Monthly Archives: February 2016

Cavalia’s Odysseo Captivates Audiences in Orange County| @Cavalia #OdysseoOC

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Cavalia’s Odysseo

By Erin

Cavalias-Odysseo-Orange-County-Irvine

The other weekend I had the opportunity to cover Cavalia’s Odysseo under the White Big Top as media, along with three of my most horse crazy friends. Boy, Oh boy were we all in for a treat! We were so close to the stage, front row to be exact, so we couldn’t get any closer unless we were going to be part of the show. As tempting as that thought was, we decided against that, and just watched, but not without constantly picking out which horses we wish we could be riding in the show as they’d prance on by during each act! 😉

Cavalia Horses

Featuring 65 beautiful horses and 48 riders, amazing acrobats and aerialists, musicians playing live music from around the globe to celebrate the bond between man (or woman) and horse. The best part of all is that they announced that tickets to this amazing show are being extended for shows through March 13th!

Cavalia Acrobats

No amount of words can truly describe the beauty of this show, you have to experience it for yourself. I will just share with you some of my favorite parts of the show to try to capture a fraction of the awesomeness that is to behold when you see it in person in all its glory.

Odysseo Horse Hugs

In an enchanted forest, the horses roam freely while the sun is setting. The horses perform a beautiful liberty routine with their trainer, who you can tell they have a very special bond with her. My favorite part is the scene above, when they come together for one big horsey hug!

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BRIO Tuscan Grille Introduces ‘A Tale of Two Risottos’| @BrioItalian #BrioTuscanGrille

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‘A Tale of Two Risottos’ at BRIO Tuscan Grille

By Erin

*I was invited as media to come in and try out the new ‘A Tale of Two Risottos’ for purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*

BRIO Tuscan Grille Irvine Spectrum Orange County

There are few dishes as versatile as risotto, and when it’s made right, it’s perfection. BRIO Tuscan Grille at the Irvine Spectrum has introduced its “A Tale of Two Risottos.” A classic tale of old-world meets new, these limited time offered dishes (through March 27th) are a product of BRIO’s love affair with risotto and the finest seafood available. 

Now, of course before jumping to the main course, we had to order some drinks and something from the PRIMI (Appetizer) Menu.

BRIO-Drinks-Wine-Sangria-Peach-Bellini

 A White Peach Sangria and Peach Bellini. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon, even if it was pouring down rain outside!

BRIO-Bruschetta

For an appetizer, our waitress recommended that we try the Bruschetta Quattro– which is a sampling of their four housemade brushettas. Perfect for sharing and getting a little taste of everything.

Lobster-Bisque

I have soft spot for lobster bisque, so if I see this anywhere on a menu, I just have to try it. Plus it was a cold, rainy day outside, so even more reason to try a cup of their delicious, creamy lobster bisque soup! Topped with a sauteed shrimp garnish. 

Lobster-Risotto

Available during both lunch and dinner, the savory risotto dishes include:

Lobster and Shrimp Risotto: Broiled Maine lobster tail served over risotto with shrimp, mushrooms, asparagus, roasted red peppers, basil and Parmesan. This was my favorite of the two risottos.

Brio-Tale-of-Two-Risottos

Sea Scallops with Risotto: Five large, seared sea scallops served over a roasted vegetable ratatouille risotto.

 These decadent risotto creations are available through March 27.

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Stuck In the Middle

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Stuck In the Middle

By Erin

Are you stuck in the middle in your family? I am not stuck in the middle of mine. I am the oldest, but there were just two of us, so nothing crazy! I have seen first hand though from visiting other friends and family members who come from large families with lots of kids that were stuck in the middle of their families how super insane it can get! 😀 So make sure to watch and take a hilarious inside look at what it’s like being the middle child in the new Disney Channel family comedy series “Stuck in the Middle!”

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE - Disney Channel's "Stuck in the Middle" stars Joe Nieves as Tom Diaz, Isaak Presley as Ethan Diaz, Ariana Greenblatt as Daphne Diaz, Jenna Ortega as Harley Diaz, Cerina Vincent as Suzy Diaz, Kayla Maisonet as Georgie Diaz, Nicolas Bechtel as Lewie Diaz, Malachi Barton as Beast Diaz and Ronni Hawk as Rachel Diaz. (Disney Channel/Craig Sjodin)

                                               Umbrella Shot – Disney Channel/Craig Sjodin

Staring Jenna Ortega (“Jane The Virgin” and “Elena of Avalor”) who is a very inventive tween Harley Diaz, is the middle child in a busy household of nine. In the preview episode, avid inventor Harley is all set to accept a community award, but she must first devise a way to get her family out of the house and to the ceremony on time. You can imagine that getting that many people out of the house on time will not be easy!

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE - "Stuck in the Middle" - Avid inventor Harley is all set to accept a community award, but must first devise a way to get her family out of the house and to the ceremony on time. This episode of "Stuck in the Middle" airs Sunday, February 14 (8:45 - 9:15 PM EST), on Disney Channel. (Disney Channel/Eric McCandless) ARIANA GREENBLATT, JOE NIEVES, RONNI HAWK, NICOLAS BECHTEL, KAYLA MAISONET, MALACHI BARTON, ISAAK PRESLEYStaircase Shot – Disney Channel/ Eric McCandless

Told from Harley’s point of view, the slice of life stories find humor in everyday life as this middle child devises creative ways to cope with – and stand out – in her family’s busy suburban Massachusetts household. The Diaz parents, Suzy and Tom, also have six other kids: Rachel the self-involved eldest; Georgie, a basketball-playing teen; Ethan, Harley’s closest ally; invincible and indestructible twins Lewie and “Beast”; and the strong-willed youngest sibling, Daphne.

In addition to Jenna Ortega, the series stars Isaak Presley (“Austin & Ally”) as Ethan Diaz, Ronni Hawk as Rachel Diaz, Kayla Maisonet (“Dog With A Blog”) as Georgie Diaz, Nicolas Bechtel (“General Hospital”) as Lewie Diaz, Malachi Barton (“The Young and the Restless”) as “Beast” Diaz, Ariana Greenblatt (“Liv and Maddie”) as Daphne Diaz, Cerina Vincent (“Mike and Molly”) as Suzy Diaz, and Joe Nieves (“How I Met Your Mother”) as Tom Diaz.

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE - "Stuck in the Middle" - Avid inventor Harley is all set to accept a community award, but must first devise a way to get her family out of the house and to the ceremony on time. This episode of "Stuck in the Middle" airs Sunday, February 14 (8:45 - 9:15 PM EST), on Disney Channel. (Disney Channel/Eric McCandless) JENNA ORTEGA, CERINA VINCENT, JOE NIEVES

                                         Harley and Parents Shot – Disney Channel/ Eric McCandless

A full episode preview will air THIS  SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 (8:45 p.m. EST) on Disney Channel, immediately following the channel’s premiere of Disney’s Academy Award-winning animated film “Frozen” (7:00 p.m. EST).

“Stuck in the Middle” will air in its regular time slot beginning FRIDAY, MARCH 11 (9:00 p.m. EST) on Disney Channel.

Tune into the Stuck in the Middle premiere on the Disney Channel at 8:45 PM on February 14th!

Are YOU Stuck in the Middle?