Friday, August 31, 2012

Luna Bars

In the comments of my previous post, Luna bars were suggested!  Luna Protein Bars were also ranked by Women's Health magazine as one of the best protein bars.  Click here for article.

So I got two different flavors to try this week, Luna Protein Cookie Dough and Luna Protein Mint Chocolate Chip.
Mint Chocolate Chip-Good
-there were no chocolate chips-pout
However the bar tasted minty and chocolaty with a weird bitter taste.   These bars have the perfect texture which chewy slightly crunch with a nugget coating.  After eating the bar, I was left with a nice chocolate mint taste in my mouth which beats cough syrup and card board.

And...
Cookie Dough-okay.  Definitely not as bad as the Strawberry Shortcake horrible ones.  But not as good as the Minot Chocolate Chip Flavor. So I would get again but only if they were out of the other flavors. The texture is good just loike the Mint chocolate chip BUT the taste is bland and bitter.  Not bad but not good.  The flavor makes this bar average :(

SPECIAL NOTE: These  bars only had 12 grams of protein vs the 19 grams in the Pure Protein bars.
However the Luna bars had 130 mg more of potassium, 15% more calcium and 3 grams more of fiber.

VERDICT- Yes- I will buy the luna protein bars again preferably the Mint Chocolate or other flavors.  I am a sucker for things with as much calcuim as a glass of milk.  Plus at 170 calories, they are a perfect snack.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Making protein brownies in an attempt to be wifely

Now, those of you who know me, know I can't bake or somewhat bake.  Well, I can but only at 3am when I am too tired to experiment.   Yes- experimenting is my problem.  I can not just leave a recipe be I must enhance or at least think I am enhance.  The difficulty with baking is it is a science.  You must recalculate for the new ingredients added.  This explains why I can bake at 3am.  I am so tired I actually follow the recipes.  Warning-if you wake up and the kitchen is full of baked goods, I could not sleep and you may be in trouble (sorry honey).

So, for the love of my husband (still weird), I decided to try a little baking.  I wanted to support his new health and workout goals which include upping his protein intake.  Like way up.   Therefore, I decided to research baking with protein powder.  However due to my limitations or lack of discipline I wanted to use a boxed mix.   Also, I wanted to work with I had in the pantry which was a chocolate peanut butter flavored protein powder.  Naturally, I found tons of from scratch recipes.  But none using boxed mixes.   I did find a community board that suggested add an extra egg to a boxed mix along with 2 scoops of protein powder.  Based on this advice I decided go against the dismal odds and experiment with baking  (insert scary music here ).....
AND
The brownies actually turned out good!!!!!!  Not Amazing! I still have some perfecting to do. They definitely taste like brownies but a little off. Some of this may have to due with the protein powder which to be honest is not that wonderful tasting.  But my husband (OMG) was so happy for a new protein treat and couldn't stop eating them that I had to cut him off so he would have some later this week.
Here is what I did.
As shown above I used Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Brownie mix.  I added 4 whole scoops of the Whey Protein Powder to the dry ingredients along with a 1/4 tsp of chili powder and 1/4 tsp of salt. I mixed the dry ingredients together.  Then added wet ingredients as list (1/4 cup of water and 2 adds)  however, I substituted the 1/4 cup of oil with 1/4 cup of applesauce which cut calories and fat while adding vitamin  C and a fruit serving.  Additionally, I added 1 whole egg and 1 egg white as well as an extra 1/2 cup of water.
Then I baked it on 350 for 40 minutes.  I like my brownies gooey and chewy so if you like a more firm brownie I would bake for 45-50.  Please keep in mind this recipe is tried in Florida which is at sea level.  If you are in a high atltitude adjustments may need to be made.
So Basically
1 box of Betty Crocker
3.5 eggs
1/4 cup applesauce
4 scoops of protein powder
3/4 cup water
put combined ingredients in a greased pan
bake for 350 for 40-50 minutes
And Ta-Da you have protein brownies which if cut into nine brownies, have 11.5 grams of protein!!!

The recipe is by no means perfect. However it was good enough to make me have to hide these babies from the man.  I will continue to update the blog as I continue to perfect these brownies which judging by the rate of consumption will be next week sometimes if I am lucky.

If you have any suggestions for protein powder baking or cooking please comment or email me.


