Bonnin Designs

13 Years Times 2 Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:19:00 +0000

It's a big deal to be able to say I have twin dogs, Flick and Summer, on the left and right, and they are 13 healthy years old. It's also another celebration as Foxy turned 4 as well. We got her in July and the people we got her from didn't know her birthday so we assigned it to the same day as Flick and Summer. So we celebrated 3 birthdays yesterday.

That deserves a cake. I got the recipe from this website. It's the Peanut Butter Delight Dog Birthday cake and doubled it to be able to put it in a cake pan. I baked it at the same temperature and time. It turned out perfect!

I made the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting but but increased it to 2 packages, or 16 oz of low fat cream cheese, 3 teaspoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla.

The cake turned out perfect. It was baked just exactly to the time needed and was the best looking cake that ever came out of my oven...and it was for the dogs.

But they loved it. Look at Flick's look of delight.

And Foxy loved it too. We had to give her a separate slice because she doesn't like to share.

Happy little dogs eating their birthday cake. Summer didn't look up once. She was so much in ecstacy.

They first tried to just eat the frosting off the cake. It was hilarious.

Then they realized the cake was awesome too. Big enough piece Flick?

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:09:00 +0000

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Holiday Decor - A Bit DIY, A Bit Nutcracker

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:23:00 +0000

Here's a taste of the craziness I call my Holiday Decor. It's part crafty and part Nutcracker to feed my obsession with Nutcrackers. Above I had some silver glittered feathers I put out in a little glass for shine!

I have lots of wood in my family room and I used some greenery to up the Holiday spirit and threw some berries and colorful garland around it.

I have a candleholder on my table to which I hung the Christmas Tree Paper ornaments I made

This is in my entry hall. I have more glittered feathers in a glass tube with bells in it on a candleholder.

Here's a quick idea. Put ornaments and a string of lights in a glass vase and you have some festive decor.

My vintage button tree has to be my favorite thing I've made ever. I took it and put it in a vintage candy dish that I spray painted with primer so it looks matte white. There are the mason jar snow globes that I made as well.

I inherited all of these vintage buttons so with color pins, I stuck them on a styrofoam cone. It took forever and a day but if you have nothing to do for a few days, make one.

One of my favorite nutcrackers, the Sushi Chef. If you know me, you know why.

Here's my kitchen cooking tree. I have wooden cooking utensils, colorful balls and hand knitted mini mittens on this tree.

Not really a decoration, but don't you love my little bar. This vintage cart cost me $40 at a flea market and I didn't have to do a thing to it.

These are the Nutcrackers in the place of honor, above the TV. These are the characters represented in the Nutcracker: the Mouse King, Clara, Dr. Drosselmeyer. Plus my very first nutcracker on the left and Santa on the right.

The mantle with nutcrackers and stockings.

Our Christmas tree is mostly Nutcrackers with a few other treasured ornaments thrown in. Above are some glittery nutcrackers.

Here's a close up of a knitted pair of mini mittens I made. Here's a pattern for them if you want to make them.

More nutcrackers.

In my kitchen, I keep the cooking/baking themed nutcrackers.

I used a vintage hankie to put under my plate rack. It's red and green, so...in keeping with the holiday theme.

In my kitchen, on a ledge behind our eating booth I put these little beer cork trees I made. Pretty self-explanatory. I hope you enjoyed a peek into my home.

My Other Half

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:35:00 +0000

Did you know that I started a food blog? It's The Unassuming Foodie. I probably didn't mention it here because I was so caught up getting it started. I will be posting about food there that I make and how food I eat at restaurants and see in recipes online inspire me to make it my own.

Here's my latest post about something yummy I saw and then recreated it to my taste. Please visit and comment, often.

