[Aliso Viejo] [Mexican] On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina
26661 Aliso Creek Rd
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 643-1379
http://www.ontheborder.com

I had a coupon for 1 free dinner from On The Border.  We've never been to this restaurant even though it's just minutes away from our house.  We decided to give it a try.


Chips & Salsa

They were quite busy on a Sunday night.  The waiter told us their specialty is fajita.  We saw a sign for half off fajita every Monday at the door.  We'll save the fajita for next time when we come back on a Monday.

[Shopping] Marshalls Finds

There is a Marshalls in the Break of Dawn shopping plaza. We went in to browse and I found a few things I like.


Pyrex Measuring Cup ($5.00 $3.99)

I found myself more interested in the "http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com" section than "clothes".  I needed a measuring cup, and Pyrex is the best brand among them all in my opinion.

[Buena Park] [Dinner Show] Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
7662 Beach Blvd
Buena Park, CA 90620
(866) 543-9637
http://www.medievaltimes.com

For my birthday this year, I celebrated with friends with jousting and feasting at Medieval Times.  I saw a similar dinner show at Excalibur in Las Vegas when I was in high school.  I remembered the show was really fun.  20 years later, I would like to experience that again.  haha...



There were 15 of us.  Our show started at 8:15pm.  Dr. P and I arrived around 7pm and hang out with friends in the outdoor courtyard.  We went to the bar to grab drinks.  Man, their drinks were expensive.  Beer was like $7, $18, or $25 with different cups/mugs.  You do get to keep the drink containers as souvenir.  But still, so expensive.  So we opted for wine.  Surprisingly, their wine was a lot more affordable.  A bottle of wine is only $20.  Around 8pm, we went to the lobby area to wait to go inside.  Normally seating is first come first serve.  Since we were a big party, our seat was already arranged.  Nice!

[Food Truck] [Argentine] Piaggio Gourmet on Wheels

Piaggio Gourmet on Wheels
(949) 350-6557
http://www.piaggioonwheels.com

There was a food truck parked outside of Blackmarket Bakery on that Saturday when I was there.  Blackmarket Bakery was really busy.  So was this Piaggio Gourmet on Wheels food truck.  Actually most people get food from both the bakery and the food truck.



Even though we just ate at Break of Dawn, I felt like I wanna get something because the food smelt and looked so good.  I couldn't help but starring at the yummy food people were eating.

[Irvine] [Bakery] Blackmarket Bakery

Blackmarket Bakery
17941 Sky Park Cir
Irvine, CA 92614
(949) 852-4609
http://www.blackmarketbakery.com

I love Groupon because not only I get to save money, but it gives me a chance to try new places.  With a $20 Groupon in hand, I headed to Blackmarket Bakery for some pastry goodies.



Blackmarket Bakery's location was a bit unexpected.  It's not in a shopping plaza, but in one of those business park.  It was a small place, but so many people there on a Saturday afternoon.  I was surprised how good their business are, and I have never heard of this place before when I lived in Irvine?  Those are the pastries I bought:

[Laguna Hills] [Fusion] Break of Dawn

Break of Dawn
24351 Avenida De La Carlota
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 587-9418
http://breakofdawnrestaurant.com

I did research on good restaurants to eat around Aliso Viejo when we first moved down here.  Break of Dawn was on top 10 of my list.  It's been about six months since we moved down here.  Finally got to try the place last Saturday.



Break of Dawn only opens for breakfast and lunch.  They close at 2:30pm because the owner/chef wants to spend more time with his family.  You can read about his story on the restaurant's website.  It's a little sad.  I hope the best for his six year old son.

[Teddy & Twinkle] We Are Good Puppies

I was cooking in the kitchen. Teddy and Twinkle was taking a nap on the couch. But as soon as they smelt food, they woke up and ran into the kitchen.



