Have you tried Tonnino’s Tuna? I just did and now I’m hooked. But for the challenge Tonnino’s is currently hosting, I would’ve never tried their Tuna — Mostly because I’ve never been fond of canned Tuna, Tuna Salad, Tuna Casseroles and alike, nor a fan of unfamiliar jarred products. After learning about Tonnino’s exceptional quality and the care that goes into their Tuna (and the $5,000 prize), I became interested. And since they’re in search of video recipes and we’re wanting to experiment, all came together in one great recipe — Calypso Tuna Cakes. I made our recipe/video entry with the pictured Tuna and the taste was delicious.
Because the recipe is currently involved in a competition, we’ll post it here later or soon link to it elsewhere. The instructional video is posted on Tonnino’s site — View at your own risk. I look goofy, but the Calypso Tuna Cakes are guaranteed awesome. It’s a winner in flavor. The Tonnino Tuna Chef Challenge ends October 1st. Enter here now or wish us luck!
When was the last time you had a picnic? We mustn’t forget the simple enjoyment of a picnic. It seems Americans don’t take enough pleasure in them. While traveling through many parts of Europe, you’ll see people having picnics everywhere and often. It’s a great thing.
We’re inspired to have more picnics and Cost Plus World Market, a favorite destination for unique and imported food items can make it happen on a moment’s notice. It has everything one could need for a picnic. We prepared for this one by getting ALL shown from Cost Plus, including the insulated picnic basket that transported the Salami, Cracked Pepper Smoked Salmon, Bruschetta, Roasted Artichoke Hearts, Pepper Jack Cheese, Assorted Crackers, Almonds, Pickles, Olives, Wine and Cookies.
This day it was too windy to show you it was too windy — Meaning, we couldn’t back up for a wide photo, since all hands were necessary to hold down the light stuff during the wind gusts. It was (kinda) funny, until it blew over our Chardonnay, and it was a bit scary thinking the Smoked Salmon could possibly land on us, but ultimately it was a lot of fun.
We had this picnic in Temecula, near Pechanga Resort & Casino, where we took our Grandma to see her favorite singer, Engelbert Humperdinck. Prior to the concert, we laughed eating the Orange Chocolate Rolled Wafers — They are sooooo darn good and fodder for immature jokes that transcend generations, Groucho Marx impersonations and more.
The Project Food Blog Competitionstarts in September and Contestant Profiles are going up. We just posted ours that’s captured in the above screen shot. During the (12) week competition, Contestants will be whittled down through participation in (10) challenges related to food blogging. The ultimate prize for the last blogger standing is $10,000 and a “special feature” on Foodbuzz for one year. Wish us luck!
What kind of Nut are you? I’ve heard that question many of times, hahaha, and now I know. It appears I’m a Pecan for those who have wondered all these years. Fisher Nuts has developed a Personality Quiz to help you determine which Nut you’ve always been. Take the quiz now — It’ll be such a relief to finally know. The mystery is somewhat solved. 🙂
PECAN: You are generous and loyal. Friends and family love to be around you because you consider their needs first. You are a tenacious, committed team player who doesn’t require recognition. You are happiest when you share the credit with everyone around you.
Working on a Logo for Project Food Blog — Nibbles of Tidbits, a SoCal Food Blog is an official contestant in the Project Food Blog Competition, which starts in September. Contestants will be whittled down over (12) weeks through participation in (10) challenges related to food blogging. The ultimate prize is $10,000 and a “special feature” on Foodbuzz for one year. We’re gonna be opening up a can of… (probably something, oh, and that too). 🙂
‘Pick out all the Candy you want’ is what I said to my Chef Nieces, Baliee and Lexi from Kids in the Kitchen — It would’ve been a dream come true for me as a kid. I still love Candy and Cost Plus World Market has the best selection, if you don’t know that already!?
Come with me and you’ll be in a world of Pure Imagination —A song superbly sang by Gene Wilder in one of the most magical movie clips ever and appropriate to this post. Cost Plus could be a modern day Willy Wonka. Today it was.
