Carrot Cake Cupcakes & Soap

by Jessie on April 27, 2013

carrotcakecupcake

I know, this blog has been neglected lately, but I promise for good reason. I’ve replaced cooking/baking/eating out with soapmaking! Just kidding- I am still eating, but I am definitely making soap now instead of cupcakes.

So this would probably be the appropriate time to explain why. What better way than through a video? (I promise, there is a recipe coming soon in this post)

Let’s get this campaign funded!

As you can tell, Clare and I are pretty darn serious about this, and we think it’s for a good cause. And if you agree with us, we encourage you check out our Indiegogo campaign and share with your friends.

Now onto equally important things… cupcakes!

cupcake
Besides my hobby change, I also changed jobs along the way. Before I started my new gig, Amy and I spent an afternoon baking carrot cake cupcakes. I think we were more excited at the prospect of using Clare’s Wilton Set than eating the cupcakes.

amy
Not going to lie- these cupcakes were mediocre at best. They could have been more moist, but at least the carrot-cake flavor was there. We may have also slightly burnt the cupcakes, so perhaps we should give these another go. Do let us know if you try though.

frosting
carrot cake cupcakes
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Day 4-5 in Arizona | Grand Canyon

by Jessie on February 8, 2013

We left the main attraction for the last few days, simply because lodging at the Bright Angel Cabin was all booked out until after the new year. There aren’t many options for staying in the canyon, but Mark and I agreed that it’s a must if you’re staying overnight. Not only does it grant you instant access to the canyon at anytime of the day, but you don’t need to drive an extra 10 miles or so just to get in and out of the park. For those of you that question visiting the canyon in the winter, take a peek at the photos below. Yes, it’s freezing cold. Yes, the trails are covered in ice. Yes, the Northern Rim is closed. All of that is forgotten once you see how magical the canyon looks among the snow.

Note to those traveling to the Grand Canyon in the winter- We were coming from up north (Page) and planned on taking 64 West. Unfortunately, the road was closed due to a prior snowstorm, so we had to drive all the way back to Flagstaff and loop back up to the southern entrance. Do your due diligence!

SIGHTS:
Mather Point Lookout
Trail of Time (Hermit Trail)
Bright Angel Trail

FOOD:
Bright Angel Restaurant
El Tovar Dining Room

to the grand canyon!
on the road
fees

Mather Point

Most people catch their first real glimpse deep into the canyon at Mather Point. It’s one of the main overlooks that awaits you when driving through the southern entrance. In the summer, this place becomes heavily congested, but on January 1, it was at best crowdy. The view is quite extensive, and you can see 10 miles through to the North Rim. While pros suggest photographing this point at sunrise, I thought the pictures taken around 2:30pm were just as spectacular with the deep blue sky.

mather point sign
mather point lookout
fence!
dog!
canyon!!
canyon shadows
looking out ahead

Trail of Time

This is one of the coolest trails given the walk is designed as a geologic time-line. The further you walk, the older the rocks get. It’s a short hike, just under 3 miles long. Like many other trails, this began as an Indian route and improved over time. In the spring/summer, you can only gain access via a shuttle that stops along each point on the trail, but during the winter months, it’s open to private vehicles.

This is a great trail to walk if you’re looking to take photos during sunset. The trail head is located right next to Bright Angel Lodge. By far, Bright Angel is the cheapest lodging option, and the $77 we paid/night was a steal when compared to the other rates for lodging in the canyon. The bathrooms are communal, but everything is kept super clean.  The cherry on top is its prime location- next to the most popular trail down the canyon, the Bright Angel Trail.

hermit trail path

trail timeline
B&W hermit trail
sunset from the west
sunset

flagstaff!
approaching sunset
more of sunset

grand canyon at sunset
GC nearing sunset

Bright Angel Restaurant

Dinner Menu

  • Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
  • Lunch: 11:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Dinner: 4:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Even if you’re willing to splurge for El Tovar for dinner, chances are you won’t get a reservation unless if you plan well in advance. We called at 3pm for a reservation, and the only two-top available was for 9pm. We’re talking about early January here. Bright Angel Restaurant is located right next to the check-in of Bright Angel Lodge. It’s honestly not the greatest food, but after a long hike, even mediocre comfort food makes the cut.

The service was curt but quick. My main complaint was the soggy bun. Ugh, nothing bothers me more than a soggy bun. At least the portion sizes were decently large. It’s as if they gave us all of the contents of a party-sized tortilla chip bag for the spinach dip. We had so much that we brought some back for our hike the next day. The local beers are also worth getting.

dining room
sharks!
too many chips!
dip

South Rim Spinach Dip, served with Tri-Color Tortilla Chips ($6.25)

lights
pourage
burger!

