Congrats Prince William & Princess Catherine!

Wishing Prince William and Princess Catherine the happiest of marriages! God bless you and your families.

Kathryn :)
www.KathrynBechenInk.com

Joyous Easter Wishes!

Wishing you all a BLESSED EASTER!

Love,
Kathryn :)

Our Bechen Bistro

No matter how many charming bistro restaurants I indulge in, there's admittedly one that's always a favorite of mine: our very own kitchen/dining area, a.k.a. the "Bechen Bistro."

We've recently spruced it up a bit! Click on photos to enlarge.

We bought new chairs and recovered the seats with a pretty white floral-embossed fabric that I found online.

Having a friend to tea is easy with the silver tray I keep all set up and ready to go.

We added this new buffet to use as a beverage bar...

to handily make a cup of relaxing hot tea...

or how about a cappuccino, anyone?!

My sink area gives me pleasure because these custom floral paintings by Erin of The Painted Garden, cheerily greet me every day, as does the custom painting of my former balcony by artist Fifi Flowers.

and I try to keep fresh flowers near the sink too to increase my daily happiness quotient.

Fresh veggies and fruits get "artfully chopped" on my bamboo cutting board...

and a sliver tray holds favorite cooking ingredients in an organized manner...

on my granite countertop.

I keep my veggie brushes and other necessary things in pretty containers, and my "garden motif" mugs further inspire my "inner indoor gardener!"

Pictures we bought while on a fun weekend getaway together bring back happy memories...

and I do my best to keep fresh and healthy food coming out of our little "home cookin' cafe!" I'll share tonight's crockpot recipe with you:

Easy Pinto Bean Soup

Two 14 oz. cans organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed

6 slices cooked, crumbled bacon

1 c. chopped celery

One 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes, not drained

1-2 cartons organic chicken broth (enough to fill the crockpot to the top)

1/4 c. dry onion

1 t. garlic salt

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. Italian seasoning herbs (Optional but I love the flavor of this!)

1/4 t. cayenne pepper (Optional if you dare!)

Shredded mozzarella cheese for the top garnish

Crackers

Combine all ingredients in large crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours and low for 4 hours.

Top with mozzarella cheese after you ladle soup into bowls and serve with your favorite crackers.

Hope you enjoyed our "Bechen Bistro!"

Kathryn

Kathryn Bechen Ink

Finch's Bistro--La Jolla, California

Every once in awhile I just happen upon a delightful new place so absolutely enchanting, that lifestyle writer-gal-that-I-am, I feel compelled to write about it, right away!

It's my great pleasure to introduce you to Finch's Bistro, an enchanting little open-air "Euro-quaint meets SoCal-serene" courtyard-style bistro in my favorite seaside village of La Jolla, California, not far from where we live.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Finch's only opened a week or so ago, but according to the sweet owners, Linda and Tiana Ravden, (who personally came over to our table to welcome us and be sure we were happy with our food and the experience), without even advertising, they already have "regulars"coming every day for lunch AND dinner! Now that's what I call fast word-of-mouth-success!

As you can see, Finch's has artfully captured every little detail to hold you captive in its "upscale yet casually adorable" spell--from the black and white "finch" salt and pepper shakers...

to the cute black-and-white-stripe napkin rings on their yellow linen napkins.

Finch's yellow and black decor immediately swept me off my decorating writer's feet! They had me at the bright yellow lemon "perched" (couldn't resist that pun!) on top of our water carafe, and I loved their black-and-white-striped umbrellas and the heaters under them that took the edge off the cool night air.

Owner Tiana saw me wearing my big cape that's kind of like my "outdoor eating blanky" for cool SoCal nights, and she said she's next going to provide a basket of blankets for their bistro guests. (Clever girl!)

Oh yeah, and being able to see the palm trees through the roof at Finch's was pretty "SoCal casual cool" too!

Finch's has nightly music for entertainment, and of course, they certainly dish up FAB cuisine! Seriously, our appetizer was so delish, I'm sure Julia Child would have swooned! :)

Finch's juicy "he-man-size" burger, a.k.a. The Finch Burger...

indeed pleased my "football player-size"hubby!

And the Braised Chicken I ordered--with its bacon, mushrooms, balsamic honey jus, smashed Yukon Gold potatoes, and sauteed spinach was tender and tasty enough to please that date you might be trying to impress, especially if she fancies herself a casually-chic SoCal kind of "chick!" :)

(Oh, and did I mention Finch's fair prices, too?)

When the sun went down, and the stars came out...little white "Christmas-style" lights lit up at Finch's, only adding to its heavenly La Jolla-by-the-Sea charm!

Hungry for Tuscan White Bean Butternut Soup? How about Lamb Romana? Bowtie Pasta? "Beet" the Heat? Salade Provencal? These delectable delights, and more, you'll find at Finch's, where yes indeed, you'll (again) find me and my hubby Steve celebrating life and good food! :)

For directions and current hours/days open go to:

www.FinchsLaJolla.com

PH: 858-456-4056

7644 Girard Avenue La Jolla, CA 92037

'Til Next Time!

Kathryn Kathryn Bechen Ink

"Where Beauty, Order, & Business Bloom"

Apple Farm Inn--San Luis Obispo, CA

If you're hankering for a "quaint fix" then drop on "inn" to the sweet Apple Farm Inn in the pretty little town of San Luis Obispo, California, which was recently named one of America's Happiest Places.

My hubby Steve and I stayed at Apple Farm Inn recently and enjoyed the gazebo room and the gardens...

as well as the "Laura Ashley" style decor.

They have a charming country-style restaurant...

where you can cozy up together in a booth and savor some "comfort food."

Our room looked out onto this old mill...

and we had flowers galore to charm our tired travel spirits...

and a ceiling window in our room where we could gaze at the stars!

Even all the hallways at Apple Farm Inn are quaint...

with armoires for storing room linens...

and vignettes of "pretties" from their gift shop that you can buy from the hallway right outside your room door. (Clever marketing, huh?!)

There's a sweet porch with garden goods for sale...

and a gift shop with quaint gifts and decor galore.

The Apple Farm Inn is a fun place to get your "quaint fix" in California!

'Til Next Time!

Kathryn :)

Kathryn Bechen Ink

"Where Beauty, Order & Business Bloom!"

Inn on Summerhill--Summerland, California

Greetings from the lovely Inn on Summerhill in the beautiful little seaside village of Summerland, California, just a few miles outside of Santa Barbara.

My hubby Steve and I stayed at this pretty inn recently and I thought I'd share the photos with you. (Click on any photo to enlarge.)

The Inn on Summerhill sits on a little knoll, just across the street from the Pacific Ocean.

Their lovely front porch is perfect for a little relaxation...

and a glass of cold iced tea!

Their stately wood-paneled lobby is comfortable...

and their cozy breakfast room serves up a tasty hot breakfast each morning...

and delectable sweet treats each afternoon.

They have an on-call massage therapist who'll massage your cares away in their spa...

and afterwards, you can sit in their beautiful private hot tub on the upstairs deck.

Elegant linens and furnishings graced our room...

and sumptuous pillows let us rest our weary heads.

Being the (non-rugged no-camping kind of gal!) that I am, I especially loved the evening linen turndown service, and the mints left on our bed...

and my hubby and I enjoyed having a cup of tea together in our room too. No wonder the Inn on Summerhill has won so many awards--their attention to detail is truly wonderful and the property is very pristine.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the beautifully quaint, yet elegant, Inn on Summerhill in the charming little seaside village of Summerland, California!

'Til Next Time!

Kathryn :)

Kathryn Bechen Ink

"Where Beauty, Order, & Business Bloom!"