Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

Simply Satisfying – Orange Cranberry Breakfast Cake

As soon as I saw this recipe on a food blog I knew that it would turn out wonderful. Especially since I had orange flavored cranberries at home. I didn’t have brandy but substituted with over proof rum. Okay, so it was a little bit stronger but nonetheless tasted excellent.

Ingredients:

1 cup of dried cranberries

½ cup of brandy (I used overproof Rum)

½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup of sugar

zest of 1 orange

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup of milk, room temperature

juice of 1 orange (mine rendered 1/3 cup)

2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tsp. of baking powder

1 tsp. salt

turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-ince square baking pan.

In a small sauce pan add cranberries and brandy (or rum). Warm through over medium heat, about 5 minutes. The brandy should evaporate. Turn off heat and set it aside to cool.

Using a standing mixer, cream butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Then add in milk and orange juice and continue mixing until combined.

In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. The batter will be thick. Fold in ¾ of the boozy cranberries into the batter and spread it evenly into the greased pan. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ of the cranberries on top. Then sprinkle some turbinado sugar evenly on top of everything else (batter and cranberries).

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick/tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the breakfast cake cool in the pan on the cooling rack.

Adapted from “For the Love of Cooking” by unihomemaker.com and then by intrigueimports.com

FUN

Scene in the City – Real Estate

THE COST OF HOUSING – In and Around PALM SPRINGS

If you compare the following prices to the equivalent in Vancouver, B.C. you’ll find a HUGE difference. You can buy a palace here for the same price as a knock down there. It’s just the way it is. Here is what you can buy in P.S. for just under $100,000 +

For an asking price of $99,900. – a 900 sq. ft. two bedroom, two bathroom condo in secure gated community about a 15 minute drive from the center of town. Living area has a vaulted ceiling, newly re-modelled kitchen and the balcony off second bedroom overlooks pool and hot tub with partial mountain view. Quite attractive. See below:

From front entrance - one bedroom with ensuite on left. — From front entrance – one bedroom with ensuite on left.

Balcony off second bedroom. — View from balcony off one of the bedrooms. Mountain view to the right. Asking $99,900.

Kitchen as new granite counter top and tiles. — Kitchen has new granite counter top and tiles. Asking $99,900.

For an asking price of $279,000. you can buy a 1,400 sq. ft. Adobe style home with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Two beautiful outdoor spaces – one off kitchen with private hot tub and a gorgeous large upstairs deck with mountain views. Complex has a swimming pool and there’s a golf course close by. See 2 photos below.

For an asking price of $535,000. you will get a 1,500 sq. ft. uniquely private home in a gated community close to town with only 12 houses in the whole complex. Absolutely gorgeous home with 2 spacious bedrooms (each with own ensuite) at opposite sides of house. A nice office space, 2 car garage, outdoor living with private salt water swimming pool, hot tub and mountain view. Large kitchen area. See 2 photos below.

This complex across the street was originally selling for $1,000,000. (I know because I looked at it a few years ago) and now it's going for $500,000. — Units in the complex you see across the street were originally selling for $1,000,000. (I know because I looked there a few years ago) and now the only two remaining are going for about $500,000. – half the original asking.

These are just tiled stairs that I really like. I love Mexican tiles.

A Road Runner — Until now the only Road Runner I was familiar with was on Bugs Bunny.

FUN

AWay with Words – Quotes about Modernism.

By Modernism, I mean the positive rejection of the past and the blind belief in the process of change; in novelty for its own sake; in the idea that progress through time equates with cultural progress; in the cult of individuality, originality and self-expression. – Dan Cruickshank

Don’t bother about being modern. Unfortunately it is the one thing that, whatever you do, you cannot avoid. – Salvador Dali

Modernity is the transient, the fleeting, the contingent; it is one half of art, the other being the eternal and the immovable. – Charles Baudelaire

Post-Modernism was a reaction against modernism. It came quite early to music and literature and a little later to architecture. And I think it’s still coming to computer science. – Larry Wall

“The modern artist is working with space and time and expressing his feelings rather than illustrating.” – Jackson Pollock

Parker Palm Springs Lobby — Parker Palm Springs Hotel Lobby

“The pure modernist is merely a snob; he cannot bear to be a month behind the fashion.”- G.K. Chesterton, All Things Considered

“In his own way the modernist becomes as irrelevant as the fundamentalist. The fundamentalist has something to say to his world, but he has lost the ability to say it. The modernist knows how to speak to his age, but he has nothing to say.” ― William E. Hordern

FUN

B Well – other intriguing uses for Herbs & Spices.

