Tag Archives: San Diego

3 Men and a Baby?? Whatever!! Try 1 Lady,1 Review and 1 Recipe!

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This is how my mind works (Stick with me. It does go somewhere!) : I knew I wanted to review a particular restaurant. I checked my email first thing and saw that Adam Ant is coming to San Diego’s Balboa Theatre on July 17th. I started thinking about how I LOVED Adam Ant. I proclaimed to my mother while she was driving way back around 1982 that I will love Adam Ant forever. My sister, Beth, was a high school photographer and was lucky enough to go to his concert in Cleveland, Ohio, and she took photos of him backstage. Beth was already a god to me; this just solidified it. It must have been around 1983 when I had a gym routine requirement with Miss MacDonald. God, I did not like that lady. Sorry, but it is true. Miss McDonald, if you are reading this, you were probably a nice person, I just never got a chance to see that side. Well, I picked the song “Antmusic” by Adam Ant, of course! Like, totally! This was back when there were no Ipods, not even a CD! The horror! I asked my sister to borrow her record, Kings of the Wild Frontier. Beth knew that I, being the little sister, had a horrible track record when I borrowed her stuff. Any articles of clothing were bound to get at least one stain on it, so she was wise to tell me I couldn’t bring the record to school for my gymnastic routine. The problem was that I had choreographed (I use that word loosely) and practiced my routine to that song. I couldn’t change it. What could I do? I had to put a cassette recorder next to the record player and record the song. When I played the cassette tape at the St. Christopher gym, you couldn’t hear it at all. Huge failure. And my routine? Let’s just say I was not Olympic bound.

Check out this classic 1980s video.  Aahhh, good memories! Is he wearing lip gloss?


Thinking about Adam Ant made me think about the 80s and all of the stuff I loved back then. For some reason the movie Three Men and a Baby (1987) came to mind. I started thinking about how if three grown men couldn’t take care of baby, that would be really sad. That led me to think that I shouldn’t just write a review today, I should include a recipe. If it took three men to take care of a baby for a month (or however long they had the kid), I could write a review and a recipe in one post. Yep, all of this from seeing an ad for Adam Ant’s concert.

Project Pie 2
My husband and I checked out Project Pie in Hillcrest this past Sunday. Unfortunately, most of our families are in Cleveland, Ohio, so we were on our own for Mother’s Day. We walked in, and we immediately greeted by the pizza makers. There is a list of pies and a description of each when you enter. It’s kind of cafeteria style. You pick a pie, tell the first person which number you want, move down a bit, tell the next person which additional, and free of charge, toppings you would like. They get your name and the pizza details, and the next person writes it on parchment, and the pie is placed into a big pizza oven. I ordered the #2: Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Crumbled Meatballs, Mozzarella and their Signature Red Sauce. I added Ricotta and Artichoke Hearts, but I wasn’t paying attention and the guy didn’t hear me, so I didn’t get the artichokes I requested. Next time I will speak up and watch which topping are on it before it goes into the oven! Franz went with another option and got a ton of extra toppings. Both pizzas were great. What I love about this place is that everyone gets their own pie. No arguments because one person in the group always wants pineapple on the pizza. You know who you are! Also, they offer a gluten-free crust, and I heard from a friend that it was super tasty. The red sauce was really fresh, and the toppings were flavorful.  The crust was perfect as well.  Great taste and I loved that it wasn’t too thin but not too thick either.  My only tiny complaint was that the center of the pie could have been hotter. It was fine, but I like it a little on the well done side. Oh, I almost forgot, you can order a Nutella and Banana pie. Don’t think I haven’t stopped thinking about that bad boy since Sunday! Currently there are only 2 locations: San Diego and Las Vegas (at The MGM), but Project Pies will be opening soon in Atlanta, NYC, Boulder, D.C., and the Philippines.

Pizza Pies are Being Made to Order!

Pizza Pies are Being Made to Order!

Franz's Choice: #6 With A Bunch of Tasty and Free Toppings!

Franz’s Choice: #6 With A Bunch of Tasty and Free Toppings!

My Creation - And I Requested Extra Sauce on Top. YUM!

My Creation – And I Requested Extra Sauce on Top. YUM!

I promised a recipe, too! This is the kind of recipe that would work after a pizza dinner because it is sweet and light in texture.

The recipe, Angel’s Kiss Baci Cupcakes, from Baci was created by Lidia Bastianich. Who doesn’t love Baci??  If you never had one, finish reading this post, and immediately get your booty to a grocery store and buy some.  They seem to be carried everywhere nowadays.  Thank god!

With the first batch, the batter never got stiff and glossy.  I baked them anyway, and they turned out perfect.  With the second batch, the batter was as it should have been – stiff and glossy.  However, the cupcakes baked horribly.  The tops were uneven and shrunken.  The next time I make these, I will stop before the batter gets stiff and glossy.

