she's blowin' away!

Dear weather.com,
I am getting really tired of this:And I do NOT like that March 1, 3, and 4th is supposed to be:

and

Let's move on already!
Thanks,
Megan

Day of Birth

My birthday was earlier this week. Those things just keep coming up, don't they? I remember when I was a kid I always looked forward to my birthday. I could not wait to get a year older! Plus the excitement of having a birthday and getting to have cake and ice cream was great! It kind of looses it's flair as I get older, but I still do everything I can to have a fun day.
Last year I posted reasons why I do enjoy my birthday. I would say they are pretty much the same this year. Last year I got to spend the birthday with Dad. I wish we could have been together this year, but instead I got to share the day with Ben. I still can't get over the fact of how many people I share my birthday with. I wonder if this is common. Do other people have friends and family members with the same birthday? Seriously, I have NEVER had a birthday where I wasn't around someone else whose birthday it was. Well, maybe once I did in Tallahassee. I think so, but 1 out of 28... that's crazy.

Well, this year Ben and I hung out and celebrated our day. We didn't have to work, so we went to a movie in the middle of the day and then met some people for dinner. We had dinner/dessert at this place called Max Brenner. I don't even know how to begin telling you about Max Brenner. It's main dish is chocolate. It's a bit of a chocolate factory. They have pipes running across the ceiling and down the walls of the restaurant that are pumping chocolate around. White chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate. They have an amazing menu of chocolate drinks, desserts, as well as real food. Some of the real food doesn't include chocolate... but some does! They have more versions of hot chocolate than you know what to do with. When you walk into Max Brenner you are hit with the deep, rich smell of the chocolate being made there. Oh my.... sometimes when I walk by I want to pop in for just a second to take in a big breath of chocolately air. The atmosphere of the place is really nice too... it's kind of dark and energetic which makes it like a chocolate factory for grown-ups. Appropriate place for a grown-up birthday, right???

Anyway - the group of us that went split a few different plates of regular food, which was delicious, we had some chocolate drinks, and then split a chocolate pizza for desert! The waiter even put a few candles in it for the b-day! Oh my - this "pizza" was just amazing. The menu describes it as warm thin pastry topped with double melted chocolate chunks, melted marshmallows, and candied hazelnut crunchy bits. We, of course, got it with a side of sliced banana to add to the flavor explosion. Mmmm.... mouth watering just thinking about it. I need to go back some other time to try the waffles topped with fruits, ice cream, and chocolate. Or the chocolate fondue at the table beside us looked fun and delicious too. Okay, I'm going to stop drooling. But you should seriously go over to their website and take a look through the menu. Some very nice pictures and descriptions over there.

Union Square

Just a random New York photo.

Good old Val

Well, it is February the 14th. The day that someone decided was the day of love. If you have been on my blog recently, you probably know that I am not having too much of a party today. If Stacy was here with me, you can probably guess what we would be doing. But, to those who observe the holiday, best wishes to you!
Excluding all the romantic mushiness and overblown, overpriced, overly tacky heart shaped everything in every store - I send my love to those out there who I love on different levels such as friends and family.
I will leave you with a photo from my archives of a little kitty valentine. Enjoy your day!

Wishful thinking

Okay, I have seriously had enough of the cold weather. I am not even joking. Yes, it has been warmer the past couple of days and I think tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer, but I just have to rant for a minute because I know this warmth is only here to tease me. I will get used to it (in the two days I get it) and then BAM! The tide will turn and I will freeze again. I am tired of wearing three layers of clothes, then scarves, hats, heavy coats, extra socks, gloves, etc. I like jeans and sweaters, so we really don't need to jump straight into the blazing stinky sweaty summer yet, but come on! It get's cold here...a biting cold where the wind gusts down the gray streets, sweeping trash past your feet into the curbs... good stuff.
Bring on the sunshine. Bring on the warmth. Bring on the flowers.

MEN

Stacy and I haven't always had the best luck when it comes to dating. I've met some great guys and had some nice times, but it seems like there is always some kind of a problem. Sometimes the timing is off. One person is really into the relationship and the other isn't so much. By the time the "isn't" person comes around the "is" person is usually moving on and now not so into it. Or sometimes communication is the issue. Two people want to get along and want to be together, but just cannot get those communication skills in sync with each other. Sometimes the people just drive each other crazy - even though the love each other they are just different and it doesn't quite work. Sometimes one member of the relationship has unrealistic expectations for the other. Maybe there is too much negativity involved and it seems like nobody can do anything right. Or maybe it's distance that keeps people apart. Regardless, there are many many reasons why relationships are difficult and so often won't work out. This can be so frustrating, but as a wise father often says, "The only thing that is easy is getting in trouble." So true.

