fun pic-tori-al

haha, that's the best i could come up with for a blog post about meeting tori spelling.

i don't even remember why i started following her on twitter, especially as i don't even watch any of her reality shows.  well - check that, i did see a few episodes of "inn love," where she and dean ran that bed & breakfast somewhere down by san diego.  anyway, suffice it to say that i'm not especially a huge fan, but i do love me some 90210 - the OG version, not this new one that's currently on the air.

but when she tweeted that she and dean were going to be hanging out at a holiday bazaar they were hosting at their shop invenTORI, i kind of really really wanted to go.  and lucky for me, my buddy kelley was totally into it too.  she'd actually met tori once before at a book signing in pasadena, but thought it would be fun.  and since she was riding solo with li'l d that weekend, i figured it would be a fun playdate for all of us.

since it was a sunday morning, traffic was blessedly light and we were in the valley within 40 minutes - a bit early, even.  this was good, considering that the bean had fallen asleep on the way.  i found a good parking spot on a sidestreet, and a few minutes later kelley and li'l d pulled up alongside us.  we chatted a bit, trying to let her keep sleeping, and then i finally plucked her out of her car seat.  she was super groggy, but was happy to see her friend.  i didn't get any pictures of it, but they walked along holding hands.  SO cute.

it was about two minute walk to the shop.

i wanted to take way more pictures of invenTORI's shabby chicness, but i didn't want to draw any more attention to us than we were already getting.  of course, because of our cute kids.  since tori & dean have little ones, they had a table of fun activities and a cookie decorating station set up for kids.

the bean decided to decorate two cookies.  she was proud of her creation, but for some reason didn't want to eat them.  i shouldn't complain about that, i suppose.

the tiny center courtyard was super cute and decorated with antiques for sale.

a bit of advertisement in the bathroom:

the dessert bar was lovely. but since i'd downed one of the bean's cookies, i was all sugar-ed out.  bah!

there was a nice selection of cute gifts for kids.

she and li'l d had fun drawing on the little chalkboards.

and she was happy to model a handmade elmo hat for me.  i was tempted to scoop it up, but wasn't feeling the $28 price tag.  eek.

i snuck away to peruse the kitchen goods section for a moment.

and then through a screen door leading to the back office, i spied a familiar face.  i nonchalantly held up my camera and looked away to snap this.  ha, i'm so stealth.

i'm almost positive this is their third, newborn hattie.

and liam scampered over to draw next to the bean.  stella was there too, but i didn't catch her.  "smile, bean!"

see what i did there?  i'm awesome.

kelley and i both ended up scooping up one of those cute portable chalkboards (because we had to buy something, after all) and she volunteered to take this for me.

what did i say to tori spelling, you ask?  well, the first thing that came to mind.  "so, how many times do you hear donna martin graduates?"

oh, yes.  i went there.  good gracious.

but she was really sweet about it.  "weekly.  gosh, maybe twice a week, even," as she smiled at the bean.  "oh, then i'm glad i didn't say it then," i blurted out.  OH MAH GAH, I AM SO STUPID.

i slunk outta there with my tail between my legs.

after a quick debate, we decided to head back to familiar territory and met up again at an old favorite, la grande orange.  kelley and i got a chance to chat and catch up while li'l d played a game and the bean looked on adoringly.

she loved the cafeteria-style plate that her lunch arrived on.

and look - my fried chicken and mashed potatoes was served with a fresh cinnamon roll!

all in all, the whole day was full of WIN.

magically minty

i am always in awe of other food bloggers' creativity with their recipes.  i really wouldn't have any idea how to formulate something entirely from scratch.  like, how do you know what ingredients should go together, and how much of everything to use for it to turn out right?  i realize that most folks likely go through a ton of trial and error, but still...i'm not on that level.  and i hate to put so much effort into something that might end up tasting like ass on toast.  not to mention the waste that that must produce.

so, full disclosure: this deliciousness i'm about to share with you isn't really my idea at all.  it comes from my friend bridget at the bake at 350 blog, and last week she tweeted a link to her newest creation - peppermint popcorn crunch.  now, i admit that i didn't get all tingly at first at the idea.  but as i kept going back to it in my head i knew i had to make some, stat.  peppermint is one of my very favorite flavors, and this sounded like a fun snack to make and eat.

