Get Shaved Ice Menu

Sorry for the bad picture, but this is the menu for Get Shaved Ice in case you're planning on going!

31 cent Scoop Night

Don't forget - 31 cent scoop night is tonight! Head to your nearest Baskin-Robbins tonight to both satisfy your sweet tooth and to support America's firefighters.

Step Into The Sunshine

The title is actually a song that our children's choir used to sing. I had no idea that other kids were singing the same song - and this particular trio added a little flair that would make my brother jealous!!! (in addition to the fact that the kid is so young...)

Click here to check out the kids.

The Hat

I've seen The Hat all around Southern California as long as I've been here (yes, so that would be DECADES), but I've always just looked and passed by. Today, I finally got around to trying it. I got a turkey sandwich. Turkey? At a place famous for its pastrami? Yes, turkey, on the recommendation of the cashier. Also, you should know that I don't eat red meat.

My verdict?

Eh. Pass on the turkey. But if you like pastrami, I hear it's really good.
And if you order french fries - get a small order...no matter how many fries you want...trust me.

Grilled Cheese Invitational

We attended the 1st 8th Grilled Cheese Invitational this year. For $10, unlimited Tillamook grilled cheese sandwiches and Pacific Foods tomato soup? YUM!

We also got kettle chips and Izze sparkling fruit juice to make it a complete, "balanced" meal.

Ohhhh Tillamook. It's so good. More pictures to come.

Milk Does A Body Good...

...Pass it on!

My brother ordered milk as his drink for dinner the other night to help his body recover from his workout. It made me think about the old OLD commercial that you just read a few seconds ago. With the wonder of YouTube, I'm able to share the commercial (at least one iteration of it) with you :)

Dollar Tuesdays @ Hot Dog On A Stick

I'm not sure how long this is going to last, but Hot Dog On A Stick has $1 hot dogs every Tuesday. It would be best to check their site each time you go...just in case the deal ends.

You can find it here.

BOGO Free Jamba Juice

Jamba Juice is celebrating their 20th anniversary, and they have a deal for all of their customers. Buy one drink off of the menu and get another one for free. This deal is good from today, April 12, through April 25. Just don't forget to print the coupon before you go! Get the coupon here!

Review: Pinkberry Cones

I was so excited to get a Pinkberry cone this weekend. But bad service combined with an unexpected product has led to this advice for you: If you're going to get Pinkberry, don't get it in a cone.

This is what happens...

They will ask you what topping you want, and fill the bottom of the cone with it (a cake cup cone), then swirl the equivalent of a Mini on top of the "toppings" (which are now...bottom-ings?!). The problem? The frozen yogurt is sitting on top of a shallow base and doesn't stick too much, so if you lick the yogurt, it will move. Mine moved from the cone to my purse. ARGH! What a mess.

I think my best suggestion would be...if you REALLY want the cone, ask for it on the side. Hopefully they'll do that for you. You'll enjoy the experience more, and your clothes/car/purse/surroundings will be safer too.

Get Shaved Ice

You really should get shaved ice...but not just from any "shaved ice" vendor. You HAVE to try the Get Shaved Ice Truck!

The Get Shaved Ice Truck travels with the Kogi BBQ truck. The shaved ice is like snow, not like the ice chunks you might get at other places. They offer lots of flavor options, and they're so good! You can even add sour spray, azuki beans, or ice cream. Luckily, it stops not too far from our house every Friday, so we can count on this delicious treat every week...even when we don't want to stand in line for the korean bbq tacos/burritos/quesadillas.

Check it out - and let me know what you think if you get to try it!

Pinkberry Update

Short and sweet...

Pinkberry announced a "new" MINI size - but they had introduced this size when they gave samples of their new mango flavor. They also premiered a Pinkberry cone...so you can have the whole "ice cream cone experience" with their frozen yogurt.

Enjoy!

31 Cent Scoop Night @ Baskin-Robbins!

It's that time of the year - when you can donate to an honorable cause and get a tasty treat for doing it! Baskin-Robbins is honoring America's firefighters. The Baskin-Robbins CommunityFoundation is donating $100,000 to the National FallenFirefighters Foundation™ (NFFF). Just 31 cents will buy you a scoop of your favorite flavor!

Date: April 28, 2010
Time: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

See you there!

Food of the 80s

I know this dates me, but I have to share...

There's this website (In the 80s) that allows people to reminisce about foods from the 80s. As I was looking through this list, I got happy seeing the snacks of my childhood! You should take a look. You'll probably be reminded of some favorite snacks too.

One of my favorite? Suddenly Smores by Nabisco. It was so simple - just a small package that you pop into the microwave. After a few seconds, you have two perfect little s'mores!

Enjoy your trip down memory lane.

Street Feast @ the Americana

The gourmet food trucks have a big meeting tonight - and they'll be there to serve you! It's called Street Feast...from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight at the Americana.

The Dim Sum Truck
Mandoline Grill
Komodo
Coolhaus
The Buttermilk Truck
Willoughby Road
DOSAtruck
The Grilled Cheese Truck
Frysmith

I'll will be there! Find me for free parking (first 3 people - HA!) Then enjoy the food with me!

Free Cone Day - Ben & Jerry's

I know, late notice...but just in case you have a Ben & Jerry's in your area, it's FREE CONE DAY TODAY! Just stop by your nearest Ben & Jerry's scoop shop between 12 noon and 8 p.m. today, and you'll get the flavor of your choice for free!

Enjoy! And think of me...cuz I don't have one near me...

