what we ordered: the heavenly donut co.
February 12, 2013 § 2 Comments
About five minutes down the road from where I work sits a shiny, brand-new doughnut shop. Walk through The Heavenly Doughnut Co.’s doors, and this Christian-run operation is filled with the sweet smell of doughnuts baking, and a case full of tempting options sits in front of you.
Christina and I ate doughnuts for lunch last week. These doughnuts, to be precise:
1. Maple-Bacon
This was easily my favorite of the bunch. I appreciated what a bit of salt and savory can do to a sweet maple glaze on a yeast doughnut. Next time I go in, it will be to try one of these or the one below.
2. Blueberry Cake
Whenever I eat a blueberry cake doughnut, I’m transported back to after-church snacking when I was little. I’d make a cup of tea with way too much cream and sugar, then I’d grab a blueberry cake doughnut and go find my friends. This was a great version of, what is for me, a classic. I didn’t find the cake too heavy and the blueberry flavor was sweet and prominent.
3. Bavarian Cream
The cream was as rich as you’d hope without being over the top. I love how light the yeast doughnuts were.
4. Chocolate-Peanut Butter
Ok, this one crossed a line for me—it’s way too rich. I had one bite and had to stop eating.
So have you been by yet? What did you order? What do you think? I would suggest liking Heavenly Donut Co. on Facebook – they have special deals and trivia questions with free giveaways often posted there. YUM!
french toast breakfast
August 18, 2012 § 4 Comments
Weekends are for cooking breakfast together.
Try adding a flavored liqueur to your French toast mix. I added a bit of a raspberry-flavored variety. It provided a subtle flavor and a beautiful aroma.
best of b’ham & best of tuscaloosa
July 12, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Go vote! It’s fun to contemplate your absolute favs. The results for both of these will appear in the September 2012 issue of Birmingham Magazine and the fall issue of Tuscaloosa magazine. Click here (or on the image below) for Best of B’ham and here for Best of Tuscaloosa to fill out your answers. And hey, there’s a little spot for a favorite local blogger on the Best of B’ham. Maybe consider listing yours truly??
a peek at our honeymoon through Instagram
July 12, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Lunch at In-N-Out in Santa Barbara
A beach of elephant seals lounging in the sand just north of Cambria
Road trip tunnel!
First evening in Monterey
Breakfast at the Portola…
…with bottomless mimosas, of course.
a ceviche tostada at Mariscos Puerto Nuevo
a nightcap: Old Fashioned at the hotel bar
wedding festivities: lingerie shower
May 21, 2012 § 3 Comments
Well, my sister Brynn Bralley is now Brynn Campbell. She and Tyler were married on Saturday. It was a stunningly beautiful ceremony and a fabulous reception. I can’t believe my sister is married!
Brynn and Tyler’s first dance
The weeks leading up to the wedding were exciting but busy! I’ve been swamped, but I wanted to back track for a bit and share some of the lingerie shower my sister Brass and I hosted for Brynn. We served brunch with coffee and mimosas and had a bit of fun with the decor.
I draped the table in lace fabric and placed purple flowers in a green vase (purple with pops of green were Brynnie’s wedding colors).
On the menu:
~ Doughnut Holes from Shiply’s Do-nuts
~ Hashbrown Bake (Recipe via Celebrate‘s Spring 2012 issue)
~ Fruit Salad (fresh fruit drizzled with honey, tossed with sliced almonds)
~ Pink Panty Mimosa (See recipe below)
Then comes our favorite part…
Panty bunting! We raided the clearance bin at Gap Body and found a supply of sheer panties that would go lovely against a window.
We hung them with string and tiny clothespins (which we found at Joann’s Fabrics). Extra panties were sitting in a basket on the floor, so girls got to grab one as a favor as they headed out.
Ok — recipe time! Here’s how you make our signature cocktail.
Pink Panty Mimosa
Makes 8 to 10 servings
1 bottle champagne
3/4 of 1 (128-ounce) raspberry lemonade*
1 cup raspberry liqueur
Fresh raspberries
Combine champagne, lemonade, and liqueur in a large pitcher. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
*I used Simply Lemonade Raspberry.
Serve this cocktail in little mason jars for an extra dose of vintage elegance.
So happy for my sister!
mid-morning hunger: bad for my figure but good for my soul
March 22, 2012 § 1 Comment
During Lent, I have not only stayed away from bread, but I’ve also tried to seize the opportunity to eat as healthy as I can. Sometimes I slip (like by ordering fried pickles when I just stopped in for a drink at Innisfree with James, or when I ended up with too many Reese’s wrappers in my office waste basket yesterday after visiting and revisiting my boss’s candy bowl), but for the most part I’ve been pretty good I think.
But I’ve reached this point where I am just craving bad, bad things.
Firstly…. I could go for some deep fried dough stuffed with sweet jelly and coated in a glaze then dusted ever so gently with confectioners’ sugar. OMG. Give me.
Image credit: Chris Court Photography
That is the breakfast I want. And then for lunch?
Image credit: Matt Armendariz (Matt Bites)
OH. Yes. Carne Asada Fries. Who thought of this? This is amazing. Oh, and yeah I’ll have that beer, too. Please.