Mason Jar Snow Globe DIY

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:02:00 +0000

I was shopping in Anthropologie last week and I saw this salt shaker with a little Christmas tree in it and some snow. Then I saw mason jars with the same. I had a bunch of jars at home and I knew I had to make these.
What you'll need:

mason jars and other jars of various sizes such as salt shakers, spice jars, jam jars, pickle jars
Christmas trees. I got a pack of 21 at Michael's for sale 50% off
other holiday items you may want to glue
mini ball ornaments
glue gun
Epsom salts

I took various trees and glued them to the lids of the jars. I added a little Epsom salt to desired amount into the jar. Close the lid and turn upside down. That's it!

A different jar, I took little trees and glued the ornaments onto the bottom of the trees and then put them in the jar upside down, added salt, closed the jar and those just float freely.

Such a simple project and so impressive! I love upcycling items I already have laying around.

Paper Christmas Tree Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Paper is so versatile but without special cutting tools, I didn't think I could make anything. Then, I found this tutorial for these beautiful tree ornaments on a Russian blog and thought I had to make these this year. I'm showing you the steps I took and explaining them a bit more thoroughly than I saw on that site.

What you'll need:

scrapbooking paper
scissors or a circular cutter
paper folding bone/tool. I just used a credit card
needle and string thicker than thread. I used thin cotton yarn
glue gun and glue sticks

Cut 4 circles: 2 inch, 3 inch, 4 inch, and 5 inch.

Fold each in half with the design side on the outside.

Then fold each one in half 90 degrees from the last fold with the design side on the outside.

Turn the circles over and fold each one in half 45 degrees from the other folds. the design side should be on the inside now.

Flip the circles so the design sides are on the outside and the fold you just made folds inward. Easy so far, right?

Now your circles all look like this.

Take the smallest circle, thread your needle but don't cut the yarn. String the needle up from the non-design side of the circle through to the design side. Make a loop desired size and string back from the design side to the non-design side. Cut the yarn with enough length to make a little knot. cut off extra yarn.

Turn it back so the design side is on the outside.

You are going to start the glueing now. The circles will fit inside each other as above. Don't push them all the way in but leave the sections so that the edge of the circles flare out a bit. See finished pictures.

Place the glue dot just on one side at a time; front and then back. Add the next section and repeat until complete. That's it. You're done!

Nuts and Bolts Box DIY

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:51:00 +0000

I was inspired to make this decorative box after seeing the below picture of a resin box on The Foundary. The best part? It was practically free.

The resin box from The Foundary that inspired me was priced at $29.

I started with a wood balsa box that held sea salt caramels I purchased for a recipe for Thanksgiving. I removed the labels and it was a perfect canvas for my project.

Then I scoured the garage for various nuts, screws, and bolts of all kinds. Shhh. Don't tell my husband.

I started randomly glueing the hardware onto the box using a glue gun after spray painting the top.

Spray paint primer is awesome for this project, because it not only primes the wood and metal, but it's also the paint that I used for the project. It results in a matte finish which is pretty classy.

Here's the finished box. Pretty interesting as a little decorative item, don't you think?

So, a practically free project that took minimal time. What's not to like? And just think of the possibilities. Boxes hold holiday candy and cookies, or you probably have any box laying around the house. Don't like the hardware? Think of other items you could use: rubberbands, beads, rocks. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. What makes it interesting is using the same type of item in multiples.

Fixing Up an Old Chandelier

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:21:00 +0000

I need help from you, my crafty friends. I saw this vintage chandelier hanging in a friend's kitchen eating area when they first moved in and said, "when you replace this light, I'll take it". So a year later or so, I got a message; "it's yours if you want it, come and get it". I did. It's not as shiny gold as the picture and shows lots of age. It needs an overhaul. I'm not sure if I want to put it in my closet, my dining room, or my back porch. So, my question to you is should I paint it gold, bronze, silver or what?

