Cherry Dot Sweet Treats - Blog

Cupcake Necklace Giveaway

2011-01-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

If' you'd like to win a Cherry Sprinkle Cupcake necklace made by yours truly, please visit Ellen's site Confessions Of an Overworked Mom.

Hope everyone has a great week-end!

Pictures from the Season

2010-12-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

A few pictures of our holiday fun at the Cherry Dot house. The Sugar Castle at the Westin St. Francis is SF is 12 feet tall and rotates!! Also very memorable was riding the horse and carriage at the Dunsmuir Mansion. The horses were so gorgeous (and surprisingly soft!).

Holiday Special

2010-11-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Holiday shopping is hard. You're trying to be unselfish and purchase presents for everyone else, but ... it's so much easier to shop for yourself. When shopping on my site this week-end, all orders above $20 placed now through Sunday night on Cherry Dot will receive a special treat - a heart sugar cookie necklace for you. Handmade (inedible) sweet treats for someone special and a little something sweet for you to keep (completely guilt free!). Don't forget that there's also free shipping on my site for all orders over $40.

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Holidays

2010-11-24T17:49:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is excited for the holiday break. I know I am. It's my favorite time of the year, and everything just seems that much more special.

These pictures are the view from our bedroom. I've been waking up every morning hoping to see deer, and finally! Last week-end we also saw Wild Turkeys. There were 10 of them on our roof - I would guess each of them were about 15-20lbs. I heard what sounded like high heels walking on our roof (of course that would be the first thing that came to my mind!) and was shocked to finally see a flock of huge birds. I'm hoping they return so I can get pictures - I've never seen anything like them.

Hearts & Happy Holidays!

Wild Cherry M & M'S

2010-09-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

On my usual trip to the supermarket, I stumbled across a new flavor for M&MS! Wild Cherry!

Naturally I had to try and sample this flavor.

My verdict: Quite good! The cherry flavor was pretty intense in a good way.

The only drawback was that an entire bag of it was a little much but I still recommend this flavor before it disappears off the shelves for good!

Get them while you can or it'll go the way of the Crispy M&Ms.

[T]

Choco Banana Bread

2010-08-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy that after all this time, I'm still using my breadmaker.

I've made like 4 or 5 loaves of banana choco bread!

It's so easy that I think everything should get it.

You just have to get it right the first time and be flexible in case of random surprises.

Plus it makes for a great surprise. I'll be sure to post instructions on how to gift a loaf of bread on a future post.

[T]

Eeling - Poke Pole Fishing

2010-08-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Going through my pictures I found some scenic shots that I took while I was eeling.

It's really fun, you just get a 8 foot pole, glue a wire onto the tip (epoxy glue), and it should be around a foot in length for the wire. Make a loop at the end and make sure its a perfect loop.

Tie the line that has the hook onto that end and go eeling!

You bait it and stick the 8 ft pole into big cracks during low tide where the eels get caught in these large pockets around rocky shores.

Anyway, I caught 2 that day, but only got a picture of the scenery. Yes, I really did catch 2! I'm not making it up!

If you want to try to go eeling, Google: poke pole fishing, and/or monkey faced eel. Just be safe!

Spam Musubi

2010-08-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

I don't really like Spam really. But it was actually pretty good!

Michi made me Spam Musubi - Yes, those are her hands, not mine, mines more bruteful hands lol.

It was really fun watching her make it and I actually ate a few of them!

Who knew it would be fun to make Spam Musubi. We grilled the spam with a hint of soy sauce and that made all the difference!

Can't wait to have it again. I think Michi only makes it twice a year so I'll have to wait 6 months. Ughhh...

[T]

Amazing Dessert!! [T]

2010-08-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing I love more than decadent sweet fruit with syrup, liquor, liquer, spices, and lit on fire.

Had this amazing fruit dessert platter the other day and for the life of me can't remember where its from.

BUT it was just plain amazing. The sauce is heated maple syrup with pecans and a lot of amazing flavor.

I can't even describe how it melted in your mouth like a liquid cloud condensating inside your mouth. YUM.

Oh yeah...AND there's French Toast hidden in there. HA!

[T]

French Bread Adventure Part 2!!

2010-08-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

So I decided I'm going to make garlic bread with the other French bread and BBQ it or throw it in the oven!

I got butter and left it standing till it reached room temp and then slathered it on the bread that was cut in half. I sprinkled a lot of garlic right onto it.

Then added some paprika, and some parsley flakes (dried), a sprinkle of sea salt and viola!

Amazing! What you can do with a little ingenuity is so amazing.

I'm going to enjoy this!
[T]

French Bread Adventure!

2010-08-10T23:10:00.000-07:00

I made my first loaf of French Bread in my bread maker. This is obviously a little more complicated than my usual banana choco bread or cinraisin bread since I have to take it out of the machine at the exact time it stops mixing.

But at least I didn't have to do any mixing!

It actually turned out really decent. No where near the regular french bread so a lot more work to be done. It was too dense, which probably meant that there wasn't enough yeast since the yeast makes the bread airy.

I think I'll eat this with my parmagianna butter imported from Italy.

Tomorrow, I'll see what to make with the other loaf!

Stay tuned!

Homemade Fried Chicken Fingers

2010-08-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of frozen chicken breasts lying around but wasn't sure how to eat them. So I did what any guy would naturally do... I fried it.

I just winged it and added Italian bread crumbs from progresso, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic into the dry mixture.

After the dry crust is ready, you get defrosted chicken, coat it in flour, then egg (thats been mixed, see picture) and once coated in egg, throw it into the bowl of the dry mixture and coat both sides. Press the coating into it so it's extra crunchy!

Then fry in vegetable oil. Make sure the oil is pretty hot but makes sure its not burning or smoking. Then in between batches, strain out the left over crumbs as much as possible so it doesn't burn and make the oil taste burnt, which would cause your fried chicken to be burnt.

Then SERVE N' EAT!

Jalapenos Corn Bread

2010-07-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't resist. I had to make yet another batch of Jalapenos Corn Bread.

It's so easy I just can't stop making it. It's pretty filling too and just makes for a perfect side dish.

The entire loaf made from 2 packages of corn bread mix and 2 Jalapenos feeds like 4 people and probably costs less than $1.50.

You should always have a packet lying around for those just in case moments.

Cufflinks Launches

2010-07-25T23:46:00.000-07:00

As you might have seen lately, we've dived into the world of cufflinks.

Keep checking our sites as we are launching new cufflinks all the time.

I for one, personally love cufflinks so this is a great joy to see so many different types of cufflinks that would serve so many different types of people.

We have a lot of different concepts in line waiting to be produced! It'll be a surprise so keep checking back with us here and on our site: www.Cherrydot.com

I hope you enjoy it!

[T]

Confetti Cupcake - Now even more creamier!

2010-07-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

Our all time favorite now just got a makeover. Now it is even more delicious than ever!

http://www.cherrydot.com/Confetti.html

Okonomiyaki

2010-07-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

A few week-ends ago, Tray and I finally kicked off a recipe on our "summer recipe to do" list. Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake. I think the literal translation is along the lines of what you like (Tray is much better at Japanese and can clarify), so what you put into the batter varies. We ended up making a fairly basic one with just bacon.

There are two main sauces to top your pancake with which really make okonomiyaki what it is. 1) Tonkatsu sauce (I prefer bulldog). 2) Kewpie Mayonnaise (Japanese mayo that comes in a squishy bottle. It's sooo cute!)

The batter consists of:

Flour - 1.5 cups (may need to add less or more depending on how thick you like the batter)
Water - 2/3 cup
Eggs - 2 large
Cabbage - 4 cups (cut into really thin rectangular strips)
Green Onions - 2 stalks (chopped thin)
Bacon - 6 strips (can be substituted with anything. Noodles, pork, fish flakes)

To make the batter:

Mix flour and water until smooth
Add all other ingredients except for the bacon. Mix
Heat up a griddle. Once water sizzles on it, it's ready for the batter.
Pour batter (just like you would pancakes). This recipe makes about 4 decent sized pancakes.
After a few minutes add bacon on top. Flip over in about 5 minutes, then flip again. Make sure both sides are a golden brown.
Top with Tonkatsu sauce and Kewpie Mayo (I always see everyone zig zag them across the pancakes)
Enjoy!

