Halloween

Whether you celebrate Halloween with chic, artfully carved pumpkins,

or with a proper approach,

or old fashioned, fun-loving way,

Have a safe Halloween!

P.S. Lots to post this week, our trip to Santa Barbara, Casa Vega, Westlake musings, Joan's on Third, The Grove, and Chocolatine. Sorry we have been really busy at Beckwithroad with all sorts of our-of-town guests!

(All photos from Martha Stewart)

Rainy Days

We've had lots of rain lately~so~we've taken advantage of it to curl up with a good book around the crackling fire and lounge and relax and take in all the pleasures of spending time with family and rejuvenating our soul~getting ready for Santa Barbara this coming weekend...time with all the Tracy Porter sorority sisters. We will keep you posted with pictures.

~ Our coastline is just lovely right after the rains~

There is something to be said about solitude and walking on the beach..we collect our thoughts, resolve our feelings and challenge our beings to go on and upward.

Hot Soup on a Cold Day!

It's been a cool, drizzly day today! A great day for soup! We are pulling out our staple creamy vegetable soup. It's nutrient rich---so good for you soup, and the plus is it tastes great too! We made a trip to the market for all the essential ingredients. Here they are pictured below.


This is what you need to make it:

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock (you will find this in the soup section of your market)
1 yellow onion, peeled and rough chopped
2 leeks, remove the dark green stems-split them in half and rinse out all the grit, then rough shop
2 carrots, peeled and rough shopped
1 bunch kale, wash and remove spine
3 stems celery, smaller inner stalks with leaves, rough chopped
2 tomatoes, rough chopped
2 broccoli heads, break into florets
2 handfuls baby spinach
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and rough chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme or 5 sprigs fresh thyme
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 dashes cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cream (optional)


Now take a large pot-like you would use to make spaghetti in--bigger than a saucepan. Turn the heat on to medium. When pan is hot add the olive oil, onions and leeks. When they are softened, but not browned, add the rest of the vegetables except the spinach- (that gets added at the end) now pour the stock over the vegetables. Put a lid on the soup as it cooks. It will take about an hour for the vegetables to become fork tender. Remove from heat, add the spinach, and use an emulsion tool blender, regular blender or cuisinart to blend the soup ingredients to a lovely creamy consistency. Add cream (if desired) and blend. Adjust seasoning. You may need a little more salt-careful not to overdo it.


You are ready to serve! You can add a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream to garnish.

As a garnish we used crisp kale, creme fraiche, a toasted garlic sliver and a sprig of fresh thyme. This soup will warm you to the bone!

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Professor Henry Higgins to Eliza Doolittle~Eliza you are to stay here for the next six months learning to speak beautifully, like a lady in a florist's shop. If you work hard and do as you're told, you shall sleep in a proper bedroom, have lots to eat, money to buy chocolates and go for rides in taxis. But if you are naughty and idle, you shall sleep in the back of the kitchen amongst the black beetles, and be walloped by Mrs. Pearce with a broomstick. At the end of six months you will be taken to Buckingham Palace, in a carriage, beautifully dressed...

At Beckwithroad we hope you are enjoying our site. We hope you find us transforming into a proper blog that you visit regularly. To help us know if we are spot on or just an occasional visit, would you post a comment?? You can be anonymous if you like. No one has to know!

To those who regularly visit, we know that your time is valuable and we are ever humbled that you come to visit us here. Our door is always open!

Cure in the Canyons

Cure for the Canyons is a wonderful event that takes place yearly in order to support breast cancer. This years event was sponsored by Bloomingdale's, Sherman Oaks and was hosted by a celebrity fitness trainer, at his Beverly Hills home in the most prestigious gated community, Beverly Park.

Participating brands were some of the following: KIEHLS, Jo Malone, O.P.I., Pop Chips, Echo water, Bobbi Brown, Olivier, etc. We also got our first sneak peek of some of the new Housewives of Beverly Hills! -OOOH Drama!!!

Here is the centerpiece on my table. Flowers By Bristol Farms, Westlake, CA

Set up ready to go!

Partial view of the pool area.

Beautiful grounds!

Mannequin by Jo Malone.

