GIngerbread cupcakes

I saw this gingerbread cupcake and mango buttercream recipe in the December issue of Food Network magazine, and I couldn't resist!  The mango frosting sounded so delicious and I had never had mango flavored anything on a cupcake before.

I started with the cupcakes.  I was a bit reluctant at first.  I've never baked with molasses, ground cloves or ginger before...

...but it smelled great!  Just like gingerbread cookies, but batter instead!

The recipe said to fill the cups only 1/3 of the way, but I neglected this step and filled them 2/3.  One of my pet peeves is short cupcakes where the liner is a lot taller than the cake itself.

My instinct was correct this time!

So I wanted to make mango buttercream as the frosting, but when I pulled out the mango from the fridge, it didn't look fresh.  I tasted a bit, and it definitely didn't taste like mango.  It was super dry and a bit sour.  I decided to make cream cheese frosting instead.  The cream cheese frosting recipe I have never fails =)

Butter and cream cheese

mmmMMMmmm!!!!  They turned out great!

Greek food at Vasili's

Today, Justin and I were getting lunch and I suggested Hawaiian, but he wanted to try something new -- so we got Greek food at Vasili's on Mission St, next to McDonald's.  I was reluctant at first because I never had Greek before....but I was pleasantly surprised.  It was delicious!  I really loved the ambiance of the restaurant too.  Decorated with mirrors, wooden furniture and musical instruments, it had a homey feel to it.

We ordered a Greek Dip for appetizers, called taramosalata (red caviar, potato flakes, onions, pure olive oil and lemon, juice blended into a creamy dip) and served with bread cubes.  The dip was so delicious....the waiter gave us another basket of bread cubes, and I ended up taking the extra dip home with me too!

 

For lunch I got the Pastitisio -a lasagna, I guess pretty standard, but I wasn't daring enough to get something with lamb.  I really loved the homey taste of the lasagna... I felt like I was eating at a friend's house whose mom made Greek food.  

I think Justin ordered the vegetarian pita...but that doesn't seem like him to get something without meat.  I can't remember because he was sick and didn't share any with me.  But it looks pretty good! He liked it.

I would definitely come back here....no question about it.  If you think Greek food is too exotic for you, think again!  I was really surprised.  They have lots of vegetarian options too, and the dip was amazing.  There are a couple of things with more mainstream meat too, like chicken.  I can't wait to come back when school resumes!  What a find.

July 4 BBQ Dessert

My Auntie Suzy had a BBQ at her house for July 4 =)  It was very good - but I forgot to take pictures!  My mom and Charisse made corn salad (two separate corn salads - neither of them knew both of them were making almost the same thing!), my Uncle Vincent did the grilling - very yummy chicken and beef!, my Uncle Steve bought some oysters from Half Moon Bay, and I brought the cake.  I thought it would be festive to make red velvet =)  Everyone thought it was pretty good.  I made it a few times since!

The Counter & Kara's Cupcakes

Today Justin and I ate at the Counter at Santana Row for lunch.  It was pretty crowded when we got there, but we were lucky to sit at the bar for no wait.  This restaurant is pretty fun to go to.  The menu is basically a checklist of all the things you want on your burger!

We ordered milkshakes to start off.  I was supposed to get the chocolate one, but Justin ordered a vanilla-chocolate one with Kalua, and ours got mixed up so I ended up getting the vanilla-chocolate with no kalua.  Oh well.  It was pretty good, just not what I wanted.

We also got sweet potato fries and regular fries to start.  Very delicious.  I love the sauce they gave with the sweet potato fries...it was mayonnaise and horseradish combined, I think.  Or it tasted like that at least.

Then our burgers came!  Justin got a whole bunch of toppings, including bacon and garlic sauce from what I remember.  The garlic sauce was amazing!!!!  I will definitely have to get that next time.

For my burger, I got grilled pineapple, miso teriyaki sauce, grille onions, mixed greens and a tomato.  Pretty great, especially drizzled with the miso sauce.  Yum!  I should've taken a side view picture to show how tall it was.  Both burgers were really tall, I remember Justin's was at least 3".

This was our second time to the Counter, and definitely not our last!

Kara's Cupcakes was also right around the corner!  I tried a Smores cupcake.  It was pretty good - marshmallow top, which a chocolate cake, and the bottom had smashed graham crackers.  The marshmallow on top was kind of gooey, but I think it may have been because it was sitting in the hot car on the ride home. 

I think I'll have to ask them what their specialty cupcake is next time.  I couldn't tell when I walked in so I got the smore.  Not sure if I'd go back though.  It wasn't as good as Sprinkles.

Klondike Bars

When's the last time you had a Klondike Bar?

I hadn't had one in a long time, probably like a year, and I kind of craved it.  Lucky for me, Safeway had a sale, they were only $2.99!  Sweet.  I looked at the percent of saturated fat a single bar contains though, and it was not so sweet.  I think it contains about half of what you're supposed to have in one day...pretty disgusting....

...but so delicious!!! How can one resist?  Mmmm....