Pecan Pie Cookies

Yum, these pecan pie cookies are awesome, easy to make and perfect for the holidays.

Highly recommended!

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Happy Day

My lust for salt + vinegar potato chips knows no bounds. And today I found the BAKED version I so need. Trader Joes, you had me at hello.

If you Can't Make it to Mexico, Fake it!

Valentine's Day Dinner, 2010. Shrimp and corn quesadilla and avocado salad. Yummy and simple!

Avocados don't freeze

Ugh. Trader Joe's rare fail this week. I saw they are now carrying frozen avocado halves, which I picked up to use in my avocado salad from Racheal Ray's recipe here. The texture is all wrong. They might be OK in a guacamole but just chopped plain? No thanks. But that's OK, TJ, I still heart you something fierce. And we all make mistakes sometime!

Noodles

Lordy loo! Today was glorious for I found the elusive sesame soba noodle bowls at Trader Joes! The are really tasty and vegan, too. (I'm not vegan but like to eat meat free lunches as much as I can). I thought these might be a west coast only item but there they were, right in front of me in Cary, NC!

Pop

Filing away for next summer: Root beer float pops
via notmartha

Sammies

Another recipe recommendation from yours truly the newly inspired cook. Buffalo chicken club sandwiches from Rachael Ray. I know she's not for everyone, what with the Martha-esque overexposure but her recipes are generally easy and tasty.

My blue cheese was looking a little fuzzy so tossed it and instead used a mashed up Laughing Cow cheese instead of blue cheese and creme fraiche. Worked out well but next time I swing by the grocery for some blue because spicy + blue cheese is such a yummy combo to me.

Dins

Tonight's dinner was chicken milanese with spinach salad -an easy recipe from La Martha. I swapped out the arugula she calls for with baby spinach. I love recipes with less than 10 ingredients!

I am such a happier gal when I can prepare real food at home. It's easy to get lazy and fall back on frozen meals, take out or cereal but much more satisfying to actually cook.

Tasty Tasties

I'm a cocktail drinker. Gimme a choice between beer, wine or a mixed drink, I'll take the mixed drink over all else. At Trader Joe's this weekend, I noticed a new juice blend, pomegranate limeade! I couldn't pass it up and it makes a great mixer with rum or vodka.

They Grow 'Em Bigger in California

To the right: a dinky lemon from the grocery store

To the left: a massive lemon from my grandma's meyer lemon tree in LA smuggled back via airplane. I'm currently enjoying some lemon water flavored with them - tastes like sunshine!

Awesome Find

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I've seen Izze sodas all over the place and today I picked this up on the spur of the moment at Target. Deelish. And it's pretty yummy mixed with rum, too.

Cupcakes, your 15 minutes are running out

I learned from the fabu cupcake blog, Cupcake Takes the Cake, that the cupcakery to the stars (does that even make sense?) Sprinkles is getting ready to deploy a cupcake van in the Los Angeles area. I think I might need to drop in on this place on my little LA trip in a couple of weeks. After all, if it's good enough for the Girls Next Door, it's got to be good enough for little ole me. (Yes, I did watch the GND and am only slightly embarassed by that)

Endorsements

This is majorly yum. Might be dangerous to keep in the house.

Heaven on a plate

Turkey bacon, avocado, spinach and tomato on toasted italian bread. It doesn't get any better than this.

I love LaraBars. They are so yummy and totally natural! Mostly dates and nuts. Vegan, raw, all that nonsense.