Wasabi-nouncement: Shameless Self Promotion Time

'Twas the eve of a three day weekend and all through the 'burbs, not a creature was stirring... just a Wasabi trying to come up with catchy shameless self-promotional blurbs. Yeah, kind of rhymes... not really. Well, kids, you know what time it is... time for me to say how totally AWE-some I am, but in a please-dear-Lord-don't-take-me-serious kind of way. But I hope it inspires you to pick up some new reading material or potential gifts during your upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

Cocktail and dessert, all in one - Photo by Wasabi Prime, magazine now online/newsstands

Nothing says bathing suit season like... rich creamy banana-rum-coconut bread pudding and crispy, salty French Fries! I had the very rough gig of coming up with some favorite Eastside French Fry spots for the latest issue of 425 Magazine and for the island theme of the current printed and online issue of Drink Me magazine, I did a rum-soaked banana bread pudding, using coconut milk instead of dairy. I'm clearly the queen of health food. But seriously, these were probably some of my most favorite assignments to date. I'm the sick puppy who after watching Morgan Spurlock's Supersize Me, about eating nothing but McDonalds food for a month, I still wanted fries afterwards. A fry-a-holic like me, tracking down favorite fries was like my Leaving Las Vegas moment. Viva! The rum-drunk bread pudding (don't worry, the alcohol burns off) was a real treat to make, and reminded me to always keep cans of coconut milk stocked in the pantry at all times, as it's such a great dairy swap-out for desserts. Do check out the recipe online, or better yet, subscribe to Drink Me and get a really well done cocktail magazine in your mailbox every two months.

Mmm... taters - Photo by Wasabi Prime

My other LOOK AT ME achievement is all a part of my calculated Machiavellian plan to overthrow the greeting card industry. OK, not so much. It's more like a side hobby that I do in the rare moments of spare time -- I make my own greeting cards. They're usually given as little presents, but sometimes I'm very lucky and they get sold as real gosh-darn products, like the kind souls at Lily, on Orcas Island.  Right now, there's a stack of these totes-adorbs Bento Notecards just waiting for someone like you to pick up and give to your Spam Musubi-loving friends. Because who doesn't want anthropomorphized Hawaiian comfort food smiling at you with kind sayings? They're pretty weird and cute, no? Who wants a generic warm n' fuzzy 'hello' when you can say it with a smiling wonton sitting on saimin? My thoughts exactly. So when you're on your three-day weekend jaunt to Orcas Isle, head over to Lily for ice cream, snacks and smiling food notecards. And head upstairs to book a reservation at Allium and help 'em celebrate their 1st year anniversary -- Happy Birthday, Allium!!

Write a note. Your mom will be happy - Photo by Wasabi Prime

I joke around a lot, but I really and truly am grateful for all these opportunities to do what I enjoy -- which is a little bit o' everything -- as a means to eke out a living. And while I'm not in love with the self-promotional aspect, I get that it's just part of being one's own boss, so I appreciate your patience with these periodic LOOK AT ME! posts and hope that if nothing else, it gives you some ideas over what to pick out on the newsstands or in stores. As always, much thanks to everyone -- to you, the Awesomesauce readers, the people who are letting me run rampant in the publishing world and the folks letting me take up space on their shelves. And a BIG THANKS to the men and women serving in our armed forces, as well as veterans -- we would not be able to enjoy this three day weekend without your honor and sacrifice.