Happy Post-Thanksgiving Weekend #31

HAPPY [INFORMAL] HOUSEWARMING J & M!!! Oh yeah, and D.

In this basket:
Pumpkin Bread
Frosted Carrot Cake
Pound Cake

It's a first making Pumpkin Bread, and while K thought there wasn't enough Pumpkin taste, E begged to differ. And while K thought there was enough carrot taste, E begged to differ again. The only thing we agreed on was that the pound cake was perfectly browned all around, and the carrot cake could have done with a little less density. We hope everyone had a splendid Thanksgiving. Enjoy some quick breads and this/last week's unrelated posts!

(And I guess we'll get a small ad in here) Rawrs!

Read THIS WEEK'S POSTS here:
The Spot
KoFoo

Read LAST WEEK'S POSTS here:
Cuba Cafe

Related Posts: Happy Weekend #28. Happy Weekend #29. Happy Weekend #30.

Happy Weekend #30

Happy Birthday to E, happy birthday to E, happy birthday dear Eeeeee...

As a Rainbow Cookie FIEND, there really isn't a cake that could appear to be more appropriate for E's birthday. Never judge a book by its cover. This cake, surrounded and topped with rainbow cookies deceptively houses chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, and raspberry jam. Mark our words, it's also deceptively sugary sweet and tastes best frozen. Tricky.

That being said, they make pretty good Italian cookies (and we read the cannolis are excellent)... Now that Palma's is gone, this is a decent replacement. Let's take a moment of silence for Palma's, those of us who remember that petite bakery store...

Found at:
La Dolce Bakery
3141 U.S. Highway 9
Old Bridge, NJ


Read THIS WEEK'S POSTS here:
Paris Baguette

Read LAST WEEK'S POSTS here:
Hill Country Chicken
Ça Va Todd English


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #27. Happy Weekend #28. Happy Weekend #29.

Happy Weekend #29

Spicehhhh! Okay, not really.

If you're tired of your good old fashioned milk hot chocolate and want to change things up a bit, Vosges offers this "Aztec Elixir" cocoa. It has: ancho & chipotle chillies + Ceylon cinnamon + Madagascar vanilla bean + cornmeal + dark chocolate - but the bite is ever so slight. It's not as spicy as other Mexican hot chocolates we've tried, but it's a nice deviation from the norm for those days you're feelin' just a tad bit risqué.


We paired it up with some gourmet marshmallows straight from...Chicago! (Thanks L for finding and steering me to them!) So many flavors to choose from, but settled on the coconut and strawberry (pictured), hoping to find them online. Alas, it is not to be, and we'll have to make a trip to Vancouver to pick up some more yummy flavors. ...unless someone tells me they sell them at Wholefoods? (*wishful thinking*)


Read THIS WEEK'S POSTS here:
Bianca's
Congee Village

Read LAST WEEK'S POSTS here:
Luzzo's

Read LAST LAST WEEK'S POSTS here:
Guy & Gallard
'wichcraft



Related Posts: Happy Weekend #26. Happy Weekend #27. Happy Weekend #28.

Happy Weekend #28

With all these individual apple pies cooling on the rack, it looks like we've finally opened that bakery! Unfortunately, no, not so.

After spending the week working on things intangible that will take months to complete, it's nice to take a day (and a half) to work on something with instant (or day-later) results. Plus, said results are so cute!

In case you're unfamiliar with Williams-Sonoma (Say, what?!), these molds come in a variety of shapes. Even though it's more time consuming to make individual pies, the results are just that much more satisfying. Also, you don't have to share...that's always a plus. Great spices to add to your apples include: cinnamon (well, duh!), ground ginger, nutmeg, and don't forget the salt. Just a little of each goes a long way!


Read THIS WEEK'S POSTS here:
brgr
vivo
FoodParc


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #25. Happy Weekend #26. Happy Weekend #27.

Happy Weekend #27

We're cruisin' to Canada this week for an Extended Eng-Lee-Fung Extravaganza! All we can say is that... It should be interesting. Or deadly. Whichever.

In preparation for our travels, we always like to stop by one little place for all our traveling needs (and then some). The Christmas Tree Shop. It stocks seasonal items, kitchenware (hello, wafflemaker from B's Xmas list!), a galore of travel-size mumbo jumbo, and cosmetics. Everything you could dream up, you can probably find it there. Now that we think of it, they don't actually seem to sell that much Christmas stuff. But it's the bomb diggity anyway.

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Salted Caramel Milkshakes
Grimaldi's Pizzeria
The Chocolate Room

Read LAST WEEK'S UPDATES here:
La Crêpe Parisienne

Related Posts: Happy Weekend #24. Happy Weekend #25. Happy Weekend #26.

