I made this yummy, refreshing salad the other day. Chopped up some jicama into cubes, radishes into strips and mango into cubes. Mixed it all up with some Citrus Reserve Olive Oil and California Balsamico Blanco from Temecula Olive Oil Co. and salt and chili powder. You can also just mix some good quality olive oil with some balsamic and a touch of honey for the dressing. Tasty! If you have never had jicama before it's like a crunchy, juicy slightly sweet and nutty vegetable. Almost like a cross between an apple and a potato. Whatever, it's good and you can find it at most supermarkets and definitely in any Hispanic market.

This is what it looks like before you slice into it. Trust me it's delicious!

A few weeks ago we made a trip to Julian, Ca. The last time I visited I was maybe 15 years old, I remember my family crammed in a van for the trip. I also remember snow and apple pie. Chris has never been there but I knew he would enjoy this quaint gold rush town in the Cuyamaca mountains, famous for what else, apple pie.


We stayed at The Julian Gold Rush Hotel right in the center of Julian's Main Street. This restored Victorian hotel is the oldest operating hotel in Southern California. It was adorable and we enjoyed our stay.


 They even have a complimentary Afternoon Tea and parlor with games and books to enjoy. We played a couple of rounds of Scrabble, I can't remember who won, but I am sure it was me. On a side note, the hotel is said to be haunted. Well, we didn't experience anything ghostly, well maybe a ghost cat that we kept hearing meow despite the fact that the owners insisted no animals were allowed in the hotel. Spooookyyy.


We had a nice time visiting the shops, my favorite was the Julian Cider Mill with wall to wall jams, jelly's honeys, nuts, jerky, candy and other edibles.

We also visited the local cemetery, because if there is an old cemetery then I must take a ton of photos.






My favorite part of the trip was visiting The Eagle Mining Co. Penelope had fun panning for gold, she found about thirty dollars worth but unfortunately she had to give it back.



We also got to enjoy a really cool tour of the once bustling mine. Our tour guide was amazing, I definitely recommend visiting this place. It was neat to actually get the opportunity to walk through the mine. If you are claustrophobic or afraid of the dark, beware.





We also took a short drive up the Sunrise Hwy and played in the snow. It was just like being in Alaska again, sorta.



All in all it was a great trip and we didn't even wait in line for apple pie, that will be our next visit.

It's been awhile since I posted Penelope's lunch. She has been eating hot lunch at school a lot lately, and on the days I have made her lunch, I admit I have been lacking some creativity. Here is a lunch I prepared for her earlier this week. Not to exciting but I thought the Lunchbox Love was pretty noteworthy.


Pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, pretzels, a Cutie, some green olives, a few flower and worm gummies and a healthy probiotic chocolate hidden underneath.