I told them that they can't stay in the kitchen because I don't want to accidentally trip over them and hurt them.  I talk to Teddy and Twinkle all the time (mostly in Chinese too haha....).  I think they can really understand me.  I read in Divine Canine: The Monks' Way to a Happy, Obedient Dog that a good way to get your dogs to listen to you is looking straight into their eyes and tell them exactly what you want in a nice calm voice.  Do not yell and scream.  I have been doing that and it seemed to work, not all the time, but most of the time.

AngieHearts.net 30% off Presidents Day Sale

Please check out my sister's online boutique, Angie Hearts Boutique~~~~

[Shopping] Golden Birds Wall Decal by Ineke Hans

I love wall decal!  I always liked stickers when I was little.  So obviously I would enjoy putting giant stickers on walls, right?  haha....



I bought this Golden Birds Wall Decal by Ineke Hans from Urban Outfitters a few months ago.  I remember the original price was $125, and it was on sale for only $25.  I found a European website that still have this design for sale for about $100.  I have to say I really got a good bargain.

[Teddy & Twinkle] Sleepy

Teddy and Twinkle have pretty normal schedule.  They wake up everyday around 7am and go to bed at 10pm.  Throughout the day, they would play for 2 or 3 hours, then nap for 4 or 5 hours.



When they play, they play crazy!  Then all of a sudden, they just pass out.  See how sleepy they looked!

Sea Pak Shrimp Scampi

Dr. P had to work late last night.  I want to fix something simple and easy for dinner by myself.



I had a pack of Sea Pak Shrimp Scampi I bought from Costco in my freezer, and a package of pasta in my pantry.  I can't really remember how much the Shrimp Scampi was at Costco.  Maybe $12 for a box enough to feed 8 people?

Caramel Apple Tartlets

Caramel Apple Tartlet

The Caramel Apple Tartlet is from the Omaha Steak pack my sister got me for Christmas.  They can be stored in freezer for quite a while.  I had one yesterday.  Just heated up in the microwave for 1 minute, and done!  It was sweet enough, but not too sweet.  Lots of apple.  Very very good.  Even better with a scoop of ice cream.  I love eating warm dessert with ice cream.  Yum!

[Cooking] Taiwanese Style Pork Chop

I came across this Taiwanese Style Pork Chop recipe a while ago (It's written in Chinese). I love Taiwanese pork chop. I had two pork chop in my fridge so I thought I would give this recipe a try. The recipe was written to make about 20 pork chops. Since I only had 2, I didn't follow the measurement. I just sorta add the ingredients according to my own liking.


台式排骨 Taiwanese Style Pork Chop

Original recipe (for 20 pork chops):

1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon five spices
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 cups water
1/2 cup rice wine

[Teddy & Twinkle] New Collars

Teddy's nylon dog collar broke the other day when we were out on a walk. He ran down the street and I had to chase after him. It was very dangerous and I was so scared that he would run to the middle of the street. Luckily he stopped on the sidewalk and waited for me to catch him. No more nylon collars. They break too easily.


Give a Dog a Bone Leather Dog Collar by Kakadu Pet ($5.99/each)

I bought these collars on Amazon.com.  I like the description: "This decorative Give a Dog a Bone collar is designed with bone shaped silver studs that give it a real bad to the bone look."  haha.....  It said that those are leather collars, but the price is so cheap so I doubt that it's real leather.  Black one for Teddy, and red one for Twinkle.

[Alhambra] [Chinese] 海霸小炒皇 Harbor Kitchen

Harbor Kitchen
海霸小炒皇
1411 S Garfield Ave
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 289-2328

Since I was up in San Gabriel Valley, of course I had to visit my favorite HK cafe, Harbor Kitchen.  Sister and I went during afternoon tea hour.


咖啡 Coffee / 奶茶 Milk Tea

We ordered two dishes, which came with two drinks.  One coffee and one milk tea.  Condensed milk tasted so good in coffee and milk tea.

Cookie & Chocolate

My sister bought a lot of cookies and chocolate.  I took some pictures because they all look pretty.



This tin box was from Amy's Cookies.