We're definitely going to make these again soon. I think I will be more creative next time, and maybe use yakisoba noodles (my fav!) instead of pork.

Hearts,
Michi

Cherry Sprinkle Cupcakes!!

2010-07-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

WOW! Juicy Cherry on top of fluffy looking frosting covered in sprinkles. Just amazing! Plus this cupcake has a strawberry cake for a bottom!

I doubt you can go wrong with such a combo!

Now available on Cherry Dot:
http://www.cherrydot.com/cherrysprinklecupcakenecklace.html

Enjoy!

Strawberry Sprinkle Cupcake

2010-07-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Sprinkles, strawberry cream, and vanilla. Put those things together and you find one amazing cupcake!! Delicious fluffiness!

Now available at Cherry Dot!

http://www.cherrydot.com/strawberrysprinklecake.html

[T]

Hello Kitty Coasters

2010-07-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun making the Mario coasters, I decided to make a few Hello Kitty ones. I'm happy with the pattern, however, be careful when you're picking the white beads out. Some of them iron sort of translucent and look a little odd. If I have extra energy and can find enough green beads, I may try and make some Keroppi coasters next.

Hearts,

Michi

Happy 4th!

2010-07-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

Dr. Seuss cake

Starbuck's made art

Chocolate chess board

Corn on the cob cake

Luggage cake

Wilson Phillips! They were awesome!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday week-end. David and I ended up staying around the Bay Area but ended up visiting the Marin County fair, tandem bicycling, going to tea and brunch, and visiting the botanical gardens. We also made a stop at Bi-Rite creamery in the city for their salted caramel softies. I'm not a big ice cream person, but it was delicious.

Enjoy the pics from the fair. There were some really talented bakers! It was so hard not to touch some of the cakes!

Hearts,
Michi

Cheez It Cufflinks!

2010-07-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

All that Cheez jam packed into a tiny little cracker. How can you go wrong?

Now you can show your love for Cheez Its wherever you go!~

Now available on Cherry Dot!

http://www.cherrydot.com/cheezitcufflinks.html

[T]

Perler Bead Coasters

2010-06-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

I've had the large (11k beads) bucket of Perler Fusion beads sitting on my shelf for awhile. My rule for myself is that I have to make something I'll actually use, but I couldn't think of anything to do with the finished bead products until I found this coaster tutorial online!

I ended up making a trip back to Michael's to pick up a bigger bead board as well as cork for the back - and found some Disney kits in clearance that also have the huge square boards. I picked up the Mickey, Minnie, and Cinderella kits! So far I've only used the Minnie pattern sheet, and did my best to wing the Mario ones. I posted pictures above of the beads on the peg board so if you want to make the same coasters, you can use them as a template. Next up, Hello Kitty of course!

Hearts,
Michi

Ice Cream Brooch!!

2010-06-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

Ice Cream Brooch now available on Cherry Dot!

Cherry Dot Lollipops

2010-06-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

This summer, I wanted to make items that were meaningful to me. While flipping through our engagement, wedding, and honeymoon pictures, I got inspired and made the lollipops. They remind me of taking engagement pictures in Disneyland, of the candy buffet at our wedding, and the small town of Gourdon, France where handmade candies are the livelihood of the town. I hope you enjoy them. They bring back wonderful memories from the past few years. Click the lollipops above to go take a look!

Hearts,
Michi

Yummy Pixie Dust Cupcakes

2010-06-25T19:24:00.001-07:00

I've always loved those two feet pixie sticks full of yummy powder.

Now we've turned that into a yummy cupcake! So cute, so delicious looking, makes my mouth water!

Now available on Cherry Dot!
http://www.cherrydot.com/pixiedustcupcake.html

Enjoy!
[T]

Compass Cufflinks

2010-06-20T00:28:00.000-07:00

For the man who refuses to ask for directions...

We posted new Compass Cufflinks on Cherry Dot!

You can find it here:
http://www.cherrydot.com/compasscufflinks.html

[T]

For the golfer in your life...

2010-06-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

New in Cherry Dot - cufflinks for the golfer in your life. I know I have one in mine!

New Items

2010-06-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

Jelly Belly Bottlecap Cufflinks

Pac-Man Cufflinks

A few new items posted in the Cherry Dot fun section. For Him - fun cufflinks including Pac-Man, Jelly Belly soda, and beers from around the world.

So much to say..

2010-06-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

I have so much to say, it's hard to know where to start. The last month has been a whirlwind - got married, honeymooned in Europe (best two weeks ever!!), and have been back for a week working fast and furious on filling orders and creating new products.

The wedding was wonderful, and it really lived up to all of our (David, me, and Tracy's!) dreams. It was truly worth all of the work we put into it over the last year and a half. I'll post pictures in the days to come, Cherry Dot really had a presence at the wedding which you'll soon see.

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Hearts Always,
Michi

New Packaging

2010-05-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

All sweet items purchased from Cherry Dot Sweet Treats will now come packaged with these cute cake bakery boxes. They will come flattened in the mail, but they are really easy to assemble (I promise!), and make the jewelry gift ready (or a cute box for yourself. I'm keeping a few!).

Candy Gemstones, Disaster!

2010-04-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

Candy gemstone supplies

Hot, Sticky mess!!

Sugary Disaster

A few salvaged gemstones (that are the wrong color!)

We all have experiments in the kitchen that leave us humbled. Tonight was one of those nights for me. It was especially humbling, because I read in two different places that SeaGlass candy and isomalt crystals are the easiest type of candy to make!

I've been using my upcoming nuptials (we're now just a few weeks out), as grounds for me to buy and test out all kinds of supplies. From clay that floats, a good portion of the Martha Stewart line (who can resist her cream and robin egg blue line), transfer mediums, to candy making supplies. Because, why not now to start making candy for our wedding buffet! =) In truth, I've been eyeing the candy supplies for years. The melts, the molds, the packaging, it's all so cute, and easy looking.

When I saw Martha Stewart's candy gemstones, I knew that was THE CANDY for me to finally dive in to make. I purchased all the supplies, but things have been so hectic here, I haven't had the chance to test them out, until tonight.

David left to pick up something at work, and I was left with a long list of wedding to dos. As I sat at the craft table, I decided that now was the perfect time to whip up a batch of gemstones. I half-heartedly followed the instructions, which in my defense were not clear at all, and 20 minutes later came up with a sticky mess that I was scared to touch! At last measurement (using our turkey thermometer), the sugary mess read 275 degrees! David came home to a large cloud of smoke and did his usual opening of the windows, the doors, starting the fan (yes this does happen occasionally when I'm left home alone without Tray or David to help me test new things). Now, 30 minutes later, I've managed to salvage a few gemstones (which by the way came out the wrong color), and David has managed to clear out most of the smoke.

I did learn a few things tonight (that I most certainly intend to use next time I have the urge to test out new things alone):
1) Never try new recipes if David or Tray aren't here. They are a lot more thorough with reading directions vs. me just winging it. Winging it may work with cooking, baking, and clay, but definitely not with this type of candy.
2) When using the kitchen for things other than cooking or baking for the first time, proactively open all windows and doors.

Hope you all have a good night. I'm going to give this recipe another go - of course with David or Tray's help. Now, it's time for me to go work on wedding vows now. Here is the link to Martha's version of the gemstones in case you want to give it a go!

Hearts,
Michi

Snifty Pens!

2010-04-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

While stocking up on clay at Dick Blick art supplies, I found these amazing pens. They're scented, and they're ball point. Now all day long, I get whiffs of bubblegum, raspberries, rootbeer, and cupcakes! They're made by Snifty and reminds me of the scratch and sniff stickers from the 80's! The best part was that they're on clearance (who doesn't want scented pens!!), so I may have bought out the remaining stock at my store. =)

Hearts,
Michi

Self filtering water bottle [T]

2010-04-08T00:11:00.000-07:00

I’m part eco-conscious, part design conscious, while at the same time convenience driven.

Is that too much to ask? Well, I don’t quite think so even if some may beg to differ.

What’s really wrong with expecting a lot? Well the one clear thing is that you’re rarely satisfied, but absolute satisfaction should be a privilege bestowed on something amazing, and not something you dish out like free samples.

So that being said, when I saw this, it definitely caught my attention.

