tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53483213832534048212024-03-14T06:23:23.565-07:00SugarKrushFood, Travel and Sights by Kristen Rush-De AndaSugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-13644738536992497342017-05-28T05:19:00.002-07:002017-05-28T05:19:09.626-07:00Hotels vs AirBnB We love to travel. Who doesn't, right? I am a big believer in liking where you stay. I want to get the absolute best deal for my money. If there is a fair to average lodging option and then a really nice one for $10 to $20 more, I will always go for the nicer one. When we get "home" from a day of site seeing, I don't want to be grossed out by the shower or bed. The second thing that is really important to me in my travel lodging is the ability to walk (or drive a very short distance) to get food and drinks. I want to be able to have a beer or wine with dinner and start to unwind...I don't want to have a 14 mile ride on dark, winding road to back to retire for the night. <br />
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When determining where to stay, I typically let price tag be my guide. Generally I use Hotels.com (part of Expedia) first to see what type of rate I can get where we are going and how close the hotel is located to the location and activities we want to do. After getting a general sense of the average hotel cost, I start looking on AirBnB for the same: rates + proximity. Once, I zero in on my price point, if both the hotels and AirBnBs are
about the same, I start looking at reviews on both sites. The more
reviews the better. A hotel or AirBnB rental could have a 5 star review but if there are only 2 reviews, that is not really a good indicator that your experience will be positive.<br />
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When using AirBnB, I always filter by Entire Home. It's actually pretty exciting to look at all of the different types of homes and neighborhoods available. There some really cool to rent! Our first AirBnB experience was in Los Angeles. We stayed in a guest house in the neighborhood that we used to live in, so it was pretty low risk in terms of area. We already knew where everything was. What we didn't know was how much interaction we would have with this host. It turns out, we had no face to face interaction at all...all texting. That has been our experience most of the time. We only met our host in person in Portland, OR. Many AirBnB hosts have a key code door lock on their units. This makes it easy to provide access to guests with coordinating the whole key hand off.<br />
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In Nashville, we stayed in a hotel the first time we visited and an AirBnB in East Nashville, the second. We had fun both times but the experiences were completely different. Staying at an AirBnB, we were right in the middle of a cool neighborhood with great shops and restaurants. It sounds cliche, but we really did get to experience Nashville more like a local by staying at the AirBnB.<br />
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So, AirBnB sounds great, right? What's the downside you ask? While we have had all positive experiences so far, there is always a risk you show up somewhere, can't get into the unit and can't get touch with the host. Or the host cancels on you at the last minute. Or the place is not clean, has no sheets, no hot water, etc. If you are the type of person who does not deal well with this type of risk, a hotel may be a better choice. At a hotel, you have a front desk and a lobby to hang out in while the staff sorts out any issues with your room. You have someone to hold accountable if the sheets are not clean or there are no towels. Both lodging options are great, it's just a matter of which one is better for you.<br />
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Happy travels! <br />
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<br />SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-57474092228921937262016-01-31T05:31:00.001-08:002016-01-31T05:35:30.627-08:00Awww...Sugar, Sugar: FDA New Guidelines urge restrictions on daily sugar intake<br />
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<a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/09/placing-a-cap-on-americans-consumption-of-added-sugar/">The FDA is now recommending a cap on Americans' daily intake of sugar</a>. The guideline states that sugar should not make up more than 10% of a person's daily caloric intake. I am sure we all know that we should cut back on sugar, especially after all the holiday treats in November and December. However, when you really try to stick this rule, it is almost impossible. As the linked article from the New York Times points out, there are a lot of "hidden sugars" lurking where you would not expect it, like tomato sauce and yogurt. <br />
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One of my favorite "foods" (which are really man made creations I suppose) is breakfast cereal. I have been making an effort in the last few weeks to pay more attention to the grams of sugar per serving listed on my cereal boxes' Nutrition Labels. I think people assume most of the cereals with the dehydrated marshmallows and leprechauns, any sort of variation on the word "cookie" (Cookie Crisp, Oreo O's), or based on a candy (Reese's Puff's) are probably the most sugar laden cereals out there but that is not always the case. Out of all of the cereals that have passed through my cupboard (and there have been a lot!), Raisin Bran tops the charts at 18 grams of sugar per serving! To put that in perspective, Honey Smacks, noted by multiple <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/05/15/all-sugared-up-the-best-and-worst-breakfast-cereals-for-kids/#7c841bb55836">websites</a> as the "top" kid's cereal sugar offender, has 15 grams of sugar per serving. I can only assume Raisin Bran isn't in these lists because it is not marketed to children which is typically the focus of these studies? In the pictures above, Cheerios (or the store brand equivalent Toasted Oats) is the top picture with an amazing low (for cereal!) 1 gram of sugar per serving...the second picture with 12 grams of sugar is Wegman's Fall Harvest cereal: whole oat clusters, multi-grain flakes dried cranberries, apples and pumpkin seeds. <br />
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So now what? I am doing a few things to try to switch things up:<br />
- I am paying closer attention to the sugar listed on the nutrition labels. It's difficult to find a low sugar cereal that also does not have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-chameides/bha-and-bht-a-case-for-fr_b_4475967.html">BHT</a> (another post for another time)<br />
- I am trying to switch up my morning routine more. Cold cereal is super convenient to throw in a container to take to work, but some whole wheat toast with avocado is pretty tasty as well.<br />
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<br />SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-319390916112641522016-01-31T04:29:00.003-08:002016-01-31T04:29:48.533-08:00Beauty after the rage: 2016 Bizzard aftermath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's amazing the difference one day makes. For about 24 hrs, we were under blizzard conditions. But, the sun came out again, as it always does, and all is good in the world again. It has been said before but is a great a great metaphor for life: whenever things seem their darkest, there is always light just around the bend somewhere in the near future. You just have to hold on until you get there. SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-10350853085016944912016-01-10T06:00:00.002-08:002016-01-11T05:20:01.536-08:00New Year's Resolutions: Yay or Nay? <br />
