Update

OK..so I've been missing in action and have neglected my blog. The holiday season is in full swing and I have been caught up in it. Luckily, I have been able to get a few of my goals accomplished or at least worked on.

A few weeks ago, I made chocolate chip cupcakes and marbleized strawberry cheesecake cupcakes from the Martha Stewart Cupcake book. I actually was supposed to use raspberries for the cheesecake but had the strawberries already on hand. There were made from my Toastmasters' group holiday lunch and everyone enjoyed them.

I've completed the photo books for my siblings and it will be their surprise Christmas gifts. My sister received hers today so hopefully, the rest will receive theirs before Christmas.

Lastly, I completed my tenth speech in Toastmasters and reached the Competent Communicator goal. I will now work towards completing the leadership track.

I will certainly get back to updating this on a more frequent basis.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and holiday season!!

Nika

Basket of Fall Leaves

I haven't posted in a while but wanted to share pictures of the cake I did for Thanksgiving. It was a hit with my family and no one wanted to cut it. It is a white cake covered with marshmallow fondant.

Shadow Boxes Done

I just finished putting together my wedding shadow boxes for my mom and in laws. As with the wedding photo books, this was a project I intended to do after the wedding but put it on the back burner for way too long.

While running errands yesterday, I stopped by my trusty Hobby Lobby and picked up two shadow boxes at 50% off. Luckily, I had all the items for the boxes in a separate file. I included in each a picture of us with our parent(s), an invitation, save the date and program. The only extra thing I wanted to put in my mothers box was the bouquet charm with a picture of my dad but I gave the charm to my mom after the wedding. Instead I added a picture of it to the box.

I am strongly considering making one for us now. Below is a picture of my mom's box.

Another Check... 15th New Restaurant!

While living in Chicago, one of my girlfriends and I would watch a local PBS show, Check Please. Three local residents selected their favorite restaurant to chronicle and the remaining panelists had to go out and try it as well and provide a review of it. My friend and I would then go out and try some of the new spots we learned of. It was a great experience as we got to try out new places besides the national chains we constantly frequented.

At the beginning of my day zero journey, I decided I wanted to try 15 new restaurants in Atlanta . As before, they had to be new to me and could not be mass chain restaurants. Today, my trusty co-workers and I dined at our 15th new to us restaurant, The Nook.

The Nook is located directly across the street from Piedmont Park in the midtown area of Atlanta. I really loved the neighborhood feel of the place as well as the friendliness of the staff. Plus the food did not disappoint. Below are a few pictures of our meals. Check them out if you get the chance.

I am not a mac and cheese fan but had to try their version with bacon. OMG....so delish! We all split a side order.

My choice- mesquite smoked wings with spicy Coca-Cola bbq sauce

Yes those are tater tots. Both my co-workers ordered Totchos. The first picture is of the Philly Totchos and the second picture of the Nacho Totchos. Its such a cute concept and obviously delicious since both of them became members of the clean plate club.

The photo books have arrived!

I received my photo books today from snapfish.com. The production and shipment time were fabulous! I know my mom and in-laws will love it.

Unfortunately, I am unable to provide the link for the actual preview of the book as it allows for additional orders to be made from the link. Below and above are the cover and cover picture. I will certainly be ordering more books like this.

Wedding Photo Books...... Check!

L and I were married on June 28, 2008. To reduce costs, we used a photographer who is a contract photographer at my company. We got an excellent deal on our wedding and engagement pictures. We received cds of both sessions.

The only thing lacking from our photographer was the traditional wedding album. I decided to put together an album for our parents and as things tend to go the project got pushed to the back burner. Well tonight, I finally placed the order through snapfish.com and am extremely excited about the finished project. If you are interested in placing an order I found several coupon codes you can use.

Hopefully, this week I can complete my other photo projects for my mother and siblings.

Food Diary - Day Thirty

Woo hooo.... I finally made it to day 30!!!! Yes, I have eaten ok some days and crappy some days but I was honest. Also, today I start my 30 day fried food fast as well as going to the gym. There will be no daily post for this one but I'll update you at the end of the 30 days. Wish me well.

Breakfast
Special K cereal
fat free milk
Lunch
Healthy choice steamer meal
salad
yogurt
Dinner
broiled steak
mashed potatoes
steamed asparagus
Snack
almonds
biscoff cookies

Color of Fall

Today, L and I decided to head over to the restaurant in the Country Store at Callaway Gardens. When we went there for the first time over four years ago, L feel in love with their country ham. Since we had not plans today, we hopped in the car this morning and drove over an hour to the restaurant.

We made it right after the breakfast seating and had to wait an hour before they began lunch. To pass the time, we decided to take a drive through the area. I am so glad we did as it was just beautiful to see the leaves turning on the trees. There was a crisp in the air that just made the day perfect.

Below are a few pics of the area.

