Well, I procrastinated and didn't get my dessert sent in for the Carnival, so I guess you all will just have to enjoy it here. White Chocolate Tiramisu Cake. I made it Just for Kylie's Birthday. I think it would have gotten lost in all that dessert anyway, so maybe it is best that I can just show it off all by itself. Anyway, enjoy the sugar overload.

I found my heart's desire.

Yeah, I found my heart
is made of chocolate.
No, wait, my hearts
desire is chocolate.
Yes, I think chocolate
is my first love.






Ode to Chocolate

It's sweet and creamy, and such a great treat.
Yes, chocolate is something I really love to eat.
On ice cream, as gravy, in cookies, in cakes.
Chocolate is a real friend, it is never a fake.

Chocolate will listen to your troubles and trial.
It will never lie to you, or make you face denial.
Chocolate, will comfort, will pacify, will sooth.
Chocolate IS a perfect food.

So eat yourself so chocolate, no do not delay.
Yes, eat treat yourself to a chocolate souffle.
Make this day special, chocolate can't hurt.
Make sure you get your just desserts.

These Shoes Were Made for Eating

I just read Bindhiya's post and did a quick Google on "edible shoes" and look what came up! I guess they are a bit expensive at $40.00 each...but, you can eat them!! Although, I'm not sure I'd eat one of these shoes. They look too good to eat.

In case anyone wants to go shopping, you can find these shoes at Gayle's Chocolates.

Nice to join you all in the Wild Onion Cafe! Whoo hoo! :-)

We are all tied of looking for that expensive shoes... So I told my mom to send some really comfortable Indian Kolhapuri Sandals for Suze :))...
Suze, don't worry if you lose one pair.. we have 6 pairs... and it is not expensive only expensive looking ...


I choose this one...


Have some sweets... Kylie this Party is specially for you...


come on everyone dance with some Indian music....

Okay...New Rule

Cielo has informed us that we are NOT supposed to post our dessert until the day of the Carnival (and as most of you know, the Carnival is to celebrate Kylie's birthday). We have only 4 days left to get our act together. This is Kylie's birthday, so no screwin' around unless you want to walk your sorry ass to Australia and explain why we failed. All desserts are to be sent (well photos) to cielo at http://www.cielosky47@yahoo.com/. I'll check that just to be sure. I'm horrible with email addresses. Bake, bake bake until you can't bake any more. Oh, Cielo also said it can be a no bake dessert. So no bake, no bake, no bake yourself until you can no bake no more. Don't delay. We only have 4 days. And by this post, I think it's about 3. I know we all multi-task, so this is easy! Hey, she said you can also steal a photo from the internet! Hey...it's a no brainer. Steal and send.

Happy Birthday Kylie!!! (That girl is going to be so ripped on sugar.)

XO

Update: Do you realize I was so frantic I didn't even post a freakin' photo? Good Lord. Someone post quickly please. Don't make me come back here.

Dessert Carnival..... Soan Papdi!!!

This is for the Dessert Carnival!!!
My favorite Sweet of all time...nothing is like a piece of Soan Papdi... So Enjoy a Piece of it...with a good cup of Masala Chai...

Soan Papdi is made of sugar, pure ghee, wheat flour, gram flour, cardamom, almonds, pistachio, cucumber seeds... it is a traditional Indian sweet.

here is a simple recipe I find...I used to buy them from Indian store..

Soan Papdi..

Ingredients..

1 1/4 cup gramflour

1 1/4 cup plain flour

250 ghee (clarified butter)

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cup water

2 tbsp. Milk

1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds

Preparation

1. Sift both flours together. Then heat Ghee in a pan.
2. Add flour mixture and roast on low heat till light golden. Keep aside to cool a little, stirring occasionally.
3.Now make syrup out of sugar, Bring syrup to 2 1/2 thread consistency Pour at once into the flour mixture.
4. Beat well with a large fork till the mixture forms thread like flakes. Pour onto a greased surface and roll to 1" thickness lightly.
5. Sprinkle the cardamom seeds and gently press down with palm.
6.Cool, cut into squares, Store in airtight container.

Here is a link to buy online....http://www.haldiram.com/

and My Tea

Masala Chai

This warming beverage is easy to prepare by steeping spices in hot water and milk before adding black tea. It's not as milky as the chai often sold at American coffee bars. To make it richer, add more milk and sugar to taste.

