Fun, Free, & Frugal in SoCal!

Are you as excited about summer as I am to eat this Philly Mac & Cheesesteak from the Del Mar Fair?

I grew up in San Diego, so I've been going to the Del Mar Fair since I was a kid. Between the rides, carnival games, exhibits, and crazy food, there's fun to be had for all ages. This year, I'm pretty sure I consumed about 1,000 calories in 30 minutes between the Philly Mac & Cheesesteak (#85) from Austriano's Italian Grill to a personal basket of Bacon Truffle Fries from Bacon A-Fair (#20/93). I would highly recommend this cheesesteak and caution you to keep the sandwich as horizontal as possible because it gets messy! The fries were very tasty with the gouda and truffle topping, but a tad overpriced.

 

I have a return ticket, so I hope to try out the Red Velvet or Strawberry Cheesecake cake flavor from Funnel Express (#99) and maybe the Monte Cristo from Grilled Cheese A-Fair (#48). Other new foods available that I will not be trying are Krispy Kreme Sloppy Joes and Fried Cookie Dough. I also found a way to get to the fair for free if you have a bus pass. Take the 101 bus to Brigantine Seafood, then hop on the free Shopper Shuttle!

The fair is great, but it can get pricy. It also ends on July 4th. So I put together a public Google Calendar of FREE events in San Diego this summer. 


You can add the entire calendar, or just by event! I tried to include as many details as possible in the description, listed the source links, and inputted the addresses for easy smartphone navigation.

Here are the XML, ICAL, & HTML links to the calendar.  Let me know if you have trouble accessing the calendar and I'll help you figure it out!

I'm moving to Long Beach soon (August!), so I plan to add Orange County and Los Angeles events too! In the meantime, I'm trying to make the most of my last summer living in San Diego and invite you to do so too. Here's what you'll find on the calendar:


[ONE TIME EVENTS]

34th Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off -  Saturday, June 22 from 11am-3pm
This is a really fun event in OB. I recommend taking the free Trolley to avoid traffic and parking. Bonus -- this is a legit Old Town Trolley, complete with lively tour guide! I missed the chili-tasting last time I went, so let me know how

Loews Surf Dog Competition - Saturday, June 22 from 10am-8pm

Surfing dogs. Need I say more? (Dog creeping at its finest.)

Switchfoot Bro-am Saturday, July 13 from 7am-5pm
San Diego native band Switchfoot hosts an annual surf competition and concert for charity!

Coronado Art Walk Saturday & Sunday, September 14th-15th from 10am-5pm
Check out local art at the scenic Ferry Landing in Coronado as summer winds down. (*See more Coronado events below.)


[WEEKLY EVENTS]
Brian's Farmers Markets - Weekly Thursday-Friday. See times and locations below.

I love farmers' markets, especially in the summertime. Brian's Farmers' Markets feature produce from local farmers that grow their food pesticide-free. You can also sample packaged and hot foods while browsing artisan crafts and gifts! During the summer, farmers are happy to let you sample the juiciest of berries and offer bright summer produce.


I'm really excited because they opened a new one at Belmont Park, right at the foot of the roller coaster!! Here are the times of the markets. Click on the links to follow their Facebook Pages for updates on new vendors and more!

+ Thursdays, 3pm-7pm: UTC Farmers Market
+ Fridays, 9:30am-1pm: Belmont Park Farmers Market
+ Saturdays, 9:30am-1:30pm: Golden Hill Farmers Market
+ Sundays, 9:30am-2:30pm: Point Loma Farmers Market

Balboa Park House of Pacific Relations International Cottages Sundays 2pm-4pm
From March - September, the International Cottages feature lawn events including dance and musical performances, food vendors, and more! The cottages open at 12pm for browsing before the live event and feature a different country each week.

[OUTDOOR MOVIE SCREENINGS]
I love watching movies and I love being outdoors. These events combine the two at unique locations across San Diego. From family favorites like Brave and Wreck it Ralph, to comedies like Shaun of the Dead and Anchorman, you're sure to find one for your group. Best of all - they're free!

