Starting off on the wrong foot

The weekend didn’t start off on the right foot.

Let’s start with my experience at Gizzi’s Coffee Shop  during my lunch break on Friday.

I passed by this place a few times while working the past week and decided to stop in for a mid day pick me up.  They have a varied selection of coffees and teas and when I saw Vanilla Soy Latte-I knew that’s what I wanted. I ordered it and on the menu it said $3.24. The barista/cashier  continued to charge me $.50 extra for the soy although the price was listed on the menu for a vanilla soy latte.

Me: Why is it $4 even when it says $3.24 on the menu?
Barista: Because of the tax
Me: So you’re trying to tell me that it is $.76 tax on a $3.24 drink? That seems a little ridiculous
Barista: That’s what it’s telling me—– I guess “it” was the cash register and not the creepy clown.

Hmmmmm….something about that seems fishy.
Yeah it may be only $.50 but it’s the principle of it. You all have to understand I am part Polish, I am all about pinching my pennies. I finally got my latte and hunkered down by the fireplace where they have books and magazines to read. I am down for any place in South FL that has a fireplace! They have the most comfy leather chairs I have sat my tush in in a while and after sitting in a hard, cold chair at work, it was most welcomed.

The latte was good-not horrible, not orgasmic, just good. I am still a little annoyed about the $.50 but what can you do? Hopefully this wasn’t a prelude to what my weekend was going to be like.

When I got home from work, I was beat. Beat from sitting at a desk all day and scouring the Internet. Even when I was working full time, I never liked Friday nights. I was always so tired by the end of the week all I wanted to do was cook a nice meal and hang out for the night at home and maybe sneak a gym session in. So I decided that was exactly what I would do on my last day of work.

I bought this Gardein Beefless Tips a couple of weeks ago and have been curious about them but also, a little scared to try them. Beefless tips just sounds dirty and as much as I like a meat-free alternative every now and then, something about fake beef skeeves me out.

I chopped up some red onions, mushrooms and let cook along with some of the beefless tips (I really can’t help saying the phrase beefless tips over and over again) along with some red pepper flakes and minced garlic.

I added in some frozen edamame and soy sauce to the mix and let all cook together so I guess I was going the stir fry route?

I despise cooking rice because I always mess it somehow-under cooked or overcooked and sticking to the pan. I would buy a rice cooker but I’m doing the whole saving money thing and don’t eat enough rice to justify buying it. Steamfresh has been my favorite, lazy way to go with “making” rice as of late, just pop it in the microwave for five minutes and done!

Notice that the beefless tips aren’t in the finished product? Yeah, I took one taste of them and spit it out after a few seconds. I can’t put into words how nasty the beefless tips tasted. I imagine a homeless persons shoe that has been soaked for a few days tasted the same as it. It was spongy and tasted like something that could kill me. When it was done cooked, I picked all of them out of the pan and threw them away along with the package. I’ll be sticking with Morningstar from now on.

Ient to the gym shortly after than made my way to Winn Dixie to stock up on some snacks for the weekend

Chobani was sale for $1 but looks like other people were as excited as I was about it being so cheap. Another sign that the weekend wasn’t going to turn out well.

I managed to get a few in my basket and finally tried the Mango flavor. Which is? Awesomness is in a cup. I think it is my new favorite flavor from Chobani! n another note, look at how gross and dingy Winn Dixie’s dairy shelves are. NASTY.

Saturday things finally started to look up. It started with eggs and Al Fresco chicken sausage

The plan was to make an egg scramble of sorts but while cooking, I saw that it has more potential than that. What once was scramble, soon turned omelet!

I am way too excited and proud about this but omelets aren’t my specialty. So when it happens, I want to tell the world.

Yes sir.

My mom declared it a morning of cleaning and once she started Gettysburg the movie blaring on her mini tv in the kitchen, I knew I had to get out. I made my way over to the beach to go do something…..anything. I thought it would be the perfect time to break in my new shoes and get some exercise in early on. I headed over to Deerfield Beach to walk and get some sun. For 9am in the off-season the beach and boardwalk (really a sidewalk but boardwalk sounds more beach-y) was packed. I love how they have a set place to keep track of your mileage when running and walking and it’s always been a preferred spot for me whether it be going to the beach for the day or hanging out on the boardwalk. I put a good two miles in and as soon as I was done, got out of there since the parking prices at the meters are pretty steep.

Scenes like these make me want to never, ever leave Florida.

Elton John was wrong, Saturday night wasn’t meant for fighting, it was meant for Groupon!

Always a sucker for a deal, I bought this Groupon for Lucille’s Bad to the Bone BBQ. But then I second guessed my purchase, you see, Lucille and I have some history.When I was a teen, I had a bit of an attitude problem (that unfortunately still holds true to this day) I went through a slew of jobs such as working at Walgreens, Papa John’s, Supercuts and our girl, Lucille’s I worked there for a very long two months as a hostess but got canned and I *may* be a little bitter about that still. All I remember is them saying something about how I had an attitude and never smiled therefore, they wanted me out. I guess I didn’t fit the ambience of a bbq joint and haven’t stepped foot in since. However, you give me a 50% off deal and you can bet your butt I’ll be there.

The place looked exactly the same as I remembered it and I was still one of the youngest people in there thanks to the early bird, senior citizens crowd. Some things never change I guess.