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Tartine, San Francisco, California

One weekend several years ago we drove feverishly through San Francisco trying to find Tartine Bakery. We never could find it! We gave up and moved on to the next place on our list of places to visit. It haunted us that this great bakery could be so hard to find. Last week, one of our "foodie" coworkers dropped off a Tartine postcard and announced everything they had was "devine".

So we post to those of you who read our blog and live close to the Bay Area, please go and try Tartine. There are 2 locations. 600 Guerrero St at 18th, and 561 Valencia Street in San Francisco. Elisabeth Prueitt and her husband, Chad Robertson are the proprietors. They are well travelled and both trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. They bake their rustic breads in a wood fired brick oven. They have lots of accolades and are found in the "Best Of" San Francisco. We have their first cookbook and intend to put it to good use until our next visit up north.

Most products are organic, meats come from Niman Ranch, the coffee is organic, from Four Barrel, and most dairy comes from Straus Family Creamery, which is huge in the food movement in the Bay Area.

~Look at the lovely rustic crust on these slices of country bread~
~The crumb is just right and this bread appears to be studded with nuts~

~Elisabeth is an award winning pastry chef~

~Elisabeth and Chad~

~Views of Bar Tartine~

561 Valencia Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

(415) 487-1600

Tracy Porter's New Santa Barbara Store

~Step into Tracy's new store~

Tracy Porter opened her new store at 1100 State Street in Santa Barbara last Friday. When you step into her store you are transported to Tracyimaginarium. Layers and layers of mind-blowing, grabbed from a dream decor. When you are in Santa Barbara, make this a destination. Be sure to take some time~you'll need it just to see everything. BTW Tracy's store is a bit like visiting a showcase home. There are all sorts of clever wall and decorative treatments.

Tracy's dad did the big arrangement that is fluffed with Peacock feathers.

This is the back of the store. Gorgeous carpet and yummy cowhide piece.


~Delicious details e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e~

The artwork leather-looking canvas and faux leopard countertop was created by the Tracy Porter team in Wisconsin.


~The end~



Pictures were used by permission from Tracy Porter.

Beehive Cheese

~Beehive Cheese~

Barely Buzzed Cheddar

It's Sunday evening and the Santa Ana Winds have spread warm summer-like weather across our city. It seems fitting to have some appetizers and wait until it cools a little more to have dinner. Our find and recommendation for our appetizer tonight is: Barely Buzzed Cheddar by Beehive Cheese.

Beehive cheeses come from Utah. Two brother-in-laws, Tim Welsh and Pat Ford left their software and real estate jobs in 2005 to begin an artisan cheese company. They claim they make cheese from some of the creamiest and cleanest milk in Utah.

We tried their Barely Buzzed Cheddar. Wow! We have never tasted anything like it! You can see in the picture above that there is a sprinkling of what appears to be pepper on the surface of the cheese. We were amazed to find out that this cheese is hand rubbed with a Turkish grind of Colorado Legacy Coffee Company's Beehive Blend. The blend consists of a mix of 3 coffee beans from South and Central America and Indonesia. They are roasted to different styles. Then French Superior Lavendar buds are ground with the coffees and the mixture is diluted with Canola oil to suspend the dry ingredients in the rub. The rub imparts notes of butterscotch and caramel which are prevalent near the rind and work their way into the center of the cheese. The cheese is aged in temperature controlled caves. This cheese has taken 1st place for the last three years in the Flavored American Cheddar Cheese Society's annual competition.

This is how we served it up with grapes, nectarines, a good "toothy" bread and the delectable bites of Beehive Cheddar.

If you have a Whole Foods in your shopping area, they most likely carry this cheese. Try it! You will be amazed at the creamy, lovely flavor.

A Nudge Out of the Nest!

The Urban Outfitters Catalog came this week. It got us thinking about all the gazillions of eye popping creations we've seen over the years from all of the companies tied in with Urban, i.e., Anthropologie, Free People and Terrain. Working in visuals for these companies is a schooling in and of itself. Each season is well thought out, has it's set of muses and you might even get a dvd about how beavers build their dams or how birds build their nest,etc. We kid you not! As crazy as it sounds, it works! They have visual books pre and post season when the "best of" is presented. I'm sure we all have our favorites, and just when it seems that they have exhausted their resources, out comes a whole creative process using coffee filters or plastic soda bottles cut into floral shapes or simple cups creating a modern collage.

