Foodie Friday: Capriotti's

Capriotti's is one of my favorite sandwich shops! Before they built this location in San Diego every time there was a trip or pass-through Vegas a Capriotti's stop was always in order.

They offer a few veggie meat selections: meatless turkey, veggie cheese steak and even a cheeseburger that are to die for. Holy molé, these sandwiches are so good... even for the meat lovers!







I'm partial to the Veggie Cheese Steak: grilled "steak", onions and mushrooms, topped with provolone and sweet or hot peppers.


Location: 1620 Camino De La Reina San Diego, California 92108
Neighborhood: Mission Valley

Other locations: AZ, CA, NV, FL, IA, WI, DE, PA, MD, NJ, UT

carving pumpkins, roasting seeds

My favorite thing about fall (aside from bundling up) is roasting pumpkin seeds. No joke, I go crazy for them when October rolls around. I'm not entirely artistic when it comes to carving, so bear with me as my punkin was drawn freehand.


I found my punkin! I kid I kid.


Little helper.


Voila!


Enjoying some homemade chick'n pot pies while the seeds bake.





Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

1. Rinse pumpkin seeds in colander, picking out the pulp and strings (aka guts).

2. I like to pour the seeds back into a bowl and stir in 1 tbsp. oil and a whole mess of salt.

3. Pour the pumpkin seeds onto a cookie sheet in a single layer (I did a few different batches, so tin foil works just as well).

4. If you are doing any flavors other than salt (ie: garlic, dill, etc.) sprinkle with said salts or spices.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until desired toastiness, stirring once halfway through.

6. Let cool and store in an air-tight container.


Salt and Garlic!

Happy Birthday, ladies!

Today is both my mama and Marty's birthdays. I find it comical that the two most important women in my life just so happened to come into this world on the very same day (different years, of course)!

link love v.16

How to peel a head of garlic in 10 seconds? This video is a lifesaver.

Wow! This 100 year old man ran a 26.2 mile marathon in 8 hours... and guess what, he is vegetarian!

Cutest bookend.

I kind of, sort of, really need this penguin ice cream scoop.

Jordan's adorable DIY Caramel Apple Kit, perfect for a gift or party favor!

Doctor Octopus, so very dapper.

These dishes on Coralene's blog made my mouth water, especially the vegan chicken fried tofu.

Love, love, love the Frocktober Dress from ModCloth.

This coffee mug is a bit ridiculous, but perfect for the rich bitches that come into my shop everyday.

I can't believe it's cycle 17 of America's Next Top Model... and I've kept up with every. single. season.

These vintage engagement rings are so elegant.

Foodie Friday: Shepherd's Pie

This Foodie Friday is a bit different, I want to know YOUR recipes and suggestions for a meal that we've all had once in our life. A comfort food for some and actually a first for me, as of last week.

Shepherd's Pie. What's in it? I never knew; some sort of meat, veggies?, potatoes... I feel like it's one of those things, like meatloaf, that you had to eat as a kid and you make it when you become a parent, but what's in it exactly?

Since I had never tried something I've heard about all my life, I decided to give Amy's a go... It wasn't anything special, particularly bland (I had to add hot sauce to give it some flavor!). BUT I want to make one myself, from scratch, so what did you grow up with or think tastes best inside Shepherd's Pie?!

Sweetbricks Giveaway Winner!

Anastasia: "I love decorating my house for Halloween and carving pumpkins."

Tracy: "I love pressing fall leaves into books to dry! :)"

and

Connie: "My fave fall tradition is going to the pumpkin patch & picking out our "plumpies" & going through the corn maze!"

Congratulations, ladies! I will be contacting you shortly for your toffee of choice and shipping information.

Thanks to everyone who entered and may you have a very Merry Halloween!

vintage suitcase kitty bed

Before I even had Marty, this photo inspired me to one day have a vintage suitcase kitty bed for my future woogie. Once Jon and I got Marty the dream was always talked about but neither of us put the idea into motion. Until now. Jon found a suitcase a few months back and wanted to take on the task of making and surprising Marty. Here is the finished product!





