The Friday Five 1.4.13

1. What I’m Reading: I haven’t read a novel in a while. Book club girls: what are we doing?! For a refresher, I picked up The Elements of Style, an American English style guide on grammar and writing. Classic.

2. What I’m Eating: Roti Rolls came to Daniel Island on Thursday. Cory let me know ahead of time, so I was able to whip up a batch of cookies for them the night before. I love those guys and they deserve some homemade treats from one of their biggest fans.

In return, I got a Funky Farmer: a roti roll filled with curried local sweet potato, parsnip, carrot, rutabaga and ginger with braised greens and pickled beets. On the side I had a beet and arugula salad.

So worth standing in the rain!

Later that night, my friend Eric was at The Green Door, their sister restaurant, where he received some of the chocolately goodness. They knew we were friends and handed him a cookie. Charleston is so small and this made me smile.

3. Recipes I’m Bookmarking: Best Ever Beet and Bean Burgers. Say that 5 times fast. Then make them. 

4. What I’m Watching: Even if just one of you readers is a Parks & Recreation fan, then I will make someone laugh with this video. I cry laughing every.single.time.

5. GIFs I’m Loving:

PRETENDING TO LIKE A PRESENT

DRUNK FLIRTING

EXPECTATION

REALITY

WHEN I REALIZE IT’S FRIDAY!!!

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

What I’m Loving Wednesday 9.19.12

Hola mis amigas! (y  mis amigos!)

1. I’m so smitten with this Tinley Road blouse I purchased from Piperlime. I always crush hard on anything from the site. They have the prettiest clothes.

2. On Monday, Rachel brought a bag of these Werther’s Caramel Apple hard candies to work . We had just been talking about seasonal treats, and caramel and candy apples came up. These sugar-free candies are holding us over until the real fun can begin.

3. I almost lost it when I saw this GIF. It’s SO TRUE!!

WHEN I LICK THE BOWL AFTER BAKING WITH ABSOLUTELY NO REGARD FOR SALMONELLA

4. Visits to Target for “essentials.” I go in for toilet paper, I come out with things I had no idea I “needed.” It’s just ridiculous! Last weekend I chuckled at my purchases: gum, Pretzel M&M’s, Candy Corn M&M’s, and glow necklaces. You just never know when your sweet tooth will kick in…or a dance party.

5. Don’t fear Vegan treats. They are just as sweet, if not sweeter, than the buttery-laden desserts you’re accustomed to. At a recent visit to Puree in Mt. Pleasant, the owner sent me home with two delicious goodies: a chocolate chip cookie and a whoopie pie.

6. After the Super Hero 5k on Saturday, we went to Triangle for brunch. Mary Legare and I both had a really good beer: Angry Orchard Crisp Apple. The Boston Brewery puts out a killer cider beer. It was love at first sip.

7.This picture of Boding and me. I’m so lucky to call him my best friend! We have so much fun together and I’m pumped that at the end of next month we’ll be living together again.

What I’m Loving Wednesday

1. These pictures I took of King Street and the Arthur Ravenel bridge. How pretty is my city?

Those were taken on my phone!

2. I found a picture of baby Boding in his car!! Look at the little China man!

3. Albino strawberries!! They’re a cross between a pineapple and a strawberry and appropriately named pineberries.

Check out this article for more information.

4. Love a good pie chart. Especially this one:

5. Drinking milk in a wine glass feels fancy. Especially for breakfast!

6. I finally tried the chocolate chip cookie from Chick-fil-A. It’s good, but not as good as I had hoped. It’s huge but more on the crispy side. This girl strongly prefers a soft, chewy cookie. I’ll be sticking with the IceDream cones.

7. The Roti Rolls truck rolled down the street near my work. My coworker Kat, who was just as ecstatic as I was, went with me for lunch. I had the pickled shrimp roti roll. It was so fresh! I wonder if they’d cater my birthday party.

Seriously, you guys need to follow that truck.

xo!

What I’m Loving Wednesday Version 4.0

1. I got another pickle birthday present. My manager brought in Japanese pickles!! The difference in these pickles is the addition of soy sauce – holy salt overload.

To say thank you, I whipped up a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies after work.

2. Yesterday at work we had the 2011 Enterprise Expo. Elizabeth and I visited the different booths to learn about the partners and solutions that help our company succeed. We may or may not have been lured in by Italian Ice!

There was a cotton candy stand too. Our friend had cookies. Someone else had candy. I can’t believe I still have teeth.

3. On Cow Appreciation Day, I got a picture message from high school friends, April and Josh.

“I know today is like a national holiday for you. Today april and I stopped in harisonburg va and saw a double drive thru at the chick fil a. Took a picture just for you.”

DOUBLE DRIVE THRU? Talk about efficiency!

4. I’ve said this before, but I’m rarely, if ever, competitive with girls. I am, however, competitive with boys, specifically boyfriends. I realize this is not normal, but I cannot begin to explain the excitement over finally winning a Words With Friends game to my ex-boyfriend. This fella is a Charleston Law student whose vocabulary probably doubles mine. As a language major and someone who reads/writes for a living, it drove me bonkers every time he won. I finally did it!

I am not sorry for louding him out.

5. Speaking of cellular devices, I finally ordered a cover for my new phone. I dropped it four times last weekend. Does this not scream Clemson, Auburn, sheer obnoxiousness?

6. A few friends and I have started a book club. The first book we’re reading is House Rules, by Jodi Picoult.

After two pages, I was hooked. I am now halfway finished and am really enjoying it. For those of you who have not read the book, it is about a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome who is accused of murder. Pick it up if you’re looking for a good mystery!

7. This Bits of Truth quote:

On that note, I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Smile at a stranger today – you never know how much of an impact this simple gesture can have on another person.

How to Properly Eat a Chocolate Chip Cookie

Remember when my little cousin Zachary showed us how to eat a cupcake?  (Quite possibly one of the funniest posts, btw.) Well, the boy is back. Here’s how Zachary eats a cookie!

Step 1: Smile for the camera and show us that you came prepared with milk.

Step 2: Take a little sample. You may not be sure if these were one of Grammy’s specialties or the dreaded pre-made cookie dough.

Step 3: Smile when you are sure that these have been made by the master herself!

Step 4: Go back for a second bite. Enjoy every second.

Step 5: Go ahead, close your eyes and moan a little. This is so much better than a vegetable.

Step 6: Ask mom if you can have six. Pretty please?

Step 7: Freak out when she tells you no, that you’ll get sick!

And now that you’re on a sugar rush, go ahead and chase your sister around with a balloon!

The Ugly and The Pretty / Photo Day 13

I’m on Photo Day #13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.

Britney Spears! Who cares if she had a mental breakdown? Everyone is allowed one or two of those in a lifetime, right?

P.S.: Her newest album, Femme Fatale, will be released on March 29th. I just pre-ordered it and downloaded the song “Till The World Ends.” It is good! I foresee another foot injury dancing to this at Trio.

How was everyone’s weekend? On Friday, my favorite paparazzo (Matt) came over and tried to photograph me changing before we went to the movies. Creep! He did manage to snap a picture of my new highlights and hologram nail polish. Yes, I said hologram. It is beauuuuuuuuutiful in the sunshine. :)

We went to Mustard Seed for dinner and then to Cinebarre to see The King’s Speech. Did anyone see this? Hate it, love it? I was kind of bored but thought the acting was excellent.

Today I made two recipes: the first being quite colorful, yet unattractive, and the second being adorable. Both were delicious.

Roasted Beets with Israeli Couscous, Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Citrus Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized beets, washed, peeled, and cubed
• olive oil, for drizzling
• 2/3 cup Israeli couscous
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces
• blue cheese, crumbled

Citrus Dressing:

• juice of one orange (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp. honey

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400*. Place beets in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes or until fork-tender.
2. While beets are roasting, bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add couscous and simmer, covered, for 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Prepare citrus dressing by whisking together the orange juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey.
4. When beets have finished roasting, mix together with the couscous and walnuts. Top with blue cheese and citrus dressing.

Not pretty. Tasty!

After dinner, I made some cookies for my neighbor, Daniel. When I texted him that I was making him cookies, within 15 seconds he was walking through my door. No knocking necessary. He walked in JUST when Lucy was doing a downward dog in the living room. I think he liked it. Hahaha.

I used Emily’s recipe for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever. She’s not kidding around you guys. These cookies contain browned butter and yeast. They are big and have a crispy edge with a slightly chewy center. They.are.perfect.

Daniel just ate a cookie. I asked him, “On a scale of 1 to Titanic, how much do you love these cookies?” He responded, “They’re pretty Titanic.”

Have a great week!