Couple weeks ago, I ate dinner at Avari Deli & Bistro in Blue Ash after volunteering. That day had especially been a hectic at work. I had a big lunch that morning so instead of going home to prepare a meal, I decided to try Avari. It was an experience.
The front end of the restaurant has a deli shop appeal, hence the name. Creamy salads and deli meats are displayed next to the cash register. One side of the entrance holds perishable canned kosher foods, and the other side had a refrigerator with kosher deli products, eggs and meat. I asked the young man at the register about ordering and was informed I could eat at the restaurant or order take out; I chose to eat at the place. He forgot to leave out a minor detail that I'll get to at the end. I read the large menu behind the counter and went with Low Carb Green salad with an addition of egg salad, for a dollar extra. He informed me they didn’t have egg salad because they were out of eggs. Hmm, Okay. I asked to try the Chicken salad, which was laden with mayonnaise. I don’t really care for those and asked to try the Tuna salad, and he said “it’s the same. The Chef adds a lot of mayonnaise to all the creamy salads.” Strike 1. He was implying the chef didn’t know what he was doing, and I wondered why any knowledgeable person that’s been in the restaurant business for 2 days would belittle the chef and the food? I ordered the chicken salad with my Low Carb salad anyway.
When I sat down, I noticed one other table was taken by a Rabbi and his teenage son. The young man that had taken my order and the restaurant’s chef/owner were conversing with the Rabbi. I presume they are friends or family. As I looked around, the wall décor was half done. The decorations that were up looked marvelous but I think they either ran out of money or gave up half way after starting; there were patches of unpainted plaster, not exactly appealing to the eye.
While I waited for my food, all of 25 minutes for a green salad, I was flabbergasted when I overheard the Rabbi’s phone conversation. He spoke of removing evolutionism theory from schools, especially from the school he was planning to fund because creationism was the “accurate version" to teach the children. All this while the owner looked on. I was very put off by this because as an owner of the restaurant he did not tell the Rabbi, a patron- friend , to mind his manners. Strike 2. And as a respectable patron, the Rabbi 1) should not discuss his personal views on such issues loud enough for others to hear and 2) should have public manners. I found the whole thing to be rude and offensive. Unacceptable.
Seeing that the entire restaurant was empty, except for one other table, I was surprised my food took a long time to prepare. It eventually arrived and it was disappointing and tasteless. The salad consisted of roughly chopped lettuce, onions on one side, mushrooms and tomatoes on the other, with a big blob of chicken salad on top. I ordered a Caesar dressing on the side that tasted nothing like a good Caesar dressing. Strike 3. Usually restaurants that have bad or slow service make up for it in food.
The restaurant had made enough errors for the night, it couldn’t have gotten worse, but it did. I finished my dinner and walked up to pay for my food. My total was $7.90; I thought to myself if the salad was $4.99 + chicken salad, $1.00, with tax included it should be around $6.50. I asked why it was $7.90 and he said, Avari charges $1.00 extra for eating at the restaurant. When I inquired about ordering, he failed to mention that minor detail. I haven't been living under the rock the past few years or have I? When did restaurants start charging for eating in? Restaurants should love patrons and encourage them eating in for tips and to prove their good service. Clearly that wasn’t the case for Avari. It’s not the $1.00 that bothers me, it’s the principle of charging patrons for choosing to eat at the restaurant I disagree with. Strike Out completely. F
Avari scored low in the food as well as the service. Maybe it was the salad, but I don't care to go back to find out. It’s not worth my money to order and wait for a salad that tastes okay and get charged unnecessarily. I rarely give restaurants a low rating, however Avari missed all the marks. It is in prime location and I hope a better restaurant with good food and service replaces this one, soon.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
perfect for winter soup
This past Saturday was a fun filled one. I volunteered at a local center in the morning. I am happy to say it was my kind of volunteering; it was a cooking class for patients, recovering patients and/or families of patients that want to learn new recipes and ideas to healthful cooking and eating. I volunteered to help the chef/teacher prepare, cook and serve the food. While I got started, the teacher talked about the benefits of each fruit, vegetable, herb and spice we were using. Words can’t describe how much fun I had.
