The break is over.

Well, that sure was a long vacation. Sorry not to have written in over a week! It's the longest I will go. I promise. Not only for the readers, but also for my sanity! I love to write and keep up with this blog. It gives me something to look forward to everyday. However, the last week has been quite chaotic.

Work is going as smoothly as possible. We are having a rather large conference next week, so the planning and organizing for the last couple of days has left me too exhausted to cook delicious meals (crazy, I know) let alone update my blog. I also traveled to South Carolina on Thursday to visit my family and then traveled to Charleston for a Bachelorette party for one of my best friends, Meredith. It was a whirlwind, that's for sure. But alas, I am BACK!

In keeping it short, I only have one thing to share with you today: Groucho's.

If you grew up in South Carolina, live in South Carolina or even visited there, I hope that you had the opportunity to visit my favorite place to eat. I learned of this special eatery when I was in middle school, and there was no looking back . I probably ate there at least three times a week in high school. We went there before all the sporting events and class projects. I went there an absurd amount in college too. Although, there was always the argument with my friends that Andy's Deli was better, I think they were just having a quick brain fart. Anyway, for most of us, it was THE place to meet up. For sure. (There are locations all over the state; my favorites being in Lexington, Columbia and Charleston).

It also has one of the best sandwiches I have ever tasted. The All-Turkey Apollo. Oh. My. God. I can taste it now. Yummm. White sub roll, sliced turkey, swiss cheese all melted and warmed up together. I die thinking about it.*

Let's keep going. :) All of this yumminess is not at all complete until you add the 45 sauce. This special sauce is delish. I don't know what's in it, except maybe some 1000 Island dressing and dill, but it is heaven on earth! Dip your sandwich in there, finish up your meal with some Baked Lay's and a refreshing glass of Sweet Tea, and honey, I am telling you, you are one happy camper!

I miss Groucho's all the time. I am so glad that I got to stop there last Friday with my mom and sister. Here's a picture of the masterpiece itself:

Sorry. I got hungry before I could take a picture. Going four months without it can do that to you. :)

It was such a great weekend, and I am so glad to have been able to finally see so many of my best friends that I missed so much. Next up: Meredith's wedding. Oh Lord, it's going to get crazy, but I CAN NOT WAIT! Maybe I can squeeze in another Groucho's trip while I am down there for the ceremony next weekend.

Have a good rest of the week! I'm making some yummy things this weekend, so stay tuned!

PS: Randan's birthday is Monday!!!! Ah!!! So excited!

*You many think I am being dramatic. That's fine. I don't care. When you experience your favorite meal, you will feel the same way. Trust me.

The road less traveled.

I love to travel. It is so exciting to find yourself in a new place and just be able to explore everything around you. It doesn't matter if your definition of traveling is small or large. There are so many places you can find just around the corner from where you live or by flying across the world. I prefer to do both. Whenever I can.

Here is a list of places I want to go sometime in my life. Preferably sooner, rather than later:


1. Back to London for the 2012 Summer Olympics. I know, I know. You're thinking that this is a huuuuuge number one choice of places to travel. But, it's rather easy to plan, if you start early and know what you're doing. I know the city of London very well. So, finding somewhere to stay is easy. It's the crowds and possible terror threats that you have to watch out for. Plus, the cost is less than desirable, but save, save, save is my motto. Sometimes. :) But who wouldn't want to visit the country across the pond to watch Michael Phelps beat more records and the little gymnasts do flips for days and the US beat everyone in basketball again. It's awesome! I love London and I want to go back. Plus, Adam has agreed to go too. What could be more fun than that?

2. Montana. Is that weird? Probably to some, but not me. I have never been a real outdoorsy girl. I like to be in air conditioning in the summer and under a blanket in the winter. But, when it comes to visiting Montana, I know I could handle it. Funny, but true story of why I want to visit there. When I was little, I had a globe. I would put my finger on a random spot and spin it as hard as I could to see where it landed, and that would be where I would visit one day. Well, my finger always landed on either Russia or Montana. I didn't care for Russia because of all of my Russian ballet teachers, so I settled on Montana. I even looked it up. And boy, it is spectacular. Just go look for yourself. Or come with me when I go there. You'll see.

3. Greece. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "Mamma Mia." Need I say more?


4. New York City. Never been. Call me crazy, I know. Most everyone I know has at least visited one time in their lives. I have a few friends who even lived there for a summer or two. But, not me. I have always wanted to go there. Especially in the fall. I've heard it is beautiful with the leaves in the park, and when the weather is crisp. Yeah, I could definitely enjoy that. Hopefully, I will be there soon though! Randan and I have planned a trip for a weekend in October. It's not all finalized yet, but we are in the beginning stages. The weekend we chose is also the weekend of the NYC Food Network Food & Wine Festival. How perfect?! Now all we have to do is find the money to go to all the fun events. Ha! I'll keep you posted on this one.


