MOH's Birthday

This post is dedicated to my best friend, Karen Paulina Ladd. Happy Birthday!
In order to commemorate her day I am going to list some favorite things about her:

1) Passion for fashion - love her style!
2) Culinary creations and appreciation
3) Generosity
4) Tact (especially when I have none)
5) Weird in only ways we understand one another (this should be #1)
6) Articulate and expanse of vocabularly (she reads more than anyone I know)
7) Commitment and loyalty
8) The ability to love the little things
9) Business Savvy
10) Honesty

Those are 10 things I love about my BFF! Now happy birthday!

Half Moon Bay Day

For the BFF's pre-bday celebration we started off with "drunken Wii", which I was the only one who sucked at. haha Karenella prepared a fabulous dinner for us to feast on, courtesy of Giada. It was a scrumptious pasta dish with clams, shrimp, white wine and shallots. She teared up as she cut the shallots but in the end we agreed they were both worth it. We sipped white wine while waiting for the clams to open. After calling it a fairly early night we casually awoke craving bagels. The birthday heiress and I ventured out for bagel sandwiches and Starbucks. After devouring the breakfast we made a quick dash to my mom's to get her gift. I had put together a Mexitalican gift (Mexican-Italian-American), as she is the Italian wannabe. The present included a table runner with matching napkins, gold charger plates, iron scrolled napkin rings, cheese knives and a wine decanter. I love putting together gifts for her, I can be creative and basically pick out what I would want for myself! She seemed to really enjoy them. My mom also surprised us with homemade scones and cookies. Delish!

We hit the road tackling traffic. The four of us entertained ourselves by singing and dancing to the tunes in the car. Rock, 80s, hip hop, Sinatra were all in the mix. Finally we reached our first destination, pumpkin patch! This particular one is a tradition. We picked out 2 large pumpkins and 2 small (one for the cats and one for me). We snacked on pumpkin pie, root-beer floats and hot apple cider. Once leaving with the perfect pumpkins (and taking a zillion adorable photos) we adjourned to the Ritz-Carlton, positioned sea-side off Highway 1. We sat in the lounge, fireplaces blazing, overlooking the water. The waiter brought us a charcuterie plate while we enjoyed champagne cocktails. There was pate, prosciutto, duck and olive bread. A couple was getting married down below us, a formal affair. (Quick side note, people were seriously rude
by crowding the windows to watch the bride they didn't know. It blocked all the views and made the place feel claustrophobic. Annoying.)

We strolled on the path to the water after our beverages. There was a bagpiper playing on the golf course and Adirondack chairs strewn about where you could stare at the ocean. It was calm, beautiful. Afterward we made our way to Moss Beach Distillery, a fun, "haunted", historic landmark nearby. We sat by firepits while waiting to be seated listening to the waves crash on the beach. At dinner we toasted Karen's birthday and partook of clam chowder, ribs, lamb and halibut. A brownie sundae arrived to finish off the evening.

All in all, a great day with great friends. One I'll remember even if it is primarily via Facebook. :)

My "Famous" Chili

I drove myself to work yesterday so I could get home at a decent hour without waiting for Cristian. Upon arriving I noticed we had little left in groceries but I remembered I had purchased the makings for chili not too long ago. Cristian raves that I should be famous for my chili. I truly don't know why, it's really not that difficult to make. Anyway, he seems to really love it and since we're leaving for the weekend I figured it would be great to have it sit until Sunday to marinate the flavors. mmm

Originally I set out to make vegetarian chili thinking we had no ground meat so I sauteed onions and the jalapeno and then low and behold found the frozen bison meat we had yet to use. I decided to go for it. I thawed the meat and then browned it in the pan with chili powder, onion flakes, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper powder, oregano and a touch of curry powder. It smelled amazingly good. Then I pursued the easiest portion of the recipe, opening the cans. Lots of cans are involved in this masterpiece so it does make for a lot of trash/recycling. There are crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, three cans of various types of beans (I use chili beans, kidney and pinto but sometimes throw in black). The part I don't enjoy is rinsing the beans. I don't know why it bugs me but it seems so gross to get the bean juice out of the can.After they're clean you pour everything in and stir. The worst part about chili is the waiting. The aroma occupies the room almost instantly so knowing it takes 30 minutes is torture. To pass the minutes I decided to make cheese crescent rolls to accompany the chili.

Once completed I was in heaven. My chili is a bit spicy but thick, hearty, warm and super flavorful. To my surprise the bison meat was amazing. It was light and almost fluffy in consistency making it a great textural addition. I was very  satisfied with my first fall meal. A great comfort in the cold.

Enjoy the weekend, I know I will!

What's Better Than Mac N Cheese?

Macaroni and cheese, quite possibly my perfect food. It includes pasta and cheese. YUM. I make my own version of mac n cheese which is so easy it's our go to. Last night we didn't even pair it with anything. My garlic version includes pasta, 2% Colby and Monterrey Jack mix, skim milk, chive and onion cream cheese, a teeny bit of margarine (Can't Believe It's Not Butter is my usual) ,fat free sour cream and real crushed garlic. Once mixed together it's a little bit of heaven. This version is a little less salty than the boxed kind and has layers of flavor. I would almost venture to say it's tart but more likely it's got a better cheese flavor than those packets. No baking is involved in this simple recipe, which is why it's even easy to make in a crunch. Truly cheese makes everything delicious and besides my all time favorite, the grilled cheese sandwich, Mac N Cheese is the ultimate comfort food.

