If you’ve never stayed in a treehouse, you should do it. Especially if you can go with someone who wants to cook for you! We had six lovely ladies on this weekend getaway, but Zakiya planned and prepared enough awesome home-cooked food for a small army. It also just so happened that the treehouse was located in Julian, a town known for its apple pie. Nature, absurd amounts of home-cooking, and pie – if you know me at all, you know that this sounds like my idea of a perfect weekend in the making.
Day 1
We arrived in the evening, just in time for a dinner of nachos – tortilla chips topped with melted cheese, beans, ground turkey, and pico de gallo.
Day 2
We started the day with a visit to town. Julian is filled with one after another of adorable bakeries and diners that exude small-town mountain charm and sweet smells. It was difficult to choose, but we eventually decided to brunch at the Candied Apple Pastry Company. It was a good choice. The French toast was fluffy, and the cinnamon-y filling in the apple raisin walnut one was particularly yummy. The turkey tapenade panini used a killer house-made artichoke tapenade. All the baked goods looked incredible, so we also bought some bread and sweets for later.
Just in case anyone might have gotten hungry or thirsty between meals, we set up a bar and snack station at the treehouse. Check out the pretty colored sugars Toya made!
What did my mom tell me about not eating before swimming? Better just head back for dinner.
Dinner was baked chicken two ways, and turkey sandwiches with house-made coleslaw from the Candied Apple Pastry Company on Hawaiian sweet bread.
Dessert was the baked goods we’d brought back from the Candied Apple Pastry Company. The lemon curd cheesecake was the universal favorite.
And we finished off the night with a champagne toast!
Day 3
We sat down to a civilized breakfast with this gorgeous tablescape and a fantastic view of Lake Cuyamaca from our treehouse window.
We took a break from eating to go on a beautiful hike.
All that fresh air and exercise must have done us good, because then we had the inspired idea for Pie Quest!! This was an epic endeavor involving many slices of apple pie, cinnamon ice cream, and online voting. It deserves a post of its own. Intrigued? Go here to follow our whole adventure and find out where to get the best apple pie in Julian.
Recovering from Pie Quest involved a return to the treehouse for naps, then wine and cheese on the deck.
Downstairs from the treehouse was this lovely gazebo, where we grilled our final dinner.
Day 4
Breakfast on our last day was crab legs, shrimp, and grits. If only I could eat this for breakfast every day.
The goal was to eat all of the food we’d brought. Mission not accomplished. Not only did we all get doggie bags of leftover fried chicken, mac n cheese, and potato salad, but we also took home portions of grilled chicken and some of the best greens I’ve ever eaten, which Zakiya had made but we ran out of time and space to squeeze into any of the meals.
On the way out, we stopped one more time at the Pie Quest winning bakery to pick up some pie and cider to take home… a perfect finish to a fun and food-filled trip.