What I wouldn't give for a few stacks of...

Today is the day I really crave pancakes. Usually that happens to me on a Saturday, but I don't think I can wait quite that long...

xoxo

I still love Mc Donalds

My grandpa used to take us (me, my little brother and sister) to Mc Donalds and it would be such a treat. He is the kind of man that wears tweed suits with a tweed cap. He likes his vegetables steamed and bland and eats at exactly the same time everyday and drinks his carrot juice as his youth elixer...but his one vice is that he loves Mc Donalds and for me going to MC D's with Grandpa was special because he was a busy man with many many grand children. (and I really do mean MANY)

So it is no surprise that I still LOVE Mc Donalds! Yes, I've seen "Supersize Me" and maybe its not PC anymore to love places that serve foods laden with fat but it is so much fun to swing by the drive-thru after the park with the kiddies and grab a Filet O Fish, apple pie, some fries, Chicky Nuggies (as we call em) or my favorite...the Soft Serve. YUM.

Back when me and best friend used to ditch high school guess where we'd end up. You know it. Back then it cheeseburger Happy Meals for us. During my pregnancies I lived on Hot Cakes and Sausage platters. I guess I needed the 700+ calories.

I admit I do feel a slight guilt going there and I try not to toooo much and I like to tell myself that the soft serve is low fat and has only 140 calories! But as soon as I take that bite the guilt just sorta melts away.

Oh and Grandpa will be 93 this year and he still loves Mc Donalds. By love I mean he goes there EVERYDAY. His thing is to go to various Mc Donalds in the city and makes my aunts and uncles (the adults we call them) take him there and you often see the "adults" wiping the mayo off their sandwiches. He is so happy when he goes there and so they just let him. Forget the health concerns, he is 93! He rolls in there with tweed get-up and is like a big kid again eating his Filet O Fish and Apple Pie. Maybe it is the Mc Donalds that is his elixer of youth.

BFF's Always!

I had a really fun super duper awesometastic brunch today with my oldest and dearest friends. Best friend and I went to Rose Cafe in Venice and met our friend Rita. I've known Rita since 5th grade and we were pretty tight back then especially during the our stint as girl scouts. (Girl Scout Troop 160 whoooo hoo!) I lost touch with Rita from 1990-2009 and we found each other thanks to Facebook.

It was so much fun talking and laughing loudly and reminiscing about good ol' days and gossiping about High School boys and crushes we had!

I lived in L.A all my life and in the Westside for the last 8 years and never been to Rose Cafe.

Boy have I been missing out! They have delicious food, great coffee and mouth watering desserts.

I almost wished we didn't gab so much about boys long gone so I can focus on my eating.

I had this out of this world Salmon Florentine. Sooooooooo gooooooood.

I fully intend on going back there with my sister very soon and maybe walking around Venice Beach after.

♥

The best thing about old friends is that they take you back to a place of your youth and you can be how you were with them. Its just like being a kid again.

Not one but TWO Strawberry Cakes

I had to make not one but 2 strawberry cakes...

I tried to get a picture of them before they got eaten... too late.

Its another "petite sandwiches" theme this year.

For my 2 little doll's joint birthday party the invitation said, "endless desserts" so I had to deliver. I made 2 strawberry cakes, chocolate chip fudge cupcakes, a variety of cookies and other scrumptiousness. I went with the 2 strawberry cakes instead of a different cake because when you have two little girls, they have to have matching everything or someone gets upset and throws a tantrum!
The sandwiches menu included the classic PB&J, organic turkey and provelone cheese, roast beef and blue cheese and a spicy buffalo chicken on roll. Throw in a couple fancy pizzas and we had a party!
My Mini cakes enjoyed her big yummy cake!

What can be more heavenly?

...than strawberries and cream! Devoured at the Rose Tea Room at the Huntington Library and Botanical gardens! The tea room serves an ALL YOU CAN EAT! afternoon tea with delicious warm scones, six types of finger sandwiches which include smoked salmon, watercress and cream cheese... classic cool cucumber. Desserts are mini tartlets, heart shaped butter cookies, raspberry and lemon bars, truffles....but really they had me at Strawberries and Cream!