Omaha, Nebraska trip!

I want to finish my Catalina posts but somehow my pictures got deleted from my photo account so I have to upload everything all over again. I’m too lazy for that at the moment so I’ll go ahead with my Nebraska post. About two weeks ago I went to visit my best friend in Omaha, Nebraska. It was my first flight by myself and it was weird. I flew out of John Wayne airport (probably the nicest and smallest I’ve seen so far). The pilot that flew me from OC to Denver was awesome. I had a great flight. The pilot that flew me from Denver to Omaha, not so much. The plane kept shaking and I seriously thought we were going to crash. That and my ears kept popping and in the end, my right ear was fine but my left ear wouldn’t go back to normal which irritated me. The flight back was fine. The pilots weren’t horrible but they were okay. The first one was the best. When we landed in Denver, I didn’t feel a thing. No bump or skid. He was a pro.

That’s the best friend and I sitting in her truck outside of Wenninghoff’s. It’s a indoor farmers market in Omaha. It was pretty neat to see all the veggies they grow there. The tomatoes were huge! We bought raspberry cider, honey, zucchinis, green beans, and some corn.

This is a small corn field we drove past on the fwy.

Mr Cigar ice cream from Ted & Wallys. It taste like mocha with chocolate chips and possibly tobacco. It was pretty tasty.

Dinner that my best friend and her hubby made. Her hubby grilled the steak and corn and she made bacon wrapped scallops and stir fried zucchini. It was freakin delicious!

After our steak dinner we baked for her hubby and his friends. We made mini banana chocolate chip muffins, mini pumpkin cream cheese muffins, white chocolate blueberry cookies, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

The goodies before they were cooked.

Goodies to take back home. I got some jerky from the meat market (Nebraska jerky is excellent!) and some honey and jam for my mom and sister.

The sign outside the meat market! 🙂 They had everything in there. All sorts of bacon, jerky, ribs, pork chops, chicken, duck, alligator, scallops, shrimp, steak, and etc.

My fruit bowl from Wheatfield’s.

My best friend made us french toast with berries, whipped cream, and cinnamon for breakfast. It was freakin delicious!! 🙂

They have his and hers steaks. How freakin awesome is that?! I totally want one now that I’m writing about it. The meat and corn definitely taste more fresh.

The guest bedroom where I slept 🙂

My best friend inside Wenninghoff’s.

Kiko the poker. She got really excited when I first met her. She pawed me in the ribs and gave me a good size bruise.

New York strip with fries and arugula salad from Upstream Brewery. It was my first meal in Nebraska after they picked me up from the airport.

Humugo tomatoes!

Two lane fwys with no traffic. Completely unheard of in California..or at least where I live.

Best friends breakfast from Wheatfield’s.

Overall it was a great trip! I’m really glad I went even though in the beginning I was a bit hesitant. Nebraska is so much more quiet and laid back then California. It was definitely a breath of fresh air. I will most likely go back for another trip but I’m not sure when that will happen. I’m not down to go during snow season! I’m still thinking about the steak, bacon wrapped scallops, and jerky. The jerky is delicious. My mom loves the honey too. I’ve been making peanut butter and honey sandwiches with wheat bread. It’s delish! The midwest isn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. Except for the tornadoes. I’m not down for that either! Toodles.

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

Cha Eighteen (Arcadia, CA) – MOCHI WAFFLES!!

I heard of a kiosk at my local mall that sold waffles. Okay, cool maybe I’ll try it. Then someone told me they sold mochi waffles. I LOVE waffles so it was definitely on my to try list and I had to pick up some water shoes for my Catalina trip so what the heck?

Here’s the menu of this delicious place. The pictures look so good!

They also sell an assortment of drinks and teas.

I got the mochi waffle with brown sugar syrup. THE BEST EFFIN THING EVER! It was SO SO good! The outside was crunchy and sweet and the inside was chewy and soft. That’s how I like my waffles to be. The portion size was huge.