5. Vancouver/Seattle/Pacific Northwest. Maybe it's because I like cooler weather. Maybe it's because I love Twilight. Or maybe it's because I just wanna be on the West Coast, but not in Cali. I just want to visit the PNW. Seems like a cool place to be. My friend Zach better have a good report when he gets back from his cross-country roadtrip so I can dream about how great it will be when I finally visit.

I am looking forward to visiting these wonderful and very different places in the near future. I hope to also bring along family and friends with me as I experience new adventures in each unique place.

Maybe I will find some good food on my travels. I am sure I will. :)

Waiting for the weekend.

This weekend was relatively quiet. Randan and Christa both took trips to South Carolina, so I invited Adam up for the weekend. Our good friend Sammi was here for the night on Friday because she had an interview for a nursing position at the Arlington Hospital. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

It's so fun that so many of our friends from college are interested in the Washington, DC area. We have hosted numerous friends on our couch as they pass through town going to interviews, road trips or just coming up to say hi. It has been fun to see so many people that we spent so much time with in the four years at USC. I hope that the visitors don't slow as summer comes to a quick close.

On another note, I actually just joined the DC Gamecock Club! This is an exciting development for fall because, my friends, Gamecock football returns in exactly 24 days!!! Another exciting part of this is the fact that they hold their gameday festivities at the Crystal City Sports Pub. Literally one block from our apartment. Is it fate? I believe so. Can't wait. Period.

Anyways, back to the lazy weekend that was had.

Adam got into town around 4 p.m. on Friday, so we went to the grocery store to venture for food. We immediately decided on sushi for three reasons.
1. Harris Teeter's sushi is not like any other grocery store sushi I have come across: it doesn't look fake.
2. I have dreamt about sushi for the last three months. I haven't eaten it since before I graduated from college on MAY 8, 2009.
3. Adam likes it. Which is a good thing.

If you know anything about me, you know that I could not go a week without eating at least something from Tsunami when I lived in Columbia. It was my favorite restaurant (besides Groucho's). My friends and I would always go there for every occasion possible: birthdays, date nights, Sunday night dinner. I miss it everyday.

So, the sushi was delish and will definitely be on my list of rotating go-to meals.

That night, Adam and I ventured to a "local" pub up the road called the Tortoise & Hare. Of course we "googled-it" before going, to see if it was worth our time, and all the reviews seemed pretty fair. We got there and the band had just started playing. It was a mix of big band and jazz. We both agreed that they were really awesome! They had two trumpet and two saxophone players. It was very hip. We got some nachos, stayed for a bit and then decided to go home. It was a nice place, but not all too lively.

The next morning, we went to the grocery store for a second time. I find that Adam is OK with going to the grocery store as long as I am prepared with a list. This makes me happy because while I can peruse the aisles for hours, reading labels, etc. Adam enjoys pushing the cart and then getting the heck out as soon as possible. I come armed with my list, and we do just that. I stocked up on some baking stuff and dinner for that night.

So I know that one of Adam's favorite dishes is Veal Piccata. This dish is foreign to me. I have never eaten it, and frankly, I don't know if I ever will. I don't know if I like veal. It's baby cow, right? Does that seem wrong to anyone other than me? I'm no vegan, but I feel bad for small animals at times. Who wants to eat a baby cow? Well, apparently, my boyfriend does.

I looked at different recipes and found that it's not THAT hard to make, but I figured it would take practice, so I could get it just right.* So I decided to make a different dish that he would like and I would feel more comfortable making : Country Fried Steak with Broccoli Mashed Potatoes and Iceberg Wedge with French Dressing. Yum.

Here are some pictures of how it turned out.





Yeah, I know you're thinking that it looks appealing. But let me tell you my friends, we had issues with the salad. Man, oh, man I made the homemade French dressing and it was so good. I even made the bacon and cut up little cherry tomatoes. But, when I was in the grocery store, I knew I had lettuce in the fridge already, so I didn't bother to buy any more. I may not admit when I am wrong very often, but I will today.** Adam asked me if I needed some, but I said, "No, I have some from the last time you visited. It should be fine." Clearly, three week old lettuce is not "fine." Gross. We spit it out after one bite. It was sour and bitter. Uh! What a waste. But the rest of the meal was great!