I’m not sure how well it works but at the very least its pretty and if it does work, it’ll eliminate or reduce the water bottles you use only to throw it away and have it sit in a landfill for the rest of your life.

It’s currently sold at an introductory pre order price of $32.10. (The water bottle co is named 321 Water) NOTE: From the website, it sounds like they need 10,000 people to commit prior to beginning production so you might have to wait a little.

If anyone has tried this, please let me know. Or if the company is nice enough to ‘lend’ me one, I’d love to try it out and provide feedback. =)

It’s a notable effort I must admit, now lets just see if it’s more than a pretty piece of glass/plastic.

http://www.321-water.com/thirst.html

[T]

Undercover Boss

2010-04-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Tracy got me hooked on Undercover Boss, a show that follows CEO's who go undercover in their own company for a week (hopefully it won't get cancelled like ALL the other shows I follow!). Watching it makes me want to be a better person, and reminds me of all the things I have to be grateful for. Yes, I know that the show probably picks out workers with difficult situations for the CEO's to work with, but it is still inspiring. I'm always suprised by how upbeat people can be in situations that are not considered pleasant by any means (cleaning porta pottys, unclogging drains etc.), and how they make the most of their situations.

The show is on CBS Sunday nights at 9pm, or you can catch episodes in the Comcast On Demand section (YES I'm one of the few that still don't have a DVR).

Hearts Always,
Michi

Block of matches [T]

2010-04-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

I love wooden matches. I used to collect them. I still have a ton at home in LA that I collected from Japan like 10+ years ago from all the random hotels and destinations.

I love the way they sound when you shake the box and the matches rattle. I also like the smell of the wood of the match sticks.

For a while when I was younger, I never knew the flimsy paper matches existed since I only used and collected the wooden ones.

So when I stumbled onto this little gem you can say I was a little more than thrilled.

Course if I got it, it’s highly unlikely I’d actually use any of them to light anything.

I’ll probably just stare at it and think how amazing it is.

Rested

2010-04-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

This week-end the weather held up in the Bay Area long enough for David and I to head to Big Basin and get in a 5.5 mile hike. We ended up hiking the Meteor Trail which I really enjoyed since it went through 4 totally different climates in that time.

Just so you know, no one likes hiking with me. I go for the exercise not the views, so that means powering up and down the hills at full speed to get the best work-out. I've been yelled at by multiple friends I've hiked with for making them sore the next day and for them not being able to see the trees, etc. hehe. Lucky for me, David has adopted my power walking style so we were able to complete the hike in under 2 hours. We may not hike often, but when we do I really enjoy it. It also didn't hurt that we had a suite at the hotel to look forward to. During the hike I kept counting down the miles we had left, and how much longer it would be before we could go to the whirlpool at the hotel. I'm such an outdoorsy girl. hehe.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

Hearts,
Michi

Beautiful Chocolate Cube [T]

2010-04-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

Looking for some inspiration on package design (my old time favorite), I found this amazing chocolate cube that challenges gravity.

It’s so pretty and elegant. It’s unfortunate that most of the really nice items I find are only sold in Europe. Or are sold here and are really expensive.

The fact that you have to have things shipped via air to get something decent is a sad fact.

Maybe I’m just not looking in the right places.

Yesterday I spent a few hours on this design website that just amazed me. I just love beautifully designed things. It truly makes me happy.

Why make something bland or ugly if you can just spend a little more time and money making it into little pieces of art.

[T]

Bestie Oreos

2010-04-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Check out this vintage Oreo commercial from the 80's. I don't know how to embed videos in blogger yet. Oreos were one of my favorite cookies growing up. I would eat them with milk, and split them with my best friends - whoever got more frosting when we split the cookie sandwich was the one who would get married first!

Now, Oreo bestie necklaces are available in the shop. Each bestie gets half and oreo with cream! Click the image above to get yours!

Full mini Oreo necklaces are also available in the shop. Click here to see.

Be careful with these. I'm terrified to leave any without pins and a chain laying around in fear that someone will pop it into their mouth and crack a tooth (baked clay is not forgiving!).

Happy Friday!

Hearts,

Michi

Cherry Dot Orders

2010-04-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

All orders placed this week will be shipping tomorrow. David and I have had such hectic schedules the last few months, that we're taking a short week-end trip down to San Jose for some R&R. We're staying at the Dolce Hayes mansion which looks quite grand for the Bay Area.

Hearts,

Michi

Cupcake Pebbles

2010-04-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

This cereal is so elusive! I've been to 5 different supers trying to find it with no luck. The magazine ads for these are so cute. They're scratch and sniff and remind me of the stickers I loved so much growing up. This week-end I'll be prowling the supermarkets in the south bay looking for my own box!

Hearts,

Michi

Best Game Ever

2010-04-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

I am a HUGE Super Mario fan. I've owned every Nintendo and Gameboy system since the original, and have played ever single Mario game including Yoshi's Island (= Love). We've been playing the new Super Mario Bros game since December, and we finally beat the game completely. We went back and got every single star coin, and found all the secret passages. This Mario is different than all the other ones in that 4 people can play at the same time, which makes it harder and more fun.

Inspired by my favorite game, I've decided to expand outside of mini foods and make a few Super Mario related items. Think One-Up Mushrooms and Yoshi eggs. They should be up in the shop in a few weeks.

Hearts,

Michi

Stir fried Veggies with Shrimp, Chicken, and Oyster Mushrooms [T]

2010-03-28T23:50:00.000-07:00

The random cooking adventure continues.

This time, we made stir fried veggies with shrimp, chicken and oyster mushrooms. This turned out quite well although it was very similar in taste to the green beans I made a little while back (see previous post for green beans recipe:

http://cupcakie.blogspot.com/2010/03/amazing-dinner-t.html

I chopped up some onions, shallots, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, oyster mushrooms, grated some ginger and stir fried everything. Once cooked a little, I added the chicken, and added the soysauce, sake', sugar, a drizzle of sesame seed oil, and a little water since the soysauce makes things too salty. I then added the shrimp, (try to add the shrimp later so it doesn’t get chewy especially since it takes very little time to cook shrimp). Sauté everything with the sauce, add a little flour to thicken sauce and when everything looks and tastes good, then well you’re done.

I need to start taking pictures of these so there’s a point of reference. It’s always more interesting to attempt new dishes when you have a picture to reference.

Also, this kind of dish goes really well with the Sweet Chili Sauce dish I mentioned earlier since it’s a nice contrast in flavor.

Enjoy!

[T]

Bestie Mushies

2010-03-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we headed to the new Alice and Wonderland movie that we'd been waiting for almost 6 months to see. I LOVE the book and various adaptations of the story, and ended up loving it. Tracy's favorite part were probably seeing the mushrooms grow in 3D.

Well, seeing the movie inspired new bestie mushroom necklaces. One red and one green for each best friend. Click here to get yours.

Hearts,
Michi

Mr. Poo-Chan

2010-03-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

Tracy while also being very good at making cute cupcake and other sweet treats also makes other Japanese items that are not currently for sale on cherrydot. His newest creation is Mr. Poo-chan. I have to admit, I will never understand the Japanese fascination with Poo being good luck and cute, but I have to say that Tray's is kind of cute. Hope ya'll are having a wonderful Sunday. The weather in the Bay Area has finally cleared up and it's perfect weather for picnics and all other outdoor fun.

Hearts Always,
Michi

Eggplant Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce

2010-03-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

Eggplant Tofu with sweet chili sauce dish

So my friend and I, continuing on with our cooking adventures made a new dish that was really easy to make.

We got some Asian eggplant, and some firm tofu.

We peeled and stir fried some eggplant and when they started to brown slightly, we added some cubed tofu.

We added some salt and pepper and poured some sweet chili sauce to the mix. (You can also add any kind of meat like chicken or shrimp).

We added some chopped green onions later and that was basically the dish. Easy, really tasty and very flexible in terms of adding meat or keeping it vegetarian.

For the sweet and sour sauce, go to the Asian market and I usually get Mae Ploy brand.

Serve with rice and perhaps a salty dish so you can have a sweet and salt dish.

Banana Nut/Chocolate Bread for the Bread Machine

2010-03-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm trying new things on my bread maker and found this amazing receipe.
I've made it like 3 times now and its amazine.

