Goodbye Dallas Hello World

It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas...

2011-12-09T01:08:00.000-06:00

We're counting down the days to Christmas here in the Philippines too as long as you can forget about the 85 degree weather with 75 percent humidity...

I hope you're all getting in the Christmas, Hanuka, tacky decoration Spirit!!

Your daily dose of cute

2011-11-13T08:06:00.001-06:00

Y'all. I love me some cute. And I mean for real. I LOVE CUTE.

If there is a baby animal in my immediate 4-8 foot vicinity I am going to make a bee line for it. (BTW. Bee line? b-line? I've never typed that before.)

I have stopped riding a bike to pet a baby cow.

I failed at catching baby ducklings.

Drooled over baby puppies...

And squealed over adorable little piglets.

And I have to give Chris some credit here for stopping while driving TWICE last week so I could pet baby goats.

Also, just so you know I NEED A BABY GOAT ASAP!!

The Bad, The Good, The Very Good

2011-11-11T03:55:00.000-06:00

Because I'm trying to put a happy spin on bad things this week here are my silver linings from today's disappointments and frustratons:

The Bad: The awesome night time kayak time I had booked stood me up.
The Good: That means I don't have to spend the $35 dollars I had planned for the excursion!
The Very Good: That means I can go to the awesome Friday night SALAD bar. (whooooo salad! I'm so crazy! And wild!)

The Bad: I got a little lost today and ended up walking for almost 4 hours and covering almost 20 kilometers (about 12.5 miles)
The Good: I got lots of exercise!
The Very Good: I will sleep so heavily that I won't wake up again at 4am when the couple next door (who are almost 70) have sex! (or maybe this is a bad... but I'm trying to stay positive here!)

I hope your days are filled with silver linings!

Favorite photos-- the many doors of Hanoi

2011-10-31T07:24:00.001-05:00

JEALOUS!

2011-10-30T07:32:00.002-05:00

From The Daily Mail:

"Sometimes when you buy a pair of shoes, one of them can feel snug while the other one does not quite fit.

Tom Boddingham certainly knows the feeling.

When the 27-year-old ordered a special monster-design slipper to fit his oversized left foot, he was sent this size 1,450 one – because manufacturers failed to spot a decimal point.

He had requested a 14.5, as well as a smaller size 13 for his right foot. The pair cost £15.50.

However, manufacturers in China misread the measurement and accidentally made the whopping seven foot-long slipper, which was shipped to him along with the correct smaller size.

Now 6ft 7in Mr Boddingham, who wears custom-made shoes because of the different sizes of his feet, will sell it on eBay."

my must have travel apps

2011-10-28T23:52:00.000-05:00

If you want to backpack the world and keep your backpack small and under 30 pounds there are several things you have to leave at home. For me, an easy choice was my beloved MacBook. While my laptop is fabulous, it's heavy, bulky, not exactly water proof, and I know I would be upset if it was stolen, lost, or broken.

Even though I don't have a laptop, I, of course, want to stay in touch with the Internet, send emails, keep up with the news, etc. But, I really don't want to do all of this while paying for an Internet cafe or using a computer in the lobby of a hotel.

Insert the iPod touch. My iPod is most definitely one of my favorite travel items and after doing some app adding I have definitely customized this sucker for travel.

Extra! Extra!
With regular internet connection it's easy to stay in touch with what's happening in the world.
-CNN (Free!)
-NPR (Free!)
-New York Times (mostly free. There is a pay wall for any articles that are not top stories)
-The Economist (not free at all but subscribing to the online only version is relatively cheap)

I see that my news sources maybe are slanted in one specific political direction. But honestly, I just can't bring myself to even search for an app that's for a news source that aligns itself with Sarah Palin (**shudder**). But maybe I should add The Wall Street Journal to balance things out? Not to mention support my friend Mary who is a WSJ reporter in Berlin. (Check out her articles here!)

A book or two

Chris and I also use our iPods as digital libraries. We have copies of guidebooks, novels, and non-fiction always with us in our pockets. While I still have traded, borrowed, and bought books I love having the electronic guidebook with me. Nothing marks you as a vunerable tourist more than staring into a Lonely Planet on the side of the street.

The other stuff

- daily yoga app so I can get my stretch on (free. See the pattern now?)
- global convert-- this app is awesome. It not only can work between pounds to kilos (damn you metric system!), it converts currency and updates the exchange rate every time you connect to the Internet! (Fahhh-ree-heee)

- social media apps so I can keep a tab on my people and maybe do a little stalking of those Halloween costumes you'll all be sporting this weekend (ok, who's going to be the sexy cop this year?)
- free magazines like Elle and More (yes, I do realize that I'm not in their target "older woman" demographic but it was free, damnit!)

Anda suka belajar banyak bahasa? (translation from Indonesian: "do you like studying many languages?")

Whenever I arrive in a new country I like to come prepared with a few key phrases and a basic understanding of numbers. World Nomads, one of the world's largest travel insurance providers, has a series of apps for almost every major language from Arabic to Swahili to Vietnamese.

These FREE (whoop whoop!) apps provide basic translation of helpful sentences, numbers, and some even provide audio to help with pronunciation.

On the not so free side, one of the most helpful learning apps I've ever used is Anki. Anki is a online flash card program that already has thousands of card decks loaded. It's a free download for your computer but a hefty $25.00 app. While that's a huge amount of money the Anki app has help Chris and I more than any other language guide out there.

Favorite Photos

2011-10-27T07:24:00.000-05:00

Roosters... great to photo, terrible to have outside your bedroom window

Harau Valley-- Sumatra-- Indonesia

Going viral on YouTube

2011-10-25T21:31:00.000-05:00

Chris has a fancy iPod that takes video and pictures. So we've been stock piling videos of everything from amazing scenery to a creepy spider eating a moth. FYI there are some boring scenic videos out there.

Here is the link to Chris's YouTube page:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisEdTravels

My grand addition to the YouTube collection is a video of a GOP nomination rap set to the tune of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air...

What can I say? Sometimes Chris and I just have a little too much time on our hands (and maybe a little bit too much beer in our bellies). Don't worry, we're working on a new song set to "I Like Big Butts".

Let's hope it was empty

2011-10-24T23:16:00.000-05:00

Spotted on the highway outside of Hanoi, Vietnam.

And yes. That IS a casket!

And I'm back....

2011-10-24T00:22:00.000-05:00

Oh heyyyyyy. It's been almost a month since I've written a blog post. I'm so sorry if you thought I was in a shark attack while scuba diving, mauled by the Amish, or getting druuuunk on rye whiskey like George Washington. In actuality I was just being lazy (surprise surprise).

But! I'm back! With lots of posts, tons of pictures, and finally with a vlog to answer those questions you asked. You can expect:

- some YouTube linkage with some sahhhweet rapping by yours truly
- stories of failed hikes
- recaps of cooking lessons (with recipes!)

- pictures, pictures, pictures!

- travel sucesses and travel lessons

Okay? Forgive my terrible lack of recent posting? No... Oh.

But for the update about our curent location... Chris and I left Indonesia a month ago and have been traveling through Vietnam. We're now in the North of Vietnam in a gorgeous mountain town called Sapa where we have been enjoying some awesome hiking (another blog post for later that I've already written. Huzzah!). And later this week we're headed to the Phillipeans for some beach time and scuba diving!

(Mt. Fansipan-- Sapa-- North Vietnam)

So, to recap: I'm alive! I'm back with the blogging! Chris has made me listen to David Bowie's "Major Tom" approximately 121 times in the last few months! And I'm looking forward to blogging again!

Holla

Today's travel lesson: Don't be lazy... just write the damn blog posts!

Google me this

2011-09-20T23:20:00.001-05:00

When you are away from smart phones, regular internet access, and cell phone signal you start coming up with random things that you want to google. Because we always seem to forget when we get before a computer Chris and I have started a running list of "to google":

the mundane:
-Malaria prevention research

A rather boring google about which medicine to buy to renew our stash of malaria meds.

the random:

- Hamsters and gerbils in the wild

Chris and I have been debating for months if hamsters and gerbils exist in the wild. I said they do and I would like to see a pack of wild feral hamsters taking off down the street; Chris thinks they are some strange hybid of rat and something he failed to name.

Winner winner chicken dinner!

I'm right! Hamsters come from Syria while gerbils are from China and Turkmenistan and can grow up to 16 inches long.

the rumors:

Jesus making a cameo in Texas

Some random Indonesian chatting us up while we were waiting for a bus told us that he knew all about Texas because he once read an article about how the face of Jesus is visible in the Texas sky.

HUH?

He was insistent that you could see Jesus's face in the sky and couldn't believe that we didn't know what he was talking about.

Granted, he did follow that by asking us if Texas was it's own country...

Out of curiosity, I did some googling and found out that there have been several UFO sitings, a plague of grasshoppers invading Texas in 2000, the largest cross in the western hemisphere with a reproduction of Jesus's tomb, and a lot of websites about the end of the world.

But sadly, no Jesus in the sky...

Hey, we've been together constantly for three months... there are only so many things to talk about before you starting discussing wild hamsters.

Indonesian snack...

2011-09-18T23:14:00.000-05:00

Add several slices of fruit (inc sour mango, papaya, pineapple, cucumber, and those red things that look like apples but aren't) add freshly made peanut sauce.

Dig in!

An Update

2011-09-14T05:39:00.000-05:00

Hello!

Sorry to be out of touch for so long. Chris and I are in a remote island in the East of Indonesia and internet is sketchy at best.

We're headed to Vietnam in a week and a half and I plan on writing tons to update everyone!

Hope all is well at your homes!

xoxo,
M

Favorite pictures

2011-09-03T02:39:00.000-05:00

Lake Maninjau

Sumatra

Indonesia

Questions... Questions... Questions...

2011-08-31T02:34:00.002-05:00

You've got have some.... And I might have answers.

What do you want to know about traveling the world?

Want to know What I really think of Chris after being alone with him for 2 months? How often I actually shower? Have I met any stinky hippies? Am I a stinking hippie? Is hippie\hippy spelled with an ie or a y? What do my parents think of us leaving?

Ask away! Just right 'ere in the comments!

Balinese Dance

2011-08-27T02:19:00.004-05:00

Makes for gorgeous photos.... but is actually very boring. Just trust me.

Indonesian Transportation-- move it move it

2011-08-25T02:11:00.001-05:00

Ground transportation in Indonesia can be really inexpensive. Large charter buses can take you for a 24 hour ride across the country for less than $15. However, while large buses are great for long distance trips, the cheap in-town options are much sweeter...

The Bemo

A Bemo is a small public bus that runs between cities. Usually a little bit bigger than a 15-seat van but smaller than a "short bus" a bemo is designed to seat 16 or so. However, it usually seats 24 or more. We once took a 2 hour bemo that sqeezed in almost 30 people and I had a 6 year old boy with his head in my arm pit for about 90 percent of the time. It was a very rewarding experience for both of us.