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Chick Peas are the new potato chips? NO/maybe/I don't know

While playing on yahoo, I saw this article/video, "Swap Potato Chips and Croutons with These."  Naturally, I clicked on the link!  What could possibly replace chips!  I mean I am a salty snack craver. Chips, pretzels, cheezits, cheese and olives are my lifelines to sanity when stress eating!  My husband (Gosh that never gets old or less weird)  can vouch for the many times I have made him stop on his way home to humor my food needs...  and I am not even pregnant!!!

So...I am always down to find a nice healthier salty snack.  NEVER A REPLACEMENT because then I might go a little nutty and start screaming, "Hand over the chips or I am going to destroy dinner!"
The link turned out to be an episode (3 minutes and 12 seconds) for Judy Greer's "Reluctantly Healthy."  You may know the actress Judy Greer as the witty sarcastic character from "Mad Love," "27 dresses," "Two and Half Men" and "Arrested Development."

I watched the episode and thought,  "I love Judy Greer!"  And this is a great idea. Sidenote- this was blogged about on Oprah.com.  The episode presented roast chickpeas in a like EVOO, salt and paprika as the swap item!!!  Now I will admit the idea of never having chips again seems unrealistic.  This seems like a nice occasional alternative when I have the time and energy to make them in advance, because when I want my salty fix, waiting an hour for these babies to bake seem like mission impossible. However, I decided to give this recipe a try.
The video lists

3 cups of chickpeas
1 tbsp EVOO
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp parika
bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes

I gave this recipe try...BUT of course I totally added garlic and chili power.
And...
It was good, not great, not OMG I will never eat chips again. The chickpeas come out with a nice crunchy outside. The chickpeas tasted nice nutty which I enjoyed as a nice snack. The recipe is great for entertaining vegetarians or health nuts. This would be perfect if you added curry powder and served them as a little appetizer for an Indian or Moroccan themed dinner party. However, I don't think this is something I would serve to my picky very southern in-laws.

ALSO, I made these two days ago and took them for a snack at work (finding healthy good tasting snacks is hard) and I tend to do a lot of prep for the week on Sunday. Verdict- the chickpeas did not stay well.  They got a little stale and soggy.  Think like cold french fries.....YUCK.
Basically, I saved them to give to my husband (still weird) who will eat anything.  Great idea in concept, but not a satisfying substitution long term solution.  Afterall, I am not making these every time I have a craving for chips. But they are a fun new recipe I will use for entertaining.

FYI-If you use canned chickpeas like me some of the skins comes off.  This didn't bother me, but it may look weird if you are not use to cooking with them.


Sunday, August 26, 2012

VooDoo my wallet liked but Dog where was the bacon?


Voodoo Dog - Tallahassee, FLSince being in Tallahassee, the husband (don't know if I will ever get use to that) and I have been doing weekly date nights!  They are a great way to get out of the house and get some us time between all the family time, crazy work schedules, my insane traveling agenda and all the other stuff that pops up in life!

Of course, not every date can be as opulent as dinner at Cypress.  We are on a budget after all!  So I started researching places we had not been in Tallahassee that had great deals or were a little more affordable (i.e. cheap as in less then $20 for 2 people ).  And I came across this website.  It was amazing.  The site listed affordable places to eat, examples of the pricing and food suggestions as well as the restaurants website and address. Well towards the bottom was the interestingly named Voodoo Dog.  I was intrigued.  Plus, I had heard about it previously from the hubby's (OMG) uncle.  Thanks Roger!!!  Knowing the hubby's LOVE of hot dogs, I decided to surprise him by going here!

20120823_174423.jpgWell, even before we entered the purple building, the hubby was excited!  The place is known for it's bacon wrapped then fried hot dogs.  With a very atypical menu that offers hot dogs with a variety of not so usual toppings. The guy at the front recommend the new menu option, "The Jefferson" which is a hot dog with mac and cheese topped with butter crackers crumbles.  And I figured why not, I love mac and cheese.  The hubby (WEIRD) went for the Fat Katz which was topped with spicy brown mustard, sauerkraut and swiss cheese. Of course, I got fries because it is fries and urbanspoon's reviews listed them as good.


