More Blue Apron!

With how busy I've been it's been tough to consistently get Blue Apron or even create new recipes but I was able to get a few in the last couple months.  They've looked so pretty in the pan while I've been preparing them that they were photographed before and after they made it to the plate!

Blue Apron now offers more choices (there are eight options now) and you can choose between any of the dishes without any stipulations.  If you want all meat, you can do pork, chicken and steak, or if you want to stay vegetarian, you have that choice as well.  AND if you want to get four recipes one week and two a different week, you now have that ability.  Blue Apron has definitely stepped up their game!

Starting on the top left going clockwise is a Mixed Mushroom Bucatini with Collard Greens.  It was a great vegetarian dish that was portioned well, packed with flavor and tasted other-worldly!  Not to mention it was pretty easy to make.  The second photo is Roasted Pork with Sauteed Apples, Broccoli in a Fontina Cream Sauce and Garlic Breadcrumbs.  I had originally taken Porf off my profile because I'm not a real big fan of it, aside from Bacon, because of course, Bacon!  This dish has made me think twice about incorporating it into my meals on occasion.  The edges of the Pork were roasted while the inside was juicy and tender and the Apples were so yummy.  This was a dish that required more attention to detail but it was really exciting to create something so pretty.  I made these Spicy Red Thai Curry Meatballs as an early going away Lunch for Giana.  I had never made Meatballs before but I would use the base they suggested again and again because they were delicious!  The Red Curry gave it a little kick while the coconut milk evened it out.  I love Curry dishes so this was a no-brainer choice for me!  That final photo is a Chipotle-Glazed Meatloaf with Crispy Potatoes.  I also added some Vegetables that I steamed and then sauteed for flavor to have as a side.  The Meatloaf was enough for three meals and I had used all the Chipotle Pepper and it was HOT!  I actually didn't mind the heat but it might have been a little much for the average eater.  This was the best Meatloaf I've ever made so I'll for sure be creating this recipe again!

I've got a busy month of May and June so hopefully I can hop back into Blue Apron once Summer heats up.  Until then you can follow my food adventures and all things fun on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lyndseywegner/ Thanks for reading and Happy Cooking :)

My First Dinner Party :)

I always plan an extended vacation back to Wisconsin for Christmas and I was also home for New Year's this year.  When I came back I wanted to do something fun for some of my closest friends because I'm thankful for these wonderful people in my life. 

This beautiful Wedge Salad courtesy of Kristina!

I had frozen a Burgandy Spoon Roast the day before I left Wisconsin and also picked up a bunch of my favorite Wisconsin cheeses.  I found the recipe for my Mom's Cheesy Potatoes and with Kristina staying with me, she was helping prep everything as well.  We had an amazing Wedge Salad with all the fixings including a Blue Cheese dressing from scratch, thanks to Kristina.  It was absolutely beautiful.  Adam brought an appetizer and Specialty Beer, Aimee & Andy brought Champagne and Wine, Giana brought a side dish, and Rachel brought a Chicken Salad.  My Spoon Roast turned out great although my gravy wasn't my best, I did do my Cilantro Pesto from scratch (having leftovers for weeks) and also made rolls.  We were all full by the time we were done! 

We had a full on feast from beginning to end and I even popped a Dessert Wine I had bought in Solvang on my last trip with my Family.  It only came once we made it through all the Champagne, White & Red Wine and Beer.  No Dinner Party at my place would be complete without a Game Night!  Loaded Questions was a great game to play with all my friends and have some laughs.

Flowers, Cheese & Crackers, and Glasses prepped for the Party!

To make things even more special, I was able to use the Silverware my Mom had bought me years ago.  I had never needed to have service for eight so it was the perfect time to put them to use.  My first Dinner Party was a success thanks to my friends, and I can't wait to throw another one :)

Why you should try Blue Apron!

Over the past year I've been doing Blue Apron on a fairly regular basis. I love to cook and create my own recipes but there's something about having the food and recipes delivered to your door that's so convenient and it gets me more excited to cook.  The step-by-step instructions with photos make it easy to follow along and the food is usually quite impressive!  I make sure to invite friends over for at least one shipment to share in the joy!

Seared Barramundi with Fregola Sarda, Collard
Greens, and a Shallot Agrodolce that I will make
again and again.  It was just that lovely!

Since I was getting these recipes coming from Fall into Winter, there were some fresh corn dishes, some seared Salmon & Barramundi, a Steak meal (which I made when Dad was visiting at Thanksgiving) and plenty of vegetarian options.  One of them was a Squash Curry with Jasmine Rice (not pictured here) that turned out beautifully and was spicy to boot!  And the Steak meal was good but I preferred the tenderloin cut I got a few months back to the NY Strip Dad and I had this past time.

In the group of four photos below, starting from the top left was a Sweet Corn & Ditali Pasta with Ricotta Cheese.  It was one of the easiest recipes and packed a kick thanks to the Jalapeño.  I love getting a little spice in a meal.  Going clockwise is the Seared Salmon on top of Saffron Yukon Gold Potatoes and Cumin/Orange Glazed Carrots. I loved all the spices in this dish, including Saffron which I've never worked with before but was very excited about. The Salmon was incredible and the Carrots reminded me of my Mom's Glazed Carrot recipe (I'm going to try to re-create hers thanks to this one) that was always so yummy.  The next Dinner was a Chicken dish with a Caper Salsa Verde, extra Corn & Tomatoes, and Fregola Sarda.  I love capers and this salsa was the bomb!  Rounding it out was another vegetarian recipe of Neapolitan-Style Stewed Vegetables and Farro.  This recipe actually made it through three helpings!  The Gremolata of Parsley, Lemon, Garlic and Shallots on top really finished it off strong in addition to the fresh mozzarella.

