Cake Balls!

My mom gave me this ADORABLE book by Bakerella for Christmas and I've been so excited to try making my first cake balls.  If you've never had them, they are like little bites of heaven.  You bake a cake, crumble it up and mix in some frosting, roll it into balls, and dip into melted chocolate. Stephen's old coworker had made them for an event and everyone oogled over them for days.

 As you can see, this book suggests many ways to decorate them for every holiday you can imagine. If you know me very well, you know that any baking project is difficult, so I made it my goal to just get the darn things made. The book gave terrific step-by-step directions and had great photographs.

  
   Despite the mess I made when I dropped the chocolate-covered spoon and splattered chocolate all over my kitchen, they turned out delicious!  Everyone loved them and I even had some leftovers to enjoy for a midnight snack. 
I'm excited to step it up and do some fancy ones next time!





                                                                                 Chilling in the fridge before we devoured them!



Super Bowl Sunday Chili Cook-Off

Get your chili on!  We're hosting the first annual Super Bowl Sunday chili cook-off at our house.  Use your old family recipe or try something new - just bring enough for people to sample! We'll provide cheddar cheese, sour cream, onions, spoons, sampling bowls, and lots of napkins. You provide any special condiments and bring a drink to share.  The game will be on and the doors will be open!  Pray that it doesn't rain!  The winner will recieve full bragging rights for one year! We hope to see you there!

Bacon Mania

  Lisa's mom clued me us in to a weekly gathering of gourmet food trucks at the OC Fairgrounds.  We have only had one other run-in with a food truck - Dan Dan BBQ - and it was awesome. Get the Dan Dan sliders if you ever see them around.  We've been wanting to check out other gourmet food trucks and today was the day!

  There were seven trucks there today and we tasted from two.  We know, we should have spread out more, but Bacon Mania was calling to us!  We tried the Bacon Ball Trio sampler which consisted of a bacon-wrapped pb&j, bacon-wrapped petit filet with blue cheese, and bacon-wrapped mac and cheese.  You're probably thinking..."Seriously - bacon-wrapped mac and cheese?" and yes, it was that decadent.  But it was only about two bites each, so it was just enough to be amazingly delicious without being disgusting.

  We also got the Jack Back Sammie. This was like a giant grilled cheese with carmelized onions, filet mignon, and, of course, bacon.  They not only had cheese in the sandwich, but they also had cheese on the outside, on both sides. The order taker asked when you order the 'sammie', you like cheese right?? It was really good, but after about one bite Lisa was so thirsty she nearly lost her appetite.  We split the sandwich, but even so, Lisa couldn't finish her half. 

  Stephen got the E-I-E-I Ouch Sliders.  The patty was lamb, beef, and bacon with a jalapeno goat cheese, havarti crisp, and lettuce.  He thought they were salty and meaty but the spicy flavor cut through the richness. The heat was just right, it stuck with you, but didn't knock you out. He loved them.

  From another truck, Piaggio, we got chimichurri fries and a chicken empanada.  The empanada was hot, but didn't have much filling. Lisa had never had chimichurri anything before, so she thought it seemed weird to get a bunch of greenery with my fries, but Stephen insisted that it was the "healthier" way to eat fries. Now that Lisa has tasted them she has to agree.  They are being added to her new diet.

  We definitely thought today was a success.  Quinn got to run around and eat random samplings, and we had fun trying new things.  We spent $22.50 and got to sample food I didn't even know existed! Not bad! We're going to visit more food trucks at the Irvine Great Park during one of their Sunday Farmer's Markets. We'll let you know how it is!

Haven Gastropub

We had heard some buzz about this new, chic British-inspired bar and restaurant and had been wanting to visit old towne Orange anyway, so we checked it out.  They call it a Gastropub because they serve gourmet food in a public house (restaurant?).
First of all, it is much nicer that we were expecting for being in old towne.  Beautiful wood floors, stone wall and fireplace.  Quiet.  We were hesitant to bring Quinn inside as he was about due for a nap, but we were armed with snacks and they had a high chair.  We committed and we're so glad we did!
Stephen started out with O'Hara's Celtic Stout.  Not as heavy as a Guiness.  Good flavor, a drier beer.  I got a water. This was the first day I was using my new calorie counter on my Droid...that lasted one day.  We ordered the House Made Potato Chips served Salt and Vinegar style. They were warm, crispy, and had a dusting of the salt and vinegar mix. Be careful not to inhale as you take your first bite! They were light as air, but bursting with flavor, highly recommended as an enticing starter to awaken the tastebuds! Stephen said it paired great with the stout (I don't even drink beer and I agreed!)
We try to order different menu items so that we can experience more from each restaurant, but the Haven Burger just looked too good to resist. We both got it, but Stephen's was medium rare and Lisa's was medium.  The burger had a hearty, meaty flavor, and it was topped with pickled red onions, roasted red bell peppers, a stash of arugula, and a st. agur cheese sauce.   A toasted brioche bun was soft but held together pretty well.  It was really messy, and every bite was tastier than the last.  About two bites into his burger, Stephen said, "I think this might take the top spot on my list for Best Burger Ever."  Enough said.
The burger came with their fries - Pommes Frites. They have fresh herbs (we're guessing rosemary and thyme) and a homemade ketchup. The herb flavor was delicious and subtle. Lisa thought the ketchup tasted a bit too much like tomato paste, but Stephen liked it because it wasn't as sweet as traditional ketchup. 

Quinn didn't get much to eat, but not because he didn't like it. We didn't want to share! He got a few pinches of meat and some softer parts of the fries. 

We're going back tomorrow to take Stephen's parents. We have to share this delicious slice of heaven, um, I meant Haven. Haha. We're going to try to order something different, although the burger will be calling to us!

Quinn had a Cheerios appetizer

All About the Foodies

Stephen decided that life's too short to eat the same old stuff every day.  Lisa loves food and prefers to eat rather than cook.  Quinn doesn't have too many opinions, but enjoys eating pretty much anything.  Together we cook, bake, shop, taste, sample, drink, and enjoy all things food!  We'll record our trials and errors in the kitchen, restaurant reviews, food truck finds, and any other food discoveries.  Feel free to comment and suggest places to try. We're always up for a culinary adventure!