i am 100% totally in love with oakland’s double dutch sweets. confectioner shiyuan’s creation the ramona bar is ridiculously delicious. imagine a fancy, high-end version of a snickers bar that includes nougat with peanuts and a layer of salted caramel, all covered in dark chocolate with salt sprinkled across the top. yes, i am drooling right now as well. the one place here in the city of san francisco where you can pick up some of her bars is the candy store in russian hill.
even better news is that shiyuan will be at the candy store this thursday for a confectioner showcase where you can meet with her and sample her chocolate. while there you can enjoy some champagne and take advantage of a 10% discount on any purchase you make throughout the event.
what: the candy store’s confectioner showcase featuring double dutch sweets where:the candy store, 1507 vallejo street {at polk} when: thursday, august 18, 5:00 – 7:00pm
are you in san francisco tonight? i sure do hope so because…woot! woot! party at the candy store!!!
back in april the candy store turned four and you can help celebrate with them this thursday, june 16! the parties are always a blast with lots of food, champagne and, of course, candy! the owners will also have a candy contest/trivia again with great prizes for the lucky winners. oh, and there’s 10% off your purchase during the party. all are welcome.
i am in one of those i-need-comfort-food-to-make-me-feel-better moods {otherwise known as what may turn out to be “stress eating”}. and my friend was talking about pancakes recently {hello, comfort food!}, so how cute is this print…
but you wanna see what’s even better?
cute mini pancakes with your name on the top! who’s with me? let’s have some pancakes {i’ll even make little signs for our names}!
Maybe it’s because I’m not a parent, but I think it’s a good idea to play with your food. Get creative. You know, express yourself. I mean, just check this out…
Parmesan and Rosemary Star Doodle Bread:
I learned about Doodle Bread from independent designer and baker, Rose Kane. She has created a way to bake loaves of bread with doodles on each slice through the use of natural colors and flavors. One of the best parts is that her newly launched website offers home baking kits so that you can play with bread in your very own kitchen. Her goal was to get kids baking. Check out her blog to see what new ideas she comes up with and where she’ll be selling the breads and kits {local farmers market – she’s in Belfast, Northern Ireland}.
There are a lot of Flight of the Conchords fans out there. I obviously learned that when trying to get my hands on tickets to their show here in San Francisco recently. So while perusing Etsy, as I often do, I thought why not check and see if there’s any FOTC stuff listed. Yes, there are DIYers out there that heart Bret and Jemaine. Here’s the proof…
If you have never been to The Candy Store in San Francisco, well you just don’t know what you’re missing. Located in Russian Hill (just off of Polk Street on Vallejo) is a quaint shop that would make Willy Wonka proud. There are gummies, sours, licorice, chocolates, caramels…all sorts of sweets! Something that is truly darling, along with being a unique offering, is the collection of nostalgic hard to find candies. Goodies that are beautifully displayed – primarily in those old fashioned candy jars (or if you’re from Hawaii – the crack seed jars)…how could you not love it there!
The owner, Diane Campbell, is an amazing woman. She is so sweet and fun and you’ll enjoy just stopping by and meeting her. She knows everything about the delicious treats at her shop and can make great suggestions on what to try. The first time I visited The Candy Store I picked up a few items. I told her that I had been in a caramel mood so she offered me a sample of what became my favorite choosing of the day. They were these small chocolate balls that were filled with caramel – oh, yummmmm!
Next time you’re in the neighborhood definitely put The Candy Store on your list of places to visit.
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By the way – Got an event or special party coming up? Diane can also provide you with the perfect sugar-filled treats for any occasion.
The Candy Store
1507 Vallejo Street (at Polk)
San Francisco, California 94109
p) 415.921.8000
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 11am – 7pm
I just had to do a little post about this. Any of you remember this from when you were a kid? I do…plus I’ve been craving shave ice – or Sno-Cones in Snoopy’s world…
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Oh boy, does this bring back memories. Check it out at Fred Flare and look back on good times from childhood. Ah, the good ol’ days!
You will after you go to Hokulani Bake Shop. This cute little bakery located in Restaurant Row in Honolulu is amazing. You step through the doors and are welcomed by friendly faces who are ready to serve you up some sweetness. Using all-natural ingredients, no additives, preservities or mixes, these delicious delights are made from scratch and are oh-so-good. Can you tell I’ve tried them?
Yes, I finally stopped by Hokulani over the weekend while picking up a gift for a friend. So I thought, why not have a little treat for myself? I looked up at the menu board for the day and read words like “no trans fat” and “no hydrogenated oils”. I was sold. Now I KNEW I had to have one, maybe more, for myself. Anyway, I was lucky enough to have fresh cupcakes brought out and they were awesome! With flavors like Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, Toasted Coconut, Southern Red Velvet and Carrot Cake, how could you not have a bite? Oh, and that’s just the cupcakes. There are gorgeous cookies that are decorated by hand ranging in shapes that scream ‘Hawaii’ to any holiday you can think of.
At Hokulani Bake Shop they offer gift baskets and tins for any occasion. Husband and wife team Tushar and Ana Dubey are the owners of this lovely bakery. You can have your goodies personalized with names or even logos. There are even parties where you can decorate cupcakes or cookies and they even have delivery. Yes, if you’re in the downtown area they will actually bring you your cupcakes or cookie order on their bicycle that (otherwise known as the “cupcakemobile”). Fun, right?
Check out their site (they’re working on updates) or stop by if you’re in Honolulu. It’s so worth it. Just the sweet smell of the cookies and cupcakes baking will have you saying yummmmm….
Here are some new cookbooks that I just purchased and found in my mailbox! I’ve browsed a bit through each one of them and they ALL look good. I’ve heard so many good things about these cookbooks, especially Vegan With a Vengeance and Vegan Cupcakes!
As I’m sitting here thinking about what I should make for dinner tonight, I find myself going through the list of local foods that I’d love to cook up. But where to start?
In Hawaii there are so many choices of what and where to eat. With the amount of cultures here we have a vast selection of foods. If you live in Hawaii or are coming for a visit you should check out Mixed Plate’s Blog of the Week – The Tasty Island.
Pomai runs this blog that shares the diverse ethnic flavors that Hawaii has to offer. There are recipes and reviews of eateries ranging from the local plate lunch-style stand to fine dining restaurants. But how exactly does Pomai rate his eating experiences?
Enter the Spam Musubi Rating System (I LOVE this, by the way!). If you’re not familiar with spam musubi, it’s basically a staple at every picnic, outing, party, sporting event, etc. locally (see below). Pomai “grades” different places judging on his overall impression of the restaurant, item or recipe on hand.
So if you’re looking to see how your favorite island eating spot did and what kind of Musubi Grade they got, head on over to Pomai’s blog. Me? I’m about to eat right now – all this talk of spam musubis, recipes and plate lunches made me hungry!
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aloha!
i’m liana.
welcome to my site.
so nice to meet you!
i’ll do my best to keep you entertained.