Angel’s Kiss Baci Cupcakes

Cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 Baci, finely chopped

Glaze

  • 4 ounces dark chocolate bars, finely chopped (I went with the recipe recommendation and used Perugina Dark Chocolate Classic Bars)
  • 6 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur (optional)
  • 4 Baci, coarsely chopped
  1. Preheat oven to 375.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt.
  3. In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to form soft peaks.  With the mixer at medium speed, gradually add the sugar.  Beat at high-speed to stiff, glossy peaks. (**As I noted above, when I achieved the stiff, glossy peaks, the cupcakes did not seem to turn out for me.  You can try either way, but I will stick with keeping the batter at the soft peak stage.  Let me know if you make this recipe, or have made this in the past, and tell me what you did and how it turned out.  Thanks!!) Lower the speed and mix in the vanilla.  Fold in the flour mixture in 3 additions, taking care to deflate the batter as little as possible.  Quickly fold in the chopped Baci.  Divide the batter among the cupcake pan and smooth the tops.
  4. Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. (**I never wait for the toothpick to come out clean. The cupcake  will continue cooking for a brief period after it is removed from the oven, so I always remove cupcakes when some crumbs are still attached to the toothpick. If you do this, check the cupcakes after 10 to 12 minutes.) Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the tin to cool completely
  5. While the cupcakes cool, prepare the glaze.  Put the chopped chocolate in to a small bowl.  Bring the cream to a simmer and pour over chocolate, shaking the bowl to submerge the chocolate.  Let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.  Stir in hazelnut liqueur, if using.
  6. Spoon the glaze on the cupcakes and smooth to the edges.  Sprinkle with the chopped Baci.  Refrigerate until the glaze is set.  Serves 12

So take that Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson! Try doing that!

Take Tubular Care, Totally Happy Eating, and Don’t Gag Me With A Spoon!

Project Pie on Urbanspoon

Bake Sale Success?

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Another year, another great bake sale for the San Diego Food Bloggers. I participated last year, but I wasn’t there to see all of the action. This year I was able to watch it transpire. It was fun to see so many friends and random people filling grocery bags full of desserts. Awesome job!! I’m still waiting for the final amount raised for Share Our Strength‘s No Kid Hunger campaign.  However, the sale isn’t officially over.  You can still make a donation on-line.  If we raise the most money, Duncan Hines will donate an additional $10,000 to our total!  Atlanta has been winning this bake sale every year, and we, the San Diego Food Bloggers, would love to put an end to that streak!  If you can, please go to http://join.strength.org/goto/SDFBBakeSale2013 and make a donation. Thank you so much for all of your help!!!

This year I opted to make Chocolate-Banana Whoopie Pies. Choosing what to make is a daunting challenge. I wanted to make something that would appeal to the most people, and something that can be consumed on the spot or in a couple of hours. Chocolate is always a big hit, and once I saw a preliminary menu of what other bakers were planning to bring, I made the decision to make Whoopie Pies. Sadly, I’d never made them before. I looked over various recipes, and decided upon one from Good Housekeeping, February 2012.

Whoopie Pie 2013

Here’s the recipe (any changes are noted with **):

Chocolate-Banana Whoopie Pies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg

(** The recipe states to fill the sandwiches with marshmallow crème.  You could do that, but that didn’t sound exciting to me.  I found a recipe that I liked better which is below.  Also, I made another batch of these that I didn’t sell.  I added cinnamon to the batter, and I wish I had done that to the bake sale batches.  I love cinnamon!)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  From bananas, mash enough for 1/2 cup; finely chop remaining, and reserve.  (**I mashed 1 banana, and I chopped 1 to add to the filling.)  In another medium bowl, mix mashed banana, sour cream, and vanilla.
  3. In a large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until well combined.  Beat in egg until well blended, scraping bowl occasionally.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat just until batter is smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. (**Don’t over mix! That’s probably the biggest mistake when baking.)
  4. Drop 1 rounded measuring teaspoon batter onto prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining batter, spacing 2 inches apart.  With wet fingertips, flatten tops of balls to form rounds. (**I tried making rounds with a 1/4 measuring cup, and I baked for about 10 minutes.  I got about 7.5 cookies (sandwiches) out of it.  They were really large, especially when you consider it is 2 cookies and filling.  It made my belly kind of hurt after eating one.  The next batch I used a tablespoon of batter, and I cooked them for about 8 minutes.  I was able to get 15 sandwiches out of the batter.  It was a much more reasonable size, and it is that size I sold at the bake sale.)

Banana Crème Filling

  • 1 cup solid vegetable shortening (**I used Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening Non-hydrogenated.)
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups marshmallow crème
  • 1.5 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 chopped banana
  1. Whip first 4 ingredients together.  Fold chopped banana into filling. Fill sandwiches with as little or as much as you like, or just eat by the spoonful.  It’s all good.  I preferred the pies after they had been refrigerated.  In general, I would suggest to keep the pies refrigerated.

