1. Beach Towel // 2. Book // 3. Sunscreen // 4. Hat // 5. T.W.O. Bag // 6. Bathing Suit
Tag: Travel
Seafood Paella
T.W.O. spent last summer traveling around Spain and had some amazing paella. Each city was different – from Madrid to San Sebastian to Barcelona and Sevilla – there was a spin on each dish. Today we are featuring some of our favorite ingredients in a seafood paella. It’s an great dish full of flavor, protein and culture – – when in España!
Seafood Paella
Ingredients:
– 1 tomato, diced
– ½ cup white wine
– ½ red onion, chopped
– 1 sweet onion, chopped
– 1 pound fresh rock fish
– 2 lbs fresh seafood miz (mussels, calamari, shrimp)
– ¼ cup olive oil
– 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
– 2 cup Arborio rice or bomba paella rice
– 2 teaspoon Spanish saffron threads
– 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
– 1 cup frozen peas
– 1 can artichoke hearts
– ½ cup lemon juice
– 2 cloves garlic
– 1 teaspoon sea salt
– ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
– 1 teaspoon Spanish pimento smoked paprika
Directions:
1. Heat the wine and ½ red onion and ½ sweet onion in a saucepan over high heat until it begins to bubble. Add the mussels and cover and cook for five minutes.
2 Remove from the heat; throw away any unopened mussels, and drain, reserving the liquid to use later in the recipe.
3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan (great if you have a paella pan.) Add the extra onion and garlic. Cook for five minutes, or until onions have softened.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, artichokes, smoky paprika & cayenne pepper. Season with sea salt and pepper. Mix well.
5. Stir in the reserved liquid from the mussels, then add the rice and stir again. In a separate bowl, blend the saffron with the stock and stir into the rice mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes without stirring.
6. Put the peas, seafood mixture and rock fish on top of the rice. Push them into the rice, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, turning over halfway through, until the rice is cooked. Add the mussels & lemon juice for the last 5 minutes to heat through. If the rice is not cooked, add extra stock and cook for a few more minutes.
7. Allow to rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.
¡Buen provecho!
Duffy Boat Rides
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.
Huntington Beach Pier
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!
Duffy Boat Time – Duffy of Newport Beach
Sharing Popcorn….
Pizza Night to End the Night
Cheers to Family!
Austin, TX
At the beginning of May one of T.W.O. jumped on their saddle and headed to Austin, Texas for a friend’s wedding. Having visited before, we knew that Austin was a great town, but after this trip we now know it’s an AMAZING city. With different neighborhoods, shopping, great food, live music, outdoor activities and rooftops we can’t wait to go back! Here are some of the highlights of one of T.W.O.’s trip.
Austin
Rainey Street
It’s a street filled with historic homes, many of the bungalow style, in downtown Austin, Texas. Rainey Street is positioned near Lady Bird Lake and Interstate 35 in the southeast corner of downtown. Our first stop – Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden. Great outdoor area filled with picnic tables and great ambiance.
Franklin Barbecue
The effort was there, but unfortunately we didn’t get to try this famous barbeque place. We arrived around 11am and the line was already a two hour wait. Two hours would have been worth it, but comes to find out a girl 10 people in front of us was holding a sign that said “Last person guaranteed food”. Ummm….okay Franklin – – you are going to have to wait till our next visit to Austin! Off to another barbeque place that didn’t disappoint.
The Ironworks BBQ
This little tin building is a historic site and a family owned and operated business that has been serving Real Texas Barbeque since 1978. It’s a definite must stop when visiting Austin. What did we order – beef ribs, brisket, corn on the cob, potato salad and a local beer. The ribs were phenomenal – – and you know that we like ribs! The meat just fell off the bone and had a great smoky flavor that wasn’t over powering. The brisket was juicy, tender, meaty and went well with their homemade barbeque sauce. I wouldn’t mind going back and having a brisket sandwich! Do they deliver in California??
