Fun Food Friday

The lovely and all-together fabulous Desperately Seeking Seersucker tagged me in a Fun Food Tag and I think that sounds perfect for a Friday posting don't you?

What is your favorite dessert?
Cobbler...preferably cherry or apple. Served warm, in a bowl, with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. And yes, I need it to be vanilla bean, not just regular old vanilla.


Ever tried to cook something and fail miserably?
Yes -- and anyone who says they haven't is a big, big liar. In the first house I lived in after I moved down to the DC area, we used to do lots of fun family dinners. Thank GOD this was not an "official" family dinner, I think only one or two other roommates and maybe one of their girlfriends were witness to my sad cooking FAIL. I had seen someone cook pizza out on the grill on some Food Network Show and I thought it looked totally do-able. It did not turn out at ALL how it was supposed to, so much so that it never even made it to the sauce and toppings stage. Everyone acted like they were happy with their grilled breadstick dinners but I felt like the world's biggest failure. What is it about a cooking FAIL that make you feel so horribly embarrassed?

Is there a dish you haven't made yet that you would like to?
Hmm, you know I have never given this question any thought. I have yet to make pasta from scratch, so I think I'd like to try some truly delicious homemade raviolis. Ooooh.... or maybe gnocchi. I think I may need to make a date to get in touch with my Italian side very soon!



What is your favorite food?
Seafood...yeah, yeah I know that's cheating a bit to choose a whole GROUP of food, but deal with it :)

What is your least favorite food?
Sorry Philadelphians....I never, ever got on board with scrapple. It still totally grosses me out when Coach makes it when I am visiting at home.

Do you have any seasonal meals that you like?
Nothing says summer like a crab feast. Throw in some other goodies like corn on the cob, fried chicken, hush puppies...drool. SO good.

What is your comfort food?
I have to agree with DSS that there is nothing like a basket of chicken fingers and fries. Only thing that would be better than that is chicken fingers with a side of mac & cheese. Again, drool. But there is one thing that truly makes me feel comforted...a Philly soft pretzel with mustard. I would eat one of those every day if I could -- so good thing I don't have regular access to them!


Chocolate: milk, dark, or white?
If I am going candy, I tend to like the sugary stuff more than chocolate. Things like Starbursts and jelly beans. But if I HAD to pick a chocolate, it'd probably be dark. And I would prefer it come with some peanut butter inside of it :)


So know that I am so hungry I would eat my own hand, I am going to pass this Food Tag on to some other peeps

Ruth at This G.R.I.T.S. Tale
JD Racecar at It's Always Funny in Colum-Bubble
Preppy Pink Crocodile -- because I am seriously dying to see her answers to this Foodie questionnaire
Kelly at My Joy Project
Blythepoo -- since her hubby is always posting fab food photos on Facebook, she should have some good answers :)
Jess at Where are my Sunglasses
And my dear, sweet, fabulous friend IRL The Gastronomic Terp.

Instructions for Birthday Weekend: Champagne-Cupcake-Repeat

Hooray! That picture is the most accurate description of how I feel right now because this crazy work week is (just about) O-V-E-R and I have so much fun to look forward to this weekend because …. It’s my Birthday!

I am usually a big birthday hater. Not other people’s birthdays, those I love. It’s my own that I never like. It’s not about the getting older part of it (okay, yeah that became a teensy bit of a reason after birthday #25) but more it is just because I have awful, horrible birthday luck. So many of mine have been so unfun, forgotten, disastrous, traumatizing, or some combination of all of those. To the point where I have come to just dread the day and hold really low expectations for it.

A few examples:
• My very first sleepover birthday party was cancelled due to the weather (F*ck you Hurricane Gloria – and YES I am still holding a grudge)
• When the party was rescheduled a few weeks later, someone’s Strawberry Shortcake sleeping bag got caught in a box fan causing some legit sparks to fly out of the fan. The almost-fire and lots of smoke caused my Dad to come running downstairs in SUCH a panic that he neglected to realize he was only in his underwear. Traumatizing.
• One year was supposed to celebrate with kiddie friends for a little birthday lunch at a Friendly’s type of place. Then the restaurant caught on fire and burned down the the day before my birthday. Birthday lunch was moved to Burger King. Swanky.
• An attempt made by my parent’s to have a “surprise” birthday dinner for me at a restaurant was ruined by my protesting going out to dinner because I had too much homework. My mom angrily spilled the beans about my friends waiting to surprise me at the restaurant and told me to get my ass in the car. Surprise!!
• This was a few years after my parents had totally forgotten my birthday. See, it’s not just a humorous John Hughes’ movie plot!
• Being a year older than most of my closest friends in college, none of them could legally go out with me for my 21st birthday. I was at the mercy of older sisters in my sorority who I recall being a bit relentless with the whole idea of doing 21 shots. I threw many of those shots out the front windows of Bentley’s (a bar at my school) and will never forget the one that sent my ass running back to the ladies room with a wave of sickness. (Deviled Megs was never again to do a Lemon Drop. No lie, have NEVER done one again.)
• A few years ago I was taking me and boyfriend-at-the-time out for dinner. Yes I was taking HIM out, don't ask as it's not even worth explaining. He then came up with some complication about going to dinner so I said screw it and just cancelled the reservations. He thought it would be funny to then send me an e-card that wished me a “Happy Pancake Day” Let me tell you, that was just hilarious. Haven’t eaten a pancake since.

