Come to the Taste of Huntington Beach to Support the Huntington Beach Children’s Library!

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Erin

Come to the Taste of Huntington Beach to Support the

Huntington Beach Children’s Library!

By Erin

The 2013 Taste of Huntington Beach – 28 April

Proceeds to benefit Huntington Beach Children’s Library

Who doesn’t love great food, great wine, and even better company? This is what you will find at the Taste of Huntington Beach THIS Sunday! The best part is that it’s all for a very wonderful cause, to benefit the Huntington Beach Children’s Library! As a child I was lucky enough to always have a new book to read, whether it was one from the book store or our local library, you can bet I had an ample supply of books to read! I was (and am) still such a bookworm. As if you need proof of that, here’s just a small part of my personal library. Actually this is my “Children’s” section of books for my classroom library when I’ve had my own classroom teaching. Every child deserves to have an awesome selection of books to choose from, so anything that supports this has my seal of approval! You all already know that I love food and wine so this event is right up my alley! 😉

The Taste of Huntington Beach is a one-price, all-inclusive event where there is a unique sampling of food and beverages from 50 of the finest restaurants Huntington Beach has to offer, paired up with more than 40 of California’s premium wineries and craft breweries – all in the name of charity. The Taste is happening this Sunday, April 28 from 12 to 4 PM. If you go as a VIP, there is a special VIP reception from 11am-12pm. Just look for the big white tent at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex, 18100 Goldenwest — conveniently located across from the parking lot at the Huntington Beach Central Library.

Ticket prices will be $65 general admission with unlimited food, wine, and beer samples, as well as live music. VIP tickets are $85. For more ticket information you can check that out here: Ticket Prices and Information. You can also check out the listing of all restaurants participating in this years Taste of Huntington Beach click here: Participating Restaurants. The list of Wineries & Breweries can be found here: Participating Wineries & Breweries Will some of your favorites be there?

Featured entertainment includes Orange County’s own Tijuana Dogs, a raffle and silent auction with all sorts of cool goodies and services from local Southern California businesses (even some Disneyland Tickets are in the mix!). Join your friends and family at the Taste and you can even meet Surfing Legends Lisa Anderson, Bud Llamas, and Surf Music Legend Dean Torrence!

For more information and to purchase tickets online make sure to visit the Taste of Huntington Beach at Taste of HB or you can buy tickets at the Huntington Beach Central Library, The Longboard Restaurant and Pub, or the Lazy Dog Cafe.

If you decide to go last-minute, then you can also buy tickets the day of the event at the Taste’s main gate starting at 10:30AM

All proceeds from the Taste go to benefit the Friends of the Children’s Library where their mission is to help and support the Children’s Department of the Huntington Beach Public Library. Ever since 2002 the Friend’s of the Children’s Library, in partnership with the Huntington Beach Restaurant Association, has donated Taste proceeds of more than $360,000 to the Huntington Beach Children’s Library!

Will YOU be there this weekend? What are you most looking forward to about the Taste of Huntington Beach? The food? The WINE? The great cause it’s supporting? Hope you will join in on the fun if you will be local this weekend! <3

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I will be given media passes to cover this fabulous event for Horsing Around In LA. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Haute Cuisine with Dominique’s Kitchen!

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Erin

Haute Cuisine with Dominique’s Kitchen!

By: Erin

Are you ready to go on an adventure to Paris that will delight your taste buds? Do you have your passport ready to go? Well, if you don’t (at least if you are in the US) you are in luck! Dominique’s Kitchen in Redondo Beach, CA is here!! Opening in October of 2012, this is an absolute jewel of a restaurant tucked in on the famous Pacific Coast Highway just minutes from the ocean & pier. Walking in, you truly feel transformed as if you are leaving the L.A. area and entering another country. Dominique’s is an intimate bistro, the tables are close & cozy to one another & the warm family atmosphere makes you feel right at home. Be ready to make some new friends when you visit Dominique’s! I have been to Paris, France before, so walking into this blissful place brought back many happy memories. I felt like I really was back in Paris.

The restaurant space is small enough to enjoy an intimate dinner, yet large enough to not feel claustrophobic. There is patio seating for the warmer summer days and nights outside as well as an indoor type patio that is covered with heaters should it get too cold.

