Oakland daycation-My top three favorite picks

1. Brown Sugar Kitchen

Maybe your mother or grandmother has a homemade fried chicken recipe that you loved. The chef over at the Brown Sugar Kitchen put all of that love in hers. I could taste it! I couldn't go without ordering some homemade mac n cheese with it. It was a touch of soul and a whole lot southern. Right up my alley! Yum! Yum!

Ok course I couldn't resist the cornmeal waffles so light and fluffy. Oh my goodness, they top them off with brown sugar butter and apple cider syrup. It wouldn't be breakfast without a side of their chicken apple sausage. Oh dear chef Tanya, if your reading this -I'm in love with your restaurant!

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After the first two dishes the waitress brought us these beignets. She said they were on the house. I told her I would be posting about the food on my blog! I like my beignets with a cake like taste, kind of dense. I don't want them to taste like fluffy air. These did not dissapoint!

Oh and course as any Southern girl would do I had to order the grits. They weren't just typical grits. They had a light, delicate, creamy taste with a touch of aged white chedder- perfect for a wintery morning.

My husband ordered the quiche with slaw. The quiche was smooth and creamy with a great flavor. The slaw was not your usual mayonaise slop. It had just a hint of lime and was very delicate.

Oakland daycation-My top three favorite picks

2. Peerless Coffee

You couldn't go to Oakland, CA and not make a stop at Peerless Coffee Company. Peerless was started in 1920 by a Yugoslavian immigrant and still run today by his family. They have 125 different varieties of coffee. While there you can see their museum with memorbelia that spans 80 years. Check out the old coffee grinders, very cool. Take home something from the gift shop. They even give you fresh roasted peanuts to snack on.

Oakland daycation-My top three favorite picks

3. Jack London Square

My daycation to this wonderful and vibrant waterfront in Oakland, CA. was exciting, as it is steeped in history. This waterfront is an estuary that leads to the San Francisco Bay. It's where Jack London spent much of his childhood on the waterfront as a sailor and oyster pirate. Those adventures there inspired his future books like SEA WOLF. While there you can see his own real life cabin on the waterfront brought in from his time in Alaska. It's definitely on my must see list.

A view down the street.

Walking into Jack London Square.

Shopping inside Jack London Square.

Beautiful palm trees inside the square.

The view along the pier at Jack London Square.

A beautiful view of the harbor at Jack London Square.

Winter Wonderland

What fun! We got a light dusting of snow on Monday. Yes it's been known to happen once in awhile. It was warm and cozy inside. The kids were running in and out trying to sled down the hill with the snow they had. I was looking out the window dreaming of all the places that might be a winter wonderland...........

........Let's start with a horse drawn sleigh ride in New Hampsihire!

What about cozying up in this beautiful log cabin in .......Minnesota!

.......Let's make our last stop at this beauty in.......Vermont!