Bedroom Color Enhancement

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:37:00 +0000

I've lived in this house for 8 years and just now realized that my bedroom has not reflected my husband's and my personalities. It's been blah and beige for way too long. It's had little furniture except for a bed and an old, ugly chaise lounge that I didn't even want to show. It has built-in night tables, dressers, a frame around the headboard, and even an entertainment center. Even with the padded headboard that I made, it was past time for a color enhancement. I started with knowing I did not want to spend a lot of money. It wasn't necessary. First came art above my bed. It took quite a while to find something that fit the space. I got this print on The Foundary for $150. It had many colors which almost froze me with fear to continue. But I pursued on the internet, and in many stores, multiple times. I got advice from friends and yet it was the next item I purchased that sealed the deal. Adding color without changing much is easy. It's done with the accessories. It's done with art. It can also be done with paint....no ready to do that yet. I also needed some functional furniture.

When I saw these amazing pillows for my bed, I suddenly realized that my room of grey and yellow just wasn't going to happen. These were a little more than I wanted to spend but they really bring color ($29 each at Pier One)

I added table lamps ($39 each at Home Goods), a chair (on sale for $135 at World Market) and accent table ($39 at Home Goods) as well as a fun pillow for the chair ($34.95 at Pier One) and a crocheted throw that I made. I had the standing lamp and just changed the shade ($12 at Target).

Next came the yellow mohair throw ($21 on QVC) and an end of the bed wood slat bench ($64 with coupons at World Market). I know I'll never stop hearing from my husband "you got something else to bump into in the night". I'm such a klutz. The last step will be drapes and since it's taken me 8 years to make decisions, it may take me a bit longer. I am getting new blinds though. How do you like those verticals, huh?

Kabocha: What Rhymes with That?

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:46:00 +0000

I came across some interesting recipes the past couple of days watching tv and browsing the internet and thought it would be a good time to do some recipe testing for Thanksgiving and at the same time feed my family dinner.

I just learned of a squash called Kabocha. It's supposedly has a starchy texture like potatoes. I came across this recipe for mashed Kabocha and thought, hmm, may be fun to make something other than my normal mashed potatoes or at least incorporate Kabocha into a mashed potato recipe to add color and a little bit different flavor. I bought 2 and prepared and mashed them according to the directions. I then added minced and sauteed garlic, butter, salt and cream. I didn't add any cheese this time.

As a garnish, I saw the White House chef on The Nate Show the other day making Caramelized pepitas which were calling my name but I used Arizona Dreaming spice mix from Penzey's Spices that my friend Kristin got me instead of the espellete powder, which is like cayenne pepper.

Pleasantly surprised I found the texture to actually be like potatoes and it's my new favorite squash for many uses. The biggest issue is peeling the darn thing. Next time, instead of preparing it by peeling and dicing it to steam, I would cut it in half, take out the seeds and bake it in a dish face down at 350 degrees for about 45 min-hour, then simply scoop it out and mash it. My blister on my finger would agree.

Fancy Pants Pumpkins

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:15:00 +0000

I am in a creative burst lately and was once again inspired by Pinterest to decorate rather than carve pumpkins using items I already had. I was in the store today and found these beautiful white pumpkins that were calling out to be decorated. Yes they don't match. So what. Yes, the colors have nothing to do with each other. So what. Each pumpkin wanted it's own style. Using vintage ribbon, lace, buttons and beads, I put the whole thing together using a glue gun. One's a sexy boudoir pumpkin and the other is a retro pumpkin.

The inspiration is in your bathroom: Holiday Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:17:00 +0000

I'm addicted to Pinterest these days and I especially love the DIY section. I was inspired to save many toilet paper rolls because I wanted to make a holiday wreath inspired by the shape of this beautiful wreath on the See You There blog. Directions on how to make it are there as well. The best things about this project were 1. that it was recycling something I'd normally toss and 2. that it was practically free. I had the paint, the glue gun and the paper rolls. All I needed were the berries which I got 60% off at Michael's. So the whole thing cost about $2.

