TTT with Toulouse and Friends

come on! come on over

2012-01-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

would love for all of my Toulouse friends to visit my new blog of tastings, travels and temptations! your following is so appreciated!

here's a cake…yes! a coffee cake that will make memories!

http://cestlaviepetit.blogspot.com/

my facelift: C'est la Vie!

2011-12-19T14:07:00.000-08:00

I was thinking

maybe

I needed

facelift

…..

come on by and see

http://cestlaviepetit.blogspot.com/

There's a New Kid in Town

2011-12-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

before I begin,

may

offer

pearl of wisdom

don't leave home without your camera

that noted,

I met

friend,

Becky

(one of my very first bff's in SLO)

for lunch

last week

the

new burger joint in town,

Eureka!

….I forgot my camera

and

….I HAD FISH TACOS!

really good

fish tacos!!

but

pictures

Good news!

went back

Eureka!

with

Dottie

(aka daughter, Annie)

for

our

"Mootie-Dottie Date"

and

I brought my camera!

There are

Eureka! signs

on the street

just

this!

many beers

on tap

and domestic whiskeys

(how fun is that?)

Each week

they

showcase

different

domestic

microbrews

I love the names

these

brewskys… I think brew masters have way too much fun

thinking up names

I only

shot a

portion

of the menu

(flash issues)

too bad, because the menu is really fun and creative

Cheers!

a whisky sour (with fresh squeezed local citrus)

and 2008 Beckman Syrah

rumor

was

that Eureka!

made a

killa'

veggie burger

(using beets)

I ordered it,

naked

(bun-less)

Caprese Style

with

mozzarella, tomatoes, pesto ……YUM!

...

Dottie,

aka Annie,

had a veggie burger, too

(as she is a vegetarian, duh)

with

blue cheese, sautéed shrooms and caramelized onions

She muttered

nom nom nom

and

YUMMMMMMMMMM

in-between bites!

cool

edgy feel

to the ambiance

of Eureka!

SO,

I had lunch

at Eureka!

with

Becky

on Thursday,

dinner

at Eureka!

with

Dottie

on Saturday

and

lunch

today,

Monday,

with John

…

I think I really like Eureka! burger!

p.s.

the wait staff

and the manager,

Trevor,

ROCK!

Painted by Nature

2011-12-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

San Luis Obispo

has

had

the

most

exquisite

autumn

this year

after the harvest

the

vineyards

turned

jewel tones

orange and green

gold and copper

the colors change

each vineyard

is harvested

gorgeous, huh?

the vines

the back

haven't

yet

begun

fruit

Even

the

neighborhoods

look

like they have been painted

painted

bright

crimson

..almost purple

You

New Englanders

reading

this,

I know,

are saying

"PFAU, that's nothing"

but

to a native

California

girl,

this Autumn

has been

stunningly colorful

and

cool

highly

recommend

a visit

Autumn….

after the

grape harvest

experience

wine country

painted by nature.

Luna Red with Dottie and Moots

2011-11-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

YOU

know

from

many posts

self- diagnosed

delicious food

addict..

that said,

emphasize

DELICIOUS FOOD

has

been

quite a while

since

Annie and I

(aka Dottie and Moots)

hit

downtown SLO

for

a delicious

(emphasize DELICIOUS)

dinner

together.

decided

Luna Red

known

for

it's

tapas

but

the

entrees

are

sensational,

as well

Starting off,

hmmm

what to eat? what to eat?

what to drink?

Lunarita

and

a glass of

Verdad Albarino

nice!

Cheers!

a toast

Dottie and Moots'

night out

(see those potatoes? they are bistro spuds: crisp fingerling potatoes, marinated olives, sambal rouille)

yes, delicious!

Next,

spice roasted beets: fennel, red onion, grilled ricotta salata, herb vinaigrette

the grilled ricotta salata atop the beets was mmmmmhmmmm

and then,

red cabbage-apple potstickers spiced beet coulis, coconut cream, cilantro

the red cabbage danced in our mouths

Talk about a dance,

the autumn roast squash, chili spiked pepitas, arugula, raisins, wild rice, toasted walnut vinaigrette

was

party

so many autumn flavors and spices

and

of course,

Pumpkin Beignets

with cinnamon cream, for dipping

Satiated,

not stuffed

after

delicious tapas

(emphasize DELICIOUS)

and

wine

we smiled

and

look forward

another

Dottie and Mootie

dinner

adventure

SLO Vintners and Rockin' Harvest

2011-11-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

Years ago,

before

Petit Soleil

was

even

apple in our eyes

had

the

privilege

working

with

the

San Luis Obispo Vintners' and Growers Association

aka

SLOVAG

worked

with

the

best people:

the grape growers

the wine makers

and

other folks

just

passionate

about wine

The head honcho

back then

was

Archie,

the quintessential wine aficionado

and

in our little office

were

Gail (second in command)

Diane (who got the jobs done)

Laura (who got the jobs done)

and

me (who helped get the jobs done)

Basically,

worked,

sometimes

laughing

'til tears

(often until we pee-ed)

it got us through the stress

of getting

events and marketing

maps and brochures

done

for the

grape growers

wine makers

and

folks passionate about wine

...

fast forward

SLOVAG

is no longer

run

Archie

Gail

Diane, Laura or me

but

we four girls still do laugh 'til tears (2010)

and we get together whenever we can (2011)

sometimes we call Archie,

to just laugh

and harass him a bit

Ten years

after putting on

SLOVAG

Harvest Celebration

John and I

had the

opportunity

go to

Harvest Celebration

guests

(not as grunt workers)

The theme

for

2011

was

Rockin' Harvest

Petit Soleil

donated

a stay

for

the

live auction item

"Living la Vida SLO"

John and I

arrived

about

grabbed

plate and glass

and

got to be

early birds

for the

wines

and

foods

being

highlighted

Clay and Frederika

are passionate

about

their winery,

Claiborne and Churchill

their

Dry Gewurtztraminer

and Dry Riesling

are

outstanding!

