Wednesday, June 29, 2011

10 days of Feasting


My pancake view from Jer-ne at Marina Del Ray
 After completing my first NPC Bodybuilding Competition in San Diego, I did what any girl would do: I pampered myself completely and took a well-deserved break from my workout schedule.

Yup, that’s right. I gave myself a 10 day vacation to eat whatever I wanted and be a couch potato before going back to the gym.

So did I pig out on burgers, steak, pizza and pasta? Um…no. Surprisingly, none of those things really tempt me and I seldom eat them.

Also I don’t eat red meat or pork so a lot of the stuff normal people eat when “off” their diet doesn’t even make it on my plate. I have never even had a Big Mac in my life.

MICHELLE'S LIST OF CRAVINGS:

What was on my list of indulgence was much more specific:


The best pancakes -EVER!

1) Pancakes -Pancakes are actually a part of my workout plan and I'm allowed to have them once a week as my cheat meal - which I'm glad because they are my comfort food.

But I'm pretty sure these pancakes that I ate the morning after my competition would not be approved by my coach.  They are from Jer-ne in Marina Del Rey and I had researched them in advance, knowing they would be the treat I would have as my first celebration meal. 

They were worth the wait and so was the journey to Jer-ne at Marina Del Ray (ha ha...I'm so puny).

 That stuff on top is graham cracker strudel and peaches.  What you are not seeing in this photo is the bowl of vanilla cream and hot maple syrup that came on the side. So good. 

I ate it all. Every. Single. Spoonful.

2) Bread and Wine – Kind of feel like I’m writing about the biblical last supper here, but for me really good bread and a glass of exceptional wine are perfection. I’m not talking bagged grocery store bread. Nope. I’m talking the thick and hearty stuff that goes great with a chilled glass of Chenin or bold Cabernet.

I was able to get my fill at George’s at the Cove in La Jolla. My “All the Breads I’ve loved before” blog goes into detail about my love of this treat so I won’t go into it now.

Fried stuff
3) Fois Gras – Yes, I know this is bad in so many ways, but what can say? It’s one of my weaknesses.

Normally, I’ll get it as a treat when I go to San Francisco, but I knew I wouldn’t be going there during my 10 days of feasting.

Instead I settled for the Fois gras at George’s (yes, the same place I got the bread). Needless to say, it was a pretty fabulous meal. 

4) Something Fried – I don’t eat a lot of fried foods as I’m a little bit sensitive to oils and bloat up like crazy, but I do like fried oysters.  Unfortunately the place I went to in La Jolla to fulfill my craving didn’t have them – so I settled for spring rolls.

While they weren't the best rolls I had ever eaten (too much chicken and not enough vegetables), I loved the atmosphere of the place and the giant fire pit on the patio.  If you go to La Jolla, being near fire is a "must have". It gets cold there at night.

Roppongi, the name of the place, also has happy hour appetizers and drinks if you go there before 6 p.m. which I did. Don't worry.  I didn't go to George's and Roppongi on the same night.  I split up my decadent treats so I could fully savor them one day at a time.

Fruity girly drink (cherry was at the bottom)
5) A Fruity Drink with a Cherry - What I did get on the same night (mostly because it was happy hour) was a super girly fruity drink. This one was called a Tokyo Rose and it fullfilled all my fruity drink cravings. 

Not only was it thick and fruity, it also came with a cherry!

6) Popcorn - Yup, that's right. I wanted plain popped corn. No butter, no flavorings - just the real thing.  Not showing you a photo of this as that would be lame.

7) Lobster - I actually was lucky and got to have lobster in three different ways during my 10 days off my training dietary plan.

Three days after my competition I was food judge for an iron-chef style of competition.  One of the mystery ingredients was lobster (bonus!).

That night I savored it poached and with a cream sauce.  Both were yummy.

Miso Marinated Black Cod
But that wasn't enough. I stopped at Navio at Half Moon Bay on my way back from San Diego and they happened to have a lobster appetizer on the menu.

How could I resist?  I had to get it once more.

Again it was poached with some sort of fruit enhanced vingarette. Grapefruit maybe?  I can't remember exactly, but I do know it was a light, delicious treat that I followed up with #8 on my list.

8) A Really Flavorful Meal - While I liked most of the foods on my training program, nothing beats a gourmet meal -- especially if you get that meal from a five-star restaurant like Navio. 

