Is it just T.W.O. or does everyone have the Monday blues. It’s mostly because we had a fabulous weekend with our family and wish we can do it all over again. Here are some highlights from our Thanksgiving weekend!
Turkey Trot
The Table Decorators
The Cousins! 
The Ladies
Baby Taylen climbing up the stair for the first time!
The Sampler Platter!
HB Pier
Cheers to another successful Thanksgiving!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Greek Yogurt…why not add Pumpkin Coffee Cake to the mix? T.W.O. just did that. Check out this savory coffee cake recipe that tastes like the holiday season in every bite! It’s a moist cake that can be enjoyed for breakfast, a snack and even dessert!
Crumb Layer
– ½ cup sugar
– 2 teaspoon cinnamon
– ½ teaspoon nutmeg
– 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
– 1 ½ cups unbleached flour
– Confectioner’s sugar (optional, to sprinkle on top of the cake when done)
Cake Layer
– 1 ½ cups unbleached flour
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– ½ teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon nutmeg
– 1 teaspoon cloves
– 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
-1 cup sugar
– 2 eggs
-1 Tablespoon vanilla
-½ cup sour cream
– ¾ cups Libby’s canned pumpkin
Preheat oven to 350ᴼF.
To Make the Crumb Topping:
Combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Slowly add the melted butter and flour into the mixture. Mix well and set aside.
To Make the Cake:
Cream the butter, sugar in a bowl. (T.W.O. uses a KitchenAid mixer!) Add the eggs, pumpkin, vanilla and sour cream. Make sure all the ingredients are mixed well before adding in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Once combined, get ready to assemble!
Pour the cake batter into a greased 9” round pan (or a spring-form pan, which makes for a better presentation of the cake!). Make sure the batter is evenly distributed. Add the crumble to the top of the batter and bake for 45 minutes or until a butter knife comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
Is it done yet? Sure is!!!!
Grab yourself some coffee, tea or even a glass of vino to enjoy this delectable, seasonal dessert!
Cheers
Sevilla is the capital and largest city of Andalusia, which is located in the southern part of Spain. The locals would describe it as a city of “passion.” With narrow, winding streets, this romantic city has heritage of art and architecture. In T.W.O.’s eyes, the traditional Spanish culture that was envisioned prior to the trip was depicted in Sevilla. During the summer months, the town is less populated because of the hot weather. 99.9% of the stores close at 2PM for the traditional siesta so they could rest and get out of the heat. The most popular time to visit this town is in March/ April when the weather is more manageable. T.W.O. enjoyed their time in Sevilla-we just wish it was a tad bit cooler!
Getting There
T.W.O. hopped on a jet plane in Barcelona and made their way to Sevilla. The flight was a little less than 2 hours…a hop, skip and a jump!
Accommodations
T.W.O. stayed at the Hotel Casa de Santa Cruz located in the Santa Cruz district. This was the “walking district” of the city. The hotel encompassed a traditional Spanish theme….textiles galore! The rooms were clean and the hotel staff was very helpful. There was a bottle of cava waiting for T.W.O.’s arrival in the room…Cheers! Highly recommended hotel!
Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Sevilla Cathedral)
Catedral de Santa María is the largest Gothic cathedral and the 3rd largest church in the world. It was located near Hotel Casa de Santa Cruz, so T.W.O. was able to walk by this iconic church a couple times a day.
Plaza de España
Plaza de España is located in Parque de María Luisa and was built as an example of the Renaissance Revival style in Spanish architecture. The semi-circle building is filled with tiled fountains, brick, exploration stories and a river. While T.W.O. was exploring the historical plaza, a commercial was being filmed. They asked us to be in it, but we had to decline…
Casa de La Guitarra
Casa de La Guitarra is located in the Santa Cruz district and is a small, quant place to watch a flamenco show. It was a good thing that T.W.O.’s hotel made reservations for us because we received VIP seats….front row. Doesn’t get any better than that! The experience was amazing watching the guitarist play, while a gentleman sang and clapped and stomped his feet to create a beat. The flamenco dancer was passionate and eloquent. This is a must do while in Sevilla!
