Vegetable Dilemma...

So, this summer has been drrrrrryyyyyyyyy and hooooooooooot. Meaning that I haven't had great turnout with my garden this year, much like last year (Except the reason for my low turnout then was punk ass squirrels, late planting, the first year of the garden and too much rain. Basically, last year's garden was just a crap concert). However, the garden has been putting out lemon cucumbers, black krim tomatoes and mint like that is its damn job! Well, I guess it is the garden's job, but that's neither here nor there...

I am ENAMORED with the colors of these foods!

Anyway, today I had several lemon cucumbers and tomatoes picked and ready to do something. I just wasn't sure what. I also had a half a bottle of red wine and some triple sec. There was some salmon in the fridge that I was planning to grill off tonight for dinner. I usually just make some pasta with a sauce made from the salmon marinade, but it was too damn hot to turn the stove on. So I figured I would grill the cukes and tomatoes, since I already had the grill going. And clearly, wine + triple sec = sangria. I mean, duh. Check out this magic that happened:

Honey soy grilled salmon.

Rosemary mint grilled lemon cucumbers.

Garlic rosemary mint grilled tomatoes. 

Lazy Girl Sangria.

Lemme school you on this sangria...(Really, I just eyeballed the amounts) Half a bottle of merlot. Half a cup of triple sec. Two teaspoons powdered sugar. One teaspoon powdered ginger. 2 cups of frozen fruit medley (the one that I buy has strawberries, mango, peaches and grapes). I may or may not have combined all those ingredients in a tupperware container. Scratch that. Let's be honest. I did combine them shits in a tupperware container, which was the best decision of life. Screw the top on and shake. Pour it into a classy glass, top it off with sparkling water. Or drink it straight out of the tupperware. We're not judging here. Do whatever floats your boat. There's no fruit cutting, no measuring. Literally just Pour. Shake. Drink. This will make a good sized glass for you and one for a friend. Or it will make you drunk by yourself. Again, no judgement ;-)

Light, super flavorful, and so easy. Perfect summer dinner! And the fee-yawn-say is gonna make me some marinara sauce with the leftover grilled tomatoes tomorrow. Double score :-D

Keep It Classy, California, Part 2: Seeing the Sights

During our journeys through Southern California, we had the chance to see some beautiful sights! We stayed in Rancho Cucamonga for 2 nights with my dad and youngest sister. On our first day, we went to visit my seester, Jade, and her boyfriend in West Hollywood. They live in a super cute neighborhood, within walking distance of a bunch of bars, restaurants, etc. We walked to Red Rock Bar & Eatery, had a couple drinks and num nums and then headed back to Rancho. During rush hour traffic. Fuck. That. Noise. Driving in Los Angeles makes me crazy. Driving in LA during rush hour makes me want to punch unicorns and burn down rainbows. Luckily, young Daniel finagled his way into this bad boy at the rental car company...

The BEAST!

He drove, we had the top down, and life was good. The next day, we took my youngest sister to Venice Beach. Danny's never been before, and he was good and entertained by all the crazy on the beach. He and my sister had fun discovering critters and seaweed in the sand. He does well with kids (far more patient than I am!), and we all had a great time!

Beach Besties, digging in the sand.

Pre beach

Muscle Beach. Me and that rope did not get along!

We could TOTALLY get Lola to do this!

After we left Rancho, we went to the glorious wedding in Bonsall and stayed at the Castle Creek Inn in nearby Valley City. We didn't stay very long, but this is the view that we got to wake up to...

From there, we traveled to San Diego. IT. WAS. GLORIOUS. We stayed at the US Grant Hotel, which was this amazeballs property right downtown (thank you Danny, for getting that hella cheap employee discount!), a few minutes walk from the Gaslamp district, the Convention Center (which was coincidentally hosting ComicCon. Spectacular people watching. SPECTACULAR) and the water. I would make the move back to the west coast if it included living in San Diego. You know what, San Diego? You're not too shabby for a whale's vagina. Speaking of cetacean vag, can't even WAIT for this business...