Serves: 4

4 whole cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Black tea

In a mortar, crush the cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon. Transfer the crushed spices to a small saucepan, add the water, ginger and pepper and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add the milk and sugar to the pan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the tea. Cover and let steep for 3 minutes. Stir the chai, strain it into a warmed teapot or directly into teacups.

Hope everyone will enjoy!!!

This is how it works: Send via email a photograph of one of your homemade dessert of your choice. You can post more photographs along with the recipe on your blog, the day of the carnival. I'll post your pictures and put some fun music on my blog, inviting you to join in the fun. Leave me a comment telling me the name of your dessert and make sure you have a link for me to get back to your blog.

~

My dear friend Cielo is holding a wonderful dessert contest and I hope you all take part. I know we're all fantastic cooks (especially I.V.), so rub your hands together and start thinking about what to make. Please go to her blog for all the details (you can find her on my blog) and hurry because the contest ends the last day in April. Bake your little booties off baby!!! Or not. She said it can be a no-bake recipe too!!

~

Have fun and cook to win! You're representing the Cafe!

Update: Okay, I realize this isn't a contest. It's a carnival. Your dessert will make it no matter how ugly!

one for the road...

introducing the "one for the road" glassware. from now on when folks say"I'll have one more for the road." they will be served from these fine Belgium glasses... enjoy!

Home away from Home

When I visit the Wild Onion, this is the picture in my head:

cool jazz

eye candy

comfy couches

melting moments

great coffee

and wonderful company!

The Pokemon Battle has begun.

I just had to share this with everyone. As you can tell Pokemon is very popular at my house.

This particular battle is the battle of Doom. I am able to let the battle ensue for a little bit, but

eventually I have to break it up. They get just a little bit too serious. Anyway, enjoy and have a

great weekend, Friends.

My Trip To Robyn's

Straight from the garden. Jasmine in honor of Bindi. Can't give Robyn the the vase, cuz it costs 20 bucks!

Ohno, get out of the way.

Robyn's bouquet.

Ohno's constant dilemma! He crawls inside T-Bone's foam bed and claws. This is the result.

Ohno and Picasso investigating.

The bouquet.

Another view.

Rat!

Downtown Sacramento. Give me a break, I'm going 80.

Entering Elk Grove. Have no idea what that is. Oil tank? Water tank? In the fast lane going 80, great shot!

In Elk Grove, traveling towards Robyn's house. Yup...three lanes to a freakin' development!

Couldn't find Franklin. Turned around and tried to find it. Still couldn't. Stopped at the gas station. Parked right next to this vehicle! Had a brilliant conversation with the clerk (see my blog ~ comment to Leah and Gig). Turned around and went back. (Didn't go far enough apparently!)

Parked in the bike lane for this shot. Yup, think that's illegal.

Hey, what do you want...it's moving and I ain't a professional!

Finally. Wet papertowels to keep her happy.

Robyn...where the hell are you? Trust me honey. If I went through all that for nothing, I'm not going to be happy.

XO

~

Whoops, almost forgot that one. Saw it on the way in and took it on the way out. Robyn's house is built on wetlands/farmland. God help them if a levy breaks. I thought this was so charming...

It's Robyn's Birthday!!!

I haven't heard from her yet, so this is what I'm thinking about having delivered from 1-800-flowers.com. It just screams Robyn! If you want to see a better photo, go to the website. That's as big as it's gonna get here baby! It's from all of us, so if you see something you like better, please let me know. I'm flexible. (Good Lord, don't let Inner Voices know that!)

And this is the card. I looked at so many, but this one wouldn't let me leave without it! Is it perfect, or what?

It has that waxy surface that doesn't let ink dry, so I waited a long long time. I actually painted the hearts because crayons didn't work!

And yup...leave it to beaver to make a spelling mistake. If the card has to be sent, this is what the envelope looks like!

Later friends,

XO

***UPDATE (1:30PM)***

WELL YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS BUT I WENT TO ELK GROVE! THAT'S A LONG TRIP (OVER 60 MILES). I DIDN'T WANT THE FLOWER CAKE TO SIT ON HER FRONT PORCH (I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HER), SO INSTEAD RUSHED HOME FROM THE PARK, PICKED A HUGE BOUQUET OF ROSES AND LEFT IT, ALONG WITH THE CARD ON HER FRONT PORCH. LET'S HOPE SHE STUMBLES ON THEM! I TOOK LOTS OF PHOTOS AND HAVE MORE TO TELL YOU, BUT I'M SO, SO, SO FAR BEHIND NOW, I'VE GOTTA BOGGIE! TALK TO YOU ALL LATER. LET'S HOPE THE BIRTHDAY GIRL SHOWS UP!