Did you know…..

Ancient Romans hung Anise plants near their pillows to prevent bad dreams?

Pinning a Bay Leaf to your pillow on the eve of St. Valentine’s Day lets you see your future spouse in a dream. This according to Elizabethan lore.

Clove oil is a natural pain killer, used for centuries. In 17^th century Britain, cloves were literally worth their weight in gold. Unfortunately times have changed.

In the Middle Ages, Cumin was believed to keep lovers (and chickens!) from wandering. **That’s why you should always use cumin in cooking.

Drinking Dill water removes a witch’s spell. So happy to finally get that ~~bitch~~ witch off my back.

Studies have shown that Fenugreek can increase milk production in nursing mothers by up to 900%.

We all know that Ginger helps to cure a sore throat but ginger is also extremely effective for curing nausea.

Cleopatra wore Lavender perfume while seducing Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. In the 19^th century it was used to cure vipor bites and swooning fits.

Hippocrates used Oregano as an antiseptic. Ancient Greeks crowned brides and grooms with sprigs of oregano to banish sadness.

Tarragon was believed to cure snake bites.

In the middle ages, Thyme was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Too bad the Lion from Wizard of Oz didn’t know about that.

Tumeric can be used to deter ants in the garden. I suppose this can also be used in the house but only if you don’t mind your wood floor or carpets dyed a bright yellow.

It’s nice to know about these other ancient purposes but I’ll stick to using them mostly for cooking.

But does anyone know where I can get an Anise plant?

Also,

**Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most evocative and informative up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health professionals – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America.

Here’s the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1686/transforming-health

FUN

P.S. – Some books I really like.

Books are some of my favorite things.

More and more people are using a kindle but there’s nothing

I should have written this one. — This should be mine. Glamping by ~~Debbie King~~

like turning the pages of a book. I’ve always fantasized about having a library. My friend Natalia has built an enviable floor to ceiling library in her house in L.A. – if only I had the space. I go into stages of reading and not reading and have many books to catch up on. My friend Louise recently gave me the book “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle which I’ve wanted to read for the longest time. I must be the last person on the planet to be reading it. Here are a few coffee table types that recently caught my eye – from and about Palm Springs.

Considered the Cadillac of Campers. I wouldn't mind one of these. Always loved the Airstream rounded aluminum bodies. — Considered the Cadillac of Campers. I wouldn’t mind one of these. Always admired the rounded aluminum body of an Airstream.

Of course our visitors would have their own guest house. — Of course our visitors would have their own ~~trashy~~ guest trailer.

FUN

Simply Satisfying – The Best Caesar Salad

Caesar salad has always been one of my all time favorite salads but I could never get the dressing quite right…..until I ordered it once in an Italian restaurant in Niagara Falls of all places. The waiter came to our table with this wooden stand and placed a huge wooden bowl on top and then started mixing from scratch right in front of us. He looked so professional doing so that I tried to memorize his every ingredient with the correct proportions. I don’t believe anything is left out, in fact I added another two ingredients.

Start with fresh ground pepper right in the bowl (preferably wooden) that you’ll be serving from.

Purists will tell you that Caesar Salad has to be made with fresh anchovies but I admit to using about 1 inch of Anchovy paste instead. A good quality one works as a nice replacement.

Crushed or finely chopped garlic (a couple cloves…or more)

About 1 tsp. of dried mustard like Keen’s

1 egg yolk

a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and Red Wine Vinegar.

Mix well.

Then:

Whisk in the juice of ½ fresh lemon. Add anywhere from ¼ to ½ cup of olive oil bit by bit – whisking slowly in with the rest. It depends on how thick you like the dressing. More often than not I end up using about 1/3 of a cup. Finally mix in ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Toss in enough romaine lettuce for the dressing, tearing it with your hands. Add more parmesan & pepper if you like once plated. Also bacon bits and croutons if desired.