BORBA...?

I've been on this drink kick the past few months. Aside from my daily dose of coffee, I attempt to squeeze in something a little more hydrating and more tasteful than the good ole poland spring. I scanned the shelves at New Star Cafe (where I finally found these!) and the "lychee fruit" on this bottle jumped out at me. Lychee is probably my favorite flavor (at least it is as I'm writing this post), but the whole "skin balance water" had me o.0? This drink is gonna do wonders for my skin??! Hmmm...I'm skeptical. But obviously, I bought it anyway. And it tastes good. I don't have any idea how much it cost me, but I'm sure it was a pretty penny. Short of miraculously curing my skin problems by this afternoon, I'm gonna hold off on purchasing another bottle for a while.

Happy Weekend #23

Obviously we're still suffering from some rare, but serious, form of Jet Lag in the blogosphere.

You may only go on vacation for a week or two... or three, but every other weekday of the year is spent in a groove. So, why is it so hard to get back into that groove?

Maybe it's because you're still dreaming about those Pipers crisps you bought on a last-minute whim at the cafeteria of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew. What can I say? We have excellent instincts. And so do them farmers.

If any of you know where we can pick these up in the US, please share your secret!

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Ele Cafe
Village Tart


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #20. Happy Weekend #21. Happy Weekend #22.

Happy Weekend #22

After vacation and a forced "vacation", it's hard to get back into the swing of things. Better late than never, right? (Doesn't this photo look straight out of a Lily O'Briens ad?)

Meandering around Midtown and Chelsea, someone handed out a postcard for a free chocolate (with purchase) at Lily O'Briens'. And lo and behold, the store appeared a couple blocks away. A free chocolate? With the purchase of other sweets we have yet to try? Why, hello there...

The sticky toffee is for those with a serious sweet tooth-- it's SERIOUSLY sweet. But strangely addictive. Just have that glass of milk handy.

Read LAST WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Verlaine + Baohaus + Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Court Jester


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #19. Happy Weekend #20. Happy Weekend #21.

Coconut M&M's??!

Ohhh Yeah. How long have I been eyeing these on the m&m website and wondering when the heck they'd mass market these so I could get my hands on them??! Imagine my surprise when I spotted them near the register at a cafe around the corner from my office! I wanted to buy the whole box (and share!), but thought the cashier might look at me like a crazy, and I'd never be able to venture back there again to buy more. We couldn't let that happen. So...I settled on three packs. I went back to the office and gave one away (ain't I nice). And still ended up with 3 packs - work that one out amongst yourselves ;)

Before I forget to mention - they're good. Really good. But, they could be better. Like...if the whole thing was coconut. But, don't get me wrong - I'm quite content with these just as they are. Go get 'em fast - they're limited edition!

Happy Weekend #21

Is it a happy weekend? I'm here, but would like to still be in London, and K's (stuck) in London, but would rather be here. Oh, woe is us. What can we do but wallow in good food!? XP

While in London, we did a little crazy supermarket shopping (armful of junk food anybody?), and M ended up with these bad boys:

I obviously jacked this from their website, as I completely neglected to capture a photo
I refrained from buying any myself (so dumb!), but M shared her's during lunch, and....when do I ever pass up on chips?!? OMG the Caramelised Onion & Sweet Balsamic Vinegar was yummmmmm! And look at all the other flavors they have! If you can find these in the U.S., I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND you grab a bag for yourself, and about five for me (for now).

Potato chips are my absolute favorite snack, and they go just perfectly with burgers and sandwiches. ;)


Read THIS WEEK'S BURGERWICH UPDATES here:
Five Napkin Burger
Five Guys
Pret A Manger


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #18. Happy Weekend #19. Happy Weekend #20.

Happy Weekend #19

Happy Easter and Passover to all those who celebrate! What better way to celebrate the resurrection of Christ or the Hebrews' escape from enslavement than with pizza?! Well, we don't observe either, so we don't know any better. One thing we do know is that E's co-worker isn't doing us any favors by introducing these Tastykakes, offered seasonally as part of their Spring Classic Collection:

Uhhh... Coconut Cake? Wrapped in Dark Chocolate? Yes, please!

Oh! And, no worries, you can buy 18 boxes of 6 packs of 2 online. Hippity Hops. Doesn't the name just tickle your funny bone?

Read THIS WEEK'S PIZZA UPDATES here:
OTTO
The ORIGINAL Frank Pepe
Lombardi's


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #16. Happy Weekend #17. Happy Weekend #18.

