mo's bacon bar

while i did enjoy the chocolate with bacon bar, i’d say not everything is better with bacon as the wrapper suggests. for me bacon is better without chocolate!! there are several things that factor in as part of the bacon experience, first the smell of cooking bacon, second the crunch that somehow melts in your mouth and third the savory salty goodness. these add to a delicious mouth watering crispy piece of bacon, not chocolate. don’t get me wrong i love a sweet & salty mix but this combination while interesting is not one that i’ll be craving anytime soon.

stuck on you

yes it's true i got a tattoo with the words stuck on you on my wrist and yes it's after this lionel richie song. i've wanted one for years and today i finally got one. i cried only at the end becuase i was so happy to finally have this as a part of with me forever. i got it done at high voltage by jeff ward. thanks jeff you are awesome!! no kat von d was not there and yes it was crazy being in the shop because i see it on tv. the funny thing is that i watch the show and today they were watching me, even if only for the fact that i was laughing like crazy and they couldn't help but laugh too. while jeff was tattooing (is that even a word?) he asked if anyone had ever clocked the pitch on my laugh.. good times. thanks to all of you who were able to be there with me.

roscoe's chicken and waffles

finally i was able to feed my craving for rosco's chicken and waffles. this time i went to the hollywood location so that only leaves pasadena and then i'll have visited them all. i can't even begin to explain how much i love this place and how yummy their waffles are. they must put crack in their batter to keep me addicted cause really i'm not a big waffle eater. besides eating them and wanting them from roscoes i will never order them or crave them anywhere else. don't get me wrong i like waffles just fine but it's not the first thing i think of when i want am in the mood for breakfast. the only time i really want to eat waffles is when i get these heaven sent plate sized round discs of goodness. i ordered 1/2 a fried chicken smothered in gravy served with 2 waffles, a side of cheesy eggs & onions and of course the eclipse to drink. i split the meal with a friend who was one of the two girls on the road trip with me. the waffle was just as amazing with each bite but this time i was a little disappointed in the fried chicken. it was still delicious but it wasn't as crispy as i would've liked it. this was partly my fault since i normally remember to order the gravy on the side so i can dip the crisp chicken in it. so if you order this meal like i do don't forget to ask for the gravy on the side!! i'd never ordered the cheesy eggs & onions before but someone recommended them to me so i couldn't pass it up and i'm so glad i didn't. it's a funny thing cause i've made eggs at home with cheese and onions but somehow it doesn't begin to compare roscoe's. i guess some things are just better left to professionals but who knew cheesy eggs & onions would be one of those things? now i'm sure you are wondering what the eclipse is so let me tell you about this refreshing drink. it is made with lemonade, orange juice and fruit punch but it's not mixed together it's layered in the glass and when it's served you can see the colors change through the glass. for those of you who have tasted any of what i’m describing you know how great it is but you have not had the pleasure of eating here i recommend you make a trip to any one of their locations. if you’re not convinced yet that this restaurant is a must try then i’m not sure what more i can say besides you’re missing out.

orcutt burger

after a short trip down the 101 us girl stopped off in santa maria before heading to la. we ate at orcutt burger to throw down some off the hook zucchini fries from a place called orcutt burger. i was introduced to this place many years ago and still to this day i find myself comparing all other fried zucchinis to this place. we were only able to stop off for a shot time but i was able to visit a friend and his family that i hadn't seen in a long time. i miss my weekend visits to santa maria but things are no longer the same but one thing has remained the same over the years so thank you orcutt for the wonderful zucchini fries.

neon trees

after 2 previous attempts to purchase this cd from target i'm happy to report 3rd time really is the charm. neon trees has an intriguing approach to their songs plus they've got a chick drummer... look out sheila e. here comes elaine bradley, hahaha. although their cd is short they are very energetic and i'm happy with my purchase. if you missed the free download of animal on itunes i'm sorry but you should still check them out. i look forward to seeing them in may and i hope they are just as good live.

unfold

today i was talking to a friend about boys and the lack of them. well there are boys but it's hard to find a boy, or a girl if you happen to be a boy reading this, that you have a connection with that makes you want to be open and put yourself in that vulnerable position of him/her seeing the real you. i thought of this and how most girls are just looking for someone to make them want to 'unfold' as this song puts it. so good luck boys and hold on to the dream girls!i actually saw marie digby play in april 2008 almost exactly 2 years ago at the great american music hall in san francisco. she played with lots of people but the most popular ones were ingrid michaelson and carry brothers. i'd never heard of her before that night but i liked her songs so i purchased her cd at the merch table and i've been enjoying my cd ever since.

epic fail

i wish that i could report that tonight i ate corned beef and cabbage but instead i wasted my $13 bucks on a disaster. after work i stopped at the store to pick up the corned beef and a cabbage. i got home and put the meat in a pot covered it with water then was out the door to a green party at a friends. several hours (serveral = 4) later i returned home and added the cabbage to the pot and let it cook for another hour. i pulled the meat out of the pot to cut it because it was not fork tender and i was sleepy. i couldn't believe how tough the meat was after cooking for 5hrs. i tasted a piece but it was too tough and it didn't taste good at all!! i dumped it straight into the trash. moral of this story next time i attempt this i'll get a recipe or maybe i'll learn how to cut meat correctly. since i'm not sure what my mistake was i will for sure follow the guidance and direction of a wiser cook than i.