While watching the sun set over the ocean, I ordered the Miso Marinated Black Cod that was in dashi broth.  I know you're thinking this isn't exactly the most fattening of meals, but for me, it was all about the taste.  Good food doesn't have to be heavy - just yummy.

Tiny profiteroles:-(
9) Ice Cream - The last two weeks before the show, I has intense ice cream cravings. This could be because it was finally hot in Sacramento or maybe it was because one of my friends kept posting these amazing sundaes on Facebook or texting them to me on my phone.

I'm usually not a big ice cream eater, but once the craving was planted in my brain, I couldn't get it out.

I ordered the ice cream filled profiteroles from Navio for dessert, but that didn't do it. They were too small to satisfy my craving. 

So the hunt was on.  AND on my last day of decadence I found the ice cream dessert worthy of my sweet appetite. 

Ginger Elizabeth (the chocolate genius of Sacramento) has salty caramel ice cream bars made with macarons.  It was love at first bite and I knew I had finally found the treat to satisfy my ice cream craving.

Salty caramel ice cream bar
10) Chocolate - I love chocolate. I think I may have had some sort of chocolate treat every day of my 10 days of feasting (well, maybe not every day, but at least 7 of the days).

I had chocolate cupcakes, M and Ms, flourless chocolate cake, hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate chip pancakes. I even had chocolate oatmeal.

Yes, I think I am done with chocolate now and can go the next 8 weeks without feeling like I'm missing out.

READY TO HIT THE GYM
After 10 days of eating, am I ready to go back? Yup. I miss the gym, miss how flat my stomach was when it wasn't bloated and am actually missing my healthy meals. 

But I am glad I took these 10 days off to indulge. 

It's now back to the being good. 
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Monday, June 27, 2011

All the Breads I’ve Loved Before


mmmm...bread
You can’t always judge a restaurant by its printed menu, but sometimes you can judget it by its bread – or at least I can.

On Saturday, I had dinner at George's at the Cove in La Jolla. I had checked the menu on the way in, but you never can tell when eating in a touristy place by the water, just how good the food is going to be.

However, my doubts disappeared when they brought the bread. It was then I knew it was going to be a good “food” night.

Whoever picked out the bread at George’s has a carb lover's heart like me. The bread (whole grain and hearty) arrived still warm and wrapped in a cloth napkin.

But it was what it came with that made it really memorable: softened butter, gourmet cracked pepper, seasoning salt and sea salt – each in their own little container so you could sprinkle on your own dash of this and dash of that, which I did.

Do I have to say it? Yes, I do. It was heaven.

It was so good I didn’t care that it took a while for my roasted duck breast and almond crusted fois gras a while to arrive because of the 50 person private party they had going on. The chef at George’s apologized for the wait and gave me free dessert (I never refuse free dessert), but really I didn’t notice the long wait as I was busy savoring my bread and drinking my glass of Spanish red wine.

The main meal - duck and almond crusted fois gras
When it comes to good bread, time stands stills. Besides, I was enjoying the second last night of my week of indulgence after my NPC training session before I went back on my training schedule. Yup, I was going to eat every piece as slow as possible.

You know how they say you always need to make a good impression? Well, obviously this bread made the ultimate impression on me, but there are other restaurants that have done the same.

Five I can think of right now are:

1) Cheap (Tampa) – Great bread that they serve with strawberry flavored butter. They make it by adding real strawberry juice to the butter and whipping it together.

2) Senses (Toronto) – They also have three or four different types of bread that they serve you with your meal. Fabulous stuff, plus, you can purchase loaves at their bakery too.

3) Oyster Catchers (Tampa) - Here they serve you warm rolls and butter, but it’s the hickory smoked sea salt that makes their bread offerings out-of-this-world good.

4) Terra (North York) – They serve a basket of warm sliced bread that usually includes two or three different kinds. These are served with butter and at least one other spread that could include hummus, an olive tapenade or something original the chef came up with. You want to go back just to see what type of spread they are serving that day.

5) Treebeards (Houston) – I know people go there for the meat and Cajun stews, but I could go just for the jalapeno cornbread. Nothing like it anywhere.

Now that you know some of my most memorable bread places, I’ve let you in on two that have crappy bread baskets.

1) La Papillion (Toronto) –Cold sliced French bread that comes with hard butter in the foil wrappers. So not appetizing for a fine French restaurant.