Driving to San Diego, rocking out to Freebird!

Oh, hey boats. And water.

View from our hotel

I liked the nifty art above the bed and all over the hotel!

This fine ComiCon attendee thought I had beautiful skin. Well thank you kindly, you handsome fella!

Keep it Classy, California: The Wedding

Last week, Danny and I took a little jaunty jaunt across the country to California. The main reason for the trip was to celebrate the marriage of one of my good good buddies from Cal Poly. However, we also got to visit my family, saw some beautiful scenery and ate TONS of delicious food.  So, in the interest of keeping your lovely peepers from reading for 8 years, and my fingers from falling off from typing too much, "Keep it Classy, California" shall be a story told in 3 parts :-)

Part 1: The Wedding

Look at the gorgeous altar with the balloons a la "Up!"

As I mentioned before, the main reason for our journey across country was to celebrate the nuptials of my good friend Brian and his new wife, Heather. A little background on my relationship to the couple...Brian and I started our jobs as CSDs (basically a fancy name for a hall director) at Cal Poly at the same time. He was the first friend that I made, and one of the first people that I met. We hit it off immediately. We were both midwestern kids, slightly awed by the splendor of the Central Coast of California, in our first professional job out of grad school, with the driest of wit, the sharpest of sarcasm and just a general proclivity to be immature dicks if the mood suited us. Sure, we had our rocky times (as friends often do), but to this day, I still consider him to be my boy bestie (aside from Danny, of course).

I only met Heather briefly before I left Cal Poly. I was her host around campus and town during her on-campus interview, and I remember thinking "Wow, this girl is suuuuuuuper bubbly! I wonder where she'll get placed." The next year, I came back to Cal Poly for a visit and found out from another friend that Brian and Heather had been secretly dating (they were placed together as co-CSDs in the same apartment complex). I stayed with Brian while I was at Cal Poly and we chatted about life in general. While I was surprised that they were dating (because on the surface, I could not imagine two more opposite personalities), I came to see how happy they made each other.

So, fast forward to this past weekend. Danny and I drove to the wedding, which was on a horse ranch (I think) in the mountains of Bonsall, that belonged to friends of the bride's family. Brian's proposal was based on the movie "Up" and the theme carried through the whole wedding. Everything was so colorful and beautiful, but simple and really let the beauty of the location and their love for each other shine through. Several friends from Cal Poly were in the wedding party, and it was so amazing to see so many of my friends all together after several years.

Watching the bride come down the aisle

The officiant was another former CSD

Their first dance was to "Home" by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, which was perfectly fitting for them, they read their vows from a brand new iPad, and they kept everyone chuckling through the entire ceremony. I haven't been to many weddings, but this was by far my favorite because it was so much about the couple and demonstrated not only their love for each other, but also the love that others have for them (they had 22(!!) people in the bridal party!).

We had a great time at the reception, and Danny and I cut several rugs. He bet money on me falling in the pool, but I kept my balance and my dignity, thankyouverymuch. Man, if I had some mountains around, we'd totes be getting married in them. But even though Columbus is regrettably mountain-free, I can only hope Danny's and my wedding is as full of love and joy as Brian and Heather's.

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs!

Just married!!

A whole lotta CSDs!

This one time, we were in a tree...

Flying through the trees with the greatest of ease.

Hello Lovelies!
As you may know, the boy and I have been together for the better part of 12 years (mostly on, a little off ;-), since we were in high school together. For the past several months, I have been on him, throwing in some not so subtle comments about getting engaged. I went to a networking event a couple of months ago and one of the sponsors owns a ziplining company in the Hocking Hills. I brought some info home about it, talked about how fun it would be to go ziplining, and that was pretty much it.

A couple weeks later, he told me that we were going to hang out with his sister's family down in Athens. I got excited because I love her 2 little boys, and the boy and I got on the road at around 8 am and he kept pestering me to eat breakfast on the way. I kept saying "Let's just stop at Sonic, it's on the way and that's really the only time we ever eat it!"

