Welcome To A Day of Pork, Gluttony and Lust: Orlando, Florida

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

I consider myself a woman of my word, except when I am making promises to myself.  A friend and I agreed to do four 5Ks this year.  She currently has three under her belt.  I have two completed and one scheduled for December, but I find myself shockingly lackluster about trying to schedule one more in between August and the end of the year.  (Hello epitome of LAZY!)  

This same friend is considering making a pledge of doing 12 5Ks next year.  This friend is bat sh*t cray cray.  (Kidding!  Maybe ...)  I am hoping I will get a surge of commitment but right now I really enjoy sitting on my couch.

However last weekend, I was more energetic and participated with afore-mentioned friend (Miss Cray Cray) in the Great American Bacon Race in Orlando, Florida.  (Which by the way, comes to Tampa on October 3.  So all of my Tampa friends who said after the race, "Oh I would have done it with you" - have ZERO EXCUSE because the race is now coming to their backyard!

The race is for both runners and walkers alike.  It is a timed race, which always spurs my competitive side.  At one point Miss Cray Cray said "Save yourself!" which is our signal that I can go ahead and pass all the people I need to in a fervent need to beat at least some of the racers to the finish line.

At each mile mark of the 5K race, there is a "bacon station" (three total) where you grab a piece of bacon and keep going.  

First bacon station!

The final bacon station!

The third bacon station is at the finish line.  They not only have bacon but a giant vat of melted chocolate and a "topping bar" with various seasonings to flavor your bacon.  

Chocolate dipping station for Chocolate covered BACON

Topping Bar

I kept my bacon "real" and didn't add chocolate or seasonings.  I will say that stopping for bacon each mile didn't exactly make my stomach happy, but it was BACON ... so I did it anyway.  I received a giant finishers' medal and a pork-themed race t-shirt.  What more could you want out of life?

Evidently the answer to that question is: MORE PORK.  Because after the race, Miss Cray Cray and I went to one of my favorite Winter Park, Florida restaurants: "The Ravenous Pig."  We met up with another friend (Mr. Happy) who was ready to get his pork on as the Ravenous Pig was having its annual pig roast lunch.  Mr. Happy also ordered the truffle fries- which are AMAZING and Miss Cray Cray and I ate our share and then some!

Pork Roast Feast at Ravenous Pig

Truffle Fries

Lunch at The Ravenous Pig was awesome as always, but my most favorite part of the meal was the bacon-laden collard greens.  They were so vinegar-y with a spicy kick.  I could have eaten a vat of them.  It's too bad this was a special one-day only menu because I would go back for more of those collard greens!

So Bacon 5K, then a pork barbecue lunch ... that's enough pork for one person, right?

Au contraire!

Before heading back to Tampa, I convinced Miss Cray Cray that we needed to do dessert and then get PORK to-go orders at Pig Floyd's Urban Barbakoa in the Mills 50 region of Orlando, Florida.  For two reasons: 1) it consistently gets great reviews for best new barbecue restaurant and 2) I think the owner is super hot.  

What can I say?  

I love barbecue and good looking tall men.  

Is that a crime, people? 

Miss Cray Cray and I were very excited that Pig Floyd's offers two delightful sounding desserts that we could share.  They have the Black and Tan which is chocolate chip blondie chunks, Mexican chocolate sauce, cookies and cream pudding and then topped with a generous cap of whipped cream.  The other dessert is the Cuban Banana Bread Pudding - homemade cinnamon and lemon custard, bananas, Nilla wafers and topped with whipped cream.  

However Pig Floyd's was out of the Cuban Banana Bread Pudding when we arrived!  Waaaaah!  So we each had the Black and Tan which was decadence in a little mason jar!

Black and Tan Dessert at Pig Floyd's

The über handsome Pig Floyd's owner was standing at the bar while I tried to tone down my CRAZY STALKER EYES.  For those who don't know, I tend to have insane stalker eyes when I am around people like comedian Margaret Cho, Season Five RuPaul Drag Race drag queen Jinkx Monsoon and really hot barbecue restaurant owners.  

Miss Cray Cray laughed at me - which I know secretly meant "You can try to tone down your crazy eyes all you want, but you're still screaming CRAZY STALKER EYES!"  

