tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:21:53 +0000DrinkLifeAmsterdamBeer and WineHuntington Beachvictory gardenFruitWine CountryTravelParisDessertReDiningVegetablesDining OutFood PhotographyPastaRecipesFood Blogger CampDecadenthealthyWelcome to Sarah and Anson's blog where we will be periodically updating you with pictures and stories from our lives...gardening, cooking, food photography and all the other trouble we get into at our beach home in Huntington Beach, California. Don't let our post be a reason not to call us though. It is our hope that our posts will give us something to talk about when you come over for dinner!http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)Blogger121125http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ABeachHomeCompanionhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-5056330978459942855Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:17:00 +00002012-02-05T10:17:25.665-08:00PastaFood PhotographySpaghetti Pancake is one of a handful of comfort foods that I've been eating since my childhood. From what I can tell, it probably comes from an Italian dish called Spaghetti Fritatta. I'll have to remember to ask my mom where she got the original recipe, probably from an old church cookbook or another local source. Until the last decade or so, "pancake" would have been a much easier concept thanhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/V3OxwUL9QYU/spaghetti-pancake-its-better-than-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/V3OxwUL9QYU" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2012/02/spaghetti-pancake-its-better-than-it.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-3921540763882321731Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +00002012-01-26T08:00:06.026-08:00PastaLifeFood PhotographyI woke up one night last February and, not finding Buttercup in her usual spot at my feet, I got up to look for her in the living room. I always liked knowing where she was when she wasn't nearby. I stood there for a second in the room, lit up by the porch light. I shook my head, sighed, and went back to bed. A year ago today we lost Buttercup, the best cat ever. I got her and her brother, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/XiyuoRMS1rY/tuna-for-buttercup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)9<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/XiyuoRMS1rY" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2012/01/tuna-for-buttercup.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-4141953226362710513Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:16:00 +00002012-01-18T07:50:17.046-08:00Wine CountryBeer and WineTravelDrinkAnson's birthday usually lands on Thanksgiving weekend, so we decided to tack on a small vacation to the end of our week in Napa and Sonoma. We dropped my parents off at SFO on Saturday morning and started heading south on Pacific Coast Highway. Anson grew up in the Bay area and spent time exploring this stretch of PCH with his mom and brother as a child. It would be a bit of a trip down memory http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/ukA4n7n80gU/ansons-birthday-usually-lands-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/ukA4n7n80gU" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2012/01/ansons-birthday-usually-lands-on.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-2371030431719307432Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:21:00 +00002012-01-04T20:15:55.304-08:00Wine CountryBeer and WineTravelDrinkIs it too late for a post about Thanksgiving? Yes, probably. But that won't keep me from doing it anyway. I think you should see a little bit of one of the most picturesque areas of the country, Napa and Sonoma during one of the most picturesque times of the year---fall. You know, for as much time as we've spent in various wine countries, we've never been there in the fall. I guess we went to http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/LgibFGUAWfo/thanksgiving-in-napa-and-sonoma.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/LgibFGUAWfo" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2012/01/thanksgiving-in-napa-and-sonoma.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-1089664849404292385Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:18:00 +00002011-12-12T17:37:28.911-08:00Food PhotographyFor the most part, I eat a pretty good diet: lots of fresh veggies, whole grains, red wine, little meat, etc. I keep it healthy, but, like Sharon Stone in Casino, I have an old love that I just can't let go, no matter how bad it is for me. Instead of a skeezy con man, my love is Kraft Macaroni & Cheese in the blue box. Kraft Mac & Cheese was the second thing I learned to cook as a child, and forhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/fd-Pzx608gI/kraft-macaroni-cheese-love-letter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)7<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/fd-Pzx608gI" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/11/kraft-macaroni-cheese-love-letter.