I think I would have picked out way more Candy than they did, hahaha, but we did end up with a good cross-section of nostalgic, imported, mainstream, unique and extreme Candy, which was fun to try — On a rowdy sugar high we dumped the tub of Old Time Favorites over Chef Lexi’s head. It’s raining Candy. 🙂
We had a great time trying the Violet Mints, Candy Buttons, Mango Gummy Candy, Ginger Candy Chews and various small imported Chocolate Bars. And we enjoyed having a couple nostalgic favorites, like Chick-O-Sticks and Bit-O-Honey. The Toxic Waste Candy pictured below was ridiculously strong. They do call it ‘hazardously sour Candy’ and you can tell by the post-sampling expressions.
We haven’t yet tried the Bean Boozled by Jelly Belly. We’re afraid and may need to host a Jelly Belly Fear Factor Game later — Stay tuned for that when we find a couple brave volunteers. So far all asked say no way José.
Note: Photos for this Candy Taste-Off were taken at the Bella Terra Cost Plus World Market. If going to the movie theater nearby, we suggest stopping in Cost Plus to get the Candy — Shhhhhh. So sorry, theater Candy prices are gouging and I buy the Popcorn.
I’m so excited to learn that I’m an Official Semi-Finalist in the Zespri Kiwifruit Kiwi A-Go-Go Bloggers’ Contest — Thanks Zespri! If you have a Food Blog and wish to enter, the contest is still open. If you don’t have a blog, you may still enter here to possibly win (4) tickets to New Zealand from Zespri. And if you’re curious about my contest entry, it’s linked here. We submitted a fun video and tasty recipe to hopefully be on our way to Kiwi-land, New Zealand to meet the Zespri folks, etc. Have you tried the golden Kiwifruit yet? We just did for the first time. It’s pictured below and looks almost identical to the green Kiwifruit, but seems more mellow in flavor and perhaps less tart. It’s thrilling to see the golden Kiwifruit in person, since its color is so beautiful, but we’ll most likely opt for the green Kiwifruit to eat.
More funny at my expense — The Orange County FairCompetition Results are now in. My entry is the only one above without a Ribbon. Oh well, can’t win ’em all. And today I shot more video than photos, but most times when I thought I pressed record, I stopped the video (and vice versa), thus lamely captured our walking and talking most of the day, instead of the interesting, yummy stuff, haha. Duh! In defense, it was difficult to see the ‘REC’ light in the bright sunshine and I unfortunately got it backwards along the way. It won’t happen again. Gotta laugh though, which is easy since we’ll be going back soon.
Happily others we know did well in the OC Fair Competitions. Hover over the above photos to learn more about each — And get to the Fair to see the results of all competitions. Congratulations to ALL winners!
The above dish truly represents ‘The Bad‘ and ‘The Funny‘ about this blog. The Tangerine Dream Bars (wannabe) was going to be an entry in the Culinary Arts Competition at the Orange County Fair, but it didn’t happen. I was gonna cover the top with Powdered Sugar, but unfortunately there’s no masking the soupy, unset middle. 🙁 I’m not exactly sure what went wrong here, since it turned out good last time. Wouldn’t you know it — Two hours before submission time I discovered it looked like this. Oh well, good thing my other entry was delicious and successfully submitted. The Orange County Fair starts this Friday, July 16th. The results will be posted opening day.
Our only entry in the Culinary Arts Competition (1st Show) is the Chocolate Layered Surprise. It’s formed with alternating layers of Milk Chocolate, Waffle Cone, Dried Cherries and Pecans, then cut in squares and drizzled with White Chocolate. We’ll be submitting (2) additional entries in August for the 2nd Show.
This Kiwi wannabe is burstin’ at the seams with excitement over ZESPRI’sKiwi A-Go-Go Bloggers’ Contest. The possibility of winning a Trip for 4 to New Zealand put me over the edge. Inspired by the true stars of the contest (Kiwi and New Zealand) and by the love of board games and goofy interaction, I created a variation of an old classic game — The new sensation is called The Kiwi Game. It’s a FREE Game that comes with every 2 Kiwis and is shown in our very first VIDEO (posted directly below). It was fun making it!
