los angeles – Page 6

Hiking Eaton Canyon – An Active Kid’s Paradise

Posted on October 28, 2013February 24, 2016 by Jennifer Fontaine

Tucked away in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Eaton Canyon is a gorgeous nature area comprised of 190 acres, offering everything from nature walks and environmental educational programs to hiking and stunning waterfalls.

Hiking Eaton Canyon Falls with a toddler

Eaton Canyon Waterfall

During the summer, you can find us at Eaton Canyon at least once a month! It’s such a great hike for kids. There are two different places you can start from to get to the waterfall. If you want to hike the entire 3+ mile loop, then start at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center located at 1750 North Altadena Drive, Altadena, CA 91001. If you want to get to the waterfall quicker to have more time to relax on the rocks and splash in the water, then cut the hike in half by starting at the Pincrest Gate Entrance. To get to the Pinecrest Gate drive past the Eaton Canyon Nature Park main entrance, heading north on Altadena Drive about a mile. Turn Right on Crescent, then right again on Pinecrest and be careful to observe street parking signs carefully!

Gorgeous Eaton Canyon Trail

We have done the hike starting at both entrances and prefer the Pinecrest Gate Entrance because you get in to the most scenic parts of the hike quicker. Descending the large fire road down, you’ll walk the large bridge which crosses the Eaton Canyon Creek bed. Just at the other end of the bridge, the trail dips down and around doing an almost 180, bringing you underneath the bridge and in to the canyon proper.

Creek Crossings!

Eaton is a gorgeous, towering canyon full of tons of wildlife, half a dozen small creek crossings and tons of little people-sized boulders to scramble over, perfect for kids of all ages to navigate and explore!

Small Boulder Scrambling!

You don’t even have to make it all the way to the waterfall to enjoy some water play! There are several great places to stop along the way for a quick water break or a full blown lunch under the shady canopy of trees.

Mid-Hike Snack!

Make sure to bring an extra change of clothes, socks, a bathing suit and even towels because this is, for sure, a wet and wild hike!

[Food Series] Five Onion Soup with Baked Gruyere Crostini

Posted on October 24, 2013February 24, 2016 by Jennifer Fontaine

I look at Onion Soup as if it were a long term relationship. It’s warm and comforting and of course, it’s a commitment, but it’s totally worth every minute! When I make it, I generally prefer the heartier 5 onion soup mainly because I’m in love with leeks and shallots and garlic! I hope you are, too! Enjoy!

Ingredients

6 large Brown Onions

6 medium Shallots

1 large Leek

8 Green Onions

10 large Garlic Cloves

4 tablespoons Butter

2 ups Red Wine

2 ups Beef Stock

2 ups Chicken Stock

4 Bay Leaves

3 teaspoons freshly chopped Thyme

Salt and Pepper

Ok, so get the onion goggles on and get to chopping! Slice the onions, shallots, leeks, green onions and garlic. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to a deep pot on medium low heat and toss in all of your various onion types! Sprinkle in about a teaspoon of salt and then stir the pot. The salt will help the onions sweat. Put the lid on it and let it do its thing! Meanwhile, finely chop your fresh thyme. Stir in the bay leaves and thyme, then cover and let it simmer away! Check in on the onions about every 15-20 minutes, giving them a stir each time. At about the hour and a half (yes! an hour and a half) your onions should be looking pretty soupy. Add the wine, beef and chicken stocks and half a teaspoon of pepper. Allow the soup to simmer for at least another 45 minutes to an hour. Grate about 2 cups of gruyere cheese. Take crusty bread and slice one inch slices. Place them in the broiler til nice and golden brown on both sides! Once the soup has finished reducing, place the soup in an oven safe dish, put the toasted bread on top, then pile on the cheese! Place the oven safe dish in the broiler until the cheese has melted and has started to brown slightly. Then, enjoy!

Mommy Hiker’s Fall Activity Guide PLUS an #OutdoorFamilies Fall Activity Link UP!

Posted on October 21, 2013February 24, 2016 by Jennifer Fontaine

Fall is definitely my most favorite time of year. My crafty side peeks its little head out, my yearning for family time doubles or even triples and my wide-eyed smile can be seen from miles away. There’s just something about the crisp fall air, the bright hues of orange and red and the smell of far-off fireplaces that get my outdoor energy flowing overtime and my kitchen working double shifts. I love every minute of it!

In honor of my fall euphoria, I thought it would be fun to compile a guide of our family’s favorite simple and fabulous fall activities! Feel free to add your family’s favorite fall activities in the comments!

Take a Fall Foliage Hike!

Of course, hiking is one of our family’s favorite pastimes, so it would only be fitting to kick off the guide with a great fall foliage hike.

We recently hiked Lake Hollywood which was an incredibly easy trail full of amazing discoveries! The Lake Hollywood Reservoir trail is a 3.5 mile, fully paved hike with only a total elevation gain of 100 feet, making it very stroller friendly.

Visit a Pumpkin Patch!

During the fall, pumpkin patches abound, full of parents pining for the perfect picture of their babe climbing, lifting or trying to eat the largest pumpkin in the patch!

Here’s a great compilation of pumpkin patches in Los Angeles County, but our favorite, for sure is Underwood Family Farms!

Make an Acorn Necklace!

I got this idea a few weeks ago and luckily, I was able to scrounge together supplies that were already cluttering the junk drawer, so all that was left was to forage for a few beautiful acorns!

This was super easy craft and a great way to hone in on V’s concentration and fine motor skills!

She wore it proudly for about an hour…

…until she delightfully pulled it off, watching gleefully as the beads bounced and rolled in a million directions.

Have a Picnic!

Change up your daily routine with a meal outside. It’s a great way to mix things up, get some fresh air and perk up your mood.

Throw some nosh in a bag and drive to the closest park, or just walk out your back door and spread out your blanket.

Adventure out on a Family Camping Trip!

This post would be missing a glaring piece of the Fontaine Family puzzle, if I didn’t include camping. Anytime of year is a great time to get out of the house and get in to nature, but fall is probably my favorite.

Climb a Tree!

Get up close and personal with the gorgeous, bright colors of fall by climbing a tree! A simple, pure delight for any kid (or adult, for that matter)!

Watch a Pig Race!

This year was our first time at a pig race.

At first, I was a little apprehensive of the whole idea, but the little piglets were so cute and the faces of the kids were lit up like it was christmas morning.

Explore a Corn Maze!

I must admit, that I’m a pretty non-directional person and I most certainly cannot rely on my 2 and a half year old’s keen navigational skills to lead us out to the other end of a corn maze.

We have been 2 years in a row and both years we have gotten lost, confused, befuddled and amused! But, I’m keeping hope alive. There’s always next year!

Create Pine Cone Christmas Trees!

On last week’s hike, V was absolutely obsessed with the plethora of pine cones surrounding the trail,

so we hoarded a dozen into our backpack figuring there was definitely something fun we could do with them! Once home, we got out the green acrylic paint, one super big paint brush, a bunch of paper towels and we painted little christmas tree pine cones!