School Lunches

Okay, I'll admit, I was spoiled when it came to lunch when I was in school...so I'm sure I have no idea what kids these days get when they have a "bad" school lunch at a public school. There is one teacher who is determined to bring light to this issue. She's blogging about it...anonymously. I don't blame her. :)

Also, along the same train of thought, Chef Jamie Oliver is trying to revamp school lunch programs in his new show Food Revolution.

Check these two out. They intrigue me...and their issues might be interesting to you too!

The Sugar-Free Experience

This week, I went 5 days without sugar (or sugar substitutes). Why would I do this? Because I know I'm addicted to refined sugar...and this is the time of year when candy is available everywhere I turn... I had to go back to eating fruits and vegetables.

The result? An increase in my salt intake...I wonder how my blood pressure is. Another result...the better result is...after having sugar withdrawal headaches over the past two days, I think that I've broken my addiction to refined sugar! Today's the day that I can actually go back to eating sweets, and I don't have a craving for them. In fact, I'm very happy snacking on the nuts that I still need to finish up.

Actually, the thing I missed more than candy was SAUCE! I love my ketchup and salad dressings...and I couldn't have them this week. Good thing I had invested in awesome (expensive) balsamic vinegar. I think this helped keep me sane.

One of the girls here at work baked me brownies to celebrate my homecoming to sugar, and they haven't been much of a temptation sitting on my desk.

Pinkberry's New Flavor Is...

MANGO!

Need REAL proof? They're giving away samples - a mini Mango Pinkberry with toppings - on Friday so you can try it! Details here.

Candy Bar Ice Cream Bars

My family loves Snickers ice cream bars. LOVES them. But with my peanut allergy, I'm not able to enjoy them with the fam.


But I DO love the Twix ice cream bar! It's a sad substitution for the Snickers, I've heard, but in my case, they're quite delish. The 3 Musketeers ice cream isn't bad either!

I have yet to try the M&M ice cream bars...

ASCII File

I know this is not food or deal oriented, but I have to ask... Is it sad that I know what an ASCII file is when one of my Tech Support guys doesn't?

The Best Kit Kat...

And by "best" I mean the most satisfying if you're looking for a Kit Kat fix...
They can be found in the little snack packs that have one tiny bar in them. They're my favorite!

What's the difference, you might ask? They have four wafers instead of the three...reminds me of the time when candy manufacturers weren't trying to cut corners or quality to save money (but the bars are half the size of a normal bar of Kit Kat...so that doesn't remind me of the good ol' days...).

So far, they've been available for Christmas and Easter. I couldn't find them around Valentine's Day. It would probably be in my best interest to stock up while they're here...

Figure Skating

I don't understand this sport. I mean, I do and I don't. It's called figure skating, but they are given points for their jumps...when they're NOT skating.

Shouldn't they give points for skating figures?

FOR INSTANCE...
Who can skate in the straightest line? Or who can skate in the most perfect circle? Or who can skate in the outline of a particular object? :)

Just a thought...

New Ben & Jerry's...

That's right. You can't have new Haagen-Dazs flavors and not have new Ben & Jerry's flavors, right? So here you go...NEW FLAVORS!!!

Boston Cream Pie - Boston Cream Pie Ice Cream with Yellow Cake Pieces, Fudge Flakes & Swirls of Pastry Cream

Dulce Delish - Rich Caramel Ice Cream with Dark Caramel Swirls

Milk & Cookies - Vanilla Ice Cream with a Chocolate Cookie Swirl, Chocolatey Chip & Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Brittle - Peanut Brittle Ice Cream with Peanut Brittle Pieces & a Caramel Swirl

Mud Pie - Chocolate & Coffee Liqueur Ice Creams Swirled Together with a Chocolate Cookie Swirl

We've talked about Gingersnap and Maple Blondie before, right?

K'ya - Street Food

My sister emailed me about a restaurant at Hotel Menage, sits just around the corner from Disneyland. Their restaurant, K'ya, serves street food - tapas-style.

I've been there twice...because the food is pretty good and because the presentation is fun! They also have a pretty long menu to work through.

Most of the items (except for the soupy dishes) are served in paper baskets, just as you would get food from street vendors. Just beware - each dish is small and has a small price tag, but they recommend at least three per person, which brings the total to a regular dinner dish price.

My favorite thing on the menu: Hearts of Palm-Papaya Salad with Papaya Seed Dressing.
Delicious.

I'll be back - and maybe you'll be with me! :)

Captain EO is back

Whooohooo...we all new it had to happen, right?
Well, my bro called (EARLY) this morning to tell me that he had just heard it was opening today, and that people had been standing in line since midnight last night...

Soooo, the plan today would be to put that good ol' annual pass to use. After work, that is...

New Haagen-Dazs Flavors

Just in case you thought that they were slacking off in the Department of New Flavors, here are their newest additions to the line...

Dark Chocolate Mint: All the rich complexity of artisanal bittersweet chocolate blended into a luxuriously smooth ice cream.

Amaretto Almond Crunch: Seductively smooth Amaretto ice cream blended with crispy almond brittle.

And there are the 'almost new flavors':

Midnight Cookies & Cream: An indulgent blend of smooth chocolate ice cream, buttery fudge ribbons and chocolate wafer cookies.

Bananas Foster: All the lively flavors of classic Bananas Foster captured in a distinctly delicious ice cream.Your 2009 favorite returning for an encore!

Peanut Butter Brittle: Smooth peanut butter ice cream, with a peanut butter swirl and crunchy peanut butter brittle pieces.

Häagen-Dazs Five Lemon joins our all natural lineup of flavors crafted with only five ingredients— sweet, juicy lemons, milk, cream, egg and sugar.

