Kuat

In the fall of 2002 my boyfriend (now husband) and I stopped by a 7-11 outside of Richmond, VA to pick up a cold soda. I'm always on the look out for new and unusual drinks or food products and was immediately drawn to the green soda bottle on the top shelf labeled Kuat. You might be thinking "Kuat? That doesn't sound appetizing!" I can see how you would think that given the name but I had to try it for myself.

The bottle said it was a product of Coca-Cola so we assumed it was brand-new to the market. The label also said that it contained guarana berries which contains guaranine, a substance that is identical to caffeine.

Guarana berries grow in South America and were named "secret eyes" after their appearance. Guarana is the pure seed of the Paullinia Cupana vine - a climbing shrub found in isolated areas of the Amazon rainforest (Guarana Co.).

After a few sips of the Guarana soda we were hooked. It is probably an acquired taste but it didn't take long before we liked it. If I remember correctly, Kuat tasted fruity and perhaps a little bitter.

Apparently Kuat is still being sold under different names in other countries like Brazil. What I don't understand is why Coca-Cola didn't market the soda and only tested it in random 7-11's for one to two months. We only saw it that one day and everytime we went back they didn't have Kuat.

So, if you work at Coca-Cola and have any say in the matter, please bring back Kuat! I think it would do really well with the right marketing campaign. As far as I remember it was refreshing, unique, and a good alternative to cola.

If anyone ever sees this soda being sold please let me know!

Heaven Sent Desserts

Last Saturday my husband and I spent the day in San Diego having meals with various friends. The heat was beyond unbearable and none of the restaurants seemed to have air conditioning (or if they did it couldn't cope with the heat). After a hot lunch and dinner I knew I needed to sit down somewhere cool for dessert. We had passed a bakery before dinner called Heaven Sent Desserts that looked like it would fit the bill.

Parking was easy to find on the street and I was pleased to find that their air conditioning was far better than the other restaurants I had been to that day.

After looking over the desserts in the glass case I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be blown away. The prices ranged from $2-$8 for items such as a slice of cake, bread pudding, or a single macaroon.

My favorite desserts are tarts, cookies, brownies/bars, and other homey desserts rather than cakes and puddings. It just so happens that Heaven Sent Desserts had mostly cakes that night. They did have a lemon curd tart that looked good and one of my friends ordered the apple pie/tartlet. I decided just to order a sundried cranberry coconut macaroon ($2). My husband split their New Orlean's Style Bourbon bread pudding which comes with vanilla ice cream with another friend.

Since I'm not a fan of bread pudding I just took my husband's word on how it tasted. He said it wasn't bad but not the best he's had (but then again, my mom makes a killer bread pudding so he has high standards now).

I tried eating my macaroon but it was so dry and tasteless that I couldn't even finish it. A macaroon should be moist and flavorful. It's a very simple dessert to make so I was disappointed that one of their smallest items wasn't really edible.

The Dutch apple pie on the other hand wasn't bad. The crust was crisp and the streusel was acceptable. However, it still didn't "wow" me. To be honest with you, I'm so tired of going to bakeries or dessert restaurants and being disappointed with what I ordered. While it doesn't matter so much for $2 I really hate paying up to $10 for a dessert plate only to leave unsatisfied.

Another local dessert spot is Extraordinary Desserts. However, I mostly go there for the atmosphere (and tea!). I was hoping Heaven Sent Desserts would be an additional San Diego option for dessert but it just isn't worth the drive down to North Park. If you're vegan it might be worth the trip for you. They have several vegan desserts available on their menu.

I try to visit an eatery more than once before writing a review but since it takes between 40 minutes and 2 hours to get to San Diego (yes, it took 2 hours this past weekend) I am usually only able to visit San Diego eateries once.

So, just because I wasn't impressed with their desserts, that doesn't mean you shouldn't go to Heaven Sent Desserts. The owner is a former air force servicemember and I do feel that it's important to support people who volunteer(ed) for the military whenever you can.

If you need a break from the heat or just a quiet place to catch up with a friend I think this place is perfectly suitable. They have coffee, ice cream, and other drinks in case you're not in the mood for dessert. As mentioned in Alice's review, they have adorable coffee cups. (Side note: it's funny because I didn't realize it was the same dessert place that Alice had reviewed until after I left. I think her review was very accurate.)

