Another month behind us and time for a little behind the screens chat with y’all. I can’t believe how fast this summer has gone and I am already planning some fall recipes and holiday crafts!
Thank goodness for Instagram or I really couldn’t tell you what has happened this summer. It all seems like such a blur because we have been keeping ourselves very busy.
We went to San Diego for a week of vacation/business trip in June and came back home to dance recitals for my girls followed by a week at Vacation Bible School. I was the group leader for my 6 year old’s art camp and it is always one of the biggest highlights of summer for our family. This year was no different but man- a group of 8 second graders really wore me out! I needed a nap pretty much every afternoon when we got home. 🙂
We have been plugging along with our Summer Fun List doing all sorts of little mini adventures and crafting and cooking. We went to check out Empire Mine which is a really cool old gold mine about 45 minutes from Sacramento. Apparently things were pretty good in the gold mining business in the late 1800’s through about 1960-ish because this property is amazing! There is a stunning home with two gorgeous fountains right in the front yard, tons of open space, a reflecting pool and waterfall….
So hard to believe that a family lived in this opulence during the Depression! From what we read, the Depression really didn’t impact Northern California too badly because the price of gold went up… Oh how I would have loved to get a peek into the lives of the people that actually lived in this gorgeous estate. (Oh and you can’t see the second building with a huge deck, bowling alley, tennis court and billards room.) Amazing.
Here I am with stinker #2 on one of the many little hidden courtyards around the property. And this leads me to something I have been toying with and that is a few (very few) little travel reviews for California on the blog. We love to take day trips or weekend adventures all over this gorgeous state and I am always frustrated with the lack of information on things to do, restaurant recommendations etc… So I am thinking about posting a few articles here and there are on some of the lovely places to visit in California and some of the things we have enjoyed doing. So we will see on that.
And now this week I get to spend a few days in the Bay Area for another blog conference and hang out with my buddy Shellie from Saving with Shellie.
One highlight was an afternoon in Los Gatos, CA which is one of the most ideallic little towns. If you ever get a chance to come to Cali, it is worth stopping in this charming city for delicious food and great shopping. I had the most delicious braided nutella pastry and Cafe au Lait at the Purple Onion in Los Gatos and I will be hard at work trying to recreate that deliciousness for you guys when I get back home. (Sigh… someone has to do it…)
We also have been hitting up the Farmer’s Market and various festivals all summer. The produce has been amazing this year in California! We just went to the Peach Festival and the girls got to go on a bunch of carnival rides including… wait for it… the Fun Slide! Remember these from when you were a kid? Guess what? They still use burlap bags and the burlap bags still stink but my girls loved this! I remember these slides from the Fair when I was little and they were always so much fun.
So anyway– a few of my favorite things over the past few weeks….
So I was in Target one day minding my own business when this couple was asking every employee for help finding some egg pan. They were going on and on and finally found the darn thing in the section that I was standing. They were raving to the employee that was helping them about this egg pan that went in the micro and made yummy eggs. So of course I had to have one myself after that and I picked up this Nordic Egg Muffin Pan up for about $4 (it it located near the Ball Jars and Microwave ovens in the store by the way…) It really works so well- you put your egg in there, pop it in the micro and viola- an instant Egg McMuffin. I have been making these with English Muffins, sliced tomato and cheddar cheese and it is a yummy breakfast to kick start the day.
I also got this popcorn maker from Sur La Table as a gift awhile back and man has this thing earned its keep! I love popcorn- in fact I may or may not eat a bowl of popcorn darn near every night :). I used to make popcorn in a paper bag in the microwave but sometimes the bag would pop over and make a mess. So this popcorn thing you can just put the kernels in the bottom and pop away! No butter or oil needed (but you can smear them on the lid and they will melt through as your popcorn pops if you want.
If anyone has a yummy popcorn recipe- please share! I like to season it heavily and then I like a little sprinkle of fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.
I finished a few more books this month- including Delicious by Ruth Reichl which I liked a lot. Ruth Reichl is the editor of Gourmet magazine and she is on Top Chef. She writes really interesting stories that are centered around food and this one I had a hard time putting down. Great summer read!
We also went to see Planes Fire + Rescue which was excellent. My girls were never really into Planes (or Cars for that matter) but they liked this movie and I thought it was really, really good. Definitely one to see if you have littles.
And as for other blog news— I am progressing on adding those gallery pages I mentioned last month. All the recipes, crafts, DIY projects etc… will be in one place and hopefully very easy to find. I am aiming to have it up and ready by the end of the month!
And that’s about it for July! Thanks for sticking with me while I ramble away. I hope you are having a great summer as well!
Christina says
Thanks for sharing info on trips and the items of greatness that you have purchased recently- I definitely want the egg and popcorn gadgets:). I follow your blog and site because I also live near Sacramento and appreciate that your posts often reflect that area and state of California as opposed to the Midwest or East Coast. As a mom I also appreciate the kid-centric info as well as healthy living recipes and tips. Thanks for posting more than just money saving tips and I enjoy and look forward to your site every day.
Mrs. Spartan says
It looks like your family has had so much fun!!
Charlene says
Thanks Christina! So nice of you to comment!
Kaela says
I’d love to see recommendations in CA! I ate at the yummiest gyro in Los Gatos one time 🙂
Sara says
Charlene, Thanks for the awesome blog! We too live in Cali and we are always looking for fun things to do so we can’t wait for the articles on visiting Ca. I have to get both those new egg and popcorn things. Thanks for post all the great recipes lately, because we have been trying to go more healthy natural ingredients!
Kim DiGiorgio says
I would love to see some posts on what to do in the area. I LOVE day trips, but deciding where to go can take me longer than the trip.
I love these posts!! Thanks
Amanda says
I’ve never heard of empire mine. Thanks, we will have to check it out. And thanks for all your amazing tips!
susan says
Just wanted to drop a line to say that even though I don’t live in Calf. or have children still living at home (well maybe one…but he is 28) I enjoy all your crafty ideas and recipes and just enjoy all the fun and energy you have. I have 10 grands and hope I find enough energy to just do a fraction of all those wonderful things. I wish someone would post ideas like yours for Texas…there must be a million things to investigate or have an adventure at in this huge state. thanks for having such a great site, and I definitely love the money saving things
Rebecca says
I thought it was funny that you mentioned Saving with Shellie. Yours and hers are the two I read! (She’s great for local finds, and yours is great for online deals and recipes, etc. — I live in the Austin area.)
I had no idea you two knew each other!
caitlyn says
I really like your “Behind the Screen” series, Charlene! I also live in the Sacramento area but I hadn’t heard of the Empire Mine before. I would love to read more about your day trips and adventures!
Oh, and now I have to find that egg pan and popcorn popper!
Charlene says
Ha ha! Rebecca I just read Shellie your comment :). We are roomies this week in San Jose. I’ll be in Austin next week for another conference and I can’t wait! Hopdoddy here I come!
Donna says
I cannot find you on Instagram. Is the tile the same my frugal adventures?
Donna says
I cannot find you on Instagram. Is it my frugal adventures?
Charlene says
Hey Donna! Thanks for looking– here I am 🙂
http://instagram.com/frugaladventure
Cindy says
Charlene, just want to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. I have read it almost every day for years now. My family and I lived in Roseville CA for 23 years and just moved to Phoenix last year. Reading your blog helps me feel connected to home and I don’t feel as homesick staying connected through your blog. Thanks for faithfully blogging for all of us!