Thursday, June 30, 2011

Thursday Night Food Trucks

It's that time again!!! Food Trucks on Thursday night at Best Buy in East Orange on Tustin Ave.


These are 2 beef tacos from the Chorino food truck. Corn tortillas, beef, cheese, veggies, and all the goodies that a classic taco comes with. I ordered Jackson a chicken quesadilla from this truck as well but he was not interested. I think he knew what was to come so he held off for something better.


Barcelona on the Go !!!!!!


Here is a terrible picture of the Barcelona on the Go food truck. As I have said in past blogs- this truck has incredible food. Truck or not the Manchego Mac and cheese is the best mac and cheese that I have ever had. Some people were raving about the steak fries which they had on the menu last week. They served fries with cheese and scallions with thinly sliced steak on top and some kind of sauce. It sounded great but wasn't on the menu tonight. Jackson and I stuck with the classics! This is a truck worth following. I have listed calendar for the food truck below direct from their website: www.Barcelonaonthego.com

Be sure to try them out when they are in your area!!!
Alicia- this is right up your alley! Definitely not something your kids would like but you should make time when they are in your area :-)


Thursday, June 30
11:00am

Lunch @ 80 Technology, Irvine
When
Thu, June 30, 11am – 2pm
Where
80 Technology, Irvine (map)
more details» copy to my calendar
5:30pm

Best Buy - Orange
Friday, July 1
11:00am

Private Event
When
Fri, July 1, 11am – 2pm
more details» copy to my calendar
5:00pm

Private Event
When
Fri, July 1, 5pm – 9pm
more details» copy to my calendar
Saturday, July 2
9:00am

SoCo Farmers Market (3303 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa)
When
Sat, July 2, 9am – 2pm
Where
3303 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa (map)
more details» copy to my calendar
5:00pm

Private Event
Sunday, July 3
11:00am

OC Market Place (88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa)
Tuesday, July 5
11:00am

SoCo Gourmet Truck (3303 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa)
Tuesday, July 12
11:00am

SoCo Gourmet Truck (3303 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa)
Tuesday, July 19
11:00am

SoCo Gourmet Truck (3303 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa)
Tuesday, July 26
11:00am

SoCo Gourmet Truck (3303 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa)
Showing events until 7/31. Look for more



This is a prime example of how good the mac and cheese is!! Jackson couldn't wait to get his chubby little hands on it! Ps- this is the most you will ever get to see Jackson so enjoy his little hand.





Here is a view of the rest of our treats. Shrimp tacos with the Aoili from Barcelona on the go. Jacksons chicken and cheese quesadilla from Chorino, which he didn't eat. And the most AMAZING bacon wrapped dates that I have ever had.


I guess I am not very knowledgeable in dates- but I do know one thing. I like dates. And I like dates wrapped in bacon even more. It was incredible. My Aunt Andrea makes bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates which are nothing less than phenomenal. These dates, from Barcelona on the Go were so delicious. The perfect way to describe it is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The bacon was crisp and salty and complimented the sweetness of the date so well! The date itself to me was hardly crunchy with a soft melting set of layers that reminded me of a good baklava. The layers literally fell apart in my mouth at the sweet and salty combined to make for the perfect morsel and perfect bite. I really would like to learn how to cook these and to make something similar.


Same shrimp tacos I got last time! Just as good the second time. And I was hoping just the same amount for a good ole flour tortilla.


This truck, the Los Chinos food truck arrived a Jackson was melting down and we were on our way out. I know that the side of the truck said Latin Asian food which sounds interesting. I overheard some people saying that this was a really popular food truck- but as far as I am concerned, they were late. And that means off my radar until I see them again. I did take a picture though because the artwork on the truck itself is so cool. The body of the truck is purple, but it is covered in El Dia De Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls for those who don't speak Spanish. It was really pretty to look at and I cannot wait to try the food!


Food trucks takes place every Thursday Night in the Best Buy parking lot in East Orange. The prices are reasonable and the food is good with a decent selection. The crowd was definitely bigger this week but food was served quickly which was nice. My only gripe is that I like to sit somewhere when I eat. I don't like eating out of my lap. I wish they had tables, but hey, one step at a time. And so far I am loving Thursday Night Food Trucks. See you out there next week---

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Catching Up

Last Thursday, in lieu of going to the food truck gathering with Jackson, we went to my oldest sister, Andie's house for dinner. Andie and her husband, Brian, invited Jackson, my mom and I over for dinner so after work I picked up the little man and we headed over to their house.



