Tea & Cupcakes

It's no secret that I'm a fan of cupcakes and I've also blogged about my love for whole leaf tea, so when I met Ebony at Layers Cupcakes I asked her if she could make a green tea cupcake for me. She said she'd work on it. A few months later she partnered with Naja Tea to come up with five tea-infused cupcakes. I actually liked all of them, but below I've put them in order of preference:

Sassafras
Sassafras tea infused French Vanilla Cupcake filled with wild yam mousse. Frosted Cinnamon Swiss Meringue Buttercream and finished with dramatic explosions of torched cinnamon Meringue. Who knew yam would be good in a cupcake? But it is and tasted just like pumpkin pie.

Crimson Berry
Crimson Berry infused rasberry/strawberry cupcake filled with a four berry mousse. Frosted with Blueberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream and topped with a simple quartet of fresh berries. This was wonderfully colorful, sweet and moist. I also could taste the roobios tea in this cupcake.

Tahiti
A Green Tea infused cupcake filled with fresh papaya mousse. Frosted with Pineapple Swiss Meringue Buttercream and topped with dried pineapple and papaya. This one is very tropical and summery.

Allure

This citrus tangerine cupcake is filled with tangerine creme. Frosted with Tangerine Swiss Meringue Buttercream and topped with tangerine zest and a candied tangerine slice.

Mix and Mingle

Mix and Mingle tea (vanilla, toasted coconut, chocolate roobios tea) infused coconut cupcake filled with Coconut and Chocolate creme. Frosted with Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream and topped with toasted shaved coconut and chocolate powder. Great coconut flavor. If you could smell this loose leaf tea, you'd recognize instantly how dead on the flavor of these cupcakes are.

I especially liked the moist mousse and pudding inside and the overall light and fluffy textures of each cupcake, after all, I hate a dry cupcake. They also smell amazingly fruity.

Layers Cupcakes is a cupcake catering and delivery service, but they also make appearances at Thursday's Farmers Market on 7th and Fig in Downtown LA at the Naja Tea Booth and Saturdays at Americana at the Glendale Tealandia Booth. Coming up in one month's time they will also be in South Pasadena, Brentwood and Larchmont Village.

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A Fresh & Easy pool party

Literally that is. Last week after work, Raphael and I headed to a pool party at The Roosevelt Hotel and hosted by Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market. The party was in honor of the market's Hollywood store--which I blogged about when it opened last year--receiving a liquor license like their other locations. Now the store can sell its 200 wines, many of which are under $10 and 70 of them are exclusive to F & E. Thus, watch out Trader Joes! Unlike TJ though, I find that F&E is more modern and less of that country feeling (IE the place my mom goes to get cheese spreads and dips in fancy jars for her boating friends).

Out of the wines that we tasted Raphael liked the Fresh & Easy St. Helens Riesling (only $4.99 a bottle!) and I liked the F&E Napa Family Vineyards Cabarnet Sauvignon ($11.99, yup I have more expensive tastes ;). There was also this sparkling wine, La Gioiosa Prosecco ($7.99) that provided me with a sweet peach & pear buzz. I'd especially go back to purchase that bottle since nothing goes to my head like Champagne/sparkling wine.

I also love The Roosevelt Hotel's pool side bar and lounge. Usually the only way to get in though is if a friend is staying at the hotel or via some party like this. The party was made even more fun by hanging with Linday and Zach from LAist, Elizabeth of Traded My BMW for a Minivan and Noelle.

The folks at Fresh & Easy meanwhile will be donating two of their wine varietals at Blogger Prom next month and providing their canvas totes to hold all the swag we'll be giving out. Yay!

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Pinkberry's new summer flavors

Today Pinkberry launches their new summer flavors--coconut and passion fruit and you can also get them swirled together for a tropical mix. In honor of the announcement, all Pinkberry locations from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. today will be giving away a FREE small cup of either of their new flavors (more here).

Yesterday though, I got an exclusive “sneak tasting” of their new offerings. I thought the coconut was subtle and tasted and looked a lot like the original, until I swallowed and then I could taste the coconut more. The very pale yellow colored passion fruit flavor though was my favorite. It's nice and refreshing and unlike their other flavors. Perfect for summer, like a tart and satisfying lemonade. The swirl was nice too, but the passion fruit overpowered the coconut when swirled together like that. For toppings, I chose mango (super fresh, I’m not normally a mango fan either), pineapple and my favorite—mochi. These summer flavors along with their pomegranate one will be available through the summer, temporarily replacing their green tea flavor, so get it while you can.

