happy hallows

~ KITTEN BANDIT ~

by Emily at The Black Apple on Etsy

~

I had, had, had to get this because she looks exactly like ME when I was little :)

I have it amazingly framed on the wall next to my bed :)

~

All right all right all right, I confess! I got Luna some Halloween beanies!

~

Happy Hallows!

um..... Halloween porch?

Well. Everyone keeps asking me about my Halloween porch.

My super amazing Halloween porch that I create every year and everyone loves!

 Let me put this very delicately: there is NO Halloween porch this year!

None. NADA!

 So basically all I'm showing you is my cleaned off porch..... because it was NASTY.

But alas..... no Halloween decorations. 

I didn't have it in me, kids.

I just didn't. 

 Shell even came to visit and said she'd love to help me! She tried hard to convince me!

Nope. I just couldn't. 

But hey - we did find this super cool peace sign :)

(*YES* I'm still going to post on Shell's visit! And lots of other fun stuff too! Keep yer dang pants on!)

This is seriously our door mat. Like for reals. I know, I know. 

Next year friends, next year.

~ 

corn salsa - woot!

Well, well, well, so here we are, Monday morning :)

I didn't get my laptop back till last night, so I'm gonna do some fancy footwork here :/

The GORGEOUS photo above is from my Pinterest board: food - salads and appetizers 

Unfortunately, the link goes to nowhere land, so I needed to go some quick thinking!

Enter my girl Tori! WOOT! Tori saved the day :)

She made the most AMAZING corn salsa (YUM!) which looks very similar to the above pic!

So below is the recipe - substituting black beans for the black-eyed peas:

CORN SALSA

1 can of corn, drained

I can of black-eyed peas, drained

2-3 tomatoes, seeded & chopped

1/2 bunch of green onion, chopped

1-2 avocados, cut into cubes

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 package Italian dressing, mixed following directions

Mix all ingredients well except for the avocado cubes

When salsa is mixed thoroughly, lightly fold in avocado cubes

Serve chilled (and it's even better the next day IF there's any left!)

Our favorite chip to use for this chunky salsa is Tostito's Scoops!

They're like teeny little tostada shells, just perfect for scooping up the salsa!

YUMMM!!! And thank you Tori! :)

This next recipe (and the above pic!) is from Amy on her blog "Positively Splendid"

A different - equally yummalicious - version of corn/bean salsa

Corn Salsa(Adapted from the Savoring the Southwest Again cookbook)
3 cups fresh corn kernels, blanched 3 minutes (or, alternatively, 2 [11-oz.] cans shoepeg corn, drained)1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained5 scallions, thinly sliced1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, cored seeded and finely diced1/3 cup rice wine vinegar1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 tablespoon olive oil1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro1/8 teaspoon Tabasco1/8 teaspoon cayenneSalt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk vinegar and mustard in a small bowl; gradually add oil, whisking constantly. Add cilantro to vinegar mixture, along with Tabasco, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Whisk well. Drizzle vinegar mixture over corn mixture, and toss until well combined. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

 I've pinned several more amazing looking salads and appetizers on my Pinterest boards. 

Feel free to check them out and start creating savory things!

And I'd love for you to share with me what you've made and how it turned out!

My Pinterest board: food - salads and appetizers

~

Well, this week is HALLOWEEN! 

Stay tuned for some NOT too Halloweenie pics - hehehe!

happy Friday

Happy Friday! 

~

My laptop is at the Apple store getting new speakers - for the second time...

Apparently I keep blowing my speakers out because I listen to music too loudly :/ 

ANNOYING!

Luckily, I'm armed with some Halloween candy, and a new episode of Suburgatory :) 

~

Anyway, the post meant for today will have to wait till Monday...

which all of the sudden reminds me of something Charlie Bucket's teacher said 

in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory:

"I've just decided to switch our Friday schedule to Monday, 

which means that the test we take each Friday on what we learned during the week 

will now take place on Monday before we've learned it."

These things just pop into my head.