The grand total with a soda fountain drink and a PBR tall boy
Less than $16
20120823_174715.jpgSo the hotdogs were good, messy and funky!  The dogs themselves were not super salty or strong in flavor; my guess was because these dogs are meant to make ingredients shine not overpower them.  Basically, if you just want a plain old hot dog, go elsewhere!  My favorite of the two was the Fat Katz which reminded me of a nice deli reuben sandwich.  The Jefferson was good with the crunch cracker crumbles adding textures to the creamy mac and cheese.  But seemed to miss something.......no clue what...I am just being picky and honest.
OH SHOOT...
I just realized it....my dog was suppose to be a bacon dog.  It was not!  I can assure you there was no bacon on my hotdog.  I love BACON and it's crispy crunchy texture.  The hotdog was good enough for me not to notice but I guess the bacon was the thing I was missing.
                         This makes me sad and feel a little silly it took me this long to realize 
20120823_174359.jpgthe fries!  They were so yummy!  Super hot and fresh out of the frier as all good fries must be.  Seasoned but not too salty or undersalted!!!!  There was also a few sauces in the places for dipping.  For example, there were malt vingear spray bottles.  As well as this Voodoo Sauce which was spicy vingeary and super yummy.

Overall, I enjoyed VooDoo Dog.  I mean it was nice and filling!  A fun and off the beaten path food option which introduces flavor combinations that make me think of Colombian hotdogs (you know the ones with chips, pineapple and the entire fridge).  As long as you don't mind the crazy toppings being the star, this is a cool place to try.  Just double check your order.

SIDENOTE- Despite the mixup, I will go back and actually try a bacon dog. However, I am investigating the dog for ALL topping before eating.

VooDoo Dog does not have a website.  But here is the link to the facebook page and  Voodoo Dog on Urbanspoon

Friday, August 24, 2012

Coconut Milk Never..Like Ever

YES- the Taylor Swift song is still stuck in my head. stop, laughing!  So, Coconut Milk....I love fresh coconuts.  Just smash it open and give me a straw. This is another wonderful thing Ms. Rachel has turned me onto.  However, I am lazy!!!!!  I will type it proudly.  Unless I can find the coconuts pre-cut or smashed, I am less likely to get them.  It is too much work for everyday....yes i typed that.  Me the person who will take the time to make her own vodka and who makes stocks just to use them to make bisque or more soups.  Therefore, I thought since I am loving the almond milk and I love coconut, I would natural enjoy pre-packaged Coconut milk.  Ummmmmmmmmmmmm
NO

I don't know what it is but, this is not for me.  Now, I have only tried the So Delicious brand coconut milk so it could be a brand thing.  However, the milk tastes water and not creamy along with artificially coconutty, super bland and lacking all sweetness.  I am sad to type Coconut milk for a cartoon we are never ever getting back together.
Unless you have a hot better tasting makeover.

Please comment if you have a brand that is AMAZING and will make me recant this blog.  I will be more than happy to give it a try.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

My obsession with Cheese at Cypress

My mom and I swear we were rats in another lifetime.  One of my favorite meals is wine, cheese, good bread and more cheese. Maybe so olives or grapes thrown in for good measure. So for my birthday,  the husband (OMG still weird) took me out to Cypress in Tallahassee, FL.
His reason was for their AMAZING cheese selection and cheese plate!
And OMG was it good.
Upon arrival at our table, my husband handed me to cheese menu and said order a plate!(I knew I married him for a reason- he is my cheese enabler). Any place that has a cheese menu is already good in my book, but  a place that has a well put together menu is even better diversity and the uniqueness of Cypress' cheese menu was wonderful. (Cheese Menu Link)  The menu included Sheep's milk, truffle, and even raw milk cheese.  Needless to type, I was in heaven.  We ordered Montgomery Cheddar and Nuvola Di Pecora (see below for pic ).
Our waiter who was fabulous recommended the Roomano and it turned out to be our favorite. The cheese's texture reminded me of a good well aged Parmesan Reggiano with all the saltiness and depth but was more buttery and less sharp.
The cheddar was good  with a strong nutty grassy flavor.  I always love a well made cheddar.   The Nuvola Di Pecora was a nice semi-soft sheep's milk cheese.  It had the texture of a nice creamy Gouda but tasted tangy with a nice sweetness that balanced out the kinda herbal/vegetal notes. The cheese platter came with 2 strawberries, some nuts, and crostinis.


