Before a Week of Hauntings

So, I am super stressed. I have one week of vacation left, but Lars (my boyfriend) will be gone for the entire week. He has to go to a HUGE conference for job interviews. He gets his PhD this year and is trying to get a job as a professor. Some crazy shit, right? I’m not going to miss him, necessarily (well I will miss him, but I can survive a week without him), but I will be afraid to sleep in my vintage apartment alone. After hearing scratching inside the walls on numerous occasions, how am I supposed to sleep? Geez. Any tips?

Well, as you may remember, one of my new year’s resolutions was to wear more brown. My mom got me this expensive brown purse, so I want to actually rock it. Well here is evidence that I am taking these resolutions seriously. Before heading out to my FAVORITE RESTAURANT EVER, I changed into my brown boots.

My yellow sweater was a little too matchy-matchy with my freshly painted nails. BY THE WAY: I suck at painting nails. I am too shaky.

I wanted to spend some quality time with Lars before he flew out to LA (not fair, right?), so I thought we’d head to The Black Sparrow. Want to know why I’ve been missing from the blog world lately? This place. I read here. I grade here. I have graduate seminars here. I socialize here. This place rocks. This place is almost too cool for Purdue University.

Anyway, the pictures will not portray how delicious this food is. It is a hipster bar, thus it is smoky and dark. I began the meal with one of their tasty microbrews: Sun King’s Batch 222 Golden Princess. Yum.

Lars ordered our favorite dish: the hamburger. This hamburger is the bomb. The bun is toasted and buttered. The burger is topped with not only cheddar cheese and sauteed onions, but fried onion straws. Lars got a bowl of the cheddar-bacon-potato soup instead of the fries. Shabam, food lovers!

I would have ordered that, but I have to watch what I eat after the holidays. Plus, I got a beer. Got to make sacrifices from time to time. Right ladies? Anyway, I got my second favorite dish (well third: their pizzas are Baller). The Asian Salad is delicious. It comes with romaine lettuce, red onions, carrots, and chicken. I’m not sure what the dressing is, but there is some soy and peanut flavors going on there. Blogger confession: I don’t really like salads. I know. I’m sorry. UGH. BUT: This is the one salad I am always excited to eat. A girl at the bar sent back this salad when the dressing was not on the side. YOU CANNOT GET THIS SALAD WITH THE DRESSING ON THE SIDE. You want it on every inch of this plate. Holler at me dressing lovers!

Resolution proof #2. I have been using the envelope system. I was okay with spending my “Eating Out” allowance on this meal!

Well, I’m going to continue watching The Craigslist Killer.

Not Fine Dining

So apparently I cannot function. Last week I left my coffee at home, twice. I also forgot both copies of a textbook I teach with at home. I mean, really? Get it together, Ashley. Instead of waking up at 6 to rush around like a mad woman, I slept in until 7. I planned on going to campus just for class and office hours, thus I could park in one of the 2-hour spaces closer to campus. Double thus, I took my sweet time this morning. I made some coat throat tea and a toasted challah roll with both strawberry and black raspberry jam. It was my last roll, which was sad. I also had an apple and some pineapple. Pineapple is my favorite, I think. But, I also eat a bag of apples a week. Who said I needed to choose a favorite, anyway.

I made it to campus with my bottled water and coffee. Glory! I did my teaching thing, then headed back to the office for some fine dining and office hours.

I don’t like to eat frozen food that often, but I’ve been busy lately. I bought this Lean Cuisine Panini. Are you cringing? Really? Chill out, it was actually decent. Processed, but decent. Stop cringing, seriously.

The rest of my day was devoted to reading and grading. I went to the local coffee shop and sat outside. BAD IDEA. It was HOT outside, but then the wind would blow and I would be freezing. It switched back and forth the entire time I was outside. What the hell, Indiana? Make up your mind. I switched between sips of coffee or water, depending on the weather. I also chowed down on some dried apricots. Do you like them? I feel like the only one that does. I like to tear them apart into two halves, and then eat them. It is the adult-version of eating the head and then the legs on you Teddy Graham.

Lars and I were able to eat dinner together, which is now becoming a rarity. I made us grilled cheese sandwiches with baby swiss on Great Harvest Bread Company’s rye. Their caraway rye  is fantastic. I also had a boring bowl of canned chicken noodle stop. If you cringe one more time!!!!!