NOTE: Since then I was at another restaurant where the waiter added some capers and a splash of Tabasco. You can add that before the lemon if you want – it’s a great addition.

For tasty croutons just cut up some bread into little squares and add it to a hot skillet with a bit of olive oil and Italian spices until they start to get crispy. You can also freeze them for later use.

**p.s. I thought yesterday was Wednesday so I posted something on design. Normally I post a recipe on Tuesday. Might have suffered a bit of heat stroke in Palm Springs. Does anyone really care? Do you bloggers follow some kind of format or just post haphazardly?

FUN

décor & design – It’s a Mod Mod World!

It’s Modernism week in Palm Springs. I think they invented Mid Century Modern.

It’s so opposite of my current home style but because it’s so different I kind of like it. Maybe I’ll even consider it for my next place – especially if that place is in Palm Springs.

Paris, Tokyo, New York, Rome……Just Kidding!

DESTINATIONS

Scene in the City – Venice, L.A.

For me no visit to Los Angeles is complete without a little side jaunt to Venice (muscle) beach if just for the local flavour.

It’s always sunny, friendly (sometimes overly), good food and anything goes. We won’t see any red carpet styles here. Maybe the pictures will speak for themselves.

I like to start my day with a nice fresh juice with lotsa veggies and a bit of vodka.

Here’s what is unique about Venice Beach: Hundreds of street vendors and performers, everything from break-dancing to broken glass walking, mimes to musicians, jugglers to jesters and everything in between will make up the human landscape. You can have your fortune read, get a temporary tattoo or have your name written on a grain of rice. If souvenirs is what you are after then the boardwalk is the place to go. The Westside offers unique arts and crafts, odds and ends and one of kinds only obtainable here. Paintings, photos, rocks of various sorts and sculptures are among the popular offerings. On the Eastside are the store fronts of the boardwalk. Here you will find every sort of t-shirt under the sun. From the politically motivated to sexually charged to the plain old Venice Beach t-shirt there is sure to be one for everybody. In addition, there are tattoo and piercing stores, skate and surf shops, medical marijuana dispensaries and more. You can buy sun glasses, vaporizers, beer and shoes. This is all in addition to the large selection of restaurants, juice spots and bars. In summary, packed into its one and a half mile, the boardwalk has more diversity in demographics and retail then probably anywhere else in the world. There is reason it so famous. These pictures are only the beginning.

Yup...the landscape is lovely. — Yup…the landscape is lovely.

Photos: d. king

FUN

AWay with Words – LOVE ly quotes

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. – Oscar Wilde.

Immature love says: “I love you because I need you. Mature love says I need you because I love you” – Erich Fromm

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave. – Eizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

“You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not.” – Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper

Love means never having to say you’re Surrey….or something like that.

FUN

B Well – the health perks of bonding

I just picked up this book but I was sure it said “bondage.”

Daily Interactions with others – are they just as important to your health as eating well or going for a run?

In her new book, Love 2.0: How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become, Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D, suggests that true love isn’t about romance, companionship, or fondness; fundamentally it springs from something else she calls “micromoments of shared positive emotion.” That the more loving you are in everyday life the healthier you could be. She believes that such moments have the potential to lower our risk for disease and may even influence how our cells regenerate.

From the body’s point of view: when the brain registers love, it triggers the release of the hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin. Your emotions can trigger hormones that influence the way genes are expressed in the body. We know this happens with negative emotions: stress releases adrenaline, which can prime cells for inflammation, causing disease. She believes that positive feelings, which can trigger the release of oxytocin, have the opposite effect and set us up for a healthier life. Makes perfect sense.

Simply get out and be more social. Getting the benefits of love doesn’t require being in a romantic relationship or living near family or friends. Just make sure you’re connecting with others, whether it’s through conversation or eye contact. We tend to trivialize these interactions, but they’re important to our overall well being.

Or, get a rescue dog that you love and they’ll love you back tenfold