Dessert Darling

Ooops

You're here by Mistake!!

 

This is my old blog. I I think you meant to go to 

 

www.DessertDarling.com

 

No biggie.. see you soon! :)

 

XOXO

Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch CHANGES!!

Hi friends! I know I've been out and under with the flu, but fear not, Dessert Darling is coming back, Bigger and BETTER!  That's right, DD is undergoing some technical changes to make the site a much more USEFUL and user-FRIENDLY place to assist you in finding all the right goodies for your every need!

THANK you for stopping by! If we're not FB or Twitter friends yet, come follow my sweet adventures there!! :)

 

XOXO

 

Bloggers' Day of Silence for Japan

 

 

Please click here to give your support to the people of Japan and donate today.  THANK YOU!!!!

 

XOXO

The Flu and the Bachelor

Dear Friends, 

I am Out of commission while I battle a narly flu. This is me with nurse Charlie while I was sweating out a 103 fever.

 

 

Ugh! Poor Charlie, he was a great bed-side companion, but lousy at getting me an ice-pack for my head and some soup.

Eventually I recruited Super Mom, who drove 3 hours to take care of me. Yay Moms! 

What perked me up next to my mama showing up? Um, The Bachelor Finale and Brad picking "Em"!

 

And how great are her new Low-Lights! Bleached Blondes- take note...

 

 

And even though they've admitted to having problems, I think that's super realistic. As long as the Brad is in it to win it (and he clearly is), I think these two will weather the storms.  Ohh, such a romantic I am!

 

Ok, just got some fancy meds from the doc, here's to healing fast!

 

xoxo

 

Larchmont Bakery- Join me on a Gluttonous Journey

Heard great things about the desserts at Larchmont Bungalow. This is clearly due to their impressive display of very large and colorful dessert items!

Here's my experience in photos:

 

WOA- this is a Large cupcake!

 

Attempting to Bite it

 

The Vanilla/Vanilla wasn't nearly as good as that dreamy Red Velvet cupcake, though

 

It doesn't stop there...

 

Super moist princess cake, very sweet with strong almond flavor

 

Moon Pie: Chocolate covered Choc.Chip cookies with Marshmallow filling, also Very Sweet

 

For good measure I had 3 slabs of this Hawaiian pizza (my fave) from Mulberry Pizzeria

 

Weewf! One of those nights! Hmmm, Stressed much? Maybe.. maybe I am. Alas, nothing a week of veggies and running can't counter-balance.. right!?  Ug, so not as fun as cupcakes and pizza!

ANYway, Larchmont Bungalow makes impressive looking goodies, but over all these items are way too large and heavy-handed with the sugar! Great cream cheese frosting though :) 

For more info on Larchmont Bungalow, click here. 

 

Cheers!

Snickers versus Baby Ruth, a Poll!

Recently we had a very heated and close poll between Reese's Pieces and Peanut Butter M&Ms (click here to see!). Today I'm pitching Baby Ruth versus Snickers.  Which chocolatey, caramel, nougat and nut candybar do you prefer?!

 

Which Candy Bar is Better? Snickers or Baby Ruth?online survey

 

XOXO

Thinny Thursday Tips, Tune In and Be Happy

 

Be in Touch with You Body

Ok, this advise is much more wishy-washy than the clear-cut tips I've doled out thus far.  What does it mean to be in touch with your body? Quite simply, it means to stay in tune with what's right for you, whether it's your exercise regime, diet, or happy body weight. There is no "one size fits all" routine for people to adhere to.  It's your job to tune into the rhythms and patterns of your body and know what suits you best.

For example, my work-out limit is one-hour a day. Anything more than that means I'll have to peace out the next day to let my body recover.  This limited work-out time varies drastically from my friend's who runs 26 mile marathons!!!

Additionally, everyone has a happy body weight that she should be in tune with. Anything 5-10 lbs more feels sluggish and, excuse me for saying so, depressing to me. Anything less feels too light and will make me hungry.  My personal pendulum swings 2 pounds left and 2 pounds right of it's happy medium every week.  Usually something like this... thin and great on Friday since I disciplined myself for the weekend. Gorge myself over the weekend. Feel sluggish come Sunday night. "Diet" starts again Monday to feel totally fabulous again come Friday, and on and on my cycle goes. It works for me. I know it, I get it.

 

Another aspect of being in touch with your body is the hunger versus boredom & stress issue.  I'm a classic over-eater when I'm stressed. I know this about myself and have simply banned my kitchen from trigger foods like boxes of cereal and pints of ice-cream. Furthermore, I do everything I can to eliminate stress altogether! I surround myself with happy, positive, and supportive people, I work-out, do yoga, and if something isn't working in my life, I don't pout about it, I change it (Ok, so maybe I pout a little, but then I change it).

