Category Archives: Foodie Fever

New Life: Taking the Whole30 Challenge

I first heard about Whole30 through Vahni of Grit & Glamour (see her initial post here).  Vahni has a great explanation of why she did it, which is why I decided to read a bit more about it.  I have been looking to focus on something new, especially regarding my health and diet, so this challenge seemed like a great place to start.  If you’re not familiar with the Whole30 program, it’s very similar to the Paleo or “Caveman” diet of bringing your food intake back to its basics.  The good part is that it’s only for 30 days, and I feel that this is something that I can accomplish to see if this is how I want to adjust my eating style on a regular basis. 

I actually began this program on Monday October 1st with Vahni and several other bloggers, and we have a support group of sorts on Facebook.  I’m so glad that I joined the group because in this first week, I have a wedding to attend in Las Vegas (we’re on the road today).   As the days grew closer to this first week and weekend, I wondered if I could pull this off, especially with the wedding looming ahead.  As I started to have doubts, I referred to this part of the Whole30 program section, specifically the “It is not hard” portion:

It’s for your own good.

Here comes the tough love. This is for those of you who are considering taking on this life-changing month, but aren’t sure you can actually pull it off, cheat free, for a full 30 days. This is for the people who have tried this before, but who “slipped” or “fell off the wagon” or “just HAD to eat (fill in food here) because of this (fill in event here).” This is for you.

It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime.

Don’t even consider the possibility of a “slip”. Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of doughnuts, there is no “slip”. You make a choice to eat something unhealthy. It is always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. Commit to the program 100% for the full 30 days. Don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even started.

I did drink my coffee black for the first time ever in my life this week, and it wasn’t hard at all.  I don’t think I will physically trip and fall into a plate of wedding cake, so I assure you all that I will make the healthy choice this weekend.  Vahni gave some great alternatives to drinking alcohol in our Facebook group, so that I again make a better choice when the wedding toast happens.  I will post about my progress here on the blog.  In the meantime, I’ve included their approved shopping list and a couple of pictures of meals and snacks that I have had this week (posted initially on Instagram with hashtag #Whole30).  I’ve only stepped on the scale at the beginning of this week to check my initial weight (136 lbs), just to see the outward effects as well as the internal effects.  Just in this first week alone, I’ve felt the effects, so I’m excited to view food differently, make better choices and to change my life!

Dried fruit & cashews:  The program states to limit dried fruit, so I just use it as part of my own “trail mix”, especially for the drive up to Las Vegas.  I have not had organic soup yet, so I’m excited to try it!

One of my lunches, made with romaine lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and ham. I used a balsamic vinegar for dressing (allowed under the section called “The Fine Print” in the program guidelines).

Foodie Fever: Restaurant Week at Analog Bar

As mentioned in a previous post, last week was San Diego Restaurant Week.  I ventured out with Janice to a place that I had been wanting to try out for a while: The Analog Bar.  Here is yet another example of the kind of establishments that Janice and I seem to gravitate to: good music, good drinks, and musical paraphernalia attached to the walls.  If you recall, on our recent trip to London trip we paid a visit to a fantastic little bar called Callooh Callay where the walls of the restroom were covered with cassette tapes (posts here and here).  Not only are the walls covered with cassette tapes, but also with album covers as well.  I tried to look for a Depeche Mode cover, but I really only saw Human League.  I’ll have to go back to see what other 80’s groups I can find among the dozens.

If you are unfamiliar with Restaurant Week, I have a few posts about the week-long event (here and here).  It’s definitely something that my friends and I enjoy and we try to go somewhere different each time.  I missed Restaurant Week earlier this year, so it was Regi’s turn to miss this one.  The three of us try to get together as time and schedules permit, but sometimes one of us misses out.  Since we already scheduled the date and made the reservations, Janice and I decided to keep the date, and I’m really glad we did!

From the prix fixe menu (which was $30), we always pick different things in order to be able to sample a variety of what is offered.  In addition, we chose to do the Cocktail Pairings for an additional $12 because this meant that we each got a specialty drink that was made for each item on the menu.  The cocktails that were offered already would have cost a total of $36, so we thought it was a fantastic deal.  I also think we were trying to relive our trip to London and the fantastic drinks we had while we were out there.