I ordered the beef brisket  sandwich, which has sweet relish and chopped onions mixed in and a sweet potato on the side.

 

As you can see, the beef brisket was nothing short of amazing—it was succulent and the relish and onion mixed in gave it a little extra something I wasn’t expecting. I love that you can get a side other than fries there and even though the sweet potato was drenched in butter, I was happy with it. The beach and the bbq were signs that maybe the weekend wasn’t going to be so crappy after all.

Add some free $20 play from Calder Casino in and it turned out to be a pretty swell weekend.

Don’t mock the penny slots, I won $3 off this baby! It’s all slots at this place and I really struggled to find a slot that wasn’t a penny one. I would have killed to have found a nickel slot but they were few and far between. But I did notice a Sex and The City slot machine—when did that happen? I didn’t get a good look at it since the voo doo woman playing it was giving me the stink eye and I didn’t want her to turn me into a chicken. I wonder if the symbols on it are flirtini’s and Jimmy Choo’s?

Have you ever been underwhelmed with a product like I was with Gardein?

Beach or mountains?

Frugal Friday in August

Hola friends! Hope everyone has a fantastic week! I feel so out of the loop with catching up with everyone because of going back to work. I only worked three days but am completely beat. I like to attribute some of my tiredness to my parents who are emotionally draining me by the minute but I digress…..

They do have some good characteristics and habits , like getting two or three newspapers on Sundays. You all can only imagine how elated I get when I wake up, have my coffee and breakfast and get to clipping! I take full advantage of the coupons by clipping them, alphabetizing them and scouring the ads to see if any items are sale that week (that I can use) and have a coupon for.

I combed the ads for CVS and Walgreens and found sales on a few items that I had coupons for which resulted in amazing savings! The best deal I got was at CVS:

All of this for $13.16! I had a BOGO coupon for the Clean & Clear and Dove products. I normally don’t buy men’s products but the coupon was a his and hers kind of coupon and it was free so why not?
At Walgreens I got these two items for $6 plus I received $3 off to use on my next purchase sop I like to think that’s like getting it for $3 something.

After CVS I went to Fresh Market. For those who don’t have FM, it’s like a smaller Whole Foods but without the made to order foods. I rarely buy anything there since it can pretty pricey after two or three items. So the real reason I go?
Free coffee.

Oh yeah.
They have sample cups for you to try and they always have interesting flavors on hand along with organic half and half and raw sugar, The other weekend they have Georgia Pecan and I kinda wished that I had brought along my coffee tumbler to fill up. After I had a few sample cups of coffee, I walked through the chip aisle and saw they have BOGO sale on Kettle Brand chips. I quickly remembered that I had a $1 off coupon for Kettle Brand because I somehow have a photographic memory when it comes to my coupons (I do NOT forget savings) Do I need potato chips? Hell to the no but if I can get a flavorful bag for $1.15, I’m not going to pass that up.

I was sad they didn’t have my favorite flavor, Spicy Thai but picked up two other solid choices instead.
When not working, my mom and I have been checking out thrift stores a couple of times a week. I like to take her with me on Wednesdays since all the Good Wills in the area offer 25% off to seniors. So I shop, give her money, have her purchase and save some dough. I am not looking forward to getting older but discounts at thrift stores and cheap coffee at McDonalds make it seem a little better. At the Goodwill we went to last week, it was not only senior citizens day but I also saw this beautiful sign right when we walked in

The thrift store is the main place I get books and now thanks to reading a post about books over at The Lofty Appetite , I have another avenue to find books. I got three books for $1.23 when at Goodwill and although I could have stayed there for hours looking through the titles, I kept it at a minimum because sometimes I buy too many books and never get to reading them.

Speaking of McDonalds, they have been sending mad coupons as of late. They send us two pamphlets of coupons featuring not only BOGO coupons but also coupons for free coffee, smoothies and sodas.

I tried the pineapple mango smoothie and even though it was free, it was pretty nasty. It was entirely too sweet for me and I winced when taking the three sips that I did because I felt if something tasted that bad, it should get me drunk.

  

I used this coupon for a free coffee regardless of size, this afternoon at the McDonalds near my temporary work

 

I found it highly amusing that when ordering, the cashier asked me if it was for there or to go. I tilted my head and stared at her and answered/asked “To go?” Not only free coffee but free entertainment as well. I dig.

What I don’t dig is that I’ve been trying so hard to save any money I can on the daily including not going to Starbucks everyday like I used to. I lived within walking distance of a Starbucks for six years and now the closest one is a few miles away….and nowhere on the way to work. So I’ve been drinking this:

Gag. I’m a coffee snob and feel like anytime I take a sip of this stuff, hair is going to pop up on my chest. It’s a step above car dealership coffee though, when I drink that I react as if I’m taking a shot of hooch. I would love to know who this Maxwell fellow is and why he likes such crappy coffee in his house.

Where do you buy books? If you don’t buy, do you go to the library or borrow from friends or just don’t read literature other than my blog?

What are your tips for making good coffee at home?

Coastin

Yesterday was spent in Whiteville, NC and beyond. I slept in until 1030am….again. Around noon we walked over to Sophie’s, which is located in an old pharmacy and serves sandwiches, wraps, salads and coffee.

I got the Lenie sandwich-turkey, cranberries, cheese and sprouts with a side of pasta salad.

The sandwich was good but I would have appreciated more than 12 penne pasta noodles as a side dish. Oh well, you can’t win at everything.