Ingredients

Banana Nut and/or chocolate Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I put a little bit more to make it more moist)
2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sour cream (I rarely have sour cream at the house so I put an equal amount of dry skim milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup mashed banana (Use a really really ripe one for best taste)
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped (I prefer chocolate chips without nuts, add extra chocolate chips if omitting nuts)

Directions

1
Into baking pan measure flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.
2
Add oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
3
Insert pan securely into unit; close lid.
4
Select"Cake" setting; press"Start.
5
"When beep sounds after about 5 minutes, add mashed banana and nuts.
6
Press"Start" again.
7
The"Complete" light will flash when cake is done.
8
(follow your machine's instructions).
9
Using hotpads, remove pan from unit.
10
Turn bread out onto cooling rack.
11
Cool; slice thinly to serve.
12
Makes 1 5x4-inch loaf.
13
Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread: Prepare bread as above through"Cake" setting.
14
When beep sounds, add mashed banana and 1/3 cup chopped chocolate chips. (I also sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the bread once its baking and the top starts to firm a little)
15
Omit nuts.
16
Continue as directed.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Banana-Nut-Bread-for-the-Bread-Machine-96521

Enjoy!

[T]

Spaghetti with oyster mushrooms

2010-03-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

In continuing to note my random easy cooking adventures, a few days ago I cooked a basic Spaghetti with oyster mushrooms with my roomie. I LOVE almost all mushrooms! (except shiitake mushrooms, not much of a fan of those)

It’s a great way to turn a basic dish into one that is more interesting without taking the additional time since we’re all busy, and many of us are lazy.

Ingredients:

Half a packet of Oyster Mushrooms (Roughly half a pound? You can usually get these at the Asian market. Best place is probably a Chinese supermarket)

Jar of spaghetti sauce, I like the cheese ones, or vodka sauce. Try to find a sauce that has ingredients in it that you don't have.

A pound or so of some ground meat. (I chose beef but a leaner option would be turkey)

One brown or red onion

3 or 4 garlic cloves

Some Italian seasoning or parsley, basil.

Chop the mushroom in half or however big you want it, and clean.

Dice the onions

Mince the garlic

Throw a good amount of olive oil in the pan, stir some onions and seasoning with some sea salt and black pepper.

Then throw in the garlic and the mushrooms after the onions have cooked slightly. Garlic gets bitter if you overcook it. Therefore, I try to add it in the second batch, but not too late or they won’t have time to absorb the flavor

Start boiling water in separate pot for the noodles so it gets done around the same time

Throw in some butter so the mushrooms absorb the butter flavor, then sauté.

Then throw in the meat, and cook everything together. After you cook everything, taste and add more salt or garlic if you wish.

Once everything is pretty cooked, and is slightly browned, add in the pasta sauce out of the jar, mix really well. Add a little mozzarella cheese if you wish.

Leave uncovered, let the juices mix, let it thicken. After about 20 – 30 minutes it should be done.

And you have the tasty meal that doesn’t taste like it came right out of the jar.

Enjoy!

[T]

Japanese Manhole Covers

2010-03-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

I’m always amazed to find art in the weirdest places. Why make something boring and standard when you can liven it up a little; especially if it doesn’t take away from the general purpose of the product.

For example, art on man hole covers. Now that’s an amazing fun idea. Way to take something boring, and make it interesting.

Now for a bad example, Stop signs with art on them. Obviously that would be a bad idea.

I love these weird little things. Maybe we can advertise on manhole covers.

Manhole cover advertising. Though it might pose a liability if someone stops in the middle of the street to stare at the ad and gets injured by a car.

Regardless, I think I might be onto something.

[T]

http://www.trendspotting.com.au/2010/03/15/put-a-lid-on-it

Japanese Boiled Egg Mold [T]

2010-03-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

Looking around for some more interesting finds I came across this amazing egg shaper as a Japanese Bento Accessory.

I’ve seen the toaster that brands the sandwich with various images, such as Hello Kitty.

To my surprise I found this awesome egg shaper! I don’t really know who comes up with this stuff but it’s pretty amazing.

Wonder what shapes they’ll come out with next.

I’ll anxiously wait.

[T]

http://www.thisnext.com/item/7F8B6CBD/JAPANESE-BENTO-ACCESSORY

Amazing Dinner [T]

2010-03-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

My roommate friend and I realized it was pretty late and we needed to quickly make dinner. As I often do with Michi, I cook with him when we have time.

So my friend starts working on his dish, blackened chicken with creole seasoning with melted butter.

I on the other hand remember the time Michi, Dave and I took care of some wedding stuff and we went to this Asian (fusion) restaurant (Michi, feel free to chime in on the name of the restaurant since for the life of me, I can't remember) and we ordered these green beans that were delicious.

So I tried to remember the flavor from weeks ago and it was pretty legit. To top it off, we decided to make Jalapenos corn bread. All of this took a very short amount of time.

The corn bread is an easy Betty Crocker mix that you add milk, and butter to. Nothing too complicated. Why over complicate matters unnecessarily.

For those of you on a time constraint, and want to try something new try the following:

Jalapeno Corn Bread:

Mix ingredients as listed, chop and dice a Jalapeno (1) into the mix, and bake. Done
FYI: If you want to make regular corn bread, do as told on mix. However, on the side get some salted butter and make it room temperate where its a little soft. Add in honey, and mix with a spoon and serve with your corn bread when its right out of the oven. OMG it's amazing. =)

Blackened chicken: Heat up butter in a sauce pan, once slightly tanned (Not burnt), throw on a fillet of chicken breast (boneless). Add some sea salt, some creole seasoning, black pepper, on both sides. Done (Don't overcook or it'll get dry, best tip is to get chicken to room temperature so it cooks fast and throughout without drying it out.

Green Beans with shallots and sweet soy sauce glaze:
This is a little more complicated. Grab a handful of green beans.
Chop one shallot into tiny squares (the things that look like smaller versions of a brown onion) set aside.
Get an inch of ginger, skinned, then grated finely, set aside.
Throw some olive oil onto the saucepan, heat up. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt into oil (not too much since soy sauce that you'll add later has plenty of salt), and a small pinch, i said small! of the grated ginger (not all of it). Stir fry the green beans and add blk pepper. Fry until ends start to brown a little but still looks crunchy not shriveled.

While the beans are still crunchy, add in the chopped shallots, stir fry for a few minutes. Be SURE that the shallots don't brown or they'll get bitter and ruin the dish in like 2 seconds. Better to be safe and under cook it when cooking it dry without all the liquid from below.

Now once everything is starting to cook, throw in the rest of the ginger, add soysauce to the saucepan so that there is a small pool of soysauce at bottom of beans. Add in half the amount of sake (use the dry ones, you can use the big jug that's like 6 or 7 bucks. I use Ozeki brand, Dry, not the sweet ones. Add in some sugar, and stir. Once all mixed, it should taste a little sweet, and not too soy saucey. If it is, add more sake or a splash of water (sake preferred, try to avoid adding water to dishes if possible, better to use soup stock, sake, etc.)

With everything mixed, the shallots won't risk burning since its swimming in the semi sweet ginger soysauce- sauce. Keep cooking and reduce the sauce to a glaze. If the thing smells too good and you can't wait for it to reduce, then add a pinch of flour or corn starch at a time and it should thicken. The shallots will add a nice onion and garlic taste to it. Eat over rice or whatever you feel like.

Enjoy~
[T]

Opaque-Dine in the Dark

2010-03-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

Life has been incredibly busy the last few months. The wedding is in 60 days, and there are loads of things to do. The whole process has really been an incredible bonding experience between David and I - planning and working on details every night. The only thing David hasn't been involved in on a daily basis are the clay related touches that Tray and I have been working on for the last 4 months! I can't wait to post pictures of what we've done!! We really believe that this is our best work yet!

Last night David took me to Opaque in SF for date night. It's a dine in the dark experience. If you go, I highly, highly recommend you go with someone you're very comfortable with. You have to use your hands so much more than a regular dinner. We're both glad we tried it, but I don't think we'd go back again. The whole thing was like being in a dream. I was definitely able to smell the food a lot better, but in terms of taste, I didn't notice much difference with the lights off. Dinner was ahi tuna and mango salad followed by miso glazed salmon and shitake mushrooms. For dessert I had panna cotta with butterfly roll cookies (not the official name of the dessert obviously). There were also amuse bush, crudites, and other small samplers.