Grapefruit Champagne Spritzer

“Bahn Mi” Street Tacos and Lobster Corn Dogs with tarragon dip

I started off with the Lobster Corn Dogs that came with a tarragon dip and Janice had the BBQ Pork “Bahn Mi” Street Tacos, which she had before.  Both dishes were very tasty and I thought the tarragon dip was a wonderful compliment to the lobster (lobster cakes surrounded by corn dog batter).  This was accompanied by a Grapefruit Champagne Spritzer, which was light and very delicious.  I thought it went well with the appetizers because it sparkled and wasn’t too heavy.   Already, the cocktails did not disappoint, so I looked forward to the other pairings.

Grilled Orange-Sesame Glazed Salmon

Next was our main dishes: I had the Grilled Orange-Sesame Glazed Salmon and Janice had the Braised Sterling Silver Short Ribs (not pictured).  Each were good versions of our favorite dishes.  They were paired with the Hendricks Experience cocktails which also was surprisingly refreshing.  For me, it went well with my salmon and didn’t overpower my meal. 

From the Cocktail Pairings (drinks appear in respective order to the menu)

My favorite part of the meal was the dessert (of course).  I had the Butterscotch Pudding and Janice had the Peanut Butter Cup Cake, which came with a glass of milk.  The Butterscotch Pudding was a brownie topped with pudding, salted caramel and whipped cream, served in a small mason jar.  This was paired with the Analog Organic Chai Mule, which was almost like what a liquid gingerbread cookie would taste like.  The spice of the ginger went very well with the sweetness of the dessert.  It was a wonderful way to end a delightful meal. 

Overall, this was a wonderful food and drink experience, and I know I would definitely go back again to take my husband on a night out.  The space resembles a sleek music recording studio, and I’ve read that it’s a great place to enjoy listening to music and dancing because of the DJ set up.  I would also like to return with my entire family to enjoy their brunch, because I know my son would love looking at all of the album covers and cassette tapes that adorn their walls.  Not only does Analog Bar have good food and great drinks, but a cool and hip atmosphere as well and appeals to the music enthusiast in me.  Cheers!

European Vacation Days 7 & 8: Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

August 22 was our last night in London, and part of the morning was spent returning back to London from Paris.  After a quick trip back to our hotel room back at Wembley Park, we quickly went back to Knightsbridge because Janice had a couple of returns and VAT  items to take care of at Harrods and Topshop.  We then headed towards Piccadilly Circus to see the famous illuminated signs and we grabbed some lunch at a pub called Tom Cribb.  From the official website:  “The pub is named after British champion bare-knuckle boxer Tom Cribb who, in the 1800s, retired from the ring and later became a publican, at the Union Arms. The pub changed its name to honour his career.”  I had a sandwich named after him and Janice had bangers & mash for the first time (both were very tasty).  I wanted to try a truly British beer, so I had half a pint of Spitfire to wash it all down.

After walking around a bit, we stopped by Cool Britannia, one of the coolest souvenir shops in London.  Unfortunately, I was quite bogged down with packages and it was way too busy in the store to take any proper pictures.  I wish I had because it really is quite a fantastic souvenir shop.

Elliot making my first drink of the evening: The Westerners’ Erofeitch.  Doesn’t he look like a naughty mad scientist?  Note the water and food close by…we knew it would be that kind of night.

My next two drinks: The Perfect Lady (very sweet & creamy) and The Mandalay (slightly bitter with Campari).

To celebrate our last hurrah in London, we went back to Callooh Callay (see my first post here).  The above drinks were all delicious and very mildly named.  Things already became fuzzy for me after two drinks, so I very thankful that we had been eating and drinking water throughout the night.  As the evening got later, the names of the drinks got raunchier.  I’m sure Elliot has seen crazier patrons than Janice and myself, but I thank him for putting up with me, especially after four drinks (Janice can hold her drink much better and went three drinks deeper than I did).  India, another lovely and incredibly understanding waitress, was also very sweet, keeping up with our silliness throughout the evening.

This was the last of the respectfully named drinks: this is the P-p-p-poppy.  I think the stuttering comes from having the three drinks prior.

A very nice picture of Elliot and Janice.  My eyes always narrow the more drink I consume, so I opted for no pictures of myself for the evening.  I’m surprised I was even able to hold the camera steady for this shot.

