TB: Reviver

Howdy my loves! 

How are you all doing during quarantine? This is such a weird and stressful time so I thought I'd get out my favorite cookbook and look for a cocktail. One drink caught my eye and seemed perfect, the Reviver. Plus we had all the ingredients. This one is 'from' Miss Holly Cleary the True Blood resident Wiccan. I love how she always keeps salt in her purse!

To start this cocktail you will need 1.5 ounces of Gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc and Lemon Juice. We happened to have gin and some white wine but for the Cointreau we had to use a bright blue orange liqueur. I was worried about how it would taste but it turned out to be just fine! On top of this mix you splash some Pernod, which is an anise flavored liqueur. Absinthe worked perfectly! 

Next add to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and give it a go! I was terrified of getting blue all over the place so I was a tad hesitant when shaking he he! Lastly I garnished with a sweet black cherry. If anyone know me, they know I love love love a good maraschino cherry!

Voilà, you have a yummy new cocktail to sip at home while you wonder what to do with your day. I asked Craig for his thoughts on this cocktail, he is my mixologist..."this Reviver is refreshing and complex in its nuanced flavor pallet giving a sharp taste of orange and a bite of anise. It's sweet yet strong enough to wake you up!" 

I couldn't have said it better myself. Perfect for #quarantine life!

Cheers, Bunny

Zesty Madeleines

Hey fellow quarantine people! 

After going through our kitchen and organizing a bit, I found my Madeleine pan and decided to make some yummy spongy treats! But I would need to use what I already have....which wasn't much. Fortunately we happened to have a bunch of tangerines that will make a great citrus zest!

Madeleines are pretty simple...thank goodness! I made them awhile ago but couldn't quite remember the process. You start by combining 3 eggs, 2/3 cup of sugar and tangerine zest in a bowl. You really only need 1.5 tsp of zest for the flavor to come out. But feel free to add more if you like but don't over do it LOL!

Next you whisk together the dry ingredients, 1 cup of flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt. Then combine the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and add in 6 tbsp of melted butter and voila! Your dough is complete!

One important part of making Madeleine cookies is that the dough needs to chill for at least an hour, allowing for the traditional Madeleine "hump" to form during baking. 

After chilled, add 1 tbsp of dough to each Madeleine imprint. But don't worry, the dough will spread out on its own, so no touching he he. *Be sure to coat your pan in baking spray beforehand.

Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, or until edges are golden. Then once cooled, sprinkle powdered sugar and serve. These cookies are at their best on the day they are baked, but the dough may be made about 2 days ahead of time.

Jack was a little disappointed that he could not try these delicious French cookies, but he was proud of me for wrangling together ingredients to make them. He's so supportive! They were indeed yummy and spongy. Like a Twinkys classy uncle ha ha!

While mixing up these Madeleines my mind wandered to New Orleans. It could be the simplicity of the southern lifestyle or the warm feeling that catches in my chest when thinking of our trips there...it could be both. But I suddenly had a clear vision of a small two story home in the French Quarter, small balcony lined with a few Mardi Gras beads and hanging plants. A stoic cat perched on a filigreed chair, in front of green window shutters, gazing out into the world. The day starting to warm and the streets filling with visitors. Having a small shop with my art and fresh cookies, open and waiting for guests. Light reverberations of blues flowing through the walls and the distant smell of gumbo in the air. This image makes my heart so happy, someday it could be true, but back to reality I go.

 Thinking of French treats, it would be an uplifting idea for everyone to pick something they will make, once the lock downs are over. Something delicious to share, or just to celebrate the end of this surreal reality. I'm choosing beignets, I'm sure you could have guested that ha ha! Hopefully I will get to make them soon! 

Cheers!

-Bunny

Quarantine Life

Hey there, 

So...the apocalypse happened...well not the dystopian zombie apocalypse we wanted, but a worldwide flu epidemic called COVID-19. This flu virus is quickly spreading over the world like a blanket of uncertainty. The first thing to go...toilet paper...the hording has become ridiculous. Also, at the beginning there were no bananas!

