Happy mother’s day!

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” -Virginia Woolf

Last night I had a brilliant plan to make my mom banana walnut muffins.  I found a Rachael Ray recipe, which had raisins that I did not intend to include.I knew my mom would like it because she’s an avid fan of walnuts, and I know that she’s made banana nut bread before.

Then… a problem.  Woke up this morning to realize that I hadn’t finished reading the ingredient list, which had listed “whole milk yogurt.”  I had just read the “whole milk” part.  Oops!  Oh well… my cooking philosophy is that you’re allowed a flop per new recipe.  :-)

What was a girl to do?  Okay, so I search for another recipe to figure out what the heck I could do to compensate (or salvage) the batter at this point.  I found a Tyler Florence recipe that was a bit different from the first recipe, but I managed to figure out something.

The result?  Meh.  It basically ended up being my own recipe, and it was okay.  I think I might give brown sugar a shot next time instead of the regular granulated sugar.  Whenever I perfect the recipe, I’ll be sure to post it here

What are you doing for Mother’s Day?

Until next time…

“My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.” -Orson Welles

Gosh!  It’s been a while, hasn’t it?  Well, I’m in my final stretch of college.  Hopefully once graduation is over, I’ll be able to concentrate more.

In the mean time, follow me on Twitter =)  Thanks, y’all!
-Leslie

Stay (awake) just a little bit longer

“For the millions of us who live glued to computer keyboards at work and TV monitors at home, food may be more than entertainment. It may be the only sensual experience left.” -Barbara Ehrenreich

It is the end of the semester at school, and everything is coming to a close: the reason for my absence.  Unfortunately, I am taking this course, which is an 8am-er.  This class has the potential to be very interesting, but considering the time of day, that is just not the case.  So I’m sitting here drinking a Coke Zero (Diet Coke was sold out) to keep my eyes from fluttering.

What keeps you awake when you need to be the most?

“Coffee” for kids

“Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.” -Alex Levine

Erin go braugh!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone =)  What are your Irish plans for today? Are you Irish or not? Just remember, anyone and everyone celebrates St. Pat’s! Just remember to wear your green or you’ll get pinched

Tonight it shall be corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, and (for me) Black & Tan, which is 1/2 Guinness and 1/2 Harp and all good.

Last night I needed some R&R.  Spring break is coming so I cannot wait!  Before bed I had a kid-friendly “coffee” that my mom used to make when my brother and I were kids.  To check out the story and the recipe, go to my recipes page or click here.

Remember… are you on Twitter?  Follow me.

A little birdie told me…

“I didn’t fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.” –anonymous

I’ll be back later today for a true update, but for now… follow me on Twitter!

Tweet on, y’all!
-Leslie

Coffee & orchids

“That’s something I’ve noticed about food: whenever there’s a crisis if you can get people to eating normally things get better.” -Madeleine L’Engle

Hey everyone! Yes, It’s been a long time. That’s the thing about school, you definitely get wrapped up in it!

This morning I got to campus and realized that I had left my breakfast, lunch, AND snack at home. Great. I can imagine what it must be like… my poor, delicious (salmonella-free) PBJ with my handfuls of crunchy Cheerios just lying on the counter… sad and all alone. Me… starving.

I’m walking onto the campus when it is a chilling 17 degrees outside trying to adjust to the situation. I remember the smell of Enchanted Orchid… the perfume I bought yesterday from Bath & Body Works.

It puts me in a good mood so I venture to try something new. This is something that I hadn’t tried before… It seemed sketchy to me, but as they say, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

It’s 17 degrees outside remember… What can I do? The economy (as you all know) is in a wonderful state (note: sarcasm) so the idea of Starbucks is a bit disturbing for my college-budgeted wallet. So… I head over to McDonald’s.

Yes. I bought McDonald’s Premium Roast coffee. How do I feel about it? Not sure… It’s a step-up from Folger’s (almost) with a slight essence of cigarette ash tray to it. Like I said… I’m desperate for something to keep me warm.

It’s time for class! i’ll check-in with y’all later.