Andie is an amazing cook, as I have said before. This dinner was no different. PS- you will note the place mats. My mom has this thing about place mats and napkins. It's funny because even if we are having a really casual dinner you can be sure to did place mats and napkins close by.


Above, is a tomato, avocado, corn salad. It was lightly seasoned, then had oil and vinegar poured on it. It was simple, crisp, and delicious. I love love love tomatoes, and avocados. During summer a fresh cold crispy salad, lettuce or not is always something I love to eat.


Potatoes, seasoned and baked in the oven. I am not a huge potato lover but I did eat these. I'm Switzerland on these potatoes. They weren't good or bad, just not my flavor.


A very wise person once told me that a good vegetable is cooked and served with it's crunch, or snap if you will, still in tact. That person was Andie and she has made me a snob about my veggies. Here are some asparagus, roasted on the BBQ drizzled in olive oil and lightly seasoned. They tasted really good and had the perfect amount of crunch in tact.


The protein which was served was pork chops. They were BBQed and served hot off the grill. The thing for me about pork chops is that I really enjoy them with a sweet sauce. I don't know why but I feel like pork chops have a hint of bitter to them and I like them to be served with a sweet sauce. My mom makes an incredible apple pork chop and one of my favorite dinners in the world is Andie's apricot pork loin with mashed potatoes and a salad.
All in all would I ever cook a pork chop for Myself? No. I wouldn't. If I were going to all that trouble, I'd rather eat meat. But for someone else to cook dinner and invite Jackson and I over for dinner- I couldn't be happier to be an invited guest!


Monday, June 27, 2011

Chicken salad sandwich





Simple lunch today. My mom's yummy chicken salad on thin sandwich bread. My mom puts celery in there for crunch, and we all know I love texture, and cranberries for sweetness. It is good, simple, healthy, and the perfect snack when laying by the pool. It has become a staple on Simmons sister vacations!!!

Friday, June 24, 2011

My kind of meal....In N Out

I am a California girl with the eating habit of a 40 year old man or a 16 year old teenage boy. I love to eat, I crave hearty meals, and I am completely unapologetic about this.
When I was younger my sister would bring me #1 from In N Out with animal style fries on game days. I would eat that, a double double with fries covered in cheese and spread and a large drink 45 minutes before I was about to go play in a water polo game. And the funny thing is I never got sick and never lost a game!

Anyways, the point of this blog is to share one of my real loves in life with my bloggers. To those from California, In N Out isn't a novelty. It is a way of life. To those not from California, In N Out is a novelty. It is to some, an urban legend, and to a specific few- it is the purpose to move across the country.



What you see above, for those of you unfamiliar with In N Out lingo, is a #2 with grilled onions, animal style fries, and a large pink lemonade.


To explain this let's start with Animal style fries as shown above. I would like to present the testimony of Alicia, you can note that she is a follower of this blog- that yes they look disgusting. But animal style fries are one of mans greatest creations.
Animal style fries are regular fries, with two pieces of cheese melted over them, grilled onions, with In N Out secret sauce spread on top of them. You can eat them with your hands but I prefer to use a fork as I don't like my hands to stink like onions.


A #2 is your classic cheeseburger. 2 buns, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, option of raw, grilled or no onion, and lettuce. I carry on with the intention of bad breath and order my cheeseburger with grilled onions.
In N Out has a 21 item secret menu. I will be doing a blog about the secret menu in the upcoming weeks. It is my goal to go with a small group and order every item off of the secret menu, and to blog about it. I know a few true enthusiasts in my family and sure I can scrounge up a few others who would be willing to help with this business lunch we will need to have.


Anyone ever heard of the "Flying Dutchman???" Think about it!!!!


Fun times on Friday

I'm seriously going to either get so big that I can't leave the house, or my arteries are going to clog and I will pass away far too young. I don't know which but either way here is home my day went.






