Red Velvet Cupcakes - Recipe

I made red velvet cupcakes last weekend for my 1000 Cooks for the Cure Party (well, I attempted to make pink velvet cupcakes, actually...they came out as more fuschia-ish in the end...but I used my normal red velvet recipe for them), and I was going to include all of my party recipes in one post, but then realized that would have ended up being the world's longest post. Sooooo we're breaking it down.

Giveaway: Sandwich Showdown with Eversave.com! (closed)

I've never been much of a make-a-sandwich-at-home kind of girl (is that a type of girl? probably not. it is now). The ones that are made at restaurants and cafes always seem just so much better. Plus, it is so much hassle to get out all of the veggies that I want to top my sandwich, slice up just enough for one sandwich, then wrap everything back up and put it back away (see, it's really about laziness, but don't tell anyone). But back to sandwiches being better outside of my house. Everything from Thanksgiving on a roll (have you ever tried the Holiday Turkey Sandwich at The Earl of Sandwich???) to turkey, brie, green apple, and honey mustard pressed between two slices of bread at Press 101, to, well, an amazing self-designed sub from Publix, there is just nothing that compares to a good sandwich made outside the home.

Which is what brings me to my giveaway for this weekend. Today on Eversave.com is Sandwich Showdown day! And, because Eversave Orlando is oh so awesome, they have given me the opportunity to give one of you today's extra special sandwich save, plus $5 in Save Rewards to spend on another Save of your choosing in the next 60 days.

What Save will you win? Today, for the Central Florida area, the Sandwich Showdown Save is for Mr. Dunderbak's Bavarian Restaurant and Delicatessen in Daytona Beach. Sure, it may seem a bit far away for my fellow Orlando-ans (is that what we are? Orlandoans?), but it's summer, and you know you'll be headed to the beach at some point. Why not know that you already have lunch or dinner taken care of when you go, and that, even better, it is free?

Mr. Dunderbak's has been voted Daytona Beach's best all-around German restaurant for 17 years in a row by the Daytona Beach News Journal's Reader's Choice Awards. And when it comes to sandwiches, it seems that these guys are tops, too. The Reader's Choice Awards have also voted Mr Dunderbak's as having the best Reuben, best pastrami, and best roast beef sandwiches during that same timeframe!

Okay, I'm done gushing. I'm really wanting to try it out myself, now.

Here's how you enter:

Mandatory entry:

Tell me about the best sandwich you have ever had in the comments section, and where you had it. If you made it yourself and had it at home, that works...just be prepared for me to show up so you can make it for me, next ;)

Optional additional entries:

1. Join Eversave and leave a comment when you have done so. If you already use Eversave, leave a comment saying so. Remember, if you win the giveaway, you'll have to join to receive your prize!

2. Follow @Orlndofoodie on Twitter and tweet the following: I just entered to win a Sandwich Showdown Save from @EversaveOrl and @Orlndofoodie here: http://bit.ly/qbn3sb #giveaway
Then, leave a link to your tweet in the comment section.

3. Follow @EversaveORL on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know.

4. Follow OrlndoFoodie on Facebook and leave a comment when you have done so (or if you already do, just say so).

5. Follow Eversave Orlando on Facebook and, you guessed it, leave another comment.

6. Share a link to this giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you've done so.


This giveaway will last until 5pm EST on 7/24. At that point, I will choose a winner from the entries using Random.org and the winner will have 24 hours to get back to me. Please make sure your email address is attached to your comments so that I can contact you easily if you win.

AND THE WINNER IS........Rosario Michelle!!! Congrats!!! Thanks to everyone that entered :)

http://twitter.com/orlndofoodie

Disclaimer: I received $10 in Save Rewards for hosting this giveaway. However, any opinions shared are truly my own.

Hawkers Asian Street Fare

I'd read tons about Hawkers Asian Street Fare on Twitter and on other foodies blog posts over the past month or so before my first visit, and everything I read just made me want to go more and more. So, a couple of weeks ago I tweeted an open invitation to my fellow foodies to join me for lunch. It was a weekday, so I didn't expect much of a response, so I was thrilled when three others came along! I also invited my good friend M, and so we ended up with a group of five at that first lunch. I enjoyed it so much I ended up back the following week with another friend for lunch yet again.

Food Truck Friday: Big Wheel Truck

I was so excited about setting up Food Truck Friday when I first started. And then I got busy with, well, everything, and Fridays just seemed to slip by, and I'd completely forget to write a food truck post! Ooops. But don't you worry (because I know, I know, you were worrying), Food Truck Friday is back, and what better way to bring it back than by talking about one of the two trucks from my very first (official) food truck adventure ever!

Pie Party!!! Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Coulis

I was eavesdropping on Twitter the other day when I saw mention of a Pie Party going on across the internet. I had no choice...I had to butt in. I quickly found out (through Marnely of Cooking with Books) that Shauna of Gluten Free Girl and the Chef had set up a pie party through Facebook. The goal of the party? To get people to bake a pie, any pie, by July 5th and then share a photo of that pie on Facebook. How could I not join in?? I haven't made a pie in ages, so this was a perfect excuse to do so.

Restaurant Review: Funky Monkey Wine Company

I had been eyeing the Funky Monkey Wine Company menu for ages. AGES. So when a Groupon came out for the downtown location, I knew I had to grab it. Who can turn down $40 worth of food for $20? I bought the Groupon, of course, and last week convinced a friend to venture out to the Mills50 District for a bite after work.

It is a very small restaurant that is almost hidden in the shadows at night time. If I hadn't known that it was next to Bananas Modern American Diner (owned by the same people that own Funky Monkey), I probably would have driven right past it. As it was, I had to turn around and crawl back to find the parking lot. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not. I love a hole in the wall, especially if it has good food. It just surprised me, for some reason that I cannot pinpoint.

The decor at Funky Monkey is...well....dark. It was very dark in the restaurant; so dark in fact that I can tell you that I think the main color scheme included a deep purple and black, but don't quote me on that. I'd love to show you a photo but well, you guessed it, it was too dark. Now, don't get me wrong. I adore a small, intimate, romantic setting. The Funky Monkey has the potential to be just that. However, when my friend has to use a cell phone light to read the menu, and when the server needs to move the candle on the table so that we can "see the food better," that is a little too "intimate" for me. I'm at a restaurant, not in bed. On the opposite side of the coin, though, some of the tables are so close together that, frankly, if I was there on a date I'd probably learn just as much about the couple sitting next to me as I would about my companion.