Holiday Treats

“Forget love.  I’d rather fall in chocolate.” -anonymous

I hope everyone has had a fantastic past few days (Hannukah, Christmas, etc.)! The day after Christmas is usually time to relax after a long day of celebration. Food was amazing (as always). On my mom’s side, ham is always the meat we have for Christmas, and pork is usually the main course on my dad’s side. As always, I prefer the food on my mom’s side… We know what everyone’s strengeths are so we have them bring a dish based on their talent. My Aunt Debby always makes this awesome 7-layer salad. Aunt Jan makes amazing potato salad (and potato dishes in general). I’ll have to get her recipe and share it with y’all!

My mom is the dessert and coffee queen of the family. This year we made a French chocolate cake, lemon bars, toffee, peppermint bark, and classic chocolate chip cookies. Years ago I bought this French cookbook from Borders Books. If you have ever cooked French-style, you know that it can be a tad difficult! This gâteau au chocolat is dense and moist and may get confused with a brownie. (I’ll post that recipe soon!)

The peppermint bark was so simple. You’ll need about 3/4 cup of crushed candy canes and a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or any type of chocolate you want).

 1] Put the peppermints into a plastic sandwich bag and crush with a rolling pin or mug.  The pieces of crushed peppermint don’t all have to be the same size.  You can have small and medium-sized pieces.  (There will be some powder, but that’s okay.)  Set aside.
2] Get a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or any kind you want) and melt them in a double boiler.  Stir constantly until the chips are smooth.
3] Once melted, remove the bowl from the double boiler and place in the center of a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Spread with a rubber spatula into an even layer.  You can form it into a square or rectangular shape (depending on how thick you want the bark to be).
4] With a sieve, shake powdered peppermint over the bark.
 5] Once the powdered peppermint has been spread, remove the bits of crushed peppermint and  spread over the bark.
6] Allow the peppermint bark to dry for a couple hours at room temperature.  Place the peppermint bark in the fridge overnight.
7] Cut and serve the peppermint bark however you want!

For the chocolate chip cookies, I actually used Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix.  All you need is a stick of butter (softened) and one egg.  Everyone absolutely loves these cookies!  I like to add a few more chocolate chips.  For two whole cookie sheets, use a teaspoon to help you measure out the cookies.  More cookies for everyone!

The lemon bars were not too shabby.  IT’s definitely best if you make them a day (or two) before so the flavors can blend better.  I’ll post that recipe ASAP!

I love the smell of caffeine in the morning

“Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with.” -Drew Sirtors

It seems that many of my readers are interested in re-creating some of their favorite coffeehouse drinks. Although I cannot give the exact recipes, I’ll give tips on how to get them as close to the real deal. I help you make a simple mocha sauce and whipped cream, and how to blend it all together to make a fantastic mocha.

Click here to check out these tips and recipes.

Updates

“There is no such thing as a little garlic.” -A. Baer

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have updated my recipes page!  The layout is a tad different, and I have added a few more recipes.  Check it out here!

I hope everyone is staying warm!  If you’re fortunate enough to live in a warm climate, count your blessings.  It’s about 20-degrees here today, which is quite a bit warmer than the -8 we had on Monday!

My tea kettle is going off… It’s time for some tea (black tea with one Splenda, splash of milk, and a small lemon wedge).

Take care, y’all!
-Leslie

A weekend in St. Louis

This weekend I came home from school.  The weather has been fantastic!  It definitely does not feel like November, and tonight is Daylight Savings Time.  Oh, how I love getting an extra hour of sleep!

Today, my mom, brother, and I went to Bar Louie in Kirkwood, MO.  (To check out how the experience was, check it out under “Restaurant Reviews” and look for “St. Louis.”)  Being the coffee gal that I am, we went to Kaldi’s Coffee after dinner.

Surprisingly, I have been on a hot tea kick lately.  Tonight it was an Earl Grey tea with just a touch of fresh lemon juice, splash of nonfat milk, and a Splenda.  Yum-o!  When I drink tea, I feel better afterwards.  It has been said that tea drinkers have a longer-lasting boost of caffeine, as opposed to coffee drinkers.  They typically have a worse “crash” when the caffeine wears off.

It’s time for me to sign off!  Have a great weekend everyone, and enjoy your extra hour of sleep

-Leslie

Monday morning madness

“The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the endearing influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce.” –Oliver Wendell Homes, Sr.