The owner did come over to see how we were doing - and I think I said something like "fabulous and delicious" in a ridiculously over the top, falsetto, enthusiastic voice.  (Tone it down, crazy stalker!)  I have zero game ... but I did have a really great dessert.

For take-out, I tried Pig Floyd's pulled pork, brisket and their version of "street corn" grilled corn on the cob with chili, lime and cotija cheese.  I would like to go back and try their take on a barbecue bahn mi sandwich.  I would also like to go back and continue staring at the adorable owner with my crazy stalker eyes.  The pulled pork was delicious, but of the meats the brisket was my favorite.  (Although I have to say that Four Rivers Smokehouse's brisket is better if you like more of a fatty mouthfeel.  But if you like leaner, more smoked flavor in your brisket - go with Pig Floyd's.)  

But the CORN ... oh my God, my favorite "street corn" is from Casa Tina Mexican Restaurant in Dunedin but Pig Floyd's grilled corn was insanely amazing.  I seriously would go back just for more of that grilled corn (and the dreamy owner too ... but primarily the corn ... well sort of.)

So basically last weekend was all about Orlando, Florida; pork products; gluttony and lust.  That's a pretty darn good weekend in my book!

As always, thanks for reading!

Selective Memory ... The Search For Mega-Size Desserts Continues

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

Way back in October 2012, I wrote a post about my friend's husband who I refer to as "The DW" (short for "The Dog Whisperer" - I won't explain why he has this nickname, because I want to force you to read the old post and increase my click count!  I'm evil, I tell ya!)  

The 2012 post was about The DW and his "Big Green Egg" grilling system contraption/space machine.  I enjoy this old post because it combines my two favorite things - grilling and admissions of my own personal insanity.

It seems that every three years, I am legally required to write about "The DW" (although let's be honest, the post is ALL ABOUT ME, loosely disguised as being about someone else ... so here goes ... catch ya next time in 2018, DW!)

When I was young (about 974 years ago), I had a photographic memory.  However each year I aged (sadly and unattractively!), I seemed to lose a little more of this amazing memory.  I recall in high school French class I could visualize what page number certain vocabulary words were listed on in my textbook but I might not be able to remember the actual English translation.  

(Which by the way was not a great hinderance because I learned that if I spoke English but with an abrupt nasally accent and a look of haughty disdain, usually the French would understand me.  This also may be why they hate Americans ... just a thought.)

As I continue to age I find that my brain only holds on to the most trivial of memories.  In fact, I have several friends who tend to interrogate me for details - none of which my brain feels important enough to remember.  

At some point during the interrogation I usually let out a shriek and scream "NO, NO, I DON'T KNOW!  I HAVE A "ONE IN, ONE OUT" POLICY FOR MY BRAIN!  IF I REMEMBER WHAT COLOR SO AND SO'S COUSIN'S HUSBAND'S DENTIST'S SWEATER WAS; I WON'T REMEMBER HOW TO DRIVE TO VILLAGE INN!"  

And if you know anything about LilyOnTheLam, forgetting how to get to the 24 hour pancake restaurant would be a fate worse than death!

It has actually become quite amusing what I choose to remember and what my brain just doesn't have the bandwidth to retain.  A perfect example is a little tidbit that I am pretty sure I have held onto for several years now.

"The DW" attended graduate school on the East Coast of Florida.  One very innocent day, he posted a picture or a link or made reference to an ice cream parlor he liked on the eastern coast of Florida on his Facebook page.  

That ice cream parlor?  Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlour and Restaurant of Dania Beach, Florida.  The mention of this ice cream parlor (or "parlour" if you enjoy an extra "u" - and really, who doesn't enjoy a superfluous "u" on occasion?) embedded in my brain like a diseased tick.  No sharp tweezers were going to pull the thought of an ice cream parlour from my brain.

Jaxson's makes homemade ice cream and serves it in ridiculously large serving sizes.  I may not be able to name all the Amendments to the US Constitution, but my brain thought it was absolutely imperative to remember the name of this ice cream parlour/parlor in case I was ever near Dania Beach, Florida.

Several years went by and then suddenly one day I found myself in Miami.  Which with my lifestyle, this is not an odd occurrence to find myself in other cities.  Like the old movie "Sybil," I find myself just waking up in other cities.  