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-4123783929192370265Sun, 13 Nov 2011 04:45:00 +00002011-12-11T21:22:35.341-08:00Wine CountryLifeBeer and WineTravelDrinkThere really is no other way I'd rather spend my birthday than to head to wine country. The closest to us, about and hour and a half away, is Temecula. You may remember I've written about Temecula wine country in the past, but I think it deserves revisiting after this last visit. The truth is, by and large, the wines in Temecula aren't that good. It's a fun place for a costume bachelorette party http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/AgBBG2lopMw/temecula-wine-country-birthday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/AgBBG2lopMw" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/11/temecula-wine-country-birthday.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-7608059768661249503Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:31:00 +00002011-09-20T21:31:05.765-07:00DecadentRecipesDessertIt's been years since the carefree summers of my childhood when I used to while away entire days watching soap operas, game shows and reruns of Three's Company in my parents' basement.  No homework, no swim practice, no bullies on the school bus, just long days stretching before me with nothing to do but whatever I wanted to at that moment.  Beside the television and stacks of teenage novels for http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/Hez0i0WJiC8/homemade-jell-o-pudding-pops.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/Hez0i0WJiC8" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-jell-o-pudding-pops.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-5846958752762853377Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:22:00 +00002011-09-06T21:37:17.985-07:00RecipesDrink Anson's margarita in the front, with salt. Sarah's in the back, no salt. Those of you that know me personally know that I am not a food snob. Yes, I do go to nice restaurants as much as possible, but I will happily eat junk food when the occasion strikes. All in moderation, right? And I am not afraid to tell you that I love Taco Bell bean burritos and almost always have a bottle of Two Buck http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/mr8Gn6-BhK4/classic-margarita-from-scratch-youll.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/mr8Gn6-BhK4" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/09/classic-margarita-from-scratch-youll.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-5851055596811576691Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:58:00 +00002011-12-11T21:22:57.389-08:00Wine CountryLifeBeer and WineDining OutTravelDrinkI did some photography for Dan and Michelle's business last year, and in the process of working with them, we discussed our mutual love of wine country and the places we liked to go. They recommended a place they had begun visiting over the last couple years--Gold Country. Gold Country? Yep, I hadn't heard anything about this so-called Gold Country before either. After doing a little research I http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/MG9eAm_Rs1Y/tour-of-california-gold-country.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)5<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/MG9eAm_Rs1Y" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/08/tour-of-california-gold-country.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-4500235486442517488Sun, 31 Jul 2011 06:33:00 +00002011-07-30T23:33:06.711-07:00DecadentRecipesFood PhotographyDessertI've seen "grown-up milkshakes" popping up on the menus of lots of trendy restaurants over the last couple years, but I think my mom and dad were way ahead of the curve. They have been serving boozy ice cream for a while now at their parties, especially during the summer. This probably goes back to my dad's years as a bartender during the 1970s, when saganaki and quiche Lorraine were the height http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/AIwk8PYqL0c/retro-boozy-ice-cream-drinks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/AIwk8PYqL0c" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/07/retro-boozy-ice-cream-drinks.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-9170141480235090037Sun, 24 Jul 2011 03:12:00 +00002011-07-25T17:22:56.471-07:00RecipesVegetableshealthyFood Photography If there is any time of the year when a big bowl of fresh vegetables sounds good, it's these hot days of summer. I made this salad after a long, overindulgent Fourth of July weekend, as an apology of sorts to my body for eating Doritos, drinking Bud Light and staying up late for several days straight. Hey, I never said I don't eat junk food, in fact, I love junk food. But I try to keep it to a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/iD64pJtPDwg/black-bean-vegetable-and-brown-rice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/iD64pJtPDwg" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/07/black-bean-vegetable-and-brown-rice.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-2191822699459694380Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:40:00 +00002011-07-18T21:40:34.163-07:00Food PhotographyA lot of bloggers, and even some friends who like photography, asked to see the presentation I did with Alice Currah in May at BlogHer Food 2011. I promised I would put up an abbreviated version on the blog, so here is the fourth and final part. Can you handle one more post about food photography? Here Alice had some great insights into how she puts together her photographs and some things you http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/YYUgawnvKL0/simple-and-affordable-tools-techniques_18.