We Have A Winner

Congratulations to Deaana! You won the Mighty Leaf Tea giveaway! As soon as we. receive your shipping information your prize will be on its way from Mighty Leaf in California. You'll love the pitcher - it doesn't leak when you lay it on its side, the water bottle with the silicon sleeve and of course, 4 boxes of fabulous tea! Woot!

Flower Through Fence In Cambria

Travel and Adventure Await You

Join us at the Travel and Adventure Show. Where will you wander this year?

video by: EncinoMom Productions

Our productions are paid for by our advertisers and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com

Happy Holidays from EncinoMom - Best of 2012

Wishing you the happiest of holidays! For more of our stories, recipes and videos visit us today at:
EncinoMom.com

Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com

Survive the Holidays! Tips From Advice Guru Liz Pryor

Survive the Holidays! Strategies and top tips from Advice Guru Liz Pryor on EncinoMom.tv

Stay skinny this holiday season with this strategies and tips from Advice Guru, Liz Pryor. We caught up with Liz at the River Rock Lounge for a meeting of the minds on how to sail through the holiday season without dragging 10 additional pounds into the new year! Watch the video to enjoy Liz's tips.

Here are some ideas for you to consider:

1. It's not about the food.

Seriously. Yes, there may be lots of tempting treats laying around, but that's really not why you're there. Make yourself a small plate with the best choices you can muster and move away from the food. It's rude to hover over the dip anyway! Make it a goal to leave food on your plate. Toss it in the trash or give to the waiter as soon as you can. Think of it as a hot potato, pass it and move on.

2. Decide in advance to focus on conversations.

As many "holiday only" foods are around, many "holiday only" people are around, too. Focus on them. We tend to take for granted that our loved ones and dear friends will be with us forever, but it simply isn't so. Take this time to really listen to that crazy story your favorite Aunt tells or really see into the eyes of your child. This day, this moment, this time will never come again. Remember, these ARE the good old days, enjoy them.

3. Bring an ally.

If you are bringing something for a buffet, consider your personal resolve first and bring a dish that will be delish and figure flattering. You can do it!

4. Use the sandwich technique.

When it comes to alcohol and beverages in general you can end up consumming more than you bargained for. Try the sandwich technique: have a glass of water (sparkling or flat with a fresh lemon or lime garnish) before and after any other beverages you consumme.

5. Volunteer.

Ask the host or hostess how you can help. Having a task can take the edge off nerves you may feel about mingling with strangers, or your not so favorite people that may be on the guest list.

6. Sing!

You can't eat when your mouth is full of music.

7. Dance!

Not a good dancer? Treat yourself to some lessons or try taking a walk. Find a way to get some movement into your celebration schedule, before, during or after the party.

8. Eat.

Yes, eat! Don't go to a party ravinous. Have something before you go. It's a great time of year for apples, pears, walnuts, pomegranates. Throw a little baggie of granola (right now, I'm hooked on Uti's Gluten Free Sweet & Fruiy Cranberry Granola, I received a free sample and now I'm adicted.) or dried fruit, sunflower seeds, nuts, something nutritious that you LIKE and that doesn't need refrigeration, into your purse or car. And while your at it, make sure that you stay hydrated! A bottle of water and a few almonds have saved me more than once.

What strategies do you use to maintain your waistline through a hectic holiday season? Do you wait until January and attack the new year with vigor? If you have a something that works for you, please share! We can't wait to hear from you.

Oh, by the way, there's still time to enter the drawing for Liz's book! Enter here.

Figure Flattering Blues From Seeley

 

3/4 sleeves and pockets, too!

LA Fashion Week - Burlap Ballgown From JHausBrand

Video highlights, plus an interview with JLynn Haussman - coming soon! Stay tuned.

JHausBrand Plays High Note at LA Fashion Week

JHausBrand Plays High Note at LA Fashion Week

Electric-blue jeans from JHausBrand paired with plugged in violin, screaming intrumental strains of Katy Perry's Extraterrestial rocked the runway at Vibiana in downtown LA! When the Entertainment Capitol of the world takes on Fashion Week, this designer from Nebraska brings the whole country together with denim designs inspired down on the farm that play from sea to shining sea.

 

Photo by: Lisa Keating for EncinoMom

Miss Us? Join Us At Our New Site: EncinoMom.com

Visit our new location, today! Here's a preview of some of the new posts: 

New recipe using RAW pumpkin!