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(photo: tasty sparkling wine we enjoyed on New Year's Eve)<br />
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Happy New Year!<br />
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Every year in December I get excited about reflecting on the year that is ending and making resolutions for the next one. Others shun the practice. Of course, since I am into it, I am curious on why some people do not see the value in the practice. Here are some of the arguments I found <i>against</i> setting New Year's Resolutions and my counterargument for each: <br />
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<b>You can set a goal any time of year, you shouldn't have to wait until January 1st.</b> Agreed, set a goal whenever you want to....but sometimes everyday life gets in the way and you find yourself in December thinking, "Damn, I can't believe another whole year has passed and I still haven't learned to play the guitar". End of December/beginning of January is a great time to re-evaluate things and right the ship so to speak. This needs to be done periodically, so why not now? Otherwise re-evaluation might be just another task that gets procrastinated. <br />
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<b>January might not be a good month for some particular goals.</b> Eh...weak argument in my opinion. Sure, maybe January is not the optimal month to look for a new job, move or sell your house. No one said you had to achieve the goal in January, just start it in January and work on achieving it throughout the year. There is plenty of prep work that goes into looking for a new job, for example, that can be started immediately. <br />
<ul>
<li>rank the most important things you want to get out of a prospective employer</li>
<li>determine how far you are willing to commute</li>
<li>research companies that do the work you are interested in </li>
<li>research the financial viability of the company you <i>think</i> you want to work for</li>
<li>perfect that resume! </li>
</ul>
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<b>If you set a goal and fail to achieve it, the psychological affect of the failure out weighs the benefit of setting a goal.</b> I think this one comes down to the goal itself and how you define "failure". First, when setting goals, you have to make sure they are achievable...otherwise, it is really a pipe dream, not a goal. For many folks the standard New Year's goal is weight loss and getting healthy. Is this achievable? Yes, but we each have our own set of limitations that need to be taken into account like specific "powerhouse" foods that might clash with your medication or a pre-existing back issue that prevents you from doing dead lifts at the gym. Also, you can't go from 0 to 100 in one week. Incrementally build on your fitness/health goals and don't necessarily focus on the results, especially in the beginning. I have met people who don't run at all, who have told me that think they would be able to run 10 miles right out of the gate. They feel they wouldn't need training because they were an athlete 10-15 years ago in high school or college. That's not realistic. I am not a doctor or a trainer but you can see where I am going with this. Start with the small things like not drinking soda and walking and then build up to doing a 5k. <br />
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For myself, I set a number of resolutions this year in various categories like relationships, health, work and travel. One thing I did this year that I had not in previous years is write them down. I am not really a written list person...I tend to keep mental lists. However, the mental list has failed me many times, so I am trying something new, hoping it will keep me more focused.<br />
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Cheers! <br />
<br />SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-71536289582523142382014-06-22T12:51:00.000-07:002014-06-23T03:10:02.141-07:00St. Anthony Italian Festival - Wilmington, DE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think the first time I heard about the Italian Festival I was living on the West Coast. Given our new East Coast life, the hubby and I figured we would work up a big appetite doing yard work and then head to DE to chow down. Basically, the festival is a like a week long big block party around a church. The entire event is a fundraiser for St. Anthony of Padua's Catholic Church. There is food, drinks, carnival rides, casino style games and live music.<br />
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We got there just before the crowds on the opening day of the event, so we were able to walk around and get a lay of the land before the crowds arrived. On the food front, we started off with a refreshing <a href="http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/36010/">Leinenkugel Summer Shandy</a> and a slice of pizza while taking everything in...later moving on to some chicken parm sandwiches before topping everything off with some homemade gelato. On the activity side, we saw a string band as well as an orchestra accompanied by a Choral group in the actual church. <br />
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I think they have been doing the festival for about 30 years now, so they really have it down to a science on how to turn the church grounds into a festival. The surrounding neighborhood was also decorated with Italian flags and banners, so while I am sure parking is a bit of challenge for the church's residential neighbors during the week long event, it seems they embrace the spirit of the event. <br />
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<br />SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-80300292141444543042013-08-25T14:21:00.001-07:002013-08-25T14:28:09.906-07:00Getting back to it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a long time since my last post but I am back now! We moved again which disrupted my cooking routine but we are finally settled just in time for the best time of the year: autumn! Ok, well, officially it is still late summer but it has been feeling very fall like around here...great sleeping weather!<br />
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When I first move into a new place, I am always a little weirded out that I am using space that was just occupied by someone else. I am sure most people feel that way. It takes a little while for it to feel like yours...especially in the kitchen. We have been in our house about 2 months now and truth be told, I have yet to use the oven. I have been baking stuff but using our table-top toaster/convection oven instead of the regular oven. I have probably held out christening the over a little longer than usual this time but only because it's was summer when we moved in and the table-top oven doesn't heat up the entire kitchen like the big oven does. Another thing that delayed me using the oven initially was a gas leak! It is fixed now, but it dragged out over a two week period due to inept repair companies. <br />
