Cupcakes…

UPDATE: So I guess ya’ll want to know the names. That would be nice of me right? HEHE!

Okay so I’m just going to let the photos speak for themselves! If you are ever in Augusta, GA you need to go Downtown to Sundree’s Urban Market and pick up some Delightful Bites Cakery cupcakes! One of the best foodie finds by far. None went to waste.. that is for sure!

 
Left photo: Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and Black Forest with chocolate cake and vanilla butter cream.
Right Photo: Banana Split with strawberry cake, banana butter cream and chocolate fudge drizzle.

Left to right: Yellow cake with chocolate butter cream, Chocolate cake and
peanut butter butter cream

  
Right Photo: Yellow cake and vanilla butter cream

My all time favorite.. Carrot cake! So moist, very carroty and the best cream cheese frosting.

She also makes a killer red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting but there were none the day I bought some. That is another all time favorite LOL. They are honestly all delicious. The lady knows how to make great cupcakes.

Love and cupcakes,
Fallon

Hominy Grill + More

Continuing on with my birthday adventures in Charleston, SC it is now time to move onto the food. Don’t forget to check out my post about Ft. Sumter as well.

We stayed at the historical Ashley Inn Bed and Breakfast while in Charleston. My first time ever staying at one and it was definitely something to get use too. Lets say it was an experience. This place was from 1832… I was a bit weird out by the older fixtures like in the bathroom and the wooden floors. Oh and what was really icky was the fact that the AC kept dripping water. Not cool! But other then that, the place was clean, the bed was comfortable, and the breakfast out on the deck was awesome! They also do happy hour from 4-6 with complimentary wine and appetizers. That was the best part!

 
Hey it is 5 o’ clock!

 

 
Our cute little bed! Until the AC started dripping water..

Since we only had 1 full day in Charleston, we only ate out once for a really nice dinner which was my birthday dinner at Hominy Grill. Other then that we stopped at a bar and grill downtown and when we went out we would grab some beers and apps to enjoy. As for snacks and desserts.. my cupcakes were the star!

    

I kept going back and forth on where to have my birthday dinner. Being a huge foodie, I wanted something local and original. Charleston has a lot of fine dining restaurants and a lot of seafood. I don’t eat seafood and I wasn’t in the mood for a super fancy meal. I wanted something fun and umm low country? I’ve never had a TRUE southern meal and Hominy Grill took an original twist on southern meals. They were also featured on a show called Man vs. Food. Who else watches this show? Love it!!!

Waiting to get our table!

There was so much to offer I didn’t know where to start! I wanted to try a little bit of everything. They started us with some boiled peanuts. Have you ever had these? They remind me of mashed potatoes. LOL

We ordered 2 appetizers, She-Crab Soup and Homemade Red Pepper Jelly with Goat Cheese and Crackers. I didn’t dare touch the soup but I was all on the cheese and crackers. Their jelly was amazing, wish they sold it!

Apparently they call She-Crab Soup because of the roe added to it.

As for our meals I randomly went with their Pecan Crusted Porterhouse Pork Chop with Spiced Peach Sauce. It just sounded real good and it was. Mike ordered their fish of the day, red snapper. As for sides, I couldn’t believe how many they had to choose from. Probably about 10-12 choices. At this point I knew I wanted to have their eggplant side (it was baked with tomatoes and bacon) but I was curious if I could just get a slice of corn bread as my other side. They told me it would be extra. I already had enough food and knew I wouldn’t be able to eat the whole thing, so I just got white rice. Mike ordered the eggplant side and mashed sweet potatoes.

Overall our meals were good but not great. They wouldn’t do anything extra, like with the corn bread. Also Mike asked our waitress without me knowing if they do anything for birthdays. She said they don’t do anything special but if we order dessert they can put a candle on it. Mike came back to the table to tell me what he tried doing because he just got up out of know where! I told him I would NEVER be able to eat dessert after appetizers and our meal. So we declined but we heard their buttermilk pie is spot on. Oh well!

In the end I’m glad I went to a place different then I’m use to but it isn’t a place I’d go back to if I visit Charleston again. It was good but not great. Maybe I’m just a picky person?