Food Diary - Day Twenty-eight and twenty-nine

I've decided to start my no fried food month this week so I guess this was my version of a fried food Mardi Gras. I had to get it all in before my fast food fast.
Saturday
Lunch
cheeseburger
fries
Dinner
Zaxby's boneless wings
fries
Snack
chocolate chip cookie

Sunday
Lunch
country fried steak
mashed potatoes
green beans
Dinner
Applebee's riblet basket
Snack
pecan roll

South City Kitchen

Today my co-workers and I went to South City Kitchen, a contemporary southern restaurant located in the midtown area of Atlanta. We were joined by another co-worker who will soon be leaving the company as she is relocating out of state. It was great spending time with her before she starts the new chapter in her life.

After reviewing the menu and finding at least something I absolutely hate in a few dishes I settled on the shrimp and grits sans the scallops. It was good but not the best I've ever had. I am not sure if this will be a repeat visit but did see another restaurant next door I'd like to try in the near future.

Food Diary - Day Twenty-seven

Breakfast
Yoplait strawberry whip
Lunch
shrimp and grits
Dinner
chipotle chicken sandwich
Snack
brownie
almonds & dried cranberries

Food Diary - Day Twenty-six

Breakfast
pop tart
Lunch
baked chicken
steamed broccoli
Dinner
grilled chipotle chicken wrap no cheese
fries
Snack
almonds and dried cranberries

Food Diary - Day Twenty-five

Breakfast
Pop tarts
Lunch
1/2 slice pepperoni pizza
sliced cucumbers
Dinner
shrimp sauteed in garlic and rosemary
green beans
rice pilaf
Snack
brownie

Food Diary - Day Twenty-four

Ok, I am so tired of posting this daily. Luckily, I only have a few more days to go.

Brunch (well kinda)
scrambled egg
2 strips of bacon
Dinner
2 pieces of fish
corn
fries
hush puppies
Snack
Fiber one bar

Food Diary - Day Twenty-three

Breakfast
fruit
soy white chocolate mocha w/ light whip
Lunch
Chicken Picatta
rice pilaf
steamed green beans
wheat roll
Dinner
KFC chicken
mashed potatoes
asparagus
Snack
chocolate chip cookie

Food Diary - Day Twenty-two

Brunch
bacon
biscuit
scrambled eggs
mimosa (mmmm-yummy!)
Dinner
BBQ meatloaf
mashed potatoes
steamed asparagus

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

Tonight's dinner recipe is courtesy of Down Home with the Neelys. I really like their show and how they work together preparing meals. For the past year, I have sticked to making Italian sausage meatloaf and was looking for something a bit different. Perfect since I had all the ingredients on hand. I liked the way it turned out but I am no so sure of L. He said he likes it but I'll see if he goes for leftovers later.

Anyhow, I am now able to cross goal #29 off of my list. I have really enjoyed trying new recipes. Although, I've reached my goal of 2o new recipes I will continue to try new ones. Maybe I will occasionally post some of them.

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf
recipe from Down Home with the Neelys

Ingredients
1 tablespoon Neelys' BBQ Seasoning, recipe follows
1 teaspoon crab boil seasoning, (recommended: Old Bay)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups Neelys BBQ Sauce, reserving 1/2 cup for the top, recipe follows
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix BBQ seasoning, crab boil seasoning, soy sauce, beaten egg, 1 cup of the BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper and garlic. Saute until tender. Remove from heat and add to wet mix.
Pour mixture into bowl with the ground turkey. Add bread crumbs and mix all together with your hands.

Transfer the meat mixture to a cookie sheet or baking pan. Using your hands, shape the meat into an oblong or rectangular shape. *Cook's Note: Alternately, you can pat the meat into a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and pour 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce on the top of the loaf.

Bake for 35 minutes. Remove and add the reserved 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce to the top and continue to bake for 20 more minutes.

Neelys BBQ Seasoning:
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder

Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until combined. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Neelys BBQ Sauce
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Food Diary - Days Twenty & Twenty-One

Friday -Breakfast
Special K cereal
fat free milk
Lunch
6 baked mardi gras wings (Publix)
1/2 sliced cucumber with fat free ranch dressing
Dinner
2 slices thin crust supreme pizza
Snack
chocolate crisps

Saturday- Breakfast
slice thin crust supreme pizza (don't judge me:-)
Lunch
1/2 kfc bbq sandwich
ear of corn
Dinner
hot dog
fries

Food Diary - Day Nineteen

Breakfast
Special K cereal
fat free Lactaid milk
Lunch
Zesty chicken tortilla soup
1/2 turkey sandwich
chips
Dinner
Fried rice
6 buffalo wings
Snack
chocolate crisps

Food for Thought

At 4:30 this morning I was inadvertently roused from my sleep by my hubby. Needless to say, after only getting a little over 5 hours of sleep I was a tad bit perturbed. Since my alarm clock goes off at 6 a.m. I decided to head downstairs and lay on the couch until it was time to get ready for work.

While watching the morning news, I learned that a van pool from my company was involved in a fatal accident the previous evening. Three of my co-workers were killed and six were injured. Of course it made everything else minuscule. My being upset with my husband about waking early was gone. I was happy that he made it home from work.