She's in love.

Opa's 60th Birthday ...at Disneyland!

My opa is my rock, he was my father figure growing up and everything in a grandpa that a little girl could ask for. To this day we've remained best friends and I take comfort in being able to count on and confide in this special man.

Last Tuesday was the big 6-0 and I wouldn't have missed it for the world! It just so happened that some of my family planned a Disneyland vacation that week so I met up with them for two days.

For his gift I made him a beer sampler from Trader Joe's (Utah doesn't have a Trader Joe's *yet* nor a wide array of beers, so he was excited!)


i know nothing about beers


mid-birthday song at dinner




















disney finally made my favorite laptop case in my size!


opa's homemade salsa

Foodie Friday: Cardamom Cafe and Bakery

I pass Cardamom Cafe and Bakery frequently and the bright colors on the building and colorful patio furniture always catch my eye. At first I thought it was a coffee shop with a case of baked goods, but after stopping in for a visit I was pleasantly surprised that they offer a full breakfast menu and plenty of seating, inside and out.

One thing I really love about going out for breakfast is the array of different "hash browns" you'll find. Cardamom serves home fries deliciously seasoned with rosemary. Another thing I love? Diner butter. Toast always tastes better when you get it from a cafe or diner.



Before visiting Cardamom I yelped them as per usual and came across a picture of a caramel cream cookie, which I had to have. Definitely sweet and made from pure sugar, but adorable nonetheless.





Location: 2977 Upas St. San Diego, California 92104
Neighborhood: North Park (between Dale and 30th St.)

SweetBricks Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Fall is my absolute favorite season, all the smells, the colors and the initial chill of winter. I've noticed this season really brings out the bakers and the candy makers... so who better to share it with us than Ms. Jena and a tasty giveaway from SweetBricks!

In 2010 Jena and her two brothers started SweetBricks by handcrafting delicious gourmet butter toffee in their very own kitchen here in San Diego. Their original flavor is based on a family recipe that was handed down, but that hasn't stopped them from playing with flavors to create more delicious combinations. Now the family business is expanding coast-to-coast and creating even more exciting product like cotton candy, ice cream toppers and even starting their own restaurant!






Pumpkin Spice


Cookies n Cream


Pretzel (seasonal)


Peppermint (seasonal)


Peanut Butter Chocolate


Dark Chocolate Cherry

Giveaway item: Any bag of your choice to THREE lucky winners!



How to enter

Leave a comment letting us know what your favorite fall tradition is!

:: please include your email address with each entry ::

Earn extra entries

• "Like" SweetBricks on Facebook (1 entry)

• Share a link to this giveaway on your blog and/or Facebook, please leave a link to the entry or status update in your comment. (up to 2 entries)

• Tweet about the giveaway, using this:
"win a yummy bag of toffee from @sweetbricks on @ainsjfox blog! http://tinyurl.com/4y9jglh" (1 entry)


That's five ways to win! I will be drawing three winners at random next Thursday, October 20th at 8pm!

Foodie Friday: Venissimo Cheese

I'm in love with my neighborhood and all the little shops around it. While walking to the grocery store the other day I happened upon a little cheese shop, Venissimo Cheese. I didn't even think twice about going in, because I. Love. Cheese.

Holy guacamole this place had cheese! Upon further investigation I read that they offer up to 1,900 cheeses, with 4 locations (three in San Diego, one in Long Beach) and an online store, that's a lot of cheese! My favorite part, tasting! I tried half a dozen cheeses before deciding on the Noord Hollander, a 4 year aged gouda cheese. If you know me, you know my immense love for gouda.

The beauty of it all is that you buy bulk, so you can get a little or a lot, a snack or a wheel! Whenever you buy they keep your name on file with all the cheeses you purchase so you don't have to keep tab, plus on every receipt with your purchase is a description of the cheese(s) and what they pair best with, how convenient!













Location: 754 W Washington St. San Diego, California 92103
(other locations: Downtown SD, Del Mar and Belmont Shores LB)