Cupcake Chic - My hometown's first cupcakery

My home town of Orem, Utah just got its first cupcake-specific bakery. Also known as a cupcakery. The name of it is Cupcake Chic. It's a mother-daughter run business. The owners have been running it out of their homes for the last few years. They make some of my most favorite cupcakes in all the US. In only being open one week I've managed to drop by um... a few times.

Check out my latest post on Utah Loves Cupcakes about the top six things I like about their storefront right now.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chewy, Chunky Blondies

Nicole of Cookies on Friday picked Chewy, Chunky Blondies for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.



The picture in Dorie's book, Baking from My Home to Yours is rather delicious looking. I couldn't wait to make them. The dough was divine so full of mix-ins like walnuts, sweetened coconut, semi-sweet chocolate chips and more.

It's rather unfortunate I botched the baking time. I coooked them for the full time and took them out, knowing that it looked a little doughy. After letting them rest 10 minutes I panicked and put them back in for a lot longer. The result was a weirdly cooked blondy. No so chewy as I wanted. However, it's not a complete fail. I still think they tasted delicious.

Be sure to check out the 'leave your link' post to see how these blondies turned out for the other TWD blogging bakers.



Next week: Gingered Carrot Cookies

On my other blog, Utah Loves Cupcakes as of late:
Brotherly Love at The Chocolate
Cupcake Wars Audition Video: The Cocoa Bean Cupcake Cafe
Take a Peek at Cupcake Chic on Opening Day
Utah Cupcake Flavors: Root Beer Float

weeknight fun: cribbage

the husband and i are on a cribbage kick. he picked it up while living back east and has loved it ever since.
it might just be that game we play together till we are old and gray.

Get ready for your close-up

A friend let me borrow an extension tube for my DSLR. I've been having lots of fun with it. One of my favorite shots as of late is this close up of the patriotic cream-filled chocolate cookies I made for the Fourth of July. In case you are wondering, I ended up using all butter for the filling. They turned out delicious!

Support Local: CSA with Jacob's Cove

There is something beautiful and worthwhile about supporting local.
I'm a Utahn born and raised.
I want Utah to be strong and I want her people to thrive.

Plus...I like really good, healthy and fresh food.
In other words, I like real food.


Heirloom tomato salad at Communal Restaurant in Provo, Utah by me.

I've always loved going to farmer's markets, shopping at local grocery markets and other local specialty stores. So when the chance came to participate in getting produce weekly from a farmer in my own valley. I jumped on it.

For those of you who don't know, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It's a model where you purchase a subscription, commonly known as a share, to the farm before the growing season. In return, the farmer produces food for your family. You become the "community" in Community Supported Agriculture. Each week of harvest time you receive a box of fresh, seasonal produce. The farmer grows it all. My local CSA is with Jacob's Cove Heritage Farm in Orem, Utah.

I've known about Jacob's Cove for a while. Their produce pops up in my favorite restaurants Pizzeria 712 and Communal, and now in the new La Jolla Groves restaurant in the Riverwoods.  I'll be honest, I think I joined solely for their beautiful heirloom tomatoes. We're growing tomatoes in our garden this year, but man, I can't pass these heirloom varieties up.


Heirloom tomato salad at Communal Restaurant in Provo, Utah by me.

This year Jacob's Cove will raise dozens of varieties of heirloom tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, carrots, a wide variety of greens, fingerling potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, beans, berries, fresh herbs and other produce. Delicious, no?



How do you support local?

Tuesdays with Dorie: Brrrr-ownies

I'm not a big peppermint and chocolate fan. But these brownies were good. They had a definite chill and pleased everyone who tried them.



Head on over to Karen's blog, Welcome to our Crazy Blessed Life for the recipe. Head on over to the Tuesdays with Dorie blog to see how my baking blog friends liked the recipe.

I'm beginning to become such a brownie lover. Give these other brownies a lookie.
I can't believe I've made so many different brownies!
Cook's Illustrated - Chewy Brownie
Tuesdays with Dorie - White Chocolate Brownies
Tuesdays with Dorie - Brownie Buttons
Tuesdays with Dorie - Rick Katz's Brownies for Julia
Tuesdays with Dorie - Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies
Tuesdays with Dorie - Chipster-Topped Brownies
Peppermint Bark Brownies - Take 2
Peppermint Bark Brownies
Tuesdays with Dorie: Carmel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake
Cherry Fudge Brownie Torte

La Jolla Groves Restaurant (Provo, Utah)

There's a new restaurant in town. And you know I'm one to scope these things out, especially when the restaurant concept touts they use local ingredients. This is the case with La Jolla Groves in Provo, Utah.



La Jolla Groves opened last week in the Riverwoods shopping area. Their menu features dishes made from fresh, local and organic ingredients. Besides the delicious food I'm really excited about the year-round farmers market concept that runs in conjunction with La Jolla. The farmers market will sell local cheeses, honey, fresh flower, whole roasted poultry and fresh-made artisan bread.

The owners of La Jolla Groves have teamed up with, or rather invested in a local farmer to supply the local produce. That organic farm happens to be Jacob's Cove. If you are not familiar with the beauty and deliciousness that is Jacob's Cove get over to their Web site now. I am actually a member of the Jacob's Cove CSA. (You'll hear more about that on my Friday post.)