Happy Weekend #16

No excuse prepared for last week's lack of updates. So, pretend it never happened and skip to this week!

With week-long threats of a dreary End O' the Week, the perfect way to get through a damp day is most definitely with some piping hot food. This week's posts suggest a variety of food types from different meals, but honestly, you can't finish off a dark day without some-- DESSERT! (Yeah, we know we all see mind-to-mind.)

Here's some APPLE PIE for your eyes.

From Christmas. In the Emile Henry Artisan Ruffled Pie Dish from Williams Sonoma (Thanks KM!). The pie crust cut-outs were done using holiday mini-cookie cutters from Crate & Barrel.

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Macaroni Grill
Korean Pick-Me-Up
Soho Park


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #13. Happy Weekend #14. Happy Weekend #15.

Happy Weekend #11

An homage to new experiences and cheap Asian food, here are half of the souvenirs from Tokyo-- given to us by our friendly (well... not really, but in this case I'll concede) Hawaiian. Our Mom's favorite over-the-counter candy, these Kit-Kats come in Green-Tea and Strawberry-Cheesecake flavors. Who knew?! The Strawberry-Cheesecake is reminiscent of Strawberry Pocky, which makes for a stupendous win-win-win situation. Vacation, anyone?

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Kyotofu
Cravings in NYC
Butter Lane
The Norry at Kampuchea
Mad 4 Chicken



Related Posts: Happy Weekend #8. Happy Weekend #9. Happy Weekend #10.

Happy Weekend #10

There's nothing like going to a different country and seeing things, once familiar, different. For instance, take this bag of Icelandic Doritos. How does the familiar flavor, "Cool Ranch" become a "Cool American"? Was something lost in translation? Are "Cool Ranch" flavored Doritos the epitome of a "Cool American"? Was this C.E. Doolin's flava flave? Or, do you read "ranch", think "cowboy", and conclude with "American"? What makes sense? Either way, the Frito-Lay Company manufactures... Cool Americans (and sells them off to other countries).

This week's theme is "Food on the Move" aka "Pics from the Cell Phone, Sorry in Advance!". So, in honor of the New Year, already-failed resolutions, and prayers for a life-changing stroke of luck-- Get Up, Get Out, and Keep It Moving!

May you all have safe adventures.

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
SHROOM on The Hunt...
WAFEL ON THE RUN!


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #7. Happy Weekend #8. Happy Weekend #9.

Happy Weekend #8

It's friendly tradition that we bring back goodies from vacation to share with the rest of the bunch. B went to Vancouver right before the holidays and added more sweets to our already aching teeth.

I'd never tried these before, but let's see...maple syrup cookies for breakfast everyday for the past week (to counter our new BonJo coffee from M!), and...the box is now empty. I guess they were kinda good. =P


Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Max Brenner
Montenapo


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #5. Happy Weekend #6. Happy Weekend #7.

Happy Weekend #7

Hopefully the state of this blog doesn't foreshadow the state of the upcoming rest-o-the-year. Late, late, late...

We'll start off this year with something to really whet your palate:

WS Peppermint Hot Chocolate + WS Chocolate Marshmallows + E's ON/OFF Mugs = Top-Notch Holiday-Recovery Prescription

With 3 canisters of this stuff, a canister of Williams-Sonoma Classic Hot Chocolate, a dozen packets of Lindt Hot Cocoa, a canister of Second Cup Hot Chocolate, a box of Vosges Aztec Elixir, 2 canisters of Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa, and a Hot Cocoa cone (marshmallows included!), our hot chocolate stash is set for the next year... or ten. But, who's complaining? Come over and have a cup... or seven. ^^

What's your favorite Hot Chocolate brand/flavor?

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATE here:
Brazil Grill


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #4. Happy Weekend #5. Happy Weekend #6.

Happy Weekend #4

AISH. It's only been 3 weeks, and we're already behind. Blame it on the overzealous holiday spirit whipping us frantically in circles everyday. Or, blame it on Santa. Whichever you choose, here's this week's update... a bit late.

Switching things up a smidge: this week, we're not offering a recipe. Instead, we have our house HAZELNOOT. Straight from Iceland. (But probably available throughout Europe. And maybe even Trader Joe's.) It's a lot like Nutella. Only creamier. And stripier! We had it on our first day in Iceland, and then, we went and bought it at the nearest grocery store for keeps.
Lots of awesomeness oozing out of that jar. Makes you want to have a slice of midnight toast.

Read THIS WEEK'S UPDATES here:
Power Puff
Financier Pre-Party

and a *bonus* Il Gattopardo


Related Posts: Happy Weekend #1. Happy Weekend #2. Happy Weekend #3.