As the years have passed and two fabulous sisters have watched Cupid's arrows whiz by and puncture everyone else around us, we have decided to take matters into our own hands...the best way we know how. It is becoming a tradition that when we are together we "make men". These men, made out of gingerbread, are delightful. We can create them to be anything we want (or don't want). We have a mold for the "perfect man", but we aren't shallow... we make a variety of men and appreciate them all. We had a tall man, a skinny man, a cowboy, a fat man, a Christian man, etc, etc... and they each had unique personalities when it came to their dress/decoration. They did get a little puffed up when they went into the oven and kind of fell apart when they went into the storage container. But in the end, the most important part... they all tasted pretty good when we bit their heads off and they never had to have the last word. Someday we will find our Mr. Rights at the right time, but for now I will have to be satisfied with what comes out of the oven.

Fabulous French Toast!

If I had to say what my cooking "specialty" is, I am not sure exactly what it would be. I love trying new recipes and different ingredients. I have a few things I do repeatedly, but for the most part I try new things. But the one meal that I am always willing to throw together for people is my French Toast! I've been using this recipe since I went to Indiana. I have made this dish for more people than anything else... and there is a reason! I am a huge fan of FT anyway, so I like to make it for myself... and not only in the mornings... FT can be a fabulous dinner!

There are several things that make my French Toast so scrumptious. I can't give away all of my secret ingredients, but I will tell you that the choice of bread makes quite a difference. I used to always use a buttermilk white bread, but I haven't been able to find it in a while. I wanted to make my toast in NY, but got frustrated when looking for the right bread. I tried a few different things, but nothing seemed right. But THEN I ran into Challah bread... a braided egg bread traditionally used for Jewish Sabbath. This stuff makes eggcellent French Toast and I can get it at Fairway Market in New York! Not too far from where I live! YES!

As a part of my new year cooking-at-home extravaganza I busted out my recipe last week and made some breakfast (it was more like lunch, but who's counting). Throw in a side of bacon, orange juice, coffee, and top with maple syrup and you've got happiness on a plate. Bonjour!

predictable, yes, but...

Does this picture make anyone else happy like it makes me???

Sick Chef

Well, my new year quickly crashed and burned as I got attacked by some kind of cold/virus/evil thing. I was in New York for the new year celebration and for a few days after. I guess I had too much fun and got sick from it. Just in time to drive back to West Virginia to spend another week. I have spent the last two days here in bed, barely able to do anything besides blow my nose and flip the tv channel. Not much fun, I tell you. Today I am starting to look up. I hoped to wake up fresh and energetic but that didn't happen. I am definitely on the road to recovery, but I may have to give myself another day or so to complete health.

I did have a nice time over the holidays. I got to spend time with friends, play a little, move into my new place, and have some fun. A resolution I have made for this year is to cook more. I love to cook, especially to try new recipes and foods. Unfortunately, my many living situations, constant moving, and busy lifestyle made it difficult for me to do much cooking. I vow to make more of an effort to make it happen this year. Not only is it fun, but it tastes good and SAVES MONEY! Tell me what is wrong with that?

I started out the year making a couple of recipes from my new cookbook I got for Christmas: Great Food Fast. This book seems like a pretty good one because it has a lot of recipes that look practical and pretty easy to make. I sometimes get into the trap of making things that take forever and make big gourmet dinners, but I don't have a clue what to make for dinner TONIGHT! This book looks like a good one for that problem. It also divides its recipes into sections according to season, which is nice because (if I follow these sections) I will be able to use ingredients that are fresh and in season (aka. better tasting and more affordable!).
Besides this book, I plan on taking several of my cookbooks that I had left in WV back to NY with me. That way when I want to cook I will have a lot of great recipes on hand. I had been trying to look up recipes on the internet as I went along, but when I found myself without high-speed internet I found myself in trouble! In addition to my books, a few of my important tools, pots, and gadgets are going to have to come with me. The only thing I really took last year was my spice box. It, I knew I couldn't live without. Gotta have flavor even if you don't have a recipe or a spoon to mix it with. A girl has to have her priorities.

Happy New Year!!!

Welcome 2009!!!

ornaments

drip drip drip

I sure hope Santa has some rain boots and an umbrella!