We met up

with

Gwen,

the passionate owner (with winemaker hubby)

of Kynsi Winery

Kynsi's

Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noirs

are

delicious

Oh,

and look!

Clotilde

of Olea Farms Olive oils

was there

with their new olive oil blend, Fusion!

the

tents and surrounds

were

cheerfully

decorated

with

memorabilia

and

lyrics

from

Rock 'n Roll faves

Baileyana, Cadre, Tangent Trenza and Zocker Winery was there... (one winery - many offshoots)

Love their wines!

and

rocker

winemaker

extraordinaire

Mike Sinor was there

with rocking wife Cheri

whipping it good

Passionate about wine,

Mike makes wine

for

Sinor-LaValle (his own label) YUM!

Ancient Peaks wines

and

Center of Effort wines

(with Nathan)

Mike was just

featured in

Wine spectator!!

congrats, Mike!

Paul Kwong's pumpkin curry rocked my world!

Paul is the owner

and chef

for Mee Hung Low in SLO,

the charming and delicious

noodle house

next to the Palm Theatre

the day

was

picture-perfect

the

main auction tent

was

happily

decorated

and ready for some serious auctioning

Petit's

next-door neighbor

Splash Cafe

had

killer empanadas

and mini pizzas

mmmmhmmmm

Cal Poly

shared

couple

of really

amazing wines

good job, Cal Poly!

Avila Beach

seen

through

the tent

really

fun

couple of

hours

with

stellar wines

and

delicious

fare

from

local restaurants

here

to the

SLOVA

website

and

mark your calendars

for

the next wine

event

and

Whip it - Whip it Good!

Domestic Divas, Queens of Cuisine etc.

2011-10-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

First

all

apologize.

sorry

that

don't

have pictures

ALL

the

amazing

employees

have

had

Petit Soleil

haven't

been

taking

pictures

THAT

long

We hire these

awesome

young ladies

(and men)

most often

Cal Poly Students

and

they

perfect their baking skills,

and their appetizer skills

and they learn about

wine

and

they

serve people

with

huge smiles

and often,

because

they become

domestic divas

and Queens of Cuisine

they

get engaged,

married

and begin their lives

post

Petit

happily everafter

....

to name

a few:

Lindsey (married),

Dylan (married),

Cole (married),

Ellyn (married,

Ellen (married),

Maggie (engaged),

Kelly (married),

Tani (married),

Carey (married)

and

many

others...

Last weekend

was

Libby's

wedding.

Libby

worked at Petit

for over a year

and

Jason

proposed to her in Paris.....in the Eifle Tower

(hello? - how spectacular is that?)

...

Libby and Jason

chose the

glorious

Edna Valley Vineyards

as the

destination

celebrate

their wedding

we celebrated

with

Libby and Jason!

with Ashley

and Caitlin

Riley

Annie

and

MacKenzie

and

Molly (over there to the right)

do believe

that

Edna Valley Vineyard

has the most

beautiful

views

the

Edna Valley

Libby and Jason

10.1.11

gorgeous,

sunset

Honestly,

Petit Soleil

has been

blessed

to have the

best

employees!!!

watch

them

grow

and mature

move on

and thrive

crocodile tears

Libby and Jason

heartfelt

Congratulations!

Picking Daisies......

2011-09-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

"Daisies

are such

happy

flowers,

don't

you

think"

from You've Got Mail

Daisies

ARE

such

happy flowers...

and

Picking Daisies

such

happy

name

for

store!

What do you think you would find

a store

called

Picking Daisies?

Flowers? Gardening supplies? Children's clothing?

Beautiful cloth napkins?

No..

YEAH!!!

Not

only

beautiful

cloth napkins,

but

easy care

no iron

cloth napkins

in a

myriad

of colors

patterns

and

themes

when

you

walk in

Picking Daisies

there is always

little

table

set

with

a theme

"back to school"

set

with

lovely

napkins

there

are

cheery

aprons

and

h u n d r e d s

gorgeous napkins

The thing

"no matchy"

which is so fun

set yourself free

you can choose

a color

and if

your eyes move

up and down

all the napkins

rhyme

with

coordinating

colors

the napkins

all

mixed together

make

for

such

a fun

tablescape

For instance,

you see

napkin

with

owl

below that

a napkin

in similar

colors

with

autumn leaves

and

then

gorgeous circles

(in similar colors)

and then

sunflowers

Love it!!!!

and what is especially fun,

you can buy

fabric

by the yard

and

sew

fun

things..

pillows, placemats,

table runners

and

even

cut

triangles

for banners

I LOVE THIS FABRIC!

it is going to be

the tables

at Petit Soleil

(mixed with other coordinating" fabrics, of course)

If you have been

to Petit

in the past

couple of

years

you will have

seen

Picking Daisies

napkins

dressing

each of our

dining tables

and

I alway use

Picking Daisies

napkins

home

because

they

are so

cheery

and

I can throw them in the

washer and dryer

they clean beautifully

and no ironing

(and no extra paper littering our environment)

Picking Daisies

always

has

gorgeous art

(they

often highlight

artists

Art After Dark)

free your spirit

stressful

matchy- matchy

and

visit

Kay and Dede

and

have

some

fun

Picking Daisies

570 Higuera St.

The Creamery

P.s.