You can see the delicious syrup. The syrup isn’t too sweet and blends perfectly with the waffle. The waffle was the size of my face. It was kind of funny because I was walking around the mall eating my waffle and people would stare at me as they walked by. It was because they wanted a waffle too.

They have an assortment of syrups of the mochi waffle such as nutella, chocolate, strawberry, brown sugar, and cinnamon. They also have liege waffles and tea. I think they’re known for their oolong tea. I heard mochi waffles or “moffles” are really popular in Japan. Or at least that’s what the guy behind the counter said. A huge waffle the size of my head for $3.25? Not bad. It’s definitely worth the money. I was laughing because the guy behind the counter put the waffle in front of a tiny fan in an attempt to cool it down before handing it to me. It semi-worked but it comes out piping hot. If you haven’t tried it, it’s a must.

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

Frances Bakery (Los Angeles, CA)

CRONUTS!!! It’s no secret I’m a sweets lover but cronuts have a special place in my heart. I LOVE cronuts. Donuts are okay but none of them bare any comparison to my beloved cronuts. I’ve been bugging the big brother about bringing me some donuts. I had a crazy craving for them and reallyyyyyy wanted a donut. He laughed and said he was busy. Now what? He then said he’d take me to a bakery in Little Tokyo that sold really good cronuts. Eh..Little Tokyo? They’re more known for their Japanese food but wowza! He took me to Frances Bakery and I got myself five delicious cronuts. There were five flavors on display and not wanting to miss out, I got one of each. There were blueberry, original, nutella, strawberry custard, and chocolate. The original is by far the best. It reminded me of a french puff. Those things are so darn delicious! 🙂 Frances Bakery is awesome. The ladies behind the counter were real nice and friendly. They explained everything to me when I asked questions. The only down side is the parking. They do validate parking but the lot is so freakin tiny. It’s hard to navigate in and out without other car trying to fight you for a spot. They sell an assortment of cakes, puddings, cheesecakes, and French macarons in addition to the cronuts. The lot the bakery is in also has a bunch of sushi restaurants. I really wanted to try one of them but we didn’t have time. BOO! No sushi fix but sweets fix is cured.

What does your big brother do for you when you’ve got a craving? 🙂

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

PW’s Dreamy Apple Pie

You know…I don’t think dreamy even begins to describe this apple pie. Normally I’m not a fan of apple pie. I like pumpkin pie and blueberry pie. I’ve always found that the apple pies I’ve tasted are way too sweet for my palate. Not anymore folks. The PW’s apple pie is so freakin delicious. I made two of them with my residents at work and they were SO SO good. Everyone raved about them and several people asked me for the recipe. That’s how awesome they are!

PW’s Dreamy Apple Pie
2 frozen pie shells

filling:
10-12 regular sized apples, peeled and cut into chunks (I used apples picked from our apple tree at work)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups half & half (recipe calls for heavy cream but all I had was half&half at work)
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

crumb topping:
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (recipe calls for pecans but I didn’t have that)
pinch of salt

– preheat oven to 375 degrees
– place both unbaked pie shells on a baking sheet to avoid any spills in the oven later
– in a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients for the filling (sugars, flour, cinnamon)
– stir in vanilla extract and half and half
– add apples and make sure all the apples are coated in the delicious filling mixture
– pour half of the filling mixture into each pie shell (make sure each pie has equal qualities of apples and juice)
– in another bowl, mix dry ingredients for topping (flour, sugar, walnuts, salt)
– cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs
– sprinkle half of the crumb mixture on each pie
– pat down the topping slightly just so it sticks to the filling below
– bake at 375 for approximately 50 minutes (depending on your oven, you might need to wrap the edge of the pie in foil and possibly the top – check about 30 minutes into the baking just to check)
– let it set before cutting into it and serve with vanilla ice cream!

I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into a slice so I cut it while it was still warm. Then again, that’s how I like my apple pies…warm 🙂 This is by far the BEST apple pie I’ve ever had. I doubled the recipe of the original dreamy apple pie because I have a lot of residents. A MUST TRY and definitely a KEEPER!