Stone Late Night Movies

Santee Movies by the Lake

Viejas Movies in the Park

Dive-In Theatre at The Pearl SD 

Movies generally start around dusk. Arrive early for optimal seating. Most places let you bring your own chairs, blankets, and food - verify on the website. All of these movies are listed on the my calendar so it's easier to find the date and movie that suits your needs! (*See more movies below)

[NOT LISTED ON CALENDAR (aka: Ain't Nobody Got Time For That)]
I found a lot of other events online thanks to SanDiego.org and KBPS.org. I'd add these to the calendar, but it would take me longer than the duration of the events..

Summer Movies at the Park 
Family-friendly movies in San Diego from the South Bay to North County!

Coronado Summer Concerts in the Park
Enjoy concerts by local artists and tribute bands at Spreckels Park - located at the corner of 6th Street and Orange Avenue. Concerts start around 6:30-7pm on various nights throughout the year.


To San Diego residents and visitors, I wish you a very happy summer! Did I miss something? Have a free event you'd like me to promote? Comment below, email me at diningattiffanys@gmail.com, OR we can be super high tech and you can invite me directly to a Google Calendar event.;)

I'll be adding more as I find them. Enjoy!

With love,

Tiffany R.

Dining at Tiffany's

PS: Just realized it's 6.19 day! Perfect timing. SD represent! ;) 

Peanuts & Fried Chicken: A Birthday Greeting for My Dad

I've traveled to the Philippines with my parents and sister twice in my lifetime. During our first visit, I was eight years old and met many of my wonderful relatives for the first time. At this young age, I also came face to face with the reality that many people around the world live in extremely poor conditions and experienced one of my most vivid childhood memories. We were stuck in the sweltering traffic of the Philippines and I looked outside the car window. I saw starving people young and old begging for food and money; a little boy was eating paper on the side of the road.

When we returned to the Philippines during my last year of high school, I learned an unexpected lesson from my dad during a shopping trip to one of the expansive mega malls. At some point, we split off from my mom and sister to head toward the food court. In the area between the restaurants, ragged street vendors begged passerby to spare some change to buy small trinkets and snacks. 

Among the street vendors was a little girl who couldn't have been older than ten years old. Atop her shoulder, she carried a long stick with a dozen or so bags of peanuts to sell. It was a weekday, so she likely had to forego school to help her family make ends meet. When I saw this poor little girl, my natural instinct was to walk right past her and try to not feel so sad. 

That's when my dad took an unexpected action. He struck up a conversation with the little girl and asked about her age, family, and life. Then he asked her how much the peanuts cost. He sifted through his wallet and paid her enough money to purchase all of the peanuts on her pack. Joyfully bewildered, the girl started to hand us all of her goods as my dad kindly declined them. I stood there surprised and amazed, watching what he did next. He walked over to the fried chicken stand and ordered a bucket or so of chicken with a side of rice. My dad gave the bags of food to the little girl, patted her on the shoulder, and told her to go home early with a hot meal for her family. 

I don't remember if she had tears in her eyes, but I shed a few as I write this. I don't remember what I said to my dad after, or if I ever said anything at all. I will always remember the volumes of meaning that this moment speaks about my dad. 

Today is my dad's birthday. When it comes to my parents, no gift is ever enough to thank them for all they've done for me, both in providing me with a comfortable life and especially for all the values they've instilled in me. 

Happy Birthday, Dad. Thank you for teaching me to always make genuine connections with everyone we meet, be generous with blessings, and try our best to make someone's day -- especially those in need. I love you. 

With love,

Tiffany

Dining at Tiffany's 

PS: Happy Father's Day, too! 

Dining in Nicaragua?!

Hi there!! It's been quite a while since I've written in here, and there's plenty of reasons. Aside from the fact that I cook a lot less than I'd care to admit, I've had a lot going on!

