SoBe it....the best birthday ever!

You know how they say that the happiest people spend thier money on experiences instead of things? Well, they are right! I had the Best.Birthday.Ever. this past weekend at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. I went alone, yes, but I was surrounded by my peeps! Foodies just like me who watch the Food Network, read the magazine, cook the recipes, follow the stars. I made a lot of new friends and had a TON of fun! Take a look at the the highlights from my trip...and keep reading, cause I save the best for last!

Day one:
I showed up an hour early for the first event, Paula Deen, but was too late. The show was already full! So I cut my losses and decided to go get in line for her book signing, before that was filled up too. So I went around and got to be the FIRST in line! Of course by the time she came by, the South FL weather was rearing it's ugly head and threatening rain, so they cancelled the photos and she just signed books. She was very sweet and still looked me in the eye and HIII to me. This is her just after signing my book, and that's her husband Michael, who is totally adorable. :

Next up, the Daisy Martinez cooking demo:

She was very sweet, but all I could think of was what was up next, or should I say who:

Rachel Ray! Her show was packed, but I snagged a great seat...worth waiting an hour and a half in line for! She is just as bright and bubbly in person as on TV.

That was enough excitement for one day for me, so I headed to my hotel and experienced all that South Beach has to offer, the food! the people! the drinks! the dancing! (Notice I did not mention the sleeping?!)

Nonetheless I was up bright and early the next morning for Day 2 of my mini-vaca.

I made sure to get there super early again, snagging my first place spot in line for Rocco Dispirito Book Signing:

He is so fun and lively, and don't we look so cute together! ;)

I then turned right around and got my first place spot in line for Guy Fieri:

He is just as cool in person, and I was surprised at how tall he was...or is it his hair??

Then I took a break from standing in lines and went and saw Rocco's Show.

He truly had the best show and was so interactive with the audience. I heart Rocco!

Then, as if that wasn't enough, I went back to the beach to grab a bite and catch up with my new BFF, SUNNY ANDERSON!

She took time out of her packed schedule to meet me in her hotel lobby to say hello. Isn't she the greatest? She even snapped this photo of us. (check us out on her blog too!)

As if this wasn't a dream come true, she remebered it was my birthday, and brought me a gift!!!

 

It's a bag full of foodie treats and a signed card from Sunny. At this point, I really did not think that life could get any better, so I decided to call it a weekend and head back up north.

Even though I only went to the kids events, I had SOOO much fun, and will definitely make this trip an annual event. Taking donations now for next year's adult events! ;)

Thank You all for reading, and make sure you become a follower! As Sunny always says, your support is what keeps us bloggers going, so just click follow!

By for now!

Dolphinfanhg

PS I credit Sunny Anderson for the title of this blog, I stole the idea from hers.

Farmville!

No, I am not talking about the silly game on Facebook! I am bragging about the lovely tomatoes that are being produced in my yard at the moment. I have yummy heirloom tomatoes, yellow tomatoes and beefsteaks! mmm mmm!

Having all these fresh, delicious treats around reminds me of going to the Mar Vista Farmers Market with Sarah every Sunday and coming home with a (recyclable) bag full of yummy finds.

It also gets me thinking about what to make with them. Besides salads, I am definitely going to make this: HerbButterandGoatCheeseLinguinewithFreshTomatoes

I have made it before, and it is light and tasty. Makes you feel good about eating that bowl of pasta!

Or maybe I'll do something like this:

Now, this Pasta Primavera is what a trip to the Farmers Market (or Green Market, as they call it here in FL) should look like! Pasta, butter, cheese, chicken, shrimp and a TON of fresh veggies. Yes please! Can you believe my sister and I made this Huge platter for just the TWO of us?! Rest assured, we had leftovers for days! Makes a great date night dinner too:

OK, gotta go check the plants for more treats for today's salad. Sure beats anything you can get at the store!

Come fry with me

Ever feel like the universe just pushes you towards something? For some it's that new pair of shoes, for others it's a handbag, for me, if it's not one of those, it's definitely some type of food! Well, for about a week now, all signs have been pointing me towards Onion Rings! Everytime I turned on the Food Network or a talk show, it was another recipe for Onion Rings. Who am I to argue? So yesterday, I cooked up a few batches of these: Thick-cut-o-rings. It is, of course, courtesy of Rachel Ray.

Now, I am not one that craves anything fried. I never knew that Burker King has the best onion rings, and I never get a combo at a burger joint, unless of course if it's Big Joes in Santa Monica....best fries ever! I digress. Everyone really enjoyed these Onion Rings,  I even went back for a few extra handfuls! This is also a recipe I will not soon forget, mainly because my hands STILL smell like onions, a full day later.  I guess the Universe is still pushing me towards onions rings....who am I to argue?! Maybe these will make another appearance soon.....SuperBowl perhaps?

