Christmas With Our Adult Kids (and other thoughts)

Christmas with our adult kids
Christmas with our adult kids
Cheers from the Staverts

 

Christmas with our adult kids is different now. Not bad different, just different. Change is inevitable and as our children get older, they take on new interests and their Christmas wish lists have gotten much smaller. Visits to local, intriguing distilleries, trying new cocktail bars and great restaurants and going to the movies is now the order of the day. They prefer money over gifts. They check their emails and texts. They watch football and play in football fantasy leagues, have a boyfriend, a girlfriend and are quite competent in the kitchen. Times are different, but I like it.

No more assembling toys, taking bites of Christmas cookies and preparing for Santa’s arrival. I made the mistake of listening to a couple of Christmas albums that I used to listen to when they were young. These songs sung by Celine Dion and Harry Connick Jr. caused me to cry remembering those holidays from their childhood. Longing for those times from years ago, yet understanding that they are gone forever.

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The Top Ten Dishes of 2015 – So hard to choose!

 

top ten dishes of 2015
Buttery and aromatic Eggs Benedict at Sweet Maple in San Francisco

 

“First we eat, then we do everything else.” ~ M.F.K. Fisher


How to choose my top ten dishes of 2015 … It was tough!

How do you narrow down a very long list to just the top ten dishes of 2015? Honestly? It’s really not fair and damn near impossible to choose which meals we loved the most. I actually started with forty photos of the many photogenic and delicious bites Craig and I have enjoyed. Enticing, colorful, mostly savory dishes that I would pay to go back to eat once more (and probably again after that)!

Searching for and visiting new restaurants and vibrant local markets is an important part of travel. We are always on the hunt for what’s hip, what’s authentic and where the local foodies like to eat. From Los Angeles to Maine, Costa Rica to Hawaii, sprinkled with visits to major foodie cities in the United States, we have eaten some AMAZING dishes this year.

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Best Brunch in San Francisco?

best brunch in San Francisco
best brunch in San Francisco
FLORENTINE BENEDICT: sautéed spinach, tomato, parmesan, Meyer lemon hollandaise

 

Follow me to the best brunch in San Francisco ~

Knit beanies, Northface slickers, jeans, fashionable rainboots and Jack Purcells were the uniform of the day on a very rainy Sunday in downtown San Francisco. So where are all the twenty-somethings going for the best food I have had in quite a while? Sweet Maple.

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Star Wars Mania – Gingerbread Style

Episode IV: A New Hope
star wars mania
Stars Wars Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel

 

Star Wars mania
One of six different gingerbread masterpieces and each devoted to one of the Star Wars Episodes 1 through VI.

Seattle Star Wars Mania –

Are you part of Star Wars mania? Our kids bought tickets months ago to see the new movie and I bet yours did too. Everywhere you look in social media, fans are dressing the part, acting the part and fully enjoying this Star Wars movie premiere. Here in Seattle we have cocktails named after characters, hashtags galore #maytheforksbewithyou and we even have an entire Gingerbread House display #SEAGingerbreadVillage devoted to Star Wars. Our daughter Alex (SeatownBites.com) always knows exactly what is fun to see and do in Seattle. So at her suggestion, I packed up my camera and dashed over to the Sheraton Seattle Hotel to see this Star Wars Gingerbread Village.

Star Wars mania
These three Tom Douglas restaurants Cantina Liña, Home Remedy and Tankasan offer some very creative Star Wars themed cocktails and appetizers. The restaurants are located within one block of the Cinerama, which is showing the movie. Super clever!

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The Hyatt Residence Club Maui ~ Oceanfront Luxury

The Hyatt Residence Club Maui

I am the first to admit that when traveling, I always thought that I preferred to stay in a luxury hotel instead of a condominium. After staying at the Hyatt Residence Club Maui, an outstanding oceanfront property on Kaanapali Beach – I have changed my mind forever.

Lovely Maui~

If you have never been to the island of Maui, please consider putting this destination at the top of your list! It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful, tropical resort destinations in the world. On this recent anniversary trip, we decided to try a few new adventures on an island where we have stayed many times. We visited new restaurants, tried new activities and stayed in a luxury condominium instead of a hotel.

As a savvy traveler who likes her upscale amenities, I never really believed that a condo could compete with the luxurious hotel accommodations that we have been accustomed. I was absolutely wrong. The Hyatt Residence Club Maui surpassed any expectations we could have imagined! Both Craig and I were blown away by the beauty, architectural design, amenities, incredible staff and warm welcome we received at this brand new property.

We were impressed by luxurious design features like elegant bathrooms, granite kitchen countertops, stainless steel appliances and the extra space (compared to a single hotel room) was so w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l as well. Even if you have no intention of cooking or preparing any meals, this property would still fulfill your needs! Additionally, no one is knocking at your door for turn down service or housekeeping and we appreciated this benefit of extra privacy in a condo.

The Hyatt Residence Club Maui - Granite Kitchen
The well appointed kitchen.

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Living in Seattle (temporarily) and Loving it!

living in Seattle

    Indulge me for a moment to tell a quick story and then listen to me rave a little about living in Seattle, our adopted city. But first… Although we intentionally made some very major changes in our lives by moving to Pasadena and then living in Seattle temporarily, interestingly enough, I feel kind of …

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A Visit to Pasadena is Especially Exciting This Time of Year

visit to Pasadena
visit to Pasadena
The Rose Bowl – Pasadena, California

 

A Visit to Pasadena in December

The month of December is a perfect time of year to share a few itinerary ideas for visiting one of my favorite places, Pasadena, California. The Rose Bowl, The Tournament of Roses New Year’s Day Parade and perfect weather, draw thousands of people to the city every December. When you watch the parade on television you can clearly see the majestic San Gabriel Mountains that are just north of the city and so beautiful. Blue skies and bright sunshine are especially enticing to those that are experiencing a harsh winter.

A little personal back story…

I was fortunate to grow up in Arcadia, a small community which was about ten minutes east of Pasadena. Pasadena is a much larger city and became very important to me when I was a teenager. When I was seventeen, I became part of something quite extraordinary that changed my life forever.
Over 900 happy, yet nervous, high school seniors from Pasadena and three other neighboring cities participated in a series of interviews. Our hope was to be chosen one of seven members of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court. Lucky me, I was chosen to be one of them.
Rose Court 1979
That’s me, far left – 1979
The experience was one of a kind and the thrill of meeting so many different kinds of people (mostly adults) and representing such an important organization like the Tournament, was a dream come true. We made personal appearances throughout Southern California, spoke to philanthropy groups, Rotary Clubs, hosted Rose Bowl events for the visiting colleges and even drove the Goodyear blimp!  For a 17 year old high school senior, it was quite mind-blowing. We were on the Bob Hope Christmas Special, danced with Lawrence Welk on his television show and featured on magazine covers.
The grand prize was to ride on a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade, waving to the crowds, where a million people line the curbs of Colorado Blvd and 100 million more watched it on TV.

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