sadly, even after checking several four different stores, i couldn't find the candy cane melts she'd used in hers.  and i wasn't really feeling the popcorn idea.  mind you, i love popcorn.  a lot.  but i thought maybe i could throw a twist in this idea of hers to suit my craving.  and so i picked up a box of rice chex, which is my favorite out of the various types of chex cereal.  oh, not because i'm asian.  i just think it offers the nicest, lightest crunch out of them all.  i guess i could've used the corn because of the original popcorn in this recipe, but i didn't. so there.

after giving it a little thought, i decided that regular white candy melts would work just fine, and i'd just crush some candy canes and mix those in.  but then i came up with something else:  candy cane kisses.  now, a confession:  i picked up a giant bag of these back in january at an after-christmas sale, and they've been in the pantry ever since.  you know what i'm saying here.  yes, you do.

my happy ass stood at the counter and unwrapped a total of 50 candy cane kisses (which smelled and tasted just fine, by the way).

i measured out about 4-5 cups of the cereal.

then i took three candy canes down from the dining room light (hahaha!) and smushed them in a ziploc bag till they were peppermint powder.  i guess i really didn't have to since the kisses were sufficiently, uh, candy cane-y.  but i thought it would be pretty.  and tasty.

the cereal went into a bowl big enough to mix easily, and then the pulverized candy canes and a couple of handfuls of mint m&ms joined the party.

i popped the kisses into the microwave for a minute, which wasn't quite long enough.

another 20 seconds and a stir with my spatula, and they turned into a pretty pink-ish gob of goo.

it got drizzled on top of the cereal mixture and then mixed in thoroughly.

bridget thought that it might end up a little sticky with the kisses instead of the candy melts, but i spread it out on a piece of wax paper and after a little while, it dried out perfectly.

yes, yes, it does rather resemble vomit in that picture.  but it's really good vomit.  really, it is!

you simply must make this.  whether you make my version or the original...if you like peppermint, this stuff is most definitely for you.  now, go!  off to the grocery store with you.  and enjoy.

more biscoffin'

this episode of "wan wings it in the kitchen" is one that's been brewing in my head for a couple of weeks.  i don't really know why i waited so long to try it out, but i am super stoked that i finally did because it was one of the most delicious experiments i've ever done.

now, you know i've become a ridiculously ginormous fan of biscoff spread.  the stuff is magical, people.  i was so excited to find that my local fresh & easy carries it now, too, and i really hope that the trader joe's version isn't just a seasonal item for the holidays.  anyway, i decided that the fantastic flavor needed to be incorporated into a pancake.

that's right.  I MADE BISCOFF SPREAD PANCAKES, FOOLS.

like my red velvet pancakes, i didn't use any precise measurements.  like, at all.  and i was shooting for a very small batch as the bean was already chowing on some scrambled eggs and we were the only ones home at the time.  so it was seriously a scoop of pancake mix (yes, i totally cheat and use the add-water kind instead of making it from scratch), a splash of vanilla extract, a dollop of the precious spread, and enough water to make the batter gooey to my liking.  i personally prefer thinner, chewy pancakes vs. the thick fluffy kind.

as she bounced back and forth between bits of egg and watching me cook, the bean demanded to have her picture taken.  you don't have to ask me twice.

so anyway, i didn't want to use regular ol' maple syrup on these.  i wanted to enhance the biscoff flavor that i knew would be fairly subtle in the pancakes.  and so i decided to throw together a glaze - again, a dollop of spread, a little powdered sugar, and a dash of cream.  i stirred it together in a small saucepan and cooked it over a low flame until the spread was melted and the whole concoction thickened nicely.

i poured a bit of the batter into my hot pan, and watched for the bubbles.  i really love cooking pancakes - so easy, and the flipping part is my favorite.

amazingly, i'd managed to make just the right amount of batter.  i always make too much or not enough, but today the pancake gods were smiling down on me.  or maybe it was the biscoff gods.  perhaps the kitchen experimentation gods?  whoever it was, thank you.  because look, pretty!

my first bite damn near made me clench my butt cheeks together in happiness.  but i'd just sweated through a workout, so i was too sore for that.

