Going Bananas!

I love bananas. I can't understand why a lot of people don't like them. They are full of nutrients and are a great way to have a snack that actually fills you up. I do my best to make food with ingredients that are in season, even though in California we are lucky that we can pretty much get anything all year round.

This recipe for Monkey Bread looked good, is fairly healthy and I bet you have most of the ingredients in your cabinet! I had everything, including the squishy banana!!

As you can probably see, those little dark brown things are not wrinkly like the raisins should be...they are chocolate chips. I have to give Brian some incentive to eat it!

Bananas aren't his favorite...

How good does that look? It tasted great too. The whole pan lasted 24 hours.

Looking Pretty

For months my sister and I have been trying to think of the perfect thing to do for my mom for her birthday. It is not so easy trying to plan something special for someone who is so wonderful, always doing things for everyone else and who has everything! After racking our brains, we finally felt like she came up with the perfect plan!

After Brian and I's wedding my mom had been complaining about her normal makeup routine and felt like it needed a sprucing up. I always like to learn new tricks, find new makeup colors and change things up also. I think most woman just always want to feel good about themselves and most of all pretty...a Makeup Party seemed like the perfect answer!

What goes better with makeup than great appetizers?

Pea Pesto Crostini

I would make these again and the left over pesto would be great on pasta!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

OUTSTANDING.

Endive Stuffed With Walnuts and Cheese

Very refreshing and the citrus really cut through the cheese and nuts nicely.

Carina from Flawless Faces demonstrating her techniques!

Afterwards my dad took us all out for dinner to Seasons 52...another favorite restaurant. This is a great pic of my mom and Linda! Looking beautiful!

Restaurant Review: Haute Cakes Caffe

Haute Cakes has become Brian and my Sunday morning ritual. It is tucked away in a strip mall on 17th street, but it is not exactly a secret. There is a big reason for the long line to order, fight for tables and people sitting outside in the pouring rain. The food, especially the breakfast, is fabulous. You do not find great breakfast and comfort food often in Southern California, but what I like most about Haute Cakes is that they put a "California Twist" on traditional breakfast foods.

Even though there is a long line most of the time and not too many inside seats, I can assure you the line goes fast and you can usually snag an inside table. I am not a fan of sitting outside unless is a perfect sunny day with no breeze, but we always manage to get a table inside. How? Why? Because Brian and I start off waiting in line together and decide what we want, meanwhile I closely keep one of my eyes on the tables inside, as someone gets up to leave I dart over and take the table regardless of whether it has been cleaned off or not.

I then text my choices to Brian to order.

This is a very carefully mastered task...

attempt at your own risk of getting accosted by a Newport Mom or Man Cougar.

Hot Chocolate

Vanilla Carmel Latte

Amazing Custard Slice

Amy's Breakfast Special: Egg White Omelet with Kalamata Olives, Pine Nuts, Feta Cheese and Peppers. Served with Fruit and Whole Wheat Toast. Mmmm. It is huge and I can never come close to finishing it, but it is so interesting and tasty!

Rub with Love

I was at Bristol Farms the other day and saw these rubs by the butcher. I had to try one! It seems like the perfect thing to keep in the spice cabinet for a day when I have nothing to make for dinner. I have also been dying to try Rocco Dispirito's Macaroni and Cheese and I thought it would make a nice pairing with this rub. The rub was spicy, earthy and a little sweet. Even though it is for chicken, I bet it would be great on fish too!

If you like Macaroni and Cheese you have to try this one! No it wasn't as rich as the real thing, but it comes close. It definitely hits the spot with a LOT less calories and fat!

Simply Amazing

I was in heaven last night...or I should say my feet were! After a long day of being on my feet all day at work nothing feels better than a hot foot bath. Usually, I fill up this round plastic basin with Epsom Salts and Hot Water, but it is never quite right. It is always too hot or too cold and has no fun gadgets. I know, what should I expect from a glorified bucket...

Well, I saw this amazing foot spa in a catalogue (why I get this catalogue is another topic all together) and I had to have it!! It has a built in heating system, air bubbles, spiraling massage wheels and cover so the water doesn't get cold. It is really like the Bentley of Foot Spas. My old set up was like an old skateboard in comparison.

This was the best money I have ever begged my husband to spend...Valentine's Day is right around the corner. This could be yours! I also recommend Diamonds.

High Hopes

I really had high hopes for this recipe I tried last night for these Wild Mushroom, Flank Steak and Poblano Tacos. I followed the recipe exactly (unusual I know) and it just wasn't great. After reading all of the reviews this morning, I realize it might have just been a yucky piece of flank steak that I bought. I am going to blame it on that I guess. I think if there would have been a marinade then it wouldn't have been so chewy and kind of flavorless.

Next time, I would get my meat from where I usually do, Bristol Farms, and maybe marinade it in something first. I am just feeling blah about it....I promised to be completely frank on this blog and that comes with the good, great, okay and the bad! Tonight's dinner will be better!

My salad! One of the highlights! Had to post a picture and look at the glass half full!

I rubbed some chili powder as well as salt and spray butter on the corn and it turned out excellent! If someone tries this recipe and it turns out well, you have to let me know what you did differently!

Sent from Heaven

My Dad is a big fan of baked goods...such a big fan that we call him "The Cookie Monster" His favorite kind are Oatmeal Raisin, and believe me, we have all tried numerous new recipes to find the perfect one. I saw this one for Carmel Apple Oatmeal Cookies in my favorite Cooking Light Cookbook and just had to try it!

The carmels were a lot more difficult to chop than they make it sound in the recipe, but I may have gotten so frustrated because I was making this and my risotto at the same time. Once I got going, it went faster...the result was ooey, gooey carmel throughout the cookies. I almost got those tiny toffee bites when I was at the grocery store, but I am so glad I got the Carmel candies.
Do not back down from it!

I baked them on Silpats and I suggest using them. I think otherwise the carmel would melt all over the pan and regardless of how much cooking spray you use you would be scrubbing the pans for a indefinite amount of time. Not to mention the carmel would probably burn.

Brian is my resident taste-tester and he grabbed a cookie, bit into it and said, "Oh my Gosh! Where did this recipe come from? Was it sent from heaven?!? These are amazing!"

If I were you, I would try it out...if he only knew there were less than 100 calories in each one!