I Got 99 Problems and A Blog Ain't One

Happy 100th blog post to me!!

Yahoooo!!  What up 889

What an strangely exciting yet irrelevant landmark.  I can't believe that I've had the chance to share all of my ridiculous stories (mind you, the PG ones) with family and friends from back home.  I wish I had been less stubborn about replacing my Mac, which I'm still devastated about, so I could have updated this little blog more often in the last few months. 

Either way, it feels good to be back to posting about my life in this absolutely self-serving way.  I hope you all have enjoyed this as much as I have, regardless of how much I blog about the weather or how weird Texas is.  It feels good to know that I have a space to share what's going on in my little life with the ones who I love and miss the most.

So raise your punch glass and here's to another 100 posts and plenty more interesting experiences!!

Mom's Thanksgiving Punch, yummm

Khloe & Lam Lam

Unless you've spent the last week out of touch with the really important things that are going on in the world, then you know that Lamar was traded to the Mavericks.  More important, that means that Khloe is moving to Dallas!!

This is the first place Evan and I went when we moved to Dallas, too!

The Big D is a-buzz about where they may live (fingers crossed for Uptown), if they'll film their secretly amazing spin-off here, if Rob and Malika will join them, and if a DASH store will open in town.  As someone who loves watching the Kardashians on E!, I am kind of pumped with this breaking news.

There have been a ton of reality shows filmed here recently that I love watching simply to see what restaurants and bars are featured, what events are highlighted that I didn't know about, all of that fun stuff.  I wonder where Khloe would get her nails done, which supermarket they'd shop at and what gym they would join.  I can only imagine what it will be like to have a piece of the Kardashian madness so close.

Seriously though, what if they become our new couple friends!?  I can totally see Ev and Lamar hitting it off.  This could be amazing.

Hangover Helper

I'm not proud of what happened tonight, but I feel like I have to share both the shame and joy that came along with my dinner from Taco Cabana.
Before we moved to Texas we received a lot of advice and recommendations from friends that had spent time in Texas.  One of suggestions was go to Taco C... immediately (thanks Jordan).  And order the queso.

It took a few weeks before we got there because unlike native Texans, I can't eat Tex Mex more than once or twice a month.  I need to space it out, pace myself.   I have an issue with loving enchiladas too much and then there's the queso (liquid cheeeeeese!!) so limiting my Tex Mex intake is for the best. 

The #6 Combo

Taco C serves some of the best Tex Mex I've had since moving  to Dallas.  And did I mentioned that it's a fast food restaurant?!  This little factoid makes the food even better because it's completely unexpected.  Plus , you can order margaritas there!!!  So ridiculous.

Tonight's hangover helper was chicken street tacos and queso.  Heavenly, unlike my lingering headache.

Bridal Industry Rant- Part 1

Aside from the fact that I could dedicate a boring blog to ranting about the wedding industry as a whole, I still feel compelled to share this weird ad that I saw the other day.   

Really?  Would this really be doing them a favor?

I'm creeped out when I see models in wedding gowns who looks like child brides. It just seems weird to me to have girls who should be in prom dresses selling bridal outfits. Not only does it make me feel old, but, well, I guess it just makes me feel old.

These bridesmaids ads should make me more comfortable than the kindergarten brides but their pouty expressions make me uncomfortable since they can't be older than 15. I get it, bridesmaids can certainly be younger sisters, cousins, etc but I just don't get why this brand couldn't have picked older, more age appropriate models to represent their line of dresses. 

I guess I should close this blog with saying that I can't pretend I don't think these dresses are a little bit cute.. I feel like a hypocrite saying that, but come on!  They're flowy and pretty even if I'm not enamored with their ads.

Egg Nog = Egg Ew

While watching Elf tonight, Evan learned that I have never had egg nog before.  I know, I know, it's bizarre.  But the idea of the nog has always grossed me.  I'd rather opt for the peppermint schnapps or the hot chocolate than this creamy white drink.

Anyways, Evan immediately grabbed his coat and ran out to Walgreens at 10pm to pick up some egg nog for me to try.  Adorable!  How thoughtful! 

