Good idea: Swoop storage bag

Summer vacation is around the corner and pretty soon your kids will be at home playing with their friends with those tiny toys all over the place; or they will ask you to take their puzzles and block toys with them to that summer trip, and you have no idea where to storage them. Now you have the Swoop: a storage bag that opens up like a play mat and when the kids are done, just pull the nylon strings and it turns back into the bag so you can hang, store or toss it anywhere. Fast and easy, right?

The Swoop is made ​​of canvas, machine washable and available in four vibrant colors!

No more mess!

Details...

Waffle and maple syrup.

Beautiful signs of Spring.

Passion Fruit Cake made for a lovely friend who came to visit me!

Happy Hour - Part 1 (I'll give the recipe for this drink later)

Saturday morning with firefighters and police (it seems a lady blew her stove up)

Happy Hour - Part 2 (sparkling wine and raspberries)

Ending the weekend with a delicious Nutella hazelnut cookie!

Santiago de Chile

During my vacation in Brazil, I got the chance to go to Santiago de Chile. It was my first time there and I loved the city! Unfortunately we did not have time to visit other places (for those who don't know, Chile has ski resorts, wineries, Ilha de Páscoa etc.), so we spent the entire weekend in Santiago.

We took the hop-on hop-off (great option when you have almost no time to walk around the city) and visited turistic places;

We took the funicular (a cable car that leads to the top of a mountain from which you can see the city - I mean, when there is no pollution and the weather is good);

Ate lots of empanadas (typical food from Chile and Argentina - it's like a baked turn over);

Went to the Central Market and tried other typical dishes;

We went to the Feira de Artesanatos (handicraft-products fair) and ate more empanadas;

And ate at good restaurants!

If you have the chance, I suggest you to go on this trip. If you live close to Chile, a weekend is fine, but it's better if you have more time, so you can go to other cities nearby and enjoy the different atmospheres Chile has to offer. And doing all this while sipping Chilean wine. Not bad, right?

In love: Cake Stands

One of the obsessions a baker has, whether she is an amateur or a professional one, are cake stands. And it's no different to me! I'm in love with them because you can not only use them for cakes and pastries, but also for a quiche, a savory pie, decorating a party table, decorating the kitchen etc. You can have a huge collection! But since I can not buy all of them, I am happy to share with you some really cool ones, so you too get excited and buy some!

These and many other cake stands can be found at Williams & Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Sweet & Saucy among many other stores.

This week's DELIGHT: Passion fruit Cake

I made this cake with my mother, a few months ago, and it was delicious! As you may know, here in the U.S. passion fruit is not an easy - neither cheap - fruit to buy so I used concentrated juice in a bottle (you can find it in any Brazilian or Latino minimarkets) and it was great!
You can really taste the passion fruit in the batter and the passion fruit glaze complements it all.
As I was having a very creative day, besides the ordinary square format, I made a donut version. And instead of using passion fruit glaze, I made a chocolate one (melted milk chocolate with a couple of tbsp of heavy cream). I did not have enough chocolate for the amount of cream (I only realized it when I could not get out and buy more), so the glaze was very thin, but it turned out good because it penetrated the cake (and, between us, passion fruit pairs very well with chocolate!)

Check out this and many other recipes here.

Firestone Vineyards, CA

As California is very famous for its wines, it is really easy to find great wineries almost everywhere. Of course that a trip to Napa or Sonoma is more than recommended, but if you have little time or want something closer to LA, my suggestion is Firestone Vineyards, in Santa Ynez Valley, CA.

This region is also known for the wineries and you will find many other along the road. But we chose Firestone (randomly) and enjoyed a lot. The service was very good, the tour was interesting and the tasting was delicious!

We're having such a great time there that we bought more wine and some appetizers and spent the whole afternoon in its yard.

One of the most interesting things we did over there was to see a "cork tree". Yes! If you, like me, had no idea where corks came from, now you know: they come from a tree. They scrape the stem (which will reborn every time), take the material and make it into a cork format. Nice, right?

Pink's Hot-Dogs, LA

It took me over three years to try Pink's Hot Dogs, but now I'm part of that huge army that made Pink's such a famous place in LA.

A few weeks ago, after having some cultural time, hubby and I decided to face the line (yes, there is always a line, always!) and finally get this famous hot-dog.

You can order your dog with pretty much everything: chili, guacamole, tomato, onions, sauerkraut and  more! I ordered a chili-dog (chili, cheese and onions) and hubby ordered a "special" one with bacon, guacamole and two dogs! (but I must say he did not eat the bacon).

We ate at one of the tables available in the back. They also have a parking lot, which is a good idea, since it's located on one of the busiest avenues of Hollywood.
But even before enjoying your dog, you will have fun checking out the attendants making dogs and frying tons of food, non-stop, right in front of you.

A great option when you're hungry and want some nice fast-food.