Mel

Ingredients: This is probably all junk. And full of CRAP.

I sincerely believe the cleaner your diet, the better you feel. I’m already an avid label reader because of food allergies (thanks a lot, Trader Joes), but I feel like I already have a leg-up on healthy eating, considering I don’t eat frozen foods and rarely have fast food. Even more recently, the boyfriend and I decided to keep as close to natural as possible. We cook most of our meals from...

Mel

{cooking for the boyfriend} redemption island: moussaka

Coming back from the disaster known as Eggnog French Toast, I needed to redeem myself in the kitchen. And what better way than with mother-fucking moussaka. Making moo-sa-KAA is no small feat — you’re guaranteed to be in the kitchen, actively cooking something for nearly 2 hours (and then another hour to wait for the fruits of your labor). I’ve made the Greek casserole only a couple times...

Mel

I came, I saw, I got my picture taken with the Stanley Cup.

Have you been following my Toronto adventures? #1: Road Trip! #2: Toronto, the Roller Derby Experience #3: That time I met Ryan Reynolds in Toronto And the best way I know to wrap this up… in list form. The good: The Hockey Hall of Fame was by far my favorite adventure (besides eating my face off… figuratively, OF COURSE). Also, St. Lawrence Market is a cheese lover’s (read: ME) paradise,...

Mel

You Know What I Hate?

Well, that title is rhetorical because there is an ever-rotating laundry and “honey-do” list of things I hate. Add to that: Crowds Dirty pans that sit on the stove for three days (and especially that grill pan that I cannot use the scrubber on… UGH) Touching surfaces in public (doors, revolving doors, railings, elevator buttons) Elevators, for that matter Slow drivers in the PASSING lane...

Mel

My “Learn How To Cook” Missive for the New Year

I’m so horrible at this that I can’t even come up with a decent list of 25 items of what I want to learn how to cook. I can bake fairly well and make salads. I do especially well with dressings, so I suppose that makes me a stellar prep cook. Or something. See? I don’t even know proper kitchen terms. And I make sandwiches like nobody’s business. Oftentimes, opting for the use of the...

Mel

One week in Pittsburgh. The first of many.

Let’s start with food, shall we? First things first, I am in LOVE with the Pittsburgh Public Market (I’ve already been twice this week), and I am totally excited for its growth (and the eventual addition of East End Brewing to fill my Uni-growler). The vendors are great — and the herb guy even sells catnip. Love. The Strip is both a wonderful and annoying experience — much like my...

Mel

But you should see how I order a pizza!

I take the prize in many areas for Best Girlfriend Ever and would probably even be a good choice for a housewife, if that was truly my calling — you know, save for my arachnophobia and the watering of plants above my reach and my preference for truffles, not Bon Bons. But what lends very little to my contribution to a successful relationship is my cooking. My parents are good cooks. They seem to...

Mel

A Listy Things of New!

Let’s not overwhelm you, Dear Readers. I do a bulleted list to prevent your brain from exploding unnecessarily. I joined fellow Tweeps last week for a dinner at AMP150, which was wonderful. For newbies, I recommend doing the six course Chef’s choice. And yes, Chef Cooley even arranged his selections around my shellfish allergy.  I will go back for another dinner soon — it was that...

Mel

City Exploration: Pittsburgh (Part Two)

A huge “thank you” goes to Chris from Yinz Hungry and Jay (referred by our new friend, Kyle) for their restaurant (and more) recommendations. Holy crap, it’s a good thing I did a lot a walking because I did a LOT of eating. The hotel was in the perfect location downtown, enabling me to get out in the mornings to walk around and explore. I was up early because AB had to work. At least I...

Mel

Beer and Wine. Whine and Achuuu!

There is plenty of beer to go around! This past Sunday, with thanks to Blogging Jason for the event heads-up, we spent the afternoon at the Winter Warmer Festival at Rock Bottom. Winter Warmer was a happy surprise, as my expectations were just of joyfully drinking local winter brews. Ahem, no Christmas Ale at this party! Glad to see Cellar Rats (Madison) making another festival appearance, and was...

Mel

What’s new?

I caught up with my ex — The Fiance — yesterday. And no, it’s not some big secret that we conversed. AB knows we’re friends. “What’s new?” he asked, in request of status from our last conversation a couple of months ago. Everything is JUST as fantastic as the last time we spoke – downtown living arrangements, permanent awesome boyfriend placement, upcoming ...