My Last Meal 2...

These past 2 days I have truly enjoyed my last meals! Cupcakes, sangria, pizza, a Wendy's frosty, McDonald's fries, Eggplant Parmesan, snickers, and of course last night as my VERY last meal, I chose Taco Bell! 2 Chalupas, a soft taco supreme and a mexi-melt. If you know me very well, then you are not surprised by this choice. If my body let me, I can eat Taco Bell everyday. Please don't judge me!

My most memorable last meal was definitely my hot date with Ms. B BAD herself from Style_Me_Bad.

Side note: Please check her blog out! If you are a (B)eautiful (A)uthentic (D)etermined woman, then you will truly enjoy her. She brings you fashion, relationship, work and everyday life advice! Truly a B.A.D girl!

We headed down to the West Village to Sweet Revenge. It's basically a cupcake bar! Obviously, I was in bliss!

Sweet Revenge is a tiny place, we actually kind of had a hard time finding it at first. I called it our "date" because it was so romantic in there. Dimly lit lights and rustic decor set the mood HA HA!

All day I couldn't stop thinking about what I could possibly order. I knew I definitely wanted some sangria so of course I ordered that right away. Along with a Raspberry Red Velvet cake with Cream Cheese frosting and a raspberry sauce drizzle on top!

I literally died and went to heaven after first bite!!

Not only can you order whatever you want as I did, but they also give pairing advice. Such as which kind of wine or beer you should have with which cupcake. My lovely friend opted for this selection and got their Signature Sweet Revenge cupcake and an Argentinian Malbec wine.

Doesn't it look so delicious??? It was a peanut butter cupcake with a chocolate ganache filling and peanut butter fudge frosting!!!!! I'm pretty sure she literally died and went to heaven too! There was a short moment of silence when we dug into our treats...It was THAT good!!

Overall the experience was great. It's definitely a great date spot for an after dinner dessert, or a before dinner dessert, or really for any time. I mean let's be serious, there's never a bad time for a cupcake and good company :-)

End of Summer Blues!

It's the last day of summer =( I hope everyone enjoyed this great season, through heat waves, tornadoes and all!

How have you enjoyed your summer? I spent most of mine enjoying some new restaurants, NYC restaurant week, trips to the Dominican Republic and Washington DC. Watching my godson grow, Yankee Games, parties, weddings, BBQs, beach, sitting poolside, and lounging! It really was a great summer!

This last weekend of summer was great! Friday spent time with my aunt for our monthly wine and cheese night. Saturday hit up Harlem and Brooklyn with my love Don Pepe. I pretty much think Brooklyn is my new love! We had dinner with friends at Apartment 138 and then walked down the street for some drinks at Camp. They were both amazing!! I will do a double feature Spotlight Friday on these 2 Brooklyn spots. But for just a glimpse into my review, imagine breakfast for dinner and possibly the best mac and cheese you ever tasted, finishing it off with do it yourself S'mores and a game of Buck Hunter. It really doesn't get any better. On Sunday, it was a day full of relaxing! Spent some time with family and Don Pepe, then caught up with an old friend Nikki, over some rum & cokes and pool.

But now it's on to enjoying the many adventures and events that Fall and Winter brings. Time to put away the bikinis and bring out the Northface jackets and boots!

National Cheesecake Day!!

OK, im back! To say this week has been so stressful and busy would be an understatement! I know i slacked on my Wendesday ~Eat Up, Drink Up or Shut Up~ post so i promise next week i will double the recipe goodness!!!

OK! Moving on!

HAPPY NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY!!!!!!

I'm going to admit that I am not the biggest fan of cheesecake, however, for some reason Oreo Cookie Cheesecake really really gets my tastebuds jumping!!! So today, I will take part in this beautiful holiday and have a slice =)

For anyone else that would like to take part in the festivities today the

will be serving up slices of ANY cheesecake on their menu for half price all day, all night! I believe they have over 20 different types, so just go and run wild!!!!