Ditali Pasta & Ricotta, Seared Salmon & Saffron Yukon Gold Potatoes, Chicken
with Salsa Verde and Neopolitan-Style Stewed Vegetables with Farro.

Blue Apron can be tried on an affordable basis especially with the promotions they put out there for first-time users.  Or you can even find deals on Groupon!  Once you start cooking with Blue Apron, you'll have Free Meals to send to friends or family members (perhaps even someone else in your household).  Most of the recipes I feel like $60 is totally worth it based on the convenience-factor, ingredients, and portion-size.  Other times I feel like I could have found the ingredients for cheaper at Trader Joe's or another grocery store.  They usually do a good job of making sure the recipes are varied and that it's worth the price you're paying!

If you want to see all of my Blue Apron adventures, you can find them on my Instagram at: Lyndsey on Instagram.  I'd love to hear about your culinary adventures too!  I'm looking forward to making some of the recipes I've received in the past year a second time around now :)

Thanksgiving in LA and Dad's Visit!

We're already into December but a little wrap-up about the week of Thanksgiving is always on time!  My Dad came to visit me and it was his first time flying solo.  He's always flown with my Mom, and the last time he came out here, he was with my brother and my brother's girlfriend.  I was very proud he was able to do it all on his own!

Dad got into town on Wednesday so I picked him up at the airport and we headed straight to Karaoke!  We had a fun night there and Thursday morning was all prep for our Thanksgiving Dinner at Kristina & Alex's.  I was making a Corn Succotash for the first time and my Orange Bourbon Cranberries.  Dad actually measured everything out for the Cranberries and stirred them while I prepped the Succotash.  I was very impressed with his ability to help me in the kitchen AND stay out of my way.  Oops ;)  My Succotash turned out great and Dad even ate it with all the random veggies I put in it, so I knew it was good.  We headed over to Kristina's that afternoon with Rutherford in tow (he got to spend the night playing with Ringo), we all and enjoyed a meat and cheese hour complete with cheese and summer sausage from Wisconsin that Dad had brought with him.  There was Butter Chardonnay among so many other beautiful wines, Champagne, and then Dessert Wine for later.  Our Dinner was a true feast with a Sunchoke Salad, Creamed Spinach, my Succotash, Mashed Potatoes and Stuffing, Turkey, Beef Wellington, Cranberries and more.  We all had to take a break before eating Pie for dessert!  Alex's friend, Jim, played some songs on the guitar for us, and we spent the rest of the night chatting about music, the old times and fun.  It was such a lovely Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Vibes

On Friday, Anthony had gotten us tickets to the LA Auto Show so we spent all afternoon walking around the show and checking out the cars.  We did some research for a new car for me.  Of course, now the Honda Accords are getting great gas mileage, I apparently got the lemon year of 2010.  In the running is the Mazda 6 Grand Touring, Chevy Malibu Hybrid, and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.  I decided against the Lexus since the mileage is way too low, and while I like the BMW, I didn't necessarily feel like it was 'my' car when I sat in it.  I still need to go and test drive all of them but it was a great way to check them all out in a short time frame.  To top it all off, as we were walking to the other section of the show, I recognized an actor from my favorite Netflix show, 'Wentworth.'  I said his name out-loud, not thinking it could really be him, and he turned around so I had to think quick, and of course, started blurting out random information as Dad complimented his accent (he's Australian) and then we took a photo.  I was stoked; Luke McKenzie was so humble and friendly, and just an all-around nice guy.  That was really all I could talk about for the next hour, so Dad and I finished up at the show and came back home for Dinner.  I had specifically got a Blue Apron order for us that week.  It was a NY Strip Steak with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Lemon Broccoli.  I also did a Carrot Souffle.  We went to Blind Barber for some after-dinner drinks and Dad found a new whiskey thanks to Daniel!  I may have to get him a bottle of Four Roses for Christmas!  We went and got Hawaiian Shave Ice and Dole Whip at this place on Sawtelle that Rachel had introduced me to and got settled in for the night to watch a movie.

My home-made steak dinner!

Saturday it was raining in LA, a rare thing for Dad to experience and we stopped at a couple Guitar Shops and also the Harley place in Marina Del Rey.  That night we went to Ruth's Chris for Dinner which was a nice treat.  We definitely ate well the week of Thanksgiving!  After Dinner, I had to head to work at Bar Lubitsch and it was a Saint's & Sinner's reunion with Mike, Carolyn (our new Bartender there) and I behind the bar.  Dad was kept company by some regulars and around midnight I went out and got him all settled in an Uber back to my apartment.  At the end of the night, a guy approached me and asked if that was my Dad I had gotten the Uber for.  I said yes, and he said, he has two daughters and he hopes that one day, they take care of and show that much concern for him, as I had done for my Dad.  Seriously started to tear up right there in the bar; such a sweet compliment!

Met Luke McKenzie at the LA Auto Show!

Sunday was more low-key.  I had been fighting a cold so I took a nap while we were watching a movie.  That night Dad and I met up with Giana and her parents at C&O in Venice for an Italian Dinner!  It was so nice to get our families together since they have so much in common, especially about their love for motorcycles.  On Monday, Rutherford went into surgery for his 'snip snip' and they also fixed his Umbilical Hernia.  It was nice to have Dad here to keep me calm since the second I dropped him off I started to cry.  Dad and I had Brunch at Overland Cafe and found out his flight was delayed so we'd be able to spend a couple more hours together.  We picked up Rutherford on the way home, and he was very out of it, so we just hung out with him and Dad got packed up so I could take him to the airport.