I was feeling a bit dead still so I went back to my friends place and knocked out a little workout with my kettlebell (20 lbs)

*Tricep extensions (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Upright Row (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Chest Press (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Side Bends (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Squats (13 reps, 3 sets)

*One Legged Deadlifts (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Deadlifts (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Halos (13 reps, 3 sets)

Resistance bands

*Bicep Curls (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Reverse Fly (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Front Lateral Lift (13 reps, 3 sets)

Definitely not the calorie burn I was hoping for but at least I did something and ache quite a bit today so it’s a win.

After my friend got back, we were on our way to Myrtle Beach. I’ve only been to Myrtle once and that was in the wintertime to see The Killers at House of Blues so I haven’t had the whole summertime experience. I went to my bff, Yelp to find a sushi place in Myrtle Beach and soon found Soho.

If you passed by Soho, you would never know it’s a sushi place given it’s outdoor patio with beach décor and that it’s nestled in between two beach food restaurants. But once you step inside, it’s dark, intimate.

One thing I love about South Carolina? Happy hour specials! We got there at 6:30pm, just enough time to partake in some $2 domestic beers.

I got a salad to start out with.’

It was good but would have been even better if it weren’t swimming in ginger dressing

We got a few rolls-Philly Roll, Kono Crunch Roll, Double Crunch Tempura Roll and Spring Breeze Roll

Double Crunch Tempura Roll and Spring Breeze Roll

The sushi was absolutely amazing. The Spring Breeze Roll was cold on the outside and hot and crunch on the inside, it just melted in my mouth. If you’re ever in Myrtle Beach and want some sushi, check this place out! It’s a two blocks away from the beach and a few blocks away from Broadway at The Beach, which was out next stop.

This place was out of control busy but I guess that’s what you get where you go to Myrtle Beach huh? People watching was absolutely amazing. I’m talking about guys wearing the shocker shirt, tweens dressed like hoochies and redneck children running amuck-something for everyone I tell you.

I was in some desperate need of coffee from the situation earlier that day so we made a stop at Kiss Coffeehouse.

When my friend told me about it, I lit up a little….even if I am a Starbucks girl. I absolutely love KISS and love to rock and roll all night! Ok, not really seeing I like to be in bed by midnight but give me some Detroit Rock City any day!

Heeeeeeeeeey-o!

I got an iced coffee, the only thing that didn’t rock was the $5 price tag that came along with it.

Third day of going au natural with my face. I am not diggin this no makeup look but refused to be that girl who wore makeup on the lake and didn’t find my makeup until late last night. That $26 Benefit Erase Paste is worth every single dollar because those bags under my eyes need to go bye bye.

Afterwards we met up with one of my friends friends who was celebrating his birthday at the bar at Logan’s. I was going to have a beer but my friend ordered some long island iced tea esque drink served in a mason jar. They had a ton of flavors to choose from-orange, mango, watermelon, cherry, etc. That sounded much better than a beer so I went with the cherry because who doesn’t love the sugar rush you get from grenadine?

It was funny that she ordered that because on the way to Logan’s I was thinking about long islands and the last time I had one. I used to down those baby’s in college and like to think that and my discovery of ranch dressing led to weight gain but soon stopped because I got absolutely trashed off of them. Then I thought the last time I had one couldn’t have been college could it? But then it came back to me. The last time I had one was a few years ago on a first date. Note: Don’t drink long island iced tea’s on a first date with a guy.

Second note: Don’t drink long island’ iced teas on a first date with a guy then challenge him to see how many you can drink in one night.

Third note: Don’t drink long island’ iced teas on a first date with a guy then challenge him to see how many you can drink in one night…..on a Tuesday night when you have a real job to go to the next day.

Fourth note: When you do this and he pulls up to your apartment complex, instead of stepping out of the car, you just slide right out…..of an SUV. Don’t do this.

Final note: If you do all of the above you will go into work still drunk the next day and wondering why your butt is completely bruised the next morning.

Do you have a vacation spot you go to in the summer?

Long Island Iced Teas-love em or hate em?

Around Lakeview

Thursday was a free day for me since my friend who I stayed with had to work. I slept on their ultra comfy couch and played with their cute pup before making my way around Lakeview.

Seriously, how adorable is he? If I move to Chicago, him and Lincoln are going to be besties.

They had a french press but I’ve never operated one of those before and I’m always afraid that if I mull around other peoples homes, I’ll break something or something will catch on fire.so I got dolled up and made my way to stop #1 of the day.

Do I even have to say where that was?

If there was a Buckies, yo I’ll find it. Ok, not really difficult since there are everywhere but I used my Buckies Sense to find it.  I sat outside, people watched and tried to warm up since it was a bit chilly out. The view of Wrigley Field didn’t hurt either. I imagine there’s a lot more going on there during a game day but it was fun to see everything up close.

Even the field, it was right there.

Just me, the pigeon and Wrigley

 

I consulted Yelp to find somewhere for lunch and found a place with cheap lunch specials-Asian Mix Cafe.

 

 

 

 

 

When I read they had lunch specials, I was a bit skeptical. But turns out they do have cheap lunch specials. And I’m talking cheap—not only for my budget in Charlotte…..but also in Chicago! $6.50 gets you soup or salad, a mini appetizer portion and lunch entrée. I went with my safety dish of chicken pad thai along with soup and vegetable pot stickers.