Oh and I think I mentioned cupcakes in this post. Yeah they are coming up next!

Always,
Fallon
(I used my digital camera. Still scared to take the DSLR out in public.)

Athens Food Tour

While my mom was visiting me in Augusta, GA we ended up driving up to Athens,GA to embark on our very first food tour. I thought while she was here we could go and see something besides Augusta. There is only so much shopping you can do, till you are finally burnt out. I thought about heading up to Hilton Head but that would require staying overnight at least once. I decided to search for activities and found Athens Food Tour rated as the #1 thing to do while in Athens on TripAdvisor. It was less then 2 hour drive from Augusta to Athens. I was sold. I told my mom about it and she thought it sounded like a good time.

I wrote Mary Charles, she is the owner of Athens Food Tour. She was a SUPER nice lady, very helpful on advice and answered questions very quickly via email. I felt more then confident signing up for a food tour. We ended up doing the Downtown tour where the UGA campus is located. It was a 3 hour tour and $45 a person. We were able to go to 6 places and sampled anywhere from 2-3 courses at each place. We also were able to taste wine at one of them!

I’m so glad I decided to go to Athens, instead of the beach. Mary Charles was like a book and knew everything about Downtown Athens. We learned how historical the area is, how it has changed over the years and sampled some of the best local foods they had to offer. My mom and I both agreed that she felt as if she was a really close friend and it didn’t feel like you were on a tour following a “tour guide.” I really hope I am able to make it down to Athens again and try another food tour. I love learning about history where food is involved. ;)

We visited a really fun clothing store that sold local chocolates, one was a peanut butter cookie dipped in dark chocolate and the other was a peanut butter pretzel in dark chocolate. Somehow I didn’t have any photos and I can’t remember the name of the boutique at all. :( The chocolate was fabulous and the peanut butter pretzel… gave me ideas for the holidays!

La Dolce Vita

Inside the restaurant

Carpacci with shaved leaks and goat cheese

Homemade buffalo mozzarella with
roasted peppers and fresh basil

Rigatoni alla Buttera (Italian sausage,
mushrooms, tomato and cream)

Athens Bulldogs

These were throughout the Athens area but this was the only
one we saw. The painted statues became permanent because of
all the positive feedback they received.

Sorry mom ;)

Jittery Joes

We had iced coffees to cool us off BUT I forgot a picture of them!

Organic coffee.. I approve!

The coffee is roasted in these machines at around 400 degrees.
The place was exceptionally hot because of this.

Just like a nut, they toast up nice and brown. Once cooled the oils
are released.

King of Pops

The original location is in Atlanta, GA but a popsicle
stand is the highlight near The Georgia Theater.

Enjoying a Grapefruit Mint pop, perfect on that warm day!

The National

Cucumber Gazpacho (My favorite)

Mixed green salad with fresh mozzarella and fresh local
fruits in season.

Umm yeah.. their bar was pretty awesome!

Toasted crostini, with local mushrooms and greens, topped with
a sherry vinaigrette.

Teddy Bear Sunflowers, we loved these!

    
We liked The National!

Clocked

Check out their decorations!

We started with a chocolate milkshake…

                                  A unique diner with great burgers and milkshakes.

If you could guess.. she ordered us the Peanut Butter and Bacon
burger. They call it the Elvis burger. Let’s just say peanut butter
on a burger is my new favorite condiment! It wasn’t powerful of
nutty flavor but it just tasted right. Plus their beef is all local and
it was extremely moist and juicy. Great burger!

The burger came with their homemade tator tots which were
very spicy but went well with the feta ranch dipping sauce.

The tour was amazing. Each dish we tried was delicious. I probably should of mentioned some food dislikes and we had to send back some items to be remade. Now I’ll know for next time whenever I get to embark on another food tour. Thanks again to Athens Food Tour. This review was done on my own terms and I’m not being compensated for it.

Always,
Fallon

   

 

My Review of Pure Indulgence 2 Qt. Frozen Yogurt-Sorbet & Ice Cream Maker

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

What's better than a quart of luscious homemade ice cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt? Two quarts! The fully automatic Cuisinart Pure Indulgence makes 2 quarts of your favorite frozen desserts or drinks in as little as 25 minutes. It's easy, an integrated motor, double-i...