Kay and Dede

MAKE ALL THE NAPKINS THEMSELVES

PPSS

We are

considering

ridding

ourselves

of paper napkins

at Petit

and using

Picking Daisies napkins

....just need to figure out the logistics,

but, Hello?,

how cute is that idea?

Lunch in Cayucos

2011-09-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

Cayucos

the

quintessential

California

beach

town

small...

charming,

but funky

...

one main street through town

a pier

surfers

a biker bar

and

Schooner's Wharf

Schooner's

on the

one main street through town

on the ocean side

so you

get

spectacular views

of the pier

and

the surfers

So,

after

crazy

busy

Cal Poly

move-in weekend

John

and

decided

get

Bloody Mary's

and

drum roll

...............................

FISH TACOS!

can

easily

count

Schooner's

among my

top

favorite

fish tacos

especially

when

the happy waiter asks

"salmon, ahi, snapper, albacore or shrimp tacos?"

"grilled or fried?"

come on!

what

awesome

choices?

After

B. Marys

and

fish tacos

cruised

the pier

Isn't

Cayucos

so cute?

is just

really

perfect

place

to spend a

couple

relaxing

hours

salt air

cool breezes

sea gulls

Fun beach town!

good

fish

tacos!

California Beach Town!

Oh,

Yeah!

The Wild Donkey Cafe

2011-08-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

Years

ago,

way before

Petit Soleil

John and I

thought

move to

Oregon,

buy some land

with a

barn

and

turn it into

Bed and Breakfast

The loft

of the barn

would

our

home

( floor of the barn would house a large kitchen and dining tables)

and

surrounding the barn

would

little

barn-like cottages

...

we would

have

goats

and

chickens

and

a donkey

(and dogs and a cat)

...the goats for cheese,

the chickens for eggs

and

the donkey

because they are so darn cute

(can't live without dogs and a cat to keep all the critters at bay)

we woke up from

that

dream

(and

along

came

Petit Soleil)..

anyway,

Donkeys

are

not only so cute,

but

they

are strong,

hard working

long living

and have

quite a history

with

that

said,

I met

homie

Barbara

(as in SF Marathon Barbara)

for

lunch

THE WILD DONKEY CAFE

the delightful

restaurant

is NEW

...

c o L o r F u L

friendly

and

it has

beautiful

donkey

art

everywhere

fabulous

brick walls

and an

inviting

back patio

the

restaurant's

flavors

are

Greek

and

Mexican

...

yeah, interesting, I know!

and

the

fun,

fresh

and

adventurous,

with

a great

beer and wine list

(and a little history of the donkey)

You know by now,

I am always on

the hunt

for the best

fish taco...

but

THE WILD DONKEY

no fish tacos

(sad but true)

but

the

waitress

offered us

Salmon Fajitas

with

rice, black beans

and corn tortillas!

ok, fish tacos!!

I went

with

Mythos

(Greek beer)

and

enjoyed the "tacos"

the

house salsa

was

spicy hot

and

delish

Really yummy!

They have

summer-fresh

Greek Salad

and

gyros

souvlaki

fajitas with lamb or beef

"fish tacos"

dolmades

and

all sorts of

Mexican-Greek specialties!

After lunch in the Patio

and

back

inside,

we met the owner

and the artist

behind

all the

donkey

art

and

she

the collector

great old LPS

(which make such great decor)

can't wait

go back!

visit the website, too

The Wild Donkey

Broad Street

between

Higuera and Marsh!

Hold tight to a last bit o'summer

2011-08-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

S.U.M.M.E.R

it came

and

it went

....

for some of you

across the

country

it was

rainy,

for some it

was

HOT.

Some peeps

felt the earth shake

and some peeps

are still

singing

"GoodNight Irene".

SLO

this summer

the

weather

has been mild

..the

tomatoes

are just

starting to turn

red

grabbed

a few

of those

tomatoes

a lemon

a couple very fresh peaches

a handful

basil leaves

ball

of wonderful

soft

mozzarella

a glug of really good olive oil

sea salt

and fresh ground black pepper

the

best

and

most delicious

salute

SUMMER

If you're going to San Francisco.....

2011-08-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

San Francisco.

love it!

need it!

crossing off

another

"to do"

from

bucket list

run or walk across the Golden Gate Bridge

evidently

a few of

besties

had

the

same

"to do"

all

signed up

for the

San Francisco Half Marathon

and

the weekend

July 30

WERE

THERE!

John and I

got to

our

hotel

and

marveled

the view

Bay Bridge & Treasure Island

and

the

regal

Ferry Building

in all its glory

Saturday

Farmer's Market

(see the umbrellas to the left)

glorious produce

from all

around the Bay Area

herbs

fragrant basil, carrots and leeks

onions, garlic, tomatoes

and chiles

ripe for

salsa

Summer sunflowers

and summer squashes

Eatwell Farm

Food for the Body and Soul

and

hundreds

piquillo peppers

LOVE THEM!