Please remember to let your loved ones know how much you care about them.

Take care!

Nika

Food Diary - Day Eighteen

Breakfast
Banana
soy white chocolate mocha/light whip
Lunch
Healthy Choice 5 spice beef steamer meal
Dinner
bacon cheeseburger
fries
Dr Pepper
Snack
powder donut

Food Diary - Day Seventeen

Lunch
Zaxby's buffalo wings and fries, sweet tea
Dinner
Salsa chicken
yellow rice
black beans
Snack
cupcake
tortilla chips
salsa
oatmeal snack cake

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This is another recipe I found out about on BrownandBridal.com. Several ladies who frequent the board have tried the dish and I decided to jump on board. It was really easy and had my house smelling fabulous all day. I served with yellow rice and black beans.

Try it on your next crock pot day. Enjoy!

CROCKPOT SALSA CHICKEN
recipe courtesy of 'Kilen'

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed) or cream of chicken soup ( I used cream of chicken)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken. Mix salsa and soup; pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and stir in sour cream until heated, then serve over rice or in tortillas.

Fudge Cake

Over the weekend I made a fudge cake for one of L's co-workers. This was my first time making this type of cake as well as chocolate butter cream icing. I decided to use the Grand Fudge recipe from the Ghirardelli website.

I actually had to make the cake two times after the first one fell to pieces. L was more than happy to provide a rescue home for the first cake. Thankfully, the second try turned out well.
Below is the recipe used and a picture of the finished product.

Grand Fudge Cake
3/4 cup(s) Unsweetened Cocoa
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup(s) sugar
1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 cup(s) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/3 cup(s) milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and eggs one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk (starting and ending with the flour mixture), while mixing on low speed. Continue to mix until smooth. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.

Food Diary - Day Fifteen

Breakfast
Special K cereal
Lactaid fat free milk
Lunch
Healthy Choice basil chicken steamer
sliced cucumbers
Dinner
grilled turkey burger
baked garlic fries
Corn
Snack
almonds
Trader Joe's fat free caramel corn
Trader Joe's chocolate crisps

Food Diary - Day Fourteen

Endless snacking
Maple bbq chips

Dinner
Pepper Shrimp
Yellow Rice
Broccoli

Food Diary - Day Thirteen

Today was an on the go bad food day.

Breakfast
Banana
Lunch
Long John Silver's 2 piece fish with fries and corn
Dinner
Grilled chipotle bbq snack wrap
Small fries
Snack
cupcake

Flip Burger Boutique

Today's team lunch was at Flip Burger Boutique. As the name implies, Flip is twist on your traditional burger spot. It has a unique menu created by Chef Richard Blais of Top Chef fame.

We each tried something different. I had the bacon cheese burger and vodka battered onion rings. I topped it off with a Krispy Kreme milkshake. Yep, you read that right. Krispy Kreme as in the donut. It should be against the law to make something that good!

My team members requested that we make a return visit as soon as possible. If you are in the area be sure to check them out.

Krispy Kreme milkshake

Food Diary - Day Twelve

Breakfast
Brown sugar cupcake :-(
Coffee
Lunch
Cheeseburger
Onion rings
1/2 Krispy Kreme milkshake
Dinner
Whole wheat pasta with Italian sausage

Food Diary - Day Eleven

Today was a sugar filled day. We had cake on top of cake at work today for office birthdays.

Breakfast
Brown sugar pound cupcake (but it was good)
Lunch
Ground beef
Seasoned rice
Lettuce
Black beans
Dinner
Grilled chipotle bbq snack wrap
French fries
Snack
Caramel Cake
Brown sugar pound cupcake (someone please get these things out of my house)

Brown Sugar Pound Cakes

I made these for co-worker's birthday. OMG!!!!...... I am loving Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book! I never would have thought to make a pound cake in the form of a cupcake. These are super delicious and I think she will enjoy them.

Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Brown Sugar Pound Cupcakes

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers come out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire rack to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

To finish, place cupcakes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet; spoon icing over cupcakes, and let set. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Brown -Butter Icing

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Carefully pour butter into a bowl, leaving sediment behind.

Add sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk to butter, and stir until smooth. If glaze is too thick, add more milk. Use immediately.

Food Diary - Day Ten

Breakfast
Honey nut cheerios
1/4 cup milk
Lunch
Chick fil a- grilled chicken sandwich, fries & chicken noodle soup.
Dinner
Whole wheat pasta and italian sausage
Steamed asparagus
Snack
Brown sugar cupcake

Food Diary - Day Nine

Lunch
Fried chicken
Mashed potatoes
Dinner
Maple glazed pork chop
mashed potatoes
green beans
Snack
Oatmeal snack cake
Rice krispie treat

Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Last week a friend of mine told me about a pork chop dish she made. This was perfect as I am always looking for new ways to make dishes. Since I had all the ingredients on hand, I decided to make this for dinner tonight . This is another one will be added to the rotation.