Photos of the skies over the Land of Enchantment.

New Video From Los Encinos State Historic Park.

photos by: Lisa Keating
balloon photos by: Kathy Kuzniar

Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com

Have You Noticed Some Changes? We've Moved!

Thank you for stopping by. While this content will remain here for the foreseeable future, our new content is being posted at EncinoMom.com. Please drop by and bookmark the new site. We sincerely hope that you find the new site every bit as helpful, attractive and inspiring as this one! Change brings challenges. As much as we have appreciated the opportunity to grow and develop here on Blogger, the move to our very own hosted website became a necessity in order to achieve our goals of delivering excellent content and increased ease of use to YOU!

Our archives are still migrating, so please be patient while we figure out where to put everything in our new home! We will continue to explore, tweak and finesse the details until we get it right, so don't hesitate to let us know, what you love about the move, what's not up to snuff or if you didn't even notice! (We were going for a seamless transition. How'd we do?)

We would also love to see your all time favorite Halloween costume pictures! Whether it's a favorite costume of yours or something you created for your kids, post it on our facebook page. Our favorite will receive an EncinoMom, all cotton tee!



photo by: Warren Keating 

Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com

Super Scoopers and Super Stars at the Van Nuys Airport

Aviation Confidential, EncinoMom at the Van Nuys Airport

Wow! There are so many dedicated professionals at work on the ground and in the air at the Van Nuys Airport, join us for this video tour and meet a few. Take a peek inside some of the state of the art facilities and air craft that call this General Aviation airport home. The Van Nuys Airport is a proud sponsor of Taste of Encino coming to Ventura Boulevard on Sunday, October 9th. Come on down and learn a little more about this thriving hub of aviation, right in our own community.

Special thanks to the Encino Chamber of Commerce, especially Linda Jenkins and Diane Donovan, the Van Nuys Airport, Jess Romo, Diana Sanchez, Captain II Paul Egizi, Tanker Base Manager, Patrick Rivera, helicopter pilot, Kurt Deetz, and Judy Sherif of Children's Hospital. Everyone involved in this project is committed to bringing their very best to the jobs that they do and I would like to take this opportunity to express how grateful and extremely blessed we are to be in such good hands. Thank you all.



video by: Encino Mom Productions 

This video created for the Encino Chamber of Commerce and Taste of Encino. Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com

Isn't It Romantic?

You've got to love a man who leaves garden flowers and the secret heart discovered inside a walnut, on a corner of your desk. Everyday expressions like these don't cost much, but speak volumes. Don't wait for Valentine's Day to slip a sweet note or token of affection into your beloved's pocket or under his pillow. Thoughtfulness counts.

photos by: Lisa Keating 

Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com

Red Delicious Baked Apples

Here's something warm and wonderful for chilly mornings or after-school treats - simple and satisfying; baked apples.

Start with Red Delicious apples. This recipe makes 4 1/2 apples, you can easily double quantities if desired. Preheat oven to 350˚. Oil small baking dish.

2 apples - cored, cut in half and drizzled with fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup quick cooking oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 T butter (softened)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 lemon (juice squeezed onto apples, peel for garnish)

Combine ingredients using a fork. Mixture will be crumbly. Stuff into apple halves. Pop into the oven for 30-35 minutes (longer if you use large apples or larger quantities of apples).

Plate and serve warm from the oven, or room temp. Great with Greek yogurt, a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or cocoa. Enjoy!



photos by: Lisa Keating 


Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com

Scarecrow Alternative

It's that time of year when my mind turns to the harvest and scarecrows begin to crop up around doorsteps and driveways in my neighborhood. Here, in this garden plot, a pair of sun ravaged umbrellas turn their summer jobs to a twist on the familiar motif. As their skeletons begin to show, I imagine cobwebs may extend their useful life through the end of October!



photo by: Lisa Keating 

Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com

Back To School

Funny how September invokes feelings of heading back to school - even when school's been out for a decade (or two, or three). When you have kids, it's understandable since gathering up school supplies and hitting the back-to-school sales for new clothes and shoes that fit is a part of the end of summer ritual. But even if you don't have kids, or if yours are grown and gone, there is still . . .  something in the air that stirs longings for new binders, clips, unsharpened pencils, reams of paper and such.

