Cobia-bia! Steaks
I’ve recently discovered it’s good to know people in high places. It’s especially good to know people who have a boat, like to spearfish, and are generous with their catches. Lucky for me and my belly, ManFriend has befriended that type of person.
The other day I was deciding what to make for dinner, and I was debating between chicken and chicken. Not only am I the least creative person in the kitchen, I’m also lazy (as seen here). The timing couldn’t have been more perfect when ManFriend walked through the door with a big bag of fish, and not just any type of fish – Cobia(-bia). I don’t know much about it other than that it’s supposed to be delicious, and I don’t need to be sold on anything else…
Since my knowledge of white meat starts and ends with chicken, I let ManFriend take on this one (ok fine, he was going to take over regardless). After the filleting and cleaning, we had little Cobia-bia steaks. Marinate them in Italian dressing for an hour (or more if you have the time), then place them on a hot grill for 5 minutes on each side, and that’s it.
I would’ve been satisfied with just the Cobia-bia steaks, but since we’ve been hitting the gym like we’re a bunch of AHHH-nolds, the appetite’s been a-ragin’ and so it was time to kick it up a notch.
We grilled up some corn, made a pot of whole-wheat pasta, and caramelized some mushrooms for good measure.
{soak the corn with husks on in water for an hour, then place on grill until charred}
{ManFriend loves him some grilled corn}
{yes, I put ketchup on my pasta – and on EVERYTHING ELSE – what of it}
{saute mushrooms in EVOO, Worcestershire sauce and some salt n’ peppa}
And for dessert, we washed it down with a nice cold glass of chocolate vino. That’s right – chocolate vino – a glorious gift given to us at our housewarming party. A fair warning: be sure to drink it ICE COLD, otherwise it’ll taste like glorified moonshine with a splash of chocolate cream. Meaning: not delish.
The meal was made for just us 2, but you would’ve thought otherwise after seeing the spread…
Rainbow Rug
The rug gods have smiled upon me because a few short months after my Rug-a-Ma-Roll rant (here), my one and only rug-love came back to me. I guess it’s true what they say: if you truly love something, let it go. If it comes back, it was meant it to be and if not, welp, see ya later!
IT’S GLORIOUS I TELL YA!
I guess you could say I’m a patient person, and I definitely know what I want – so when I saw this rug, I wanted it. True, I let it slip through my very own hands because 1.) I’m cheap and 2.) I’m the world’s greatest procrastinator. But instead of me settling for a second-best rug that is just okay, I waited. I must admit though, I was beginning to get a little impatient. Rugs came and rugs went – but nothing compared to this glorious piece of gloriousness.
I know it’s just a rug, but I seriously love it that much.
When I first found out that the rug had gone out of stock on Overstock.com (um, oxymoron?), they have a neat little button called “Remind Me If This Comes Back In-Stock” – score. I hit the button thinking it’ll come back in a couple of days, maybe? 5 WHOLE MONTHS LATER – the damn thing appears in my email. Of course it came at the worst time ever because ManFriend and I are saving for a trip this Labor Day weekend, and the $280 was totally not in my budget.
But look at that thing.
It’s spicy.
It’s hot.
It’s a rainbow of awesomeness.
I got it, and then the remorse kicked in. I started to worry it was a little too “feminine” for ManFriend. He’s the type of guy who likes to fish, and drink beer, and curse, and play football – so a rainbow rug? It has HAAYYYYYYY written alllll over it. So I waited for it to arrive, preparing myself for the backlash that was sure to come.
A few days passed when I received a notification that the rug was on our doorstep, and ManFriend was off that day. Oh shit – there was no way I could nonchalantly put it under the dining room table now!! I braced myself for the phone call.
Lo and behold a few seconds went by and my phone rang. Ignore? Nah. I answered with something like “you love it, right?” Pause.
“It’s actually not that bad, man.” Whew, that meant I didn’t have to bribe him with a 24-pack (which little does he know I would’ve bought anyway – heh).
I just love how the bright colors pop with the neutrals of the gray paint (which was a dilemma too, see here) and the dining room table. And since our house is an open floor plan, rugs are essential to break up the space – it creates a room when there isn’t one.
It definitely looks a lot better than when we first moved in of course, but it’s definitely not complete. You see that light fixture hanging above the world’s largest dining room table? Yeah, that thing’s a goner. I can’t even look it at – it pains me.
Whoomp whoomp whoooooooompppppp…
Is it just me or does that thing look like a giant nipple? Not something I want to look up and see while I’m drinking my milk at dinner…
For those who are interested, here’s the price breakdown for the items in this room:
- Rainbow Rug – $280, Overstock.com
- Dining room table & chairs – $1,700, Ashley’s Furniture (I know, ridiculous, but I HAD TO HAVE IT)
- Curtains – $20, Tarjay
- Flower paintings – $10 for one, my friend gave me the other, Kirkland’s
- Light fixture – cost unknown, from the epitome of hell?