The nog is not my friend

HOW GROSS!!!!

Egg nog is not for me.. even when you add rum to the mix.  I tried adding cinnamon too with no luck.  I just don't understand what the appeal is here, can anyone explain it to me?  Buddy the Elf??  Are you out there?  Barf.

The Texas State Fried Fair

There are so many things to be said about the annual Texas State Fair that these pictures could speak for themselves.  In a nutshell, this month-long event brings out the finest from the Lone Star State, including more fried foods than I typically eat in a year. 

First we tried the fried grilled cheese, which was insanely disgusting and delicious, all at the same time. 

Crusty gooey fried grilled cheese!

Then there was the fried guacamole, which was upsetting. I should have anticipated the texture being strange, but the fried ball of guac were squishy and the mixture inside was not my favorite.  Innovative?  Yes!  But will not be returning to that stand next year?  No, I'll save my calories for a corn dog.

The guac-strosity

And finally, there were fried s'mores which were so delicious that there was no time to take a picture. 

So not only was there a plethora of food to eat, but the exhibits were as ridiculous as the fried bubblegum (which we didn't go near, ew).  The indoor butter sculpture was kind of amazing.  It was too big to fit in one frame but you can see that this cow is literally life sized and carved out of butter.  If you have some time on your hands, google butter sculpting.  There's a whole underworld there that's frightening... and awesome, like hoarders.

That's a lot of butter

You know what the best part is?  The opening weekend of the 2012 State Fair coincides with our wedding!  Hopefully some of our guests will be able to enjoy the fair before the festivities take place and we take the plunge.

7th Grade Is Cool Again

A huge part of my 7th grade social life was spent celebrating bar and bat mizvahs.  This meant awkward braces, bad hair and forced couples dances.  Most of these events were over the top, almost like mini weddings, and there were always these dancers that came with the DJ to help drum up excitement and get the weird middle-schoolers dancing. 

One of the more ridiculous activities was the snowball dance, which started with a couple, usually the 13 year-old of honor and a boyfriend/girlfriend slow dancing.  That couple broke off and partnered up with two different people, then split off again and again until most of the room was involved in uncomfortable slow dancing.   It was like being picked for the kickball team in gym class, but so much worse.

And athough I don't hope for a lot of things to come back from the late 90's, I did stumble upon these gems the other day online- shrugs!

They're back!

Does anyone else remember these?  Shrugs are like pseudo cardigans that were big back then, along with platforms, and they were the perfect solution for covered shoulders which were required for synagogue.  They're like the cardigan's cooler cousin that is better fitting and perfect for going out.  It's funny how things like this come around again- what's next, Juicy track suits?

Things That Make Me Happy

Just before I got my new laptop in October, one of my all time favorite people came to visit- Kath!  It was wonderful to have her in town and I was delighted that we were able to explore Dallas together.  We went to a lot of artsy places that I hadn't visited yet and lucky for us, it was a special artsy day where special artsy people got to visit special artsy museums for free!

Romantic day with Kath

We went to a festival with flowers and dogs dressed up in Halloween costumes, walked on water, saw live music, drank wine by water fountains, visited the Nasher Sculpture Garden, the Dallas Museum of Modern Art and other fantastic places downtown.  The only thing that could have rounded out our fantastic dork fest was a visit to the library.

Turns out, few things make me happier than a warm sunny day spent exploring a new city with one of my best friends.  And now, I can add small dogs in funny costumes to that list too.

Dogs dressed like bumble bees!

The Kessler

Since starting my new job I've had the opportunity to do and see some really interesting things.  Being on this side of the Marketing business is completely different and challenging in it's own way.  One of the things that I secretly relish in is the chance to sit in on the 'big meetings' that I was never privy to in my old position.

At last week's 'big meeting', I even got the chance to present, which threw me back to my middle school days when I thought I was meant to be on stage (hint, I wasn't).  I've always been a big fan musical theatre and sadly I was not blessed with the voice, dancing ability or acting skills necessary to the stage. 

Granted, that didn't stop me from embarrassing myself on stage in The Wiz, Bye-Bye Birdie, Fiddler or high school choir productions, but it was always from the safety of a large group also known as the chorus. 

