Back to Business as Usual

Laguna Beach Storm Clean-Up (12-23-10)

Laguna Beach Open for Business (12-27-10)

After torrential, record-setting rains, most Laguna Beach businesses that were affected are back and open for business. To encourage visitors to return to Laguna Beach, the City is offering FREE parking in the downtown area, now through January 2, 2011.*

Public Works crews worked diligently, around-the-clock, since early last Wednesday to ensure that streets and roads in the Laguna Beach downtown area, the hardest hit, were open for traffic to minimize challenges for visitors and residents alike.

“On behalf of the City Council, I am pleased to announce that the City of Laguna Beach is Open for Business,” said John Pietig, Laguna Beach City Manager.

Coast Highway is completely open as is El Toro Road and Laguna Canyon Road (Highway 133.)

For more information, contact the Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau at 949.497.9229 or visit http://www.lagunabeachinfo.com/

*Parking is free in the downtown area defined as: Legion to Broadway Street and Coast Highway to Forest Avenue. Meter time limits apply.

In the Right Light

“In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.” -Aaron Rose

I realized how true this quote was when I met Judy Kelly. After the tragic loss of her son, Judy went on a journey that ended in the creation of a sacred place where one can find light and peace. That place is Pure Light Laguna.

Walking into the store, you are immediately overcome with a calming feeling. Small wind chimes quietly sing in the doorway, soft hues of gold and blue greet you inside, dark old wooden tables and shelves hold treasures from around the world, and a mixture of spicy and floral scents envelop you. This is a place of rest, and one for creation.

Judy’s vision is to provide a way in which we can all find the talents and gifts that lie within each of us and it is found through the making of candles. The process is simple: choose your form, your colors, your scent, and finally your embellishments. The end result leaves you with a truly unique and beautiful creation.

While I made my candle, I thought of who I was going to give this light to…it is going to be given to a dear friend of mine who means so much to me. She has always been a pillar of strength, beauty and a confidant. She loves the pureness of the ocean and gentle colors it gives us. So I chose a theme that would capture all that she means to me.

Pure Light has over 30 forms that you can shape your candle into. The form I chose is called ‘toaster.’ You can even custom make your form if you can’t seem to find just the right shape.

With more than 40 colors to choose from, I had a bit more of a challenge. I wanted to stay with an ocean-inspired color scheme, so I went with four colors: a sandy rust color, a dark green, a light blue-green and yellow.

Wax Colors

The scent wall was a delight for my nose. But I had to stay focused and I knew exactly what I was looking for. In fact, there was a scent aptly named ‘ocean mist’… perfect!

Scent Wall

The next step is picking your embellishments. Pure Light has an array of items you can add to your candle. There are charms, rocks, shells, beads, miniature wick candles, prayer tiles, quotes, and much, much more. Honestly, you will be able to find any embellishment for the theme you have chosen for your candle. You may also bring in a special token of yours to include in the candle.

Embellishments

Pre-shaped wax

Since I had chosen an ocean theme and the colors I found were exactly what I wanted. I decided on several shells, a starfish, sea glass, and a small pewter shell trinket.

Once you have all of your supplies gathered, the creating process begins. First, the wax needs to be cut and stacked into the mold. Then the embellishments are added, followed by hot paraffin wax, and finally, your embellishments.

Cut wax

Layering wax in mold

Adding final wax pieces and embellishments

Pouring hot paraffin wax into mold

Placing the final embellishments

Then the candle needs to set and cool before the mold can be lifted and your final creation revealed. When Judy lifted my mold and presented my candle, I gasped with joy! I LOVED it and I knew my friend was going to love it even more. I knew that this candle would light her home and bring her joy like she had given to me so many times before. Making this candle was such a special way for me to say ‘thank you,’ to a truly extraordinary person in my life.

Find your light and inspiration at Pure Light in Laguna Beach. Walk-ins are welcome, or if you don’t have the time to stay and make your candle, you can choose your embellishments and have a candle artist make it for you. You can also book a candle making party for children or adults.

More Pure Light Deals:

Mondays are Pure Color Days, when you select your candle, the pour is the same color for a solid finish.

Thursdays are Ladies Day with 20% off their entire creation.

Fridays are for Couples with 20% off each of their candle creations.

Sundays are Kid’s Days (age 4-17) with 20% off their creations.

By Anne-Marie S.

Kiss the Cook

Did you know that Laguna Beach has its very own culinary school? That’s right Laguna Culinary Arts  is a multi-faceted school, offering classes for the casual cook to the professional chef. I fall into the category of VERY casual cook, not doing much cooking myself, I tend to rely on my microwave quite a bit! So when I was offered a chance to take a cooking class on ‘Spanish Tapas,’ I was a bit nervous with excitement. I have a Spanish heritage, but have not ever been able to learn the family recipes since my grandmother passed away years ago. So I looked at this as my chance to learn some cooking techniques, as well as some recipes I can pass down to my children.

Our instructor was Alex Morales, ( a recent graduate of the Culinary Professional Chef School,) took a casual approach to the class. We each had a work station outfitted with a set of knives, cutting board and apron. We worked in teams of three in the preparation of our tapas and I was paired with two wonderful ladies who were true ‘foodies.’ In our class, we also had a young lady who was treating her mom to a birthday gift, two close friends for a ladies day out, and a wonderful local couple. Although we had a full class, were all able to work in the spacious kitchen. We started by preparing Chorizo cornbread and agave butter.

Then we moved on to ceviche, which was made with halibut, papaya, mango and cilantro. This turned out to be my favorite taste of the day, and a recipe that was surprisingly easy and will become a staple when I’m hosting parties  at my home.

