Dumpling Skins Through Thick and Thin

Lisa and I didn’t get together this morning to practice our pageant speeches…

…nor to attend an 80′s Flashdance Tribute…

…we were celebrating the 1-year Anniversary of our blog, Thick Dumpling Skin!!!

Every month, Foodbuzz features 24 blogger meals around the globe over 24 hours. When I found out I was chosen for January’s 24×24 I decided to throw a TDS birthday party at Bao Dim Sum House.

I consulted with Howard (the General Manager) all week for a dumpling feast…

…loved the variety on their menu – a true reflection of what TDS is about – our diversity and uniqueness!

We had Chicken Potstickers…

…Shrimp and Pork Shumai…

…Shrimp Har Gow…

…Pork Soup dumplings…

…Mixed Veggies…

…Mushroom…

…and Crispy Crab balls:

Those came with a sweet, sticky sauce – I used some, but mostly dipped my bites in a mustard/chili/soy/vinegar mixture

Aside from the various dumplings, we also ate our veggies – String Beans…

…Pea Shoots…

…Baby Bok Choy…

…and Chinese Broccoli

It was A LOT of food!

Here’s everything that I inhaled…

…then I made a little speech before our “birthday cake.”

Milk Buns…

…and Egg Tarts

As we say on “Thick Dumpling Skin,” it’s what’s on the inside that counts – this creamy filling was phenomenal!

I enjoyed several bites of dessert:

Stuffed as dumplings, we headed outside for pictures…

(Got a little distracted)

…cheers, Thick Dumpling Skin! We hope you keep growing and growing.

January 27th

Before I started blogging, I never paid attention to the importance of certain dates…

…like National Chocolate Cake Day!!!

Celebrated early Friday morning with a double decker.

The weather in Los Angeles has been glorious…

…I took my afternoon melon + miso outdoors:

For dinner Abe and I split a Paleta meal…

…bulked up by roasted broccoli

Brussels Sprouts with shallots…

…Acorn squash stuffed with couscous/nuts/dried fruit…

…delicious – even the skin – which is high in fiber (and will keep you regular)!

Speaking of which, why in the world would you call your candy “Drops?”

Especially when you’re a chocolate company?!?

Still, that shit was good.

Sorry for ending this post with a little toilet humor…but yesterday was also Thomas Crapper Day!

Wax On, Wax Off

Well, well, well. My baking mystery has been solved – apparently wax paper should NOT be used in the oven – and is probably why my smoke alarm kept going off! The crumbles I had saved back home wound up getting tossed, but the safe versions that I brought to book club last night were a big hit!

Fit in nicely with all its other snack friends:

I focused on the crackers…

…veggies…

…chips n salsa…

…TJ’s cheesy tarts (this is my second time having these and I’ve still never seen them at the store, so I’m not quite sure what they really are)

My two (mostly savory) bowls…

…and then came the sweets!

Look for a review on Shari’s Berries in an upcoming Dessert Darling Review…

…that’s who hosted/organized the Book Club – this is her 3rd year!!!

We actually didn’t end up talking much about the book – funny, because that’s what also happened in “Nice Girl’s Crew” (we just got a lovely shootout on SheWired!)

Mostly we mingled…

…and chilled with the pups…

…surprisingly, there wasn’t a ton of candy either. Just these two bags:

True to the title of the book, I was the one who volunteered to take these them home. Such a candy freak.