Brought donuts to work for everyone. I love a sprinkled donut. I just think they are so cute and I think they always cheer everyone up! I helped myself to a maple bar this morning. Ever since the bacon flavored gelato I have had a serious inkling for maple. The donut hit the spot.


Cutesy picture!!! Don't make jokes Adelle :-)


This is my latest curse. Tummy Stuffer #43. Honestly this Sandwich is going to be the end of me.


Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!!! I will have some exciting things to blog about from a special occasion this weekend! Brianne and Bernie's wedding!!! Congratulations you two!! Check back later for more goodies.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Father's Day 2011- Hibachi SteakHouse in Anaheim Hills

Father's Day 2011 turned out to be pretty great! We were going to BBQ for Charlie, my step dad. My Dad was out of town and we will be celebrating him next week. Charlie wanted steaks and twice baked potatoes, etc...

Well, when Kim went to start the BBQ, we ended up being out of propane. Instead of going and filling the tank at the gas station- we decided to go to Hibachi Steakhouse in Anaheim Hills.
As a child, we went to Benihana's with my dad for any and all special occasion. My mom and Charlie prefer Hibachi, and slowly we have all turned our backs on Benihana's and became loyal followers of Hibachi.
Hibachi is a small, family owned restaurant in the corner of a inconspicuous shopping center in Anaheim Hills. It is small inside, but the staff is always the same faces greeting you, and the food is always consistent- AND AMAZING!


My favorite part of the Hibachi experience/meal is the soup. You are seated at an 8 person Tepanyaki table where they cook in front of you. Placing your order is always difficult because everything is good. I typically go for either the Hibachi Teriyaki Steak, Hibachi Shrimp, or my new favorite, Hibachi Scallops. Each meal is served with certain sides. You start off the meal with this heavenly soup. It is an onion stock base and everyone who has eaten at Hibachi knows what I am talking about.
Charlie got beef sashimi to share as an appetizer with all of us. It was so good! They serve beef sashimi, lightly seared, thinly sliced, with a garnish of fried garlic, ginger root, raw onion, and raw scallions on top. The broth that you see is a simple ginger broth that has a hint of sweet in it. This is definitely a hit or miss dish- just depends on your taste buds.

Next to come is the typical ginger dressing salad. I have to admit that I was disappointed because typically they serve the salad with 1 tomato and I didn't get a single one. I know it doesn't really matter but I appreciate a tomato in my salad and have come to expect it! If there is any criticism that I will have for this blog, it is my missing tomato.

My fried rice came next. The make the fried rice, family style, and everyone gets their scoop. I like to add a small amount of soy sauce and enjoy fried rice. As I have said before, I am not a huge fan of rice, but fried rice is another story- especially from Hibachi.

Some vegetables are always served to everyone at the table. Onions and Zucchini were the veggies of the night. Nothing exciting beyond that.

My second favorite part of the Hibachi experience, would be the shrimp appetizer. I love seafood, and I genuinely love Hibachi shrimp. They serve a ginger dressing that has a hint of mustard which is served as an accoutrement for the shrimp. I like to eat my shrimp plain, or to dip in the accompanying sauce.

This is Eddie. He is our family favorite and will make you have a wonderful experience whether you have been to Hibachi a thousand times, or if it is your first visit. He has exceptional customer service and makes you feel like you are in his home while he is making you dinner. Eddie remembers everyone at the table's name and share stories and jokes with you throughout the meal. Eddie has 2 son's but spent his Father's Day Evening making dinner for families who wanted to celebrate Dad. All I can say is that you are lucky if you get seated with Eddie. Thank you for our wonderful dinner and Happy Father's Day Eddie!

Raw Chicken- pretty nasty to look at but I for some reason felt compelled to take a picture of this.

The final product- My entree was so delicious. I ordered the Hibachi Scallops. They were cooked perfectly, lightly buttered, lemon juice and tasted better than they look!
Hibachi Steakhouse is a must in my opinion! It is so unassuming and has humble roots but the food stands alone and speaks for itself. The food is incredible and cannot be skipped!

Happy Father's Day to everyone who celebrated!
I love you Dad, and Charlie- Thank you both for all of the love and support that you give me as well as Jackson! We are lucky to have you both in our lives!