To celebrate life and the second new episode of House (thank YOU for being good again), I enjoyed a triple berry fruit bar from Great Harvest. Okay, I love their fruit bars. I hate cherries in my baked goods, though. I don’t know why. It was still good, but I may just stick to a simple blackberry next time.

Is there a food you hate, but everyone seems to love. I hate cream cheese. I wish I liked it so I could hang with the cool kids.

The Ashley Challenge is going smoothly so far (I am devoted to posting EVERYDAY this week).

Ginger Ale, please.

I was so, very sick last night. I was curled up in a ball with horrible abdominal/stomach cramps. It was a roller coaster of pain from 8:30 to 12:30 PM (although I felt slight pain the entire day). Luckily Lars is sweet and ran to the store  to get me medicine and diet ginger ale. I feel much better this morning. Much better.

But let’s start at the beginning. The day (up to the sickness) was a good one, for many reasons.

1. I made whole wheat snickerdoodle cookies.

I found this recipe on Whole Grain Gourmet and I am so glad I did. I thought about my snickerdoodle all day long, paired with a delicious scoop of ice cream for dessert. But, then I got sick. So, I’ll be thinking about this dessert until dessert time tonight.

This recipe made 32 cookies. I only baked 9, and froze the rest of the cinnamon-covered balls on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once the cookie balls froze, I put them in a plastic bag. So when I want a warm snickerdoodle, I just open the freezer door.

2. I made an awesome soup.

My go-to cooking expert, Cooking Light, provided a delicious recipe for Tomato Soup with Chickpeas and Pesto. The soup was so hearty and filling. I can see myself eating a lot of this in the winter. Also, it is so easy.

Lars and I used our Multigrain loaves from Schwann's for dipping. Yum.

3. Lars got me flowers.

Lars was gone most of the day doing school work, but when he came back he had flowers.

Well, I am tempted to watch this History Channel special on the 7 Deadly Sins.

Snickerdoodle and ice cream…snickerdoodle and ice cream…

Best Friends and a Restaurant Rant

Whew! I’m tired. We got back from Bloomington, IL at 4 AM. It was totally worth it, though. It was great to see my friends, Josh and Robert!

We had a 2 1/2 hour car ride, so I brought healthy snacks (apple slices and carrots) and bought an iced coffee before hitting the road.

Now, we got to Bloomington fine. We were early (we forgot about the time change), but wanted to find the restaurant first. We drove for 30 minutes with no success. Lars and I were starving. When Lars is hungry he turns into The Blonde Hulk. Luckily, we found a Great Harvest Bread Company! And, I found flavored whole wheat pasta. The pasta was not made by Great Harvest, but was made locally. Cannot wait to try it! Lars got a scone. Well it isn’t a scone by definition, but a pile of soft chocolate chip goodness. I helped him eat it. Delicious.

With Great Harvest directions, we hit the road to find the restaurant. We ended up here at some point:

We finally made it. I was a little grumpy and flustered at this point, so I ordered a wine. The server asked for my ID.

Server: Oh, you’re from Indiana…I can’t serve you.

Me: (realizing it is a bad joke and annoyed) Well I’m in Illinois, so I need a glass of wine.

Server: Good point.

Point: Ashley. I love Illinois, but only slammed it to get my freaking wine already.

For dinner, I ordered steak. I was given a choice of three sides. I picked cream of asparagus soup, broccoli, and mashed sweet potatoes. Sounds good? No. Here we go. The soup was excellent. Major props on the soup! I ordered the steak medium, and it came very well done. It tasted like hamburger. The broccoli was watery. The worst was the sweet potato mush a.k.a. Gingerbread Feces. I know, I know. That is a gross description, but an accurate one. It had the consistency of apple sauce. It tasted like a Christmas candle. It was way too sweet.

Dear trying-to-be-classy-but-is-tacky restaurant,

I recommend watching Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares (the British version because it is much more pleasant). He says to keep it simple. Sweet Potatoes, when fresh and especially local, taste good alone. Sure, you can add some “jazz.” You can mash them, slice them, fry them…whatever. But, when you decide to be all “creative” (I mean, pretentious) and make them high brow when you don’t know the basics, you end up ruining them. Plus, I know you are trying to cover up the fact that they are not fresh. You cannot fool me. I know what veggies taste like. Also, my watery broccoli? I have that same effect when I buy them from the freezer aisle. Bring out the natural taste of my veggies, don’t hide it under crap. I wish only the best for you.

