Cali Chronicles: Take 6

Bryan and needed another quick dinner, because he had to ump a kickball game before his own game. It was decided that last night was the night for In N Out. Now, I don't remember the last time I ate fast food...it was easily over a year ago and most likely when the girls still lived in Lowell near Wendy's. I've tried to eat In N Out before, but the first time I came out here, it was during that big meat scare with the abused cows and whatnot, and In N Out was targeted as one of the places that got their meat from the abusers. I successfully ate it last time I came out, but it was after a night of drinking and beer pong, and I walked home with food and heels in hand. Yes, I have walked the streets of L.A. barefoot. The food was delicious, but eating when you're tipsy makes everything delicious. Under the pretense of knowing that fast food is totally bad for you, I pretty much went all out. The drive-thru line was easily 20 cars deep...and you don't have to wait to order at that stupid little box thing. They actually have a person that goes from car to car taking your order, so you just pay at one window and then get your food at the next.

We took our food to go.

Animal Style burger

Animal fries

In N Out has a very basic menu of burgers and fries. That it. No fish sandwiches and no chicken sandwiches. No onion rings etc. BUT, they do have a secret menu which consists of ways you can order your meal. I ordered mine "animal style", which gives you extra sauce (similar to thousand island) and grilled onions. It gives you pickles and tomatoes, but I don't like them on my burger. Check out more of their secret menu here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-N-Out_Burger_products . It was delicious, but it was still fast food and I felt guilt-ridden the whole time.

After that, I watched a couple of kickball games, one of which was Bryan's. This was a playoff game in his other league. It was super tense, but they ended up winning. We went to The Happy Ending bar, which sponsors their league and had some drinks. We ended our night with all of us flopping onto the couch, snacking on goldfish, and watching Tosh.O .

My next adventure will get a post of it's own. Be waiting for it....

Cali Chronicles: Take 5

The Foundation Room is AWESOME. Easily one of the best meals I've ever had. I didn't take any pictures, as it seemed odd to take pictures in such a nice place. Then it became dusk, and they don't really turn up the lights in the restaurant when it gets dark out, so we ate in a somewhat dark atmosphere. I wasn't sure which direction to go in, to get a bunch of tapas and share or to get an entree. We went with a couple of tapas and I got an entree. We got Lobster Tacos and Braised Rib for the tapas. I'm not sure I have the words for how good they were. The lobster tacos had fresh Maine lobster in a slightly spicy sauce topped with guacamole served on mini corn tortillas. I could've eaten about 20 of them. The braised rib were chunks of braised rib with sauteed garlic spinach and a Gorgonzola fondant. The meat literally just melted away when you put your fork to it, and the Gorgonzola fondant was amazing. I just wanted to spoon feed it to myself. Then, I got my filet with horseradish butter, served over grilled asparagus and parsnip puree. There was also some type of magical sauce on top. I was wary about the parsnip puree, I've never actually had parsnip (til now). The parsnip and sauce mixed together well and the filet was perfect. I ate every last thing on my plate, which I haven't done in quite some time. The portions are obviously a bit smaller when you order something like filet, so I had a little room for dessert. I didn't finish my dessert, but I got the orange cranberry cheesecake. It was a cheesecake with a chocolate crust, topped with a raspberry coulis and orange slices, then drizzled with mango puree. It was served with a dollop vanilla bean ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream on the side.

Too bad The Foundation Room is a private club....I want to go back.

After dinner, we went down to the show, which was a Spanish rock band. We watched the opener, the Green Almighty (or something like that), who were weird and all about pot. I also met my first quasi-enemy in L.A. As we're waiting between acts, some random guy turns to me and strikes up a conversation. It went as follows:

Guy: How's it going?
Me: Going good.
Guy: (extends hand) I'm Tony.
Me: Hi Tony, I'm Sarah.
Guy: Are you from around here?
Me: Nope. Visiting.
Guy: From?
Me: Boston.
Guy: (pause) Oh. Sorry.
Me: And what exactly are you sorry about?
Guy: I've never been to Boston, but I've seen all of Ben Affleck's movies.
Me: That's an excellent way to make your judgement.
Guy: I've seen The Town, Gone Baby Gone, and The Departed.
Me: That's exactly what Boston is like.
Guy: Are you being sarcastic?
Me: I've seen Clueless one hundred times. I know exactly what the Valley is like.
Guy: That doesn't make sense.
Me: Where are you from?
Guy: Minnesota
Me: This all makes perfect sense now.
Guy: Who are you here with?
Me: My brother and friends. (points to brother and friends)
Guy: You know who you sound like?
Me: I can only imagine.
Guy: That SNL girl, Rachel Dratch.
Me: I stare blankly.