I was the only person in this place and everything came out quickly. So quickly, the soup, vegetable pot stickers and pad thai all came out together.

Seriously, all that food for $6.50 and tax? Sign me up! Also sign me up to start reading signs by the cashier register that say you need to make a $10 purchase to pay with a card (which I later learned establishments aren’t allowed to do that hmmmm)  I had to bring my tab up so I got something completely new to me- a strawberry bubble tea smoothie

It was good but I was confused about the little dark things floating in it. I asked the lady and she said that they were tapioca pearls. Interesting. I chewed on a few and did not like it. I’ve never chewed on flesh but I imagine that is what flesh would chew like. If you have chewed on flesh, please do not comment, I really don’t wanna know.

I made my way around the area, taking it all in. I love the Lakeview area and with the El being right near me, it reminded me of a mini NYC.

Soon, I found my next stop at-Emerald City Coffee

No munchkins, sigh. I sat, enjoyed their somewhat slow Wi-fi, drank my coffee and watched the people go by. Breath of fresh air is the best term that I can think of. I absolutely adore the diversity of people here. No one looks the same, I haven’t seen one man in khakis, there’s handfuls of crazies, languages I’ve never heard before, people of all ages, nice people, not so nice people, etc.

And the men? GOOD LORD the men! I haven’t seen this many hotties in awhile and again-breath of fresh air.

Yes, Lakeview, I think we will be seeing each other very soon……

When on vacation, do you go out and explore on your own or like to have a set plan of things you want to see? I’m not one who abides by a schedule, I love to go out on my own and explore!

Have you tried bubble tea?

Sugargate

Oi vey, I am in desperate need of a sugar detox. I feel like all I’ve been doing is eating and  can feel the sugar floating through my veins and going straight to my hips and butt. Because I need to gain weight there. Why oh why can’t some doctor come up with a non profit organization to take fat from my body and pump it into the starving children of Africa? I would totally volunteer my butt for that.

I think it started on Saturday night when my niece had a friend over for a sleepover and they made brownies. Making brownies is their tradition whenever they have a sleepover at each others house. A tradition I am all for…..except when they brought me a brownie at midnight.

Usually this would be ok but I had one two brownies before so I was brownied out….so I thought. I didn’t want to hurt their feelings and not eat the brownie so brownie went a-bye-bye.

Other than there has been petit fours from Taylor’s Bakery

Fro Yo from Huddles

This was one of the funkiest creations I’ve made yet. Strawberry Lemonade and Tart fro yo with Fruity Pebbles, mini M&M’s and coconut. So yeah, pretty much every flavor imaginable. Huddles was a cute place but they really need to work on their feng shui.  When there is a line of people waiting to get their fro yo on, finally do, then have to wait for people to mosey along the toppings line and then for people to pay at the one cashier on duty (even though there are three other people working there), it does not jive well. Especially when you are looking for frozen yogurt, not soupy yogurt. Talk about a fro yo fail!

Many visits to the Bucks

And trips to local coffee shops such as my new love, Monon Coffee Company

When we went in I was overtaken with it’s modern and bright décor. Plus there were no hipsters which is always a plus since it looks like it could be a hipster haven. But then again, it was pretty early and I don’t think hipsters wake up until 10am. They have the same drinks you will find anywhere else but also had some obscure sounding ones such as the Mona Lisa and Con Panna.

  I asked the barista what the Mona Lisa was and once he told me, I was on it like white on rice. Turns out it is a latte with honey and cinnamon. Hmmm….I always put cinnamon in my coffee but honey? I’ve never had honey in coffee only tea so why not give it a shot?

 Sigh, I really need to stop getting my calories from drinks. Half and half has been creeping it’s way back into my life and that’s not good for anyone.Why have I never had the idea to combine cinnamon and honey before? Maybe if I did, I could have a drink named after me. However, if I did have a drink named after me I think it would have to have more ingredients or something snazzier than just cinnamon and honey. Maybe cinnamon, honey and tabasco because I am saucy? Anywho, this was a great place to stop by. There was only one barista working there and he took his time with making the drink but if you give me pleasant conversation and a drink made with love, I will definitely support your business!  

On Sunday, we went to the pool for a few hours. I worked on my tan plus made my way through The Girl Who Played With Fire (which I can’t put down!!)  so it was a win win situation.

I heart the peaceful time before the unruly children come out to play.Later we went to go see The Hangover 2, it was hilarious but basically the same plot as the first one. I actually found this one to be funnier though. I really don’t know what they would do without Zach G because he makes the movie (both times)

(source)

Then I started to think about last Memorial Day weekend and what I was doing. I couldn’t think of how I spent it last year but should have remembered because it was me against the mountain.

Thank God no bruises like that this year, only a blistering headache from my lovely niece. She is a terror and I can only hope she calms down in the years to come because if not, it’s going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.

Oh well, at least she is cute.

Sugar-love it or leave it? Do you actively watch your sugar intake or say screw it?

My shrooms

I really need to remind myself not to buy tons of fresh produce before I am set to leave town. I went to Trader Joe’s on Sunday night and got some staples for the week such as bananas, apples, onions, oranges, kiwi and mushrooms. I’ve been able to eat all of them except my beloved mushrooms. And to make it even more annoying when I cook with shrooms I always sing “My Shrooms” to the tune of “My Humps”

“My shrooms, my shrooms, my shrooms, my shrooms

Cooking baby bellas bellas and even shiratake”

I can’t help it, I turn everything into a song.