For the last few months I've been incredibly overwhelmed with work, volunteer commitments, and writing pieces. If you've ever worked in education, social justice, or creative endeavors, you're likely familiar with the uneasy feeling that there's always something more than can and should be done, that you can always do better, and that the work is never complete. I really started to doubt myself in many ways.

Thankfully, I've been encouraged by friends and family to keep moving forward while focusing on the positive. What keeps me going is remembering that it starts with one -- one word, one moment, one life. If I can impact just one person's life in a positive way, then I am confident that I'm working toward my purpose.

With that, I wanted to announce on here that I'M GOING BACK TO NICARAGUA! I'm going with my some fellow UCSD alums, along with a friend that I met at a conference a few years ago. We'll be working in a community where I volunteered last year to build classrooms and start an after school program for a rural school. Through this trip I seek to continue helping communities in Nicaragua while inspiring my own community to live life in service to others.

You can learn more about my project here: http://bit.ly/tiffnicaragua2013

More updates soon!

With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's

Hungry for Comfort

Carne asada french fries. Freshly baked mac and cheese. Chocolate covered pretzels. These foods, paired with the comfort of my faith, family, and friends, can generally help me overcome just about anything.

Those close to me know that I somehow end up in charge of a lot of things. I'm a control freak. Just kidding. But really, it's not necessarily by position, but I always choose to be a leader; I choose to take responsibility for the well-being of those around me. Whether it's spearheading a project, or  simply recommending an awesome restaurant, ensuring that others have a positive experience has always been a priority of mine. 
 

And as a leader, when a bad situation unfolds "on your watch," no matter the circumstances, you can't help but feel partially responsible. In seeking comfort, I am often reminded that hindsight is 20/20; the shoulda-woulda-couldas are always clear upon reassessment and the only thing to do is move forward. 

But you know what? I'm tired of it. I'm sick of reactive action. I'm sick of the conversations and remedies that only occur as a result of trauma. To start creating pure, positive change, we need to stop letting good work be tainted by the bad situation that prompted it. Our paradigm needs to shift, making kindness and compassion a lifestyle, not just a tool used to fix problems. 

This brings me back to those carne asada french fries -- what are we seeking when we turn to comfort food?
- Familiarity
- Warmth
- Control
- Security
- Gratification.
These are the things that are lacking when we're not filled with enough faith, hope, and love.

We were all put on this world for a purpose. I also believe that we were not meant to live in isolation from one another. We're here to connect with and comfort others -- strengthening family and friendships and building strong communities. Make a conscious effort to feed those around you with the living comfort food of familiarity, affirmation, and support:
- call a friend to see how they're doing
- volunteer to help out a neighbor
- take the time to smile and thank your bus driver or waitress.

Your kindness and compassion can go much further than you'd think, making someone even more joyfully full than a personal box of carne asada fries.


With love,

Tiffany R.

Dining at Tiffany's

Banana Nutella "Pizza" and a Free Download

Hello everyone!

After a very hectic February, I'm back with more food and ideas to share! I know it's been quiet Dining here at Tiffany's, but I promise I've been writing a bunch -- just in other places.

One outlet to which I've been contributing my writing is through my Volunteer Internship with Thurman Consulting. My project is to coordinate a free, online teleseminar series covering topics about career and leadership development based on the book How to be a Nonprofit Rockstar. I have the fun role of writing event descriptions and engaging in Twitter conversations at the hashtag #nprockstar. I love the topics since they align with the "Catering Your Success" themed posts on my website.

Aside from my internship, the majority of my free time/energy has been spent completing graduate school applications and writing personal statements. It was honestly a very grueling process, but I learned a lot about myself; in reflecting on my past work and academic experience, I gained inspiration and ideas for moving forward, especially with Dining at Tiffany's.

1. I want to continue "Catering Your Success!"

So by popular request, I'm sharing my template for graduate school application requirements. Click here or on the photo! I hope that you find this helpful as a way to keep track of the many details of completing your applications.

