Frosted Cakery Has A New Cupcake!

So are you dying to know Frosted Cakey’s new flavor?? Is it just killing you?! Ok, drum roll please…

Pecan Waffles And Bacon!!!!

Isn’t she a beauty? And lemme tell you- it’s tasty, too! (<–anyone remember that "I Love Lucy" reference?)

So we said so long to the famous French Toast and Bacon Cupcake, but hello to another breakfast goodie. This cupcake is made with Belgian waffle cake with bacon baked into the cake. Did you hear me?! Baked into the cake, folks. This isn’t your grandma’s cupcake (well maybe it is if she likes breakfast).

Anyhow, here are a few more stats on the cup-

– Infused with 100% maple syrup
– Topped with butter pecan cream
– Garnished with candied pecans, bacon and waffle

And if those deets don’t impress you, just take it from me. The cupcake was delicious. And I don’t eat meat, which means I don’t eat bacon, but in this case–for the big reveal, I ate it. I did it in the name of cupcake love. I did it for you, Fresno (and it was phenom).

Once you try this bad boy, you’ll find yourself saying, “French Toast, who?” (of course we can all tip our hats to that trusty cupcake that had us all drooling long ago).

A moment of silence for French Toast.

…

And a hip, hip, hooray for Pecan Waffles and Bacon!!!!!!!

Go get one. NOW. Seriously… they are nice and fresh. Tell them I Heart Fresno sent you.

❤ Dominique

Pssst- Have you “LIKED” Frosted Cakery yet? Well what are you waiting for? Do it, do it now!

I Heart Fresno: Whole Farms Market

As you all know by now Dominique, my partner in crime, is a veggie who dabs in vegan. I thought it was time I one uped her and tried to be RAW vegan for a day. I only lasted an afternoon, but OMG I am like SO healthy now.

What is a “raw vegan” you ask? A raw vegan is someone who does not eat meat, dairy, or anything cooked over 104 degrees. I’ve never really had a desire to go vegan. Mostly because I am mildly (ok majorly) obsessed with gourmet cheese. I mean my fiance put aged gouda in my stocking. That must sound really sick to you, but I was more than pleased.

A few weeks ago, the explosion that is downtown got a new joint. It’s called Whole Farms Market. Which may be my only complaint about the place. A little too close to another “whole” name if you ask me. If I was naming a raw food cafe I would call it “Rawdiculous”, but that’s just me. I went on a little culinary adventure to check out what it’s like to go raw.

When I entered the space I was immediately greeted warmly by the family of farmers/owners. The ladies were so helpful and excited to share the world of raw with me. They have their own locally grown produce as well as produce from other local organic farmers. They had hummos for us to sample and their version of brownies made out of dates and walnuts which were actually really tasty! They encouraged me to try their version of “fettucini alfredo”. Let me tell you right now, this doesn’t taste anything like fettucini alfredo. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely not fettucini. Here it is.

It’s made out of kelp noodles and a cashew and coconut cream. When I say that it wasn’t bad, I mean it. The texture of the noodle is definitely an acquired taste. Unlike the richness and creaminess of fetticini alfredo, this was packed with spice. It had lots of nutmeg and cinnamon. Again, I need to emphasize it wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t what I expected. The more I ate the more I enjoyed it. It just tasted more like a thai noodle to me than fetticini.

I was surprised by how full I was on very little. One of the chefs told me that when our body receives enough nutrients it sends the message to our brain that were full. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I do know I wasn’t hungry all afternoon and that I had a great level of energy. I don’t know if it was the placebo effect or if I was just riding the high of being totally more vegan than Dom for 5 minutes, but I felt good.

Stop by and give it a try for yourself. It was definitely an experience that was worth the trip.

I Heart Fresno Weddings: a Vintage Tea Party

The lovely ladies of Encore Events treated me to a high tea at the Victoria Rose Cottage in Clovis. I happen to be getting married on the royal weekend, so it was quite fitting. Though I’ve heard about it for years, this was my first visit to the Victoria Rose Cottage. The house is under new ownership and Nathan is embracing what Clovisians have loved for years while expanding the business to reach a new client base. Nathan has plans to maintain the traditional tea room and also create a space for business lunches. He and his head chef are going to keep the favorites on the menu and add some updated options for the business crowd.

