Happy Valentine’s Day! And Happy Centennial to my Native State – Arizona – 100 Years Young today!

Yes, Arizona, “The Grand Canyon State”, “The Valentine State”, and “The Baby State” turns 100 today!  The “Baby State” because Arizona was the last state of the contiguous United States to join the Union, on February 14, 1912. To see a wonderful slideshow of our beautiful state, GO TO THIS LINK, and enjoy. That is from where I snatched all of the Arizona pictures I have here today.  As a special birthday bonus, there’s a little Arizona quiz and a fun name game at the end of the post – just in case you want to play along.

Oh, and I have a fruity salsa recipe to go along with the fruity guac from yesterday too.

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On Saturday night I taught a cooking class and served dinner at a wedding shower for Leah, the beautiful bride-to-be.  This is the darling and super creative invite that Jenny, Leah’s sister-in-law, sent out… attached to a real cutting board with a real whisk at the top ~ too cute! (and it was even cuter before I marked out the personal info…)

The guacamole I served reminds me of one of my favorite restaurants in Phoenix, Barrio Cafe, where Chef Silvana Salcido Esparaza’s guacamole is made table-side and is the first place I ever saw pomegranate arils added. Remember, they aren’t called pomegranate seeds. The correct name is arils. If you don’t remember, you can go back to THIS, my 100th post, where I tell you all about it (and even how to freeze the arils). Today marks my 834th post. We’ve come a long way baby!

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I have been prepping, chopping, dicing, and packing up like a crazy mad woman for a wedding shower cooking class that I am conducting for 24 lovely ladies later today. During a little rest time, yesterday, I stumbled upon this on Chow Bella…

… while I was actually looking for this…

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This quick, easy, and delish recipe comes from my Illinois BFF, Jennifer.  My girl knows how to throw together a fabulous dinner like no one else! With three busy sons, who run her ragged, she is the master. Love you, Jenni-Jen! xoxo

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I’ve shared with you my newfound love of Pinterest. That is where I found the idea for these adorable pearl cherry tomato hearts. If you and your loved one are going out for Valentine’s and leaving the kids at home, what a wonderful salad this would be to serve to your beloved children.  Or… just as a casual any night of the week with an extra special loving touch.

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Oh the things I would have bought this past Sunday at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire … IF only I had a big truck to drive it all home in! But, alas, I had but one suitcase – and a dinky carry-on at that. That sort of size limit turns you into a very discerning buyer!  Here is what I came home with…

A couple of lovely vintage skeleton keys.

A pair of outboard motor cuff links. The one on the left still has the little propeller that spins  The cost of these cuties? A whopping $1.00!  They are to be a future gift for a very good friend with a motorboat.

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I really don’t need an excuse to visit my daughter, Marissa, in San Francisco. I’d be happy to go anytime and as often as she’d have me.

But this visit was scheduled around the once monthly Alameda Point Antiques Faire held across the bay and over the Oakland-Bay Bridge on Navy Way in Alameda.  The first Sunday of each month brings more than 800 vendors and over 10,000 shoppers to the huge sale.  I first learned of the Faire through my favorite blog, Vignette Design. Interior designer and blogger extraordinaire, Delores, loves the Faire and has written of it often. Her favorite vendor is Big Daddy’s Antiques, so naturally that would be our first stop.

crated demijohn, industrial cart, and so much more!

I was beside myself with anticipation when we arrived at about 7:30 AM (the gates open at 6:00).  We made a beeline for the Big Daddy booths in aisles J & K. (the aisles run from A – Z).  I was delighted by every item in the Big Daddy booth, but also heartsick that there was not even one thing that was small enough to fit in my suitcase. The photo above and the next 7 photos were taken in the Big Daddy booths.

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I love San Francisco!

Saturday morning bakery breakfast…

… and market trip.

A cute fellow shopper.

Next stop – Coit Tower.

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How about a little Bundt pan history?

In 1950 Nordic Ware invented the Bundt® Pan; a ring-shaped pan with fluted sides.   The pan sold somewhat slowly until the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest winner used the little-known Bundt® Pan for her Tunnel of Fudge cake recipe. This prompted a mad rush for the pans, causing them to surpass the tin Jell-O mold to become the most-sold pan in the United States. Since their introduction, more than 50 million Bundt pans have been sold by Nordic Ware.

Oh, and by the way, National Bundt Pan Day is November 15th.  And do you remember the scene in the 2002 movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, when the mother of the groom-to-be comes to the home of the mother of the bride-to-be and presents to you a Bundt cake? Still makes me smile, HERE IS A LINK to a grainy video from YouTube.

This super moist yogurt cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. So simple to put together and pop in the oven… seriously delish.

FYI: I used a decorative sunflower Bundt pan in place of the traditional Bundt that has the tube in the center, so it took about 20 minutes longer to cook than this recipe states.

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Yesterday I did my dip picks for the Super Bowl, today we have the real contenders. I failed to mention on yesterday’s post that light cream cheese may be used in each and every one of the four dips, with virtually no taste difference. Please just don’t use the non-fat disgusting cardboard thing they call cream cheese. That stuff should be illegal! There are a plethora of lovely non-fat dairy products, but non-fat cream cheese is not one of them.

Thinly sliced and lightly toasted French bread, baguette, or sourdough work perfect for both dips.  For the pizza dip, the bread simulates a pizza crust and for the clam dip, it reminds me of enjoying clam chowder in a sourdough bowl on Pier 39 in beautiful San Fran. Which coincidentally, is where I am headed later today to visit my sweet Marissa – for a food and a shopping-filled weekend!

Happy Super Bowl Weekend!

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