After dinner, we had some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that I made earlier in the day. From scratch. With my stand mixer I got for Christmas. So proud. I included the recipe below. They are so good. Trust me.


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I forgot this part; it tastes just the same)
  
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Beat butter, sugar and peanut butter in medium bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, blending well. Stir in milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 13-15 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet. Remove to wire rack; cool completely.

The weekend was very relaxing and one that I will wish for again very soon. I won't see Adam for about a month and I will be traveling to South Carolina twice in the next two weeks for my friend Meredith's Bachelorette party and wedding in Charleston, SC. Whew! Can't wait to see my family though! It's been tooooo long!

Have a great week!

*Warning to my roommates -- hope you like veal :)
**Adam-- I admitted it. Are you proud?

Me.. in a nutshell

Taking Randan's lead. Just a little about me.

Whatever it is.

Disclaimer: This post has nothing to do with food. I am ranting. Bear with me. Just so ya know.

So, as I sat at work today, I began daydreaming, as I usually do. I began to wonder how, after all the stress, ups and downs, loves and losses and just plain hard work of the last 22 (almost 23) years of my life, I have finally managed to be absolutely, one-hundred percent... H-A-P-P-Y.

This feeling crept up on me and smacked me right in the face during WORK, of all places. I almost started crying. Here are a list of reasons why I have finally gotten to a good place in my life:

Go Gamecocks!

1. I have the best parents in the whole world. Period. If any one wants to argue with me, they can kiss it. My sister and I have been blessed beyond belief in our lives. We have been able to do amazing things and travel to a hundred different places that I would never have dreamed of doing. They give me unending support and love and I could not be the person I am now without them. After all, whose parents would let their daughter move over 500 miles away without a job or a place to live after one conversation about it? That takes guts.. and a crazy sense of trust. Without my dad, who would have taught me the love I have for NASCAR and how to make a grilled cheese before I left home? And without my mom, who would have shown me the importance of reading books and how to find deals at every store imaginable (including TJ Maxx- which until I moved away, I had a strong dislike for)? These are both silly examples to some, but to me-- they make up who I am. Jessica, my sister, and I both can probably say now that we are better people because of the saying.. "We love you and we trust you.." I think about them everyday, and can't wait to see them again soon.

Jess' Junior Prom

2. To continue on the family route, I can now move on to my little sister, Jessica. It's hard to put our relationship into words. Well I'll try-- we are COMPLETE OPPOSITES. But, somehow, in the last 2-3 years, we have made that work. I may have done some pretty rotten things to Jess as we were growing up, and she may have retaliated in a way that was quite inappropriate at (all) times :), but I have a love and understanding for her unlike anyone else in my life. I believe she is a stronger person than I am and she makes me a better person for it. My mom used to tell me that I was the cute baby, but Jessica was the smiley, funny one. Maybe that's why she has a million friends and has always been a point of laughter in our house. She has grown up so much since she graduated from high school, and I think it's all for the better. I love her with all my heart and I wouldn't have wanted to grow up with anyone other than her. Snorkel. Don't ask.

New Year's Eve 2008 in Washington, DC

3. I have a great boyfriend. Not only did we meet in a cool way (in London studying abroad last summer), but we are always having FUN together. Adam and I have a lot in common, so it always seems that we are agreeing on things to do. Adam lives in Virginia Beach, so since I moved to DC, we have been much closer than when I was in college in Columbia. Plus, he lived in DC for about a month this summer, so it was great getting to see each other more than just a few weekends a month. I figure this much.. if you can date someone for more than a year while living long distance, then you pretty much have to know everything about each other so you can communicate. It is key. I have learned so much about myself being with Adam and I am so grateful to have him and his patience to balance out my sometimes impatient, sometimes know-it-all personality. I love all the times we have shared and I am excited to see what other fun things the future has in store. Without Adam and his caring nature, I probably wouldn't be as happy as I am now. Not to mention, my friends adore him and call him "brother." I guess this is a good thing. :)

New Roomies in DC!

4. I could not have asked for two better people to surround myself with in my first BIG move away from home. Christa and Randan are not only my roommates, but they are my best friends. Along with Adam, they balance me out to a T. Randan is always there to talk to about the tough stuff in life. She is the realest person I have ever met. We are able to talk about everything from the craziest political antics of our government to the newest book on the Best Seller's list. I am grateful to have found her. Christa is always making me laugh. She never fails to bring entertainment to my life. I am glad that she is there for me to vent to and to give and share advice with. If it wasn't for freshman year of college in Patterson Hall on USC's campus or for joining my sorority ZTA and eventually being on Executive Council, I never would have met my best friends. It's funny how things work out. I'm just glad I introduced these two so that they could be roommates last summer as interns in DC. It's just my luck because I followed them both here after graduation. Best decision I have ever made.