She had planned to make lots of things. Given that we had 2 hours for the class we narrowed it down to about 6 dishes. They were:
Green salad with Peanut dressing
Another salad with kale pesto dressing
Curried Cauliflower
Red Bean Vegetarian Chili with Hominy
Leek, Apple and Walnut sauté
Squash and Kale with northern bean soup
I dived right into making the peanut dressing as she started her talk, then made the chili and curried cauliflower. I had excellent students sitting across from the stove that were interested in the spices for chili and cauliflower than a lesson on good eating habits. I loved talking to them and answering their questions. I heart cooking.
All in all, it was a good day, volunteering.
We usually have lots of vegetables and fruits left over from cooking class, and instead of wasting, I brought home 2 lbs of kale and Swiss chard.
My thought process: “It’s perfect weather for soup, kale is in season, and I’ve got a bunch that needs to be used, why not try it?” I saw some recipes for white bean and potato soup, one with arugula that I used as a guide.
That evening I made a Kale, Northern Bean and Potato soup.
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed with the pan of a knife
1 cup dried northern beans, any white beans will do*
2 medium Idaho potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and roughly chopped**
1 teaspoon dried Rosemary
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/8 teaspoon of jalapeño chili pepper, optional (I like it for a slight kick)
1lb Kale, washed, drained and chopped
3 cups vegetable stock, low or no sodium
1/2 cup milk
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Shaved Parmesan cheese
*Note: I prefer to use dried beans (this includes cannelini, kidney, garbanzo, black eyed peas- not really beans but you get the point) because dried beans retain their flavor and, in my opinion, are much fresher than canned. If you prefer using canned, use those. (side note: The husband and family think I only enjoy food that’s labor intensive. Not true but I’ll let them have it.)
If using dried beans, soak beans in water for couple hours, overnight is preferable.
Pressure cooking beans and long cooking starches such as potatoes and root vegetables speeds up their cooking process. If you don't have a pressure cooker, follow the recipe starting with olive oil in a sauce pan.
**Note: Scrub, half and cook potatoes with beans in a pressure cooker.
If using pressure cooker: rinse soaked beans with water, add to the pressure cooker with halved potatoes and salt. Add enough water to cover both beans and potatoes. Follow the instructions to your pressure cooker for heat and cooking times. After 5-6 whistles, turn off heat and cool before opening. (Opening a hot pressure cooker immediately after turning off heat can mean disaster so allow it to cool, until the steam escapes from the cooker.)
If not using the pressure cooker, in a tall pot, bring the dried beans, salt and water to boil. Turn heat to medium and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Stir occasionally so the beans do not stick to the pot.
Tip for dried beans, they are done when they smash smoothly between thumb and index finger.
If using canned beans, skip the above steps. Scrub, peel and roughly chop potatoes, onions, garlic, green chili pepper, if using (for jalapeño (or any hot) pepper, use gloves or wash hands immediately).
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium flame. Add onions and garlic; there should be a sizzle when adding these, if not then the pan isn’t hot enough. When onions are translucent, add pressure cooked potatoes, beans, ground pepper, rosemary, thyme, jalapeño pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add roughly chopped kale, enough stock to cover, milk, salt and black pepper. Stir and cook until kale wilts. Using a stick blender, blend the ingredient in the pan or transfer to manual blender and blend the soup into preferred consistency. The husband likes a pureed soup and I like it with pieces of potatoes and kale so I blend until it is 75% pureed.
If using canned beans and raw potatoes.
Add raw cubed potatoes and salt to translucent onions and cook for 10 minutes covered. When potatoes are almost done, add simmered or canned beans, ground pepper, rosemary, thyme, jalapeño pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes. Follow the steps for kale and rest of the ingredients.
Add shaved parmesan cheese to the soup and serve hot on winter nights.
Damn that was a long post.... And you read all of it? Thank you, you should be awarded. If you try this recipe, leave me comments, and suggestions.
Picture to come…
She had planned to make lots of things. Given that we had 2 hours for the class we narrowed it down to about 6 dishes. They were:
Green salad with Peanut dressing
Another salad with kale pesto dressing
Curried Cauliflower
Red Bean Vegetarian Chili with Hominy
Leek, Apple and Walnut sauté
Squash and Kale with northern bean soup
I dived right into making the peanut dressing as she started her talk, then made the chili and curried cauliflower. I had excellent students sitting across from the stove that were interested in the spices for chili and cauliflower than a lesson on good eating habits. I loved talking to them and answering their questions. I heart cooking.
All in all, it was a good day, volunteering.