Well before we got to the Sonic, he pulled off on this tiny road and there was a little sign advertising a ziplining course. I was confused and asked if we were going ziplining and he said yes and then I asked if the kids were coming too...because quite frankly the thought of a 1 and 2 year old in the air above the trees made me QUITE nervous. He just laughed and said he saw how much I wanted to try ziplining, so he decided to surprise me. Ummm, cutest thing ever, no?

So we get all geared up and one of the tour guides asked him to hang back, saying that Danny forgot to sign some paperwork (I found out later that they were getting some last minute deets in place). I tried to hang back and wait for him, but the other tour guide scooted me along and said that they would catch up to us. So we went through the first half of the course and had a blast!

At the midway point, the line is set up in such a way that you can't see the next landing, and they have a photographer there take everyone's picture as they come across. The tour guide told Danny to go first, and then the other groups to go after, leaving me for last. I started to suspect something was up, because until that point, all the people who were together in a group went across consecutively.

Here I come, flying down the zipline and there he is at the landing, on one knee with a ring box. Of course I start crying and he tells me to take off my gloves so that he can put the ring on and everyone else in the group does the collective "Aaawwwwww.” The photographer took several more pictures of us, and then we finished the rest of the course. I was kinda bummed because I had to put the glove back on over my gorgeous ring. The proposal was perfect. I was hot and wearing a harness and a helmet, but it was so sweet and romantic and different. I mean, really, he proposed to me in a tree…which I think says a lot about how our lives together will be :-D (It's still funny to call him my fiancee because a) He's been my boyfriend for so long and b) We both pronounce it "fee-yawn-say" in our old man Cajun voices and giggle a little each time.) 

When we got back to the building, everyone who worked there asked about the proposal and to see the ring. Apparently they all knew about it and had discussed it at their staff meeting earlier in the week. In all, people at Danny's job knew because they helped him plan it, his sister's family knew because they had to be in on the cover-story, my mom, stepdad, one of my sisters and a few of my friends knew about the ring but not the engagement plan and all the people working at the ziplining course were in on it too. Well played, feeyawnsay, well played...

What the...??

Aaaand let the waterworks begin...

Oh, this is happening right now, huh?

The happy couple

And Now She's Back, From Outer Space...(I think those are the lyrics, right?!?)

Holy bejeezus, it's been ages since I've written! Life's been cuckoo bananas the past couple of months. The new job, working on the upstairs, making my first foray into the world of scrapbooking, getting some new ink, being awesome in general. You know, the yoozj (I say this all the time as a shortened version of "usual." This is the closest I can come to spelling it phonetically. Damn you, abrevs, damn you!)

So, anywhooo...life's been good. Busy. I'm working on two weddings with my old job. I had been with these two couples from the beginning of their planning processes, and B&F let me stay on with them for these two events, to keep continuity, which was nice of them. I'm learning a lot about the hotel business in my new job. It's weird, you don't really consider how much jargon you use in any given field, until you are in a different field and have to learn all new jargon. My short term goal for this job is to move from being hourly to being a salaried employee within 6 months. I have 4 months left. I think it'll happen :-D

That says "Happy Mother's Day from,  the Kids"

My sisters and I put together a scrapbook for our mom for Mother's Day, which was my first attempt at scrapbooking. On the one hand, I liked being able to have a tangible project that I could show off. On the other hand, it's crazy expensive and super overwhelming. I walked into the scrapbooking store and almost had a damn heart attack. There were colors and books and patterns and big paper and little paper and weird tools and stickers and more paper and sparkles and a whole room full of women cutting paper and chattering at each other. I almost turned around and walked out the door. But, I sucked it up, had the saleswoman show me around. In the end, it turned out to be colorful and kinda mismatched, a little uneven, but completely heartfelt and perfect. We each contacted our friends to send us a little note or picture of a memory they had of our mom. It was amazing, all of the wonderful things that people had to say about her and how she impacted their lives. And I'm not gonna lie, I cried a little bit while I was making it. No shame in my game...