We had such a great few days together, just me and Dad.  It really was our first time hanging out together in LA since Mom was always with him when he'd visit.  Mom would come out on her own a couple times a year which I loved, so it'll be a new tradition that Dad and I will do now.  I may have to get him in the Kitchen more often too.  He's already excited about me coming home next week so we can have a Wine and catch-up night.  I'm really excited to be going home for Christmas the Holidays. Plus, Rutherford is going to have a new friend to meet, and me too, but that's a story for another day :)

Check out my new blog above with more pictures from Dad's visit!

Blue Apron is Back!

I started up with Blue Apron again in July!  It's always so exciting to get the delivery and decide when I'm going to cook which dish.  I usually save the best for last, and in this case, that was the gnocchi.  I had my first shrimp dish and always do a chicken dish which never ceases to disappoint

I usually try to make the dishes with protein in them first since sometimes it'll take me nearly 10 days to make all three meals.  Sometimes I don't have time to make one of them, so I do something more simple, and other times I like to save them for a special occasion when I know I'm having company!  This time around I did the Sweet Chili Chicken with Coconut Rice.  I really need to start making more Asian-inspired food because I'm always so happy with the results and love the flavors.  This one felt really simple, was healthy, and anything that has ginger in it, sells me!  

Dinner is served :)

For the next week I did the Spiced Shrimp with Pearl Couscous.  This one left me feeling disappointed.  You'd think with the spice and other flavors it would be really exciting but it wasn't, it was actually kind of boring.  I would do this again but perhaps do a curry and simmer the Shrimp in some butter and garlic for extra flavor.  Which brings me back to the Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Almonds and Squash.  This was a flavor explosion, the lemon added brightness, the almonds and brown butter brought a nice nutty flavor, and everything worked together seamlessly including the soft-boiled egg.  This is something I will make again for sure!

So the fourth photo was a dish I came up with on my own.  I've been on a Brown Rice & Avocado kick (thanks Ash), so I wanted to kick it up a notch with my favorite maple apple chicken sausage, a bunch of vegetables from my friend Aimee's Mom's garden, and a little red curry.  This was another really healthy meal that was filling, something new for me to try out in the kitchen, and had a nice kick with the spicy curry and added jalapenos.  It's also something that you could throw together with whatever vegetables or protein you have and switch it up.

I really enjoy cooking and Blue Apron makes you feel like a home chef.  The awesome step-by-step instructions include pictures and even people who aren't as comfortable in the kitchen can feel great about their culinary skills!  Plus, you can pick and choose which meals you want; so for weeks at a time I skip delivery's because I'm too busy, don't love the menu, or have set plans already and won't be able to get to make meals that week.  I think you can get your first delivery free and nowadays there's also discounts on Groupon!  

If anyone out there is trying it, feel free to share your experience or pictures with me!  I always post my photos on Instagram so feel free to give me a follow or say hello :)  Lyndsey on Instagram  Happy Experimenting! 

Birthday Photos!

I just wanted to share a few more photos from my Birthday Weekend!!  Thank you to everyone who stopped by during one of the parties, wished me Happy Birthday via text, phone call, or Facebook, and just your thoughts throughout the year!  They are greatly appreciated :)

Making faces with Kenni and Nick, Fern and Howie made it to Blind Barber, my lovely girls,
Courtney, Sam and I, and big smiles from Michael and me :D

Cocktails at Saddle Peak Ranch, the Funfetti Birthday Cake Ashley made from scratch,
amazing Butterfish Appetizer at Lukshon, and Huckleberry Dessert with Kristina!

Until next year...

Blue Apron!

My gals at Bar Lubitsch set me up with Blue Apron for two weeks for Christmas while I was back home in Wisconsin.  It was a great gift, thank you so much Ladies!  Knowing how picky my Dad is with food (he's your typical Wisconsin Dad, meat and potatoes, pizza, burgers, and whiskey) I decided to start using it when I was in LA and could hopefully share it with some friends!

The process of picking out each week's meals was really simple.  I'm not a huge pork fan so I kept that out of the three meals that were sent, and made sure I had at least one vegetarian option each week since it was during Lent and I couldn't eat meat on Fridays.  The meals served two people and were surprisingly simple to put together.  Nothing took much longer than 30 minutes and some were even less.  I felt like I was making restaurant quality meals, well worth the price, and they tasted AMAZING!  What was even better was the easy to use recipe cards that listed the ingredients and gave step-by-step instructions including pictures that I kept so that I can continue to make some of my favorite recipes.

Catfish, Steak, Salmon, and Gnocchi all made thanks to Blue Apron!

My first meal was Alsatian Spiced Chicken with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and glazed red cabbage.  I loved this meal; the spices worked well together and the cabbage was incredible.  It would be the only way I would ever make cabbage again!  Next up was Catfish Meuniere with collard greens & lentils and I had Courtney over to enjoy it with me.  The fish was a little fishy on this one but the lentils and the meal as a whole felt really healthy and there was plenty of food.  Adam joined me for steak night and it was the first time I had ever made a steak.  It turned out perfectly medium rare and the garlic kale side served with it was seriously delicious.  This was definitely one of my favorites of all the dishes and I was very excited to execute it to perfection!  

On my second week I started out with Adobo-Style Chicken with bok choy and jasmine rice.  I was really surprised at how flavorful the chicken dishes were and will definitely make both again.  I made the seared Salmon with spinach-walnut pesto for Lunch after a great acting class and was excited to have the leftovers for Dinner that night at Bar Lubitsch.  It was by far the prettiest of all the meals I made and also felt super healthy, on top of it being one of my favorites!  I was sad when it was time to make my final Blue Apron meal which was brown butter gnocchi with lemon and brussels sprouts.  Acquah joined me and we paired this one with a Chardonnay I had (the only time I drank with the meals because I had been on anti-biotics for a couple weeks).  Having a glass of wine with the meal was a nice addition (duh).  The meal was so good that I wanted more and this was the only one that I felt like the portion was a little small and I was hungry almost immediately after.