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The above picture is some pasta salad I made for a family party this weekend: Tri-colored pasta, red onions, celery, cucumbers, black olives, pepperoni, feta and Kraft Italian dressing. Delicious if I do say so myself...the veggies added a great crunch and the pepperoni and onions supplied just the right kick. SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-64986542802271948652013-02-12T06:23:00.002-08:002013-02-12T06:26:32.891-08:00Valentine's Day Treat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To get in the Valentine's Day mood this past weekend, I made some lemon cupcakes with tea infused buttercream frosting. A sort of Arnold Palmer cake...The cake was just a box cake but I did make the frosting from scratch. The frosting was really just an improvisation but it turned out pretty nice. I really liked the consistency. The tea flavor was subtle. I think I would try to go a little heavier on the tea next time.<br />
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<i><b>Tea Infused Buttercream Frosting</b></i><br />
2 Black Tea Bags soaking in a about 1/4 cup of boiling water to make a strong tea flavor<br />
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)<br />
Approximately 2 - 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar<br />
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Cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add in the tea.<br />
Slowly add the powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup at a time). <br />
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Honestly, I just poured the powdered sugar out of the bag, so I am not sure how much I used. Just keep adding the sugar until your icing is the desired consistency.<br />
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<br />SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-68776124371791425632013-02-03T10:33:00.002-08:002013-02-03T13:14:56.038-08:00Super Bowl Roll Ups! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_784478500"></span>Whenever I think of Super Bowl party foods, I think of some sort of taco dip creation which typically involves cream cheese and some chili/taco flavoring. This year I decided to make some salsa rolls up inspired by a recipe I saw on the Kraft Foods Recipe <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/salsa-roll-ups-107851.aspx">website</a>. Of course, I improvised a bit to make it fall more in line with my "taco dip" theme.<br />
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Note that this is a party food recipe, so it makes a decent amount. I got about 35 nice slices with about 10 uneven end pieces. If you want less, just cut the recipe in half....<br />
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1 package of Burrito size flour tortillas<br />
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese<br />
1 package of shredded cheddar or mixed cheese (cheddar, colby, jack, etc...)<br />
10 tablespoons of medium Pico de Gallo<br />
1 package or taco seasoning mix<br />
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Put the cream cheese in a medium sized bowl. Add the pico de gallo and taco seasoning. Mix until thoroughly combined. <br />
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Spread a layer of of the cream cheese mixture onto a tortilla and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Although it is not in the "preparation" photo, I also added a bit of shredded lettuce for crunch...I think chopped onions would also work well in the regard. Anyway, once your ingredients are on the tortilla, roll the tortilla as tightly as possible. After it is rolled, simply cut into about 1 - 1 1/2 inch sized slices. Continue until you run out of the cream cheese mixture. I ended up using 5 tortillas.<br />
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<br />SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-91031912337759055902013-01-26T08:32:00.002-08:002013-02-03T13:15:17.177-08:00Mission Coffee Cup - La Jolla<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Victor and I had breakfast at the Mission Coffee Cup in La Jolla a few weeks ago. It is just a small place with a few seats outside...it was a bit cold and foggy the morning we were there, so we opted to wait for an inside table. The tables are really packed closely together, so it's a bit of challenge navigating around. Although Yelp says the place is wheelchair accessible, the only way I could see getting a wheelchair in there is if they temporarily moved some tables out. There was a woman in a wheelchair eating there at the same time as us, but her party opted to eat outside on the patio which is saying something since it was about 60 degrees or so outside.<br />
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Given the name, I would love to say the coffee was outstanding, sadly I had to skip coffee since we had a 2 hour car ride back to LA after we ate. Coffee and long car rides don't mix for me. Their orange juice, however, was fresh squeezed and delicious!<br />
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This is definitely not your "greasy spoon" diner fare...the majority of the dishes had a healthy tofu/brown rice/egg white thing going on. Victor got the Banana Honey Oatmeal pancakes and I got some sort of egg scramble thing. The eggs were good but the absolute standout of the meal was the rosemary toast. This toast made me want to drive straight home and try to make my own....I just could not get enough of it! SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-50662327942909875302013-01-06T09:21:00.000-08:002013-02-03T13:15:50.799-08:00Cork Factory - Lancaster, PA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the holidays, Victor and I hit another hotel listed on the Historic Hotels <a href="http://www.historichotels.org/">website</a>. This time, we were in Lancaster, PA...better known to some folks as the locale for Discovery Channel's <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/amish-mafia/about-the-show/about-the-show.htm">Amish Mafia</a>. <br />
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Anyway, back to the hotel: It is called the <a href="http://www.corkfactoryhotel.com/">Cork Factory Hotel</a> and it's located in Downtown Lancaster. Built in 1865 and used as cork factory from 1875 through the 1960s when bottles and caps began to be produced there. In around 2004, the building and those surrounding it where purchased to be re-purposed as a mixed use community. The hotel debuted in it's current form in 2009. <br />
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The Hotel's decor is is beautiful with exposed red brick and wood framework. The walls are adorned with antique cork presses. The rooms, especially when compared to some we have stayed at in NYC, are huge! The included continental breakfast included the typical fare (individual yogurts, bagels, granola bars, cold cereal) as well as some local pastries...but really, give me a good cup of coffee with cream and I am in heaven... the sticky bun was an just an added bonus! The hotel's only negative is the sound proofing between the rooms but bad acoustics seem to be the norm in the historic hotels. With some ear plugs, we had a sound night's rest.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.lancasterbrewing.com/">Lancaster Brewing Company</a> was located around the corner from the hotel, so we walked over there for dinner. Victor had bbq chicken pizza and I tried the veggie burger...both very tasty. In terms of the beer, I enjoyed my Milk Stout but Victor was just lukewarm on his Strawberry Wheat. He wanted some sort of wheat beer but the "strawberry" part just made it a little too sweet. According to Yelp reviews, the service here can be a spotty but our overall experience was great.<br />