Ok, next on this list (since I had SUCH a deep fried breakfast and lunch, I’ll just stick to something carb-a-licious for dinner):
Image source: creativeinspiration.tumblr.com
Bagel sandwich! I swear, Crestline Bagel is #1 on my list when Lent is over.
I think I’ll skip dessert today and enjoy a Blood Orange Margarita instead:
Image credit: White On Rice Couple
Ok so what’s on your good-for-your-soul list? My list could really go on and on. These are the flavors of the week, as they say.
hasta luego pan
February 23, 2012 § 7 Comments
Ah, Lent is here. The time of giving up. So what have I chosen to do without for the next 40 days?
Yes, bread. This will be a hard one for me. And what all does giving up bread entail?
Ah – this will be hard! Hold me accountable, everyone. And expect some bread-free posts for the next 40 days. Did you give up anything for lent? What did you give up?
Image credits: The Kitchn
what I ordered: over easy
November 9, 2011 § 6 Comments
I love lazy mornings of waking up late (which for me is any time after 6 a.m.), sleepily throwing on a sweater and jeans, and heading to the nearest diner of choice for a hearty breakfast and a strong cup of coffee.
And when James suggested we go out to breakfast Sunday morning, I knew right away where I wanted to go. I’d driven past the vintage-mod facade, heard enough reviews, and perused the online menu plenty of times to know I wanted to head on over to Over Easy.
I’m thrilled that we went. Not only was the atmosphere bright, pleasant, and quirky, but the food was really, really good. Seriously. I’m not kidding. It was comfort breakfast food at its best with exquisite presentation, and fresh, original flavor and style. The service was attentive and knowledgeable, and the prices were reasonable, too, which is always a perk for us. Each of our breakfasts cost $8.
I ordered the Hash Basket. Eggs are cooked (over easy!) in a basket made from hashbrowns. It’s topped with cheese, tomatoes, sausage (or your preferred meat of choice), creme fraiche, and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. I was tempted to order quite a few items on the menu, but I couldn’t pass up what certainly seemed to be a signature dish. It didn’t disappoint in the slightest. The decadance of the creme fraiche, cheese, and eggs was complemented by the the fresh tomatoes and herbs. And the crispness of the hash browns made each bite full of flavor and texture.
James ordered the Huevos Rancheros. They were assembled more as tacos/quesadillas in flour tortillas rather than your typical deep fried corn tortilla topped with eggs and chiles. But they still packed quite a punch. If you tend to shy away from spice, don’t order them or ask for less chorizo (or extra sour cream) to tame the heat. That being said—I loved the piquancy, and this dish fell right in line with some of the best huevos rancheros I’ve tasted.
Over Easy caters to a wide range of clientele. Young couples to large families were enjoying their Sunday morning. The menu is diverse. There are pancakes, healthy options, and even a sandwich/salad menu for lunch to choose from. But the egg entrees for breakfast are the clear stars of the show here.
But here’s one thing to consider: the wait. We fortunately got there early enough on Sunday so that we didn’t have to wait but five minutes, but as we left, a crowd was waiting outside. But I guess that’s probably a good sign, huh?
All in all, my suggestion is you try this place, and try it SOON. We’ll be back.
doughnut holes: the first attempt
October 23, 2011 § Leave a Comment
They did not turn out quite as I had hoped, though they aren’t all that ugly.
But they’re too heavy, too bread-y. Part of this is the recipe and technique I used. The other part is my inability to read directions. Also I added too much flour when trying to get the dough just right. To quote one of my friends (who said this yesterday): “Common sense goes out the window when you’re reading a recipe.” Oh how true that can be at times.
Who knew doughnut holes could prove to be so challenging? But I’ve done some reading up, and my second attempt will commence shortly. Hope to have happier results to share!
my kitchen wish list part 2: coffee art!
October 12, 2011 § 2 Comments
Now that we’ve learned what I’m wishing for in the kitchen when it comes to cooking, let’s visit an entirely different department of my kitchen wish list. I really want some fun graphic art to don the main wall of my kitchen. And I want that art to express my love for a rich, deep, smooth, piping-hot cup of coffee. So I have rounded up some fabulous Etsy finds for inspiration. Enjoy!
¡En Español!
Image credit: DexMex on Etsy
Words of truth.
Image credit: handz on Etsy
French press lovin’.
Image credit: michelemaule on Etsy
Well, this looks fun!
Image credit: JeffMacArt on Etsy
Ah! A pretty little mocha pot!
Love those little guys.
Image credit: anec on Etsy
This is super neat-o. Obviously this doesn’t depict coffee.
Even better.
It’s MADE from coffee.
Image credit: getnewart on Etsy
Beautiful and graphic. I love the colors.
Image credit: annaleahy on Esty
Obviously…
Image credit: TypePosters on Etsy
Lovely photograph of a coffee shop in Boston’s North End (my new fav hangout).
Image credit: JillianAudreyDesigns on Etsy
Vintage.
Image credit: HeyHarriet on Etsy
And the cherry on top:
Not one, but TWO great finds of Angus drinking coffee. I had no idea we were depriving him of his favorite drink. This explains so much.
Image credit: geministudio on Etsy
Image credit: lulunjay on Etsy