But this time, instead of getting stuck in a peasant costume with neon yellow pit-stains, I got to wear my own clothes on stage at the Kessler Theatre in Dallas.

The Kessler, where dreams come true

The last time I was on stage, I was participating in a sorority pageant, which is another story that I certainly won't be sharing here. But for those of you who were there, this was a little bit more glorious... mostly because I wasn't dressed like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

And regardless of how small this stage was (which I assure you, it was small), I felt like I was fulfilling one of those sad childhood dreams at the meeting which definitely wasn't on the formal agenda.  Long live the Kessler!

Getting In The Spirit

It's tough to get into the Christmas spirit when it's in the 50's and 60's in December.  We cut down a tree when we were in CT this year which usually helps kick off the season and it was even warm there!  I feel like I can't escape this warm weather (what a problem to have).

Hair's gotta look good, even at the farm

So when we got back to Dallas I decided I needed to take it upon myself to get in the spirit.  It was red lipstick on Friday that really got me in the groove of celebrating the holiday and I decided, it was time to decorate!  Could it have been the champagne laced martini talking?  Probably. 

We don't have anything other than the ornaments Mrs. Boyer gives us for Christmas each year so I had to start from scratch to get our apartment looking like it was December.  Mind you, we still haven't turned the heat on, but I digress. 

Off to Big Lots we went, in search of inexpensively priced decor, and alas!  I think we found some good ones.  I also looked into some DIY ideas on Real Simple and found some clever, less expensive ways to bring St. Nick into your living space. 

Let the love light glow

I would love to know how you're all getting ready for the most wonderful time of the year.  But most importantly, I hope you're enjoying it with loved ones and Christmas cookies!

Home From The Holidays

And we're back from our first trip home since we moved in May.  The weather was unseasonably warm for November, guess someone heard we were coming and adjusted the heat accordingly.  I was delighted to get a cup of this- oh Dunkin, how I've missed you:

 DD <3

We dove into the infamous Pumpkin Torte, went on the annual Christmas tree hunt, had breakfast with a wonderful old friend and our parents met!!  It's kind of unbelievable that our parents hadn't met until this weekend but it went swimmingly and we had a great time at one of our old favorite restaurants in New Haven.

After we swapped households, we got to see the unreal devastation in Somers and Massachusetts from the freak snow storm hit a month ago.  There are still huge piles of debris still lining the streets four weeks later and tons of trees came down under the weight of the leaves and the snow.



Debris lining the streets

I wouldn't trade the tornado scare from when I first moved to Texas for this- it looks like it was pretty brutal and the power was out for almost two weeks.  Luckily, most of the homes in the area managed to avoid serious damage but the landscaping companies must be making a fortune cleaning this up!

How 'Bout Them Cowgirls?

One of the things that New Yorkers have to 'tolerate' is having models and celebrities walk among them on their city streets.  While Manhattan has their models, and sure, that may not make the rest of the female population feel great about themselves, Dallas has this:

Her white teeth meet her white boots

Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.  America's sweethearts.  Women who look as good in person as they do in print (where I liked to assume they've been photo-shopped to perfection).  I should also mention that we have Troy Aikman and the cast of Dallas's Most Eligible, that has to count for something.

Anyways, I was perversely fascinated by these women when I attended my first Cowboys game.  How was it possible that there really are creatures that look like this, and more importantly, exist alongside mere mortals in cities across the country!?  They made me wish I could dance, schedule a teeth whitening appointment and break into a swift jog towards the nearest tanning salon all at the same time.

What Up East Coast!

Tomorrow we head back to the great white North to celebrate my favorite holiday!  This won't be my first trip back since moving but it will be my first non-work trip home which will make all of the difference.  In late October I was sent to NJ for work and while there, I saw some things that were so un-apologetically Jersey that I can't help but share.  

First, there was this street:

Yes, I am that immature. 

And how could I forget, there was this vehicle:

Riding dirty?

What's back there?  I tried to follow as closely (and safely) as possible but I couldn't see what was in there.  A hot tub?  A couch?  Maybe a bear skin rug?  The world is that vehicle's oyster. 

