Yes, it’s so hard to get my son to eat. He is very selective about what he will eat and almost every meal is met with opposition, even if it’s something he had eaten the day before with no problem.  I stick to the very basics with him for now, and am always looking for ways to get him to try new foods.  A couple of weeks ago he FINALLY took to eating a popsicle, and he LOVED it so much, partly because it was on a stick, or maybe it was just the sugar rush.  Either way (I didn’t care which it was), this got my mind racing with ideas of all the yummy foods I could put on a stick and I decided the next thing would be a corn dog or cheese bomb. He was bound to like one or the other, right? I was pushing for the cheese.

I made my batter with Maseca (the corn flour) and cut the wieners in half to make it easier for his little mouth to gobble them down and his hands to hold.  Victory! Not only did he like the corn dog, he liked the cheese bomb too!  He now had a choice. If this recipe worked on my son, then it is officially kid proof.

Ingredients for Mini Corn Dogs and Cheese Bombs:

• 6 – frankfurters (beef or turkey) (cut in half)
• 6 – pieces of cheddar cheese (1 inch wide by 3 inch length)
• 18 – popsicle sticks
• 1 – tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 – cup Maseca (amarillo)
• 1/3 – cup corn meal
• 3/4 – flour
• 2 – tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 – teaspoons baking powder
• 1 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – teaspoon baking soda
• 2 – tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 – cup milk
• 1 – egg
• enough oil to fill a small saucepan 3/4 of the way up (about 4 cups)

Directions:

1. Pat frankfurters dry with paper towel. Insert popsicle stick into ends and push half way up. Do the same with the cheese chunks.
2. Sprinkle frankfurters and cheese with corn starch to ensure batter will stick. Set to the side. 
3. In a large mixing bowl combine Maseca, corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.
4. Pour in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Mix well till vegetable oil is fully incorporated into flour mixture. Set to the side.
5. In a small bowl mix milk and egg together. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Mix well. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
6. Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium flame and wait till oil reaches 370 degrees fahrenheit.
7.  Pour batter into tall cup and dip frankfurters and cheese chunks one at a time letting excess batter fall back into the cup.                                                               
8. Deep fry 2 at a time until golden brown.  
9. Place corn dogs and cheese bombs on a paper towel lined plate to drain for a few minutes before eating!
10. Enjoy!

With very little reception on my phone I found myself completely disconnected from the outside world and in the midst of a Melissa’s Produce Apple Tour.  I reveled in the thought of pretending to be Snow White lost in the apple forest.  I wondered what it would be like at night if I snuck out there in the middle of nowhere or as they call it, Cuyama Orchard’s – Organic Apple Farm,  located near Ojai just on the other side of the Santa Barbara Mountains.  A place where the golf-ball sized sweet Crimson Gold is grown on dwarf trees to ensure all the apples get plenty of sun.  We learned directly from the farmers about the measurement of sugar through brix and how they pick the apples.  Did you know when an apple is ready to be picked it will come off the apple tree with very little pull?

It was a great day of apple adventures and we got to bring a bounty of apples home with us to make apple recipes galore.  At first I made an Oatmeal Crumble Apple Crisp, and now I made Apple Pecan Cinnamon Buns (Recipe to listed below).  Enjoy a few photos from my day on the farm and then bake some buns.

Ingredients for Apple Pecan Cinnamon Buns:

• 1 – 17.03 oz box puff pastry (2 sheets)
• 1/2 – stick room temperature butter (plus a little more to grease pan with)
• 1/2 – cup dark brown sugar
• 1 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 – teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 – cup chopped pecans
• 1 – cup Melissa’s Produce Crimson Gold Apples or Gala Apples (peeled, and chopped into 1/2 an inch bite size pieces)
• 1 – egg
• 1 – tablespoon water

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1/2 – stick butter (room temperature)
• 4 – oz cream cheese (room temperature)
• 3/4 – cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 – tablespoons whole milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit

Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan with butter or a non-stick cooking spray. Set to the side.

On a clean surface, unfold both sheets of puff pastry and spread with 2 tablespoons of butter each. Set to the side

In a little bowl mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together until well combined. Then divide it evenly among the two butter lined puff pastry sheets, and spread it even.

Then top both with a 1/2 cup of diced apples each.

Carefully roll puff pastry into a tight neat roll. With a fork press down all along the seam of the roll.

In a small bowl mix egg and water to make an egg wash. Then brush apple cinnamon roll with egg wash along the fork impressed seam.

Next, with a sharp knife cut roll into 1 1/2 inch pieces and place in the greased 8-inch cake pan. Both rolls will fit into 1 pan. Leave a little room between each roll, as they will expand during baking.

Then sprinkle top with pecans.

Bake for 30 minutes on middle rack.

You could eat them like this or you could make the frosting for the top.

For the frosting, combine all ingredients in a mixer and beat for 5 minutes. Dollop over the top of your buns! Enjoy!

