|
- Happy Valentine's Day
- Did You Know?
- Super Bowl 2017
- Local News
- Super Bowl LI
- Recipe of the Month
- Puppy Bowl 2017
- Learning to Garden
- Real Estate News
|
|
February is here and that means Valentine's Day is coming. I can hear the collective groan from here :) Even when you are in a relationship, Valentine's Day is not always super fun. The complaints of the inflated pricing on flowers and candy don't always set the right stage to celebrate. However, I was looking around for fun things to do on Valentine's Day and found an article in the Mercury News called "Valentine Weekend: 5 Romantic Bay Area getaways". They are not in our budget this year since they are pretty expensive, but they all sounded so wonderful. Maybe a surprise getaway...hint hint :)
Check out the recommendations from the article:
Rosewood CordeValle in San Martin, CA "Puppy Love Package" For the couples that like to bring their dog on trips. Includes luxurious couples’ massage and wine tastings for the humans, plus a professional dogwalker and gourmet heart-shaped treats to entertain your furry friend. Packages start at $895.
Sausalito’s Cavallo Point in Sausalito, CA "Fire & Rain Package". The romantic package (from $520) gets you your own in-room bartender to mix your choice of cocktails, an aromatherapy blending session, an aperitivo sampler of delicious small bites and breakfast for two.
The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA. The hotel’s “Award Winning Escape” package (from $210) includes two cocktails at the romantic bar.
Safari West in Santa Rosa, CA. The Valentine package (Feb. 11, 12; $148) starts with decadent “wild love bites” desserts, followed by an adults-only safari that “probes the ins and outs of intimate relations between warthogs, giraffes, leaping lemurs, porcupines, insects and more.”
Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, CA. The Valentine weekend “Culinary Escape” (from $754) includes dinner for two at the hotel’s swanky Navio restaurant, and a “Fire and Wine” package (from $870, through Dec. 31) ups the flirtation level with wine, a terrace fire pit room, s’mores and rose petal turndown service.
Credit: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/25/valentine-weekend-5-romantic-bay-area-getaways/
|
|
Every year on Valentine's Day there is an unauthorized, not permitted, unofficial
PILLOW FIGHT in San Francisco! What a great way to let out your frustrations after a long day at work. Maybe I should start one in my neighborhood.
It starts at 5:50pm on February 14th at Justin Herman Plaza, SF. Bring a mask/bandana to cover your mouth, bring a synthetic pillow and a garbage bag for clean up.
|
|
A lot of new restaurants opened in 2016 and there are more to come in 2017. Below are a few that are opening soon:
Jack's Urban Eats at The Orchards Shopping Center in Walnut Creek: Opens Feb 2nd
Burger Lounge at The Orchards Shopping Center in Walnut Creek: Coming soon
Wayback Burgers on Clayton Rd in Concord: Coming soon
Pizza My Heart in Walnut Creek: Spring 2017
Nobu (popular sushi restaurant in SoCal in Palo Alto: June 2017
Capital One/Peet's Coffee Bank & Coffeehouse in Walnut Creek: Spring 2017
|
|
Are you ready for some football......
Football yes, but for me it's more about great appetizers, filling out Super Bowl squares, new commercials and a spectacular half time show (you never know what to expect, there is always some sort of surprise. Purposeful or accidental)
Super Bowl LI
Sunday February 5th, 2017
3:30pm PST
New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons
|
|
|
Recipe of the Month
Game Day Snack!
|
|
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
French Fries
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups taco meat
1 cup Mexican cheese
*salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and/or pickled jalapeno slices
Directions
- Place frozen fries in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Divide fries between two 12x14-inch pieces of heavy foil. Fold up the sides of the foil to create a bowl. Cook on a covered grill directly over medium-high heat for about 20? minutes or until golden brown and crisp, turning once.
- Top fries with taco meat and shredded cheese. Cover grill and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove packets from heat and top with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and/or pickled jalapeno slices.
Photo and Recipe Credit:
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/tex-mex-fry-packets/
|
|
Whether or not you are watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, I highly recommend you watch the Puppy Bowl. It is broadcast this Sunday at 12:00pm PST on Animal Planet.
You will love the puppies. They are so adorable!! The publicity is wonderful for shelters in the Houston area. Let's hope all the puppies get adopted!
|
|
Wine of the Month
Champagne!
|
|
In honor of Valentine's Day, the wine of the month is champagne! Sometimes you just need the bubbly! I love Domaine Chandon sparkling wine. It is delicious and it always puts me in a good mood. The Banc de Noirs is light, not too tart and has just the right amount of sweet flavor.
The best way to enjoy this sparkling wine is to be at the vineyard in Napa, sitting on their beautiful patio, enjoying the sunshine. Definitely visit there sometime. It is beautiful! (http://www.chandon.com/hours-and-directions/)
If that's not possible, I will settle for the close second of sitting on my couch in the peace and quiet enjoying a glass with my husband. Cheers!!
|
|
Not everyone likes to buy roses for their significant other on Valentine's Day. For those of you that want to get creative, Sunset magazine has some great substitutes for the traditional Valentine's Day roses.
- Tie a red ribbon around a small, potted lemon tree. Super cute gift!
- Choose a plant that can go outdoors once bloom is over. Here are some popular choices: azaleas, camellias, carnations (careful with this one. You don' t want your partner to have an 8th grade V-Day flashback), gardenias, and Oriental lilies.
Credit: Sunset.com
|
|
2017 is off to a fast start and home prices are on the rise. California Association of Realtors reports that pending homes registered gains on a month-to-month and year-to-year basis, which indicates an increase in sales in the short term.
However, the growth is likely unsustainable due to the severe shortage of homes and affordability concerns. In the San Francisco Bay Area pending sales fell 14.2 percent compared to December 2015 and 32.5 percent from November.
This is probably not a surprise to most of you since there are clearly fewer "For Sale" signs in the neighborhood. If you are thinking about selling, now is a good time because you will likely have many parties competing to get your house!
Call me anytime if you are interested in talking about your options!
|
|