Hibachi Steak House

108 S Fairmont Blvd
Anaheim, CA 92808
(714) 998-4110
***Not open on Mondays

The key to my Heart

I would like to start off by saying that I really don't even enjoy chocolate that much. I eat it here and there and can enjoy a dessert with chocolate in it, but overall it's not for me.
I am a tart and sweet type of girl. I would choose a lemon Cake over a chocolate cake each and every-time.


I am however, a major sucker for chocolate covered strawberries. We went to downtown Disneyland on Saturday to take the babies, Cake my niece and Jackson to Rainforest Cafe. This was Colleen's idea. The babies loved it and had so much fun. Well actually, Cake hated it and Jackson loved it.


After lunch we went strolling around and went into the bakery at downtown Disney. I got the above pictured chocolate covered strawberries an enjoyed every single bite. Jackson even had a small bite and was soooooo happy!


This is also what my heaven looks like!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Lunch around the Fantastic Sams Table

I love my job. I love my coworkers, love my boss, and I love the variety of owners and people who I get to work with on a daily basis. Things have been so hectic lately because we have a huge event coming up in July, but it's really fun and I haver lots of help! Thank you Adelle!!!
Today, we were all able to take a break from the constant demands and have lunch together. It is always nice when everyone is in the office because usually it is just Loretta and I. So when everyone, or even a few are there- it reminds me of home. Everyone talking a million miles a minute sharing stories and laughing together. Today was just that. We all broke from our busy bodies of work and enjoyed lunch and each-others company! It was nice.


I had a gourmet tummy stuffer #43. As you can clearly see from the paper which my sandwich was wrapped in, it resulted in a stomach ache but it tasted so good. I really am falling in love with Cherry Peppers. The spicy crunch is exactly what I love. The best of flavor and texture worlds!


Next is from Adelle! She ate a Pub Style HungryMan lunch! It smelled so good cooking in the microwave. I would totally eat this! I believe what you are looking at is corn, mashed potatoes, chicken fingers, and BBQ sauce.


Next, is Jennifer's lunch. She picked up Chinese food from a local restaurant. Now don't get me wrong here- I love to eat. And I pretty much will try and eat anything.
Unfortunately, Chinese food and I do not agree. It just is the way it is. It smelled good, really good- but I cannot bring myself to go there after a bad experience I had a while back. Jennifer also had paper wrapped chicken which looked and smelled amazing.


Finally, and ode to Loretta!!!! Miss Loretta is wonderful! She makes me laugh, listens to me when I am frustrated, and ALWAYS is there to help me when I have a Question! Loretta and I recently have gotten into discussing books and things we like to read. I just finished the Lincoln Lawyer, by Michael Connelly which I loved! My mom had given me the boom but Loretta had read it as well. She loves that author and gave me the next book in paperback from that author. She is always so sweet and thoughtful and I am thankful that I get to work with her on a daily basis.
What you see above, is leftovers from a meeting which we had on Monday. Loretta and I love the two sandwiches pictured above.
On the left, you will see that chicken pesto sandwich, served on a soft foccacia roll with the perfect amount of sauce.
On the right is the turkey and Swiss, with lettuce, tomato, an horseradish mustard. I hate mustard but I love this one! The bread was a little hard this time, but typically it is so soft and so fresh you can tell it was made the same day. Also, I highly recommend the pretzel bread, as it is a personal favorite of Barbie!!! Happy lunching to everyone! Keep eating well and taking the time to enjoy your food and family~~~~~~

City Place


2789 N. Main St.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
P: (714) 547-8834
F: (714) 547-5486

Mon - Fri: 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sat - Sun: 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM


Thursday, June 16, 2011

Bocee Ball and Food Truck Festival


First and foremost, before I get to blogging about the bocee ball festival, I wanted to say thank you to my sister Andie, for inviting me, and to CupCake Wine and Vodka for hosting the event and making it possible for us all to attend!
We had a long drive past Ventura, past Oxnard, and we ended up in Santa Paula, California. The lemon ranch was beautiful. The property was gorgeous and looked like a beautiful wedding venue. It was cloudy out but the weather was about 70ish and overcast. It was exactly the kind of day that I am interested in!  
The gang's all here: (from left to right) John, Stephanie, Christina, and Andie


Let the Bocce Ball begin- this was a really serious tournament apparently. The tournament was said to be for amateurs to pros but honestly everyone was taking it so seriously- it was pretty funny.