Tony then proceeds to move on to them and have similar conversations. He falls in love with Doug when Doug tells him he's from Iowa, because Tony lived in Des Moines once! He goes through his Boston spiel with Bryan as Doug and Claire move away and stand in another area...thanks guys!

Tony, turns to me once again and begins referring to me as "Boston". Upon asking him if he remembered my name, he said no. I reminded him that it was Melanie, and he remembered that for the next 20 minutes until we left.

So, this is Melanie from Boston, saying see you next time.

Cali Chronicles: Take 4

Nachos didn't happen. We decided to walk down to a Thai restaurant Sunday night instead. We went to Toi, this sort of hipster-ish, rock n roll style place.

The photos aren't great, but the inside was completely decorated with music and film memorabilia and original artwork. I think Bryan and I were the only ones in there without tattoos. I got Thai Spaghetti, which was ramen-like noodles, with chicken, eggs, and onions in a spicy sauce. Note: Sauce was not spicy, at all.

Yum yum

We were all pretty tired from golf and volleyball, so after dinner we went home. I think Alex went to bed and Bryan and I watched a movie.

Yesterday, Bryan had to work, so I headed to The Grove to go shopping. The Grove is a giant outdoor shopping center with restaurants and a Farmer's Market. There's also a trolley that drives through it. I took a cab there and back, and had equally uncomfortable experiences both ways. On the way there, the cabbie had all of the windows up and it was sweltering inside. I was literally dripping sweat by the time I got there. So gross. On the way home, the cabbie asked if I minded the radio on, to which I said of course not. He then clicked on the radio, which was playing 1930s Big Band Swing music at a decibel that was too loud for a small vehicle. My head was right next to a speaker, and those trumpets were ear shattering. I had to ask him to turn it down. He did, and then proceeded to read the newspaper (in Armenian, maybe?) at every stoplight.

Shopping was successful...maybe too successful....

After shopping, I went home and waited for Bryan to get home from work. We had a quick dinner at Chipotle again, before heading to his kickball game. I finally experienced my first kickball game. It was fun, but a very tense game. This game was the final of the season and determined their standings in the playoffs. They ended up tying. His team is also undefeated, but they apparently aren't in first place because they've given up more runs than another team.

After the game, we went to Busby's, which is the bar that sponsors the kickball league. They have beer pong and flip cup tables and all of the kickball teams go there after their games. We stayed for a little while, but his team had a late game (9:15), and he had to get up early for work today.

Currently, I am relaxing on the couch while Bryan is working in Santa Monica today. I'm heading down to the grocery store soon to find something to make for lunch, and then we are going to the House of Blues for dinner and a show tonight. One of Bryan's friends, Doug, works for Livenation, which owns House of Blues, so he's getting us a table in the Foundation Room for dinner and special seating for the show I guess.

Cali Chronicles: Take 3

Well, where are we at this point? We left off with us vegging out on the couch, watching the golf channel. Right now, we're vegging on the couch watching the golf channel.So what has happened in between???

Bryan and I decided that we'd hike Runyon Canyon yesterday afternoon. Let me start by saying that I do not have a pair of sneakers here, or clothes made for hiking. I have my cotton shorts, and I wore a navy blue sequin tank top...I fit right in. I was, however, the only person on the canyon in flip flops. We hiked to the top after a few stops (hey, my body doesn't do uphill well, so shut it!). The views are pretty great.

After that we relaxed for a bit (with a nap) and then headed out to meet Dana and Shandi for dinner. That brings us to Baby Blues BBQ.

I was super excited that we were going for BBQ, I was in need of some fried okra. I got a plate called "Gator Bait" which had fried catfish and bbq shrimp, with fried okra and mac & cheese...and cornbread of course. It was amazing. I didn't keep my promise to you all of remembering to take pictures of my food, I just kinda dug in.

After dinner we went to a house party in Highland Park...which isn't the nicest area. At one point we had a helicopter circling the area with the spotlights out. There was also a DJ with a sweet mustache and lots of hipsters around.

We all got up early today. Bryan and Alex golfed in Malibu this morning and I went to the beach with Kimberly to play volleyball.

It went well......