Whoopie Pie 2013(2)

On another note, it was my brother’s birthday on Monday.  Brian turned 50 on Monday.  A HUGE “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!’ goes out to him.  Even though a few miles are between us, I’m thinking of you!!  I hope this is a great year for you, Brian.  The photo below is from my dad’s 80th birthday last year.  I picked the photo below for 2 reasons: 1) Brian was looking quite dapper and 2) for all of the special people present in the photo.  The best birthday wish is to be surrounded by people you love.

Family

Take Care and Happy Eating (and Please Consider Making a Donation)!

Who Doesn’t Love a Bake Sale?

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What are you doing this Saturday? Do you want to enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather forecasted for this weekend? Would you love to enjoy that weather with a delicious homemade dessert in hand? And wouldn’t you love it if you knew all of the proceeds went to an amazing cause like helping hungry children? I can make all of your dreams come true! And if you can’t make it, or if you live out-of-town, there’s still a way you can get involve and help out a worthy cause.  Keep reading!

Food Blogger Bake Sale 2013

I participated in the San Diego Food Blogger Bake Sale last year for the first time.  It was a truly professional bake sale organized by an amazing blogger (and person – yep, she’s real), Marie of Meandering Eats (http://www.meanderingeats.com/).  Once again, Marie has organized another awesome event.  However, she will be off to Medical School soon, so wish her good luck when you see her Saturday!  If you haven’t gone in the past, let me explain that you are getting yourself into a situation.  The desserts look great, the labeling and packaging are so cute, and there are samples just to make sure it tastes as good as it looks (and it does!).  The problem will be that you will want to buy a lot of stuff, maybe even buy some things to eat before you leave the parking lot, and maybe you’ll buy some things to take into the office to share with those silly people who missed it!  It’s alright because the money goes to Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry (http://www.nokidhungry.org/).  This is a national bake sale, as well, so help us beat other cities!  Take that, Pittsburgh!  Just kidding. Or am I???

The bake sale takes place this Saturday, May 4th, at Great News! Cookware and Cooking School in Pacific Beach (http://www.great-news.com/) from 10am-2pm.  The people at Great News! have been awesome supporters of this bake sale, so a huge “THANK YOU, GREAT NEWS!” goes out to them .  If you haven’t had the opportunity to investigate the store before, this will be a great time to do so!  Make sure to sign up for their newsletter so you can get additional discounts every so often!  And there is a Starbucks super close, so go ahead and make a day of it!  Finish it off by driving down to the beach with the family afterwards.  Seriously, can a Saturday get any better?

If you can’t make it, there are other opportunities to get involved.  Simply go to: http://sdbloggersbake.wordpress.com/  There you can enter raffles, donate money, see a tentative menu, and read more about some of the individual bakers who will be offering their goods.

This is such a fun event!  Please pass this information around to friends, family and co-workers.  In 2011, $1750 was raised, in 2012 we raised $3151, and we are hoping to surpass our goal of $3000 this year.  I’m not suggesting we are a competitive bunch of bloggers, but come on!  We want to raise the most money for this organization out of the entire country!  Again, no competitive bone in our bodies.

Take Care and Happy Eating!

To Cleanse or Not to Cleanse? I Have My Answer!

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Hello everyone!

Two very cool things happened this week.  First, I finally have a new computer!  Woohoo! Thanks, Costco!  Now I can finally post to my blog and read other people’s'!  I’m old-fashioned.  I really don’t like reading very much on my phone.  (I need to get used to Windows 8, too.) The other bit of news is that I finished the 30 day Clean Cleanse – without cheating!  I began this cleanse as a test.  I wanted to see how I would feel after giving up processed foods, dairy, alcohol, etc. I’m so happy I did.  Here’s a list of why I loved this cleanse:

  1. My mind seems a little sharper.
  2.  My mood is much brighter. But like I told my husband, this cleanse will not change your personality.  Sometimes (and only sometimes) I can be a bit annoying.  A cleanse is not a cure-all.  Sorry.
  3. I have more energy.  For some reason, I had zero energy on Saturday.  I have no idea why, but I just felt exhausted.  I went for a run with Franz, and I could hardly run a  block.  Again, this cleanse will not make you perfect.
  4. It was fun going out with friends and not thinking about food and drinks.  Sounds crazy, right?  I feel like I take forever studying menus, taking pictures of my food, thinking about what I could write later, etc.  This month felt like a break.  I went to Alpine Beer Company with a group of people, and it was nice just sitting outside and hanging out.  Hopefully I’ll go back for their beer and food another time.  It looked and smelled amazing.  Check out the menu: https://alpinebeerco.wordpress.com/pub-info/pub-menu/
  5. I love that I lost a few pounds – 12 in total.
  6.  I had my blood pressure taken Monday, and the nurse commented that I must have been very calm.  I’ve never had a problem with my blood pressure, but it was really good!

