At her Tuscan-inspired Rancho Santa Fe estate, Holli Lienau places the finishing touches on her freshly baked sage and rosemary biscotti. She’s not alone. With her on this summer afternoon is a camera crew filming her YouTube cooking show, “Holli’s Easy Breezy Kitchen.”
Lienau’s culinary inspiration has branched out to her philanthropic organization, “Holli”day … Anyday!, founded by Lienau in 2018.
And her message is unequivocal.
Her organization is designed to support both San Diego and Southern California nonprofits that help breast cancer patients, animals and more through playing and paying it forward with food, fun, and friends. Lienau gifts select nonprofits with live and silent auction items relating to culinary innovation and curating experiences.
These “experiences” vary from harvesting wine grapes at her estate followed by a homemade pizza party, to a guided tequila tasting event championed by award-winning Nobleza Azul Tequila and Baja California Wine Tasting to name a few. Every event is a backdrop for a special filming of “Holli’s Easy Breezy Kitchen.”
Lienau admits that it was her friend Janet Lawless Christ who encouraged her to move forward with this venture.
“All of this really came together because I was going to ask Holli to donate a pizza party for an event that I was chairing, and then that’s when the light went on,” Lawless Christ said.
While there are plenty of cooking shows on the airwaves and in cyberspace, Lawless Christ said she instinctively knew that her friend could create something with heart and compassion.
Lienau was receptive to the idea.
“We were both thinking of how to create a way to connect my love of cooking and entertaining along with the charities we support. We’ve already done various things at my house like having a Super Bowl party and asking people to bring a donation for a specific charity,” said Lienau, adding that “Holli”day…Anyday! was the natural next step.”
Lienau went on to say how her husband and friends wanted her to start a cooking show. While Lienau liked the idea, her inner voice told her that her cooking show needed more — there had to be a purpose behind it.
“I could just write a check to a charity but ‘Holli’day…Anyday! offers a way to be more connected and hopefully encourage people to play and pay it forward in their own way,” she said.
A handful of the nonprofits which “Holli”day…Anyday! supports include Southern California Bulldog Rescue, Shelter to Soldier, Pound Wishes, Breast Cancer Angels, FACE Foundation, Smart Farms and Bali Rescue Dog Squad.
Lienau is also quick to point out that her cooking segments are built around “easy breezy” recipes with must-have cooking tips.
Lienau’s charitable mission is to reach out and increase awareness and funds for the charities that people care about all year round. Her organization is also hosting upcoming events in the Ranch such as Pups in the Park to benefit Southern California Bulldog Rescue on Sept. 29 and Paws for a Cause on Oct. 18 at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe to support Breast Cancer Angels.
According to Lawless Christ, “Holli”day…Anyday! has the ability to motivate others by raising awareness that everyone can support charities every day, not just on major holidays.
Lawless Christ said that “Holli”day…Anyday! is so natural, organic and necessary in these times where people need some uplifting in one way or another.
“’Holli’day…Anyday! will grow beyond what we see today — I think there’s a big future,” Lawless Christ said. “And I think that everybody who’s touched by it will start following ‘Holli’day…Anyday! and they’ll be better people for doing it.”
For more information on “Holli”day…Anyday!, recipes, events and more, visit hollidayanyday.com.