Heaven Sent Desserts
3001 University Ave.
corner of 30th St.
619/793-4758

Chocolate Velvet Ice Cream

With this heat it's amazing that I've managed to eat anything besides ice cream. There is nothing like a good homemade ice cream to cool you off. I've also been craving chocolate like mad this week (even though I wasn't interested in it during the first half of my pregnancy) so I had no choice but to make chocolate ice cream to satisfy my craving and cool off.

This is only the second time I've made ice cream but the recipe I used made it quite simple. Whenever I want a basic recipe that is most likely going to turn out great, I turn to my big yellow Gourmet cookbook.

For the recipe click here.

Notes:

1. I used half and half instead of the milk and cream and it turned out perfectly.

2. For the chocolate I used a combination of Ghiradelli and 2 kinds of South American chocolates from Trader Joes. Don't bother making this with anything but good chocolate.

3. I didn't use Dutch-processed cocoa because I have not been able to find it anywhere. The organic cocoa from TJ's worked fine.

4. Just like the description says, this ice cream has an intense chocolate flavor. I think it tastes like frozen chocolate custard (which is what it is) rather than a typical chocolate ice cream that you would buy in the store. I think you could probably add less chopped chocolate if you want a milder chocolate taste.

Zinc Cafe

My first visit to Solana Beach occured this past Friday when I met Rorie (from Milk and Honey) for lunch. We met up at the Zinc Cafe which is an quaint cafe nestled in between boutiques on S. Cedros Ave.

The Cafe has mostly outdoor seating underneath shady trees and vines. We sat indoors right next to a wide open window. Fortunately the cafe is close enough to the beach to be cool enough to bear this usually unbearable San Diego heat.

I ordered their homemade lemonade (with a mint sprig and slice of ginger in it) which really helps refresh you on these hot days. They also have a container of cold water on the counter which I find extremely convenient since I can't get enough water lately and there are no waiters so you don't have to ask for water; it's right on the counter.

Rorie ordered a toasted brie sandwich that looked delicious and I couldn't help but order my favorite type of sandwich: buffalo mozzerella caprese sandwich. Normally I like mine heated but with the outside temperature I opted for the sandwich as-is which turned out perfectly light and satisfying.

We ordered a brownie and lemon cheesecake to share and if it weren't for the heat I would have gobbled them up. I love a good moist brownie. Their brownie was moist without being too heavy and rich. The cheesecake was light and lemony but not quite as satisfying (unless cheesecake is your favorite dessert). I brought home the leftover cheesecake to my husband who was happy to indulge.

One of my pet peeves about California restaurants is the pricing. Most California cafes are way overpriced and leave a lot to be desired. I thought the Zinc Cafe was much closer to a reasonable price (there are no sides and the plates aren't overflowing but everything seems to be appropriate for their prices) and the atmosphere is very relaxing. I felt like I was sitting in Rorie's garden rather than a crowded cafe (which it appears to be since it's one of the few restaurants on the block).

I'm very sad to say that I won't be able to meet Rorie there again since she's moving far away to New England but I'm hoping she'll keep posting and of course keep in touch. It's always a shame to make friends right before someone has to move (that keeps happening to me!). That's the life of a travelling gourmand, I suppose. Haha....I'm only joking. I've just moved around a lot. You know what? I probably will continue to do so. There's just so much good food in the world. Someone's got to try it all!

Zinc Cafe, 132 S. Cedros, Solana Beach, CA 92065....858/793-5436

Larb Gai

I've been wanting to make Larb Gai for a while. It always appeared to be such a simple concept whenever I ordered it at Thai restaurants so I figured it wouldn't be hard to make. Once I realized that I needed to roast rice and grind it into a powder I put the idea of making Larb Gai on hold. Until I found roasted rice powder at the Asian market! After some internet research I concocted my own recipe (based on looks and taste) and came up with this:

Larb Gai

1 pound of ground chicken (or minced chicken breasts)
2 spring onions, chopped
1 small to medium shallot, chopped
1 T. roasted rice powder
2 t. roasted red chile paste
2 thai chiles, minced (optional)
1 T. chopped lemongrass
3 T. cilantro, chopped
3 T. mint, chopped
juice of 2-3 small limes (depending on taste)
2 T. fish sauce
Lettuce or cabbage, chopped
chopped peanuts (optional), for garnish

Vague directions:

1.) Heat up wok until smoking. Add a few tablespoons of canola oil and continue to heat. Cook ground chicken until no longer pink. If using ground chicken be sure to cut with spatula into tiny pieces.

