The Perfect Temperature for OC

Hot enough to bake, cool enough to take.


I'm sitting here, eating a breakfast pastry with my coffee, watching Valentine's Day and I can't think of a better way to spend my Saturday morning. Mind you, in about thirty minutes I'm going to have to get up and get ready for work, but it's nice to take twenty minutes for myself sometimes. 


The pastry I'm eating, (this would probably work a lot better if I knew its name), has a parmesan and powdered cheese with toasted almonds on top. It's the last of the pack, as I've already eaten the others since I visited 85 Degrees Bakery Cafe a few days ago. Take a look at some of the items I bought below:

These pastries range from $1.50 to about $3.50 each. Everytime I go, there's a HUGE line of people waiting with their trays and tongs to go through the maze-o-bread which will be piled into a mountain of goodies. Then, there's an equally long line to get to the cash register to pay and order one of their cozy tea drinks. My favorite is the hot almond milk.

I know, I know. All of the above looks uh-mazing. I haven't shown you the best part yet, though. One of Irvine's best-kept secrets! Are you ready? Imagine a puffed up pastry, topped with black sesame seeds, and inside, dried cranberries and a cream cheese-y filling. One time I went to the bakery and they told me it was sold out, and wasn't going to be available for a few months. What is this incredible pastry, you ask? That, my friends, is the Rose Cheese:

 I can't even say more about it! You'll just have to go and see for yourself. 


85 Degrees Bakery started in Tai Pei in 2004 and became Taiwan's most popular cafe by 2005. They opened their location at the Diamond Jamboree plaza off Alton and Jamboree a couple years back, and I have no doubt they will continue to expand in South County.

I LOVE little patisseries like this! There's another one in San Juan Capistrano that has more hispanic-influenced pastries. Maybe that will be my next post...


The choice? Taiwanese pastries and almond milk, or Mexican pastries and a horchata? I'll let you decide.

Tip: When you've got hectic mornings and no time for breakfast, pick up a few of these pastries to take on the go. You'll spend less than ten bucks on breakfast for the week and be happily satisfied! Until lunchtime ;)

It's Certainly Not ALL About The Cake.

My friend Jo and I decided to grab lunch before I headed out to do the not-so-glamourous part of my job (dropping letters off at doorsteps... fun!) We decided to meet at What a Dish/It's All About the Cake since it's right along the DP Harbor next to my office. We made friends a couple months back with the owners of the bakery, Jordan and Alex, who are brother and sister and incredibly business savvy.


Jordan runs What A Dish, the restaurant and catering realm of the business, while Alex runs It's All About the Cake, which is of course, the bakery.


If you're looking for the perfect place to grab lunch with a girlfriend, this place has the most adorable ambiance and incredible food! It's All About the Cake sits adjacent to the harbor, far enough where you can enjoy the sun and close enough where you can smell the ocean.

Jo and I enjoyed refreshing, unsweetened iced tea and I had my ritual cringe as I dropped in a packet of Splenda.

Unsweetened Iced Tea

For lunch we both had the Croque Monsieur de Jour recommended by our server, with a nice cup of chicken tortilla soup. I've got to say, I don't normally expect much out of tortilla soup because it generally tastes the same, but this soup was incredibly delectable! In this cup was nothing but freshness. Tomatoes, tiny rizotto, tender chicken, and crunchy tortilla chips. The best part? It's spicy!

The Croque Monsieur was also a delight. The tomatoes, though softened, had amazing seasoning and the bread had the perfect combination of crunchy outer shell and moist inner body. 

Croque Monsieur De Jour with Chicken Tortilla Soup

By the time we were finished, our plates had nothing but a few crumbs and the toothpicks from the sandwich. Stuffed as we were, we knew we couldn't leave without dessert. So, we went inside and picked from their wonderful selection of cupcakes and brownies, and landed on this: 

Petit Fours with Lemon and Raspberry Filling

I will let you imagine what kind of heaven the inside of these cute little cakes brought us. Now, I will be the first to admit that I am not as much into the fondant as I am into more creamy frosting, but these petit fours were the perfect way to end a wonderful winter lunch. 


Oh, but I can't forget the most adorable part! My little friend below... her name is Kisses!

Kisses

Our server was such a treat, she gave Kisses one! She also brought out a bowl of water so large she could have bathed in it. So, Kisses was in little doggie heaven while Jo and Auntie Kristle enjoyed their own scrumptious meal. We will definitely be going back!

Tip: Make friends with restaurant owners as often as possible and bring them new business... who knows, you may get a free cupcake out of it! Au Revoir :)

Sara Flynn Photography

The Mission

I don't know how my Dad does it, but he can cook ANYTHING in the span of oh... ten minutes! My mission? Learn how to do it. Today I came home for lunch, and he had this feast waiting on the table. I know it didn't take him long because there are perpetually five different sports shows recording on our DVR for his viewing pleasure. Check out what he "whipped up" for us:

Medium Rare Top Sirloin

Pan-friend Sea Bass and Jumbo Shrimp with Cilantro

Butter-Roasted Corn and Green Beans

RIGHT?!

The food was quite phenomenal. I kept thinking, how much would this cost at a restaurant? More than I could afford for an everyday lunch that's for sure. These times call for buck-stretching and penny-pinching for even the most major necessities: food, clothing, and shelter. So, I'm determined to find the best opportunities out there when it comes to all of the above. (Oh, and I may sprinkle in some not-so inexpensive things every now and then. Hey, I'm still an OC girl at heart!)


Tip: Let Dad cook you lunch once in awhile! He'll get ten minutes of exercise an you'll save ten bucks :)