Pandan Coconut Pizzelles

Has it really been only a week? It's been a crazy one round these parts. I had load of interviews last week just prior to heading home. And then of course, no sooner did Brooklyn and I pull up after our lovely 11 hour car ride home, but I received a phone call with a verbal offer. Crazy fast. Faster than I expected...and so exciting.

So with all this required focus to get realtors, movers and such in place on both sides, should I really be making pizzelles? Probably not so much. But I was thrilled when I found my pizzelle maker....I'll never lose it again. Pizzelles are so perfectly crisp, simple and delightful....if I could only own a few one-use type appliances, this would definitely stay.

And since I spent the past two Aprils celebrating Songkran in Thailand, I have to admit to a bit of sadness at not going back this year.  Cleaning out the pantry produced some pretty Thai flavors for pizzelle inspiration: pandan and coconut.

It's hard to describe the flavor of pandan and it's almost impossible to find fresh pandan leaves here.  But it is such a delightful tropical flavor that reminds me so much of Thailand...pandan wrapped chicken...yum!  It was a also predominant flavor in about half the desserts I ate, and while the flavors are far from traditional for these italian cookies, they were perfectly delightful and tropical.

Pandan extract that is only slightly green...not like the Incredible Hulk Cake incident.

So with that little diversion out of the way, it's back to packing because while my place looks a little like this....

It looks a lot more like this....off I go.

Pandan Coconut Pizzelles

2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon pandan extract
1/2 can (about 7 oz) coconut milk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick
Stir in the melted oil and pandan extract
Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder and add to batter stirring until smooth
Heat the pizzelle iron, and brush with oil. Drop about one tablespoon of batter onto each circle on the iron. You may need to experiment with the amount of batter and baking time depending on the iron.
Bake for 30 to 60 seconds, or until steam is no longer coming out of the iron.
Carefully remove cookies from the iron.
Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Sushi Cake Pops

After a short break, the cake pop obsession continues.  I think we are just fascinated with the millions of cute things you can make from what is essentially a blob of cake mixed with frosting, stuck onto a stick.  We were at Starbucks the other day and they wanted a ridiculous amount for one that was merely dipped in chocolate.  Whatever, Starbucks.  Just kidding.  You know you mean the world to me.  Unfortunately.

My sister made hamburgers and the whole world.  Only she would think it's even feasible to create continents out of sprinkles.  Cute right?

Me?  I went for my go-to food item.  Not sure why, but when there's something to be made, I fashion it in the shape of sushi.  I have plans for an entire cake even....

I've received quite a few questions asking about technique and supplies.  I felt bad providing too much since I was just copying bakerella's pops...until now.  I couldn't find inspiration for these anywhere...either I'm really bad at Google, or there aren't a lot of people that think fish and cake should go together.  Go figure.

So here it is, an ultra formal, super not in-depth photoshoot of how I made these cake pops. We continued to use the one crumbled baked cake and 3/4 can of frosting "recipe."  Boxed cake mix and canned frosting really does work the best...we had a crumby(ha) incident when I thought I'd experiment a bit.

You shape the cooled cake mixture into oblongs like you are shaping rice for nigiri sushi.  Dip stick into melted candy and insert into cake.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes to harden candy and the cake.

Dip cooled cake pops into white candy coating (you'll want a deep mug for this).  Gently tap to remove excess coating and sprinkle with white sprinkles for the rice.  Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to harden.  Meanwhile shape salmon from marshmallow fondant.  Again, since I'm  too lazy, I'll just refer you to the Spongebob cupcake post for the recipe.

Place "salmon" on each cake pop using a bit of melted candy for adhesive. Cut strips of "nori" and roll around the cake pop, again using candy coating as adhesive.  That's all. 

In answer to someone's question, they taste just like boxed cake mix and frosting with a candy coating.  Not bad, but definitely not as good as the real thing...my heart will forever belong to spicy tuna roll.  And Red Dragon Roll.  And sashimi. And, and, and.

As mentioned above, I think sushi is the perfect shape for cakes, cookies, cupcakes, purses and dogs.  In fact, I  made Brooklyn a sushi Halloween costume which I never posted because she wouldn't wear it.  Since when do dogs get to make these decisions?  But alas, she won because she was so obviously mortified, she wouldn't show her face....

Cookbook #73, The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook

I picked up another cookbook while out here in Vegas.  Just what I need.  I was feeling a bit out of it without my cookbook library though and I kept flipping through this book each time I was in the store.  I'm not a huge fan of diet type books because many seem to propose a somewhat narrow perspective.  I loved Jillian Michaels Master Your Metabolism book because it's not a "diet" book--she addresses health and hormones and artificial food additives and all those scary lovely things I love to read about--she's pretty much responsible for my eliminating most of my plastic storage containers.  This cookbook is the companion to her book and what I love about it is all of the extras nutrition and body chemistry information she packs in with the recipes.  The recipes do come with a calorie count, but even better is her nutrition information on health impacts of the foods that make up the recipe.  Love it.  On top of that, most of the recipes are pretty easy, the kind you actually can easily make after coming home from a 10 hour day...tandoori turkey kabobs, thai green curry barramundi, spicy mahi-mahi and mango tacos, chard potstickers with tamari dipping sauce and barley risotto with asparagus and lemon. 

