Review: Good Stuff

After practice with my triathlon team on Saturday morning, we all had brunch at Good Stuff. This place is a local institution, located on The Strand in Hermosa Beach. I'd never been because I rarely go to the South Bay... but I must admit, it was a cool restaurant with a very beachy, bright, laidback SoCal vibe. There were many delicious options on the menu, but I opted for breakfast. Although it was only 10 AM, we had just done a 60-minute speed training run, so I was starving and ready for my second breakfast of the day. I ordered the California Quesadilla: "scrambled eggs with applewood honey bacon, avocado, mushrooms, tomatoes and jack cheese, folded in a flour tortilla, garnished with pico de gallo and sour cream, served with fresh fruit." It really hit the spot - it was an enormous portion that was both savory and sweet. Amy ordered the Good Stuff Breakfast, which came with two eggs, two pieces of sausage, juice, and two whole wheat pancakes. Yum.

So if you're ever in the South Bay for breakfast or brunch, Good Stuff is a great option.

Classic cookies

My favorite cookies recipe is the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. It is a tried and true classic, always a crowd pleaser. I made a batch yesterday for my friend Prairie's party/fundraiser for Team In Training/LLS. I ended up using four different kinds of chips because I didn't have 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I think I used about 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips, and 1 cup of peanut butter and milk chocolate chips. This random chip mixture turned out to be very tasty!

A few of my tips for this recipe:

-Use margarine instead of butter. I find it makes the cookies softer, lighter, and more delicious.

-Use coarse Kosher salt instead of regular table salt.

-Use organic sugar and brown sugar - it really tastes better.

-Leave out the nuts.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts