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Pioneer Woman's Sweet Potatoes

Grilled tri-tip, garlic potatoes, & sauteed green beans . . .

California - Fine wine & In-N-Out burgers!

I'm a sucker for Good-N-Plenty or those sinfully addictive frozen mini cream puffs. As for savory, oven roasted bacon-wrapped water chestnuts are the best.

Stuffed peppers with sauteed zucchini, onion, & corn.

Key lime pie - I actually juiced two pounds of key limes to get the juice . . .

Unfortunately, LMU is parked in a total suburban neighborhood, but if you head due west to Lincoln Blvd, there are several restaurants on Lincoln between 83rd and Manchester: Italy's Little Kitchen, Chicago for Ribs, Tower Pizza, and a Bristol Farms grocery. If you head north on Lincoln, there's a Pinkberry in the Playa Vista neighborhood, at the base of the LMU bluffs. And on Sepulveda, just north of LAX, is the closest In-N-Out in the area.

For more L.A. burgers, if you have access to a car, head a little further north on Lincoln and you can get to The Counter in Marina del Rey, Father's Office in Santa Monica, or The Apple Pan in West L.A.

Anneliese's German apple cake . . .

In-N-Out Double Double animal style!

The fresh herbs at the Saturday morning farmers' market in Playa Vista.

Beer can chicken . . . perfect every single time.

Apples & peanut butter; bananas & peanut butter; marshmallow fluff & peanut butter