It's the Simple Things

I'm lucky to be one of those people who it doesn't take a lot to make happy. Like the popular saying goes, "It's the simple things in life..." (I actually don't know if there is a last part to that, or if there is, what it is). Today I'm not in a bad mood or anything, but I still thought it would be fun to compile a list of some of the simple things that make me happy - ironically, making lists is one of them.

• Getting a personal email from a friend - I get so many emails everyday that are work-related or junk-mail, that when the occassional email from a friend pops up in my inbox I can hardly stand waiting to read the content. So thanks everyone who frequently emails me, it makes my day - if I could tag you like you can on facebook, I totally would (Ashley, Miranda, Whitney)
• A close parking spot - For all of you who work at LU, I'm sure you can relate, although you can never count on it, a close parking spot can save you about 10 minutes on your walk up to the office, and if you're always running late, that can be your saving grace!
• Watching the newest you tube video sensation for the first time, and the sense of urgency I feel to pass it along to friends-this is my newest favorite
• Being greeted by my dog when I get home - I don't think this will ever get old. I usually come in the door kind of in a huff, the 5:00 traffic held me up, my hands are full, and I'm starving (inevitable), but when I open the door, Wrigley comes bolting to the door to greet me, and my bad mood vanishes  

• Getting a compliment on something that I cooked/baked - I have told Nathan before that these are my favorite compliments to receive - moreso than anything about me personally - the way to my heart is to compliment my food. I think it makes me feel like I'm good at something...hence a sense of validity...ok enough with the psychoanalysis
• Having time to stop by Starbucks on my way to work - this happens maybe once a week, but when it does - one Grande Sugar-Free Vanilla Nonfat Misto please!
• Going to sleep on Friday night without setting my alarm - no explanation needed
• Finding loose change around the house - oddly I never feel guilty about spending cash, and if I have it, I spend it, which is why I usually don't keep any

Well, although there are many more options, that's all for now. I'm not going to get all "count your blessings" on you, but this is a pretty good thing to do if you're in a bad mood - just saying.

Heating Up

So, I just deleted everything that I had initially written in a post discussing the benefits of summer, because as soon as I mentioned the "heat" - my mind went to the NBA finals, and I found that more interesting. Please realize that I really don't know that much about the NBA, so don't get all uppity if I say something inaccurate, this is just the opinion of a girl who watches sports sometimes. Ok, so now that the disclaimer has been accounted for, I am pulling for the Heat. I realize that in sports they are Public Enemy #1, but I really don't understand why everyone hates them so much. So maybe Lebron James is looked at as a traitor for leaving Cleveland, but can you really blame him for leaving Cleveland for the opportunity that presented itself in Miami? I mean he took a pay cut ($15 million is reported) to play with two other exceptional players in order to win a championship, isn't that really the end goal...(along with making millions)? I might not be ready to say that James is the new Michael Jordan quite yet, but he sure is talented. For some reason (even though he looks like an alien) I really like Chris Bosh. Now here is how the female mind works - I like him because he was really nice and funny on Regis and Kelly. I realize that's not substantive, but it's the truth. A lot of times my opinions of celebrities and athletes is either made or broken by their appearances on the late night talk show circuit. I think that the "Big Three" are fun to watch, it's like when one of them has an off-night, the other one steps up to the plate. I just wish they weren't going up against the Mavs, I've always been a Dirk Nowitski fan. I guess I just want to see the Heat give a big "told you so" to everyone who doubted them, and prove that yes, they really are that good. While it's not really a Cinderella story by any means, it would still be satisfying to see.

European Cuisine...On Way Too Tight of a Budget

For one of the "best dish" posts, I really wanted to incorporate my Europe trip, but I couldn't think of the one category that I wanted to write about. I don't know if any category would win for being my favorite overall, but we definitely experienced some good food in Europe (and some not-so-great...anyone remember that sketchy cafeteria place in France?)  I went to Europe in 2008 with a group that included some of my best friends, and we had a blast. We went to Italy, France, Monaco, and Spain and saw all of the sights and really took in the culture, but not as fully as I would have liked to in the cuisine realm. Now, I am not blaming anyone for this, truth be told, we were college kids on a limited budget, so we didn't have the option of fine dining, but it is a little disappointing in retrospect, now that I am so aware of all the potential that European dining had to offer. However, now that I think about it, I feel confident in nominating the coffee that we drank in Rome as the best coffee that I have ever had, and for a coffee-lover like me, that is quite significant. Now before you conjure up this cliche image of us sitting in a charming, local cafe in Rome sipping on an espresso, let me clarify, the coffee that I best remember was actually part of a continental breakfast at a hotel, but don't let that ruin this...it was incredible. The coffee was strong, but smooth. It had such rich flavors that I had forgotten about as I had become dependent on the weak office brew to get me through the day back home. Also, of note would be the gelato and the abundancy of nutella in creperies and cafes, I fell in love with nutella gelato and haven't had any ice cream that has been that good since. We ate churros dipped in hot chocolate at a chocoloteria in Madrid, and had great pizza in Florence with fresh mozzerella, tomato, and basil.Next time I go to Europe, I am going to save up so I can try to visit some of the Michelin star restaurants, I had better start saving now if I plan on going to more than one!

