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!

Add Lime in the Springtime

It's officially the beginning of the spring season, 2009! Time to rejoice in the warmer climates to soon be visiting the Midwest- and add some lime to your Corona! It's the best selling beer in Mexico, and the highest imported label in the U.S. Many people say they don't enjoy this beer without a lime! Supposedly, limes were inserted into the necks of beers in Mexico to keep bugs and flies from drowning in your beverage...which sounds more fiction and rumor. But these days, while enjoying every last drop your well-earned dollar can pay for- it's all about the flavor. And the skill.

Skill you say? Yes, the perfected skill of liming your Corona Extra. No light here please. Pretty much every time a bartender is asked for the 'import' special with a lime, you get a Corona bottle with a lime wedge the size of a nickel stuffed in the top of the neck. And every time, they get a dirty look- while more lime is asked for.To get it right, you need a lime wedge-which is about twice the size of a slice (or actually 1/8th of a lime) and an opened Corona. First, squeeze the wedge's juice into the beer- most people don't squeeze the juice but opt for lime-stuffing instead. Second, squeeze the lime wedge horizontally into the neck of the bottle. Carefully (very carefully!) place your thumb over the top- making sure to cover the opening completely and avoid any spillage. While holding on tightly, turn the beer upside down, and slowly watch as the lime floats to the bottom. Once it touches, turn the bottle back over and consume at your leisure.

The BIG difference is squeezing the juice out-without that part, tipping the bottle upside down doesn't make a different to the flavor which is the same as stuffing the lime in the neck. Someone thought to surpass the skills requirement, and even invented a Lime Bomber to make the task much easier! (Watch the video). Now, another skill or trick to learn is getting the lime out of the bottle before tossing the glass in the recycling bin...but that's something you'll just have to work on yourself.

Yes to....Carrots? No to preservatives?

Hmm, that's right, Yes to Carrots. And to tomatoes (for oily skin), and cucumbers (for sensitive skin). It's the new black. It's apparently the new organic-paraben-free alternative to Burt’s Bees. Instead of harnessing the natural identity of bees, the brand digs up veggies, mixes them with natural occurring ingredients like salt from the Dead Sea and serves it up for different skin types. A big push in the organic industry is what has helped this San Francisco, CA company build it's wealth- it's USDA Organic, against animal testing, all recyclable, and a portion of your purchase goes towards a Seed Fund, which is a non-profit group which helps out communities attempting to sustain themselves by growing food. All this is very cool. But the most important part to us- the consumer end is the effectiveness!

It works! In fact, after buying and losing many tubes of chapstick, the only one ever really missed was my Yes to Carrots C Me Smile Melon one. Lost forever! They contain some beeswax, vegetable extract, and the most helpful ingredient- soothing shea butter. Happy as a clam while standing at a local Walgreens with the replacement purchase in hand, my eyes gazed upon the other countless products with each their own purpose and type of vegetable. Now, it's a mission to become a human guinea-pig and indulge on the world of saying Yes!...to carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Sesame Seeds for Dessert

After raving about enjoying a dessert of sesame balls, I was offered a taste. Delish! How could sesame be a main component of a dessert? When we think of desserts, images of chocolate syrup and powdered sugar with cherries and whip cream dance in our heads. Then you take an eastern hemisphere nod to dessert and wonderful sesame seed balls are the dish! Sesame balls are mostly made of sesame seeds and rice flour- with a bit of brown sugar and bean paste. Rolled up and fried, to be served toasty, with or without dipping sauce. Epicurious has a great recipe, and for extra special occasions you can add chocolate instead of the sweet bean paste. Ching He-Huang uses dark chocolate in her recipe. I've come across her tv show Chinese Food Made Easy, which airs on the BBC a few times and she's a fun cook. For some reason, I'm more intrigued by a wonderful Chinese female chef, with an English accent, than the colorful dishes sometimes! Take a look a section of an episode on Youtube. The closeups are scrumptious and mouthwatering! And you can totally order some sesame balls from a Chinese or Thai restaurant. Order up!