Pinkberry also launched their new Pinkberry Fruit Parfait, which I also tried. I can so see having it for lunch sometime because it was very filling and fresh. Basically, it's layers of fruit, granola, a little Pinkberry yogurt with a topping of Pinkberry at the top (you can select the flavor of yogurt and specify the fruit too). Apparently, they are hoping people will start ordering it for breakfast—move over Jamba Juice.

Other special summer options include the Bing Cherry topping, at first I thought it would be a hassle because of the pits, so I was really surprised to find out that they remove the pits, thus pitiless Bing cherries.

Here I am in all my Pinkberry glory, trying all of the above:

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Ed McMahon's Hollywood star desecrated

While walking on Hollywood Blvd yesterday evening, I was shocked to see that tar and newspapers were spread over the recently deceased Ed McMahon's Hollywood star.

Here are the iPhone shots that I took:




This isn't the first Hollywood star in ruin that I've seen though, He really doesn't get any respect.

Update: LAist says it has now been cleaned up. Glad to hear that.

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Fat Burner Energy Lip Balm?

Another odd product that I had to try and review for ya'll is Burner Balm, a chapstick that supposedly boosts your energy level and helps control cravings.

Since I'm a lip balm addict as it is and because I do not drink coffee, I thought the combo might be interesting especially on tiresome days. However, caffeine can sometimes make me shaky when I do have it and I feared that side effect. Luckily, this balm didn't make me too caffeinated, but did provide a quick pick me up (doesn't last too long though). It also feels like regular chapstick, no burning of the lips or tingling like with lip plumpers.

They claim that "putting on the flavored lip balm with Green Tea Extract could be a distraction from eating, similar to chewing sugar-free gum.” I'm not sure if it was just a placebo effect and that I willed it to work, but the balm did distract me from snacking at work, plus who wants to ruin a nice shine on the lips with crumbs and food?

Burner Balm is currently only available online for $5.99 (Amazon and at burnerbalm.com) and comes in five yummy flavors, acai berry, original, strawberry, vanilla and pomegranate. I have the original and strawberry and both taste and feel nice, but I have my eye on the vanilla as well.

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Xooro churros (say that 3x fast while doing a shot)

Last week, the Blogger Prom committee and I stopped into xooro (pronounced Sure-oh) in Santa Monica by the 3rd Street Promenade for some special flavored churros, "Spanish fritters." They of course offer the classic fried dough sticks with cinnamon and sugar, but this specialty churro shop also has more exotic flavors like maple bacon, cream filled, chocolate covered, raspberry filled, nutella and many more. They are also looking to make some more savory flavors soon. Best of all, the churro's are nice and warm when served and are made using authentic ingredients and healthy frying techniques (rice bran oil). A gluten free xooro is available for those with a wheat allergy too. They come in one size and range in price from $3.69 to $4.20, thus not some cheap street eat anymore.

Xooro just held a sneak peak opening party for their new second location on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles/Hollywood area, only a few blocks from where I work. The event included some yummy samples and I got to hang out with Caroline on Crack who was also there.

Also chatted and took a pic of the husband and wife team who founded xooro--Begonia Amaya and Vicente Cisneros from Mexico City.

Officially, opening day at the new store is on Wednesday June 24th where they will also be offering free xooro’s to all guests from 5:30- 7:30 p.m. The new xooro is located at 8360 Melrose Avenue, between Orlando and Kings Road. Street meter parking available.

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Le Whif: breathable chocolate review

When I first heard about Le Whif, an inhalable chocolate, I knew it was something I just had to try and blog about. From Paris, this canister of chocolate air is marketed as chocolate without the calories and was invented by a Harvard professor.

You have to hold the tube horizontally and then inhale through your mouth. Fine chocolate powder then enters your mouth. You can close the container and whiff again later for a total of four whiff's per Le Whif tube. It comes in four flavors: mint chocolate, raspberry chocolate, mango chocolate, and plain chocolate. A pack of six Le Whif tubes though will run you about 10 euros so $14 via their Website.