(The bemo also evidently makes Indonesians very sleepy)

The Dokar

Want to go old school? Hang like the Amish? Then the dokar is for you! Just an old fashioned wagon pulled by a horse. That's pretty much it, you can only say so much.

The Becak

Hate horses? Like to make actual people work so that you can get from point A to B? Hire a becak (pronounciation: Bay-Chak) to pedal you from place to place. Ah, human labor, making transportation so much sweeter for so many centuries.

The Oplet

Do you ever feel like you're too fancy for the city bus? Is there too much room between you and the sweaty man carrying a bag full of raw fish? Move to Indonesia and jump right into an oplet! These privately run buses can take you, and 10 of your closest friends and 4 strangers, anywhere you need to go in the city for only 50 cents! However, be aware, in Padang, Sumatra, the oplets have somehow agreed to pimp their rides into techno oplets complete with blaring techno music, LED lights, and sweet exterior body work bringing them only inches from the ground.

Sepeda
Take a ride, it's as easy as riding a bike. Because it is a bike. Just be careful, because sometimes the road turns into, well, no road. Oh, and a lot of times the "12 gear" bike is really a 1 gear, and that gear is slow y'all.

Sepeda Motor
Allllllll right. Scoot scoot scoot. What makes you look tougher than riding a scooter? NOTHING! Motorcyles are for wusses... wusses with leather jackets. Scooters are for the truly bad ass.

Jalan Kaki
Indonesian for going by foot. That's right. The cheapest transport in town. Legs. In fact, I have two. Holla. They might be slow and don't look as good as I want in a swimsuit. But they are always there. Gotta love those guys!

Turtle and the hare

2011-08-18T09:01:00.000-05:00

You all know the story.... A turtle and a hare race... the hare is fast but cocky... the turtle is slow and steady and wins the race.

I don't think the same can be said for slow but steady internet. No matter what it's still slow. I'm trying to upload posts and pictures for you all but it's taking forever! They'll get there eventually!

Sorry it's been so long!

Just a picture

2011-08-10T00:38:00.002-05:00

Prambanan Temple

Outside of Jogyakarta

Island of Bali

Backpacking during Ramadan

2011-08-08T00:35:00.000-05:00

Chris and I are on the Indonesian island of Sumatra where almost 90 percent of people are Muslim. The Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan, began on August 1st. While Chris and I are not Muslim, our backpacking lives have been changed by Ramadan.

During Ramadan Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown refraining from all food, beverages, and smoking. Muslims consider the fasting period to be a time for self reflection, centering oneself on faith, and a time to purify your body and thoughts.

Many parts of Sumatra are under sharia law which governs based on Muslim principles. This means that if a restaurant is open during daylight during Ramadan the police have the right to come into the restaurant, confiscate the food, and shut down the restaurant. The exception to this rule is "Tourist Only" restaurants that serve only to forgeiners. Finding these "Toursist Only" restaurants can be a pain, but I would much rather eat lunch than fast all day. At times Chris and I have resorted to buying food a the grocery store and eating in our room.

While in no way is it illegal for us to eat during the day it is considered disrepectful to publicly eat or drink during fasting times.

Even though no one is eating during the day during Ramadan there is definitely thoughts of food. In the afternoons amazing markets filled with prepared foods open for Muslims who take food to go and wait until the sun is down.

These markets are packed with local people buying food of every kind. (Please excuse the picture quality, something happened during the very long uploading)

Notice that almost all of the women are in head scarves, long pants or skirts, and heavy shirts despite the 80 degree weather.

These containers hold all different, and usually unidentifably (at least to us), foods. The woman is scooping an egg filled sausage into the bag to which she added spicy vegetables and sauce.

This fried food stand had delicious freshly fried corn fritters. They were like hush puppies on crack.

Let's be honest, none of this would ever hold up to American food safety standards, but I think that's probably a longer discussion for another time.

Chips! Chips! Chips! These chips are made from tapioka roots, not potatoes. However, they taste almost exactly like potato chips.

I do have to confess that our eyes were a little bit bigger than our stomachs and we took home a feast of delicious food.

These corn fritters where by far our favorite and I will definitely try to make them on my own. Now that I know these exist I don't want to ever live without them again.

And of course we had dessert! There are coconut rice cakes with banana, chocolate, and banana and chocolate. Hey, I told you we over bought!

Hiking Mt. Bromo

2011-07-17T11:25:00.004-05:00

Mt. Bromo is an active volcano on the eastern end of the Indonesian island of Java (where Jakarta and Jogyakarta are located). Chris and I organized a night time bus ride to the base of the mountain and then a jeep ride to the trail head where we headed up the Gunung Penanjakan mountain to watch the sunrise over the mountains.

We wern't the only one who had this idea... there were almost 300 other people there. Which, to be honest, was a little bit of a mood killer.

That's a framer...

I took about 23455645645 pictures or so. They can go with my large and useless collection of pictures of monkeys from Ubud.

After watching the sunrise we headed down to our jeep and our guide, Sayno. We headed through a giant dust cloud to the base of Mt. Bromo. We took a 45 minute hike through volcanic ash to look down into the mouth of the volcano. Chris enjoyed being a jerk and making me worry that he was going to fall in. I enjoyed holding on to the back belt loop on his pants and inching him away from the edge. Ahhh, love, so sweet.

Instead of a Jeep/land cruiser these people chose to ride horses to the base of Mt. Bromo. I liked to think of them as bandits coming to raid our wagon.

I really enjoyed the entire morning at Mt. Bromo. However, we did get ripped off a little. We paid double what we should have paid. We got into town incredibly late, 3 am, after a long bus ride and in order to catch the sunrise that morning we had to immediately take a "tour package" up to the top. If we had to do it over again, we would have arranged to take the local bus, spent the night at the tiny town of Cemoro Lawang and found our own person to take us across that dust field. In all, we probably spent $20 too much.... but when your room only costs $8 a night that's a big difference.

Travel Lesson of the day: You always have extra time. But you're not always going to have extra money. Don't rush yourself into making a financial decision that goes your instinct.

Postcard Moments

2011-07-16T11:18:00.000-05:00

Sunset in Amed, Bali, Indonesia

Awkward Tours...

2011-07-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

Brochures of tours are strew across guest houses, internet cafes, airports, as well as thousands of other locations. I'm not really a guided tour kind of person. I get bored and wander away or I'll get strangely enraptured by one tiny thing and not really want to move on from my new found treasure. Oh, and I'm cheap and tours cost tons of money. TONS.

But, because I'm cheap, I do like to read the tour brochures and then use the ideas and do the activities on my own. Not theft my friends, inspiration and creativity.

But then there are some times that I come across something that just doesn't seem completely right...

"The special packages tour will give you can an unportable memory"

The creepiest of the brochures: a real cremation. !00% percent satisfaction guaranteed.

"To perform this ceremony will need some requirements i.e. Funds"

umm y'all, don't they need a body too?

"So easy almost everyone can do it!"

Just so help you if you're one of the few who can't...

"The one and only submarine in South East Asia" which happens to be a cartoon drawing... this sounds safe.

Coming up next: my unportable memories of walking and watching a cremation in a submarine underwater!

Update

2011-07-11T06:04:00.002-05:00

Still alive! Just making our way across the island of Bali to the island of Java! Our trip included 24 hours of buses and a sunrise volcano hike. I've taken lots of pictures so as soon as I can find a good Internet cafe I will share my favorites.

M

Clean food

2011-07-10T01:14:00.000-05:00

Indonesia, while it is an incredibly pain to get to, is amazingly easy to travel in. The people are friendly, many speak English, crime is low; in all, this is one of the easiest, and cheapest, countries I've ever been to.

That said, there have been some moments of confusion. Today at lunch Chris asked for "chuchi" when he really meant "chumi chumi". The waitress looked at him strangely for a few seconds so Chris tried again in English, "do you have squid?". The waitress laughed and said "you just asked for laundry for lunch!"

We were the (good-humored) joke of the restaurant for the rest of the meal. But Chris did get a big bowl of fresh squid curry which was delicious. I took a picture but some how I deleted it off my camera (FAIL)

Indonesia food is simple but delicious.

Nasi Goring Ikan-- Fried Rice with seafood $3

Fresh caught tuna with rice and veggies $4.50

Gado Gado-- Stir fried veggies with tempe and peanut sauce $2

Pineapple and coconut cake $0.70

Honey lemon ginger green drink. It was a ridiculously long name but it was delicious and so refreshing after a long hot walk

My notoriously temperamental tummy has been shockingly quiet here despite unsafe drinking water and a barrage of new foods. My goal is to take a cooking class in every country Chris and I visit. I plan on taking a class in about two weeks in Jogjakarta on Java Island (the same island Jakarta is on).

Monkey on my back

2011-07-09T01:58:00.000-05:00

The city of Ubud on the island of Bali is known for it's traditional dances, visual arts, and a protected forest filled with monkeys and a Hindu temple.

We spent several hours wandering through the monkey forest watching the little guys beg for bananas, steal things from purses, pick bugs off of each other, and all other sorts of monkey behavior.

After an hour or so we sat down to rest for a minute when a monkey jumped on my back and sat on my head for a while. I can honestly tell you the phrase "I've got a monkey on my back" is entirely true... it is near to impossible to get a monkey off of your back without help.

I also did overhear this hilarious concersation:

A Japanese family who are young with a small child, the woman has a giant Louis Vuitton purse, cut off denim shorts and 4 inch wedge heels. The husband in a crisp white polo t-shirt.

They approach the forest's "Monkey Expert" with a question. However, English is the only language they share so there is a definitely language gap between the two parties.

Japanese woman: "He has bite. Monkey bite" She's pointing to her husband's arm where he is holding a wet wipe against his forearm.

Monkey Expert: "It's okay"

JW: "You have medicine?"

ME: "Yes, by entrance"

JW: "But, is monkey bite. Is okay?" At this point she's starting to become more worried by the nonchalance of the Monkey Expert

ME: "Yea, no rabies here"

The monkey expert walks off leaving the Japanese couple bewildered and me with muffled laughter.

This monkey had found an empty aerosol bottle of air freshener somewhere and was treating it as if it was the most amazing and valuable gem ever discovered

Indonesian Pork- babi babi babi!

2011-07-07T01:57:00.001-05:00

Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims of any country in the world. However, the island of Bali is mainly populated with Hindus. While Muslims do not eat pork the Hindu Balinese eat pork but not beef. By far and away the best meals I have eaten here on Bali have been made of pork (babi).

In Ubud there is a restaurant famous for it's slow roasted whole pig. This restaurant is complete with long lines and even a visit from Anthony Bordain's No Reservations.

Ibu Oka serves up heaping plates of pork with spicy vegetables and steamed rice. For only 30,000 rupiah it is a steal coming at a little over $3.

Ordering at Ibu Oka

It was so good we ate here three days in a row for lunch

Chris and I did indulge in a pricier meal at 85,000 rupiah (about $9) when we wandered past Naughty Nuri's. Naughty Nuri's has the grill raging in front of the street and we couldn't help ourselves from ordering a plate of pork ribs. It didn't hurt that it was the Fourth of July and we decided the best way to be patriotic was to order iced tea and some ribs!