Janice with a new friend she met whilst I was in the ladies room.  The bluriness of the shot indicates why I couldn’t remember her name…sorry dear!

One of these drinks is called the Spagliato and the other is called Ahhh, Sh!t, It Tastes Like Christmas (as you can tell, I can’t remember which is which).  The last drink of the night was what did Janice in, which is probably why it’s not pictured.  It was a drink we used to have when we were clubbing.  Elliot’s version is called “I F@#!ed the Red Headed Slut”.  And so ended the night…

I’m not sure how we did it, but we filled out applications and turned them in before we left, with the hopes of obtaining membership to The Jubjub Bar.  I’ll let you know if we actually got our memberships approved (*crossing fingers*).  As Bridget Jones would say it was a “v. good night and blurry good fun!”

(Please note that as of September 5, our Jubjub Membership requests were approved!  Now, does that mean that we should schedule another trip out there to collect our key?  Hmm…)

The Metropolitan line.  Our hotel was directly in front of the Wembly Park stop (Zone 4).

These last pictures in London are a bit silly.  One is of the Tube line that we took regularly, which was the Metropolitan.  The second picture I took because I’ve read that Alan Wilder (Recoil/Depeche Mode) grew up in Acton, which is in West London.  On our way to Heathrow, the one of the stops was Acton Town.  Is it the same area?  I don’t know, but I had to take a picture of it (although I know he now lives in Sussex).  I also have to say that I’m very sad that I missed the Spirit of Talk Talk launch party, which happened September 6 (Alan Wilder was rumoured to have been there).  Even if I had known about it, I’m not sure I could have made it work anyway as it would have been just too long to be away from home and work.  Oh well!

I took a couple of final pictures on the plane ride home of our route on British Airways.  I love the individual video screens that are available on these long flights because it allows me to watch several movies I would never have otherwise watched.  I watched The Five-Year Engagement and The Hunger Games on the way home (I can’t remember what I watched on the way to London because I was fighting a cold that I caught on the way). I also took a picture of our dinner that night because I also love meals on long flights.  I particularly liked the dessert, and our nice gentleman flight attendant gave me another one after my meal (it was a cream passion fruit custard, with chocolate shavings on top, SO good).

I had such a great time with Janice and I’m glad we got the chance to get away and spend some time together.  I’m also glad I was able to be there for her first European trip, showing her places I had been and discovering new places.  I think there may be another European trip in the future (we’re shooting for Germany), but it will be with my husband and son.  Cheers and thanks for reading!

Please note that most photos were taken with my iPhone unless otherwise noted.  Photos 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 were by Janice Gutana (photo collages are counted as one photo).

San Diego Restaurant Week: September 16 to 21

Can you believe it’s that time yet again?  Foodies rejoice, it’s time to rev up your taste buds and hit the town for San Diego Restaurant Week.  My girls and I are headed out again, and I’m trying to steer them to somewhere French because I’m still on a Euro kick.  If we choose something different, then I’ll take my hubby and son (I hope they’ll eat French cuisine).  I’ll be sure to tell you all which restaurant we settled on in an upcoming post.  In the meantime, for those of you here in San Diego, check out their list of fantastic eateries by clicking on the picture above.  Cheers!

Photo courtesy of the San Diego Restaurant Week Official Website

Journées Européennes de Vacances 5 et 6: Bonjour Paris!

Bonjour and merci Bing Translator (formerly Babelfish) for the translation of the title of my post!  If you haven’t guessed, it should translate to “European Vacation Days 5 & 6: Hello Paris!”

Photo from the train entering France.

August 20th and 21st, we spent in Paris, France.  Although I would loved to have spent my entire trip in London, Janice brought up a great point that we should see one other country while in Europe.  Although I had already been there because my husband and I went on our honeymoon, we figured the easiest jaunt to another country was to take the two-hour Chunnel through Eurostar to Paris.  I tried to sleep, but instead spent the entire ride listening to Spandau Ballet because of the Rewind Festival the night before.  We actually arrived at Gare du Nord (North Station), but Janice booked a room at the Mercure Hotel location that was walking distance from Gare de l’est (East Station), which was close by.