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/YYUgawnvKL0" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/07/simple-and-affordable-tools-techniques_18.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-5142568794752214369Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:00:00 +00002011-07-24T17:06:47.249-07:00Food PhotographyA lot of bloggers, and even some friends who like photography, asked to see the presentation I did with Alice Currah last month at BlogHer Food 2011. I promised I would put up an abbreviated version on the blog, so here is the third part. In part three, Alice and I talked about accessories and other touches that can add a more professional look to your blog's food photography. Best of all, we http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/9qsswktxBxo/simple-and-affordable-tools-techniques.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/9qsswktxBxo" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/07/simple-and-affordable-tools-techniques.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-3693842577948642220Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:38:00 +00002011-06-22T22:38:56.323-07:00Food PhotographyA lot of bloggers and even some friends who like photography asked to see the presentation I did with Alice Currah last month at BlogHer Food 2011. I promised I would put up an abbreviated version on the blog, so here is the second part. This is where it gets fun! In Part II, Alice and I talked about techniques for improving your food photography. As you well know, technique is not something http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/brZx3SIY-L8/simple-and-affordable-tools-techniques_22.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/brZx3SIY-L8" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/06/simple-and-affordable-tools-techniques_22.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-2350527227994293237Sun, 12 Jun 2011 18:46:00 +00002011-06-22T19:51:31.824-07:00Food PhotographyA lot of bloggers and even some friends who like photography asked to see the presentation I did with Alice Currah last month at BlogHer Food 2011. I promised I would put up an abbreviated version on the blog, so here goes. Seeing as we had a ton of slides, I'll probably break it up into two or three posts. This presentation was aimed at beginning food bloggers and photographers, so let's start http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/oh4PlVHSN0s/simple-and-affordable-tools-techniques.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/oh4PlVHSN0s" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/06/simple-and-affordable-tools-techniques.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-8593368237815927811Sun, 05 Jun 2011 23:50:00 +00002011-06-06T17:59:36.263-07:00LifeDecadentTravelFood Photography Tapatio Fritos Whew. That's all I have to say. "Whew." Not even with an exclamation point. At this point it's too hard to muster even that. I feel like the year has steamrolled me, but in a good way. You might have noticed the blogs have fallen off since the year started and it's all my fault. But I think I'm coming back and hopefully with some good stuff. So what have we been doing to cause http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/UnTkzYfDWmk/tapatio-what-isnt-it-good-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/UnTkzYfDWmk" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/06/tapatio-what-isnt-it-good-on.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-8004871404964734872Mon, 09 May 2011 05:03:00 +00002011-05-08T22:03:28.179-07:00Food PhotographyIt's Mother's Day, and though the day is almost over, I'd like to bring your attention to these meringue cookies that my mom loves. I always buy a box at Trader Joe's when she comes to visit and if she's diligent she'll finish them before she leaves. Mom, enjoy your virtual meringues! So what am I doing photographing them when my mom hasn't visited since last year? Well, these meringues are http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/4Sr65B29zDQ/blogher-food-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/4Sr65B29zDQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/05/blogher-food-2011.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-932733630001880427Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:40:00 +00002011-04-17T14:40:55.964-07:00VegetablesFood Photographyvictory gardenAnson and I moved over a month ago, and though we only moved about 15 feet from our old place, into the exact same floor plan, it's been quite a challenge figuring out where everything should go. As we've been trying to organize, customize and humanize the new place, our winter garden has been patiently growing, actually doing better than we imagined it would. There's nothing like a little http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/iy2lzRq86kA/winter-garden-surprise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)7<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/iy2lzRq86kA" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/04/winter-garden-surprise.