2.) Lower heat to medium. Add roasted rice powder and cook until blended. Add shallots and lemongrass. Cook for another minute or two.

3.) Add cilantro, mint, chile, and red chile paste, and fish sauce. Cook until blended. Be sure to mix ingredients well.

4.) Once cooked, take the chicken mixture out of wok and place in bowl or plate. Squeeze lime juice on top to taste. I like my fairly sour but sometimes they over-do it at restaurants so it was great to be able to make Larb Gai exactly how I like it. Next time I will make mine spicy since my husband doesn't really like this dish. This time I omitted the chiles so it wasn't spicy at all.

5.) Serve on top of lettuce and garnish with additional cilantro leaves and peanuts if desired.

Notes: I added some shredded Kaffir lime leaves but didn't notice too much of a difference since the lime juice is such a bold flavor. I probably won't bother to add them next time.

In my opinion this dish is an acquired taste. Unless you're very familiar with Thai food you might not like it right away. Give it a chance (especially at a restaurant) and if you like it you can try it at home.

A Few of My Favorite Things (a.k.a my second trip to Tip Top)

True to my word, I have already taken advantage of Tip Top Meats being a short drive from my new residence.

My mom was visiting for a long weekend and I had to bring her to my new find. I knew she would be impressed. I grew up having a German deli near our town that had the best wursts. We also had a local German bakery that was delicious. Since we've moved out west I haven't found an acceptable German deli...until now.

While Tip Top Meats is missing a few of my favorite wursts, they have enough products to compensate. I am truly in love.

On the fourth day my mom was in town we grilled up the mini-bratwursts that I had recently bought from Tip Top along with some great veggies and mini-rolls from the bakery in Carlsbad Village. The meal was so delicious that I knew I had to bring my mom to Tip Top during this visit and not a moment later.

I showed her around the store and pointed out the giant marzipan bar (marzipan is a weakness of mine), the variety of mustards, meats, and beer. Then I brought her back to the restaurant area to show her how cheap the meals really are and discussed which meats we would purchase that day.

I know my mom loves Gelbwurst so I ordered a 1/4 pound of that. Of course, I ended up getting a quarter pound of Decora and Old Forest Salami as well since the man before me was ordering both and I requested a taste while the woman behind the counter was slicing the meat. She was very generous with handing out tastes of the meat (which is a great marketing tactic since I tend to buy more things that way). I also ordered a pound of the German potato salad (which I have decided is good but not great and I probably will just try to make a better version myself).

If you're unfamiliar with most of their deli meats try these three cold cuts. The salami isn't too fatty tasting and is fairly mild. Their gelbwurst is actually peppery (usually it's more bland) and the decora is an herb bologna (yes, I know bologna sounds gross but this bologna isn't anything like that kind that has a first name) with a great flavor. These cold cuts taste great on their marble rye bread.

Since there was an extra person in our house that week I decided to get the apple strudel I had been eyeing during my last visit. It's a huge slab of strudel (comes in many flavors) that seems to be made fresh at Tip Top.

This strudel is worth a trip to Tip Top just for the strudel. The apples are tart and the strudel is just sweet enough to be satisfying without making you sick. It tastes great heated up and is a delicious breakfast item to serve to guests.


Before we left Tip Top I was showing my mom the jam section when I shrieked. They had jam with my mom's (and one of my) last name on it! It was too exciting. I had remembered that my grandpa found the jam once on Long Island but we hadn't seen it since. What do you know? A meat store in Carlsbad, CA (of all places) had that jam! It came in one flavor: red fruit.
So I will be trying the jam soon and cleaning that jar with all my might so that I can show everyone the jam with my last name on it! I hope I'm related to the folks who make the jam! It's not a common last name in the US but I suppose it might be common in Germany.

Anyway, in case it wasn't obvious during the first post, I love this store and if you haven't been you must go there ASAP. If you try anything new let me know what it is and if you recommend it.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Tasty Meat Pastries

These meat pastries are something my mom and I have been making for years with leftover taco meat. They're simple, delicious, and filling.

I'm not sure what to call these since "Meat Pies" sounds unappetizing to me. I'd hate to call them empanadas since they aren't really empanadas. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Meat Pastries

Leftover taco meat (preferably ground beef that you cooked with taco sauce)
2 refrigerated pie crusts, your own or Pillsbury's works fine (in the cheese section)
shredded sharp cheddar (or your favorite cheese)
you can add any spices you desire to the filling

Tools: a biscuit cutter, silpat, cookie sheet, cheese grater, fork, knife, and oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.) Roll out pie crust dough so that it's about half as thick. Cut out circles with the large biscuit cutter and set aside. Repeat until pie crust is used up.

