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Chili’s Texas Grill (Southcentre Mall)

I’ve never been to Chili’s and to be honest, we went there because we heard about a fantastic promotion they have going on… it’s the 2 for $25 which was one appetizer to share and 2 full sized entrees! Even if they didn’t do a full size entree, it’s still a fantastic deal! We visit the Chili’s location at South Centre mall, which is located outside of the mall, towards SportsChek. We went during mid-week evening, and thinking there wouldn’t be a line up, there was! It was exciting to see so many guests, it makes me think the place is always good!

We got inside and they took our name and they advised us it would be about 45 minute wait for a table. We said that’s fine and we sat down to wait. Not long after we sat down, they came out with some appetizers for their waiting guest – which was a really nice touch! They were bringing out Jalapeno Cheese Bites which was a delicious jalapeno cheddar that is breaded in panko and deep fried to perfection!

When we sat down, we flipped through the menu, and figured we wanted to upgrade our dinner to the other special 2 for $30 special, which is the same deal, but the food sounded more appetizing for us! We ordered a Texas Dry Ribs for our appetizer to share. It was a huge portion and it was delicious whether we took it as is, or splashed some lemon juice on it!

I ordered the Classic Chicken Fajita which is something I really like! I love eating with my hands, and with fajitas coming out on a sizzling plate with caramelized veggies, this was a fun meal for me! The chicken was delicious and it was truly a full sized entree. There was only 3 tortilla wraps, but it’s alright, I just ate the entire thing off the sizzling with the condiments poured on top! It was really enjoyable and memorable!

The other entree that we ordered was the Chicken Enchilada Pasta which is a huge bowl of penne with some grilled chicken, corn, mushrooms and onions in a rich enchilada sauce with melted mixed cheese. It was a hearty meal and cheesy too!

We really enjoyed our time at Chili’s and we’ve been thinking about returning – especially during the spring/summer months and enjoy their patio too! Regular meals are reasonably priced, and the service was exceptional. To top it off, the food was spectacular and very pleasant to eat! We’ve just selected Chili’s as a location we will add to our circulation of places to go for dinner now!

Chili's Texas Grill (Southcentre Mall) on Urbanspoon

Chili’s Texas Grill

282 100 Anderson Rd SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 225-2150

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Crepe Delicious

I was wandering around the mall at The Core downtown, when I found myself craving a little treat! So, I walked around the food court near Holt Renfrew, and found myself inline for a crepe at Crepe De Licious! It’s an unusual treat for myself, but why not I figured!

This crepe location also sells frozen yoghurt as well, and there was a long line for them on that side. But, on the crepe side, there was just one lady taking her sweet time making the crepes. It took about 5 minutes before she even bothered looking up to see what I would like, and it took even longer to wait for the crepe to make it into my hands. So, already, I was hoping that despite the service, it would still be a great crepe!

I ordered the Chipotle Beef Savoury Crepe which doesn’t seem to be on their menu anymore… but it was a crepe with beef, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese topped with chipotle sauce. It wasn’t a bad tasting crepe at all actually, and it was worth the wait!! The best part was the last few bites when the sauce has started absorbing into the crepe, and all the deliciousness has dropped to the end! I really loved this crepe, and I think I will be back! I’m hardly even in downtown, so maybe I’ll give the one in Cross Iron Mills a try!

Crepe Delicious on Urbanspoon

Crepe Delicious

751 3 St SW
Calgary, AB T2P0B2
(403) 457-2425

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Sweet Obsession Cakes & Pastries

I love dessert, and while I was in Vancouver, I met up with a good friend that suggested we’d do dessert! Now, why did I not think about a suggestion like that! She recommended that we’d meet up at a place called Sweet Obsession Cakes which by the sound of the name is a place I will be obsessed with – and I am!

This store front is tucked away on a strip plaza and it’s a small but intimate with tons of sweets in the store! I love stores like this, so I was extremely content the moment we stepped foot into this cafe! The display cases were full of cakes even though it was becoming late in the day, and there was still a lot of people in and out of the cafe!

I sat down and ordered my favourite drink, the Chai Tea Latte which was really creamy and flavourful!

I couldn’t decide which piece of cake I wanted, but I finally settled on the Neopolitan Cake which was a chocolate cake with layers of vanilla butter cream and incorporated into the cream was raspberries and raspberry coulis! What a sweet treat, and it reminded a lot of “Black Forest Cake” taken to new heights!