We hooked up

with our

first

Homies

and

said

"YES, Fish Tacos, please!!!"

Taylor's Refreshers

had

fresh

Mahi-Mahi tacos

OH, so so so good!!!!!!

perfect

for

pre-run dinner!!!

4:45am

wake up call

and we're ready

the

theme for

the

run

was

WORTH

THE

HURT

yup,

worth it!

Post run

celebration

Market Bar

with

besties

and

that

night

FABULOUS

fish

tacos

Tres

Perfect..

really

PERFECT

fish tacos!

TRES

one

all time

favorite

(authentic)

Mexican Restaurants

ever

complete

with

giggles

and laughs
with more besties!!!!

have

been

lucky

to be

crossing

so many

"to do's"

off

my bucket list

...

but

there are

always

M O R E

come

Paris Half Marathon

2015

...and not so healthy, but so delicious

2011-07-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Petit Chilaquiles

way back when..

like 1973

I fell

love

with

chilaquiles!

Denny's

in Guadalajara

- I forgot where exactly Denny's was

it was

many many

moons ago

maybe,

Plaza del Sol

(is that still around?)

Anyway...

memory

needed

to be fed

Petit Chilaquiles

was born

oozy

cheesy

chippy

slightly spicy

goodness

you start

with really

good

tortilla chips

(these are made in SLO)

this

recipe

"how to"

for a crowd

(12-15 depending on their appetites)

or a

very hungry

family

9"x13" pan

...

tear up

6-7

corn tortillas

and line the

bottom

of the pan

with

them

grab

a large can

(or 4 small cans)

of diced green chiles

and

drop

them in large

spoonfuls

on top of

the tortillas

a thin

layer

shredded

Monterey Jack

cheese

(you can use pepper Jack for more heat)

crunch up

handfulls

of Taco Works chips

and layer them on top of the jack cheese

spoonfuls

of chiles

another

layer of

Jack cheese

(or Mexican Cotija cheese would be more authentic)

and

top

it off

with

a few more handfuls of

crunched chips

Now,

grab 10 eggs

2 c. heavy cream

salt, pepper, cumin (to taste)

and whisk

them together

and pour the custard over the

top

cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate

until

the next day

Bake at 350 degrees

for 45-50 minutes

Serve with

sour cream

salsa

guacamole

cilantro

whatever

you like!

It is

hands down

the favorite

breakfast

of the

Petit Soleil employees

except

Meagan

..... I think Meagan likes the Greek Strata the best

Bon APpeTit!

!Buen provecho)

a healthy treat for you!

2011-07-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

always

fun

to put together a

recipe

that

will

satisfy

that

NAUGHTY

and

sometimes annoting

sweet

tooth

and

not

put on

10 lbs.

I suppose it could put 10 lbs if you ate the whole thing

these

bad boys

are

gluten free

sugar free

all natural

(sounds pretty yucky, but these bars are really delish!)

Granola Bars

oats (gluten free, if you cannot eat any gluten)

unsweetened coconut

pecans

ground flax seed

Medjoul dates

process in food processor

nut butter (your fave - not Jif or Skippy) I used almond butter

mix with real maple syrup

bake

eat!

The actual recipe

for

Granola Bars

2. c oats

1/2 c. unsweetened coconut

1.c pecans (or walnuts)

1/4 c. ground flax seed

1/2 tsp salt

Process in food processor

using 6-7 pulses

Drop above in

mixer

or in a large bowl

(I used my mixer and the paddle)

Combine the nut butter and the syrup.

Pour over the oat/nut mixture

and mix until combined.

Turn into

a 9"x13" pan

and pat down.

bake at 350 degrees

for 30 minutes

p.s.

I certainly don't

think

dark chocolate chips

would ruin the recipe......

OUT OF THE BOX SHOPPING - Luna Rustica

2011-07-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

If you have

stayed

Petit Soleil

you

will

have

certainly

noticed

(if not, click on the above to see the rooms)

all

has a

rustic

Provencal

feel

(exactly what we wanted for our decor)

and it

ALL

from

Luna Rustica.

Back in the day

worked

closely

with

Mike

(the owner)

to make sure

all the

sizes

colors

and

design

of each piece

would

made

specific

for

each room ~

no easy task

as Mike

was

working

with

a special artisan

in Mexico

who was

designing

and

handcrafting

each

piece

of furniture

...

after nine years

hotel abuse

the

timeless

furniture

still

beautiful

While

the

Luna Rustica

Warehouse

gets

face lift

(if you will)

Luna Rustica

downtown

SLO

is ready

rock and roll!!!!

has

new

and

old

recycled

and revamped

juxtapositioned

to make

F A B U L O U S

religious

santos

bright

colorful

and

cheery

bowls

coolers

for

backyard

entertaining xx

lovely

barware

reds

greens

blues and oranges

treasures

from

Mexico

reclaimed

vintage

lighting

(love these!!!)

handcrafted

vases

dress

your

dining room table

fun gifts

traditional

Dia de los Muertos

pigs

Katrinas

and

Sr. Burrito

You can redecorate

your bedroom

and

you

will have

the

pleasure

of meeting

Jess and Tami

(two of Mike's favorite girls)

(mine, too)

I love

this

tag...

reclaimed and revived for the next generation

out-of-the-box

shopping

experience

****

Luna Rustica

downtown

895 Monterey St

(corner of Monterey and Morro)

Luna Rustica

Warehouse

2959 Broad St

and you thought I was done with Fish Tacos........