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

chocolate chip waffle cookies

I made chocolate chip waffle cookies with my residents today. They LOVED them! These cookies are delicious. I could totally save these babies all for myself 🙂

Legendary Chocolate Chip Waffle Cookies
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted

– in a large bowl, add sugars, flour, salt, and baking soda and give it a good stir
– add vanilla extract and melted butter and stir again
– add in eggs one at a time and stirring after every addition
– fold in mini chocolate chips until just combined
– preheat waffle iron to regular setting (I used a 3 with my Cuisinart one)
– spray waffle iron, top and bottom with non-stick spray
– scoop about a tablespoon of dough into each section of the waffle iron (mine has four) and let the iron do the work
– enjoy with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee!

These are excellent if you’re making cookies with kids or just for a fun project. They look like waffle bites but they’re actually chocolate chip cookies which makes them extra delicious. Try them sometime 🙂

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

toasted marshmallow milkshake

I made these at work a few weeks ago and they were delish. The coolest part was they let me use a flame torch. Not the super big ones like you see on the Food Network but the mini ones. It was awesome! 🙂 I didn’t burn anything or anyone.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
approx 10 toasted marshmallows (make sure they’re really toasted and not burned)
3-4 large scoops of vanilla ice cream (vanilla bean ice cream would be best)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-3/4 cup of whole milk
extra toasted marshmallows for garnishing
whipped cream for garnishing

– in a blender, blend together the 10 marshmallows and ice cream until creamy
– add milk and vanilla extract and blend again
– if the shake it too watery, add more ice cream. if it’s too thick, add more milk. adjust to your taste 🙂

These are delicious! You can also add frozen strawberries and make strawberry marshmallow milkshakes. So so good!

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

toasted marshmallow milkshake

I made these at work a few weeks ago and they were delish. The coolest part was they let me use a flame torch. Not the super big ones like you see on the Food Network but the mini ones. It was awesome! 🙂 I didn’t burn anything or anyone.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
approx 10 toasted marshmallows (make sure they’re really toasted and not burned)
3-4 large scoops of vanilla ice cream (vanilla bean ice cream would be best)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-3/4 cup of whole milk
extra toasted marshmallows for garnishing
whipped cream for garnishing

– in a blender, blend together the 10 marshmallows and ice cream until creamy
– add milk and vanilla extract and blend again
– if the shake it too watery, add more ice cream. if it’s too thick, add more milk. adjust to your taste 🙂

These are delicious! You can also add frozen strawberries and make strawberry marshmallow milkshakes. So so good!

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

The Donut Man (Glendora, CA)

I work 10 minutes from The Donut Man! How awesome is that? Well…maybe not too awesome because they contribute to my pudge but it’s still delicious. I used to go to school right by this beloved donut shop so it’s like my hidden gem. The Donut Man is known for their strawberry and peach donuts. They’re not really known for their tiger tails but they should be! Those babies are dangerous. A foot long twisted donut with chocolate glazed with icing. I was surprised that it’s just right, not too overwhelmingly sweet.

I got two strawberry donuts, two chocolate bavarian creme donuts, and six tiger tails. I LOVE their strawberry donuts. There’s a reason why The Donut Man is one of LA’s top five donut joints. It’s so delicious! The donut is super fluffy, the strawberries are fresh, and it’s not too sweet. Everything just blends together really well. I haven’t tried the peach donuts yet because I always seem to miss it. The strawberry and peach donuts are seasonal so plan accordingly. I was told by the cashier that they’ll have the peach donuts at the end of July and all throughout August. Yum! The tiger tails are amazing! It’s the longest donut I’ve ever seen. I think their maple bars are also a foot long but I haven’t tried them yet.

There’s usually a line when I go but it goes by really fast. It is cash only so bring cash! If you do forget to bring cash, no worries. There’s a atm machine on the side where you can withdraw some mula for delicious donuts. Parking is kinda eh so I would suggest parking on the street. People don’t really care where they park and they end up blocking someone elses car so watch out for that. It’s not really a shop where you can go in and order donuts. They have two windows where you can order from. The workers are always friendly.