Peach low fat frozen yogurt, including fresh orchard peaches and live and active cultures. Indulge in natural goodness.

BOGO Pinkberry

That's right - caring is sharing this Valentine's Day!

Buy yourself some delicious Pinkberry (with toppings), and get one of equal or lesser value for free to share with someone you love...or at least like...

Click here for the coupon...and spread the love, people!

CHAM Good....

My brother and I made plans to bring my mom to Souplantation tonight, with the intent of letting her meet up with her friends while we ate separately in the same restaurant. The line was WAY too long, so we decided to eat elsewhere on Lake Avenue (in Pasadena).

Rubio's, Panda Express, Chipotle, Wahoo's Fish Tacos...

I said that we should go to Sharkie's, the brother said okay. While walking towards Sharkie's, we saw a different restaurant - CHAM Korean Bistro. Sure! We can try that...

Good thing we did. We got to eat good Korean BBQ, but with a healthy twist. We both got their California Bibimbop, and he tried their tofu pockets. My other bro got take out - just spicy bbq chicken and rice. We also tried their sweet potato cheesecake. Yummmm...

We'd probably go tomorrow, but they're closed on Sundays.

New Heinz Ketchup Packets

After soooo many years of tearing the corners off of small rectangle packets, Heinz is changing their ketchup packets. For those who prefer squeezing, you'll still have that option. But now you will have the ability to dunk too!

Epi-Pen Experiment

I'm allergic to peanuts, and after two years of my friends and family insisting that I carry an Epi-Pen, I finally got one. When I visited the doctor, she determined that my allergy was severe enough that I should carry TWO. I spent a lot of time training my family with the test pen. The brothers had too much fun practicing with the test pen...resulting in a big fat bruise on my thigh.

This past Tuesday, after seeing an expired pen, and I figured it was time to REALLY experiment. To my partial defense (you'll see why it's only partial in a second), she did say, 'Try using one on an orange, just so you can get a feel for it..." and she had told me to keep the expired pens so I could do it. I didn't have an orange, so I grabbed an apple.

I took the expired Epi-Pen, opened it up, took off the safety cap, and firmly pushed (jammed) it into the apple. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH there was a great big splash...splattered my face and my hands. What did I do? I FREAKED OUT. Then I saw the crater that the pen created in the apple and FREAKED OUT EVEN MORE. I called my sissy to make sure that it wasn't too dangerous for me to have epinephren on my skin. When she called me back, after letting me know that I'd probably be okay, she laughed and made fun of my panicking.

AN ORANGE. The doctor said an ORANGE for a reason! I knew I was a bad patient, but wow, way to teach me a lesson!

1-800-4-QWERTY

As I've been listening to the radio and watching TV this past week, I've gotten more and more irritated with the way that people/companies display their phone numbers. Example...

George Clooney did a very nice thing in organizing the telethon for the people of Haiti. Celebrities all came together to donate their time and talents to get people to watch and give. The problem was...everytime they displayed their number, it was displayed like this:

877-99-HAITI

Usually they would give another number right below, giving the real number so you don't have to go searching for the numbers that correspond to the letters on your phone. Helpful, right? I thought so.

But no, they didn't do that, and I have a smartphone. With a full keyboard. I didn't know what number to dial. But that's okay...I'll give somewhere else.

Chocolate Cheerios

Because you needed a new flavor of Cheerios to add to your collection, General Mills has introduced Chocolate Cheerios! They're also offering a coupon for 50 cents off your purchase of Chocolate Cheerios. Unfortunately, I found it AFTER I bought my cereal. :(

Krispy Kreme's Free Doughnut Day (for Southern California)

To celebrate 10 tasty years in Southern California, Krispy Kreme has declared tomorrow (Saturday, January 16, 2010) Free Doughnut Day.

Participating Locations:
• 4760 Los Coyotes Diagnol in Long Beach
• 1199 W. Artesia Boulevard in Gardena
• 4034 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles
• 4485 Mills Circle in Ontario
• 330 City Drive South in Orange
• 1548 Azusa Avenue in City of Industry
• 1521 North Victory Place in Burbank
• 4180 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in San Diego
• 25802 El Paseo Avenue in Mission Viejo
• 1231 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica
• 2305 Otay Lakes Road Suite 206 in Chula Vista

Enjoy your free tasty treat, SoCal...

Oatmeal Wednesdays

If you've tried the steel-cut oatmeal from Jamba Juice and like it, you'll definitely like this:

Every Wednesday in the Month of January, Jamba Juice is offering their oatmeal for $1! Plus applicable sales tax, of course.

Enjoy!

Cake Balls

It's weird for a title, I know. But that's what these creations are called. I know you can make them...in fact all you need to do is bake up a cake (boxed is fine), roughly crumble it up and mix it with a can of icing (more or less to your own taste/desire), roll the mixture into balls, and dip them in chocolate! Or white chocolate. Or cover with fondant if you're ambitious. Search for a recipe on the web and you'll find them all over (like on All Recipes).

OR...if you're lazy and have money to burn (or if you have a sister who has a free day on the weekend), you can have someone make fancy ones for you! :) A company called The Cake Ball Company (imagine that) makes these desserts and will ship them to you. If you're in Texas, they've even invited you to their production facilities. They are fancier looking than ones that the lazy people will make at home...and they have lots of flavors to choose from. Find them here or (occasionally) at Neiman Marcus online.

Disneyland for free

Yes, Disneyland is offering up free tickets again this year.

