tours

I love my job. I always wished that I could say that phrase with complete sincerity rather than the usual tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. As a tour guide for LJWT, I work for a company of like-minded people who value and embrace the talents, ingenuity and contributions of their employees. I have the opportunity to spend several…

Marti Bommarito was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She began cooking at a very early age as the entire family–including her father–bonded by preparing dinner together regularly. She gained further inspiration from her watching her Sicilian grandmother make homemade sausage, bread, pasta and sauce from homegrown tomatoes and basil.  In the late 70s she lived la vie bohème in Paris, France, and later studied Italian and Italian Renaissance culture and language in Italy.  She graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University with a degree in Art History. Marti in the kitchen  Marti attributes her adventuresome palate to the fact that she was “raised in a household where the only dinner-table rule was that you had to at least try everything before leaving the table. Cleaning your plate was not a requirement but disliking something that you had never…

Being born and raised in Ireland makes me quite the expert in Irish Whisky, ha! Here’s a tasty and healthy lemonade (Shira Bliss Style) that’ll set you up right during this cold/flu season. Simmer astragalus, licorice and ginger root for 20 mins in purified water. When it cools add lots of raw honey and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Mash/Muddle fresh mint leaves and add. Serve over ice or hot. Optional: Add whisky (quantities may vary depending on how sick you are!) Cheers! Shira Bliss

Our lovely Coaster Train Wine Tour today started off beautifully in a scenic north San Diego Village. We ate more than enough at our partner fine-dining Italian restaurant and learned all about wine tasting and the process of evaluating wine. Once full of delicious Italian fare, we strolled over to our first urban Winery and…

I’m always looking to find a common thread on the secret to a long, healthy life. Well, I found it: DRINK BEER! This story was published a few years back. Yet, it still holds true. Do what you love to do and the youthful health will follow. Working plumber Buster Martin is training for the London marathon. That is simply amazing — 101 years old and training for something that most of us would not even consider doing. He is the current record holder for the world’s oldest 5k, 10k and half marathon. Mr Martin, who has 17 children, started work at Pimlico Plumbers in London three years ago because he was bored. He drank a tankard of ale before signing autographs and chatting to fans near the finish line of the Essex race. Age is no more an obstacle…

“I’m allergic to sulfites in wine.” We often hear that on our tours. According to David Bruce http://www.davidbrucewinery.com Did you know that your body produces sulfites every day? In fact, every 24 hours your body produces sufficient sulfite to require 100 bottles of wine to be so labeled!!! Sulfite production is a normal by-product of most forms of life. It is not surprising to discover that even yeasts produce sulfites! So… Even though wine makers who make wines that are completely organic (i.e. uses no sulfite at all) still may need to label their wine “Contains Sulfites.” Just keep in mind that most wines contain very little sulfite. It is a non-problem for 99.9% of people. Recently, on our wine and food walking tour of La Jolla, our guests enjoyed magnificent wine tastings and food pairings at La Dolce Vita,…

“Beer glorious Beer”, sung by the workhouse boys in the 1960’s musical “Oliver”. Oh wait, that was Food glorious Food, no worries tho’ we’ve got food on our beer tours, and plenty of it. I love when I get to be the tour guide for our beer tours. I come hungry and thirsty and the…

just back from a walk in the rain, yummy hot rice milk mocha, homemade chocolate chip cookies, working at home, looking out my window at the sunshine sparkling on the ocean, life is goooooood…. Rice Milk Mocha (makes one cup) Brew half a cup of strong coffee (preferably espresso and organic) Warm 1/2 cup rice…

After some glorious libations over the holidays, I decided it would be a smart idea to give my body a boost with a healthy dose of the best green juice EVER! Ok, I was inspired. Today at my local farmer’s market, I tasted a wonderful green juice. I decided I could do even better, and…