[Pasadena] [American] The Novel Cafe

The Novel Cafe
1713 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 683-3309
http://www.novelcafe.com

My sister bought a $25 gift certificate for The Novel Cafe from Restaurant.com.  Their menu looked good and healthy from their website.  We decided to go there for dinner and use the GC.



We weren't really sure if it was a coffee shop, a restaurant, or a wine bar.  It was more like a combination of all three.  We walked in, and nobody was there to greet us.  We walked up to the bartender and he told us to sit anywhere we liked.  A waitress brought us the menu a few minutes later.  We showed her the Restaurant.com gift certificate, and she just said, "oh we are no longer taking those."  That was all she said.  But why?  The GC wasn't even expired.  So my sister just bought them for nothing?  Can restaurants do that?

[Pasadena] [Mexican] Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill

Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill
841 Cordova Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 568-3500
http://www.sharkys.com

After my sister read about Sharky's on my blog, she wanted to try the salmon burrito, too.  Since I was up in San Gabriel Valley, we went to Pasadena Sharky's for a healthy and delicious organic Mexican lunch.


Chipotle BBQ Chicken Stone Fired Pizza ($8.29)
Chipotle BBQ Sauce, 4 Cheeses, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Green Onion, Cilantro, Chipotle Crust

I wanted the salmon burrito, but I also wanted to try something different.  It was so hard to decide because everything looked good on the menu.  I finally settled for Chipotle BBQ Chicken Stone Fired Pizza.  The pizza was made on a baked thin crust crispy tortilla.  I liked all the ingredients on the pizza.  Chicken, cheese, tomato, onion, green onion, cilantro, and BBQ sauce.  This was a very light pizza comparing to regular pizza.  Very good.

Save Money Shopping with Mr. Rebates

I wrote about Ebates last time.  Thanks to my reader, Jenny!  She left a comment and told me about Mr. Rebates.  Mr. Rebates works the same as Ebates, and offer even more cashback!  But Ebates does have more available stores for cashback.  So what's the best thing to do to save money?  Join both of course!  Always check with both websites before you make an online purchase to get the most money back.

[Rosemead] [Malaysian] Ruben's Kitchen

Ruben's Kitchen
銘廚馬來風味
8728 Valley Blvd #101
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 307-1157

After taking my parents to a horrible lunch, they don't trust my restaurant suggestions anymore.  For dinner, they want to take me to a restaurant that they think it's good.  They said they've been to Ruben's Kitchen for Malaysian food a few times, and have never been disappointed.


咖喱海鮮湯麵 Curry Seafood Noodle Soup ($7.95)

Curry Seafood Noodle Soup was my dad's favorite.  But he doesn't eat it like a noodle soup.  Instead, he pour the thick curry soup over white rice.  That's his favorite way to eat this dish.  Lots of shrimp, fish cake, and squid in the noodle soup.  I love the puffy tofu that soaked up all the curry soup.  The soup was slightly spicy.  Delicious!

[Industry] [Chinese] Flaming Spice

Flaming Spice
鍋盆碗裡
18518 Gale Ave
Industry, CA 91744
(626) 964-6569

My friends went to Flaming Spice for dinner and posted pictures of the food online.  I thought the photo of their hot pot looked so good.  I got the restaurant info from my friends, and took my parents to go try this new hot pot restaurant.



We went for lunch.  They had individual hot pot lunch special during lunch hour.  The all you can eat for $20/person option was also available.  Their buffet wasn't even ready when we got there.  So we opted for the lunch special hot pot.

[Irvine] [Chinese] Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant

Chong Qing Mei Wei Szechwan Restaurant
重慶美味川菜
5406 Walnut Ave #C
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 651-8886

We wanted to eat Chinese food for Chinese new year's eve celebration.  The obvious choice was our favorite Chinese restaurant in Orange County, Chong Qing Mei Wei.

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They were super busy that night.  We had to wait for a while for a table, but it was well worth it.  They redecorate the restaurant a little.  Now they have better comfy chairs, hanging lamp above every table, and rustic looking iron chandeliers.  I like it.

