Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

This month features summer news within corona virus pandemic 2021, with many hotels, restaurants and tourism destinations tring to wobble back into action from on off again closures. The Emmy Awards which was on hold is scheduled to happen and the list of nominees can be found on our Tinsel Town Tidbits page. Cities in Europe have opened and Canada is scheduled to be open to US Citizens with vaccinations in Mid-August.

Chef/Hotel for this month is the Santa Ynes Ranch and highlights the skills of Chef . This beautiful and historic property is a favored respite of locals and tourists in the Santa Barbara area. The menu is perfect for lunch or dinner and guests can create magaical memories on the exquisite grounds. Culinary Coup section also has some fun chef/restaurant news and recipes for your summer enjoyment.

Wine events and food festivals are back, but being done cautiously due to a new strain of virus that has popped up. Coastal wineries have some great events on their calendar and our feature on Jordon Winery renovations will delight you.

Costs of food and beverage continue to rise, and many fine markets are implementing ongoing delivery to patrons who need or want it, including Bristol Farms.

We have new book updates in BookBites and some new items in the gift guide. Helpful news and advice in Kids K and Teen Times, along with coverage of the darling flamenco dancers in Old Spanish Days events. The traditional parade which attracted thousands was cancelled to be safe, but many of the loved events happened to the pleasure of locals and tourists. Look for LifeBitesNews videos on Youtube.

The weather has been hot and If you live near the water take advantage of this time...go for a walk near the water to relax and shake off your pandemic stress. Check out local spiritual types Youtube and Facebook meditationssessions are great! Many churches are again offering in person as well as TV services for those still at home. Hotels along the Central Coast are providing rooms for all the people taking auto vacations this summer, and check out the higher rates being charged by car rental companies in your area before renting a car. Keeping it simple right now is paramount to staying calm and flowing through these difficult challenges. We can do this and we are doing it! God Bless America!

Most important stay healthy, when asked comply by wearing a mask, washing your hands, seperating from people to be safe. It's hard but we are doing it as a nation and we must!!

Enjoy the online coverage of special events along the Central California Coast and throughout the country. Check out nice wine news from my local favorites in SIPS. Kudos to Adam's Angels in Santa Barbara who celebrated his 1st anniversary, and thank you to FoodBank of Santa Barbara and all the charities who have served to help those in need during the past year.

Pray for peace and I hope you all will join me in remembering our soldiers who are fighting in other countries, and pray for their safe return to their families. God bless them. May the great spirit of our Nation reign now and forever, and may our citizens find hope and prosperity thenselves and for their families.

GREAT ITALIAN SQUASH FLOW RECIPE - TESTED BY LBN

Frittata di Fiori di Zucca

Squash Flower Omelette

Ingredients

6 organic eggs
Splash of milk, I use coconut - rice milk
1 small zucchini, grated
12 large squash flours
A handful of chopped chives
Sea salt and pepper to taste, I use gomasio instead of salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Rinse squash flowers well, remove the outside points and inside piston. Clean well and tear in quarters.

Crack the eggs open into a bowl, add a small splash of your choice of milk and a light swirl of olive oil. Whip slightly. Add the flowers and grated squash, then the chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Meanwhile, oil an omelet pan with a generous swirl of extra virgin olive oil and swirl it around so it covers the bottom of the pan. Place the pan on a very low heat. Move the pan so that the oil covers its entire bottom.

Add the whipped egg mixture and let cook on a very very low heat for up to 45 minutes without stirring. Keep an eye on the edges of the omelette. When brown, flip the omlett on a plate and put the top side down into the pan. Let cook for another minute. Flip the pan back onto a clean plate, and serve with artisan homemade bread.

Recipe from Loren CookingVacations.com.

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