This post serves as my entry into ZESPRI’s Kiwi A-Go-Go Bloggers’ Contest — In the consumer sweepstakes (selected by random drawing), readers may also enter The Great Kiwi Adventure for a chance to win a Trip for 4 to New Zealand. We’re competing for a prize in connection with our creations and mentioning this cool contest to you. Good luck ALL!
And did you know that… A two-piece serving of Kiwi (aka Kiwifruit) has twice the Vitamin C of an Orange, as much Potassium as a Banana, and as much fiber as a serving of bran flakes (less than 100 calories)?! Zespri’s nutrition information says exactly that. They also report that it’s a good source of Magnesium, it’s sodium free and a low-fat source of Vitamin E. The Kiwifruit has it goin’ on — It’s truly a special fruit. Learn more about ’em here.
In celebration of the Kiwi and to satisfy our longing to visit New Zealand, we created the pictured Kiwi Blackberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream and Toasted Coconut. It’s a beautiful combination of flavors and colors reminiscent of a coral reef. We’ve provided the recipe and step-by-step photo instructions (below) l – r working on downward.
Kiwi Blackberry Shortcake RECIPE
Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup granulated Sugar (divided)
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
8 Tablespoons softened Butter (1 stick)
3/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup shredded, toasted Coconut (toast in dry skillet until golden brown)
1 Cup Heavy Cream
3 Tablespoons Confectioners’ Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450° and grease an 8-inch square pan. Sift together the Flour, a little more than 1/2 the Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt. Stir in the softened Butter and Milk just until blended. Batter will be a little lumpy. Bake for 13 – 15 minutes. While baking, whip the Heavy Cream until almost stiff, then add the Confectioners’ Sugar and Vanilla. When stiff peaks are formed, place the Whipped Cream in the fridge until ready to use. Peel and chop Kiwis into slices then quarters, combine with Blackberries and sprinkle all with remaining granulated Sugar, toss lightly so not to blend the vibrant colors and set aside.
Once Shortcake has cooled, cut a square or rectangle piece and cut in half lengthwise. Place bottom half on plate and top with Whipped Cream and Kiwi Blackberry mixture, then top with the Shortcake cap, more Whipped Cream and toasted Coconut. Garnish with a sprig of Mint (optional), Kiwi slice or Blackberry.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes — Makes: 9 – 12 Servings.
Note: Since you don’t need to over mix the dough or the fruit combo, this recipe is easy and fast to make. It’s impressive looking and tasting too.
Q: Why New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty is appropriately named?
A: Because it’s currently at bay and I wanna go there plenty. 🙂
We’ve skated, biked and walked the beach path in Long Beach hundreds of times before — It’s a particularly good path for skaters, since it’s extra wide and smooth compared to other local beach paths. It’s generally less crowded and offers great views too.
Wanting more, we limited ourselves to one Hand Shaken Cadillac Margarita each, since we were already contemplating a ride on the Passport as an easier trip back to our starting point (haha), but we skated back — And no SUI or SWI for us! Pictured is the Grilled Vegetable Taco and not pictured is the rest of the day, since the camera battery died after a long night. We need a back-up for all the action.
It was a good day for a patio lunch — Tequila Jack’s always seems willing to accommodate.
While in college once upon a time, I waitressed at a Red Robin Restaurant. I shouldn’t tell this next part, but I told ’em I’d waitressed before, but hadn’t — Sorry. Luckily all went well and I still have friends whom I met there so long ago. And now, several years after graduation and not eating at Red Robin, I met a long lost former co-worker there for lunch. We were both happy to see that the BLTA Croissant Sandwich is still on the menu and it’s as good as we remember. Also pictured is the Bleu Ribbon Burger, which we tried for the first time. It was good, but unfortunately not great — It includes Chipotle Mayo, which sounds great on the surface, but seemed to overtake the “Bleu” aspect of the Burger. Combined with an Herbed Bun, there are just too many competing flavors happening with it. We give thumbs up to the management of the Santa Ana (Sunflower) location, as they appear to really care about Red Robin customers. Business was booming this lunch day and management was walkin’ the floor making sure all was satisfactory.