I would definitely recommend Blue Apron to anyone who enjoys cooking.  All the ingredients are mailed to your doorstep and ready to be made.  There is prep for each meal but the instructions make all of that a breeze.  I would say that you need to have basic kitchen/cooking knowledge since time management is key when trying to do a couple things at once.  I felt confident after making the first meal!  I'll definitely get more Blue Apron orders in the future :)

Dine LA Week

I love checking out new restaurants during Dine LA!  I was able to hit up a few different places at the end of January and look forward to going back to them in the future!

The Roof on Wilshire was my first Dine LA experience this last month and Aimee & Andy came with me.  It was a little bit rainy but the roof had covered tables and heat lamps so it ended up being perfectly fine.  The view was beautiful and we were all excited for Dinner.  I started with the Shells & Cheese while Aimee & Andy got the Brussels Sprouts.  Both appetizers were really big and enough for all three of us to share but I was hungry so I didn't mind.  I ordered the Bowl of Goodness with Shrimp that had Avocado, Quinoa, Siracha, Beans, and more.  It was so much food that I took over half of it home with me.  It was definitely spicy but everything worked really well together!  I finished off the meal with the S'mores Cheesecake which was really yummy and had a marshmallow melted on top.  On top of the three courses for $29 they also offered a cocktail of your choice so I decided on the Vodka Martini with Cucumber & Mint and it was delicious and refreshing!  I had enough leftover food for Dinner the next day!

The following week Jamie and I checked out Terrine which was just outside of West Hollywood and their outdoor patio where we sat was beautiful.  We stuck with the Dine LA menu but also added The Beef Tartare which was my first raw beef adventure and that was good.  I started with the Lobster Bisque which was nice but I loved the Truffle Agnolotti that Jamie ordered, perfect pillows, in a beautiful sauce that I wanted seconds and thirds!  We both decided on the Wagyu Beef Short Rib and that was incredible and tender; it was served with a Brown Butter Pomme Puree that was one of my favorite parts of the meal!  You can't go wrong with Brown Butter!  I decided on the Sticky Toffee Pudding for Dessert and it was a perfect end to the meal.  Their three courses were $39 and well worth it!

The Dine LA Menu at Terrine...Beef Tartare & Sticky Toffee Pudding

Jamie and I also had plans to check out one more place but decided to do some Happy Hour hopping around Beverly Hills instead and ended up spending $30 on a three-course meal with tax and tip!  We did good.  We started off at Crustacean and had to order the Garlic Noodles as these are noodles that dreams are made of!  I also got a no-carb burger which was served with cut green beans.  That was ok but the noodles always raise the bar!  We then walked over to Wolfgang Steakhouse and while Jamie got the Ribs I got the Steak Sliders which came with French Fries.  The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and served with a horseradish sauce that was awesome.  I was really proud of our Beverly Hills Happy Hour dinner on a budget :)

I can't wait to go back to The Roof on Wilshire, especially when the sun is setting; it'll have a stunning view.  I'd like to go back to Terrine as well and try some other things off the menu.  Jamie really encourages me to try things that scare me, so she's the perfect date in situations like that!  I've already been back to Wolfgang since going with Jamie and had more delicious food there so that was fantastic!  Three new places for the win! 

To see more photos from Dine LA or if you want to check out my Food Adventures follow me on Instagram: Lyndsey Wegner on IG 

Thanksgiving Karaoke & Friendsgiving

With Thanksgiving being this past week I decided to group together our Pre-Thanksgiving Karaoke with Friendsgiving on Thursday!  Let's start off with Karaoke on Wednesday...

Bon Jovi "Shot Through The Heart"

No Doubt "Don't Speak"

Celine Dion "Power Of Love"

Journey "Separate Ways"

This past week we had Pre-Thanksgiving Karaoke so I had people sing songs or artists that they were thankful for.  We had a big crew of people come through so it was a super busy night!  I'm thankful for Bon Jovi, a band I remember hearing as a young girl while I would have sleepovers with my best friend in grade school, and for seeing them perform Live on 'The Ellen Show' years ago with my roommate, Ashley.  I'm thankful for No Doubt as they were the first alternative band I listened to, introduced to them by my brother, I remember many Summers skateboarding and rollerblading in the driveway to their music.  I'm certainly thankful for Celine Dion, a powerhouse, and one of the first Karaoke tapes I had, that I started singing to when I was younger.  My new song that night, "Power Of Love" was the first song I had heard of hers.  I always loved Journey, but I truly fell in love with their music when I was at a Summer picnic in Wisconsin and listening to a Cover Band play all genre's of music.  The female member took the lead on 'Separate Ways' and it's been one of my favorite songs ever since.  It gave me the confidence to sing songs by male artists and try music I would have never sang before.  It was a really fun night of great music, thankful friends, and celebrations.