Respectfully,

Ashley

P.S. When I got lost, I ran into a corn field. I know you have veggies around. Go local.

My friends ordered fish and pasta, and they liked it. Essentially, this is one (bitter) opinion. The Yelp-ers rated it high.

Afterwards, we hit up the Starbucks and drank coffee/tea and ate my peanut butter cookies. They loved them! We shut down the place (and sat even longer outside after it closed). It was great to catch up! I love these guys!

Local Food Finds

Hello friends. What a relaxing, yet unproductive day. Anna from Newly Wed Newly Veg informed me of this eatery in town: Jane’s Gourmet Deli. So, when Lars came home, I took him out to lunch. Anna was right; it was so delicious.

We walked in and I instantly fell in love, because it had a wall full of wine. It had such a cute gourmet food and wine shop! Lars and I decided to eat outside. I apologize for the pictures, we sat on a shady patio.

I ordered the Panini Rustica which was a hot sandwich with mozzarella, tomato, spring greens, and pesto. I was allowed two sides, so I chose a side salad and a chocolate crinkle cookie. The salad dressing list was great; I chose the Cabernet Sauvignon Vinaigrette. Um, a wine salad dressing? Yes, please. I was nice enough to share my cookie with Lars.

Lars ordered the Tuna Melt Panini with a side of potato salad and Creamy Chickpea soup. The soup was surely the highlight, it tasted like queso. I helped him eat that, because I am so nice.

After lunch, I decided to read at Starbucks. I got a grande iced coffee and a dried apple snack pack.

Then, I went to the Farmers Market! I bought some blueberries (from Delphi, IN and home of my grandma) for breakfast smoothies tomorrow, and grape tomatoes for our pasta tonight! Yippee for keeping it local!

I’m currently watching The Bachelorette. I love this drama!

What is your favorite Farmers Market find EVER?

Birthday, Part 2: Let them eat ugly cake…

After I last blogged, I worked out on the treadmill. I ran non-stop for 1 mile. Yippee, right? Yes, it is awesome because I am a beginner runner and I didn’t die. Yippee, life.

Afterwards, my mother and I went to Crate and Barrel. I bought a new teacup/breakfast bowl and cookie cutters. We then met my father at Patachou (another Petit Chou, but different name). While waiting for my father I drank a coffee.

Then, I ordered the Tomato and Artichoke soup. It was so good that I started eating it before the picture. Do you ever do that? Well anyway, that is why the bowl is a mess (like my cake).

A Hot, Yummy Mess.

Then, my mother took me to H&M, and I got a new dress. Sorry, my hair is also a mess. I am a MESS TODAY.

Score. I like polka dots, and black and white a lot. I call my look: ladybug emo.

Speaking of emo and messes…my cake.

So I made this Double-Caramel Turtle Cake from Cooking Light. I renamed it the Caramel Turtle Cake (no double, at all).

Okay, so I made the cake part with no problems at all. I had to use 2 9-inch pans, instead of the required 2 8-inch. Yay for making a moist cake under these conditions!

Then, I made frosting. This tasted awesome. It tasted like brown sugar milk. It is good, trust me.

So far, so good. Then I went to move the cake onto the plate to frost. The cooling rack brutalized the bottom. Oh, well. I kept on keeping on. Then I was supposed to frost this first layer…did it…then add caramel. But, I forgot the caramel. Oh well, this will be a single-caramel cake. I did have a problem spreading the frosting the first time, and decided for the top layer that I would make the frosting  less thick. Well I made it a hot, watery mess. I tried to start over, ruined it, and then I gave up.

Then I became a hot, watery mess. I cried. I cried. I cried. I threw my fists up to the chefs of the past, and screamed “You left me without skills. I am a culinary failure. UGH.” Then I thought: What would Oprah do? Make the fucking cake so she can eat it! So, I topped it with a thin layer of caramel and then chopped pecans. It is not beautiful, but it was good. Go me. I made a good cake even if I messed up the recipe repeatedly. I ate a piece before dinner. It is my birthday, and I cried.

So, try this recipe. I recommend not royally messing up and crying on your apron.

It oozes, because that is how cakes cry.