We went classic. Pinky’s up and all that.

I had the creme brulee tea, which was delightful. Just sweet enough and super yummy! As we were sipping on our tea, they brought us some AMAZING homemade scones. Seriously, I was in pastry heaven. I don’t have a picture, because the scone didn’t stick around long enough. The homemade jam and clotted cream were a perfect topping and I was a happy little piggy.

Before our meal was done we had a delicious salad and finger sandwiches. Both the experience and the food were unforgettable. I can imagine that if you have a little princess, this would be the perfect place for a unique birthday party or event. I loved this little gem. Make sure to stop by and experience it for yourself.

❤ Cambria

Fresno Fashion

The shopping in Fresno just keeps getting better and better. I know we haven’t focused a ton on Fresno Fashion, but that’s something we want to dive into a lot more in 2011.

Most of the following outfit is from a local Fresno Boutique in Fig Garden Village called Dom Blu. The owner, Michael Blu is a buddy of ours. He’s such a great guy! He is always hosting some kinda fun event at his store. He originally opened Dom Blu as a men’s boutique, but then he made the switch and finally added women’s clothing to the mix. Needless to say, I was thrilled.

Dom Blu Buys…
Threads for Thought Organic Tee
Fergie Zip Up Boots
Chinese Laundry Handbag

Headband- Handmade by Moi (could you see it’s a Heart?!)
Suitcase- Fresno Thrifted

Tights- Target

Happy Shopping, Fresno!

❤ Dominique

Like Dom Blu 

Dom Blu Website

A Golden Deal

Around this time of year I usually gain a lot of weight. Ok, all year I gain weight, but especially this time of year. I love a good coffee shop anytime, but especially on a cold winter day. Don’t you? What about a coffee shop that’s clean, offers free wi-fi, and any coffee flavor or hot chocolate for 99 cents? What about freshly made cookies for 49 cents?

The Golden Bakery is owned and operated by a cute Armenian couple. The wife bakes cookies and pastries daily to ensure freshness. Yum, yum, yum. The atmosphere is clean, but random. I would have to say the most surprising thing about the place is the flat screens in every corner. Hmmmm… not really sure why they’re there, but I’m not hating it.

Chance ordered a frap and I stuck with the bakery goodies. The cookies melted in my mouth. So delish.

If you’re not in the mood for a crowded Starbucks or a super trendy coffee joint, then head over to The Golden Bakery on the Southwest corner of Bullard and Palm.

❤ Dominique

On Crack at Cracked Pepper

No, there is not a drug problem at Cracked Pepper Bistro. However, I love this place so much, one might call me addicted-as if I was on some kind of crack cocaine. You feel me?

The atmosphere is romantic and Vatche, the chef himself comes out to greet you after your meal. What a place! One of my top 5 restaurant picks for Fresno. I’m giving it a big I Heart Fresno heart attack.

Vatche, the owner and head chef at Cracked Pepper doesn’t mess around. He’s the real deal, folks. I think one of my favorite things about Vatche’s Restaurant is the fact that they cook for the season. Vatche uses almost all local produce! I see him at Farmer’s Market from time to time (bonus!). He changes his menu regularly so it’s always exciting to see the new food dishes he creates. His food is his art and I appreciate that very much. He also knows how to pair a good wine with your meal, so don’t hesitate to try something new.

Somewhat more pricey, Cracked Pepper is worth your buck. Chance and I went about a month ago before all the craziness with the holidays started and our bill was about $80 including tip. I grabbed a mixed green salad topped with lemon dressing. I also ordered one of my new favorites, the amazing walnut pumpkin soup. Chance ordered the filet with potatoes and ate it so fast I almost wasn’t sure if the plate ever hit the table.

For dessert we had bread pudding. And I didn’t take a picture of it, because to be honest, I just wanted to shove it in my mouth and not worry about snappin’ away. Do you like bread pudding? Well, I don’t either EXCEPT for Cracked Pepper’s bread pudding. I’m telling you, it’s the most amazing, most delicious, most incredible thing you will ever eat. Non-negotiable. Order it, you won’t be disappointed. And tell him Dominique from I Heart Fresno sent you.

Here I am with my head cut off.

And here are the better looking photos…

This pumpkin soup had chopped walnuts inside and was topped with a dollop of sour cream. UGH. One of my favorites.