Located near the Cathedral, T.W.O. stumbled upon this ristobar while looking for a snack. The pizza slices in the window caught our eye! It wasn’t your traditional American slice though; it was a fluffy bready-square topped with cheese and fresh vegetables. Yum! T.W.O. made friends with the waiters who treated us like royalty. Who wouldn’t like that? The fresh salads and the ice cream bars kept calling T.W.O.’s name, so we went back a couple times! Definitely stop by and enjoy the atmosphere of Gusto!
Bar La Terraza (@ EME Hotel)
Little did T.W.O. know, but this hotel had one of the best rooftop views in town. After dinner one night, T.W.O. decided to check out this boutique hotel since there was a lot of activity outside of it and we heard music. After riding the elevator up to the roof, T.W.O. was pleasantly surprised to see that this was the place to be since it had the best views of the Cathedral. The atmosphere was lively and the music was even better. Cheers!
Night Strolls
T.W.O. enjoyed their night strolls in Sevilla. The weather was perfect, people were out and the gelato was plentiful!
Next stop, Barcelona!! This city is the second largest city in Spain and capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia. Barcelona is located on the northeastern coast of the country, situated on the Mediterranean Sea. It is seen as a modern, but yet very old city where the new elements work to preserve and celebrate the ancient. T.W.O. enjoyed Barcelona very much and would highly recommend that this city be put on your “list of travels.”
Accommodations
T.W.O. stayed at the H10 Montcada Boutique Hotel, located in the “el Barrio Gótico,” next to the “El Born” zone. The hotel was clean, modern, and the staff was very pleasant and helpful. Upon arrival, T.W.O. was offered glasses of cava and complimentary drink coupons for the rooftop bar. T.W.O. definitely spent many evenings on the rooftop bar/lounge to enjoy the amazing views, wine, snacks and company. It was a great spot to write in the T.W.O. journal as well! T.W.O. was able to walk to many places from this hotel, which was very convenient. T.W.O. would highly recommend staying at the H10 Montcada hotel if you are planning a trip to Barcelona.
La Sagrada Familia
A tour of La Sagrada Familia is a must, if you are visiting Barcelona. This famous Basilica was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi and is actually still being built. The expected completion date is 2026 as long as the donations continue to be made from private entities, including visitors. The style of the Basilica is considered to be a combination of Spanish late Gothic, Catalan Modernism and to Art Nouveau. T.W.O. highly suggests purchasing tickets online prior to your visit and book the audio and tower tours. It just makes the experience that much better!
Parc Güell
Situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gracia district of Barcelona, Parc Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements designed by Antonia Gaudi. It is one of the largest architectural works in South Europe. Seeing that it is situated outskirts of the city, T.W.O. took the metro. On the way, T.W.O. picked up bread, cheese, turkey, and wine to enjoy during their visit to the garden. (Best idea ever!) Parc Güell is filled with many interesting architectural pieces and sculptures that depict the type Gaudi work. It has magnificent views as it overlooks the entire city to the ocean.
Beach
T.W.O. spent every afternoon at the beach in Barcelona. After a long day of walking and site seeing, relaxing on the beach was key. The beach was filled with a variety of people- from locals to tourists to even “secret” vendors. The water was warm, but not as warm as it was in San Sebastian. “Beachin’ it in Barcelona” is a must!
Restaurants
T.W.O. enjoyed some fabulous dinners in Barcelona. From tapas to paella, the food was gastronomical.
Ria de Vigo
Ria de Vigo is a great restaurant for its views and paella. T.W.O. wanted to at least eat one dinner overlooking the beach with some delicious paella and Ria de Vigo was perfect for it. T.W.O. ordered manchego cheese, the famous “Pan de Tomato” and seafood paella. And yes, T.W.O. was stuffed after this meal, so they walked back to the hotel.
This tapas bar is a must if you visit Barcelona. T.W.O. stumbled upon this place one night and thought they would give it a try. Little did they know that the food was amazing and is rated to be one of the best tapas bars in Barcelona. T.W.O. ordered burrata cheese with tomato and basil, padrón peppers, and skirt steak with a garlic cream chimichurri sauce. Wow. It was one of the most gastronomical dishes T.W.O. had during their Spain trip.
Happy Traveling!
