the little town of jerome is pretty rad if you’ve never been there.
it sits on a hill and the main drag is lined with shops, bars, restaurants, and galleries.
it’s a bit quirky.
alyssa, bree, and i grabbed a snack at quince.
had a sampler plate with mushroom nachos, stuffed potato wedges, and quesadillas.
and a piece of pecan pie laced with bourbon.
today i am in los angeles.
we stopped at a small place called jin patisserie on abbott kinney.
i ate a flourless chocolate cake and drank a smoked black tea.
My friend Erin won a two day trip with parkhopper passes to Disneyland through a radio drawing. She invited some of her friends (Kelly, Bree, Susan, and me), and we just arrived at Disney’s Grand Californian. Wow. Just. Wow.
They surprised us with wine, cake, chocolate covered strawberries, and toys in our room.
i ordered cupcakes from my friend stephanie to take with me to my family’s easter celebration.
oh my.
they are key lime pie inspired.
they have a filling.
oh yum.
you can order cupcakes from her too.
leave a comment, and i will forward your email onto her.
this is the time of year when my hoa requires all the oranges to be picked from the trees.
apparently, we are still scared of roof rats!
so yesterday i climbed up into the orange tree and picked every last one of those buggers.
i’m sunburnt and covered in scratched, but i win.
now i have about a million oranges in my kitchen.
i plan on juicing them all-about a gallon will come with me this morning to brunch
where we will make mimosas.
the rest will probably be frozen to enjoy year round.
it may be reaching for one hundred degrees outside, but i can pretend it’s spring inside.
curiosity cola from fentimans: fermented botanical cola drink with ginger and herbal extracts.
verdict: refreshing with complex flavours
i love when stephanie makes cupcakes.
brussel sprouts: these grow along the inner stalk. they are fantastic roasted or steamed then fried. never boiled.
fennel sits on top of the earth. i like to roast mine and eat it with salt and pepper.
this is a type of cauliflower called romanesco. it’s florets are fractal shaped. hands down best when roasted till it has browned edges. it also has a sweet taste when fresh. and when i say fresh, i mean in season or from the garden. store cauliflower that has sat for awhile has a bitter bite to it.
so…my friend stephanie is a super baker.
she made and shared these cupcakes with me:
clockwise from the top:
frangelico cupcake with nutella frosting
guiness cupcake with bailey’s frosting
mojito cupcake with white chocolate frosting
here’s to hoping she’ll answer my interview questions soon!
today’s tasty beverage is fresh squeezed orange juice from my tree, vodka, a splash of vanilla extract, and a few mint leaves.
i almost went with sage, but i thought i would go more classic. that, and i have twice as much mint as sage, and sage is tastier friend in butter than swimming in alcohol.
this screwdriver pairs well with darning sweaters and mending torn pockets.