Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays since it’s always filled with family, friends, great food and adventures. This year we also had amazing weather, so we got to go to the beach and take advantage of the outdoors. Here are some photos that capture our fun 5 days at home with our family. (Video trailer included at the bottom)
A couple weekends ago T.W.O. headed to Santa Barbara for our sister-in-laws baby shower. Before the shower we stopped in at the Santa Barbara Public Market to check out the scene and experience it for ourselves. We weren’t disappointed! It’s a great public market with a variety of vendors-meat, cheese, baked goods, health foods, olive oil and wine! It’s reminded us of the Ferry Building in San Francisco-smaller scale version.
Check out some of the scenes from our visit! Can’t wait to go back for lunch!
It’s Memorial Day Weekend, A Birthday Celebration, Kickoff to Summer and Barbecue Season – – – so let’s have a Hamptons Theme Birthday Party. Class, Class Class! Check out how T.W.O. made our mom’s birthday special! From the barbecue ribs, summer salads, corn on the cob, cheese platters, DIY decorations, rose and bubbly we all had a great time! We even surprised our mom with a “Singing Flash Mob” – Say a Little Prayer like in the scene of My Best Friend’s Wedding. (That is the reason for 14 paper crabs!) If it wasn’t for the help of our family with the food and decorations, we couldn’t have pulled off such a fun celebration!
This past weekend, our family was in town for T.W.O.’s Mom’s Birthday. We had an eventful weekend and it all started with a surprise from relatives that traveled from Northern California. We kicked off the weekend on Saturday with a Huntington Beach pier walk, a Duffy Boat ride in Newport Bay and ended our day with Pizza Making Night! Check out our highlights from our day.
The Famous Pier Photo
T.W.O.’s cousins – Great looking Family!
Matching sisters! T.W.O.’s aunt and mom!
Biggest Fish we have seen caught on the pier – a thresher shark!
Sharing Popcorn….
Cheers to Family!
T.W.O. was able to spend this past weekend with their entire family. We celebrated March and April birthdays, Easter and got the chance to spend quality time together. There were laughs, good food, sun and beach runs. Check out some photos that were captured this past weekend.
Today is a special day and has been for many years. It was the day that our brother was born and graced the world with his outgoing, funny and loving personality! We are very lucky to have an older brother like Bryce.
What would we do without someone taking us out of our crib and hiding us in the hamper when we were supposed to be taking a nap?
….Or playing snake in the grass and ends up being the wounded snake.
What about the time when you tied a zip tie around one of our fingers and it started to turn blue at the checkout in Costco? …..
….And the time when we tried to make mom a cake and turned the whipping cream into butter?
How about the time when we swam across the ocean to a deserted island in Costa Rica…little did we know there were crocodiles in the water – you had my back though!…
The list goes on and on and on. But this list is something that we will always remember and we love about our brother. He taught us to be tough, smart women who could discuss the game of baseball with any professional announcer, player or coach. The amount of baseball games we have been to would probably set a world record!
Bryce is a great mentor, friend and coach to us. Oh and did I mention a great cook, host and dancer. Dance Floor Magic is what we like to call him. WHOOP WHOOP.
Happy Birthday!! We are so happy to be your younger, twins sisters anyone can ask for! Cheers to you and hope you have a fabulous day! We love you!
The Foley Food & Wine Society Wine Tasting Room at The Bacara Resort & Spa is just another great amenity the resort has to offer. Actually, it’s one of T.W.O.’s favorite new tasting rooms to visit. The Tasting Room was designed by Borden Interiors. The team did a great job making it feel like you stepped foot in a Tuscan Chateau with a little bit of a rustic, cozy feel. The dark, rich wood in the space is complemented by natural stone. Steel and metals also are used in this space, which adds a lot of character. Did we mention that the bar tops are copper? Yes – amazing, right? All the walls are filled with accessories from a variety of stores which T.W.O. likes. The best spaces don’t come from one magazine or store!
Debra Borden, Principal Designer
Borden Interiors did a fantastic job creating such a great space for people to come and enjoy the Foley Wines. We are so excited that we got the chance to visit the Tasting Room with Debra Borden, Principal Designer, and get the inside scoop on her vision and the process behind the build out. In addition, we tasted some delicious wines and sampled some delectable cheeses, chocolates and dried fruit. We took home a bottle of the Foley & Johnson Rosé , Three Rivers Cab Franc. Go check it out for yourself!!
Thank you Borden Interiors!!!
If you are looking for a nice relaxing vacation or getaway weekend and are willing to spend some money – The Bacara Resort and Spa is a great choice! Located North of the downtown, this resort has it all. Beach, pool, spa, dining, views and a fantastic wine room! T.W.O. spent a lovely afternoon walking around the grounds and some time in the Foley Wine Room. (More to come on that in a later post!)
This Spanish-style resort is welcoming right when you pull in. The “piazza” has a gorgeous fountain that is calming and the service is fantastic. The lobby is inviting with the beautiful floral arrangements and the complimentary lemon and cucumber water. It feels like you walked into the ultimate spa! The outside amenities include a pool, cabanas, fire pits, outdoor seating and the best part – views of the ocean.
Check out some of T.W.O.’s favorite highlights of the Bacara!
Do you ever get bored of baked chicken or your average barbecue chicken? Well if your answer is yes, keep reading! T.W.O. has a solution for you – Zesty Lemon Chicken. The combination of the citrus and the herbs used to cook this dish makes it an easy week night recipe that tastes like a million dollars. Move over barbecue sauce, let the lemons take over!
Ingredients
-4 Chicken breasts, bone-in
-1 Sweet Onion, chopped
-2 Garlic cloves, chopped
-2 Tablespoons Olive oil
-4 Lemons
– Herbs (Parsley, Coriander, Thyme, Rosemary), chopped
-Salt & Pepper
-Baby Potatoes, washed
-Lemon wedges
-Chicken broth
In a Pyrex, place the washed chicken skin side down. Marinade the chicken, olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper for about 15 minutes. It is okay to place the lemon skins in the Pyrex, as this adds more flavors.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Add the potatoes, onions & garlic. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the bottom of the dish to cover some of the potatoes and the chicken. (It should be about 1/3 of an inch)
Put in the oven for 25 minutes, then turn the chicken to the other side – skin side up – and leave it to cook for more 25 minutes, till the skin side is roasted. Once the chicken is done, plate the chicken, potatoes, lemon and drizzle with cooked broth. It’s time to eat!