ZTA Parent's Cocktail 2007 at the Carolina Walk

First USC Football Game of Junior Year

Mallory's Bachelorette Weekend in Charleston, SC

Senior Bar Crawl 2009

Hanging out in Columbia, SC during Senior Year

My 21st Birthday Party

My 21st Birthday Pasta Party in Lexington, SC

Jordan and Will's Wedding Reception in May

A night out in 5 Points at Village Idiot

First USC football game of 2008

5. My college experience could not have been more perfect. I did everything in college the way I always thought I would when I was in high school. I joined a sorority, went out to 5 Points, tailgated at home and away football games, worked in the Senate, went to concerts, met new friends and stayed close with old friends, and got a damn good education :). I am thankful to have lived with some of my best friends (Mallory, Meredith, Nancy, Heather, Samantha, Casey and Laura), and I would not have had the great times I had without them. They were all different and I loved every moment spent with each of them. All of my friends in general allowed me to have fun at any moment, and although senior year came and went by too quickly, I think we all can say we lived it to the fullest extent. It was the most amazing time of my life so far. I miss all of my friends, but South Carolina isn't too far away, and we all know I can't stay away for too long. Not to mention, we all get to reunite at Meredith's wedding in a few weeks. I am so pumped!

Well that's about all for now. I promise I'll go back to food next post. Thanks for hearing me out. :)

How cool is this..

This is just a short post because I wanted to show how clever some restaurants are with plating. 

I have always appreciated how food is plated. It gives a certain "something" to a dish in a restaurant when you are excited to eat it. Some chefs become famous for how beautiful their dishes look. And isn't it always more fun to eat oysters out of a bucket or fajitas on a steaming skillet in Mexican restaurants?

Last night, I went to a pub in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington called Union Jack's. This pub quickly became a favorite place of mine because of all the English memorabilia. As most of you know, I spent six weeks in London last summer studying abroad, so I have been to my fair share of pubs. London is also my FAVORITE city in the world. I met my boyfriend Adam there as well, so it is near and dear to my heart. Union Jack's was overboard with decorations. From the "Mind the Gap" signs behind the bartenders to a huge mural painted on the wall of Winston Churchill standing in front of Buckingham Palace, it was cool to say the least. 

My friends and I ordered lots of appetizers to share with each other, and my immediate choice was beer-battered onion rings. Love them. I could eat onions everyday. Is that weird? Any who, these not only tasted amazing, but they were plated in such a neat way. Which is why I wanted to share the picture with you here:

A bottle? How could you not love that! Of course I got ranch dipping sauce instead of the spicy dip on the menu. After all, ranch makes everything better. :)

So, I will be visiting Union Jack's again soon. Hopefully with Adam. He'll love it. 

Cheerio!

Food and friends.

So I finally did it. I made a homemade pizza. Well, halfway homemade. Let's just talk about the taste instead of the method of how it was made, because, I mean, that's the important thing, right?
First off, I have tasted some pretty darn good homemade pizzas in my day. My dad happens to be a master. At my house, a homemade pizza is a weekly tradition. And one I always looked forward to. So naturally, I wanted to start doing it in my weekly routine. Well, maybe every-so-often- weekly routine.

So, on my lovely trip to the grocery store last Friday, I bought a pre-made pizza dough crust in the bisquit section. I figured if they cheat and go cheap buying it on Food Network, I can do it in Cafe du Stephanie. Plus, who doesn't love Pillsbury bisquits? Now think of them as a pizza crust.. yummmy!
I used a cookie sheet and rolled out the dough over some cooking spray. I layered on the jarred pizza sauce, which although not homemade, is still awesome. Then I covered it with shredded mozzarella, sliced tomato, some fresh shaved parmesan and a more recent aquired taste, some red pepper flakes. (After all, I do live with a girl who could eat a jar of jalapenos and wash it down with Tabasco sauce.) Then you just follow the directions on the can of dough and voila! A freshly made pizza!

Here is the finished product and a little photo shoot by Randan:

So take one "homemade" pizza, some good friends, and lots of wine and Peroni beers, and you have yourself a very enjoyable evening. We invited over Adam's good friend, Philip, whom we got to know while they were both living in the George Washington University dorms this summer. He leaves us this weekend to go back to Alabama. We will miss him!

Stay tuned for the fun that will be had this weekend when Adam comes to visit and I attempt to cook him some yummmmmmy dishes! Hooray!