The other piece of cake that I wanted to try was the Roasted Coconut Chiffon Cake, where my friend said she’ll try that piece and give me a bite to sample! It was soo good, and it wasn’t overly sweet – which I really like! You can definitely tell there was coconut flavours in this delicate chiffon cake. In between the layers of the coconut chiffon cake was coconut toffee and coconut butter cream. I wouldn’t mind getting a slice of this myself next time I’m there! I am a huge fan of coconut flavours!

The last piece of cake we ordered for the night was the Dulce de Leche Cake which looks overly sweet, but in reality, it was quite well balanced with the cinnamon flavoured vanilla chiffon layered with dulce de leche and pecans with milk chocolate ganache. The cake did get too sweet when the only thing left was just the ganache and no cake!

Sweet Obsession Cakes & Pastries on Urbanspoon

Sweet Obsession Cakes & Pastries

2611 W 16th Ave
Vancouver, BC V6K3X5
(604) 739-0555

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Homemade Simple Vanilla Creme Brulee

Home Made Crema Catalana

I’ve always loved Creme Brulee for any part of the day – dessert, snack with coffee/tea, and sometimes, even breakfast! I use to buy the pre-made ones, where you pour some sugar on top and burn the sugar with a torch. Then, recently, I started ordering them for dessert at restaurants, and realized it’s just not the same!! It’s suppose to be creamier and lighter and more “mousse” like than “pudding” like. So, I found a simple recipe which is slightly modified from Anna Olson’s show “Bake With Anna Olson” on Food Network.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
1 cup cream
1 tbsp of vanilla paste
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar

First, preheat the oven to 325F, and place some ramekins in a heat safe pan with sides – so we can give the creme brulees a water bath when we’re ready to bake. Also, set a strainer with cheese cloth on stand-by as we will use them!

Then, place the cream in a pot and heat it up really slowly. Add the vanilla paste in to infuse the cream. You can use the actual vanilla seeds if you have the vanilla pods. Stir gently and wait until it’s hot – but not boiling over.

Next, in another bowl, cream the 2 egg yolks together with sugar. Then, slowly combine the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Be sure to go slow so you don’t cook the eggs!

Now, pour the mixture through the strainer with the cheese cloth so it’s strained into the ramekins! Use a spoon to take out all the air bubbles that you see on top! Then, place this in the oven and pour some boiling water into the deep dish that holds the ramekins – making sure you fill up to at least half way up the ramekin dish itself to gently cook the creme brulee.

Now, bake for about 20-25 minutes in the oven. I set my oven too high, and caused the egg to cook on the top – but it still tasted great! 🙂

Let the creme brulee chill completely, and then place into the fridge for at least 3 hours. When you’re ready to enjoy, sprinkle a layer of sugar on top and use a torch to burn the sugar!! It’s done and you’re ready to eat!

Sit down anywhere, anytime to enjoy this delicious and somewhat refreshing dessert as it’s creamy and decadent with a hint of sweetness!

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Homemade Nutella Cookies

Easy Nutella Cookies

So, I guess there’s something called International Chocolate Day, and once I heard that, I went through my pantry to see what I had… so, I found enough ingredients to make a small batch of Nutella Cookies that are quick and simple! I must say, the house smells absolutely amazing right now!

Ingredients: (Makes about 18 cookies)
1 cup Nutella
2/3 cup All Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Wheat Flour
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
splash of milk

First, preheat the oven to about 350F, you have to do this right away, since preparing the batter is quick and easy! Then, just mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix lightly.

Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated, add the egg and nutella into the mixture. This will make a super sticky batter – but try to mix well. If you need the batter to be less thick, add about a tablespoon of milk. If it’s still really sticky, add more until the cookie dough combines into a nice consistency.

Then, I like to line my cookie tray with parchment paper, and I spoon out little cookie dough balls about the size of a ball that fits into a tablespoon. I roll these balls lightly and just place onto the cookie tray. As the cookie bakes, it will flatten itself, so you don’t need to flatten it – unless of course you want to! After all, they are YOUR cookies!

Now, you just place in the oven for about 10 minutes, and they should be a little lighter in colour and should be even colouring. You can always do the toothpick test if you want. But, remember it will continue to cook a little as you’re they’re resting on the cooling rack. So, this means you need to cool your cookies first on the cooling rack!