Have you seen Keith Johnson's, Man Shops Globe, on the Sundance Channel? When Keith's partner, Glen Senk took over as President of Anthropologie, it was then that Keith found his genius as a buyer for Anthro.

What do you do when you pull the bag of tea out of your morning cuppa?

In London, they string them in strands ~ by the hundreds and viola~a show stopper window.

Who knew books could be so sculptural

This is a peacock created out of plastic spoons.

So we all have imagination. Really, it's true! Keep your home fresh and current. Shop your own home. Find different ways to use your possessions. Maybe you could create a visual impact with a collection, or switch rugs around or pillows, or art work. Open your eyes and walk around your home and look for things you could change up.

It doesn't necessarily take money to have good taste or to be creative. If you could live any way, any where you want, where would you live, how would you live? Could you incorporate some of that into your home? Live it now? How would you live in that dream "someday I'll"?

Nate Berkus said something very interesting the other day, he said, "Why do we get our homes just the way we want them when we are putting them up for sale, but live in them less than the way we'd like to ~ prior to that?"

We hear it from every decorating direction, paint can change the whole vibe of a room. Bring sample paint chips home and tape them on the wall. Now stand back and eliminate the ones you don't like. One of us has been itching to do a lime wash on some walls. I know one follower of ours that just needs this little push to finish painting her beautiful family room. (hint, hint) Live in the moment, but live! Also consider wallpaper which is very hot right now!

Families can foster a culture of good design. Encourage each other. Have swap parties. Bring something nice you don't use and swap with someone else. Here's a little secret, creativity is similiar to the term "priming the pump". Nothing seems to rise up at first, but the more you exercise those creative juices, the more they will flow. Few people feel creative all the time. We find it often surfaces when needed, and the more you use it, the more you will grow with your style and great taste.

Do you feel nudged? It won't be long until Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Nows the time to "just-do-it."

A new Three Musketeers remake

We love reading the books written by Alexander Dumas. They have been a favorite in our household for many years. Currently filming is underway for another remake of the tale of the "Three Musketeers". If you have ever seen the 1973 version starring such actors as, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Chaplain (Charley Chaplain's daughter), Faye Dunaway, Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York and Christopher Lee, it would be difficult to top this film in cast, set design, costume design, humor and action.

~Milla Jovovich wife of director Paul W.S. Anderson, is playing M'lady De Winter and Orlando Bloom is the Duke of Buckingham~

~Why don't guys dress like this anymore~
Oh, they would be waaaay too much competition!

~Check out the hair!~

~Logan Lerman as D'Artagnan~

The director states that his film will not focus on the here-to-fore versions of the tale, but rather on modernity and action. The release date is set for April 15, 2011. We hope this film will be worthy of the writings of Monsieur Dumas. Only time will tell.

Pottery Barn Field Trip

Beckwith Road was in Sherman Oaks today poking around at Pottery Barn. In recent months, they have been bumping up their party saavy in a bigger way. We even tried a wine tasting party featured several months ago by Pottery Barn to great success! If you look on Pottery Barn's entertaining section of their website, you will find video tutorials on recipes with step-by-step instructions. Just go to www.PotteryBarn.com., then go to the bottom of the front page and under "resources" click "videos". When videos comes up, click "see more". You will find demonstrations on how to present cheeses, Thanksgiving menus, brunch recipes such as a farmhouse brunch, Mexican food, tapas, pizza, wine information, and more. Have you ever watched any of the videos about the owners of the homes that Pottery Barn uses to shoot their catalogs in? You will find them under videos too. Very interesting stuff!

Pottery Barn is a division of Williams Sonoma. We liked the way they are merchandising for fall. Maybe it's not as "out there" as Anthro, but on another level~Pottery Barn~is carving out their own niche just as we should our own abodes.

This photograph is not Pottery Barn. It is a catering company in LA that has been garnering accolades recently. They are called "Heirloom LA Catering. One of their specialities is "lasagna cupcakes" among other wonderful treats. We included their picture as a creative way to present a fall menu. We love the use of rustic planks ~ rough hewn wood~ mixed amongst vintage drawers and wooden bowls. etc. This is a very creative use of space~don't you think??

