Wedding Ice Breakers: Be ready. Be smooth.

If you're attending an engagement party to celebrate the recent decision of your friend to formally become a couple, it is customary to offer an engagement toast. The father of the bride is usually the first to toast the couple, followed by the groom and other guests who wish to congratulate the happy couple.

There are many quotes that are both appropriate and short enough to be able to memorize and include in your toast. Make your next engagement toast memorable with some of our favorite quotes:

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
-Aristotle

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that.
-Michael Leunig

Love is a little haven of refuge from the world.
-Betrand A. Russell

Long engagements give people the opportunity of finding out each other's characters before marriage...
-Oscar Wilde

Love is just a word until someone comes along to give it meaning.
-Anonymous

TRY & make her/him a classic autumn treat!

Ingredients:
 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
POUR into pie shell.
BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

NOTES:
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves; however, the taste will be slightly different. Do not freeze, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.
FOR 2 SHALLOW PIES: substitute two 9-inch (2-cup volume) pie shells. Bake in preheated 425° F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until pies test done.
FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (3,500 to 6,000 ft.): Deep-dish pie- extend second bake time to 55 to 60 minutes. Shallow pies- no change;)

good luck,
&you'll thank me later...

Vino Factoids.

Food and Wine Pairing has some basic rules. Here are the foods and their wines that typically pair well together.

From a dinner dish to any Hors d'œuvre; there is sure to be that perfect glass of wine to make your meal an experience. Impress your loved one with your great taste.

There is always going to be the perfect wine for the perfect occasion. Weather it compliments a fine cigar or perfect with your cheesecake dessert; there is always going to be one for you!

Box Office Love Letdown

CUPID'S REVIEW: Eat Pray Love is well-made film. It is directed with skill by Ryan Murphy and the acting is excellent. Julia Roberts plays her usual character but the real standout is Richard Jenkins. After an Oscar-nominated turn as the lead in The Visitor, the seasoned veteran is back to supporting roles, and this one is fantastic. The film is also shot well, and the four main locations (New York, Italy, India, and Bali) are all shown beautifully. There is no question that this film is a professional Hollywood production, but at the same time there is nothing extraordinarily special about the film making.

ALL In ALL: Eat Pray Love is a film that lacks conflict. Although I am sure that a soul-searching trek across the globe can do wonders for one’s life, it does not make for a good film. If you really want to experience what this movie wants you to experience, go travel around the world instead.

Downtown San Diego Date Spot: de’Medici

 

Step into de’Medici in downtown San Diego and you will immediately sense a welcoming ambience reminiscent of old world Italy. Renaissance décor adorns the walls above plush, inviting seating, while gentle music fills the air.

The impressive menu allows you to imagine yourself worlds away, as de’Medici boasts one of the most extensive selections of authentic Northern and Southern Italian cuisine in San Diego. Whether selecting one of Chef Ricardo Macias’s seafood specialties, rich pasta dishes, or aged prime steaks, a deliciously authentic meal and delightfully memorable experience awaits.

Smooth Date?? Kenny G live in concert.

kennyg.com

Price: $55-$250
Phone: (213) 368-3378
Age Suitability: All Ages

Saturday, Oct 2 8:00p
@ South Coast Winery Resort and Spa, Temecula, CA
Caring for Kids presents multi-platinum selling, Grammy Award winning recording artist Kenny G "live" in concert, on Saturday, October 2nd at 8:00pm, benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children®. Here, in the heart of wine country, you can enjoy dazzling scenery, sumptuous foods and award winning “Best Winery in California” wines.

Great (yet mellow) Floural Backgrounds

Its your background dull in all shades of gray?
Select any of these floral designs form our friends at graffitiwallpaper.com

Who doesn't mind a splash of color  in their to day to day activity? Check out their beautiful selection of flower wallpapers, screen savers and more!

San Diego Date Spot: Sunset Cliffs

 

Sunset Cliffs lies south of Ocean Beach and has several beaches below. Named for its exquisite sunset vistas, Sunset Cliffs Park encompasses 68 acres of bluffs and walking paths high above the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean. 

With its rugged coastline and panoramic views, this area is popular with surfers, ocean-gazers, and folks who like to cruise Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, which runs the length of the cliffs. The drive along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, which begins at Adair Street and continues south to Ladera Street, offers breathtaking views and photo opportunities. It also makes a nice bike ride or walk, and it’s a great place to watch birds. You can see migrating California gray whales during the winter months from high on the bluffs.

Garbage Beach at Ladera Street is named for the large amounts of odiferous kelp among its rocks. Built-in stairs lead down the cliff to this beach. Beware; the descent is very steep. Two other beaches — No Surf Beach (Hill and Froud Streets on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard) and New Break Beach (south of Point Loma Nazarene College) — have no identified route leading down to the water’s edge. Trails to these beaches exist, but finding them can be challenging. 

Sunset Cliffs Park lies about 1 mile south of Ocean Beach, a short drive from the airport, downtown, and Mission Valley. It’s relatively easy to find. The park sits between Point Loma Nazarene Collegeto the south and Adair Street to the north along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. Take I-8 west; it turns into Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, which takes you to Sunset Cliffs Park.

Inspiration Of The Week: Henry Asencio

"Romantic, dynamic, striking"; are all worlds that come to mind when the artwork of Henry Asencio is viewed. 


Contemporary painter Henry Asencio has emerged as one of the most intriguing young artists working today. His work blends the classical ideals of figurative painting with a unique style. The artist states, “Painting for me is very cathartic and is the most articulate way for me to express my passion.” Merging introspection and visual spectacle, Asencio’s personal investigations of the figure, spirituality and abstraction possess the power to transform today’s ideals of elegance and sensuality.  “Abstract expressionism” or “abstract realism”, Asencio’s work cannot be categorized by style or semantics. His open brushwork, sweeping color, use of texture and precise drawing has resulted in a body of work that has earned him international accolades.