Ok I got a little bit behind on the DVR last week with Thanksgiving and all. So tonight I caught up...
My thoughts as I watched last week's episode when the chefs were in a chili cook-off...
Beverley cries way too much.
Sarah although she and I share a name and home state, two things that should make me LOVE her, I kind of can't stand her. She seems like a total biatch. Maybe it is just the spin of reality TV, I sure hope so because I like for us Sara(h)s to stick together.
Grayson- This gal comes off as a really cool chick. They were drinking Shiner Bock this entire episode and I feel like having one with her would be like having one with any normal friend.
Dakota- I still like her. She has an edge and is funny.
I don't know how to spell Neyesha's name (sorry) but I like her more and more. The awkward scene with her and the cry baby Beverley makes her seem normal. Oh and she can cook.
Paul, our Austin boy, is a registered badass. His ghost chili dish rocked and he seems like a really tough competitor.
The ugly Chris appears to be a nice guy who can cook well. I see him going far but I hate the sunglasses on the head while wearing regular glasses at the same time.
And while I loved Chuy last week, this week he is annoying. "Muscles in places where I didn't have places yet." What the hell was he even talking about?
Lindsay's hair is horrific. It seriously makes her look like an alien.
Ty Lor is becoming one of my favorites.
This whole Last Chance Kitchen website episodes I don't really understand. I guess later in the season the winners make a comeback. Not sure how I feel about that yet.
The Shiner shout outs are pretty authentic and awesome.
It seems as though Tom hates small talk and maybe Texas. He rolls his eyes at the chit-chatty-ness of the female judges and laughs at anything Texas-ish. Whatever though I still like the man.
So now I am going to watch this week’s episode. I will post my thoughts tomorrow because 5 posts in one day is too much for me, thus I end today here.
xoxo Sara Marie
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thanks Sister
As I have mentioned a million times, my sister plays editor to this blog on a daily basis. If you see errors it is probably because she either has not read and corrected it yet or I haven't gone back and made the corrections she emailed me yet. Occasionally she also offers up post ideas. Usually I take her suggestions, or tweak them a little bit with my own twist. (Once she said I should do 25 Things You Don't KnowAbout Sara Marie, and I did, 25 Things My Sister Might Not Know About Me, ha)
Anyway, yesterday Sister emailed me with some good holiday drink recipe ideas to post here. There were a lot, ten maybe, and they can all be found on the P90X website, but I picked my favorite to share. And by favorite I obviously mean the one I would most likely try because I have not actually had any of them.
VIA P90X:
Sangria for Santa. Santa really appreciates the cookies and milk. But after hundreds of years, he's over it. Want to be on the "nice" list next year? Get a little naughty. Leave some sangria by the fireplace for Santa.
I make a lot of Sangria and this one sounds like a winner to me. To top off the greatness too it only has 183 calories. Gals, those margaritas you drink can literally have over 500 calories in them. Switch for this and you can make your New Year's Resolution something other than losing the holiday booze pounds!
Thanks Sister!
xoxo Sara Marie
Anyway, yesterday Sister emailed me with some good holiday drink recipe ideas to post here. There were a lot, ten maybe, and they can all be found on the P90X website, but I picked my favorite to share. And by favorite I obviously mean the one I would most likely try because I have not actually had any of them.
VIA P90X:
- 10 green grapes, halved
- 4 fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 peach, pitted and sliced
- 1 bottle white or red wine
- 1-1/2 cups white grape juice
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 2 sprigs fresh mint
I make a lot of Sangria and this one sounds like a winner to me. To top off the greatness too it only has 183 calories. Gals, those margaritas you drink can literally have over 500 calories in them. Switch for this and you can make your New Year's Resolution something other than losing the holiday booze pounds!
Thanks Sister!
xoxo Sara Marie
The Sexiest Night on TV
That's what they claim. And outside of Niki Manaj and her freak show image, it was.
I love the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. I think it is always such a fun event. Should the models have a little bit more fat on their bodies? Sure, but I'm not quite as impressionable as I used to be. Maybe 12 year olds that already have self image issues shouldn't watch it. But guys, I'm 27 and we all know confidence is not one of my weaknesses.
So I enjoyed it. I missed some at the beginning and then just caught the end of the Jay Z/ Kanye performance but other than that I was glued to the TV.
The shoes were fabulous. I mean really, really hot. And something I liked more than other years was the use of the bra panties sets without so much avant garde-ness.
In years past sometimes I feel like the designers use so much flare with the wings and extras that you cannot even see the actual pieces that you may want to go buy. Last night I saw several pieces I would buy in a heartbeat, and one I have already searched for on their website. (Not up yet though, damn.)
Here are three of my favorites:
And here is the one I've already tried to track down:
So regardless of needing an extra cheeseburger or two and Niki Manaj's outrageous-ness, I think Victoria's Secret hit a homerun with the Fashion Show, yet again this year. I love that store.
xoxo Sara Marie
I love the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. I think it is always such a fun event. Should the models have a little bit more fat on their bodies? Sure, but I'm not quite as impressionable as I used to be. Maybe 12 year olds that already have self image issues shouldn't watch it. But guys, I'm 27 and we all know confidence is not one of my weaknesses.
So I enjoyed it. I missed some at the beginning and then just caught the end of the Jay Z/ Kanye performance but other than that I was glued to the TV.
The shoes were fabulous. I mean really, really hot. And something I liked more than other years was the use of the bra panties sets without so much avant garde-ness.
In years past sometimes I feel like the designers use so much flare with the wings and extras that you cannot even see the actual pieces that you may want to go buy. Last night I saw several pieces I would buy in a heartbeat, and one I have already searched for on their website. (Not up yet though, damn.)
Here are three of my favorites:
The left is classy and interesting, the middle is sexy and the right is dramatic, all things Sara Marie :)
(I told you confidence is not a problem here, ha)
And here is the one I've already tried to track down:
The glitter, cropped jacket is so fabulous. I mean such a must-have! And Niki is so ridiculous.
So regardless of needing an extra cheeseburger or two and Niki Manaj's outrageous-ness, I think Victoria's Secret hit a homerun with the Fashion Show, yet again this year. I love that store.
xoxo Sara Marie
Reassessing.
The Cain Train is reevaluating its route. After his "I did nothing wrong" and "All of these women are lying" as the accusers start to hit Tiger Woods numbers, his response is "I'm starting to worry how this will affect my wife and family." WHAT?!?!?! JUST NOW?!?!?! After three confirmed women and 5 or 6 speculated others, he is just now worried about his family?
Ok, Ok maybe he "misspoke" and really he was concerned about them way back after the first accuser. Ok that is much better. Uh, no it's not. How about you give a shit about your family and not cheat in the first place...or sexually harass or act inappropriately, whatever it is.
Should he drop out? Yah, I think so. He has proved to me-- outside of his ridiculous 999 plan and lack of foreign policy knowledge-- that he is not again capable of representing me as my President. And that's what it is about folks. Not only do we need someone with a plan to get America back to work, and secure around the world, but also someone who really represents America for what it is. I really don't think a sneaky business man who runs around on his wife is what America is about, or what we would want representing us. Look what happened in Italy to their womanizer-in-chief Berlusconi. Yah, no thanks.
Herman Cain will probably not drop out, but he also probably won't make it every far into the early states. And that is just fine with me.
xoxo Sara Marie
Ok, Ok maybe he "misspoke" and really he was concerned about them way back after the first accuser. Ok that is much better. Uh, no it's not. How about you give a shit about your family and not cheat in the first place...or sexually harass or act inappropriately, whatever it is.
Should he drop out? Yah, I think so. He has proved to me-- outside of his ridiculous 999 plan and lack of foreign policy knowledge-- that he is not again capable of representing me as my President. And that's what it is about folks. Not only do we need someone with a plan to get America back to work, and secure around the world, but also someone who really represents America for what it is. I really don't think a sneaky business man who runs around on his wife is what America is about, or what we would want representing us. Look what happened in Italy to their womanizer-in-chief Berlusconi. Yah, no thanks.
Herman Cain will probably not drop out, but he also probably won't make it every far into the early states. And that is just fine with me.
xoxo Sara Marie
Conrad Murray
4 years in jail, no more being a doctor and a lashing from the judge. Ok. If that is the worst it could possibly be, then ok. Being responsible for the death of a patient I really think should warrant a little more than that, no matter who the patient is or was, but what do I know?
The annoying part is California is so screwed up that he will only serve something like 290 days, 47 of which he has already served. After that some money hungry publisher will probably give him a book deal. And he'll make more money as Michael Jackson's killer than as Michael Jackson's doctor. Way to go America.
I think unfortunately this is yet another instance where my Dado's age old lesson should be kept in focus: Sometimes the best lesson is what not to do.
Maybe we, the people, will win in the end because we won't feed the publicity circus of such ridiculous cases. Or maybe we simply learn to follow the rules...especially where life and death are concerned.
No matter what, this saga is over. Thank goodness.
Happy Wednesday!
xoxo Sara Marie
The annoying part is California is so screwed up that he will only serve something like 290 days, 47 of which he has already served. After that some money hungry publisher will probably give him a book deal. And he'll make more money as Michael Jackson's killer than as Michael Jackson's doctor. Way to go America.
I think unfortunately this is yet another instance where my Dado's age old lesson should be kept in focus: Sometimes the best lesson is what not to do.
Maybe we, the people, will win in the end because we won't feed the publicity circus of such ridiculous cases. Or maybe we simply learn to follow the rules...especially where life and death are concerned.
No matter what, this saga is over. Thank goodness.
Happy Wednesday!
xoxo Sara Marie
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Fake it 'till ya Make it.
I know I have used this quote before on this blog, but it's time to give it a shout out again.
Yesterday I was Ivan the Terrible. I mean I was in a really awful mood. I think I threatened to kill two different coworkers. Luckily they see through my bullshit and laughed it off.
I, however, was incapable of laughing anything off. It started Sunday, and I think it must have been a combination of a tough week ahead and the conclusion of one of my favorite holidays...and my birthday month. (All of that mixed in with some ridiculous traffic.) Anyway, no attempt to talk myself out of the bad mood or distract myself from the mood worked.