2) Gus’s Fried Chicken (Memphis) – Gus’s has the best chicken maybe in North America, but they serve white Wonder Bread. Maybe you’re not supposed to eat it? Maybe it’s for soaking up the grease?

You have any favorites? Let me know.

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Food judging an Iron Chef-style challenge

Chef John Holloway
Sitting with the other two judges at Atria El Camino Gardens’ “Who’s Cuisine Will Reign Supreme” food challenge, I was nervous.  Not about how I would judge the food. No...I've eaten in enough places and written enough food articles and restaurant reviews to know what food tastes good and what food doesn't.

What I was nervous about was the mystery ingredients. What were they going to be.

“I always have a front sit when they do these events,” said Helen Trowbridge, who has been a resident at Atria El Camino Gardens for seven years. “One time the secret ingredient was oysters. They made such strange dishes.”

In the past, other secret ingredients have included salmon, hummus, spam and beets.

William Husa
This time the ingredients were lobster, lemongrass...and popcorn.  Yup, popcorn. What in the world could you make with lobster and popcorn?

It seemed, I had the easy part of the job (I think).  I just had to eat what they made.  The four local chefs had the hard part: creating the dish.

Like the popular Food Network show, the chefs had to come up with a meal using all the ingredients and present it a panel of celebrity judges which included myself William Husa and Dana Nunnery. We would judge their creations on presentation, creativity and taste. And they only had 60 minutes to do it.

I wasn't too worried though, because I knew Chef Ray Duey was on one of the teams. Duey is a world renowned Chef and fruit carver. He was part of the team that won The Food Network Challenge: The Rematch: Fantasy Fruit Sculpture.

But all of the chefs did a great job.

Duey and his partner Chef John Holloway prepared lobster risotto with feta cheese, butter poached lobster on a bed of lemongrass braised fennel and a roasted red pepper salad with spicy popcorn croutons.

Chef Susan Stangroom and Chef Katie Johnson went with a more Thai style dish that included Thai noodles in a lobster/lemongrass broth, lobster medallions with a white wine cream sauce, and a side of chocolate popcorn.

The dishes were delicious and the judging was hard.

Duey's dish won in presentation, but lacked a little in creativity (although I thought using the popcorn as salad croutons was a pretty interesting idea), whereas Stangroom's dish looked less appetizing, but used the ingredients in a more creative way. 
Both were equal in taste and Stangroom’s team won by just a couple of points.

There was just one problem -- as judges you only get to taste, not eat the whole plate as they needed to take photos.  Who knew?

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Putting on a Price on Dreams

Well, I did it. After 9 weeks of working out and watching my diet, I've completed my goal of competing in the NPC 2011 Southern California Championships in San Diego.

To make it even more rewarding, I placed in the top five of my class.

So was it worth it? 

You do the math:
  • Professional show bikini - $450.00 
  • Training and meal plan - $90/month
  • Entrance Fee - $80
  • Spray tan at show - $150
  • Show Makeup - $100
  • Highlights for hair - $130
  • French manicure and pedicure - $50
  • Waxing (lots of it) - $100
  • Bikini Bite - $10
  • Hotel and Travel - $250
Being over 35 and coming in 4th in my class: Priceless

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Saturday, June 18, 2011

Showtime: 2011 NPC Southern California Championships



My Makeup Artist
3:05 p.m. Friday, San Diego

It’s the day before the 2011 NPC Southern California Championships.  This is a bodybuilding competition for those of you who aren't sure exactly what I have been training for. I'm in the bikini competition as I'm not exactly super buff and I thought I was ready until I saw the girls checking in the lobby of the hotel. They are so much thinner and toner than I am. I may be out of my league. What have I gotten myself into?

So glad I resisted being bad the last few weeks and stayed on my plan. At least I know I gave it everything I could and didn’t cheat.

4:30 p.m. Friday, San Diego

Time for my spray tan session. I’m hoping somehow this tan will make a difference and my muscles will suddenly pop, but when I get there the woman is shocked at how pasty I am. They do two coats and it’s a little blotchy. The woman spraying me stops in the middle of the third coat to talk to her boss. 

Apparently, I'm still too white, but they are worried this next coat will make it too thick and the tan paint won't dry.  They decide to wait and do an ultra-coat on me the day of the show.


