New York New York!!!

Okay, not a true bikini vacation -- but oh how we love New York! Rockefeller Center and Top of the Rock

Mom's Birthday at Chez Josephine

Mom's Birthday dinner at Chez Josephine was divine but there was a little magic missing as Jean Claude was on vacation...

Alice's Tea Cup Pumpkin Scone Recipe

Half Batch Alice’s Tea Cup Pumpkin Scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 full tablespoons ground ginger
2 full tablespoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (mine was cold)
5 oz buttermilk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (all pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Caramel glaze:
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. With clean hands, work the butter into the dry mixture until it is thoroughly incorporated and has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract into the well. Still using your hands (I did this with a spatula scraper), combine the ingredients until all the dry mixture is wet, but do not knead!

Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and gather the dough together. Gently pat the dough to make a disk about 1 1/2 inches thick.(My dough was pretty soft, so I used about a 1/3 cup measure and made drop scones) using a 3-or 3 1/2- inch biscuit cutter, cut out as many scones as you can and lay them on a nonstick baking sheet. Gather the remaining dough together lightly to cut out more scones—just don’t knead the dough too much (Again, I bypassed all that and made drop scones.

Bake the scones for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let the scones cool slightly on the baking sheet (about 20 minutes) before glazing them.

While the scones are cooling, prepare the caramel glaze: Place the butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk gently until the mixture is smooth. Just as the mixture comes to a light boil, add the heavy cream and reduce the heat to low. Whisk well for 2 minutes, or until the glaze is thickened and smooth; then remove the pan from the heat.

To glaze a scone, hold it by the bottom, dip the top in the warm caramel glaze, and place it back on the baking sheet. Makes 5 o 6

Alice's Tea Cup

It doesn't get much sweeter in ambiance or to your taste buds than Alice's Tea Cup. We love it for breakfast! The pumpkin scones are a must!!!

I LOVE the Beach!

Surrounded By Beauty

A Yummy Thank You

Sometimes hosting in your bikini is as fun as traveling in your it! Especially when your  guests happen to have a divine bakery of treats called Ruby et Violette!  Thank you Heather Sue & George! And if anyone needs a unique gift or just to treat yourself -- these cookies and brownies can't be beat!!! 

Jump!

Life is so good!

Karla and Jocelyn Damian, Dianna Ippolito, Julia Bakerink, Jane Bakerink, Tai Collins and Gigi Groves

Girlfriends

There's nothing quite so special as being surrounded by the love of girlfriends!

Gigi Groves, Tai Collins holding Jocelyn Damian, Jane West Bakerink and Julia Bakerink

Another Birthday Celebration

Fabulous Birthday Celebration with a Progressive Evening starting at the lobby bar at the Casa Del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica for drinks, then off to Giorgio Baldi for a scrumptious dinner followed by cake and champagne at the beach!

Jane Bakerink & Tai Collins

So True...

Birthday Fun at Bagatelle

Tai's friend Kate arranged a fabulous afternoon of champagne and fun at

 Bagatelle in Los Angeles!

Birthday Girl Tai Collins & Birthday Giver Kate Schumacher

Lori Rovner & Lucia Odell

Desiree Manuel & Tai Collins

Birthday Fun Girls - Lucia Saigado Odell, Karla Damian, Lori Rovner, Birgit Muller, Stephanie Kettner-Covington, Tai Collins, Jacqueline Maddalena, Desiree Manuel, Kate Schumacher

Tai Collins & Karla Damian

Birgit Muller & Tai Collins

Jackie Sheen & Tai Collins 

McCharles House for Tea

A wonderful adventure for tea time with friends at the magical McCharles House in Tustin.

Tai Collins, Jane Bakerink, Sandy Bakerink, Julia Bakerink

Jane Bakerink, Kathe Marshall, Sandy Bakerink, Tai Collins, Julia Bakerink, Patrice Anita, Ginette Williams

McCharles House owner Vivian Heredia and Tai Collins

Julia Bakerink, Tai Collins, Jasmin Meija, Jane Bakerink, Kathe Marshall, Sandy Bakerink, Patrice Anita, Ginette Ginette