And we have very exciting news for you, Vatce told us he’s opening a new restaurant over on Friant and Fort Washington. And we’ll be bringing you an exclusive peek at that location real soon!

P.S.- My hubby, Chance James has some of his paintings hanging in Cracked Pepper so be sure to check them out when you stop in!

I love you, Fresno. You’re alllllright.

❤ Dominique

Like Cracked Pepper

Follow Your Forte :: Melanie from Twee Boutique

We are BACK!!! The holiday season kicked us hard, but we are ready to attack! I know you all missed our Follow Your Forte video on Friday so we’re bringin’ it to you today. And yes, we will still be blogging regular posts. We are having so much fun with the FYF videos, but we will not abandon the fun daily posts either!

Meet Melanie. She’s the owner of Twee Boutique over in the Tower District on the Wishon Row. Remember Frosted Cakery and The SuppotR? Yea, she’s on the same strip as them! You could hit up all these amazing places cuz they’re only a hop, skip and jump away from each other.

We loved spending time with Melanie in her amazing boutique, and you know we couldn’t leave Twee without walking out with a few goodies. Thanks Melanie for your loveliness and hospitality. We had fun!

❤ Dominique

P.S.- Do you like our Follow Your Forte videos? Then “LIKE” us on Facebook!

Take it away Cam…

Follow Twee

Like Twee

Twee is located on the Wishon Row in the Tower District

Address : 1302 N. Wishon
Fresno, CA 93728

Phone : (559) 441-0427

From Our Heart, To Yours

We would like to thank all of our Blog, Facebook and Twitter followers out there. Without you, this blog wouldn’t be nearly as fun. We have BIG plans and ideas for 2011. We are in attack mode now. We have some GREAT Follow Your Forte videos lined up and we will be offering advertising on our website early February of 2011. We also have I Heart Fresno T-shirts, parties, and a fresh new look to the site coming your way, so make sure to keep following us! And please “Like” our I Heart Fresno page as well as our brand spankin’ new Follow Your Forte page.

The video below is what happens when you’re slap happy and think you’re famous because you do a few “Follow Your Forte” videos. I hope you love our bigger than life smiles… we like to embarrass ourselves.

Merry Christmas, Fresno! And may your New Year be BRIGHT!

❤ Dominique and Cambria

This video is courtesy of Pat Dill from Baked Pickles.

Time For THAI

Whoa, what’s this.. we’re blogging?! Could it be true?! I know we’ve been the worst right? Well we’re back in action kids and ready to ATTACK!

Today, I had a break from the evil cocktail of rain and holiday traffic and enjoyed a roommate reunion. Sunny Yingling, our dear married friend and former roommate had lunch with roomie Brooke and I. Such a great holiday diversion.

Here’s me and Mrs. Yingling. (BTW Mrs. Yingling happens to be an AMAZING dietician, so if you’re trying to slim down in the new year check her out!)

Here’s the other side of the table.

Ya, I was magically on both sides. Sorry to disappoint you but I don’t have a twin.

As far as I’m concerned, any time is a great time for Thai. I had never been to Time For Thai on Willow and Nees, but I really enjoyed my experience. First of all, I walked in and the restaurant was completely empty. Not great for business, but great for a quiet lunch. The ladies who were working were crowded around what I’m guessing is a Thai Soap Opera. Whatever it was I was entertained until my girls arrived. We all were craving some Pad Thai and none o us were disappointed. The menu is huge, reasonably priced and from what I gathered from my Pad Thai, tasty.

Here’s a picture of Brooke’s leftovers, cause I sure did finish mine.

If you need a diversion from the holiday madness or you just want to catch up on your Thai Soaps, check out Time for Thai.

 

❤ Cambria

Follow Your Forte : Jason Donald

We know we’ve been slacking on the posts, and we do apologize. The holidays get a little outta control, wouldn’t you agree?

So please forgive us and enjoy another Follow Your Forte video.

Meet Jason Donald. He’s a Fresno (technically Clovis) native and he followed his dream of becoming a pro athlete. He plays for the Cleveland Indians and lives in Fresno on the off season. Tune in to hear a little more of his story.

P.S. – We just finished our second round of filming for more Follow Your Forte videos, and they’re gooooooood.

❤ Dominique