I’ve got a feeling, and it’s all good!

I must mention that I am so impressed with 3 places that enabled me to stick to the cleanse when I wasn’t home.  I went to Mammoth for a ski weekend (about 6 or so hours from San Diego), and I had a blast.  After skiing one day, we went to the food court at Canyon Lodge.  I was expecting not to have too many options.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The woman in charge of the salad bar made me an amazing kale salad with roasted red beets, grilled chicken, and a ton of excellent fresh veggies.  I just pointed and she piled it into a large silver bowl.  She could tell I was hesitant about the dressings available, so she pointed out the vinegar and oil to me, I added them to the bowl, she tossed away, and lunch was served!  Two other restaurants that impressed me were Point Loma Seafoods and Pita Jungle in Hillcrest.  Fresh grilled fish with a gorgeous view of Point Loma Marina and downtown San Diego is a great way to stick to a cleanse.  Pita Jungle has awesome hummus (which is allowed on the cleanse) and a salmon dish that is truly filling and only $12.99.  I went to C-Level and had a meager salmon dish for $30.  It was tasty and fresh, and you can’t ask for a better view of San Diego, but this meal did not satisfy my hunger.  It’s a cleanse, not Hunger Games! Thirty days went by relatively fast.  I plan on sticking with a few things that I’ve done over the past month.

  1. I didn’t eat a whole bunch of processed foods before, but I will further decrease my consumption.  For example, no more Lean Cuisine and I will greatly cutback on cereal.  I plan on treating cereal as a dessert as opposed to breakfast.
  2. I will continue making smoothies for breakfast.  They really give me the energy I need, and it keeps me full until lunch and beyond, if necessary.
  3. I’m obsessed with cooking with coconut oil.  I love the flavor it imparts.  Seriously, give it a try, if you haven’t already.
  4. I will continue snacking on kale chips, almonds, dried kimchi (Trader Joe’s has made me an addict), unsweetened coconut flakes, hummus and almond butter.  All of these things give me energy as opposed to a piece of Ghirardelli chocolate which just makes me want to eat 4 more squares.

The last comment I will make regarding the cleanse is one that may need to be addressed.  A couple of people have asked, so I’m assuming more people out there might have the same question.  It’s a question concerning bowels.  Yep, you might wonder about this aspect of a cleanse.  I will be straight with you.  I’ve never had a problem in that department.  If you do have difficulties, and you start a cleanse, I would guess you may notice a big change.  For me, I noticed that I would go more often throughout the day – usually after a meal or even a snack.  However, it was never a problem.  Depending on your body, you may or may not need this product: http://www.hulu.com/watch/10308

Some of you have mentioned that you are on a cleanse or thinking about starting.  Let me know how it’s going!

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Fabulous Friday Again!

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I hope everyone had a great week!  I had a sweet surprise this week.  My husband was craving sweets all week (I’m rubbing off on him!).  Tuesday night he proclaimed that we were going to Jack in the Box for milkshakes.  It was around 8pm, and we were basically in our pajamas.  Life is so good!!  If you haven’t had a Jack in the Box milkshake, I feel very sorry for you.  They are so thick that you have to remove the straw and lick it because the goodness of the shake just won’t flow through the straw.  We always get chocolate.  “Jack” tops the shake with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.  And it’s super cheap!  And you can take it home and sit on the sofa with your family in your pjs will attempting to slurp the cup o’ ice cream and milk down while watching another episode of Law & Order!

Popular Jack antenna ball (Christmas version)

Merry Christmas from Jack!

In keeping with my new Friday “tradition”, I want to tell you about my favorite thing (other than a milkshake) this week: Pomegranate Molasses.  It can be a little tricky to find in the grocery store, but ask around and you’ll find it.  If you have a Middle Eastern market near you, that’s a great place to look.  I bought mine in San Diego at Specialty Produce (http://www.specialtyproduce.com/).

I need another bottle!

I need another bottle!

I love this product because you can use it on so many things.  It has a very tart and tangy flavor, and it is thick (hence “molasses”) so it is a great saucy topper.  You can drizzle it over sweet or savory dishes.  You can take any grain, for example wheat berry, and some dark greens, like mustard greens or arugula, and drizzle the molasses over it.  Or you can go sweet.  The first time I used Pomegranate Molasses was about 8 years ago when I came across a recipe from Big City Cooking: Recipes for a Fast-Paced World by Matthew Kenney and Joan Schwartz.  It is the most simple recipe, but you have to use the highest quality of ingredients.  Hold onto this recipe until the peak of strawberry season.  I promise people will rave!  And, again, it couldn’t be easier!  Don’t wait for strawberry season to buy it! Go out, find a bottle, and start using it.  The next grain salad you make for dinner, pour a little over each serving.  It will be a great addition to your pantry!

