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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Abuela’s Avena | August 25, 2010

Translated from Spanish to English, Abuela’s Avena means grandma’s oatmeal. On my recent trip to Puerto Rico, I enjoyed many bowls of oatmeal (sadly not my grandma’s, but very close it), and since I’ve come back, it’s the only thing I’m craving for breakfast these days.

I’ve spent the last week tweaking the recipe to make it just right and have it taste most similar to my Abuela’s Avena, and I think I finally got it!

If you enjoy rich and creamy, stick-to-your-ribs oatmeal, not the watery or instant kind, try this homemade recipe…you too will quickly get hooked! (I must warn … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

North Fork Wineries | July 12, 2010

Many jet setters are unaware that the North Fork of Long Island in New York is considered Wine Country (basically our own version of California’s Napa Valley or Santa Barbara’s Wine Country but in New York). In fact, there are more than 30 wineries to choose from, each with its own personality.

Here’s a list of the wineries I visited over the July 4th Holiday weekend out on the North Fork, and a little about what I thought of each of them. My two favorites were McCall and One Woman. Shinn was also very cool, but more for its indoor space … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Seoul, Korea- Day 2 | June 30, 2010

Day 2 and up bright and early (not yet adjusted to the 13-hour ahead time difference)! I started the day off with a morning walk around Cheongdam Park in the Cheongdam-dong area of Seoul. This park is absolutely gorgeous- it’s like a forest right in the middle of this concrete metropolis! This certainly helped me build up an appetite, and I was lucky enough to find a street vendor right outside of the park (I love eating street food in other countries).  I ordered what everyone else was eating- something called special toast. Special toast is an omelet … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Seoul, Korea- Day 1 | June 22, 2010

After the crazy flight experience leaving the U.S., I wound up losing a day of my time in Seoul, Korea. Instead, Continental put all of us up at the Nikko Narita Hotel at the airport in Japan for one night and put me on the first flight out to Seoul the next morning. It was so nice to finally get to my destination and check-in to the hotel which would be the place where I could rest my head for the next few days…ahhhhhhh!

The hotel was the Grand Intercontinental Seoul- an elegant, very nice and extremely clean hotel. (Don’t judge … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Safely Home! | June 7, 2010

Hey Jet Setters, I’m back! I was in Korea and Japan for the last two weeks and have to say that Asia was amazing! I can’t wait to share pictures and stories with you all very soon.

First, I want to tell you about the crazy flight experience I had leaving the U.S.  On Sunday, May 9th, I boarded Continental Flight #9 from Newark International Airport for a 14 hour flight en route to Narita International Airport in Japan. Shortly after take-off I heard a loud boom and then the plane started to shake, and it felt like the plane wasn’t … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Bay to Breakers | May 7, 2010

Ever since I ran a half marathon in Philly in 2008, I have been meaning to do it again. Well, I may have found the one that I want to do next year…the Bay to Breakers Marathon in SF!

The annual Bay to Breakers 12K marathon is a quintessential “only in San Francisco” experience.  It’s more of a party rather than a sporting event, but nevertheless…it’s AWESOME according to the locals!  The marathon draws more than 50,000 people (some runners, mostly walkers) who start at the Embarcadero and head through Golden Gate Park out to the beach. Costumes are a must and range … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

October Getaway for Body and Soul | May 6, 2010

My friends at Escape to Shape just emailed me to let me know that they’ve picked the destination for their October trip. They are heading to Taormina, Sicily for seven nights. You can join in and get to stay in a magnificent villa, enjoy world renowned Sicilian cuisine, daily exercise, wine tasting, cooking classes and pampering! Escape to Shape considers itself a traveling fitness spa. If you are interested, hurry up and book now because these spots do fill up quickly. Guys don’t tune out, plenty of men go on these trips every year!

Dates: October 16-23, October 23-30, 2010

Here’s an … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival 2010 | May 5, 2010

The dates are out for the second annual 2010 Food and Wine Festival in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event kicks off July 30th-August 2nd and will be held at different venues and hotels in and around Atlantic City.

This year’s celebrity chefs include Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-ins & Dives), Sandra Lee (Semi-Homemade), Pat & Gina Neely (Down Home with the Neely’s), Ted Allen (Chopped), Sunny Anderson (Cooking for Real), Anne Burrell (Worst Cooks in America), Claire Robinson (5 Ingredient Fix), Alex Guarnaschelli (Alex’s Day Off), and Melissa D’Arabian (Ten Dollar Dinners).