“Looks like someone has a bad case of the Mondays.” If you haven’t seen Office Space, you should. People seem to dread the start of the new work week (or school week in my case), but I try to make a positive beginning.
For the past few weeks, I have begun my week at Kaldi’s Coffee, a Missouri-based coffee roasting company. Since my town practically revolves around my university, every Monday morning they offer a free pastry with any coffee or espresso beverage purchase. What college student would pass up free food? I know I wouldn’t.
Right now, I’m sipping my Highlander Grogg blend and working on notes for political science. (This is going to be one crazy week for politics!) I love starting my week this way, getting up a little earlier and drinking a cup of coffee.
It is somewhat strange that I enjoy getting up early. If you asked me if I enjoyed it in high school, I would have looked at you like you had two heads (mainly because classes started at 7:20 AM). If I want to accomplish everything in my day, it is a necessary evil to wake up early. I am willing to take on the world… just as long as there is coffee.

Have a great start to your week everyone!
–Leslie

Starbucks wants YOU to vote

Has anyone seen the commercial from Starbucks about voting? If you go vote tomorrow, go into Starbucks, and tell them that you voted, you will get a free tall (12-ounce cup) coffee.

Below is the transcript from the commercial:

What if we all cared enough to vote?  Not just 54% of us, but 100% of us?  What if we cared as much on Nov. 5th as we care on Nov. 4th?  What if we cared all of the time the way we care some of the time?  What if we cared when it was inconvenient as much as we care when it’s convenient?  Would your community be a better place?  Would our country be a better place?  Would our world be a better place?  We think so, too.  If you care enough to vote, we care enough to give you a free cup of coffee.  Come into Starbucks on Nov. 4th.  Tell us you voted, and we’ll proudly give you a tall cup of brewed coffee on us.  You & Starbucks.  It’s bigger than coffee.

Okay, if you were not already motivated before to go out and vote, I hope this commercial did.  I am not saying just for the lovely benefit of free coffee, but I feel that this advertisement was quite remarkable and inspirational.  If we all cared…  Wow!  I hope whoever came up with this campaign gets a FAT raise from Howard Schultz.

Vote early and often

“The belly rules the mind.” -Spanish proverb

Did you get to vote today?  I did through absentee ballot since I am away at school (out of my district).  It’s my first time voting in a presidential election, and it is extremely exciting!

Now on to Starbucks… Today at work* we were techinically not supposed to partake in the free-coffee-for-voting deal.  Being a licensed store, we just don’t partake in those promotions since we are owned by the university.  My shift was towards the beginning of the day, and our manager decided, “Hey- let’s give it a shot.”  Bad idea.

Since we are a licensed store and not allowed to partake in this promotion, we were not prepared for the volume of customers that we had (i.e. lack of supplies: cups, lids, coffee, etc.).  We cut off the promotion about 2.5 hours into my shift.  It was a tad slow on “the bar” while we were doing the promotion, and it picked up afterward.

And now, I must head off.  I need to check if I can get a WordPress application for my iPhone so I can update on the go!  Anyone know if one exists?

Take care, y’all!
-Leslie

*I currently work at a Starbucks licensed store on my campus and have worked at a Starbucks corporate store for over a year.
**This post was written yesterday, November 4, 2008. I had difficulty getting it posted, and the date currently posted is incorrect.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

“A bagel is a donut with the sin removed.” -George Rosenbaum

This morning at work was stressful!  Our regular flow of customers was back after election day yesterday.  Students are either on their way to class or on their way out so we are always busy.

On the bright side, it is time to say, “Hello!” to the red holiday cups! I have to say that I L-O-V-E Christmas and the holiday season. The red Starbucks cups show me that Christmas is almost upon us, and it put me in a good mood this morning.

Along with the cups, we also have new promotional drinks. Every year, the Christmas/holiday drinks are typically the following: peppermint mocha, peppermint white mocha, eggnog latte, and gingerbread latte (and of course, the non-coffee versions and blended versions of these drinks).

