Celebrate Small Business Week!

It's National Small Business Week and what better to celebrate by supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs!

To all restaurateurs and small start-ups, we raise our glasses to you. Entrepreneurship is about being your own boss and making your passion come alive.

I applaud those restaurants/eateries that are continuously growing everyday. This week, I'll spotlight a few of my favorite Mom and Pop restaurants/shops that deserve the recognition.

In the meantime, check out the Small Business Administration (SBA) website for all the SBW events happening near you!

What's your favorite Mom and Pop restaurant?

Get Your Grub On This Father's Day Weekend

No wonder why Father's Day is in June, it's all about barbecues and grilling! This Sunday we're celebrating Father's Day and thanking our dad's for being our everyday superman. So why not celebrate dad's special day with some big boy eats?

My uncle's favorite food is steak. His idea of vegetables is potato of any kind - mashed, baked, or in chip form. This weekend I know for sure we're probably going to have steak fro breakfast, lunch and dinner. Though if you want dad to relax this weekend but still get him excited for some serious eats, take him to these restaurants as a treat:

Hooters: Dad's can order 10 wings and get 10 free on Sunday

Shoney's: When Dad orders an entree, he receives a free fudge cake!

Spaghetti Warehouse: if Dad downloads the coupon on Spaghetti Warehouse's website, he receives a free spaghetti or lasagna entree on Father's Day.

Grille 700 at Baltimore Marriott Waterfront: free domestic drafts for Dad all day Sunday.

Many other steakhouses, sports grilles and bars will most likely have Father's Day specials like a free appetizer, discounted beer and entree's and more!

Nothing Like An Ice Cold Glass Of Tea

As if the whole month wasn't enough to celebrate National Iced Tea Month, we needed to dedicated one specific day for National Iced Tea Day! June 10 is National Iced Tea Day. Nothing feels more satisfying than a nice glass of iced tea on a sunny day.

Iced Tea is my coffee. I prefer it, and it doesn't give me the caffeine jitters. Just about everywhere I dine, I'm usually the one who orders iced tea (or Arnold Palmer, which is half tea/half lemonade).

For first timer's or new tea lovers, I'd like to share with you my tea criteria:
Real Tea Flavor - If I'm going to have some tea, iced or hot, I want to be able to taste the natural herb. I actually find tea to be a very satisfying taste. So the first thing I look for is the flavor.
Natural Sweetness - Before any added sugar or sweeteners, how sweet is the tea? I rarely add sugar to brewed tea so I would like to feel the boldness of the taste.
Added Sweetness - When I go for bottled or specialty flavors, I know that there will be added sweetness. Of course I wouldn't say no to a sweet tasting glass of iced tea, but I don't want my tea to be polluted by sugar... Unless it's sweet tea of course!
Additional Flavors - Raspberry iced tea seems to be the most popular flavored iced tea. I do love that a few restaurants and brands expand on their tea flavors. Even when it comes to Arnold Palmers, people experiment with the different lemonade and tea combinations.

What's your favorite iced tea flavor?

What's your iced tea preference? Super sweet or natural flavors?

What's your favorite bottled iced tea?

Have you ever made your own iced tea?

So many questions for just one simple drink! Whether you go to the market and pick out a bottle of your favorite brand, dine out tonight and order the fruity iced tea flavors, or steep a few tea packets in the comfort of your own kitchen, let's raise our glasses and toast to National Iced Tea Day! Now today's a Monday that's not so bad ;)

San Diego County Fair

It's summer time and that means one thing for many SoCal natives - COUNTY FAIRS!

The first one up: San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds from June 8 - July 4

This year, the theme of the fair is 'Game On'. As described from the SD Fair official website, "The fair will spotlight classic and nostalgic games and show how these have evolved over the years; from board games and pinball, to television, videos and computers."

Enjoy carnival games, wild rides, live entertainment and amazing attractions and exhibits from local San Diego schools and organizations to showcase their accomplishments and celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer vacation.

I go to the fair for two things: Concerts and Food (of course!) This year, I checked out the line-up for the grandstand stage performances and there are a variety of performers for people of all ages and in different genres. Like oldies? The Beach Boys will be playing opening night and Joan Jett and the Black Hearts will play closing night and will remind us why we love rock and roll . Have kids? Take them to see Big Time Rush, Victoria Justice and Bridgit Mendler (names you might not know, but names they probably worship). Other big names like Steve Miller Band, Train, Colbie Caillat, Martina McBride, and Kendrick Lamar are set to perform during this month.

Now for the food. If you've ever been to a county fair you know the food is delicious. They may not necessarily be the healthiest things - fried twinkies, fried kool aid, fried snickers... you get the point, FRIED FOOD - but they certainly are delicious and the fair should be a fun experience, so why not cheat on your healthy eating just this once. My mom likes to get the grilled corn and turkey legs while my siblings go for the varieties of food around such as chili-cheese fries, funnel cake, hotdogs, krispy-kreme sandwiches and so much more. The baked goods and typical foods like popcorn and cotton candy are always a must and- ok I need to stop before I get ahead of myself. Basically, the San Diego County fair has it all - Games, Rides, Concerts and best of all Food. So mark your calendars... Ready. Set. Game On!


Tickets and general information can be found on the fair's website.
Many business's support the SD Fair so look out for Military Discounts, Albertson/Save-on Discounts, Costco Discounts, and much more!

Tip:
Closed on Mondays except July 2nd.
June 11 and 18 is $4 Tuesday
There are special promos once you're at the fair to come back again for a discounted price.

Christmas in June?

There's a rumor out there that today, June 5, is National Gingerbread day. Yeah, you read it correctly, gingerbread. You know, like those yummy gingerbread people cookies you like to munch on over the holidays.

Usually during the holidays, the atmosphere is so jolly and cheery. Apparently, the Foodie council people (not really an actual thing... unless it is and I don't know yet!) felt like giving us a super holiday in the middle of the year. So why not, Gingerbread day in June? Maybe it's to remind us that Christmas is in six months, or maybe it's to remind us to always be in a jolly mood, regardless of the season. Either way, I think we should celebrate National Gingerbread Day by whipping up a gingerbread family, gingerbread loaf, and any other tasty holiday favorites!

Happy six months until the Holidays :)

It's The Cheesiest Day Of The Year

Everyone loves cheese! So naturally there has to be a foodie holiday dedicated to our favorite dairy snack : Today is National Cheese Day.

As a cheese lover myself, I love trying out new cheeses for recipes, simple snacks, and wine pairing. There are more than 900 known cheeses in the world, and they can all be classified by texture. Here are some of the most common cheeses:

• fresh cheese (ricotta)
• soft cheese (feta)
• semi-soft cheese (Fontina) 
• semi-hard cheese (Gouda) 
• hard cheese (Cheddar)
• double or triple crème cheese (Brillat-Savarin)
• blue cheese (Gorgonzola) 
• washed rind cheese (Limburger)
• bloomy rind cheese (Brie)

What's your favorite type of cheese and/or cheese dish?

June Foodie Holidays

It's a new month, but not just any month... It's the month that kick's of Summer!

We're all looking forward to relaxing in the sun, going to the beach, having fun with friends and of course... EATING :)

Let's kick off June by being on the look out for some June Foodie Holidays.

June is...

National Candy Month

National Dairy Month

National Iced Tea Month

National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month



We're already in the third day of June, and today is national egg day!


Stay tuned this month because there are a lot of great food holidays in June!