G-L-A-M according to Fergie

In the song GLAMOROUS, Fergie says a line, "I still go to Taco Bell, drive through, raw, yeah"


Well last night I was super "glam" with Cristian and made the drive through at Taco Bell our highlight of the night. haha I will say I love the fresco menu but hate that they charge more for less. Why is a regular crunchy taco $0.69 when the fresco style, which has no cheese, is $0.99!? I mean seriously, a penalty for being healthy. Then I also found out that according to WW points, the crunch taco is only 3 while the soft taco is 4! Man, sometimes I don't understand. I think there is an addictive substance in the Taco Bell meat that makes you crazy. Maybe it's the sauce. I don't know all I do know is I fairly often have a craving for their non Mexican, Mexican food.

Do you have any weird cravings or weaknesses when it comes to fast food?

Momma Mia

Friday night I picked my Mom up from Burbank airport after she had a horrendous delay due to failing airplane lights. Once in the car we battled traffic and a mere 1.5 hours later were in the comforts of my home. I feverishly began sauteing and chopping vegetables for our belated meal. My mom being vegetarian is often a challenge to cook for. Not because she doesn't eat meat but because Cristian refuses a meal without it. :) To make the dinner pleasing for all and simple for me I made fajitas. Red and yellow bell peppers, onions, eggplant and chilies grilled away in my wok on one side and flank steak in the other sizzling frying pan. I heated tortillas and took out sour cream and taco sauce, although it turned out my marinade was flavorful enough. To top it off I offered Mom Tequila Rose shots and then made strawberry margaritas, half blended, half on the rocks (I don't like them too icy). Success, a quick and scrumptious meal.

The next morning Mom and I ventured out shopping after indulging in some bridal show television. I love David Tutera! My coffee pot had finally crapped out and we needed some java to begin the day. We started with Mongolian BBQ for lunch. A fun fast food joint that allows you to choose your own ingredients and watch them cook it right in front of you. My Mom was in awe and amazed at the quantity and quality. At the mall Mom was eager to look for new clothes. We entered into the challenge that is Forever 21 and piled our arms high with items to try on. Mom has recently been slimming down and looking fabulous so incidentally all the clothing she tried on looked great and flattering on her. I found a top and jacket, which was a nice treat to a weary wardrobe.

Post shopping spree we changed for the wine and restaurant event that I was to work that evening. Cristian showed her around and took her shopping while I made sure things were running smoothly at the event. Once figured out we all enjoyed the tasting bits offered at the event. Duck meatball burgers, spicy tuna hand rolls, pork belly... mmm. I also had the please of meeting choice Top Chefs and Top Chef Masters. :) All in all an amazing night.

Yesterday I wanted to take Mom to my favorite bakery that has cinnamon danishes that are to die for (and coffee since I couldn't brew my own). Unfortunately it was closed. I was horrified since we were in a bit of a time crunch. We made out way to a more well known breakfast spot and in the process found a new bakery, Korean, that was open for business. The aroma wafted through the air and enticed us to take a peek. We were immediately hooked. Sweet potato buns, almond paste croissants, pumpkin pie and ham and cheese bread were all the rave. They even had lattes! Then off we drove to Knott's Berry Farm for the bridal show. This was by far the best one I've attended. New vendors, great ideas and lots of brides.

The main event was to take Mom to the wedding venue, which she had thus far only seen in photos. She was impressed. We brainstormed together and took in the scenery to figure out how we'll be making this space "our" wedding, and not some cookie cutter event. I grew excited as her ideas seem to harmonize with mine.

Finally I took her to Home Goods, a store recommended to me by another bride, which we fell in love with. They have every decoration, plate, vase, tablecloth and kitschy piece of furniture you could ask for. Too intimidated to buy anything we venture home for her to pack. The weekend was too short as usual.

This time tears poured from my eyes right as we got in the car, not at the airport where they normally well up. My Mom felt so bad and I explained how home sick I am, especially throughout our wedding planning that I am primarily doing alone. I truly miss the Bay, my BFF Karen and my Mom, especially. The whole Kelemen clan and miss Naghmeh, all people I wish would follow me wherever I went. :) It's so hard to be so far away. As I get older my desire for constant changed has altered to a search for home, comfort and happiness. As fall sets in I will miss the rain and fog in SF and Christmas in the Park. Sharks games and the Nutcracker. Main Street Singers Wassail party. Things near and dear to me that I had readily left and now desperately seek again.

Sorry to depress the blog just needed to get it out there.

Branching Out my Burger

Yesterday was one of those nights where I had a million and one things to do and almost gave in to picking up fast food. BUT I decided to cook anyway. I looked in our barren kitchen and finally decided I'd make burgers. I took out the usual toppers; ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, and then looked around and found an unlikely ingredient. I had purchased bananas and they were becoming very ripe so I decided to cut them up, season them with salt, pepper and chili powder and then fry them in olive oil. They were hardly sweet after the light seasoning but had a bit of crunch while still being soft. I then decided grilled red onions with chili peppers would be a great semi-salsa. And for the finale I finally tried making my own quick BBQ sauce. I mixed ketchup, balsamic vinegar, Worcester sauce, teriyaki sauce, ground pepper and some sugar. Once it started to boil I let it cool down until it had a thicker consistency. Once the burger patties were medium (medium-well for Cristian) I assembled my creation. The shocker, they were delicious! A bit of tang, sweet and savory all in one. Crunchy, soft and firm mixed together. This is my nod to Cuban cooking. :)

Progress

Tomorrow my Mom is coming and I am SO excited. She hasn't been to LA since my birthday. That means I have A LOT to show her for the wedding. We're going to accomplish many things while she's here. First, visit the venue. Second, go to the local flower marts to see what kinds of selections they have this time of year. Third, attend a bridal fair at Knott's Berry Farm. I've already been to this one but I think my Mom will like it. :) And you have to do it at least once with your mom. This week I also made contact with the DJ services we're looking into. Actual progress!

By the by, my Mom is vegetarian so if you have creative veggie recipes let me know.

Thanks!