what the hell, i think i can give fairly accurate measurements.  if you've made pancakes before, you'll know what the batter should look like.  it's not exactly rocket science.  here goes:

biscoff pancakes with glaze for one:

2/3 cup instant pancake mix
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
scant 1/4 cup biscoff spread
water

glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup biscoff spread
1/4 cup heavy cream (yes, the good stuff.  don't skimp on this, why bother?)

make the glaze first.  stir everything together in a small saucepan over low heat until the spread melts and everything is nice and happy-looking.  don't allow it to boil.  i don't know what would happen if you did, but it's probably not a good idea.  keep stirring as it cooks until it gets to the consistency you want.  mine was kind of the same thickness as shampoo.  but it doesn't taste like shampoo.  it tastes like liquid heaven. 

so anyway, uh...mix the pancake ingredients together with a whisk.  a small one, if you have it.  start out with 1/4-1/2 cup of water and see how it turns out - if it ends up too thin, toss in a little more pancake mix.  if it's too thick, add a little more water till you like how it looks.  heat a nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat and melt a little butter in it if you like that sort of thing (i do, because butter is good).  you can check if the pan is ready by sprinkling a few drops of water in it.  if it sizzles, you're good to go.  pour some batter in and watch for the edges to dry and bubbles to appear.  flip.  fun, right?  if you're feeling generous, you can make small pancakes and share them.  but i wouldn't blame you if you hid in the closet and hoarded them all for your own bad self.  not one bit.

now pour the glaze on and get ready for the awesomeness that is biscoff pancakes. 

oh, and making these results in the kitchen (and if you're lucky, the whole damn house) smelling absolutely divine.  you can thank me later.

oh so ono*

*(that's hawaiian for "delicious")

despite my yammering away about needing a recipe with precise measurements, i managed to totally wing it on three separate occasions this weekend.  i'm pretty excited to report that each experiment turned out pretty well, yay!  um, and everything i made was a sweet treat.  you expected nothing less though, right?

i love king's hawaiian bread.  like, the pantry is never without a package of it, and preferably the jumbo size from costco.  but i'd made the mistake of picking it up at fresh & easy the last time i ran out, and i was sad that it wasn't...fresh.  i managed to get through 3/4 of it before giving up and heading to costco for the good stuff.  so as i contemplated what to do with those last three slightly stale rolls, it came to me:  bread pudding.

i'm the only one in the house that likes this stuff, so i hit up the google for ideas on making an individual serving.  but the few recipes that turned up were all regular-sized creations, only baked in smaller containers like ramekins or cupcake tins.  boo.  and after perusing the basic ingredients that popped up in nearly every recipe, i decided to be a rebel and strike out on my own.

it's almost like making french toast, really - eggs, milk or cream, sugar, vanilla, butter.  one of the recipes i found involved heating the cream and adding butterscotch chips till they melted.  well, i like butterscotch.  and this sounded pretty damn tasty.  so i busted out my rolls and cut them up into little cubes.

the custard came together pretty easily, and after i soaked all of the bread cubes i found myself with extra.  so i did what you would do - cut up another roll to use it up.  don't even try to say you wouldn't.

i ended up baking them a smidge too long, and the cubes on top browned considerably - another minute and they'd have burned, i'm thinking.  oops.  and instead of making homemade sauce, i took the lazy way out and used some of my precious starbucks caramel.

you can see i was so excited to sample my creation that i totally dribbled caramel all down the side of the ramekin and onto my freshly cleaned countertop.  don't worry, i cleaned it up.  with my tongue.

i wish i'd have pulled it out of the oven about three and a half (completely arbitrary number) minutes sooner.  but that's okay - this experiment still ended up being a major success.  super delicious, and definitely on the sweet side.  you could easily leave the caramel sauce off, but why?  caramel is GOOD, despite what my friends claire and diane think.  pffffft.  the bean loved it too.

i didn't exactly measure out my ingredients in the traditional way, but i eyeballed it all and i think i've got it.  here's how i did it:

slice about 5-6 hawaiian rolls into 1/2" cubes.  divide it equally into 4 ramekins, completely filling each one.  warm about 2/3 cup of heavy cream over medium heat till just before it boils.  whisk 2 eggs and about 1/2 cup of sugar together and then slowly stir in the hot cream (that sounds gross, huh) until fully incorporated.  add about a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  toss in about 1/3 cup of butterscotch chips, let it sit for a couple of minutes to let it melt, and then mix it together.  spoon it into the ramekins, soaking each piece of bread, and filling them about 3/4 of the way.  bake at 350 for about 35 minutes until the custard isn't all gooey anymore.  if you notice your bread starting to brown, cover it with some foil. 

