Going Back to Cali... Notorious B.I.G had it right

DISCLAIMER: The dish pictured is not a sorry excuse, its an easy dish meant for lazy evenings after work

Nothing gets me angrier than going to a nice restaurant where the chef apparently knows his stuff and as I scan the menu I realize my option is either a larger portion of the appetizer salad or a pasta dish. Really! 

I hope everyone is enjoying all the festivities and cooking up some delicious food. While it is too late to make these goodies, I highly recommend trying them soon! I saw the recipe for these fritter in the most recent Vegetarian Times a few weeks ago and knew immediately I was going to make them. I tested them out last weekend when the girls came for a visit, but then really put in the effort to make them perfect earlier this week. We have a weekly CSA pick up from Fledging Crow Farms from the farmers market, which means I have to start cutting and cooking right away and lucky for me, scallions, zucchini, peppers and garlic scapes were all part of my pick-up. 

I had a couple of my closest friends come up this past weekend for a visit. It included the usual mischief of going out, drinking a little too much and dancing with abandon.  We got in a little cardio by climbing Cobble Hill. Notice the word "hill". While my girls probably felt it was closer to a mini mountain (we joked wondering if we could call uber), it really was nothing in comparison to walking one of the 46 peaks (because you know I did that once and will never forget how terrible that was). We also pampered ourselves on the rainy Sunday by going to the Whiteface Lodge Spa to get massages as well as make use of the steam room, outdoor pool and jacuzzi.

Who cares about girls what about the food? 

Thankfully these bouts of fear are those I get hit with in passing and are not a constant. Unfortunately I still have no way of shaking them off nearly as quickly as they come on. But, being afraid just means we have room to grow. We have room to be better and to challenge ourselves. It should make us grateful. And when we get past the fear, it gives us the opportunity for celebration, preferable in the form of bubbly, dessert or more dessert.

I have had no desire to write lately. Maybe its the sun, maybe its the lack of sun, maybe its the rain, maybe its because I really want a greasy slice of pizza from Little Italy (even though my homemade one is better and healthier).

So this might be one of my most exciting posts (ok, tied for my dog sitting gig). This past Saturday I became a BA (Bad Ass). I wear this badge with pride. You may laugh as to how I got this recognition, but I will tell you I am now a force to be reckoned with. You’ve been warned.

 I just returned from an amazing trip to visit my girlfriend Monica where we ate, drank and sat out in the perfect Florida sun.  With my father’s passing I really needed some time to just get away and get completely distracted. At first I wasn’t positive if I would still go since this trip was planned in April and I wasn’t sure when all of my father’s funeral arrangements would take place, but it worked out. This is going to end up being a two or three part deal since it was a jam packed weekend with food, furry creatures and an "OMG, she did it" moment!

....In addition to a heavenly soup and mouth watering pancakes, we also went to Smoke Signals for their homemade veggie burger (extra fries) and drinks with our friends. Totally missed taking a photo as I may have been a bit tipsy and a lot of bit hungry. ...