Welcome To The Hotel Del Coronado

Can you guess the melody of the song of today's post title? I'm hoping you do. If not I'll give you a hint: The Eagles. Well, that's all the trivia I've got up my sleeve for this Friday. But I wanted to start your weekend with some pics from my vacation with my husband.

We did not stay at the Hotel Del Coronado but if we ever did, we would probably try to stay in the villas closer to the beach. But if you're the kind of person who likes historical hotels and possibly some exciting haunted stories, then definitely stay in the main hotel. There is legend of a female spirit that resides there but the name is yet to be debated. But if spooks and spiders aren't your thing, I also heard that the winter season is a great time for a visit as well. The hotel is completely lit from tip to floor and I'm sure they will accommodate all your holiday needs!

Here are some pictures taken from my cool Hipstamatic app. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

For more information about The Hotel Del Coronado visit their site.

Swaddee Thai Restaurant

Thai Papaya Salad Exra Spicy!

If you ever visit Coronado Island in San Diego and you're hungry for Thai food be sure to check out Swaddee Thai Restaurant. The food was pretty good. I think the chicken satay tasted a bit funny due to the spices or coconut marinade, however I would definitely give them another shot. I'm a big believer in giving chefs second chances. There is a thing called a bad day in the kitchen.

I think the best part of Swaddee was the service by our waitress P Yui. She was so sweet and welcoming; had I had enough time to visit the island I would have gone back to see her again. Anyway, here are some pictures I'd like to share with you. I don't remember what my seafood dish was called but it was good. Like I said, I would go back and give them another try despite the so-so experience with food but wonderful time with our waitress.

Kra Pao Chicken

Chicken Satay

Seafood Dish

Swaddee Thai Restaurant

1001 C Ave

Coronado, CA 92188

Tel. (619)-435-8110

Baby Shower Theme Idea

When it comes to parties and themes, I am probably the worse planner in the world. So instead, I blog about other people's (Aunt Victoria & Grandma LuLu) themes and their creativity. Maybe it's just me but when someone else makes food or plans a party, it seems to taste and feel better.

Well, I had the opportunity to attend my future niece's baby shower and it was a lovely occasion. Plus, the party favor was right up my alley...gourmet coffee (mmmmmm coffee). I've never had coffee as a favor but it's something I'm willing to consider if I ever host a party. What a creative idea, huh?

Here are a couple photos of the party welcoming my new niece, Annabella! The photo above was the baby's name spelled out with individual letters on multi-colored construction paper with a little decor on the first and last letter.

Decorations:

Wired flower and dragonfly centerpieces.

Games:

Whatever you do...DO NOT speak those words above. Or else you lose your baby pins.

3 minutes to look & 5 minutes to recall what was in the basket! Not to brag but I won that game. My memory's like an elephant's and I'm pretty darn proud of it too.

Fooooood:

 

Made by a friend of the family. Isn't she talented?

Simple Sherbet Punch: Ginger Ale, Tonic water & Sherbet Ice Cream.

Party Favors:

Can't wait to see you Baby Annabella! Love, Aunt Crazy!!

Porto's Bakery: The Other Happiest Place On Earth

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

My husband is the one who introduced me to this wonderful place that smells of cold creamy sugar and warm fluffy pastries. So far I've been to Porto's a handful of times and each time I've never been disappointed. One of my favorite foods and one that I always get is their Potato Ball. In fact, if the world ever experienced an apocalypse and I had to choose one food to survive off of, it would be Porto's Potato Balls. Why? I'll tell you why. The outer crust is crunchy and the inside is a mashed potato filled with minced meat. Ahhhh, really good.

Anyway, to learn more about this great place check out the Porto family story here. This family definitely has something to be proud of and as a second generation immigrant it's always good to hear and experience the "American Dream" come true. Go Porto's and Thank you Babe for taking me out to lunch!

Here's a couple of photos from my last trip:

Potato Balls of Life! 

Creme Brulee

Chocolate Croissant

Empanadas

Tiramisu

Pineapple Custard Cuban Cake

For the three locations and information for Porto's:

Burbank   Glendale    Downey

Inedible Cute Foods

Today's post is about all the inedible foods that are available for those of us who are trying to lose weight. You can look, but not eat (only if you want to see how rubber digests, but I don't recommend it). I guess you could say this is for all the food gawkers out there. 

I found most of my cute food erasers from Japanese stores or Asian markets around town. I'm telling you, if you ever wanted to start a collection of small figurines/stuff, collecting these erasers is a great start. They have almost everything you could imagine in tiny form. 

Like the photo above and this one below:

And to add even more fun to this collection, the hot dog, french fries, hamburger and sandwich can all come apart! This is my kind of toy.

Below are a couple more things I found at stores and the last photo I found at this year's Comic-Con. The company is called O-No Food Company and they create some of the cutest collectibles that are all in sushi form. I promise you will not regret checking out their site and might even be tempted to buy a set. 

Have a great Monday!

FTW Shrimp Sauce

Hey dear readers hope you had a great weekend. Did you do anything fun in the kitchen? I know I did, out of a need to finish off some fresh shrimp I purchased about a week ago. Luckily, it wasn't frost bitten!

If you want to find another way to spice up shrimp, try this recipe I came up with this weekend. This sauce can be a dipping, basting or marinade for the seafood of your choice but I highly recommend using shrimp.

Here's one For The Win:

3/4 cup of Lousiana hot sauce
3-4 cloves of crushed Garlic
2 teaspoons of Agave nectar or Honey
2 teaspoons of Lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of Lemon zest
1 teaspoon of Soy sauce

Whisk all of the ingredients together.

Enjoy.

My previous photo from last week was my attempt at writing a blog via my phone...ugh for the pic! How about my new photo?

Keeping The World of Harry Potter Alive

I'm so sad "It All Ends" today (or it has ended for millions who caught the first showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2). But it doesn't end for this family, oh no no no! My husband and I will definitely go back to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando to relive our love for all things Potter. Oh, and if you're ever in Los Angeles, there is a magical little place called Whimsic Alley just right off of Wilshire Blvd. Both links are provided below.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Whimsic Alley

My sister's beloved Dobby.

Happy Friday Fellow Wizards and Witches!