Finally when I got home from work (late) I decided to just pretend I had a fantastic day. I danced around a little, made myself a yummy cheeseburger, watched some TV, etc. I pretended I didn't have a ton of laundry and work to do. I pretended my day didn't totally suck. And by the time I went to bed, I was feeling better.
Now this obviously does not work with everything. The laundry for instance is still overflowing the basket in my closet, but I'll knock it out without knocking a person out now that my mood has improved!
So if you are having a bad day, fake it. And eventually, you'll make it!
Happy Tuesday folks!
xoxo Sara Marie
Yesterday I was Ivan the Terrible. I mean I was in a really awful mood. I think I threatened to kill two different coworkers. Luckily they see through my bullshit and laughed it off.
I, however, was incapable of laughing anything off. It started Sunday, and I think it must have been a combination of a tough week ahead and the conclusion of one of my favorite holidays...and my birthday month. (All of that mixed in with some ridiculous traffic.) Anyway, no attempt to talk myself out of the bad mood or distract myself from the mood worked.
Finally when I got home from work (late) I decided to just pretend I had a fantastic day. I danced around a little, made myself a yummy cheeseburger, watched some TV, etc. I pretended I didn't have a ton of laundry and work to do. I pretended my day didn't totally suck. And by the time I went to bed, I was feeling better.
Now this obviously does not work with everything. The laundry for instance is still overflowing the basket in my closet, but I'll knock it out without knocking a person out now that my mood has improved!
So if you are having a bad day, fake it. And eventually, you'll make it!
Happy Tuesday folks!
xoxo Sara Marie
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thanksgiving...
It's over. The yummiest holiday of the year has come and gone. I did a lot. From noon Wednesday to noon yesterday I went from the Capitol to Dripping Springs to College Station to Kingsland. All of it was fantastic.
On Wednesday night my boyfriend, sister and I went to try the new Trudy's out on Hwy 290 near Dripping Springs. We had heard a lot of bad reviews for this new, huge location, and while the drinks were slow getting to the table and the food took even longer than that, the waitress was sweet and the food is just as good as the other locations. Maybe wait it out a bit and let the kitchen get used to the larger floor plan than the other Austin Trudy's locations, and I bet it will be a new go-to spot for Mexican food and a good drink.
On Thanksgiving Day my immediate family and I jumped in the car and headed to visit with the Kinney side of our family. It was a beautiful day for a ride and we had a great time. I even learned from one of my cousins how to set a leaf on fire with a magnifying glass. I know this sounds really stupid, but in my lifetime I'd only seen it done on shows like Bill Nye the Science Guy, not in real life!
Thursday night we had a nice, big family dinner at my parents' house. We made sure to have all the traditional Thanksgiving foods from turkey to pumpkin pie. It was delicious and the UT win in the last seconds of the last rivalry game with Texas A&M made everyone happy in our house.
Friday we slept in a little bit and then my mama and sister and I headed into Austin to get some supplies for a big Christmas project with the Cunningham kids later that day. We thought we would run into crazy traffic on the way to town and lines at the stores, but there were neither. We zipped into Austin and picked up the kiddos within an hour.
After our big projects, which I can't explain because their mama reads this blog and the project itself is her Christmas present, my mama and sister and I continued our girl’s day with some workout, and decorating the house. And the house looks awesome. Our house always looks nice at Christmas. My dado does great lights and garland and wreaths on the outside and mama has tons of decorations inside too. This year we really out did ourselves and everything looks perfect!
Saturday and Sunday were spent out in Kingsland at my boyfriend's lake house. There is not a whole lot to do at the lake when it is 50 degrees and windy as hell but that's what made it great! There was movie watching and yummy leftovers and all it all it was a fabulous way to end a much needed Thanksgiving break.
Here are a few pictures from my Thanksgiving:
I hope your holiday was as good mine.
xoxo Sara Marie
On Wednesday night my boyfriend, sister and I went to try the new Trudy's out on Hwy 290 near Dripping Springs. We had heard a lot of bad reviews for this new, huge location, and while the drinks were slow getting to the table and the food took even longer than that, the waitress was sweet and the food is just as good as the other locations. Maybe wait it out a bit and let the kitchen get used to the larger floor plan than the other Austin Trudy's locations, and I bet it will be a new go-to spot for Mexican food and a good drink.
On Thanksgiving Day my immediate family and I jumped in the car and headed to visit with the Kinney side of our family. It was a beautiful day for a ride and we had a great time. I even learned from one of my cousins how to set a leaf on fire with a magnifying glass. I know this sounds really stupid, but in my lifetime I'd only seen it done on shows like Bill Nye the Science Guy, not in real life!
Thursday night we had a nice, big family dinner at my parents' house. We made sure to have all the traditional Thanksgiving foods from turkey to pumpkin pie. It was delicious and the UT win in the last seconds of the last rivalry game with Texas A&M made everyone happy in our house.
Friday we slept in a little bit and then my mama and sister and I headed into Austin to get some supplies for a big Christmas project with the Cunningham kids later that day. We thought we would run into crazy traffic on the way to town and lines at the stores, but there were neither. We zipped into Austin and picked up the kiddos within an hour.
After our big projects, which I can't explain because their mama reads this blog and the project itself is her Christmas present, my mama and sister and I continued our girl’s day with some workout, and decorating the house. And the house looks awesome. Our house always looks nice at Christmas. My dado does great lights and garland and wreaths on the outside and mama has tons of decorations inside too. This year we really out did ourselves and everything looks perfect!
Saturday and Sunday were spent out in Kingsland at my boyfriend's lake house. There is not a whole lot to do at the lake when it is 50 degrees and windy as hell but that's what made it great! There was movie watching and yummy leftovers and all it all it was a fabulous way to end a much needed Thanksgiving break.
Here are a few pictures from my Thanksgiving:
Part of the turkey did end up sliding across the table, but it still tasted great!
The dinner table!
My two favorites, Banana Pudding and Sangria!
Mama and Camden counting his Monopoly money!
This is from hobby Lobby. It's for Birttany Gorney. Browns helmets with Christmas trees coming out of the top!!!!
1034 at Christmas time.
I hope your holiday was as good mine.
xoxo Sara Marie
Most Important Thing First...
My Uncle George is getting a new, cancer-free liver today. Uncle George has been suffering from Liver Cancer for some time now and without this transplant his lifetime would be cut significantly. Now, if all goes well, we will get to hear him sing for many years to come. It is a long surgery and even longer recovery, so please keep him in your thoughts and prayers if you have any to spare today and in the future. Thanks.
This is Uncle George, playing at my sister's wedding last Spring. (Travis Tank Photography)
xoxo Sara Marie
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Post Debate Post, ha
So here is my take on the debate. I intentionally did not write any notes down or tweet anything so that all I could go on to write the blog was what I took away from simply watching. This is it by candidate:
Newt: Still, clearly the most intelligent (policy wise) on that stage. If this guy had made even one morally sound decision in his life, he'd wipe the floor with the other candidates. Unfortunately he generally did not while Speaker (and before), and recently made comments like "Spanish the language of the ghetto." Despite his strong performances, I don't see him in the long run picture.
Romney: Last night he had some good answers, but none of it sounds decent when he ends with that arrogant smile. People just don't like this guy no matter how he answers a question (and he has tried answering them with all possible answers) He will go the distance, but if he is our nominee, Obama wins.
Perry: He kept quiet last night. I like that. When he had answers they were all solid. The Governor is solid. And here is where he is going to skyrocket again: As soon as the other candidates drop out. Seems silly to say, but Perry + anyone else on that stage (1 or all or some combination) beat Romney any day of the week. Iowa will be huge (And I remain confident that he will do better than expected there) but when two or three folks drop out before New Hampshire, it could be a whole new ballgame for Perry.
Ron Paul: I hate even having to address this guy, especially on Foreign Policy… mostly because he doesn't have a foreign policy. His foreign policy is literally to not have any. And bringing up legalizing drugs in a foreign policy debate makes my point that he is a joke, even clearer. Thanks Grandpa Ron.
Bachmann: I will honestly say she sounded less crazy last night. And other than the terrible lipstick job she was rocking, I'm sure her people were enthused. Unfortunately on anything other than the topic for which she has sat on a Congressional Committee for a few years, she is still clueless.
Cain: He literally answered, or attempted to answer maybe 3 questions last night. And after saying 'I would maybe do this or I would maybe do that," I think Wolf Blitzer, the moderator just got annoyed and stopped asking him to respond altogether. (and Cain calling Wolf "Blitz" probably didn't help either)
Santorum: I really thought he would be kicking and screaming more. He was relatively inconsequential last night. It makes me sad too because I love his jabs and the look on his face that reads "oh no I might get beat up for that, but yah, I'm glad I said it." There was not a whole lot of that last night.
Huntsman: This was definitely his strongest debate, although it won't matter. He has all his cards in New Hampshire and while he might steal a point or two from Romney, you just can't beat Mitt on his home court. And unfortunately for the Huntsman people, he probably won't even be 2nd or 3rd.
So that is it. The top of the class is still Romney, Newt, Cain and Perry. Cain is more than on his way downhill, and I don't think Newt will be far behind. It's a marathon not a sprint people. Here's to Jan. 3rd when all the fireworks really start.
xoxo Sara Marie
Newt: Still, clearly the most intelligent (policy wise) on that stage. If this guy had made even one morally sound decision in his life, he'd wipe the floor with the other candidates. Unfortunately he generally did not while Speaker (and before), and recently made comments like "Spanish the language of the ghetto." Despite his strong performances, I don't see him in the long run picture.
Romney: Last night he had some good answers, but none of it sounds decent when he ends with that arrogant smile. People just don't like this guy no matter how he answers a question (and he has tried answering them with all possible answers) He will go the distance, but if he is our nominee, Obama wins.