We usually have lots of vegetables and fruits left over from cooking class, and instead of wasting, I brought home 2 lbs of kale and Swiss chard.
My thought process: “It’s perfect weather for soup, kale is in season, and I’ve got a bunch that needs to be used, why not try it?” I saw some recipes for white bean and potato soup, one with arugula that I used as a guide.
That evening I made a Kale, Northern Bean and Potato soup.
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed with the pan of a knife
1 cup dried northern beans, any white beans will do*
2 medium Idaho potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and roughly chopped**
1 teaspoon dried Rosemary
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/8 teaspoon of jalapeño chili pepper, optional (I like it for a slight kick)
1lb Kale, washed, drained and chopped
3 cups vegetable stock, low or no sodium
1/2 cup milk
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Shaved Parmesan cheese
*Note: I prefer to use dried beans (this includes cannelini, kidney, garbanzo, black eyed peas- not really beans but you get the point) because dried beans retain their flavor and, in my opinion, are much fresher than canned. If you prefer using canned, use those. (side note: The husband and family think I only enjoy food that’s labor intensive. Not true but I’ll let them have it.)
If using dried beans, soak beans in water for couple hours, overnight is preferable.
Pressure cooking beans and long cooking starches such as potatoes and root vegetables speeds up their cooking process. If you don't have a pressure cooker, follow the recipe starting with olive oil in a sauce pan.
**Note: Scrub, half and cook potatoes with beans in a pressure cooker.
If using pressure cooker: rinse soaked beans with water, add to the pressure cooker with halved potatoes and salt. Add enough water to cover both beans and potatoes. Follow the instructions to your pressure cooker for heat and cooking times. After 5-6 whistles, turn off heat and cool before opening. (Opening a hot pressure cooker immediately after turning off heat can mean disaster so allow it to cool, until the steam escapes from the cooker.)
If not using the pressure cooker, in a tall pot, bring the dried beans, salt and water to boil. Turn heat to medium and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Stir occasionally so the beans do not stick to the pot.
Tip for dried beans, they are done when they smash smoothly between thumb and index finger.
If using canned beans, skip the above steps. Scrub, peel and roughly chop potatoes, onions, garlic, green chili pepper, if using (for jalapeño (or any hot) pepper, use gloves or wash hands immediately).
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium flame. Add onions and garlic; there should be a sizzle when adding these, if not then the pan isn’t hot enough. When onions are translucent, add pressure cooked potatoes, beans, ground pepper, rosemary, thyme, jalapeño pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add roughly chopped kale, enough stock to cover, milk, salt and black pepper. Stir and cook until kale wilts. Using a stick blender, blend the ingredient in the pan or transfer to manual blender and blend the soup into preferred consistency. The husband likes a pureed soup and I like it with pieces of potatoes and kale so I blend until it is 75% pureed.
If using canned beans and raw potatoes.
Add raw cubed potatoes and salt to translucent onions and cook for 10 minutes covered. When potatoes are almost done, add simmered or canned beans, ground pepper, rosemary, thyme, jalapeño pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes. Follow the steps for kale and rest of the ingredients.
Add shaved parmesan cheese to the soup and serve hot on winter nights.
Damn that was a long post.... And you read all of it? Thank you, you should be awarded. If you try this recipe, leave me comments, and suggestions.
Picture to come…
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Eating at our Indonesian restaurant is an experience!
This is really sad for me to admit but, last weekend was my first time trying Indonesian food. I thought I had tried it when I lived on the East Coast but clearly it wasn’t Indonesian, maybe Malaysian. That was really good. Anyhow, Gajah Wong is a wonderful place here in the area that we tried last week. It was me, the husband and a very close friend celebrating her birthday. The restaurant is located off of a main street in a fun and diverse neighborhood.
The restaurant’s décor is contemporary and tropical. When I stepped inside, I felt as if I was stepping into a big Asian furniture boutique with wall art and masks. The tables and chairs are made of rattan. The walls are covered with mirrors and wall-hangings on every last inch of the space. It’s busy for the eyes but very beautiful. When we entered, we were greeted immediately and seated in the main room. We began with a round of drinks. The birthday girl ordered a Gajah Wong, I ordered Love Potion, and the husband ordered beer. He was driving…. My drink was tropically and tasty. Apparently it tasted a lot like Mai Tai, or so I was told… (I haven’t had one of those before, sad but true.) As soon as our drinks were set, my eyes were on the Gajah Wong. I was impressed with her drink more than mine. Guess what I ordered the second round? Our friend jokingly said, “their dinner menu is sparse and they have quiet a spread on the drink menu” which is very true. As we were browsing for appetizers and dinner options, we found the menu to be limited compared to their drink choices which seemed endless.