Fall is one of T.W.O.’s favorite seasons because of the weather and the harvest foods! To kick off the season, T.W.O. decided to make a dish with butternut squash. The weather has been quite warm, so a fresh salad with all the Fall ingredients was put on the T.W.O. menu.
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash:
-Butternut Squash
-Olive Oil
-Cinnamon
-Nutmeg
-Salt and Pepper
For the Salad:
-Roasted butternut squash
-Spinach
-Apple (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
– Cucumber
-Crimini mushrooms
-Dried Cranberries
-Pepitas
-Goat Cheese
For the Dressing:
-1/4 cup olive oil
-3/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
-2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
-1 ½ Tablespoons Greek yogurt
-I tablespoon honey
-Cinnamon
-Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 415°. Cut butternut squash in half and remove seeds. Place butternut squash on a foil-lined cookie sheet and brush the squash with olive oil. Next, season the squash with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Put the squash into oven and roast for 45 minutes to one hour.
For the dressing, mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, yogurt, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Put the dressing in the refrigerator to chill. Ten minutes before the butternut squash is ready, prepare salad. Dice apple, mushrooms, and cucumber and place on platted spinach. Next, add your cranberries, pepitas and crumbled goat cheese.
When the squash is done, take out of oven and let sit for 3-5 minutes to cool. Cut the squash into cubes (removing the skin) and put on salad. Drizzle the dressing over salad and mix. Now it’s time to enjoy this gastronomical, fall inspired salad!
France for the day? Why not!?! T.W.O. took a day trip from San Sebastian to Biarritz to check out Europe’s Surf Capital. This luxurious French beachtown is about forty-five minutes from the border of Spain and is located on the Bay of Biscay. Biarritz is filled with tourists and surfers of all ages. Here are some of the highlights of T.W.O.’s quick visit!
Transportation
T.W.O. took the Alsa bus from San Sebastian to Biarritz. It was a great way to see all the small towns and experience “crossing the border” from Spain to France. As soon as we crossed the border into France, the bus stopped and the French police came on board to check our passports. Good thing T.W.O. brought those with us!!! En route, we saw the French coastline, two different campsites filled with retro looking trailers, beaches, bakeries, road bikers and a bountiful of hydrangea plants.
City of Biarritz
Biarritz is a great place to shop, eat and go to the beach. T.W.O. strolled around the city, stopping in stores along the way and bought linen snow-leopard scarves to keep warm. It was overcast in the morning and the summer attire T.W.O. was wearing was not doing it for them. FRENCH SOUVONIEUR…CHECK! T.W.O. noticed that a lot of people didn’t speak English and T.W.O. doesn’t speak French, so there was some communication issues. Au revoir, not hasta luego! Just kidding….T.W.O. got the feeling that people didn’t want to give them the time of day sinceT.W.O. was not speaking French. Other than that, T.W.O.‘s France experience was great!
Farmers Market
T.W.O. stumbled upon a framers market in the center of town. The market was divided into two sections: one section with fresh produce stores and bakeries and the other section with fish and meat stores. The fish and meat side was smelly, so T.W.O. spent less time there! Farmers markets in different countries are so amazing. The produce, baked goods and deli selection are very different from what you would find in the US. The cheese display in Biarritz was plentiful and it was hard to walk away from the sample section. T.W.O. probably ate about ½ pound of cheese in 20 minutes. Any opportunity T.W.O. gets to go to a farmers market, even if it is just to look around, T.W.O. will go out of their way to make the trek.
Lunch
Fresh Salads and a view! After about 2 hours, T.W.O. finally found a restaurant that had an English menu and a great view. (Good things take time, right?)
Beach
The beach in Biarritz was filled with travelers from all over the world. T.W.O. met some new friends from Scotland. They travel to Biarritz every year for a long weekend to enjoy the serenity and small beach town atmosphere. The water was on the colder side, but refreshing to cool T.W.O. down from the hot sun. Yes – the clouds burned off and T.W.O. was able to get their tan on!
The Famous Farmers Market Tote
T.W.O. was in search for the perfect farmers market tote and the mission was accomplished in Biarritz. Down the street from the farmers market, there was a cooking supply store (like a Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma, etc.) that had a ton of the market totes stacked up in all different sizes and colors. Once calmed down from the excitement, T.W.O. happily purchased the tote that was dreamt about for months. (More on this tote in a future post.)
