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The 9-Hour Easter Baking Marathon April 11, 2012

Filed under: Cooking,Food,Friends — Kelocity @ 7:20 pm
Tags: Cooking, Easter, Food, Friends

This past weekend, I was supposed to run the Hollywood Half Marathon. I had signed up last summer with a killer coupon code and it just sounded like a good idea at the time. I had wishful thinking of being a pregnant runner, but that just didn’t happen. But I still went to the expo anyways and picked up my bib and I surprised myself by how sad I was that I wouldn’t be running. I really miss the running scene, more than I thought I would. I miss the camaraderie, the runner’s high, the good-for-your-heart training sessions. I am more motivated than ever to get back out there and make my running comeback. Hoping for a 10k in the fall and a half marathon in the spring! Fit Mama, here I come!

So while we were supposed to be running 13.1 miles, my friend Erica and I decided that having a NINE hour baking session would be a good substitute instead. So we trekked over to the market and got all of the essential ingredients. This day was going to be epic.

We had big plans on making FIVE dessert recipes and one savory dinner entrée. Ready….set…GO!

First up were Hilton Waikoloa Village Shortbread Cookies .

They came out so good! But they seemed a little boring, so we melted down some chocolate and dipped them. Mmmm. Perfect.

Next, we whipped up a batch of Birthday Cake Batter Popcorn. I know, how amazing does that sound?

Happy Easter!!

It was white chocolately, rainbow-sprinkled, salty-sweet goodness. Delicious!

Then we started on what would become the KING of all things chocolate…. S’Mores Stuffed Brownies!!! Uh, hi.

Inside this bad boy are layers of brownie, graham crackers, hershey’s chocolate and marshmallows. Yep. That just happened.

Next up was a little detour from chocolate…. let’s hear it for Bananas Foster Bread Pudding! *clap clap clap*

I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical of this one since it’s not a dessert I’d normally choose… but it was awesome! And super easy to make. I’ll have to remember this when I need a recipe for brunch.

PS… I bought this pie dish especially for this recipe and I felt like such an adult! Adults need fancy pie dishes, right?

And our fifth and final dessert recipe for the day was a batch of Oh Baby Bars (basically a homemade Reece’s peanut butter cup).

Before we could sample ANY of our days-worth of treats… we dove into making dinner! We chose a recipe for Chicken Palava (African Peanut Stew). Something totally different than what I would make or order, but it was really really good.

Dinner was enjoyed over a game of Bananagrams.

I’ve never had a day in the kitchen just for fun before and I really enjoyed it! Maybe next time I’d swap some desserts for more entrees that we can eat throughout the week, but I was encouraged by how easy it was to prepare so many dishes once we had recipes and ingredients on-hand.

I’m so excited for the many bake-sales that might be in my future in five years or so. Watch out!

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An Evening in Downtown LA April 5, 2012

Filed under: Downtown,Food,Friends,Los Angeles — Kelocity @ 9:33 am
Tags: Downtown, Food, Friends, Los Angeles

Last weekend, Irving and I joined our friend Erica for a night on the town. We parked the car and spent an hour or so taking pictures at the Disney Concert Hall, then saw Green Day’s American Idiot, and later had dinner at one of downtown’s hotspots. It was awesome! We don’t spend nearly enough time exploring that area of LA and it was so fun to take it in as a tourist.

The concert hall has so many great shapes and hidden corners, it photographs so well!

Some of these pictures were taken by Erica, she’s got a great eye! Thanks Erica!

Everyone needs a friend like this girl, she’s always game for anything. =)

Soon-to-be Family of Three!

When “Operation Photoshoot” commenced, we headed over to see the show! I am a huge Green Day fan so I was VERY excited to see the musical.

Though it wasn’t quite what I expected (I was hoping for a little more of a plot), I still loved the music, the set and the performances. Baby was dancing inside there too!

Finally, we headed over to Bottega Louie for dinner and ‘drinks’. I started with the Green Tea Mojito (virgin, of course) and it was AMAZING! It tasted alcoholic and warranted small sips. It even had the authentic muddled mint at the bottom. So good! While we waited for a table, we drooled over the amazing bakery items. All of them looked straight out of a fairy tale.

I ordered a simple pasta dish that honestly tasted like something I’d be served in Europe. It was PERFECT. The right amount of sweet with a little bit of salt. Totally fresh and cooked to perfection. Loved this!

Irving got the Kobe Burger that also looked fantastic.

I’ll be back there again soon! Especially for that mojito (and a macaroon!).

What a night!