Pure Indulgence 2 Qt. Frozen Yogurt-Sorbet & Ice Cream Maker

Love this ice cream maker!

By Fallon's Cucina from El Paso, TX on 3/20/2011

5out of 5

I've been wanting an ice cream maker for so long and I finally decided it was time to get one. Just in time for summer. I made vanilla ice cream and it came out perfect. It was fun making homemade sundaes with fresh vanilla ice cream. This maker is probably best for beginners in ice cream making. It is very simple to put together and clean. I've been told to make homemade ice cream can be messy but I had no mess at all. Very easy clean up and a great outcome!

Ice cream done in 30 minutes!

Tags: Ice cream, Made with Product, Using Product

Homemade sundaes were a lot of fun to make.

Tags: Made with Product

(legalese)

Skinny Italian

Who else watches The Real Housewives shown on Bravo? It all started with Orange County and now I just can’t get enough of it. I watch each and every season. While some I enjoy more then others, I don’t like to miss out on anything going on in their lives! One housewife that I really enjoy watching on TV is Teresa Giudice from New Jersey. I love her attitude, personality and the fact that she dresses her girls up like little dolls. Being she is an Italian girl she grew up being surrounded by wonderful food and lots of family. In her own home she cooks for her family every night and makes sure it is as authentic and healthy as Italian can be.

Teresa wrote her own cookbook called Skinny Italian. I wanted to see what it was all about in person before ordering it online, so I went to the bookstore first. I skimmed through her recipes and loved how simple her meals were. I figured this be a great book to have for when I start living with my boyfriend because she has recipes with meals containing meat and cooking it the Italian way. Something I’m not fully familiar with but willing to learn so I can cook my man some good meals! Luckily my birthday came and one of my presents was Skinny Italian. She explains about ingredients and what is authentic in Italian cooking. I loved the chapter on pasta and the myths stated.

Pasta Myth 1- White Pasta is Bad

To make pasta 100% Italian make sure the label states “100% durum wheat semolina” or “100% durum wheat.” Italian pasta is actually considered a whole grain and not part of the white flour family.

Pasta Myth 2- Pasta is Fattening

If you look at the nutritional label on pasta most of the time it is only 1g of fat per serving. The stuff that is fattening is the crazy amount of cheese people will put on their pastas. As long as you dress the pasta lightly with healthy oils, vegetables and fresh ingredients you will have a beautiful pasta dish.

Pasta Myth 3- Pasta Has No Nutritional Value

The durum wheat used in Italian pasta has 8g of protein per serving and the same amount of fiber you’d find in wheat bread. In the US, companies often “enriched” their pastas adding vitamins and minerals.

That really opened up my eyes when it came to eating pasta. I was only buying 100% whole wheat pasta because I thought it was healthy. Which don’t get me wrong it is still healthy but now I know I can enjoy 100% durum wheat semolina pasta and get the same nutritional benefits like the whole wheat kind.

Make sure you buy a red wine you’d like to drink as well as cook with.

My first recipe I made from her cookbook was Milania’s Marinara Sauce. It starts with using her “quickie” tomato sauce recipe and turns it into make her marinara sauce with red wine, mushrooms, onion, garlic and fresh herbs.

My boyfriend is very picky when it comes to sauce and if it doesn’t taste like mom’s then it isn’t the best. His mom gets a lot of her flavor from meat and meat bones. It is a great sauce. For me, I like a more fresher and chunkier sauce with tomatoes and good red wine. I made this sauce for a Sunday dinner.His words were, “some meat bones cooked in while simmering would be even better.” Maybe next time. ;)

I already have more recipes I want to try like Gabriella’s Bolognese Sauce, Giardino Minestrone, and Chicken Breasts with Lemony Thyme Marinade.

I find her cookbook to be very educational and straight to the point. It isn’t overly wordy and it is easy to understand for the home cook. Her recipes are simple and fresh, guaranteeing a great dinner for the night.

Always,

Fallon

No one is paying me to write up this review. I like Teresa and wanted to support her cookbook with positive feedback. To get the recipes you will have to purchase the book.