This year, it is a little different. With the introduction of the Signature Hot Chocolate (a delicious, velvety blend of four chocolates), we began to make the Espresso Truffle, which is the Signature Hot Chocolate and a shot of espresso topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of mocha powder. (There are other variations of the Signature Hot Chocolate, like the Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate, which is divine!)  The SHC variations are rich and packed with calories, and not the best idea for someone on a diet.  Nonetheless, it is an excellent treat.

Now for the Starbucks holiday staples…

1. Peppermint Mocha Twist: This drink was once the Peppermint Mocha, a combination of smooth espresso, mocha sauce and peppermint syrup, steamed milk, topped with whipped cream, and red sprinkles.  This year, the Peppermint Mocha Twist still has the base (sauce & syrup, espresso, milk), but with a new “twist”   The whipped cream is now peppermint flavored and gets topped with dark chocolate curls.  It’s delicious and not overpowering.  It gives the PMT that “Ooh!  Just the right touch” reaction to the first sip.  Yum-o!
2. Peppermint White Mocha Twist: Same deal as above, but with white chocolate sauce instead of the dark chocolate sauce.  This is my favorite holiday treat!
3. Eggnog latte: The recipe for this concoction has not changed.  It is a shot of espresso and an eggnog mixture (a 2 to 1 mixture of eggnog to 2% milk*).  Eggnog latte gets a light layer of foam with a dash of nutmeg.
4. Gingersnap Latte:  Like the Peppermint Mocha Twist, the Gingersnap Latte is building up from its previous version.  Last year, it was known as the Gingerbread Latte, and it consisted of espresso, gingerbread syrup, steamed milk, and whipped cream.  Now with a name change, the Gingerspice Latte remains the same, but it gets topped with crystallized ginger.

My customers always ask me what I think of the holiday drinks, and I am honest with them.  (This is something my former manager, who I love, thought would turn our customers away, but my honesty helped them to select their perfect beverage.)  I cannot stand the eggnog latte, and it just confirms my belief that coffee just does not belong in eggnog.  Although that is not to say that other customers don’t enjoy this beverage.  In fact, some customers wait all year for the eggnog latte to return.

I am interested to know… what is your favorite beverage for the winter months?

Stay warm, y’all!
-Leslie

*The eggnog is mixed with the milk for a good reason.  Steaming a thick liquid like the eggnog is difficult and makes a terrible high-pitched squeal.  Mixing with 2% cuts down on the ear-aching sound and prevents the steam wand from making scrambled eggs in the pitcher.  (Didn’t think you wanted something to chew on with your eggnog latte, right?)

I’m back!

“Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell you what you are.” -Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Hello everyone! I haven’t been able to blog because my delightful, little MacBook has had some work done. Now that I have it, I’ll be sure to post something later today!

Thanks, y’all!
-Leslie

Baby, it’s cold outside

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

It’s starting to get MUCH cooler around here now. It’s been strange having 70-degree weather here when normally it’s 20-30 degrees cooler. (That’s just typical of my state, I guess.)

With the nights getting crisper, winds getting stronger, and the skies darkening, it is time for delicious, warm, comfort food. Last night one of my room mates made a Shrimp & Scallop Lasagna. Talk about delicious! Imagine warm lasagna noodles married with sea scallops and shrimp and a creamy, almost alfredo-like sauce. One thing you should know about me is how I dearly love cheese! This seafood lasagna had romano and parmesan cheese, which tasted fantastic. The sharpness of the romano blended well with the saltiness of the parmesan.

A few menu items I am look forward to this week: Avenue J pizza (courtesy of Sunny Anderson), my very own creamy potato soup with bacon, and shrimp & grits (a recipe created by my room mate).  If you’re interested in any of the other recipes I have talked about today, check out my recipes section!

Stay warm, y’all!

-Leslie

Top Chef tonight!

“There is one thing more exasperating than a wife who can cook and won’t, and that’s a wife who can’t cook and will.”  -Robert Frost

I just wanted to say really quick how excited I am about the premier of the newest season of Top Chef on Bravo tonight!  I’ll be sure to blog about it when it’s over.  Check it out tonight 10/9 c on Bravo.