On a related note, Mom wants us all to get matching-ish tattoos that say I Hope You Dance. Mom and Jade got theirs on Monday and I got mine after work today. They are all in different locations on our bodies and in different fonts and they completely reflect our personalities! Mine is a beaut!

And finally, the upstairs...It has been a BEAST! But, we've redone the floors, painted the walls, put up a new ceiling, added a couple of circuits, and put in the surround sound. We still have to put up the trim on and paint the ceiling and that's it. (As soon as it's all done, I'll post pictures of the entire remodel. It's been quite a journey!) Then we get to move furniture up and relax for a few months until the next project! Just kidding. Our bathroom has just about shit the bed. The shower tiles are starting to fall off, which means, rather than building our patio this summer and enjoying the outside, we're going to be redoing the bathroom much sooner than anticipated. Ah well, the joys of home improvement...

Om Nom Nom: Flip Side

Hello my lovely friends! I've been all over the place recently. Got a new job (HUZZAH!), started a huge project on the house, got my ass in gear and have been doing some major gymming (my collarbones are making a comeback!), and I'm just enjoying life in general, especially this crazy awesome weather we've been having!

Tonight, the boy and I went to pick out paint for the upstairs. This is a chore. If you know me at all, you know I love bright colors. The rest of our house is pretty much a crayon box (paint colors courtesy of moi), and we can never agree on colors. For the upstairs, I wanted a pretty sage green, and the boy wanted a buttery yellow. After 2 store visits, a couple of paint samples, and another half hour at Lowe's today, we finally decided on a very light yellow. I gave in. But that's beside the point. What I want to talk about is what happened after the paint choosing. We went to Flip Side.

This is a new little gem at Easton. They have a great beer list and do mostly burgers, fries and shakes. I ordered the Black + Blue burger and fries and the boy got the Flipside Burger. When I bit into my burger, I was so pleased that it didn't instantly fall apart, because that's what burgers usually do when they get into my hands. Then I noticed the flavor of the burger was outstanding! As I ate it, I realized that the whole patty was encrusted with peppercorns, and it gave the burger a slight tingle in my mouth. Bleu cheese is always a winner, and there were some port braised onions that gave this bad boy another level of depth.

At first we decided that we were going to get some of the fancy fries (my vote was on the truffle fries with cheese), but in the end, we both ended up getting plain fries. Great choice. Hand cut, with a little salt and some herbage, perhaps parsley. It was just what a french fry is supposed to taste like. Simple yet delicious. Also, they have an amazing housemade barbeque sauce. Tangy, oniony, smokey. Just. Glorious.

By the time we were done, I was full enough that nothing on the dessert list struck my fancy. However, the milkshake list looks like everything want in my belly right now. And they give you liquor/beer options to add to them. I mean, ice cream + booze. Really? Hell. Yes.

The next time I go back, (and there will be a next time. There are far too many drink/burger/snacky options there for me not to!) I'm totes grabbing a seat on the patio, having a craft beer, picking a burger to fit my mood, which will probably be the Chili Pepper Burger, or maybe the Green Eggs + Ham Burger...oooh, or what about the Curry Lamb Burger?!? You get the idea. A boozy milkshake will also be invited to this party.

Happy hour? Yes please. And Flip Side seems like a great place to have it!

I Like to Put Things In My Mouth...I'm a Snacker. What of It?!?

This past weekend I went on a much needed road trip with some fabulous ladies to visit another fabulous lady in Wisconsin. I know what you're thinking..."Amber, why on earth would you drive to Wisconsin? In the middle of the winter? Silly girl!" Yes, well it did happen to be the one weekend it snowed this winter in Wisconsin, but that's beside the point. On this epic adventure, one person got a date under awkward-ish circumstances, one person got food poisoning (and puked in the car. Next to me. I don't want to talk about it anymore.), and I had some hellacious allergies which are just now clearing up. But for the car ride, I had a bag full of delicious road trip snackies. I had salty, sweet, healthy, not so healthy, a little something for everyone.

