Spring is Here

Woke up this morning and it's already 50+ degrees outside with a forecast of 75!
Happy Spring. Please stay this way.

Trees are budding, birds are chirping, sun is shining.
I love all the seasons but spring might be my favorite.
Everything just starts coming alive; I have more energy; it's not too hot yet, there's a light breeze and the air smells good.

I'm ready to start planting; I want fresh herbs and veggies, but I know we're not quite there yet. I'll just hold on a few more weeks to make sure we're frost clear.

Here's to what I hope are the signs that spring is here and not just teasing me.

The Dish

Plane hopping has been a little distracting the last two weeks, but as a result, some of the food highlights I'm finally getting around to sharing.

NYC

First up, an over-nighter in NYC produced another outing to Landmarc for the steamed mussels with white wine, parsley and garlic. If it was appropriate to pick up the bowl and slurp up all the juices, that's how delicious this dish is. Dessert, of course, was another helping of the famous cotton candy, but this time, the flavor of the evening was Pineapple. Probably my favorite so far. Then off to my first-ever experience at NY Fashion Week, which was fun, interesting and not my choice of shows or fashion, but a great opportunity none the less.

Jose Duran Show...I promise they are real-"live" models

This was probably my favorite dress from the collection

Crisp was for lunch. An upscale-gourmet version of the traditional falafel. I opted for the Parisian. In case you've never had falafel...it's a yummy chickpea-like hushpuppy/meatball looking thing (sans meat). Very tasty but not without the price tag. It is NY though.

Magnolia Bakery finally made it on my list this trip, and it was worth it. They really do make good cupcakes, and my personal favorite was the red velvet. Sweet but not too sweet and a nice helping of icing!

Here's the description:

Red Velvet...the Mae West of cupcakes. Made red with cocoa, a little vanilla and a lot of southern mystery. With its own special whipped vanilla icing.

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to take a pic before I stuffed my face. But, you can check out the website, and drool to your heart's content.

Dallas-Ft. Worth-Weatherford, TX

Being a Texan means I love bar-b-que, and I am picky about it.

The Mesquite Pit might just be my personal favorite and something I don't have all too often, which is probably best. Slow cooked beef over a mesquite pit, pulled, topped on a bun with some superbly tangy and slightly sweet bar-b-que sauce. Just add the corn-on-the-cobb, and I'm in heaven. What to expect...other than good bbq...a low key, no frills atmosphere, with friendly staff and a little on the noisy side, but always the down-home hospitality and just plain good food you would expect. Don't forget to try the cobbler. It's a southern specialty.

The Flying Saucer - Fort. Worth

With over 200 beers on the menu, there's something for everyone. And, if you try all the tasty beverages (please not in one sitting), you'll have a plaque (a.k.a. saucer - hence the name, the flying saucer) adhered to the wall or ceiling commemorating your accomplishment.

I prefer ambers, so I tried out the Breckenridge Avalanche. Thumbs up from me. There was a second tasting, of which the beer was not on the menu, so unfortunately, I can't jog the memory. Too bad too; it was nice with floral notes.

Great patio too upstairs!

Mi Cocina - Fort Worth

Good Mexican food (Tex-Mex). An hour wait on a saturday night, but a few beers in (from the flying saucer), a few more in-hand, and catching up with family, the wait wasn't so bad. The noise was though. Too hard to hear, and way too hard to speak. But fun and good food - fish tacos, enchiladas...our belly's were quite full.

Most of all I enjoyed the whole evening because I was spending time with the hubby and my cousin! Sometimes good food and drink is only that much better when you're surrounded by good company.

Raleigh/Cary, NC

Another over-nighter, with a stop at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen. A nice little restaurant that has a good wine and beer list, and stays true to it's name, offering classic renditions and inspirations of Southern cuisine. The mashed sweet potato side looked awesome and had only good reviews from those who opted for them; as one would expect, the word was, they were the dessert.

I opted for the Big Easy Gumbo, which was super tasty, and a classic chicken cesar salad. All was good; just needed some lighter fare after my glutenous weekend in Texas.