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<br />SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-34236029850352237242013-01-06T08:08:00.000-08:002013-02-03T13:17:47.676-08:00Diwali and my first foray into Vegan territory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Per Wiki, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali">Diwali</a>, also known as Deepavali or "festival of lights", is a five day Hindu festival celebrated in India, Nepal and a number of other countries where Hindis gather with their families to celebrate the end of the harvest season. I am not an expert on Diwali by any means...but through the years I have worked in many multi-cultural environments and had the pleasure of learning about different customs/holidays many of which have delicious foods that accompany them. <br />
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This year, Diwali began on Tuesday November 13th. My co-worker organized a "Diwali Potluck Lunch" the Friday prior for our work team. I knew I could not make any Indian cuisine that would stand up against the dishes my Indian co-workers were going to bring, so I made some vegan coconut cupcakes. I used the recipe on Chef Chloe's <a href="http://chefchloe.com/sweets/fluffy-coconut-cupcakes.html">website </a>for the cupcakes themselves and improvised on the icing since I did not have any coconut oil. <br />
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<em><strong>Vegan Coconut Cupcakes</strong></em> (adapted from <a href="http://chefchloe.com/sweets/fluffy-coconut-cupcakes.html">Chef Chloe's recipe</a>)<br />
1 3/4 unbleached all purpose flour<br />
1 cup of sugar<br />
1 teaspoon of baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon of baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt <br />
1 cup of coconut milk<br />
1/2 cup oil (I used olive oil since that is what I had on hand but original recipe stated canola oil)<br />
2 tablespoon vanilla<br />
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar<br />
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Preheat oven to 350, prepare cupcake pan with cupcake liners (I ended up with enough batter for 19 cupcakes).<br />
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In one bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt). <br />
In a second bowl, mix together all of the wet ingredients (coconut milk, oil, vanilla, vinegar). <br />
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing (by hand) until just combined. <br />
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Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for about 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. <br />
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<strong><em>Coconut glaze icing </em></strong>(my own creation)<br />
To ice the cupcakes, I made a quick glaze from 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of coconut milk. These measurements are simply a guide...feel free to add more or less powdered sugar depending on how thick you want the glazed. Drizzle on top of the cupcakes and then sprinkle with coconut. <br />
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<br />SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-19445755855775203922012-11-21T13:18:00.001-08:002013-02-03T13:18:13.761-08:00Look for surprises in unexpected places...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Can't believe it's Thanksgiving already! I was looking through some pictures Victor and I took this past year and found this one which I totally forgot. We took this at <a href="http://www.integratron.com/">The Integratron</a> in Landers, CA a few months ago. There is a house there at the Integratron where you can hang out until it is time to go into the Dome for the sound bath. While kicking around there, we stumbled across this which made me smile...SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-39969845842825326672012-11-02T17:51:00.001-07:002013-02-03T13:17:29.206-08:00Dias De Los Muertos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend, The Hollywood Forever Cemetary hosted their annual Dias De Los Muertos festival. Although this was our first time attending, the Cemetary has been hosting this event for the last thirteen years. If you are not familiar with Dias De Los Muertos, aka Days of the Dead, basically, November 1st and 2nd are set aside to celebrate family members which have passed on. November 1st is used to honor deceased infants and children while the 2nd is reserved for adults. People put together fairly ornate alters around the gravesites/headstones to honors their loved ones using marigolds and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Calavera_Catrina">La Calavera Catrina</a> (The Elegant Skull) imagery. The event at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary also included vendors selling Dias De Los Muertos themed art as well as some music performances. It was a beautiful day in Los Angeles this year for the event. The pictures don't do it justice....SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-27404977151445406032012-10-29T11:54:00.001-07:002013-02-03T13:16:59.496-08:002012 Halloween Treats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In an effort to get in the Halloween spirit, I put together these spooky treats. I cannot take credit for the vampire cupcake concept...google "Halloween vampire cupcakes" and this design will come up...but since it's on many websites, I am not sure who to give proper credit to? Who ever came up with the idea, thank you! It's easy yet holiday specific! Perfect for those who want a festive cupcake without a lot of food coloring. </div>
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I was a little disappointed on how the sugar cookies turned out. They taste great but they just look so-so. I made the cookies over the weekend but they didn't get decorated until Monday night after work (during the last Presidential debate actually). I was already tired from work but I couldn't wait until the weekend again to decorate so we sort of rushed through the decorating. If I could only quit my job and work on cookie decorating full time...I have great ideas in my head, they just rarely make it on to the cookie! Luckily, there are plenty of holidays coming up to try again! </div>
SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-8616131985688122462012-09-01T17:19:00.002-07:002012-09-02T07:30:45.974-07:00Pappy and Harriet's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a music fan, I have heard tell of <a href="http://www.pappyandharriets.com/">Pappy and Harriet's</a> for a few years now. A lot of folks have played here: Calexico, Graham Parsons, Dandy Wharhols, Johnette Napolitano, etc. A friend was working with a band who was playing out there, so I looked up the website see to see how far it was from LA: 130 miles east! Although they have a great roster of bands playing every night of the week, unfortunately, it is a little too far to catch a show and then make it to work in the morning! <br />