Strawberries with Pomegranate Molasses and Fresh Ricotta by Matthew Kenney Serves 4

1 quart ripe strawberries, stemmed and halved

2 tablespoons sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt

(My addition: couple pinches of cinnamon.  I love cinnamon and it’s so healthy, so I always try to add it to recipes.)

1 cup whole ricotta cheese (***Remember, do not use the commercial stuff.  Go to a cheese purveyor and get the good stuff!!)

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, or substitute balsamic syrup (***But don’t!  And I believe the amount is to taste.  You may want a lot more!)

12 mint leaves

In a large bowl, toss the strawberries with sugar.  Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon and a pinch of salt into the ricotta.  Divide the strawberries among 4 bowls, top with the ricotta mixture, drizzle with pomegranate molasses, and garnish with mint leaves.

Have you used this product before?  If so, tell me how!

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Fabulous Fridays!

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Happy Friday! I’ve decided to dedicate Fridays to a particular thing (food related, of course) that I have just loved throughout the week.  I feel like Oprah!  Unfortunately I will not be giving away my favorite things to my readers.  I wish.  Sorry.

Winfrey on the first national broadcast of The...

My favorite and fabulous thing this week is: Cooking Light Magazine!  You get a subscription!! And you get a subscription!!!!!! And you – wait.  I’m not Oprah.  Again, I apologize.

Cooking Light

Cooking Light (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After Thanksgiving, Franz and I were still craving something sweet.  I know, I know.  We had left over pumpkin pie and a cranberry/rhubarb cobbler, so we should have stopped at that.  We couldn’t let the craving go.  I had the latest copy of Cooking Light staring at me. Sir even used it as a head rest. I usually cook dinner Monday through Thursday.  And of those dinners, about 80% or more come from Cooking Light.  I even own The Annual Recipes 2009 and 2010 Cookbooks.  The recipes are almost always tasty and relatively healthy.  Occasionally I may tweak a recipe, but it usually isn’t necessary.

CL and Sir

The November cover photo is a slice of Baked Chocolate Mousse Cake.  I ran to Trader Joe’s to purchase 2 items I needed to make this devilish dessert: instant coffee and some whipped topping (Cooking light suggested a reduced-calorie whipped topping, but I opted for regular.).  I had everything else on hand.  Word of advice: always have ingredients on hand to make at least a simple cake or a batch of cookies.  It’s the only way to live.

Once again, CL did me proud!  It was easy to make, and it was delicious!  Here’s the recipe . . .

Baked Chocolate Mousse from Cooking Light

Baked Chocolate Mousse from Cooking Light

Baked Chocolate Mousse Cooking Light, November 2012

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa

1 teaspoon instant espresso granules

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon brandy (**I used Apricot Brandy.  Only kind I had on hand.)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1/3 cup sugar

Dash of salt

1 1/2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed

Baking spray with flour (such as Baker’s Joy) (**I used butter and flour since I didn’t have the specified spray.)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add cocoa and espresso, stirring until smooth. Remove pan from heat. Add chocolates; gently stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in brandy and vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture into a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes; stir occasionally. (**I didn’t stir occasionally and it was fine.)

3. Combine eggs, egg whites, sugar, and salt in the top of a double boiler, stirring with a whisk. Cook over simmering water until a thermometer reaches 115° (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly with a whisk. Place egg mixture in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until ribbony, soft peaks form (about 5 minutes). (**It took my egg mixture about 4 minutes to reach 115 degrees.  To attain the ribbony, soft peaks, it took about 7 minutes.)

4. Gently stir one-third of egg mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg mixture. Gently fold in whipped topping. Spoon batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with baking spray, spreading evenly. Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until almost set (center will not be firm but will set as it chills). Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight. (**I buttered and dusted with flour a 9-inch spring form pan.  In my pan, it took about 21-22 minutes for it to cook.  Franz couldn’t wait the recommended chill time.  We cut into it after it was in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. It was fine.  But it was even better the next night!)

OR USE WHIPPED CREAM: If you substitute an equal amount of whipped cream for the whipped topping, you’ll add 62 calories, 6.7g fat, and 4.2g sat fat to each serving. You will also need to bake the mousse about 5 minutes longer.

Take Care and Happy Eating! (And have a fabulous weekend!!)

Guest Blogging Over At Hoptology SD

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Hello everyone! I hope you have some fun plans for the weekend or you have planned some time just to wind down from the week. My friend just got married and headed across the pond for his honeymoon. He asked that I do a guest blog for his beer blog. Here’s the link.: p2vJCt-i

If you like beer and cupcakes, I think you’ll enjoy this post.

Take Care and Happy Eating!

 

PubCakes on Urbanspoon

Next Door on Urbanspoon

Got Thanks?