Perry: He kept quiet last night. I like that. When he had answers they were all solid. The Governor is solid. And here is where he is going to skyrocket again: As soon as the other candidates drop out. Seems silly to say, but Perry + anyone else on that stage (1 or all or some combination) beat Romney any day of the week. Iowa will be huge (And I remain confident that he will do better than expected there) but when two or three folks drop out before New Hampshire, it could be a whole new ballgame for Perry.
Ron Paul: I hate even having to address this guy, especially on Foreign Policy… mostly because he doesn't have a foreign policy. His foreign policy is literally to not have any. And bringing up legalizing drugs in a foreign policy debate makes my point that he is a joke, even clearer. Thanks Grandpa Ron.
Bachmann: I will honestly say she sounded less crazy last night. And other than the terrible lipstick job she was rocking, I'm sure her people were enthused. Unfortunately on anything other than the topic for which she has sat on a Congressional Committee for a few years, she is still clueless.
Cain: He literally answered, or attempted to answer maybe 3 questions last night. And after saying 'I would maybe do this or I would maybe do that," I think Wolf Blitzer, the moderator just got annoyed and stopped asking him to respond altogether. (and Cain calling Wolf "Blitz" probably didn't help either)
Santorum: I really thought he would be kicking and screaming more. He was relatively inconsequential last night. It makes me sad too because I love his jabs and the look on his face that reads "oh no I might get beat up for that, but yah, I'm glad I said it." There was not a whole lot of that last night.
Huntsman: This was definitely his strongest debate, although it won't matter. He has all his cards in New Hampshire and while he might steal a point or two from Romney, you just can't beat Mitt on his home court. And unfortunately for the Huntsman people, he probably won't even be 2nd or 3rd.
So that is it. The top of the class is still Romney, Newt, Cain and Perry. Cain is more than on his way downhill, and I don't think Newt will be far behind. It's a marathon not a sprint people. Here's to Jan. 3rd when all the fireworks really start.
xoxo Sara Marie
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Fantasy Football
Ok I know I said I would not do it, but you all know I did. And the SMK's Future Husbands fantasy football team is officially in the top 6 of the league. If I can hang around here, or higher in the standings, I'll make the playoffs! This week I am up against Belicheck Yoself again and we are sitting #6 and #7 in the league, (of 12) thus, I have to win! If I lose I am back out of the playoff hopefuls. Only one team has clinched a spot so far.
So here is to week 12 or whatever we are in, may SMK's Future Husbands kick some butt again!
26 hours until Thanksgiving break begins, Happy Tuesday!
xoxo Sara Marie
So here is to week 12 or whatever we are in, may SMK's Future Husbands kick some butt again!
26 hours until Thanksgiving break begins, Happy Tuesday!
xoxo Sara Marie
Monday, November 21, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
It's Monday and that sucks. But really it's Wednesday. Well, really it is already lunch time on on Wednesday as far as the work week is concerned. I get out at noon Wednesday and could not be more excited. Not because I hate my job or anything, I just LOVE Thanksgiving.
This weekend was fantastic. I drove down to San Antonio with a friend and completed a 5k Saturday morning. My running buddy and I got 8th and 9th in our age division. Now this wasn't the NYC Marathon or something with tens of thousands of participants, but there were several hundred. I'm considering it my biggest win since being on the Regular Season Atlantic 10 Conference Championship softball team back in 2006.
Saturday night I went to the last home game for the Longhorns. It was bittersweet. We had a really great time and it got close, but in the end the Horns blew it. It wasn't shocking, but it did put a damper on what had been a reallly fun game.
Saturday night I witnessed what may have been the greatest dance party of all time. A girlfriend, my brother-in-law, one of his buddies and me all went down to Hangar Lounge and took over the dance floor. By 2am we were home and exhausted. Sunday morning we were literally sore from our awesome dance moves.
Anyway back to Thanksgiving...
This year my family will be going out to College Station to hang with my dado's family for a while, and then returning home to have our traditional Thanksgiving dinner at my parent's house.
I plan on contributing my usual sausage balls and sangria, but I will also be one hell of a sou chef for Mama Kinney.
So hurry up and knock out this week people, and get to celebrating.
Oh and Go Cowboys... 1st place Cowboys.
xoxo Sara Marie
This weekend was fantastic. I drove down to San Antonio with a friend and completed a 5k Saturday morning. My running buddy and I got 8th and 9th in our age division. Now this wasn't the NYC Marathon or something with tens of thousands of participants, but there were several hundred. I'm considering it my biggest win since being on the Regular Season Atlantic 10 Conference Championship softball team back in 2006.
Saturday night I went to the last home game for the Longhorns. It was bittersweet. We had a really great time and it got close, but in the end the Horns blew it. It wasn't shocking, but it did put a damper on what had been a reallly fun game.
Rocking the Frat Daddy glasses in the North EndZone.
Saturday night I witnessed what may have been the greatest dance party of all time. A girlfriend, my brother-in-law, one of his buddies and me all went down to Hangar Lounge and took over the dance floor. By 2am we were home and exhausted. Sunday morning we were literally sore from our awesome dance moves.
Anyway back to Thanksgiving...
This year my family will be going out to College Station to hang with my dado's family for a while, and then returning home to have our traditional Thanksgiving dinner at my parent's house.
I plan on contributing my usual sausage balls and sangria, but I will also be one hell of a sou chef for Mama Kinney.
So hurry up and knock out this week people, and get to celebrating.
Oh and Go Cowboys... 1st place Cowboys.
xoxo Sara Marie
Friday, November 18, 2011
Happy Friday and Merry Christmas!
I got one of my last birthday presents! It was from my crazy aunts! (Read about them here) Anyway, they have a longstanding nickname for me, "Penguina." I'll admit folks, as a baby I waddled around a lot so they called me the "little penguina." I like penguins though so I don't mind. I like it even, and because I don't waddle around anymore.
So these crazy aunts of mine always get me fabulous penguin things. Last year, among other things was a Christmas penguin wine glass. This year I got salt and pepper shakers and a coffee mug. Like always my fabulous aunts had perfect timing and I got my presents the same week I was decorating my condo!
So here it is...
Yes, in the background is a Christmas tree with Mexican pounded tin elephant ornaments. It too is pretty fantastic! Oh and a gold glitter bow on top, what else?
Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!
xoxo Sara Marie
So these crazy aunts of mine always get me fabulous penguin things. Last year, among other things was a Christmas penguin wine glass. This year I got salt and pepper shakers and a coffee mug. Like always my fabulous aunts had perfect timing and I got my presents the same week I was decorating my condo!
So here it is...
Yes, in the background is a Christmas tree with Mexican pounded tin elephant ornaments. It too is pretty fantastic! Oh and a gold glitter bow on top, what else?
Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!
xoxo Sara Marie
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thursday Night...
I didn't blog today...well not before now, duh, because I didn’t have much to share…
So generally when I don't have anything to share or rant about I go with a quote or recipe. Tonight I'll do both....
Recipe:
Italian Soup- This should really be considered a "Stew" but the recipe says soup, so I'll stick with that too.
I made this with the boyfriend a weekend or so ago. It was delicious. I think we ended up eating it for 3 different meals across the weekend. The night we made it, I liked it. When I had it as leftovers I LOVED it.
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced-- I left this out.
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine-- or a lil more :)
4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped-- I did big chunks
1 cup thinly sliced carrots-- again, bigger slices
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini-- big chucks make it more of a stew
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta-- I boiled these normally, then browned them in a sauce pan to make them a little crispy on the outside (I trick I learned from my mama)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- In a pan, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
- In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.
So the bread sorta takes over the picture, but you get the idea...I hope!
Again, this soup, with a side of Garlic Bread, is great. After sitting in the refrigerator for a night, warming it up and enjoying it as leftovers, it is simply amazing! Enjoy!
Now for the quote:
I'll give ya two...
"Some girls are just born with glitter in their veins."
And I like to think I'm one of them, duh.
"When in doubt, go workout."
I say this to myself at least 3 days a week and each time, my ass gets down to that gym. It works, try it.
Oh and one final thing that is an absolute must share:
It's from Pinterest and it is fabulous:
xoxo Sara Marie
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Merry Christmas!
Today is exploding in my face. But luckily I put up my Christmas Tree last night, so I will keep in the back of my mind, through the craziness, that tonight I get to decorate! Yay!
Maybe it's ridiculous to put a Christmas Tree up so early, but when have I ever NOT been ridiculous?
38 days!
xoxo Sara Marie
Maybe it's ridiculous to put a Christmas Tree up so early, but when have I ever NOT been ridiculous?
38 days!
xoxo Sara Marie
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Penn State
This is the one time I will comment. This whole scenario is just disgusting. I feel terrible for Paterno for having his storied career end in this fashion; however, I'm not sure there was any way around that outcome given the facts that are out. Maybe all of this happened very differently than how it is being perceived by the media and such, but it is hard to believe that where there is this much smoke, there is not some fire. (Using a similar phrase as Bob Costas in last night's interview on Rock Center.) And for the record, any amount of wrong doing here, in this particular area, is enough for a lynching in my book.
Should Paterno have done more when he was told of the information, yes. But evaluate the situation like this:
Imagine a coworker of yours, who you don't know that well accuses another coworker (who you do know very well) of a heinous crime. Would you pick up the phone and call 911 immediately? No, I wouldn't. I would want to verify the accusation or at least investigate it further. I think, or hope that was Paterno's explanation.
Where he failed to have a moral compass of any kind, again in my opinion, was in the lack of follow up. When Sandusky showed up day after day to practice and nothing was ever charged or questioned, Paterno could have, nay should have, asked a few questions. As the head coach it is his responsibility to do so. Again, I think it is really awful that such a legendary coach will be marked by such despicable action of another. People won't remember this, regardless of what outcome there is for anyone and everyone involved, by the poor decision to follow up on a gross accusation, but rather Paterno will be forever linked with the direct actions of the guilty.
From the victims to their families, to the players at Penn State, the fans, and even the game of football, there are only losers here. No one wins in this situation. It's sick.
xoxo Sara Marie
Should Paterno have done more when he was told of the information, yes. But evaluate the situation like this:
Imagine a coworker of yours, who you don't know that well accuses another coworker (who you do know very well) of a heinous crime. Would you pick up the phone and call 911 immediately? No, I wouldn't. I would want to verify the accusation or at least investigate it further. I think, or hope that was Paterno's explanation.