Southerwestern Burger, a Half Pound Natural Beef Burger Topped with Fire Roasted Tomato Aioli, Pepperjack Cheese and Green Chile Guacamole, Lettuce, Tomato and Onion on a Toasted Kaiser Roll ($10.55)

chicken wich

Pepperjack Chicken Melt, Grilled Natural Chicken Breast with Sautéed Onions and Peppers, Topped with Melted Pepperjack Cheese and Ranch Mayonnaise on an Onion Roll ($8.95)

Bright Angel Trail

We had originally wanted to descend the South Kaibab trail, all the way to the Colorado River and ascend back up the Bright Angel Trail. However, because the road was closed to the South Kaibab trail (all the trails are still open by foot), we decided to play it safe and descend down the more widely footed Bright Angel Trail. The trail follows the head of a side canyon and views are framed by massive cliffs, which provide a good source of shade in the summer. Unfortunately, you need to walk further down to Plateau Point (an extra 1.5 miles each way) in order to catch a glimpse of the Colorado river.

The total mileage for this hike is just slightly over 12 miles, with most of the elevation drop occurring within the first four miles of the hike. It was a colossal pain hiking back up. Mark nearly dragged me back up the mountain. When they say don’t attempt to hike all the way down to the rim of the canyon and back, they mean it. Heed those warnings. Even in sub 30 degree F weather, we became super dehydrated and exhausted. The views don’t change much along the trail, but they are gorgeous all the same.

Do start out early. We headed out right after sunrise (7:50am), which is definitely worth waking up for as the colors and hues are unmatched by any other time during the day. In the summer, you’ll want to start before the sun rises or you’ll pay for it as the sun beams mercilessly above you as you hike further into the canyon. We ended our hike before 3pm. I passed out at 5pm and woke up at 7am the next day. Poor Mark.

plane
ice ice
lookoutstudio
canyon at sunrise
canyon in B&W

mule sign

warning
canyon!

muleee
view from top of angel trail
through the clearing
mule crossing
the view!
rocks
trail signs
approaching plateau point
tonto west!
thats alot of elevation

spotting the doe

mark side profile

more company
doeeee
cacti!

finally at plateau point!
mark at plateau point
snacks, squished
company
yeah..
last glance back

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Day 3 in Arizona & Utah | Lake Powell & Zion

by Jessie on January 21, 2013

It’s amazing how much you can accomplish with a dinky Yaris. We headed out from Flagstaff in the early AM, driving north roughly 135 miles. By the time we arrived to Lake Powell, we had already made two pit stops- one at a gorgeous lookout and the other at Horseshoe bend for a short noon hike. After checking in, we planned to drive to Alstrom Point. Roughly 8 miles in, we happened upon a sign- “rough roads for the next 12 miles.” A mile later, our Yaris came head to head with this sad drippy faucet of a stream. Still, it was enough to make us turn back. In an impromptu decision, we decided to head further north to Zion.

Zion is a trip in itself, and we’ll fully conquer it when we do a roadtrip around Utah. We stayed at Lake Powell Resort which is less than a mile from the Utah border. The nearest town, Page, was built around the man-made lake. There’s not much to do in the winter except stare at the pretty orange-brown rocks that grace the backdrop of the lake.

the road ahead
weeds+droplets
lookout
rearview mirror
dinky yaris
landscape
sharks
us

Horseshoe Bend

Website
Hwy 89 – Four Miles South of Page
Page, AZ 86040

For those who are looking for a hike under 1 hr, this is it. Except for a decent hill in the beginning, it’s not at all a strenuous hike. It’s just all sand until you come to this massively grand overlook of the Colorado River.

Several tips- 1) Start early in the summer. Nothing green grows over 2 ft so there’s no shade. 2) Bring water if it’s hot. Even though the hike is just ~1.5 miles, it’s pretty dry up there. 3) BE CAREFUL. Some of the rocks aren’t stable near the edge and if you’re not careful, you’ll plunge 1,000 ft into the abyss below.

If you’re looking to photograph the horseshoe, you definitely need a wide angle- a 24mm or less. Pictures shot below were taken with a Tokina 11-16mm/1.8f lens. Unfortunately, we went during noon, when the sun was just over our heads. To capture the entirety of the blues and green from the Colorado river, head there during the early morning.

parkinglot
the hill!
further out
rocks and sand
horshoe bend colorado river
over the cliff
que romantico
cliff

horseshoe trail

The Drive to Zion

Website
State Route 9
Springdale, Utah

The drive to Zion is just over 70 miles from Lake Powell. Zion was completely unplanned since we had planned to go to Alstrom Point. While we read over and over that you need a high clearance vehicle, we decided to take our chances with the Yaris and obviously failed. Still, there were some stunning shots (see first picture below).