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I’ve been in a rut.  I’ll admit it.  I’ve been complaining about the heat, that I have too much coming up in the next few months (only to be followed by the busy Holiday months), that my beloved dog has figured out how to maneuver under the front yard fence, that my allergies won’t lighten up, and that I just don’t feel like writing!  And with the extended heat wave we’ve been having, I haven’t been in the cooking mood either.  And when I go for a run, it’s a weak attempt at best.  What else am I forgetting?

In June I wrote a little bit about being thankful.  I think I need to revisit that state of mind!  I got an email from Panera Bread about a contest entitled ”What We’re Thankful For” (http://www.facebook.com/panerabread?v=app_272143752885090).  Perfect timing!

Panera on Urbanspoon

So here are a handful of things for which I’m thankful:

1) Pomegranate Margaritas with my sister-in-law, Elisabeth, at Ortega’s in Hillcrest (http://www.ortegasbistro.com/).  I love that I have a sis-in-law that wants to try new food and new restaurants.  Before she left Cleveland, she did some research and read about this place.  It’s in my neighborhood, but I had never been inside.   I wasn’t super crazy about their carnitas, but I will return to sit outside, have a Pomegranate Margarita and some of their tasty chips and salsa.  I snagged a taste of Liz’s Chicken Verde Enchiladas, something I don’t usually order, and it was really tasty.  I think the star of this restaurant is the salsa!  Ohhh, I almost forgot!  They have killer flour tortillas.  I wanted to wrap myself in one – a nice, warm, soft, tortilla blanket!

Ortega's Mexican Bistro on Urbanspoon

2) Going Downtown and checking out the Sand Castle Competition with my mother-in-law, Elisabeth and my husband.  My father-in-law couldn’t understand why we wanted to do this, so he opted to sit on a bench under some trees where he met some very interesting people.  I’ll pass on telling that story!  It only took us about an hour or so to walk through the event, but it was so nice to be near the water and out in such nice weather!

3) Taking another tour at Suzie’s Farm!  Our tour guide this time was Eric, aka “Chicken Man”.  Eric is in charge of the animals on the farm.  Currently, they only have chickens, but that may change soon.  I can’t wait for them to get goats!!!  He told us about the 30 different breeds of chickens they have – some are on the endangered list.  The birds are used for 2 reasons: eggs and to help cultivate the ground.  Being out on the farm is always so relaxing, and I walked away with lots of veggie loot!

4) Getting a sprinkler system installed!!!  Woohoo!  You have no idea how excited I am!!  It deserves a second “Woo-hoo”!!

5) That my in-laws, visiting from Cleveland, Ohio, took a brief trip to Vegas so I have time to clean, recuperate and be able to write something for this blog. The day before they left for Vegas, we had a plumbing issue.  Never a good thing.  A big THANKS goes out to South Bay Rooter!  Thanks, Dave.  Not only did he quickly assess and correct the problem, the bill was very fair.  Greatly appreciated!!

6) That we can celebrate Franz’s parents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary.  The official date was back in June, so Franz and I decided that we would have to celebrate with them once they got out here.  Later this week, the whole gang will head over to Kaiserhof Restaurant & Biergarten (http://www.kaiserhofrestaurant.com/) to celebrate in the appropriate German style: large pretzels, steins of Paulaner or Hacker Pshorr (which my Dad-in-Law just corrected me the other day because I wasn’t pronouncing the “P” in Pshorr.  Keeping me on track!!), and bratwurst.

7) That I don’t live too close to the best donut shop, but close enough to go every so often!  http://vgbakery.com/

V G Donuts & Bakery on Urbanspoon

8) For my littlest man in the world, Monsieur.

9) That my Dad is able to come out to San Diego for a visit this month!

10) For the delicious Thomcord grapes Elisabeth bought at Trader Joe’s the other day!  They are a hybrid of Thompson and Concord.  Yummy!!!  Go and buy some!!! They will make you smile! (I’m eating them right now and smiling!!)

What are you thankful for this week?  Let me know!

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Filling Up at Phil’s BBQ

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Last week was unofficially dubbed “My Birthday Week”.  Talk about a great way to usher in a new year: my best friend visited for a few days, had a couple of dinners out with friends, went to Laguna Beach for a brief trip and to see the Pageant of the Masters, got in one last trip to the beach before Summer ends, had a super fun group run throughout downtown San Diego, and spent a spa day with friends at Loews Coronado.  Because of all of that, I was unable to sit down and write about my visit to Phil’s BBQ until now.