LOVE TO ALL XO

problem solved

i guess there was a problem in the ladies room, someone kept sneaking in and lifting the seat. i think i solved it ladies... no need to worry anymore...

or perhaps one of our female patrons is not really a woman!!! the case is still under investigation.

Cupcake Party for Robyn's Birthday!

Well, Robyn sweetie, I think your birthday, although it's on Wednesday, needs to kick off today! I know how sometimes we can get in a bit of an existential funk around our birthdays, and I want to invite all our friends here to come and eat cupcakes together to celebrate the coolness that is Robyn and try to scare off the funk with our carousing! However, if we want to feel a little funky, that's okay too! But I'm turning up the James Brown and Hot Chocolate so we can get funky while we're feeling funky!

Robyn, the picture is of the cupcake that is especially for you--I just now picked it up on the way back home from walking Hedgehog to school--it's double fudge with a rich fudge glaze on top--these are the best cupcakes, so delicious and homemade (although not by me, but by a local bakery).

Now for the rest of us, check out this menu from the Magnolia Bakery in NYC. They're catering this shindig! You're in for a treat!

Come on in the Wild Onion and drop some birthday greetings, eat cupcakes, drink up, shake your moneymaker, and just generally beat back the blues in honor of our girl Robyn on her birthday week!

I'm Feeling Much Better, Thank You...

After almost a full recovery from stomach death, I want to walk through the beads in my Manolo Blahniks wearing this little black dress,

slam my fist on the bar and tell the new, sexy bartender, "Bartender, drinks all around my good man...mineral water for all." While the massive crowd passes out, the bartender and I will slink on over to the dance floor and go slow. Real slow, until Gig claws her way into the room, looks up and utters those famous words, "Can we Line dance?" Upon which, I will hoist my ultra-family size mayonnaise jar of pennies on to my hip and go directly to the poker room to kick some ass.

XO

If I Die Before You Wake

I really wish I could have figured out a way to just get the video to post to the page, but I couldn't. I'm not that computer savvy. So, I suppose this link the the video will have to do. I have to say, I am not a big supporter of the Bush administration, nor the war, but my heart does go out to the men and women of the armed forces and their families. I saw this and it made my heart ache, and it also made me feel just a little more at peace with the war. I may still not agree with it, but I do support our troops 100%.


I guess you will have to copy and then paste the link to your address bar. Sorry for the inconvenience, but it is worth the extra work.
www.flashdemo.net/gallery/wake/index.htm

whattayougonnadoaboutit?

it seems some of the cooks didn't like all time it took to properly prepare the beaver. i guess they thought it took to long to warm up and they thought it was a little dry, so now they seem to be cooking something else...

NEW MENU

I'd like to propose a menu change!!! for our male clients, well some of our female clients might like some as well. but what we need here is beaver on the menu! we seem to cater to every ones needs great, so an addition of some nice beaver would finish it all off eh?! i know not all of us here eat meat, but who could turn down a nice warm helping of beaver! i know that the Canadian customers would order it. and there might be some timid curious type folks out there that might not have had beaver before and this might be the place for them to try something new!!! hope everyone is doing awesome and is well fed and satiated. if not, try the beaver!!!

News from The Checkered Flag Room

The NASCAR BOYS were busy this week....

Texas Motor Speedway is where the action was this week!

Michael McDowell has a new nickname after a horrific crash during
qualifying. His new nickname is Michael McFlippin McDowell!!
The video is heartstopping, Michael drives for my favorite driver,
Michael Waltrip (go Mikie)!!
McFlippin climbed out of his car and waved to the crowd!!

It does say a lot about all the safety measures that have been
done in recent years.

Michael had to start in 40th place but finished 33d.
Mikie Waltrip finished 31st, hey I can live with that, and
David Reutimann the other driver for MWR fininished 41st.
Here is the video that has played thousands of time, so if you haven't
seen it, now you can. If you have seen it, just move on to the
rest of the Story ...

Michael McFlippin McDowell gives an interview

about his Wild Ride during qualifying!!!

