During these hot summer days, there’s nothing quite as refreshing as a nice chilled coffee beverage. Blended or iced, it just hits the spot when you’re trying to cool off. Recently Coffee Bean has launched their new Non-Fat Yogurt Ice Blended drink for the summer.

And being the lovingly generous people that we are, we’ve decided to give away four gift certificates, worth $40 each, to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

We asked you to leave your favorite joke below and the winners have been picked. Congratulations to….

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I remember back in olden times when a trip to the mall was just that: a shopping trip to the mall. Cruise through the department stores, stop by the specialty shops and threaten violence against the guy on the hand lotion cart. But with the advent of lifestyle centers offering everything from movie theaters and sit-down restaurants to the more traditional specialty shops and boutiques, a trip to the mall is not a simple outing. It is work and work requires sustenance, which is why we’ve created this multi-part series devoted to the best mall eats in town.

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Mmm, coffee. Can’t function in normal society without it. Steaming hot and aromatic, it’s all good. Does your morning fix last throughout the afternoon? Do you long for the day that your upper of choice becomes intravenous (still talking coffee, here)?

In other words: do you wish you knew how to to quit it?

Starbucks wishes you wouldn’t, so much in fact that they’re offering a sweet nationwide deal for you java-jonesers. Having priced their almost-$4.00 grande iced beverages for a measly $2.00 every day after 2:00 pm means that you can start putting funds towards the more important things - like food, gas, and rent. Or more coffee. All you need is a same-day receipt verifying your morning purchase.

How thoughtful is that?

Story via CNN.com | AP Photo by miss karen

There’s nothing more pleasant than a nice brisk and refreshing cocktail on a warm summer afternoon to help you cool off and unwind. And with the Monday blues still lingering, I thought I’d share this fantastic recipe for a rosemary-infused cocktail!

First off, you need to start with some Rosemary Simple Syrup (or alternatively you can use the even more delicious-sounding Lemon Verbena Simple Syrup). Apartment Therapy’s The Kitchn has a very simple instructions on how to make both the Rosemary and the Lemon Verbena.

From there, it’s even easier.

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Sometimes you just need a great bowl of pasta; whether you’re having dinner guests or just cooking for yourself, there are nights when that hearty strainer full o’ carbs just beckons!

This recipe is my own take on some dishes I’ve enjoyed in Italian restaurants, like Cafe Ugo in Culver City, for instance, where their Rigatoni ala Sorentina blends spicy tomato sauce and smoked mozzarella, with mouth-watering results.

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I must admit to wanting a piece of the occasional chain-style establishment - Mimi’s Cafe for its bread basket and french onion soup; the Hard Rock Cafe for its memorabilia; BJ’s Brewery for its Berry Burst Cider - but after an estimated million and one trips to New York (Brooklyn - Williamsburg, Greenpoint - and East Village) I’ve grown fond of the local establishment that exudes a neutral vibe with consistent quality. I’ve been really fortunate to find restaurants in the Valley serving up Indian, Chinese, and Mexican cuisine that seem to operate under the same ideals, but pizza is a whole ‘nother animal. You’ve got your Papa John’s, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar, all of which don’t claim to be anything other than what they are. Refreshingly so. Then you’ve got supposed New York pizzerias who make you wish they would just not shame New York by abusing the description. I mean, even Taco Bell allows enough fine print to acknowledge that their food is “Mexican-inspired”.

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DANCE

• Belly Dance and Brazilian Samba Dance Classes | Monday, August 4, 2008 | $16.00 | 7:00 pm | International Dance Academy Hollywood - Map | These twice-weekly classes will be held throughout the month of August - belly dancing at 7:00, and samba at 8:00 - under the instruction of Patricia Prata. I have seen her perform, rather effortlessly, in fact. Undoubtedly it will be fun and and a great stress reliever, but if solely for the purpose of doing it right, she is the one to learn from. For more info, call (323) 463-8865.