Hip hip hooray, we’re on our way to the Pala Casino Buffet to spend the winnings of Super Bowl Sunday. It’ll be explained later, but now I’m happy to report a $100 win in a Super Bowl pool, as I luckily did last year. Is it legal? I don’t know — Oh well. In celebration of ALL and because my Dad loves Budweiser, I’ve posted the quotes below.
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
– Benjamin Franklin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.”
– Dave Barry
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“Beer: Helping ugly people have sex since 3000 B.C.”
In addition to having a freelance writing career, I’ve been a Litigation Paralegal for several years — And I’ve always gotten a big kick out of walking around the law office with my Coffee in this cup. 🙂 Fortunately I’m not abused by too many hours anymore, so the main point of this post is my excitement over Coffee that stays warm. Yeah! I no longer have to keep reheating it in the microwave. This so-called Candle Warmer is working fabulously as a Coffee Warmer. Although I cannot vow for its complete safety for this purpose, it’s been working well for me for 30+ days. Use at your own risk.
*The identical looking product that’s sold as a Coffee Warmer usually sells for $12.99 – $14.99, and the pictured product sold as a Candle Warmer was only $5.00.
Our Family Feud Show finally airs tonight at 6:00PM on KCAL Channel 9. If you’re local tune in. We’ll be poppin’ open a bottle of Champagne to toast the money we won. Yeah! We played as the Breneman Family from Orange County, California.
* Our show airs on December 23rd & 24th at 6PM on Channel 9 (KCAL).
We’re celebrating the holidays with lots of family and friends, and thus have been holdin’ on to several insightful reports that’ll be posted on Nibbles of Tidbits soon. Delicious Ham leftovers are the commodity of the week — Merry Christmas to me.
Nibbles of Tidbits gets to decorate a lot of Cookies — Our Christmas Cookies this year seem to look a little better than those decorated last Christmas. The Cookies don’t need to look perfect, because the most fun is had decorating them with friends.
The Sugar Cookies start out naked as you can see, but gave permission to be posted here. 🙂
When starting with a blank canvas it’s hard to envision how to decorate some Cookie shapes, thus it’s helpful to view others’ Christmas Cookies for ideas. We post our Cookies each year to remind ourselves of the possibilities and to assist you with the same.
Our family, friends and co-workers appreciate the Cookies of our labor — We like hand delivering the decorated Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Dipped Oreos & Graham Crackers, and molded White Chocolate Peppermint Cottages to awaiting smiles.
Our holiday Cookie decorating tradition is always a great time — We suggest you do the same with your friends. The Nibbles of Tidbits ‘Official Cookie Crew’ includes all pictured below l-r, Michelle, Loretta, Kim, Nora, Patty (aka Tricia) and Shelly (aka Me). Merry Christmas ALL!
Every first Friday of December, I host a Girl’s Christmas Party and this year was my 15th annual. Guests are asked to bring an appetizer, salad, soup or side dish and a $25 value gift for a crazy gift exchange. A prize and ribbon are awarded to the person bringing the best voted appetizer. This year’s winning appetizer is posted above and the runner up is below.
In addition to the winning appetizers, we’ve posted several others to provide a few ideas for your Christmas Party. Everything was yummy and I’m much appreciative for all contributions.
We enjoyed baked Bruschetta with Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil and Balsamic Vinegar, homemade Guacamole and Chips, Antipasto, Vegetables with Ranch Dip, Chips and Onion Dip, Chicken Wings, Hummus with Pita Chips, a Chopped Salad, Spring Rolls, Buffalo Mozzarella with Tomato and Basil, and much more. Some dishes aren’t pictured due to photo quality.
