Living It With Lisa

	Marsha (and girls) comes to the Lake! 3 photos
	2011 Camp Johnson We were blessed again this year to have our two oldest grandchildren, Dylan and Tommy come for Camp Johnson. 157 photos
	Pilfered Photos Photos I have found along the way! Enjoy! 49 photos
	2011 Oct 20 Philip Graduates from Marine Boot Camp Philip graduates from Marine Boot Camp 35 photos
	2011 Flavor! Napa Valley 130 photos
	Wall Photos 4 photos
	2012 – FS2012 & Muir Maxwell Trust Gala Event was at Mansfield Traquair – formerly a church, then night club and now event center. 37 photos
	FS2012 Fashion Show 40 photos
	2012 – FS Four On The Floor The party after the fashion show 19 photos
	2012 Edinburgh 59 photos
	2012 St. Andrews, Scotland 47 photos
	Cover Photos 8 photos
	2011 Royal Wedding Tea Green Screen photos We set up a green screen for everyone to have their picture taken. Then I had our graphic artist create a backdrop to add later. The ‘logo’ is the entwined initials of C and W with a crown on top. I was so excited as everyone arrived in their fabulous hats, which of course was required attire to attend. 28 photos
	Blueberry High! My first time to pick blueberries and I am HOOKED. Went twice! Made two cobblers and some Sugar Free Preserves. AH-mazing! Thanks Ann Crawford for including me. So far I have put up 40+ cups of berries with another washtub full to process. So many I had to ‘rent’ a shelf in Susan’s freezer. Thanks Susan! 13 photos
	2011 April 29 Royal Wedding Tea Party 24 Ladies gathered to Watch the DVR of the Royal Wedding while taking Tea. Photographer Taryn Smith of Sugartree Studios in Keystone Heights came and took photos. 66 photos
	2011 Toscana Saporita Cooking Class Aleta and I took a one day class with Sandra Lotti. An amazing day. We joined her weeklong group of students for the day. We were jealous before we even got to class. http://www.toscanasaporita.co.uk/ 44 photos
	2011 Tuscany Trip 137 photos
	2011 April 15 – In His Wakes Banquet We had 26 tables of 8. The decor for each table was a state or country that IHW had been to or has a Day2Remember event scheduled. Absolutely beautiful tables. The creativity was amazing. The pictures do not do them justice at all. These were very quick snaps as people were coming in the door … an hour early I might add! For more info on IHW go to: www.InHisWakes.com 83 photos
	2011 April 3 – Elisabet 40th Birthday Party Surprise 40th Birthday Party for Elisabet aka Lisa #3! Yes there are 3 Lisa’s in this family. Sister Lisa Stephens, Wife Lisa and Sister in Law Elisabet. Lisa thought she was coming over for a boat ride! Boy was she surprised. 19 photos
	2011 SOBE Food and Wine Festival Food and fun … 14 photos
	2010 Jan 15 – Robby Varsity Soccer Game 4 photos
	2010 Christmas Beech Mountain My Little Longhorns! Dylan 8, Mason 2, Nathan 1, Hannah 4, Tommy 8. 1 photos
	2010 Nov NYC Celebrating Joseph and Saia’s September Birthdays in November … Perfect! 42 photos
	Food and Drinks along the way! These are dishes that I enjoyed outside of my house that give me inspiration. 17 photos
	Marsha’s Surprise Birthday Party 1 photos
	2010 Monster Bash 28 photos
	2010 Oct 24 Corn Maze 26 photos
	BOSS 2010 Album 29 photos