South Congress
A neighborhood located on South Congress which is known for the shopping and its many eclectic small retailers, music, art venues, food trucks and restaurants.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar, South Congress
On Sunday afternoon, while strolling down South Congress we stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant with a hour line. Must be good, right? Luckily we got the attention of the bartender who seated us before we had to wait the full hour – – must have been our California IDs! Anyways, the menu was overwhelming and I say that because everything looked SOOO good. It was so hard to choose what I wanted. From their burgers, to salads to vegetarian dishes and fries – – there is an option for everyone. Ended up ordering The Goodnight (an angus beef, Tillamook cheddar, hickory bbq sauce, caramelized onions, sliced jalapenos and sassy sauce. We got fries with queso which are highly recommended. Word on the street CA is going to be getting one of these in Marina del Ray area – – let’s hope!!
The Wedding
The ultimate reason why one of T.W.O were in Austin was for a wedding – – and besides all the sites seen and the food eaten, this was my favorite part. It was amazing watching two people that are so in love get married in front of their friends in family at Stonehouse Villa outside of the city. From the dancing to the food and mostly – the people that were there made for a special and memorable night. Cheers to Mr. and Mrs. Rorden!
Keep Austin Weird,
Birthdays + Bunnies
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.
The Beach
Home is Where the Heart Is
Birthday Celebrations
A Family Photo (with a photo bomb by Libby!)
Salt Creek Beach
Like most weekends, T.W.O. likes to stay active and find new trails. This past weekend, T.W.O. ventured to Salt Creak Beach and ran the famous trail near the St. Regis and Ritz Carlton. The golf course and ocean views were spectacular. There is no doubt we will be running this trail again and will include a pit stop at the Monarch Cafe.
Happy trails,
Doheny Beach Run
What better way to exercise then at the beach. T.W.O. tried out a new route this weekend – Doheny State Beach. Check out the site that they saw along their 1 hour journey.
Happy Trails to You!
Resort Style
Sunday Afternoon with Coast 2 Coast Collection
How would you spend your perfect Sunday? Taking a walk? Going to the gym or movies? Baking in the kitchen? Well, all those are great things as long as you enjoy doing them. T.W.O. spent their Sunday afternoon in Santa Barbara, which is one place they used to call home. It has a special place in our heart – from soccer tournaments, to watching our brothers play summer college baseball, to one of us attending UCSB and most recently a family wedding.
A perfect Sunday in Santa Barbara to us would be brunch at The Boathouse, a stroll on State Street, stopping by Wendy Foster for our hair ties and ending with a visit at Coast 2 Coast Collection.
The Boathouse (formerly known as Brown Pelican) is a great restaurant located on Hendry’s Beach. It’s a great spot for family, friends or even a romantic date! Three out of four times when we have dined at The Boathouse, we have seen dolphins. Let’s hope that we just didn’t jinx ourselves – or you! After lunch – – – on to State Street!
Coast 2 Coast Collection was introduced to us 2 years ago and little did we know that it would be a part of our lives. From candles, home décor, vintage jewelry and most recently a custom made bracelet for a bridesmaids’ gift from our sister-in-law, Coast 2 Coast is a definite stop on our trips to Santa Barbara. This luxury gift and tableware boutique has a wide array of brands – Bernardaud, Chrstofle, Hermes, Lalique and St. Louis. Immediately when you walk in the store, your jaw drops and you just want to buy everything for your home. From the linens to the table settings and frames and mirrored trays to the serving utensils – they all are luxurious pieces.
And what goes well with these pieces…of course vintage costume jewelry! Some of the designers are Chanel, Dior, Givenchy and Miriam Haskell. We didn’t have any trouble finding something we liked – – – that’s for sure! These pieces are classic and original. The person sitting next to you at the charity event won’t be wearing the same necklace. Sounds fabulous, right?
Men – there is also a sports memorabilia section for you – – – so don’t wait in the car!
Next time you are in Santa Barbara, you have to make a stop at Coast 2 Coast. Don’t walk away empty handed; you will regret it later! Thanks Holly for having us!!
Borden and Foley Tribute
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!!!
T.W.O. 