Two weeks ago I was in Raleigh-Durham.  I woke up in a hotel and had absolutely no idea where I was, who I was or what this whole world was all about.  

It took about five minutes for me to figure out that I am LilyOnTheLam (which is pretty awesome).  

I was in a Doubletree Hotel (yay free cookies!).  

I was in North Carolina.  (Um, ok.)

I was on a business trip for work.  (Pfft - annoying.)

And most importantly, I had packed everything I needed.
WHEW!  (Oh and I still remembered how to drive to the nearest pancake house!  Double whew!)

But for this particular trip to Miami, I was on a mission to go to the Brazilian consulate.  I was desperately trying to get the officials to change their currently 5 week visa processing time to 2 weeks as I have to go to Brazil for work.  (Where are my free cookies?)

My face was a combination of sadness, devastation and yet hopeful optimism regarding the potential levels of kindness and compassion of Brazilian consulate workers.  

For the record, this was exhausting.  

Ninety percent of the time, my face is in permanent "bitchy resting face" - so trying to mold my hardened features to approximate some level of hopefulness, caring and kindness is quite a feat.  I'm worn out just thinking about it!  

Even though I arrived 15 minutes before the Visa office opened, I was like 40th in line for the two hour window that the Brazilian visa team was entertaining in person visits.  

I will say that the guard at the door was extremely nice, but that's really all I will say about my experience at the Consulate until I get my Visa!  Kidding!  JUST KIDDING!  

Lucky for me, I brought a big book.  Unlucky for me, the book was a lame rip off of "Fight Club" and annoyed me more than the "2 open windows for 100 people" Brazil visa line.

Side note:  As of the writing of this post, I have still not received my Brazilian visa - BUT I AM OPTIMISTIC!  That's all I can be right now.

After the ordeal at the Brazilian consulate, my selective memory whispered out to me: "Hey, you're on the East Coast of Florida - how about you check out that place The DW mentioned on Facebook 97 years ago?  The one with the ginormous bowls of ice cream?"  

When I am sad, frustrated, blue, angry or whatever - five words always make me smile.

Ginormous

Bowls 

Of 

Ice

Cream

I grabbed my GPS and set out to chart my course to this mythical sounding "Dania Beach, Florida."  Thanks to DW, this day in Miami did not have to be a total disaster.  There were calories that needed to be ingested and new pockets of fat that needed to blossom on my body!  To Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlour - STAT!

As I drove, I wondered what kind of homemade ice cream I would like to try.  (Pre-planning a BINGE is sooooo important!)  I knew that Jaxson's had a "kitchen sink" dessert - a gigantic vat of ice cream for four people that cost around $50.  Since I wasn't wearing my "stretchy pants" or a disguise, I thought that getting the "gigantic dessert for four people for one" was probably not the best idea.  

I mean, it's actually kind of a great idea but also it just begs for someone to take a picture and suddenly I am "Stressed Bitchy Resting Face Elderly Woman Devours Mega Sundae for Four After Annoying Brazilian Consulate Workers.  Video of the Horrific Gluttony at 11 p.m."  It's like my own personal immersion into Honey Boo Boo land.  

So maybe a dessert known to be a heroic feat for four people was not the sensible caloric choice for this lone gal from Tampa.  (Just maybe.)  But I did know that whatever I ordered at Jaxson's, I wanted marshmallow topping on it.  I am not a giant marshmallow topping fan, so I can only assume I was having some sort of marshmallow deficiency that day.  It's like anemia, but marshmallow related.  I'm pretty sure I read something like that on WebMD.  

I arrived at Jaxson's and was mesmerized by the circus like decor (which by the way, was my SECOND circus like restaurant I had visited in 2 days in the greater Miami area - everything is better under a "big top tent."  I'll write about my experience at Donut Divas - yes it's called "Donut Divas" in a later blog post!)  

I soon noticed that "The DW" had failed to mention Jaxson's sells Hello Kitty merchandise.  Evidently "The DW" doesn't share my ravenous love of all things comically cat-ish.

I sat down with the HUGE Jaxson's menu.  All the food seemed to be super-sized.  It was like The Cheesecake Factory menu on steroids.  At heart, I didn't want a one pound hot dog or a hamburger bigger than my head ... I just wanted a sundae.  