2.) You will need 2 circles of pie crust per pastry. Stretch out the bottom circle slightly. Place the cooked taco meat along with a large pinch of shredded cheese on the center of the circle. Take the second circle and place on top. Pinch together the sides to create an empanada-like pastry. Use a fork to crimp the edges of the pies. Cut 2 slits into the top (for steam release) and sprinkel the top of the pastry with more shredded cheese (without blocking the slits).

3.) Cook in a 350-375 degree oven until slightly golden brown (about 15-25 minutes).

Notes: These will last a long time in an airtight container in the fridge. Perfect for snacks, appetizers, or meals. I find them quite filling.

Variations: Add your favorite spice, hot sauce, or vegetable to the pies for more complexity. You can use any leftover ground meat and any cheese that compliments the meat. These don't have to be Mexican-style. Experiment!

5-Meme

5-Meme

Five Things in My Freezer:

1. Pine Nuts (they last longer)
2. Red, White, and Blue Rocket popsicles (a favorite from childhood and a random pregnancy craving)
3. Lots of ice packs
4. A Pork Loin
5. Bread (it goes bad if I leave it out more than 2 days)

Five Things in My (hall) Closet:

1. An air popcorn popper that's older than me
2. Board games that are too long to fit in my living room game cabinet
3. A large Lemonade/drink Jar (that makes a LOT of ice tea)
4. A filing cabinet
5. My pasta machine

Five Things in My Car:

1. A travel pillow
2. A non-digital camera
3. A mini-first aid kit
4. A beach towel
5. Aloe Vera Gel (in case I get burned. I should really keep sunblock in there instead!)

Five Things in My Purse:

This is extremely hard as my husband often compares my purse to a duffle bag.

1. Scharffen Berger Lip Balm (I bought it in the Ferry Building in San Fran)
2. A small container of Lactaid pills (darn lactose intolerance)
3. My medicine/bathroom cabinet (you think I'm joking!)
4. My digital camera or at least my camera cell phone
5. A pen and a small pad of paper (this is a necessity).

Tag goes to whomever likes to do memes.

Tom Yum Revisited

Tom Yum Koong

4-5 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined (reserve shells)
1 package of white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
12 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
2 scallions, green parts, cut into 2 inch strips
5 thick slices of fresh ginger
3 thai chilies, or to taste
1 tsp. red chile paste
juice of 2-3 limes
2-3 T. fish sauce
1 slice of tomato, if desired

1. Place rinsed off shrimp shells in a pot of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
2. Remove shells.
3. Add shrimp, mushrooms, lime leaves, scallions, ginger, chilies, and red chile paste. Boil for 5-6 minutes.
4. Add fish sauce and lime juice and simmer for several more minutes.

I think this soup tastes better after it's been in the fridge for a while and then reheated. Keep all of the ingredients in the soup (do not remove anything; if you need to, instruct guests not to eat leaves, ginger, and chilies).

Personally, I wouldn't bother making this soup without the lime leaves. I did in the past and now I realize that the lime leaves MAKE Tom Yum. Tom Yum without lime leaves is merely a poser.

This soup lasts all week if it's just for one or two people. Otherwise I would say it serves about six. It might be an acquired taste, though. I don't know many people who like Tom Yum who aren't experts regarding Thai cuisine.

You can find kaffir lime leaves at 99 Ranch Market in Kearny Mesa (and other locations in Southern CA) or possibly your local Asian market (they're not easy to find). They are usually in the produce section.

Tip Top Meats

After a trip to the Carlsbad Farmer's Market I decided to go to Tip Top Meats only a few exits away off the 5. I had heard they serve meals and my husband was starved so we decided to eat at their restaurant before shopping for meat.

I knew the minute we entered the store that I had found what I had been looking for. Every city I live in I look for the local German deli. This is it. They have a huge selection of beer, wine, German and Eastern European goods, condiments galore, and every meat you can think of including all of my favorite sausages (wursts, etc.). In the back of the store you can find their restaurant.

Their restaurant has a big menu with breakfasts, lunch, and I believe dinner. Their prices are great. An all-you-can-eat meat breakfast includes potatoes, eggs, and your choice of meats for less than $6. They have great blue-plate specials and wide range of entrees and sandwiches. I ordered the German Weiner which comes with your choice of bread, a pickle, and a side for less than $4.