Despite the vibrant blue skies at Lake Powell, the sky was just getting past the overcast as we arrived. It wasn’t until we climbed to the top of the Canyon Overlook Trail that some light blue began to peek out from the clouds. The hike is relatively easy (just 1 mile and steep in some parts and scary with ice but totally doable) and took us under 45 minutes. Apparently, the most stunning hike is at Angel’s Landing, but we thought the overlook into the canyon was already beyond spectacular. We’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

As we drove out of Zion, the sun was just setting. I couldn’t resist the moment. I made Mark pull over and we brought out the tripod to capture that last shot.

middle of nowhere
welcome to utah
welcome to zion
driving in zion
o'er there
gap
jumpp
wall
sharkss
rocks in zion
zion canyon
lookout into the canyon
within the canyon
sunset in the canyon
top of the world
together in zion
sunset from the tunnel

sunset

zion at sunset

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De Santos

by Jessie on January 13, 2013

Guest post by Angela Zou

Walking down West 10th Street, I almost missed the entrance of De Santos, confusing it for a private residence. The restaurant is set inside a beautiful brownstone that boasts prior residents the likes of Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan.

Its owners are Luis Miguel Amutio, Alex Gonzales, and Sebastian Gonella.  Alex Gonzalez is from the Mexican rock band Maná, which I found interesting since the menu is a mix of contemporary Italian and American cuisine. It is said that Alex’s goal is not only to serve guests delicious food but also provide equally enticing stimulation aurally and visually. The executive chef is Angel Vela, who formerly worked at the esteemed Pastis and Waverly Inn.

On certain days, the restaurant apparently projects movies onto the white washed brick walls of its European style patio in the back. Personally, I thought the music playing in the restaurant was too loud, which made it difficult to hear my dinner companions’ conversations.


The decor of the place was beautifully rustic, a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of concrete jungle, just outside its doors. There’s no shortage of exposed brick, hanging ferns, and rich hardwood floors. Yet, De Santos was no different from most other New York restaurants when promptly at around 7:30PM, the dim lighting was further dimmed. I suppose it is supposed to promote a romantic, intimate atmosphere but generally, all it does is irk me. We live in the 21st century; I don’t want to barely see my food by candlelight when there is ample electricity available. But that’s neither here nor there.

The food:

For appetizers, we were treated to Beef Carpaccio with Gnocchi and Truffle Cream, Truffle Macaroni and Cheese, and Duck Tacos. I don’t think I’ve ever had truffle before but to my savage palate, it smelled and tasted a lot like Gorgonzola cheese. I think the gnocchi was probably the best thing that I had all evening. Granted, it completely overpowered the carpaccio which I thought was forgettable. But I’ve also never had carpaccio before so I had no prior raw beef experiences to compare it to. While I’ve heard the raves about the mac and cheese, I have to say that I think I’ve had better (ahem, S’Mac, ahem). Finally, the duck tacos were pretty refreshing compared to the other two heavier appetizers but the gnocchi still won hands down. It was just so creamy and pungent. It was definitely the best gnocchi I’ve ever had since I feel like most times, gnocchi is either the wrong texture or just simply bland.

For my main course, I chose the New York Strip Steak. Now, I am pretty sure when I read the menu that it said that the dish came with fries, which I was less than excited about, since I’ve been trying to eat more leafy greens. So imagine my happy surprise when my steak was served with spinach and mushrooms. The steak was well-cooked but nothing noteworthy. And the portion size was enough for two meals; I could only eat about half. The mushrooms were very tasty while the spinach was on the saltier side for my taste. I was extremely confused about the sauce that came with the steak. All in all, I wasn’t very impressed by my entree and it could’ve been that I had simply chosen the wrong item off the menu because it appears that my dinner mates had chosen some delicious looking and, according to them, tasting seafood entrees – scallops, salmon, and sea bass. Ah mea culpa.

Finally, it was time for dessert and this is perhaps where this restaurant finds redemption from my lackluster entree. We were served Chocolate Lava Cake and Crepes with Dulce de Leche. The cake was oozing warm chocolate. Paired with the ice cream, it did this delightful little dance on my tongue before hitting just the right spot in my stomach. The crepes were also excellent and not as sweet as I had feared when I initially heard dulce de leche being discussed. Again, the warm gooey substance mixed with the cold refreshing ice cream was just perfect.

While I am not sure I would come back here for dinner again, I am intrigued by their brunch menu: there’s unlimited brunch for $34 – which include a dish plus unlimited drinks for 2 hours. Now, being a completely lightweight, I’m not sure if I can take full advantage of this offer. But it will certainly a selling point for my friends I’m sure.

And if you do decide to go, I think it would be better to go during warmer weather, when the patio turns al fresco instead of being covered.

See-

http://www.fooditka.com/2012/12/de-santos-charming-west-village-eats.html
http://www.honeywhatscooking.com/2013/01/de-santos-new-york-city-west-village.html
http://oasismirage.com/reviews/restaurant-review-de-santos

*Photos provided by De Santos, who graciously treated Angela to a tasting session in December 2012.

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