Because I was indecisive, I decided to get two small plates instead of a typical dinner order.  I got the  Southern-Soul Sea Scallops -which were paired with collard greens, tomatoes, fennel and a spicy oil.  The Scallops were cooked perfectly and the fennel paired well.  However, I must admit  the Gulf Coast Oysters & Biscuits  were by far my favorite.  The salt and not slimy oysters were topped with a sherried Cream Sauce, Leeks, yummy bacon, tomatoes with biscuits.  Think oyster pot pie. All the flavors paired and balanced each other out creating a truly rememberable food memory. 

The Hubby (Weird) ordered from the dinner menu.  How adult of him, right?  He ordered the  Cypress Vegetarian which was Fried Green Tomatoes, peas, goat cheese, Pickled Okra,  Garlic-Horseradish Sauce.  The fried green tomatoes were not greasy at all.  The pickled Okra gave the dish a note of playfulness and surprise along with adding a brightness of acidity.
OVERALL- I loved it!  I will so be back for more cheese and fun unique food!                                             SIDENOTES FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN CHECKING IT OUT- Cypress does have a $4 Happy Hour from 5-7pm which is only available at the bar Also, they are currently on restaurant.com.    

Cypress Restaurant on Urbanspoon                                      

Monday, August 20, 2012

My Latest Obsession...Almond Milk

No...it is not the new Taylor Swift song, despite my playing on repeat. NOR a pair of pretty shoes (See husband, I am staying on budget).
 It is Almond Milk.  

My friend Rachel, who is an amazing and lives a paleo lifestyle (more on this in another blog), recommended this to me as a great starter in the mornings or snack.  She said it was more filling then a lot of other under 200 calorie snacks and WAY healthier than chips or my personal favorite, CHEEZITS.  This is also an alternative to dairy and soy products.

So I gave it a try and I am hooked.  I like drinking the milk first thing in the morning.  I actually pour it into a Solo cup and take it for my drive like most people do with coffee.  I find that the Almond milk keeps me full for about 2 hours at work.  So the almond milk gets me through the morning rush to the 10:30/11am mark. Or my glass of almond milk sustains me through a nice 4-6 miles walk (for longer walks I find I need more intake otherwise I get tried faster and lose traction so I pair with a 100 calorie bar or fruit).  I also find that the milk helps fill my craving for cheese (I was a rat in a previous life) even though it has no dairy.

So here is my break down of flavors and brands



I love love love Silk's Pure almond Dark
Chocolate.  It is like chocolate milk any a bit more decadent.  I find the dark chocolate is great when I am craving chocolate or something sweet a terrible like cake or doughnuts or OMG now I want a cupcake.  Anywho, this great to help with the cravings



The original Silk flavor which tastes the most like milk out of the bunch is good not a strong flavor to perfect in a smoothie or paired with snack.

 However, I really like the vanilla flavor because it was a bit sweeter without being too sweet, plus creamier.  So, the vanilla flavor is perfect on it's own.

The unsweetened is not for me.  I find the flavor bitter and had to add fruit or splenda syrups to make them drinkable.  This does not mean the flavor is terrible, I did finish off the cartoon and a bottle of chocolate sugar-free syrup, but not my favorite.  Maybe this flavor grow on you with time.  I just would rather not force myself and go straight to the




I find the Almond breeze brand to be stronger in almond flavor, less creamy and a little grainier.  It is still good but I prefer the Silk brand in all the flavors.  Though, I have not tried the chocolate flavor yet.


I have not tried the generic Publix brand or So Delicious Almond milks yet, but when I do I promise to update. For those of you wanting to try out my latest obsession, you can sign up for Silk coupons here.

What do you think?

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Sakura and Sweet Shrimp or the continuation of the dearly departed

After trying three restaurants I previously enjoyed years ago in Tallahassee for dinner and finding them ALL closed which I describe in more detail in my post "The  , the Hubby(still weird)  and I decided to just go to Sakura.  Sakura is a Japanese restaurant we passed a couple times trying to find Fusion café and the two other restaurants.
I am always happy to have Japanese food and/or sushi,  I have a  mine obsession I blame on my father,  so we figured why not.

Now, my husband (OMG)  family owns a sign company. Under their influence I have grown to perceive a  great amount about an establishments from their sign. Therefore, the discolored older signed lead me to make certain assumptions.
But we had been driving around for an HOUR and I was hungry.

As we walked in, we saw the specials board which boasted 5-7pm half priced wine Monday- Thursday.  Drinks special are always something  good to remember.  