For appetizers, my companions shared a Shrimp Indo Garden Roll which looked a lot like the Vietnamese Vegetable Roll in rice paper while I ordered a cup of Soto Ayam and rice soup. This soup was marvelous and made to perfection. Both the turmeric and lime leaves were added precisely, not overpowering the soup. It also had a generous amount of vermicelli noodles, vegetables, and chicken to balance the thin broth. As I enjoyed my soup, they inhaled their rolls, which is usually a good sign.
For main entrée I ordered Chicken Kare, a mix of exotic spices, chilies, and nuts cooked in a coconut milk mixture. I enjoyed this dish but not as much as I was hoping to. It lacked a little in the spicy department. I was expecting my taste buds to do a number in my mouth after the first bite and the Kare didn’t do it for me. It was a good dish, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t a 10. The drink, Gajah Wong, definitely was…… My dish could have had extra chilies, spices and nuts to enhance the flavor. The husband ordered a Shrimp Adhun and our friend had Chicken Adhun. They both enjoyed their entrees. Maybe next time I will order an Adhun. That sounds so exciting… A-dhoooonn.
And if our grand dinner wasn’t enough, we ordered a Kahlua cake. I know there is nothing Indonesian about Kahlua but we wanted chocolate. It was delicious and a great ending to a wonderful dinner. It tasted like drunken cake, “would you like some cake with your Kahlua?” And none of us were complaining.
Overall we had a good experience at the restaurant. They had a great staff that took care of us and an exceptional bartender that made great drinks. Sometimes that’s all it takes…. Though I wasn’t pleased with my main entrée, I was delighted with the soup, drinks and service. All of those are good reasons for me to visit Gajah Wong again when I am in the mood to be transported to tropical land.
The restaurant’s décor is contemporary and tropical. When I stepped inside, I felt as if I was stepping into a big Asian furniture boutique with wall art and masks. The tables and chairs are made of rattan. The walls are covered with mirrors and wall-hangings on every last inch of the space. It’s busy for the eyes but very beautiful. When we entered, we were greeted immediately and seated in the main room. We began with a round of drinks. The birthday girl ordered a Gajah Wong, I ordered Love Potion, and the husband ordered beer. He was driving…. My drink was tropically and tasty. Apparently it tasted a lot like Mai Tai, or so I was told… (I haven’t had one of those before, sad but true.) As soon as our drinks were set, my eyes were on the Gajah Wong. I was impressed with her drink more than mine. Guess what I ordered the second round? Our friend jokingly said, “their dinner menu is sparse and they have quiet a spread on the drink menu” which is very true. As we were browsing for appetizers and dinner options, we found the menu to be limited compared to their drink choices which seemed endless.
For appetizers, my companions shared a Shrimp Indo Garden Roll which looked a lot like the Vietnamese Vegetable Roll in rice paper while I ordered a cup of Soto Ayam and rice soup. This soup was marvelous and made to perfection. Both the turmeric and lime leaves were added precisely, not overpowering the soup. It also had a generous amount of vermicelli noodles, vegetables, and chicken to balance the thin broth. As I enjoyed my soup, they inhaled their rolls, which is usually a good sign.
For main entrée I ordered Chicken Kare, a mix of exotic spices, chilies, and nuts cooked in a coconut milk mixture. I enjoyed this dish but not as much as I was hoping to. It lacked a little in the spicy department. I was expecting my taste buds to do a number in my mouth after the first bite and the Kare didn’t do it for me. It was a good dish, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t a 10. The drink, Gajah Wong, definitely was…… My dish could have had extra chilies, spices and nuts to enhance the flavor. The husband ordered a Shrimp Adhun and our friend had Chicken Adhun. They both enjoyed their entrees. Maybe next time I will order an Adhun. That sounds so exciting… A-dhoooonn.
And if our grand dinner wasn’t enough, we ordered a Kahlua cake. I know there is nothing Indonesian about Kahlua but we wanted chocolate. It was delicious and a great ending to a wonderful dinner. It tasted like drunken cake, “would you like some cake with your Kahlua?” And none of us were complaining.