Hope everyone is doing well! Tray and I have also been working on new bestie necklaces that will be up in the shop soon.

Hearts Always,
Michi

Button Maker

2010-02-22T22:28:00.001-08:00

I finally went through the 500+ buttons I made over 2 years ago, so I pulled out my circle cutter and button machine and had a go at it. I've forgotten how fun it is to make buttons, so after making enough for thank you packages, I continued to make Blue Bear ones out of wrapping paper I've hoarded over the years. I also ended up printing a few button templates, so I may try drawing a few patterns on them too. I'll post pics of those, assuming they come out cute =) !!

Hearts,
Michi

Catch Up

2010-02-17T23:14:00.001-08:00

Reminds me of Avatar!! Yes that is my flash which I still don't know how to work

Valentine's Treats from the Hub. We decided to go lowkey with the wedding so close.

Betsey Bracelet, heart on one side, Love on the other

Petit Fours (my FAV!!)

Love Bear - the baby version of the David and Michi Teddybears

Napa

Me in a bubble - bleh

Treats from Adrienne. I LOVE the stickers. It's melon pan and Japanese Chocolate Croissants

Tray driving the ship. We won't discuss my adventures at the wheel. There was lot's of laughing and pointing. hah

Photobooths at a wedding fair

Duck Tour

Baking night with David. Mine is the ugly one on the bottom, while David decorated his sprinkles in the shape of a heart.

Ritz Carlton Bridal Fair

Pose

Disney for Engagement Pics round 1

I've been so bad at blogging in 2010. Lot's going on. Even more coming up. We're now 82 days out from the wedding. Can't wait!!

New Camera

2010-02-11T23:22:00.000-08:00

After five + years of wear and tear, my little Canon camera (the one I learned how to use digital macro and other features on) gave out on me. For just about the same price as my old one, I got one with 12 megapixels (double my old one!), in purple, and with a front view finder - totally handy for all of those pictures that you take of yourself and your buddies or signifcant other!!

White Chocolate Salted Kit Kats

2010-02-10T23:44:00.000-08:00

I'm flipping through some magazines and see an ad for Lindt chocolate with a hint of sea salt and it really made my mouth water.

Something about combining my two vices, sugar and salt into one just seems so wrong and awesome at the same time. . . I'm rather torn.

Trying to find what Japan has to offer and I stumble across this delightful salted white chocolate crunchiness.

I think I could enjoy this kitkat stuck in a Haagen Daaz vanilla bean ice cream. Maybe with a drizzle of Chambord liqueur. YumYum.

[T]

Pink Frosted Cupcakes!

2010-02-09T09:11:00.001-08:00

Cherry Cream and Pink Hearts Cupcakes are now available in the shop. Click the images above to view!

Stylish Cooking

2010-01-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

Check out this fab apron David got me for Christmas. It's so cute and girly (complete with a bow on the pocket). Tray thought it was a dress instead of an apron. And yes I do cook and clean in high heels and my pearls of course! hehe.

The Holidays [T]

2010-01-02T23:53:00.000-08:00

The beginning of this year has proved to be quite interesting. It is not necessarily bad nor good but one full of changes brewing.

I spent NYE with Michi, Dave, Arlene and Mia. It was very pleasant and was nice to be surrounded with friends you come to trust and depend on. NYE of all holidays, requires me to have such company. I'm not a big fan of NYE as you wait and count down the hours and minutes, when it arrives, nothing is there. There's a lot of hype but it leaves me wanting.

I've spent the Christmas vacation with my friends in LA. It was pleasant and comforting. Although, if asked whether the trip was for business or pleasure, I'd have to say with a hesitant tone that it could be both. Does that mean I had less fun in LA? Probably not. It likely made the trip worthwhile even more so. I felt that I strengthened some relationships while gaining a stronger conviction to end some.

I ate at my usual spots: Sam Woo for good n' affordable chinese food, went to a Pho house (Vietnamese food) since I can't seem to find a decent place in SF, had my ceviche in the city of Bell, went to my usual late night Denny's that we always frequented, brunched at a new place in downtownish LA, went to a yet another new place right by the beach, AND I even went to Harbor House in Seal Beach area to enjoy my usual 6 or 7 egg omelette.

This trip was different. The people are changing and the monotony that dominated every crevice for the last decade was now ever so slowly disappearing.

Some serious thinking and considerations have to be done for 2010 & beyond.

For the 1st week of 2010, I'm currently spending it in Tahoe where I usually spend my holidays with my friends. And a even better possibility emerges and again, I look into the possibilities. I think the LA and Tahoe trips' been good for me. It's been giving me time to really think about everything and determine what's really important for me in my life. Where better than to weigh choices and decisions than Tahoe where the quiet snow falls like feathers and accumulates like thick fog. The snow is piled and looking at the serenity is calming and nerve wrecking in tandem.... Which is usually the status quo that I'd like to maintain... not for a happy life but a successful one.

I don't think SF will quite look the same upon my return. Perspective is a funny thing. It gives you hope, clarity and at times destroys the very place you call home.

[T]

Finished Cupcake Ornaments

2009-12-28T12:40:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas. This has been my favorite one yet! I'm so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends who are so supportive and loving. And who spoiled me so much this year. Thank you, thank you!!! I'm so grateful you are all in my life.

These are the finished cupcake ornaments. David actually did most of the work (I mainly glued and supported verbally!). I love seeing his artistic side (I cherish everything he makes!)! The ornaments came out sooo cute. Here is the tutorial if you want to make your own.

Hearts,

Michi

The Butter to my Bread...

2009-12-27T20:05:00.000-08:00

Mine on left. David's on right. (FYI he totally outclassed me with the romance inside the books. I hate losing! hehee)

One year since we've been engaged, and it's been the most amazing year! Since Christmas just passed, and we went a bit overboard on presents, we decided to stay low-key. We ended up making photobooks for each other of the past three years.

Happy Engagiversay Love!!!!!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-24T22:20:00.001-08:00

Cupcake ornaments in progress
Our main tree

Santa Boots

Beaded Christmas tree. AKA the most difficult one to decorate

Charlie Brown tree for Davey

Pink Cashmere tree (sparse on ornaments this year since most of them sold off the tree)

David's Favorite ornament. Us Christmas circa 2007. Check out the snow we sprinkled on the tree tonight too! Looks so festive in person

My favorite. Mickey and Minnie in a wedding ring.

We bought a ton of ornaments at Dusmuir. They had the most adorable ornamentsHappy holidays - me and the love of my life

Happy holidays!! I hope everyone has been enjoying the holidays. We've been really busy in my house decorating trees (we have 5 this year!), and enjoying all the Christmas festivities (parties, shopping, Christmas movies over and over, Festival of Lights, the list goes on and on). David and I especially enjoyed going to the Nutcracker this year. Even though I've seen it at least 20+ times, this year moved me so much we ended up buying the DVD, and listening to the music at night. We also had a wonderful time at the Dunsmuir mansion and tea.

David and I just finished Part 1 of our annual Christmas ornament making. We're making these adorable cupcake ornaments from the Bake It Pretty Blog. Click here to see her tutorial. While we wait for them to dry, we're watching A Christmas Story and baking cookies.

Hearts Always,

Michi

1 more day until Xmas! [T]

2009-12-24T17:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that xmas is already here.

Just two more blinks of an eye and its here.

I don't quite feel like its xmas around here but I can only speak for myself as Michi's place looks like the North Pole with xmas trees on every corner, presents everywhere, Charlie Brown playing in the background, the smell of cookies (and sometimes clay) coming from the oven. . . It all screams xmas. (well... except for the clay).

Thankfully I won't be home in SF this holiday but I'll be headed to LA and to Tahoe for the holidays. The last thing I want is to be at home for 2 weeks by myself with nothing to do.

I'm excited but as always I'm not sure what to expect.

We shall see!

[T]

The Hunt for French Butter Continues!! [T]

2009-12-22T12:19:00.000-08:00

So Michi and I were walking down Piedmont ave as usual, we bumped into Piedmont grocery. It's a really nice place with a lot of hard to find imports from around the world that Michi goes to often.