Now onto the food and my experience at La Jolla Restaurant.



I loved the ambiance of La Jolla. Everything from the lemon grove theme that shone through the decor to the tunes that made you imagine a 1940's California. Read more about the inspiration for the lemon grove and restaurant name in this Daily Herald news article. Oh and that darn butter ball for your bread: yum. I think it's rosemary that accompanies it.



Entrees range from $7-$20. We went for lunch and it was delicious. We started out with a La Jolla's Artisan Cheese, Fresh Fruit and La Jolla Groves Hearth Breads.

Their menu describes it as this:

"A sample of the handcrafted La Jolla Groves Bakery Breads available for purchase paired with fresh fruit and berries of summer with the award winning Beehive White Cheddar Cheese, Gorganzola and creamy swiss cheese served with La Jolla Groves healthier fruit dipping sauce made from real fruit in our own kitchen."

The cheese plate was delightful. I have to say I loved the Beehive White Cheddar but it also included some brie that I have an affinity for. The artisan breads stood well on their own, but also served as a great canvas for the cheeses presented.

I chose the La Jolla Groves' Salad for my entree. It was delicious even if overdressed. It was such a great blend of flavors and a real treat to find fresh heirloom tomatoes waiting for me at the bottom of the plate.

Here's how the menu describes the dish:
"A salad of summer tomatoes, mango, apples and cucumbers with toasted pistachios in a light lemon vinaigrette. This salad will make you wish you could eat at La Jolla Groves every day. An insider favorite."


My husband ordered the Roasted Chicken entree. I had a bite and was pleased.

"Thyme and citrus roasted chicken breast with garlic mashed potatoes and butternut squash and carrots. If you had time to roast chicken this is how you would want to make it."

The dessert menu was enticing, especially the La Jolla Grove Lemon cake. Boy did it sound refreshing. But...dessert will have to wait for my next visit to La Jolla Groves.

I am eager to see how their year-round farmers market turns out and to see the menu change with each season. I thought La Jolla Groves' food was delicious. It wasn't quite as flawless as say, Communal or P712's execution. Nor did the waiters present the amazing restaurant concept and posses the food knowledge I would expect from this type of restaurant but hey...this was only their first week. I can't be too harsh.  I can't wait till my next visit. I'll let you know how that dessert tastes.

I hope you give La Jolla a try. 



La Jolla Groves
4801 North University Avenue, Suite 610
Provo, Utah 84604

phone: 801-224-5111
fax: 801-224-5888
web site: www.lajollagroves.com (site not up yet)
web site: Riverwoods Shopping Area in Provo




Other posts about Utah restaurants and food you may like:
Provo Farmers Market & Basil Ice Cream
Spark Restaurant Lounge in Provo
Utah County Favorite: Coneys Frozen Custard
Lehi Roller Mills
Kouing Aman at Les Madeleines
Pearimisu: My New Year's Eve Dessert
Beer Battered Fish Tacos at Red Butte Cafe
Mashup and Newer Flavors at The Sweet Tooth Fairy

Provonians – Get Your Shaved Ice (Agave Style)

By now you should know that I am a huge lover of Agave. I use it on my toast, my steel cut oatmeal, frozen yogurt and even salad dressings. Ever since the Utah weather decided to wake up and heat up, I’d been looking for a shaved ice stand that sold agave-sweetened shaved ice.

Low and behold my own coworker and friend opened one. I’m a lucky girl, ey? It’s actually quite a funny story. For a month or so she would tell me she was helping her brother build a shack. The whole time I was thinking she meant a shed, you know, for like bikes and garden tools. Then one day she says they just got done painting it and they were almost ready to open up their shack. What the! How did I not catch that?

If you live in Provo or the surrounding areas, head on over to Paradise Snow for a refreshing shaved ice. Paradise has more than 55 flavors, including a variety of agave-sweetened flavors. My personal favorite is a half and half of Agave Root Beer and Agave Red Cream Soda. Oh…and Paradise offers free cream. Drop by this weekend. Tell ‘em Becky sent you!


Paradise Snow – Provo Snow Shack & Shaved Ice
Located on 9th East in Provo across from the BYU Creamery
Twitter: @ParadiseSnow
Facebook

Tuesdays with Dorie: Tarte Noire

My French stinks. I call this tart, “tarte nor”…my husband has corrected me numerous times with the proper pronunciation of tarte nwahr.



I may slaughter the name. But I sure as heck didn’t slaughter my execution of the recipe. I made it months ago for a sweet little niece's baptism. It was delightful and rich. Maybe even too rich for some.



You can get the recipe on Dharmagirl’s blog, bliss: towards a delicious life. Be sure to check out the LYL post on the Tuesdays with Dorie site to see what my TWD blog friends liked the recipe.

Next week: Brrrr-ownies
One year ago on Project Domestication: 10 pounds of Chocolate

Patriotic Cream-FIlled Chocolate Cookies

I'll be making Martha Stewart's Cream-Filled Chocolate Cookies for the Fourth of July.

Just imagine those cookies above rolled in fun jimmies and confetti and topped with a flag pick! I'm so excited to see how they turn out. I've already made the cookie dough and will be making the vanilla cream filling tonight.

Speaking of this vanilla cream filling recipe. It calls for shortening. And I'm not a shortening fan. Anyone ever made this with all butter? I think that's what I'll be doing.