Overall we had a good experience at the restaurant. They had a great staff that took care of us and an exceptional bartender that made great drinks. Sometimes that’s all it takes…. Though I wasn’t pleased with my main entrée, I was delighted with the soup, drinks and service. All of those are good reasons for me to visit Gajah Wong again when I am in the mood to be transported to tropical land.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Californication
I am a transformed girl after the trip out West in October. I always joked with friends that the furthest West I traveled was to Illinois by car and Texas by plane. That's not really far given there is so much to see in this country. I planned for this trip for months because I had heard so many great things about California. In 2007, it was THE place I wanted to visit. (I work better with smaller, attainable goals. Next: Spain) The husband visited California before we met so he wasn't oooohing and aaaaahing before and during our trip.
We started in LA, spent 3 days there and drove north on Route 1 to San Francisco and the Bay area. LA was great city to visit. It is very spread out and heavily backed up (no, not like that, though I am sure some people are because of the glitz and glamour...) with traffic. In LA we visited Universal Studios, drove on Rodeo drive, ate at a Thai restaurant in Beverly Hills, a celebrity hang out. How do I know? I don't, maybe due to its proximity to Beverly Hills... regardless I'll say it to feel like a big shot. The husband and I shared a Lamb dish and gave it passing marks. The presentation of the dish was wonderful but it lost points in taste and quantity. Most Asian restaurants we've been to they serve large portions to share or take home as leftovers; this wasn't the case for the Thai place in LA. I had higher expectations in taste; it lacked the lemon grass, chili, sriracha, bold thai flavors.
One of the touristy things I really wanted to do was see the Hollywood sign up close and personal.
(as close as we could get)
And we played in the cool waters of Santa Monica beach. The beach had a memorial for fallen soldiers in Iraq which I thought was touching.
Southern California has exceptional options for food. One of my missions was to eat as many (fresh) fish tacos as possible since that's an impossible find in the Midwest. One of the days, we ate at La Salsa in the Promenade in Santa Monica. They serve a variety of Mexican foods, especially fish tacos. Mine were tasty but nothing to rave home about. I was looking for an authentic taste rather than a 'pre made, fried to order' taste.
That night, we ate at a Greek restaurant in the Promenade, Stop N' Cafe. This isn't a typical Greek name that would attract diners' attention; it's the sweet people that work there. As we were looking over the menu, the host warmly greeted us and in matter of seconds we were being seated to a table of 10. The restaurant is long and narrow that sits about 30-40 people, inside and outside. The walls are covered in framed pictures of America's favorite actors and singers. After we were seated, the server introduced herself to us; I was excited to know she was Turkish! She even took the time to explain the menu in great detail to my dining companions who weren't familiar with Greek food.
From the menu, we ordered an appetizer of hummus and baba ganoush. It was one of the best tasting hummus I've had. (This coming from a cook that makes a mean hummus.) I ordered a chicken gyro for my main and enjoyed the sandwich immensely. The gyro had appropriate amounts of tzatziki and veggies. Both the food and service are exceptional and we were very glad we stopped to look at the menu. I highly recommend it to anyone that's in the area. For a large group, call ahead for reservations.
side note: The Promenade is a great spot to stroll and window shop. It has eclectic shops, diverse crowds and street performers.
The next day, we started our drive north to the Bay area. If there is only one thing I could do in California, it is to drive on Route 1. It's breathtaking. Stop at all the major tourist stops like Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, if possible. Do not miss an opportunity to drive alongside the Pacific ocean.
We drove to Pebble beach and paid to drive on 17 mile drive. Paid! I was surprised as well! It's a gorgeous, well-kept residential community by the beach and visitors pay to drive on the 17 mile drive loop. The houses, pardon me mansions, were unbelievable; starting at $18 million . I know, because I saw a "for sale" sign for one of the houses and I called the realtor to inquire about it. :)
The golf course is part of the loop; the husband was drooling as we were passing the course...
Heading North....
One of my favorite pictures...
Next stop, San Francisco.