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-4726090203029344Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:51:00 +00002011-07-24T17:08:45.595-07:00Lifehealthy My Own Bottle doesn't really fit into the realm of things I usually write about on the blog, but I wanted to share it with you because I think it's a great company and I really think they are filling a gaping whole in the market place for water bottles. I know, I know, how could there possibly be a gaping whole in the market place for water bottles? Well, there is. Let me explain. About five http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/FtOL_L53Y4I/my-own-bottle-whats-old-is-new-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/FtOL_L53Y4I" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-own-bottle-whats-old-is-new-again.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-6715554670994307703Sun, 20 Mar 2011 22:51:00 +00002012-01-11T16:19:54.640-08:00Beer and WineFood PhotographyDrinkAnson and I have a particular affection for local restaurants, breweries, wineries and food producers. There's something about seeing where it's made, meeting the owner and being regulars that we like and, in a way, we take on a pride of ownership for ourselves. When we finally got around to visiting Bootlegger's Brewery in Fullerton recently, we were bummed we hadn't made the effort sooner. We http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/A3MB_0NVqlM/bootleggers-brewery.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/A3MB_0NVqlM" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/03/bootleggers-brewery.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-4795724932240753968Sun, 06 Mar 2011 23:23:00 +00002011-07-24T17:07:48.008-07:00PastahealthyFood Photography Carla's Pasta Tex-Mex Tortellini Salad This was a fun project I did recently for Carla's Pasta.  You might not know the name from the grocery store if you live on the West Coast, but if you order any number of filled pastas or pesto sauces at a restaurant you might very well be eating Carla's Pasta. Cheese Tortellini, Wild Mushroom Sacchettini, Lobster Ravioli and Shells Florentine are among http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/tqGPkXKKE3o/carlas-pasta-you-never-knew-you-loved.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/tqGPkXKKE3o" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/03/carlas-pasta-you-never-knew-you-loved.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-7219509310458749214Sat, 26 Feb 2011 05:22:00 +00002011-07-24T17:10:12.043-07:00LifeFood PhotographyI was invited to an interesting event this week, hosted by Great Taste Magazine and Chef James Chavez at the Doubletree in Anaheim.  They were calling it a "Pig Potluck" and the local chefs who are a part of the magazine's networking group were asked to bring a pork dish to share. The highlight for me was a demonstration of breaking down a whole pig by Chef Amar Santana of Charlie Palmer's at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/A_52JQV67Gk/fine-art-of-butchering-pig.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/A_52JQV67Gk" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/02/fine-art-of-butchering-pig.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-5882878946394141325Sat, 19 Feb 2011 06:58:00 +00002011-07-24T17:16:10.593-07:00Vegetablesvictory gardenWe get that question a lot when new people come over. Any visitors have to pass by our garden in front, on their way to our apartment.  If you've been following the blog since the beginning, you'll know that the garden started out as a small little patch for a couple tomato plants back in 2008 and has doubled every year since. Onion sprouts and a potato plant. I know! I had no idea what http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/L7_qIlVtFT4/is-that-your-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/L7_qIlVtFT4" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/02/is-that-your-garden.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-1407570953473675655Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:12:00 +00002011-12-11T21:23:37.373-08:00Wine CountryLifeBeer and WineRecipesTravelhealthyFood PhotographyOur cheese plate tradition began last spring on our vacation to Paris. Wanting to be very European, to really live the life we imagined people do in Paris, we ended each exhausting day with a nice bottle of wine, a baguette and a couple kinds of cheese. (Of course, if we really wanted to be authentic I guess we would have had the cheese after dinner, rather than before, but we were making our ownhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/8lqWRnToAPU/nuts-about-cheese-plates.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/8lqWRnToAPU" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/02/nuts-about-cheese-plates.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749534837361060064.post-3598075416482072122Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:55:00 +00002011-07-24T17:12:59.098-07:00Food Blogger CampTravelFood PhotographyThis past week, Anson and I were invited to a fun little gathering of food bloggers and journalists at Red O Restaurant in Los Angeles to promote the upcoming Food & Wine Festival in Ixtapa Zihuatanejo. The event was hosted by celebrity chef Rick Bayless (who will also host the Food & Wine event) and the Mexico Board of Tourism. If you would like to get a feel for Ixtapa's beauty, check out my http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~3/4yR_XrvvGQE/ixtapa-molinillos-and-tequila-tunnels.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sarah and Anson)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABeachHomeCompanion/~4/4yR_XrvvGQE" height="1" width="1"/>http://abeachhomecompanion.blogspot.com/2011/01/ixtapa-molinillos-and-tequila-tunnels.html