I just wish I had this guy around whenever things weren’t going right. If you ever read Shakespeare’s Hamlet, you will love this.

Toasted

Sorry, I have been missing. Though, it is for your benefit. I have been a hot, moody mess. The three best words to describe my mood for the past few days is: indecisive, tired, and numb. I am constantly tired, which is not helping me concentrate. Coffee isn’t even working. I don’t know what my deal is, but I may soon go to the doctor to find out. I’m happy, though. I don’t now. I am talking about this because for me mood and food are so tightly intertwined. I have been impressed with my restraint, though. If this were last year I would be on the couch, watching Lifetime, eating a pie, and most likely crying and/or drinking. So, go me!

In other news, it is Lars’s birthday weekend. I’m trying to be extra happy and energetic for this event. I do have to admit I am slightly jealous. I was sick on my birthday, and he gets an entire weekend. Okay, complaining over.

Yesterday for lunch we had some of our leftover pork and a handful of almonds. I just know you want a picture, but I passed. Again, for your benefit. I am such a nice blogger. I also ate a Luna Protein Bar (Cookie Dough) on the ride from Indy-ish to Cincy.

We stopped at Starbucks for a latte. I accidentally forgot to add “iced” to my order. I didn’t finish this latte; too hot! Sorry for the pic; facing the sun!

We met Lars’s family for dinner at Gordo’s Pub and Grill. The decor was lame, but the food was fantastic. I had a hamburger with roasted veggies. I only asked for ketchup and mustard on my hamburger and I’m glad I did. The beef was mixed with an onion mix, bacon, and herbs. So, although my toppings were minimal, it allowed the juicy, flavorful taste of the hamburger to come through. I didn’t finish my veggies, but I ate two pickles!

After dinner, our waitress brought in the cake. It was made by Servatii Pastry shop, a German pastry shop in Cincy. It was yellow cake with a vanilla frosting. Lars loves the frosting because it is made with some special shortening, or something. What you do need to know is that it was awesome.

After dinner Lars and I watched Please Exit Through the Gift Shop, a very funny documentary about street art. It is in my top five documentaries now.

Lars and I had the best sleep of our lives when we got to Lars’s Mom’s house, and slept in until 9:30. It was freaking awesome. But then the morning took a dark turn. We went to this local coffee shop that Lars and his mother love, but I dislike because of a few bad experiences. Oh, sidebar: Lars always has the best meal of his life, and I always have a crappy experience. Lars got a yogurt parfait (a sad one in Yoplait cup) and I asked for PB&J on a wheat bagel. They were out of bagels. So, I asked for it on wheat bread. They were out of peanut butter. Thus, I ended up with a jelly, grilled (?) sandwich.

I ate barely half. Also, the jelly tasted like lumpy grape juice.

Worst Sandwich EVVVVER.

Oh, I also had tea to wash down this crap-wich.

We drove back home to Indiana, but stopped at Petit Chou in Broadripple (the hipster part of Indy) for some brunch/lunch. THIS PLACE ROCKS.

Lars had the Broken Yolk (I am warning you I sometimes spell this yoke for some reason) Sandwich with avocado and bacon. This is his favorite thing to order here. It is awesome.

Best Breakfast Sandwich in Indy.

I got the Tomato Artichoke Soup. The soup’s awesome taste made up for the fact that I was handed cinnamon-buttered toast instead of the dry toast I requested. Although, the cinnamon toast was the bomb (on broiche). I didn’t eat the bread that came on the soup.

Sorry, it looks messy. I basically put my face right in it. Yum!

My Favorite Mistake

For the rest of the evening I will be thesis writing/deleting/rewriting, while Lars goes to a local food festival. What the F!

I’m going to have one more slice of cake. Don’t judge, I’ll eat a light dinner. And just so you know, I almost ate a second piece of cake before bed yesterday. I said no. Score! I’m talking to my self now, right? Haha, nothing like a misdirected pep talk.

What do you do for a pick-me-up?

Chicken Soup for the Foodie Soul

Hey!

I have been gone all day because I was (a) shopping for a new bike, (b) packing, and (c) driving back to my apartment. Before bike shopping, my father and brother went with me to McAlister’s Deli. Another day, another sandwich. I got turkey, yellow mustard, lettuce, and swiss on rye. It was just what I needed. I ate half of the pickle and half of my apple sauce.

