Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

This month features summer news hotels, restaurants and tourism destinations tring to wobble back into action from on off again closures. Cities in Europe have opened and Canada is open to US Citizens with vaccinations. Look for September issue for my first hand reports on cruising in Viking country/waters.

Chef/Hotel feature for this month is on the Drago Dynasty and highlights the skills of the success of a Sicilian Chef family.

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.

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 will be coverd in September issue.

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 meditations sessions are great! 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!

Flower Children will march in both Santa Barbara Old Spanish Days Parades 2022. They go to senior homes, the Amtrak Station and SB Airport to welcome visitors to Fiesta each year. I loved photographing them this year at the Old Mission Santa Barbara.

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!!

See fun story on 2022 Old Spanish Days Fiesta at Santa Barbara Historical Museum.

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 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 the people of Ukraine and help 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

These are my photos of recipe I made following these directions. Mangia Bene!

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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