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Victor and I took a little weekend trip out to the dessert back in June. We visited the <a href="http://www.integratron.com/">Integratron</a> for a rejuvenating "sound bath" and then headed to Pappy and Harriet's for lunch. It's located in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneertown,_California">Pioneertown, CA</a>, a small town in the Yucca Valley near Joshua Tree with a population of 350. The town was a started as a Old West movie set that had some housing for the actors. They still do some "old west" reanactments on the weekends (the cast were doing a run through of their lines when we were there). Pretty easy to find, you take Pioneertown Rd off of Twentynine Palms Highway...there is not much out there, so when you happen upon the town, you know it! Back to our lunch, I had a veggie burger (this still California after all) and Victor had a grilled chicken sandwich. Both were tasty, big portions and great prices...so if you find yourself out in the Yucca Valley, definitely make time to swing by Pappy and Harriet's in Pioneertown. If you go for a show, you may want to consider booking a room at the little motel they have so you can have a beer or two and not worry about driving back to main highway. SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-49753857183355100022012-09-01T08:39:00.001-07:002012-09-02T07:30:58.350-07:00Catching upIt's been a few months since I last posted. My lack of posting was 50% because I have been pretty busy lately and 50% questioning whether or not I wanted to continue with the blog. I originally started this blog to share my creations from my cake decorating class with my family. After the class ended, it morphed into a general food blog but Food Bloggers are a dime a dozen it seems. I wondered, what do I bring to the table that is more interesting or unique than everyone else? I do some recipe creation but mostly, I am just veering off of an existing recipe (always giving credit of course)....also, as most hard core food bloggers will tell you, it's a lot of work creating a picture perfect creation (ok, mine don't always fall into THIS category), getting the best photo possible and then writing an interesting and charming synopsis for your post. For some of the more successful bloggers, it's their full time job! Anyway, what I missed on my time away from blogging was the writing...so the blog is going to be changing a bit, covering more topics than just food. Hopefully, people will enjoy the change! SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-43006421809239938782012-04-14T08:24:00.007-07:002012-04-15T15:29:31.031-07:00The Mission Inn and Spa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4o5eVWJUn5fqrZGHr2E_AbbrSNz0tPoIkvqp3yUZlbpZ6XefzD2Mx5P9MoQDqzPw54LyKNzOl6AwLukfuKyNhGJKmhHoz7sGFwFtl-9sTBtaspC6GRw8hljv8ZklBOdQoL0QsymmsZ-M/s1600/IMG_5559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4o5eVWJUn5fqrZGHr2E_AbbrSNz0tPoIkvqp3yUZlbpZ6XefzD2Mx5P9MoQDqzPw54LyKNzOl6AwLukfuKyNhGJKmhHoz7sGFwFtl-9sTBtaspC6GRw8hljv8ZklBOdQoL0QsymmsZ-M/s320/IMG_5559.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlF_XlgsTf18Rmn5DaTjp2ReYKYm0YJGVQW1XywG4pgBQTZDVpAsaeD5XkQFqPU9mI-dxXLdhavSjnBfp5xcHW_lrx4fQLttpkDWpxYbEvi1kfE_OgH60Tdp-xbcXWob3ffxt45sweQU/s1600/IMG_5571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlF_XlgsTf18Rmn5DaTjp2ReYKYm0YJGVQW1XywG4pgBQTZDVpAsaeD5XkQFqPU9mI-dxXLdhavSjnBfp5xcHW_lrx4fQLttpkDWpxYbEvi1kfE_OgH60Tdp-xbcXWob3ffxt45sweQU/s320/IMG_5571.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTqMDdaPXNs_FUCHEoYSBTBEny5rhgv8nqNECaOY08ashsavGxl5QrYoolbq8ah0jEa7P0RO6-T7Jo8IzmecTS7RdsQUY0huFyRdj__E3Idgvir7mZpET5AVENWoClyz9UxwwHnLDPzk/s1600/IMG_5575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTqMDdaPXNs_FUCHEoYSBTBEny5rhgv8nqNECaOY08ashsavGxl5QrYoolbq8ah0jEa7P0RO6-T7Jo8IzmecTS7RdsQUY0huFyRdj__E3Idgvir7mZpET5AVENWoClyz9UxwwHnLDPzk/s320/IMG_5575.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Last weekend, Victor and I stayed at the <a href="http://missioninn-px.trvlclick.com/">Mission Inn and Spa</a> in Riverside, CA. The hotel is listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's <a href="http://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/mission-inn-hotel-spa/">website</a>. Looking through the website, I realize I have actually now stayed at four historic hotels:<br />
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<ul><li>The Mission Inn and Spa (Riverside, CA)</li>
<li>Mohonk Mountain House (New Platz, NY)</li>
<li>The Queen Mary (Long Beach, CA)</li>
<li>The Fairmont Hotel (San Francisco)</li>
</ul><br />
We also had drinks at The Driskill Hotel (Austin, TX) where I ended up accidentally setting myself on fire...but that's a different story for a different day. <br />
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Back to the Mission Inn and Spa....we were going to a birthday party out near Riverside, so rather than make the 70 mile journey back to Los Angeles that night, we figured we would take the opportunity to make it a mini-vacation. We checked in about 9 pm on Saturday...the room was lovely, bigger than we expected with a four poster bed and flat screen TV. Our room was on the second floor, facing the front of hotel, overlooking Las Campanas' (the hotel's Mexican restaurant) patio. We were a little concerned about the potential noise factor of the patio, but since the restaurant closes at 10 pm, we figured it wouldn't be an issue. Frankly, pretty much every room in the hotel overlooks some noisy something: the pool, the interior courtyard, the street or like us, the Mexican restaurant. We quickly found out the restaurant patio was not going to be the only potential noise issue as we heard high heels click, clicking to and fro above our heads on what sounded like either hardwood or tile...<br />
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Since it was still pretty early, we decided to explore the hotel grounds....it is a really interesting place with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. I was pretty surprised at the level of access guests have to pretty much all areas of the hotel the only exception being the chapels. What we did realize in our travels is that The Mission Inn is an event hotel....sure, all hotels hold events, but it seemed like this hotel, due to it's unique decor, specialized in events. This means lots of inebriated folks running around everywhere in formal wear celebrating, lots of staff setting up and breaking down tables, decor, etc in unused areas for the next event and wedding DJ music pumping out of an event room on the first floor (so glad our room wasn't above that!). Thanks to front desk graciously supplying us with complimentary ear plugs (just give them a call and ask), we were able to get a fairly decent night sleep (only woken up once!).<br />
