1:40:27

Congrats to my husband for completing his first Mud Run! We're teaming up for the next one.



Write up coming soon.

Mind on Bali, Bali on my mind

A student of mine is going to a beautiful luxurious high end resort, Alila Villas Uluwatu for his externship in Bali. He invited me at the minimum "cheap" rate of $600 a night, minimum 4 night stay. Hah!

Additionally, my coworker is moving back home to Bali, Indonesia. An invite is extended to my family if and when we travel the south pacific. Hmmm...

She mentions of trained monkey's fetching the best fresh young coconut for us to drink and her outdoor pool. But who wants to swim at any pool when you have all that beauty surrounding you?
Here are some photos of the beautiful island, resort and culture. Paradise. Wouldn't this be a lovely winter getaway?












xoxo

Eagle Rock Music Festival 2010

Another solid line up; $5 suggested donation, kid's 12 yrs and younger are free, free parking, and shuttle service! Add this on your list of to-do's this weekend (if you can stomach the hipsters).



Emerging Stage
4:00 So Many Wizards
5:00 Moses Campbell
6:00 Mia Doi Todd
7:00 Darker My Love
8:00 Blank Blue
9:00 Dunes
10:05 Announcements
10:15 The Soft Pack

Global Stage
Dublab "Future Roots" Stage
4:00 frosty
4:45 Lucky Dragons
5:30 Hashim B
6:15 Chicano Batman
7:00 Mahssa
7:45 Rainbow Arabia
8:30 Mochilla DJ Set featuring B+ and Coleman
9:15 Shinehead
10:00 Egyptian Lover & Arabian Prince

Blue Hen
Zocaloc/Razorcake Stage
4:00 Driven
5:00 Mut!ny
6:00 Handski
7:00 The Highbinders
8:00 La Bestia
9:00 Nervous Gender
10:00 Toys that Kill

Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock
Experimental Stage
4:00 Santa Cecilia Orchestra
6:00 Tygerstrype
6:45 Asura and Ana Caravelle
7:30 LA Vampires
8:15 Speculator
9:00 Geneva Jacuzzi
9:45 Sun Araw
10:25 SASSAS soundShoppe

Kids' Stage
4:00 The Funky Slippers
5:00 Wacko
6:00 Ellen and Matt
7:00 Earthworm Ensemble
8:00 4SCoRE
9:00 The Dustbowl Revival
Special DJ sets from Nanny Cantaloupe (Dublab)

Colombo's
Outside
6:00 Joe Johnston Band
Inside
4:00 Vertigo Road
5:00 Tim Yalda
6:00 Remake/Remodel
7:00 Ann Likes Red
8:00 Erica Lake and Paul Jacques
9:00 Blue Soul

Low End Theory Stage
4:00 Jonwayne
4:30 Teebs
5:00 matthewdavid
5:30 Take
6:00 Dibiase
6:30 SAMIYAM
7:00 Free The Robots
7:30 Ras G
8:00 D-Styles
8:30 Daddy Kev
9:00 The Gaslamp Killer
9:30 DJ Nobody
10:00 Nosaj Thing
MC - Nocando

Rantz
7:00 Eagle Rock High School Latin Jazz Band
8:00 Ollin
9:00 La Santa Cecilia

Welcome Inn
7:00 Bonne Musique Zydeco

Women's 20th Century Club
5:00 Eric Ekstrand

Panang -- Kingsize/The Ship Stage

Kingsize
4:00 Seasons
5:00 Downtown/Union
6:00 Drunk on Crutches
7:00 Pay the Man (with Raymond Pettibon)
8:00 Hi Ho Silver Oh
9:00 The Submarines
10:00 Monstre

The Ship
4:30 Honeybreath
5:30 Manhattan Murder Mystery
6:30 Radars to the Sky
7:30 Wait.Think.Fast.
8:30 Frankel
9:30 Walking Sleep
10:30 Fidlar


all information here

Backyard BBQ: Who says summer's over?

Casa de Donato is hosting a backyard boogie bbq under a string of twinking lights. The guys are in the mood for grilling and machismo while the ladies nibble the charcuterie, chit-chat and sip wine. Good times to be had in T-minus 3 hours.

Stay tuned for a photo posting.


xoxo

Mobile uploads

I'd like to take the time to display my mobile uploads in concurrence with events and moments that have occured these last few months. Enjoy!


Nugget as a skeleton for Halloween


Our attempt at making a Jack Skellington Jack o' Latern


Here's husby unwrapping his gift, a new samsung LCD flat screen TV.


We had all you can eat ribs for Husby's birthday dinner. Yum! Robin's blueberry cornbread was to die for!