The Colosseum...obviously

St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral

Eating Gelato

Our (Attractive) Tour Guide - Chris

Holding up the Tower of Pisa (So cheesy, but you have to do it)

Europe Friends!

Foodie Finds #3

This may be odd, but most of the time, I enjoy side dishes more than the main dish. Maybe it's because I enjoy carbohydrates more than proteins (unfortunately), but most of the time, meat has a somewhat standard taste to me, and the side dishes offer more variety. Anyways, this brings me to today's category of Best Accompaniment.

My number one nomination would be the truffled boursin macaroni and cheese at the Waterlot Inn in Bermuda. Nathan and I opted to go to Bermuda for our honeymoon. Our original idea was to go to Laguna Beach, California, but Nathan (who knows me better than I know myself) knew that if we went there, I would want to see several of the surrounding cities in California, and would create an itinerary so hectic, that there would be no down time and our trip would be anything but relaxing. After he pointed this out, we both agreed that after our hectic wedding week, relaxation would be in order. A tropical vacation is right up my alley anyways...our daily routine consisted of indulgent meals, laying on the beach, an occassional spa treatment, and snorkeling. Anyways, we ate at some wonderful places, but the one dish that sticks out is the truffle macaroni and cheese  at the Waterlot Inn (also of note here is the sticky toffee pudding dessert). Ordering macaroni and cheese might seem far from gourmet, but nice restaurants have a way of taking a simple dish and making it something incredible. The key to this recipe was the truffle oil and the combination of boursin, parmesan, swiss, provolone and cheddar that were incorporated throughout. Nathan and I were sharing it, and I was tempted to surrender my steak to him in exchange for the mac and cheese. It was out of this world, and the Waterlot Inn in itself was a wonderful experience, it is a 330 year old inn overlooking a harbor, and the waitstaff had that perfect balance of being attentive without being overbearing. If you ever go to Bermuda (please do, it was the best vacation I've had), you have to eat at the Waterlot Inn, and you have to order the truffled boursin macaroni and cheese.

The Waterlot Inn

Where we spent most of the day!

My second nomination for best side dish is the sweet potato casserole at Ruth's Chris. I am a big fan of sweet potatoes, and though the amount of sugar and butter in this dish is ungodly, its worth every single calorie. I found a copy cat of the recipe and have made it for dinners, and it's good, but I think there is some secret Ruth's Chris is keeping, because it always tastes better at the restaurant. My first meal at Ruth's Chris is definitely memorable. In December of 2009, I was going to Ponte Vedra, FL with Nathan's family for a long-weekend vacation. Our first night there, Nathan told me that he had made plans to take me to a special dinner, and suggested that I dress nice. He took me to Ruth's Chris and we had the best time, and for us that means we ate a TON. We got salads, the ahi tuna appetizer, steaks (of course - they are divine here), sweet potato casserole and scalloped potato family style sides to share, and then a chocolate lava cake for dessert. I don't think I have ever eaten so much in my life, I could feel my pants get tighter and my stomach felt convex. Afterwards, Nathan suggested a walk on the beach, and to be honest with you, nothing sounded worse....well besides a run on the beach...but I reluctantly agreed. So we are walking along the beach, and my stomach is rumbling, I mean it's not comfortable. We got to a lit area at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club and it was really beautiful. Nathan pulled me towards him and for the first time he told me he loved me, and then he started telling me that he would always love me and would always take care of me...and I realized what was happening. Unfortunately, my stomach would not let up, it could have cared less that one of the biggest moments of my life was occuring. So, as you can assume, Nathan proposed, and it was beautiful, and special, and perfect...but I definitely learned a lesson about why you should not overeat that evening. If I had to do it over, I would have foregone the appetizer, the salad, and the scalloped potatoes, and opted to split a dessert - but I wouldn't even consider taking back the sweet potato casserole!

Foodie Finds Continued

This is Day Two of my Best Thing I Ever Ate (a la Food Network) series. As I wrote before, the reason each of these places is special is moreso because of the experience that is linked to it. This is especially the case with today's nomination for the seemingly trivial category of Best Hot Dog.

In 1998, my dad and I took a trip to Chicago, which is where he is from. It was two years after my mom had passed away, and I think it was our first big trip for just the two of us. He wanted to show me his hometown of Morton Grove (right outside the city), tour the city, and of course see a Cubs game. The trip was a while ago, but it is still a vivid memory. I remember scouring the streets to buy a Sammy Sosa jersey before the game, staying at Doubletree Suites so that we could get free chocolate chip cookies, going up in the Sears Tower, going out on the lake at Navy Pier in the Sea Dog speedboat, and most relevant to this post, getting a Chicago-style hot dog and a chocolate malt, just like my dad used to do at Wrigley Field. 1998 was the year in which Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa were in the home-run battle, and we got to witness Sammy hit his 43rd home run of the season. My dad informed me that in order for the Wrigley Field experience to be complete, I had to get a Chicago style hot dog. A Chicago style hot dog is on a poppy seed bun and features onions, tomatos, peppers, and then ketchup and mustard are optional (well for some people, it's a neccesity for me). I can still remember sitting at Wrigley Field on a hot August day eating hot dogs and cheering for the Cubbies - and that is why this is one of my favorite food memories.