[Shopping] Nordstrom Rack Finds

I didn't really have plan to shop.  But after happy hour at Elephant Bar, since Nordstrom Rack is right there, might as well go in to take a look.  I had to let Dr. P know that... I didn't plan it, seriously!  Nordstrom Rack just "happens" to be right there.  (*wink wink*)  haha....  I love bargain so I love Nordstrom Rack.  Nordstrom Rack is pretty much the outlet for Nordstrom.  We chatted with the cashier last time we were there.  He told us that they receive new merchandise from Nordstrom EVERYDAY except Sunday and Monday.  Here's a good tip from the cashier:  They receieve the biggest shipment on Saturday and Tuesday.  But Saturday is always crowded.  So the best time to shop at Nordstrom Rack would be Tuesday.  Those were the bargains I got yesterday.


Børn 'Lovely' Flat ($89.95 $29.90)

Aren't those shoes cute?  At first I just thought they were cute.  Then I tried them on.  It was soooooo comfortable with the cushion bed.  Had to get it.  The shoes are still on Nordstrom's website for sale with regular price.  How lucky was I to find this pair, and just my size?!

[Laguna Hills] [Asian Fusion] Elephant Bar Restaurant

Elephant Bar Restaurant
24155 Laguna Hills Mall
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 454-9530
http://www.elephantbar.com

It was Chinese New Year's Eve yesterday.  I was in a festival mood and I wanted a drink at 3pm.  Happy hour time!  I remember seeing Elephant Bar's happy hour menu when we were there last time.  The food looked good, and price was also good.



We got there around 4pm, and the place quickly filled up.  Seemed like Elephant Bar's happy hour is a big hit with senior citizens.  There were many many silvered hair ladies drinking and partying.  Definitely the "in" spot for the senior community!  :-)

[Bread Machine] Yogurt Bread

Dr. P and I finished a whole loaf of garlic french bread in two days!  Yeah, that was a really really good loaf of bread.  I had yogurt in the fridge, and wanted to used it up.  Perfect for yogurt bread.  This loaf looked like regular white bread.  The texture was soft and moist in the center.  The taste had a bit sourness, almost like a mild sourdough bread.


Yogurt Bread

For 2-Pound Loaf

* 1 cup water
* 1 1/3 cups plain whole milk yogurt
* 4 3/4 cups bread flour
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
* 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 2 1/2 teaspoons SAF yeast

[Cooking] Country Captain

I tried this Country Captain recipe from Good Housekeeping magazine.  I didn't even know what Country Captain is before.  From reading online, I found out that "Country Captain is an Americanized "curry" recipe dating back at least 154 years.  Considered Southern fare for most of its long life, classic country captain combines seared chicken with bell peppers, tomatoes and bottled curry powder. Golden raisins or currants provide sweetness, and slivered almonds offer crunch. An array of condiments such as bacon, coconut, scallions, and peanuts make the dish festive."  Dr. P thought the curry chicken and rice dish tasted like a cross between Indian and Moroccan food.  I like the curry and cumin flavor with the tomato sauce.  Lots of veggies, and very tender chicken thigh meat.  Great recipe, although I could use a little bit more salt....


Country Captain
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/country-captain-recipe-ghk0111
Serves: 6

[Aliso Viejo] [Mexican] Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill

Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill
26811 Aliso Creek Road
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 643-0900
http://www.sharkys.com

I've seen Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill in The District when I lived in Irvine last year.  Then when I moved down to Aliso Viejo, I see Sharky's again at Aliso Viejo Town Center.  I never had much desire to visit because I thought it was just another Mexican fast food chain like Baja Fresh.  Then I got one of those flyer coupons in the mail from them.  I had no idea this is an organic and all natural restaurant.  From reading their ad, I found out that they only serve all natural meat, wild caught fish, and organic vegetable.  Why didn't they put "all natural & organic" somewhere on their sign so people can know about it?



The restaurant was very spacious and bright.  The counter girl was really friendly and helpful.