There were also the little things I really miss from the North East- Italian delis, pizza shops where you can get a slice, restaurants that weren't chains- all very refreshing (and delicious). 

And on that food-related note, I hope you all enjoy the holidays wherever you celebrate!



What We Missed in October

Although I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't do much to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness month this past October, I was glad to see that my neighborhood got in the spirit of protecting the girls.

The breast tree in town

No there aren't flocks of pink birds in Dallas (but more to come on birds later), there just happen to be a ton of bras hanging from the trees in the West Village. 

Again, not sure what this outdoor decoration was intended to do, other than cause locale Dallas ladies to double check their underwear drawers, but if it drove anyone to support BCA, I like it.

Keep Austin Weird

Thumbs up

I haven't done a lot of traveling within the great Lone Star State since moving here, mostly because this state is massive and it takes hours to get anywhere.  It's like saying "Hey, you live in CT, right?  I'm moving to Baltimore, we're going to be so close!!".  That sounds ridiculous, right?  Well that's how far Houston is from Dallas, and it's only a few steps away on a Google map.

That being said, earlier this Fall I did have the chance to visit Austin for work.  It was charming and there was so much live music around the city.  It reminded me of Memphis, but it wasn't so.. how do you say.. sketchy.  And how can you not love a city that claims to be weird, and wants to keep it that way.  It's precious, really. 

I also took part in an activity that I've wanted to experience since I lived in Boston in 2005 (wait, I'm old enough to start saying stuff like that!?  ugh).

That's quacktastic!

Austin has it's very own duck tour!!  And I'm going to be honest here, I thought it was kind of terrifying.  I was sitting in the front of the "bus" and watching us drive into the water left me wishing I was wearing some adult diapers.  So on that immature note, I'll close this post by promising to return to this fine state capital with some Depends and a plan to stay on land- can't wait!

Don't Call It A Comeback

Aaaaaand, we're back!

I can't believe it's been three months since I've last blogged.  Don't worry, the blog break had nothing to do with my 13 faithful followers but it did have to do with my poor, poor Mac.  My faithful laptop died a quick death and took all of my pictures, music from the early 2000's and access to the internet with it.  Sure, I have my work computer, but how weird would it be to have blogged from that machine? 

So it took a few weeks of grieving for me to get over it and haul my bum to Walmart to pick up my new laptop.  This is a valuable lesson- back up your files!!  The good news is that I've had my trusty camera with me to capture the great things that I've been seeing and doing during the blog hiatus so I'll be able to share those with you in the coming days. 

Brace yourselves, this comeback is going to be greater than Britney's.  Plus, I didn't have to shave my head or marry a washed up back-up dancer to get here.

The Best $1 I've Spent In Weeks

Most people spend their summer Fridays by the pool, getting their bronze on when they would otherwise be at the office.  It was way too got for that today so I decided to run some errands instead.

One of those errands brought me to Ikea, land of the Swedes and delicious inexpensive eats.  When I got there, the return line was at number 44; I pulled a 56 and walked directly to the holy grail of frozen yogurt to help me pass the time.

Love

This $1 low-fat frozen delight includes tax in the price and tastes unbelievably yummy.  I can’t think of anything more refreshing after a hectic day at work and errands in this heat.

McDonalds also has a pretty insane frozen yogurt cone- sure it’s about 10 cents more expensive but heck, you don’t have to drive to an Ikea to get your hands on one.  Now I want ice cream...

Singing in the Cab

It will take a few posts to talk about my birthday weekend because so many great things happened.  I’m not trying to brag, but I will, because my brother and sister visited, my friends celebrated and it all made me a very happy lady.

On Saturday we stumbled upon an urban legend, something that Texans (and Steph) only dream about finding.  It’s the Loch ness Monster to the lake dwellers, the Sasquatch to the hill people.

It’s the Karaoke Cab.

See that girl?  Watch that scene.

On the exterior, a lowly, white cab.  Inside, it’s magic.  The van is lined with CDs, there is a blue disco ball, a fog machine, microphones, but most importantly, karaoke. 