We started in LA, spent 3 days there and drove north on Route 1 to San Francisco and the Bay area. LA was great city to visit. It is very spread out and heavily backed up (no, not like that, though I am sure some people are because of the glitz and glamour...) with traffic. In LA we visited Universal Studios, drove on Rodeo drive, ate at a Thai restaurant in Beverly Hills, a celebrity hang out. How do I know? I don't, maybe due to its proximity to Beverly Hills... regardless I'll say it to feel like a big shot. The husband and I shared a Lamb dish and gave it passing marks. The presentation of the dish was wonderful but it lost points in taste and quantity. Most Asian restaurants we've been to they serve large portions to share or take home as leftovers; this wasn't the case for the Thai place in LA. I had higher expectations in taste; it lacked the lemon grass, chili, sriracha, bold thai flavors.
One of the touristy things I really wanted to do was see the Hollywood sign up close and personal.
(as close as we could get)And we played in the cool waters of Santa Monica beach. The beach had a memorial for fallen soldiers in Iraq which I thought was touching.
Southern California has exceptional options for food. One of my missions was to eat as many (fresh) fish tacos as possible since that's an impossible find in the Midwest. One of the days, we ate at La Salsa in the Promenade in Santa Monica. They serve a variety of Mexican foods, especially fish tacos. Mine were tasty but nothing to rave home about. I was looking for an authentic taste rather than a 'pre made, fried to order' taste.
That night, we ate at a Greek restaurant in the Promenade, Stop N' Cafe. This isn't a typical Greek name that would attract diners' attention; it's the sweet people that work there. As we were looking over the menu, the host warmly greeted us and in matter of seconds we were being seated to a table of 10. The restaurant is long and narrow that sits about 30-40 people, inside and outside. The walls are covered in framed pictures of America's favorite actors and singers. After we were seated, the server introduced herself to us; I was excited to know she was Turkish! She even took the time to explain the menu in great detail to my dining companions who weren't familiar with Greek food.
From the menu, we ordered an appetizer of hummus and baba ganoush. It was one of the best tasting hummus I've had. (This coming from a cook that makes a mean hummus.) I ordered a chicken gyro for my main and enjoyed the sandwich immensely. The gyro had appropriate amounts of tzatziki and veggies. Both the food and service are exceptional and we were very glad we stopped to look at the menu. I highly recommend it to anyone that's in the area. For a large group, call ahead for reservations.
side note: The Promenade is a great spot to stroll and window shop. It has eclectic shops, diverse crowds and street performers.
The next day, we started our drive north to the Bay area. If there is only one thing I could do in California, it is to drive on Route 1. It's breathtaking. Stop at all the major tourist stops like Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, if possible. Do not miss an opportunity to drive alongside the Pacific ocean.
We drove to Pebble beach and paid to drive on 17 mile drive. Paid! I was surprised as well! It's a gorgeous, well-kept residential community by the beach and visitors pay to drive on the 17 mile drive loop. The houses, pardon me mansions, were unbelievable; starting at $18 million . I know, because I saw a "for sale" sign for one of the houses and I called the realtor to inquire about it. :)
The golf course is part of the loop; the husband was drooling as we were passing the course...
Heading North....
One of my favorite pictures...
Next stop, San Francisco.
Friday, January 04, 2008
I am back
Shocking, right? Well it is the beginning of a new year and it calls for making resolutions. You know, the cliche of it all is everyone attempts to keep them but very few are successful. Like last year I resolved to give up drinking. yes, drinking! HA! Laugh all you want 'cuz I did too. That lasted all of of 3 weeks.
However this year, it's different. It's a new beginning and I, like many of you new year's resolution makers, hope to keep the two I have: drop couple pounds and blog regularly. I have lots of great stories to share about 2007 so blogging will keep me busy. As for dropping couple pounds, I know I am on my own. I need to figure out ways to be more motivated! Maybe blogging while exercising? nevermind.... I have 2 big weddings to attend this year, you would think that's enough of an incentive for my lazy ass. We'll see...
My second post for 2008 will be about our wonderful trip to California. I will blog chronologically, starting with the most recent trip, to share wonderful food stories from our 2007 trips.
However this year, it's different. It's a new beginning and I, like many of you new year's resolution makers, hope to keep the two I have: drop couple pounds and blog regularly. I have lots of great stories to share about 2007 so blogging will keep me busy. As for dropping couple pounds, I know I am on my own. I need to figure out ways to be more motivated! Maybe blogging while exercising? nevermind.... I have 2 big weddings to attend this year, you would think that's enough of an incentive for my lazy ass. We'll see...
My second post for 2008 will be about our wonderful trip to California. I will blog chronologically, starting with the most recent trip, to share wonderful food stories from our 2007 trips.
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