2. I want to feed you! While Dining at Tiffany's is about both the food and the conversation, I want to make sure I'm providing enough food so you don't go hungry ;). I haven't been posting too many recipes because I have been way too busy to test out and perfect complex dishes. In the meantime, I figure I can always share some of the quick ideas I cook up in my kitchen! With that, I'll leave you with a fun dish I created over the weekend. This is a great breakfast or snack option for all you nutella lovers out there. It's also relatively good for you. Enjoy!

Banana Nutella "Pizza"

Ingredients:
- A few slices of flat bread (You can use whole grain pita, naan, etc. I used a freshly baked flat bread from here)
- A couple spoonfuls of Nutella hazelnut spread
- A sliced banana
- A handful of chopped, raw almonds (or any nuts you have on hand)

Instructions:
- Spread nutella onto slices of flat bread. This is your "pizza" sauce. Sprinkle with almonds to add crunch and extra protein!
- Heat in a toaster oven at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes (Real Talk: I cooked mine over 10 minutes because I used the "medium" toast setting, burning some of the Nutella.  When you make it, the Nutella should be a lighter brown, unlike the above picture. Oops.). Basically you want the Nutella to be melty and the bread to be crispy. The almonds get a nice roast as well. Mmm.
- Top with sliced bananas and enjoy immediately. I sure did, with a side of hot coffee (which I drank gallons of in February).


With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's

2013 so Far in 140 Characters or Less

Is it too late to say Happy New Year?

Nonetheless, I hope your 2013 has been great so far! I've been too busy to update my website this year, but here is a trail of Tweets to retrace my January.. I've only had time to create content that's 140 characters or less, in between:

1. Applying to grad school:

2. Starting a volunteer internship with a consultant that works across the country:



 I started serving as a Volunteer Intern for Rosetta Thurman, author of the book How to Be a Nonprofit Rockstar and it's been great! We've created a new teleseminar series on career and leadership development and I've learned tons already about consulting. More on this later. Check it out!

3. Doing my best to contribute to positive change:



In short, Taco Bell put out an ad that indirectly disparaged vegetables, and people who are promoters (and practicers as much as possible) of healthy eating (like me!) were not pleased. So based on a campaign initiated by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), nutrition advocates across America Tweeted like angry birds @TacoBell.

The cool thing is, they actually responded:



You can read some of the coverage here on Forbes. I don't read too much Forbes (maybe because I am a nonprofit professional?), but I was pretty surprised that they had such a strong opinion:

Forbes say "Taco Bell Will Win Super Bowl XLVII."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/juliabricklin/2013/01/29/taco-bell-will-win-super-bowl-xlvii/ 

They make a good point in that Taco Bell did not intend to diss vegetables, but the article quickly unraveled into something that made my stomach feel worse than if I had eaten that 12-pack of tacos.

While I agree that Taco Bell should be commended for being the bigger person and taking down the ad, I am disturbed that the writer goes on to criticize CSPI for addressing the ad at all.

"There is nothing about football or Super Bowl Sunday that is meant to be a teachable moment."

Not a teachable moment?!

Okay, when just about $133,333.00 per SECOND is spent on Super Bowl advertising (oh you know, about twice the amount that most American households earn in a year), we very well SHOULD be  learning something from the Super Bowl and its advertising.

When watching commercials, we should always ask the question: "Where does America put its money?"

"Where its mouth is," of course! Unfortunately, America's mouth is not only promoting and subsidizing really unhealthy obesity/diabetes/heart disease-inducing junk food,  but is also subtly hinting that we should hate on people that provide or prefer healthier options.

The funny thing is, I think Taco Bell tastes good. It was my favorite fast food as a kid -- in fact, one time on a long drive my older sister covered my eyes as we drove past a Taco Bell and I CRIED. True story (no she's not that mean anymore, haha).