Getting crafty as I got ready making party items for nugget


Bloody Mary's Thanksgiving morning


Weak display of banchan during out dinner date


Nugget's smash cake


Holiday dessert buffet at work


Our yearly Xmas light outings


NYE 2009 dinner


The streets of Pasadena, day after the Rose Parade. Disgusting!


Here's a sample of the double chaise lounge that we're searching for

4th of July weekend- Part 2

I love entertaining. I'm all over any occassion that allows me to plan a menu, prep a meal, shine off the silverware and bar accessories and host my guests. I get giddy thinking about what ingredients are in season, keeping in mind my guests preferences and hopeful welcome of the day's dishes. I almost always get overzealous and make more food than needed. Portion control is not one of my strong points. Besides my mother always said, "Better to have left-over's than to run out of food."

My siblings had come in from San Diego and were staying with us for a week with the weekend intermingling with the 4th of July holiday and my sister's birthday. Double prizes!!! Since we were expecting additional guests I had to make something not only delicious but easy, plentiful of course and festive.

Menu:

-Haricots verts and cherry tomatoes salad with lemon vinaigrette over crispy shallots
-Ribeye and veggie kabobs in a thick sweet soy glaze
-Grilled pork belly
-Lemon pepper shrimp skewers
-Grilled summer sweet corn
-Vanilla pound cake with whipped cream and fresh berries









The evening went on I'd like to say without a hitch, but we topped off the night with a light show for nugget and full bellies.








xoxo

The Donato's do Disneyland with the Dingle's

Abbybee has been planning her extravaganza birthday excursion for months on end. Our nugget was just several months old when she insisted that the cousins get together and celebrate. It was a year ago that day that we last reunited.

The plan, as listed by Abs, would be to gather up at Lany and Chris' house to meet the newest edition to the family, check in to the hotel, settle in for a bit and head out to the park.




photos courtesy of Jong Jong


Nugget is happy to be at the happiest place on earth

After buying passes, upgrading and waiting on our party while the others checked in we finally entered the gates at noon. Lunch time! But first I had to feed my nugget and made our way to the family lounge.

I hadn't given it a second thought that Disneyland even had facilities such as this. Ask me prior to having a baby and I wouldn't even care but now that we have a family of our own we're all over that lounge and it's ammenities. The facilities are very comfortable offering me a semi-private room to nurse. There are several other rooms where you can change your child, potty training facilities, feeding areas and a kitchen to wash and warm any baby food. The building is air conditioned. It was perfect for that particularly hot day. For the next several feedings through the day I was one happy and cool mommy.

Next up - lunch! Everyone met up dining on fried chicken and their choice of sides. We waited here till the remaining party arrived.


My MIL snatching up Jong's chicken. He was starving and apparently so was she.








Ready to roam the park!


The birthday gal and her prince

After lunch we made our way to Tomorrow Land to get a flash pass for space mountain. A 2 hour wait!! From there weaving our way through the crowd, onward to the It's a Small World newly rennovated ride. But first, another food stop.


Corn on the cobb, giant fried chimichangas and turkey legs!!!




Sharing is caring.


My ma sure loves her fowl friends.

After everyone got their fill of food we made our way to the It's a Small World ride. We all boarded, with the exception of Ma, who stayed behind.



After feeling nauseated from the repetative singing, not the ride itself we went up to Toon Town but not before having another, you guessed it, food break! This time for ice cream and drinks. Ma, nugget and I stayed behind while the crew went to ride the rollercoaster.

Several feedings later, a couple of rides in, the Donato's called it a day. Time to go home. We were pooped! It was so refreshing seeing everyone and finding the time to get together even through our busy lives.


xoxo

Patio dining

My family and I love dining al fresco from the comforts of our own backyard patio. People watching and dining al fresco usually go hand in hand but tonight (or any other night) we don't mind staring into each other's eyes.


I found my bear claw salad tossers that I got from Alaska. *note the PBR in the background-likers (not lovers) of the beer pre hipster association.

Nothing beats the summer heat like a fresh salad. My husband would argue otherwise and say a cold beer, or ice cream is number one. Since I am not looking for dehydration, but maybe ice cream at the end of the night, on that particular (hot!!!) day I opted for greens. From the looks of his face I would say he enjoyed it too.

A simple garden fresh salad of mesclun and tomatoes. Real soon we get to add nugget's chives!


A plate of apples and brie with my glass of wine (not pictured).

Maui bone-less beef ribs marinated with asian spices, crushed pineapple and pineapple juice to add a touch of sweetness.



Dinner's ready! Yes, goddess dressing for our salad and a few other drink set-ups.


The glow from our patio lights reminds us it's summer time!


xoxo