2011-07-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

One

can

NEVER

have enough

fish tacos,

I decided!

Tuesday night

John and I

snagged

some

fresh

salmon at

Trader Joe's

made some guac

and salsa..

a bit of cabbage

...sauteed the salmon with peppers and onions

threw it all inside soft corn torts

FISH TACOS!

mmmhmm.....

delish!

AND THEN

Barbara

says

"Hey, let's get

lunch

Bayside

Wednesday"

O.K.!!!

So,

Barbara

Natellie, Hillary,

Stephanie, Ruby

and I

went to

Bayside Cafe

and

ALL

HAD

FISH TACOS

(with fresh off- the- boat mahi mahi)

tons of guacamole

and shredded lettuce

salsa with a kick

soft corn tortillas

and

super yummy mahi mahi

Natellie loves fish tacos about as much as I do

she thought that she won the

eating contest

but,

actually

I ate

ALL

my lettuce!

Perfectly

delicious

tacos,

perfectly

wonderful friends

pee in your pants laughs

the

best!!!

p.s.

Right next to Bayside Cafe you can rent Kayaks

and cruise through

the Morro bay estuary -

otters

heron

sometimes seals

incomparable natural beauty

and

did you know that

MORRO ROCK

is the

9th sister

of the

9 sisters?

Fete d'Arte Deux

2011-07-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

Summertime

San Luis Obispo

...

abundanza

fun!

Mozaic Festival for MUSIC

Luna Rustica

downtown SLO

for

shopping

New burger haunts

(The Habit and Eureka Burgers)

downtown

for

happy tummies

ongoing Friday night

concerts

Mission Plaza

Thursday Night Farmer's Market

walking, hiking and

biking trails

everywhere

AND

Sunday

July 24

from

12-4

Petit Soleil's

FETE d'ARTE

Remember Natellie?

of Natellie's Art and Design

I begged

to see

the

new

pieces she was making for the Fete

WOW!

...

Fabulous

...

unique

pieces

with pearls of wisdom

and

flowers

that

will

bring a room

to life

a gift for your favorite seamstress

for

the soul

that holds the key to your heart

Dia de los Muertos

imagery

and

glorious flowers

this is one of my favorites

..a reminder

shine

These are just

sprinkling

the

unique

pieces

Natellie

will

showcasing

Fete d'Arte

Also:

Eldra's one- of- a- kind quilts

scrumptious cupcakes and lemonade

in an

ambiance

that will

transform

you to

a European

Street faire.

Eldra and her Amazing Technicolor Dream Quilts

2011-07-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

Eldra

passionate

c r E a t i v e

and

INSPIRATIONAL.

She

inspires

11th graders

to love

literature

and writing

...

compassionate

take

initiative

and

'the change'

For

seven years

she

has

inspired

11th grade girls

to run

half marathons

with their moms

and

fundraise together

to beat

Leukemia and Lymphoma

Eldra

passionate

about finding

a cure

for

Leukemias and Lymphomas

and

she

passionate

about

designing

and sewing

quilts

Eldra

is selling

a few

of her

amazing

technicolor

dream quilts

fundraiser

for

Team in Training

This

one

of the

quilts

will be

for sale

Petit Soleil's Fete d'Arte

passionately

painstakingly

and lovingly

stitched by hand

around each

little

house, window and door

look closer

Eldra's

quilts

are bright and happy

They are pieces of art, really

The

back

of each quilt

is as lovely

the front

They

are

amazing,

technicolor

dream

quilts

Please

join

Eldra

with artist extraordinaire

Natellie Saia

ART AND DESIGN

and her

stunning

art

Petit Soleil's

Fete d'Arte

July 24th

12-4

delicious

cupcakes

cupcakes teamintraining

Huckleberry!

2011-07-02T17:05:00.001-07:00

IMG_1141, originally uploaded by TTT with Toulouse.

Whose bed is this?

Uncorking for July

2011-06-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

has been quite a while

since

Petit Soleil

featured

"wines of the month"

not that it wasn't

great

concept,

darn,

it is a

great

concept

...but

I got lazy.

LAZY

more!

Back,

by request from our staff

WINES OF THE MONTH

J* U*L*Y*

Whites:

Tolosa Winery 2010 Viognier

Morgan Winery 2010 Pinot Gris

Girard 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Tolosa Winery

is a

hop skip and a jump

from Petit..

and def

worth a visit to

the

state of the art

solar

facility

of fabulous wines.

The

2010 Viognier

dry

citrusy

and totally lovely

for a

summer's eve.

Morgan Winery

is in

Monterey -

a cool growing region

perfectly suited for

Pinot Gris -

complex, rich

tropical flavors

..perfectly balanced.

Girard Winery

is in Napa - nope, not local,

but

I really just love this

crisp

fresh grapefruity

Sauvignon Blanc.

Rose'

2010 Curtis Winery

Heritage Rose'

one word,

LOVELY!

bone dry,

mouthful of

strawberry

nuances

Local boy,

Chuck Carlson, rocked this one!

Reds:

Perrin & Fils 2009 Cotes du Rhone Villages

M. Chapoutier 2008 Petite Ruche

Piedra Creek 2009 San Floriano

Perrin & Fils

renowned winemakers

from the southern Rhone region

of France

vinted

this Cotes du Rhone blend of

50% Syrah and 50% Grenache

cherries,

licorice

...

elegance

If you have stayed

at Petit,

you have probably

had either

Petite Ruche Blanc

Petite Ruche Rose'

or this

rouge.