Recipe from about.com

Maple Glazed Pork Chops

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 loin pork chops
salt and pepper
garlic powder (I used 1/2 tsp)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
2 teaspoons cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar

In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Wash pork chops; pat dry. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper; add to the hot oil in skillet. Cook chops for about 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. Whisk together remaining ingredients and add to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cover and simmer for about 20 minutes longer, or until liquids are reduced and chops are glazed.Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Food Diary - Day Eight

Breakfast
Special K cereal
Lactaid 2% milk
Lunch
Healthy Choice Steamer meal-Whisky steak
sliced cucumbers with fat free ranch dressing
Dinner
fried chicken
mashed potatoes
green beans
Snack
kiwi
Rice krispie treat

Food Diary- Day Seven

Lunch
Grilled chipotle bbq snack wrap- no cheese
Small fries
Small Sprite
Dinner
Boiled crab legs, shrimp, corn and potatoes
Snack
Rice krispie treat
1/2 ice cream sandwich

I finally made it to the grocery store and farmer's market today.

Food Diary- Day Six

Today was a bad food day. Since I was running around all day I didn't really eat until after 6 p.m.

Snack
Toll house crackers

Dinner
3/4 quesadilla burger from Applebee's
spinach dip
fries

My first wedding

Last month, I posted about making a cake for my Toastmasters' presentation. As you may recall, one my co-workers raffled off the cake to raise money for a walk he was participating in. I was later contacted by someone who had seen a picture of the cake. They were interested in having a wedding cake prepared. I was a little hesitant since I have not practiced some of the cake decorating techniques learned during the Wilton series. After speaking with bride, I discovered that she did not want anything traditional. We discussed several options and settled on a cupcake tree. I loved the idea since I had one at my wedding. No cutting, no mess, no fuss. Besides, who doesn't like cupcakes?

While searching the internet, I found out how to make a cupcake stand. It was quite easy and I am pleased with how it turned out. The couple requested a Strawberry cake for them and yellow and white cupcakes for the guests. I've made yellow and white cake before but not strawberry cake. While doing another internet search I came across a semi homemade strawberry cake recipe from Paula Deen. Come on...if Paula is making it, it has to be good.

Each cupcake was adorned with a fondant rose. The cake had several fondant roses as it's topper. Below are a few pictures.

The wedding was today and I really liked how everything turned out. I can't wait to hear back from the couple.

Food Diary - Day Five

Breakfast
Special K cereal
Lactaid 2% milk
Lunch
Jimmy John's Italian sandwich- no cheese, no mayo
sun chips
Dinner
Captain D's - fish, fries and corn
Snack
Rice Krispie treat

Hopefully, I can hit the grocery store or farmer's market this weekend to get my fruit and veggies in for next week.

Food Diary - Day Four

Breakfast
Honey nut clusters cereal
Lactaid 2% Milk
Lunch
Willy's soft shell taco-only chicken, black beans , grilled peppers and onions
Tortilla Chips
Dinner
Subway-6 in spicy Italian sub, lettuce, oil, oregano and red onion, no cheese
Snack
Special K bar

Food Diary - Day Three

Breakfast
Special K vanilla almond
Lactaid 2% Milk
Lunch
Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer- Sweet & Spicy orange zest chicken
Green Beans
Dinner
Mashed Potatoes
Chicken Drumstick
Green peas
Snack
Tortilla chips,
Fiber Now Bar
Salsa

Tracked 11k steps

Food Diary - Day Two

Breakfast
Hard Boiled Egg, 1 large
Cinnamon Swirl Bread, 2 serving
Lunch
Zaxby's grilled chicken salad, no cheese w/ toast, 1 serving
Kroger Fat free ranch dressing, 1 serving
Rice Kirispies Treat
Dinner
Turkey burger, 1 serving
Baked sweet potato fries, 0.5 serving
Snack
Tortilla chips, 1 serving
Salsa, 1 serving

Food Diary - Day One

I'll be tracking my food intake on sparkpeople.com and posting here at the end of the day.

Breakfast
Honey nut clusters cereal, 1.5 serving
Lactaid 2% Milk, 0.5 cup
Lunch
Healthy Choice- Classic Meatloaf frozen meal, 1 serving
Iceberg Lettuce (salad), 1 cup, shredded or chopped
Cucumber (peeled), 0.25 cup, pared, chopped
Diet Coke, 8 oz
Dinner
Zatarain's Yellow Rice, 1 serving
Peas, green, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt, 0.5 cup
Baked Chicken Thigh, 4 oz
Snack
Orville Redenacher's Smart Pop Kettle Corn, Mini Bag, 1 serving

Time to fess up

As you can probably tell from my previous posts, I like to eat. The love of eating coupled with laziness and a slow metabolism caused me to reach an all time high weight. A few months ago, when I started this blog one of my goals was to lose 30 pounds. In fact I lost 11 pounds in the first month. Sadly, I've gained 9 back and I am almost back at square one.

Not to be discouraged, for the next 30 days I've decided to use this medium to help me be accountable to my weight loss journey. Starting tomorrow I will post daily my food intake diary as well as exercise diary. I need to do better and will do better. I refuse to destroy myself with food.