The Mercure Hotel on Boulevard Magenta. 

I’ll again rely on my pictures to tell the story of where we went in Paris for the two days that we were there.  It was quite the fleeting trip, because I tried to make sure that Janice saw all of the most popular of sights during our short stay.  The best part about the trip for me was the food, which I enjoyed because we actually got to sit awhile at each little cafe.  À la prochaine!  Next post:  Our last day in London!

Our arrival at Gare du Nord, a street sign close to our hotel, and our first stop on The Metro.

Janice’s first introduction to authentic crepes in Paris.  This one was filled with Nutella and bananas.

We took pictures outside of The Louvre because we were too late to take a proper tour (and we couldn’t go the next day because it was closed).

Jardin des Tuileries, which is the Tuileries Garden, between The Louvre and Palace de la Concorde.

We saw something being filmed while walking around the streets of Paris, close by The Louvre.

A cool Metro station entrance.

The cafe where we ate breakfast each day we were in Paris. Our waitress was so sweet that she made sure to warn us about pick-pockets, and she loved my Wendy Brandes ring!

Some of the delicious food and wine we ate and drank while in Paris: creme brule, pino grigio, eclairs and Quiche Lorraine.

This is the awesome bakery where I bought the eclairs.  Janice bought some kind of Nutella goodness.

Marché Saint-Quentin (St. Quentin Market), which was right outside our hotel. If you watched “Cars 2”, you’ll know why it’s funny that Lightning McQueen was in the market!

Notre Dame de Paris

We stopped at a cafe near the Seine river, while walking to the Eiffel Tower. Janice and I were trying to be artsy with our pictures at the cafe.  I liked her’s the best!

I was so excited to find the little Irish pub that my husband and I visited during our honeymoon!  I knew it was the right one because it was next to the soccer shop where the nice store owner gave us a free key chain.  The gal that was bartending at the time introduced us to the music of the group Phoenix.

Tour de Eiffel

Arc de Triomphe and the Louis Vuitton store on Champs Elysees.  The “love me” painted on the wall caught my eye while walking.

Janice’s photo of Cartier at Champs Elysees.

All photos were taken with my iPhone unless otherwise noted.

European Vacation Day 3: Take Me to the River (Thames)

On our third day in London, we decided to take the advice of one of our cabbies and start off at The Houses of Parliament and just walk all the way down to the Tower Bridge.  But first, we grabbed a bit of breakfast, so I thought I’d share what I had.  We went to a place that was walking distance from our hotel called the Moulin Grill.  I absolutely love bacon in any form, and British bacon is more like ham than what we are used to in America.  Either way, it was a tasty and inexpensive way to have my traditional English breakfast (no beans, but with grilled tomatoes).

We hopped on the tube on the Jubilee line and headed towards Westminster.  This dropped us off right in front of Houses of Parliament and The Clock Tower, otherwise known as Big Ben.  We took a walk along the Westminster Bridge to where the London Eye is located, which is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe.  It was quite crowded (I’m sure due to the fact that it was a Saturday), so we choose not to ride it. Instead, we snapped pictures of ourselves with the attraction in the background (only my picture is shown).  After we passed the London Eye, we noticed that we were on a trail called The Jubilee Greenway, which is 60 kilometers long and each kilometer marks one year of the Queen’s reign.  We then passed through the Soutbank, went into Southwark Cathedral and saw many other fantastic sites on the way to Tower Bridge.

My new studded Topshop shoes with my Rebecca Minkoff schoolboy.

Janice took this great picture of a sign on a bench.

Random shots around Southbank.

There was poetry posted all along the rails of a pier on the Southbank.  I loved this poem.

Millennium Bridge and Shakespeare’s Globe

The sign above explains pretty much everything we saw on the approach to Tower Bridge.

Clink Prison Museum, Tate Modern, Southwark Bridge

Southwark Cathedral

I just really liked the lines and the way the angles looked in these pictures.

Sights of the Olympics were alive and well while we were in town, and we realized that we were actually between Olympic events:  The Summer Olympics games ended on August 12, but the Paralympics games began on August 29th.  Everywhere we went, we could see the Olympics’ mascots Wenlock and Mandeville.  At one point, Janice and I gave in and posed with one of them as we approached Tower Bridge.