This fresh

easy drinking Syrah

from the

vineyards of Crozes-Hermitage

will

pair with almost any food

and it delicious

all by itself

..Love Chapoutier wines

Piedra Creek

winemaker

Romeo Zuech makes flawless wines...

a retired

rocket scientist (really!)

Meo has

has a

passion

for making

magnificent wines.

San Floriano is a

blend of

the herbaceous Langrein grape

fruity Syrah

and smooth full bodied Merlot grape.

Combined,

this wine is

rich and velvety

yet light enough

to pair with fresh fruit

and totally

delicious!

featuring

Wines of the Month

we will

always

have

bottles

available

to taste,

knowledgeble staff

and

and we will pair

the wines

each

evening

with tasty bites

fresh from

our kitchen

a` sante

Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine

2011-06-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

breezes

blowing

from

Los Osos

you know

Summer

here

at our house

took

a while

for

Summer

to get here

but

as of June 25,

it is

here

and it is

lovely!

our new friend,

Walt,

(birdhouse maker extraordinaire)

just

posted

the

birdhouse

that

welcomes

home

the

dahlias

are

glorious

little

apples

Pluots

still have a

couple of weeks

more apples

a gazillion

apricots..

I am

dreaming

apricot tarts,

clafoutis

apricots simply

sprinkled

with chevre, toasted almonds and a drizzle of honey

dark

sweet plums

looking

it is

going to be a

delicious

summer!

A Hop Up to Portland

2011-06-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

being

spontaneous

isn't always

easy

when you

have

Petit Soleil

and

three dogs

but being

spontaneous

can be really fun!

came home from

pilates

at 6:30

Thursday night

and

John says

"Hey,

you want

to go

see

Flogging Molly?"

Hello.

duh!

YES!

"They are playing Tuesday night in Portland"

Covering all the bases:

Andrew and Annie

in charge of Petit - check.

1000 Hills

in charge of

Nottie, Huck and Phinn - check.

drive to San Jose,

fly to Portland...

arrived

into PDX

checked into

the Hotel Monaco

and cruised out to

get a bite to eat

Urban Farmer

we had

marvelous

deviled eggs with maple bacon

charcuterie

homemade potato chips

and

king salmon tartare

satiated

and excited

we cruised over to the

Roseland Theatre

where

danced

and

sang

with

Flogging Molly

.SO.

.MUCH.

.FUN.

the next day

we shopped

(cool cork display at Anthropologie)

Cargo

in the

Pearl District

we walked

and shopped

and ate

and took

pictures

and

inhaled

the

fabulous

urban

edginess

Portland

Brix Tavern

and

Brix Chips

(pulled pork, chipotle, cheese and home made tortilla chips)

eeeek

DE licious!

On the

way back

stumbled

into

a gallery opening

and

the most amazing artist

she

"tags"

on huge

canvases

and

jagged

pieces

of concrete

making social

and

political statements

the

colors

and

the energy

of her

street art

knocked me off my feet

this huge

heart

made

crushed spray cans painted white

and

encased in

lacy copper wire

was

fabulous

I want it!

If you

happen

upon

Kirby Kendrick

inhale

her

Ka-Pow

collection!

Portland

clean

fun

city

..good restaurants

fun bars

shopping extraordinaire

art

and lots of green

(due to lots of rain)

really

perfect

getaway!

Fish Tacos number uh, eighteen?

2011-06-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have two favorite numbers:

three

and

eighteen

...

I like things to come in

threes

and

when I

exaggerate

I always use

eighteen

who cares?

you ask...

it may,

or may not be

fish tacos # 18,

but....

SLO

NOT

know for it's

Mexican food

but

must say

Chili Peppers

the

BEST

traditional

Mexican

restaurant

in town

Years ago

way before John

I used

take

the kids

from my Spanish classes

Chili

Peppers

so that they could order their

dinner in

Spanish..

quite fun

craving,

once again,

fish tacos

said

"Hey!!! What about Chili Peppers!"

I ordered

salmon tacos

and

John got shrimp tacos

who knew?

they have

fish tacos special

every

Thursday

(sadly, today in Saturday)

Seriously funky

a patio

(well, kinda)

in back

my salmon tacos

were

delicious!!

guacamole, grilled zucchini, peppers and carrots,

perfectly piquant salsa

a bit of lettuce

and

perfectly grilled salmon

John's

shrimp tacos

were grilled like fajitas

(same condiments)

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

If you are craving

real

Mexican

and

f U N k Y

C h i l i P e p p e r s

"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish"

2011-06-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

This

one

of my

MOST

favorite

times

of the year

...

COMMENCEMENT.

the minute

Pomp and Circumstance

begins

blubber...

good tears,

happy tears

tears of promise for the future

beautiful,

bright,

brilliant

young adults

beginning

commencing

forward

.....

I am teary eyed

just

writing

this

suppose

this

post

is geared

more for parents

than

for the

graduates

here

SLO

Cal Poly graduates

(and often their parents)

hit the bars

6 AM

in celebration

and

they

hoot and hollar

joyously

through

the

e n t i r e

weekend

(what commencement speech?)