All those not essential to society are supposed to stay indoors and practice social distancing. Honestly, feels like I've been training my whole life for minimal interactions ha ha ha...introverts-unite! I haven't been cleared to work from home yet, so I decided that I need to be productive or at least creative. This led to....

Selfies!

Glamour Selfies!

Marie Antoinette Dreams!

Quick trips into the unknown...had to get that cat food to avoid our own personal apocalypse. 

Feathers and crowns! 

  

Supporting local businesses! Two of my favorites...

East End Gastropub in Capitola and Betty's Burgers in Santa Cruz. Both with pick up only!

 Backyard modeling! 

 All the couch time I could want!

And memes...a new world of amazing memes are now the language between my friends and I.

I should mention that the amount of cat pictures has gone up significantly. But I would need a whole new post to fit them all LOL!

The timeline for the projected 'end of social distancing' keeps getting extended....so for now....while this gloomy uncertainty continues to consume us we must continue to be productive, positive and creative. Thanks for reading, this was my creativity for the day. I hope to add some new dishes and cocktails to the mix!

-Bunny

Pineapple Kiss

Hey Summer Lovers! 

Here is a pineapple cocktail to sweeten your weekend from Sakara Life called the Pineapple Kiss. Similar to a tequila sunrise, the Pineapple Kiss is refreshing, sweet and nourishing. Pineapple is rich in vitamin C and the mint has anti-inflammatory powers! I'm not a big tequila fan but this cocktail totally swayed me!

To create this yummy cocktail you will need:

3/4 cup fresh pineapple juice 

1/4 cup coconut water

1.5 ounce blue agave tequila 

1/4 cup lime juice

Handful of muddled mint

And some pineapple slices, I chose to use cubed pineapple for convenience and snacking ability.

To start, muddle the mint and pineapple a bit in the base of your glass. Be careful...check out my face when I chipped off a piece of my stemless glass!

Next, mix the pineapple juice, coconut water, lime juice and tequila in a pitcher. It seemed silly to use a large pitcher, as Sakara suggested for this, so I opted for my mixing cup. Then you're ready to add some ice to your glass and pour the mixture over the mint and pineapple. You may also garnish your drink with some pineapple wedges. 

Voila! You have a beautiful sweet treat to soften the blow of the summer sun! As Sakara says, here's to eating clean and playing dirty. Thanks for readin!! 

Cheers,

Bunny

Turmeric + Meyer Lemon Squares

Hey there! 

This weekend I made some yummy lemon squares from the Sakara cookbook. I was really eager to try these vegan squares because they incorporate turmeric. Plus lemon bars are one of my favorite sweet treats!

First I created the crust from almond meal, tapioca flour, coconut oil and maple syrup. This part was super quick and simple. I was surprised! Just whisk together the almond meal and flour, then stir in the syrup and oil. Press the mixture into a parchment lined pan and bake for about 15 minutes. 

While the crust was baking, I created the yummy lemon filling. I whisked together lemon juice and cornstarch in a medium pot until smooth then added the remaining ingredients (minus the lemon slices). For the turmeric you only use 1/2 teaspoon which was just enough of a kick. Keeping the filling on medium heat and stirring frequently it tuned a deep yellow color and started to thicken up. It took about 8 to 10 minutes. 

I removed the filling from the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Then poured the filling into the crust and placed it in the fridge for a few hours. 

It seemed like forever but once the squares were finally firm I carefully lifted them out of their tin and cut them into squares. I topped each square off with a lemon slice and voila, perfection! To be truthful, I was eager to try these but skeptical. I knew they would not be the powder-sugar covered desserts I have come to know. 

Instead these were much more...real and I came to love them. I could taste the lemon, hint of turmeric and maple. The crust was wonderful with the filing, really grounding all that lemon goodness! 

I always ask Craig what his take-away is and I totally agreed. They are refreshingly tart and sweet with a savory crunch he he! I'll definitely have to make them again and share the recipe. Thanks for readin! 
Cheers!
-Bunny

Candytopia

Hey Y'all! 