I would be amiss if I didn't mention the runner-up in this category. Two summers ago, Nathan and I visited Miranda when she was interning in NYC. Though we planned on only staying for the day, there were just too many things to do, and we ended up staying in the city for one more day. We woke up that morning and caught the subway over to Coney Island for the Nathan's hot dog eating contest where Joey Chesnutt made the U.S.A. proud. Afterwards, we got our own Nathan's hot dogs, and they were soooo good, maybe we were just hungry, maybe we just in the spirit of the event, but definitely a great food memory.

Becoming a Foodie

I love eating out...but not just casually. What I mean by that, is that I don't like stopping for fast food on a weeknight, ordering takeout for lunch, or going through a drive thru. We eat out usually no more than once a week, and when we do, we like to make it count. It might be a more expensive dinner, but considering that it's our one meal out for the week, we spend a lot less than if we were going to grab Chikfila or Moe's a few nights a week, that can really add up! I hope this doesn't come off as snobby, because trust me, I love junk food and I love cheap food, but eating out is something that I think I put a lot of consideration into, which I'm sure drives Nathan crazy. So, this will sort of serve as the preface of this blog series on my favorite restaurants - some of these places represent an experience that was had, a memorable vacation, or just a great time, but all are wonderful and come highly recommended...by me!

Best Overall Dining Experience: Scalini Fideli, Tribeca, NYC

Scalini Fedili was one of the first times that I truly experienced "fine dining" and it was magnificent. Part of the ambience of this whole experience was that I was alone with Nathan on our first trip together. He had surprised me and whisked me away to NYC for the weekend with plans to propose. The proposal didn't end up happening this weekend (thanks for being unavailable for the permission-seeking chat dad) but the trip was one of the best experiences of my life. Nathan presented me with three gifts the night before we left and told me in which order to open them. In the first box was a beautiful black dress from White House Black Market, in the second box was a Guess peacoat that I had fallen in love with while window shopping, and the third was a card that said "The dress is for dinner tomorrow night. The coat is because it's cold in NYC this time of year" - and we left the following morning. Ok, ok back to Scalini Fideli - we were greeted with complimentary champagne while they took our coats for us, it was their way of apologizing for making us wait a mere five minutes for our table. The waitstaff treated us like we were VIP's (as they do everyone in a place like this) and we decided to order off of the chef's tasting menu. We started out with an amuse bouche that was presented to us compliments of the chef and then were subsequently brought course after course of wonderful appetizers, entrees, and desserts, followed up by "palate cleansers" - i.e. sorbet. The dinner took about three hours, but we could have stayed all night as we were both pleasantly absorbed in the atmosphere of the restaurant and the excitement of New York City at Christmastime. Next time you visit NYC, this would definitely be my recommendation for the perfect date spot. Scalini Fideli has won the coveted award of my favorite dining experience.

Growing Old is Getting Old

"I will never be old. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am." - Francis Bacon 

I wish that I could just keep things here for a while. I have always thought that 21 is the perfect age - old enough to be independent, but young enough that you have your whole life ahead of you. Granted I am 23, and life has not already flown past me, but still, I am noticing a change in my thought patterns, speech, and even in my body that make me realize that I am getting older - and I don't like it. Here are some examples:

·     I refer to college students as "kids" - as in, "Boy, this town sure is different when the college kids are gone" (also note the "Boy" as a telltale sign of getting old)

·     When I am out in the sun, I imagine myself being diagnosed with skin cancer and am even tempted to lather on the SPF...but not quite there yet.

·     Staying up past 11:00 p.m. is now reserved for weekends only, and even then I find myself drifting off earlier

·     A brochure about Botox caught my eye, and I considered it for the crows feet that I will undoubtedly acquire from my squinty smile within a few years

·     Anti-aging products are now being marketed to my demographic - guess I will have to upgrade from the Clearasil Acne Wash to Oil of Olay Anti-Aging Formula

·    When I go up the stairs, my knees crack audibly

·    Running hurts my hips

·    A child referred to me as a "woman" rather than as a "girl" and a high school boy called me "ma'am"

·    Last night while having dinner with my friends, the idea of a "coupon cutting party" was presented, and though it wasn't my idea (ahem...Whitney Talley)...I got giddy with excitement

I have a lot to look forward to as I age, such as a career, children, retirement (yes, I'm already looking foward to this) and everything else that God has store for me, but for now, can I just hit pause for a while?