Tower of London

After having lunch at a cute little place called Noodle Noodle, our last stop was Buckingham Palace.  There wasn’t a guard ceremony that day, so we just walked around, taking in the enormity of the grounds.  In the picture below, we are standing on The Victoria Memorial with Buckingham Palace in the background (Janice is pictured on the right).  Below that is a great picture of The Mall, which is a ceremonial route to Buckingham Palace. The last pictures are of the gateway to the Queen’s Gardens, the Queen’s Gallery (we only went to the gift shop), and a marker for Princess Diana’s memorial walkway.

Gateway to the Gardens at Buckingham Palace

The Queen’s Gallery and a marker for Princess Diana’s Memorial Walkway.

It was amazing how long of a walk we actually took from Westminster Bridge all the way over to Buckingham Palace!  But is was a fantastic walk, and I want to thank our cabbie for suggesting it to us.  It was quite a lovely day for a long stroll, and it did take us the bulk of the day to do it.  Next post: The Rewind Fesitval at Henley-on-Thames on Temple Island.

Please note that most photos were taken with my iPhone unless otherwise noted.  Photos 4, 6, 7, 17, 20, 21, 22, and 23 were by Janice Gutana (photo collages are counted as one photo).

European Vacation Day 2: A Spot of Tea & A Bit of Shopping at Harrods

In the previous two times I had been to London, it had not occurred to me to have formal tea while out there.  The first time I had travelled to London was on my honeymoon, and since that was my first time there, I wanted to take in all of the sights with my new husband.  Our second time out in London was to watch the San Diego Chargers vs the New Orleans Saints in the NFL International Series at Wembley Stadium, and afternoon tea just didn’t fall in line with that kind of trip (plus, I was five months pregnant at the time).  So this trip to London seemed like the perfect time to fit in an afternoon tea with my best friend.  I booked our tea at Harrods, which actually allowed us time to spend the early afternoon shopping beforehand.

Prim and proper on the Tube ride to Knightsbridge (the stop at Harrods).

There are 32 restaurants/cafes in Harrods.  Because there was no way that we could visit all of these eateries during our visit, we played it by ear for where we would go, other than our scheduled visit to The Georgian.  We first visited the famous Harrods’ Food Hall to grab lunch.  I have been to Harrods before and have visited the Food Hall, but my husband and I never actually ate there.  Janice and I each had a hand-carved roast beef sandwich, but I added English mustard to mine.  We also had fresh juices and a dessert.   Janice had the Creme Brule, and I had an oh-so-sweet caramel popcorn cupcake (it has a dollop of caramel in the middle).  It was quite the treat!

A close up of our desserts, yum!

After a bit of shopping down the street at Topshop (where I bought the pants from the previous post) and a couple of souvenir shops, we headed back to Harrods to have our tea at The Georgian Restaurant at 4pm.  The restaurant is on the fourth floor and is such a beautiful space that I could imagine someone having a wedding there.  We were decked out in pretty dresses for the occasion, although we did not don any hats.  Our menu consisted of freshly made sandwiches, home-baked English scones, a selection of tea pastries, and of course, our teas (the full menu can be viewed here).  I can’t recall what Janice had, but I had my standard Earl Grey.  It was quite the elegant affair, and I’m glad to have finally had the chance to experience afternoon tea in this way.  This is definitely something I would like to repeat again when next in London!

After our wonderful afternoon tea experience, we shopped a bit more (are you surprised?).  One of the floors was labeled “Christmas”, so we thought it would be just a few bobbles and ornaments as an introduction to the holiday season.  To our surprise, it was Christmas in August at Harrods and nearly an entire floor was dedicated to the occasion.  After that, we did our obligatory souvenir shopping, buying up lots of little trinkets with the Harrods name.  We then decided to have a little bit of silly fun in the toy section. 

We ended our fantastic Harrods experience at the Cafe Godiva, on the second floor.  Yes, you read it right, there is a whole cafe dedicated to Godiva chocolate.  Janice and I had what’s called a Chilled Chocolixir, which is described as “an icy blend of chocolate ganache, topped with layers of whipped cream.”  I ordered the white chocolate one and Janice got the milk chocolate version (full menu can be viewed here).  It was a delicious way to end our wonderful, yet busy day at Harrods.  Next post: a stroll along the Thames river that included trips to Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace.