I meant to take a picture of the ribs on the plate but my priorities were ummm.... elsewhere.

Bali

2011-07-03T23:50:00.000-05:00

Hello loves!

Chris and I are in Bali now. Bali is one of a series of large islands that make up Indonesia. We are in a city called Ubud whch is known for it's traditional arts and dancing as well as a sacred forest filled with monkies!

I have been taking lots of pictures but sadly this internet cafe has no usb port on the circa 1998 computers.

We are headed to the eastern coast to enjoy the whte sand beaches. But, before we leave I will definitely try to find a usb enabled computer as well as write a long deswcription of what has been going on here!

Bon voyage!
M

My first morning in Bali

2011-06-28T19:15:00.000-05:00

I landed last night and took a taxi to the closest town from the airport, Kuta. It's a surfer touristy beach town to the extreme. Those of you from North Carolina can imagine it like Myrtle Beach but with only more "Wings" shops.
Last night was my first night spent away from home that was not on a plane. I had a hard time sleeping. Some sort of combination of jet lag, excitement, a noisy fan, and cats flighting. So after stuggling to sleep for hours I finally accepted my defeat when I saw that the sun was just about to rise.

Roosters are crowing
A cat walks along the peak of a tiled roof
The closest cloud are huge and gray-blue-- almost purple but they are slowly, gently, blowing away to reveal distant clouds twinged in pink
There is sky now. Blue sky.
I am sitting on the ledge of a second story balcony, the only guest wake. But there are a handful of hostel staff, and a brown tabby kitten, also enjoying the morning.
I can hear a dog's toenails clicking below me; running to some unknown canine adventure.
The hostel staff starts their morning duties: mopping, picking up trash, watering the plants. But I have seen them all take a few moments to look at the sky.
I can finally see the color in the slowers and the tiled roofs in front of me.
While one minute ago it was night. It is now definitely morning.

The news

2011-06-27T19:38:00.000-05:00

You might (or might not) have noticed that things have been a little quite over here. It's because I've been keeping a secret. A BIG secret.

No, I'm not pregnant.

I've finally, offically, have left to backpack around the world! WOOOOHOOOO!!

I am writing this from the Hong Kong airport where I ate congee (rice soup) and shu mai (dumplings) for breakfast! I will be contecting on to Indonesia in a few hours where I will meet Chris and his best friend who have been in Indonesia for 2 weeks having a little man vacation.

I've been in a little bit of denial about this trip. I wasn't sure that some sort of terrible calmatiy wasn't going to happen and interfer with our plans. It wasn't until after 16 hours of flying that we touched down in Hong Kong and I looked out the window that I realized "OH SHIT. I"M IN ASIA!"

Once I get settled and find some internet I'll be sure to share the first of many photos and stories!! But for now, I've got to go do a little happy dance somewhere no one can see me!

North Carolina Barbecue Road Trip

2011-05-31T17:08:00.003-05:00

Chris and I hit the road for a four day Memorial Day road trip across North Carolina. North Carolina is famous for it's pork barbecue and Chris and I were determined to try as many bbq places as we could.

We ate sami after sami. We took our barbecue taste testing seriously and had detailed score sheets for accurate comparison.

There were at least a long armed dozen photoshoots of ourselves.

And some very serious and delicious non-barbecue meals.

And we definitely had very full stomachs.

After 1000 miles of driving, 12.5 barbecue sandwiches each, 5 closed restaurants, countless songs sung in the car I can say without question I know North Carolina barbecue.

I also know that this was one of the best weekends of my life.

In the four day weekend we ate barbecue at:
Bridges-- Shelby, NC
Keaton's--   Cool Springs, NC (outside of Statesville)
Fuzzy's--   Madison, NC
The Pit-- Raleigh, NC
Skylight Barbecue-- Ayden, NC
Thig's--   Richland, NC
Big Oak-- Salter Path, NC
King's--   Kinston, NC
Bill Ellis--   Wilson, NC
Parker's--    Wilson, NC
(We tried to go to several other restaurants including B's BBQ in Greenville, Grady's in Dudley, Lexington barbecue in, well, Lexington, Speedys in Lexington. You can't win or eat the all, huh?)

While we had so much amazing food this weekend I think I am going to be sticking to veggies for a while.

No more pencils....

2011-05-24T08:24:00.000-05:00

This is offically my first week of summer. Wooooo!

And while I will be getting back to the grind stone soon I'm just enjoying the complete freedom that comes along with no alarm clocks (at least not mine, Chris is still being responsible and going to work), the lack of homework, and no more teacher's dirty looks.

I have very ambitious plans for the week:

Yoga (I haven't been in almost a month and I need to get to ohmmmming soon)

Terrible movies

And maybe I'll even make myself a meal to two... But it's much more likely that I'll just eat some strange combination of leftovers from the fridge.

Any other great summer activities that I'm missing?

Chocolate lava cake with tuile cookie and sugar bowl

2011-05-23T14:36:00.001-05:00

My last class at Johnson & Wales was Advanced Patisserie. We learned about and created plated desserts.

For our final exam we had to make 4 desserts complete with cakes, decorative plate piping, sauces, some sort of ice cream holder, and a crunchy garnish.

From plan to reality I'm pretty pleased with the way they turned out!

CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CAKES

6 oz Dark couverture chocolate (if you can't find couverture just buy the highest quality chocolate you can buy with a high cocoa butter content)

6 oz Butter

6 oz Whole Eggs

1.5 oz Sugar

1.5 oz Bread flour

5 Chocolate truffles

Method of Preparation:

Melt the chocolate and butter together
Whisk together the whole eggs and sugar until they are well incorporated. Add to chocolate mixture.
Fold in flour
Pour batter in greased tins , approximately 2/3 full
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes

The sides of the cake will be set at this point, although the center will still be raw and look very shiny.

Remove from the oven and place a truffle in the center of the cake.
Push the truffle into the cake until it is completely covered with cake batter.
Return cakes to the oven for an additional 5-6 minutes

The center of the cake will be set, turning from shiny to dull in appearance.

Remove from oven and invert onto plate
Serve immediately

Yield: 6 individual cakes

Ganache topped Chocolate molten cake with tuile cookie, raspberry and anglaise sauces, paired with salted caramel ice cream in a sugar bowl

TRUFFLES for CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CAKES

(These truffles are great eaten alone too. Try rolling them in chocolate flakes, sparkled granular sugar, or chocolate sauce for shiny truffles!)

2 parts dark couverture

1 part heavy cream

Example: 8 oz. dark couverture

4 oz. heavy cream

Method of preparation:

· Chop chocolate and place in metal bowl.

· Scald cream and pour over chocolate. Do not stir immediately. Let rest for 10 seconds, then slowly begin whisking from the center of the bowl. Whisk until all chocolate is melted and incorporated.

· Chill until the consistency of fudge. Roll into 1” diameter balls.

· Label. Date. Refrigerate, until ready to insert into chocolate molten cakes.

Cracking me up

2011-05-20T08:54:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday Chris and I overslept, once we woke up we had to race. I was heading to school and Chris was headed to the airport.

We were literally running out the door at 6:45 am. RUNNING y'all!

Chris made his flight and I made it to school on time.

At 10:41 I got this text message from Chris:

Just realized my fly was down

I've been cracking up for a week thinking about Chris going all the way through the airport, security, and an entire plane flight with his fly down.

Last 2 weeks at Johnson & Wales

2011-05-10T15:49:00.000-05:00

This is my second to last week of school.

It's surreal that culinary school is almost over.

I have learned so much and I definitely don't want it to end!

It's been a crazy train of early mornings, massive cups of coffee, oven burns, and long days. And as cheesy as it sounds I wouldn't give up a single day. I have learned so much and am so glad that I took the unexpected choice of going to Johnson and Wales.

I wish I had a whole entire year of culinary school left in front of me! But, I know that I will keep on learning each day as a chef. I feel so lucky to have found a career, a trade that I love, have a talent for, and also love to learn about.

There are some things in the works for after my last day of class but I'm keeping them quiet for a little while!

Typo... oh wait I'm just dumb.

2011-05-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday when I posted that screenshot from Fox News I put up the second picture think "Ha! Look! They still spelled Osama wrong!"

But then I found out I was just the uneducated one....

Fox News:1 Meredith: 0

Damnit.

Typo!

2011-05-05T17:53:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, like many of you, Chris and I were trying to piece together the latest news. Since we don't have cable television we had to scour the internet to figure out what was going on.

I imagine Usama Bin Landen as the Middle Easter cousin of Michael London, the coiffed star of Little House on the Prairie.

Anyone else see the resemblance?

Fox news finally updated the typo about 10 minutes later:

closer guys.... but not quite there.

Johnson & Wales Canapes

2011-05-04T18:07:00.003-05:00

If you follow me on twitter you know that I have been battling with canapes this week. Yes, my personal demon is a two bite item that is appropriately sized for a toddler.

All night I had a reoccurring dream that I had to make thousands of canapes but had no plan, the walk-in refrigerator was never ending and I had forgotten how to cook. It was a rough night y'all.

But, it paid off. Today at school we had a "Grand Buffet" filled with canapes and while I would definitely tweak a few things it turned out beautifully!

the final product

chicken, spinach, and bacon en croute (middle) with black bean and corn galantine (left)
Edited to add: the center pieces are made from smoked chicken breast wrapped in spinach in the en croute (middle) and chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto (left)

smoked turkey canape with chive cream cheese spread and roasted red peppers
Edited to add: these canapes are sitting on top of toasted wheat bread

black bean salad with roasted peppers, corn, and topped with cilantro lime sour cream

pickled zucchini, squash, and onions

accompanied with a fresh salsa of tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro

I will tell you though, I am looking forward to cooking things that aren't fun-sized!

Low(er) Calorie Carrot Cake

2011-04-29T11:55:00.001-05:00

Did you know that carrot cake has an incredibly high calorie content? I won't mention exactly how high, but trust me it's high! And while I do believe in indulging I would much rather indulge in a larger slice of lower calorie cake than just one slice that comes with a heaping side of guilt.

So, for Easter I made a lower calorie version of traditional carrot cake from Cooking Light and doctored it up myself to bring the calorie content down even further.

While you might be doubting that low cal carrot cake is as good as the real thing everyone at the table had at least two slices and we all counted it as a serving of vegetable for the day!

Cake:
10 1/10 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk-- To lower the fat content I made my own butter milk. Simply take 1/2 cup of skim milk and add a teaspoon of lemon juice and let it sit of 10 minutes! I made my lactose free by using almond milk.
Cooking spray
Frosting:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup toasted coconut

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add 2 cups grated carrot, tossing to combine.
3. Place granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 6 tablespoons butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spread batter into a 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan coated with cooking spray or I used 2 9 inch round pans to make a prettier cake. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, place softened cream cheese and next 2 ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. If making a layered cake, thinly spread the top of one cake with icing, then add the other cake on top. Spread frosting evenly over top and side of cake. Sprinkle evenly with toasted coconut.

