek Falls
soon
...
Pearls of Wisdom:
1. go before 11:00am
2. eat a hearty breakfast before you go
3. take a backpack
4. bring water in that backpack
5. bring power bars, trail mix, fruit or another munchie
in that backpack
6. bandaids
7. new Adidas trail shoes
8. sweatshirt around your waist
9. shower immediately after
(to clean off the Poison Oak oils)

the views
along
hwy 1
ARE
so
spectacular
_MG_1518

and dramatic
IMG_1519

Morro Rock
...majestic!!!
IMG_1520

The
best
adventure !

Monday, May 9, 2011

MANGO MAMA TORTE

Oh My
Oh,
MY!!

this is a true case
of
"don't judge a book by its cover"

At Petit
we make
a
killer
Bavarian Apple Torte
(sometimes it is a pear torte
sometimes peach
sometimes nectarine
sometimes blueberry
It is the
perfect
easy
delicious
recipe!
Andrew
was
on
baking duty
and was
assigned
to bake
the
torte
for
Mother's Day
at
Petit Soleil.
"Mom!!!!
no
apples
pears
berries
...
we only have mangos!"
hmmmmmmm

Mango Ginger Torte
so ugly,
so so so so delicious!!!
IMG_0919

350 degrees
spring form pan, lightly greased

You need a food processor.
Add 1 c. walnuts and grind to make a flour.
into the walnut flour
add:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 c. sugar mixed with
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 c. flour
Pulse to combine.
Turn mixture into the springform pan and press on bottom and slightly around sides of the pan to form the crust. Set aside.

Back to the food processor.
2 c. softened cream cheese
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix to combine (will be liquidy). Pour into crust.

3-4 mangos
Peel. Locate the seed and carefully cut out slices. Arrange slices (prettily, if so inclined) around the cream cheese custard (they may slightly sink - it's really ok).

Sprinkle the mangos with a sugar ginger mixture (1/4 c. sugar & 1 tsp. ground ginger)
Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Let cool thoroughly.
Chill.
IMG_0920
the
ginger-mango combo
is wickedly delish
IMG_0921

Bon Appetit