Ingredients for Honey Brie Cups:

1 – uncooked pie crust (I use pillsbury)

6 – oz. brie cheese

1/8 – cup honey

2 – tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit

Spray a mini muffin pan with a non-stick baking spray. Set to the side.

Unroll pie crust and cut with a star cookie cutter.

Then place little stars in mini muffin pan to form your cup.

Cut your brie cheese into cubes large enough to fit in center.

Then place in the oven for 9 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

While cups are baking take honey and orange juice and mix well.

Once you remove brie cups from oven,  drizzle orange honey generously over each cup.

Enjoy them on their own or with a bowl of fresh cherries!

 All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

 Snackas of the day:  I am such a huge fan of all candy Kinder.  Being a lover of toys and chocolate, I fell head over heels with the Kinder Egg many many moons ago.  So it came as no surprise when I stumbled on it’s cute cousin called Kinder Happy Hippo.  This cookie candy hybrid in it’s playful hippo shape entices the kid in me but satisfies my adult palate.  It’s crunchy crisp wafer like shell is filled with a creamy hazelnut and milk filling, then dipped in white chocolate and meringue crumbs.  So yummy.  They make a chocolate cream version too….. I heart them both.  They are hard to find here in the United States but when you run across them, grab with both hands.  Or if you find yourself in Europe, load your suitcase up and bring them home to your friends and loved ones.

Side note: Kinder Happy Hippo is made by Ferrero SpA, they also make Nutella…. That’s what I’m talking about.

Photos taken by: Mando Lopez

Here’s what the packaging looks like:

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post…. Just a candy/cookie I love wholeheartedly and purchased with my own dough. 🙂

When I elect to go for the gusto….there is no holding me back.  Yes I love bacon, but more than that I heart a slab of beans and cheese smeared in a flour tortilla.  Who doesn’t?  This is a sneak peek of what goes down in my kitchen on those nights when I live to eat with no restraints….. that falls under the category of soothing my soul.

All photos taken by: Mando Lopez and Nicole Presley

Ingredients for bacon bean and cheese burrito:

a package of bacon

1 – chile de arbol

3 – cups beans de la olla (if you don’t have time to make a batch “Sun Vista” pinto beans works well)

1 – teaspoon salt

1 – cup grated jack cheese

1 – cup grated cheddar cheese

flour tortillas

In a large pan over a medium flame, fry up your bacon till it is crisp and perfectly cooked. Then remove bacon from grease and dispose of half the grease.

Reserve the other half and while it’s still hot add the chile de arbol and beans.  Allow for beans to heat stirring occasionally.  Then add salt and with a potato masher start to smash beans to get a creamy consistency.

Next add jack cheese and cheddar cheese…. Mix well. Then crumble in bacon.  Reserve a few slices on the side.  Remove from flame.

Heat flour tortilla on each side over an open flame for 30 seconds on both sides.  Then add 2 tablespoons of bean and cheese to the middle of the tortilla and add a slice of bacon to the center of the beans.

Fold in outer ends, then roll to close.  Once you have your burrito/burritos rolled up heat a non stick pan over a medium flame and allow pan to get hot.

Place burrito in pan and grill on each side till tortilla is crisp.

Remove from flame and dig into HEAVEN!  I eat mine all by itself or with sour cream, avocado, salsa or tapatio.  Mmmmmmmm.  Enjoy!

Did I ever mention that I LOVE Disneyland?  It’s true.  When I was younger I would go several times a year, but now I get out there on special occasions which usually fall under the guidelines of my birthday, my fiance’s birthday, and now my son’s birthday too!  Of course I get uber excited knowing I’ll hop on all my favorite classic rides…. The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, and Peter Pan.  What really makes the thrill of visiting the happiest place on earth worthwhile are all the snacks.  I live to nosh and drink my way through the day.  Stopping along the way from each ride to the next to see what I could get my grubby little hands on. Today was no different then any of my other Disneyland visits, I had my fair share of all snacks Disney has to offer! Thank you for another beautiful memory!

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley and Mando Lopez

What we snacked on: Mickey Mouse Pretzel, Mint Julep,  Fresh Strawberries, Frozen Lemonade, Disney Lollipops,  Mickey Mouse Rice Krispy Treat Pop, Peanut Brittle,  and Ice Cream in a Waffle Cone.

No compensation was received for this post. Just a wonderful day spent celebrating my son’s birthday. These are my personal opinions and views of Disneyland.

Snackas of the day: Raspberry Macaroons from Canter’s Delicatessen on Fairfax.  Their macaroon is unlike any other in the city.  The base is made of a soft sugar cookie then an almond paste is piped on top and a jewel of raspberry preserves sits dazzling in the middle.  When you bite the cookie it is soft on the bottom but has a crunch up top and a spread of raspberry that will please your tastebuds.  So delicious.  I don’t drive down Fairfax unless I am prepared to stop and buy my treasured raspberry macaroons, otherwise it’s too tempting.  Lucky for me, I bought a box full yesterday.

Photos taken by: Nicole Presley

Canter’s Raspberry Macaroon is one of my top 5 absolute favorite cookies in Los Angeles.