I used a combination of crimson red and bronze acrylic paint. I brushed it on. Spray paint would have been easier, but it's not what I had on hand. I'm pretty pleased with the final result. What do you think?

Pizza Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:44:00 +0000

I was really in the mood to make pizza for dinner but knew I didn't feel like pulling out my pizza stone. I recalled last week on Pinterest seeing these little pizza cupcakes and thought that was a great idea. I looked at several recipes. Some made dough, some used bisquick mix, and some used refrigerated dough. The common denominator was that you bake according to the dough recipe states. So I decided that I would use pre-made pizza dough. The fillings are purely your choice. Today this is what I decided to use. I purchased 2 packages of rosemary foccaccio dough from Fresh & Easy. The fun thing is that you can add anything to these pizzas and even change what you put in each one. I'm sure kids would love to help out. My kid however, would rather do chemistry homework. Oh well.

Ingredients:
premade refrigerated pizza dough- rosemary foccaccio from Fresh and Easy
sauce- I used sundried tomato pesto from F&E
prosciutto cut into small pieces
shredded mozzarella
black olives sliced
fresh spinach

How to:
1. Thinly coat each cupcake tin with olive oil.
2. Make small balls of dough and with your hands, flatten and pull them until each one is slightly larger than each cupcake liner. Line each tin with dough. I used two packages which made 14 pizzas.

3. put some sauce in each liner

4. start layering ingredients and finish with cheese, then olives

5. bake according to package directions. I baked mine at 400 for 20 min. And they were perfect!

Scotch Eggs, My Version

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:15:00 +0000

Recently I ate a Scotch egg at a local restaurant and thought it was interesting, but a bit bland. That one must have been made with simply ground turkey. That got me thinking. I did some research and found that Scotch eggs are typically deep fried and made with sausage and other spices. I chose to modify that recipe because I don't really like sausage and I thought baking would be a healthier idea. So I opted for ground pork and ground turkey in this recipe. With some added spices, it should tast awesome.

Scotch Egg Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
6 hard boiled eggs- peeled
2 eggs beaten
breadcrumbs
olive oil spray

Directions:

Mix the meat and seasonings in a large bowl and divide into 6 even amounts.
Take a portion of the meat and roll into a ball. Insert the egg and surround the egg evenly with the meat.
Dip each ball into beaten egg, covering well.
Roll in bread crumbs and place on baking sheet sprayed with olive oil.
Spray each ball lightly with olive oil.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min turning once at 15 min until golden.

Gooseberry, Blueberry, and Plum Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:34:00 +0000

My son bought gooseberries the other day and having never eaten them, didn't know that they are super tart and almost inedible. So, I decided to make them edible. I made a pie. I don't make pies, so of course, I opted for the Pillsbury roll out crust.

But the inside ingredients were mine. It ended up very soupy but very good. Next time I'll use tapioca as a thickener instead of cornstarch. Once I perfect this recipe, I'll post it. For now, pictures.

Crab Cakes a la Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Sometimes recipes are born out of necessity. When I mean necessity, I'm talking about that it's 5pm and I realize I don't have certain ingredients and need to figure out some substitutes, fast. These are crab cakes that would usually be constructed with the recipe on the side of the can of crab combined with a few online recipes, but alas, it's way different this time. I realized I didn't have celery or any kind of parsley, cilantro or mint, so apples stepped in for the crunchy and what the heck, I added some lime juice and some unsweetened coconut for an added twist. The result was a hint of sweetness that went along with the spiciness of the Sriracha sauce. The apple bits that were on the outside got carmelized. What more can you ask?

Here's the recipe:
1 lb can of crab meat
3/4 cup of Panko crumbs
1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
juice from half a lime
1/2 an apple - diced
3 large cloves of shallots sliced small
1 tsp of Sriracha
2 Tablespoons of mayo
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
salt to taste - about 1/4 teaspoon
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 egg

Mix all of the above in a big bowl. Form into crab cakes or even burgers, your choice on size and fry on medium in a pan with the bottom coated in Canola oil until the outsides look golden brown.