Dessert preparation is deligated to the best baker in the bunch, Loretta of Nibbles of Tidbits’ Cookie Decorating fame. She made a few of our old time favorites for all to enjoy.
Dessert included a homemade Chocolate Cake with Frosting piped using my favorite decorating tip (hair tip), Magic Bars and Lemon Squares. Loretta receives a prize every year for her amazing efforts.
The past couple years money was saved on a tree, due to the display of our adorable Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. Champagne flows along with the availability of a semi-full bar and lots of Bottled Water. And poster boards are accessible to view party photos from all previous years.
This year I pulled out an American Idol Microphone to facilitate the party along. We (I) had a fun time with it — It’s a great way to get your guest’s attention to coordinate the games, the gift exchange and appetizer vote submissions. We usually end the party with a group photo to be viewed on next year’s poster board. Unfortunately two left before we remembered to take our 2009 photo. To view last year’s par-tay highlights, click here. Merry Christmas!
As a fairly new tradition, a group of us get together to decorate Halloween Cookies. These photos are from our 2nd annual gathering. Above the Wicked Witch of the West is melting into several Cupcakes — They’re made with green frosting, a upside-down Fudge Striped Cookie, a Hershey’s Kiss and orange piped icing. And the other is what the Wicked Witch of the East must have looked like after the house landed on her.
All the professional looking goodies in this post were prepared by our host, Loretta Shaw (a Personal Trainer by day and Creative Baker by night). She seamlessly prepared the Chocolate Dipped Oreos and Graham Crackers, the White Chocolate Tangerine Bark and the Eyeball, Finger, Hand and Gummy Worm Cupcakes, while the rest of us decorated the Cookies she baked.
As noted in previous posts, decorating holiday Cookies, Cupcakes and Candies is a fun way to spend time with friends. We have a blast, then get to take home the goodies to our awaiting families, who are much appreciative. Enjoy the ideas and have your own Cookie party.
Be sure to check back every year, because we 5 Cookies (and another BFF missing from the photo) plan to keep decorating edible Cookies for many years to come. Loretta (middle) is located in Orange County — If interested in having professional looking (and tasting) goodies prepared for your holiday party, please leave a detailed comment here and we’ll get back to you. Happy Halloween!
Nibbles of Tidbits is an I Need Text Company Blog that provides helpful cooking tips, meal preparation photos, recipes, restaurant reviews, travel reviews, food television commentary, informative links, food event and product reports, and good, bad and funny stories about all things food related. We’re working hard to provide the best information in the cleanest format. As we continue to test for optimum functionality this weekend, we’ve posted the above photo as a preview of our Tastemaker report on Nature’s Pride Bread. It’ll be interesting.
Although technically not food related, it may be of interest to some. If you’re on the east coast, you may be able to catch us on Family Feud tonight. Our show should air on 09/30/09 & 10/01/09 in the east, and on 12/23/09 & 12/24/09 in the west (KCAL Channel 9 @ 6PM). We’ll be popping open a bottle of Champagne on December 23rd, but we’re still working on the appetizer menu. If anyone catches tonight’s broadcast, we’d love to hear about it. You’ll be seeing it before we do. Family Feud was a blast! Back to the food, us girls wouldn’t mind taking a bite out of John O’Hurley. 🙂 Would that be considered an acceptable appetizer? Probably not.
Does this mean I might know something about which I write? Although the purple ribbons only mean participate, I’m happy to have them too. The Orange County Fair left town, but I picked up these ribbons today among the rubble of the broken down rides. Each year the OC Fair runs a Culinary Arts Competition and sign up is 3 months preceding it. I finally met the deadline this year for the first time and pleased to report that all (4) entries placed — Not too shabby, though some of my friends say the contest must be easy, HA.
To enter the 2010 Culinary Arts Competition, start checking this website in late April – May 2010 for Home Arts – Culinary information, guidelines, deadlines, etc. Good luck!
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