I have a few bruises, but I'm a kickass server. I also have badass burns in the area where my shins meet the tops of my feet. It's hot.

Now we're hanging out until dinner...and I'm craving nachos. Let's hope Bryan knows a place for good nachos...

Cali Chronicles: Take 2

I think I over-estimate myself sometimes. I had this grand plan of blogging about the great places and food, and then I don't take many pictures...or remember what I ate. I apologize for my slacking and lack of more pictures. I'll try harder from now on.

I have to interject with a thought I had while driving to breakfast this morning. I saw a gym that advertised 24 hour gym time and 24 hour tanning. I sorta get the idea of working out at like 2 am (sorta...not really), but 24 hour tanning? Is that just in case you wake up at 3am and can't back to sleep because you just don't feel tan enough?

Where did we leave off? Last thing I did (that you know of) was had breakfast at The Griddle Cafe. After that, it was a lazy day, which I was fine with. I was still tired from the night before and wanted to relax and gear up for the night ahead. I think one more day should do it and I'll be full throttle on Cali time.

For dinner, Bryan, Alex (the roomie), and I went to dinner at Lala's, an Argentinian restaurant.

I do not have a picture of my meal, but it was fantastic. I had the Arroz del Campo, which was bell peppers, onion, garlic and mushrooms over rice with a creamy tomato sauce. I added some salmon to it. It's so hard to choose what to eat, because I know I can't just come back anytime I want and try other things. Being a foodie is a frustrating and overwhelming hobby. Much like golf, I assume.

After dinner, Bryan and Alex had their end-of-season kickball party at The Parlor, a swanky little sports bar. The theme was "Glow Party" so there were black lights everywhere and glow sticks and glow body paint and free drinks (vodka tonics not strong there....but after several it does the job). I got to meet more of their friends and teammates, and watched the kickball awards. I also get to witness my first kickball game in a couple of days.

Outside of the bar.

This area was turned into the black light area with a photobooth.

\

A good time was had and so was a good sleep. We parted ways with Alex at the end of the night, and apparently he came knocking on the door at 3 am for a solid 10 minutes and I never heard him. He had to finagle his way into the complex and crawl through his window to get in. Sorry Alex! I'm not sure what I'm more amazed by, the fact that I didn't hear him knocking when I wake up to everything or that I was way more tired (drunk) than I thought that I slept so heavily. Oh vodka, you give Tylenol PM a run for it's money...

It was essential that we had a recovery breakfast today. I made the decision that diner food was needed, and we went to Mel's. Bryan and I had omelets that I didn't bother taking a picture of. They weren't particularly pretty or anything. The food was good, but not spectacular. Bryan's chocolate milkshake looked spectacular though.

It had a pretty cool sign.

At the moment, the three of us are vegging on the couch watching golf (yup.). We may hit the driving range later, as I making Bryan teach me how to golf. No idea what the agenda for tonight is, but tomorrow morning is beach volleyball, which is taken very seriously around here. I'm sure embarrassment will ensue.

The Griddle Cafe

Oh. Dear. Lord.

I had forgotten that I ate here the last time I came out 2 years ago. We had to wait in line outside for about 10 minutes or so, as if we were going to a nightclub. You know the food is good when you have to wait in line. As we were waiting, I remembered their pancakes. I can't even explain how big they are, but I do have a picture so you can see. It's coming in a bit.

After looking at the 4 page breakfast menu (they also serve lunch and dinner), it was an easy choice. Well, actually, it was really hard. They have over 20 kinds of pancakes...some of which are filled with oreos (OREOS!) and their featured pancake, the red velvet pancake smothered in cream cheese icing. They have cookie dough french toast, which is coated with Cookie Crisp cereal. Seriously....I'm surprised my brain could still function after getting through the pancake pages. Once I hit the egg pages, I honed in on the perfect breakfast. My favorite breakfast of all time is eggs benedict. The Griddle Cafe doesn't just have eggs benedict (actually, they don't have standard eggs benny), they have "Poached y Papas" benedict. It's 2 eggs, poached, served over a giant slab of ham, all of which is served over potato skins and hollandaise sauce.

My brain is mush when I look at this...

And here are Bryan's "Eyes Wide Open" pancakes, that have a shot of espresso and chocolate chips in them.

There's 3 of them on that plate...