All photos were by Janice Gutana except for photos 3, 4 and 14, which were taken by me, using an iPhone (photo collages are counted as one photo).

European Vacation Day 1: O Frabjous Day at Callooh Callay!

Our fabulous European vacation began on August 15th, 2012, but really started on August 16th when we landed in London.  We lost a day travelling and I felt that I actually lost a little more with the lack of sleep and sadly due to a cold that I caught while on the plane.  Despite my slightly weakened system and need of sleep, I made sure that I was there and present for Janice’s first official day in Europe.

After checking into our hotel, the Premier Inn at their London-Wembley location (where I have stayed all three times I’ve been to London), we looked around locally for a place to eat lunch.  I like the Wembley Park location because it is literally a 10 minute walk to Wembley Stadium, and it’s just a quick hop on the Metropolitan or Jubilee Line into the city.  After a swift walk around, we settled on a pub called The Crock of Gold.  Janice was determined to experience fish and chips while officially in London, so we each had that with a couple of pints of beer.  Although our lunch was quite delicious and the beers were refreshing, we were still lacking sleep so we headed back to our hotel to take a quick nap.

After our nap, we got ready because we needed to head over to an establishment called Callooh Callay in the Shoreditch area of London’s East End.  I found out about it from the Travel Channel on a show called London Revealed.  Intrigued by the exclusivity of the Jubjub Members Bar, I made a reservation in hopes of trying to get a key (as the website states, they only give this special privilege to “discerning drinkers only”).  We relied heavily on my sense of direction because I was the more experienced London traveller.  But because I am unfamiliar with East London, we arrived famously late for our reservations.  Despite our late arrival, we were eagerly and pleasantly greeted because I had mentioned when previously making our reservations that we were travelling all the way from San Diego.

Callooh Callay is a gem of a place, hidden in the streets of Shoreditch on Rivington.  From the responsiveness of the reservations team to the awesome bartender, everything was fun, casual, cool and exclusive feeling.  First , we were led through the front called The Bar, which was a very laid back space. I loved the use of cassette tapes for part of the decor and drink menu. With all of the whimsy of Through The Looking Glass, we were then brought to a mirrored door that resembled a wardrobe.  Behind the door was The Lounge, and then passed some velvet curtains was the stairs leading to The Jubjub Bar where the elusive key would be used if we were members.

The Jubjub Bar is a fantastic little cocktail lounge with stuffed flamingos popping out of picture frames, animal pattered walls, fluffy pillows and chairs in various sizes.  I felt it was very comfy, like a dimly lit boudoir.  Janice immediately noticed the handsome gentleman behind the bar, and it was only later that we realized he was the creator of their August drink menu.  The bar itself was chock full of libations, interesting bottles and fresh herbs, which made me feel like we were peaking into an antique apothecary cabinet.

The drink menu was just as eclectic as the bar itself with names like The Westerners Erofeitch and the Paracelsus’ American Laudanum (both pictured above).  The Westerners was very refreshing because of its citrus base (fresh lemon juice, lemongrass and vodka), which was Janice’s first drink.  When I ordered the Paracelsus’ as my first drink, our waitress asked, “Are you sure?  It’s quite strong…”  That only piqued my curiosity, and she was quite right.  Even though I could probably have drank it quite quickly because it was so good, I nursed that drink the entire night with a glass of water because I could tell it was very strong.  Since I’ve become a mum, I’m no longer used to nights out drinking, and I think it was the bourbon and vermouth combination that did me in.  We dined on mini hot dogs and mini burgers, all of which were tasty.

The most unconventional moment of the night was when Janice decided to try The Hyper-Ventilator.  Our lovely waitress said that she loved this drink because it felt like you were doing something a bit naughty (I think it’s all the sniffing).  Elliot Davies, the esteemed bartender of the month of August, came over and explained the secrets behind this cocktail experience.  He said that he was at a herbalist and the person in the store was purposely wafting licorice dust at him and he really enjoyed the feeling it gave in the back of his throat, so he wanted to try out different drinks after inhaling the licorice dust.  Eventually, he came up with The Hyper-Ventilator, which is a bitter cocktail that is offset by inhaling the licorice dust.  Janice said that the bitterness softened more and more as she inhaled more licorice dust.