	Jessica & Andrew’s wedding – September 25, 2010 84 years ago on this very day (9-25-26) my grandparents (the brides Great-grand) William and Gladys Harmon married. They picked potatoes for their honeymoon! Jessica & Andrew went on a cruise! 65 photos
	Yanik Silver Mastermind – Sept 2010 7 photos
	Joseph and Me Precious Moments with Joseph 25 photos
	My Family Sisters and mom and dad 12 photos
	The Kids and Grandkids 57 photos
	My Food What am I making today? Some will be part of my DELISH DIABETIC Collection. 31 photos
	2010 Camp Johnson Two oldest Grandson’s stayed for a week with us. Enjoy our journey at Camp Johnson. 59 photos
	75th Miss Texas Pageant 40 photos
	Pageants – Remember When Ok Angela & Sandra … I am posting old photos 10 photos
	2010 Harmon Reunion 64 photos
	2010 Mother’s Day weekend 23 photos
	2010 Yanik MM – Bowling Mixer Group 1 and Group 2 Mastermind’s got to know each other at the Bowling Mixer. What fun! 31 photos
	2010 South Beach (SoBe) Food and Wine Pinch Me! I am having so much fun! 59 photos
	2010 HICO Steak Cookoff Joseph was the head chef this year and is already making plans for next year 16 photos
	Claim Your Power Now Seminar Sneak Peek at what you missed by not joining us…. 32 photos
	The OAKS, the Barnstable Brown Gala and The DERBY 44 photos
	Tommy’s Weekend at Lake Santa Fe 10 photos
	2010 Destin 3 photos
	Derby Hats and nope … no pictures of ME in them until the Race Day … total ensemble! 6 photos
	2010 March – Lake Tahoe Ski Trip 85 photos
	Michelle’s birthday 4 photos
	Cowtown USA – Rob and Amy’s Wedding 24 hours in Fort Worth Texas: Basil McDaniel, Rob & Amy’s wedding and Joe T. Garcias! 20 photos
	2010 Super Bowl Party 13 photos
	Living It With Lisa Lights, Action, Camera! Join me on my journey! 18 photos
	Travel Postcards Join me as I explore the world! 21 photos
	New Years in NYC 6 photos
	Jatana and Carl’s Wedding 13 photos
	Christmas 2009 17 photos
	2009 Thanksgiving in Orlando Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Univeral Studios, Islands of Adventure 21 photos
	Remembering Randy Snow Randy died suddenly in El Salvador on Nov 19th of an apparent heart attack. There will be a Celebration of Life Service in Terrell Texas on Dec 5th. 11 photos
	Mother’s 80th Birthday 1 photos
	2009 Oct 24 – lynryrd skynyrd Tommy aka the Simple Man … his first concert! 37 photos
	2009 Oct 9 – Michel Dinner Party 39 photos
	Life on Lake Santa Fe Sunsets and Wildlife from our dock. All these photos are NOT retouched or enhanced with Photoshop. They are taken with my Nikon Cool Pix S10. It has a 10x zoom on it … 35 photos
	Bob Proctor Seminar at Sea Left Ft. Lauderdale traveled to Nassau, Jamaica and Grand Cayman. 19 photos
	My Favorite Photos These are photos that move me for one reason or another! Enjoy! 9 photos
	Wedding Memories January 1, 2008 13 photos

You’re rushing down the aisle at the grocery store, checking things off your shopping list, when you spot an attractive bag of frozen strawberries that would be perfect for the next morning’s breakfast smoothie. The label says “Canada A.” You toss the bag into the cart, thinking that you’ve just scored yourself some yummy local berries frozen at the peak of freshness. Take a closer look, and it turns out the strawberries are far from being close to home …. Click here to read the rest of the story.