The tanning tents.
 5:30 p.m. Friday, San Diego

Bored sitting in the hotel room. I can't eat anything or drink anything - and all that's on TV is Bridezilla and a Fraiser marathon. I also can't sweat as it will ruin my fake tan. 

Hoping to check in early and feeling very orange in my new tan, I go downstairs, but no one is there. I guess when they say 6:30 is check in people really don't show up until that time. 

Walking back to the elevator, a girl calls me over to the bar area. I know she's a fellow competitor because she's orange like me. 

Her name is Kristi and this is her second show.  We instantly bond as I'm completely lost at what to expect the next day. I'm also totally envious as she is allowed to drink wine the day before to help her dehydrate.  My trainer is more organic and I have to dehydrate the old-fashioned way -- by peeing. 

6:30 p.m. Friday, San Diego

It's registration time.  I signed up weeks ago for women over the age of 35 in the over 5'8" bikini category, but there are no other tall women so they lump us all together.  So now I'm competing with the cute short girls. I'm a little worried as I think the shorter girls always look so much nicer than us taller gangly girls. I also learn that I should have applied to compete in other categories for more chances of winning. Oh well, I'm learning as I go. 

My makeup.
9:00 a.m. Saturday, Makeup

It's the day of the show and so far I feel great. I'm not hungry and not too thirsty -- considering I haven't had anything to drink since 2 p.m. the day before and it was a hot car drive to San Diego. At this point, I thank my crazy days at the news station when I don't have time to drink or go to the bathroom for my stamina.  

I show up to discover my makeup session and the instructions on where to stand on stage are at the same time. Panic sets in. Should I learn what to do on stage or should I get my makeup done? I opt for makeup. Might as well look good -- even if I end up standing in the wrong place.

10:00 a.m. Saturday, 2011 NPC Southern Cal Championships

Make up is done and I look at little like a drag queen, but so do many of the other girls.  I have fake eyelashes, lipliner that makes my lips look bigger and my tan is also fake -- and now much darker.

The only thing not fake are my breasts...and they aren't cooperating.  They don't want to stay in the tiny bikini top and I don't know how to fix them.

Jeann, one of the people running the Jana Tan area, sees my desperation and comes to my rescue (thank goodness). She tucks, pushes and nudges them into place.  

While doing this she says, "If Shannon Dey was here, she could tame these puppies in a second. I've seen her tuck girls in and make them look great."

Shannon Dey! Shannon Dey is my coach. Suddenly, I feel confident again.  If people are talking about my coach like she's some sort of NPC/IFBB miracle worker, then I know that my training must have been the best and I'll make it through the show looking great.

1:00 p.m. Saturday, Prejudging 

By this time I'm so thirsty, that all I can think about is water.  But I refuse to give in - just in case the few drops will bloat me up.  I know now that was foolish, but like I said, I'm learning as I go.

I walk out on stage and do my poses in front of the judges.  Halfway through I remember that I should be smiling and flexing. I quickly show the judges my pearly whites and try to flex my muscles -- even though I know it's too late to impress them now. Poop.

1:05 p.m. Saturday, Waiting, Waiting, Waiting and more Waiting

Now I have to wait for what seems like forever.  Final judging is at 6:30 p.m. and I've already checked out of my hotel.  I sit in the car for 30 minutes, but that only results in me getting hot. I don't have to worry about sweating as I'm sure there is no water left in my body to purge. I haven't gone to the bathroom since 5 a.m. and my tongue feels like cotton. I know I'm not alone in feeling like this because all the girls are talking about the same thing.

As I start to wonder if my makeup is going to melt, I decide I might as well check back in the hotel and pay for another night. At least there I can finish reading "The Hunger Games" in air conditioning.

BTW...the Hunger Games was perfect for this competition as I felt that my fellow competitors were like the district tribunes in the book. Like them, we all bonded as we were suffering together -- even though we knew one of us would be better than the rest. We were like some sort of futuristic bronze-colored clone army of buff men and women.

3:00 p.m. Still waiting

Now I'm bored and getting really hungry and thirsty.  I no longer have any energy and just want to sleep...and eat... and shower because now my tan is feeling really sticky and yucky.

 In fact, I don't even care about showing up for judging anymore. I just want it to be over.

4:30 p.m. New problem

I finally have to pee. However, I am afraid to because urine removes the tan and I don't want to have white dots "down there" so close to final judging.  Should I wait? No, I should let it out as getting rid of the bloating was the whole reason I was restricting my drinking.  I go...but very carefully.