Where he failed to have a moral compass of any kind, again in my opinion, was in the lack of follow up. When Sandusky showed up day after day to practice and nothing was ever charged or questioned, Paterno could have, nay should have, asked a few questions. As the head coach it is his responsibility to do so. Again, I think it is really awful that such a legendary coach will be marked by such despicable action of another. People won't remember this, regardless of what outcome there is for anyone and everyone involved, by the poor decision to follow up on a gross accusation, but rather Paterno will be forever linked with the direct actions of the guilty.
From the victims to their families, to the players at Penn State, the fans, and even the game of football, there are only losers here. No one wins in this situation. It's sick.
xoxo Sara Marie
Perry's Gaffe and the HurriCAIN of Harassment
Ok I'll comment. I'm not going to go through the two different debates that I missed, but I will comment on the latest.
I'll start with forgetting the third agency Perry would eliminate. Clearly it is inconsequential if he can't remember it, duh. Ha. Just kidding, kind of. The point here is… who cares? Seriously every human on planet Earth has blanked at one time or another on one particular thought or another. Not all of us have done it while millions of Americans were not only watching our performance but also judging it. I feel bad for the Governor on that account, but other than that, it didn't seem too terrible. Also I'm a firm believer in "it's not what happens to ya, but how you handle it." The Perry camp handled this flawlessly. Never did Perry try and rise above it with some "I'm smarter than that, and better than that, and I'm going to talk around the actual flub and try to make it something it wasn't." Instead they faced it head on and showed America just how humble Governor Perry is. Well done. The Letterman appearance was fantastic.
On to Herman Cain...what a joke. I mean... he is not a joke. He is a successful business man. He knows numbers and pizza. He is not a formidable presidential candidate...or should not be rather. And this storm of sexual harassment, come on, fuel to the fire. I think he probably did it. Maybe not in the dramatic fashion accusers want everyone to believe, but he was probably inappropriate at some point. I don't think it is the reason, however, that we should discredit him from being a strong choice for the leader of the free world. Things like that 999 plan and his complete lack of experience and knowledge of any foreign policy are two that I'd offer up in place of sexual harassment accusations.
And speaking of foreign policy... Perry knocked it out of the park in that debate. He was very presidential, and I like it. So was Newt, I know, I know... but if you think this Herman Cain stuff is too much to elect, you should probably vet Newt a little more.
So here's to the field shaking up again. I’ll note that Romney holds at his upper 20-something percentage. He's going on what like 6 years at that number. All that says is… people will be voting against Romney, just like they will be voting against Obama, so the field has got to narrow. If we don't want Romney, then we need to not split our votes across the field behind him. It’s basic math people, figure it out.
xoxo Sara Marie
I'll start with forgetting the third agency Perry would eliminate. Clearly it is inconsequential if he can't remember it, duh. Ha. Just kidding, kind of. The point here is… who cares? Seriously every human on planet Earth has blanked at one time or another on one particular thought or another. Not all of us have done it while millions of Americans were not only watching our performance but also judging it. I feel bad for the Governor on that account, but other than that, it didn't seem too terrible. Also I'm a firm believer in "it's not what happens to ya, but how you handle it." The Perry camp handled this flawlessly. Never did Perry try and rise above it with some "I'm smarter than that, and better than that, and I'm going to talk around the actual flub and try to make it something it wasn't." Instead they faced it head on and showed America just how humble Governor Perry is. Well done. The Letterman appearance was fantastic.
On to Herman Cain...what a joke. I mean... he is not a joke. He is a successful business man. He knows numbers and pizza. He is not a formidable presidential candidate...or should not be rather. And this storm of sexual harassment, come on, fuel to the fire. I think he probably did it. Maybe not in the dramatic fashion accusers want everyone to believe, but he was probably inappropriate at some point. I don't think it is the reason, however, that we should discredit him from being a strong choice for the leader of the free world. Things like that 999 plan and his complete lack of experience and knowledge of any foreign policy are two that I'd offer up in place of sexual harassment accusations.
And speaking of foreign policy... Perry knocked it out of the park in that debate. He was very presidential, and I like it. So was Newt, I know, I know... but if you think this Herman Cain stuff is too much to elect, you should probably vet Newt a little more.
So here's to the field shaking up again. I’ll note that Romney holds at his upper 20-something percentage. He's going on what like 6 years at that number. All that says is… people will be voting against Romney, just like they will be voting against Obama, so the field has got to narrow. If we don't want Romney, then we need to not split our votes across the field behind him. It’s basic math people, figure it out.
xoxo Sara Marie
Catching up with my DVR...
So in all the birthday celebration craziness I missed some TV last week. I missed Top Chef TEXAS, a few debates, and a new show I've been watching a little, The Sing Off.
First Up: Top Chef Texas
I love this show. I loved seasons past, and I have no doubt this season will top them all. And not just because it takes place in the Great State, but also because the cheftestants, as they call them, are all really solid. In Episode 2 that was aired last week the final group of 10 chefs compete for the remaining spots in the Top 15 that continue on to compete. (Last week two groups of 10 chefs each competed for the first 11 spots, now the remaining 10 will battle for the last 4 to complete the Top 15)Last week I went through the cast of chefs who won their way into Top Chef attire, and so I'll do the same for the last group.
Grayson- This gal seems like she would be a cool friend to have. And her food looks spectacular so I like her.
Jannie- She didn't make the cut, got sent to some internet episode or something that I'll get to in a minute. She is a mess. She has already twice unloaded to the confessional camera about some awful lesbian breakup she just went through. I'll be honest though, I was pulling for her. She has a fun, little brother, funny gal vibe that I think would add to the show. We will learn her fate soon.
Andrew- I really wanted to like this guy because he is the Executive Chef at 24 Diner here in Austin and I love their Roasted Banana and Brown Sugar Milkshake, as well as their Belgian Waffle Sandwich, but this guy was a disaster. He too was sent to the internet competition round so again, we will know his fate soon.
Paul Qui- This guy is solid…and from Austin. I can already tell he is probably going to be one of my favorites.
Edward- I don't like this guy. He seemed desperate and too cocky.
Beverley- eh. She wasn't a superstar, but I didn't hate her.
Lindsay- Something about this gal rubbed me the wrong way. She seems like that kiss-up in your middle school English class that raises her hand for every answer and pats herself on the back every time she gets a question correct. Annoying, in a word.
So that is it for contestants. Now as for the judges of this episode, I don't like Hugh Acheson. This post is sounding really negative, and I promise I'm in a great mood, I just think he is awkward. When he was talking to the chefs it was like a guy talking to a beautiful girl in a bar, but he was nervous and unsure of what to say. Now Emeril, he is a stud. I love that guy. I can't wait to hear more from him throughout the season.
Next Up: The Sing Off
Now I just recently started watching this show. And I'll be honest; it had a lot to do with Nick Lachey. We share a birthday and I've had a crush on him since well at least college if not well before that. Anyway he is the host and thus, I watched one random night. I liked it too. It's different. The three judges panel is much like American Idol or an array of other shows I refuse to watch anymore, but the talent is there. Beat boxing and harmonizing in a group like they do cannot be easy. Some groups are better than others, but all have some real talent. Last night was R&B night. The groups did a current hit and a throwback. I only watched the first one, and here's what I thought:
Vocal Point- They did a Bobby Brown hit. They are an all white boys group doing Bobby Brown. It was pretty awesome. I like them.
Urban Method- I do not like this group. Their wardrobe is terrible and their arrangement is not much better. I just don't like them.
The Dartmouth group is awesome. Again all guys, and they do a good job of making songs their own (not to use a cliché American Idol line there, but it is true)
Afro Blue- They butchered some Mariah which is a legit sin in my life, so they are not even worth discussing.
Pentatonix- This group is fabulous. They have the token girl, badass lead singer guy, and two beat box guys that are really awesome. I hope this group wins.
And after a little google action, because I didn't watch the end of the show, I think Vocal Point was sent home last night. Terrible decision, it should have been that Urban group or maybe Afro Blue. Oh well.
So that is my TV recap for now. I still have to get to the debates, but that will take a carefully crafted post to come later.
xoxo Sara Marie
First Up: Top Chef Texas
I love this show. I loved seasons past, and I have no doubt this season will top them all. And not just because it takes place in the Great State, but also because the cheftestants, as they call them, are all really solid. In Episode 2 that was aired last week the final group of 10 chefs compete for the remaining spots in the Top 15 that continue on to compete. (Last week two groups of 10 chefs each competed for the first 11 spots, now the remaining 10 will battle for the last 4 to complete the Top 15)Last week I went through the cast of chefs who won their way into Top Chef attire, and so I'll do the same for the last group.
Grayson- This gal seems like she would be a cool friend to have. And her food looks spectacular so I like her.
Jannie- She didn't make the cut, got sent to some internet episode or something that I'll get to in a minute. She is a mess. She has already twice unloaded to the confessional camera about some awful lesbian breakup she just went through. I'll be honest though, I was pulling for her. She has a fun, little brother, funny gal vibe that I think would add to the show. We will learn her fate soon.
Andrew- I really wanted to like this guy because he is the Executive Chef at 24 Diner here in Austin and I love their Roasted Banana and Brown Sugar Milkshake, as well as their Belgian Waffle Sandwich, but this guy was a disaster. He too was sent to the internet competition round so again, we will know his fate soon.
Paul Qui- This guy is solid…and from Austin. I can already tell he is probably going to be one of my favorites.
Edward- I don't like this guy. He seemed desperate and too cocky.
Beverley- eh. She wasn't a superstar, but I didn't hate her.
Lindsay- Something about this gal rubbed me the wrong way. She seems like that kiss-up in your middle school English class that raises her hand for every answer and pats herself on the back every time she gets a question correct. Annoying, in a word.