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First trip to Disneyland! February 27, 2012

Filed under: California,Disney,Friends — Kelocity @ 7:52 pm
Tags: California, Disneyland, Friends

This weekend, Erika and I drove down to Disneyland to meet up with our high school friend, Courtney. I know I’ve been hanging out in “sick alley” all week, but when a friend you only get to see twice a year flies 3,000 miles to California… you make every effort to celebrate! I wouldn’t have missed it! We had a blast!

This was my first time in Disneyland, so I was just excited to see the park and check out a few attractions! (I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon in 2006, but didn’t get to go on any rides!) Luckily, Erika is a Disney expert and guided us all through the park without a map.

We enjoyed lunch and then spent a few hours trying to find rides that both me (and 9-month old Sophie) could enjoy with everyone! First up: It’s a Small World!

It was so cute to see Sophie bopping her head along to the music. I think she really liked it!

After, we did the Jungle Cruise and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The lines were not too bad, and we had a blast chatting and catching up.

By the way, if you’re in the market for a stroller… there’s no better place to compare than the stroller parking at Disneyland! Seriously, I couldn’t believe how many there were at each ride. Woah.

The longest line we waited in all day was actually for FOOD! Erika had raved about the Dole kiosk that sells Pineapple Floats! It was awesome! Totally hit the spot. And now I want another one.

Baby’s first trip to Disneyland!

Can’t wait to come back someday when he/she is old enough to experience the magic!

What a nice afternoon with some of my favorites. =)

What’s your favorite Disney attraction?

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Lake Tahoe: A Prairie Walk February 22, 2012

Filed under: California,Family,Friends,Lake Tahoe,Travel — Kelocity @ 8:43 pm
Tags: California, Family, Friends, Lake Tahoe, Travel

On Sunday, we made plans to have a quiet day in Tahoe, everyone split up to do their own thing and we made plans to catch up with one of Irving’s high school friends and his girlfriend. At first, we tried to grab lunch at a place we found on Yelp called Lake Taco. We thought the name was hilarious and searched and searched for it… turns out, it’s basically a beach hut that is only open in the summer. Fail.

So we ended up at a place up the street called Margaritas. It was pretty good, though I just had a basic quesadilla with some rice and guac.

And then we drove to a walking path and took it wherever the trail led us, which happened to be this gorgeous sprawling marsh (looked like a prairie though!)

I’m sure that on an average year, this place is packed with snow, but it has been a strange year, and it became the perfect place for a winter hike.

PS.. major points for being able to zip my winter coat! It was a tight fit, but me and the baby were able to stay warm!

Friends for almost 20 years!

We had a blast with these guys, wish we lived closer!

We tried to get some artsy pictures, but the sun was so high in the sky the shadows were tough.

Notice the mittens? They’re from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics!

As we kept walking, our terrain turned from Marsh to Beach! Lake Tahoe is amazing. So picturesque and everywhere you look has a fabulous view.

I wanted so badly to make a snowman next to a sandcastle. But it was a little too cold.

That night, Irving went out to hang with his friends again and Erica and I headed to the Casino to grab a buffet dinner. It was fabulous. I wasn’t sure what I was in the mood for, so assembling a plate of randoms (mac & cheese, salad, bok choy, etc!) seemed perfect. I have to really be in the mood for a buffet, but this one hit the spot. The soft serve for dessert was heaven too!

The next day, everyone hit the slopes at Heavenly to ski and I stayed in bed til after noon! Can’t remember the last time I did that! But I wasn’t feeling that great and felt a cold coming on, so I used the time to rest up. I went to the doctor yesterday and turns out I actually have an infection in my lungs that is causing the most annoying cough. It’s been a rough week, but I’m hoping it goes away soon. Every time I cough I apologize to the baby for the earthquake it must be causing in there!

Anyways, looks like everyone had a great time on the mountain though!

Check out the views they had of the lake from up there too! Jealous!

On the way out, we grabbed dinner at the Hard Rock Café and then hit the road back home to LA. 8 more hours in the car! It was a fabulous weekend away, and one of the last ones until the baby comes!

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Lake Tahoe: Where is all the Snow? February 20, 2012

Filed under: California,Family,Friends,Lake Tahoe,Travel — Kelocity @ 11:24 pm
Tags: California, Family, Friends, Nevada, Tahoe, Travel

We had an excellent weekend up in Lake Tahoe. The weather was amazing…blue skies and not ridiculously freezing. In fact, it was so nice that Tahoe has barely any snow! Usually by this time of year they have at least a four foot base, but sadly there was not much white stuff to be seen.

Irving went up skiing on Saturday with a group of friends who were up there for a Bachelor/Bachelorette party and Erica and I got an awesome tour of the area by Jake and Janie.

A lot of the roads that are usually closed off this time of year were open because of the dry conditions. We got a (normally off-limits) view of Emerald Bay!