The carrot cake was the perfect follow up to an easter lunch of ham, lobster stuffed deviled eggs, my momma's potato salad, stuffed jalapenos, AND a green salad.

Miracle: Baby survives tornado in Dunn, NC

2011-04-19T16:06:00.001-05:00

The South was torn apart by tornadoes this weekend. But my home state of North Carolina was hit the hardest and suffered the most damage and casualties. We were lucky and had nothing more than heavy rain fall.

I heard this amazing story yesterday and couldn't help but share. I'm not sure if there is some deeper meaning but it did make me think about how miraculous event occur.

Jonathan Robinson could feel the wind from inside his trailer in Dunn, N.C. One of the 62 tornadoes reported in North Carolina over the weekend was headed his way.

He did what came naturally: the 21-year-old picked his cousin's three-month-old baby and ran to a closet. What happened next is simply harrowing. Hear Jonathan tell the story himself:

The force of the winds tore apart the trailer around him and ripped the baby out of his arms. Next thing Robinson knew he was digging out of the rubble.

More than 20 people died because of the storms on Saturday.

By some miracle, perhaps, Ayden, the three-month-old, survived. Robinson heard him cry and found that he was dusty and dirty, but without a scratch on him.

Story edited from NPR

For laughs

2011-04-14T12:25:00.000-05:00

One tasteless sign spotted on a giant pile of hot peppers in Maiori, Italy.

Tupperware Needed

2011-04-13T17:20:00.000-05:00

I just spent a while writing a brand new blog post and then all of a sudden

MUTINY!

It randomly disappeared. It was very disappointing but I'm going to take it as a sign that I should have chosen a different topic to write about... so instead of writing about myself traveling I'm going to write about myself cooking. Totally different while still revolving around yours truly, love it.

Chris and I have been cooking up a storm this week filling our fridge full of goodies like hard boiled eggs, whole wheat pasta with broccoli and olives and these three goodies:

Hotter Than Hell Habanero Hot Sauce

Recipe and picture from www.chow.com

Healthy Honey Oat Muffins that we added cranberries to. Gotta get your antioxidants y'all!

Recipe and picture from www.cooklikeachampionblog.com

Spicy Serano Vinegar to keep our taste buds burning!

Recipe and picture from www.eclecticrecipes.com

What have you been working on in the kitchen? And hey, eating leftovers counts too!

Thank you!

2011-04-12T16:50:00.001-05:00

On Friday I found a fabulous surprise in my mailbox... a surprise all the way from Dubai!

I won a fabulous giveaway from Amy, a California girl who has moved to Dubai for several months. She makes amazingly beautiful treats and posts about them at Playing House and shares her adventures in Dubai at A Whole New World.

Amy sent me these fabulous spices straight from Dubai.

I can't wait to start cooking with them! I'm planning to use the saffron in paella this weekend, coriander seeds in pickles this week, and I have a hundred more ideas running through my head!

Thank you again Amy!

Friday

2011-04-08T14:53:00.001-05:00

I am so excited and ready for this weekend. No big plans in particular just hanging out, doing some house work, and spending some time out in this gorgeous spring weather!

Oh... and we're going to take down our Christmas tree.

Yes, you read that right. Our tree is still up. Whoops.

Have a great weekend y'all!

My life. My fridge.

2011-04-06T16:19:00.001-05:00

Last week in the checkout line the cashier said "I was just about to ask if you guys were vegetarians but then I saw this ground turkey go through..." And she wasn't off base at all, at least 80 percent of our meals are veggies and we have several meals a week that are vegetarian. We also don't eat anything processed or dairy-- C is lactose intolerant (sorry to tell the internet your deep dark secret sweetie!) and I'm basically allergic to processed food.

Back to the veggies and not eating animals-- this isn't because we have any huge views about eating meat, them having faces and feeeeeelings and such, but just because we like veggies.

We're weird. We like vegetables. We liked vegetables as kids. Aren't you glad you don't date us?

We buy the majority of protein and veggies at Sam's Club. But Sam's is hella far away (25 minutes! Welcome to my first world life. This is one of my biggest complaints. I suck) and we only like to go about every 2 weeks.

So we try to supplement our fresh supplies with items from the local grocery store. But, Chris and I are also cheap-- we'll shell out all kinds of money for fancy smanshy beer but so help me God if the grocery store is trying to charge $.62/pound for bananas. No questions asked. We're definitely sticking it to the man and driving to another grocery store. SO HA... take that Kroger! In order to find the best prices on groceries we go to the local ethnic grocery store, the super mercado. Yes, the music makes you want queso and enchiladas but the produce is cheap and fresh and there are all sorts of crazy items there that you never find in the regular boring white people grocery store.

So, at this point you're thinking "Jayyyyyy-zussssss, what does this have to do with anything? Is she just going to talk about her fridge the whole time?"

Yes, I am going to talk about my fridge the whole time. But! *jazz hands* I'm also going to show you the inside of my fridge! Ohhhhh! Ahhhhh! Fridge!

Can you spot spot at least 5 different types of fruits and veggies here?

How about now?

Or now?

However, I do LOOOVE condiments. I believe with my whole being that french fries only exist to be carriers of condiments.

Chris and I are currently in a battle to finish a gigantor tub of spicy brown mustard and are having mustard races. At the time of this picture (oh, like a month ago. I blog at lightening speed y'all) I was kicking C's behind (see bottle on left) but then Chris came back with skill and determination and won at the last minute.

Welcome to my life.

Veggies and mustard.

I know you're jealous.

So tell me... what's in your fridge? Do you have as many kinds of meat as I have veggies?

Jerks

2011-03-07T20:21:00.000-06:00

Chris and I went out for a run on Saturday. And because Chris is incredibly fast like a ninja he speed ahead of me.

I was wearing a tennis skirt and an nike tank top. Nothing scandalous-- definitely tighter than shorts and an old sorority t-shirt but it also wasn't American Apparel lyrca hot shorts and a sports bra.

As I was running some shmucks in a car pulled over and made some really skanky comments. They were basically just a-holes who were hassling me.

I can hold my own against a guy in a bar or some general jerk but the two guys in car made me feel completely scared and uncomfortable.

Everything was fine, I know Chris's running route and was able to take a shortcut to meet him only a few blocks away.

Is there some sort of power that guys get from making girls feel uncomfortable? What exactly is the point of what was essentially sexually harassing someone? Did they think I was going to immediately be completely turned on by them? Laugh and get in their car?

I was so freaked out... and then so angry. RAGE RAGE RAGE... I still kind of wish that I would have kicked out a tail light or two.

woof

2011-02-16T17:15:00.001-06:00

My high school friend Maggie has a terrific dog. A dog that I remember vividly from high school. Trooper is amazing. He's this little Jack Russell ball of fire that would play on the trampoline with us, jump straight into Maggie's arms, and just run around like a banshee.

We also almost caught him on fire once, totally by accident let me assure you! Maggie, some guy friends, and I were lighting off spinning fire crackers in her back yard, Maggie had Trooper in her arms, and as soon as Trooper saw that spinning ball of fire he decided that it had to be his. Trooper leaped out of Maggie's arms and dashed straight to the firework trying to catch it for a little game of fetch. Well, as you can imagine we all screamed in terror, Trooper jumped back after burning a little fur, and we all learned an important life lesson about not lighting dogs on fire. Luckily Trooper was completely fine except for a little hair loss.

Almost 10 years latter Trooper still doesn't grow hair on the spot that got toasted which gives him a joker-esk smile.

So, when I saw this video I immediately thought of Trooper.

I might save this video for those days when I need a smile and a little more Jack Russell in my life!

love. love. love.

2011-02-14T17:51:00.001-06:00

Love, Love, Love.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.

Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.

It's easy.

Paris, France -- Chicago, Illinois -- Avignon, France

Nothing you can make that can't be made.

No one you can save that can't be saved.

Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.

It's easy.

All you need is love.

All you need is love, love.

Love is all you need.

Berlin, Germany -- Berlin, Germany -- Florence, Italy

All you need is love.

All you need is love, love.

Love is all you need.

Nothing you can know that isn't known.

Nothing you can see that isn't shown.

Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.

It's easy.

Berlin, Germany -- Istanbul, Turkey

All you need is love.

All you need is love, love.

Love is all you need.

All you need is love (All together, now!)

All you need is love. (Everybody!)

All you need is love, love.

Love is all you need (love is all you need)

(love is all you need) (love is all you need)

(love is all you need) Yesterday (love is all you need)

(love is all you need) (love is all you need)

Happy Valentines Day love bugs!

Egypt

2011-02-01T09:38:00.000-06:00

If you have a few free minutes check out http://twitter.com/#!/speak2tweet to hear free live-ish voice tweets coming from Egypt. If you have audio capability and 5 minutes it's definitely worth your time to wade through the Arabic recordings to find some in English.

Isn't social media crazy y'all?

times two

2011-01-31T20:26:00.001-06:00

Right now I'm in two sets of classes: morning and afternoon culinary labs. That means two weeks of class from 7 am to 1 pm and 1:45 pm to 7:45 pm. Day one happened today. Day two is tomorrow. It's 9:22 pm and I can barely keep my eyes open.

I'm here. I have pictures to upload. Maybe tomorrow? Probably not.

Oh, and I highly doubt that I'm going to the gym for the next two weeks. So just ignore the last conversation we had. But I am still eating 5 small healthy meals a day and maybe I will drag my hopefully-shrinking-behind to the gym tomorrow? Probably not.

I'll be back again (that is if I have the energy to type).

xoxo,
Meredith

Heavy.

2011-01-28T12:01:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to lose some weight right now. I want my BMI (Body Mass Index) to be at a healthier number but I was getting bogged down by the actual numbers on the scale-- it feels like it's never going to be possible to get where I want just because the numbers are so far apart.

So, seeing the anxiety the scale was bringing Chris had the genius idea that he would hide the scale and that a month later we'll check and see where we are. That means 5 weeks of killer workouts and healthy eating for the sheer sake of killer workouts and healthy eating. But I am excited to get on the scale in a month but also scared-- what if nothing changes? What if that terrible number pops right back up?

When Chris and I first got together I was 10 pounds heavier than I am now. The heaviest I've ever been in my life. And forgive me for getting all mushy on you for a minute but there is such great comfort and acceptance knowing that he fell for me when I was a little tubby. So this weight loss really is for me. I'm happy the way I look but I want to be healthier.

We've been working out 6 times a week and eating REALLY healthy since January 8th and I can feel a little difference in my jeans. We're doing the big weigh-in on February 17th-- I'll let you know how it goes!

Now... it's time to hit the gym. Again.

Old...

2011-01-24T13:54:00.000-06:00

About 6 months ago I was waiting in the car for Chris and was randomly looking at the follicles of the stray hairs that had shed on my jacket (why? I have no idea. I'm a girl. We do strange things like look at the roots of our hair. mmkay?) And I got a vicious shock-- a gray root! My first gray hair! However, I was successfully able to dive straight into denial and tell myself that because it wasn't actually growing out of my head it didn't count.

