New Candy Sample Mondays

Every Monday morning we open all of the boxes of new candy samples we
have received during the past week.....makes Monday a little more fun right?.
Today we opened boxes filled with hard candies from the UK, more hard
candies from a vendor in Texas and gummies from Chicago. My favorite
were gummy flowers. The one I did not dare to sample - acid drops
from the UK. The one I want to hear the story behind the name .......the UK candy Marry Me
Quick.....that might be a fun one to do just for the name.

Fancy Food Show Winter 2011

I had a great time at the Fancy Food Show this year. It is always so much fun to see customers, vendors and food show friends. And of course eat in San Francisco....see below post-
We had a meeting at the Jelly Belly booth on the last day of the show and they were displaying these fun pieces of art made from Jelly Belly Beans.
The Mona Lisa made using 15000 beans -

Duff from Charm City Cakes unveiled a new line of cake decorating products. They made this awesome San Francisco themed cake and passed out delicious cake pops

We went to a party hosted by Jelly Belly. It was held at a restaurant right under the bridge.....beautiful.

My favorite product I found on this trip was actually not at the show but at Whole Foods. I stopped there every morning for a breakfast of 1 vegan blueberry doughnut and 1 bottle of almond milk, ground sprouts and ginger. It was made by a local company, Easy Living Foods. It was amazing and I have to figure out how to get my hands on more.

The food trend at the Fancy Food Show that I just can not get on board with - goats milk caramels. Normally I am a big fan of the sweet/savory mix but This one just does not work for me.

Crab Dinner in San Francisco

While in San Francisco for the Fancy Food Show we went to dinner with our Northern California sales rep Barbara E. She is a source of fantastic food recommendations. This year was no exception she took us to a little out of the way place named Thanh Long. This place has the reputation for making the best roasted crab in the city. The reputation is well deserved.
It was delivered to our table soaked in butter and "secret seasonings"....by the end of the evening my fingers were dripping in butter.

BEFORE -

AFTER - check out all the butter left on the plate

I am predicting this will be in the top ten meals of my whole life......loved it!

Airport Delay

Sitting at the slc airport waiting for my flight to San Francisco which has been delayed about 30 min. Not so bad except I have become slightly neurotic about being on time that I get a little crazed if I am not at least 2 hours early for my flight - not that I mind I love being at the airport watching people and listening to their conversations. Here is a bit of what is going on during my airport delay-

Groups of people- lots of sports teams, soccer teams heading to a tournament in Las Vegas, Sacramento State basketball team, Utah State Soccer team coaches.

Overheard - Utah State coaches talking to another coach, I am guessing about soccer, upcoming players and goal lines, defenders, defense. Blah Blah Boring

Reading - New issue of my favorite mag Vanity Fair - Justin Bieber on the cover- and Dwell.
Cleopatra downloaded on the iPad.
Happy About-the shuttle driver waiting for me to get out of my car and on the shuttle before he drove off. So happy I did not have to wait in the ice cold for the shuttle. The flight for Las Vegas should be leaving soon taking with it at least 100 teenaged soccer playing girls. Free wifi at the slc airport.

Excited to get to San Francisco to buy boots at DSW, buy shoes at Nordstrom, buy platters at CB2, the huge F21, Fancy Food Show, eating what is reported to be the best baked crab in the bay area with Barbara E, shopping at lush.
Sent from my iPad

Rootbeer Bunt Cake

I am loving this cookbook-
Baked-new frontiers in baking
I have made a couple of things in this book and this is one of my favorites-

This book is written by two guys who own a bakery in Brooklyn. They are famous for their brownie recipe - which is next on my "to bake" list. It is also on my places I must visit when I am in NYC next.

Traveling Greek in Disneyland

Girl Greek on It's A Small World in Disneyland - October 2010

Guess Who Turned 1?

Sweet little Ruby Foo is one!

We had a fun little party at my parents house. I made dog blueberry cupcakes. I also tried to make a four layer cake from one of my favorite cookbooks........disaster! I am blaming the recipe not my inability to bake on the fact the the batter boiled over the edge of the pans, onto the bottom of my oven. So I ended up buying human party treats at target.

I am totally making the dog cupcakes again they looked awesome and were so easy
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
2 1/3 cups white flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375
In mixing bowl combine milk, oil and honey. Add egg blend well. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and add to wet ingredients. Stir together throughly. Add vanilla and fold in blueberries. Fill muffin tins 2/3's full.
Bake to 20 to 25 minutes.

Frost with cream cheese.