Til Then!
Yours Truly,
H

side note: This got me thinking....What are your favorite fries? Where do you go when you get a craving? How far would you go to get them? I wanna hear all about it!

Blog of Ten

It's that time of year again...end of the year, heck, end of a decade! Everywhere you look there is a top ten list, best ofs....well, I am no exception apparently! It's the end of a decade, so I, in Rachel Ray style, have compiled a list of my favorites that I have not shared with you yet. Hope you enjoy!

1. Favorite Cake: Raspberry Ripple Cake. With fruit on top, it's almost like not eating a dessert! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/raspberry-ripple-cake-recipe/index.html

2. Favorite Homemade Snack: Granola. All the snack foods I love smooshed together. Thinking about it makes me want to go for a hike right now! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/homemade-cranberry-nut-granola-recipe/index.html

3. Favorite Dip: Rocco's Healthy Artichoke Dip. So simple and always wins raves at a party. And at 17 calories per tablespoon...no guilt! No link, but it's really too simple: drain 14oz can of artichokes, chop and put in microwave dish, stir in 3/4c low fat plain yogurt and 1c fresh parmigiana-reggiano, 2 gloves garlic and 2T fresh basil. Microwave 3 minutes on high. stir. microwave 2 min more. serve with pita chips.

4. Favorite Salad: Village Salad. Here's the thing, I love Greek Salad, but not olives, so this is perfect for me! It's another snap to put together and always wins raves reviews. Chop 8 oz feta, 2 medium tomatoes, 1 lg cucumber, and 1 medium onion. Toss with 1/2c Italian dressing.

5. Favorite Side Dish: Mesa Grill's Southwest Potato Salad. You know I love anything from Bobby Flay, but this is the dish I always bring for a summer BBQ. A lot of ingredients, but soooo worth it! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/mesa-grills-southwestern-potato-salad-recipe2/index.html

6. Favorite Comfort Food: Hamburger Stroganoff. I don't know what it is about it, but every once in a while, I have to have it! http://www.cheapcooking.com/Recipes/hamburgerstroganoff.htm

7. Favorite Quick Winter Dinner: Italian Garden Soup. sshhh. Don't tell anyone it was this simple! Pretend you slaved all day! :) http://recipes.delmonte.com/dlm/Recipe.aspx?id=1102

8. Favorite Alternative to ordering a pizza: Pizza Crudo. I have a new love for chiabatta bread, and I have always been a pizza fan, so this is the best of both worlds! http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipes/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/Pizza-Crudo

9. Best Burger: Latin Burgers with Caramelized Onion and Jalapeno Relish and Red Pepper Mayonnaise. Doesn't the title sell itself? Meaty, creamy, spicy, trust me, the men in your life will thank you for this one! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ingrid-hoffmann/latin-burgers-with-caramelized-onion-and-jalapeno-relish-and-red-pepper-mayonnaise-recipe/index.html

10. Best reason to run the oven all day: Chianti Braised Short Ribs. You know how much you enjoy that glass of Chianti with dinner?? Well, just think about how good dinner would be if you cooked it IN your Chianti...exactly! http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dinner-recipes/Chianti-Braised-Short-Ribs

Well, that's it folks. Another year, another list, another reason to flip on the Food Network! Happy New Year Everyone! Here's to a fantastic 2010 filled with joy.

Pumpkin Pleasure!

This week I bring you double pumpkin-pleasure! I was feeling very fall-like and craving all those comforting flavors. I pulled two cupcake recipes from my arsenal that were similar, yet different. I have mixed reviews about them, but I couldn't stop eating them!!!!

The first one is a simple Pumpkin Cupcake with a Cream Cheese Frosting. It was very simple to make and sooooo delicious! I did have a sad felling when the candy corns on top started to melt, and they were no longer perfect, but what can you do in the FL heat?! Definitely try this one out at home this fall! http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting-00000000021359/index.html#

The other cupcake was also delicious, but SO labor intensive! Rachel Ray, if you are reading this, tsk tsk on you! This recipe was the most labor intensive, dirty dish making thing I have ever made! I admit, I did not read the recipe ahead of time- I rarely do- but read the ingredients and it sounded great so I went for it. Well, 2 minutes into it I was frustrated and grumpy! I used every mixing bowl in the kitchen, washed and re-used my bowl for the mixer twice AND had to pull out the double-boiler! All this for only 12 cupcakes! Once done, tasting these Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes, made me (almost) forget all the labor though....they are super yummy! I was not a particular fan of the brown sugar frosting (it's pretty sweet!), but everyone seemed to think it was OK! This recipe was from the Rachel Ray Magazine, and they made life even more difficult by not putting it online for us! I have the recipes scanned, so if you want to even try it after reading this review, then email me and I will send it directly to you!

Happy Fall everyone..time to go have a cupcake for breakfast! :)