But now, tragedy has struck, I have found grays growing out my head. Yes, my actual head. sob. Chris and I were out to dinner when I spotted them in the bathroom mirror.

I'm not sure how I feel about them. The drama queen in me says,

"gahhhhhh! I'm too young for gray hairs. Woe is me, I am only 25!"

While the much more mature rational side says,

"meh. no biggie. Because of the way I part my hair the grays don't show."

I'm feeling very old. I never thought the day would come when I had actual gray hairs (oh look, denial again).

I'm not planning on dying it right now for a variety of reasons (mainly because I'm cheap and I wear a stupid hat to school everyday.)

But, every time my mind wanders back to my new grays (which happens often-- I'm vain like that) I have a conflicting battle of two songs-- I Am Beautiful and The Old Grey Mare.

What do you do about grey hairs? Or am I the only one sprouting the vile traitorous follicles? Lord help us when I start to get wrinkles!

And Christina Aguilera's "I Am Beautiful"

In honor of MLK day

2011-01-18T20:16:00.000-06:00

Your Christ A Jew

Your car Japanese
Your curry Indian

Your democracy Greek

Your coffee Brazilian

Your holiday Spanish

Your numbers Arabic

Your alphabet Latin

and your neighbor is just a foreigner?

four, quatre, quatro, vier

2011-01-17T11:11:00.001-06:00

Kalee at Une Vie Chic tagged to answer a few questions about myself; the perfect post for a Monday morning. Chris and I had a wonderful weekend full full of the mundane-- grocery shopping, long walks, seeing a movie, working out-- it was exactly what we needed to rejuvenate before a busy week of school and work.

4 Shows I Watch:

Chris and I don't have cable in the house and in fact I haven't had cable the entire 2 years we have been dating. However, we do have a regularly used Netflix account and we watch movies and TV on the computer.

Here's what we and I have watched in the last year on Netflix:

1. The Tutors (just me! I went on a Tutors kick while Chris was traveling so much for work)

2. Californication

3. Robin Hood (We're watching this BBC series right now but last night we decided that we were bored with it and wanted to start something new)

4. Lots and lots and LOTS of movies. We just watched The Lost Boy-- a great 80's class with both Corey Feldman AND Corey Haim!

4 Things I Am Passionate About:

1. Childhood nutrition

2. Cooking

3. Healthy and happy lives for myself, my family, and my friends

4. Open and healthy discussion (I have no patience for arguing for the sake of arguing. I love having healthy discourse but when insulting or attacking starts I am done.)

4 Phrases (or words) I Say A Lot:

1. Shut up! No way!

2. Okay! Plus okay hand signal. (When you are scuba diving you check in with okay signals a lot. And since we came back from Hondura six months ago I can't shake the okay habit!)

3. I curse a lot so a well placed F-bomb happens usually once a day (If you know us in real life sometime ask Chris about the time I fell in a river while camping and I had 4 f-bombs in one sentence. It was a thing of glory.)

4. I love you (awwww mushy.... But I do say this a lot to Chris.)

4 Things I Have Learned From The Past:

1. Keep my temper in check. I have a hot streak and it can come out easily with a lot of fire. In the past, I've definitely flown into a blind rage and made some ridiculous scenes. Now, when I'm boiling I ask myself if it's worth it to make a scene. Every once and a while it is, but usually it's better not to throw the nearest items or start yelling.

2. I've learned to let go of a lot of insecurity. When I was a child my mom used to tell me:

You will always be smarter than some people

Someone will always be smarter than you...

You will always be faster that some people

Someone will always be faster than you...

You will always be prettier than some people

Someone will always be prettier than you...

You will always be more talented than some people

Someone will always be more talented than you...

So love what you have and be your best

It's taken years, okay decades, to realize how true this really is and to embrace the idea that what I have and who I am is wonderful.

3. Never. Ever. EVER eat processed foods. My body just can't handle it. Even if forced to eat dinner from a gas station do NOT have the lunchable-- it's not worth it!

4. I don't need as much sleep as I think I do. I can push my limits if needed. But, I have learned that I will never ever wake up early and I will always hit the snooze button if possible!

4 Things I Did Yesterday (Friday):

1. Went to class. It is my only academic class this semester, nutrition. I really love the class. It makes me wonder if I should go back to school and get my masters in nutrition. But I guess I should actually work at some point....

2. Laundry, washed dishes. I feel like we do these every single day.

3. Celebrated that it was Friday!

4. Went and saw Tron in 3D. The movie was visually stunning, especially in 3D, but the plot was basically nonexistent and I was and still am confused about the un-shown plot background.

4 Places I'd Like To Go:

1. India

2. South-east Asia

3. Jordan, especially Petra

4. Paris-- I have a hankering to go back to my old hometown!

4 Things I Am Looking Forward To:

1. Spring!

2. Seeing where we'll be in a year. I feel in limbo right now. Not staying, but definitely not going. i'm so excited to move forward in one way or another.

3. Attending 3 weddings in the next 6 months! I love weddings! Congratulations Kendall and Will, Dori and John, and Shaunelle and Abe!

4. The Mother's Day trip to Napa that I am taking with my momma!

4 Things I Love About Winter:

1. The way my cheeks turn pink after a long walk in the cold.

2. Snowball fights

3. Squirreling away inside under blankets and enjoying the warmth, hot tea, and board games.

4. Soup! Soup! Soup!

4 Things On My Wish List:

1. The determination to keep on working out daily.

2. The inspiration to cook dinner at home 6 nights a week.

3. The moderation needed to save money.

4. The serenity to handle all of life's challenges.

Happy Monday y'all!!

New Year-- New Start

2011-01-13T10:12:00.001-06:00

Did you know that 60 percent of people have broken their New Years resolutions by Valentines Day? I like making New Years resolutions, but I also think that you have to be practical and be sure that you aren't setting yourself up for failure-- there is no way that I want to start a new year with the guilt of already failing hanging over my head. Looking back, 2010 has been a crazy year. Had you asked me where I thought we would be when the clock struck last year I would have never guessed that we would be living in Charlotte and I would be going to culinary school. But, I do think that I have taken what has come our way and make sure that I/we am/are having the best life possible.

So, with that said, I have made some resolutions for 2011. But instead of resolutions I like to think of them as improvements, or maybe adjustments?

1. Live a smaller life in Charlotte. Chris and I want to start supporting our local community with our shopping choices. There is an amazing bakery and an awesome local fish market right around the corner from us but we want to start buying our veggies and meats from small local vendors too. My great-grandfather was a grocer in Fort Worth, Texas until he was put out of business by large chain groceries; he literally could not get good for as cheap as they were selling them in larger stores.

(This is a little fruit store in Paris... but you get the idea)

2. Work out 5 times a week. This was my mom's goal last year and except for two weeks she accomplished it! Chris and I have signed up for a 5k in the beginning of March so I have to hit the gym or my behind will be dragging.

(Hiking counts! This was over Thanksgiving at Pilot Mountain, NC)

3. Stay in better touch with my friends. Since starting culinary school I haven't been as good about making phone calls or sending out emails just to say hello. I need to be better!

4. Be healthier all around. There is a slew of things I would like to work on from lowering my BMI to upping my daily veggie intake-- this year I'm going to focus on making sure that I am healthy inside and out!

What about y'all? Did you make resolutions? Or are there parts of your life that you see fit to change?

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T00:48:00.001-06:00

From my family to yours, I hope that you have a holiday that is truly merry and bright!

xoxo,
M

Deep breath. We can make it!

2010-12-01T14:19:00.002-06:00

It's Wednesday y'all, only 2 more days until the weekend!

During the after-Thanksgiving sales I splurged and bought myself a new DSLR. I got a Cannon Rebel Ti1 at Sam's Club for a killer deal. So far I love it! New camera accessories are definitely on my Christmas list now!

I'm really excited to use my camera this weekend when Chris and I celebrate his 29th birthday this weekend with two special meals, presents, and lots of football! I think I am going to go all out and make him a cake.

And just to close out the post with a picture, here is my favorite picture from my new camera!

Giveaway winner!

2010-11-17T12:50:00.000-06:00

I loved reading your holiday traditions for the CNS giveaway! Thanks to random generator a winner was chosen! Maggie from Freckled Citizen is the big winner!

Maggie, you'll have to report back about what you choose from CSN!

Happy Wednesday y'all!

Humble Pie

2010-11-11T17:42:00.000-06:00

*** DON'T FORGET! Enter my $55 CSN GIVEAWAY . Winner will be announced on Friday!

Culinary school is filled with big personalities.

I think that most chefs have an ego. My theory is that to succeed as a chef, you must have an ego; you have to know that you, and you alone, are going to create something delicious. You take basic supplies and transform them into deliciousness-- it's almost miraculous.

And when you put 20 students with large egos into a room there are bound to be personality clashes. Luckily, they are few and far between.

However, some unintentionally hilarious moments have occurred. One of my favorite "big personalities" is this guy, we'll call him J. J is mid-twenties transfer student who is a total know it all. He spouts on and on and ON and OOOONNNNN about things that are completely pointless and the majority of the time he has no idea what he is really talking about.

Last week in baking and pastry class this awesome interaction occurred between J and another classmate:

P: "Taylor, have you ever had humble pie?"
J: "Oh yeah. mmmmh. It's great."

HUMBLE PIE Y'ALL! He actually tried to pretend like he knew all about humble pie as if it was a real thing!

Hey, at least he's not my boss!

And tonight is your last chance to enter my CSN GIVEAWAY . Start in your Christmas shopping my love bugs! Do me a little happy and enter!

the little things

2010-11-10T14:39:00.001-06:00

*** DON'T FORGET! Enter my $55 CSN GIVEAWAY . Winner will be announced on Friday!

I've been working my tush off at school-- tons of homework, papers and projects galore, and just the daily grind of classes. So I like to treat myself every once and a while to a relaxing afternoon. Here are my big plans:

Glee

Fresh brewed coffee

Bubble bath

Glass of Chardonnay

What do you do to unwind after a long day?

Holiday Giveaway!

2010-11-08T15:35:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks my loves and Christmas is only 7 weeks away! Time is flying! I spent some time this weekend poking around doing some pre-shopping for my list. I found some great goodies, but they are secrets for now! Have you spent any time looking yet?

To help your holiday budget I am offering a $55 giveaway from CSN. They have something for everyone on your list! Ottoman coffee table for the home decorator on your list, toys for the little munchkins, power tools for the handy man on your list, and everything in between.

To enter the contest simply leave a comment with your favorite holiday meal or tradition!

The contest will end on Thursday at midnight EST and I'll declare the winner on Friday!

Exciting news!

2010-11-04T14:22:00.000-05:00

Next week I'm having a sweet CSN give away!

p.s. I did it! I actually woke up bright and early at 5 am after a 45 minute nap. I aced my paper and did well on all 3 tests I took this week! I'm exhausted now so I'm going to take a long afternoon nap before starting some winter cleaning!