You told Harpo to beat me?!?!

"The Color Purple" is one of my all time favorite movies. On last night, my sister and I had the wonderful opportunity to see the musical production here in Atlanta.

Fantasia reprised her role as 'Miss Celie' and did not disappoint. I loved her on American Idol. However, I did not care too much for her solo efforts as they would result in screaming. During the production, I really enjoyed her pure singing ability. She had to throw in a few screams here and there but it worked for the musical number she was performing.

Of course, "The Color Purple" would not be the "The Color Purple" without 'Sophia'. I loved when the die hard fans of the movie began to recite lines in unison with 'Sophia'. The entire cast did an excellent job and I hope to see it again.

I highly recommend you check out if it comes to your area.

The Flying Biscuit

Today's team lunch was at The Flying Biscuit Cafe located in the midtown area of Atlanta. I've heard mixed reviews about the place but wanted to try it out for myself.

The midtown is super tiny and they make use of every available inch of space literally. It was really noisy since everyone had to attempt to speak over the conversations from surrounding tables. Besides that I really like the in town location and feel of the place. It reminds me of some of my favorite hangout spots in Chicago.

Of course we came to try the food. It is not your traditional southern breakfast spot. I noticed they did not serve any beef or pork products only chicken and turkey. I decided to try the 'high flyer'-two large farm fresh eggs served with our signature chicken breakfast sausage plus an organic oatmeal pancake topped with warm peach compote. It was also served with their signature potatoes and biscuit. I sampled some of everything but did not care too much for the oatmeal pancake.

I really enjoyed everything and think I will pick up some of their biscuits for our next large family meal. Heck, I may even try to pass them off as mine though my family will know better. :-)

Check them out if you get the opportunity.

Shoes Shoes Shoes!

It is no secret among my family and friends that I love shoes. I mean I L-O-V-E shoes. So much so, that for my birthday this year my supervisor gave me a history of shoes book.

While catching up on one of my favorite blogs, Deals for the Short and Curvy I found about an online shoe liquidation sale. To my horror I read the post two days later but still before the last day of the sale. ( I knew I should have taken my laptop on vacation with me). Luckily, I was able to do a size search and came up with two pair that I absolutely adore.


I wore these today and received so many compliments.


I hate that I did not buy these in black as well. Oh well another shoe buying lesson learned.

Thanks again Bianca!

Dominick's Little Italy

Today my team mates and I had the opportunity to do a site visit to one of our vendors in Buford, GA. The vendor decided to take us to lunch at Dominick's, a local Italian restaurant.

I love Italian food and am happy I do not live near this place because I will always be there. The portions are insanely large and reasonably priced. L and I may have to make a trip up Interstate 85 and check them out again.

Welcome to Miami!

Recently L and I went to Miami for a weekend getaway. It was my first time visiting the city and I am highly upset with myself that I waited this long.

We had the opportunity to stay at the all suite Hilton Bentley on South Beach and I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone who is travelling to the area. The hotel is located on Ocean Drive and is associated with the Bentley Beach Club. The hotel staff was extremely friendly and went out of their way to make sure our stay was perfect.

Some friends of ours decided to join us on the trip and we all had a great time hanging out together. On our first night there, we all dined at Gaia Ristorante, an Italian restaurant located inside the hotel. We were actually waited on by the restaurant manager who provided us with excellent service. L is a huge shrimp scampi fan and did not see it on the menu. When the manager overheard our conversation about the scampi, he offered to have it specially prepared for us. Amazing service!

To end our first night in town, L and I decided to check out some local clubs. Earlier, he asked the bartender for club recommendations and she provided us with a list of local spots. During dinner, she brought a couple of passes to Sobe Live to us granting free admission. Besides waiting in line for and hour and having too much to drink I had a great time dancing and hanging out with my hubby.

Saturday was devoted to relaxing on the beach and recovering from the night before. We also and the opportunity to have dinner with another friend who has relocated to the area.

Sadly, all good vacations must come to and end. This was one of the best trips I've had and can not wait to return to the city. Next time I hope to experience other aspects and areas of the city. Below are a few pictures from the weekend.

hustle man is everywhere :-)

view from the beach
my favorite spot near the hotel pool

Panko Fried Shrimp

It dawned on me today that I haven't cooked a meal since last Thursday. So today I tried a new recipe for fried shrimp. While searching online, I came across a panko fried shrimp recipe on cdkitchen.com. It was perfect as I had all the ingredients on hand.

I modified it slightly and think next time I will coat the shrimp in buffalo sauce before adding the flour, egg and breading. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from cdkitchen

16 large or jumbo shrimp

Canola oil, for frying

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon salt

Pepper, as desired (I added 1 teaspoon of red pepper to bread crumbs and flour)

2 eggs

2 cups Panko or other Japanese-style dried bread crumbs

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Parsley, for garnish

Rinse and peel fresh shrimp, leaving tails on. Devein. Shake off excess water.

