Food, friends and sleeping till 6

For the former star of TV’s “The Facts of Life,” weekends are a godsend. The rest of the week, she’s up at 4:30, heading for the set of “The Division,” where she plays a recovering alcoholic police inspector on the Lifetime cable channel’s No. 1 drama. Her lazy Saturday and Sunday mornings will soon be a memory, however. She and her husband, Marc Andrus, a key grip in the film industry, are expecting their first child in March.

Winding down

Though I never set an alarm on Saturday, I can’t sleep much beyond 6 -- good preparation for being a mom, I guess. Right now, it’s all things “baby,” so I’ve started eating breakfast. We frequently go to B.G. to Go, next to Bistro Gardens in Studio City, where they have great oatmeal and German pancakes. Du-par’s is more popular, but you have to fight the crowds. That area has great shopping -- among my favorites: the Ivy, in which a variety of antique dealers sell furniture, jewelry and lighting fixtures, and Mother of Pearl, for hardware and accessories.

Revving up

Neither of us are gym people. We prefer hiking Fryman Canyon. In the summer, we go to an amphitheater nearby [in Coldwater Canyon Park], where they hold play readings. Sometimes we go walking in the Santa Monica Mountains or along the ocean -- especially in the winter, when you can wear big sweaters. I’m English-Irish, so gray and overcast is fun for me -- so opposite the California thing. If I’m in Santa Monica, I love eating at the 17th Street Cafe on Montana Avenue, where I order the chopped salad and sometimes a nasty apple cobbler that’s hard to resist.

Sundown

Saturday night, we meet friends -- often at Spumante. Located across from Jerry’s Famous Deli on Ventura Boulevard, it has great soups, steaks and fries and Hawaiian prawns are a specialty. Sitting in its outdoor patio with its twinkly, white lights, you really feel you’re “away.” If we want to go “out-out,” we head for the Ivy (my husband loves the fried chicken) or Cafe Stella in Silver Lake, which is like being in Greenwich Village or a Parisian bistro. Very garlicky escargots and a terrific wine list. For a real splurge, it’s Four Oaks on Beverly Glen -- elegant and romantic.

Diversions

Sunday afternoon, we’ll head for the movies -- at the new Sherman Oaks Galleria, you can treat yourself to a hot chocolate at Starbucks or ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s. Often we go to galleries or museums -- the Los Angeles County Museum of Art had a great Ansel Adams show and the Getty is a beautiful space. Walking in the gardens or people-watching outside is just as enjoyable as the art. Occasionally, we’ll drive up to Santa Barbara, checking out the crafts fair and having brunch at the Biltmore. Depending on how much we eat, we’ll either stroll -- or take a siesta -- at that great beach across the street.

Last gasp

Sunday night, I’ll invite family or friends over for a meal. We’ll barbecue, or I’ll make meatloaf or spaghetti with a sauce that takes all day to simmer. It’s got to be an early night, though, because, come Monday, I’m up at 4:30 again.

-- Elaine Dutka