Logan's Baby Shower

**A quick apology, I had to use a different camera and the quality was poor~sorry!!**

If you click on the pictures, they will get larger.

Logan is about to enter this world. Her parents couldn't be more excited! We wanted to show you a snippet of her baby shower. You've all seen the baby diaper tiered cakes however~ we didn't want to tape diapers into miniature rolls~so this is what we did:

You will need

1 foam core board (available at craft or art stores) or cardboard

2 cylinders 4 to 5 inches, depending on the size of your diapers (this could be empty, clean cans)

craft paper to cover the 2 cylinders and 3 graduated sized circles

4 diaper pins

1 1/2 yards pink satin ribbon

1 1/4 yards pink ric-rac

1 yard chocolate brown satin ribbon

1 1/2 packages newborn diapers (you may use any size you want)

a 4 pack of receiving blankets

tissue paper to cover the top of each cake layer (we found our scalloped tissue at Home Goods)

cake plate (optional)

1. Using a small plate as a template, make the 6 inch top layer of the cake. Use a pencil to trace this onto cardboard or foam core. Then use a 9 inch round cake pan as the template for the middle layer. Find a round plate or pan, etc. to use as a template to make the bottom layer. It will measure approximately 12 to 14 inches.

2. Cover the 3 circles and 2 center connectors with craft paper. Use a glue stick or hot glue gun.

3. Attach the graduated circles and connector cylinders with a sturdy packing tape or hot glue gun.

4. Fold the receiving blankets to fit each round. The bottom round will take 2 receiving blankets. Fasten with diaper pins. See picture. We bought our receiving blankets at Target. It was a 4 pack of blankets and 2 of the blankets were of the same pattern so we used them as our bottom layer.

5. Fill each round with diapers. We just folded them in half and compacted them together.

6. Fold each piece of tissue in 1/2 lengthwise and pinch and pleat it into a circular shape, and place on top of the diapers. Use tape where necessary.

7. Tie with ribbons.

8. Add a topper to go with your theme. Our theme was owls and the colors were chocolate brown and ballerina pink.

9. Place on a cake plate if desired.

A close up view.

This is Logan's mommy! Isn't she radiant! We made a tree out of brown packaging paper that was moistened with a mixture of water and white glue. It was twisted and shaped into a tree. After it dried, a little brown and black paint was added to enhance the bark on the tree. We then cut out leaves and flowers and made a mommy and baby owl to complete the look. You can see the hospital across the street and the ocean in the veriest background. It's a little obvious we are in an office setting~hence the tree was added for ambiance and to enhance the owl theme.

We made a garland of the different papers used in this event.

The sodas and waters were re-labeled with owls,

as were the eating utensils, the square pink plates, and the pink straws that were embellished too!

This is where it got a little tricky! You know those cake pops that Bakerella is so famous for? Well we tried our hand at making some owl pops for the shower. We always say~do a trial run first, but there was no time. We pushed ahead and 2 nights before the shower we made up the cake as directed on the package mix. Let it cool, crumbled it into a large bowl and added almost all of the contents of one can of pre-made frosting. Using a small scoop we rolled them into balls and froze them. So far so good! This is a "piece of cake".

The night before, we assembled all our remaining ingredients. The eyes, the beak, the wings, the little things on the tops of their heads???. We melted our "melting chocolate wafers" and began to dip. This is a practiced skill that requires patience and a steady hand. It would have been best to dip all the cake pops, let the chocolate harden and then attach the remaining body parts with royal icing. Next time we will~this time we did it the hard way and the results were less than perfect. In hindsite we should have just left the cake pops unadorned~ya live and learn!! One thing you must do is dip the tip of the cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and gently push it into the frozen cake pop. Then dip the pop on the stick gently all the way into the chocolate and "lightly" tap the excess chocolate off by tapping the pop stick against your finger. If this sounds a little iffy, go to the Bakerella site and watch the video.

The other thing that might have added to the taste would have been to use a frosting with cream cheese in it for more depth of flavor.

Okay! So it was a little wonky~it still tasted great!

We wrapped each cake pop in a cellophane case and stood them up like soldiers in a party themed covered foam board.