So that is it for contestants. Now as for the judges of this episode, I don't like Hugh Acheson. This post is sounding really negative, and I promise I'm in a great mood, I just think he is awkward. When he was talking to the chefs it was like a guy talking to a beautiful girl in a bar, but he was nervous and unsure of what to say. Now Emeril, he is a stud. I love that guy. I can't wait to hear more from him throughout the season.
Next Up: The Sing Off
Now I just recently started watching this show. And I'll be honest; it had a lot to do with Nick Lachey. We share a birthday and I've had a crush on him since well at least college if not well before that. Anyway he is the host and thus, I watched one random night. I liked it too. It's different. The three judges panel is much like American Idol or an array of other shows I refuse to watch anymore, but the talent is there. Beat boxing and harmonizing in a group like they do cannot be easy. Some groups are better than others, but all have some real talent. Last night was R&B night. The groups did a current hit and a throwback. I only watched the first one, and here's what I thought:
Vocal Point- They did a Bobby Brown hit. They are an all white boys group doing Bobby Brown. It was pretty awesome. I like them.
Urban Method- I do not like this group. Their wardrobe is terrible and their arrangement is not much better. I just don't like them.
The Dartmouth group is awesome. Again all guys, and they do a good job of making songs their own (not to use a cliché American Idol line there, but it is true)
Afro Blue- They butchered some Mariah which is a legit sin in my life, so they are not even worth discussing.
Pentatonix- This group is fabulous. They have the token girl, badass lead singer guy, and two beat box guys that are really awesome. I hope this group wins.
And after a little google action, because I didn't watch the end of the show, I think Vocal Point was sent home last night. Terrible decision, it should have been that Urban group or maybe Afro Blue. Oh well.
So that is my TV recap for now. I still have to get to the debates, but that will take a carefully crafted post to come later.
xoxo Sara Marie
Monday, November 14, 2011
Birthday Overload...
Ha... I know there is no such thing as "birthday overload" but if there was, I'd probably be close.
Last week on the actual day of my birth, I had a really fantastic Birthday Dinner with some really special people. It was at my favorite Mexican spot and that coupled with the presents I got, made for a very spoiled Birthday Girl.
Then it was off to San Diego with my boyfriend for the weekend where...
A goldfish was delivered to my hotel room.
I ate cupcakes in bed.
Saturday included a massage and a nap in an animal print robe.
And I finally saw the beautiful that is La Jolla, California.
I'll start at the beginning.
My guy and I hopped on a flight to Cali mid morning on Thursday. When we got there it was sunny and 70 something degrees...aka "gorgeous." We made it down to our hotel way before check-in, but we were happy the folks at the Hotel Solemar were ready with a fabulous room anyway on the 8th floor of their Gas Lamp District property. Our corner room overlooked the terrace pool and bar. Within 5 minutes of setting our bags down in room 835, there was a knock on the door. I answered and found a house-keeping lady delivering our pet fish for the weekend. She asked "Do you want fish for the weekend?" I obviously answered "Well, hell yes we do!"
His bowl was put on the table next to the bed. As the words, "what should we name him" were falling out of my mouth I noticed the two bottles of water set on the table too. The name of the bottled water: Fred. So our little weekend goldfish became Fred right then. And just for the record, although we did consider it, Fred was not smuggled, nor was there even an attempt to smuggle him back to Texas with us. I learned my lesson with Tica Tammy the Costa Rican dog, thanks Doc. (See this post for a refresher.)
Anyway, after receiving and naming Fred we decided a nice lunch was in order. We googled a few different ideas and settled on Neighborhood a few blocks away.
Now let me stop here, and say that before embarking on our trip I had declared that all I wanted to do for sure was to go by a cupcake spot I'd seen great reviews on called Heavenly Cupcake.
Well on the way to Neighborhood for lunch, we notice ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR HOTEL, Heavenly Cupcake. We went in, obviously not worried about spoiling our imminent lunch, and ordered up two. This would be our first two cupcakes, of NINE, we ordered over the next 4 days. Yep, you read that right! We got Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Vanilla on that first stop. The next day it was Peanut Butter Banana and Cookies and Cream. Saturday we went with Smore, Snicker doodle and Banana Chip, and finally on Sunday we had another Chocolate Vanilla and an Orange Chip. None of the cupcakes were bad. My favorite though, was Cookies and Cream. This cupcake was in fact "Heavenly." It was a chocolate cupcake with icing that tasted like the cream filling of an Oreo. And an actual Oreo was cooked inside the bottom of the cupcake. Pretty intense and pretty delicious.
Ok, going back to the Neighborhood lunch. When we got there I ordered up a chicken flat bread Panini with roasted red peppers and feta. It was perfect for lunch. My boyfriend ordered the house favorite Seared Tuna Sandwich. Not a fan of tuna, I thought he might be disappointed, but I liked his vacation courage to try something different. It worked. The sandwich was a hit and went nicely with the Jalapeno Mac and Cheese we shared. Neighborhood, while a little foo-foo in food and atmosphere, was a great choice for some lunch especially on their patio!
Upon arrival back at the hotel we checked out the amenities. The heated pool on the terrace was nice, but not quite as heated as I'd like. We swam for a bit and strolled through the cardio room before heading back upstairs to get ready for our night out on the town.
We started back on the terrace level at the hotel bar where we were treated to a random fireworks show to the south of us. Then we ventured over to Fourth Avenue where most of the Gas Lamp District activity is located. Over there, we stopped in an Irish Pub with a fun playlist and then grabbed a slice of pizza at what looked to be a popular spot among all the bars. After a short stop at Lime Tequila Bar, we ended the night with a drink at a bar called Analog. This place was really cool. The DJ had a pretty good playlist, but it was the drink list that made this place special... Olde English, Colt 45 and Mickey’s tall boys. Now I am not that gangster, so I just had a Michelob Ultra, but my boyfriend had Olde English. It was a different touch to an area that probably has a lot of the same with so many bars next to one another.
Friday morning started with breakfast at Broken Yolk. This popular spot less than a block from Hotel Solemar, was featured on Man vs. Food not too long ago. Adam, on the show, attempted to eat the "Iron Man." I'm not sure if he was successful or not, but I do know that it is served on a 15 inch pizza pan. And after careful consideration of the rest of the day, my boyfriend decided not to take a stab at the epic meal. Instead omelets and chilaquiles were ordered. Both were excellent, but probably not as blog-worthy as if the challenge had been won.
That afternoon was spent lounging at the hotel. We had massages scheduled that afternoon and it was a dreary day. Naps and movies in bed were definitely in order. When I got back to room 835 I fed Fred, then put on some comfy clothes and bundled up in my animal print robe that every room in the hotel has waiting for their guests. How cool is that? It was such a relaxing afternoon.
Well until we set out for the massages. We found the place we booked online. San Diego Massage Center has great online reviews, and it was located within walking distance of our hotel. So after getting our daily cupcake, we headed to the area we saw the Massage Center was in on the map. After walking around for an hour and calling the place at least three times, we finally talked to a gal there and realized we were walking around an address that did not exist any longer. They had moved and their listing with Information had not been updated. So after explaining that we would not be able to make it any time soon, we rescheduled for first thing the following morning and were even offered a bottle of champagne to make up for the confusion. That was a pretty good deal, so we took it and headed back to our hotel.
That evening after we watched a couple get married from our window- they were down on the hotel terrace- we got ready and went downstairs to the hotel lobby for their complimentary wine happy hour. They were featuring some Argentinean wine and it was a nice way to start a pretty fun night.
When happy hour was over one of my college friends picked us up and we headed out of the downtown area for a Mexican dinner. We all had tacos and margaritas and all of it was exceptional. I can't remember the name of the place, but they had Pomegranate Jalapeno Margaritas and steak/fish/salmon tacos. It was a really fun dinner that ended with a Happy Birthday Sara moment that yall know I absolutely loved!
To cap off a great dinner we headed over to a house party our lovely California dinner hosts knew of going on nearby the restaurant. The house was unreal. It is owned by an architect, and that showed. All the details were flawless from the fire pits on the covered deck, to the artwork hanging throughout the house, to the views from the different levels of the house. I was more than impressed and felt like I was hanging out in an episode of The OC or some other Californian show.
The next morning we made it to our massage on time, and I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday present from my boyfriend. We joked all day about being "totally blissed out." (My Costa Rican travel buddies will appreciate that.)
Breakfast came after the massages. We took the recommendation of my college friend and walked, in the misty rain, over to Cafe 222. This place has been featured on the Food Network for its peanut butter and banana stuffed French toast. The boyfriend ordered up that specialty and I had the Biscuits and Gravy.
The combination of a filling breakfast after a luxurious massage meant all I could do was go back to my animal print robe and let nap time take over. This was truly a spectacular birthday celebration. I mean at this point I had taken multiple naps, eaten at several really phenomenal restaurants, had a massage, hung out with great friends, and lounged in an animal print robe next to Fred my weekend goldfish while eating (at this point) 4 cupcakes. Come on folks, this is the life!
After the, what was now standard nap/cupcake combo, the boyfriend and I decided since we couldn't go walk around in what had turned into a very rainy afternoon, we should take a drive.
And where did we go? Well over the San Diego Bay Bridge of course. And why? Well because it reminded us of Anchorman of course! Seriously it did, and we did. But we continued on after crossing to explore around Coronado Island. After getting excited about some pretty big waves (definitely the biggest I have ever seen) we headed back to the Gas lamp District because the rain was turning into more of a storm.
That night we ran over to the Hard Rock Cafe for a light dinner before hitting up a few bars with my college friends again. One thing particularly noteworthy from dinner was that the restaurant DJ came over to our booth and asked us what song requests we had. Moments later we were rocking out to some of our choices while enjoying our dinner.
The final two Gas Lamp District spots for us were Nicky Rotten’s and La Puerta. The first of those two was a long narrow restaurant/bar that was playing some fun tunes. A lot of college throwbacks came on and it felt like I was at Howl at the Moon. If you know me and my college gals, you know this is never a bad thing.