Last year, you just had to be born...but this year, you have to work for the tickets. You have to get involved in community service activities, which you should be involved in anyway! Unfortunately, not all community service projects will get you these tickets. You have to pick a project that is with one of the participating service organizations.

It's not bad at all, though. Give a day of community service, and get a free ticket to Disneyland! You can feel good about what you've done, and you get rewarded with a day to 'the happiest place on earth!'

Good plan, Disney. Way to teach everyone about community service.

Click here for details.

Happy New Year! From Baskin Robbins

...and me too...

Baskin Robbins announced a special to welcome in the new year. Buy a 4 oz. scoop of ice cream, and add a second scoop for 99 cents!

Plus, they have a new flavor - Dulce de Leche.

I've got a special to offer too! If you happen to get ice cream from me, it's likely that you can add scoop for free. But that's only as long as supplies last and if you can find where I keep the ice cream! :)

Hope you have a sweet new year.

Ukelele Cutie

Can't understand a word he's singing...but the kid is a ukelele genius! At least with the Jason Mraz...

Move Over, Reese's Pieces...

...you've got some company now. Meet York Pieces, Almond Joy Pieces, and Special Dark Pieces!

All without peanut butter, and just in time for the holiday baking season! YAY!

Ben & Jerry's New Flavor - Maple Blondie

I love new ice cream flavors, and Ben & Jerry just created Maple Blondie (description here and below)! They have timed this just right - it's time for me to replenish my ice cream supply.

In the words of Ben & Jerry (well, their email, at least):

Our new limited batch flavor is inspired by Hannah Teter, her Olympic Gold Medal & her mission to make a difference! It's Maple Ice Cream with Blonde Brownie Chunks & a Maple Caramel Swirl. It's available in scoop shops & starting in December, it'll be in grocery stores near you.

Krispy Kreme and Christmas

Krispy Kreme has announced this year's Christmas treats:

Snowman Doughnuts - so cute!!

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Chocolate Iced Glazed doughnuts with Christmas Sprinkles

White Iced Glazed doughnuts with Red & Green Drizzles

Wreath doughnuts with green icing and a bow

Gingerbread Crunch doughnuts-original glazed dipped in white icing and "holiday spiced" gingerbread crunch

Wow sugar rush!

Red Robin Gingerbread Shake

Red Robin has introduced their Gingerbread Shake to celebrate the holidays. You can try it for $2.99, but make sure that you specify that you want the $2.99 shake or they'll surprise you with the sidecar and charge you the full $4.59!

I was really excited about it until I conferred with my sissy. She pointed out that it was blended with graham cracker and topped with a gingersnap. My review? Tastes Christmas-y, but not gingerbread-y like some might gather from the name. Maybe it would be better to call it a Holiday Shake... I'll be sticking to the good ol' glass of water from now on...

Jamestown Pie Company - Buy a Pie!!

My mom and aunt visited West Virginia a few years ago and discovered the best chocolate chip pecan pie that we've ever had. After some searching, I was able to find the company that made the pie...and I thought that I'd better blog it because of their awesome URL...

http://www.buyapie.com/

Buy a pie. Straightforward...and easy to remember! Genius. Their motto is pretty fantastic too:
Because Round Food is Good Food

:) I can't say that I can argue with that!

Many thumbs up for their pies; just don't eat too much at a time or you'll have sugar overload.

Pinkberry BOGO

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

As my family sat around and talked during Thanksgiving dinner, I discovered something very important. I found out that one of my cousins works for Pinkberry...and has for the past two years...wow I lag.

Anyhow, she gave me a BOGO coupon that starts tomorrow - and I think that you can get it via facebook or twitter too. The reason for the celebration that Pinkberry starts to serve their chocolate yogurt tomorrow! Yum. So print it out and treat someone tomorrow...hopefully it will help your bodies recover from the overeating from today!

Eggo Waffles Shortage

Yes, this is sad news for all Eggo Waffle lovers. Due to flooding at the Atlanta bakery - their largest waffle bakery - there will be a shortage of Eggo Waffles that could last until mid-2010. No joke.

I'm going to stock up tonight. If you want your Eggos, you better beat me to the grocery store!

Hershey's Irish Creme Kisses

I FINALLY found some new holiday candy. Hershey Kisses come in an Irish Creme-filled variety. I would've posted a picture, but I left them for the girls in my office. Don't worry if you want to find them - Target stocks tons of them, so they're easy to find. Just look for the green packaging.

Ben & Jerry's Gingersnap Ice Cream

I got an email a while back letting me know that it was on its way to stores...but last night I found it! Gingersnap Ice Cream - yummm. It's a sign that the holidays are here.

When I was younger, my sister and I would always find the gingerbread men ice cream sandwiches around the holidays. They don't make them anymore (so sad), but this is an acceptable substitution!

Now on to planning the Christmas lights for our house...

Pizza Party

I celebrated my birthday this year with a pizza party. Sounds simple, but it was probably a big pain for my family to deal with. This party involved pizzas from all over - from Chicago to LA.

Lou Malnahti's deep dish Chicago pizza straight from Chicago.
Round Table Pizza's Gourmet Veggie pizza - ooh garlic and veggies.
Domino's Regular Cheese Pizza and Thin Crust Veggie Pizza
Numero Uno's Thick Crust Cheese Pizza
Brownstone's NY style Pizza
Gourmet Pizza Shoppe's Dessert Pizzas

Add to that a sampling of Portillo's Italian Beef Sandwiches - both sweet and hot - plus other sides, desserts, and lime punch!

Total carb overload. Hopefully I'll get a picture of this smorgasbord and post it.