 

Peace, y’all!
-Leslie

Top Chef Season 5: NYC

“Did you ever stop to taste a carrot?  Not just eat it, but taste it?  You can’t taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a Twinkie.”  -Astrid Alauda

Wednesday night I caught a bit of Bravo’s new season of Top Chef.  I am VERY excited that it is in New York this season.  If you didn’t know, I LOVE New York City!  (I hope to live there someday.)

Thus far I did feel that anyone truly stood out, except for Richard (I think that’s his name) cut his thumb during the first quick-fire challenge.  He kept going!  Thankfully, no one had to eat those apples.  (Yuck!)  Stefan (from Finland) and Fabio (from Italy)… what can I say about those two?  They’re already starting a little trouble with Danny.  I’m guessing those two could be the ones everyone can’t stand.

It’s hard to get a good grip on the show so I will have to wait out the next few weeks.  That’s when I’ll start to know the contestants.  I can’t wait for the challenges!

According to the Baltimore Sun, this season premiere obtained its highest ratings ever.  To read the article, click here.

Take care, y’all!
-Leslie

iPhone update!

Hi everyone!

I downloaded an application for my iPhone so let’s see how this works!

Thanks y’all!
Leslie

One Thanksgiving down…

“Noncooks think it’s silly to invest two hours’ work in two minutes’ enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet.” -Julia Child

All morning I had the strongest craving for an iced tea with lemon.  After I came back from my class, I had changed my mind.  When it’s 20˚ outside, you need a hot beverage to warm you up!  I’ll probably start a pot of coffee soon.  Yum =]

Last Sunday, my closest friends came over, and we had our thanksgiving dinner before break.  Everything was absolutely delicious!  My room mates worked on the turkey, which they covered with bacon.  Mark worked on the stuffing that had apples in it.  I’ll admit that I was hesitant at first, but am I ever glad I tried it!  It was fantastic.  When you bit into an apple piece, you weren’t overwhelmed with a sweet, fruit flavor.  It complemented the sage and sausage very well.

Of course, I made the mashed potatoes, which is my favorite vegetable FYI.  Usually people whip potatoes, but I am old fashioned and like to mash them.  I leave some of the skin on for texture and color.  A trick that I picked up from Food Network: after cutting the potatoes, put them into the pot with water and then allow boil.  This allows the potatoes to cook evenly.

Kristin, my other room mate, made an apple pie and a Reese’s pie.  Both were amazing and make for great leftovers!  I made this dessert that I’ll post photos of later.

With one Thanksgiving down and another two to go (one per family), I am excited and ready!  What’s your favorite dish at Thanksgiving?

 

Thanks, y’all!

-Leslie

Free espresso and puppies

“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.” -Adelle Davis

I have returned home for the week for Thanksgiving after dropping my friend off at the airport.  As I’m sitting here at Starbucks (big surprise, I know), I can’t wait for the week ahead!  No stress (hopefully), but when you work in retail the day after Thanksgiving… well, I’ll let y’all know when that happens.  I’m looking forward to some of my favorite restaurants in town.  (Perhaps I can get my mom to take me =] )

On another note… at a coffee place (It’s A Grind) in my college town, there is a sign that says, “Please mind your children.  If not, we’ll give them a free shot of espresso and a puppy.”  That’s food for thought and something to keep in mind when you go to Starbucks… Not that there are any examples of that currently =]

It’s a slow food day so far, but I’ll be able to spend some time here.  Be sure to come back later today and this week for updates on restaurant reviews!

Much love, y’all!
-Leslie

A very happy thanksgiving

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” -Meister Eckhart

It turns out that I am having a total of FOUR thanksgivings.  (I had one a couple weeks ago with my friends.)  Today I am going over to my aunt’s house.

This time of year, a lot of people stress out over the holidays, but I look back over this year and realize how much I have to be thankful for.  This past Sunday I saw Jason Mraz perform, which I have been wanting to do for years.  He is truly an inspirational person, and he suggested that we all start saying, “Thanks” for all the little things in life.  Like being thankful for being able to wake up every morning.  It is then that we realize that we have so much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my family that I would do anything for and would do anything for me, my friends, good food, being an American =] , having the privilege of going to college and working for the major company that I do.