Later on, before hitting the road, I had two pieces of my Cinnamon Spiral Cookies. For some reason, small cookies are dangerous and addicting.

As I mentioned in the last post, I have a sore throat. For dinner I decided to have some Chicken Noodle Soup and tea.

I found this soup in the cupboard: Operation Clean Out the Kitchen Before the Move! I decided I needed more veggies in my life. So, I got some fresh green beans, cut off their ends, added some seasoning (olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper), and roasted them in the oven.

No! They are not burnt! I love them slightly crispy. Yum . They were not as good as Lars’s mother’s, but I will soon steal that recipe…and they will be mine! Muahhaha. This dinner was the perfect pick-me-up for such a blah day. Have you ever had a blah day? Nothing went wrong, it was just LAME. Everything was LAME.

Tonight, I will relax and sleep off this sickness. Tomorrow is a new day. I am going to do something fun! I think some Lifetime Movies are in order!

Have you ever watched a Lifetime Movie? Do you have a favorite? Am I pathetic for liking them? They are too funny to hate them!

I recommend: Friends Til the End, Co-ed Call Girl, and She’s Too Young.

My day was a spiral of chaos.

By 3 PM, I was starving. Knowing I had a late dinner I said to the NutriGrain bar, “No, not this time Mr. Bar,” and headed to the grocery store to buy a Luna Protein bar (Chocolate Peanut Butter).

This is one of my new favorites. It was chewy and didn’t taste like crap. It kept me full until dinner time. For dinner, I went to Noodles and Company and got the Tomato Basil Bisque. Did you know tomato soup is my favorite thing ever? Well, it is.

And if it couldn’t get ANY better, my mother made her famous version of Little Caesar’s bread sticks. She makes them with the pizza dough from the refrigerated aisle of Trader Joe’s. I ate two; I dipped them in my soup. This was awesome.

But, guess what? I baked today in my new apron!

I made Cinnamon Spirals. This recipe was a new one for me, and involved a lot of dancing with my freezer.

I made a dough with salt, flour, and cream cheese.

I made the dough into a square and put it in the freezer.

I took it out of the freezer and rolled like the baller I am.

I sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on the dough, rolled it into a log, then put it in the freezer. When done in the freezer, I took the logs out and cut some slices.

So this is what is up. I didn’t do a great job of rolling the dough into a log, but I managed. I also cooked the second batch for only 11 minutes and it turned out better than the suggested 12 minutes.

What they taste like. The dough tastes exactly like pie crust. If this scares you: the recipe suggested adding sugar to the dough. I like pie crust though.

I think the cookies were good, considering they are low-calorie. I think they taste like cinnamon pie. If anything, I looked awesome in my apron.

What does your apron look like?

Delicatessen Delight

Lars arrived! He was famished, so we went to Shapiro’s Delicatessen immediately upon his arrival.

Lars's Artsy Shot

I instantly fell in love with the place. They had a full-functional bakery in the front and a deli in the back. We grabbed a tray and got in line. Lars’s ordered the slow-cooked Beef Brisket  on “our own” rye, topped with lettuce, tomato, and spicy mustard. On the side he got potato salad and Matzo Ball soup. He loved the sandwich, but still claims the Pastrami on rye is the best sandwich they have.

I got the Pepper Turkey on “our own” rye, topped with yellow mustard and lettuce. I also ate the pickle it came with. The sandwich was obviously meaty, but the bread was the best part for me. Apparently, I am having a rye day. Also, the highlight of my meal was the diet black cherry soda. I don’t drink soda often, but when I do it is a special treat . And it was a special treat! Also, I only ate half the sandwich. Hooray for leftovers!

We could not leave without taking a trip to the bakery. Lars and I decided to share a brownie; I took only two bites. I think I would have preferred another option. That is my finger print on it. I was excited.

Lars and I hit the H&M after. I tried on 7 items, and ended up buying 1 pair of denim shorts (hopefully these fit when I try them on at home). We also hit up the Trader Joe’s. I wish I lived closer so I could have gotten the cold delights .

Lars got back to my parents’ and wanted to nap, but so did someone else.

While they napped, I had an afternoon snack.

Lars and I are off to find a dinner to please my picky sister. Pictures and commentary to come soon. Lars will chime in a few times on this post!