For Friendsgiving this year I went over to Jamie's for a fabulous Foodie meal!  I had made fresh Cranberry sauce flavored with Orange and Bourbon.  I'll get the recipe up here on my blog just in case anyone wants to try it for the Holidays!  I also did my Crock Pot Lava Cake which was perfect and molten.  There were appetizers, a salad course, your traditional Thanksgiving food: Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Green Beans, etc with a fabulous spin to all of it.  Everything was amazing and each course was paired with wine and was so delicious.  We all watched Football and also played some "Taboo" as well.  Of course, Thanksgiving isn't complete without watching a Christmas movie so 'Home Alone' it was!  With all the food, I knew I was going to have a Thanksgiving feast a couple more times before the weekend was over :)

Heading over to Jamie's for Friendsgiving, Jamie and a delicious Goat Cheese and Crostini, Lily working on the Green Beans, a full plate of Thanksgiving food, Ben working on a drum stick under Edward's watchful eye, and this gorgeous red that was smooth and had lovely cherry notes...Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite Holiday...it's about spending time with family and friends, eating incredible food (make that a lot of incredible food), watching Football all day, and being thankful for everything in your life and what's yet to come.  I wrote this blog two years ago and it's still spot on and a fabulous reminder of everything I have to be thankful and happy for: http://lyndseywegner.blogspot.com/2013/11/happy-thanksgiving.html  What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving?  Do you have a specific food or tradition you do every year?   I'm certainly thankful for all of my readers...I appreciate your support and love!  Happy Holidays!

LA Food & Wine Festival

I watch a lot of Cooking Shows and Culinary Competitions on TV, and I subscribe to Food & Wine, and Cooking Light, as I love Food, being in the kitchen, going out for Happy Hour and Dinners to try new restaurants around LA.  Watching my shows and reading my magazines, the LA Food & Wine Festival is always one of the topics of conversation.  So one of my dreams came true when Jamie took me as her guest to the Festival a couple Fridays ago!

Downtown LA at Sunset

The LA Food & Wine Fest took place in Downtown LA at the Walt Disney Hall with over 100 celebrity chefs, 250 wineries, DJ's and entertainment, and more!  There were so many different stops that there was no way we were even able to come close to hitting half of them.  It was literally food and wine overload.  I noticed a lot of the restaurants and tastings we did were pork heavy, and perhaps, that's just the places we stopped at, but it was everything from tacos, to pork belly, to sliders, and more.  My favorite bite we tried was the Shrimp Coconut Cake from Phorage.  I burned my mouth because I couldn't wait for it to cool down but it was so worth it!  In fact, this last week I went in search of that appetizer at Phorage here in Culver City but unfortunately it was just a specialty item for the Food & Wine Festival.  I'm hoping they make it a special one of these days at their restaurant and I can stop in for a little bite of heaven!  

Jamie & I at the LA Food & Wine Festival

Now onto the wine, these weren't your typical wines.  These were wines that had flavors I'd never tried before, more exotic, more exciting, different profiles, and everything was delicious.  Navigating the event with food in one hand and a glass in the other we had to stop at the Stella booth to get our plate that had a holder for your wine glass.  They were also handing out full glasses of Stella and I actually got a few new wine and beer glasses to add to my bar at home!   Jamie and I did a mini-vodka tasting at Infuse Vodka before we left the event and I was excited because we sell that brand of Vodka at Bar Lubitsch.  We covered as much ground as we could in the two hours we were there but I can totally understand why some people get an all-weekend pass so they can leisurely make their way around the whole Festival.

Overall, it was quite the experience, and something I'm so lucky to have been able to attend.  This was one of my dreams come true and now that I've been to my first Food & Wine Festival, I can't wait to go again.  And this time, I'll have a complete game plan so I can find my favorite restaurants and try more incredible food :)  Thank you Jamie! 

*I wish I had taken more photos of the food, but because our hands were full, it was hard to take pictures along the way.  Photos from the event can be seen on LA Food & Wine's Instagram profile at: https://instagram.com/lafoodwine/* 

Road Trip to Phoenix! Part 1.

Sometimes you just need to get out of LA...stop and smell the roses and enjoy a little mini-vacation!  My family comes to visit a couple times a year and we usually take a road trip somewhere and I also go home a couple times a year to visit family and friends so that's a nice break from LA and I always come back refreshed and rejuvenated.  So I was stoked when Brad and I decided to drive to Phoenix and spend a couple days with his family and relax in the sun :)

The drive took just over five hours and we rocked out to Incubus' new album, along with some greatest hits, Tom Petty, Smashing Pumpkins, and more.  Our first stop was Todd & Carley's to say hello to them and so that I could meet Maylen for the first time!  She was nearly five months old and absolutely adorable.  In fact, the entire time we were around her for the three days we were there she cried only once.  Maylen is by far one of the best babies I've ever been around and getting to play with her was an absolute joy.

Lunch at a Triple D Restaurant!

Brad, his parents and I went to DeFalco's the next day for Lunch because it was on 'Diner's Drive-In's & Dives.'  We ordered Gnocchi, a Prime Rib Cheese Steak, home-made Sausage, and a Calzone.  It was a lot of food but we ate nearly everything because it was all so good!  My favorite was definitely the Cheese Steak; melted cheese goodness, with steak, onions, and mushrooms.

That afternoon we all decided to go to the Phoenix Zoo which was so much fun!  Although, I was a little scared of the vultures that could fly around in the bird area, thank goodness we got to look at snakes in between; I was far less scared of them.  We must have caught the animals right after Lunch because a bunch of them were napping but the otters gave us a good show so that was neat to see.  The best part of the Zoo was doing the Giraffe Edventure and getting to feed Makope and be up close with her.  It was one of the best Zoo moments I've had in my life!

Since we didn't get to see any Bears or Sharks at the Zoo we ended the night with a Documentary called 'Bears.' It's narrated by John C Reilley and one of my favorite documentaries to date.  I kind of want John C Reilley to narrate my life...it was absolutely hilarious and if you haven't seen it, I certainly recommend it!

Feeding Makope at the Phoenix Zoo!

Part 2 of our Road Trip to Phoenix continues below...

Easter Sunday :D

It was a long-awaited Easter as I noticed I was eating far more cookies this year since I couldn't eat candy, and although giving up soda was fairly easy and I enjoyed drinking more water and my skin reaped the benefits (Jennifer Aniston knows what she's talking about), I was stoked when I finished up my shift at Bar Lubitsch on late Saturday night/Sunday morning and ate a piece of Ginger Candy.  Sigh.  I missed those little pieces of goodness!