I got sucked into another vortex of delicious art, this time it was at Candytopia in San Francisco. Located conspicuously close to the Museum of Ice Cream, this new pop-up features interactive art displays made entirely of candy.

This candy factory is a maze of themed rooms, sweet treats to eat and wondrous candy displays. Each featured art piece includes a plaque letting guests know how many jellybeans(or what have you) were used and also how much all that candy weighs. It was really nice getting the inside scoop of the hours spent on these masterpieces. Guests are also encouraged to touch and photograph the candy art which was really fun. I don't want to give too much away but here are a few of my favorites! 

One part of this experience that set it apart from the MOIC are their Sugar Rush photo-ops. A few rooms have cameras set up on the ceiling with timers. The photos are then emailed to you automatically. That was a big plus for me. You know I love my pictures!

My favorite space by far was the magic confetti room. Imagine candy pigs in tutus, jellybean unicorns and buckets of rainbow confetti falling from the sky! It brought out the kid in me instantly. I could have stayed in there forever!

 

This rooms particular Sugar Rush had a spinning color circle with a TON of confetti raining down! Can we say Holiday Card!?

Towards the end of the candy journey, much like the MOIC sprinkle pool, Candytopia features a giant pool filled with faux marshmallows. Stepping into this soft pit of white was hilarious, just trying to get from one side to the other was exhausting! he he But we loved it!

Candytopia was so awesome, I'd definitely recommend checking it out if you're in the area. This museum stresses the importance of candy in our lives...the importance of artistic expression and the ability to just have fun! That is everything!

Thanks Candytopia and San Francisco, until next time!

Cheers, Bunny

SF: Museum of Ice Cream

Tucked into classic architecture and busy streets sits the Museum of Ice Cream's San Francisco installment.  

This pop-up museum explores the origins of ice cream through themed rooms and interactive displays, including giant gummy bears and animal cookie art. Most importantly a pool filled with sprinkles created to satisfy the kid in all of us...as soon as I heard about their famed sprinkle pit I knew we had to go!

  Unlike most museums this exhibit is more of a journey moving from room to room with other guests, never going backwards. Creating a path through giant cherries and clouds. The museum holds a limited number of tickets with designated entry times to cut back on the wait. Even with the entry times, there were a lot of people, though with the museums popularity I wasn't surprised. Still, there was enough time and space to try out the animal cracker 'rides'. Highlight of my birthday he he!

 A few of the rooms held a deeper meaning, one of acceptance. The museum houses a love for delicious ice cream but more importantly the belief that we are all unique and worthy of love. That's what I took away from it, all flavors welcome he he. One of the first rooms sported floor to ceiling magnetic white boards where we were invited to create a positive message. I love that someone had to bring Beyonce into the mix!

The museum guides each had their own room to look after, complete with ice cream questions and awesome crowns made from cones and sprinkles. PS. snag your own crown at the gift shop! I loved how they interacted with guests and seemed to really enjoy showing us through the maze.

A few of the rooms even offer specialized treats. The old-school diner passed out soft serve ice cream cones while the next room had cotton candy! But my favorite treat was in the mint room. After guides asked each guest to share a fun memory they served little mochi balls filled with mint ice cream! YUM!
Around one turn we were greeted by two lovely unicorns. We couldn't touch their horns but a picture was encouraged. This rainbow room complete with unicorn magic carried the Museum of Ice Cream's theme of acceptance and love with it.

Past all of the fanciful lands we finally made it to the sprinkle pool! It was such a funny feeling...as I jumped into the pit of rainbows my feet sank and my inner child awoke! My mind knew that we were adults sitting in a small pool filled with tiny plastic sprinkles but my heart was thrilled. Both Craig and I enjoyed it more than we thought we would! I wish we could have stayed longer.

 The Museum of Ice Cream is modern, colorful and sublimely simple. The concept is brilliant, ice cream with sprinkles of positive messages on top. Definitely made for a fun day! Check it out if you can and let the colors brighten you day!

Check out museum locations and tickets here: https://www.museumoficecream.com/

Thanks! 
Bunny