La Puerta was a block or so down from Nicky Rotten's and was a blast. We sat in a high backed booth and watched a family of four dance drunkenly on the small dance floor. As the night went on, different groups of people came and went from their dance party but one thing remained… their moves. The mom was definitely the highlight. She was easily in her 50s and making out with the dad like a 16 year old, while shaking her booty like she was 21 with her 20-something daughter. All in all it was the perfect entertainment for the night cap.
Before returning to the hotel at the late hour we had to run by our parking spot. And this is where I will offer my one serious complaint about my birthday get-a-way weekend in San Diego. It's the parking. Parking at the hotel was 36 bucks a night. So my boyfriend and I thought since there were parking lots on every corner it seemed, it would be easy to find a much more reasonable option for our weekend rental. Well after a few laps around the block we found the best deal. 25 bucks for 24 hours. However, after going back after the first 24 hours we realized it was only 5 bucks for 10 hours. So for the duration we would just run over to the parking lot and throw in 5 dollars for another 10 hours. It was not that hard, but by the end of the weekend, we spent almost 85 bucks or something on parking alone. That is a little ridiculous if you ask me.
Oh well. Our final day on my birthday weekend started at a breakfast spot called Brian's 24. This place was great. The menu is a little overwhelming with about a million options, but after settling on two different omelets we were served a giant breakfast. I had a sausage and peppers omelet and my man had a bacon avocado omelet. Both were yummy as were the hotcakes and toast served with them.
After checking out of the hotel, which I'd give a very high 8 out of a 10 in stars, we jumped in the car and headed north. The destination was La Jolla. It took almost no time and we were walking around on the beach watching surfers catch some gnarly waves. We drove back down the coast, winding in and out of some really beautiful neighborhoods. By the time we were back down by the airport it was time to return the car and start the journey home.
And after a rather uneventful trip home, my birthday weekend was over. Today has been tough. I want to nap or go grab a cupcake, but I'll have to wait until the next weekend get-a-way for that.
Oh and going through my pictures, I remembered one thing I MUST share...
Once when leaving the hotel, I saw two little puppies. There were identical to one another and dyed GREEN. They were ardoable and I almost stole them both. PETA chill out, these doggies are definitely well taken care of...
Happy Monday Folks!
xoxo Sara Marie
Last week on the actual day of my birth, I had a really fantastic Birthday Dinner with some really special people. It was at my favorite Mexican spot and that coupled with the presents I got, made for a very spoiled Birthday Girl.
At Maudie's in the Galleria with a whole lot of fun people...and presents!
Then it was off to San Diego with my boyfriend for the weekend where...
A goldfish was delivered to my hotel room.
I ate cupcakes in bed.
Saturday included a massage and a nap in an animal print robe.
And I finally saw the beautiful that is La Jolla, California.
I'll start at the beginning.
My guy and I hopped on a flight to Cali mid morning on Thursday. When we got there it was sunny and 70 something degrees...aka "gorgeous." We made it down to our hotel way before check-in, but we were happy the folks at the Hotel Solemar were ready with a fabulous room anyway on the 8th floor of their Gas Lamp District property. Our corner room overlooked the terrace pool and bar. Within 5 minutes of setting our bags down in room 835, there was a knock on the door. I answered and found a house-keeping lady delivering our pet fish for the weekend. She asked "Do you want fish for the weekend?" I obviously answered "Well, hell yes we do!"
His bowl was put on the table next to the bed. As the words, "what should we name him" were falling out of my mouth I noticed the two bottles of water set on the table too. The name of the bottled water: Fred. So our little weekend goldfish became Fred right then. And just for the record, although we did consider it, Fred was not smuggled, nor was there even an attempt to smuggle him back to Texas with us. I learned my lesson with Tica Tammy the Costa Rican dog, thanks Doc. (See this post for a refresher.)
Anyway, after receiving and naming Fred we decided a nice lunch was in order. We googled a few different ideas and settled on Neighborhood a few blocks away.
Now let me stop here, and say that before embarking on our trip I had declared that all I wanted to do for sure was to go by a cupcake spot I'd seen great reviews on called Heavenly Cupcake.
Well on the way to Neighborhood for lunch, we notice ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR HOTEL, Heavenly Cupcake. We went in, obviously not worried about spoiling our imminent lunch, and ordered up two. This would be our first two cupcakes, of NINE, we ordered over the next 4 days. Yep, you read that right! We got Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Vanilla on that first stop. The next day it was Peanut Butter Banana and Cookies and Cream. Saturday we went with Smore, Snicker doodle and Banana Chip, and finally on Sunday we had another Chocolate Vanilla and an Orange Chip. None of the cupcakes were bad. My favorite though, was Cookies and Cream. This cupcake was in fact "Heavenly." It was a chocolate cupcake with icing that tasted like the cream filling of an Oreo. And an actual Oreo was cooked inside the bottom of the cupcake. Pretty intense and pretty delicious.
Ok, going back to the Neighborhood lunch. When we got there I ordered up a chicken flat bread Panini with roasted red peppers and feta. It was perfect for lunch. My boyfriend ordered the house favorite Seared Tuna Sandwich. Not a fan of tuna, I thought he might be disappointed, but I liked his vacation courage to try something different. It worked. The sandwich was a hit and went nicely with the Jalapeno Mac and Cheese we shared. Neighborhood, while a little foo-foo in food and atmosphere, was a great choice for some lunch especially on their patio!
Upon arrival back at the hotel we checked out the amenities. The heated pool on the terrace was nice, but not quite as heated as I'd like. We swam for a bit and strolled through the cardio room before heading back upstairs to get ready for our night out on the town.
We started back on the terrace level at the hotel bar where we were treated to a random fireworks show to the south of us. Then we ventured over to Fourth Avenue where most of the Gas Lamp District activity is located. Over there, we stopped in an Irish Pub with a fun playlist and then grabbed a slice of pizza at what looked to be a popular spot among all the bars. After a short stop at Lime Tequila Bar, we ended the night with a drink at a bar called Analog. This place was really cool. The DJ had a pretty good playlist, but it was the drink list that made this place special... Olde English, Colt 45 and Mickey’s tall boys. Now I am not that gangster, so I just had a Michelob Ultra, but my boyfriend had Olde English. It was a different touch to an area that probably has a lot of the same with so many bars next to one another.
Friday morning started with breakfast at Broken Yolk. This popular spot less than a block from Hotel Solemar, was featured on Man vs. Food not too long ago. Adam, on the show, attempted to eat the "Iron Man." I'm not sure if he was successful or not, but I do know that it is served on a 15 inch pizza pan. And after careful consideration of the rest of the day, my boyfriend decided not to take a stab at the epic meal. Instead omelets and chilaquiles were ordered. Both were excellent, but probably not as blog-worthy as if the challenge had been won.
That afternoon was spent lounging at the hotel. We had massages scheduled that afternoon and it was a dreary day. Naps and movies in bed were definitely in order. When I got back to room 835 I fed Fred, then put on some comfy clothes and bundled up in my animal print robe that every room in the hotel has waiting for their guests. How cool is that? It was such a relaxing afternoon.
Well until we set out for the massages. We found the place we booked online. San Diego Massage Center has great online reviews, and it was located within walking distance of our hotel. So after getting our daily cupcake, we headed to the area we saw the Massage Center was in on the map. After walking around for an hour and calling the place at least three times, we finally talked to a gal there and realized we were walking around an address that did not exist any longer. They had moved and their listing with Information had not been updated. So after explaining that we would not be able to make it any time soon, we rescheduled for first thing the following morning and were even offered a bottle of champagne to make up for the confusion. That was a pretty good deal, so we took it and headed back to our hotel.
That evening after we watched a couple get married from our window- they were down on the hotel terrace- we got ready and went downstairs to the hotel lobby for their complimentary wine happy hour. They were featuring some Argentinean wine and it was a nice way to start a pretty fun night.
When happy hour was over one of my college friends picked us up and we headed out of the downtown area for a Mexican dinner. We all had tacos and margaritas and all of it was exceptional. I can't remember the name of the place, but they had Pomegranate Jalapeno Margaritas and steak/fish/salmon tacos. It was a really fun dinner that ended with a Happy Birthday Sara moment that yall know I absolutely loved!
To cap off a great dinner we headed over to a house party our lovely California dinner hosts knew of going on nearby the restaurant. The house was unreal. It is owned by an architect, and that showed. All the details were flawless from the fire pits on the covered deck, to the artwork hanging throughout the house, to the views from the different levels of the house. I was more than impressed and felt like I was hanging out in an episode of The OC or some other Californian show.
The next morning we made it to our massage on time, and I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday present from my boyfriend. We joked all day about being "totally blissed out." (My Costa Rican travel buddies will appreciate that.)
Breakfast came after the massages. We took the recommendation of my college friend and walked, in the misty rain, over to Cafe 222. This place has been featured on the Food Network for its peanut butter and banana stuffed French toast. The boyfriend ordered up that specialty and I had the Biscuits and Gravy.
The combination of a filling breakfast after a luxurious massage meant all I could do was go back to my animal print robe and let nap time take over. This was truly a spectacular birthday celebration. I mean at this point I had taken multiple naps, eaten at several really phenomenal restaurants, had a massage, hung out with great friends, and lounged in an animal print robe next to Fred my weekend goldfish while eating (at this point) 4 cupcakes. Come on folks, this is the life!
After the, what was now standard nap/cupcake combo, the boyfriend and I decided since we couldn't go walk around in what had turned into a very rainy afternoon, we should take a drive.
And where did we go? Well over the San Diego Bay Bridge of course. And why? Well because it reminded us of Anchorman of course! Seriously it did, and we did. But we continued on after crossing to explore around Coronado Island. After getting excited about some pretty big waves (definitely the biggest I have ever seen) we headed back to the Gas lamp District because the rain was turning into more of a storm.
That night we ran over to the Hard Rock Cafe for a light dinner before hitting up a few bars with my college friends again. One thing particularly noteworthy from dinner was that the restaurant DJ came over to our booth and asked us what song requests we had. Moments later we were rocking out to some of our choices while enjoying our dinner.
The final two Gas Lamp District spots for us were Nicky Rotten’s and La Puerta. The first of those two was a long narrow restaurant/bar that was playing some fun tunes. A lot of college throwbacks came on and it felt like I was at Howl at the Moon. If you know me and my college gals, you know this is never a bad thing.