I love

watching

the

brilliant

speakers

give

commencement speeches

sending the kids off

into the world

with

hope

and

promise

and

the

attitude

always

reach

for the highest drawer

My very favorite

speech

EVER!

brilliant

humble

honest

my very fave..

and then

positive,

cute, funny

honest

So with tears of pride

celebrate

our girl,

Annie

with

her

B.A in Literature

and

our Andrew,

with

his

Masters Degree in Education

and

most

joyous

heartfelt

Congratulations

to all

the

scholars

high school

college

post graduate

YOU

ARE

OUR

FUTURE

Stay True to Yourself

Stay Hungry

and

Stay Foolish

balls balls balls

2011-06-07T16:31:00.001-07:00

Balls

are

fun!

........

(foodie blog today)

Christmastime

I made

lots of

balls:

Oreo Balls

and

Pumpkin Spice Cake Balls

both of which

received

RAVE

reviews!

I switched

Balls

a bit

to include

Carrot Spice Balls

Mint Oreo Balls

and

then

Cake Balls

which were good,

but

am not a

huge fan

canned cake frosting

SO easy!

As in

many o' blogs

before

once again

lamenting

that

John and I

no longer

eat

sugar

nor flour

and

still

we can't

seem to

rid ourselves

that

bad- boy Sweet Tooth

check

out these balls!!!!!

they

are

SO NOT

Oreo Balls

Pumpkin Balls

Cake Balls

but

they are

** pretty good **

(in a no sugar no flour kind of way)

no sarcasm intended,

but

simply

call them

BALLS

Grab your food processor.

1 c. walnuts (grind finely)

1 cup coconut flour

(it's a

"good flour"

from Whole Foods

1 c. medjoul dates (cut up)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. unsweetened coconut

1/3 c, Agave syrup

1/4 c. Cacao nibs (optional)

Process

all together

until

mixture forms a ball

Roll into bite size balls

enjoy!

(attitude is everything)

BALLS

variations:

Use real maple syrup instead of Agave (I like much better)

Use dried apricots instead of dates (omit cacao nibs)

Use Brazil nuts instead of walnuts

Use almonds instead of walnuts

TTT with Toulouse and Friends: corked

2011-06-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

TTT with Toulouse and Friends: corked: "IMG_0952 , originally uploaded by TTT with Toulouse . I love what Anthropologie is doing with corks! They are creating amazing art pieces, ..."

corked

2011-06-07T16:05:00.001-07:00

IMG_0952, originally uploaded by TTT with Toulouse.

I love what Anthropologie is doing with corks! They are creating amazing art pieces, and hanging things and dyeing them crazy colors and throwing them in a beautiful bowl...
Who'da thunk?

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

2011-05-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

WHAT THE HECK!

have any

you

bloggers

had a

post

just

disappear?

I mean,

where

did

go?

poof!

gone...

the post

was about

our

Mother's Day

adventure

adventured

Salmon Creek Falls

I was

rocking

brand new

Adidas

trail shoes

(Happy Mother's Day present from me)

NOW

I have to try

to recreate

that

post

here's

the gist

of it

...

********

Salmon Creek Falls

about

1 1/2 hours

north

SLO

Hwy 1

on the

southern end

Big Sur

not too

far

beyond Ragged Point

this is

what

you see from the highway

The

waterfall

is crazy

wild

because

of all the

rain

have had

this past spring

the trail head

just off

the highway

our goal?

Estrella Camp!

to the falls -> -> ->

Annie leads

John and Andrew

I am

lollygagging

a bit

taking pictures

a short hike to the

waterfall

crashing

down

...

lovely

the air

clean

and

thankfully

cool

the water

pools

and

cascades

down

again

down

the

Pacific Ocean

below

you

are

brave,

you can climb

on to the

rocks

Off the

rocks

and

back

on the

trail

charge upwards

(I am breathing a bit heavy now)

that's

highway one below

because

was

Mother's Day

a nice hiker

took our picture

there

are

beautiful wildflowers

along the

trail

(and Poison Oak)

huff -puff

higher

still

"hey! Let me take a picture!"

snap

the views

are

spectacular

After

hiking

about

hour

or so

I hear this

voice

from

behind me

"I should have eaten something.

I'm hungry"

no food

water

with us

I am feeling

grumpy attack

coming on

from

that

hungry hiker

time to turn around

and head

back

down

the trail

you

remember,

did mention

that the

trail

is quite

steep

and very rocky

and

full

of blooming Yuccas

(Andrew snagged one for my hair)

and

back

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..

looking

back up

...

there

are the Yuccas!

the hike

was

fun

breathtakingly beautiful

and

we are

planning

return trip

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

spectacular

and dramatic

Morro Rock

...majestic!!!

The

best

adventure !

MANGO MAMA TORTE

2011-05-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

Oh My

Oh,

MY!!

this is a true case

"don't judge a book by its cover"

At Petit

we make

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

baking duty

and was

assigned

to bake

the

torte

for

Mother's Day

Petit Soleil.

"Mom!!!!

apples

pears

berries

...

we only have mangos!"

hmmmmmmm

Mango Ginger Torte

so ugly,

so so so so delicious!!!

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.

the

ginger-mango combo

is wickedly delish

Bon Appetit

Fish Tacos.... Yeah, Baby, again!

2011-05-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

When John,

(aka Hubby o'mine)

first moved

to SLO

from

Vermejo Park, New Mexico,

he met

Ross and Joanne.

They

became

fast friends

Consequently,

Ross and Joanne

with

lots of hard work,

time and

energy

(and a killer Clam Chowder)

turned

Splash Cafe

Pismo Beach

into

cash cow!

