Menchie's - Culver City

You say Menchie's, I say Munchies. In the battle for the Frozen Yogurt market in Los Angeles, "Menchie's" has come out a winner for a lot of reasons.

First of all, this place is any Stoner's paradise. When other stores will offer you a free sample of your choice, Menchie's lets you pick up as many miniature sampling cups as you desire and you could technically "taste" every flavor there and fill up with frozen yogurt for free if you're not inclined to add toppings. But if you're still hungry after giving every flavor a proper try, gaze at the incredible variety of toppings they offer from fruits to peanut butter cups and grated coconut, and start making you own "Best frozen yogurt" ever (Try not to eat too many topping because I'm not sure you're really allowed to "sample" them. Even if you don't want to eat any yogurt because of your intolerance to lactose, you can still hit the toppings bar and fill your cup with some delicious treats and a variety of chocolate.

Now the sugar rush is not the only thing that's appealing to the average stoner: The pretty vivid colors in the store and the smooth colorful plastic spoons that we get to keep as a weird souvenir of our foggy trip to the ice-cream parlor all enhance this childish but rejuvenating experience.

You say Menchie's, I say: "Let's roll one so I can try to fill my cup with as many toppings as I possibly can and still manage to finish it all".

In other words: Menchie's is where we all hope we end up after we die. After meeting at the crossroads, maybe we should hit up the "Menchie's" by the heaven's gate....Duuuude!

http://www.Menchies.com

The summer of smores

Summer is the time we all like to go camping for a weekend, to get away from the city, breathe some fresh air and roast some marshmallows. After the tent is pitched and the fire started, there is nothing like gathering around the warm fire with a beer and some smores.

Trying to roast a marshmallow to perfection is a skill and not setting it on fire is always a challenge, but taking care of your munchies with the most devilish treat is always a great way to spend some time outdoor.

However, when the fun is over and you have to drive back to reality, smores can still be enjoyed indoor with the leftovers from the trip. They make a great last minute dessert and are easy to bake in the oven. Just prepare your sandwich, throw it in the preheated oven at 375 degrees, wait 10 minutes, and grab yourself the drink of choice that will help you chase down the sugary cement.

You will still make a mess at home and you better be ready to lick caramelized sugar off your fingers and be equipped with a lot of napkins, but every bite is worth the trouble and this sinful "sandwich" never disappoints.

You can see and buy some "Smores" pictures on my Istockphoto portfolio and I invite you to take a look at my "Food and Drinks" lightbox.

My new favorite Chocolate

Opening the mailbox isn't what it used to be.A decade ago we were still eager to open it in the hope of finding a letter from a lover or a Christmas bonus from the grandparents. It was always an exciting experience, filled with colorful stamps, scented paper and creative writing. It often came as a surprise and was a thoughtful gesture. Now, I have to dig through the massive amounts of coupons and advertising to get a hold of the bills that are overdue because....I never open my mail. We get e-cards, texts and emails for Christmas where dozens of other friends can be attached in the same message at the same time. Last week though, I received a package from my awesome friend in Switzerland who mailed me back the sunglasses I had left at her place. Since it was Christmas time, she even sent me some chocolate covered marshmallows two tablets of some of the most amazing chocolate I had ever had. The chocolate was filled with chocolate mousse inside and it had pieces of Hazelnut. It was like a fancy schoko-bon!...I did however sit on my favorite pair of sunglasses and broke them...but the chocolate made me forget all about it.

Pocky Time

After cleaning my apartment and celebrating this endeavor with a perfectly rolled spliff. I decided to open the second box of Pocky sticks that my friend from work gave me. The regular pocky sticks are good but these ones had a thicker layer of chocolate and the dark chocolate swirl around it gives it a nice texture. It's still crunchy but with more chocolate with every bite. I think I have to go stock up on these.