Half Pours
I had plans to cook a nice dinner this evening and then life happened. Good life – drinking wine with friends over at West End!
I love to sample, so half pours are perfect for me! I got my riesling and then some cava.
So delish on a hot night! I came home and was just too tired to cook. So I ate a good old sammie with avocado + bacon – one of my favorite combinations.
It’s late and tomorrow is the start of an intense month at work. Sweet dreams friends.
Read MoreFuntastic
This weekend was so.much,fun. I know I say that every weekend, but really, this one was just one of those go-with-the-flow, eat, see friends, and relax in between kind of weekends.
Not many people showed up to Fuqua Friday, so we ended up going out to dinner. Sometimes Fuqua Friday can be overwhelming because there’s soo many people to talk to, so it was nice to just eat dinner while chatting with two of our good friends. We tried the new G2B Gastropub and enjoyed the contemporary, but funky vibe. They had an awesome beer and wine list on tablets and colored lighting (thus, the weird pictures).
We split this bottle of wine with our friends – a recommendation from the bartender after I described my taste in wine. Oh my goodness, this was one of the best reds I’ve had in a loong time. It was so full with a smooth, velvety finish. Tons of flavor, but not too peppery.
I had a grilled salmon filet with sunchoke puree, sauteed spinach, and chili oil. The fish itself was one of the best filets I’ve had in a while, as it was perfectly cooked (medium instead of well) and practically falling apart. The flavor was great too, although there could have bit a bit more bulk to the dish.
On Saturday, we joined friends at Fullsteam Brewery for a birthday party.
Though I’ve been to Fullsteam before, this was the first time I’ve gone and just spent the afternoon hanging out at their picnic tables. I probably spent about four hours there and it’s such a great place to go with a group (or babies or dogs!)
The girls! Thanks to Rachel for the picture.
We all drank way too much and ended up at the Federal for a late dinner. Though we scored a perfect table on the patio, we had to run inside just as our entrees arrived due to a thunderstorm. I got the veggie sliders again and they are still fabulous. We also shared some of the fresh cut fries among the table and I’m still thinking about them.
We rounded out the weekend with lunch with my family in Hillsborough, as my sister is in town for a wedding.
My mom made a great spread of food and we sat around the kitchen chatting. It was a nice way to fill this cold and rainy Sunday, as I don’t feel like doing much except sitting around.
I did manage to put some laundry into the washing machine. Though it’s only at the end of the hall, I struggle with the task every single week. If that’s the worst of my complaints right now, I’d say the weekend was a giant success.
PS: I’ve been feeling a zillion times better since taking those antibiotics, so I’m thinking something was up. It felt amazing to feel normal these past few days.
Read MorePotluck: Davidson
When I think of potluck, I think of the gooey crack brownies and the sinful buffalo chicken dip that would appear at my church dinners growing up. But tonight’s spread was all fresh homemade food and included a ton of fresh vegetables. There was this marinated squash that was just to-die-for!
I’ve never had it before, but I’m in love with this almond champagne!. Apparently, you can find it at Trader Joe’s, although supplies are running low. I must get some!
I’m kind of a newbie to this Davidson group, as most people graduated quite a few years ahead of me (Matt’s year and older), but the conversation was as interesting as ever and I always enjoy meeting new people.
I emerged to find a rainy night, although I feel like we already need the rain. There’s a House Hunters set in Key West that I just can’t keep my eyes off of and then I’m getting in bed. Sleeping is so fun these days. See ya.
Read MoreAn Hour
Happy hour: one hour of pure relaxation achieved through friends and alcohol.
A glass of Riesling for me!
After lots of conversation, I was hungry and tired! So I avoided cooking and got one of my favorite salads from Nosh. It’s loaded with bacon, egg, and clusters of candied walnuts.
Eaten in record time in front of the TV and washed down with puffins and jelly beans. Oh yeah.
I finished my book – How To Eat A Cupcake! It was a quick read and I’d recommend it to others. It wasn’t incredible, but sure got me thinking about lots of things (including opening a cupcake shop and moving to San Francisco!)
What should I read next???
Read MoreHighlights
Hey, hey. Hows it goin?
The weekend is over, but for once I’m a bit relieved. The event I’ve been putting together took place over the weekend and I’m happy to say that everything went pretty smoothly! The other co-chairs and I have been working for a few months to plan the programming for the partners of students who have been admitted to Fuqua. I really believe in the support that the partners organization provides and was excited to be involved in such an important event for the partners of admitted students. It felt great to be able to interact with the incoming partners and calm their nerves about the transition. And I didn’t even mind having to work on a Saturday.
Other highlights of the weekend included a margarita enjoyed with friends by the warmth of the fire pit at Alivia’s
And amazing tacos at Nana Taco on Saturday during our lunch break: I got broiled fish, pork butt, and garlic beef and loved them all.
When Matt and I got home from Duke on Saturday evening (he volunteered for the admitted students weekend too), we decided to relax and unwind with a bottle of wine outside on our deck. We always talk about doing this and rarely do. The bottle was a gift from my dad and was just right for a sunny-n-seventy Saturday.
Excited to have a Saturday night with no plans, Matt and I walked over to Rue Cler (a french restaurant) for dinner with a soon-to-expire Groupon. We were able to get a table right away and the service was great. Matt had the beef gnocchi to start and stared bites with me. Perfect pillows and fabulous flavor!
I had a mahi-mahi with lemon and some sort of white sauce. It was served over lentils, picked beets, and cabbage I think? This was tangy and very light and summery!
For dessert, we shared the thin-mint ice cream and a crepe stuffed with strawberries and fresh whipped cream. OMG, the ice cream was amazing! There were huge chunks of thin mint cookies and the consistency was so thick and chocolatey.
The crepe was just ok. It was really thin and didn’t have much flavor, so this dessert was basically just strawberries with whipped cream. While I like that combo, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
Our waiter confused our order and actually brought us a creme brulee, so we ate that too:) It was a pretty standard creme brulee and tasted good with bites of the crepe.
And that’s my weekend. Short, but oh so sweet.
Read More
Welcome to TBT!
I've created this blog because I'm in a bit of a quarter life crisis. Since graduating from college in 2008 and earning an advanced degree in school psychology in May, I still don't know what career path to follow. All I know is that time is moving way too fast and I find myself living only for the weekends. Bear with me as I attempt to reclaim my twenties by finding pleasure and balance in the work week and incorporating my passions of food, fashion, fitness, and fun into everyday life. 
She said what?