When the opportunity arose to review Dominique’s I jumped at the chance to try out this new Euro-French restaurant. A French restaurant, here, nearby? I didn’t have to fly to Paris for some good French food? Yes, Please! I have been craving a trip back to France, so this was a wonderful substitute. Now, anytime I’m missing Paris, I just need to hop in the car and my new-found Paris vacation is just a hop, skip, and jump away at Dominique’s in Redondo Beach! I brought my fellow blogging buddy and dear friend Kirsten over at SoCal Kids Outdoor Adventures with me as I knew she could use a vacation just as much as I did and she loves to be adventurous and try out new things! 😉

Dole Floats in the 2013 Rose Parade

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Erin

Dole Floats in the 2013 Rose Parade

By Erin

Earlier this month, my friend Jamie from Minnesota Girl In LA invited me out with her to go check out the Dole Floats that were in the making for the 2013 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. The Rose Parade has always been something I have looked forward to watching every January 1st, so of course I had to jump at this amazing opportunity. The theme of this years parade is “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Being a Dr. Seuss fan, I LOVE the theme they have going on for this year!! Here was the schedule of events for the day:

The floats are located at Fiesta Floats in Irwindale and while there we also were able to meet the designer Raul Rodriguez, have some delicious food, and just relax and enjoy the festive environment while trying out some Dole products. The theme of this years float is “Dreaming of Paradise.” That sure is a place I’d love to go! 😉

As the two-time reigning Sweepstakes award winner, DOLE is vying to become the only company to win the Sweepstakes award every year they have entered. They are striving for a three-peat! I have every faith that they will be able to accomplish this. The float is breath-taking to say the least!

The Queen and her Royal court were also present, and of course, us SoCal Lady Bloggers had to get a picture together! (Jen from Toddler Trails, Jill from Sandy Toes and Popsicles, Myself, Jamie from Minnesota Girl In LA and Mary from Lets Play OC!)

We also just had to get a picture with the designer:

Jamie, Raul, and Myself

Here’s a little more information about Dole’s float for the parade! The float will feature a 26-foot massive volcano which will erupt with smoke, steam and fire shooting 20 feet into the sky over a vibrant and lush tropical rain forest of Latin America teaming with prowling tigers, fluttering butterflies, chimpanzees, parrots, and dragonflies. Incredible parrots are going to be fashioned in floral feathers of blue iris, red poinsettia, carnations and Pee Wee anthuriums accented with Kermit button mums. Lava of 8,000 vivid fluorescent orange roses majestically will flow over the volcano surface decorated in black lichen moss. Three waterfalls feature over 1,000 gallons of cascading recycled water as well as a misting system to add to the tropical mood. Throughout the float are fresh and healthy fruits, including bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, peaches, strawberries and blueberries that were grown by DOLE just for this use on the float. Traditional Costa Rican folk music will be played with performers dancing on the street on both sides of the float. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a marvelous tropical paradise!

The playful chimpanzees have fur fashioned in dehydrated cranberry foliage with highlights of pampas and pharmitas grass.

Just look at the amazing detail of the butterflies on this float! Orange marigold and yellow strawflower petals are detailed with black onion seed and white sweet rice.

Let me show you some of the oh so delectable treats that DOLE has available now. We had a little taste of paradise with these yummy (and healthy) treats! The new frozen DOLE Smoothie Shaker is a paradise for your taste buds (I tried the Peach-Mango flavor). No blender required!! You can create a perfect frozen smoothie with real yogurt and fruit just by shaking the DOLE Peach Mango Smoothie Shaker with juice for 30 seconds and enjoy! Made with all natural fruit and real yogurt, DOLE Shakers are a good source of calcium and are nutritionally fortified with an extra boost of protein, each 11 oz serving is under 200 calories.

Another treat that you and especially those with kids will think is a little bit of snacking paradise is the new Squish‘ems! A squeezable fruit snack that kids will love to squish! Squish’ems! is real fruit sauce in a great squeezable pouch with a fun resealable cap. No need for a spoon, just pop the cap, squeeze and enjoy! Each Squish’ems! pouch contains 1 full serving of fruit that is made locally in the US with all natural fruit, has only 70 calories and contains 100% daily value of vitamin C.

We also sampled Trio Granola Bars filled with tasty and nutritious fruits and nuts. My absolute favorite though, was the Dole Dippers!! Small bites of frozen bananas covered in dark chocolate, a true taste of paradise for your senses. At only 100 calories a serving, that truly is paradise! I was enjoying these snacks so much, they were demolished before I was able to get a picture of them! Oppps!! 😉

I just had to include a couple of pictures of the yummy food that we graciously were able to indulge in for lunch! They had a food truck that featured Central American Inspired Tapas called VCHOS. It tasted just as good as it looks! I will definitely be coming back for more. The fried plantains and tacos were a piece of heaven, very fresh and flavorful.

Of course you can never go wrong with In-N-Out!! I just had to have a burger as well, even though I was stuffed from the VCHOS truck and the DOLE samples!

Decorating of the Dole float has resumed this weekend and will be adorned with fresh roses for us to enjoy. I cannot wait until Tuesday morning to see the finished product, and will be looking forward to heading up to Pasadena after the parade to view the floats (another New Year’s tradition that I have enjoyed ever since I was a little girl). Enjoy and Happy New Year 2013!!!