When I moved to San Diego, I heard about Phil’s BBQ (http://www.philsbbq.net/) which, at the time, was located in a small space in Mission Hills.  Phil is a fellow Ohioan, and he believes in giving back to the local community.  He sounds like a great guy and he cooks a tasty piece of meat.  Now that’s my kind of guy!  Check out this article from the San Diego Union Tribune for more on this restaurant owner: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/aug/03/phils-bbq-owner-serves-heaps-of-help/

For whatever reason, it took a couple of years before I went back to Phil’s.  My in-laws were in town and we headed over to the new location in Point Loma.  We were excited to be going back.  We had heard about the long lines (no reservations accepted), but we were ready.  We got there and the parking lot was kind of empty.  We forgot that Phil’s is closed on Mondays.   We were so bummed!  I went a small hand full of times with friends only to see the line and we’d walk away.  It wasn’t until the other day, I finally returned to Phil’s and actually went through the front doors and grabbed a seat.  I’ve been on the email list and had received the “Jump to the Front of the Line” email.  It allows you and 3 guests to skip the line, go right up to Rhonda, hostess extraordinaire, and walk right up to the cashiers to place your order.  There are a couple of options if you want to check this place out.  1) You can call ahead and place a carry out order. You bypass the long line of customers who are waiting to eat there and find the pick-up order line (much shorter).  2) You can bypass the long line and go to the bar area.  I don’t believe anyone under 21 is allowed, so if you have kids, this is not an option.  Or maybe it is??  Just kidding.  It’s a very small bar, and there’s only one large table for larger sized parties.  There’s a low seating option attached to the bar that is handicap accessible.  You place your order with a bartender or a server, have a Stone Arrogant Bastard, and wait for the lick smacking ribs.  The only wine served is Fallbrook Winery.  I’ve never had it so I can’t speak to the taste, so if you are someone who prefers wine with your BBQ, just keep in mind there’s only this option.  Also, you can’t drink alcohol outside of the bar.  3) The last option: wait in the line. Even though I had the “free pass” email, we opted to sit in the bar.  It seemed a little chaotic throughout the restaurant, and the bar area seemed a little more tame.

You may have heard about Phil’s BBQ even if you live outside of California.  It was recently on Adam Richman‘s Best Sandwich in America on the Travel Channel and was the West Coast Regional Winner for the El Toro, a deli sliced tri-tip sandwich.  Courtney and I ordered the popular El Toro (6.95 each), and Franz ordered Baby Back Ribs because he prefers pork ribs to beef ribs.  We shared a large order of onion rings, and small sides of coleslaw and macaroni salad.  The tri-tip sandwich is packed with meat.  I am a very big eater, and I couldn’t finish it.  Keep in mind all of the sides though!  The meat has a great smoky taste, and is a little on the sweet side, but not in a bad way.  There was zero fat in my lovely pile of meat.  Franz really enjoyed his ribs, but he wished they weren’t as fatty as they were.  He said the flavor was great, and he would order them again. My favorite side was the macaroni salad.  I know it’s really hard to screw up this dish, but it’s possible!  Ah, creamy mayo goodness! It’s so rare that I have it.  My most memorable macaroni salad was with my plate lunch in Hawaii .  Man, that stuff is good.  If you ever visit the Big Island, make sure to order a plate lunch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_lunch)!  But getting back to Phil’s!!  I would highly recommend checking this place out.  I know the line can be intimidating, but remember you have a few options on how to get your BBQ fix.  I think my favorite way to eat this yummy food in the future will be placing an order to go.  But once a year, for my birthday, I will definitely go in so I can get a birthday hug from Rhonda!!  Thanks to Phil, Rhonda and the entire crew for a tasty and fun birthday BBQ celebration!

SPECIAL NOTE:  Phil isn’t the only “do-gooder” around here!  Remember a few posts ago when I mentioned my friend, Jeannine, who is raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill in Mission Valley?  Well, that time is only a few days away.  Click on this link: RubiosFundraiser 8.2012.  All you have to do is print out the flyer, go to the Rubio’s in Mission Valley on Saturday the 25th between 11am-9pm, place your order and hand the flyer to the cashier.  20% of your transaction will go to Jeannine’s fundraiser.  Rubio’s, thanks for helping out a great cause!

Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill on Urbanspoon

Take Care and Happy Eating!

Go Ahead – Make Someone’s Day!

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It’s Thursday! The past few days have been busy! I’m sure everyone is feeling the same way. On top of everything, it’s August!? Yesterday, I sent a text to my sister asking when that happened?? Commercials for back to school, talk about football on the radio? Is Summer over already? I haven’t even gone to the beach yet! I did get a chance to take a 2 hour wave runner tour over the weekend. I highly recommend it!!! I went through Seaforth Boat Rentals at their Mission Bay location (http://www.seaforthboatrental.com/). What a blast!  AND . . . (drum roll) August is “Eat Your Dessert First” Month! Who’s with me??