Bungalow Shenanigans with Ash & Raph

I got up early on Sunday morning to go to Church on Easter with Samantha (so glad she came with me), I got in a quick work-out and then got ready to meet Ashley and her friend, Raph, in Santa Monica at The Misfit for Brunch.  After having our first cocktail we decided to get the Punch Bowl of Pimm's Cup since we were making a day of the festivities.  For Lunch, I ordered the Asparagus Soup along with the Prime Rib Sandwich, while Ashley got the Chicken Tortilla Soup and Crispy Chicken Sandwich (lettuce-wrapped to Raph's dismay) and Raph go the Burger.  I have to agree with Raph and our Bartender, Dave, that the Crispy Chicken was absolutely amazing and what I'll be ordering next time.  I did love my sandwich too, but my soup even more!  They also had these Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies that were to die for and paired perfectly with my Double Espresso.  I'm pretty sure that we all had at least 3 or 4...or 5...

The Sunset on a sensational Easter <3

We then headed over to Bungalow (a special thanks to Alana for hooking us up with some drinks throughout the day) and we actually had a really great time!  I'm usually pretty anti-Bungalow because it's normally packed to the max, the drinks are ridiculously over-priced, and the people (for the most part) are pretty douchey.  We had a good crew meeting up with us and found a secluded spot on the patio with a table and few chairs and all of us had a blast!  The rest of the night we bar-hopped in Santa Monica, hitting up The Basement, Rick's Tavern where Dave, Garet, and I did some Karaoke, and closed off the night at JP's.

It was a day full of new places and food.  I had never been to The Misfit and always wanted to go ever since Creating Arts Company had been putting on shows in Santa Monica and I'd walk by and see the busy bar and patio.  All the bars on Main Street in Santa Monica were new to me too, so I've already gotten a great start on my New Year's Resolution for April!  It was truly a great Easter with friends and one of the best I've had since moving to LA <3

Dolphin Tale 2 Premiere :)

This past weekend I worked the 'Dolphin Tale 2' movie premiere in Westwood.  Courtney has worked events with this company who hires people to help get the premiere and after-party set-up, take care of guests, serve food, etc.  I was looking forward to doing something different on a Sunday afternoon and as much as I hated missing the first weekend of Football, I kept my phone handy to check on my Fantasy Football team ;)

Dippin' Dots!!!!!!

It was really hot in LA this past weekend, with temperatures in the 90's.  It was not only hot on Sunday, but humid for LA, and we were getting the refreshment areas set up.  Needless to say, we were getting in a work-out!  I loved the look of the event; there was a blue carpet, and then tons of pop-up restaurants involved, serving some of their well-known dishes, as well as games, photo booths, and even a huge slide!  Our group was specifically hired to take care of the VIP's, which I love, since it's customer service, and I've been in the Service Industry for 17 years.

The thing I loved most about working this premiere was how friendly and polite everyone was, guests and people working the event.  There were no ego's and even in the heat, the actors, executives, and families were all having a blast and enjoying themselves.  On top of that, the food was just amazing!  After we got done serving everyone and things were winding down we got to get our own Lunch.  I had a Truffle Burger from Umami, tacos and salad from Border Grill, pizza from Dang Bros, pressed-juice from Clover, cookies from Diddy Reise, ice cream from Dippin' Dots, and cupcakes from Sprinkles!  There was even more food but after all that, I was pretty full.  There were so many options and a specific dessert area where there was also cookie-decorating, air-brushed tattoos, and more.  It was definitely a kid's dream!

My own little personal Food Heaven :)

I'd definitely work an event like this again.  Hopefully, next time it'll be a little cooler or perhaps indoors, but they can always win me over with food ;)

Punta Cana! Part 2.

The week my family and I spent in Punta Cana this July consisted of fun tropical cocktails, an assortment of themed restaurants (we got to eat at every single one), with days spent by the beach and pool, and nights laughing and playing games like Catchphrase, Trivial Pursuit, and Loaded Questions!

Tuna Tartare

My Dad and brother, Bobby, arrived on the second day and that night we had reservations for the Japanese Restaurant, Maiko, which I was really looking forward to.  The meal started off with a few different kinds of sushi and some tempura, and then the Habachi was started and we got fish, steak, shrimp, chicken, veggies, and rice.  After our meal we were moved to a different table and served dessert, and also celebrated my 'Belated 30th Birthday.'  It was one of my favorite Restaurants of the trip and I was happy to see my Dad trying sushi and eating shrimp for the first time ever!!  Way to go, Dad!

Wegner Family in Punta Cana :)

For Dinner on our third night we went to the Garden Grill where they had different types of steaks and a huge buffet.  I think I had 3 platefuls of food before my steak even arrived!  The steak was good but not even close to the Rack of Lamb I had the next night at the French Restaurant!  I've never had Lamb before so I was a little nervous but it was absolutely delicious and cooked perfectly.  I also had Lobster Bisque soup that night in addition to an excellent Tuna Tartare.  Because there were 11 people in our group they brought us extra appetizers and entree's so we were able to try everything, which was really cool.  Everyone else tried the Lobster but I stuck with my Lamb and amazing veggies that night.

No Jacoby Vacation would be complete without Family Photos at every possible opportunity so on the night we went to the French Restaurant, while we were all dressed up, we went down to the Beach to get some group photos even though that evening was a little overcast.  Say cheese!

