baked & cupcaked: tequila cupcakes & chocolate party cupcakes

for my darling sister's 21st birthday i found it absolutely necessary to bake her cupcakes that celebrated the big occasion just right. i made two batches. the first were tequila cupcakes- just used the standard yellow cake recipe and added 2 tbsps of tequila & 4 tbsps of patron liqueur citronage for the batter / 1 tbsp of tequila & 2 tbsps of patron liqueur citronage for the icing (buttercream icing.) topped those babies with some lime and the festivities began!

joie de vivre's for february '10

february has been quite a month for me and i've had the pleasure to explore some new places and some new delicious charms. although not everything i eat is going to excite me, i can still certainly attest to a few food fantasticals and i'm calling these 'joie de vivre's' because simply put, they're my joys of living.

yucatan combination plate at rocco's tacos, boca raton
561.416.2131
http://www.roccostacos.com/

mexican food is pretty much a first choice for me when i like to dine out. always start off with the fresh made quacamole (yup, they make it infront of you) and serve it with well-seasoned chips. for dinner i ordered the yucatan combination plate (chicken enchilada with two skirt steak tacos) but switched one of the tacos for 'rocco's taco.' ridiculously good- it's a meatball taco with roasted peppers, cotijaa cheese, crema and cilantro. que rico! fyi- their chimichanga is worth the try too!

for the girl who likes to mix things up

follow this link to register for the website launch of the new line called Alice by Temperley.
It's from renowned designer Alice Temperley but this collection is her ode to the funky, rock-and-roll and fun chick. Temperley herself says that she pictures a girl who listens to The Killers and The Cure- someone who likes to mix things up. i'm already hooked from the sneak peeks in magazines and blogs.

world's 5 best food cities

check out food & wine's slideshow of the best food citie's in the world. 
any cities missing from this list?!

urban outfitters - early spring catalog

every part of urban outfitter's 40's inspired spring catalog makes me feel all warm inside. looking forward to the season full of flowers and festivities.

allegria frozen yogurt & cupcakes

for my weight-conscience and could care less about weight friends- i present to you 'allegria frozen yogurt and cupcakes.' located in coconut creek at the promenade, this is your place for incredibly light and satisfying frozen yogurt.

made from non-fat yogurt and skim milk, their flavors range from the originial ( a great, tart taste), chocolate, green tea, pomegranate and a secret flavor every day. try each sample and then make your choice of delicious healthy toppings such as, fresh cut strawberries, granola, blueberries, pineapples, almonds, coconuts, bananas, mangos and some fun toppings such as, cocoa pebbles, graham crackers, chocolate chips and cap'n crunch. first you order the size, then yogurt of choice and then your toppings- voila!

baked & cupcaked: really-raspberry filled cupcakes

my wonderful dessert-enthusiast friend stephanie just turned 23 and for her birthday i decided to take a spin off of our favorite cake- raspberry elegance (layers of vanilla cake, raspberry jam and vanilla icing.)

momofuku - the book

while recently strolling around the bookstore, i stumbled upon the book 'momofuku' by david chang & peter meehan and decided to skim through and gaze at the pictures since the chain of momofuku restaurants in new york city are becoming legendary and all within a few short years. after drooling over the assortment of recipes (think japanese inspired- ramen noodles, a lot of meat and unique sauces) i sat down and started to read the beginning of the book where the founder and owner of the booming brand (chang) shares his story of how he came to be where he is today. he's a brutally honest character, swears whenever he can throw it in but all-in-all, wins you over with his sincere effort to just make good food.

i'll have the gyro that's pronounced with a 'y' - greek festival

gotta give it up to the greeks for having such an enriched culture full of confident, free spirits who collectively  exude an openness that can only be enjoyed in person - regardless of your background, you can't help but feel right at home with them.

the blue and white festival (from jan. 21 -jan. 24, 2010/ jan. 20 - jan. 23, 2011) is hosted by the st. mark greek orthodox church and true to its promise was filled with authentic food, vivacious personalities, markets for people to shop in and several forms of entertainment throughout the weekend. upon entering i was greeted with a powerful wink from a woman collecting admission fares, glancing to my right and then saw a group of twenty men grilling meats and bopping their heads to the loud greek music. a lot of these people looked like the cast from my big fat greek wedding (stereotypical but true) and better yet, acted in a similar manner too. i loved the energy - observing their pride and desire for people outside of their community to partake in this grand celebration of life. groups of big families trailed along together from table to table while ancient rhythms played throughout the tented grounds.

you had me at fried oreos

i recently celebrated my 23rd birthday at prime 112 in miami beach. i have been yearning to go there for quite some time and found it most fitting to dine there on my birthday since i was born on january 12th- 112... cheesy, i know. the actual number stands for the restaurants location (112 ocean drive) and is considered one of miami's finest dining establishments. in fact, the restaurant's owner (Myles Chefetz) has an empire of establishments all just a few blocks within the area. He owns Nemo, Big Pink, Shoki Sushi and his newest addition, Prime Italian. Every restaurant lives up to its hype with celebrities always dining there, superb service, ambiance that is simple yet refined and most importantly the food, beyond par excellence.

table 42's $5 burger night

table 42 - italian kitchen & wine bar
royal palm place
399 se mizner blvd
boca raton, fl 33432
561.826.2625

i think that a burger is the ultimate meal. bun, meat, cheese, veggies, and a good sauce to combine the elements together- perfection! so when i heard that the new table 42 in boca raton (formerly coal mine pizza) was doing a burger night on wednesdays- & for only $5... i was pretty much sold at the spot.

my tops - best of boca

boca raton is an interesting town (to say the least) and anyone who has had the pleasure of living even just a few months amongst the area, will agree.

my personal experience in this city has been a whirlwind. between college and work, i've been here for more than five years - and mostly in east boca. i get asked a lot "where is the best place to eat in boca raton?" therefore i have decided that one of my first posts will be about the best of boca- through my eyes.

i call this 'my tops.' i'm sure there will be dissenters from what i choose to be the 'best i've ever had' and i strongly encourage others to share their very own 'tops!'

top sandwich that will change your life:

chicken lemon artichoke from beany's gourmet cafe.
561.392.1085

when i first had this sandwich, my life changed. there is really no other way to describe how good this sandwich is. the bread is baked fresh at the cafe, the chicken is incredibly juicy, the combination of lemon, garlic aioli and artichoke hearts all topped with smoked provolone- (should i stop now?)...

so it begins...

I love cupcakes. But if there's one thing I love more than cupcakes, it's discovering sweet deals & finds and sharing them with everyone I know. After my friends insisted that I just create a site with all of my rants about food & fashion- I decided, why not? So, on to blogging- where I can extend the revelry with those who enjoy discovering what else is out there, and to ultimately pass the find on to others. Whether it’s a great restaurant, a hard-to-beat sale, neighborhood dives, venues in large metropolitans, new trends, mom & pop bakeries or, of course, cupcakes - whatever it may be… if it makes me jump for joy on the inside, I plan on sharing my excitement.

Enjoy… and once in awhile, have a cupcake, or two.