The next part of the Story:

The Saturday Nationwide Race was won by

Kyle Busch, driving a Toyota

Jeff Burton, 2nd in a Chevrolet
Clint Boyer, 3d in a Chevrolet

Now to the REST of the STORY

The Sprint Cup Race was won by

Carl Edwards in his Ford. Here he is

doing his famous backflip!!

Jimmie Johnson was 2nd in his Chevrolet

Kyle Busch was 3d in his Toyota

Shift is over, emptied apron of "tips,
*grins really big*, it was a good night in the Checkered Flag room...

*slips on over to the dance hall to see what's happening*, and what do I see...to be continued...

Butterscotch Lattes

Butterscotch
Monin Butterscotch features the essence of real butterscotch with a rich and creamy taste. Highly concentrated and versatile, Monin Butterscotch adds a luscious flavor note to mochas, lattes and other hot, frozen and chilled drinks.
Recipes
Sticky Toffee SteamerWinner: Best New Product - Specialty Beverage at 2006 SCAA
1/2 oz. Monin Butterscotch3/4 oz. Chocolate Sauce8 oz. Steamed Milk
Pour Monin Butterscotch and chocolate sauce into a preheated mug. Add steamed milk and stir. Top with whipped cream. Drizzle caramel and chocolate sauce.
Butterscotch Mocha
1/2 oz. Monin Butterscotch1/2 oz. Chocolate Sauce1 Shot EspressoSteamed Milk
Mix Monin Butterscotch, Chocolate Sauce and espresso in cup and stir. Fill with steamed milk and top with whipped cream.
Frozen Butterscotch Latte
1 1/2 oz. Monin Butterscotch2 oz. Scoop Vanilla Frappe Powder2 oz. Milk1 Shot Espresso, ChilledIce
Blend Monin Butterscotch, Vanilla Frappe Powder, cold milk and chilled espresso. Add ice and blend until smooth.
Butter Cream Steamer
1/2 oz. Monin Butterscotch3/4 oz. Caramel Sauce8 oz. Steamed Milk
Pour Monin Butterscotch and Caramel Sauce into a preheated mug. Add steamed milk and stir. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with toffee bits.
Butterscotch Latte
1 oz. Monin Butterscotch6 oz. Steamed Milk1 Shot Espresso
Mix Monin Butterscotch and espresso in a preheated mug. Add steamed milk and stir. Top with whipped cream.
Frozen Butterscotch Mocha
1 1/2 oz. Monin Butterscotch1/2 oz. Chocolate Sauce1 Shot Chilled Espresso2 oz. Milk1 Scoop Vanilla Frappe PowderIce
Blend ingredients for 30 seconds and pour into a glass or cup. Top with whipped cream, drizzle with Monin Butterscotch and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

This looks Delicious. I am currently drinking Butterscotch Shots (yes real liquor), and it is delicious. No fru fru, just straight on the rocks. No shaking and no stirring. Anyway, I know this one is a little lamo for ya, but I thought the drink might be good and you might want to try it. Keep it real and have a grand weekend.

Grand Opening

Today is the grand opening of The Wild Onion Cafe. The old Brian's Cafe is now under new management and has undergone some serious renovations to better serve a broad base of customers. Many of you may be asking yourselves why The Wild Onion Cafe? It is because like us, Onions have layers. We will have a wide range of services to offer our customers, we will have once section for fine dinning at it's best for those who are more sophisticated and like to use big words. The checkered flag room is set up for our NASCAR enthusiasts. We have the Green room for those of you that prefer to recycle, and can't stand cruelly to animals. Oh and we also have the Peta Sucks room, for those of you that are the meat and potatoes type, and for the special customers that are on the Atkins diet. We have the Pickle room, for those of you who just came here for the booze. (This room comes equipped with a taxi service so that when you have a little Captain in you, you don't have to drive home.) And let's not forget the clientele that gave us our start, the Family Fun Room will be a special place for those wholesome few that are still left. It will be a place where you can bring you children and have a good clean family fun. Just don't let the kids wander into any of the other rooms. (Management is not responsible for permanent damaged which may be caused by wandering child syndrome.

Yeah, this will be the place where Beer Meets Cheese.

So don't be afraid to come on in and sit a spell, have some coffee, have some tea, hell have a drink or two with me.

This is a place where we all can play and we never have to worry about what we say.

No holds bar, anything goes, so come on Ya'll, let the good times roll.

Let's have some fun, lets have a blast, but most of all let's not pass gas.