4:45 p.m. Cheating

Now have major cramps. Don't know if it's because I'm hungry or because I'm thirsty. Whatever is causing it, it's not fun.

Still two hours to go before judging and I don't care anymore. I drink two gulps of water, eat a scoop of peanut butter and a bunch of carrots. It's not the most gourmet meal, but it's the only food I have in my suitcase. Well, I have asparagus and a disgusting piece of broiled chicken at the bottom of my cooler, but I'm saving those for later.

7:45 p.m. Final Judging

Feeling much better after my little "cheat meal", I'm ready to face the judges for the final time. This time the audience is full, and even though I know the judges have already made up their mind (or maybe because I know they have made up their mind), I walk out and am much more confident this time. 

I come in fourth and am on cloud nine.  Yay!!! I love this competition. I'm going to compete again and again and again. (Well, after taking a week off to celebrate).

Like a fool off on a planet far away, I stand there smiling as people clap.  The girl beside me grabs my hand and holds it up for me  for the group "thank you" pose. Duh...

The girls at these things are so wonderful.  They help you look good all the way through, even when you are clueless. They even make you feel okay when you are waiting as they too are complaining about being thirsty and craving sugary treats.  They may look all perfect, but they have the biggest hearts in the world.

But the best thing is that they "get" you.  After spending months in isolation, working out like crazy and eating plain food that your friends don't understand, you are suddenly with a 100 people who just as determined and passionate about the challenge as you are.  It's incredible.

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Thursday, June 16, 2011

A little French pampering

What’s does a NPC competitor do the night before a fitness competition? Get her nails done.

Yup, that’s right. After weeks of sweating, lifting weights and eating healthy, the night before my big competition isn’t spent in the gym. Instead I spent it running around Midtown and East Sac looking for a place that does French Manicures – without an appointment.

My first choice was Curvee on H Street because that’s where I get my hair done and I know they were having a $40 deal for a mani/pedi. Sadly, they were booked up and couldn’t squeeze me. But it turned out to be a blessing, because otherwise I would have never discovered East Sac Nails & Spa.

Located at H and Elvas, East Sac Nails & Spa just opened 6 months ago. It’s clean with a nice relaxing atmosphere. The staff is friendly – plus they know what they are doing.

You aren’t going to get those chairs with the massage. Instead, you get the real thing: Hands on service with people who are trained to do nails.

The price for a basic manicure/Pedicure is $40, but you can get a “deluxe” version for $10 more. This includes a deep moisturizing exfoliating treatment, a hydrating mask or a paraffin dip and hot stone massage.

It was well deserved 60 minutes of peace.

Check them out. They are located at 713 56th Street in East Sacramento.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Secret Wish: Be a guest judge on food show


Bobby Flay during taping of Iron Chef America - AP
 This request could not have come at a better time. After weeks of eating bland low-fat food, I received an invitation to judge a cooking competion. Yay!!

You know I love food - really good food, but I bet you didn't know that I've always wanted to be a guest judge on one of The Food Network cooking show.  I've always been reluctant to apply because I don't eat red meat -- but if they ever have an extreme dessert or chocolate challenge and need someone to taste stuff, I am soooo there.

This time I'll be judging the "Who's Cuisine Will Reign Supreme" challenge at Atria El Camino Gardens in Carmichael.  I don't know much about it yet, but I've been told that it will be an Iron Chef-style competition -- which I love.

I also know the chef's competing are Chef Ray Duey from Woodbridge, Chef Susan Stangroom, Chef Ron Barker and Chef John Holloway.  If you're a big Food Network fan then you might recognize Ray Duey from there. He was part of the team that won The Food Network Challenge: “The Rematch: Fantasy Fruit Sculpture".

Can't wait to see what they make.  It's happening on June 23 - just over a week from now.  So cool!

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Monday, June 13, 2011

Sneak Peek: The bikini has arrived

It's actually more red in real life.
It’s five days until showtime and I’m starting to worry. I’ve booked my fake tan session, my hotel and pre-cooked my food. Everything is ready – except my body.

Last week my coach Shannon Dey told me my butt was still looking too flabby. I figured, whatever…once I get my professional show bikini, it will hide all those flaws.

WRONG!!

I got my bikini Friday and guess what, it doesn’t hide anything. If anything, it enunciates the flaws. How can something so shiny and pretty make me look so bad?