I substituted German potato salad for fries. Their German potato salad was definitely authentic (with bacon and scallions) but it was served hot and I prefer it cold or room temperature. The German Weiner plate comes with 2 weiners (and if you know German "hot dogs" you know that they are very very long). I cut one in half to fit the roll and saved the other one for home. My sandwich was great but I was disappointed that they only had nasty mustard available even though they sell a TON of German (and other kinds of) mustard. A true German sausage needs good mustard.

My husband believes that a good sausage needs sauerkraut and while I should agree with him due to my German heritage, I don't care for sauerkraut. He ordered a side of kraut to go with his sandwich.

He said it tasted fresh and it definitely made his sandwich taste better. His corned beef sandwich was very big and only around 6 bucks. The meat was exceptionally tasty.

After lunch we wandered through the store some more and gawked at their huge selection of mustards, olives, desserts, candies, and more. I was in heaven. I feel "in my element" a lot more now that I found a German deli. Now I have a place where I can get my wursts. Our purchases today included landjager, Nuerenberger bratwurst, German weiners, and Braunschweiger (for my husband). I'll definitely post more about these when we cook them. For now I'm freezing them for future dinners.

I got a kick out of some of their products and their candies. They actually had several flavors of Mentos which I've NEVER seen before. I'll be honest, their prices are marked up quite a bit. For instance, their Nutella was over $4 even though you can get it at Trader Joe's for closer to $2. Most of their products are like this. However, I thought their meats were well priced as well as their bakery goods (bread, strudel, etc.).

So expect a lot more German foods (or at least meat) in my posts over the next year. I will definitely take advantage of having Tip Top Meats nearby while I'm in San Diego.

Tip Top Meats: 6118 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, 92011 - (760) 438-2620

(Down the street from the Carlsbad Outlet Mall)

Joey's Smokin' BBQ

A while back I read about Joey's Smokin' BBQ on Scott's site and was very intrigued. It wasn't until this past Fourth of July that my husband and I ventured down to Carlsbad to see how smokin' Joey's barbeque really is.

First, let me preface this review with my background. I was raised in VA, right outside of Washington D.C. After moving to NYC for a short period of time in college I finished college in Richmond, VA (which I can safely say is definitely the south and has some good BBQ). I've also traveled around the south a bit throughout my growing years. So I think it's safe to say that I've had enough barbeque to be a good judge.

There are MANY types of BBQ and I'm a fan of all types (even though I like the ones that use vinegar in their sauces the best).

So I went to Joey's with an open mind since we are in Southern CA and not Southern VA.

When we arrived at the restaurant (which is almost like a fast food joint) we thought it looked promising. The menu was large (a bit pricey but do-able) and they had our favorite: sweet tea. It's been very frustrating for my husband (who lived in the South for about 20 years of his life) to order ice tea and never have it sweetened to his liking. Once the tea is cold there is NO way to make the tea super sweet (the sugar won't dissolve).

So we ordered 2 sweet teas, a half slab of ribs with the "wet" rub (they have sweet, wet, and dry) and an ear of corn on the cob for me, and a pulled pork sandwich (which comes with beans and cole slaw) for my hubby.

We sat down in a booth and waited for our meal to be delivered. The booth implied that we were going to have a good meal. There was a big roll of paper towels ready for when we got super messy from the BBQ sauce.



Despite the fact that it was the Fourth of July and many restaurants were closed, the restaurant wasn't that busy. At least, it wasn't busy enough for them to have taken as long as they did to get our food delivered to our table.

Once our food arrived we realized this was definitely a no-frills meal. Which is usually ideal with BBQ but I thought $12 for a half slab or baby-back ribs (and no sides) was a bit pricey. They were plenty moist and fairly tender but honestly, I've had better. Much better. I would say that I wasn't mad that I paid that much but I would never order ribs there again. They just weren't worth it to me.


The corn on the cob was very good but I hate it when they leave the corn silks (or hairs) on the cob. It was sweet, hot, and sprinkled with what I believe was paprika. The corn was worth the $2 and it was the highlight of my meal.

It's kind of sad that corn is the highlight of a meal at a restaurant.

