Lions, Tigers, 110 Beers, Oh My!

With a quick weekend jaunt to the Little Apple in Kansas- an old, familiar haunt quickly won me over. Old Chicago with its decadent pizza and calzones make such a hearty meal- even for a bonafide vegetarian. Well, this vegetarian who can't get enough cheese and veggies at least. Starting with a side salad, and also the daunting task of selecting one beer from the selection of 110. ..I slightly lingered before making the decision to enjoy my favorite beer. Good Kansas City beer by the way- Boulevard Wheat (with its signature sidekick slice of lemon) is the tastiest and bodes well (even according to Blvd's brewing information) with a spinach artichoke calzone and side of marinara dipping sauce. The calzone was filled with spinach and artichoke of course, plus sun-dried tomato, basil, garlic, and oozing with cheese. Mozzarella (the homemade version being uber delicious) is always the happy, stretchy cheese in these sorts of foods and brings a smile to everyone. The calzone itself was a huge wrapped meal I could hardly finish myself, so a portion was shared with others who also enjoyed every bite- and even more so than their own meaty calzone. Vegetarians prevail- although next time we'll be a little more adventurous in trying new beers, with about 100 more to go. . .

French Fry Me Up

Hot, curly, Arby's fries are a tasty temptation that hits me out of nowhere. Maybe it's the warm, spicy, and fried goodness? Maybe it's the need for more grease and salt in my diet? Since it's the single thing consumed by me (the vegetarian) off their menu mostly- and subsists of copious amounts of grease- it had to be written about! There's even a recipe to make the glorious fries in your own home- let me know how it works out though.

What makes the fries so great is the combination of zesty seasonings, the super-wide curlyness, and lastly- the fry's perfect balance of being crispy and mushy in the same bite. They are great with or without the famous Arby Sauce. In fact, a perfect lunchtime snack is a large Tropicana lemonade, and two large orders of curly fries. The fries are always hot and fresh, and the cool lemonade tempers the flavor and temperature just right. My mouth is watering. . .

Get Some Bling on Your Arm

Let's leave the monogrammed bags behind, even with the refurbishing of graffiti to the Louis Vuitton Speedy 30. In the current world of exquisite replicas and resales, the only thing shocking about carrying around the iconic tote- is if it were one purchased at actual retail.

Now, I will say it is genius, and has been quite popular and successful -to use the same handful of bag shapes and material but go farther to change up the landscape. But since purchasing my first Kathy Van Zeeland bag, my thoughts on handbag accessories and their fabulousness has changed. The fabric ranges from patent, mesh, denim, to coated denim. Just by glance, each shape of Kathy's line appears plush and touchable- and then she adds her own splash of bling! Rhinestones done very tastefully, with leopard print, chunky matching key chains, and large silver logos adorn her pieces of art, brought to you in the form of handbags, satchels, totes, and wallets. There aren't many designers that actively use pieces of hardware with shiny, soft, pieces of material aligned with many useful pockets out there. Owning a Kathy Van Zeeland bag is appreciating a great work of art while putting it to use in every woman's life (and she's even got a bag just for new moms that will definitely put to rest your qualms about world of pastels). My vote, is that if you're wearing anyone's initials painted all over- they might as well be your own. And if you're looking for a fabulous bag, just ask Kathy. Plus, you can even find her great prices on QVC- now that's easy!

Gritty Waffles with Coffee

There's nothing like getting up early on a blustery cold day, and seating yourself in anticipation of a toasty, tasty, waffle. During my first trip to the nearby Waffle House, I was in anticipation of how good the coffee would be, before pondering on the food's own taste quality. The very first Waffle location was opened on Labor Day in 1955 in Georgia if you must know- and now is an American staple, with over 1,500 locations! After a few moments of looking over the menu, my meal included eggs, grits, a waffle, hashbrowns, toast, and coffee. Sounds like a feast, right? Luckily, the Waffle has been using the same coffee beans since 1972, so taste was not to be missed.
Yes, absolutely, a feast it was! The buttery grits far outdo any instant grocery store concoction, no offense to Quaker's brand though. And the waffle with its buttery goodness and warm maple syrup was the first to go! Eggs were happy over medium in their perfect ovals. Now, to get to another exciting part of the breakfast, I'm going to rave about the hashbrowns. Hashbrowns- just shredded potato? Oh no, at the Waffle, hashbrowns get their own side menu of options. Smothered, covered, diced, chunked, topped, peppered, capped, and at the very bottom- you get the option of going "all the way." The hashbrowns are so lovable, you can get a regular, large, or triple order of them. So many options, so little time!