Strawberry Short Cupcake

It was my friend's birthday the other day, so I decided to bake something to celebrate. The strawberry shortcake I made for hubby's birthday in August was such a hit that I decided to make something along those lines. I decided to make strawberry short cupcakes!
They turned out really cute! I topped the shortcake with fresh whipped cream, mini jelly candies, and a strawberry. They tasted nice, but honestly... I think when you put the airy cake batter inside the small cupcake paper, it deflates a little and loses a lot of its soft airyness.
Still, they were very cute and my friend appreciated them! :) I used my original shortcake recipe to make these cupcakes. The recipe can be found on my past post HERE.

Trails Cafe

Yesterday, Hubby and I took our dogs hiking in Griffith Park. It was a beautiful and sunny November day, perfect hiking weather. We let the dogs run around off leash and we all got a lot of exercise.Of course, all that hiking got us hungry so we had lunch at the The Trails Cafe located inside Griffith Park. It's a cute little shack that looks kind of like a log cabin where you order and pick up your food. There are plenty of picnic benches in the shade around the cafe where you can enjoy your meal. It was perfect for us, because we had our two doggies with us.
The cafe offers a mostly vegetarian menu with fresh homemade food, and everything is so tasty! I absolutely adore this rustic little cafe.
I had the vegetarian avocado sandwich with tons of sprouts, avocado, tomato, cheese, onions, and vegetarian bacon bits. This vegetarian sandwich was surprisingly filling and delicious! I'm going to try making this at home!
Hubby had the "snake on a dog" which is a hot dog wrapped in puff pastry. This dog came with a side of cabbage salad. It was one of the few carnivorous items on the menu. It was warm out of the oven and yummy as well.
We got a mini rhubarb strawberry pie for dessert. The crust was crunchy and sweet. Loved the mini pie!
This place is definitely worth a visit if you are ever around Griffith Park.

TRAILS CAFE
2333 Fern Dell Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90068
(323) 871-2102

The Chicago Dog

We were set on having some Chicago style hot dogs while we were in town, so our friend took us to a local hot spot called The Wiener's Circle.

The place was pretty disgusting, small, and dirty. The people working there gave us nasty looks and were completely rude to us, hubby didn't even get what he ordered... but that's what makes this place so fun!

Even the tip jar is rude... Notice the bottom of the jar that says "Shakes $20"?
See that big, mean looking lady behind the cash register?
Well, if you put $20 in the tip jar, you will get a chocolate milk shake... meaning that the lady will lift her shirt and shake her ginormous boobies at you. I wasn't in the mood for a milkshake so I skipped on that one. Maybe another time...

Everything was deliciously greasy. And I'm not being sarcastic, I loved the dog.

Ohhh, look at all that oozing cheese and oil. yum! I will be back for the food, and the service! :)On our way back to LA, at O'Hare airport we decided to have one last hot dog at the Jodi Maroni's stand. Chicago dogs are so awesome, having those veggies in my hot dog makes me feel a little less guilty about eating a super processed and fatty snack.

WIENER'S CIRCLE
2622 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614-1523
(773) 477-7444

FALLing in Love with Chicago

We experienced wonderful weather and beautiful fall colors during our trip to Chicago recently. I really love this city.

A Taste of Chicago

We visited Chicago for the first time this year. I immediately fell in love with the city.
We did all of the touristy things that people do in Chicago. We went to a Cubs game at the famous Wrigley Field and watched the Cubs win.
And of course we had Chicago style stuffed pizza!
We went to Bacino's Pizza in Lincoln Park. Basically, it's pizza with a thick heavy crust with TONS of cheese stuffed inside.
Every slice literally had one brick of melted mozzarella cheese inside... I'm sure of it!
Aside from the fact that you feel sick and bloated after eating just once slice... it's pretty decent. I still prefer the traditional pizza. But when in Rome... right?
BACINO'S PIZZA

2204 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

Tel: (773) 472-7400