A post about everything

Over the weekend, I had some pretty bad So-Cal withdrawals. There's this little Mexican fast food place in Costa Mesa that was introduced to me by my twin, Jane called Baja Fish Tacos. They seriously have the best grilled fish tacos EVER! I can just taste them right now. Across the street from our old apartment was an OC chain called the California Fish Grill. For $10, you get an entire dinner-fish, rice/fries, cole-slaw, and bread. May I add, they have the freshest and largest portions of fish too. To slightly curb the fish-craving, I made miso salmon. It was good but I still want my So-Cal fish. Ohhh so-cal fish, come to me!

Miso salmon with garlic-sauteed spinach and brown rice

The other day, someone pointed out that if I am to keep posting pictures of food, I must share recipes. So here it goes:

Miso Glazed Salmon

-1/2 C brown sugar

-2 T low sodium soy sauce

-2 T hot water

-2 T miso (I use white miso)

-2 lbs salmon fillets

-1 T chopped chives

-Cooking spray

1. Preheat broiler

2. Combine sugar, soy sauce, hot water and miso and mix until well blended

3. Arrange fish in dish coated with cooking spray

4. Spoon miso mixture over fish

5. Broil for 15 minutes

Over the last two days, Marc and I walked Missy's dogs as she devoted her entire being to her thesis. I love these two cuties! Now I want dogs. Yes, plural.

In another life, Marc was a dog-whisperer. Burger and Derby love their Uncle Marc, can't you tell?

On Sunday morning, there was literally nothing to eat for breakfast so I went to Target bright and early-before the doors even opened. As I got in line to pay for my staple Morningstar products and a gallon of milk, I noticed everyone walking out of the store with a green bag. Having left my usual reusable bag in the car, I immediately thought, "Oh great, Target is out to guilt trip us by coaxing each customer to purchase a bloody bag. It doesn't help that Earth Day is coming up too so that's twice the guilt." I really wanted to just run to the car, get my bag and be the pompous customer showing off to the hot male cashier (hehe! Oops!) that I brought my bag. Instead, I get to the counter and he literally starts putting my purchases into a green bag. "I have one, in the car; I have several-the red ones," I say. He replies by saying that they are F-R-E-E. Idiot moment, nonetheless. I shut up.

In celebration of Earth Month, Target is giving out these adorable reusable totes.

So after the Target trip, I spent the entire morning baking cookies. Last week, my dearest cousins Mariel and Claudine bantered back and forth on Facebook about Peanut Butter & Co.

Side story: While we were in NYC last year, this place was on our agenda but we never made it there as we got sidetracked by other things (Veniero's!). Claudine found their products at a Wal-Mart in South Carolina and Mariel points out later that they are also at Target. So I join in on the fun and bought a canister of Dark Chocolate Dreams-the inspiration for my cookies I made. They turned out ok-a bit fudgy and not as peanut-butter-ish as I'd hope for them to be.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

• -2 C all-purpose flour
• -3/4 C Hershey's Cocoa Powder
• -1 t baking soda
• -1 t salt
• -1 C unsalted butter
• -2 C white sugar
• -1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• -2 eggs
• -1 2/3 C peanut butter chips
• -Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter (Not quite sure how much I put in as I was trying to wing it....I'm guessing I only put less than 1-1/2 C b/c I couldn't taste it)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Mix dry ingredients together

3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla

4. Stir in peanut butter chips

5. Gradually add dry ingredients and stir until smooth

6. Drop onto cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes

Note: The cookies come out really really soft at first but they will harden on the cooling rack. Oh the cooling rack, I hate you for what you've done to me!

Last night, I met my friend Jackie for dinner who literally dumped half of her shoe collection on me. She's in the process of moving/spring cleaning/I just want to get rid of everything I own type of phase. I was pretty much floored when she opened her trunk and told me to take everything in it. I felt like Cinderella trying on her shoes in a sketchy parking lot between a car dealership and a Subway!

I am in love with these sandals and cannot wait to wear them all spring & summer long. Thank you, Diva for blessing me with your unwanted treasures!

I didn't lie when I said this would be a post about everything. Phew! Just trying to bring my blog back to life (via longer posts and more ranting, obviously). And I'm having formatting problems. Oh well!