So I decided to throw out modern convention and just ordered a sundae as my entire lunch.  

The waitress asked "Do you want a free bowl of fresh popcorn with that?"  

"Well yes, sure."  I wasn't a savage after all.  Now my lunch had both food groups represented - popcorn and ice cream.  My diet is so healthy!

Now Jaxson's has a huge list of homemade ice cream flavors, but I have to admit that when the waitress came over I totally panicked.

There were just TOO MANY CHOICES!  There was a section titled "HUMONGOUS OFFERINGS."  Seriously?  "Spectacular Goblets ... Colossal Parfaits ..." and a giant section devoted just to HOT FUDGE SUNDAES.  

How could I be expected to choose something on my own?  Do the good people at Jaxson's not understand how feeble-minded I am?  I need to have the court appoint a guardian just to help me make ice cream choices in my best interest!  A "Guardian Ad Whipped Cream," I believe is the correct legal term.  

I could NOT decide.  My head was spinning.  Why, why, why was life so difficult?

My eyes scanned the list of sundaes and I chose one of the top ones on the list - because it had marshmallow topping and pound cake.  Who can say "no" to pound cake???

The sundae I ordered was called "Two On A Blanket" which sounded a little too sexual for me but also reminded me of sausage rolled up in a pancake (Pig In A Blanket).  I wondered if my sundae would be topped with a sausage instead of a cherry?

For the record, the Jaxson's menu describes the "Two On A Blanket" sundae as two cuts of pound cake with scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, marshmallow, toasted almonds, whipped cream and cherries.  It's like a description of heaven.

What seemed like two seconds later, the waitress brought out THIS ...

Now I could lie to you and say that this sundae looks large because of the cropping of the photo or the moon's gravitational pull on the Earth, but I respect you and this sundae too much to turn to lying now.

THIS SUNDAE WAS FREAKING HUGE!   

If anything the picture above doesn't do justice to how freaking mammoth this sundae was ...  I seriously shrieked "OH MY LORD JESUS" when I saw it.  Other patrons oohed and ahhhed ... all eyes were on me and this monster sundae.

When the waitress set the "Two On A Blanket" down on the table, the sound of the THUD from the heft and weight of this sundae could be heard in neighboring counties!  Gee, I am glad I also have a giant bowl of popcorn just in case I get hungry!

The American flag toothpicks inserted into the top of the sundae served two purposes for me.  One, proof that I may be a glutton but I am a patriotic glutton. 

And two, I felt like I was doing my own exploration to the summit of Mount Ice Cream.  Instead of writing a book like Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," the depiction of my ice cream mountain odyssey was more "Into Fat Belly."  

But a noble and worthwhile trek, nonetheless ... or at least that's my opinion!

The vanilla ice cream was your normal standard vanilla ice cream.  But Jaxson's homemade chocolate ice cream was the stuff of a chocoholic's fevered dream.  

It was SO RICH, SO CHOCOLATEY, SO GOOD.  

I just kept shoveling the whipped cream, nuts and marshmallow topped chocolate ice cream into my mouth and making noises that I am ashamed to admit to here.  

Let's just say my fellow patrons at Jaxson's were significantly scandalized by the noises emerging from my ice cream coated mouth.  I also think they did an "I'll have what she's having" order as well!

This sundae was amazing.  The marshmallow topping was thick and marshmallow-y.  The pound cake was soft, fresh and buttery.  The ocean of whipped cream was lush and delicious -- and the toasted almonds were toasted, crunchy perfection.  This sundae was a WINNER.

The year 2016 will be Jaxson's SIXTIETH anniversary.  In a time where restaurants seem to come and go in a blink of an eye, it is good to know that a place that serves gigantic sundaes is still giving Florida it's all!  

I would like to return to Jaxson's next year and try another one of their ginormous sundaes in honor of their 60th anniversary.  I think if I start working out today and don't stop until 2016, I may just burn off the calories I ingested from just a mere portion of my giant Two On A Blanket sundae.  (A girl can dream!)

The moral of this story is that as one gets older and more things fight for space in our consciousness, do yourself a tremendous favor and only hold on to the information that serves you well.  