I was pleasantly surprised to found the Restaurant to be much nicer on the inside with medium and dark wood paired with Japanese prints and almost romantic low lighting.



We were sited immediately which for me is a HUGE plus.  1-I hate waiting. 2- I was STARVING.
And the server came right over and got our drink orders. Check number two!
Then due to hunger, we ordered and ordered WAY too much!  We got the Sushi Deluxe (10  pieces of nigiri and spicy tuna roll)  which comes with miso soup and salad.  On top of that we ordered al la cart

2 shrimp nigri
2 sweet shrimp nigri
2 Ikura or salmon fish roe
2  mackerel
because that wasn't enough
1 Peanut Avocado roll
1 Toro Jalapeno roll

Sadfully for my taste buds, they were out of Uni or Sea Urchin, which is one of my personal favorites. The positive, I don't know if we could have eaten anymore if Sakuri had Uni in house.

The food arrived and looked GORGEOUS as you can see from my modeling the plate with all the al la cart items.

All the nigiri  ordered, I had eaten before except the Sweet Shrimp. Now for those who don't know what Sweet Shrimp is (I didn't know until the Hubby suggested we order it) raw shrimp. The body of the shrimp is cut and placed on top of rice similar to typical shrimp nigiri only not cooked.  The head of the sweet shrimp is fried and served next to the nigiri, ie the photo.  Now to be honest I had no clue what to do with the head.  I thought it was a fun garnish.  However after a little research and thanks to Jeffsayyes, I learned that the heads are similar to soft shell crabs and are meant to be eaten. Unfortunately, I learned this too late and will have to go back to try sweet shrimp heads.  Although, Jeffsayyes wrote about eating them in his blog  so check it out here for a description of the experience.

So Sweet Shrimp.. the first thing I noticed was the looks.  It looks just like raw shrimp which it is.  So I had  to get past that, since I am so conditioned to make sure shrimp is cooked through when preparing food.  So part of me wanted to tell the waiter, "Excuse me, this food is not done."  Second the texture, is not chewy and as solid as cooked shrimp. The texture is closer to the skin of salmon roe.  It is unusual but so good.   Sweet shrimp tastes sweet, slimy, sea ocean salty and wet.  The taste is not overpowering but very distinct.
I am definitely looking forward to having Sweet Shrimp again.

We found the sushi rolls to be hit or miss so good or AMAZING.  The avocado peanut roll was an wonderful flavor burst in my mouth, so AMAZING.  I would have never thought to pair avocado and peanuts but it works.  The creaminess of the avocado insinuates the natural creaminess of the peanuts.  Then crunchy texture of the peanuts contrasts nicely with the smooth cool avocado.  This roll was one I must remember because it seems like something that could be recreated at home.  Maybe not as artfully, but definitely a sushi roll that would impress with flavor that has ingredients easy to find in the grocery stores.

The other roll the Tora Jalapeno was ok.  I think I was expecting it to be spicier or have a stronger punch of flavor, though the taste was good.  It did not impress like the Avocado peanut roll.

As for the rest of the meal, the fish was a good and fresh quality but not AMAZING. This is not five star quality, the finest sushi you have ever eaten.  Though it is certain not the worst either (I put grocery store pre-made sushi here).  Damn MF Sushi in Atlanta for spoiling me.  However, the pricing is way better and quite affordable for sushi.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Sakuri.  The food was good with some bursts of genius shining through.  The pricing was good.  The server was quick and courteous.  I have big plan to go back during Happy Hour to get the 1/2 priced wine and 30% apps for a girls night or another date night.  Plus, I must try the fried fish head.
Sakura Japanese Sushi and Grill on Urbanspoon

Friday, August 17, 2012

The Dearly Departed.....Restaurants of Tallahassee




The great thing about moving to a new city/town is discovering new places to eat.  Unfortinately, Tallahassee is not new to me. So the interesting thing about moving back to a place, like I did to Tallahassee, is that after 5 years things have changed.  Some of my favorite staples have CLOSED unbeknownst to me.  So, when my husband (still weird)  tried to take me out for our 2 month wedding anniversary.  We went to 3 different restaurants that we loved five years ago only to realize they had been closed!

So to honor the closing of my food staples and some that i was just amazed at... 
Here is a quick recaps of the closing that have occurred over the past few years in Tallahassee 

RIP

Fusion Cafe my favorite place to get Duck in Tallahassee- I think Daffy is very happy about this one closing

The Loop- a theater school staple because it was good and close to the 

Chez Pierre- The overpriced French Restaurant

Anthony's-overpriced Italian food, but I did eat my first escargot here!