I wasn't surprised that of all the stores, the store in Piedmont would have these hard to find products.
In order to continue with my hunt for French butter, we went wandering around the store. To my pleasant surprise they had a lot of different types of butter to offer.

In order to taste the different types of butter, we got three kinds - all from different origins!

We tested the butter on a baguette that we got from our favorite Bakery on Piedmont called, "LA Farine". (On a previous blog, I mistakenly called it "Piedmont Bakery")

The first was a butter from France "Beurre D' Isigny".

The second was a butter from Italy made from the production of Parmigiano Reggiano

The third was a butter from the US, Clover's Farmstead butter with sea salt

The French butter melted in your mouth. The cream like texture almost reminded me of Brie.

It was smooth and tasteful, it was delicious

The Italian butter was also smooth but had a hint of sweetness to it. We tested the butter on a baguette so it tasted a little off and in effect confused my taste buds. We were looking more for a salty butter finish to match the baguette. If we had tested the butter on something like corn bread, it would have gotten higher marks.

The US butter was almost as rich as the French butter. However, the key difference was the sea salt. That hint of sea salt brought out a sweet and salty burst of intense flavor from the butter that made it perfect. It also gets a high mark for its cute ceramic packaging but we won't include that in our judging process. . . at least not consciously.

In all fairness when we put sea salt on the French better it tasted slightly better than the US better. Turns out we are both salt addicts - go figure. But I am astonished at how amazing these butters were compared to the regular ones you buy at the supermarkets.

I find that although paying extra for butter is totally worth it, I might want to switch between regular butter and premium butter so I don't become too accustomed to the premium brand and lose all interest in regular butter. But that's just me!

And the journey continues. . .

[T]

The hunt for French Butter [T]

2009-12-15T15:27:00.001-08:00

I've always loved butter. Which is probably why my face is on the rounder side.

Been looking for really good butter in LA when I used to live there. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I just sort of gave up. Fast forward a few years.

Watching Julie and Julia @ Michi's place the other day renewed my drive to find good butter. Thinking in the Bay Area, I would be able to find some great French butter at some fru fru high end grocery store. They might even have some at Whole Paychecks oh I mean Whole Foods >=).

I'm specifically looking for French butter. Heard standard American butter has a fat content of roughly 80% whereas higher end French butter has fat content of up to 86%. There goes my face. . . becoming rounder. Oh well, in this case I'm sure it's worth it. I'll probably try Trader Joe's too.

First thing on the menu, Oyster mushrooms sauteed in garlic, parsley, & butter with a dash of sea salt. mmm. I love mushrooms. =)

Wish me luck.

[T]

=)

2009-12-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

Tray and I are having a really good week. Granted we're both exhausted from working late into the evenings, but both really happy. We got a call from a store in LA to carry our cupcake necklaces. I'm not telling which store, but it's one that the celebs go to on Robertson Blvd, and that I dragged Dina and Gina into for the first time a few years ago on my birthday!

Hearts,
Michi

Christmas Carol in 3D

2009-12-02T14:31:00.001-08:00

This week-end the crew +1 (Arlene is joining our group!), headed to see Disney's Christmas Carol in 3D at the Metreon in SF. David has been commenting all week how awesome it was to see the movie in 3D and how real the snow looked. It really put both of us even more in the holiday spirit. Tray who I almost had to physically force to watch it, ended up liking it a lot. He liked his 3D glasses even more though (as seen in the pic above. haha).

25 Days of December

2009-12-01T19:40:00.001-08:00

Check out this super nice advent calendar my friend made. The felt she used is really soft (I'm so going to make plushies with similar felt). I love counting in general, so these calendars are really special to me!

Hearts Always,

Michi

Chocolate Decadence Ornament Giveaway

2009-12-01T09:50:00.000-08:00

Want a chance to win a set of Chocolate Decadence Ornaments? Click here to visit and enter. Sahar from Fat Fighter TV is sponsoring the contest which runs through December 4th.

Kit Kats!

2009-12-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

For those of you who aren't aware, KitKats come in all kinds of different flavors in other countries (they're holding out on us Americans!!). Here in the US, I think I've only seen white, dark, and milk chocolate, but in Japan, I've had pumpkin, green tea, and tiramisu. Apparently they now have Milk Tea flavor!! Somehow I'll have to get my hands on a few of these!!! I'm such a big tea drinker, and milk tea is always one of my favs!

Hearts,

Michi

New Recipes

2009-11-29T19:30:00.001-08:00

Pic of the Snickerdoodle pie. In the middle of dessert I remembered to take pics. hehe

Belated Thanksgiving was a blast. We had a hands on kitchen this year where we all cooked (Tray too of course!), and ended up playing Wii tennis and Monopoly late into the night. We also tried a few new recipes which are keepers.

I broke with tradition and made Snickerdoodle Pie (for David since it's one of his fav cookies). It was so easy to make, and everyone loved it. I found the recipe in November's All You magazine.

This is the recipe for the filling (I actually ended up using a Nilla premade crust since I've been so busy with work, Cherry Dot Holiday orders, and wedding planning).

Snickerdoodle Pie filling:

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil

2) In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and 1 Tbsp sugar (this is for the topping)

3) In a large bowl, whisk together (yey for using my Kitchen-Aid again), melted butter, buttermilk, egg yolks, flour, vanilla, salt, and sugar. Pour into pie shell, and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture over.

4) Bake for 20 minutes

5) Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes

6) Let cool and serve warm or chilled.

The other recipe we're adding to our holiday traditions is Cranberry Juice Sangria which was in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living, and that David was in charge of making. Tray who doesn't usually like sangria even had a few glasses and enjoyed this one.

Cranberry Juice Sangria

1 - 750ml bottle of zinfandel

4 cups cranberry juice

1 cup orange juice

1 orange, halved and thinly sliced

1 apple cut into thin slices

1/2 cup cranberries (we didn't like the fresh cranberries and will probably nix them next year. But they do look really festive).

1) Combine all ingredients and chill for 4 hours or overnight. Stir, and serve.

Homemade Donuts

2009-11-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

I bought donut cutters a few weeks ago at Daiso, and we finally put them to use this morning. I found a recipe online, called the Secret Donut Recipe, which we tried. Click here for the recipe and step by step instructions. The "Secret" and key ingredient was a mashed potato which was pretty suprising to me. Anyways, they were really simple to make and tasted good. We opted for powder sugar instead of making frosting. The donut cutters are only $1.50 at Daiso and are stainless steel!

This afternoon David and I will be cooking our Thanksgiving meal. Thank goodness he handles the turkey and all the fun stuff inside of it!

Hearts Always,

Michi

Happy Holidays!

2009-11-27T11:26:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The celebration in our house continues until Saturday when David and I are cooking and having a few close friends over. Wedding planning has kicked up for David and I, and we took our first set of engagement pics. We can't wait to see them. Pic above is a hint of where we were!

Hearts Always,

Michi

Awesome BBQ! [T]

2009-11-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

Every time I go to LA, I try to go to Lucille's BBQ. Their food is just delicious although a little pricey. The best thing there is the biscuits they give before the meal. It comes with this Apple Cinnamon churned butter that's to die for. It's like a spreadable, flavor bursting cloud like awesomeness.

Well anyway, I never found a place to challenge that spot... till this past weekend.

I hung out with my friends and they took me to Hard Knox Cafe. Their food is soo good and so affordable. Granted I only got the spare ribs there so I can't talk for anything else on the menu but what I ordered was so good. Course they didn't have my apple Cinnamon butter so its not AS good as Lucille's but close enough to tide me over till I go visit my peeps in La. And it was half the price of Lucille's. =)

Definitely worth a visit.

Hard Knox Cafe
2526 3rd St, San Francisco, CA
(415) 648-3770‎

New Bakery on Piedmont

2009-11-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

So whenever I go to Michi's on the weekend, we always try to go to this Bakery.
It's a really cozy place that has a lot of fresh baked goods. Many of the items sell out within a few hours so its best to go in the morning when everything is fresh and in stock.

I love the morning bun there, it's my fav. The brown sugar/Cinnamon swirls in the bun are just superb. It's so moist and every bite is so flavorful that it's definitely worth going over and over again.

La Farine 4094 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland (510) 420-1777

SF Antique Mall [T]

2009-11-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Michi and I went to the Antique mall in San Francisco.
It was such an adventure although we came out of the place empty handed.