You can’t go to France without getting a baguette and pastry, so T.W.O. ended the day trip with these two things. T.W.O.enjoyed their snacks in a small park, while waiting for the bus back to San Sebastian.
Au Revoir Biarritz!!!
When you hear the word Pamplona, what do you think? First guess- “Running of the Bulls.” Correct? Okay, T.W.O. thought so! While in Spain, T.W.O. had the chance to experience the weeklong festival celebrating San Fermin, patron Saint of Navarra for one day. Actually, lets clarify….a couple hours!
Getting to Pamplona from San Sebastian isn’t hard, but making a day trip of it can be a little bit challenging if you wanted to see the run at 8am. (The first train that arrives is at 8:30am, which is already too late to see the run.) The solution….car service! T.W.O. travelled to Pamplona in style with a private driver. Arriving in Pamplona around 7am, T.W.O.’s first mission was to get the gear…the white capri pants and the red scarf. CHECK! Next, T.W.O. luckily had some family friends that were saving a spot on the last turn before going into the bull ring so they were able to see the run from the first row. Well, behind the barricades that housed the police and medics…so second row. CHECK!
The town was lively, full of “hydrated” people roaming/ stumbling the streets of Pamplona. Ambulances lined the city streets… re-assuring, right? Balconies were filled with spectators, anticipating the run as we watched them hoping the balcony didn’t collapse. Needless to say, it was quite the scene!
8am…..GO TIME! It was the fastest 30 seconds of T.W.O.’s life, watching people run for their lives….Some making it, others eating it on the cobblestone and the rest jumping over the barricades to escape the large beasts. The bulls wore bells around their neck, so the runners heard them coming. Torro! Torro! Torro!
It was a trip well-made and T.W.O. was glad that they can say they “ran with the bulls”.
Ole! Ole!
It’s one of Europe’s best beaches, home to the gastronomic lifestyle of pintxos and one of T.W.O’s favorite cities in Spain. San Sebastián (SS) is located on the northern coast of Spain in the Basque region near the border of France. T.W.O. enjoyed 5 nights in this beach town and took day trips to Pamplona to watch the Running of the Bulls and to Biarritz to check out the surf capital of Europe.
Accommodations:
T.W.O. stayed in the Iztueta Apartments located on Miramar, which is the street overlooking La Concha beach. Jon, the owner, was very friendly and helpful in recommending local attractions and restaurants. The selling point of this apartment was the location and view. T.W.O. enjoyed many sunsets on their balcony with rosé and cheese while looking at La Concha beach. Being so close to the water, T.W.O. would fall asleep to the waves breaking onto the shore….doesn’t get any better than that!
Pintxos Bars:
Bar Zeruko: A MUST! T.W.O. went here their second night in SS and was a little bit intimated at first by the ordering process. They quickly learned that there was a second menu that you could order from; and that is what they did! T.W.O. highly recommends getting the steak (served on slate) and the papas fritas (French fries).
Atari Gastroteka: T.W.O. didn’t only visit this place once; they usually ended the pintxos bar hopping here every night! Located right across from the church, this place has it all. Great cupas riojas (glass of red wine), pintxos and cute servers! T.W.O. highly recommends the tomato salad and the arroz del día (rice of the day).
A Fuego Negro: Known for their burger pintxos, this place had a great atmosphere. T.W.O. stumbled upon this little gem trying to avoid a rainstorm and was very impressed with it’s menu. You can walk in or make reservations for the tasting menu. T.W.O. love the record-style menus!
La Playa
La Concha: is the larger of two beaches in San Sebastian and is more protected from the open sea. Many fishing boats are anchored here, so it makes for a beautiful setting. T.W.O. spent most of their time on this beach since it was right across from their apartment. They would grab some fresh bread, turkey, and cheese and a bottle of rosé and head to the beach for a couple hours. Of course there was a gelato break here and there! The beach was backed with people from all over the world, which made for great people watching! Some had their bathing suits on, some didn’t! The water was the perfect temperature to cool off in the 80 degree weather. As the day grew longer, the tide came up and then it became a party on the beach! Your sand neighbors became your friends!