The Politician and privacy seekers friend Silver Slipper slipped followed Dorothy back to Oz

Schlotsky closed but supposedly is coming back in 2013

Cafe Cabernet- the wine bar and fancy (well at least for Tallahassee) night spot

Capri- I don't remember this one at all

Urbane- no idea this one even existed

The Main Ingredient- which had some of the BEST fried eggplant

I will miss all of you, though some more then other!  Like where am I suppose to get duck in Tallahassee now??

So now that I have mourned in my own very weird way, the restaurants of Tallahassee's past, I guess it is time to start exploring all the new offerings that the great city of Tallahassee has to off. (And by NEW, I mean new to me).

If you have any suggestions for places to eat in Tallahassee, please comment!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together...Like EVER Evil Protein Bar


I admit it… while I hate eating anything that isn’t AMAZING.  Sometimes I don’t have time to cook, prepare or eat at a nice place. So I grab fast food (don’t judge) or prepackaged things like Lunchables (WHAT???? I typed no judging).  Therefore, today when I was running late to work, I grabbed a bar to tide me over till lunch.

The problem is I didn’t grab my normal Special K bars or Fiber1 bars.  Things that taste ok even good depending on the flavor.  But at least the bars I have had are just not as good as a nice hot home cooked breakfast.  Today, I grabbed one of my husband’s(Still weird) bars, a Pure Protein bar.

Well, my husband is on a workout kick.  He is all into building muscle and strength which he tells me means increasing his protein intake a TON.  I don’t mind this because protein is not too hard to increase for dinners or meals I cook. Though for his day to day lunches and snacks, I got protein bars and protein powder.  I just got the bars that were on sale that had the most protein.  My husband unlike me will eat ANYTHING regardless of taste or really anything.  Think like Mikey!  So I grab a pure protein strawberry shortcake bar.  It has 19 grams of protein and less then 200 calories.  So in theory the perfect breakfast/mid-morning snack.
NEVER AGAIN. 
LIKE EVER
These taste like cough syrup mixed with card board which is SIGNIFICANTLY worse than most bars that are so bland and flavorless.   Here is a picture so you may avoid this FLAVOR at ALL cost!  


Sorry, husband you are stuck eating ALL of the Strawberry Short Cake Flavor by yourself.  And I am going back to my less protein filled bars.

If you have any high protein good tasting bar or snack options, please comment…..

PS-Yes, the Taylor Swift Song is totally stuck in my head hence the blog name!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Now what?

Life happens or should I say Shit Happens like my Dad… And somehow this/my blog got side tracked! I got married, earned my masters and moved. All in one month. I know I am an overachiever!!! A very big overachiever. As my new life settles down I realize just how much has changed. I am married, way over educated and living in Tallahassee, FL.
  So now what? 
 I survived multiple life changing events and now am sitting on my bum with no idea what to do. I tried being a lovely stay at home woman and relax. Enjoy not having to write papers, plan a wedding or worry about packing. I got bored so fast!!!! After the first week, I took to taking 2 hour walks. I read 2-3 books a week and enhaled entire television series (thanks Michael) like they were chocolate to a hormonal pregnant lady. I began taking trips out of town. But even with bi-monthly trips out of town, I was about to start clawing the walls. Relaxing and enjoying quiet, felt like doing nothing. And the overachiever in me began to miss working towards things.
 Since, I am not ready for the adventure of children(Sorry Family) or responsible enough for a dog (Sorry all you cute puppies out there), I got a part time job, which I love. Wooo hoo…but am still missing doing fifteen different things at once. My husband (still weird to type) suggested, I return to blogging.
Well, here I am in a matter of typing. 
Attempting to get back in a saddle I never really was consistent with to begin with. But maybe this is just the outlet I need! After all I find cook relaxing and soothing…..and baking in the middle of the night (ONLY) helps me distress and fall asleep.
 Therefore, I am back! 
 And this time I am blogging from Tallahassee and my mother-in laws kitchen. There is a whole new set of dietary changes and restaurants to try. Not to mention grocery stores! So please if you live in the Tallahassee area post suggestions for restaurants and food stores!
Well Gourmet wishes,
Somewhat