getting random baking urges. Since I have no ingredients at home, I must make the most basic of things like blondies. (with butterceam!)

wanting to eat out. All the time. For every meal. Help me!

drinking Red Velvet Lattes….words can’t even.

having many recipe fails. Feta Horseradish Dip, Miso Eggplant….Ugh.

going on another taco crawl with brother.

voting. Woohoo!

having fun california wine tastings at home.

enjoying another visit with brother!

visiting the new My Fit Foods that just opened this week in West Hollywood. We tried it out last night and were so impressed! I think they’ve got a regular customer.

trying to decide what to bring to Thanksgiving…what is on your menu? These side dishes all sound amazing.

What have you been up to?

When I heard that shrimp toasts are a typical item on dim sum menus I needed to make them immediately. (Dim sum happens to be one of my obsessions). Last weekend I was in the mood for a night at home filled with wine, appetizers and the hope of staying up past 10pm. Yes, you read that correctly and sadly, no, that wasn’t a typo. Ten-o-clock-pm. I blame daylight savings but I was really struggling to stay awake past 9 last week.

The wine and appetizers at home turned into (hurry up and make some appetizers while you still have enough light to photograph it) and an impromptu California wine tasting. Appetizers were eaten pre, during, and post-wine.

The shrimp toasts totally remind me of dim sum so I kind of fell in love. The shrimp mixture is a bit spicy (though I could have used a touch more sriracha had it been just me) and the perfect topping for buttery toast. It would also be a delicious filling for homemade dumplings…maybe they are in my future?