Winner Winner Chicken DInner

(AA Floral Lace Bra/Vintage Button-up/Vintage High-Waisted Shorts/ UO Bowler Hat)

One of those overworked days..and my first meal wasn't until like 7:30ish P.M and what did I chose to have?? A rotisserie chicken from Costco for only $4.99. 5 dolla make you holla;) Excuse the delirium from starvation;)

Makino Irvine Grand Opening

Japanese food is def one of my faves. I heard about Makino numerous times from my parental unit. It is one of their go to places when in Vegas. My parents got word of the chain opening in Irvine so..of course..the foodies that we are...we arrived at 5:30 on the dot to be one of the first diners. Buffets tend to not have the best quality food but Makino definitely exceeded my expectations. A good variety of cooked food, sushi rolls, seafood,tempura, and a ramen station. We've already made our way back to dine a second time :) Happy Eating!!

Sushi Koto

Chirashi Bowl with Abalone

Small Chirashi Bowl and Udon

Spicy Salmon Hand Roll

Japanese food is my ultimate FAVE!!! One of my favorite dish is called a chirashi bowl which is various sashimi topped over rice with some yummy seasoning. A regular spot I love to get my fix is Sushi Koto in Orange County. They have a lunch combo with shrimp tempura udon for only $11.50. A total deal since a chirashi bowl usual cost around $20. Sushi is pretty on point here.

Lola Gaspar

Had a dinner date with my bestie.(pictured above who got a little camera shy.hehe) One of our favorite places to catch up is Lola Gaspar located in the Santa Ana Art District. It's very intimate with a mellow & low lit ambience. It is owned by the same people at Habana in Costa Mesa at the Lab. The bacon wrapped dates with the sherry mustard sauce is an always must have..DELICIOUS!!!!! We tried their special market fish for the day over paella rice cake & wild mushrooms.. absolutely amazing!! Also had the flatbread with merguez sausage, fresh pineapple & chile...soo good. Can't really go wrong with any dish on the menu. My friend knows the staff so the night always ends with a free taste of some of their best whiskey:)

Bread Pudding

So I believe we are all born great at something. Some of us are born more inclined to tap into our creative sides. Some are born to use their academic smarts and meant to work a 9-5. Whatever it may be, we are all destined for some kind of greatness. On that note...I would now like to mention I will be posting a series of new posts of some of my sister's great skills. She is that supermom who loves to cook in the kitchen and is a great party planner for children's parties. I admire her work and can always count on a happy belly when I come over. Here's some of her delicious bread pudding straight out of the oven.YUM!

New Eats

So how did I decide to start off this gloomy day?? By walking through every aisle of Costco, and it was such a pleasant surprise to find so many new items that were "natural, whole grain, organic, & gluten-free." Yes, I'm guilty of being that girl you'll find in the aisle reading the nutrition facts.

Not much of a fan of frozen food, but always try to buy one item for the late night emergency food... so I chose the all natural chicken & vegetable potstickers. Bought some Pure Sea Salt and Chopped Onions for when I'm ready to get back down in the kitchen. Bananas for some potassium. I go back in forth between Rice Milk and Soymilk, so as you can see it was the Soymilk's turn:) H20 is a MUST MUST MUST ALWAYS!!!!

Love my OJ with a lot of pulp and first time trying this brand of Coconut Water.

Haven't had these turkey wraps for a long time but they are amazing!

I like to always have some kind of nutrition bar on deck for the days I'm too busy & just need to pop something in really fast to hold me over. Came across this Almond Pops with Blueberries and with brown rice?? OH MY GOODNESS!!! I love them.. I actually opened them in Costco because I was starving & and couldn't stop nibbling on these little bad boys. They are literally right beside me on my desk right now. Super light flavored and delicious. I'm excited to try these Vegetable Chips..crossing my fingers they are just as delish!

Last item I threw in the cart were these Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves. Looks interesting so I'm gonna give it a whirl.

And of course I had to stop by Fresh and Easy for my vegetable juices, and grabbed a vegetable medley to eat with my hummus. A reminder to take care of your body because essentially you are what you eat!! Bon Appetit!!

Time Flies When You're Having FUN!!!

(Joie Top/ AA Tube Skirt/ Theory Leather Jacket/ Target Knee Highs/ Various rings(Amazon.com, Independent Vendors, F21)

There's nothing more rewarding than a nice intimate happy hour with great friends enjoying good conversation, much needed laughs, and of course tasty food. This was my first time having happy hour at Charlie Palmer. We had kobe beef style sliders,(totally can taste the truffle mayo-YUM) blue cheese stuffed dates, beer braised mussels with red curry, 2 orders of roasted bone marrow with raisin marmalade, (popped my cherry with this one, but always enjoy trying new food..and hhmm...bone marrow??Quite interesting...so much so that my inquiring mind looked up articles on its nutrition value) herb french fries, (sorry no photo..was busy nom noming) and last but not least my thirst quenching cocktail. (started off with a Blood Orange Mojito with an extra shot of Bacardi PLEASE:) My lovely company all have sweet tooth's so we tried the trio of creme brulee.(I only enjoyed the vanilla) After rounds of drink:) we decided to give into our belly wants again, and indulged on another order of mussels and chicken wings. (Requesting bigger portions PLEASE! heehee) We ended up staying until closing (Gotta love how time flies when you are in great company) and racked up a $320(without tip yet) bill among a party of 4...but hey, it's always nice to treat yourself to a swanky meal.

Didn't get a good photo of my outfit, but I was just too busy having a great time. Can't end this post without noting 2 of the best girlfriends I am very thankful to have in my life. (Photo above) My beautiful lovely red headed friend sitting to my left made a quick visit to catch up with us. These 2 ladies have been my backbone through some tough times, and are stuck with me until I'm old, grey, & shriveled up. My bond with both is something very special I hold near and dear to my heart! THANK you ladies for the unconditional love and to the many more decades of an ever growing friendship!! <3

FREE ALL YOU CAN EAT Dinner Giveaway!!! MUST "JOIN THIS SITE"

GREETINGS fellow foodies!! Tis the season to be jolly!! I love this time of year when everyone is predominantly giving! So... it only seems right for me to continue to pay it forward and give another FREE giveaway!!! What more will make us all happy this time of year than some FREE food. (As long as it's your first time dining at the restaurant) Same rules apply..You MUST be a follower by clicking on "Join the site," and leave a comment on this post with your name. I would greatly appreciate it if you all could REPOST my link!! In return, you will receive details on a free dinner in San Diego with all you can eat lobster, oysters,crab, mussels, sushi, sausages, pizza, soup,salad, and just everything you can possibly think of putting in thy belly. And if you have a sweet tooth....I promise you will not be let down with their endless dessert bar, which I swear has the biggest variety I've seen at a buffet. A value at around $30 a person...you do not want to miss out. I've personally already eaten here and already have plans to go back again. If you have a celebration coming up..wouldn't it be nice to have your whole party eat for free?? Well here's your chance..Again, it's only free if it is your first time here. Winner announced Christmas day! START JOINING AND REPOSTING!!!

There seems to be a problem with previous members being visible on my homepage. Sorry for any inconvenience but PLEASE try to join again. If you still have any problems, try to leave a comment or email me at leavingatrace@gmail.com THANKS THANKS AND THANKS!!!