Danke Schön, Mr. Dunderbaks
A group of friends and I decided to go on an old-school bar crawl last weekend that took us to all of those spots we used to frequent as college “students.” Our first stop was Mr. Dunderbaks – a glorious German restaurant filled with amazing food, loads of strange candy, and all the beer you can possibly handle. You can’t order a Bud Light here, so it forces you to get out of your normal beer-drinking comfort zone and try something new.
When you first walk in, you’re instantly transported to Germany. I’ve never been to Germany, but I can guess that this place is pretty good at replicating it. The entrance is filled with gaudy decor that covers every corner – flags, German emblems and maps, and of course beer and beer posters.
Once you’ve entered into the main dining room, there’s a gazebo smack-dab in the middle of the room. Every time I’ve been there, I haven’t seen anyone in there since it tends to draw attention to yourself. This brave family chose to sit there, so I had to take a picture. Hey, I said it drew attention didn’t I?
To the left is a private room for Beer Club members. I stealthily entered the room to take a few pictures, thinking I was such a badass for going into a “private room” – but, no one stopped me…
The room is lined with beer bottles – I’ve never seen so many single bottles in my life – some I’ve never even heard of. Nevertheless, this room made me extremely thirsty.
To the right is another room, which is designed to be like a family room. There’s a sofa, some chairs, a coffee table, and a giant beer station. Like, literally… giant beers…
Since I’m not necessarily the poster child for change, I ordered a beer that was fairly familiar to me: fruity beer. I first tried an apricot beer last October during Oktoberfest, so I already knew that it was a safe bet. On this particular day, I decided to go with the Sea Dog apricot beer (look at me now!) – just a teensy bit sweet with just a hint of apricot flavor – the perfect combination for me.
Next to my safe and small beer is ManFriend’s giant beer, the Kostricker. A favorite of his that he always orders when we come here, it has a sort of coffee flavor to it which surprisingly I’m not that fond of (given my obsession with coffee).
And no visit to Mr. Dunderbaks is complete without some classic German fare. So here’s the story with me – like I said, I don’t like change that much and I’m a Jewish girl – hence my lunch order of potato pancakes (or latkes as we Jews call them), and lox on a bagel. I get this same order every.single.time. and it’s always the best I’ve ever had (next to my Gram’s of course).
ManFriend’s order is a little more “German” – the veal schnitzel. <— Did I get that right? I have to admit, I’ll steal a few bites because it’s awesome as well, but I love me some smelly lox for lunch.
Going back to the potato latkes (or pancakes), there are two ways to eat them: with sour cream or with applesauce. Guess which one I get?
Pretty safe to say that the girl who drinks apricot-flavored beer is also going to go with the sweet over savory choice. It never fails, and I’ll never change. :)
I did mention this was a bar crawl to the old college stomping grounds, correct? Good. Here’s evidence that even Mr. Dunderbaks knows to appreciate a USF Bull. Mr. Dunderbaks, USF Bulls appreciate you too, man.
Happy Weekend
The plan is to go to thee old stomping grounds this weekend – Peabody’s. This is where my relationship with ManFriend developed, and yes, it’s a bar. So romantic. But they say the best relationships come from friendships, and Peabody’s was the ultimate matchmaker.
They have the best wings, the best music, the best atmosphere and $6 liquor pitchers (no, that is NOT a typo). And although I’m not sure I can handle that anymore, I’m positive it’ll bring me back to the days where my only care was paying my cell phone bill.
Sunday is reserved for resting – because this old lady will need it. I might sneak in a brunch to re-fuel, but I can’t make any promises – especially after a night of Peabody’s….
This week’s My Favorite Song Friday is…
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” – it’s brand-spanking new and I’m already obsessed with it.
Hipster Shit
I went shopping with my friend Johanna a few weeks ago (the girl who taught me how to make a white-girl sangria), and for some reason, I was compelled stop in to Forever 21. Not only can I hardly fit into any of their clothes anymore because I actually have hips now, but their crap is so horrible now it’s laughable. Maybe it was the hurricane-like winds that pushed us in there, because we really didn’t have any other option…
While browsing through their cheap jewelry (since that’s the only stuff that’ll fit me), I started noticing a trend: hipster shit.
If you asked me a few months ago what a hipster was, I couldn’t tell you. I never even really heard of the term until a co-worker of mine opened my eyes to all things hipster. I can safely say that I am not a hipster, but are you?
Watch this video, and then you decide:
If her ramblings remind you of yourself, then yes, you are a hipster and you should seek help – but be sure to tell everyone its drug rehab and your parents are NOT paying for it. (that way, you’ll still look hip)
If this video reminds you of someone you know, then you’re friends with a hipster and you should probably start re-evaluating your life. It’s OK to friend a hipster, but be careful of becoming one yourself. And now even Forever 21 is jumping on the bandwagon.
“Fixies” are a hipster staple.
Even though I’m not a hipster, I had to get this necklace. I can’t wait to get strange looks from co-workers when I attempt to read notes at company meetings with them.
Hipsters are known for their excessive use of birds. They put them on EVERYTHING…
salted chocolate | life with a dash of flavor 