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The next morning was Easter (hence the Easter Bunny shot above), so the hotel was having a special Easter Brunch for $59 a person. While we love the variety of an all you can eat brunch, $59 is a bit excessive, so we ordered room service. We both got the "blueberry pancakes" which were just regular pancakes with a serving of blueberries on the side (huh?). I should also mention, the pancakes tasted like they use a mix and just average blueberries (I had better tasting blueberries in my fridge at home). I did enjoy my coffee though....<br />
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The tall and short of the whole experience was, the hotel is beautiful and cool to explore but don't come here for a restful, relaxing weekend...and if you want a great Sunday morning breakfast, go elsewhere.SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-56375132495727003092012-03-11T21:38:00.010-07:002012-03-14T09:22:25.123-07:00Carmel Mission Inn<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8W9ZdEmKAyUbk1BFGJ_nDWh6ZwxkciMbM3p0f8s6yNm-tTSfaqx2fFwwEN4CRIQqUdjfpDGvOqcc43wMLMR5Vt4hG5i8Ahg7clULpGcTauGIPJ_Lt6Dz3vd1-wA7hipGSDJlqw-I_4k/s1600/IMG_3223.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8W9ZdEmKAyUbk1BFGJ_nDWh6ZwxkciMbM3p0f8s6yNm-tTSfaqx2fFwwEN4CRIQqUdjfpDGvOqcc43wMLMR5Vt4hG5i8Ahg7clULpGcTauGIPJ_Lt6Dz3vd1-wA7hipGSDJlqw-I_4k/s320/IMG_3223.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719007996359474242" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wbhn_jzJTkxmQZoVRa7bhUjeM9ld9OfUct7Ubj69QGcRmuMDyU2-s3OxBtDDZgzsOnodVFGw8015apXqb5QyP-39VNF85UTRcorywihfvAplXjCvMzRIEFkE-QASq-NGyEZAx7DeDro/s1600/IMG_3224.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wbhn_jzJTkxmQZoVRa7bhUjeM9ld9OfUct7Ubj69QGcRmuMDyU2-s3OxBtDDZgzsOnodVFGw8015apXqb5QyP-39VNF85UTRcorywihfvAplXjCvMzRIEFkE-QASq-NGyEZAx7DeDro/s320/IMG_3224.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718865748133725746" border="0" /></a>Victor and I recently took a mini-vacation up the California coast to check out Hearst Castle, Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz and Carmel. We stayed at a different hotel each night, which was probably a bit much, but gave us the chance to check out some interesting places. The place we stayed at in Carmel was the <a href="http://www.carmelmissioninn.com/home.htm">Carmel Mission Inn</a>. It was a pretty inconspicuous place located right off of Highway 1 but was peaceful and serene once you were inside.<br /><br />The hotel property backs up to <a href="http://www.thebarnyard.com/">The Barnyard</a>, a shopping center with some boutique stores and a good variety of restaurants. Once we checked in and dropped our stuff, we walked over to <a href="http://flanaganscarmel.com/">Flanagan's Irish-American Pub</a> for dinner and drinks. I love a hotel that has stuff in walking distance. After doing the tourist thing all day, it's so nice to just park the car and relax for the night.SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-91057767954037464042012-03-11T20:17:00.009-07:002012-03-11T21:13:04.042-07:00Xiao Long Bao at Kuan's Restaurant<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNeXb8VdAUR3kAmG1xov66c2AI8-D8tSiwZv3QHehCvu-Fgltzc83Thst7PB8qgRzNTpwwI9BL5g7VCo_FydQqwAKBUKXArankiPEtNxBhcLRVkA7LzFw1mjf5hMfVMglt1lxs4h0J7Q/s1600/IMG_3244.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNeXb8VdAUR3kAmG1xov66c2AI8-D8tSiwZv3QHehCvu-Fgltzc83Thst7PB8qgRzNTpwwI9BL5g7VCo_FydQqwAKBUKXArankiPEtNxBhcLRVkA7LzFw1mjf5hMfVMglt1lxs4h0J7Q/s320/IMG_3244.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718845074048940386" border="0" /></a>Unfortunately, I only have "aftermath" pictures from our lunch at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/kuans-restaurant-montebello">Kuan's</a> a few weeks ago. We were all so hungry when we got there that we just dove in without giving a second thought about photographing any of the food. It was a mad frenzy of chop sticks, tea and dumplings...<br /><br />To back up a little bit, about 8 or so years ago, some friends introduced me to Kuan's Restaurant. It's just little hole in the wall in a strip mall right off of the 60 in Montebello. They are famous for their juicy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaolongbao">Xiao Long Bao (XLB)</a>: steamed, pork filled dumplings with broth somehow baked in. To eat, put the dumpling on a spoon before biting as the broth will seep out...and you don't want to lose any of that great flavor. People go nuts for Kuan's dumplings...while we were there, we saw a family pull up and purchase a frozen bag of 50. No joke. Not only are the XLB tasty, juicy and filling, they are only $6.95 for 16 dumplings!<br /><br />This past trip we also ordered green onion pancake, fried bread roll, garlic string beans, pickled cucumbers, some sort of tasty noodle dish, orange chicken and sweet and sour soup. The only thing I did not like was the sweet and sour soup: it was not very hot and that gooey viscosity that sort of freaks me out. End damage for all this food including tip? $10 per person. It doesn't get any more reasonable than that.<br /><br />If you are thinking about checking this place out, definitely read the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/kuans-restaurant-montebello">reviews</a> on Yelp first. Some folks seem to feel like this place is "in the ghetto", others feel it's over hyped....The ghetto statements actually make me laugh. No, the location is not fancy, but I have definitely been to sketchier neighborhoods in my life and can say with a good degree of confidence, this is not the ghetto. In terms of the "over hyped" statements, that's more a matter of personal taste....I am not a connoisseur of Xiao Long Bao, so I can't speak to their authenticity BUT I can say the dumplings left me satisfied and happy.SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-85010697966757032682012-01-28T08:05:00.002-08:002012-03-11T21:31:06.071-07:00Mo's Smoked Gouda dip update!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPukOP1c_t-E17P6AWO6fGwEsMwTXFVlvgdvYI-MVofdhoThePyUNaOD_ZSeCTWEQercmhVe_kMzS3E233mr-R-AjZsWFsF32uJE1VqdV9UTScn_2XqXBtjzZrUSHIhFgCFfEL2XrAIfw/s1600/IMG_2941.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPukOP1c_t-E17P6AWO6fGwEsMwTXFVlvgdvYI-MVofdhoThePyUNaOD_ZSeCTWEQercmhVe_kMzS3E233mr-R-AjZsWFsF32uJE1VqdV9UTScn_2XqXBtjzZrUSHIhFgCFfEL2XrAIfw/s320/IMG_2941.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703662592681136946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJhTLfwwASi2mxOR_tESgjZNYZei92rfdHZBwtdhiTLrkKdP7-obcZgF4YcNcDbuSEmM2u44PgxfCQebAoFxlHVqZlt8lhYhIAkcgPe2fZBZvs32Cm6GfD1Ujz_kGXDtV9Iws74z4YfA/s1600/IMG_2942.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJhTLfwwASi2mxOR_tESgjZNYZei92rfdHZBwtdhiTLrkKdP7-obcZgF4YcNcDbuSEmM2u44PgxfCQebAoFxlHVqZlt8lhYhIAkcgPe2fZBZvs32Cm6GfD1Ujz_kGXDtV9Iws74z4YfA/s320/IMG_2942.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703662589899286258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have gotten a lot of feedback on my post about <a href="http://sugarkrush.blogspot.com/2011/02/mos-smoked-gouda-dip.html">Mo's Smoked Gouda dip</a> from Whole Foods. As Grace pointed out in her comment posted in November, Whole Foods has since dropped the name "Mo's" and relabeled the product (hot or mild) Smoked Gouda Dip. The recipe has slightly changed as well. It's a subtle change, but it's definitely different. Still good, just different. My husband and I ate a fair amount of the original Mo's dip so I feel confident stating that there has been a change...I wonder if the name and recipe change is because the original Mo realized that he was onto something and is going to be marketing his version? Only time will tell....