Halloween Candy Overload

It's been four days (in Sesame Street Count's language, that's 4 days AH, AH, AH, AH) since Halloween, and I'm still flooded with Halloween candy.


Usually, the manufacturers will just change the packaging. There are those, however, who decide to tint their white chocolate orange, or in the case of York Peppermint Patties, tint the peppermint cream orange. Weird.

But the weirdest thing is that I got a Kit Kat bar and the wafers were vertical instead of horizontal. I was going to take a picture, but I'm such a fat kid that I couldn't wait to take a picture. I just ate it. And now I'm telling you about it with no visuals. Sorry.

Pain du Monde

I'm a big fan of little bakeries. Coincidentally, some of the best ones I have found have been in the food courts of malls. Example? Paradise Bakery. I just stumbled upon Pain du Monde, which is another great example.

Pastries, cookies, sandwiches, everything that a bakery should have. I'll be visiting them again soon!

Disneyland's Halloween Time

This is BY FAR my favorite Disneyland celebration - Fantasmic, Halloween fireworks, "Nightmare Before Christmas" Haunted Mansion, Ghost Galaxy Space Mountain. There are some pretty decent videos of the fireworks show online...like these...

Thank goodness for annual passes and conference tickets!

No New Candy?!

I've been conducting my usual search for new candy (you know, every time I go to a store that sells candy), and I haven't found anything new in a while. This is driving me nuts! Usually I will find some sort of special edition of a candy bar as soon as they start selling holiday candy, but I've had no luck this year.

Maybe I'm just not searching hard enough...or maybe candy makers are slacking off!
Let me know if there's something out there that I need to try.

New Godiva Treats

So Godiva makes a suitable Reese's peanut butter cup substitution for me, and they're pretty tasty. I joined their club so I can get a piece every month for free. But now Godiva is trying to raise my sugar levels with other products - they now offer cupcakes and brownies.

They finally jumped in on the cupcake fad with these chocolate cupcakes (with a chocolate center) and vanilla or chocolate buttercream. Sorry kids, these treats are only available online and by catalog order (not in stores), so you'll have to plan ahead if you want these.

Free KFC - Take Two

KFC is trying for a second time to give their chicken away. On Monday, October 26, they will give one piece of their Kentucky Grilled Chicken to anyone who visits their stores. No coupon is necessary and they promise that they will have enough for everyone.

So if you're in the mood for KFC, but are not interested in the grilled chicken giveaway, I would recommend that you plan to satisfy your craving on any day but Monday.

Homemade Deliciousness

My brothers surprised me this past weekend with their cooking skills. The bros and one cousin decided that they wanted to cook...and cook they did.

We were treated to several flavors of homemade buffalo wings, garlic fries, and a pizzookie (a cookie baked in a deep dish, but they used a regular sheet pan) with ice cream for dessert!

Big thumbs up to the boys...for exercising cooking skills and for saving us from having to go out to a restaurant. I think they should do it more often. We just have to find a place to sneak in some veggies...

Just Say No

...to the Buffaloco wings at El Pollo Loco. Well, I can only talk about the Buffalo flavor, since that's the only one I tried. It may be that their BBQ flavor may be tasty and delicious, but I have yet to try them.

So I got the 5-piece buffalo wings...opened the container and got a whiff of the sauce. Yep, something got me. Good? Bad? I wasn't completely sure yet. So I proceeded to the visual inspection of the wings. It was a weird color for buffalo wings...a little too yellow...but maybe I'm just too used to the reddish sauce of the bar food in the area. The real test was to actually taste the sauce. Oh. I quickly discovered that I should have paid more attention to the initial indicators (smell and looks). They have this weird taste...some additional herb or seasoning that gave it a weird taste. My first guess was there was too much oregano or rotisserie seasoning that was competing with the buffalo sauce. But the wings didn't keep me interested long enough to figure it out.

Maybe I got a bad batch, or maybe I'm spoiled with the other good wings nearby. Whatever the reason, I'll stick with the restaurant wings when I allow myself to indulge.

Oh Romanos...

Guppy Tea House

We've found the perfect place to have a fat kids party. It's called the Guppy Tea House. If you thought that the food at Claim Jumpers was giant, this will blow your mind. Giant toast, giant shaved ice, it's crazy! I'll post pictures as soon as I get them.

San Diego Food continued...

So I had the chance to visit Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego, and this gave me the chance to have some good food.

D-Lush
One of the employees did a really good marketing job on me. I was walking by with Dippin' Dots in my hand. He took one look at me and said, "Dippin' Dots? Oh honey, why don't you try something healthy. Here's a sample of our Strawberry Banana smoothie." I tasted it, put my ice cream in the trash (before you freak out, it was almost done!), and decided to give them a try. I chose their Lemon Lover Jello Shot. Tasty! It was basically frozen lemonade with Jello snack packs blended in...it was big and I didn't finish the whole thing. So if you come across one of these places, you'll probably be lured in by the samples, coupons, and crazy fun employees. I hope whatever you try is good.

There's one here at Hollywood & Highland...if the mood ever strikes again.

Uno Chicago Grill
Chicago Pizza. Just the basics...nothing fancy. So delish. After lunch today, my grandfather made sure that there was still some pizza for his mid-afternoon snack. :)

Oh, and I can't forget the visit to Neiman Marcus so the employees would have an opportunity to be stuck up and ignore me once again. All for the love of the Yoku Moku. Thank goodness the people that helped me were friendly!

Have You Ever Tried To...

...find a Mexican restaurant in San Diego? They're not hard to find. In fact, you'd probably have some trouble finding the RIGHT one...if you were looking for a specific restaurant. If you drive through Old Town San Diego, almost every restaurant there is a Mexican restaurant! (This is actually what happened tonight.) And they're probably all awesome.