It's especially odd when I find myself lingering over photos of warm woolen sweaters, caps that cover your ears and faux-fur lined boots. It's over a hundred degrees outside! And while there will be a chill in the air, who know when it will finally come. . . January, February? And when it does come, it won't stay long and it will only be a chill, not the face freezing cold captured in those photos with the sweaters. But the longing for seasons persists. Is it human nature? Is it all marketing? Is it just me?

If you live somewhere, where cold weather is as certain as spring rain, you might like to visit our apparel partner Eddie Bauer Weekly Specials: A New Deal Every Monday, now offering their durable coats and caps and things for kids! I haven't purchased any of their kids wear, yet (it's brand new), but I did purchase an amazing pair of aforementioned faux-fur boots! I may have to take a trip to the snow to wear them, but they are wicked cute and comfy, too. :)

photo by: Lisa Keating


Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com 

Super Sweet, End Of Summer Watermelon

Fresh from the Farmer's Market, this super sweet watermelon keeps the taste of summer in the house even when the kids are back to school. Try cutting it in bite sized cubes (or balls) and mixing with some crumbled Feta cheese, a drizzle of olive oil (to keep the melon from getting mealy), mint leaves and a little freshly ground black pepper.

photo by: Lisa Keating


Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com 

New Orleans or New Orleans Square?

Here are a few snaps from my camera roll. Can you tell which pics are New Orleans (Louisana) and which are from New Orleans Square (Disneyland)? When I was a kid, I always loved to linger in New Orleans Square when we visited Disneyland; the music, the narrow, winding alleyways filled with shops, the food. I had no idea how true to the original Big Easy the California copy was! It's as true today, as ever.

photos by: Lisa Keating


Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com 


Oh yes, all of the photos above are from a recent trip to New Orleans, except the second from the left, taken yesterday at Disneyland.

Easy Gazpacho Recipe From EncinoMom

Gazpacho is very forgiving. Read the ingredients below as a list of suggestions and let your taste buds and the contents of your fridge be your guide. I like my Gazpacho zesty and I've used cilantro instead of hot sauce and zucchini when there weren't any cukes in the fridge!

Ahh, Gazpacho!

2-3 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled
1 large cucumber, peeled
1 red pepper
1/2 small yellow onion
2 scallions
3 cloves of garlic
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons hot sauce (just discovered; Café Des Amis' Zydeco Rouge - amazing flavor)
1 Ancho pepper, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Gazpacho is a great place to use tasty home grown produce with cosmetic flaws. Notice, in the pic above,  some of the tomatoes are split and the cucumber has uneven color, but it won't matter once the vegies meet the food processor!

Combine all ingredients using a food processor. Chill and serve with an ice cube or two in each bowl. Garnish with fresh herbs and croutons if desired. Makes 8-10 servings.






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

photos by: Lisa Keating




Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com 

Impossibly Blue Summer Morning Sky

photos by: Lisa Keating




Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com

How To Choose A Fresh Zucchini

The zucchini on the left was picked 3 weeks after the zuke on the right.

Freshness counts. I like to use the freshest produce possible when I cook. I grow many of my own vegetables and herbs. It's great to be able to step outside of the kitchen and pick fresh veggies for lunch or dinner, but things don't always work that way. Sometimes produce needs to be picked before I can cook it (that's the case with the zucchini on the right), sometimes it's produce from the market and I bought more before I prepared what I already had in the fridge! Either way, the fresh young things are mingled with the "veteran" produce and it's good to be able to tell which is which to avoid having to toss moldy oldies.

Here are three things I've noticed about aging zucchini:

1. Pitted skin
2. Withering stem
3. Uneven color - freckled or streaked skin

Next time you need to choose the freshest zuke in a flash, look for smooth, shiny, evenly colored, dark green skin and a stem that shows signs of moisture. If you're trying to use the oldest first, opt for the zucchini with a few freckles! Here's a recipe from our archive if you're up to your eyeballs in zucchini right now: What to make when the zucchini genie visits.

Enjoy!
 
photo by: Lisa Keating


Our road trips are paid for by donations from viewers (like you) and sponsors. All opinions expressed are our honest thoughts and experiences. Any promotional content is clearly identified as advertising. If you are interested sponsoring an EncinoMom video, please inquire at: info@EncinoMom.com