Best Mango EVER - Ataulfo (Mango from Mexico)

Kavita, Rebecca, and I had free samples of this really smooth, sweet mango at Pike Place in Seattle, and we all fell in love.  Buttery smooth (almost melts in your mouth, which is an odd thing to say about fruit, but it works!) and more flavorful than regular mangos you typically find in grocery stores.  They also lack the weird fibers other mangos have.  Anyway, if you see these little mangos in the store, TRY THEM.  They were on sale at Vons for like $1 for 2.  AWESOME.

Fresno Obon 2013

In a nutshell, obon or bon odori is a special annual Japanese American celebration of the lives of those who have passed away in the past year.  It's a very happy event with lots of food, simple choreographed dancing, and carnival games for little kids and sometimes adults (e.g., bake walk).  One thing I love about the Fresno Obon is that the food is delicious and they experiment with new things every year while keeping the favorites (e.g., somen, koroke, shave ice).  Last year they added grilled fried rice balls and continued that this year, and this year they added more options to the hot dog menu, Hawaiian sliders (they might have had that before), and furikake fries.  Each Japanese Buddhist (Jodo-Shinshu) temple typically has an obon each summer, so track down your nearest one!

See pictures from previous obons here:
Fresno Obon 2008
San Francisco Obon 2008
San Jose Obon 2010
Orange County Buddhist Church (OCBC) 2009
More OCBC Obon 2009
Parlier Obon 2009

Here is a list of this year's obons.

Koroke = Croquettes - basically a fried ball of meat & potatoes. One of my obon favorites.

 

Koroke, koroke sauce, & Fuji Apple sake (so good...)

Spam musubi

See pictures below for how you are apparently supposed to eat somen (dipping it into the juice/sauce instead)

 

I heard the furikake fries were good, but they ran out before I could get them!

I had the "R U Korean" and had the smelliest breath for awhile.

Chocolate Ice Cream + Apple Pie Ice Cream @ Fresno State Gibson Farm Market

Fresno State Gibson Farm Market
5368 N. Chestnut Ave
Fresno, CA 93710

Head over to Fresno State Gibson Farm Market for some awesome ice cream.  Fresno State students process and develop all products at the Farm Market!

A slightly odd combination...but I liked both flavors, so I figured if it didn't clash too much it would be OK, and I was happy.  Michelle and I eat got a double scoop cup of 2 different flavors.  These 2 scoops are HUGE!  We did not finish them despite the fact that we are total fatties.  We're the kind of people who go to the grocery store 20 minutes before it closes (midnight) to buy a tub of ice cream just because we feel like it.  Haha  Know what else is good?  Fresno State's Cookies 'n' Cream!!!!

Cuban Coffee Cupcake From Sprinkles

Perfection.  I never expect anything less from Sprinkles (go here for more Sprinkles cupcakes).  It tasted like real coffee without being overpowering, it wasn't too sweet, and it was mooooist! Here is the official Sprinkles description of this Cuban Coffee Cupcake:

"This Belgian light chocolate cake is topped with powerful dark roast coffee frosting and subtle notes of cinnamon and cocoa. Just add a glass of milk to turn your café cubano into a cafecito!"

The only thing I don't like about Sprinkles is that nipple on top.  It tastes/feels like hard plastic so I just don't eat it.  I feel like I'm eating a toy.