Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY and we hope you are enjoying your summer with family and friends.

Our hotel/chef feature this month is on the opening of the Excelsior Gallia Hotel Milan, a magnificent new face for one of Italy's grandest hotels. Enjoy the Gallia signature 1932 cocktail recipe.

Sips has some great wine festival news from the Carmel-Monterey vintners, as well as coverage of the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum Wine Festival 2014. Culinary Coup is full of great restaurant and food news. Look for film, food & wine events to enjoy around the world. Making organic fragrances with the professionals at Anje featured in Spa Baby this month. Events include Summer Solstice in Santa Barbara and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Party in Bel Air.

Montage Beverly Hills Hotel hosted the 2015 ISPA gathering that attracted health and spa media to learn about "what's new in the spa world." The Gallia Hotel Milan announced opening news details. BookBites has some fabulous take-along books for reading on the plane.

We are adding a new feature "By Air" on air travel in the "Wheels" section giving kudos to Airlines providing great service to travelers. The first feature is on the flight we took from LAX to Loreto Mexico on Alaska Air.

Spa Baby features Sabila Spa in Loreto Mexico, where pampering is amazing in one of the most naturally beautiful destinations in the world. Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto.

Pray for peace - for those leading our Country and all the men and women in our armed forces fighting in foreign lands!

Happy Birthday to my daughter Mary and my darling grandson Leo . . . you are loved so much!

4th of July Healthy Egg-cellent Breakfast Quesadilla courtesy of Pritikin Longevity Center

Pritikin Breakfast Quesadilla.jpg

Ingredients

1 cup diced assorted vegetables (the more colors the better!)
½ cup egg whites
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 whole-wheat, low-sodium lavash thin bread
3 Tablespoons shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
2 Tablespoons fat-free sour cream
¼ cup pico de gallo (no salt added) or no-salt-added salsa (such as Enrico’s brand)

Procedure

In a medium nonstick skillet, sauté vegetables until beginning to brown. Add egg whites and scramble. Season with black pepper.
On a warm griddle or flat-top grill, place lavash thin bread and let the side facing the heat get hot.
Turn the bread over on the griddle or grill, and sprinkle the cheese on top side.
On half of the top side, spread the vegetable scramble and cilantro.
When the cheese begins to melt, fold the thin bread in half to cover the vegetables. Press firmly, using a tool like a large firm spatula or bottom of a pan. Flip on the other side, grill for about 2 minutes, and press.
Remove from heat. Cut quesadilla into four pieces. Serve two pieces per person with fat-free sour cream and salsa on the side.

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Villa del Palmar at Islands of Loreto GREEN DRINK

Blend spinach, celery, wheatgrass, pineapple and orange juice and serve over ice or straight. Cheers!

Additional contributing writers are included on an individual issue basis. Please contact the editor with questions regarding journalist assignments. Email: writebc@aol.com

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