When I inhaled, little bits of chocolate powder hit my tongue, reminding me of the cocoa powder from a packet of hot chocolate. It's definitely not as filling or as satisfying as eating a chocolate bar, but it does fill any sweet cravings you may have and without the guilt. It's also fun taking puffs from the tube, like smoking a cigar. It reminded me of those Bubble Gum Cigarettes as a kid and something out of The Jetsons (remember their food would come in tablets?). I favored the chocolate and raspberry flavors the best.

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You can't go home again?

Last weekend, I traveled back home to New York for my Nanny's memorial service. I was planning on being strong and read the poem that I wrote years ago, which she asked for me to read when one day she should pass away. I figured that I had dealt with my feelings after saying goodbye to her at the hospital, however, I started thinking about all our earlier memories and how close we were and all my emotions came back up to the surface.

I first started crying when I saw her friends that she used to play cards with after seeing the sadness in their eyes. Then memories of joining them in their card games with my Nanny flooded back. I started crying much harder though during her son's beautiful speech about Nanny's ability to bring people together, our bond and that words like "hate" were not in her dictionary. I barely managed to read the poem, but my voice cracked throughout. The weirdest part was being all together without her. Being inside her home (where I grew up on many weekends and summers ) without her was another shock. It was like a body without its soul. No more spirit, just a house.

Things picked up though the following day when "the boys" (my psuedo-brothers that my Nanny and I babysat) and I went out for a ride on a very fast cigarette boat. The river was super flat and we skipped like a stone up the Hudson River, under the Bear Mountain Bridge and passed West Point reaching 61 MPH. It was like a roller coaster ride, the winds pushed at my face like a facelift and my hair was whipping me.

Here's a video of the experience. The audio is loud though due to the wind and us speeding, so you might want to mute:

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Start em young

Get your kiddies reading blogs as early as possible and preferably When Tara Met Blog. Below is Thomas Caesar Rock and he's an avid When Tara Met Blog reader, as you can see by his fashionable onesie. OK, he's also my godson, but it counts!

Today Tom-cat turns 1-years-old ... and he already has longer eyelashes than me. Thomas, if you're reading this ... Happy Birthday!!

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Liquor Review: TY KU

Over the years, I’ve blogged about wine, doing a vodka taste test, tequila and now there’s a new liqueur in town to talk about.

TY KU is a clean and crisp low calorie, low carb, low sugar liqueur that’s a blend of Asian spirits and superfruits and teas including:

Yuzu–Asian citrus, vitamin C
Honeydew– source of potassium and vitamin C
Green Tea– antioxidants, cholesterol reducer
Mangosteen– Asian superfruit, contains antioxidants
Goji Berry– Tibetan wonder-berry, contains 18 amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins
Ginseng– providing energy
Soju– low calorie Asian vodka, no added sugars

Sounds yummy, right? You can taste the melon flavor of the honeydew and other botanicals. You can drink it chilled on the rocks (this is how I first tried it) or in many crafted cocktails to make yummy martinis, margaritas and mojitos. I also tried it with Sprite, which made it even sweeter and a little too easy to drink at 20% alcohol.

When it comes to wine and spirits, I must confess I often judge a book by its cover and the TY KU bottle is really cool looking. In a triangle like shape, it’s “the world’s only illuminating bottle,” which somehow makes the cool green-colored liqueur glow like kryptonite when the light hits it. It’s very cool and the bottle is smooth like weathered sea glass. It retails for $32.99, but you’ll see it more and more at bars and in cocktails that you can order.

The brand also makes a TY KU Sake, which we have too. I’m not a Sake fan though, due to a very bad second date back in Manhattan. Anyway, Raphael is a fan and I poured him a shot in a little Japanese red tea cup and tray that I was happy to utilize. He said it's "uniquely good," and that it tasted high-quality and expensive, "not something you'd find at a local sushi restaurant."

Apparently, premium sake is best enjoyed chilled and usually poor quality sake is heated to mask undesirable flavors, so beware. TY KU Sake is made from only four all natural ingredients: rice, water, yeast & koji. Throughout history, the Japanese have referred to sake as “The Drink of the Gods,” thus the perfect drink for my hubby (Note: I’m sucking up because he sent me flowers at work today! ;).

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Giveaway: $85 Tolani Scarf

Speaking of scarves, Chickdowntown.com is letting me giveaway one of their fashionable Tolani Scarves valued at $85 each. The bold colors clash in kinetic zigzag patterns across the ultra-soft, stretchy scarf.