I was looking for some nice crystal bowls for a candy jar and a solid chess set that I couldn't find.

But it was awesome nonetheless. It's so hit and miss so I'll definitely have to revisit that place again.

I love this treasure hunt feeling. I feel like everytime I go, something new will be there.

Hopefully I'll have better luck next time.

[T]

Guacamole Failure [T]

2009-11-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

So I LOVE Guac. I can eat it for dinner all by itself.

I found this great Guac recipe on Maxim mag a year or so back that I wrote down and used the last time I made Guac. It was amazing! That was then.

Fast forward a year or so to this past week, I realized I'd lost the recipe and so I had to find a random one online.

Long story short, it was horrendous. Couldn't taste the Avocados, all I tasted was blandness and the sourness from the limes. The avocados were perfectly ripe so I basically wasted a crap load of ingredients.

I was sooo sad. So...So...sad. I went to bed hungry that night with a sour after taste in my mouth. Not sure if it was from the excessive limes or from regret...

Anyone have a great Guac recipe to share? Please? Anyone? ... Anyone...?

[T]

Tahoe Countdown!!

2009-11-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for Tahoe!

I'm headed there for Thanksgiving although its only for like 2 days.

I love visiting my friends parents there. It's so relaxing and it just rejuvenates me.

I'm counting down the days although I'm a tad worried that somethings going to come up that might change plans. But lets just hope for the best.

I think it might even be snowing there.

So excited!

[T]

Coke vs. Costco [T]

2009-11-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that due to a pricing dispute between Coke and Costco, Costco won't be restocking coke products until they come to an agreement over pricing.

It must be horrible for both parties but it sucks for people like me who now have to drink Pepsi products at work for the time being.

Then again, if I had to put my money on it, I'm putting it on Coke. I can deal with going to a different company for Coke, but I can't deal with switching to Pepsi. . .

[T]

Nescafe Taster's Choice Instant Coffee [T]

2009-11-20T12:51:00.001-08:00

I was at the SF Bart station and they were giving out samples of Nescafe Taster's Choice Instant Coffee. Delighted, I took one and made my first coffee.

The sample pack came in 5 flavors. I was excited to start my day at work with free samples and a new brew.
My excitement quickly faded as I took my first sip of the Hazelnut flavor.

It lacked aroma, flavor and made all other generic coffees taste gourmet in comparison. I heard that Starbucks Via was really good although too pricey for what it is so I know its a possibility to make instant coffee taste good.

Since Nescafe put a damper on my morning, I thought I'd let them know what I thought of their instant coffee in an effort to challenge them to create a better concoction.

Let's see if they even respond to me first. [T]

Happy Sunday

2009-11-15T23:56:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great week-end. Mine was spent filling orders with Tray, but we did manage to step out for a few adventures. Brunch at the Armani Cafe in the city, a bit of antiquing (new hobby), most delish crossiants at La Farine, fall clothes shopping (I got new boots!), and of course multiple trips to Michael's. Now I'm wrapping up the week-end with David watching our favorite movie, Notting Hill for the Nth time.

Hearts Always,

Michi

Christmas Decos

2009-11-12T11:58:00.001-08:00

Christmas decorations are already going up in our house. This year we will be having 3 trees. I like to start really early with the decorations since this is the busiest time of the year for Cherry Dot, and I may not have time later as we get close to Christmas and pushed against the shipping deadlines for orders.

The first tree that I put up is this pink cashmere one. I'll be decorating this with all my custom and girlie girl ornaments (think purses, cakes, and high heels). 42 days until Christmas!

Hearts,

Michi

Cloudy Days Cell Phone Charm & Keychain

2009-11-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

These were so fun to make. I hope you enjoy! They are double sided - one side is a happy cloud and the other a sad cloud. The link above is for the cell phone charm but we also made mini keychains that are also available in the shop.

SJ Tech Museum

2009-11-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

Shadow wall where you can control the flow of the sand
Avatar/Human Screens

Virtual labyrinth

Sunday we headed to the San Jose Museum of Tech (my choice of aquarium got overrided by the menfolk). The museum was amazing. You can scan your ticket and build a "website" of your pictures from the different exhibits. There was an earthquake exhibit, jet pack simulation, a green exhibit and a bunch of others. If you visit, the IMAX is a must! It's dome shaped, so it's almost like being in a planetarium/IMAX.

Free Jelly Bean Necklace

2009-11-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

For all the early shoppers with orders $15 and over, we're packing a free jelly bean necklace (I think everyone should have one!) into your order. This way, you can buy sweets for someone else, and get something sweet for yourself.

This will be running until November 23rd. We will even allow you to pick what flavor you want! Simply message me at michi@cherrydot.com after your order.

Hearts,

Michi

Pan fried breaded pork [T]

2009-11-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Michi and I made our pan fried breaded pork dish that we love to make here and there.

It's a great dish. It's not that bad for you in moderation since its not deep fried but pan fried with minimal oil. It tastes great and its a simple dish to make.

1. Buy boneless pork tenderloins at your local market.
2. Pound the meat with a jagged hammer on both sides to flatten meat to roughly 1/4-1/3 of an inch
3. Put flour on a plate and throw the meat onto the plate on both sides to ensure its coated
4. Dip the meat coated in flour in egg that's been beaten
5. Put flavored bread crumbs (Progresso Italian flavor works well) on both sides (press bread crumbs onto the meat so enough of it gets stuck on)
6. Pan fry on medium high heat. Since its pounded thin, it'll cook fast.

Enjoy!

[T]

Macaron Trio Now Available

2009-11-04T19:34:00.001-08:00

Miniature macaron necklaces are now available at Cherry Dot. Hope you enjoy!

Red Velvet Cupcakes [T]

2009-11-04T02:10:00.000-08:00

We made Red Velvet Cupcakes for the first time (real ones at least) at my house.

I never knew the batter was so rich in color! It turned out pretty good especially since we made the icing which tasted quite decadent. It was sweet and a little tarty - a nice balance to ensure its not too sweet.

The white icing went really well with the bright red velvet cupcake bottom.
Definitely looking forward to making more in the future.

Golf Cake Ornament

2009-11-03T11:56:00.001-08:00

Last night, I had an extra 30 minutes before bed, and whipped up this Golf Cake Christmas Ornament for David. I'm planning on remaking this (with textured grass) but I was really pleased with the texture I was able to create for the golf ball. David loves it, and even asked me to glaze the ball to make it shiny. Sorry for the bad lighting in the picture, but it's the best I could do at midnight!

Hearts,
Michi

Holiday Season!

2009-11-02T09:05:00.001-08:00

Chocolate Decadence Ornament Trio
Chocolates in their packaging (comes with Ornament hooks)

Strawberry Dream Cake Ornament

Strawberry Dream cake comes in a pink lace heart box

Mad Hatter Cake Christmas Ornament

Happy Holidays! I'm so happy to be able to start saying it! And this year especially, I have a lot to look forward to, and to be thankful for. I have the best friends, family, and fiance (who is all three!).

With only 52 days until Christmas (Yes I'm counting!), it's time for me to post about the new items in the shop for the holidays. This year, Tray and I have added Christmas ornaments into the shop. Christmas is an especially sentimental time for me. David and I collect ornaments everywhere we go. This past year, I've also been making more personal ornaments to remember cakes, birthdays, holidays, and other special days. Tray and I have created a few ornaments we hope will be special to you as well.

Tray and I also want to say thank you to everyone who lets us be a part of their holidays.

Hearts Always,

Michi

Jelly Beans!

2009-10-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

Now available in the shop, Jelly Bean necklaces. I think these are so cute! I wore my Very Cherry one everyday for a month and even wore the matching earrings. hehe. Dina has the Strawberry Cheesecake one!

Eastwick

2009-10-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

Three years ago....