As the cab drove through the streets of Dallas at the standard cab fare, “Dancing Queen” rang from the speakers and we sang our little hearts out.  There was chair dancing, finger guns and the sweet, sweet sound of ABBA.

If that isn’t a great way to start a Saturday night out, I don’t know what is.

Back With A Vengeance

It’s been a while since I last posted, so I figured it was only appropriate that my first post in a week talk about the awkward moment of my week. 

On the trail today, I was noticing a lot of these puppies.

Upsetting

 Oddly enough, I never saw anyone running around with a CT flag on their buns, but here in Texas there’s a ton of state pride.  The state of Texas is all over beer bottles, cans, cars, chotchkies and most importantly, people’s crotches.

But that wasn’t the awkward part; I can get over some uncomfortably placed flags in the name of some good old Lone Star spirit, this was so much worse.

Today a man in very short, very small shorts jogged in front of me while I was power walking.  Yes, power walking.  After a few moments he suddenly turned around to face me and began jogging backwards.  This is not good trail ettiquite- where was I supposed to look!?  The shorts!  His weird skinny legs!  I was so uncomfortable.  After a few minutes he finally turned around but good Lord, those were some of the longest moments of my life.

And that’s that, welcome to the awkwardness.

The Curly Girl Catches The Worm

One thing that really chaps my ass – which, by the way, is a gross expression that I’m not sure why I like – is how movies portray women with curly hair. 

I’m as guilty as the rest; I secretly love when I straighten my hair but I’m also really proud of my naturally curly hair.  But that, my friends, is why things like this make me sad.

Source

How sad is it that the pre-makeover hairstyle of choice is curly hair?  How is that supposed to make me, or any girl with curly hair, feel good about our hair’s natural texture?

Whenever I start thinking that the grass is greener on the straight-hair side, I have to remember what my new hairdresser told me.  After my first three-hour haircut with him I learned about the pattern of my hair growth (“highly unusual!”) and how rare my ringlets actually are (“only 1% of women have hair like this!”).  I’m pretty much the equivalent of what Justin Beiber is to Beliebers, but for curly hair stylists.

I wish everyone had the same view as my hair guy but I know this won’t be the last movie where a girl with curly hair needs a makeover.  I guess all I can do is wait for the day when the breaking news on CNN is about my hair’s growth pattern instead of Beiber’s locks being sold on eBay.  Sigh, that will be the day.

And on a separate note, who else is super excited to see The Help!?

Have You Seen Me?

Why can't I find any of my socks?  Seriously though, I think there are only three real pairs in my apartment.  

Missing: 70% of my socks

So much for trying to be a grown up.

Banana Recipes & Other Upsetting Things

I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed these funny little stickers on their bananas lately, maybe it’s a Texas thing, but these struck me as funny. 

Banana Sticker Source 

I mean bananas?  After dark?  Typically I don’t think about fruit when I hear that phrase.  Sorry Nana, that was inappropriate.

So I did a Google search when I wasn’t at work, just in case, and I found that Dole has all sorts of funny banana recipes. 

Evan made the mistake of cooking up a banana-based dish about two years ago in a casserole dish for me.  He described it as ‘something with a lot of things that you would like in it’.  I figured there would be cheese… maybe a salty meat?  But alas, it was the now infamous Banana Ham Casserole.  

Just a quick recap, this delight contained white bread soaked in cream, bananas, ham, crumbled up potato chips and all sorts of other very wrong things.  Sure, I do like some of those things individually, but together they represent a dish that should never be duplicated.

The reason I bring this up is that Dole has a recipe posted for banana ham quesadillas.  Apparently Paula Dean isn’t the only fan of this flavor combination.  Upsetting.

Easy Like Pudding

When I saw that Jell-O made a mix for those yummy Mousse Temptations I love so much (and Evan loves to steal), I figured I would give it a go and try to make them at home.  After all, those standard 3-packs are over $3 each and this box was only 69¢.

The directions seemed easy- add cold milk and mix.  And this is what happened to my shirt and the counter:

Pudding all ova!

The box made four ½ cup servings and after chilling them for a few hours, I had one for dessert and it was pretty good! 