I made crock pot chicken the other day using Hawaiian marinade. I mixed the sauce with chicken broth then threw in leg quarter and cooked for seven to eight hours.

While that was finishing, I cooked red onions and pineapples with two tbsp of low sodium soy sauce and garlic then laid on top of the chicken

I had rice on the side then added a huge pile of shrooms on top to make a very filling meal.

The next day I enjoyed a heaping portion of mushrooms with eggs

On Wednesday, my friend and I went to Icehouse for lunch to use up a $20 Groupon I had. I need to start burning through all of these Groupon and Living Social deals I’ve bought before I leave so it’s go time. When we walked in, we saw this lovely sign. Game on.

It was only appropriate for me to get a beer. Because it was Wednesday, sunny and half off of course.

I got the Thai Noodle Salad with chicken and ate the whole thing, it was flavorful and refreshing, which was much needed since it was 90 something degrees out. Plus I’ve been craving pad thai like whoa lately so this subdued the craving for a few days.

Afterwards, we stopped by Not Just Coffee. I was in serious need of java. This is a new coffee shop and I keep meaning to go even though I’m a tried and true Starbucks gal.

But the thing is they have weird hours. They open in the morning, break for siesta then open back up at night and are closed on the weekend. I dig the siesta concept as I love an afternoon nap but closed on the weekends does not work well for me.

 

It’s a small joint with a couple of stools set up at the bar. We wanted something cold and both went for the iced mocha. The barista was friendly, took his time making the drinks and you could tell it was made with love.

Topped with some of the best whipped cream I’ve ever had and cocoa. Suck that baby down and go straight to my hips, well worth it.

And check out this beautiful mural right next door! Can we say love?

When I got home, I was out for the count. See above where I said I love afternoon naps, there is just something enchanting about them. I tried to wake up to go to a Yelp event but it wasn’t in the stars. My head was pounding and opening my eyes even hurt so I took some Excedrin and waited for it to pass. I wasn’t even hungry when I finally got up and running again so dinner was a bowl of pineapple and kiwi.

Ok, I lie, I killed the last of the cupcakes from the wedding.

The picture almost didn’t happen because it was that delish. Oh cupcakes, I can’t quit you. I’m glad you all enjoyed hearing about papi chulo and the meat parade. Maybe our paths will cross again and thanks for the mad compliments on that dress-I felt so pretty in it and scored it for $20 at Ross (originally $100) I think I will cry if I move somewhere and they don’t have Ross.

Oh yeah, I’m a brunette now!

 

I feel like I should be on Real Housewives of New Jersey with this hair color and surprisingly enough, this is my just near my natural color. But more to come on that later…

Do you like mushrooms?

Should I go back to highlights? Be honest, I can take it.

31 & loving the Biebs

Can someone tell me why they moved me to the food cube at work? Seriously, we used to keep all the food in the cube I’m occupying for the next two weeks and there is even food art on the wall! I have some extra cushioning attached to bum so they probably know I like to eat but this is ridiculous.

I’ll admit, I do get a little hungry while glancing over to the white board of food, except for the spaghetti with flies hanging around it.

But at least there is some healthy foods like fruit

And there is even sushi on the wall!

Which led to me to go out for sushi on Friday night. I had a $40 Living Social deal for Akahana Asian Bistro which I went to for the first time last month. I wasn’t too impressed by their service when I went but their sushi was tasty and $40 can buy you alot of sushi! When we got there, we saw a special for $1 domestic beers and that was a sign we were supposed to be there. $1 anything wins my heart and when it comes in the form of Yuengling, game over. When our server came up, he told us that ALL rolls were Buy One, Get One free as opposed to Tuesdays and Thursdays like they used to do. I got overly excited because of the $40 we had to blow through then he told us we couldn’t get the BOGO rolls with the Living Social deal. Thank God I asked beforehand because I could have seen us ordering eight rolls then after our bellies were full finding out that the BOGO didn’t apply.

We started off with edamame

And naturally, $1 beers

Then the feast of sushi came out. Well not really. To stay around the $40 mark we ordered three rolls and sadly, it wasn’t enough food for the two of us. I love that I have friends who love food as much as I do.

On the left is the Florida Roll

This was my favorite roll because it was very spicy and loaded with spicy tuna.

In the middle is the Mt. Fuji Roll

This was my least favorite roll. In theory it sounded good but the mango and the sweet sauce was too much for me. It was more of a dessert sushi roll than anything.

On the right is the Sweet Romeo Roll (I got this last time and loved it!)

It was eel fest with the eel topping and eel sauce-so delicious, plus the tempura flakes gave it a nice crunch.

Afterwards, we went to Bistro La Bon to meet up with my friends friends for dessert. I got some strawberry thingamabob with fresh strawberries, phyllo dough, strawberry puree and whipped cream. Seriously, I am calling it the strawberry thingamabob because our somewhat snippy waitress didn’t give us a name for what it was.

Saturday was full of running errands and by 2P I was dragging. Then I remembered I had only had one coffee and that was around 8A. I usually have three coffees in the morning so I needed some Starbucks loving and my friend and I went and sat out on the patio and enjoyed a cool, java drink.

Yes, love.

