Chef Lala & National Peanut Board Breakfast Party

I was invited to attend the Peanut Butter Breakfast hosted by Chef Lala, Sur La Table and National Peanut Board, Chef Lala showed us how to make healthy, quick and easy breakfast bites using peanut butter. Chef Lala believes in making food "deliciously fun"

 Chef is going to demonstrate how to make Crepes with the featured ingredient of the day... can you guess what it is???

if you guessed peanut butter your absolulelty correct!

Crepes toped with banana, peanut butter strawberries and bluberries

 Double Peanut Butter Bars and Peanut Butter Toastie

 Chef Lala has a line of Marinades and sauces so be on the look out for her products to be available on shelves soon

Thank you for inviting me Chef Lala, Sur La Table and National Peanut Board for all the ideas and goodies I was able to be apart of, I had a fantastic time.

Mando, my cousin Nicole a food blogger from http://www.presleyspantry.com and my good friend Lynette enjoying their breakfast

Ready, set, lets go!! its cook off time

The challenge is to come up with the best recipe using the main Ingredient: Peanut Butter

Parents and their children joining in on this food challenge, may the best team win!!

 Everything tasted great but, my absolute favorite were the Double Peanut Butter Breakfast Bars, which you have full access to all the recipes featured on this blog by visiting the National Peanut Board's website http://nationalpeanutboard.org

Double Peanut Breakfast Bars
Ingredients:1 1/2 cups whole grain flake cereal 1 cup whole grain "O" shaped cereal 1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts 1/2 cup dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, chopped apricots or figs 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup packed golden brown sugar 3 tablespoons peanut butter Preparation:In a medium bowl, stir together cereals, peanuts and dried fruit. Combine honey, brown sugar and peanut butter in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Pour over cereal mixture and stir until well coated. With back of oiled spoon, press mixture into lightly greased 8-inch square pan. Cool. Cut into 9 pieces.		Nutritional Information: Nutrition per bar: 206 calories; 5 g protein; 34 g carbohydrate; 7 g fat (3 g monounsaturated; 1 g saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 2 g fiber; 130 mg sodium.
Makes:9 bars

Bravo for Restaurant Week

 "Bravo" for Restaurant week Mikey says, Dine LA celebrated it 5th anniversary
this year and in honor of their celebration they have given southern California residents a break by cutting the prices on their menu for one week only. We were able to take advantage of a full 3 course meal at a less expensive price. We choose Il Fornaio located in Pasadena.

like any great Italian restaurant, we started off with french bread, Mikey is a big fan of bread he seen the waiter bring out the rolls and he said 'bravo"

First course: Bruschetta Callada [basil and kalamata olives topped on garlic ciabatta bread] and Insalata del fornaio [mixed greens, croutons and shaved Parmesan] Mikey choose Chicken tenders and french fries.

The Second course:
Conchiglie Al Pollo [shell pasta, chicken and broccoli and sun dried tomatoes on pecorino cheese] and Salmon on Spinach insalata

Third Course:
Zabaione alla Gritti [ Bellini Sorbet with berries and whipped cream] by looking at Mikey's facial expression I'm sure you don't need any words to describe these yummy desserts.

Crespelle di Mele [crepes filled with pastry cream, vanilla gelato and caramel]

After we enjoyed all these fine foods, we really needed to walk off our stomachs and do some shopping. I know what your all probably thinking, they took the elevator after eating all this food? yes we did only because, I wasn't going to carry the stroller up all the stairs at H&M and Forever 21 so yes we did, and he loved the ride going up.

Los Guisados Tacos

In East Los Angeles off Cesar Chavez Blvd I was invited to taste these so called "high end tacos" being the foodie that I am, I gave them a try and I am not a person who settles for just any food nor will I go as far as to call a dish amazing or delicious if it doesn't agree with my taste buds unless it is. I have to start by saying I was very impressed with these gourmet style tacos. Since, I was new to this place I was ready to take on the taco challenge and sample as many of the best sellers possible. I ordered Calabaza,  Tinga (pork) and Cochinita de pibil. 

this taco to the left pictured belows is a Taco de Mole and the one with purple onion is Cochinita de pibil

the taco de Calavasa is to the top right and the two at the bottom are Tinga

 The owner features local artists and displays their art in his restaurant, I just love the idea of some of the art being drawn in with sharpie marker rather than paint. I thought this particular drawing was especially cute since this picture says "no olvide su taco!" meaning don't forget your taco but the interpretation comes from the mexican border these signs are posted to watch for pedestrians crossing the border so it was clever to see it being used as art for food.