Stress Eaters Anonymous

“As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists.” -Joan Gussow

Why, hello, everyone!  It sure has been quite a while since I have written a post here!  It’s that time of year… end of the semester, stacks of papers and books to read, countless exams, and insurmountable stress.  But all in all, I find that my stress level is far less this year.  I used to be one of those people who ate tons of food when stressed, but I have improved my relationship with food.  In an article this month for Self magazine, Giada de Laurentiis says that it isn’t what you eat, it is how much.  Even she enjoys the pastas she makes on her Food Network shows, but she limits herself.  This is a method I have begun to try, and I do feel better!

Stress related to finals… that’s a whole other story.  I find that I study best in the morning and daytime.  At night, I’ll relax with an herbal or decaf tea.  [Sidenote: overall, I've been trying to cut down on my caffeine.]  As the old adage says, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  With my busy schedule it is hard to keep up!  This morning I grabbed a small apple, a Nutri-Grain bar, and a bottle of water.  As I’m sitting here at Kaldi’s Coffeehouse sipping on my iced decaf skim latte, I feel that I have the perfect amount of energy.  Yes!  Believe it or not, without caffeine, I have energy!  

As a former nursing major, I learned about diet & nutrition and how important it is that we get our RDIs (Recommended Daily Intakes), which vary depending on your sex and age.  And on that note I would like to briefly explain my anti-Atkin’s diet stance.  Yes, it is possible to lose weight on the Atkin’s diet.  I’m not going to knock it.  In fact, my father lost over 50 pounds on it and I attempted the diet myself.  (I must say that my love of carbs is far too great to give it up!)

Here’s the thing: your body NEEDS carbs.  Yup, I said it.  Have you ever not eaten for a while and notice the crankiness and tiredness?  This is because your brain needs glucose to function, and carbohydrates are a form of glucose.  Now I’m not saying for y’all to go eat a whole bag of Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins (donut holes), which are simple carbs, but eat healthy complex carbs.  If you have any questions, go talk to your doctor or a registered dietician.  They’re the experts.  I’m simply spreading the word =]

UPDATE:  I have updated my Reviews page.  Chicago has been officially added!  It’s not completely done, but I do have reviews for Howl at the Moon and Giordano’s available.  Just click here to access my reviews.  P.S.  Boston is up there too!

Send a (FREE) card to a soldier!

Okay so this is non-food related, but in the spirit of Christmas, I wanted to share something with y’all. This is an e-mail that I have forwarded to friends, family, and co-workers. It doesn’t take long, and you can make someone smile by simply sharing your appreciation!
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For those of you who don’t know, when I am not away at school I volunteer for USO (United Service Organizations). They help to support our troops (whether deployed overseas or here in the US). This is an email that I received the other day. It’s something that I plan on doing, and how great would it be if all of us did this? Our troops love hearing our “thank you’s” and “happy holidays”… whatever sentiments you have to offer is appreciated. Please consider doing this for the men and women that fight for us everyday!
-Leslie Bradshaw
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SOMETHING COOL THAT XEROX IS DOING

If you go to this web site, http://www.letssaythanks.com You can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in the Middle East.

You can’t pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services.

It is a free service and only takes a minute or two. Our guys and gals over there need to know we are behind them.

Christmas, Christmas time is near

“My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.” -Orson Welles

My lovely room mate Kristin gave me an authentic French cookbook for Christmas!  Ah how she knows me well.  I studied the beautiful romance language for almost 6 years and have always had an affinity for the country, culture, and (of course) cuisine.  Although I have not made the voyage to France yet, I do plan on going next October!  Next week, I’ll be sure to crack open my new cookbook and try the recipe.

Pizza delivery faux pas

“Wise man say forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.” -Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

As I am sipping my mocha at It’s A Grind, I stumble across this video.  Boy, am I glad that I check my pizza!

I’m only happy when it rains

“Fish is the only food that is considered spoiled once it smells like what it is.” -P. J. O’Rourke

Hey y’all!  I’m currently in Destin, FL.  Well… normally I’d say it’s beautiful and great, but it’s been (nearly) nonstop rain.  Unfortunately I’ve only been able to venture out once, which was last night, to The Back Porch.  It backs right onto the beach, which is beautiful!  Of course, it’d be better enjoyed during the day or at sunset.  I’ve gotta go for now, but I’ll be back later!