In light of the fact that my breakfast trips have been far from the healthiest selections, I started Jillian's cookbook off with two breakfast/eggie recipes.  Did I really need a cookbook for these?  Probably not in truth, but love her twists and her info such as "Omega-3 free-range organinc eggs are the best choice as they have all of the good nutrients and none of the bad.  Studies have specifically shown them to have half the cholesterol of conventional eggs and the cholesteral they do have is predominantly HDL (p56)."  It's basic logic that healthy chickens produce healthy eggs and crack chickens produce crack-addict eggs. 

The first recipe for chicken sausage with poached eggs and sweet potato hash was quick and easy and catered to my obsession with going to Trader Joe's often now that I'm near one.  Trader Joes just happens to have Sweet Apple Chicken sausages that are called for in the recipe.  That's really why that store rocks.  

Truthfully no recipe needed, the photos say it all (except that obviously I cooked the sausage at some point).  The other note is that the sweet potatoes were cooked in the microwave for about 5 minutes (with a bit of water) to soften them up prior to browning them in the pan. Season hash with salt and pepper.

And the second "recipe" was even easier...it's a poached egg on wilted greens. While heating up lettuce may seem a bit odd to anyone that hasn't sampled that delightfulness before, some of the best salad I've ever tasted involved grilling half a head of romaine just until it's slightly wilted to impart a smoky flavor.  Wilting the spring greens in the turkey bacon pan does a bit of the same.  Throw an egg on top and this is really a 10 minute breakfast.  Slightly healthier than my weekend breakfasts.

Mon Ami Gabi, Breakfast Vegas-Paris Style

My undying love for breakfast restaurants did not dissipate upon entering Las Vegas.  Please.  This is the land of 10,000 breakfast buffets.  It's a shame I'm not a buffet fan. But there are other fantastic breakfast places to adore and my sister set out to introduce me to them.  Her favorite, and now my favorite, is Mon Ami Gabi right on The Strip.  I heart this place with a love that is too strong for words. 

First let's discuss the bowl of coffee.  Yes, a bowl.  Now, I'm normally not a super-size-me kind of girl, heck, I'm not even a Venti kind of girl.  In fact, my official Starbucks drink is a double short latte.  Never heard of the "short?"  That's because it's not even on the menu--it's the child size hot chocolate cup.  It's one of those secret ordering things--every Starbuck's will make it, not sure why they won't put it on the menu.  Add an extra shot into that rather small cup and you have the most perfect, strong, small, delightful coffee ever. 

So while smaller is usually better in my mind when it comes to coffee, I couldn't resist the "bowl of coffee" option on the menu--how can you not just to see what it is right?  They weren't messing around...

A little hard to gauge the size without perspective?  Here, let me help a bit...

Yes, this bowl of coffee is actually half the size of my head.  And it was really a deliciously strong latte.  They had me at the coffee bowl, but then brekkie came.  I'm not going to lie to you, spinach and artichokes in a benedict is as perfect as it sounds. And Mon Ami Gabi fries the english muffin in butter--it is what the french would do.  I was quite possibly the best eggs benedict I'd ever had (sorry Snooze, I still love you).  With the butter that was dripping off of the perfectly crunchy and salty hashbrowns as well, I'm guessing this probably wasn't the healthiest thing on the menu. C'est dommage.   There was also a chocolate and bacon waffle on the menu. Intriguing.

As if the perfect latte and breakfast wasn't enough, there's the ambience of sitting on the strip and people watching and the view.  Just look up...

Or across the street to Caesars...

Or a bit more to the left to the Bellagio water fountains.  Any place with a seated view of the absolute best thing about Vegas is a winner in my book. Bellagio fountain shows = magic.

There's also a few more Mon Ami Gabi's sprinkled across the land.  If you can't make it to Vegas, maybe you can have breakfast D.C.-Paris or Chicago-Paris style.

I feel a bit bad that our other breakfast place sits pretty far in the shadow of Mon Ami Gabi.  We headed to Sunrise Cafe a couple of weekends ago.  It wasn't too bad, but my dear Snooze has nothing to fear. I will however give them kudos for their naming.   I chose the Brooklyn Benedict for the turkey and spinach, but the excellent naming was a bonus. 

The hollandaise was a little excessive.  I've never thought to ask, but staring at this photo makes me wonder if you can order the hollandaise on the side.....hmmm.

Las Vegas History, Neon Boneyard

I just finished sending out exactly eleventy hundred cover letters and resumes and filling out eleventy hundred applications (why is it a separate process?) and watching some webinars.  Good stuff like "PMO is from Venus and Agile is from Mars" or vice versa.  For real.  But alas, I realized I'm about 15 PDUs behind track come next year's re-cert time so I get to partake in these fun learning adventures. Don't hate the playa.