The inevitable

2010-11-02T02:28:00.000-05:00

The all-nighter: I knew it would happen at some point in my culinary school career. And it's happening right now as I type. Some how my usually good time management skills flew out the window in the last week leaving me with hours of unplanned homework on a school night. I have a paper due tomorrow and an incredibly dry and long online training to complete.

I'm not going to just skip my homework so here I am at 3:23 am finally finishing my work.

So here's the real problem. I'm done. Proof read, prepared, and done. But I have to be up at 5 am. Do I go to sleep for an hour and a half power nap or do I just stick it out?

I'll admit it... I have the will power of a kitten when I have to drag myself out of bed. I've done this before during my undergrad career where I would just "take a little" nap before getting up early. It hardly ever worked. But, I'm older, wiser, and more driven now. Right?

Shit, here goes nothing. Cross your fingers I wake up in time to turn in my papers.

I'll update you with either my great success or my epic failure in the morning. No pressure.

Fall Feeling

2010-10-29T12:26:00.000-05:00

I think it's finally here! I've been waiting for so long!

IT'S FINALLY FALL!

The weather is perfect: a crisp 56 degree, sunny, and clear. I can't wait to pull on a pair of boots, jeans, and a sweater and enjoy the Halloween weekend.

We'll be making Halloween shaped treats, handing out candy, and watching a spooky Halloween movie marathon!

And the weather came at the perfect time. This week I made a fall wreath for our front door. And y'all, the only supplies were 3 hot glue sticks and a roll of discounted ribbon! That's a grand total cost of ONE DOLLAR AND FIFTY CENTS!

I hope you all have wonderful weekends filled with lots of treats!

I Love the Mountains

2010-10-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

I love the mountains

I love the rolling hills

I love the flowers

I love the daffodils

I love the fireside when all the lights are low

Boom dee ah dah Boom dee ah dah Boom dee ah dah Boom dee ah dah
Boom dee ah dah Boom dee ah dah Boom dee ah dah Boom dee ah dah



Chris and I went camping this weekend in Pisgah National Forest.  
The leaves are turning and they are putting on a spectacular show!

The colors span from bright green to yellow to burning orange to the deepest copper.

We also came across several little creatures out in the woods:

a slithering snake (that I almost squashed)

a very hungry caterpillar who tried to eat our graham crackers

and ladybugs galore!

To really see the difference in the leaves check out this picture from the same area that I took only a month ago:

September 2010

October 2010

Free Puppies!

2010-10-22T15:05:00.000-05:00

The last week of so my blog email inbox has been receiving a lot more spam than normal.

I have gotten two emails saying:

from	creeper
to		goodbyedallashelloworld{at}gmail.com
date		Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 6:39 AM
subject		free puppies for adoption

Hello, i have a beautiful puppy for free adoption.............

And 5 emails saying:

Hello, i am albert by name and i have some money i want to receive from my father, and he ask me to get a chase account or a royal bank of canada account, so that he can transfer a sum of $5,000 into the account asap, kindly get back to me if you can help me, and %20 will be taking away by you.....looking forward to read from you soonest.

The puppies I could maybe fall for. But the money exchange? Please.

WHO FALLS FOR THIS?

And, y'all who's selling my email address? Is it you? Sad face friends, sad face indeed.

Culinary School Uniform

2010-10-21T13:09:00.001-05:00

Johnson & Wales has a strict dress policy. If you aren't perfectly pressed or have a stain the Chef has the right to send you out of class for the day (and it does happen!).

Everyday I have to wear a clean and freshly pressed chef's coat. My "neck-kerchief" is dark blue meaning that I am a first year culinary student.

I always have a thermometer, sharpie, and pen in my pocket.

My hair is pulled back into a hat.

And my very hideous shoes that need to be shined.

The uniform is super comfy; almost like wearing jammies. But it definitely isn't the most figure flattering outfit! On the weekends when I put on jeans, do my hair, and put on some makeup I feel as if I've totally forgotten what I look like!

I don't have class tomorrow and I am so excited to spend a 3 day weekend out of uniform!

New York New York!

2010-10-14T15:50:00.000-05:00

Remember back in August when I was all like moan moan moan I don't know what I want for my birthday? Yea. That was lame.

Well, my birthday came and went and was FABULOUS! For the night of my birthday, September 24th, sweet Christian took me out for a sushi extravaganza and we just played all weekend long. I would have taken pictures but I didn't get my birthday present from my mom until last week: it was the camera I wanted! (actually it was birthday money and I bought the camera but it's all the same)

It came Friday afternoon which was perfect because Chris surprised me Saturday morning with my birthday surprise:

A WEEKEND TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY!

We woke up at the crack of dawn, headed to the airport, and I had no idea where we were going until AFTER we got through security!

We had an amazing time. And I wish I had taken 1000 more photos. I always have a hard time balancing between recording a vacation and just living it to the fullest. We definitely did live it up!

We ate massive amounts of dim sum in Chinatown on Saturday and Sunday.

Drank delicious beers

Had life changing ruben sandwiches from Katz Deli

And munched on C's favorite food-- falafel!

Saw a car and a man fully covered in sweaters. It was creepy!

Met up with one of my best friends, Melanie, and went to comic con for a little people watching

It was yet another birthday weekend that I will not forget! Here's to 25!

10 things that make me a nerd

2010-10-13T10:16:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday little monkeys! Deep down I'm a big nerd. But luckily as I gotten older I've realized that this is me, I like it, and I'll embrace it.

1. I love NPR. I seriously have it playing in the back ground all the time-- in the car, while I cook, while doing house work, and yes, while writing blog posts. It's one of my super nerd habits and there has definitely been a time or two that I've pulled a Michael Bolton from Office Space when I roll up to an intersection with NPR rolling...

2. I am neurotic about my email in box. It stresses me out if there are more than 20 emails in my inbox. They must all be sorted into individual folders. They CANNOT just sit there. And I save almost all emails from friends and family-- I can go back into the archives and dig out emails from years ago!

3. I haven't had cable television for over 3 years. I got rid of it senior year (2007) of college to help me study and have never gotten it back. I watch some shows online but I have a tendency to get sucked into watching crappy tv for hours so it's better if I don't have it at my fingertips.

4. I love books. I could easily become a book hoarder. I just don't want to ever give them away and I could spend thousands at the book store.

5. I all filled with random and weird facts. Did you know that the majority of ants are female? Or did you know that in many countries the PC game mind-sweeper is daisy-sweeper; as mines can be a bit culturally insensitive in place where there has been a history of land mine usage.

6. I never know the lyrics to songs. I'm just terrible at it. Maybe it's because I'm always listening to NPR? But I really think I'm just unable to retain music lyrics. I usually know about 8 words of every song and then will just mumble the rest. However, I do know almost every word to Don't Stop Believing.

7. Sometimes in the shower I give myself a shampoo mohawk and a Santa beard.

(picture stolen from here)

8. When I don't blog regularly I get worried that people are mad at me and think I'm a bad internet friend. Then I realize that it's highly unlikely anyone has even noticed or gotten upset and then I feel bad that I felt bad....

9. ...so then I write random posts and schedule them to be released during the day. But when I schedule them I purposely put them at random times like "11:16 AM" so they don't seem scheduled. Huh, look at the time for this post. Weird.

10. Despite my inability to remember lyrics or carry a tune or clap on beat I really want to go sing karaoke soon but only if I can sing Total Eclipse of the Heart (which I totally thought was call Bright Eyes until I just tried to YouTube it-- please see number 6).

turn around.... bright eyeeeeeeessss....

AND I NEED YOU MORE THAN EVVVVVEERRRRRR.

oh, but I need a sweet teased blond wig first...

a regular day at culinary school

2010-10-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

Culinary school is exhausting. I love it and am learning so much but I am tired. Bone tired.

This is the way my day goes Monday through Thursday:

5:30- Alarm goes off

5:45- Drag myself out of bed and directly to coffee maker for my first cup of the day

6:20- Leave for school with yet another cup of coffee in hand

7:00- Class starts on the dot. We're expected to be ready for lecture and discussion immediately. Drink 3rd and last cup of coffee during lecture.

8:00- The cooking madness begins!

11:30- Lunch service! My class of 20 makes enough food to feed ourselves and another class.

12:00- Clean up and review of day's lecture and how the meal went.

1:00- Class dismissed

On Tuesdays I have an additional class about sanitation and food safety management from 1:45 to 3:45. And typically on Fridays we have the day off! Woohoo!

Getting up at 5:30 is a killer. I am the furthest away from a morning person that anyone can be. This morning I was so tired I almost cried over a little frustration on the way to school.

But, it's worth it. I have one year in culinary school. One year to bust ass, one year to learn as much as I can, one year to make it so I can graduate with a perfect 4.0, and if it means getting up at 5:30 every morning and pretending to be a morning person then I'll be there, with my coffee cup of course.

checking in

2010-10-04T19:52:00.000-05:00

Hello lovies,

I'm sorry that I've been so terribly terrible on the blogging front lately. Our furniture arrived today from Dallas, I'm writing papers and studying for an exam. I promise I'll update you on my life as soon as it slows down a little!

Right now at school I am in a class about the front of the house (the service aspect of a restaurant). We are learning practical and theoretical information about restaurant service management. I've never waited tables before and each day in class we serve an entire meal. I carry a big heavy tray every day!

Here's today's (delicious!!) menu:

Spain and Portugal

“Prior to ordering, please inform the server if you have a food allergy”

1^st Course

Gazpacho

Chilled vegetable purée

(Tomato, cucumbers, peppers, onions)

Catalan-Style Vegetable Soup

Catalan-style vegetable soup with saffron, rice and spicy chorizo sausage

(Tomato, onion, garlic, turnips and celery)

Tapas

A selection of traditional tapas

Portuguese Salad

Fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, Spanish onions, tossed with a sherry-garlic vinaigrette

2^nd Course

Paella Valenciana (“Pah-ay΄-ah Vah-lehn΄-see ah΄-nah”)

Classic Spanish rice casserole with seafood (shrimp, lobster and clams), chorizo sausage and chicken, scented with saffron and paprika

Cataplana (“Cah´-tah-plah´-nah”)

Spicy Portuguese dish of littleneck clams, cubed pork loin and potatoes, stewed together with white wine, garlic, and Piri Piri, a fiery condiment of peppers, vinegar and lemon zest

Braised Rabbit with Nuts

Braised rabbit with almonds, pine nuts and with a savory wine sauce

Veal with Sherry

Veal cutlets pounded thin, sautéed and nappéd with a sherry veal demi-glace garnished with smoked ham, olives and mushrooms

“Consuming raw or undercooked meats or seafood may be hazardous to your health”

(If you want any of these recipes I can email them to you! Just let me know hellodallasgoodbyeworld{at}gmail.com)

Have y'all ever waited tables?

a crap day

2010-09-27T20:04:00.000-05:00

Peter: Let me ask you something. When you come in on Monday and you're not feeling real well, does anyone ever say to you, "Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays?"
Lawrence: No. No, man. Shit, no, man. I believe you'd get your ass kicked sayin' something like that, man.

