My food buddy Jennifer and I headed for Pasadena on our first culinary adventure of the day. A small cooking supply store and café called Little Flower was our destination. Located on a residential section of Colorado Boulevard, this gem is cute and cozy and so neighborhood-friendly, it made you smile just walking in. You could go in for breakfast and stay for tea and cookies.

There were lots of Halloween treats on display and great ideas for Holiday gifts. I didn’t really need anything for my kitchen but was tempted anyway. I took a deep breath and ordered breakfast instead.

Jennifer and I shared since we knew were having something special for dinner at a friend’s. The Chicken and Cheddar Quiche was piled high with yummiest in a very flakey crust. We also got the Green Soup because it sounded interesting. There were lots of green vegetables of course, with the dominant flavor being asparagus……very nice. I topped my share off with a Rose Rhubarb Spritzer, and as a rhubarb lover from birth, I was thrilled. It didn’t disappoint.

After buying a hostess gift for later, we headed to Old Town Pasadena and drove around looking for trouble. We didn’t find any so we headed off for our next adventure in Sherman Oaks, to the home of our friend Erin.

My son Jeffrey, whose lifestyle change has turned him to plant-based foods, was cooking a vegan Mexican meal in Erin’s spacious kitchen. There were five for dinner for dinner, and she set a beautiful table fit for kings.  She didn’t invite any so it was for us to enjoy.

When my son is in the mood he makes everything from scratch. This was one of those times. The evening’s menu consisted of the following:

Kale and Cabbage Salad with shaved Brussels sprouts was mixed with an avocado vinaigrette

Mexican Creamed Corn cooked slowly in a pan with coconut mile, salt, pepper and             chili flakes

Layered Mexican Bowl with (1) brown basmati rice and red quinoa flavored with Mexican spice blend and tossed with fresh cilantro, (2) black beans slow cooked with salt, pepper, and cumin, (3) jack fruit (gives the look and texture of meat but is actually a fruit), finely cubed tofu, chopped onion sauteed in olive oil with chopped tomatoes, taco seasoning  and jalapenos

Toppings were  (4) a dollop of vegan sour cream and chopped cilantro and green onion

A little wine, some sparkling water and a slice of brown sugar pound cake for dessert while we watched the series premiere of “Wisdom of the Crowd”. My son works in the production department of that show, soooo — everyone be sure to watch it every week      so my son continues to be employed. It airs on Sunday after 60 Minutes on CBS. Tell your friends!!!

The other thing is a warning. My computer is giving me a bad time so I am not sure how this blog post will appear. There is bolding I can’t delete, and the font keeps changing.   Here’s hoping……………