But with all that business out of the way, I have time for a second post today...of a place I absolutely fell in love with here in Vegas. If I were a professional photographer, I'd rent this place out for a shoot.  If you are a professional photographer, you should.

This place is filled with the neon relics of the days of yore.  This is OG Vegas history just sitting out underneath the hot desert sun and you can take a guided tour through with just a minimal $15 donation to the museum.  You can also take photos if you sign a waiver stating that they are not for professional use.  Since I've never sold a photo in my life, that was pretty easy.  If you are a photographer  however, you can rent some time and they appear to set up some pretty fantastic settings and words for your shoot.  I've seen some photos of some chic urban wedding photos shot here. 

Have to say, I was pretty camera happy here.  I took more shots than I did at the Grand Canyon.  Look at the colors, the history and the grit (& the hot?!?! March sun)...

awww. sweet.  These are the letters from the Moulin Rouge sign rearranged to spell "in love."  All the rust keeps it from being sugary sweet.

And of course this "W" was the letter that started it all--in my book at least.  This was used in a CSI episode and everything I learned about Vegas, I learned from CSI.  They tell the truth and nothing but the truth when it comes to Vegas.

When I saw the above sign in a "casino owner in junkyard" episode of CSI, I immediately thought it would be the coolest place to visit.  As it turns out CSI did lead me a bit astray in this one episode (sad).  The signs were not just sitting out in a desert junkyard but rather, hang out in a locked lot on Las Vegas Blvd just a little north of The Strip.  About this far north...

I'd definitely recommend a visit if you have the time.  You just have to call in advance to book a spot as they are usually booked out for a week(or two) in advance.

You can have some fun with all of those letters.  Shakespeare might even have written an additional sonnet or two.

And of course, gratuitous Chipmunk shots.

I can't explain the pose.  Maybe I was preparing her for greek life and her first sorority head shot? Focus instead on those cheeks.  Smooshy.

The Grand Canyon West Rim

Thanks much for all of the kind words regarding the loss of my uncle.  You are the absolute best!!!

So my sister and I decided to get out of the smog and congestion in search of fresh country air.  Yeah, you're right, that definitely doesn't sound like me.  But, we did decide that a day trip would be fun and with the Grand Canyon West Rim only a few hours away, it was a pretty easy decision to make.  We packed up one baby, one puppy, enough baby and puppy food and drink to last a three day stranding in remote desert sourroundings and headed east to Hualapai Nation.  That's pronounced wal-a-pie in case you are wondering and not Hula-pi, Hula-pay, Hu-LA-pay, Hu-WAL-a-pay, Hu-WAL-a-pee or any of the numerous other ways I found to say it.  I know because there's a street here in Vegas with the same name and it took me only a gazillion tries to remember.

It was spectacular of course, as only the Grand Canyon can be.  That's a given right?  But I'll share a couple of lessons learned about Grand Canyon West..

• You have to drive on a potholed dirt road for what seems like quite a distance.  The sign said "20 miles, estmated 45 minutes."  We scoffed. We were foolish.  It might have taken us longer than 45 minutes.
• You are entering Tribal Land so you will pay for the privilege of seeing the Grand Canyon.  About 41 non tribal dollars per person minimally.  That didn't include Skywalk.  And $15 to put your puppy in a cage in the storage shed. 
• There are only two viewpoints and no railings anywhere--if you care about those things.

In fairness, we knew all of those things up front.  Well not that "dog boarding" = cage in the horse shed.  But everything else is spelled out on the website so not complaining.   Just giving those who are thinking about making the day trip from Vegas a bit of info.   It is a beautiful place and we don't reget going--the people were ultra friendly, the bus system made getting to the vantage points super easy, and the bus drivers were so friendly! And Skywalk is an ultra cool concept. If you have an extra few hours though and driving distance is not an issue, you may consider heading over to one of the other Canyon rims for US Parks rates, many more vantage points, pet access and some railings.  If any of those things are important.

Enough of that, on to the photos....

Nine months is the perfect age to see the Grand Canyon for the first time.

And this little guy is Skywalk.  Have to admit that when I first read about it on their website, I kind of fell in love a little bit.  It's a glass sidewalk people, that just takes you right over the Grand Canyon.  I so love that idea.  But they don't allow cameras, and half of the point for me is taking my camera.  They say it's because they don't want you dropping your camera on the sidewalk and causing damage to the sidewalk.  I'm pretty sure I have a pretty strong vested interest in not ever dropping my camera and/or that sidewalk breaking while I'm on it it.  They are happy to take your photo on the Skywalk for you to purchase. :) 

And really, with no guard rails, it was almost as if you could see straight down any way.

I had the shot.  There was no danger so I took it. (just in case you were wondering if quoting Top Gun can remain relevant to everyday life--it can.)

And just because. This unfortunate name doesn't really inspire hunger.  Just saying.