MUSIC

• Warpaint | Monday, August 4, 2008 | 9:00 pm | Free | Spaceland - Map | Taking over Mondays in August at Spaceland is Warpaint. Take a sample of their music here, a cover-inspired ditty that’s just plain angelic and pseudo-folksy with traces of Karen Oh and Meg White, and - rather appropriately - with a little less edge. For more info, call (323) 661-4380.

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The Huntington Beach Farmers Market
Fridays, noon - 5pm
The Huntington Beach Pier Plaza
Parking Lot, off PCH and Main Street

Yes, I know, Huntington Beach is not technically in LA but in Orange County. But, its only a touch south of the Orange Curtain, not a far jaunt off of the 405, and is home to one of the few farmers markets where you will be socially accepted even with no clothes on.

Huntington Beach’s farmers market and adjoining craft fair is not near the beach, it is on it, giving it a lot of Friday afternoon foot traffic from beach-goers and tourists. It sits at the end of Main Street, a crowded thoroughfare of pedestrians, loiterers and shoppers. Main Street is known for its surf shops, restaurants, and bars, and you could do worse on a day off than to hit the beach, buy some tomatoes, then gawk at the locals from the patio of some relaxed eatery.\ [ Read The Full Story -> ]

Sometimes you just gotta say ‘To hell with LA, I’m going to San Francisco.’ That’s what I did this weekend and I know, I know, this really has nothing to do with food any more local then your own computer screen, but what I found was just too amazing to leave alongside my heart.

Miette (French for “crumb”) is a French pastry shop located at the indoor farmer’s market in the Ferry Plaza and I simply stumbled across their darling little storefront while waiting for my sister. Seriously people. Words do not describe.

All I can attempt to say is when I took a bite out of their French macarons (Rose Geranium and Chocolate) I gave birth to every single pastry shop that every existed in Paris, fused them all together with pure sex, married the fusion and then took it on a honeymoon to god’s bedroom.

Though they are only a small San Francisco company, they deliver their macarons via their website. Hey, that means you can bring them TO LA! Problem solved.  Even so, a trip to San Francsico would not be out of order. Just get them in your mouth.

This weekend The Wine House in West LA will be hosting its Super Summer Clearance Sale. Saturday from 10-7 and Sunday from 10-6, over 750+ wines will be marked 30%-50% off. The website claims that the deals are too good to post, and no telephone or internet orders will be accepted. 2311 Cotner Avenue, Los Angeles, 800.626.9463

DailyCandy LA suggests taking up canning with the Fallen Fruit collective. Fallen Fruit began as an art project that grew into an organization dedicated to locating fruit trees on public property and posting the maps online for all to view and benefit from. This weekend’s event in Echo Park will focus on the basics of making your own jams and jellies - bring your own fruit, bring your own jars. Machine Project, 1200d N. Alvarado St., b/t W. Sunset Blvd. & Reservoir St., Echo Park 213.483.8761

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Twelve months on and still baking strong, Lark Cake Shop in Silver Lake has built a strong reputation and loyal following since its inception one year ago. Customers are drawn to the spacious and sun bright lounge and the huge candy blue wall showcasing sweet treats and cake paraphernalia. Dainty, dare I say it; non-American-mega-size cup cakes line the display case. Try the carrot cake made with fresh carrots or the lemon white chocolate cup cake, a melt-in-the-mouth white cake sponge with lemon curd filling and white chocolate Italian butter cream icing. The presentation is a bit rough around the edges but the cakes are delicious. 3337 W. Sunset Blvd. (323-667-2968; larkcakeshop.com).

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The time has come! LA is banishing fast-food! Well trying to. Recently we posted a video about the overwhelming obesity rate of this country and our city. Los Angeles is supposed to be the home of anorexics and yet over 30% of our population is obese. All the diets in the world won’t help when the fastest, easiest, and more addictive way to eat is at almost every single corner. Fast-food chains pack their food full of trans fat, sugars, starch, and sodium. After eating them it sends your body into shock making you feel like you need more just to balance itself out. The truth is you can get all the yummy tasting food from other places without all the harmful ingredients. Children are being raised to think that they can have Burger King for breakfast, Taco Bell for lunch, and MacDonald’s for dinner and not pay the price.

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