What you see above, is my "Irish Tea Reading." Stephanie, Andie, Christina and I all had our tea leaves read and I have to say, I was hoping for a revelation. She told us all some information that was pretty spot on for each of our lives, despite my best attempt to be skeptical. I was told that I will be going on a small quick trip in July- so I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for a fun getaway. She also told me that in January, someone will enter my life who is very technologically advanced and computer savvy; Andie pointed out a very good point that it might have to do with my blog and business!!! So keep your fingers crossed!!! I won't reveal what else that she shared with me, but if it comes true I will be the first to let you know!
Stephanie literally had a rose in her tea cup and Christina had a full person in her tea leaves! It was so weird! Plus the sweet lady had a stain on her dress that I couldn't stop looking at! It was really distracting but really fun and exactly what I needed to bring me out of my funk.

 Let the food trucks begin
Tornado Potato- Andie, Christina and I started off here at Tornado Potato with there flavored hot dogs and sausages wrapped in curly cue potatoes.

I got a chicken jalapeno sausage wrapped in the potato curly cues. This was a really cute idea that looked great and caught your eye from a mile away!

Christina got a beef sausage- and dressed it up in typical hot dog fashion- mustard and ketchup but made it look so pretty! This is the perfect example of how creative the Tornado Potato was but it was so difficult to eat. It was really annoying to be honest!


Andie's hot dog- The other thing about the hot dogs that made it difficult to eat was that besides the potato wrap which made it impossible to eat, the whole entire thing was deep fried. Don't get me wrong, I love fried Twinkies but eating a fried wrapped potato wrapping a hot dog that is deep fried as well just isn't for me.


I had read about Spencer's Fish Company online and was really excited about eating the Giant Taco which is world famous!




 I started with an Ahi Pocket, which was raw Ahi, on top of rice served with a traditional Aoili in a small pita pocket. It was so good. I did pick through the rice and only ate the Ahi and pita. I eat rice, but I really don't love to. The Ahi was so good and fresh and the Aioli sauce was amazing!


Above is Shrimp and cream cheese that I got so that we all could share. They were good, and typical cream cheese won-tons, but the sweet sauce on top was amazing. They were served with a scallion garnish on the outside, but every bite was so good!


This is the world famous giant taco. They have two versions- fried fish, or seared Ahi. I am sure you can imagine which one I ordered. I got the Ahi- why would anyone eat fried anything when you have the option of seared fresh fish in front of you? The same Aioli was served which again was so good and a tiny bit spicy with the right amount, with a light cabbage mix served on a corn tortilla. I know that I have said it before- but if I had my way, I would do it on a flour tortilla.  


Christina's BBQ Sandwich- I only had a small bite but the smoke that lingered in my mouth 5 minutes after the bite is the testimony to the quality of the food! It was so good and I wish that I had had more than just a bite!



I used to have a thing for Orange Soda. I really had a serious thing for Orange Soda.
Oh man, it was bad! So here is my ode to Orange Soda.


This is basically what my heaven looks like.

Cake balls of assorted flavors- Chocolate with chocolate frosting, chocolate with butterscotch, and chocolate with mint flavor frosting!

Homemade Swiss Cake Rolls- Really?
Did this just happen?

Deconstructed Red Velvet Cupcake

Really, the cake wasn't that great but the "frosting" was amazing. It was served chilled and was thick and creamy but not too rich and overpowering! I loved it.


Stephanie ate this cake ball- chocolate with butterscotch frosting! She said it was really good.


Besties!
Stephanie, Christina, and Sam (me)

Lemon Chiffon CupCake Vodka- this was the sponsored drink of the event!


Chiffon, Frosting, and Original flavored CupCake Vodka


Thank you again Cupcake wine!!! We had a blast. I was hoping for more food trucks and more gourmet food trucks to be exact! Hopefully, because it was the first event that they have had I think that it was a learning curve, so next time hopefully I will have more food to blog about!