I'm going to forewarn you: I'm acting like a whiney crying b today. I most definitely have a case of the Mondays. There's a long list of reasons but basically I'm just having a terrible day. One of those days where it's hard to be happy. I would normally write a list of reasons to be happy- but I can't really think of any. EXCEPT MARIA.

That's right. Frauline Maria and her band of midget singers. When I am sucked into a funk the soundtrack from the The Sound of Music is one of the few things that can pull me out a little.

So, danke schon Maria! Danke schon!

25th Birthday!

2010-09-24T09:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my 25th birthday!

Last year I spent my 24th birthday with friends at the beautiful Andechs Monastery outside of Munich.

(My "birthday cake")

(How cute is this? Thanks Audrey!)

It's amazing how much has happened in the last year!

Since September 24th, 2009

I've been to 10 different countries and 4 continents

Sold my house

Moved to Chicago

Moved to Charlotte

Started Culinary School

I can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Culinary School- The Decision

2010-09-23T22:02:00.001-05:00

I know to blog readers it seems like I very randomly packed up and decided to culinary school. And it might have seemed that way to some of my friends as well. But thoughts of culinary school have been floating around my brain for years. I've always loved to cook. I've been a great "cook" for a while. But I wanted to step it up and become a chef. The difference between a chef and a cook is tremendous.

As you all know Chris and I had been planing to leave on our trip months ago. But because of some personal stuff we've had to postpone our trip for at least a year (BOO!!). So, the questions because:

"How can I best spend the next year of my life?

How can I better myself?

How can I keep my resume current?

What will I enjoy doing for a year?"

I definitely considered getting a job; but I was worried that by the time I found (if I could even find one) a job and then finished training it would be time to leave. I know that I could DEFINITELY learn a lot in a job in a year. But I kept on coming back to a statement that my grandfather always says:

"Find a job that you would be willing to do for free."

My first job out of college was as an event planner. I loved planning, when I was actually planning, but 90% of the time I was doing crazy bitch work. I know that everyone has to start at the bottom but it was frustrating to say the least. So, I didn't want to go back to event planning if I knew I was only going to stay for only a year. In the event industry you really have to work your way into a city event industry forging one relationship at a time.

While I was in Chicago I did lots of thinking. I volunteered for a great organization called Operation Frontline which is a part of the Share Our Strengths philanthropy network. OF's mission is to help adults, families, and children learn about nutrition, easy cooking, and a healthy lifestyle through hands-on demonstrations and lectures. Through the organization I assisted professional chefs in the classroom. While assisting I asked hundreds of questions about culinary school, being a chef, being a private chef, and everything else you could think of relating to attending culinary school. I also did several informational interviews with chefs.

I know that I could have gotten a culinary education in the field but I really want to have refined and technically correct culinary skills. I want to have the distinction of going to a prestigious culinary school (man, that sounded snooty!). My long term plan is not to become a chef in a restaurant. The hours are crazy,the culture can be fairly intense (lots of late nights, drugs, and booze), and the pressure is always sky high.

Eventually I want to open my own company-- catering, event planning, private cheffery (why yes, I did invent that) or something along those lines. What I really want to do is to open a small boutique cooking shop. Imagine an amazing open kitchen with a living and dining room attached. You could come take private lessons, pick up a gift for a friend, or have a fun girl's night out with great company, cooking, and wine!

I applied to two culinary schools, Kendall in Chicago and Johnson & Wales in Charlotte. Why those two? Well.... everyone else had already started the semester. Kendall was amazing. They have a beautiful campus and the staff was incredibly friendly. In the end I obviously decided on Johnson & Wales. I wanted the name recognition and business training that J&W provides, I did NOT want to suffer through another Chicago winter, and I was ready to move into my own (with Chris of course!) place again.

So far I'm loving culinary school. I'm definitely exhausted but it's all going to be worth it in the end!

I'll be posting more about culinary school. My day to day life, what I'm learning, and maybe even a baking and pastry give away or two (who wants cookies in the mail? YOU DO!).

Thanks for sticking with me through these changes!
xoxo,
M

A long week. A longer month

2010-09-22T20:40:00.003-05:00

It's 9:45 at night. I've just spent my second 12 hour day at school. I'm exhausted. I ate a dinner of cottage cheese and deli turkey because I (the chef in training!) was too tired to make anything for dinner.

I'm loving (LOVING!) school but I wish there was just a little more sleep to be had each day!

I cross my heart hope to die that culinary school updates will be arriving asap! Does tomorrow work for you? Because right now all I can think about is a shower and bed!

Anything you want to know?

P.s. I was trying to find a little youtube goodness to keep you all entertained since this post was such lame-sauce when I accidentally came across this topic:

What? Why? Just an entire category of "fat people falling"? Is it just me or is that weird/creepy/a little sadistic?

And why yes, that is a tiny break dancing shoe on a finger. And no, it was boring. No need for linkage.

Mer Mer How Does your Garden Grow?

2010-09-21T17:14:00.006-05:00

Before we left for the mountains Chris and I planted a small vegetable garden on Saturday. We decided to make a raised bed so that we wouldn't have to till the soil (laziness alert!). Our garden is 8 feet by 4 feet and is made out of cheap ($3.49) wooden landscaping beams that were originally 8 feet long and cut in half to fit in the car!

We think we are going to expand it another 4 feet in length so we can squeeze in a few more plants!

We went a wee bit overboard when buying seeds and planted:

- oregano
- beets
- spinach
- mesclun
- arugula
- kohl rabi (which I've never heard of but asked my Chef about and he said it was the shape and size of a turnip but tastes like a cabbage.)
- basil
- parsley

(These are oregano seeds. Are they not the tiniest seeds you've ever seen?!)

and I am starting these in the kitchen:
- thyme
- rosemary
- bell peppers

We planted seeds and I am a little worried about how they will do. It's a definitely delayed gratification! What if I'm a bad seed momma and my little baby plants die? Or even worse, what if they never ever hatch?

BUT! When I came home today from a grueling 12-hour day at school I found these little sweeties popping their heads out!

That's arugula! The seed packet said that it would take 7 to 14 days for the seeds to emerge. These over achievers have sprouted in only 4 days!

Maybe I'll be a good plant momma after all?

happy place

2010-09-20T15:14:00.006-05:00

The last month has been insane. I've been incredibly busy and constantly battling a 20+ item to-do list that is constantly weighing on my mind. Our house is a WRECK because we have NO furniture until the end of this month when it arrives from Dallas. I've just been a little (okay, A LOT) overwhelmed.

All of that stress disappeared when Chris and I headed into the woods this weekend for a long hike and a night in a tent.

The woods are my happy place. It's the setting that makes all of my worries, stresses, and insecurities disappear. The air seems to reach me in a different way. The smell of early fall leaves, wet grass, and fresh hay make me simply feel like a pile of happy goo.

After a calf-straining hike the view was stunning.

And on the way home we stopped at this roadside pumpkin patch and picked up a GIANT pumpkin straight from the farmer. We used the Honor System and payed for our pumpkin by putting money in an old rusty tool box. This stand made me happy for humanity!

And how could I not have a true laugh deep from within me when driving down a tiny state highway and passing by Pokemon Corner?
Or a boyfriend who purposely makes ridiculous faces in pictures?

A little Etsy Love!

2010-09-17T10:16:00.006-05:00

Now that I'm so fancy and am going to become a chef and all there are a few things that I have been heavily lusting after for my own home kitchen:

some modern kitchen art

Or maybe these instead?

This adorable vintage inspired apron

And maybe a new fancy set of towels?

I definitely wouldn't mind having a set of these GORGEOUS letter pressed recipe cards!

Am I missing anything fabulous and kitchen related?

Lexington BBQ

2010-09-16T09:43:00.000-05:00

There are many regions across the nation known for the barbecue: Kansas City, Memphis, Texas.

All those places have NOTHING on Lexington, North Carolina!

The prices are cheap...

The BBQ is amazing. So amazing that my mouth is watering just looking at this picture!

I highly recommend a spicy combo of ketchup, Texas Pete, and a dash of smokehouse sauce. Chris doesn't like ketchup and only uses hot sauces. Who doesn't like ketchup? Freaks.

When you're done try to ignore your food baby, order a refill of sweet tea, and bask in the glorious-ness that is Lexington BBQ.

A place to call home

2010-09-15T15:33:00.004-05:00

Little Monkeys! It's been so long! I'm sorry I've been MIA. Life has been CUUHHH-RRAAZZZY lately. In the last two and a half weeks I have:

Found and moved into a house in Charlotte, NC
Seen old friends from high school
Started culinary school at Johnson & Wales
Made new friends in our awesome new neighborhood
Taken my first culinary exam (I got a 95! Hollllllaaaaaaa!)

Chris and I had made the decision to move to Charlotte on such short notice that we had only a week and a half to secure a place to live. We could have balanced between hotel rooms, friends, and commuting from my childhood home (an hour away) but having a sense of HOME is a big part of my emotional security. I like being able to come back to my own place where I can dump my shoes on the ground, walk around in my under-roos, and just be me. Because Chris was working I was the vetting committee for houses and apartments. I saw some great and expensive places, some terrible and cheap places, and some places that were good enough but not exactly perfect.

On Wednesday afternoon I drove past this cutie

called the number on sign, set up an appointment for Thursday morning, filled out the lease that night, and got the keys on Friday. This girl doesn't play. When I find something I want it will be mine immediately.

There is something a little gross about the fact that our house has a white picket fence. It's just so... predictable. But, so far, I love the house! The majority of our furniture is still in Dallas so we're living on very bare bones. VERY bare bones. But, we're flying down to Texas at the end of the month (for the OU/UT game! Boomer shout-out for Chris!) and we'll coordinate movers while there.

Don't worry! I'm going to fill you all in on culinary school ASAP-- with pictures of my uniform (yes! Uniform!), stories of the 18-year-olds in my class, and random thoughts!

Got any ideas?

2010-08-31T09:30:00.001-05:00

Peachy Keen tagged me to fill out a little something about my self. I'm running around town right now trying to get settled into life in Charlotte before school starts! The grand apartment search is still on but I'm hoping to make a decision in the next few days!

1. What's your signature color? Signature color? Hmmmmm. I'm not one of those girls who is always decked out in pink and green but nor am I rocking tons of dark eyeliner. How about I choose my favorite color instead? Right now I'm loving turquoise!

2. What's your most embarrassing moment? I don't embarrass easily. That might be because I constantly am doing something embarrassing or awkward. But for some reason the story that pops into my mind the most is this:

Senior year of college I lived in New York City and had a internship at a fashion and beauty PR company. I interned with a great group of girls who I loved and would go out with on a semi-regular basis. One night we went out and I had on these really great brown high heeled boots. I thought I was looking smoking hot that night. I walked into the bar... took three steps, slipped in a puddle, and went flying straight up into the air and onto my behind. In true New York style, no one helped me up. I wanted to DIE.

