Green Juice

Now that Elvis is clean I felt like I could use a little cleansing too so I decided to break out our juicer from the moving boxes.  I'm a huge fan of green juice for its many health benefits.  I'll sometimes replace my breakfast with a green juice once in a while to get my day off to a healthy start and get a full days worth of fruits and veggies in one serving.    The color doesn't always look so appetizing but if you use the right combo of fruits and veggies it can really taste great, I promise!

One of my bridesmaids got us an amazing Breville Juicer for a wedding gift and its definitely one of my favorite, and most used, kitchen tools. 

I like to add a leafy green to the mix if at all possible because comined with fruit you don't even taste it.  Today I decided to try kale.  I combined it with some other fruits and veggies and it was delicious and super healthy.  

Here's the recipie if you want to try it out.

1/2  bag of pre-chopped kale
 2    small cucumbers
 2    granny smith apples cut into pieces
 3    stalks of celery cut into small pieces
 1    whole pineapple peeled, cored and cut into pieces

Makes about 2 16 oz. glasses of juice. 

Bath time for Elvis

I save a lot of money bathing Elvis at home rather than taking him to a groomer.  We started giving him baths ourselves when he was just a puppy so he get used to it and now doesn't seems to mind it at all.  In fact, he usually comes trotting into the bathroom as soon as he hears the bathtub water running.  Because he has short hair it doesn't need to be cut so I felt like the groomer was a waste of money.  I can buy a bottle of puppy shampoo at PetCo for a 1/4 of what I would pay for one bath at the groomer too.  For today's bath I tried a new de-shedding shampoo (by FURminator - my new favorite brand) that I found at PetCo.  We'll see if it actually helps with the shedding but it does smell like pineapple which is great!

Elvis is a total baby after the bath though.  He loves to be wrapped up in a towel and hang out in our laps or on his bed while he dries.  Here are a few shots of bath time...he's so spoiled 

My Current Obsessions

1. California Wineries

There are so many benefits to living in California but one of best is the insane amount of wine and vineyards it has.  I just learned from Wikipedia that California produces 90% of America's wine and if California was its own country it would be the world's 4th largest producer of wine. I also learned over the weekend that apparently there are several of the state's great vineyards just within a short drive from LA. 

I was invited to a bachelorette party this past weekend in Santa Ynez, an area in the central California coast, north of Santa Barbra.  The film Sideways was actually set (and shot on location) in the Santa Ynez Valley and I have to say it was really beautiful.  We visited Bridlewood Estate Winery which was so beautiful, had dinner at the Los Olvios Cafe in Los Olivos which was delicious and drank a slightly excessive amount of fantastic Santa Ynez wine. 

Here's are two pictures of the entrance to Bridlewood.

2. Chocolate with Carmel and Sea Salt

I've recently discovered that chocolate with carmel and sea salt just may be the most delicious combination ever.  I was shopping at Trader Joe's market and looking for something to satisfy my ever hungry sweet tooth.  I asked the check out clerk which of the TJ's chocolate bar she liked the best and without hesitation she reached behind her and grabbed this...

The Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Bar with Caramel and Black Sea Salt!

The package describes the bar as:

Exotic Hawaiian Black Sea Salt hails from the Pacific seawater that surrounds the Hawaiian islands. This stunning black salt is evaporated in above ground pools that form naturally from lava flows. Together, its smoky aroma and intense caramel complement this sophisticated dark chocolate experience. 

It honestly lives up to its over the top description.  This chocolate bar is amazing and so addictive.  I cannot go to the store now and not buy one. 

My obsession with with this chocolate/caramel/salt combination goes well beyond the chocolate bar  so for the bachelorette party this weekend I decided to bake a desert to share.  I used this recipe for Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookie Bars that was recommended by a friend.  You basically make a blondie recipe and then melt caramel candies and layer the gooey melted carmel in the middle with a sprinkle of sea salt over the top.  They are amazing. 

Here is a picture from the Two Peas in a Pod site where the recipe is from.

3. Trader Joe's Salt Water Taffy

Another great find at Trader Joe's are these Salt Water Taffy candies.  They come in really delicious flavors and look very pretty set out in a glass bowl on our coffee table.  They also remind me of summertime in New England so its like having a little bit of home here in Cali. 

California Pup

We are all loving life in California...especially Elvis.  The weather is perfect for him... not too hot or humid and rarely any rain.  He's adjusted to the laid back lifestyle quite well. 

Our new apartment has a nice patio with some potted plants and its Elvis' favorite place to hang out.  I found a wicker dog bed at Pier 1 with a burnt orange cushion that matches our wicker patio chairs so perfectly I couldn't pass it up.  As soon as Elvis comes back from his morning walk he heads straight out to the patio for a nap in the sunshine.  Must be nice!

With all this nice warm weather though, we have noticed Elvis is shedding so much more than he did back on the East coast.  Our floors have been getting constantly dirty with his white hairs that we finally decided we had to do something about it.  So here's a tip for other puppy parents...we found this thing called the FURminator...here's a link to their website.  It's honestly amazing!  It really works and has helped so much with the shedding.