Find your “Better Self” at this famous spa/resort with healing waters that have been flowing for over 600 years.Nestled within 77 lush park-like acres is the legendary Two Bunch Palms, built in 1919. A 70 room, hot mineral springs spa resort that offers healing waters, gourmet farm-to-table cuisine, movement & enrichment classes and an award winning spa that offers a “gangster wrap” spa treatment. You’ll find out why when you read on.
It comes with panoramic desert and mountain views, meditation ponds, gardens and wildlife, labyrinth and relaxation pool. But that’s not all…..
It also comes with a fabulous story…
Nearly a century ago Two Bunch Palms Resort and Spa welcomed its most elusive visitor even more so than us – Al “Scarface” Capone. Legend has it the infamous gangster long pursued by the Feds transformed the private Desert Hot Springs, CA property into his winter desert hideout, outfitting his “fortress west” with a network of hidden escape tunnels, a gambling hall, a brothel, and a stone sentry tower for machine gun-toting bodyguards. We saw the outside of a multi-bedroom suite where Capone once slept and narrowly escaped assassination, evidenced by a mysterious bullet hole in the mirror.
The “room” although the stained glass came later.
A security guard told us that every weekend for years a man by the name of John Walton, who is the illegitimate son of Al Capone and Gladys Walton, would give talks in the restaurant about his family. He wrote the books “Gladys and Capone”and “Capone’s Fortress West”. The books are filled with information about prohibition, the hideaway, action packed roaring 20’s and bootleggers. Walton is still alive and living somewhere in California. Perhaps he’s living at Two Bunch Palms although they won’t say for sure.
The resort continues to be a hideaway for the less conspicuous kind, not only for those escaping Chicago’s chilly winters like Capone, but also for business executives needing to unplug, Hollywood celebrities looking for anonymity and people like us, seeking a luxury escape
Last Tuesday I posted a few simple DIY recipes for making mayo because I had a difficult time choosing a relatively healthy brand (as far as mayos go) from the grocery store. I saw many reduced-fat varieties that were not very good for you. Too bad because we use it often to make dips & for sandwiches. In the end you have two choices: go to a health food store or make it yourself.
simplyfreshcooking.com
Whatever type of mayonnaise you eat, however, you should limit your intake as much as possible. Here’s the deal:
Calories
One tablespoon of typical mayonnaise contains about 90 calories. That is roughly 4.5 percent of your daily recommended caloric intake in a single tablespoon. It can be easy to forget to factor into your diet calories like those from mayonnaise and similar foods. So, individuals who eat mayonnaise regularly may find themselves dramatically overshooting their daily caloric recommendation without realizing it, which can lead to weight gain and even obesity.
Fat
Each tablespoon of mayonnaise contains 10 g of total fat, which is 15.4 percent of your daily recommended intake, and 1.5 g of saturated fat, which is 7.5 percent of your daily recommended intake. Although limited fat consumption is acceptable for active individuals, many people regularly consume far more fat than is healthy — particularly saturated fat. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating too much saturated fat can drastically increase your risk of developing harmful health conditions, such as heart disease.
Cholesterol
A tablespoon of mayonnaise contains 5 mg of cholesterol, which is about 1.7 percent of your daily recommended cholesterol intake. According to the Centers for Disease control, excess cholesterol intake can lead to buildups in your arteries. This can also potentially lead to heart disease, stroke, and similar health problems.
Sodium
Each tablespoon of mayonnaise contains 90 milligrams of sodium — that is 3.8 percent of your recommended daily intake. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, your body needs some sodium to help keep systems like your nerves and muscles functioning, but most people include far too much sodium in their diets; this can lead excessively high blood pressure and similar complications.
Feeling like some weights been lifted – at least on my head. Even a little trim can make a big difference in lightening up your day. I found a cool salon in Palm Springs called “Spectrum Salon & Spa“. The owner Christine, is originally from Denmark.
a customer painted this for her
She loves boxers (the dogs not the sport) and has fun stuff to look at like clothing and accessories, some vintage. But most of all I love the swings.