3. Would you ever get anything besides your ears pierced? Probably not. I have my ears pierced but it's been years since I've worn earrings.

4. Are you a social butterfly or a homebody? As much as I love a good snuggly night at home on the sofa I am definitely a social person. I thrive on being around other people. And in true only-child style I crave being the center of attention.

5. Are you done having babies, or do you want more? I am currently baby free! WOOOHOOO! It's going to be a while before I even start to broach this idea. I'm simply much too selfish and flighty to commit to parenthood.

6. Are you loyal to your hairstylist or do you try every salon in town? I am terrible about getting my hair cut regularly. I usually go 6 to 12 months between hair cuts and then I will get sick of my long hair and chop it all off into a bob. Then I'll go regularly but eventually want my long long hair back and the cycle starts all over again!

7. How many times have you moved in your life? One zillion? It actually hasn't been that many. But between family moves, college, internships, and the recent craziness in my life I think I've lived in 10-15 different houses or apartments in my life. I've lived in:

Dallas
Boston
Paris
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
back to Dallas
New York
Chicago
and finally am setting up shop in Charlotte, North Carolina this very week!

8. If you could plan a vacation with just you and your love, where would it be? I'm dying to go to India right now! RIGHT. NOW!

Just to be difficult

2010-08-30T12:59:00.002-05:00

A lot has changed in the last week and a half. Chris and I went from brainstorming life plans on a cocktail napkin to packing up our stuff and moving.

That's right. We're moving. (Again).

We're headed to my home state NORTH CAROLINA. I was accepted into the culinary program at Johnson and Wales and we decided that it was worth moving from Chicago to Charlotte, North Carolina!

Chris' job provides him with a lot of flexibility and as long as he is near a major airport he can work from almost anywhere he wants. While in Chicago we were living in an apartment that my mom owns so we won't have to break a lease or anything. It's basically a win-win-win.

School starts Tuesday, I have a to-do list about a mile long which includes finding an apartment! I'm so excited to keep you all updated on my newest culinary adventure!!

just like Nelly....

2010-08-25T20:42:00.004-05:00

(erm, is photo credit due?)

... but not

Got the stitches out today! The doctor said there should be little to no scarring. But, I do have to wear a piece of tape on my forehead for the next week and a half.

To paraphrase the words of my friend Courtney

"Balllllller. Rapper/wizard!"

Caution: FRAGILE

2010-08-24T17:23:00.005-05:00

Friday night a little something terrible happened to me. Don't worry, it was just a little baby terrible. I tripped on myself and took a header into a fence.

I got 4 stitches and now have an awesome Harry Potter lightning bolt across my forehead. This year's Halloween costume? Done and done!

(The most awesomest hottest sexiest picture of all time.
It's going into Hustler next month for sures.)

I'm worried about the possibility of scarring. Since the accident I've been thinking about vanity a lot. Most days I don't wear anything more than mascara. If I'm going out for a nice dinner or just want to feel extra pretty I'll really do my makeup, but that only happens 4 or 5 times a month. I've always been comfortable with who I am. But now that my face is significantly swollen and there is a noticeable mark I feel a lot less secure about my looks.

I'm going to a plastic surgeon tomorrow to talk to him about reducing the possibility of a scar. I never would have gone to a plastic surgeon for my face normally.

This fall has made me question just how much I value my face. Which, evidently, is a lot.

Friday Videos

2010-08-20T11:55:00.002-05:00

Two youtube videos that are cracking me up lately!

Saved By The Bell Hot Sundaes Music Video

Panda Cheese (I've watched this video about 20 times and I laugh every time)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Birthday in T-minus 35 days

2010-08-19T11:57:00.000-05:00

My birthday is in 35 days. One month and 5 days. While I'm not getting ready to celebrate or even declare it as my birthday month I am starting to brew some ideas for presents. I like to think about my wish list for a while so that when the time comes I will have really thought out my options and not ask for something on a whim.

Chris is surprising me with a little mini-vacay the weekend of my birthday. He's planning a trip to some unknown local! He's going to try and keep our destination a secret for as long as possible. But, I think he will have to give it up once we get to the airport.

Since Chris is taking me on a trip the only presents I will be receiving are from my parents. Here are some of my ideas:

A copy of Swallow Magazine (which, yuck, totally sounds like a porn but is actually a foodie mag)

Bon Appitie describes Swallow Magazine as unlike any other food magazine. "Distributed biannually, each issue focuses on a different region of the world. One part service journalism, one part ethnography of culinary cultures, and one part art project, Swallow reads as intimately as a backpacker's diary but thrives on experimental aesthetics. Each issue features lush and often bizarre food photography and stories. The graphic depictions of some food prep techniques--like hunting, butchering, and cooking marmots with Mongolian huntsmen--might cause you to squirm. (Or maybe they'll cause you to buy a plane ticket and get the experience firsthand.)"

Fashion Emergency!

2010-08-18T15:38:00.012-05:00

I'm sure you're all wondering when exactly Chris and I are leaving to travel. It's a long story that deserves a blog post on it own. I've been procrastinating writing about it.

But to make it really short, there's been a delay and we won't be leaving until January at the earliest. That means I need to figure out a better life plan for right now. I've been applying to cooking schools and had an interview at Kendall College in Chicago yesterday.

I think the way you dress for interviews, appointments, and first dates is really important. A lot is inferred by the way you dress. That said, dressing for my interview was a bit of a challenge. I wanted an outfit that said "I'm a creative young professional who would be an asset to your program. While I take things seriously, I also have a lighter and more artistic side." (read that statement in your best interview voice!)

I was getting dressed and the first outfit I choose just wasn't right. It was just a little too yatch club for the interview. At this point I sent an emergency email to Stephanie from Le Sigh of Fashionista:

from: Meredith
to: Stephanie
date: Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 12:23 PM
subject: fashion EMERGENCY

I'm going to an interview to be accepted into cooking school.

Which is better:

1. White Trousers with Blazer

or

2. Dress

Stephanie, being the amazing friend she is, replied literally in the SAME MINUTE! She said dress, and since I always trust her fashion opinion I went with the dress.

Here's how it turned out:

Here's the first outfit:

I LOVE this blazer. It looks amazing on and has awesome sleeve lining if you want to cuff it or scrunch it.

Which would you have chosen for a culinary school interview?

Travel Lessons: Laundry

2010-08-16T15:39:00.012-05:00

During my three months backpacking in Europe laundering facilities were hard to come by. They were expensive. And when you only have two pairs of pants with you and 6 shirts it's annoying to pay for an entire washer and dryer.

After a while I became a little creative:

(Nice, France)

In a French hotel? Use a bidet to soak your clothes!

(Riomaggiore, Italy)

Let them soak in a nice bubble bath!

(Riomaggiore, Italy)

Stir them around to get them nice and clean!

(Paris, France)

If you are stuck in a hostel where the windows don't open, try to find a space to hang a clothes line inside. This one is draped across the end of my hostel bed. I slept with the clothes hanging over me all night.

(Riomaggiore, Italy)

Hopefully you have enough clothes pins!

(Manarola, Italy-- and NOT my undies!)

Be shameless! Let it all hang out!

Chicago Air and Water Show

2010-08-16T11:22:00.007-05:00

The Chicago Air and Water Show was great! We brought a delicious picnic of chicken salad and tomato and basil salad and watched the amazing aeronautic display!

We saw the Blue Angels

Parachutes

Cute little biplanes

Grumpy Chicago grandfathers

Incredibly drunk half naked people

There were over 2 million people watching on Saturday!

But only a few were brave enough to dive in to ice cold Lake Michigan!

Friday!

2010-08-13T08:58:00.004-05:00

Woooohooo! It's Friday my love bugs!

My mom is in town this weekend so we're going to do some girly things together. And tomorrow is the big show, The Chicago Air and Water Show!

(picture credit)

The show brings over 2 million people to the shore of Lake Michigan to watch an amazing display put on by some of the best civilian and military teams in the country!

We're making a picnic and spending our Saturday staring up into the sky!

Because the beach is not far from our apartment it will be easy to bring lots of yummy goodies. Here's the menu I'm thinking about:

- Spring Rolls with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce
- Caprese Salad (we LOVE tomatoes)
- Fresh Fruit Salad
- Some TBA pasta salad
- And cheese cheese cheese! (YUUUUMMMM!)

Any suggestions?

The Chronicles of M-- 90210

2010-08-12T13:27:00.004-05:00

M is one of my best friends in the entire world. I've known her for 12 years now. We weren't always close. In fact, we hated each other. If you asked her she would tell you that I was an evil bitch to her for a few years in high school.

While I love her with all of my heart now, I do have a large catalog of embarrassing stories about her. And like any good best friend and bridesmaid, I'm going to share them with the internet.

90210

I first met M when she transfered mid-year into my 8th grade class. Her family had just moved from Australia and M was something of a oddity.

Was she from Australia? No, she's actually from Canada.

Did she have a pet kangaroo? No, she's lame.

After a sleep-over, Jessica M eagerly reported that M had a trampoline and a large collection of perfume bottles. As you can imagine, this only made me more curious about M. We were in the same group of friends for the remainder of the spring semester. That fall we both went to the same small all-girls high school, Salem Academy.

We had no sort of dress code at Salem. I usually wore soffe shorts (which I rolled twice making them obscenely short), a souvenir t-shirt, and plastic flip flops from Old Navy. About 10 times a year I would put on a dress and some makeup, but it was rare for me to look presentable.

(This was me, except I'm taller and have brown hair-- which was always in a ponytail with at least 3 pens and pencils stuck in it)

Not everyone at Salem looked like a slob. Best friend D would actually wake up in the mornings, take a shower, eat breakfast, apply makeup, and get dressed (for the first two years of school she wore a sweater set almost every day. D had the largest collection of sweater sets I've ever seen!). M and I usually both rolled out of bed, threw on the closest items of clothing and speed to school.

One day, sophomore year M arrived to school a little late. I will never forget the moment she arrived in the student lounge. She was wearing a denim skirt.

A Denim skirt? What's so memorable about a denim skirt?

It was an acid washed, pencil skirt with the 90210 logo stamped on the left thigh.

ACID WASH + PENICL SKIRT + 90210 LOGO

I almost died when I saw this skirt. And this was 2000! I know (because of wikipedia) Beverly Hills 90210 ended in 2000. But was anyone still watching? Much less buying acid washed denim skirts?

On Tuesday I received this email from M:

"What does this remind you of?"

M creepy stalked this woman on the streets of NYC and took her picture with an iphone and sent it to me (see why I love her?).

This is only the beginning of the great stories I have about M-- I didn't even tell you about the time she wore head to toe khaki....

(Sadly, M's mother gave the skirt to goodwill a few years later. If anyone can find a picture of this skirt I will send them an amazing present! I've been searching for YEARS.)