<br /><br />In my original post, I mentioned that I was going to try to make my own version. I did try but the results were just ok...I will try again. If anyone else has been successful in making their own version, I would love to hear from you!SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-67530926082952250082012-01-23T07:08:00.001-08:002012-03-11T21:30:43.073-07:00Southwestern White Bean and Ham soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9g3eohQ_NP9cRJI4sJfs4eEYTyjUIeOdeY0QHx-zFHLlss8ObKnNvL_Fh2f1yVsMu9-I7MXHF643siuqFwdMC0ePAnhDGxeNnS1R_ri56R7bZHga0B6RnEthFJld4hxHMN-fn8XV3Us/s1600/IMG_2938.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9g3eohQ_NP9cRJI4sJfs4eEYTyjUIeOdeY0QHx-zFHLlss8ObKnNvL_Fh2f1yVsMu9-I7MXHF643siuqFwdMC0ePAnhDGxeNnS1R_ri56R7bZHga0B6RnEthFJld4hxHMN-fn8XV3Us/s320/IMG_2938.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703662026164983554" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br />I had a left over ham bone and was super excited to make some sort of soup with it. I love split pea soup, but my husband is not the biggest fan. So, I decided to make a Southwestern White Bean with Ham soup which I was pretty happy with. I added a small can of Trader Joe's green chilis to give it a little kick. If you want even more of a kick, feel free to add some hot sauce. </div><div><br /></div><div>Note, I had originally prepared the ham with cloves, pineapple and brown sugar, so it already had a good flavor to it which definitely added to the depth of flavor in the soup. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Kristen's Southwestern White Bean and Ham soup</i><br /><br /></div><div>1 fully cooked ham bone with some meat stuck on it</div><div>1 cup of sliced celery</div><div>1 cup of sliced carrots</div><div>1 cup of sliced onion</div><div>1 bag of white northern beans</div><div>1 can chopped green chilis</div><div>3 cloves of garlic</div><div>1 teaspoon olive oil</div><div>6 cups of water</div><div>2 teaspoon italian seasoning</div><div>1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper</div><div>2 bay leaves</div><div><br /></div><div>Sort and soak beans for 6-8 hrs. In large soup pot, saute chopped garlic in olive oil until cooked.</div><div><br /></div><div>After beans are finished soaking, rinse and transfer them to the large soup pot with the sauted garlic. Add 6 cups of water, ham bone, veggies and spices; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let soup simmer for about 2 hours. </div><div><br /></div><div>When soup is ready, carefully remove meat from the bone. I do this by simply using a long wooden spoon and pushing the meat away from the bone. The meat should be very tender at this point and fall off the bone easily. </div><div><br /></div><div>Discard bone, bay leaves and serve. </div><div><br /></div>SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-39230978479442039972012-01-21T08:08:00.001-08:002012-03-11T21:31:23.246-07:00The old fashioned pleasure of gingerbread...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPez6QcKPn1R2RjAaig24xgzWImDgOT_hR2z1T-674wlwVO7Tcs4Je2xdUvSWTsPsuCW2elEIrX5dPQvwQ3boWqPHmcxwEOq-GONE5p36uEPIUuWBEF8w9dGOb-oD5rBrl-6gxiWxfkZU/s1600/IMG_2905.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPez6QcKPn1R2RjAaig24xgzWImDgOT_hR2z1T-674wlwVO7Tcs4Je2xdUvSWTsPsuCW2elEIrX5dPQvwQ3boWqPHmcxwEOq-GONE5p36uEPIUuWBEF8w9dGOb-oD5rBrl-6gxiWxfkZU/s320/IMG_2905.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700118043454145618" border="0" /></a>Just say the word "gingerbread" and images of a home decorated for the holidays with a glowing fire in the fireplace instantly come to mind. It was a little easier for me to conjure up these thoughts while we were on the East Coast visiting family....it's a little harder when it's 70 degrees here in LA. <div><br /></div><div>Anyway, while we were in Philly, my mom was wondering what to do with some heavy whipping cream left over from a pasta dish she had made, so I decided to keep it simple and just make whipped cream to serve on top of warm gingerbread cake. I find that if you bake with some frequency, most likely, you have all the ingredients in your pantry already for gingerbread recipes (cakes or cookies) and therefore, it is a great quick "no trip to the store" dessert solution....and my mom's pantry did not disappoint! </div><div><br /></div><div>I found a pretty basic recipe on <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/GingerbreadCake.html">Joy of Baking</a>. Their recipe called for lemon zest in the cake and a lemon icing to top. I didn't have any lemons and planned on making homemade whipped cream, so I skipped these steps. The original recipe also calls for light brown sugar as well as unsulphured molasses...whether you decide to use light or dark brown sugar or sulphured vs unsulphured molasses really depends on how much you like molasses. Dark brown sugar and unsulphured molasses have a more intense molasses flavor than their lighter counterparts. I tend to only buy the darker stuff but that's me...</div><div><br /></div><div>For best results on the whipped cream, use a metal or glass bowl (not plastic). Chill the bowl in the freezer for about 20 minutes or so before pouring the heavy cream into it for beating.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Gingerbread Cake</i> (adapted from <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/GingerbreadCake.html">Joy of Baking</a>)<br /><div><br /></div><div>2 cups flour</div></div><div>1 teaspoon baking soda</div><div>1/4 teaspoon salt</div><div>1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</div><div>1 teaspoon ground ginger</div><div>1/8 teaspoon ground cloves</div><div>1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp</div><div>1/2 cup packed brown sugar </div><div>2 large eggs</div><div>1/2 molasses </div><div>1 cup milk</div><div><br /></div><div>Grease and flour a 9 inch round or square pan and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. </div><div><br /></div><div>In a medium sized bowl, mix together all dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a bigger but separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. </div><div>Add eggs one at a time. </div><div>Add molasses and beat until combined. </div><div>Alternately add dry ingredients and milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.</div><div>Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth batter to ensure even depth of batter in the pan. </div><div>Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cool on wire rack 10 minutes before removing from pan. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Basic Whipped Cream</i></div><div>1 cup heavy cream</div><div>1 teaspoon vanilla</div><div>1 tablespoon confectioners' (powdered) sugar</div><div><br /></div><div>Beat heavy cream in chilled metal or glass bowl until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and sugar and continue to beat until stiffer peaks form. Take care not to over beat after the stiff peaks form as the cream may start to look lumpy. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-87234156567151011002012-01-14T08:41:00.002-08:002012-03-11T21:31:34.778-07:00RIP Angeli Caffe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo1Yc_zTh4cLpHLm4IjlSoU_h6kI64eW6Q-SZr13qEW8Goew2fzuT6lCGCc8cNkBURPl_bU0IPivJJ07r2KZZ9l07ZNXWiHn2FDdDir4U7_yW3BluSCSU21V-NckudofzJlCKzZxJ1eQ/s1600/IMG_0907.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo1Yc_zTh4cLpHLm4IjlSoU_h6kI64eW6Q-SZr13qEW8Goew2fzuT6lCGCc8cNkBURPl_bU0IPivJJ07r2KZZ9l07ZNXWiHn2FDdDir4U7_yW3BluSCSU21V-NckudofzJlCKzZxJ1eQ/s320/IMG_0907.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697528954655784706" border="0" /></a>Sadly, Evan Klieman's <a href="http://www.angelicaffe.com/">Angeli Caffe</a> served its last loaf of delicious complimentary bread and handmade pasta on Thursday January 12th before permanently shuttering their doors. Per the article in the <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/12/evan-kleiman-to-close-angeli-caffe-after-27-years.html">LATimes</a>, the restaurant was simply not turning a profit any longer. <div><br /></div><div>Victor and I went there for our anniversary in the fall. Since it was a special dinner, we went all out with entrees, wine and dessert. Our meal started off with Angeli Caffe's warm, melt in your mouth bread and the Scarmorza alla Griglia, perfectly broiled mozzarella balls with roasted tomatoes and oregano. For entrees, Victor selected the Lasagna Angeli while I opted for the Butternut Squash Lasagna. The Lasagna Angeli was a light and flavorful meatless lasagna in a tomato basil sauce. The Butternut Squash Lasagna was pasta layered with squash and Fontina cheese topped with a Bechamel (butter, flour, milk and pepper) sauce. Both dishes were made with handmade pasta and fresh and flavorful veggies. We topped off the night with some Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding served with freshly made whipped cream. Despite the fact that we were already stuffed from our entrees, the warm, gooey, chocolatey bread pudding wouldn't let go of its hold on us until the entire plate was empty. As we left with our bellies full, we vowed to come back soon. Sadly is not going to happen now...</div><div><br /></div><div>If you have never had fresh handmade pasta, you really must treat yourself and seek some out. The taste and texture is far superior to that of store bought dried pasta...it also seems much lighter somehow. I am going to try to make fresh pasta in a few weeks...but in the meantime, I am open to hearing about people's favorite Italian restaurants since I am now on the hunt for a new one to try! </div>SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-30653672223976323942012-01-07T14:32:00.002-08:002012-03-11T21:31:43.015-07:002011 in review and looking forward...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIucteVCVosiTO-8LAUZXo8vAlW2eZSlqpRgOG8J_TAm6GBQAtZhZ_XUv55fRpmnEPXElfU_l2tcKdm_3nb9abzzkz0CGFa1cXxvIiY3b6x0oavCdKB25Xm7qzQbyD6F-RrOy-mfdbcE/s1600/IMG_2929.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIucteVCVosiTO-8LAUZXo8vAlW2eZSlqpRgOG8J_TAm6GBQAtZhZ_XUv55fRpmnEPXElfU_l2tcKdm_3nb9abzzkz0CGFa1cXxvIiY3b6x0oavCdKB25Xm7qzQbyD6F-RrOy-mfdbcE/s320/IMG_2929.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695021766228306130" border="0" /></a>Wow...2011 was a blur! But a blur of adventures, challenges and memories....ups and downs. <div><br /></div><div>Since this is a food blog and I try to stick mostly to the topic, most folks don't know that I am a bit of a news junkie. Sometimes I wish I could pay less attention to things as 2011 was a bit of an emotional roller coaster: </div><div>- The economy...</div><div>- The debt ceiling crisis...</div><div>- The Euro zone crisis...</div><div>- The devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan...and then the subsequent nuclear power plant problems...</div><div>- Bin Ladin killed...</div><div>- Arab spring...</div><div>- Riots in London...</div><div>- the tragic shootings in Arizona...</div><div>- the tragic shootings in Norway...</div><div>- the Occupy movements...</div><div><br /></div><div>....and that is far from being a complete list. </div><div><br /></div><div>Each new year, we reflect on the year behind us and become hopeful for the year ahead....we hope for personal successes, jobs, love, good health. We hope for peace and prosperity for all. There's a lot going on in the world right now. Take notice and do your part to help move things in a positive direction. </div><div><br /></div>SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5348321383253404821.post-33378693717394359482011-12-18T08:20:00.000-08:002011-12-18T13:24:55.162-08:00Spicy little numbers..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizXiQzIiQ7Ra5rLRwyy6pIkb0axbO2JvFxUJA1BVuBYiy1Qpxvc9VtHCT8YiVLPjcyNeQe6PCBlqU2gdjpdDzhch6eFQPigV7ec1TwUANEaWTh4N_gx9PigVNf6M5xa_gG8tBgQBqcdk/s1600/IMG_2827.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizXiQzIiQ7Ra5rLRwyy6pIkb0axbO2JvFxUJA1BVuBYiy1Qpxvc9VtHCT8YiVLPjcyNeQe6PCBlqU2gdjpdDzhch6eFQPigV7ec1TwUANEaWTh4N_gx9PigVNf6M5xa_gG8tBgQBqcdk/s320/IMG_2827.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687532639001869746" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>I thought a chocolate cookie with a touch of spice would add a little kick to this year's holiday collection..I found this recipe on <a href="http://savour-fare.com/2009/05/04/aztec-chocolate-cookies/">Savour-Fare</a> which apparently is originally from Martha Stewart. Be careful about overcooking these...my cookies turned out a bit on the hard side while the description said they should be soft and chewy. Also, I was out of chili powder due to a recent chili cook-off at work (no, I didn't win), so I decided to go with some cayenne pepper instead. Fresh out of the oven, I felt like I could really taste the cayenne pepper but the spicy bite seemed to mellow the next day (in other words, don't be afraid of the cayenne).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Aztec Chocolate Cookies</span><br /><br />1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper<br />1 tablespoon Hershey's cocoa powder<br />1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp<br />1/2 cup brown sugar, packed<br />1/4 cup honey<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips<br />1/4 cup sugar<br /><br />Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.<br /><br />Combine flour, spices and cocoa powder; set aside.<br /><br />In a separate bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add honey and vanilla.<br /><br />In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 tablespoon of boiling water (I am not really clear on the significance of this step but I did it anyway).<br /><br />Add 1/2 of flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture. Beat in dissolved baking soda, followed by the rest of the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and chill for 30 minutes.<br /><br />Roll dough into 2 inch balls, roll in sugar and place on prepared baking sheet. Using the bottom of a clean glass, slightly flatten the cookies before putting in the oven.<br /><br />Bake 18-20 minutes or until surfaces crack slightly (note: my surfaces didn't really "crack" which is how I ended up over cooking them. I would recommend cooking 15-18 minutes and then checking to see if the tops of the cookies look done.)SugarKrush the Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349255657523051376noreply@blogger.com0