For me, the two most difficult tapas we prepared, were fried goat cheese fritters and sautéed shrimp in sherry cream sauce. Admittedly, I have never deep-fried a thing in my life and as I watched those cheese fritters cook in the pot of oil, it was pretty amazing. The shrimp dish involved pan-searing the shrimp and then flambéing. It was spectacular!

The menu was rounded out with fried plantains and black beans.

While each group prepared their dishes, Alex mingled thru the kitchen answering questions and offering tips. He taught me a great technique for cutting parsley and cilantro that will change my cooking life. I will now be able to cut those leafy herbs twice as fast.

Once all the tapas were complete, we plated the food and carried it into the Culinary Arts Cafe where we sat at a banquet table and enjoyed our food together. What a feeling of satisfaction after the 2-hour class and now we get to enjoy what we made. When I got home and shared these tapas with the family. I received much praise and lots of kisses of gratitude. Maybe cooking has its benefits?

Laguna Culinary Arts has a long list of unique classes to choose from. There are a series of classes for the beginner to the advanced chef, wine lovers courses, cheese classes, International culinary tours, cake decorating, and much, much more. In addition to the array of classes, you can also enjoy food in their Café, wine and cheese tasting from an array of options, and wine tasting happy hour Monday through Friday.

If you are looking for a unique gift for a special someone in your life, give them the gift of food, a Laguna Culinary Arts gift certificate. You can even order them online.

By Anne-Marie S.

Caught in the Web of ‘Daddy Long Legs’

This year has been a time of celebration for The Laguna Playhouse, as it is their 90^th Anniversary. They have brought in some fantastic shows and are closing out this milestone year with the heartwarming musical, ‘Daddy Long Legs.’ The musical is adapted from the novel, ‘Daddy Long Legs,’ by Jean Webster.

The story is about a teen orphan, Jerusha Abbot, who is given the chance at a college education by a wealthy benefactor. He gives her several stipulations that she must follow; that she writes monthly correspondence to him about her education, that she is not to ask questions of him and additionally he makes it clear that he will never respond to her letters. What he did not count on was a curious, forthright and witty young woman that would find her way into his heart.

The majority of the musical is sung through letters, those written by Jerusha Abbott (played by Megan McGinnis) to her benefactor, Jarvis Pendleton (played by Robert Adelman Hancock.) I initially thought that a two-actor musical might become mundane and repetitive, but quite the contrary! I quickly became so absorbed in the story of this young woman and her relationship with Jarvis that I completely forgot that there were only two actors in the play.

Jerusha learns of her benefactor through a letter, while residing at an orphanage, she does not see the man whom has taken an interest in her and  only catches a glimpse of his shadow, dominated by long ’spidery‘ legs.  This is how she comes to call him ’Daddy Long Legs.’ McGinnis does a tremendous job at portraying a young, innocent girl experiencing the world for the first time. Her voice is pure and sweet never missing a beat or a note. She is the kind of actor that has a way of settling in next to you, putting her arm around your shoulders and welcoming you into her story. When she sings with Hancock, the melodies fill the theater and the duo pulls you deeper into their story.

As I watched and listened to Jerusha find herself, I was reminded of my own days in college, my early twenties, and my personal coming of age story. We all have one, a story of how we came to know about this world and what is of importance in it. ‘Daddy Long Legs’ plays on those themes in a way we can all relate to. By the end of the show, I could feel my heart swelling and cheering for Jerusha and Jarvis. I glanced around the theater and saw others doing the same, some even wiping away a fallen tear or two.

‘Daddy Long Legs’ was a heart warming musical that reminded me of something so easily forgotten and what Jerusha found to be the secret to happiness:  life is about getting through the petty hazards of the day with a laugh, that’s what takes real courage.

Now playing  thru December 26^th. Click here for ticket information.

When you purchase your tickets to the show and are planning your night in Laguna, don’t forget to plan dinner beforehand. Nirvana Grille is the ideal place to dine when going to the theater. Only steps away from The Laguna Playhouse, you will have a hassle-free night and plenty of time to eat before the show.

Nirvana Grille has a chic vibe and Chef Lindsay Smith Rosales has created an unexpected menu combining American, French and Asian influences.

Asian Influence

Chicken Wontons with chicken, pine nuts, corn, cilantro and Manchego Cheese fried in wonton wrappers and served with a chipotle cream sauce.

French Influence

Soup of the day: a creamy, tomato bisque.

These appetizers were a wonderful way to start our meal on a cool Laguna night.  After enjoying them and some good conversation, my girlfriend and I decided to try two house specials for our main courses.

Pistachio and Dijon Crusted Chilean Sea Bass

The Chilean Sea Bass was light and melted in my mouth. It was served with caramelized leek mashed Yukon gold potatoes and tender asparagus in lemon-infused olive oil.

Roasted Bone-In Prime Pork Loin

Cooked to perfection, and paired with a tomato citrus compote and caramelized leek mashed potatoes and glazed carrots, this dish was awesome! I love having a balanced meal of protein, a vegetable and a starch. All of the flavors blended wonderfully together and were completely satisfying.

When our waiter brought out the dessert menu and recommended the house specialty, we could not pass up the opportunity to try this unique dessert. It was a Grand Mariner glazed seasonal fruit (we had strawberries) served over homemade goat cheese maple ice cream. What a sweet ending to our meal! It is difficult to explain how the flavors fused together in every bite and made my mouth sing!  

Nirvana Grille lives up to their name of perfect peace; us girls enjoyed our food and wine in a calming and quiet environment. We had wonderful service and savored our meals and dessert to the very last bite.  For reservations call: (949) 497-0027

By Anne-Marie S.