The magic bullet cups came in handy

The at-home version is a little thicker than the regular mousse you find in the refrigerated section but for 17¢ per serving (compared to over $1 per serving!) I think I may keep a few spare boxes in the pantry.

Hidden Gems

One of the things that I love about living in a new place like Dallas is learning about the local favorites and the Texas institutions that can be found all over this sprawling city.  

For every destination we visit, I feel like I learn about two more things that we didn’t know we needed to see.  It’s like traveling, or in my experience, backpacking; the more locations you visit, the longer your list of places that you still need to see gets.

I always laugh (to myself) when I stumble upon a place I’ve heard a lot about in an area where I least expect it.  And after switching routes to work, I passed one of the most famous steakhouses in Dallas, Bob’s Steak & Chop House.  It’s on every top steakhouse list you’ll see written about the Big D, so I expected to find it in an old neighborhood downtown or even in Uptown. 

Corner of Wycliff and Lemmon

But it's here, at this funny intersection.  This location is sort of Uptown, sort of Highland Park, but definitely in a place where I wouldn’t have gone looking.  Take note, visitors.  You can get a fine Texas steak at this very modest looking  steakhouse.

Finally!

This weekend marked the culmination of one of our big goals since moving to Texas.  If you couldn't tell already, we dream big.


And we finally made it to In-N-Out!!

Getting ready

The line of cars when we got there was around the block and we had to wait for about 10 minutes to get a table.  There were all sorts of people there, families, little kids and drunkies from the bar.  I think we might fall into the latter category.

Look at that face!  Like Christmas morning.

Evan ordered from the secret menu and got some burgers Animal Style.  I opted for a Protein Style Cheeseburger, since, you know, without the bread this whole thing was a lot 'healthier'.  


Anyways, this was worth the wait and I'm happy to say that the nearest In 'N Out is a 10-15 minute drive from our apartment.  Can you only imagine that bad things that could happen if we could walk here?!  I don't even want to think about it.

Note to self: work on those tan lines

Hot Child In The City

I know I keep complaining about the heat, and I'm sure you're all tired of hearing about it.  But as turns it out, this isn't normal!  Texas isn't always this hot, what a relief!  Seems typical that my first summer here would be a brutal one, but I think this article sums it up nicely- So How Hot Is It?


To put a cherry on top of this steamy summer, today (Sunday, 7/21) this fine state earned the highly coveted spot for the second longest run of days over 100 degrees in Texas.  


So in the spirit of trying to bring the cool weather back, let's take a moment to reminisce about when we couldn't wait for it to warm up.

Central Park

Correction, when Evan couldn't wait to get out of those girly figure skates.

Mall Madness

While pursuing a jeweler in the Galleria to resize my ring, we stumbled upon one of the weirdest things I've ever seen in a mall.  

The Galleria

Your eyes do not deceive you, this IS an ice skating rink inside a mall.  If you think I'm not coming back here over the holidays to skate you would be mistaken.  But seriously?  Ice skating year round in a mall in Texas?  Especially when it's over a hundred degrees outside?  


That's just weird.

The Real Farmer's Market

Today we ventured to the big Dallas Farmer's Market in Downtown.  There are five sheds that are filled with fresh produce and local food for the taking.  

There it is!

We ended up having some breakfast and picking up some fresh tomatoes.  I've already had two of them today with some salt and pepper and they were sooo delicious.  I can't wait to put together a caprese salad tomorrow.

Yummm

I also couldn't get over the abundance of fresh produce and all of the beautiful colors.  Next time I'll do some recipe prep so I have a game plan for which fruits and veggies to buy. 

Look at that yellow watermelon!

I also have to try the sweet corn vendor on my next trip- they serve fresh corn off the grill on cones.  I've never had anything like that before, but if my love for street meat is any indication, I'm sure I'll love this local treat too.

THS vs BTM

I'm sure you all remember the good old days of Behind the Music when really amazing artists and legendary bands were profiled.  Personally, I loved the Mama & the Papas profile and had a weird weak spot for the Red Hot Chili Peppers episode as well.