Lines around the block

for

Splash Cafe's

chowder in a bread bowl

(as well as their many

other

delectable

seafood goodies)

When

the

time

came

for

the

ever-greasy

Bishop's Burgers

(right next to Petit Soleil)

close,

Joanne and Ross

built

Splash Cafe and Artisan Bakery

(and

Sweet Earth Choclate factory).

Good thing for us!

Splash

in SLO

is happily painted

the same colors

at Petit

(butwith happy little clams and sea creatures everywhere!)

They have

seafood galore.

outrageous breads and desserts,

clam chowder in bread bowls,

salads,

sammies

wine and beer

.........

and

FISH TACOS!!!!!

invited my favorite

work out buddies

for

fish tacos

after our friday work out

Melissa

was on board

Splash's tacos

are her faves

and

Teresa,

the one that whips us into shape,

decided

chicken tacos were for her

(camera shy and hungry)

Sandy,

yup

that's Sandy with the lemons

and

the abs o'steel

was

game, too!

We brought

our

goodies

Petit

and

inhaled

our food

(and posed for a photo)

ALL IN ALL,

one

fish

one

chicken

taco

not

enough for

a hungry

girl.

The

guacamole cilantro sauce

was

yummy,

lettuce not cabbage,

fried fish

(good!

really good!)

...just not enough.

BUT,

went back

today

--starving

(we ran six miles this morning)

and

ordered

T W O SALMON TACOS

PERFECT!

perfectly

hot

and delicious

and

the perfect amount

for

hungry

ME!

In search of....

2011-05-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Fish Tacos

Take

I don't know

what

is more

frustrating

....

going

somewhere

really special

......and forgetting your camera

taking

a whole bunch

great

pictures

downloading them

and

realizing

that

NOT ONE TURNED OUT

(broken camera)

friend

Barbara

said

"let's go get fish tacos!"

OK!!!

WHERE?

How about

Ruddell's

Cayucos!

(touts the "BEST" fish tacos)

YEAH!

picture-perfect

day

overlooking

the pier

in Cayucos

camera in hand

Smoked Albacore Tacos

YUM!!!

different

than most

1. smoked fish

2. ONE taco

3. lettuce instead of cabbage

4. no guac

5. no sour cream

but really

really

YUMMY!

Barbara

took

a picture of

devouring

smoked albacore taco

took

pictures

of the

owner

Ruddell's Smokehouse

the pier

of Barbara,

a 1940's ambulance

etc.

downloaded pictures

all

overexposed

grrrrrrrrr

note to self

Camera to camera shop tomorrow

Today

SUNDAY

"Hey, John!

Let's go get fish tacos"

grabbed

John's

uber

super-special

camera

and we

headed out to

our

old fave

...

Pappy MeGregor's

aka

The Kilt

Not like being at the beach

or on a pier

or even outside

but

the fish taco

menu worked

and

the

Giants

were playing

(not a good ending to that...)

ordered

salmon tacos

and

John

had the fried calamari tacos

(a respite from the "no flour, no sugar, no preservative diet)

fish

tacos

were

so so so so so so

good

(perfectly cooked salmon, lots of cabbage, a touch of hot chipotle, lots of guac, sour cream)

John

LOVED

the fried calamari tacos

The

uber

super-special camera

worked

as it

should

GOOD FISH TACOS!

Barbara

lamented

with

about the

broken camera

but

that

always

Positive Polly

great friend

said

"We just have to back to Ruddell's again

and

have

fish tacos"

nice!

to date

n search of

The Best Fish Taco:

1. the Kilt aka Pappy McGregor's

2. Ruddell's

3. Pete's Pierside

Are we at the top yet?

2011-04-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

Sister

The

BIG

SISTER!

...

Bishop's Peak

I grabbed

companion in climbing crime,

Annie

and we were off to tackle

the

Big Sister

Now

I consider

myself

quite

strong

I mean

I work out

and run,

but......

Who knew?

Off we go

first look back

towards

Cal Poly Campus

and downtown SLO

Emerald green

grasses

and

ponds

full

from so much rain

I am

still

talking

(and breathing)

at this point

look behind......

Look!

There's

Islay Hill

in the distance

and

Madonna Mountain

(aka San Luis Mountain)

Sisters one and two

just to the right

up up

switching

back and forth

up up

Looking back again

toward

Laguna Lake

and the Irish Hills

Oh Look!

There's our house!

See......

here's

better shot

can you see it now?

Are we at the top yet?

breathing

labored

no conversation anymore

There's

Steph and Brynn

just in front of me and Annie

It's

Foggy

at the

summit

(nice and cool...)

Brynn and Steph are moving pretty quickly

(At this point

I am barely able to catch my breath

heart beating

almost

out of my chest)

Annie so encouraging......not

"Come ON, MOM! You bag on me to finish all my job applications

now I am bagging on you to

keep going

AND

hike to the top!"

are we at the top yet?

At the top

YUP!

AT THE TOP

we found Steph and Brynn

The top of Bishop's Peak

sweating profusely

wishing for water

but smiling

This Big Sister

quite

dramatic

down down down

.....

....

...

easier

that

little flowers

driving home

Annie

shot

Sister Bishop

from Foothill Blvd.

See those rocks at the top?

that's where we were!

Crossed

Big Sister

Bishop's Peak

off my list

......

thank goodness

fish tacos

blog

is next