We got to sit at the counter, which gives you a view into the kitchen. Our waitress looked like she just crawled out of a rave circa 1996 (I think she was hiding the glow sticks in her pockets). The other waiters were all tall and tan men who were very attractive, until one of them mentioned to the people next to us that he played water polo for 7 years. I was then reminded that I was in L.A. and everyone has their kitschy activity. He now plays beach volleyball.

Into the kitchen....

Currently, I am waiting for Bryan to get his hair cut, then who knows what we're gonna do.

Cali Chronicles: Take 1

I have made it to Cali. I've decided to chronicle my trip, seeing as it always ends up being an entertaining stay with plenty of activities to talk about. Let me start this with recapping my travels to get here...

Travel:
I woke up around 2:45 to gather the rest of my things and wait for the limo to pick me up to go to the airport. Don't get too excited, it was a van/limo and the driver also drove some of my relatives to the airport 2 days before for their trip to Alaska. That coincidental gem get him rolling into a conversation that I only half remember. The highlights were his musings about the black squirrel population in West Acton and how he takes his niece or granddaughter (or kidnapped child) to see them. Thank god we picked up another couple soon. I was starting to worry I was going to have to employ my Oprah self-defense skills and punch him in the face while holding a key between my fingers so it stabs him. Thanks for the tip Oprah!

Airport: 
I like Logan airport...in the early morning. My bags were checked quick (and 6 pounds overweight...which I'm sure had nothing to do with the fact that I brought 5 pairs of heels), and the security line was fast also. I traveled with Air Tran, which is newer and a smaller airline. My first flight to Maryland was short and I slept the entire hour and 20 minutes. While waiting at the gate, a 3 year old boy asked his mother for an apple. She gave it to him and he complained that it was dirty. When she (and his older brother and sister) wasn't looking, he cleaned his apple with hand sanitizer and took a bite. He made an awful face and told mom that is tasted bad. She took the apple and made a strange face and then asked "You cleaned this with hand sanitizer didn't you?" He nodded and she whisked him off to the restroom to wash his mouth out. This same little boy had all kinds of great insightful comments on the flight from Maryland (which by the way has the most unpleasant airport ever...shove it BWI!) to Los Angeles. There was a baby crying as we were landing, and the boy (who was in the row behind me) said "I feel bad mommy, that baby is now going to hate planes forever".

Activities:
Once I landed and got my bag, Bryan and I (if any of you are not the 15 regular people who follow mt blog, Bryan is my brother who I am visiting) went to grab some lunch. We decided on a place that looked like a little cafe, called Jin Patisserie.. Their tea menu was 4 pages long, and it was a weird sort of healthy place. The menu was misleading. I ordered a sandwich that was stated as having ham, Gruyere, some sort of greens and french dressing. Bryan got a roast beef sandwich with his dressing on the side. We both thought it was weird that have french dressing on our sandwiches, but when the plates came, they came with salads also (which explained the dressing). It quickly became weirder that they chose the dressing for you though, instead of letting you choose your own. BUT, the meal came with free mousse cake, so we felt much better. And the special cake of the day was this triple chocolate mousse cake, so Bryan could eat it. Bryan only eats meat, potatoes, burritos and chocolate. I did discover that he will eat avocado though, which means that Los Angeles has finally consumed his dignity and his soul.

bad picture due to it being super sunny

After dropping off my stuff at the apartment and a brief rest, we headed off to our first event of my 10-day stay. Get ready for it...

The BMW dealership. Bryan was supposed to look at a new car, but instead we sat there for 3 and a half hours and drove away with a new car. Did I tell everyone that this vacation of mine is really just me intruding on Bryan's everyday life? We've done all of the touristy things years ago, so I basically spend my vacation by living the daily life of a Hollywood resident.

We needed a quick dinner, since the dealership kept us a while, so we hit up Chipotle (yessss) and I had a burrito that I could finish. It had steal, cilantro lime rice, black beans, corn, cheese and guacamole. Apparently we're getting one back in the hometown....what the deal on that back home?? Someone update me, because burritos are important. After dinner we headed to Brennan's, an Irish pub that has been in Marina Del Rey since who knows when (I bet my parents know when). My parents lived in Venice Beach for a few years after they got married in '77, and they used to go here all the time. What's so great about an Irish pub, you ask? They have turtle racing.