On DVD- yeahhh!!!

Then there was, and still are, True Hollywood Stories on E!  Always silacious, a little bit scandalous and sometimes completely premature.  

Last night I decided to indulge in a THS and caught the Nicki Minaj episode.  I didn't know any of her songs, I had no idea who most of the people featured in her episode were and, most importantly, I felt total out of touch with pop culture.  Then the episode was followed by Snookie's THS.

There are so many things to be said about why I spent 120 minutes of my precious life watching these episodes, I think I was amazed at how old they made me feel, but it also made me so nostalgic for the good old days of amazing Behind The Music episodes and Pop Up Video.  

Here's my question: what happened to the BTM and THS episodes that profiled entire careers instead of debuting after a few popular songs or a hit show?

Pizza alla Amazing

A few weeks ago we found a neighborhood pizzeria that has some seriously good pies.  This place is cozy and close, but more importantly, the pizzas are delicious.

The restaurant is also BYOB, just like the neighborhood pizzeria near Evan's old apartment in Milford that we loved.  That restaurant, Baszo's closed last year just in time for us to drive up to Milford for a Valentine's Day dinner (at a family pizza joint, we're romantic like that).  Months later, we still reminisce about their lasagna pizza.  They also had cold bruschetta, a serious revelation.

So not only is our new joint easy on the wallet but you can bring your own wine and walk home, so who says you can't have one more glass.   They also have this secret weapon tucked into the dessert menu near the less-than-exciting Tiramisu. 

Pizza alla Nutella, meet your neighbor.

Oh dear.

Nutella and dough, come on.  As if that's fair.  Evan barely stood a chance with this one; I can't think of two things that I love more than hazelnut and bread.  I also noticed there's a marshmallow calzone on the menu.  I think I should avoid this place until we get hitched.

Funny Billboards

There are some things about Texas that never fail to surprise me.  One of those things are the billboards I see from the Tollway to and from work.  I love seeing ads for all of the restaurants and products that we didn't have back in CT, but I also find some of them to be just plain old clever.

Hilarious.

Now this one makes me laugh.  What better way to get the A/C fixed than with this little quip?  Maybe the Northeast should take a cue with all the heat and humidity they've been getting lately.

TRX

Since moving to Texas, I have been (lazily) waiting for that lightbulb moment when I find a gym that I really like.  I was so sad to leave my boxing gym in CT but there are no LA Boxing locations here in Dallas, I had to find something new to keep me motivated.  


Over the last few months, I have also become aware of the commonly used phrase "The Texas 10" aka the Freshman 15 for out-of-staters that relocate to Texas.  With more restaurants in Dallas per cap than any other city in the US, all you have to do is put two and two together to figure out that I had to find a gym stat.


Last week was my first week trying TRX, which has left my body feeling sore since Monday (literally every day since I started these classes).  There is a new studio that just opened nearby and this Navy-Seals style workout is pretty intense.  I think the best way to describe it is super hardcore pilates.

Source: D Magazine

I'm also told that this is one of those sneaky kinds of workouts that never gets easier.  Once you get stronger, you can hold the poses for longer and get more reps in, so the burn never stops.  


With so many places serving queso dip and a wedding slowly approaching, this is probably a good thing.  

Pop Overs and Prosecco

This weekend I did a little shopping at Neiman's and rounded out the day with a visit to one of their restaurants, Zodiac.  There were ladies lunching, sorority girls singing and these big fluffy gifts from above.

Popovers!

Each guest is treated to the pleasure of a steaming hot popover with strawberry butter when they are seated.  Now if this isn't the most delicious way to kick off a brunch, lunch or casual mid-day cocktail, I don't know what is.


We skipped the entrees which all had body conscious calorie counts next to them in favor or a cocktail.  It seems like a bit of a contradiction for a restaurant that serves popovers from the get-go to have calories listed next to their meal items, right?  We opted for ordered a bubbly cocktail instead and almost asked for more popovers.  Almost.


These popovers are part of the "official: to-do list for anyone looking to call themselves a "local" in Dallas.  I don't think I'll ever completely get there, but I'm certainly going to enjoy trying.