Steak makes everything better..

You know when you have that feeling that a good weekend is just around the corner? That's how I felt Friday morning.

So I had started my Friday by making a list. Clearly. I got this sometimes annoying, sometimes handy trait from my Mom. And I can't go in a store without one. Call me crazy, but if I run rampant in a grocery store without a list, one of two things will happen:
1. I'll rack up a $500 bill without even noticing and eat only rice for weeks after the food runs out.
2. I'll rack up a $500 bill and somehow justify every single purchase even though I know I didn't need the extra virgin balsamic vinegar that I needed a teaspoon for in a recipe.

So, I tend to stick to my list. It's just better this way. :)

So, since there was no work for me that day, I went and ran a ton of errands while I finally had time. This included my favorite chore of all... Harris Teeter.

Oh, there is nothing like hitting up the grocery store when it's empty on a Friday afternoon. Especially when you LOVE the grocery store right around the corner from your house. I was so glad to have found this one in particular since I had such a great store (Publix) to go to growing up in Lexington, SC and later in college in Columbia, SC.

Since I have moved to DC, I find myself eating a lot more fruits and veggies than I did when I was in college. Maybe it's because I actually take the time to cook them in different ways to find out what I like best, but it's working out quite well. All the fruits and veggies in HT are organic, which always makes me happy! I don't try to be a health nut, but it's always nice to know that you are putting good foods into your tummy.

So I kept to the list, mostly, and came home and cleaned out the fridge to make room for the new food. This is a daunting task. And sometimes interesting.

Then I started planning out my meals for the next week. This is helpful because I never have to scrounge for food. I always know what I have and a yummy recipe to make. It's easier to come home after work and know what you want instead of eating junk. Since it was Friday, I figured I would make a good meal for me and the roomies. I love to cook for them. They are a good sounding board for my cooking, as they do not hesitate to tell me if something is good, or too salty, or just plain gross. I will be forever grateful.

Turns out, we had some friends in town who were going out with Christa later in the night. Of course, we thought it would be fun for them to come over and eat with us, so I decided to make steak. This wasn't just any steak, this was sirloin filet with gorgonzola cream sauce. Yum. And asparagus, mac and cheese (courtesy of Randan), mashed potatoes, and a quick appetizer of caprese salad.

Here are some pictures from the glorious meal that was had.


Mmmm.. STEAK. We don't have a very accessible grill, so I usually grill inside on the stove. Just add olive oil and season the steaks with salt and pepper. Grill about 5 minutes per side for medium. Only flip once though. :) They come out perfectly every time ( I am mostly referring to Adam grilling the steaks perfectly because I usually relegate this task to him. But he wasn't here this weekend so I took on the job and I did it!)

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce:

This is so easy to make, and a delicious addition to any meal. Gorgonzola cheese is the Italian version of Bleu Cheese. I like it better because it is a bit saltier and smoother. We ate it drizzled on everything from the steak to the mashed potatoes and then the next day, I made some bowtie pasta for a quick dinner and poured it on there. So good!

Here's the recipe:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream or half and half (whichever you have on hand)
  
• 1/4 pound Gorgonzola (one container is enough)
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add butter to melt. Saute shallots until tender. Add the cream and let reduce by half. If you use half and half the sauce will not be as thick, but it tastes just the same. Turn heat to low, add the Gorgonzola and stir until it melts. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Here is the Caprese Salad. It's just a fancy term for tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Just slice a tomato, and add some sliced mozzarella on top. Sprinkle on some fresh basil and drizzle with olive oil or balsamic vinegar. I just recently started using balsamic vinegar. Adam's mom does this, and I find that it tastes sweeter. Try it, you'll love it.


Here is the final product. It was soooo good. Especially washed down with some fantastic Cab Sav. (I am referring to Cabernet Sauvignon, for those who are not wine connoisseurs like my friends.)

Mmm hmm. That was a great night. I recommend that you try some of these recipes. They will put a smile on your face, for sure.

The rest of the weekend was fabulous as well. Enjoyed a Saturday afternoon in Burke, VA volunteering at a cigar and margarita fundraiser for SICF, the Sponsor Iraqi Children Foundation, with Christa and her parents. Please check out the Web site if you would like: http://www.sicfoundation.org. Also had a great time at Whitlow's on Wilson in Clarendon with everyone on Saturday night. Overall, it was a fun weekend. Just like I knew it would be.

Hope you all have a good week. We are picking back up our "Roomie Night" weekly routine, and I'll attempt to follow my Dad's lead of making homemade pizza. Could get interesting..