Our Frozen Birthday

So the night before this little girls 3rd birthday I asked her what kind of cake she wanted and she said an Elsa cake. Well needless to say I was unprepared, so I of course googled, Pinterested and youtubed   who to make a Frozen cake and came up with this little number. I had already learned through youtube how to master the ombre' rosette cake, so all I had to learn was how to make frozen icicles. 

 Let me tell you it was beyond easy. If you have every made a simple sucker using Karo syrup, water and sugar then you pretty much know how to make this. After the candy mixture has set and is hard you just smash it into a bunch of shards of "glass" and there you go! 

It was totally worth it especially after she told me her favorite present was her "Elsa cake"!!!

S'mores Krispie Treats

If S'MORE is in the title, you bet I have tried it! I am a S'mores fanatic and am constantly looking for new recipes to try. This treat will not only have the whole family drooling over it, but its super easy and fast to make!

Ingredients

• 3 TBS unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 5 cups of mini marshmallows (divided) 
• 6-7 cups Golden Graham Cereal
• 3-1.55 oz Hersheys Milk Chocolate bars (broken up in squares)

Instructions

1. Spray a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray. In a large pot, melt the butter and salt over medium heat. 
2. Once it is melted, add the 4 cups of the mini marshmallows and stir constantly until they are completely melted
3. Take mixture off heat and add in the cereal and stir. 
4. Add in the extra cup of mini marshmallows and stir to just combine. 
5. Working quickly, pour half the mixture into the prepared pan and press down.  Then top with half the Hershey's pieces. 
6. Pour the rest of the mixture onto the chocolate and press down, then top with the rest of the chocolate. 
7. Allow to sit at room temperature for several hours to set up OR place in refrigerator for about an hour. 
8. Remove from pan and cut into bars

Bruxie

While we were in California this last week we were able to sit down with the Co owner and founder of Bruxie, Dean Simon. It was such a treat to hear how Bruxie got started and all that they put into it, all while eating the most amazing waffle sandwiches ever created! They have been cranking these out since 2010 and are constantly adding new things to the menu. We visited the original location in Old Town Orange, but they now have 7 locations with plans for Las Vegas ,and hopefully Tempe, fingers crossed!! They may have built the concept around waffle sandwiches but thats not the only thing they are killing it at. Their shakes are made with custard and have the most amazing flavor, you can sip it through a straw and they don't melt halfway through. They were even voted one of the top 10 shakes in the country! Bruxie makes sure everything they put out is the best, only using pure cane sugar in their sodas and making their own marshmallow fluff. Everything I tried was so good I was sad when it was gone, and even more sad I couldn't have one until I came back to California. If you are lucky enough to live there or happen to be traveling in or around SoCal, a stop at this place is a must! 

                                                                                                                         Homemade Lemon Curd with fresh berries

 Founders Special- Prosciutto, arugula, gruyere and a poached egg














Father's Day Philly Cheese Steak

                                                                                Smores with Bacon

Crispy chicken tenders with house made Carolina BBQ sauce

Cookie Dough Dip

My sister in law made this at Bunco and it is my new favorite dip! 

Cookie Dough Dip

1 pkg cream cheese

1 stick butter

Cream these together

Add 

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp.  brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips 

1 cup toffe bits

Put in the fridge till it sets up. Great to dip fruit, crackers or just your fingers

Aloha Kitchen

Since we were kids we have been going to Aloha Kitchen, my dad fell in love with this place after he moved here from PA and was always introducing new people to this Authentic Hawaiian cuisine. Now when I was a kid I had only ever had a manapua from Aloha Kitchen and they were by far my most favorite thing on the menu. Its a soft steamed bun filled with pork chunks and a sweet red sauce. I tried finding a manapua when we went to Hawaii a few years back and the only place we found them was at a  gas station! Crazy, and they didn't come close to Ray's back home. They have fresh ingredients and take pride in the food they serve. No doubt you will also see Ray walking around talking to the customers.

Teriyaki chicken, fish and the best macaroni salad

Orange You Glad It's Summer

If you know me you know me you know I am not creative, but I am a masterful copier! I got this great idea a couple of years back off of Pinterest for the last day of school. You just buy a bunch of orange things ( summer stuff works great) and orange candy/food/drinks. Then print out a sign that says "Orange You Glad It's Summer!!"

 Let's just say this is one tradition my kids will never let me forget. 

Over Easy

For my anniversary a few years ago we were in Phoenix on a little staycation and found this great breakfast place which also happened to be a DDD- Diner's Drive-In's and Dives spot. We loved it and now have one right around the corner. My favorite dish there is the french toast. They use a brioche bread and top it with carmelized bananas and pecans and then a caramel syrup. Can we say Yum! Is it rich yes, which is why I like to make who ever I go with get something savory so I can handle it all. Another one of my favorites is their Hopple Popple, a scrambled egg hash that is scrumptious and goes great with the oh so sweet french toast. This super modern restaurant is popping up all over the valley so if you live here or are visiting it's definitely worth a try. Serving breakfast and lunch.Over Easy

 

Southern Crawfish Boil

My cousin and her husband just moved here from New Orleans. A couple of years ago we had the chance to visit 'Nalans (that's how I say New Orleans in my best southern accent)  for the wedding and man does that place have some super cool traditions. Crawfish boils are part of the culture and for  Lee's 30th Birthday they had 160lbs of fresh, live crawfish flown in from Louisiana! Julie and Lee taught all of us Az folks how to eat it proper by twisting, pinching and sucking. If it sounds weird it is,

but after my first few times I got the hang of it and polished of my fair share of that 160 lbs!  Making sure it was an authentic Boil they also had potatoes, corn onions and garlic. Which was a perfect pairing alongside the crawfish. I especially liked the soft boiled garlic. If you are lucky enough to get invited to any kind of Seafood Boil you best jump at the chance!

Salvadoreno Restaurant #1

A couple of years ago my husband brought home this amazing food I had never before heard of or seen, the Pupusa. They are basically masa pancakes filled with meats and cheese. It was topped with fresh avocado slices and came with a side of beans. I learned quickly that it needed to be eaten fast, because fresh is definitely best with these babies. I am a purist when it comes to the pupusa and love a plain cheese, it literally oozes out. It's best to dip it straight into the beans, which is more like a black bean soup, and soak up all that yummy bean flavor. Also I could drink that bean soup, as can my children. I always order a huge pint of it to go. If you plan on visiting this authentic Salvodoran restaurant you might have to bust out your 8th grade spanish  to order!