Tag: summer

South Coast Botanical Garden 🌐

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The South Coast Botanical Garden on the edge of Palos Verdes is truly a gem! One of the best places I’ve ever been in LA so far this summer! Since it was a free day (3rd Tuesday of every month), I decided to stop by with some family and friends. 87 lush acres of trees, flowers, gardens, trails, animals, and other wildlife. Walking in, we were greeted with a quaint Japanese garden, one full of cacti, a children’s garden, a gorgeous rose garden with a stunning fountain, and tons more. I didn’t get to explore the whole place; you best believe I’ll be there again soon. Everyone needs a little flora and fauna in their day. This’ll be a photo blog, cause I want the pictures to do the talking. 

Xxx- Firda

 Pink fuchsias!🌷

Can’t go wrong with a cute koi pond!🐟

 

So picturesque.📷

  

Weeping bottlebrush.😢

  

Hungry caterpillar🐛🌸

  

Love these!!😋

  

The trees were great on this sunny day.🌳

  

The Wild West for a hot sec🌵

  

Kinda, sorta hiking? Wear comfy shoes.👟

  

Adorable bridge that’s supposed to be over a stream but y’know that drought situation.💦

  

“A rose by any other name would smell such as sweet..”🌹

  

Signs if you get lost which is bound to happen- it’s huge!🚩

  

A great place for cheeky photoshoots😜

  

Nice place to sit and chat.💺

  

Not the Trevi but it’s close enough🌀

  

Bridge over a koi pond in the children’s garden🌈

 Lavender love💜 

Summer Salad Recipe

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Aloha ❤️Today I am sharing with you guys a mouthwatering summer salad recipe. This recipe is super healthy and flavorful. It is like eating California in a bite. With local ingredients and lovely flavors, you will forget that you are eating a salad!!

Ingredients:
– 1 Box of Spring Mix Greens
– 1 Tomato , thinly slices
– 1 Persian Cucumber, sliced
– 1 Lime
– 1 Avacado, sliced
– Handful of Blackberries
– 1 Fuji Apple , thinly sliced with a squirt of lime juice to prevent it from browning
– Handful of fresh mint and basil
– Pinch of Red Chilli Flakes
– 1 tsp. Red Chilli Powder (optional)
– Handful of Walnuts, chopped
– 1 clove of fresh Garlic, minced
– dash of lemon pepper
– dash of Italian Seasoning
– dash of Mediterranean seasoning salt
– Salt & Pepper, to taste
– drizzle of Olive Oil, for sautée
– leftover roasted/baked chicken

Directions:
Part 1: Cook Chicken
Drizzle some olive oil into a pan on medium high heat. Add minced garlic. Allow the garlic to infuse into the oil for a minute. Then, add the chicken.
Allow the chicken to warm through and get slightly browned. This adds flavor. After, add the spices ( lemon pepper, seasoned salt, chilli powder & flakes, italian seasoning) . Stir the chicken on low heat. In the end, add a handful of chopped basil ( about 1/4 cup or so). The basil adds an earthy and fragrant flavor to the chicken. Voilà , your chicken is ready! Set aside.

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Part 2:
Wash all of the fruits and vegetables needed for the salad. In two bowls add some of the spring mix. This is the base layer of the salad. Next, add the sliced avacado on both salads. Squeeze a bit of lime on the avacado so that it doesn’t go brown. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to flavor it. Next, neatly arrange the cucumbers, tomatoes, blackberries, apples, and mint on top of the salad. Afterwards, add the chopped walnuts. Lastly, place the chicken on to the salad.

Tips:
Add the same amounts of fruit/vegetables to both salads. Arrange in a pattern for a pretty presentation.

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Variation: You can leave out the chicken for a vegan salad. It will taste just as good!

Bon Appetit
Xx,
Shiza