 Thank God I got some coffee flowing in my veins because Saturday night was a friends 40th birthday party

Why hello though red velvet cake

There were tons of people there and one dog who was all dressed up for the party.

This is Buffy. I was trying to get her to commit to being Lincoln’s bitch but wasn’t sure if Lincoln would like her or not. He is into voluptuous girls but has a case of the jungle fever

And Bieber balloons!

I must find these for my own home!

But then again, being a single 31-year-old woman with a house full of Bieber balloons possibly treads the waters of being creepy. On the other hand, that could be my hook for landing my own tv show called “31 & Loving the Biebs” They could follow me around and I can profess my love for the Biebs and his talent. I would sing his songs and know every word (which is a lie, I know only two songs of his and some of the words), tell them every single fact there is to know about the Biebs (which I know nothing about him except he is from Canada and has good hair) and talk about my love for him (which is also a lie since I like him but there is no absolute, dying love for him). Maybe one day on the show I would be able to meet the Biebs and I can be one of those ultra emotional women who start crying when he starts singing. After typing all of this, I am going to start using this when I meet creepy men at the bar! No normal men wanna hear about the Biebs right??

No worries though, for now I will like the Bieber from afar for I am a sucker for a Canadian man with good hair.

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I’m kinda tempted to roll into work on my last day donning this and pajama jeans

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Back to the party though, it was fun but I get paranoid about driving home so I left early and called it a night. It was a good time indeed.

I woke up super early today because that’s how I roll on Sundays. I hate that I can never sleep in on Sunday mornings because nothing opens until noon or so. I got to the YMCA before the doors opened and found a Precor AMT right away. I thought there would be a mad rush of people there when they opened but it was on the empty side which is a huge change of pace.

 I kicked a$$ during my workout:

35 minutes on the Precor AMT with resistance ranging from 9 to 13

bicep curls (12.5 lbs 12 reps x 2 sets)

Tricep pushdowns (15 lbs 13 reps  x 4 sets)

Tricep extensions (15 lbs 13 reps x 3 sets)

Lateral raise (12.5 lbs 12 reps x 2 sets)

Side bends (25 lbs 25 reps x 2 sets)

Chest press (20 lbs 13 reps x 3 sets)

I did all of that within an hour and was instantly energized from it. I came home and made a smoothie with coconut milk, chia seeds, blackberries and Spirutein Blueberries & Cream protein powder then got ready to meet up with a friend for lunch.

We went to Tavern on The Tracks since I had a BOGO coupon and you know, the frugal thing with me. I love my friends who respect my couponing and don’t mind going to their first choice place in lieu of saving a few bucks. It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Charlotte so we found a seat on the patio which was bumping since there was only one table available. Then we figured out why that table was available….it was right next to the speakers with a dude about to start singing. Now, I am all for music. Especially on a gorgeous day but when the area is 25×25 feet, if that, do you really need two speakers? Answer:No. My friend and I barely spoke during our meal because we couldn’t hear anything and we were just in a rush to get out of there as soon as we were done so the ringing in our ears would stop. I got a fabulous black and bleu burger out of it though with homemade chips

Bad Catholic of me to ask but if you give something up for Lent, can you eat it again starting on Easter Sunday or the Monday after? I gave up french fries and could not want them more right now. Chips with a burger is not as fulfilling as a hot, salty order of french fries, just sayin’.

So that was my weekend in a nutshell. I feel like I did a lot but didn’t get alot done, go figure.

Biebs-Love him or hate him?

South Side Shenanigans

I spent a good deal in South Side Pittsburgh on Friday and Saturday. On Friday night, we went to the Hofbrauhaus.

 I’ve never been to a German restaurant before so I was looking forward to both the beer and the grub. When you walk in there is a main dining hall that has long tables set up in the middle, booths along the sides, an outdoor patio and stage in the front for the house band.

We started off with the soft pretzels with homemade  bier cheese.

I was a bit full from the appetizers and beer so I got the potato pancakes for dinner since I wanted something more in my tummy to soak up more beer for the evening.

I wasn’t sure how to eat these, do you put both the apple sauce and sour cream on them or just one? I had no idea so I just double downed and went with both. And you know what? I now love potato pancakes! I need to make them sometime at home.

The cool thing about this place is once the band starts playing, people get up and stand up on the chairs and sing, dance and drink along!

It was so much fun watching everyone and singing along to the songs. Any establishment that plays Neil Diamond is a wonderful one in my book. Plus it was total sausage fest, men everywhere, mama like. The Penguins game was also playing and the whole place went wild when they scored a goal. And I mean wild, I’ve never seen anything like it before since Charlotte is very transient and there isn’t a lot of team loyalty. At first I wasn’t sure why everyone was going crazy but then looked overhead to see the game and I thought it was awesome that a sport could bring people together like that.

Then enter the creepers.

We were getting ready to leave and the men at the table next to us offered to buy us a drink. We all pondered the idea for a minute since on one hand they were older men who we would have to then talk to but on the other hand, free beer! So yeah, we stayed. One of the older men took a liking to me and kept rubbing on me with his booty. I kept yelling out “No butt rubs!” then I started yelling out “No dancing, no babies” since apparently I thought our dancing would soon lead to Lambada, which  in turn with me getting impregnated.

 

Then I started crying because I was laughing so hard. I think I was crying for real though because dude would not leave me alone. He put his hands on my shoulders from behind then stroked my hair *shivers* Oh, have I mentioned he was old? Yes. Oh, have I mentioned he had a wedding ring on? Gross.