La Zurriola: This beach is located east of the old town and river. Known as being the surf spot of SS, this beach has more waves and less people. If you want a quieter beach with a ton of Aussies and locals, come here!
The Old Town
The town itself is filled with shops, bakeries and mercados. T.W.O. enjoyed strolling through the streets and exploring the shops. The panaderías (bakeries) were plentiful and delicious! T.W.O. found the best goat cheese in a local mercado that they can’t seem to find here in the US.
Hike to statue of Christ
An easy hike, T.W.O. ventured to the statue of Christ one morning before the heat. The statue is located on top of the mountain between the two beaches. If you want great photos of the city, take the hike! There were many look-out points along the way to capture shots of the city. Beware of the wild-life….wild cats were roaming around! The old canons near the castle still exist, which is pretty spectacular to envision that those were once used to protect the city. Make sure to bring water; there are no water fountains along the way.
T.W.O. absolutely loved spending time in San Sebastián and would highly recommend this city to anyone. T.W.O. hopes to come back one day and visit their favorite spots again.
Happy Travels!
For many years, T.W.O. has been riding their beach cruises to this street’s beach front to soak up the sun. It’s a great place to catch-up on your summer book read, gossip magazine news and a little game of smash ball. Generally, this beach spot is not too crowded so you don’t have to worry about finding a place to sit.
This island is famous for its Balboa Bar, which is a chocolate dipped frozen banana. It’s THE BEST in the WEST! Other than these gastronomical gems, Balboa is a great place to stroll along the board walk and enjoy the sun! And if you have young children, the island offers a Fun Zone and a Ferry Boat that will definitely keep your children on Cloud 9!
Located on Main Street in Huntington Beach, the Sugar Shack is a restaurant that T.W.O. and their family have been going to for breakfast every Christmas Eve. The eggs, pancakes, hash browns and the hot chocolate are highly recommended. The restaurant is also known for its hamburgers and Turkey Dinners on Wednesday nights.
Where the shopping bags meet the surf! In T.W.O’s opinion, there is no better way to spend the day shopping than in an outdoor shopping mall that has views of the ocean. The center has many of T.W.O.’s favorite stores- Norstrom’s, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Trina Turk, Rebecca Taylor, Elie Tahari, Kate Spade,Nike, and the list goes on! One of T.W.O.’s favorite spots to dine for lunch while shopping is True Food Kitchen, which has the most amazing salads!
Shake Shack is a great place to cool down with a shake and enjoy the views of the Pacific Ocean. This small little hut is located on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near Laguna Beach that is worth stopping at! They are most famous for their date shake creation. So take your next date here and share a date shake!
A local favorite, The Cannery is a wonderful restaurant that is known for its gastronomical, fresh seafood. Whether you go for brunch, lunch dinner, or drinks, this waterfront spot will not be a disappointment. They also offer a fantastic happy hour from 4-6:30 PM daily!
At the beach and craving a hamburger? T.W.O. would highly recommend that you make your way to TK Burger. This spot is filled with locals because they know that it is the best burger you can get in town with sand on your feet. All their food is fresh- never frozen and cooked to order. They also have locations in Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Anaheim Hills and Santa Ana.
Happy Exploring!
One of the most popular hostess gifts is a bottle of wine. And the most popular way to bring the bottle is unwrapped, no gift bag. The main reason for not having a bag is that you forgot to purchase the bag or you think to yourself, “They will just throw it in the trash anyways!” Well, T.W.O. has a solution for you….Just “throw in the towel” and you will have yourself an original hostess gift! Plus, the host can use the towel again! Not just throw it away.
What you will need:
-Decorative kitchen towel, brand new
-Raffia
-Wine bottle
*T.W.O. has featured one of their favorite Old Vine Zins by Brazin.
Take your kitchen towel and lay it flat on a table. Place your wine bottle in the center of the towel. Gather the ends of the towel and bring up, towards the center of the wine bottle so that it is entirely covered. If your towel is on the larger side, you might need to twist it when wrapping the wine bottle so the ends are not flopping over. Secure the towel in place by tying the raffia around the neck of the wine bottle in a knot. Finish with a bow. You could also add a little name tag (tying it when making the knot) to make it more personable. Now you are all set for the party!
T.W.O. 