And in this case, the information that serves me the best is the location of a homemade ice cream parlor that serves portions as big as my body!  Thank you DW for turning me on to this Ice Cream Wonderland!

If you're on the east coast of Florida, make it a priority to check out Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlour ... but don't forget to bring your stretchy pants and extra stomach!

Challenge Extended ...

Happy Wednesday, LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!

I am in a GROUCHY mood today.  I need more sleep and more exercise.  With my new job I usually start work by 5:45 a.m. or 6:45 a.m. if it's a "late" day.  My body clock would rather start work around 10 a.m. and finish up say by 2 p.m.  Unfortunately for me, I also like receiving a steady, fat paycheck ... so I wake up early and I am grouchy.

I can only assume at my core that I am a masochist, because I know that I function better and feel better if I get enough sleep, water, exercise and healthy food ... and yet here I am wishing I was eating THIS for breakfast ...

  
It is the Coconut Cream Pie from Capital Grille restaurant.  Now normally I am a banana cream pie girl, but this is by far my favorite coconut cream pie.  There is no comparison with how good this darn pie is ... and it comes with a cookie!  Seriously if I were Empress of Lily Land (formerly known as the US of A), I would require that all pie slices come with a cookie and all cake slices come with a donut.  And everyone gets their own pony.  Or unicorn.  Or rainbow.  There's a lot of rules in Lily Land. 

I haven't had this particular Coconut Cream Pie in at least two years because it is pure decadence in a tartlet shell ... but if you're looking for super rich, super good coconut cream pie- get yourself over to a Capital Grille restaurant.

I try a lot of products "for the sake of my blog" (ohhh I am such a martyr!)  But I can't try every product out there, so I am going to extend a Product Review Challenge ... have you tried any of the following products?  If yes, tell me what you thought of them in the comments section ...  It is INTERACTIVE LilyOnTheLam, people!

Product #1:  Milkis - from what I can tell it is some sort of carbonated "milk soda" that I found at my local Asian store.  Since I have a milk soda-phobia, I have not tried this.  Have you?

Product #2:  Cosmic Blue Twinkies - Twinkies with Blue Raspberry Creme.  When I saw these, my first thought was "Oh God NO!"  Seriously I already think "tons of artificialness" when I look at a Twinkie, do we need a bright blue filling too?  Am I wrong?  Is this the next best taste sensation?

Product #3:  Not to be the world's biggest hypocrite, BUT ... after I was slamming the Blue Raspberry Creme Twinkies I next saw THESE and thought "Hmmm, those look tasty."  BAD LILY!  Chocolate covered Twinkies!  Have you tried these?  What did you think?

Product #4:  How many decades before someone said "Hey a square marshmallow would make s'mores making easier?" This is why I am proud to be an American - square-shaped marshmallows ... excuse me "s'moresmallows."  If ever there was a reason to stop what you're doing and make some s'mores - this, my friends, is all the reason in the world.

Product #5:  SRIRACHA POPCORN!  I was traveling and didn't have any room in my suitcase.  Which I feel weak even admitting ... I mean seriously, isn't there always room for sriracha popcorn??  I have never seen this product since my initial spotting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  I am only left with my longing and regret ... have you tried it?  What did you  think?

Product #6:  I have a love-hate relationship with flavored Oreos.  Ever since I tried the Candy Corn Oreo and cried and cried and cried, I have been gun shy about flavored Oreos.  I think Chips Ahoy also makes a root beer float flavored chocolate chip cookie.  As Miss Toledo says - WHY?  Why keep making things that taste like other things?  Although I watched a BuzzFeed video that said that Oreos originally came in the chocolate with creme version and a LEMON MERINGUE version that was discontinued in the 1920's.  What the what?  Bring that cookie back and let me try it!  But until then ... have you tried the root beer flavored Oreos?  What did you think?

Are there any products you have wanted to try but are too afraid/shy/broke to try?  Let me know in the comments section!

A Chocolate Homecoming - One of Lily's Favorite Desserts

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

I originally am from the Twin Cities - Minneapolis and St. Paul - of Minnesota.  While there are many, many, many wonderful aspects of the Twin Cities, the cold winters have kept me away from continuing to live there.  However, I try to go back once or twice a year to catch up with family and friends.