Many of you know that I love cookbooks. I have WAY too many. One time I actually counted and there were over 125. So I put myself on a cookbook diet! I wouldn’t let myself buy another one until I made a recipe out of EACH one! That diet did last for a very long time. But alas I started adding more. When Christopher Guerierro got me hooked on the idea of eating as many raw vegetables as possible in order to utilize all the nutrients that started me on another ‘division’ of my cookbook library. Yes, it is now a library because I love to read cookbooks! What are some of my FAVs? The absolutely latest cookbook (purchased on Friday at Michael’s) is THE FOOD YOU CRAVE, Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger. Ok, I bought it at a crafts store! I don’t even have to be in a book store! I am an addict! I have picked out several recipes to try.  If you are looking for fresh ingredients put together in innovative ways with little or no fuss, this cookbook is for you.   SUNDAY SOUP, A Year’s Worth of Mouthwatering, Easy-to-Make Recipes by Betty Rossbottom is a MUST HAVE in your collection.  I made 4 soups the first week and one twice to rave reviews from Vic and Victoria.  The first element I loved is that the cookbook is set up according to seasons so you automatically know what to use at the peak of freshness…so go to your farmers market.  The second element is that there were multiple recipes that you just wanted to try right away … with pictures of course.    Cooking Light’s 5-INGREDIENT 15-MINUTE Cookbook is an all time favorite. I bought this years ago. Beats frozen food any day.  So working moms, college kids, single guys, those who don’t want to fuss and muss to long in the kitchen … must try it. PS.  and no … I didn’t make a recipe from each cookbook before I broke down and bought another one … almost … does that count? PS.  and no … I am not going to count my cookbooks … Ignorance is Bliss!

Carter, my son by marriage, was diagnosed with Diabetes recently.  It has been a whirlwind of emotions to say the least.   When he called me to share the news, I immediately knew what I had to do.   I had to help him learn how to eat.  In order to do that I had to teach him to plan a menu, shop for groceries, cook those goodies and not feel like he was the weird college kid. Just imagine… no more soft drinks and limited if any fast food.  Now that is just the start… but it seems like the end of the world for a college kid.  At 20, Carter has a lifetime ahead of him and with diabetes there is NO SHORTCUT!  If you THINK you can beat the system, you run the risk of damaging your organs, losing your limbs, or losing your eyesight.   This is a very serious life sentence. Ah ha!… a life sentence?  Could be.  Depends on ones attitude.  If we really think about it we created diabetes with the choices generations have made since the creation of processed food.   The reality is … this diagnosis creates and demands the best choices for ones body.  Healthy Clean Food.  Imagine that! Here is food for thought:   How do YOU shop for groceries?   Think about it.  Does most of your food come from the premises or the interior of your grocery store?  If you shop the premises you will find dairy, fresh meat and fresh vegetables.  If you shop the interior of your store you will generally be purchasing and eating frozen foods and processed foods.  The healthier choice is obvious.  However there are unclean foods on the perimeter too.  We are navigating a jungle and need to choose to feed our bodies at the cell level. So my journey continues for a healthier cuisine, with an emphasis on a diabetic lifestyle that a college student can live with and grow with as the journey of a lifetime begins for him.

If you are ever in Dallas you MUST go to Stephen Pyles Restaurant, a global tapestry of tastes, flavors aromas and textures from Texas, South America, Spain, the Middle East and the Mediteranean. What a delightful way to tantalize your tastebuds and your eyes. Not only is the food fabulous but the atmosphere is feast as well. His website says it best … an innovative blend of food, art and fashion that must be experienced to be appreciated. We were just going to stop in and enjoy an appetizer at the tapas bar and ended up staying for hours. My girlfriend Aleta and I created our own ‘tasting menu’. Stephen Pyles must have known that we wanted to taste more than one item, so there were several options where you could taste all the flavors he created. Aleta and I chose the Cerviche Trio to start. Sea Bass with Avocado and Tomatillo, Honduran Tuna with Coconut and Ginger, and Lobster with Mango and Basil. What a delight all three were. Because we were sitting at the Tapas Bar … we kept asking