La Puerta was a block or so down from Nicky Rotten's and was a blast. We sat in a high backed booth and watched a family of four dance drunkenly on the small dance floor. As the night went on, different groups of people came and went from their dance party but one thing remained… their moves. The mom was definitely the highlight. She was easily in her 50s and making out with the dad like a 16 year old, while shaking her booty like she was 21 with her 20-something daughter. All in all it was the perfect entertainment for the night cap.
Before returning to the hotel at the late hour we had to run by our parking spot. And this is where I will offer my one serious complaint about my birthday get-a-way weekend in San Diego. It's the parking. Parking at the hotel was 36 bucks a night. So my boyfriend and I thought since there were parking lots on every corner it seemed, it would be easy to find a much more reasonable option for our weekend rental. Well after a few laps around the block we found the best deal. 25 bucks for 24 hours. However, after going back after the first 24 hours we realized it was only 5 bucks for 10 hours. So for the duration we would just run over to the parking lot and throw in 5 dollars for another 10 hours. It was not that hard, but by the end of the weekend, we spent almost 85 bucks or something on parking alone. That is a little ridiculous if you ask me.
Oh well. Our final day on my birthday weekend started at a breakfast spot called Brian's 24. This place was great. The menu is a little overwhelming with about a million options, but after settling on two different omelets we were served a giant breakfast. I had a sausage and peppers omelet and my man had a bacon avocado omelet. Both were yummy as were the hotcakes and toast served with them.
After checking out of the hotel, which I'd give a very high 8 out of a 10 in stars, we jumped in the car and headed north. The destination was La Jolla. It took almost no time and we were walking around on the beach watching surfers catch some gnarly waves. We drove back down the coast, winding in and out of some really beautiful neighborhoods. By the time we were back down by the airport it was time to return the car and start the journey home.
And after a rather uneventful trip home, my birthday weekend was over. Today has been tough. I want to nap or go grab a cupcake, but I'll have to wait until the next weekend get-a-way for that.
Oh and going through my pictures, I remembered one thing I MUST share...
Once when leaving the hotel, I saw two little puppies. There were identical to one another and dyed GREEN. They were ardoable and I almost stole them both. PETA chill out, these doggies are definitely well taken care of...
Happy Monday Folks!
xoxo Sara Marie
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
WHOA.
Overload of love and happy birthdays... and now cooookies!
Look what just got delivered!
This blog is turning into a humblebrag I know, but whatever it is my birthday.
So much birthday lovin! Thanks roommdawg for the Tiffs Treats and thanks everyone else for all the messages!
xoxo Sara Marie
Look what just got delivered!
Whoa. Warm cookies, milk and a balloon!
This blog is turning into a humblebrag I know, but whatever it is my birthday.
So much birthday lovin! Thanks roommdawg for the Tiffs Treats and thanks everyone else for all the messages!
xoxo Sara Marie
More Birthday Posts
Ok I lied. No hiatus....yet. I'm already back, but it is only to post the beautiful flowers I got at work from a coworker (who happens to be in the background of the picture too!) And I had a discussion with her that shoes were always a better decision for suprise gifts (see this post) than flowers, but these flowers this morning--birthday flowers-- great choice!
THANKS!!!!
xoxo Sara Marie
THANKS!!!!
xoxo Sara Marie
BIRTHDAY HIATUS!
IT'S HERE. MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR!
MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
And after work today, I have a family dinner and my boyfriend arrives! Then tomorrow morning, it is off to San Diego, California until Sunday!
No blogs during such glorious celebrations!
xoxo Sara Marie
MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
And after work today, I have a family dinner and my boyfriend arrives! Then tomorrow morning, it is off to San Diego, California until Sunday!
No blogs during such glorious celebrations!
xoxo Sara Marie
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
I love my job...
...especially my coworkers!
Today my boss and other coworkers all took me out to Shady Grove for cheeseburgers. If you read this blog you know I love cheeseburgers! And because I make such a big deal about my birthday, they got me a really big card too! I mean, HUGE.
I ate way too much of my Mushroom Cheeseburger, and definitely should not have gone for a few bites of the pie they brought me after the group sang Happy Birthday to me. But it was so good, and I was so happy to have such fabulous bosses and coworkers to celebrate with!
Thanks everyone in my office. Yall make it a joy to come to work each day!
xoxo Sara Marie
Today my boss and other coworkers all took me out to Shady Grove for cheeseburgers. If you read this blog you know I love cheeseburgers! And because I make such a big deal about my birthday, they got me a really big card too! I mean, HUGE.
I ate way too much of my Mushroom Cheeseburger, and definitely should not have gone for a few bites of the pie they brought me after the group sang Happy Birthday to me. But it was so good, and I was so happy to have such fabulous bosses and coworkers to celebrate with!
Thanks everyone in my office. Yall make it a joy to come to work each day!
xoxo Sara Marie
Ouch
Omg. Yesterday I started a morning boot camp with a friend and we both did really well. HOWEVER, this morning, I got my ass kicked. Literally my booty was shaking on a number of occasions, involuntarily.
We started with leg circuits. Think about close to a million-trillion jumping jacks, squats, lungs, mountain climbers and then mix with that even more bicycle abs fast and slow. We did that for an hour. At one point the circuit called for two sets of 3 exercises with 10 seconds of break between them. After two our instructor decided one more circuit would be awesome. I can think of a very different description than awesome, but I already cursed once in this blog post.
At another point we did a whole circuit and then the instructor said we would do it all over but cut the reps in half. Then we did the same number of reps in the additional circuit. Say what?!?!? What happened to half? We cried, he laughed.
In the end I came away with some serious soreness in my hips (yeehaw, maybe they are shrinking) and had to tell a coworker to disregard any moans or whimpers when I sit down or get up from my desk.
Happy Tuesday Yall. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVE to ME!
xoxo Sara Marie
We started with leg circuits. Think about close to a million-trillion jumping jacks, squats, lungs, mountain climbers and then mix with that even more bicycle abs fast and slow. We did that for an hour. At one point the circuit called for two sets of 3 exercises with 10 seconds of break between them. After two our instructor decided one more circuit would be awesome. I can think of a very different description than awesome, but I already cursed once in this blog post.
At another point we did a whole circuit and then the instructor said we would do it all over but cut the reps in half. Then we did the same number of reps in the additional circuit. Say what?!?!? What happened to half? We cried, he laughed.
In the end I came away with some serious soreness in my hips (yeehaw, maybe they are shrinking) and had to tell a coworker to disregard any moans or whimpers when I sit down or get up from my desk.
Happy Tuesday Yall. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVE to ME!
xoxo Sara Marie
Monday, November 7, 2011
Conrad Murray
Guilty...duh.
People, I'm like 3 for 3 on major trials right now…from Casey Anthony getting off to Amanda Knox getting off to now Conrad Murray being found guilty.
Maybe I should listen to my dad, maybe Law School would be a good idea. Haa. No way.
This one was easy. No doctor would ever allow half the shit that happened in the house to go on. And frankly, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner...not to be callous. My doctor gets mad when I take 4 Advil at once. He will have his medical license until retirement, unlike Murray.
Anyway I'm glad that hoopla is over because I cannot imagine the riots that would have been raging around the world had justice not been served.
xoxo Sara Marie
People, I'm like 3 for 3 on major trials right now…from Casey Anthony getting off to Amanda Knox getting off to now Conrad Murray being found guilty.
Maybe I should listen to my dad, maybe Law School would be a good idea. Haa. No way.
This one was easy. No doctor would ever allow half the shit that happened in the house to go on. And frankly, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner...not to be callous. My doctor gets mad when I take 4 Advil at once. He will have his medical license until retirement, unlike Murray.
Anyway I'm glad that hoopla is over because I cannot imagine the riots that would have been raging around the world had justice not been served.
xoxo Sara Marie
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEK TO ME!
Hello Birthday Week.
So far, so good, nay, so AWESOME. A few things to get excited about:
1. 530AM Boot Camp this week with a friend. This morning was fabulous. We had beautiful weather, and it was light out before we finished by 630AM. 3 more days including my Birthday and the day after... we will see....
2. BIRTHDAY ON WEDNESDAY. Most people on this planet are not nearly as obnoxious about their birthday as I am. I figure one day I may not enjoying aging as much as I do now, so embrace it. Go big or go home. I go big. This weekend I started the celebration, lies.... I started celebrating a while ago, but I continued this weekend with my sister. She got me a gorgeous ring and some glitter shoes. Yep, more glitter shoes. I love shoes, I love sparkles, and together they make really amazing gifts.
3. VACATION ON THURSDAY. Yep, the boyfriend and I will be heading out to sunny California on Thursday morning. San Diego will be our destination for a few days and I cannot wait. Ivy Pollock get your mind right.
So enjoy the week everyone. I know I will...
xoxo Sara Marie
So far, so good, nay, so AWESOME. A few things to get excited about:
1. 530AM Boot Camp this week with a friend. This morning was fabulous. We had beautiful weather, and it was light out before we finished by 630AM. 3 more days including my Birthday and the day after... we will see....
2. BIRTHDAY ON WEDNESDAY. Most people on this planet are not nearly as obnoxious about their birthday as I am. I figure one day I may not enjoying aging as much as I do now, so embrace it. Go big or go home. I go big. This weekend I started the celebration, lies.... I started celebrating a while ago, but I continued this weekend with my sister. She got me a gorgeous ring and some glitter shoes. Yep, more glitter shoes. I love shoes, I love sparkles, and together they make really amazing gifts.
THANKS SISTERPANTS.
3. VACATION ON THURSDAY. Yep, the boyfriend and I will be heading out to sunny California on Thursday morning. San Diego will be our destination for a few days and I cannot wait. Ivy Pollock get your mind right.
So enjoy the week everyone. I know I will...
xoxo Sara Marie
Friday, November 4, 2011
Hairy Bikers.