My husband's pulled pork sandwich was devoured but mainly because he was starved. He said it was "fine" but he was disgusted by the sides. The "creamy cole slaw " had practically no dressing on it! Who wants to eat shredded cabbage by itself? When I asked him how the beans were he said, "the first word that comes to mind is 'coffee'." That might not be a bad thing but he said they were pretty much inedible.

I could have been more generous with my review of their food but it was the end of the meal that really made me mad at Joey.

We were still slightly hungry after our meal and decided to order a slice of Bourbon Pecan Pie ($2.99 plus tax). Not only did it take FOREVER to get this slice of pie but it was FREEZING cold when it arrived. It had obviously been taken out of the freezer. Call me a fool but I was NOT expecting a frozen slice of pie. I just assumed that any decent BBQ place (or any BBQ place that thought they were decent) would serve home-made pie. We were very ticked off. Since the pie was way too cold to eat we took it home. It was just as disgusting heated up, though. I'm guessing any frozen pie from the grocery store would taste better than this pie.

Oh, the horror.


Needless to say, we will not be going back to Joey's Smokin' BBQ and we are very much hoping to find a better BBQ place in the area. We'll probably try Big Jim's in Encinitas shortly. Hopefully Jim knows better than Joey about how to make good barbeque.

Joey's Smokin' BBQ
6995 El Camino Real
Carlsbad, CA 92009
760/929-1397
Don't get the pie.

Local Food Notes

TASTE OF LEUCADIA: The Leucadia 101 Main Street Association presents "Taste of Leucadia: Food For Thought" from 6-8:30 p.m. July 13, with many restaurants and art displays along North Coast Highway 101. Event passes are on sale now and cost $15 in advance and $17 at the event, if available. Call (760) 436-2320. This year's Food For Thought will feature samples from A Little Moore Coffee Shop, Beach Tea House 101, Big Jim's Old South Bar-B-Q, Bird House Grill, Calypso, Captain Keno's, El Torito Market, Jam Roc101 Caribbean Grill, Kotija Jr., Le Papagayo, Pannikin, Vida Gourmet Catering, and Vigilucci's Pizzeria, and music by Riz Orkestra, Bazaar Musicians, Shoestring Strap Band, Studio 848 and Palos. Contact (760) 436-2330 or visit www.leucadia101.com.

The 12th annual Encinitas Oktoberfest will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 24 at El Camino Real and Mountain Vista Road, featuring German dancers and bands, crafters and other vendors, food, beer garden, parade, and more.Call (760) 753-6041 or visit www.encinitaschamber.com.

O'side Fair continued

Please read the O'side Fair post first as this is a continuation.

Ever since I read Alice's post about the San Diego fair I've been craving a funnel cake. I knew they would have funnel cakes at the Oceanside street fair. There must have been at least 4 funnel cake stands.

We chose Mimi's funnel cakes because they looked good and were right by the bratwurst stand. I got a funnel cake with powdered sugar ($5) but they had other toppings such as fruit or honey. Definitely worth 5 bucks.

Since it was so hot today and I'm assuming will be again tomorrow, I plan on getting some Hawaiian shaved ice or a cool drink during our next visit. The fair also had Greek, Hawaiian, BBQ, Asian, and more types of food for sale. I even saw mixed drinks served in whole pineapples.

So, if you decide to go the fair tomorrow, perhaps I'll see you there!

O'side Fair

What are you doing right now? Unless it involved good food, sun, waves, and good music--get yourself down to the Oceanside Street Fair!

The street fair is right past the Carnival and on the hill overlooking the beach. Down by the beach is a stage where they had really good music during our visit. There was a great blues band that sang a song called "Don't Steal my Jellyroll!" No, they weren't singing about the cake, they were singing about those women with big "bootylicious" booties (of which I am one of them; at least for a white girl). It was very entertaining. I hope they'll be back tomorrow.

My husband and I only went for an hour this afternoon to grab some dinner but we'll be spending much more time there tomorrow. We found several craft booths with things for the baby's room and a few nice things for our house. Check out the paper cutting booth (I believe it's Japanese) where she sells amazing paper cut designs and embroidered Asian art (hard to explain, you have to see it, though).

My main goal was to get some good food while we were there. After passing numerous sausage stands we picked one where the sausages were grilled in the open (so I could be SURE they were good looking) and they must have had at least 5 types of sausages. Tonight we split a bratwurst but tomorrow I must try the kielbasa (so tasty looking). I used to get teased a LOT in college about how much I love sausages (especially wursts). Yes, it's immature but you know college boys.

Post to be continued because blogger is being stupid about photos.....