To enter simply comment here with how you typically like to wear scarves and with what. Also, if you Tweet This you will automatically be entered into the drawing twice. As always, please remember to add your email address or link to a blog where I can grab it. I'll randomly select a winner using Random.org on Friday 6/12 end of day. Good luck!

Also, while you're surfing their site they also carry stylish Giuseppe Zanotti shoes. The Italian born Zanotti's shoes are elegant, creative and made from quality.

Update: Congratulations to Ashley!

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All tied up - how to tie a dress scarf

The new must clothing accessory, is not a new necklace, but a colorful scarf for an instant wardrobe update, especially in "chilly" LA. While I always love looking at the brightly colored dress scarves on display, I never buy them, because I was never sure how to wear them and with what. Outdoor winter scarves, no problem. Dress scarves? That's a different story. After all, there's silk, cotton, pashminas, long, short, how do I knot them, can I wear them with a tee, a dress? Ah, better stay away is what I thought.

This week though, I finally picked up a purple pattern linen scarf from Gap for $24.50 (some of the ones hanging in the photo on the right were only $19.50 though). I also carefully studied the many different knots, bows and ties on the different mannequins in the store and apparently you can wear a scarf with a strapless jersey dress.

"Silks are very appropriate to wear with sweaters and suits, but the newer wrapping scarfs are the way to go with tees and summer dresses," says Lynn Roberts at Echo Design. She went on to share with me that their Tribal crinkle scarf is a popular seller. She also has her own How to Tie tips.

I started off easy though and settled for wrapping my new scarf around my neck once and bringing the ends back to the front, but then tied knots at the ends that were hanging. Voila!

Next time, I'm going to try one of the examples found in the below video from ModCloth.com, which shows you how to tie a long rectangular scarf. They also have three additional videos on scarf tying available. It's good to see I'm not the only one confused as these videos have over 40,000 views.

SheFinds.com also recorded a short video on how to create a braid-like knot:


While Shauna Smith (pictured right), Store Manager of jbandme.com writes, "My latest idea is to wear TWO light-weight scarves wrapped together. Intertwine the two to create a brand new scarf! I like to mix prints and fabrics. You can begin by braiding the two scarves together BEFORE you put it on, or you can tie the first and weave the second through, making up the style as you go! Brilliant!"
Worst case, I could always buy an Adi Bakshi Scarf, which wraps around the neck and comes to a close in the front with a detailed button so that you'll always get the perfect look every time you put it on.
Designer Sam Kori George also advises that, "One should wear their scarf, shawl or stole to the left side always because it’s more flattering. Just remember over your heart." He also warns not to mix animal prints and absolutely no scarf over a turtleneck unless you want to look frumpy. "Trend or no trend, do not wear a scarf with shorts and a vest." Good to know.

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LA Times: The cupcake abides

The day before I was leaving for vacation, amidst my packing, I received a call from Los Angeles Times food reporter, Mary MacVean, who said she was doing a story about cupcakes and how the fad won't go away. She wanted to ask me my opinion and to hear more about my LA Cupcakes MeetUp Group, which I more than gladly did. We discussed how I believe cupcakes remind people of childhood and happy birthday classroom memories. I also shared that they are popular because it allows you to indulge without eating or baking a whole cake. Now, cupcakes aren't small enough though and mini-cupcakes are becoming the standard at cupcakeries.

Anyway, I went on and on and luckily one of my quotes ended up in her final piece along with my friend Nichelle at Cupcakes Take the Cake.


Food

The cupcake abides
By Mary MacVean
June 3, 2009

Like a Hollywood ingenue, cupcakes have been exposed every which way -- high-end and low, fancy and down-home. But unlike those pretty young things, the cupcake's time in the sun goes on and on.

Cupcakes may seem so 2004, but these little paper-clad stars just keep soaking in the love.

"They're even more popular. I think it's just going to continue," says Nichelle Stephens, who with two friends runs a blog called Cupcakes Take the Cake.

In fact, their popularity may even outlast the star who helped set off this craze: Sarah Jessica Parker, whose "Sex and the City" character -- Carrie Bradshaw -- is seen wearing knee socks and devouring a pink-frosted cupcake outside Manhattan's Magnolia Bakery.

"I don't think you can be angry eating a cupcake," says Tara Settembre, who once lived near the Magnolia Bakery. Since she moved to L.A., she has organized 25 meet-ups at "cupcakeries" around Los Angeles. Her online cupcake group has nearly 500 members.

Read the full article

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