Heat oil in heavy pot or fryer on stove. Oil should be 3-4 inches below the top of the pot, but still deep enough to immerse shrimp. You'll want oil at about 360 degrees to fry shrimp. (Oil should have a slight haze over it but not be smoking.)

Mix together flour, salt and pepper in one shallow bowl. Scramble the eggs in another bowl. Put the bread crumbs in a third bowl.

Dredge shrimp in flour, dip in egg, then in bread crumbs to coat thoroughly. When you have 4-5 breaded, put them in the hot oil.

Let them fry, turning if necessary, until golden brown. Remove with a skimmer or slotted spoon. Put on a wire rack with paper towel underneath it to drain. (You also can blot on paper towel, but a wire rack keeps them crisper.) Fry in batches.

Serve on a platter with wedges of lemon and parsley sprigs.

Two for the Price of One

Today, I completed my eighth Toastmasters' speech towards my Competent Communicator goal. Yes, only two more speeches to go! For this meeting I had the wonderful idea to create a PowerPoint presentation regarding my progress in my cake decorating skills. As an added bonus, I decided to bake a red velvet cake and document through photos the steps needed to decorate the cake. During the meeting each member received a number and we held a drawing to determine who would receive the cake. Not to leave anyone out, the rest of the members received a cupcake.

Later this afternoon, I received an email from the winning member and learned he decided to raffle off the cake to assist in his fundraising efforts for the Atlanta AIDS Walk. I feel extremely honored that he chose to use the cake for this purpose. After giving people the opportunity to win the cake at $1 per ticket, he was able to raise $70 in two hours towards his goal. I've been asked to bake another cake for his team.

This was the first time I made my mother's red velvet cake recipe so I will count it towards my new recipe goal. However, I am feeling really selfish and will not disclose her recipe. You have to keep something in the familyJ. I will, however share Martha Stewart's red velvet recipe as it is similar to my mom's recipe.

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.

Figo Pasta

Our most recent team lunch was held at Figo Pasta located in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood. It is immediately across the street from another restaurant favorite of mine, Murphy's.

Figo is a small, quaint restaurant with an open kitchen and friendly staff. Upon arriving, you immediately place order at the counter and it is then delivered to your table. The menu is relatively inexpensive. You have the option of creating your own dish using one of their freshly made pastas and sauce combination. On this visit, I tried the whole wheat penne with Italian sausage and peppers... yummy!

I am so happy, I decided to try out different local restaurants. Our next scheduled team lunch will be held at the Flying Biscuit Cafe.

Hot & Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

Occasionally, L and I will take a late night ride to Taco Cabana for a chicken quesadilla, margarita and some people watching. I wanted to see I can make a quesadilla to rival theirs and am quite pleased with the result. I followed the recipe below but marinated the chicken overnight in McCormick's chipotle pepper marinade. Also, I added some fire roasted peppers and onions I found in the freezer section of Trader Joe's. Enjoy!

Hot and Spicy Chicken Quesadillas
Adapted from CD Kitchen

2 teaspoons Olive oil
2 Boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tablespoons Chili sauce
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
4 Flour tortillas (8-inch size)
1 cup Shredded Cheddar cheese
4 teaspoons Canola oil or plain vegetable oil

Directions:

• Preheat a griddle on medium heat on top of the stove. Add the olive oil to the hot pan. Place the chicken strips, chili sauce, peppers, onion and jalapeno pepper in the pan and sauté until cooked through, approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove and reserve.
• Wipe the pan clean.
• Place the chicken mixture on one half of each of the flour tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese and fold over to form a half circle.
• Again, preheat the griddle on medium. Oil the cooking surface with one tsp. Canola oil. Place a filled tortilla on the cooking surface. Cook until light brown. Turn. Repeat with the other three tortillas. Slice each tortilla into three wedges and serve with salsa and black beans.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Today's crock pot recipe was a new twist on pork roast. It is another Publix Simple Meal recipe. Based on the recipe I thought it would be full of flavor but it just didn't produce the symphony of flavor I was looking for. I ended up shredding the meat and adding some BBQ sauce to it. I may end up freezing it for some late fall or early winter BBQ craving.

Ingredients
olive oil cooking spray
1 pork shoulder roast (about 4 lb)
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 fresh garlic cloves
2 chorizo links (about 3 oz)
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles (undrained)

Steps
1. Coat slow cooker with cooking spray; preheat on high. Cut 10–12 one-half-inch-deep slits into fat side of pork, about 1–2 inches apart. Sprinkle roast with adobo seasoning and pepper; place in slow cooker (fat side up).
2. Crush garlic, using garlic press, over top of pork. Use knife to remove garlic from bottom of press. Rub garlic into pork, pressing into slits (wash hands).
3. Slice chorizo lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; sprinkle over pork. Spread chiles over top of pork. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 8–10 hours or until tender and internal temperature reaches 160°F. Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.)