And while there have been a few fun birthdays (particularly the Vegas/San Diego bash), by and large you get a little taste above of why I just try to avoid my birthday all together.

But I am changing that this year. This year I have fun things to look forward to and would be just as excited for all of it if it all wasn’t tied to my birthday. L even helped me make a birthday mix CD. Because every fun event needs its very own special soundtrack, right?

Tomorrow kicks off with a trip to the Farmer’s Market, then awaiting the arrival of V so a few of us girls can head out to the Sugarland concert. There may also be a very special appearance made my Hair Stylist P…wishes really may come true, haha. There will be tailgating (with champagne) food, good music and good friends. Can’t get any better. (As a side note, how much do you just love Jennifer Nettles? One of my birthday wishes might be to be her.)


Wait, yes it can get better! Sunday (which is the actual b-day) will be spent as a low key Football Sunday Funday watching games. Some more fun friends will be joining the cast for the day with hopefully a few very special guest appearances. Then that night there is not only the premiere of “The Amazing Race” but also the Season 2 premiere of “Eastbound and Down.” It’s like special tv presents just for me.

Monday is a day off from work (I think everyone should observe a day off from work in honor of their birthday) and some time with Mom and Dad who are making a trip down to visit. The birthday train pulls up to its final stop on Monday night, into DC to see my Phillies take on the Nats. Oh and of course, my boyfriend. (Bonus points if you have realized that my birthday is the 26th...and his number is 26)

So for once, I am going to go against type and get excited about this birthday. Excited about this weekend and seeing friends, having fun, and putting all my worries and stresses on hold for a few days. And looking forward to a year that is full of potential and possibilities. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend too, whatever your plans may hold for you.

Tales from the Trenches Tuesday

Two days late...I know, I know. Slacking after just one week. But Tuesday ended up being ridiculously crazy at work -- amazingly Temp Asst. did not screw up EVERYTHING yesterday, maybe just 40% of it. The it was home late to pack and get ready for the ride that would pick me up for the airport at an hour I do not think I have ever been physically awake at. Then yesterday was filled with travel, subsequent travel frustrations, and then capped off with a fantastic dinner with friends. I did draft this on the plane yesterday, hopefully that doesn't make me a TOTAL slacker. So sorry bout that everybody!

So let's see....why don't we go with I.N. for this week's installment. I met I.N. when I was living in Baltimore. My roommate at the time and I used to hang out a lot near our house in Canton Square. I think the Square may be the only think I miss about living in Baltimore -- it was a real cute little neighborhood with low key bars with good food, good times and cheap drinks, the trifecta. These were the days of youth and frivolity where you'd meet random cute guys out at a bar and then end up hosting a late night party back on our roof top deck. Okay, only OTHER thing I miss about Baltimore is my rooftop deck.

So I.N. and I started dating -- nothing serious, just fun. I feel like that happens more often in the summertime, you sort of both don't think it may get to be something serious, but both people are content to just have fun and enjoy each other's company for the summer months.

Anyway, I.N. lived just north of the city so it wouldn't be uncommon for us to be out in Baltimore and for him to stay at my house. He also played in some sports league...seriously I can't remember if it was softball or kickball or what, but lots of times he would come stay over when his game ran late.

Or when the "after the game" celebrations ran late, as was the case this one night. He showed up at the back of the house, banging on the door to be let in. This was not endearing or cute...this was annoying and irritating. I let him in, already knowing he was going to be Drunk with a capital D.

As most drunk people are wont to do, he started rummaging around the kitchen trying to find something to eat. I left him alone for just about 5 minutes, I think I ran upstairs for something. When I came back to the kitchen, he had fixed himself two hot pockets and was enjoying them standing up. With one foot hiked up on one of our kitchen stools (a la Captain Morgan). And he had stripped completely naked. Buck naked eating hot pockets in my kitchen.

A few thoughts should come to mind here.

One, while it may have looked sexy in 9 1/2 weeks, sometimes food ceases to be sexy when it is something that can be messy.

Two, drunk people rarely look good eating while they are CLOTHED let alone in the buff. I mean have you ever been sober at Jumbo Slice in DC at 2am? It's like feeding time at the zoo. Except all the animals are drunk out of their mind and smell like Red Bull and disappointment.

And three...the contents of hot pockets tend to, well ooze. And the insides can be hot, like lava hot. I don't think anyone would want that dripping on their skin, let alone their swimsuit area.

Anyway, this week's Tales from the Trenches Tuesday has been brought to you by the letters "I" and "N"...for Inappropriate Nakedness.