If you a regular reader of LilyOnTheLam.Com, you may realize that I have just a tiny bit of a sweet tooth.  OK, I love sugar!  I wish I didn't love it as much and I try not to indulge it too much (and by too much I mean 24 hours a day as opposed to my more prudent 22 hours a day of sugar consumption).  I don't smoke and even though my Instagram account may protest, I don't drink a lot of alcohol.  But sugar, yes that's the big monkey on my back.  Total addiction.

I joke that my Instagram account should be called "Booze and Desserts" because the majority of my photos are just that!  

Well one of my favorite desserts that hasn't made it to my Instagram account is from Wuollet's Bakery in Minnesota.  They have several locations in the Twin Cities, but I go to the one at their Grand Avenue location.  

They have a "Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake" that is instant sugar shock, but oh what a wonderful way to get zapped!  I only get a slice of this cake once every 2-3 years because it is so rich!  

This picture is actually two years old, from the last time I had a piece of this cake.  I had forgotten about it and recently stumbled upon the picture and knew I had to share on my blog.

You can buy this cake by the slice or in a 9 inch whole cake.  It has a moist chocolate base, the sweetest creamiest whipped cream filling, another slice of chocolate cake and a rich slathering of fudgy chocolate ganache with a whipped cream rosette.  It is heaven - rich, chocolatey, decadent, creamy, smooth, melt in your mouth, beyond compare cake.

It really is over the top on sweetness and richness, so unless you love a really rich dessert I would not recommend this one to those who don't worship ultra decadent desserts.

But for those who love decadence, get yourself over to Wuollet Bakery and have yourself a slice of this chocolate heaven!

New Product Wednesdays: Desserts On A Diet: Trader Joe's Hold The Cone Mini Chocolate Ice Cream Cones

Happy New Product Wednesday, LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

I wrote this blog post and then gremlins came along and somehow deleted it before I could publish it.  Needless to say the previous post was the most amazing thing I have ever written.  It was my "War and Peace" and now it is gone.

What?  You question how a product review on a mini ice cream cone could be the definitive literary gem of the millennia?  Puh-lease!  Drop your skepticism and embrace the reality!

My masterpiece is now gone - lost to the ether.  And we are all a little less beautiful due to its passing.  Sigh.

I can't even try to recreate the post - it would be a futile attempt.  It is a cruel, cruel world!

OK … enough tears … back to the subject matter at hand:

Hopefully you are a regular reader who knows that on select Wednesdays, I post "New Product Wednesdays" product reviews on items that are new or at least new to me.

Today's New Product Wednesday is another Trader Joe's review, in honor of the new South Tampa Trader Joe's that opened in March 2014.

It is the Trader Joe's "Hold The Cone!" (love a good pun) Mini Chocolate Ice Cream Cone.  

These little babies are 70 calories each and eight to a box.  Meaning that you could eat the entire box and still be at about the same calories as eating half a pint of Ben and Jerry's gourmet ice cream.

For a sugar addict like me, having lower calorie options for when my cravings hit is a very good thing.  But how do they taste?

The chocolate coating and the crunchy cone are delicious and reminiscent of higher calorie ice cream cone novelties.  The chocolate ice cream however tastes more like an inexpensive version of a frozen milk chocolate mousse versus a rich ice cream.  It's not bad, it just doesn't taste exactly like ice cream.

However for 70 calories each, these mini cones are a tasty treat that won't blow your caloric intake for the day.  Plus you feel like a giant holding a tiny cone which I guess is a positive if you're into that sort of thing.

I would definitely purchase these again.  They made me feel like I was having a higher calorie treat but I didn't hate myself in the morning for eating one (or two).

What's your favorite Trader Joe's dessert?  Let us know in the comments section below!

WHAT THE PEEP?

Happy Friday, LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

My name is Lily and I love sugar.

I am a huge fan of candy.  I love candy and refined sugar so much, that I want to dress it up in a little tuxedo and invite all my friends and family to watch me marry it.  

I also love holidays that have a candy-related tie-in, like Halloween and the upcoming Easter.  Any holiday that gives me a basket with a hollow chocolate rabbit bigger than my head is a good holiday in my book.  And frankly, other holidays need to step it up.  (I'm looking at YOU, Arbor Day!)