Get Yo' Man Chicken

Today's dinner recipe is from Gina Neely of "Down Home with the Neely's". Since I had all the ingredients on hand, I just had to try it. While cooking, it reminded me of the smells of my mother's kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Get Yo' Man Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken thighs, skinless
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in thick puree (I used fire roasted tomatoes)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon lemon-pepper
Hot buttered rice ( I used yellow rice)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken, meat-side down first, and turning once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate to reserve.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan.

Add onion to the pan and saute until tender, roughly 3 minutes. Add the stock and wine and stir, scrapping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to high and reduce by half, about 3 minutes.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the dried herbs and lemon pepper. Add the chicken thighs back into the pan.Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 40 minutes.

Remove chicken from liquid and serve on hot buttered rice. Ladle the sauce on top and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

I originally intended to make these cookies for Inauguration Day in honor of President Obama. Well laziness got the best of me and the ingredients just hung out in my pantry until I came across the white chocolate chips last week. I must say, I am so mad at myself for not making these sooner because they are wonderful. My co-workers will enjoy these on Monday.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

2 cups all purpose flour ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt (I omitted since I only had salted butter)
¾ cup melted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups chopped macadamia nuts
2 cups white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
3. Beat together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the egg, then beat in the egg yolk, then beat in the vanilla.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just moistened. Stir in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chip by hand with a rubber spatula.
5. Roll into balls or drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets, and press down on the cookies with your palm a bit to flatten.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges look golden brown and the middles don't look quite set. Allow to finish cooling on the baking sheet.

Martha Stewart Cupcake Club

I've decided to amend my 101 list to include baking my way though Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book. I plan on completing at least 15 of the projects. For the most part, I will be going at my own pace but once a month I will participate in the MSC monthly baking challenge organized by Sugar B of eatmycupcake.com.

My first challenge is due in 3 weeks and I'll post the results at that time. This should be interesting and my husband and co-workers will be happy with the results.

Angel Hair With Spicy Shrimp

I absolutely love Brown and Bridal and the things I've learned from the fabulous ladies that frequent the site. I found out about this recipe while reading the weekly menu of one of the posters and just had to try it.

Angel Hair with Spicy Shrimp

3/4 pound angel hair pasta or spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp, thawed
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it brown). Add the shrimp, wine, red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted.
3. Toss the pasta with the shrimp mixture.

I modified it slightly be increasing the amount of crushed red pepper and adding 1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper. This one will go in the recipe binder.

Enjoy!

Bringing Crockpot Tuesdays Back

Today, I decided to pull out my crock pot. I tried a recipe I found on Publix's Simple Meals. You have to love a one dish meal.

Ingredients

1 (18-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

3/4 cup cooked sweet Vidalia onions and peppers

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin chops

1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning

Steps

1. Preheat slow cooker on high.

2. Stir together in slow cooker: barbecue sauce, sugar and flour.

3. Stir in onions and peppers.

4. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with steak seasoning. Add to slow cooker and submerge in barbecue sauce. Wash hands.

5. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 8-10 hours. Serve.

All in all, it was ok and I prefer real BBQ since it is so flavorful. If I make this again, I may marinate the chops or add some extra seasonings.

I've been tagged

Today, I was tagged by fellow Babbie Mrs. G of The Givens Chronicles. The rules are simple and are listed below.

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. List six things that make you happy.
3. Tag six bloggers and let them know they're "it".

So the 6 things that make me happy...
1. God's love
2. My wonderful husband
3. My family and friends
4. Strolling aimlessly through The Container Store
5. Listening to Adore by Prince
6. My suga booga (dog), Kincaid

The bloggers I'm tagging:
The Givens Chronicles
Soul of Charanne
The Divine Diva Files
Sweetcakes by Melissa
MmmmUmmGood
Deals for the Short and Curvy

Sweet and Hot Chicken

I learned of this dish after it was shared in a post by one of my online friends. It is simple and most important quite tasty. L and I enjoyed this dish and will make it again. I think next time I will tweak it a bit to give it a little spicy kick.

Sweet and Hot Chicken

Chicken wings cleaned and separated
1 pack McCormicks Grill Mates Peppercorn & Garlic marinade
Honey
BBQ Sauce

Follow directions to prepare marinade and add 3 tablespoons of honey for sweetness. Allow chicken to marinate 1 hour or longer before baking. Once the chicken has browned, remove it from the oven and place the chicken into a baking dish (I used a disposable pan for the first phase of baking then transferred to a baking dish). Drizzle with BBQ sauce and more honey then place back in the oven until its done

Thanks Monique!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

Over the past few weeks I haven't cooked much at home. On Friday, I sat down planned out meals for the next two weeks and am committing myself to continuing doing this. I purposefully, added new recipes to the mix and will update the blog after each.


Today, I decided to make homemade brownies as dessert. I love brownies but can not recall ever having them made from scratch. A few weeks ago, my brother gave me a copy of Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook and I used her fudge brownie recipe.

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or heatproof glass dish. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on 2 sides. Set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.
Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and onto the rack. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into 2-inch squares. Brownies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Getting Excited!!!

Earlier this summer I purchased tickets for the traveling production of The Color Purple. I love love love the movie and have seen it countless times. "You told Harpo to beat me....." classic!