During the day, we'd be by the Beach and grab drinks at the Bar, like Banana Mudslides or Blue Hawaiian's, and they served Hot Dogs so you felt like you were at the Ballpark!  We found a quieter pool a couple days into our vacation where we ended up spending most of the time when we were out in the sun.  They had Sambuca so one afternoon I sipped on that while I floated on a raft :)  The Hotel Staff also brought wild animals around to take pictures with, there were Parrots, Snakes, and even a Spider Monkey!  Of course, I love monkey's so as scared as I was, I got my photo taken with the Monkey! 

Cocktails by the Pool!

Clearly, time flies when you're having fun!

Punta Cana!

After my Birthday in June I had a lot to look forward to including a week-long vacation to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic with my family!  There were going to be 11 of us hanging out (my Mom & Dad, brother, Bobby, my Aunt and Uncle, my 3 cousin's, and their 2 girlfriend's, everyone coming from all over the US) all week long while we sipped Coco Loco's, had incredible meals, and enjoyed the beaches and activities at The Gran Bahia Principe in Punta Cana.

I met my cousin, Tyler, and his girlfriend, Monica, at LAX on Saturday night where we took a red-eye to Atlanta, Georgia, then had a 4 hour layover until we took our next plane ride into the Dominican Republic.  The moment we stepped off the plane it was warm and the airport was packed with people going through custom's and before we knew it, someone was grabbing our luggage and leading us outside.  I literally asked the guy if he was going to kill us, but since he spoke little English he had no idea what I was saying, and Monica was able to make sure we were going to arrive safely at the resort since she's fluent in Spanish.  It was about a half hour ride through the city and country, and very interesting, seeing how expensive gas was, all the resorts along the way, the apartments the residents lived in, and little shops and tourist spots.

As soon as we got to the Resort, everyone met us in the Lobby, we checked in and then headed to the room so we could go down to the beach and pool for a while to get some swim time in.  The water was a beautiful clear blue along a gorgeous sand beach, filled with umbrella's, chairs, and bars.  After swimming we got ready for Dinner and Mom and I made our way to the Lobby to meet everyone, but it was pouring rain outside.  To be honest, that was one of my favorite parts of the trip, it was a warm rain and it was really fun to be walking outside in it (lucky that the rooms had umbrella's in them since it rains nearly every day at some point).  We grabbed a drink at the Lobby then took a shuttle to El Pescador, the seafood restaurant, and once we got seated at our table, they came around with wine, told us to grab our starters at the buffet and then placed our order for Dinner.  This restaurant was my least favorite out of the ones we ate at because I was looking forward to really fresh fish and I was just disappointed with the choices and flavor of my meal and the meals I tried.  The buffet and some of the appetizers were really good but overall, I liked this meal the least.

Becky, Monica, Nicole, and I were ready for some Karaoke!

After Dinner we went to the Sports Bar where Karaoke was going on and since all of us had a few cocktails in us, the girls and I all went up to sing some Karaoke.  I sang 'Baby Love' and had Monica and Nicole as my back-up singers/dancers, and then we got a bunch of girls to sing with all of us, including Becky, Matt's girlfriend, for 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls.  Since it was so busy in the bar we all went outside and played King's Cup, a fun drinking game, that has different rules for each card, including some strategy and word games.  We had a good time and after a late night snack we all were ready for bed!

Each morning we all went to have Breakfast at the Buffet before we got settled in at the beach for an hour or two.  Monica and I took dance classes in the mornings and I even went for a run down the whole beach one day when it was cloudy, in addition to taking some exercise classes on the beach.  I went swimming every morning, we all played pool games, and I tried to walk everywhere versus using the shuttle, so I was happy to be getting in some form of a work-out every day!

Catching some rays B)

And that was just night one...there's more Punta Cana to come!

The last day of my 20's...

It has been almost a week since I turned 30 and as scared as I was for the past couple of months leading up to it, when I woke up on Wednesday morning and walked into the living room, my roommate was awaiting me with a Cupcake and Mimosa's as I proclaimed 'I'm 30, woo hoo!'  It's only just begun, but as far as I can tell, the next 30 years are going to be great, but the cupcake and candle were a nice start!

I'm 30!! (Well, almost...last Photo Shoot of my 20's in Venice!)

Can't believe I fit in there!

The previous night (just hours of being 29 were left) included a wonderful Birthday Dinner at La Piazza complete wtih Pesto Farfalle & Shrimp Risotto, Wine, Chocolate Lava Cake, and later on drinks at Bar Lubitsch because Marisa was covering my Friday shift that weekend since I was scheduled at The Garage as well.  No rest for the Birthday girl, I worked my normal schedule all week long in addition to party planning!  The night ended with me hiding in my pantry because that's what 30 year-olds do...having fun and always a kid at heart ;)

Mom had made sure to call me at 10 pm in LA, because it was midnight in Wisconsin, then midnight in LA, and once again at 3:44 am because that was when I was actually born.  She's so thoughtful and I always love hearing the story of her going to the hospital and having me!  Thanks for sharing it every year with me, Mom!

Since Tuesday was the last day of my 20's, Kristina and I met up at her place in Venice and headed towards the beach for my final photo shoot of my 20's.  She had a bright purple/fuchsia wall that we planned on shooting at as well as the graffiti walls by the beach.  It was a great day for a photo shoot aside from the wind down by the ocean; my hair was blowing every which way, covering my face, in my lip gloss, and I was worried the pictures were just going to be complete chaos but I was so happy when I saw that it worked for the photos and they ended up turning out beautifully!  I couldn't have been happier with the photos; Kristina was a great photographer and we had a blast.  I can't wait to shoot with her again soon! 

Venice Beach Photo Shoot with Kristina!

All in all I ended my 20's with a bang, hanging out with friends, doing something creative, and enjoying those last moments before my fabulous 30's begin.  I'm certainly a lucky girl!