Once upon a time in another lifetime, my co-workers gave me a Marshmallow Peep making kit.  Even though I am 9000 years old (which is pretty old even for an emotional vampire like me), I have the maturity of a five year old.  I like Hello Kitty, Marshmallow Peeps and shiny, sparkly things.  I have no idea what happened to that Marshmallow Peep making kit …but I am pretty sure an alien abduction occurred.

A PEEP CORNER! Dylan's Candy Bar - The Grove - Los Angeles

Lately, I have been trying to limit my refined sugar; which has been hell.  No more can I have my nightly snack of 80 oatmeal raisin cookies with a 16 ounce glass of maple syrup.  No more can I eat my body weight in Hot Tamales candies until my teeth snap at the roots.  Life is so unfair.

But even though I can no longer eat myself silly when it comes to candy, I can still look!  So when I was at the store the other day, I went for a stroll in the Easter candy aisles (yes aisles plural - four aisles of sweet, sweet candy and big Easter baskets!)  It was like visiting a long lost love who was now tragically dying of a disease that leaves them still super hot and healthy-looking, but emotionally weak and really appreciative.  I was torn between sadness and sugar lust.

But what was this?  My old love had had some plastic surgery performed!  For my entire life, Peeps have come in one flavor - sugary marshmallow.  Yet here amongst the racks of sweet decadence were FLAVORED PEEPS!

Lemonade, Blue Raspberry, Bubble Gum and Sour Watermelon?  WHAT?  WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?  I texted a friend who replied back that of course she knew about flavored Peeps.  WHY HADN'T ANYONE INFORMED ME?  WHY ARE YOU ALL TRYING TO KEEP ME IN THE DARK?  WHY AM I SCREAMING?    

Because I am limiting my sugar, I have not tried any of the flavors … which is killing me inside, a little bit more every single day.  Have any of you tried these flavored Peeps?  Are they delicious or nasty?  PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME!

When I was in Los Angeles, I went to SWEET! - the candy store at the Hollywood and Highland Complex.  

Side Note:  I used to work with a woman who legally changed her name to include an Exclamation Point at the end of it.  Because of this, I felt punctuationally obligated to emphasize her name with a "beavers are eating my toes"-like intensity whenever I said it.  

My joke was that I was going to legally add an umlaut and an ampersand to my name.  Of course there is always the traditional "Lily?" version as well.  Oh punctuation is fun in the hands of crazy people.  Not that I am saying my former co-worker is crazy.  She's a visionary!!!!

At SWEET!, on a lower shelf, tucked away were these little beauties …

Chocolate Mousse-flavored Marshmallow Peeps!!  Like the true addict I am, I wanted to buy these soooo sooooooo badly.  I did not, but I will now live in constant wonder … were these the best tasting Peeps ever … or?  I may never, ever know.  Someone please buy these and tell me if they are any good!

DARN YOU SUGAR- YOU SEDUCTIVE TEMPTRESS!

P.S.  Happy Early Easter for those who celebrate it - or Happy Early Sunday for those who do not!

Every Day is Wednesday! Trader Joe's Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls

Happy Thursday, LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers! 

If you are a Bravo TV "Million Dollar Listing New York" fan, make sure you check out my episode recaps at AllAboutTheTea.com.

If you read yesterday's blog post, you will know that I have resurrected my "New Product Wednesday" feature where I talk about products that are new or at least new to me.  In honor of the new Trader Joe's in South Tampa, I am declaring that "Every Day is Wednesday!" by posting a "New Product Wednesday" post not only on a Wednesday, but a Thursday too!

GASP!

Yes!  We're going rogue here - and not in a sneering Alaskan governor way.

Now that there is a Trader Joe's in Tampa, I have the "freedom" to purchase all the frozen treats my sugar-lovin' heart desires.  When I would drive to Naples or Sarasota, I didn't trust that ice cream type items would stay cold enough even in my vault of a cooler.  But now I live merely minutes from Trader Joe's, so hold on to your waistline - it's time for DESSERT!

But since I have lost over 35 pounds, I am not in any big hurry to pack back on the belly weight.  I pushed aside the higher calorie frozen treats and tried to find something that would satisfy my sweet tooth without destroying my diet.

