Category Archives: Breakfast

Labor Day Bloom

Posted in Breakfast, Explore, Film, Food, Fun by

Location: 5544 Pico Boulevard

It’s funny how different your days feel when you aren’t in the throws of the normal work week. I wrapped up a well-rounded Labor Day Weekend spending last Monday (which felt like a Sunday and nothing like a day in the office) doing two of my favorite things: going out for breakfast and catching an early flick.

My boyfriend and I headed over to the much buzzed about Sycamore Kitchen to start-off a relaxing day; but unfortunately, management decided to give their staff the day off too. The cafe was closed. Kudos to them, not so great for us. Not to worry, we had an excellent back-up in my guy’s next suggestion. A short drive down La Brea, a right on Pico, and half a mile later we made it to Bloom Cafe.

I was happy within 15 minutes of grabbing a seat outside. First, parking was a breeze, which automatically makes me like any establishment ten times better than I normally would. Second, I had a latte in front of me that looked like this:

I was disappointed that they didn’t offer flavored lattes (what cafe doesn’t have vanilla syrup in stock – hello?) but adding a touch of agave nectar with a stir or two put me in a happier place. I went with a simple bacon, egg, pancake combo that came with a small salad lightly brushed with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. I enjoyed it immensely and almost forgave them for that whole vanilla syrup mess. Almost.

An hour and a latte later, we made our way to the movies. This Labor Day’s flick: Lawless. Not much to say, other than I was entertained and thrilled to have been born during a time where showers are more of a priority. This would be a good DVD rental if you can wait a few months, but a great time in the theater as well if you’re looking to kill some time with mindless entertainment.

All in all, a solid, fun-filled and memorable 2012 Labor Day Weekend. All you need is a little pampering, some time with the girls, an evening in the cemetery, a night at the Bowl, and breakfast with your guy!

Strawberry Smoothie: A Homemade Jamba Tale

Posted in Breakfast, DIY, Fun, Treats by

I woke up one morning last week wanting something different to start the day. The caveat being that it needed to be quick to make, easy to take with me on the way to work, and ice-cold because I knew a hot summer day was ahead of me.

Thanks to Pinterest, I’ve been collecting ideas for awesome smoothies, but found certain things that turned me off (i.e. Greek Yogurt) within the recipe. So I took a chance, trusted my taste buds, my instincts, and went with an admittedly safe, but very yummy Strawberry Smoothie. My first homemade concoction. Jamba Juice would be proud! Well, maybe not so much. I’m sure they’d prefer I come in and spend $5.00 on one of their smoothies, but you get the point. 🙂

It took 4 simple ingredients:

-1 cup of ice

-1 and 1/2 cups frozen strawberries

-1 cup vanilla yogurt

– 1/3 cup blue agave sweetener

With the press of a button, I had breakfast ready in just a few minutes. I grabbed my reusable travel cup, filled it up, and placed it in the freezer while I finished getting ready for work. 20 minutes later, I made a quick stop to the kitchen to pick it up and out the door I went.

Highlights: The Weekend

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, DIY, Film, Food, Fun, Treats by

It was a complicated couple of days for me this weekend. Suffice to say I went through a myriad of emotions, for a myriad of reasons. (I think the ladies can understand this feeling every once in a while :)).  As the weather decided to be a bit kinder this weekend, so did my take on everything that was happening around me and within me. I managed to keep an eye on the sunshine! Here are a few highlights that brought many smiles to my face:

{FILM}.
Movie marathon on Sunday. Instant mood booster. We even covered three genres. Sometimes you just need a completely lazy day in bed watching movies.

{FOOD}.
The simplicity of grabbing my two favorites from Starbucks: an iced grande, soy, toffee nut latte & a cranberry orange scone.

My sweet boyfriend bringing a big bag of my favorite candy (don’t judge!)

{FUN}.
They say money doesn’t buy you happiness. In this case, I beg to differ and tend to do so when it comes to flowers. $5.00 well spent!

Breakfast in Bed

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Food, Fun, Lunch by

What makes me feel like I’ve finally arrived into adulthood? It’s not the college degree that I’ll be paying for until I die. It’s not even the fact that I get up every morning, get dressed (in something fabulous!) and drive to work. It’s those times when you realize you can do those odd-ball things you like to do simply because you want to and you can. You don’t have to run it by anyone, ask your mom, or justify yourself. The situation is completely within your power. In essence, it’s the liberation from that power.

Recently, I was home one afternoon craving breakfast and some R&R after having spent the morning running errands around town in 100 degree weather. I sat, looked at the clock, thought about making something more appropriately lunch-like, and thought to myself, “why not?”

I promptly got up and made myself some bacon, eggs and french toast. Okay, I just reheated the french toast you buy from the frozen section at Trader Joe’s (these are delish by the way and it does still count as cooking!). I poured myself a glass of orange juice, pulled out my breakfast tray and set it up in bed. I turned on a DVD and for the next two full hours played the adult card, savoring every minute of it. It was a small pleasure but the older I get, the more I really appreciate these moments. Since everyday cannot be about big events and large-scale happenings, it’s these moments that add up to bring more smiles, happiness, and glitter to my life.