I’m sad my favorite, Giada, won’t be there or … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Tanqueria La Cumbre | May 3, 2010

“The BEST burritos come from La Cumbre!!!”

That’s a pretty bold statement! But since I heard it both from the Travel Channel (Man vs. Food) and from a number of on-line reviews, I had to put it on my list of places to check out in SF. I needed to know for myself what all of the rave was about.

Taqueria La Cumbre is located in the Mission District of San Francisco (515 Valencia St), the neighborhood in SF to head to for excellent Mexican food. According to their menu, La Cumbre was the first taqueria in San Francisco. All things that … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Timed Travel | April 29, 2010

People often ask me how I get to jet set so often? My answer to them is always the same…I plan most of my trips during “Shoulder Season” (jet setting between peak and off seasons). The weather is good, the crowds are much smaller and the prices are at least 30% lower! Here’s some Jet Set Smart travel ideas for Shoulder Season.

DESTINATION BEST TIMES

CANCUN- MAY, AUGUST, NOVEMBER

CARIBBEAN- JANUARY, FEBRUARY

HONOLULU- SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER

LAS VEGAS- JANUARY, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER

LONDON- MARCH, APRIL, SEPTEMBER

LOS ANGELES- MARCH, APRIL, SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER

MIAMI- JANUARY, JULY, AUGUST

NEW YORK- SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER

ORLANDO- MAY TO AUGUST

PARIS- MARCH, APRIL, AUGUST TO OCTOBER

SAN FRANCISCO- … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Shopping The Marina | April 23, 2010

Ahhh, The Marina! Home to beautiful, young and fit 20-30-somethings, and also the spot to head to in San Francisco for excellent restaurants and shopping. The main areas to visit for both are Union Street and Chestnut Street. So for this Fashion Friday post, I want to fill you in on some of the best shops and boutiques to check out in this area.

Y & I Clothing Boutique: Lots of cute dresses, tops and jeans to choose from! The prices here are also pretty reasonable, which doesn’t seem to be the case for the other boutiques in this neighborhood.

De Novo-: … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Getting To Know Noe | April 21, 2010

Noe Valley (pronounced No-EE Valley) is a neighborhood in the central part of San Francisco. It’s often referred to as “Stroller Valley” mainly because it’s a very family-friendly area, and because you often see a lot of mommies walking around pushing strollers. But, don’t let this scare you off from visiting if this is not your style. Noe has a lot more to offer! On my recent trip to SF, my good friend Louisa showed me the best of Noe, and I realized that the more I got to know about Noe, the more I wanted to see. The heart … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Fishies and Cocktails | April 19, 2010

Does the idea of going to an aquarium after-hours, and having a cocktail while you are there sound good to you jet setters? If it does, then I know just where you should go in SF…the California Academy of Sciences. Every Thursday night is something called Nightlife, where you get the chance to see the museum and aquarium animals, have a drink and some food, hear great music and dance to some of SF’s best DJs!

My friend and I decided to check it out last Thursday night (thinking if it’s not a good event, who … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Ebelskivers Are Everywhere! | April 7, 2010

You may remember me talking about our recent trip to Santa Ynez Wine Country in Santa Barbara County, California, where we checked out the cute little Danish-inspired town of Solvang. Well, a very popular Danish dish to try (especially in this town) is something called an Ebelskiver.

An Ebelskiver is a light and puffy pancake that is a favorite treat in Denmark. It can be filled with fruit, chocolate, jam or cheese and served for breakfast or as an hors d’oeuvre, dessert or light supper. We tried them at The Red Viking Restaurant in Solvang. Ours came topped with raspberry jam … Read More »


 

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Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

Movies That Will Inspire You to Jet Set | April 2, 2010

CNN had a great article on its wesbite called “Great Movies That Inspire You to Travel, ” that I, of course, was instantly drawn to read. A film critic and author, Jay Boyar is qouted in the artcile as saying “Sometimes, it (a movie) can really inspire people to visit a place,”
“They’ll see the beauty of a city or a country, and they’ll just start dreaming about that place, and the next thing they know, they’re there.”

I wanted to share their list with you guys and get you all even more inspired to jet set. By the way, one of the … Read More »