Well, that about sums it up for now. And on that note, I'm looking forward to being in my kitchen for a few weeks. Stay tuned for what's cooking in the kitchen next...

Love. Amour. Jlubav. Amore.

Remember to take some time today to say I love you....

Or watch a feel-good movie like Love Actually....

Or enjoy something you love..

Happy Early Valentine's Day

Since Valentine's Day falls on a Monday, it was necessary to celebrate on Sunday, as business doesn't really pay attention to holidays that center around love.

Anyway, today was filled with new adventures and a delicious dinner!

The hubby bought me a Hybrid Cannondale Quick 3 bicycle (in brilliant blue); we then rode 7.5 miles in what seemed to be nice 60 degree weather but it is still February and a cold breeze was definitely in place. I had fun and am looking forward to more outings on the new bike, especially when Vladi's new one gets here in a couple of weeks. Today, he has a road bike, which I vehemently refused, as I'm just not a speed demon, and to make it more enjoyable, he opted to get a hybrid too, so we could ride together.

What a sweet husband!!

Then, off to a dinner of sushi, which after riding for the first time in...well who's counting...we had worked up the appetite and no-guilt mentality.

Edible Art.

Now a movie in Serbian to help my studies. By the way I'm learning Serbian, and officially started studying/practicing this week. Gotta be ready for the trip to Serbia.

Happy Early Valentine's Day...hope it's filled with goodness.

Will You Be My Valentine?

It's not hard to love Valentine's Day...all the pink and red, sweet goodness, frosted cupcakes, chocolate, chocolate covered strawberries. I think I see a trend here. But really, love is something we experience on a daily basis in many different forms. Valentine's day is just a reminder that we should be thankful for all the love we have in our life.

So, the next couple of posts will be dedicated to love.

But first, a few things that make me smile, i'm thankful for and love:

Random surprises (big and small) that make my day.

This morning my husband, brought me a vanilla frosted donut with cute little heart-shaped sprinkles! I knew he was getting donuts but the sprinkles just did it.

Massages or belly rubs if you're a dog.

(Kahlua, Aaron and Traci's baby)

Saturday treats....whatever that may be.

(Juno, a.k.a. The June Bug, our baby)

When artists share music...

(Montana Skies, the awesome cello-guitar duo)

Little kids who are just too cute for words!

Family Gatherings.

Sunsets.

Beer Festivals with Friends.

Romantic snow dusted cities.

Witnessing Proposals.

My husband.

Random Babble

What is this?

So how did I find out? I asked the Bug Man (a.k.a. my husband, who knows anything and everything about the natural world, especially bugs!).

Wanna know the answer? Read on....

Apparently, it's a good thing I didn't get too close. This is commonly known as an Oil Beetle or Blister Beetle, part of the genus Meloe. (I told you he would know.) They get their name from the oily droplets of hemolymph released from their joints when disturbed; the oily substance contains cantharidin, a poisonous chemical causing blistering of the skin and painful swelling. This is why Mom's tell you look but don't touch!!! Because nature has built-in self defense systems.

So my question is, what is ours? Fear. Goose bumps. Shivers down the spine. A plain bad feeling, or pit in the stomach. Throwing a punch in self defense, doesn't seem quite as cool.

Maybe the force is within us all, if we just believe. Which brings me to my favorite Superbowl Commerical:

How many people do you think will buy the new VW Passat now?

Music Box

After a long week what better way to spend a friday evening with the hubby and june bug listening to music and drinking some wine.

This evening...

The Wine.

2009 Hans Schiller Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Spatles

(Fruity, not too sweet, but sweet enough)

And some music for the soul and a new dance number too

Fleet Foxes (Got tix today to see on May 14th in ATL! Oh so excited!)

Interesting live rendition of "Blue Ridge Mountains"

Naguale: Get Up

(I can't help it...it makes me want to "get up" and dance)

Until next time...check out La BLOGOTheque for more interesting videos, music, etc., etc.

One month.

So, I've made it one month blogging with 14 posts! Not so bad for the first month. It was a busy January with a lot more in store for 2011.

Thanks to everyone who's reading and for the encouragement!

-Mo

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