Today, the Santa Barbara Farmers market was relatively quiet. Some of the farmers took a well deserved weekend off. These long stemmed artichoke are beautiful. Many people don't realize that the stems can be eaten separately after you peel them, and they have a sweet nutty flavor. Or cook th
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11/30/2013
We had a rain storm last night and early this morning. Around noon the clouds drifted to let in the sunlight. It was our cue to take a long walk at the beach. The above shows uprooted kelp. These roots as well as the leaves support all kinds of life, from mollusks to coral. On this close u
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11/29/2013
Last week, I tried a New York style cheesecake recipe that was a disaster. I was talking to our friend Walt, wine and food expert, and he gave me this recipe assuring me it was easy, delicious (more New York style) and memorable...And he was right. 9 inch Springform pan Turn oven to 300 Graham
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11/28/2013
Ron's sister has a delightful sense of humor. This evening as we were checking our email, we received this funny reminder from her, We thought we would share it with everyone here. We hope this brings a smile to your face. Cheers, on one of the best Thanksgiving days. All the best, Ron & A
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11/28/2013
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein. Ron and I want to thank everyone on Active Rain, those who comment on our posts, those who read them and don't comment, and the Active Rain staff w
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11/28/2013
Noon signaled low tide at the beach today...It was a great day to go for a walk on Sandyland Beach in Carpinteria. A lot of out of towners were picking up shells, and enjoying themselves. We saw our favorite seal (we have named her Louseal) who shows up regularly. Quite often, when she catche
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11/27/2013
Like wineries and beauty products, the food industry is another highly competitive field, even more so than luxury real estate marketing. The competition for shelf space and visibility in the various markets is a constant juggling act. Our research shows that the cookie and cracker-manufacturin
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11/27/2013
Like wineries (covered in Part 1 of this article series), the beauty products industry is another highly competitive industry, even more so than luxury real estate marketing. The numbers are staggering. One expert predicted that by 2017, total revenue in the global beauty market would be $257 b
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11/26/2013
The competition in the wine industry is even fiercer than in luxury real estate marketing. Many wineries pay over $80,000 for a brand label given that wine production in the United States is growing. Many states are newcomers in the wine industry and they want to outdo the California wineri
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11/25/2013
We all love sunsets, and each one is different and new in its own way. This photo was taken from the balcony of our bedroom. The ocean is out there, and you can see on the right the fresh water channel which runs into the ocean, and the one we cross regularly on our walks on Sandyland Beach in
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11/24/2013