Eastwick (formerly Stars Hollow)

Dina and I outside Luke's diner

Roxie's Shop (formerly Luke's diner)

I've been watching Eastwick which is about three witches, and stars Lindsay Price (Lipstick Jungle) & Rebecca Romjin (Ugly Betty).While watching, I've been feeling very sentimental about my all time favorite show, Gilmore Girls. Something about the set reminded me of Stars Hollow. I looked it up, and sure enough, they're filming on the Warner Brothers set. Luke's Diner is now Roxie's Art Shop. So now, I really want to visit the WB set again (Bestie Roadtrip!), and watch the entire series of Gilmore Girls again (David's prob seen it with me at least 5 times at this point). I still haven't moved on from that show, and am still hoping for a movie to come out! Pics are from one of my all time fav trips 3 years ago to the WB set! I wish I would have taken more pics of the Gilmore Girls set before they repurposed it for all these other shows (I have like 100+ pics. hehe).

Hearts,

Michi

Weekend Update

2009-10-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

Treats from Japantown - Vivi and CanCam (Japanese Fashion glossies), miniature softies in cones (sooo good. They stuff the ice cream all the way down to the bottom of the cone), roll cake (vanilla), and Meiji choccies with strawberry filling. Not shown is the chicken karage which I already scarfed.

This past week was spent battling a cold. Saturday was the first day I felt better so Tray and I buckled down to finish orders and get the website ready for Christmas. Today David and I headed to Ricky's to watch the Vikings game, and then he took me to Japantown to pick up a few treats. We ended up stopping into Isobune (sushi boat restaurant), and then to Kinokuniya (book-store) and Niji-ya (grocery store). Even though Christmas isn't as big in Japan, I love reading through all the holiday issues of their glossies. It's back to the clay table for me for a few hours, followed by Desperate Housewives. This week, I'll update with pics of my garden, our Halloween decorations, and a few recipes we've tried in the kitchen. Have a great night!

Hearts,
Michi

Fall is here, and I'm missing home

2009-10-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its fall already.
I miss being home with my folks surrounded by a lush and relaxing garden.

Around this time, I can see my mom picking bitter persimmons from our tree to hang and dry. Although you wouldn't want to take a bite out of the bitter turnip shaped persimmons, after dried for a long while, they taste quite delicious.

Come the holidays I always catch my breath in life and head home.

In LA, we have an outdoor fireplace in front of a comfy 3 seater swinging chair thingy. My friends and I would relax there wrapped up in a throw, by a crackling fire accompanied by a chilling breeze. We'd talk for hours and it was all good.

As the leaves start getting a hint of yellow, I get this tickle to go back home to LA.

It's a funny thing. The summers in turn awaken the travel bug within me as I've taken the habit of reserving my summers for this very occasion. Although, regrettably, like a dog that no longer rushes to an empty bowl at the sound of a bell, many summers have slipped through my grasp; thus conditioning me to lose yet another thing to look forward to.

[T]

Salmon Run at Lake Tahoe [T]

2009-10-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

I went to Tahoe this past weekend to unwind and get my thoughts together.

I went with my two friends and visited his folks. It was amazing as always and its exactly what I needed. We try to go a few times a year but I wasn't able to make it the last few times.

This time they took us to see the Salmon swim upstream for their annual run. It was something I've always wanted to see so I was overjoyed to see such a thing. I never knew they were so red in color.

I went to see something somewhat similar years back to see the Grunion run which is when the Grunion, a smelt sized salt water fish comes to the sandy part of the beach to lay their eggs during the full moon. You're allowed to catch them but only with your bare hands.
Although you can't catch the Salmon. haha.

It's something definitely worth experiencing.

[T]

Cherries of the Week

2009-10-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Pink coffee thermos (and of course anything else in baby pink. Mouses, lotion, jewelry)
Lady Grey Tea (I put in vanilla coffeemate and it tastes like Fruit Loops & Earl Grey)
Glossies (Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides SF, All You, Food & Wine, Redbook, & of course US Weekly)
Boots (yey fall!). I need new ones that I can march around in without having to take breaks and having to stand up hill at stoplights (to alleviate the pain)
Werther's Miniature hard candies
"Obsessed" by Mariah
Pearls
Christmas decorations

Hi hi!

2009-10-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

Petroglyphs we saw on the raft trip

Terrain that you ride up and down on in the jeep
Pink Jeep

Sedona red rock

Sorry for the absence. I've been behind in life the last few weeks, and am still trying to catch up. The last two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind, kicked off by a trip to Sedona & the Grand Canyon with the Hub (my choice was Hawaii but given tight schedules, we're saving that for next year).

Sedona was amazing. In the three short days we had there, we ended up doing a half day raft trip from the Glen Canyon into the Grand Canyon, Pink Jeep tours (which by the way is crazy! You go up and down the mountainside literally), went to Slide Rock Park (which is a natural water slide in the middle of a canyon), and spent some time at the pool and spa. We haven't been on holiday for almost a year, so it was nice to get away even if it was for a short time.

I also got my wedding dress!! Thanks to Tray mainly who was a super best friend and woke up at 2:45am to pick it up. THANK YOU!!! I love it so much and can't wait to wear it in 7 short months!

Tray had a birthday. Which was celebrated at a sushi fusion place in the city. We still need to go shopping for his birthday present, which will probably be a shoulder bag. Him carrying my laptop back and forth between our houses probably contributed to the demise of his original bag. Happy Birthday!

I've started working in the South Bay, which means I have a new commute and am adjusting to my new work environment.

Anyhow, October is already one third done, and Christmas is about 75 days away, so things are still really busy. This week-end consists of getting all orders out, catching up on my fav tv shows (all of which started up this fall and that I'm behind on), reading my book (Dan Brown!!), and tending to my garden (which is sprouting wonderfully). I've also been whipping up a few things in the kitchen from my new cookbook that I will post about shortly.

Hearts Always,

Michi

Spooky Jelly Bean Charm Bracelet

2009-10-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

Now Available in the shop, Halloween themed Jelly Bean bracelet.

Best Friend Necklaces

2009-09-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

Frosted animal cookie best friend necklaces are now available at Cherry Dot. One pink and one white for you and your bestie.

Safeway Organics Mac and Cheese [T]

2009-09-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

So just the other day being the hungry person that I am, roamed around the kitchen like a curious bear. This has caused me much problems in the past but apparently I don't really learn. However, this time, I found the Safeway brand Organics Mac and Cheese that I bought ages ago.

I actually love these. The first time I made them, they came out pretty horrid. I think the recipe just needs to be tweaked. And when I say recipe, I mean the oversimplified ingredients like butter, cheese mix and milk. The only thing you really should do that they don't tell you is that you should use about three times the amount of milk. I think they only tell you to put 1-2 Tablespoons of milk. That's definitely not enough.

So, melt butter first. Once melted, add the milk (listed quantity times 2 or 3) then mix in cheese packet. Make sure all cheese gets dissolved. Get rid of lumps.

Once you have mixture and your noodles are already boiled and drained really well, dump it into the pot with the cheese mix. You should have extra sauce with the extra milk and should look a little bit on the watery side. Now continue to cook and stir the noodles and sauce in low to medium heat until the sauce almost disappears. This way, you get a creamier sauce, and with the extra milk, the cheese melts properly; avoiding cheese chunks later. I also do this with the other flavors like Alfredo Mac and Cheese.

Such a small change but such a big difference.

Enjoy and let me know how it goes!

[T]

Gardening

2009-09-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

My newest hobby is gardening. Yes, gardening. I've been reading all these articles about how great it is to walk into your backyard and harvest vegetables, and since Farmville is so fun (yes I mean the computer game), I decided to give it a whirl. It helps that Tray is big on farming and actually knows what to do in real life.

So, this weekend Tray and I worked in the garden. We planted two types of peas, strawberries, and lavender. I got the cutest gardening tools (pics from Tray's camera to come). Anyways, there is one fatal flaw that I have with my newest hobby (identified in the morning convo below).

Me: Love, can you check my bag to make sure there are no spiders in it? I saw a spider walk by it yesterday.

David: Sure (looks in inside and outside of bag and tries to hand it back to me)

Me: (Refusing to take the bag). Can you check again?

David: (Checks it again this time looking through the folds). It's clear. Nothings in it

Me: Are you positive nothing will crawl onto my stuff?

David: (with a big smile and hug) You're going to have a hard time in the garden aren't you?

Me: That's what I have you for.

I'm terrified of bugs. Always have been. For some reason, I don't mind scorpions and tarantulas because they're easy to spot, but I'm terrified of snails, rolly pollys, ants, spiders, flies, everything.

Thank goodness I have David. And Tray. And a cute pink shovel (with which I plan to scoop out bugs).