I got my loot for $21. I know, I know, who the heck spends $21 on donuts? ME! 🙂 All because I know how good they are. The tiger tails go for $1.75 each. The chocolate bavarian creme donuts are $2 each. The strawberry donuts are the most expensive at $3.25 each. The prices went up a lot since my college days but whatevs. I’m willing to pay if the results are amazing, which they are. I give them 4.5 stars overall. I seriously wish they took credit card since I’m a cc junkie and never carry cash with me.

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

The Donut Man (Glendora, CA)

I work 10 minutes from The Donut Man! How awesome is that? Well…maybe not too awesome because they contribute to my pudge but it’s still delicious. I used to go to school right by this beloved donut shop so it’s like my hidden gem. The Donut Man is known for their strawberry and peach donuts. They’re not really known for their tiger tails but they should be! Those babies are dangerous. A foot long twisted donut with chocolate glazed with icing. I was surprised that it’s just right, not too overwhelmingly sweet.

I got two strawberry donuts, two chocolate bavarian creme donuts, and six tiger tails. I LOVE their strawberry donuts. There’s a reason why The Donut Man is one of LA’s top five donut joints. It’s so delicious! The donut is super fluffy, the strawberries are fresh, and it’s not too sweet. Everything just blends together really well. I haven’t tried the peach donuts yet because I always seem to miss it. The strawberry and peach donuts are seasonal so plan accordingly. I was told by the cashier that they’ll have the peach donuts at the end of July and all throughout August. Yum! The tiger tails are amazing! It’s the longest donut I’ve ever seen. I think their maple bars are also a foot long but I haven’t tried them yet.

There’s usually a line when I go but it goes by really fast. It is cash only so bring cash! If you do forget to bring cash, no worries. There’s a atm machine on the side where you can withdraw some mula for delicious donuts. Parking is kinda eh so I would suggest parking on the street. People don’t really care where they park and they end up blocking someone elses car so watch out for that. It’s not really a shop where you can go in and order donuts. They have two windows where you can order from. The workers are always friendly.

I got my loot for $21. I know, I know, who the heck spends $21 on donuts? ME! 🙂 All because I know how good they are. The tiger tails go for $1.75 each. The chocolate bavarian creme donuts are $2 each. The strawberry donuts are the most expensive at $3.25 each. The prices went up a lot since my college days but whatevs. I’m willing to pay if the results are amazing, which they are. I give them 4.5 stars overall. I seriously wish they took credit card since I’m a cc junkie and never carry cash with me.

Fail Sweetly,
Justina

Cake Decorating

I work as an activities assistant in a senior living home. We do all sorts of neat stuff. I think my favorite would have to be the residents birthdays. Usually for their birthday we either have the kitchen thaw out a small cake or we can make one ourselves. Since I’ve been there, we’ve made them. I get to use my cake decorating skills and make pretty masterpieces. One of my residents had her birthday today so my coworker made her a cake and I got to decorate the cake. She loved her cake and we kept getting compliments on how pretty it was. YAY! 🙂 As long as she loves it then I’m happy. There’s been a few birthdays here and there so this post is for the pictures.

My coworker decorated this cake. It’s an apple cake with cream cheese frosting. It’s decorated with whipped cream and a sweet strawberry sauce on top.

This is the cake I decorated. It’s the same as the above. This is the before picture.

This is the after picture. Excuse the ugly writing. I cut two holes in the bag on accident and frosting kept trying to come out when I didn’t want it to.

This is the cake I decorated today. It’s devil’s food cake with chocolate whipped cream. It’s decorated with chopped pecans on the side, chocolate rosettes piped on top, and cherries. I put red dye into the chocolate whipped cream frosting and piped Happy Birthday Jill! on the cake. It was served with chocolate ice cream which was delicious! 🙂

More cake decorating to come! 😀

Fail Sweetly,
Justina