San Diego Foooooood

So it's more than a week into October and I haven't posted about food yet?! Shocking, I know. But I've been saving it up for this trip that I'm on. I'm in San Diego at a conference...and so I can eat. What have I had so far? Let's see....

Village Pizzeria at the Coronado Ferry Landing
New York-style pizza from those geniuses who decided to ship NY water to San Diego to make the crust as authentic as possible on the west coast! Yum.

Bloomingdale's 59th and Lex Cafe
So cute - a small cafe on the top floor of Bloomingdale's. I tried their frozen yogurt - swirled their plain and their raspberry/strawberry (that supposedly had rosewater...for your health?) - with their raspberry sauce. The sauce was really sweet, but strangely addicting...at least while I was eating the yogurt. I had to throw the cup away so I wouldn't look pathetic trying to scrape it all out.

More tomorrow, I think. I believe the stop is Uno Chicago Grill for some Chicago-style pizza!

Xooro Churros

I often blog about cupcakes and cookies, but I've never explored the world of Mexican desserts. But this weekend, my cousin gave me a new destination for CHURROS! The store is called Xooro in Santa Monica.

I plan to visit them...I've heard they're quite delicious. Hopefully I will get there soon.

This Is Why You're Fat

Well, this might be why I'm fat...AND why you're fat. My cousin referred me to this site - This Is Why You're Fat - this weekend. Some of the things that you'll see are completely outrageous and some are deliciously fantastic. As my sissy and I looked at the site this weekend, there were several things that we thought we should make! :)

Cold Stone Creamery - Free Ice Cream

It's Make-A-Wish time again...and Cold Stone Creamery is inviting you to the world's largest ice cream social.

When: Thursday, September 24 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Your local Cold Stone Creamery
What: 3 oz. of Jack's Creation (free...with a donation)
What's that: Sweet cream ice cream with brownies, rainbow sprinkles, and caramel

Maybe I'll see you there! More details here.

Rainbow Sherbet

I loved sherbet as a child, and I still will crave it every so often. Sometimes orange, sometimes lime, sometimes pineapple, and a lot of times rainbow.

There's only one drawback with rainbow sherbet...it's not pretty when it melts. But...can you think of a better way to show children what happens when you mix all the colors of the rainbow?

Jamba Juice BOGO Again!

Just in time to say goodbye to summer...Jamba Juice has another Buy One, Get One for a buck special.

Buy one smoothie (any size) and get a 16 oz. smoothie for $1. Coupon is here and good through September 27. Yummmm...

The Jay Leno Show

Whoohooo!!! He's back starting Monday, September 14. I'll be watching, and you should be too!!

Turkey Hill Ice Cream Sandwiches

I'm on a mission for ice cream sandwiches. Epicurious listed Turkey Hill Ice Cream Sandwiches as their top-rated ice cream sandwich, so I'm so wanting to try this.

I'm also looking for their first runner up - the Nestle Super Sandwich. I might have a harder time finding this one - it looks like the ones they sell at arenas and stadiums. But I might find it at my local gas station convenience store, huh?

We'll see. I'll report when I find them to tell you how delicious they were. :)

Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale

We found a new iteration of Ginger Ale this weekend - Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale. My brother tried it and reported back to me: "It tastes exactly how you think it would taste."

I asked, "Ginger ale mixed with green tea?" He nodded his head.

So if you're ever in the mood for both, Canada Dry has got the perfect product for you. Details here.

Portillo's - A Taste of Chicago...in California!

I don't eat red meat, but I still gave this place a chance. Of course, they have to have their Italian Beef sandwiches and their Chicago hot dogs. But it turns out that they have quite the selection on their menu. Lots of chicken and fish options, and even a veggie sandwich and lots of soups and salads. You can check them out here.

Most of their stores are in Illinois, but they have two Cali locations - both here in Southern California (Buena Park and Moreno Valley).

I've heard only good things about their Italian Beef sandwich, so I'm guessing it's a MUST TRY. And if you can't make it out to one of their restaurants, they have Italian Beef Sandwich kits available. They're making it easy for you - just try it already!!

Godiva Rewards Club - Free Chocolate!

That's right. Godiva has a Rewards Club, and yes, they do give you free chocolate! You don't have to pay anything to be a member, and it does have some nice perks. You get a free piece of chocolate from their case every month. You also get free shipping on one online order.

So it might be something for you to check out. Free chocolate! Info here...or just visit one of their stores.

This is not helping my addiction to their Roasted Almond Truffle!!!

Yoplait Delights

There's a new healthy snack coming your way! Following in the steps of the Jell-O parfaits, Yoplait is coming out with their own parfaits - Yoplait Delights!

With flavors like Chocolate Raspberry, Lemon Torte, Creme Caramel, and Triple Berry Creme, maybe you'll be able to find something that will satisfy your sweet tooth when snack time comes around. Check here for more detail and a coupon too!

Free Dessert @ Mimi's Cafe

Yum! With a purchase of $10 or more, you can get free dessert from Mimi's! You'll just need this little coupon.

Choose your dessert carefully. :)

Chips Ahoy Fudge Bites

That's right. While on my ice cream shopping trip, I found this new limited edition of Chips Ahoy! They're so cute - like thumbprint chocolate chip cookies filled with fudge. So if you're in need of a sugar rush, these might be the perfect solution.

Try them! They're good!!

Ben & Jerry's Key Lime Pie

I went shopping for ice cream again last night, and I found the flavor that my sister has been wanting for the past week - Key Lime Pie from our friends Ben & Jerry.