Mistral: Romance and Sunsets and Of Course, Food!

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:34:00 +0000

My sister recommended that we eat at Mistral which is located at the Loew's Coronado Bay Resort, where we stayed. I checked out the menu and it seemed like a perfect idea. Chef Patrick Ponsaty came by our table and with my request, I asked him to recommend our menu based on his favorites. With the sunset overlooking the San Diego Bay, this couldn't have been more romantic. Here's the scoop:

Amuse bouche was a cold asparagus cream soup with duck confit and a garlic crouton. It was in a cute mini mug and eaten with a spoon. A pretty great start to a nice meal.

This appetizer has to be one of my all time favorites. It was just beautiful when presented. The bright colors really struck me and I almost didn't want to touch it. Almost. It was a split blue prawn on a bed of truffle ricotta cheese stuffed canneloni. It was topped with heirloom tomatoes, artichoke, sliced fennel and a light tangy sauce.

Next came the entrees. My husband's entree was a daily special. It was bacon wrapped monkfish on a bed of green lentils and topped with a chick pea cake. I of course had to taste it. The texture of monkfish is like a shellfish, firm and full of flavor. With the bacon, a perfect combination.

My entree was sea bass. It was sauteed with a carrot-orange emulsion on top. It had lavender honey braised endive and an orange blossom mousse. The flavors were fresh and the mousse was delightful. Despite the sea bass being a bit overcooked, I was really impressed with this dish.

And then there was dessert. I was so full but dessert was necessary. I opted for a lighter dessert vs something chocolatey. Roasted Peaches. Peaches weren't very sweet, but they nicely offset the very sweet meringue and sauterne aspic. Served in a mason jar was lavender-rosemary ice cream, topped with a peach type jam (sauterne aspic- which is typically meat based and a gel. I believe this was termed loosely) and topped with a flambéed meringue. Eaten with the peaches, it was delightful.

I'd love to go back every week and try something off this menu. It was so interesting.

Great Food, Great People Watching

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:41:00 +0000

We had dinner reservations in the Gaslamp District in San Diego on Saturday. One small problem; the restaurant was right where Comic-Con was and driving there was not going to happen. So, we took the Coronado ferry across to Downtown San Diego. We missed the ferry which would take us directly to where we needed to go and ended up at Seaport Village on the other side of town.

Ah, but then there was Pirate Pat the Pedi-cab driver that took us to the Gaslamp. An experience in itself. A mini tour of San Diego with history and stories by Pirate Pat. And then there was his butt-crack. We had full visual of that too. Giggle.

When we arrived at our destination at Market and 5th ave, we came upon a zombie parade. It was endless and another source of entertainment, not to mention all of the people dressed up. Spiderman climbing on poles, and other people watching.

Brian Malarkey in the hat. Photo by Alex Purnell

Destination Searsucker. A restaurant owned by Top Chef Brian Malarkey. I met Brian at a Top Chef event this year and was really interested in trying his food. Perfect. This restaurant will be opened 1 year this month and it was not only delicious but visually appealing as well.

Romantic, rustic, and fun with an open kitchen that reminded me of a diner counter in the back corner of the restaurant.

Appetizer: We shared the bone marrow. Came with an onion jam you spread on the bread, add bone marrow and sprinkle with sea salt. If you haven't had bone marrow, it's the butter of the cow. Believe me. Delicious.

The menu is very adventurous and humorous as well. This was my husbands entree. Tongue and Cheek; beef tongue and cheek with cactus. Next to the item on the menu, instead of a description it just says "yes". How could you not want to try it. Tender cheeks with dried tongue pieces. Great flavor and texture.