That was probably one of the most unusual and unique drink experiences I have ever had, and both Janice and I had an amazing time at Callooh Callay.  We had such a good time that we made reservations again for our last night in London because Elliot said that he would make us drinks that were “off the menu”.  I thought about including that night here in this post, but I think that night deserves its own post because each of our drinks were distinct and delicious, with a great story behind each one.  My next vacation post will be about our first experience at afternoon tea.  Cheers!

Please note that most photos were taken with my iPhone unless otherwise noted.  Photos 4, 8, 9 and 10 were by Janice Gutana (photo collages are counted as one photo).

Weekend In Pictures: It's All Good When it's Fair Food

For Father’s Day, we went to The San Diego County Fair, where the theme was “Out of This World” and centered around all things science and science fiction.  My husband tried zip lining for the first time, which I got a chance to do just this past weekend (video to come).  Then we all tried our hands at archery, including Dominic!  And of course, the food we indulged in was clearly an experience that could only be described as other worldly.    Hope you had a great weekend!

My hubby, about to zip line (I’ll have a video of the two of us going in an upcoming post)

Dominic learned a little archery.

A triumphant picture of Dominic with one of his many winning prizes.

First stop: Chicken Charlie’s for anything and everything deep-fried.

My boys enjoying a little deep-fried goodness (deep-fried ribs & chicken strips).

My East/West tote was the perfect carry-all for the fair (as seen on Instagram, and thank you to Rebecca Minkoff for the re-Tweet!)

Enjoying a deep-fried peanut butter & jelly sandwich with Wendy Brandes, sort of! (I just love wearing my swear rings everywhere)

Yes, that would be deep-fried Trix cereal!

What was once The Heart Attack Cafe is now Bacon A-Fair, where their relationship with bacon runs deep…and fried!

Beer battered Polish dog & stuffed jalapeno peppers, both wrapped in bacon of course.

Cake Pops Made Easy: Bake Pops Review

My mom loves “infomercials” and is always bringing home the newest gadget that catches her eye during her shopping excursions.  Prior to her surgery, she brought home a pan set called Bake Pops because I had been talking about making cake pops, but never got around to doing it. I know that there is a way to make the popular cake pops organically by baking a full cake and forming them into balls by breaking the cake up and using cream cheese to bind the cake pieces (like this recipe on Little Miss Momma).  Knowing most of my friends make them that way, I felt a little bad about making them with the Bake Pops because I felt a little like I was cheating.

My very first batch was a bit of a disaster.  I just used the recipe as instructed on the cake mix box and used a glaze over them rather than frosting or candy coating, which made them more like donut holes than cake pops (and not as moist).  After another trial and error batch, the cake pops I made finally looked and tasted just like the ones I’ve bought or that were made by my friends.  All in all, I think this is a fairly easy way to make these popular cake pops if you use the tips I provided below.  Enjoy! 

1.  Use the alternate recipe that they provide in Bake Pops instruction booklet:  Replace milk for water, add an extra egg and add a packet of pudding mix.  This will make your cake more dense and incredibly moist.  I used the Pillsbury Moist Supreme strawberry cake mix and added a small packet of vanilla pudding.  My kitchen smelled heavenly.

2.  The cake pops actually come out a bit egg-shaped after they come out of the oven, and they are not as round as they appear in the commercials (my husband says they look like acorns).  This is due to the slight separation between the top and bottom pans, in addition to the holes in the top pan (which allow for rising).  To get them to more of a “ball” shape, just scrape the middle and tops of the cake pops.  I put the lollipop stick in the part of the cake pop where they rose out of the hole, so that the rounded portion is on top.  Also, the candy coating can hide most anything if you don’t wish to scrape the imperfections away. 

3.  Place your cake pops in the freezer to cool prior to coating them.  My niece came over to help make them, and we bypassed the cooling part and it took longer for the coating to set.  For my second batch, I placed them in the freezer prior to decorating them, and the coating set beautifully (note: strawberry cake & light coco candy coating makes for tasty cake pops).

(Note:  This is simply a review of the product, conducted solely at my discretion.  I did not receive any compensation, product or discounts when I purchased the product.)