Since we haven't tasted it before, I figured that I should get her other favorite - Key Lime Graham Cracker from Ciao Bella. You know, just for taste tests. :)


Results will be in shortly...I'm guessing...

Dolcissimo Cupcakes

The cupcake craze continues...

I thought that all these Southern Cali cupcake shops would be located in the big cities and their fancy suburbs - you know, Los Angeles...Orange County... I had forgotten about San Bernardino. Yes, there is a cupcake shop...in Chino Hills. That's where I stumbled across Dolcissimo.

It's such a cute shop - bigger than Sprinkles or Dots, and probably about the size of Yummy Cupcakes in Burbank - with a display similar to Sprinkles. And they sell cupcakes, mini cheesecakes, mini pies, cookies, and cannolis. Talk about a comprehensive sugar fix!

I tried their Cloud 9 - a blue vanilla frosting on a vanilla cupcake - and was reminded of Magnolia's cupcakes in New York! So if you're in the area, give them a try. Just be careful when you get their banana cupcake. Make sure that you take it out of the box to store, or all your cupcakes might absorb the banana essence.

Vio from Coca-Cola

I don't drink soda, but new products always catch my attention. Coca-Cola is releasing a new drink that should help you drink more milk - Vio. It's skim milk, carbonated water, and flavorings.

Sound weird to you? It does to me. If you taste it, let me know how that goes!

Favorite Punctuation Mark

Mine is the interrobang. I actually didn't even know it existed until about a week ago.

What is it, you ask?! It's a combination of the exclamation point and question mark. With all of the shocking news that we see these days, it should be everyone's favorite punctuation mark, right?!

Anyhow, even though it exists, it's nearly impossible to use since almost NO keyboards have it. Don't feel bad for me though, as I am completely satisfied using the two components separately as I have for years. :)

Chewing Ice is Bad!

You already knew that, right? I did, and it didn't stop me. I've been eating snowcones and I ALWAYS chew the ice. Guess what happened? I found out from my dentist on Monday morning that I had cracked and lost a filling without even knowing it. Now I have to get the filling replaced. :(

Of course, this could have been completely avoided...by not chewing ice!!! I hope you learn a lesson from my mistake.

BOGO Jamba Coupon

(08/25/09 update: Sorry - this offer has expired)

If you love your Jamba Juice, there's a coupon to buy one and get one free...and it's right here! Try to take advantage of it soon, since it's only good through this Sunday, August 9.

Yoplait Whips! Frozen!

By now you have probably seen a Yoplait Whips! commercial that shows you can have their product as yogurt mousse or as frozen yogurt. It's true! I've tried it and I'm hooked. It's a healthier alternative to ice cream, and it's really good!

Now my search is on for the Chocolate Raspberry flavor. I think that's going to be really good!

Consider Your Childhood Ancient History

...and it wasn't that long ago!!

They've come up with a list of things that are obsolete (or almost at that point). See how many things you can check off and laugh about. That's right...laugh about it, because this will take you on a fun trip down memory lane!

Romaine Lettuce Recall

This has got to be the worst timing ever. I just came back from lunch at Souplantation, and what news story catches my eye? Romaine lettuce is voluntarily recalled here in California.

Did I eat romaine during lunch? Yes. Oh great.

Ritz Crackerfuls

I'm pretty sure you're familiar with Ritz Bits sandwiches. But have you ever wished that Ritz made bigger cracker sandwiches? You're in luck. Now they have Ritz Crackerfuls - long rectangle Ritz crackers (whole wheat Ritz) filled with either cheddar or four cheese!

Village Pizzeria

I just came from a trip to San Diego with the family, and while I love my NY pizza, I think I found a West Coast fix! Yay for me!

For a while, my brother has been telling me about a pizzeria in San Diego (more specifically, on Coronado) that ships NY bottled water to make their NY pizza crust! One of the girls from work also raved about the same place, so I had to try it. The name? Village Pizzeria.

We ordered: Pizza, their caprese sandwich, fried zucchini, mud pie, and zeppoli. Yummm....

As we drove over the bridge to leave Coronado, I was already planning my trip back.
Luckily I have a conference there in October!

Coconut M&Ms

Yes, they do exist. I have some sitting on my desk right now. Unfortunately, the bag has not yet been opened, so I am unable to tell you if they're delicious or not.

I will update soon though.

Pillsbury Simply...

Pillsbury has a new refrigerated cookie dough - Pillsbury Simply...

What's the difference between these and their other cookie doughs? Pillsbury Simply... uses the same ingredients that you would use in homemade cookies.

Should be delicious - I'll try them when I find them!

Carmela Ice Cream

I read about this place that makes ice cream sandwiches - Carmela Ice Cream. Lucky for me, they make their rounds through local farmer's markets in LA. I'll be visiting them for dessert this weekend...

I hope it's good. At least it will be relatively close to home. :)

Crumbles Cookies - Corona, CA

When we went to Sweet Harts, one of the girls mentioned Crumbles bakery. I'm not sure if I got the right store, but I found a bakery called Crumbles in Corona, CA and tried it out anyway.

The cookies are really good! They have a different selection everyday - their everyday cookies and daily specials. I liked their Raspberry Tea Cake - it was a cross between a snowball (sans powdered sugar) and a linzer tart. I think I'll be going back for more! I want to try their chocolate chip cookie. Check them here.

The Kitchen

There a little place in Los Angeles called The Kitchen. When I heard about it, I thought it was a restaurant, but it's a catering company that has a take-out counter.