My entree was scallops with a blackberry sauce, brown butter and foie blanc. Succulent and colorful. I loved the creaminess of the foie blanc but it wasn't overdone. I was surprised they served 4 as typically 3 scallops are what I see served in other restaurants. It was quite a treat. The only thing that was strange was whatever the herb was on top of the scallops. It didn't taste like oregano and I needed to take it off, because it disrupted the flavors. If it's garnish and it's on my plate, I usually like to try it. Not this one.

We shared a side dish which was fennel, fingerling potatoes and a small yolk. There was a cheese. Not sure if it was feta, but something like that. Served in a cast iron pan. Loved the yolk and roasted fennel is one of my faves.

This trip is one of a few small trips to celebrate our 20th anniversary this year. So here's an anniversary flourless chocolate cake with a caramel sauce and these little round chocolate covered crunchies that were just the best. It's not on the menu.

So far so good with the food. Tomorrow, another mouth watering dinner at Mistral. Stay tuned.

Everything Revolves Around Food

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:51:00 +0000

This weekend was a rare getaway for my husband and I. No kids. We stayed in Coronado for 2 nights at the Loew's Coronado Bay Resort. My husband and very different tastes when it comes to hobbies. He enjoys long distance cycling; I like to shop. Very different. However food is really what brings us together. That's probably why we eat out so much. Ah revelation. And we did just that this weekend. In the next couple blog posts, I'm going to be sharing our food excursions with you. Too much for one post.

Here we go. When we arrived in Coronado around noon on Saturday, lunch was priority. We parked and walked. Boring little deli's, Panera Bread, a diner and a Mexican restaurant. And then there was Leroy's. It had just opened last Tuesday and it just drew us right in; with clean modern lines mixed with old exposed wood and a menu that looked incredibly interesting. The concept is farm to table, local food. Yes please.

Sliders are sliders, but these scallop sliders were on Hawaiian bread rolls. A little sweet with the Napa slaw and a Harissa aoli. Oh and the truffle fries. Truly the best truffle fries I've had.

My dish was the Mussels that had fresh roasted roma tomatoes and a slightly spicy sausage. There was enough juice to dip that toast. That's my favorite thing about eating mussels. My dish also came with a side of truffle fries.

Leroy's also had an extensive wine, beer, and cocktail menu. Here's my husband happy with a flight of Belgium's. The only regret I have about this restaurant is that I didn't get the Naughty Ding Dong for dessert. The perfect start to a fantastic weekend.

Roasted Chick Peas

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:13:00 +0000

I've been addicted to Pinterest lately and run across pictures of food that I have to try. These roasted chick peas really appealed to me but even more so after I went to a local taco restaurant called Taco Asylum and they have these most wonderful roasted chick peas on one of my favorite tacos; the wild mushroom taco.
I wanted crunchy roasted chick peas so my recipe is adapted from this one I mixed the canned ones in some olive oil, salt, balsamic vinegar and chervil to taste. I roasted them at 450 for 15 min, then 400 for 10 min, and 300 for 15 more min. I'm no pro. I just didn't want them to burn but I wanted them crunchy. They are a great snack

Homemade Nutella Gelato

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Nutella Gelato recipe here. Served with Morello cherries from Trader Joe's and 1/2 of a Fererro Rocher hazelnut chocolate candy. Looks like an egg.

Tutorial: A Upcycled Serving Tray for Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:58:00 +0000

I recently purchased an unfinished wooden serving tray at The Salvation Army for 1.29 thinking that I could use it...somehow. Then on a recent shopping trip to Urban Outfitters, I saw a wall art piece by artist Sarah Ogren with a dog similar to my Foxy and the body of an old fashioned girl. It was in a thick wooden frame. Inspired by that piece, I set out to make something along that line for my home. I photo shopped a picture of Foxy onto a vintage photo of a child and colorized a bit of the photo the blue and green accent colors. I spray painted the serving tray satin black. I used scrapbooking paper and borders that I had laying around and Modge Podged it all down on the black tray with a wide sponge brush. I used several light coats of Modge Podge so as not to get the paper too wet. After it was all dry, I sprayed it with a clear coat of lacquer. I love how it turned out. It's upcycled. It's personalized. It's original.