I personally have avoided Taco Bell since college because my body no longer embraces greasy junk food; at the same time I also think that people will eat and advertise what they choose. But companies like Taco Bell that have a lot of money and thus a powerful media voice need to be careful about the messages that they might spread in an already overweight and heart-disease ridden country.

For now, I'll continue to produce yummy, healthy food alternatives from my kitchen and here on Dining at Tiffany's, and of course continue supporting communities like CSPI that contribute to the improvement of our country's well-being.

See you in February!


With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's
Facebook.com/diningattiffanys
Twitter: @diningattiffs (Same for Instagram, too!)

A Bel8ted Christmas & Tapas!

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas this year! First I will address the elephant in the room: YES, I was 4 days short of the 12 Days of Gift Ideas. In my defense, Day 6, 7, and 8 had a total of 21 items, so technically I gave you double the amount I promised. ;)

To make it up, here are some recipes that you can use for a New Year's Party, or for any potlucks and get-togethers left in 2012.

I made these for my family's Christmas potluck and they were a hit! In fact, those on the right were gobbled up within 10 minutes of saying "grace!"

Many of my relatives asked me, "Tiff what are those?" I replied with, "Spanish Tapas!" These are basically small appetizers or dishes that are full of flavor. Traditionally, they are served with drinks to keep good times and conversation flowing. For our purposes, they served as fun appetizers and snacks throughout the party. Tapas are always so delicious because they are full of rich flavors and fresh ingredients, so consider preparing them for your next party or even just a night in with close friends!

I came up with this one on my own. The star of these tapas are proscuitto, which is a cured ham sliced very thinly. You can find this in the deli section of the market, just ask the butcher! I chose ingredients that complement its flavor and add a festive touch. Arugula is a leafy green similar to spinach that has a peppery taste to it. You can find prepared packages at Trader Joe's and most salad shelves. 

Tiffany's Proscuitto Tapas: 

Ingredients: 

- 1 5 oz. package proscuitto

- 2 packages (about 60 pieces) mini whole wheat toasts

- 1/8 or so cup fig butter (available at Trader Joe's)

- 1/8 or so cup cream cheese (I found a fig + walnut cream cheese that worked perfectly)

- 1/2 or so cup arugula 

Instructions:

- Chop proscuitto into small pieces. Stack all pieces of proscuitto in the package and roll it up into a long log  (also known as hot dog style?). Chop into 1 centimeter-wide ribbons. As you assemble the tapas, you can pull apart the ribbons to get relatively event pieces 

- Prepare other ingredients. Open the package of toast, Make sure the arugula is washed, and get a butter knife ready for the fig butter and cream cheese.  It would be good to get some help with this too!  

- In assembly line style, add a tiny bit of fig butter onto the toast, then flatten a piece or two of arugula onto the toast, using the fig butter as adhesive. Quickly put a pat of the cream cheese onto the arugula to seal it onto the toast. Finally, top with a piece of the proscuitto ribbons that you cut earlier. Serve on a pretty platter. These are pretty stackable, but take caution when transporting. 

With the leftovers, you can throw together a salad of arugula -- just add cheese, proscuitto (if any), and fig butter (thinned out by mixing with just a bit of oil and/or red wine vinegar)! Leftover mini-toasts make perfect croutons! 

Anchovy, Aioli, and Red Pepper Tapas

http://www.answersencroute.com/2012/12/crostini-with-marinated-white-anchovies.html

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I found it via foodgawker.com. Check out the link! These were very time intensive (as homemade mayonnaise always is), but VERY worth it! The flavors from each component were very rich, but melted together with a satisfying harmony. This recipe worked especially well with my Filipino family because the anchovy was reminiscent of smoked fish delicacies like tinapa  & dilis. 

This might just be the last post of 2012. I have really exciting things in store for 2013. If you're reading this right now, know that I write for you, in hopes to share joy through food and more. Thank you so much for stopping by! 

With love,

Tiffany R.

Dining at Tiffany's