No, that wasn't a typo. Back in the 70s they had turtle racing, which is still a tradition today on Thursday nights. My dad had his own turtle named Bonehead that was an award winning racer...he has a trophy or plaque or something to prove it. The emcee used to wear a green tux and all sorts of fancy things.Now the emcee is a loud man (who wore a Red Sox shirt last night) who lays down the law about turtles (and reminded me of Lewis Black). Here are the few rules:

1. NO POINTING AT THE TURTLES.


2. There is a certain way you have to place the turtle in the ring. It's almost always a girl who gets to place one of the five turtle for a race, and they have to do so by bending at the waist but they cannot bend their knees. The judges hold flags which they will throw if you bend your knees or do it wrong....or if you have a dress or skirt, they will throw the flag and make them do it again just so everyone gets a free show for the second time. Wonder if they had this lovely objectification of women back in the 70s (mom?).

3. NO PHOTOS.
I wish I had some pictures for you, but I don't. It's the rules.

I am about to start day 2, and that involves a serious breakfast at The Griddle Cafe. Stay tuned!

Lobster Mac & Cheese

The beginning of this post can only start one way:

 BRUINS WIN THE STANLEY CUP!

That felt good.

This month has been absurdly busy. With school ending and summer beginning, I have had 2 school days that did not contain meetings out of the last 8 school days. I've also attended one funeral and two wakes in the past week. I haven't cooked nearly as many of the dishes I had planned to.

I can't say the cooking will increase in the next couple weeks...but the blog updates will. On a much more positive note, I will be in California visiting my brother from Thursday til the 3rd. I've already compiled my list of places I want to eat and will be blogging about them while I'm there.

With all the dishes I didn't get to cook this month, I am most sad that I missed Lobster Day, which was last Wednesday. But never you fear readers.....I made up for it. I bought lobsters for Father's Day and used the extra meat to make lobster mac. Yesssssssss!

Lobster Mac & Cheese
from here

3 cups cavatappi (or any pasta you like)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk, room temperature
4 cups shredded cheese (I used 1 cup each of Gruyere, Emmentaler, Aged Cheddar and a Raspberry Cheddar)
1/4 cup white truffle oil (optional)
12 oz. lobster tail meat, fully cooked and chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs

1. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and place back in pot.
2. Make a roux by melting the butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter melts and bubbles, add flour and whisk together. Add 1 cup of milk and mix until creamy.
3. Add the shredded cheeses one cup at a time, while adding a little more milk in between. Mix until fully melted and incorporated with the mixture. If adding truffle oil, add now.
4. Pour cheese mixture into the pasta and add lobster. Stir to combine and pour into a casserole dish.
5. Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and macaroni is bubbly.

MMMMMMMMMM

Yes, please!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Happy Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day!

I know nothing about rhubarb. I do know that I ate a piece raw and thought to myself "Why am I about to make an entire pie with this stuff in it?". I went ahead with it anyways, because I had bought everything for it. I will admit that I liked the pie, so my doubts about rhubarb were put to rest.

It is not a pretty pie. I cannot for the life of me seal a pie crust or flute the edges. I haven't exactly practiced or looked up the proper way to do. My style is just to wing it and hope that it comes out perfect and huff and puff when it looks like crap.

Huff.



Puff.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
from Cooks dot com

2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced in half
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3 tbsp. butter, melted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 unbaked pie crusts

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place one crust into a pie plate

2. Pour strawberries and rhubarb onto the bottom of the crust.

3. Mix all other ingredients well and pour over fruit.

4. Cover with other pie crust and cut slits to vent. Seal and flute edges.

5. Cover the edges with tinfoil. Bake for 30 minutes. 

6. Reduce heat to 350 and remove tinfoil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden.

Unimpressive pie.

 

Cinnamon Chocolate Churro Cupcakes

Some of you may be wondering why I am updating my blog during the Bruins game...

I have been hustling and bustling since the game started, and I am not stopping that streak until the game is over.

I almost forgot about a retirement party for a teacher in my department tomorrow and how, 2 weeks ago, I signed up to bring cupcakes. Seemed like a good idea at the time, then this afternoon I was kind of dreading slaving in my kitchen. Cupcakes are not something I like to make under and sort of time constraint, or when there's a Bruins game on...but it worked out to my advantage tonight. I actually made margarita cupcakes as well, but that recipe is already posted in this blog. Back read!

I also made a pie...but that is just foreshadowing for tomorrow's post.

A lot of people seemed to be bringing Mexican-ish themed foods for the party tomorrow, so I chose Mexican-ish cupcakes. I have wanted to make churro cupcakes for some time, but they had quite a few steps to them, so I was waiting. Til now I guess.