serve it with a drizzle of caramel sauce, or maybe a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

the original recipe that i based this on is here.  as much as i love marshmallows, i was actually afraid of sweets overload in this case.  i'm pretty sure i'd have been on the floor convulsing from sugar shock had i taken that extra step.  but if you want to try it out, have at it - and let me know how it turns out. 

hopefully you won't be reporting from a hospital bed.

super fun tuesYAY

the teen and i have discovered yet another food truck to chase.  i've actually tried to sample the baconMANia truck's wares once before, but got shut down before i could even place an order.  so when twitter alerted me to a scheduled stop in north orange county one evening, i knew we had to give it a shot.  plus, we'd already decided to head down to disneyland (shocker, i know), so it was really on our way.  and we didn't want to have dinner in the parks - two birds, one stone.  excellent.

we were stoked when we rolled up and found that there was no line for any of the handful of trucks grouped together in the parking lot.  of course, i only took a picture of the one we were there for.

after perusing the menu, we made our selections.

the teen went with the pulled pork sliders.  after savoring every morsel, she vowed to double up her order the next time.  and she talked about them all night - i guess they were just. that. good.

i decided to try a couple of appetizers.  first, the bacon cheese crisps:  they seriously took shredded cheddar and bacon bits, fried them together into two big ass crispy chips, and served 'em up with sour cream for dipping.  these were really good (duh, it's bacon and cheese. what's not to love?), but after eating the first one even i was kinda over it.  blasphemy, i know.  and it's not like i wouldn't order them again.  ha!

appetizer #2 was the bacon ball duo - a PB&J (you read that right) bite and a ball of gooey mac & cheese wrapped in bacon and deep fried.  while that may sound super wacky and maybe not so appetizing...it was.  oh, it WAS.

last but not least, there was dessert.  and again, you may gag a little at the description (or find yourself slightly aroused, i'm not judging), but don't knock it till you try it.  much like the bacon ball duo, these are super moist, uber rich chocolatey brownie bites wrapped in bacon, deep fried, and then drizzled with hershey's syrup.  hot damn.

the three of us shared these (yup, even the bean - she heard "brownie" and she was all in) and mmmm'd and aaaaahhhh'd through every bit.  it really looks and sounds "cuscusting," as the bean would say, but honestly...SO GOOD. 

our arrival at disneyland was perfectly timed - there was some fancy light show happening on the giant tree on main street, and the "snow" was pouring out from the rooftops. 

still enchanted with the fake snow, we managed to sweet-talk the bean into trying a new ride - the recently revamped "star tours."  she was just tall enough for it, and although she was a little skeptical, we managed to distract her with the way cool glasses they give you to fully enjoy the experience.

the lady behind us looks about as excited as the bean ended up being when it was over.  you know, i've always wonder how many random folks' photos i've landed in over the years.  i bet it's a lot, considering my penchant for photobombing. 

so anyway, despite the "new and improved"-ness of the ride, the teen and i exchanged wrinkly-nosed glances as we took our seats.  it seriously smelled like fourteen hundred pairs of stinky ass feet up in there.  gag.  and the bean clutched our hands for dear life as the simulated ride jostled and bounced and swerved her little self in her seat.  suffice it to say that she didn't like the ride one bit.  "that was too much fun for me," she said.  heh.

and so although the clock was ticking (the parks close early from monday-wednesday, like at 9), we headed deep into fantasyland to indulge her sole request for her favorite attraction - "it's a small world."  oy.

i say "oy" because unlike every other time we've been on this ride, there was an extra-long line.  like, 30 minutes long.  ugh.  the teen was kinda stabby over it.

but then as we shuffled along with the rest of the parkgoers, the lights went out and all of a sudden, the façade turned into a movie screen.  we were mesmerized as the music played and the images whirled and flashed and danced on the screen.

on our way out we admired the castle, all dressed up for the holidays.

always so much damn fun.