A lazy dog waits while his owner gets a hair trim. He’s wondering how much longer….
It encompasses our lifestyle choices in general. Our décor, art, kinds of food we like and restaurants we go to, books we like to read, where we prefer to shop, places we like to travel to, hobbies, movies and people we like to hang out with. Lots of likes! Our tastes are a blueprint for our personal style.Sometimes we can appreciate other people’s tastes even though it’s not “our style”. In any event there’s a lot of choices out there and lots of exciting things to discover, new and old. The key is to appreciate the whole.
Stepping into Dazzles, a Palm Springs Vintage Department Store has a unique style of its own. It’s a definitely a step back in time. Owners Mike and Keith are often asked if their things are reproductions. They’re not. They’re all original items ranging from the 1920’s – 1970’s and everything is in near perfect to perfect condition. Impressive. I was with my sister at the time. It was fun rummaging around and the more time we spent looking, the more we found stuff we liked. Because it’s always nice to mix ‘n match. And stepping back in time has a special feel. Can’t exactly describe it in words – it just does.
with Mike, co-ownerenter through the driveway
Photos: Lisa King (double click on any to enlarge)
This delightful dish that’s very similar to quiche comes courtesy of our friend Ruth. She brought it over for a Grammy party and everyone raved about how amazing it tasted so it was only right to ask her to share the recipe. She said she didn’t have one (don’t you hate it when people say that?) but thankfully she wrote down the steps:
For the Pastry:
To make one 9” pie crust:
1 cup of *pastry flour (either whole wheat or white)
½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter
3 Tbsp. cold water
Directions: Cut cold butter into small cubes. Then with a knife cut cold butter into sifted flour/salt mix. Add water until you have a workable dough.
Roll out and line pie plate. Place in freezer until the filling is ready. Doing this helps to make the crust flaky.
For Filling:
1 ½ cup finely chopped onions or combo of onion & mushrooms – sauté onions until caramelized. Ruth sautés the onions and mushrooms separately.
½ cup of grated sharp cheese like Cheddar or Gruyère
Mix milk (both wet & dry), eggs, salt, thyme, nutritional yeast and oil in blender.
Layer onion (then mushroom if using), then cheese in pie plate.
Pour blended mixture over top.
Bake at 375F for 10 minutes then turn oven temperature to 350F. Bake an additional 15-30 minutes until brown. Check with a toothpick inserted in the middle to make sure it’s not too wet.
Enjoy!
*make sure it’s pastry flour & not all-purpose
**There are two basic kinds of powdered milks, instant and non-instant or “regular”. They are processed a little differently so the end results are not the same. The texture is also different. Some instant powdered milks look flaky but the non-instant is definitely “powdery”. Non-instant milk is denser and more concentrated. Maybe not as easy to find as regular.
“love is a hawk with velvet claws
love is a rock with heart and veins
love is a lion with satin jaws
love is a storm with silken reins” – Kurt VonnegutPhoto: d. king (Art Museum)
Fancy chocolate, heart-shaped pasta, red lipstick, and nostalgic candy are just a few of the Valentine’s Day things to make us happy.
Christian Louboutin
Of course new shoes can make us happy any old time. And it goes without saying that whatever makes us happy will put a smile on our face and lessen our stress – which is healthy. At least that’s my excuse.
There’s nothing like coming across a good ‘find’ vintage or otherwise. I spotted an EmilioPucci pair of wedge wood sandals with scarf print in exactly my size at an outdoor vintage market which takes place once a month in Palm Springs. Only one pair, never worn and with a perfect pricetag.
Nestled within 77 lush park-like acres is the legendary Two Bunch Palms, built in 1919. A 70 room, hot mineral springs spa resort that offers healing waters, gourmet farm-to-table cuisine, movement & enrichment classes and an award winning spa that offers a “gangster wrap” spa treatment. You’ll find out why when you read on.
It comes with panoramic desert and mountain views, meditation ponds, gardens and wildlife, labyrinth and relaxation pool. But that’s not all…..
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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