A Little Peep of Deliciousness

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:46:00 +0000

I never liked Peeps, though I always wanted to, until I discovered that if you put them on a skewer and roast them over the gas stove, the sugar carmelizes and the inside melts.

You get the crunch like the top of a creme brulee and the smoothness of a melted marshmallow inside. It's even BETTER than a roasted marshmallow. The trick is not to get it too close to the flame to allow the sugar to carmelize. At the same time, the peep will puff up.

The "Secret Lover"

noreply@blogger.com (Shari) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:51:00 +0000

I was so fortunate to be invited last night to a dinner by my friend Kristin Ausk of Meringue Bake Shop. It was put on by Anita Lau of Mad Hungry Woman blog. If you don' t happen to know of Anita, she's a food blogger for the OC Register and Food Frenzy blog and is a world renound Yelp reviewer! I took a picture of her but her eyes were closed so I'm not posting it. I think she'd appreciate that. Lol. The setting was the Break of Dawn Restaurant in Laguna Hills which is open for breakfast and brunch, so we had it to ourselves.

The premise of the dinner was for Anita to introduce everyone to her "Secret Lover". And much to no one's surprise, it happened to be SoHo Taco's! They are a catering company that does tacos. I kept thinking how perfect that would be to hire them for a graduation party or a corporate event. Big Train provide the beverages which were Mexican themed as well; jamaica, horchata, and then green tea.

shrimp and chicken tacos and those yummy tortillas.

We were treated to 2 different types of tacos and sides initially. There were the chicken tacos and the shrimp tacos. We had chips, home made guacamole, rice and beans. Settling in to the serious task before us we began eating. The chicken tacos were seasoned so perfect. I'm typically not a chicken eater, except at home (That's another story), but these were my favorite of the night. I put a fresh mango salso on them which sent them over the moon with deliciousness.

In fact I devoured that chicken taco then realized I didn't take a picture of it. The nice picture is of Kristin's tacos prior to her getting a chance to eat them. The big draw to these tacos were the fact that the tortillas were handmade, right there. They were thick and chewy. I kept thinking I could eat the tortillas alone. They would be amazing with any topping, Mexican or not. Peanut butter even! Just give me those tortillas!

carne asada and veggie taco

After that, we were told by Rico, the publicist, of SoHo Taco, that more tacos were being prepared and that we must try them. Oh, I don't know....ok. The next course of tacos were vegetarian and carne asada. The vegetarian tacos had portobello mushrooms, onions, yellow and red peppers and spinach with a really subtle seasoning. After picking out the peppers (the only food in the world I don't eat) I was content with everything else. The carne asada tacos were good, but not my top favorite. I should have added the green sauce that Anita calls her "crack". It would have upped the flavor on those. Instead I opted for cheese and salsa.

me, Kristin, and Priscilla

And yes, there were still 2 more tacos to be tried, a mahi mahi taco and a carnitas taco. I couldn't. I just couldn't. But I'm sure they were delicious. People were smiling when they were eating them. I 'm still full this morning. I did get to catch up with friends I haven't seen like Priscilla Willis of She's Cookin and met a Facebook and Twitter friend IRL, Maryanne Wendt, finally!

Thanks again to Kristin for inviting me. Thanks to Anita for having this event, and thanks chef Gabe, the owner of Soho Taco for doing this, to Rico, the publicist from SoHo taco, who was so appreciative and happy to be there, his chefs, his tortilla maker and Jim Wendt of Big Train for providing beverages. Also thank you to Chef Dee of Break of Dawn Restaurant which to I hope to go to try his food another time because I hear it's just fantastic.http://madhungrywoman.com