On Saturday, we heade back to South Side for  a Pittsburgh blogger meet up. You know I’m not going to visit a city without meeting some local bloggers and I was stoked to meet Whitney and Natalie! We went to Fat Heads in the South Side along Carson Street.

Me & Natalie

Whitney & my friend

I ordered the Mo Betta Beef & Chedda with potato chips on the side.

So Whitney warned me that the sandwiches were the size of your head and she wasn’t kidding! Enter Tiffany vs. Food

 And I failed because I could only finish half of the sandwich but took the rest home with me!

Natalie, me & Whitney

We were all near food coma after that and headed to the Beehive to get some java goodness.

OMG can I say how happy this place made my inner hippie? All the funky, eclectic decor was just what I needed to see tucked away in Pittsburgh, I loved this place! I ordered a large skim latte and they serve it to you in large mugs (probably bought from a thrift store, which made me love it even more)

I had such a fun time in the South Side, it was my favorite area of Pittsburgh! We really don’t have any areas in Charlotte where you can walk to restaurants, bars and shops on end so this was a pleasant 180 from Charlotte. There was a mix of people from young to old and no one looked the same like how they do in Charlotte.

South Side Pittsburgh-you had me at hello.

Any good creeper stories out there??

Why hello there Pennsylvania

Greetings from the Keystone state! Lincoln and I made it to our final destination (read: Pittsburgh, not death) last night around 830P and it was one long day!

I woke up earlier than planned on Wednesday so I packed the car, made sure everything was turned off (because even though I have an awesome memory, I can’t tell you if I turned my curling iron off or not) and were soon on the road.

I picked up a bagel + cream cheese from Brueggers with my free coupon and a Death charge from Caribou. A death charge is basically a redeye-a coffee with a shot of espresso also with it. Plus I like saying Death charge, I feel really bad ass when doing so (or feel like I am a Star Wars fanatic)

I love the marketing person for Caribou, their napkins and cups always bring a smile to my face

As soon as I knew it, it seemed like we were in WV, the border is only three hours away but I always feel like it should take longer. Lincoln was relaxed, I had some good jams playing and it was an all around gorgeous day.

Lincoln and I stepped out at the New River Gorge Bridge Visitors Center  to get some fresh air and take a look at the scenic view. I’ve driven by this a number of times but I’ve never stopped so no time like the present, right?

And it was a bit windy out

Soon, we were in Summersville, WV to meet up with one of my friends from college who lives there. Um, there’s not a lot going on in Summersville so when I suggested meeting up for lunch, she asked if Bob Evans was ok. I am not a huge fan of the chain restaurants but A) They aren’t too many non chain places in Summersville B) I haven’t been to Bob Evans since my college days and was excited to me reunited with Bobby.

I got the same thing I got eight or so years ago, the Wildfire Chicken Salad.

It was as delicious as I remembered it and I really like how they offer a savory size if you don’t want a full salad.

I got schooled in the bathroom

Seriously, how I am 31 and didn’t know this? You bet your ass I’ll be singing this from now on!

After that, we stopped by Wal Mart so I could find some WVU gear for cheap. I refuse to go to the bookstore in Morgantown and spend $30 on a t-shirt. That is just insane. So I stuck to my frugal ways and checked out Wal Mart but sadly, they didn’t have anything. I did find some nifty Nicholas County gear (the county where Summersville is located) and was nothing short of excited

Lincoln and I hit the road yet again after that and our next stop was Morgantown, where WVU is located and about two hours north of Summersville.

I went to Morgantown and was happy to see it was a ghost town. Hooray for them being out on spring break because I honestly could not deal with more traffic at this point. It was so surreal, driving around and seeing how everything had changed from the time I’ve been there. The old, crappy house I used to live in was finally condemned and driving down frat row brought a smile to my face. Oh to be young and very stupid again!

I met up with one of my sorority sisters who lives in town and we went to Lavender Cafe. This is a newer place and is located where a Chinese take out place used to be. It’s very unassuming but quite cozy when you walk in, decked out with a lavender door and all and was hopping for a Tuesday night in Morgantown while the area was under a tornado watch. Oh, I forgot that part, didn’t I? Yeah, we just won’t even go there with how the driving went. 

I liked their menu because not only was it one type of Asian cuisine–they had Thai, Chinese and Japanese food. My friend said their sushi was amazing and as you all know, I am team sushi all the way however I didn’t feel so confident about ordering sushi in Morgantown. I’m a sushi snob, there I said it! Not feeling like a gambler, I stuck with old faithful and got the Chicken Pad Thai.

It doesn’t look like much but the portion sizes were out of control–so much food in such a small plate. I ate every bite up and couldn’t have been happier. It was one of the best pad thai’s I ever had and they even listened to me when I said I liked it spicy. The spice was there but didn’t overtake the peanut flavor which happens most of the time with me.

My friend got the Godzilla Roll and I admit, when I saw it I had a bit of food envy. I tried and roll and again, it was fabulous. In the off chance one of you is ever in Morgantown, WV, I highly suggest Lavender Cafe!

About an hour and a half later, we were finally in Pittsburgh at my friend’s apartment and greeted with a much-needed glass (ok, three glasses) of homemade Sangria

The flowers on the glass matches her tattoo if you’re wondering about the picture.