For all of you New Yorkers, our most famous cheesecake establishment

located right in Brooklyn will be celebrating their 60th Anniversary and National Cheesecake Day by serving up free slices of ANY cheesecake with a purchase of a lunch or dinner entree OR serving ANY cheesecake slice for 60 cents!!! Their slices usually go for about $6!!!!!

Unfortunately, I won't be in the area today to enjoy a Juniors Oreo Cheesecake since it is the BEST in NY!!!!! But I will be enjoying one at the Cheesecake Factory =)

For more information and to find a Cheesecake Factory by you, visit their website Here

To drool over Juniors delicious Cheesecakes and for more information about one of New Yorks most famous establishments visit their website Right Here

~Eat Up, Drink Up or Shut Up ~

In honor of France's Bastille Day, today's recipe will be french themed!

STRAWBERRY CREPES

[ Photo courtesy of My recipes ]

Oddly, my first time eating a crepe was in May on my vacation in the Dominican Republic. I know, French Crepes in DR, weird. But I guess that's just how they roll. One of my mornings there I tried a Strawberry Crepe and it was like heaven on a plate! Luckily I was able to find a really really easy recipe to share with you, in hopes that you experience the same heavenly experience I did.

Ingredients

CREPES

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup skim milk

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon white sugar

1 pinch salt



FILLING

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

3/4 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1.In a large bowl, beat together egg, milk, water and oil. Beat in flour, sugar and salt until smooth.

2.Heat a medium, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place a ladleful of crepe batter into center of pan, tilting to coat the bottom. Cook until golden brown on one side, turning once, 2 to 5 minutes. Continue with remaining batter.

3.In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

4.To assemble, spread some melted chocolate on the lighter side of one crepe. Place a line of overlapping strawberries down the center of the crepe and roll it up. Top with whipped topping and drizzle with a bit more chocolate. Repeat with remaining crepes.
 
 
The full recipe along with reviews and pics can be found Here

Cupcakes, Cookies and Cocaine

A recent study on rats has proved that fatty foods such as Ice cream, fries and so on, increase levels of dopamine in our brain and overload the pleasure centers giving us an addiction to food similar to that of a cocaine addiction.

Their study found that,

"Not surprisingly, the rats that gorged themselves on the human food quickly became obese. But their brains also changed. By monitoring implanted brain electrodes, the researchers found that the rats in the third group gradually developed a tolerance to the pleasure the food gave them and had to eat more to experience a high. They began to eat compulsively, to the point where they continued to do so in the face of pain. When the researchers applied an electric shock to the rats' feet in the presence of the food, the rats in the first two groups were frightened away from eating. But the obese rats were not. "Their attention was solely focused on consuming food," says Kenny."

HA!!!

I laugh mainly because this last line, "their attention was solely focused on consuming food" is clearly how I am on a daily basis. I can be in the middle of a tornado, I'm not running for cover until I finish eating!! I laugh also because this study just confirms that, although I'm not obese, I indeed have an addiction to food, and you know what, I'm not sorry for it! Did they really need to study rats to figure this all out? They could have just studied me. Watched me at 3pm at work when I'm cranky, light headed, and my attention span is down to zero and all I can think about is when I can get my next fix a.k.a meal!!!!

Shoot, if anything, this article made me want a cupcake even more =)


Read the full article on this study at Fatty foods may cause cocaine-like addiction

Cupcake Tour NYC

Affinia offers New York City cupcake tour
http://www.cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/


Omg Omg Omg!! I wish I could book this and spend an entire day indulging in sweet heaven!! Maybe you can! If your looking to spend a night in NYC, BOOK THIS!!!! And you know what, maybe I will, just to take this tour. Or maybe there is a way I can get my hands on their list. I hope Sweet Revenge in the West Village makes the list (I will highlight this brilliant place soon), if not, I'm sure you can always make a pit stop =) Either way, this is a brilliant idea! Bravo Affinia!!!

P.s. Please check out this blog I linked, brought to you by 3 women who clearly understand the fabulousness (I know I know, that's not a word, i'm just so excited) of the Cupcake, and mark it as your "favorite". If your a cupcake lover like myself, you will appreciate it =)