My eyes fell upon these … Mini mint ice cream sandwiches - 60 calories each.  Even if I ate the entire box, it would be less calories than a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.  But how did they taste? 

These mini mint ice cream cookie sandwiches are one cool customer.  The minty ice cream and chocolatey cookie are a nice bite.  It definitely takes the edge off a dessert craving.  I was able to just eat one and feel like I had a nice treat, instead of wanting to eat it all.  And that is a good thing!

Is it incredibly fatty rich tasting?  No.  And if you don't like mint, then skip these because they have a powerful mint flavor.  But if you're looking for an easy to eat mini ice cream sandwich with a strong punch of mint that won't blow your diet, you should check these out.  I think they taste better than Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, albeit these are much smaller.

Have you tried the Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls from Trader Joe's?  What did you think of them?  Give your feedback in the comments section below!

Most Beautiful Dessert of 2013 - [ONE] Restaurant - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

Happy New Year's Eve!  As we close out 2013, I wanted to share with you the most beautiful dessert I have eaten this year.  It is absolutely the most gorgeous, most creative thing (and tasty too!) and it still would have been cheap at twice the price.

Ladies and Gentlemen … I present to you …

The Candy Apple from One Restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina ($9).

The best looking dessert of 2013 and the shadow of my iPhone ;-)

Now forgive me if I don't 100% accurately describe the details.  The server explained all the components but I may be misremembering some of them.  The apple is actually a spun sugar shell that you crack into - inside is a creamy cold ice cream/gelato like apple cream.  It is sitting on a bed of pie crust crumbles with a graham cracker base rolled to look like stick cinnamon.  There are cubes of apple flavored gelee under the "faux apple" as well and the entire thing is wrapped with a sweet cotton candy.

It is layers and layers of flavor - cinnamon, buttery pie crust, the crisp and cold contrast of the cream and the gelee - and the purity of the tart fresh apple taste.  Even though the apple exterior is spun sugar and it is covered with cotton candy, the dessert itself is not overly sweet.  

I felt like I was in Manhattan dining at One Restaurant.  I watched the chefs place components on plates with small tweezers.  Everything was meticulous.  Customer service was top notch.  

I kept commenting that this should be a $20 dessert.  It was absolutely the most beautiful, most tasty, most transport you into wonderfulness dessert I have had in 2013.  If my life were Snow White, this gorgeous apple would be my downfall.  It was fabulous - and well worth a trip to Chapel Hill.

If you're not into sweets, I also had the Beef in Chrysanthemum Crust with sunchokes, marinated mushrooms and a branch made out of saltine cracker dough.

The beef was simple, flavorful, tender and perfectly cooked.  I still have no clue what a Chrysanthemum crust is, but I know it was delicious.  I am usually not a big fan of sunchokes but whatever One Restaurant did to their sunchokes made them the best I have ever had.  The mushrooms were so tender- utter perfection.  And what can I say?  The whole presentation was gorgeous.

This is a restaurant you cannot miss!  A+ all around!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Your Seasonal Stomach Beckons ...

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!

One of my favorite places in Tampa Bay for lunch is Wright's Gourmet House.  They have fantastic sandwiches as well as a wide variety of cafe items for order through their catering.  I have used Wright's for catering at several of my parties because their food is so tasty and because they deliver!  (Win-win!)

But many Tampa folks love Wright's because of their desserts.  They make AMAZING cakes, pies and fruit breads.  They make giant cakes for sale whole or by the slice.  They also sell cupcakes in the same cake flavors, but nothing beats a big old gargantuan slab of cake.

During the holiday time, Wright's makes a chocolate cake with peppermint frosting.  I wish they had this cake all year-round, but some things are worth the wait.  

If you're near Tampa Bay, make sure you schedule in a slice of peppermint chocolate cake (or a whole cake) as soon as possible!  

Here's a picture of the slab I purchased to fill my holiday dessert status quo … sadly I couldn't wait to take a picture - I ate several bites before I paused for photographic evidence!

Another one of my favorite "seasonal desserts" is Village Inn's candy cane pie - check it out in my blog post here.  

Run around the block a few times and then try both the peppermint chocolate cake and the candy cane pie.  Your seasonal stomach will be very happy!