Brunch in Manhattan Beach!

Manhattan Beach Post Brunch

Last Saturday Jamie and I hit up Manhattan Beach Post in Manhattan Beach for a new and exciting Brunch!  It was a beautiful day outside, a little breezy, with the sun shining brightly, and as we got seated at our table we had an incredible view of the ocean and the waves crashing in!

Both of us were so hungry so after ordering 5 different dishes, we hoped that would be enough.  First off, we got started with cocktails, Jamie ordered the Pushing Daisies which had Champagne, Grapefruit and Rose in it, and I got their version of a Mojito.  Jamie's was served in a beautiful glass, and my Mojito had crushed ice in it and was delicious!  Our first bit of heaven were the Cheddar Bacon Biscuits that reminded me of Red Lobster's (don't tell them I said that) but were a billion times better!  It was honestly the best biscuit I've ever had!  I actually saved half of it so it would be the last thing I ate before we left!  The biscuits are served with a maple butter and have their own Facebook page.  You can check it out here: Little Drops of Heaven called Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits! 

Biscuits & Our Fruit Salad

Next up was a Citrus Salad with Mint and Honey.  It was not what I expected but still good and perfectly chilled.  There were a few different fruits served in a grapefruit bowl with some mint and honey drizzled on top.  I was expecting a salad so aside from that it was good.  Perhaps a little expensive for a bowl of fruit, but anytime you order a fruit bowl at a restaurant it's normally going to be around $10.  Our Chile and Maple Bacon came at the same time as the Citrus Salad and wow was that awesome.  It was the perfect amount of sweetness with a nice kick of spice.  My only complaint there was that I like my bacon crispy, but sopping up the juicy goodness in the skillet was pretty darn awesome.

Before our entrees came, Jamie ordered another cocktail called The Hessian made with was rum, allspice, nutmeg, and pumpkin which was the perfect holiday drink!  All of their food and cocktails change depending on the season and what's fresh, so it's kind of exciting to try entrees and cocktails that may not be there on our next visit.  Our Ricotta French Toast and Roasted Peppers with Burrata Cheese Sandwich came next and looked beautiful.  The sandwich bun was soft but firm enough to keep everything inside, and the greens had a citrus dressing on them which blended perfectly with the cheese and peppers and was served with home-made chips that were huge and hard Parmesan on them.  There was the perfect amount of Ricotta Cheese between the 2 slices of French Toast, that was sweet but savory, and a perfect dessert to end our meal.

Roasted Pepper & Burrata Sandwich with my amazing Biscuit!

I wish I would have had room for another biscuit but I was so full at the end of our meal I could barely finish the other half of my first one!  I'm going to go back strictly for biscuits one day!  Before we could go home, we were gifted with yet another cocktail, this one was The Man in the Yellow Hat.  I'm not a big Tequila drinker, and I don't particularly like Mezcal Tequila because it's got a smokey flavor and reminds me of bonfire, which I hate, but because of the banana, coconut and cardamom in the drink, it was really well blended and actually suited the drink.  Knowing me, I'd probably order it with Silver Tequila but seeing that I could drink it with the Mezcal made it a great drink and something I could sip on and enjoy and that was a pleasant surprise!

Our whole experience was amazing.  From sitting down at our table with our ocean view, to the impeccable service, thanks to Janet, the fun-flavored cocktails, and the elegant yet perfect comfort food, we were very satisfied customers and are excited to return!

A Family Affair at Lunch

After a very fun and busy weekend, Monday called for a fabulous Lunch, and who better than Jamie, who had called in sick to work that day, to enjoy Lunch with!  She was doing a little research for her job, so she suggested Milo & Olive in Santa Monica.  The name Milo & Olive came from the owner, who had opened up Rustic Canyon, then hired a Baker to open up Huckelberry, they fell in love, got married, opened up Sweet Rose Creamery, and then opened Milo & Olive, naming it after their children (in the shortened version of it all).  Both Jamie and I were quite excited to try a bunch of the menu items and were happily pleased with everything!

We started with the Sauteed Kale, which had jalapenos and plenty of garlic.  I tried kale once, a couple years ago, and did not like it, so I was a little nervous to try this, but ended up loving it!  I love garlic, I loved the kick of the jalepenos, and everything together just tasted amazing.  Next up was the Marinated Cauliflower that came in a small bowl with spinach, pine nuts, capers, gold raisins, and my favorite, goat cheese.  That was good too, very flavorful, and everything worked together well, and had different textures which was really nice.  We moved onto the Albacore Tuna Crudo that also had capers and a lemon and olive oil drizzle.  It was very light and fresh and a perfect palate cleanser before our main course.

Mmm...Goat Cheese...at Milo & Olive

For our entrees we did the Ricotta Gnocchi that had fresh mozzarella and basil and was in this sweet and tangy marinara sauce.  The gnocchi was perfectly-cooked, like fluffy little pillows, and the only down-side of the gnocchi was that I wish there was more to eat!  We also ordered a Burrata Pizza that was piled high with Proscuitto and Arugula.  I found out a couple weeks ago that I'm not a big fan of Proscuitto so I just gave that to Jamie and happily enjoyed the pizza with one of my favorite cheeses.

Now, this amazing meal would not have been complete without dessert.  So Jamie got a Sweet Cream pastry while I got one of the brownies and it was absolutely delicious.  We enjoyed our yummies with a double espresso for me and a Vanilla Latte for Jamie.  They actually make their own Vanilla syrup in-house using fresh vanilla beans.  Pretty darn cool!

 

This was by far one of the best Lunches I've ever had.  It was so awesome to be able to try all this amazing food and get to taste so many different flavors and styles.  I definitely look forward to going back to Milo & Olive again very soon :)