April 28th Patti Piper's Birthday Celebration

We celebrated Patti's birthday this year with just the sisters. Lori, Patti and myself went to Claim Jumper for dinner and then came back to our house to open gifts.

Happy Birthday Patti!

The Huntington Library - April 2010

Janet and Chuck invited us to a weekend in Pasadena. We stayed at the Sheriton Hote in Pasadena and visited the Huntington Library on Saturday. It is so beautiful. Perfect time of year to visit.

Taix French Restaurant - April 2010

Saturday evening Janet and Chuck shared a restaurant with us. The Taix opened in 1927. It serves "Rustic Country French". It is fabulous! Check out their menu with prices here:

http://www.taixfrench.com/dinner_menu.html

Ray had Canard A L' Orange which is served only on Saturdays and it is something to try! They sell out early as it is a favorite with many. I had Escalope de saumon rôtie and the champagne sauce was wonderful. They take reservations and parking is easy with valet only. Service was perfect! You may take a bottle of wine and have it opened for a fee if you wish.

The Taix Family are the third and fourth generations of a family of sheepherders and bakers from the "hautes-alpes" in southeastern France who immigrated to Los Angeles around 1870.

In 1912 Marius Taix Sr. built a hotel called the Champ d'Or in downtown Los Angeles' French quarter. In 1927, Marius Taix Jr. opened Taix French restaurant within the hotel serving chicken dinners for 50 cents at long "family-style" tables. Diners could choose private booth service for an extra quarter. Taix's novel food, unique service and affordable prices make it a Los Angeles institution.

The present location opened in 1962 and continues to be a family affair. Family style service has given way to private booths, but Taix French restaurant remains faithful to the famed tureen of soup, sourdough bread, and abundant portions of French country cuisine at affordable prices. The restaurant dynasty is carried on by Marius' son, Raymond Taix, who has made sure that the character of the restaurant has remained unchanged, and his son Michael, whose passion for wines has resulted in an extensive, award winning wine list.

Taix Restaurant is proud of its' vintage staff; many can boast of serving more than three generations. We look forward to serving you and your family for many generations to come.

Los Angeles Arboretum - April 2010

On Sunday after we checked out of the Sheraton we went to the Los Angeles Arboretum. They had quite an extensive cacti and succulent area which I was very interested in seeing.

Sprinkles Red Velvet Cupcakes

If you haven't tried a cupcake mix by Sprinkles, this one is very surprising! The batter is so red it stained my fingers for days! But of course it was worth it. They are moist, light and delectable! I am hoping they brightened my friend, Patty's day when she received them.

Viburnum in April

This is Snowball Viburnum Opulus, it is also known as The Snowball Plant.
So many people mistake it for a Hydrangea. They say it grows 10-15 feet tall and wide, but I have a feeling in some areas it may be larger. It is great as a backdrop in your border gardens and cuts well. In one of the pictures on the left you can see how the snowball start out, it does not begin to leaf out until the snowballs are formed and blooming and then after they drop it begins to fill in with more leaves. My particular plant blooms on old wood.