California Wine Festival

At the Laguna Niguel Ritz Carlton this thursday from 6:30-9

I want to go!!

On Thursday night at the elegant Ritz-Carlton Grand Ballroom the future is now! Taste what the future holds for a selection of unfiltered, still-aging barrel samples taken from their resting places in wooden barrels. Delicious sustainable seafood samples will also be featured on this night of 21st century classics. Live music and silent wine auction.

Participating Restaurants:

Costco - Assorted fruits/vegetables

First Cabin - Lobster Bisque

Harbor Grill Restaurant -Freshly Shucked, Sustainably Farmed Oysters from the Carlsbad Aqua Farm with our Maui Onion Salsa.

Kerrygold Cheeses and Butters - Assorted Cheeses

Pascal - Filet of loup de mer with a sea beans nage

Pinot Provence - Ahi tuna, truffle pickled Shemeji mushroom, grilled scallions

Restaurant 162’ - Sushi

Schaffer's Genuine Foods - California Humboldt Fog cheese cake with mandarin marmalade pinot noir gelée, Pt. Reyes bleu cheese, pecan cracker

Stonehill Tavern

The Loft - Coriander scented Dungeness crab, Fuerte avocado and pickled ramps.

The Winery Restaurant

Wildfish Seafood Grille

Things to do with Audra Lyon*...

(*And anyone else who may care to join)

• Take a Cooking Class. Or two...or three...
• Go to South Carolina
• Go to Tahoe
• Go Wine Tasting
• Volunteer!
• See Sex and the City 2 (obvi)
• Go to Vegas
• Go to NAPA!
• HAWAII
• Think of more things to add to this list

I have plans to make plans

I was excited for this weekend and now that its passed I am already getting excited for the next! Earlier today one of my good friends was getting excited for some summer plans we are making, and it was cute how excited she was getting, but I'm realizing how much I too love making plans. How wonderful it is to have something to look forward to. It makes you want to count down the days, like a kid at Christmas time, to the event you've been waiting for.

On a side note- Supposing you have an exciting thing you are planning, wouldn't you want to tell people about it? I'm offended if someone who I am really close with can keep their big plans to themselves, when I am always oozing with excitement to tell that person about my stuff.

Bottom line is: I love looking forward to something! Who doesn't? Now that my fun weekend is over, I'm already making great plans for this evening, and it inspires me to want to do something exciting every day. I realize every day can't always be the most exciting day, and that everyone has to do things like work, and do gross boring things like cleaning toilets and paying bills and things that kill one's buzz. But I'm thinking that I can stay a little high on life if I keep at least one simple pleasure a day. This could be just a meal, like a delicious healthy breakfast, which by the time I'm done with makes me so happy! (*Yes i am a fatty...) Or even just a plan to work out, which to some might feel is an obligation or a chore but to others could see it as an opportunity to try the new exercise dvd they just got. I like looking forward to something, and turning something not usually enjoyable into something I can enjoy. I whole heartedly believe that attitude is everything and if I plan a little something for every day of my life, there will never be an unfulfilling day. So I pity those of you who look down on us planner- types, claiming we have to have all things so structured and we can't fly off the seam of our pants. you are WRONG! we can fly. we just like to pick out which pants to wear!