The best laid plans...California Eating and my camera love

You know when you have high hopes for a vacation and then it totally doesn't go as planned?  Come on, I know everyone has had at least one of those trips...or maybe it only happens to me.

So...I FINALLY bought my new camera and was excited to travel to California for the Easter weekend to see my sister and get to know my new camera.  That is exactly what I did with the addition of sickness and way more couch time then I was planning on.

I had weird sickness with swollen glands, sore throatness, for 3 days out of my 5 days there.  Thankfully my sister and her husband were gracious enough to move at my slow pace and not do all the hiking, travelling around, touring that we had planned on.  Next time California, next time! 

Somehow we still managed to eat at quite a few restaurants, and then I ended my trip with a 4 mile walking bakery tour with a childhood neighbor/friend who is now living in California.  So, even though things didn't go as planned, it was still a nice vacation away from the heat of Texas.

Day 1:  We ate dinner/Happy hour at a cute modern boho feeling restaurant in Culver City called Fraiche.  We all shared a Truffle burger, a Lamb sloppy Joe, and herbed French fries.  Delicious!  Then we walked around a bit and had some chocolate chip cookies at Ugo and my brother invented a new drink...Frangellico and an espresso shot...way to go Jobro.

Day 2:  We Farmer's Marketed near Venice Beach.  I bought a bag of tiny clementine oranges and ate all of them before I left Cali.  BEST ORANGES EVER.  You opened them and I swear the sunlight burst out of them and every little orange segment was oozing with juicy deliciousness!  So divine!  I also had a very delicate rugelach cookie that was simple, but scrumptious.  I also decided that I am going to venture out to try to make a rugelach cookie bar in the near future.  Can't wait!

We enjoyed a wonderful seafood dinner at the Santa Monica Seafood Company.  Salmon Tartar, and yes I actually tried it...and no, I didn't like it.  All raw fish should be cooked...I am not changing my mind on that one anytime soon.  We shared some very crab filled crab cakes with a mustard glaze, and then shared a shrimp and grilled vegetable salad.

Then we went to Good Friday Services at Saint Monica church in Santa Monica.  The music was impressive, but the lyrical dancers ruined it.  Really didn't go to church to see middle aged people dancing around the church in black leotards...weird, just weird.

Day 3:  We Farmer's Marketed again...can you tell I love farmer's markets?  Shared a perfect breakfast wrap.  Forgot to take a picture I was too hungry to get my camera out.  Then we had a beach day for about an hour...which is about how long I usually last at the beach before my insides melt and I have to seek air conditioning.  Then we wandered around the Manhattan beach area and had lunch at a little place called Sloopys.  Shared a really good Chinese chicken salad wrap, can't wait to make up my own version soon!

Then we wandered to a bakery called "Lidos."  Bought some really good coconut macaroons.  Perfectly sweet, not full of fake coconut extract, and super toasty.  Also bought a really hearty date crumb bar, it was good but a Bakery in Santa Barbara has better ones.

Day 4:  Harrison Ford's son made us Brunch at his restaurant in Culver City, Ford's filling Station.  Great food indeed!  We shared an awesome sunny side up egg with homemade sausage, and spinach plate.  Then we split a homemade challah french Toast topped with a million blueberries and creme fraiche.  So divine!  Then my brother in law got black bean soup, because that is what normal people eat for breakfast at 9am.  Um yeah, no

Then we feasted on an incredible Easter meal prepared by my sister.  Roast Lamb, prosciutto wrapped asparagus, spinach filled mushrooms, Easter Mashed potatoes, and arugula salad with strawberries and balsamic dressing.

Day 5:  Bakery Tour Time!  We walked, and we ate.  My favorite place was called Big Sugar Bake Shop.  Really great State Fair Oatmeal Raisin cookie, really tasty mini doughnut muffins, and a perfect pecan bar.  We also shared a really good breakfast at Sweet Butter Kitchen of mashed white beans and arugula on wheat toast with scrambled eggs and roasted tomatoes.  Very, very good!

  Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner for the day after travelling : )

So for any of you curious people out there I ended up getting a Sony Nex-C3.  It is one of the new mirror less cameras (capabilities of a dslr but size of a point and shoot).  Obviously as you can tell from my pictures, I haven't figured out all the bells and whistles, but the photo clarity is leaps and bounds better then my old point and shoot.  I think this camera has real potential and I look forward to taking many pictures with it. : )