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I’ve also noticed that a lot of people are giving back and are doing so in creative ways.  That’s one awesome way to spend one’s Summer!   I have a friend, Jeannine, who is running the Nike’s Women’s Marathon in San Francisco in October. She works with patients who have been diagnosed with Lymphoma and Jeannine loves to run.  What did she do?  She joined The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training.  She’s about half way to her goal of $3200, and she’s been coming up with interesting ways to raise money.  She poured beer at an Oyster Festival in June – from the pictures it seems like most of the beer went on her.  Jeannine even got Rubio’s in Mission Valley on board to help her raise cash.  She was able to hand out flyers so that on a particular day a percentage of a customer’s bill, who had the flyer, went to Jeannine’s cause.  I had to take advantage of that!  Hey, it’s for a good cause!  Check out her site: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/nikesf12/jeannineshively  Her next fundraiser is on August 25th at Rubio’s (http://www.rubios.com/ 2075 Camino de la Reina San Diego, CA 92108).  It will last all day and night.  Jeannine will be at the Mission Valley location starting at 4pm with flyers in hand.  This event only pertains to the Mission Valley location!!  So grab a flyer, a fish taco and a Stone Brewing Co. IPA.  Like I said before, it’s for a good cause!  Last time I went, I ordered a Carnitas Burrito that had a good meaty flavor and was a decent size.  I’m used to my favorite local taco stand that makes a burrito that’s pretty hefty, but Rubio’s was large enough to satisfy me.  I love checking out their salsa bar, too.  There’s a small outdoor patio area as well.  What better way to spend a Saturday?  Prior to August 25th, I’ll post a link so you can print one out before you go.

Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill on Urbanspoon

Another cool fundraiser going on right now: http://reciperenovator.com/cookies-for-cody/  A fellow blogger, Stephanie Weaver of The Recipe Renovator, is raising money for her nephew, Cody, who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer. If you go to her site, you can bid on cookbooks signed by the authors, desserts, gift baskets, and kitchen items.  The bidding ends at 5pm (Pacific Time) on August 5th, so you still have time to check out the items and place a bid.  It’s a fun way to raise money!  Good luck!!

At times, it seems like there are too many amazing causes to help.  Where do you start?  When do you stop??  I have two organizations in which I feel strongly and support:  NAMI San Diego (http://www.namisandiego.org/) and San Diego Humane Society and SPCA (http://www.sdhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home_page).  I think it’s good to find where you are passionate and direct that energy towards a particular group or person.   Having said that, it’s fun to find these various fundraising tactics and give a little, if one can.

Now if fundraising for major organizations just isn’t your thing, I love doing small things like baking for others.  In June, Amanda of I Am Baker took this idea to the next level and asked her readers to nominate someone who deserved baked goods delivered to his or her house.  She had over 160 nominations (I nominated my parents.).  Then she threw out the request for volunteer bakers so that every nomination could receive a delivered treat.  She received over 400 volunteers!  My parents received a box of wonderful Mexican Wedding Cookies from The Urban Baker (http://www.theurbanbaker.com/an-old-favorite-mexican-wedding-cookies-gluten-free/).   My parents were so happy to be nominated, and they couldn’t believe how professional the cookies and packaging looked.  So if you know someone who’s having a tough day or week (or year!), drop off a little treat.  If you don’t bake, stop by a local bakery and pick up a couple brownies.  If the person doesn’t like sweets or is watching their weight, pick up some veggies or flowers at a Farmer’s Market and surprise your friend or family member.  A little act of kindness can really make a difference in someone’s life.  I know you all know this, but it’s good to get a reminder!

I made one of my favorite brownie recipes the other day for someone’s birthday.  There are about as many brownie recipes as there are fundraisers!  I have a handful of recipes I go between, but I like this one because it’s more fudgy than cakey, and the brownies are a little on the thinner side.  Thinner in terms of thickness, not in terms of calories!   Add a dollop of ice cream, and you are good to go!  Another great thing about this recipe, you don’t have to worry about bringing the butter to room temperature.  You just melt the butter!  The original recipe is from Bon Appetit (September 2004), but the recipe below is with my adjustments.  I have another fav brownie recipe that is SUPER fudgy!!  It’s best to make them the day before they are consumed.  They need a day to rest.  And you’ll need a day to rest after eating a couple!  I’ll have to share that one another time.

Heath Bar Brownies

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks for faster melting

3.5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 2/3 cup sugar (I use vanilla sugar that I make.)

3 large eggs (room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup Heath English toffee chips

1 cup nut pieces (whichever you prefer – I like walnuts or pecans), toasted and cooled (If you hate nuts, leave them out.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch pan.  Stir butter and chocolate in a heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth.  Cool to lukewarm.

Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl until thick and billowy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in chocolate mixture, then flour mixture.  Make sure not to over mix!  Fold in nuts and Heath English toffee chips.  Transfer to pan.

Bake brownies until puffed and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 28 minutes.  Cool pan on rack.  Store at room temperature.

Take Care and Happy Eatings!