They are supremely amazing! The outcome outweighs the mess and probably flour that is in my fingernails and under my eyelids (seriously.....most likely....maybe?). I also realized that I made a total of 24 cupcakes tonight and 1 pie. I could never be a baker or have my own bakery, I'd go insane (if I haven't already).

Also, just to plug Pampered Chef some more....it was like a sign from God or the Greek god of cooking (I bet there is one....) that I got my orders yesterday, because I used some things today in my baking that made it way easier...like my double boiler, my saute tongs, my pink paring knife, my cutting mats.

Ok, onto the cupcakes so I can pass out once this game ends. The recipe looks intense, but it's easy. There are just a few steps, so read through the whole thing before you decide to make them...some things need to be chilled before you use them, etc.

Cinnamon Chocolate Churro Cupcakes
from Love and Olive Oil

Cinnamon Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mexican Chocolate Pudding Filling:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 ounces good quality semisweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon meringue powder
Pinch of cream of tartar
Pinch of cinnamon
1 cup chilled whipping cream

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Toppers:
Flour tortilla
1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

vegetable oil for frying

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine almond milk and vinegar and stir to combine. Whisk in sugar, oil, and vanilla.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. 5. Fill cupcake liners with a scant 3 Tablespoons of batter (cups should be just under 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 20-22 minutes or until set, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
6. To prepare filling, combine the cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a larger pot filled with 1 inch of water. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients.
7. Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened.
8. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a small bowl and cover, gently pressing a layer of plastic wrap against the surface before refrigerating (this will prevent a skin from forming). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
9. For frosting, whisk powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, meringue powder, cream of tartar, and cinnamon in large bowl until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled and ready to use, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
10. Using electric mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, gradually beat chilled cream into chocolate mixture. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
11. With a small pairing knife cut out cones from the tops of cupcakes approximately 1 inch in diameter. Set aside but do not discard. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of filling into each cupcake (you'll have extra pudding, so grab a spoon).You can place the cones back into the cupcakes if you wish, I did not do this.
12. Pipe on whipped cream frosting, taking care to cover up all seams. If desired, sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon sugar prior to serving.

14. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and place the tortilla shapes into the mixture. Toss to coat. Place on top of cupcakes!

Bad lighting. Bad decorating. Delicious cupcake.

Bubble Enchiladas

WARNING: This post of chock-full of pictures and happiness.

So, I know I have been slacking on the blog front. Last week I was sick and extremely busy, so I skipped over a few recipes I was going to make. Then, this past Sunday, I was all prepared to make a Gingerbread Tea Cake for gingerbread day but I got last minutes tickets to the Red Sox.

 

After the game, we went to the Bleacher Bar and ate some fried pickles and gravy fries....yep. Did I mention I have to squeeze myself into a leotard next weekend for my dance recital....gahhhhhh

Today was fabulous....you know why? Four boxes of Pampered Chef products came in the mail.

No joke.

I separated everyone's orders....which are now lying around my kitchen. I'm sure you're all interested in what I ordered. If you're not you can skip to the recipe toward the bottom (and kiss my ass). 

Before I go into my orders, let me start by saying that I know I am ridiculous about kitchen things, and I know that I could find many of these items at a cheaper price....but they're not as good quality. And I saved $360....so back off!

Egg slicer, kitchen shears, mango wedger, garlic slicer and garlic peeler.

Biscuit cutter, pastry roller, mix n' chop, saute tongs, and avocado peeler.

Double boiler and cake pans.

Torte pans

Food chopper, rotary grater, free coupon holder.

Deep covered baker.

Cool & Serve tray...it has compartments, a deviled egg holder and a lid.

And finally, my prized purchases...my forged cutlery. My steak knives and my 8" utility. Booya!

We can get back to the reason you all frequent this blog (you all ten....). Today is not Enchilada day, but it is turkey lover's month and this recipe has ground turkey...so it fits in with my June cooking. This is also a featured Weight Watchers recipe for any of you who follow WW.

Bubble Enchiladas

from here

1 lb. of ground turkey
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 pkg. refrigerated reduced-fat biscuits
1.5 cups shredded Mexican cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
2. Brown turkey in a skillet and drain.
3. Add enchilada sauce.
4. Cut biscuits into fourths and add to pan. Mix everything together.
5. Pour into casserole dish and spread around.
6. Bake for 25 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Next time, I would add a little more sauce and definitely some add-ins like peppers, onions, maybe beans, jalapenos or something.