It's a show on The History Channel. And the next three episodes of Hairy Bikers highlight different areas of Texas. Tonight they are in Corpus Christi eating unique tacos. Then they take a trip on a shrimp boat and attend a shrimp boil on the beach. I think this is the episode that show the bar in Port Aransas called The Gaff that I wrote about here. I have it DVR'd so I hope it is! In the coming weeks they have other episodes that explore Bryan-College Station area and Houston for some famous Texas Chili. It's on at 9 tonight and every Friday so set the DVR and check out a show doing a great job of showing off our great state!
Happy Friday!
xoxo Sara Marie
Happy Friday!
xoxo Sara Marie
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Top Chef Texas, BAM!
Emeril is a judge. Oh hell yes! He is easily my favorite chef ever, not to be cliché. He is just so fun and that whole Louisiana thing is fabulous.
Anyway, on to the show...
Usually there are 15 or 16 chefs, and they battle it out over as many weeks. Well this season started with 29 chefs and in the FIRST challenge they would knock it down to the usual 16. Whoa.
So they broke the big group into 3 smaller groups of 10, 10, and 9. My only complaint is that they only got through the first two groups. So right now there are 11 contestants, and we wait until next week (ON MY BIRHTDAY, thus I will DVR it) to see who from the remaining 9 will make it.
One cool part was if the chef didn't do a great job with their dish prepared in this first challenge, but didn't really blow it either, they get put into a "on the bubble" category and will have another chance after the final group cooks. Last night 11 chefs made it in, 4 or 5 got sent to the "on the bubble" group and 4 or 5 got axed!
As for the chefs on last night:
Dakota, tattoos all over, cool chick, like her
Chuy, eh no opinion
Heather, no opinion again
Keith, oh this big guy is awesome
Whitney, eh
Sarah, this girl can freakin cook, I like her and her name, duh
Chris and Richie- colleagues from Chicago, I like these guys, one is the boss and one is the assistant so naturally I'm pulling for Richie a little more as the assistant, underdog
Cute Chris, I call him that because my Twitter feed blew up with love for this guy’s looks. I like his cooking style, modern and different, but don't agree with the hottie talk as much. He's such a little guy.
Ty-Lor, while I love his loyalty to the Yankees, rocking the Yankee hat in his Bio, I don't love his ego. He is interesting but a little too high on himself.
Nyesha- This gal is here to dominate, and I like her but I can see a little ego poking through too. Jury is still out.
The additional 9 chefs will cook next week and in that group are two Austin chefs. Paul Qui of Uchiko and Andrew Curren, of 24 Diner will be competing. I am a big fan of my hometown and the 24 Diner Roasted Banana Milkshake and Waffle Sandwich I wrote about here, so I hope both guys do really well.
Finally the judge. I already gave you my shout out to Emeril, my favorite, but I cannot say enough good things about Tom Colicchio either.
As for Padma, while I do think she is gorgeous, I don't like how she never really has an opinion just agrees with what everyone else says. She either needs to keep quiet and just be a host or have a little bit more to say and make herself an influential judge.
Gail is great, sometimes harder on the contestants than I think necessary, but I just like her; so it is hard to be annoyed.
So that is my take on Episode One of the new Texas season. Bam!
xoxo Sara Marie
Anyway, on to the show...
Usually there are 15 or 16 chefs, and they battle it out over as many weeks. Well this season started with 29 chefs and in the FIRST challenge they would knock it down to the usual 16. Whoa.
So they broke the big group into 3 smaller groups of 10, 10, and 9. My only complaint is that they only got through the first two groups. So right now there are 11 contestants, and we wait until next week (ON MY BIRHTDAY, thus I will DVR it) to see who from the remaining 9 will make it.
One cool part was if the chef didn't do a great job with their dish prepared in this first challenge, but didn't really blow it either, they get put into a "on the bubble" category and will have another chance after the final group cooks. Last night 11 chefs made it in, 4 or 5 got sent to the "on the bubble" group and 4 or 5 got axed!
As for the chefs on last night:
Dakota, tattoos all over, cool chick, like her
Chuy, eh no opinion
Heather, no opinion again
Keith, oh this big guy is awesome
Whitney, eh
Sarah, this girl can freakin cook, I like her and her name, duh
Chris and Richie- colleagues from Chicago, I like these guys, one is the boss and one is the assistant so naturally I'm pulling for Richie a little more as the assistant, underdog
Cute Chris, I call him that because my Twitter feed blew up with love for this guy’s looks. I like his cooking style, modern and different, but don't agree with the hottie talk as much. He's such a little guy.
Ty-Lor, while I love his loyalty to the Yankees, rocking the Yankee hat in his Bio, I don't love his ego. He is interesting but a little too high on himself.
Nyesha- This gal is here to dominate, and I like her but I can see a little ego poking through too. Jury is still out.
The additional 9 chefs will cook next week and in that group are two Austin chefs. Paul Qui of Uchiko and Andrew Curren, of 24 Diner will be competing. I am a big fan of my hometown and the 24 Diner Roasted Banana Milkshake and Waffle Sandwich I wrote about here, so I hope both guys do really well.
Finally the judge. I already gave you my shout out to Emeril, my favorite, but I cannot say enough good things about Tom Colicchio either.
As for Padma, while I do think she is gorgeous, I don't like how she never really has an opinion just agrees with what everyone else says. She either needs to keep quiet and just be a host or have a little bit more to say and make herself an influential judge.
Gail is great, sometimes harder on the contestants than I think necessary, but I just like her; so it is hard to be annoyed.
So that is my take on Episode One of the new Texas season. Bam!
xoxo Sara Marie
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
So pissed.
I am so mad. The Yankees received NO Golden Gloves. BOGUS. Dustin Perdroia over Robinson Cano? OUTRAGEOUS. Did ESPN and Rawlings watch the end of the season? Did they not see the epic downfall of the Sox and their defense? (And offense for that matter.)
And Adrian Gonzalez over Mark Teixeira? Ok that one is easier to swallow, but Jacoby Ellsbury over Brett Gardner. Absolutely, unbelievable. It's almost like the dudes over at ESPN and Rawlings felt sorry for the Sox and their horrific end to their mediocre season, so they threw them a bone with these awards or something.
No matter what their reasoning is, it's stupid. Oh and just another notable mention, the Tigers didn't win any either. No Verlander, unthinkable. And I hate Verlander so to say that takes a lot and hurts almost as much as my boys getting just as shafted as he did.
Here's to shoving these ridiculous decisions down the Red Sox Nation’s throat next season with #28.
Let's Go Yankees.
xoxo Sara Marie
And Adrian Gonzalez over Mark Teixeira? Ok that one is easier to swallow, but Jacoby Ellsbury over Brett Gardner. Absolutely, unbelievable. It's almost like the dudes over at ESPN and Rawlings felt sorry for the Sox and their horrific end to their mediocre season, so they threw them a bone with these awards or something.
No matter what their reasoning is, it's stupid. Oh and just another notable mention, the Tigers didn't win any either. No Verlander, unthinkable. And I hate Verlander so to say that takes a lot and hurts almost as much as my boys getting just as shafted as he did.
Here's to shoving these ridiculous decisions down the Red Sox Nation’s throat next season with #28.
Let's Go Yankees.
xoxo Sara Marie
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
A good week gets better!
It is as if the good Lord is going out of His way to make this the best Birthday Month ever...
Top Chef TEXAS premiers tomorrow. So yesterday was busy but quick, pretty much the most one can ask for on a Monday, today is already mounting a fantastic start to my Birthday Month, and tomorrow my favorite show on TV returns with a whole season devoted to MY FAVORITE/HOME STATE. Come on folks, does it get better than this?
Oh yah, it does. I have a day of beauty on Thursday and happy hour with a friend, then a family filled weekend before my actual birthday and celebration including a trip to San Diego with my boyfriend comes next week!
Overload of happiness. Happy November everyone!
xoxo Sara Marie
Top Chef TEXAS premiers tomorrow. So yesterday was busy but quick, pretty much the most one can ask for on a Monday, today is already mounting a fantastic start to my Birthday Month, and tomorrow my favorite show on TV returns with a whole season devoted to MY FAVORITE/HOME STATE. Come on folks, does it get better than this?
Oh yah, it does. I have a day of beauty on Thursday and happy hour with a friend, then a family filled weekend before my actual birthday and celebration including a trip to San Diego with my boyfriend comes next week!
Overload of happiness. Happy November everyone!
xoxo Sara Marie
Good Sports, Bad Sports.
On the sports front in my life I have good news and I have bad news.
The bad news first...
And if you have followed my, SMK's Future Husbands, fantasy team updates, this probably won't shock you because you know I have several Cowboys on my team including choke artist, Romo....
My team got killed this week. I am sitting 8th out of 12 teams right now. I have made the executive decision, again, to bench Romo and go with the dreamy Mark Sanchez. I think the only reason I am even 8th is because I have a few Houston Texans, including their defense and they have obviously done really well. Here's to week 9, may Dez Bryant remember how to run a route...
Now for the good news, nay, GREAT news...
CC Sabathia will remain a Yankee. 122 million bucks and we will get to see our star dominate the Sox yet again this coming year. Hallelujah! That alone is enough to make the sting of my fantasy football season fade away.
Happy Tuesday and even more so Happy Sara Marie's Birthday Month!!
xoxo Sara Marie
The bad news first...
And if you have followed my, SMK's Future Husbands, fantasy team updates, this probably won't shock you because you know I have several Cowboys on my team including choke artist, Romo....
My team got killed this week. I am sitting 8th out of 12 teams right now. I have made the executive decision, again, to bench Romo and go with the dreamy Mark Sanchez. I think the only reason I am even 8th is because I have a few Houston Texans, including their defense and they have obviously done really well. Here's to week 9, may Dez Bryant remember how to run a route...
Now for the good news, nay, GREAT news...
CC Sabathia will remain a Yankee. 122 million bucks and we will get to see our star dominate the Sox yet again this coming year. Hallelujah! That alone is enough to make the sting of my fantasy football season fade away.
Happy Tuesday and even more so Happy Sara Marie's Birthday Month!!
xoxo Sara Marie
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