The reason I did this was because I am a chronic road trip grazer. I am all about chips, beef jerky, machine French Vanilla Cappuccino, pork rinds, giant chewy Sweet Tarts, Skor bars, all the greasy, crunchy, salty, candy shit that I don't usually eat at home. And I also knew that we would be eating and drinking. A lot. There was a brewery tour involved. Lots of beer. Everyone's diets/healthy eating habits went WAAAAAAY out the window with this weekend. So I decided to bring some things to try and head off putting such unhealthy things in my mouth. Here's what I rounded up:

Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snacks

I am OBSESSED with these little snackums. They are salty and crunchy and one pack is 2 servings and only 60 calories total. I let my inner fat kid out when I get a pack of them. I devour them in my car, and then I get little seaweed flakes all over me and then pick them off of myself. I don't even care who sees and judges me. And don't even get me started on the wasabi flavored ones. If you've got a strong constitution and an affinity for spicy foods, give these little num-nums a try. Danny thinks they smell like ass (they do have a certain aroma about them), but I think they taste like heaven!

Trader Joe's All Fruit Bars Ends and Pieces

Sweet, chewy, fruity deliciousness. And because it's the irregularly shaped ends and pieces cut off the bigger sheets all mixed together, you never know what flavor you're going to get. It's like Christmas in your mouth with each bite!

Dried Apricots

Also purchased from Trader Joe's (noticing a pattern here?). I love the flavor and the texture of these little nuggets. Not too sweet, with a subtle tartness that just makes the tongue happy. You can grab them at most grocery stores, but surprisingly, they were significantly less expensive at TJ's.

Ginger People Ginger Chews

I have been eyeballing these guys for quite some time, and finally just bought them. Spicy and sweet. Extra chewy. Super gingery. All natural. 3 ingredients (cane sugar, ginger, tapioca starch). They melt gloriously into a cup of hot tea. Settles the tummy. What's not to love?

Roasted Unsalted Cashews

Cashews are another one of my usual roadtrip staples. But this time, I decided to go the unsalted route. What a difference! I could taste the nuts without that burny, raw feeling in your mouth that you get when you eat super salty nuts. And my fingers didn't get all bloated afterwards! Score! Also, way cheaper at TJ's.

Wonder Bars

These, friends, were my piece de resistance. The decidedly unhealthy portion of my sack of snacks, but sometimes, you just need a little guilty pleasure. I called them crack bars because when I was in grad school, I could literally eat an entire pan of them. Even now, I can eat far too many for my comfort level. They are just so dang addictive! I'm sure there are plenty of different variations on them, but here's my recipe:

1 1/2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs

1 stick butter, melted

1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups of chips (I used a mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips, Reese's peanut butter chips and Heath toffee pieces)

1 cup crushed nuts (I used the aforementioned unsalted cashews and pecans)

Shredded coconut (enough to cover the top, about 1 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press into 13x9 inch pan. (You may want to hit the pan with some pan spray, like Baker's Joy, to help keep the edges from sticking. I didn't and lost some of the edges.)

3. Pour condensed milk on top, tilting pan to cover the crust.

4. Evenly cover with chips, nuts and coconut and bake for 20-25 minutes, until it begins to brown. 

5. Let cool completely, cut and eat them shits up. Then recruit some friends to eat them too, otherwise you'll make yourself sick. 

Sooooo, in general, I think I did pretty good with keeping fairly healthy roadtrip snackums in my belly during this trip. A bag of teriyaki beef jerky may or may not have snuck into my stash of healthy snacks during a gas station stop, but I only ate like 2 pieces and the vast majority was eaten by the boy after I got home. So I say the jerky doesn't count. Another perk of packing my own snacks instead of grazing gas station culinary delicacies along the route is that I spent far less money than if I bought snacky snacks at each stop. 

Also, Celine Dion and Alanis Morisette make great singing companions. Just thought I would throw that little tidbit out there for y'all.