So when Shannon told me I had to skip my weekly cheat meal of pancakes and do even more cardio, I was sad, but I listened. She was right. I need to work harder.

So far I've lost 6 pounds and 4 percent body fat.  I know, not exactly the big change you'll see on the Biggest Loser, but my goal was more about "re-shaping" rather and losing weight.

So how do I look? You’ll have to wait and see because I’m not posting anything until I have the complete package ready – including the tan.

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Saturday, June 11, 2011

Testing out the “best” cellulite cream

Cellulite sucks. After working out for 8 weeks on this killer exercise and cardio plan, I admit defeat.

Yup, that’s right. All those experts in magazine articles who say it doesn’t go away were right. I really thought I would be the exception to the rule and that if I worked out really hard and toned up my squishy areas, my skin would become all smooth – kind of like an air mattress when you pump it full of air.

Alas, the dimples are still there.

So now, after spending an hour on the internet doing research, I’ve ordered what people have reviewed as the “best cellulite cream” – well, the best one I could find for less than $35. I didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on magic lotion that may not work. I’m a little skeptical when it comes to things like that and figure if I’m wishing for miracles, I might as well as wish for my own fairy godmother.

So what is the best cellulite cream on the market? Apparently, it’s Fat Girl Slim by Bliss (you can get it at Sephora). The active ingredient in it is caffeine which the dermatologist they had on Good Morning America says is proven to help diminish the appearance of cellulite. This also means that I could have probably rubbed coffee on my problem areas and saved myself some money. Oh well.

Anyway, this Bliss stuff does work.

I’ve been slathering it on twice a day for the last four days and I’m already seeing a difference. The dimples on my butt are looking smaller, plus its super soft. I’m not sure if this is really an advantage, but I figure if I’m already sharing my cellulite secrets with you, you might as well know everything.

There’s only one problem with this cream. The name.

Why do they have to call it Fat Girl Slim? It’s totally embarrassing to have this big jar of cream sitting on my counter that says Fat Girl Slim. It’s like advertising to all my guests that I have a cellulite problem and am desperate to get rid of it- which I am.

And yes, I did try to put it in the cupboard, but then I forgot to use it.

I also find the word “fat” offensive. Cellulite has nothing to do with weight. As a size 4, I definitely don’t consider myself a chunky monkey – unless I happen to be standing beside Victoria Secret super models, but really – how often is that going to happen?

But name aside, I recommend Bliss’s Fat Girl Slim as a temporary solution to diminish the appearance dimples caused by cellulite. If you’re going on vacation, start using it about 2 weeks out for best results and bring it with you. When you stop using it, the dimples return.

Miracle in a jar? Yup. Now bring on the fairy godmother.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Ode to a cupcake

It’s 12 days before my fitness competition and while I’m not hungry, I’m starting to make a list of things I haven’t been able to eat in the last 8 weeks.

One of them is this decadent S’Mores Cupcake seen in the photo. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve seen in a long time, and if you ever go to Toronto, then I suggest you add, along with seeing the CN Tower, China Town and the Hockey Hall of Fame, a visit to Nadia’s Cheeky Treats - The Cupcake Boutique. You won’t be disappointed.

Now, if the photo of the cupcake isn't enough to tempt you, I promise the description will have even the most diehard healthy eaters drooling.

THE MAKINGS OF S'MORE GREATNESS
It all starts with a crunchy graham crust bottom.

It sounds simple, but the crust is what makes this cupcake unique from any other cupcake. Without it, it's just a chocolate cupcake with stuff on it. 

The crunchy graham crust is brilliant, but what else would you expect from baker extraordinaire and Toronto's own cupcake Diva, Nadia McIlveen?

But while I love the graham crust, it's only the beginning.  On top of that you have a super-moist chocolate cake filled with marshmallow butter cream, chocolate sauce and mini chocolate chips.

But the S’Mores cupcake isn’t done yet. There’s even more delicious goodness to tempt you.

To top off this incredible cupcake is more marshmallow butter cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. Then there’s a light sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.

WHAT'S A S'MORE WITHOUT THE TOASTED MARSHMALLOW?
Finally, there is the part we’ve all been waiting for: The toasted marshmallow that makes a s’more a s’more. This is topped with a Hershey’s Kiss for that one last bite of chocolate decadence.

MMMMMMMM…..mmmm…

Are you drooling yet?

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