I hadn't given the play much thought this summer but I recently saw a commercial advertising its Atlanta run. I can't wait to get the opportunity to see it and will be certain to post after the production. Stay tuned.

My kind of sports bar

After a few weeks of conflicting schedules, my co-workers and I had an opportunity to go out for another team lunch. Today, we took a quick walk to a nearby sports bar STATS. I am not a sports fanatic, but I wouldn't mind catching a game here.

I loved the design of the restaurant and its furnishing. They had these extremely neat tap tables. Basically, you have the bar at your table. I don't drink beer but like the concept nonetheless. It would be great if they had those for martinis. Hey, a girl can dream can't she.

The menu was not your traditional bar grub. Our waitress recommended the Crabcake BLT and we all took her up on the choice. She was right, this sandwich was great. I'll have to make myself try something different next time.

To top off a great outing, we found out that since our employer is nearby, we qualified for 10% discount during lunch. Got to love that. We will certainly go there again.

The Joy of Baking....kinda

Recently, I made two cakes for some friends. I am happy that others are enjoying the result of my cake decorating courses. Plus, as mentioned earlier it gives me a chance to practice.

For the time being I am still using box mixes. I'll venture out and begin using my mom's recipes soon.

Anniversary cake for friends 5th wedding anniversary. She requested a basket weave since that was the design on their wedding cake.

Birthday Cake- Lemon cake with lemon icing wrapped in fondant.

Italian Spinach Meatloaf

This is not a new recipe for me but I wanted to share it. I love the original version from Murphy's, although this one holds its own. Enjoy!

ITALIAN SPINACH MEATLOAF

1/3 c. olive oil

1 lg. onion
4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. crushed hot red pepper

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach (pkg. thawed, squeeze out water)

2 lb. ground lean beef

1 lb. Italian style sweet sausage

3/4 c. fine dry bread crumbs

3 eggs, beaten

1/3 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp. salt

In skillet, heat olive oil over high heat. Add onion, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, hot red pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook covered until onion is tender, about 20 minutes. Add spinach stirring to break up spinach for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl combine beef and sausage. Stir in spinach mixture, bread crumbs, eggs, Parmesan cheese and salt; mix well. Form meat into large round meatloaf and bake for about 1 1/2 hours. You may serve with warmed tomato sauce on the side.

Recipe from cooks.com

Practice Practice Practice

Red velvet cake for a July 4th cook out. The bow needs some work.

America I Am: The African American Imprint

Recently, L and I had an opportunity to visit the America I Am: The African American Imprint
exhibit here in Atlanta. The exhibition covers the range of the African American experience from the slave trade to modern day. I must say, I love museums and any venue that gives me the opportunity to learn or discover new things. This trip fit the bill perfectly.

There were so many unique pieces including doors from the castle where Africans were held captive prior to their voyage, , Frederick Douglas' clothing , Malcolm X's qur'an and diary chronically his pilgrimage to Mecca and one of my personal favorites Prince's guitar used during the 2007 Super Bowl. Of course there was so much more but these are some of the items that stuck with me.

I was so happy to see the venue was packed with visitors. I plan to return with my sister for a visit during the week. Hopefully, I will be able to spend more time absorbing the entire experience. Definitely check out the exhibit if you get an opportunity. You won't regret it.

Spicy Surf and Turf

Today, I tried two new recipes for spicy twist on surf and turf. I modified both recipes by changing the cooking method. My version is listed below with a link to the original recipe.

Fiery Hot Texas T-Bones
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
2 large T-Bone steaks 1 1/2 inches thick, 2 1/2 pounds total

Combine dry spice rub: chipotle powder, cumin and grill seasoning. Rub steaks liberally on both sides with the mixture. Broil steaks in oven on low setting for about 5 minutes on each side.
(Original recipe from Food Network)

Chipotle Grilled Shrimp
1 1/2 pounds (about 4042) large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 small can chipotle chiles in adobo, stemmed and wiped clean
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place shrimp in large bowl. Place chiles in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade and puree. With the motor running, drizzle in oil until creamy emulsion is formed. Pour over shrimp in bowl and mix thoroughly to coat shrimp. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. Place on baking sheet and broil in oven until opaque. (Original recipe from Food Network)

A few more cakes

Since starting the class, I've made a few cakes for people. I plan to do some more in the coming months for friend's birthdays and special occasions to continue practicing what I've learned. I don't want this new found knowledge/skill to go to waste. :-)

Made for my mom for Mother's Day

Co-worker's 35th wedding anniversary

Brother's birthday

My husband is a die hard Colt's fan. He loved this cake.

Thank Goodness I'm Finished!

I am too ecstatic to be finished with all four of Wilton's cake decorating courses. When I started out back in March, I only wanted to take one class. Although, I had a rough start I was really interested in learning more about the craft. I am truly happy that I stuck it out.

Below are some pictures from my final class project. I guess I am my worst critic because it didn't turn out the way I wanted but my family thinks its nice.