questions of Christine and Danielle who where busy nonstop all night making every tapas for the diners. It really was a delight to watch them work together … almost like a symphony or synchronized dance. They were very insightful and confirmed many of our choices as we created our own experience. It was alot of fun watching them create something and ask them what it was … and then order it! Our next course was the Iced Gazpacho. For $10 you got to sample 4 distinct flavors that were wonderful compliments to each other, all uniquely different and delightful. Just imagine … AMARILLO with Golden Tomatoes and Saffron, BLANCO with Almond and Frozen Grapes, ROJO with Smoked Tomatoes and Beets, VERDE with Tomatillos and Honeydews. Do you get the picture … four colors too, served in oversized shot glasses surrounded in ice. At this point we were committed to tapas and not to a traditional dinner. So our next tapa was a signature dish. Tamale Tart with Roast Garlic Custard and Jumbo Lump Crabmeat.  This is a tamale-like tart shell with a custard made from roast garlic, cream and eggs. The tart is topped with sautéed gulf coast crabmeat, red and yellow bell peppers, cilantro and basil. It is sitting on a bed of smoked tomato sauce and cilantro oil. YummE!   Since we were sitting in front of the wood fired oven, it made sense that we should sample something that was cooked in it. Imagine that! So we chose the Smoked Tomato, Goat Cheese and Shrimp Pizza. By this time we were so full, but managed to eat it all. The smoked tomato was absolutely the only way I want pizza anymore. The shrimp got lost in the shuffle of taste but it really didn’t matter. As you know were were sitting there watching different food items be placed on the kitchen bar for the servers to take to tables. A couple of times we asked what ‘those’ were. We were all set to try the “Coffee and Donuts” which actually was coffee creme’ brule and donuts. That was until we read the dessert menu. We opted for another signature item. Stephan’s Heaven and Hell Cake™.   OH MY WORD!  and it is trademarked!  When they told us what it was I was not sure but Aleta was.  So we ordered it.  This was a layer cake.  Angel Food Cake with Peanut Butter Mouse with Chocolate Cake with a Raspberry Sauce poured all over it at the table.  It was amazing.  This may sound like a strange way to describe it … but here goes.   The adult version of PBJ meets Reeses Peanut Butter Cup and they get married!  So much for only eating a bite or two.  We just couldn’t quit.  After all this ‘tasting’, we decided that we should walk back to the hotel! OH … Stephen Pyle was there and we snagged a picture with him too!

I am truly a Crème Brûlée Connoisseur!  I have sampled Crème Brûlée around the world. From Sydney Australia to Washington DC and many places in between.  I could tell you stories, but suffice it to say I have a definite opinion on how it should be served.  No more than an inch thick, in a shallow dish so that there is lots of crunch from the burnt sugar! For those who aren’t quite sure what this dessert is here is the definition:  French for “burnt cream”; pronounced /ˌkrɛm bruːˈleɪ/ is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel, created by burning sugar under a grill, or with a blowtorch or other intense heat source. It is usually served cold in individual ramekins.  The custard base is normally flavoured with just vanilla, but it can be enhanced with chocolate, a liqueur or fruit.   Now for the NOLA story.  NOLA is one of Emeril Legasse’s restaurant. The day after Thanksgiving, Vic and I flew into New Orleans to rent a car and drive to Biloxi to see Austin our #5 grandchild who was 7 days old. We decided to grab a bite to eat and since we have eaten at several of Emeril’s restaurants, I determined it was time for NOLA.  So off we went to the French Quarter.  Lunch did not disappoint.  Even though we were stuffed I decided to look at the dessert menu.  Well I couldn’t resist because there it was Chicory Coffee Crème Brûlée with Brown Sugar Shortbread.  I have never had coffee Crème Brûlée.  So we decided to taste it.  Horrors of Horrors out it came in a 50 style coffee cup!  Perfect presentation, but this was going to be a tough sell when you don’t have a bite of topping with each bite of custard.  Well Emeril, you won me over.  It was perfectly flavored and the custard consistancy was perfect as well.  I ate almost the whole thing!  As I sat savoring each bite, I told Vic that it had to be that my favorite flavor of ice cream is coffee and this reminded me of that except it wasn’t brrrrr cold and every other element of this dessert was perfect!  Emeril, you are the exception!  A must try for anyone who loves Crème Brûlée.