 

 

Sweet Cupcakes at Buttercake Bakery

I really wanted to like the cupcakes from Buttercake Bakery in West Hollywood.  The quaint little shop has a simple, fresh and sweet feeling with its white interior and colorfully iced cupcakes. 

The first bite, however, repelled me with its saccharine icing.  It was so sugary in fact, that my mouth actually grimaced. Like Magnolia's cupcakes, it tastes like they dumped a box of powered sugar onto a mound of bland butter and mashed it all around. Now don't get me wrong, there is truly no better marriage then that of butter and sugar, but proportions and flavors need to be observed when it comes to frosting, like a sprinkle of salt or a teaspoon of vanilla. 

The cake part itself is very tall, another draw-back for me as I prefer manageably sized cakes to sink my teeth into. 

That all said, they're reasonably priced at $2.25 a pop (75 cents for the minis, which seem popular) and they're cute enough that they'd work for festive gatherings where the focus is not on the cupcakes.

 

 

For more info on Buttercake Bakery, click here. 

 

xo

Fantastic Molten Lava Chocolate Cake at Katsuya!

Woowee, I love me some fine Japanese cuisine! Especially from celebrity sprinkled restaurants that make trendy dishes like Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice and Yellow Tail with thin, Fried Onion rings! Mmmm. :-9 The problem with most fine restaurants though, Japanese joints in particular, is that the better the food, the worse the desserts. To my utter delight, Katsuya in Hollywood pulled through with an outstanding Molten Lava Chocolate Cake. Indeed it was one of the most delicious and desirable Chocolate Lava cakes that I've ever had, and I've had my share of these bad boys. That said, the other desserts at Katsuya were predictably average. Alas, we shall not dwell on mediocracy when we have greatness in our presence. Molten Lava Chocolate Cake= yet another reason to dine at Katsuya!

 

 For more information on Katsuya, click here. 

 

xoox

Delightful Cookies By Cookie Panache!

Ooh La la! The other day I came home to this delightful package of goodies from Cookie Panache! These dainty and classic treats would make a charming addition to baby and bridal showers, teas, or luncheons.  My favorite items were the mini-Madeleines and the oh-so-sweet Coconut Caramel Cookies! :-9 Thank you Cookie Panache!!

 

 

For more information on Cookie Panache, click here. 

 

XOXO

Quite Literally THE WORST Milkshake to exist in the U.S. of A

   

UUUGHH!

Honestly. HONESTLY. This was THE. WORST Milkshake I have EVER, EVER had in all my many lifetimes put together. I kinda freaked out when I saw the lady fill up half my plastic cups with a clear syrup. Ummmm, is that for me?? I ordered a milkshake. 

Then she filled the other half of the cups with a thicker white substance (one would hope.. Milk???) and attempted to blend the two fluids together.  Not very well, as you can see from the "chocolate" shake I have here on the right. Anyway, I tried to put the whole process aside and open my mind to tastiness anyway. I literally spit the shakes out upon first sip. Both had aweful, bitter, artificial tastes that would make cough syrup look dreamy in comparison.

Is Wendy's for real??? Seriously, Jack needs to show Wendy's a thing or two.. as shown in this post here!

 

xo

Running- Let's Talk Running this Thinny Thursday

Running.

That word can evoke a range of emotions for people. Some readers might see Bliss, while others see Hades. I used to jog all the time, but had retired my running shoes for a few years when I read a Jennifer Anniston quote that attributed running to her rockin' bod. Well, that did the trick! Ok, RUNNING- Bleh. I'll try you again..

For me, running breaks down a little like this:

Time Before the run, (dreading it) = Hell

Time During the run= Purgatory

Time After the run= Heaven!!!

 

Run Jenny! Runnnn!

 

It takes a while to get back into the swing of things. So here are my 

TIPS:

 

Fine Cupcakes at Swinger's Diner- Yeah Baby, Yeah!

Today I swung by the trendy S.Cal diner, Swingers, to grab a much needed cupcake.. or two.  My oh my did I see some mighty fine looking cupcakes displayed on the countertops. I opted for the vanilla vanilla as a costumer told me they were the best and she'd been dreaming about them on her whole trip in Thailand. That's some powerful cupcake. I also got the red velvet, because at a Swingers diner, a girl's gotta have more than one.

These were delicious desserts that I could sink my teeth into and I probably inhaled both in record time. They're rather large and have a generous serving of icing, which I love. That said, there was a lot of cake and I found myself dismanteling it to get the desired bites with icing. Overall, a solid 4-Cherry rating for Swinger's cupcakes!

 

 

For more info on Swingers Diner, click here

 

XOOX

Astro Burger's Rice-Pudding: A Tasty Tuesday Vlog!

Ok, probably shouldn't be filming and driving, but hey, I'm getting a feel for this who Vlog thing. Anyway, I never get fast food and was pretty jazzed to see Rice Pudding as an option at Astro Burger. Alright- off you go! Enjoy the video. :)

 

 

 

XOOX