And mimosa cupcakes! The way to my heart is via coffee, sushi or sweets so I had to try one. If I didn’t I would be a rude guest and I am all about the manners. Plus combining two tasty items like mimosas and cupcakes doesn’t hurt either.

They fantastic with a moist cake and sugary sweet frosting. My friend is an amazing baker and I seriously need to take some tips from her. She does birthday and wedding cakes on the side so if any of you Pittsburgh peeps need someone to baker some goodies for you, let me know and I’ll get you her info.

After I scarfed down the cupcake, I had to check on little Lincoln to see how he was doing with his surroundings. Lincoln is very skiddish (but not Yiddish) and gets nervous around new folks and places. I looked and found him prancing around sniffing the heck out of everything and getting used to his new home for the next few days.

As for this morning, even though it’s my “vacation”, I woke up at 5A. WTF? I couldn’t get back to sleep so figured I may as well roll with it and start the day. Lincoln was right by my side and did his early morning stretching to wake up

And then that is when my life changed forever thanks to this contraption.

*Enter in a choir of angels singing*

Ok, so I’ve heard about the Keurig, how amazing it is, blah blah blah but just thought everyone who told me that full of it. My friend showed me how to use it last night and I needed some coffee this morning and here we were. She had a nice selection of coffees o try ranging from Caribou to Kona to Emeri’s coffee but I settled on this

I waited for it to warm up, dropped the coffee cartridge in  (not sure if that’s the real name but I like how that sounds) and pressed the button and it started brewing

Less than two minutes later, I had a cup of hot coffee in my hands

Bottom line: I need a Keurig in my life. STAT!

Do you have a Keurig?
Is there anything you’re a snob about? For me, I am  definitely a sushi snob and kind of a coffee snob as well.

 

Field Trippin’

On Saturday, a bunch of Charlotte Yelpers had an Unofficial Yelp Event at Three Amigos.

Supposedly, Three Amigos is one of the best Mexican places in town but as of late it’s been getting some negative reviews which puzzled some Yelpers. I’ve never been to Three Amigos though. Why I haven’t is still a mystery to me, especially if they are one of the best places in Charlotte so I thought this would be the perfect time to go.

Can we say hola to cheap prices?

One of the girls had a check in offer for a free order of guacamole so we noshed on that along with the chips and salsa. The chips were fried to perfection and had a tangy seasoning on them. I could have had this alone and been a happy girl.

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Yeah, it was good. It was very rich and creamy but didn’t had enough spice to it so it would have been better with more kick to it but it was still quite tasty.

I slept in on Saturday and didn’t have time to eat any breakfast so this was going to be my first meal of the day. I went all out and ordered the Chilaquiles Verdes with two fried eggs

Look at the platter of food that was sat down in front of me! And all of that was only $5.99-can you believe it??

I finished about half of the plate and took the rest to go but I still can’t believe how much food I got for such a cheap price! Everything was out of this world–the chips, the salsa, the eggs, rice, beans, you name it. Plus, they had Mexican Coke which is sooooo much better than regular Coke. Coke and this meal for under $9? Oh yes, I see another visit to Three Amigos in my near future.

I was definitely a happy girl after this meal full of great food and great conversation

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But we didn’t stop there, the day soon turned into a field trip around Charlotte. Some of us ended up going to Sunflour Baking Company, a new bakery in Elizabeth that offers mostly organic (but some non organic) pastries and coffees using local ingredients.

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They offer so much–breads, cupcakes, truffles, pies, pop tars, fig newtons and more!

I got an Americano to drink because, eek, I hadn’t had any coffee up until that point of the day! I love their Americano, it didn’t taste burnt like Starbucks Americano tends to taste.

I couldn’t go without trying one of their delectable pastries so one of the girls and I split the chocolate cream pie

Oh hell yes. Because chocolate cream pie was exactly what I needed after a plate full of eggs, cheese and beans!

The chocolate creme was fantastic-very rich and light and the crust must have had a stick of butter in it and totally worth it. We weren’t too crazy for the whipped cream-it was kind of stale and didn’t taste like the real stuff. All in all, the trip was a win and I now know of a new place to check out when I want a smooth cup of coffee and get my free Wi Fi on.

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After that we headed over to Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find, a local comic book shop. Never would I venture into this place but I was game to tag along. I’ve driven by this place many times and up until a year ago, thought it was a sub shop. Oops.

Did you all know there was a Betty White comic book? Neither did I.

After that, our day of fun ended but it was really fun to take a field trip around Charlotte to places I’ve never been to in my five years here. It made me start to think that I have a lot of places to check out before I move in July, I must make a list soon!

I made the mistake of going to the gym afterwards. I thought all my food had digested but the food baby was still sitting in my stomach which resulted in a pretty weak workout. I did 20 minutes on the elliptical, five minutes rowing and a few lateral pulldown sets.

I was full the rest of the day, I didn’t want to even drink anything for fear my stomach would pop so I took it easy for dinner and had Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Bisque.

The soup was pretty bland at first taste so I added some pepper and that didn’t help too much. It was edible but nothing to write home about. As much as I love sweet potatoes I don’t think I will buy this again, I prefer my sweet potatoes in solid form.

Afterwards I watched “Going The Distance”

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Really cute movie but I’m a sucker for a romantic comedy!

Are there things in your town or city you’ve been wanting to check out but haven’t? If so, what are they?