I've been there several times in the past couple weeks, and I'm only in LA on the weekends, so that should tell you something. I've bought A LOT of dessert - bars, cookies, cookie sandwiches, brownies, cupcakes - and tried some of their food. It's all really good! Their box lunches are so cute too. I think that I'll be using them the next time I cater something.

Hawaiian Pancakes @ IHOP

IHOP (International House of Pancakes) now has Hawaiian Pancakes! Banana Macadamia, Pineapple Upside Down, and Strawberry Passionfruit. Sounds delicious huh?

Repelling Cats

I've been traumatized by a recent experience with cats. Plus I'm really allergic to them. Anyhow, does anyone have suggestions for repelling cats? Too many stray cats are meandering in the neighborhood, and I need to find a way to repel them...without buying a dog.

I've heard that people spray a mixture of cayenne pepper and water anywhere they don't want cats. I've also read that people put motion-sensor toys to freak them out - I'm not a big fan of this idea, cuz it might scare me too! :)

Any suggestions would help. Thanks!!!

Cinnamon Basil Pesto

One of my friends gave me a bunch of cinnamon basil from her garden. I didn't even know that cinnamon basil existed! Imagine basil with a subtle hint of cinnamon mixed in. Actually, when I smelled a big bunch of it, it smelled like Big Red gum.

Anyhow, she gave me a big bunch, and I decided to try my hand at making pesto. So simple - basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper - so delicious. You don't even really need to do anything except toss it in the food processor! Oh, and while it smells like cinnamon, it doesn't taste like it, so don't worry if you want to try it in place of regular basil.

She gave me tomatoes from her garden too. Homemade pesto and garden fresh tomato on a toasted French roll with some melted mozzarella...and a dash of good balsamic vinegar. Mmmmmm....

Kashi TLC Granola Bars

In an effort to be a little healthier, I've tried a couple of things. But I'll only talk about one of those things here. I've tried to eat breakfast...in one form or another. Lately, it's been a granola bar, and I do love Quaker granola bars.

Then I figured that I should try eating a healthier granola bar. What did I choose? Kashi TLC Dark Chocolate Cherry granola bars. Wow, no granola bar can make you feel like an adult like this one can.

If you're looking for a "healthy" treat that tastes like a candy bar, this is not the choice for you. Stick with the kiddie granola bars and get your good ol' sugar rush!

Sprinkles Cupcake Truck

As if cupcakes weren't easy enough to get in Los Angeles...they're now coming to you!!

Yes, soon Los Angeles will have a cupcake truck joining its fleet of moving street food. It will be very similar to the ice cream trucks of our childhood (and my present-hood, since it comes down my street every Saturday afternoon at 3:00ish). The only difference is that it will be selling delicious Sprinkles cupcakes (individually boxed) for $4 a pop.

And if you're going to have a party and would like to cater these cupcakes, the truck can be reserved for private parties. Can you imagine a party that has an In-n-Out truck, a Hot Dog on a Stick truck, a Carls Jr. truck (the only one that serves french fries), AND a Sprinkles truck? Oh, you can throw in any one of the numerous taco trucks in the mix as well. Wow, something for everyone...and all you have to do is pay!

No-Go for Jell-O (ice cream)

I tried the Jell-O ice cream at Coldstone Creamery yesterday, and I thought I liked it and got a 'Like It' size of the two flavors (chocolate and butterscotch) side by side.

Oh boy, was I wrong. After a few bites, it was hard work to get that stuff down. It's pretty thick...like eating frozen custard, or pudding (duh). I ended up not finishing it.

My recommendation - you should try it, but don't have any expectations. It would be better to stick with the new Jell-O Pudding Pops.

Now if they would bring back the Tootsie Roll popsicles and Fruit Corners Fruit Bars, I'd be in 80s snack heaven!!

Jello Pudding Ice Cream

You may be too young to remember the original Jell-O Pudding Pops, but luckily, the Pops have been resurrected and distributed by the Pop-sicle brand!

And now Coldstone Creamery has Jell-O Pudding ice cream - in chocolate and butterscotch - for your enjoyment. I'll be trying some soon, and I'll update you as soon as I do!

Beefy Chicken - KFC Grilled Chicken

The El Pollo Loco commercial is right. KFC Grilled Chicken is marinated in beef powder and rendered beef fat. KFC lists it on their ingredient list. Wow. Guess the people who don't eat beef will have to trek over to El Pollo Loco huh?

Why would you have to marinate chicken in beef? Do people want their chicken to taste like beef? Isn't it enough that McDonald's french fries are beef-flavored? Why aren't people happy with potatoes tasting like potatoes...or chicken tasting like chicken?

So confused...

Jack in the Box - Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich

Yes, the Mini Sirloin Burgers commercial was awesome. It still is. But the brilliant minds of the Jack in the Box marketing team have done it again. I saw their commercial for the Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches, and it is quite awesome as well!

You can watch it - in English AND in Spanish - right here! I can only imagine that everyone will be doing it in a couple days time...

Whale in Marina del Rey

There was so much interesting new yesterday, and I thought I would share some of it with you.

In Marina del Rey, there is a gray whale that has been chillin' off the shore. All of the scientists that have been observing the whale say that she's on her migration route and is just taking her sweet time.

Oh, the best part? They named her Baby Nicole. :)

Sweet Harts - Sherman Oaks

Melissa Joan Hart opened a "sweets shop" (for lack of a better term), and I need to find some time to visit this weekend. It's called Sweet Harts in Sherman Oaks. They have frozen yogurt, gelato, candy, and other desserts. Check it out here...