~

Go chill out with a nice DC and see you on Monday!

best. sandwich. ever.

Okay peeps - we need a healthy day after all those sweets and fries!

I'm a sandwich lover. I always have been. And I can make a pretty mean sandwich. 

This is a sandwich I have for lunch on just about any given day - it's super simple so it's super easy!

Here is everything you need (oops - except the ground pepper!)

I try to keep baggies or containers of chopped veggies ready so assembly is fast

This bread is so awesome it's my all time favorite bread on earth and I love it to the moon and back!

Did I mention I like this bread? I get it at Costco and will die if it's ever discontinued.

But if you don't have it, just find a bread you DO love, and there ya go.

This is my most favorite guacamole ever, and that's saying a LOT cuz I'm not a huge guacamole fan 

It's almost ALL guac, and it's got a great, mild flavor. I'm convinced it has magical powers.

Not a typical cucumber fan either! But they add a terrific crunch and flavor! 

Now, I DO love bell peppers and could go on and on about them for days, but I'll spare you!

Like cucumber, they add such crunch - and that sweet, mellow flavor mixed with everything else - OH!

I like using bell peppers in all it's stages/colors (and they're so pretty!) but you just can't top the red!

And speaking of peppers, here we have my favorite cheese: pepper jack

I'm a cheese FREAK and oh, I love lots of different cheeses! So pepper jack is like a 2-fer! Score!

And the pepper jack adds a really great kick to all the other flavors.

I have a hard time getting enough protein, so I'll usually add some lean turkey breast.

I like to add a little cracked black pepper to it - sometimes even a little Italian dressing too.

But I've made the vegetarian version of this sandwich a bunch of times - and it's awesome too.

ARE WE READY?   WE ARE READY!

The guac goes on first, both slices of bread - followed by the cucumbers

Someone stands by me the entire time, every day, absolutely positive I'm making lunch for her.

Next comes the meat (or not)

Now the peppers! YUM! And they even make this sandwich look PRETTY :)

Add a slice of the pepper jack cheese - or whatever you prefer - and we're good to go!

~ BAM! ~

BEST. SANDWICH. EVER. 

Let me just repeat that: BEST. SANDWICH. EVER. 

(die-hards)

And don't forget!!! Hehehe :D

~

Now go make your own version of this yummy, crunchy, fresh, colorful, healthy, flavorful sandwich!

foodie week: girls only cupcake war

Well guess who came a few weeks ago..... to spend an entire WEEK with me!

THAT'S RIGHT - MY COUSIN SHELL!!! HAH! :)

I'm going to report all our shenanigans on my blog next week (okay, almost all of them) 

but I need to blog about THIS one during foodie week!

~

Now that more cupcake places are popping up around here, I simply MUST go investigate!

It's really a drag, and I hate to do it..... but I'm used to it now :/

~

This time Shell, Tori, and Taylor (we missed you Whitney!) 

pitted Velvet Cupcakes - the reigning champion - against Cake Goodness.

This was definitely our closest competition to date! Cake Goodness turned out to be VERY GOOD!

Located on Lyons Ave. in Newhall, it is a very friendly and fun place to go! 

~

This contest was more about which cupcake/s we loved the most overall.

There were only 2 multiple flavors to compare (pumpkin!) so we mainly went with our faves.

(and the red velvet & salted carmel weren't in the running since they were Shell's)

Here are the flavors we had a *BLAST* taste testing:

VELVET CUPCAKES:

Pumpkin

Hazelnut Chocolate

Toffee Crunch

Classic Vanilla w/ Chocolate Frosting

CAKE GOODNESS:

Pumpkin

Double Chocolate

Cinnamon Crunch (like coffee cake)

Banana

And here are our thoughts on what we liked, loved, and couldn't get enough of:

• The pumpkin from Cake Goodness was the most spicy and flavorful, with cream cheese frosting
• The pumpkin from Velvet Cupcakes was smooth-flavored and more mellow
• (we all liked both pumpkins, for the different reasons I just mentioned)
• Velvet's Hazelnut Chocolate was a BIG pleaser - we all LOVED it!
• CG's Double Chocolate was a great, rich chocolate taste all around
• Velvet's Toffee Crunch tied with it's Hazelnut Chocolate for our most favorite - YUMMM!
• CG's Cinnamon Crunch had an AMAZING flavor, just like delish coffee cake
• Velvet's Classic Vanilla w/ Chocolate Frosting had SUPER awesome chocolate frosting
• CG's Banana was the surprise of the evening - it had a WONDERFUL flavor we all loved

OVERALL:

Velvet's texture, frosting, heavier density, moistness and flavors are still the winner with ME!

But I can't help it - I've never had a disappointing cupcake from Velvet Cupcakes! They ROCK!

HOWEVER, Cake Goodness was a near equal contender - we were all super impressed!

Their cupcakes were lighter & fluffier (which many people prefer), with TERRIFIC flavors!

OKAY IF YOU'VE MADE IT THIS FAR YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND, HAHA

AND I KNOW YOU'RE LAUGHING THAT I THINK I'M A SERIOUS CUPCAKE CRITIC

I don't really think that, I just love cupcakes and this is so fun to do with my friends!

Alright, enough already..... go get some cupcakes!

foodie week: sweet potato fries

I've mentioned "Bricks" here once before - 

it's the newly opened grill in the old Taco Bell place on Lyons Ave in Newhall.

I'm mentioning it again for foodie week..... not because of it's burgers (which are very good)..... 

..... but moreso because of it's SWEET POTATO FRIES! (SPF)

This is one bad mamma jamma who loves her sweet potato fries.

To this day I still shed a silent, solitary tear when I think of Kona Krisp closing down :(

All right - that was only a few months ago but still.....

Luckily a few local restaurants have picked up on the incredibly delicious if not artery clogging trend.

Wolf Creek and Islands both have insanely good sweet potato fries. 

But I didn't take any photos of those, so this post is all about Bricks. And Bricks' are yummy!

 Bricks also has a wide variety of choices on their menu - I was surprised! 

All kinds of burgers (including veggie), salads, sandwiches, and specialties.

My burger has always been great - and it had BETTER be great, cuz they are pricey!

The food in these 4 photos here + 2 sodas = $30.00 (YES, I SAID THIRTY DOLLARS!)

So I've learned that Bricks is a terrific place..... to go with a friend for lunch.

That way you don't have to take out a second mortgage to take your family out to dinner.

OR..... JUST GO FOR THE SODA & THE SWEET POTATO FRIES!!!

SCORE!!! :D

foodie week: Tori's beignets

 ~ TORI'S HOMEMADE BEIGNETS: ARE YOU EVEN KIDDING ME?!?! ~

I know exactly what you're thinking: I have not put NEAR enough food on here the past few weeks.

So welcome to Wild Child Foodie Week!

Starting with the most AMAZING beignets I've ever had AND I MEAN IT 

 Here's Tori My Girl - yes, you recognize her cuz she's been on here before! I ADORE HER!

And she's going to culinary school and is so talented and lovable and fun and gorgeous!

She surprised Matthew with these beignets for his birthday but I'm sorry to say I ate almost every one :/

(I'm not really sorry to say that)

They were still freshly made - warm and sweet and ohhhhh so wonderful!

~

Some of you may not know what a beignet is, so I looked up a little history for us all:

The word beignet (pronounced bey-YAY) comes from the early Celtic word bigne meaning "to raise." It is also French for "fritter." Beignets, a New Orleans specialty, are fried, raised pieces of yeast dough, usually about 2 inches in diameter or 2 inches square. After being fried, they are sprinkled with sugar or coated with various icings. Beignets are like a sweet doughnut, but the beignet is square shaped and without a hole. Beignets are considered the forerunners of the raised doughnut. When you hear people in New Orleans say, "Goin'  fo' coffee an' doughnuts," they mean coffee and beignets. Beignet is one of the most universally recognized names for fried dough desserts which are basically fritter batter. For many years, beignets were shaped into balls or squares and covered with mocha frosting. Later the beignet was cut in the shape of a doughnut, and the raised doughnut was born. Beignets have been associated with Mardi Gras in France since at least the 16th century, and many recipes for beignets appear in French works around the same time. According to Food Historian Cathy Kaufman in her article, Where does the New Orleans’ Mardi Gras Beignet Come From? in the February 2009 Prandial Post: There is more circumstantial evidence supporting an Andalusian introduction of beignets into Mediterranean France. The Spanish name for yeasted fritters is “buñuelos,” and while I have not traced the etymology of the Spanish term, I would be surprised if it did not share a common root with the Provençal bugne.  Moreover, pets de nonne, deep-fried balls of airy choux paste, were known as “Spanish beignets” in the late Middle Ages, again associating deep-fried dough with Spain. Keeping in mind that Andalusia was under Islamic rule from the eighth until the end of the fifteenth century, many Islamic foods had ample opportunity to be integrated into what has evolved into Spanish cuisine.

I got this quote from ------------> What's Cooking America if you'd like to read more!

There is also a recipe and instructions to make your own if you're game!

Tori says the biggest trick to know, is to make SURE you use a thermometer for the hot oil!

The above bit of history also explained to me WHY the first time I was introduced to beignets, 

I was NOT in France.......but in ISRAEL! 

When I was a student in Israel at 18, bakeries making beignets were extremely popular.

They were a bit larger - but still square - and sometimes had jam or custard inside.

In fact, I spent my 19th birthday with my friends, exploring all those outstanding bakeries.  

Tori's beignets were amazing because they were doughy, moist, and dense - YUMMM!

They're not supposed to be light or flakey like, say, a cream puff or a pastry.

They're definitely sweet and scrumptious, little square doughnut-like pillows! MMMMM!

THANK YOU TORI!!!

xoxoxo

oh, the irony

We've got to be the only house on earth with a blow torch sitting on the front entry way table, right?

Yup, that's what I thought :/

And does anyone else find it ironic that it's sitting right next to Fahrenheit 451?

Yup, that's what I thought :/

~

Happy Friday, friends - and have a *BLAST* this weekend! Looks like we will too! LOL!

VOODOO I DO

First there was Mr. Bill

Then came VooDoo Doll Gnome

And then..... after many years of yearning..... and with just a few minutes' notice..... 

straight off a plane from Oregon..... came..... wait for it..... drum roll please.....

~ VOODOO DOUGHNUT ~ 

Are you freaking KIDDING ME?!?! I could scarcely believe my eyes!!!

At the door was my AWESOME friend Heather, holding a REAL Voodoo doughnut for ME!

(below is where I start stealing all of her photos.....)

You DO know about VOODOO DOUGHNUTS, right? RIGHT?!?!

As a connoisseur of all things donut, I have known about VOODOO for years! YEARS!

It's an Oregon landmark for goodness' sake! A literal donut mecca, if you will!

But I had never been there, NOR had I ever sampled their famous doughnuts.

TILL NOW MUA-HA-HAAA!

Get this: Heather carried an entire box of doughnuts on multiple planes through multiple airports to bring them back to California! And bless her sweet heart, she knows how much I love donuts and brought me one! I thought I was gonna BUST! Thank you Heather! Thank you so much for being so thoughtful! :)

The doughnuts at VOODOO are simply INSANE (btw, you can NOT call them 'donuts' there!)

And I mean seriously INSANE. Click on the link below: you know you want to!

-----------------> VOODOO DOUGHNUTS <-----------------

Good things do, indeed, come in pink boxes! (just check out the maple/bacon bar on that box!)

xoxo

it's a process

 My little Angel's wake up process......

1. acknowledge she's alive

2. be happy

 3. start washing her face like a bunny

 4. take a moment to decide if she really wants to wake up

 5. kick blankie off and start rolling around

 6. snort, twist, roll, spin, root, and snort some more

 7. refer back to # 6

8. refer back to # 6

9. go back to sleep for a few more hours :)