meatloaf mayhem

this was only my second attempt at this meal and i personally think it turned out great. it’s been over 10 years since i first tried to make this dish. let me tell you about my previous experience and you’ll understand why. the year was 1998 and for my dad’s birthday i decided i’d make him meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas since he rarely ever got to eat it and it’s his favorite meal. while making the meatloaf my dad was yelling and said some not nice things to my little brother. i was upset by this and decided to stick up for him and ended up fighting with my dad over it. i had a genius idea that to make him mad and stick it to the man (my dad), i’d throw the meat in the trash so that he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. as i stepped on the trash compactor to open it the pyrex dish i was mixing the meat in slipped out of my greasy fingers and hit the front edge of the trash compactor. when the dish broke part of it cut into my finger and i ended up going to the ER to get stitched up. way to stick it to the man and me at the same time, served me right i guess. i still have the scar from this and i’m convinced that this ordeal has held me back from ever becoming a hand model. hahaha! anyways last night i decided to women up and conquer the tasty meal know as meatloaf. i am proud to say that attempt number 2 actually made it into the oven. since I don’t have a loaf pan i decided to make cupcake sized portions in my cupcake pan. the way they turned out to look is like giant meatballs but still they tasted delicious. i didn’t follow a recipe but here is what i added to my mixture:
1.25lb ground pork
1.25lb ground beef
minced garlic
worcestershire sauce
ketchup
chopped onion
harry & david pepper relish
2 eggs
homemade bread crumbs
parsley & rosemary dried seasonings
salt & pepper

a tri-tip sandwich & a hockey game

tonight i scored a free ticket to the sharks game in a luxury box... ThAnK yOu to my friend with a hook up! oh and sorry to my other friend for claiming the ticket before you.. sucker! i wear my shark shoes (pictured below) to all the shark games even though i'm not a fan.. i like them i guess but i don't have a specific hockey i prefer over another. my favorite part of hockey games besides the fights is to irratate the fans around me and cheer for the visiting team. people in san jose are very serious about their sharks and they don't like loud mouths like me rubbing it in when the away team gets a goal. this time i was unable to do so since we were in a luxury box with co-workers of my friend.. well that and the sharks ROCKED the ice tonight. seriously it was such a great game, the only thing that could've made it better would've been a few fights. oh and for dinner we found tri-tip sandwiches which ended up being good especially for getting them at an arena.

save you

this song has been running through my head since monday, thank you shuffle option for reminding me about it!

oscar extravaganza 2010

sausage—cheese bites

3 cups original bisquick mix
1 pound bulk pork sausage
4 cups shredded cheddar Cheese (16 oz)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
½ teaspoon parsley flakes

1. heat oven to 350* F. lightly grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan.
2. stir together all ingredients, using hands or spoon. shape mixture into 1-inch balls. place in baking pan.
3. bake 20-25 minutes or until brown. immediately remove from pan.
* makes about 8 dozen appetizers

cheese puffs

2 large eggs
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup cottage cheese
4 ounces feta cheese
1 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
unsalted butter, melted

beat eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; beat in cheeses. unfold phyllo, and cover with a slightly damp towel to prevent pastry from drying out.

place 1 phyllo sheet on a flat surface covered with wax paper; cut lengthwise into 3 (12- x 6-inch) strips. brush 1 long side of each strip with melted butter; fold strips in half lengthwise, and brush with butter.

place 1 teaspoon cheese mixture at base of each strip; fold right bottom corner over to form a triangle. continue folding back and forth into a triangle, gently pressing corners together.

place triangles, seam side down, on ungreased baking sheets, and brush with butter. repeat procedure with remaining phyllo sheets, cheese mixture, and butter.

bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden.

note: you may freeze unbaked pastries on baking sheets; remove to airtight containers, and freeze up to 2 weeks. bake as directed without thawing.

yield: 5 1/4 dozen

mango-radish salsa

• 2 limes
• 2 mangoes, diced
• 4 to 5 red radishes, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

prepare the mango-radish salsa. remove the peel and pith from the limes and cut between the membranes to remove the segments. put these "supremes" into a bowl and squeeze over the juice from the membranes. add the remaining ingredients and mix. season and refrigerate until ready to use. you can also place all of the ingredients into a food processor and puree for a smoother salsa.

a friend suggested this recipe to me and i got it from the food network it's from Tyler Florence. it's an easy recipe but it ended up taking a lot of time to prepare/cut. thank goodness i prepared it the night before my party. i hope i get faster the more i do it so for the love of mangos i'll make it again.

another day in sf

another day in the city that started out at the ferry building. we wondered the farmers market briefly and after a few samples and some large melons we settled on a place to eat lunch. i ordered 2 tacos and a bean burrito from a place called mijita cocina. the food was nothing special and i must say that it was over priced. the items are sold separately and they didn't have rice and beans on the menu. after lunch we made our way over to swensen's for ice cream but instead of a scoop i opted for a peppermint milkshake. after ice cream we took an out of town visitor to the golden gate bridge for a short walk and a spectacular view. sine our day was packed with a full agenda we had to hurry over to de young for the tutankhamun exhibit since our tickets were for 4:30-5. thank goodness for the audio option during the tour since we were all too exhausted to read our way through it. instead we found ourselves siting a lot and just relying on the audio to fill us in on the information. lazy i know but the day was beautiful in san francisco and it took a lot out of us. we ended the evening in fremont at china chili for chinese food. well it doesn't end here for me.. i'm off to prepare for tomorrows big oscar party.

armadillo willy's

this experience at aradillo willy's was much better than my first time a few months back. last time my sandwich had too much sauce and my milkshake was too runny. tonight i ordered the smokehouse bbq melt with pork and sauce on the side. the sandwich also has jack & cheddar cheese, bacon and onion served on texas toast. the pork was good, not amazing but i'd order it again. my friends and i also shared a basket of garlic fries and a giant chocolate chip cookie.

next time i go i'll make a point of going on a monday night for the all you can eat ribs. fingers crossed that the ribs are their specialty.