Weekend in Instagram

What a lovely weekend.  I don't know about you, but Antoine and I had a fantastic weekend.  The weather was beautiful and we not only got some stuff done, but we also managed to do some fun stuff too.  Here's a peak into my weekend...

 I'll let you in on a little secret...a good way to start a great weekend is a sushi date with your favorite fella.  As soon as I got home from work on Friday, Antoine and I headed over to Saigon Cafe for a bunch of tasty sushi.  I'm an anti-social weirdo and I like to go out to eat super early (especially on Friday and Saturday nights).  We got there a little after 5pm, and there were only like two other tables in the whole place.  We started off with crab ragoons, which we had never had there.  They were very crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside...just how they should be.

Then onto the sushi.  Saigon Cafe currently has all of their sushi half off, not just their regular rolls.  And Antoine and I were really hungry...so we went a little crazy and got four rolls.  (From top to bottom:  tuna roll #12, Alaskan roll #6, the Dragon roll #16, the Crazy roll #18).  The Alaskan and the Dragon were my favorites.  After sushi, we ran to Microcenter and JCP and then capped off the night with a trip to Menchie's.

Menchie's is one of those self-serve frozen yogurt places with like 10 different types of frozen yogurt and a million different toppings.  Once you've decided what you want they simply weight your selection and you pay accordingly.  Antoine and I shared a cup of mountain blackberry and mudslide frozen yogurt with a crap ton of topping on it...and it only totaled up to $3.50.  It was delicious!  I definitely prefer it over Orange Leaf (which have been popping up all around us), since you can sample as many flavors as you want, without asking.  And the flavors, I feel, taste better than Orange Leaf's...plus they have gluten-free, low carb, kosher and dairy free options.  Only downside to Menchie's is that it's in Mason.

 After we got home, Antoine had to do some stuff for work.  I made my way upstairs and painted my nails.  Yes, I'm still on the nail painting kick...and no, I don't see an end to it anytime soon.

Saturday morning we had to wake up bright and early to take Antoine's car in for an oil change.  So while we were up we decided to go get some bagels and coffee (for me) and get our grocery shopping out of the way.  Here's a shot of our little brussels sprout seedlings, on our way out the door.

 It turned out to be such a lovely day, so Antoine and I decided to take Cheese to the dog park.

 Usually we follow Cheese around the park as he makes his way to every single person there (no joke! Dude likes getting pet.)  But, this time there was a free bench under the trees, so we took advantage and sat and watched him from a distance.  He's always on his best behavior at the dog park, so he really doesn't need to be watch too closely.

After the dog park, Cheese got a much needed bath and then everyone was due for a nap...even Guillermo who had probably been napping most of the day already.  Plus, Antoine and I had tickets to a Reds game, so we knew we wouldn't make it through the game without a nap.

On the way to the game we stopped by Hold the Nuts (our favorite soft serve place, in Silverton) for a little pre-game snack.  I got my very first watermelon glacier (soft serve + watermelon slushie) of the season...so refreshing!

 This is the second year in a row that Antoine's parents and brother have gotten us opening night Reds tickets for Xmas.  It's a great gift because Antoine's brother always finds us really awesome seats (row F!!, first base side) and opening night always has a fireworks show afterwards!  It reminds me of our third date! *swoon*

 A and I at the game!  Sadly, they didn't win.  But we still had a good time!  And the fireworks were fantastic, as usual.

 Sunday morning we slept in, which Antoine really appreciated (usually I wake him up "too early" aka at 8 or 9am.)  But, as usual, I was awoken by this guy, purring my ear off.

 Antoine, being the awesome and amazing guy that he is, made us Cap'n Crunch French Toast for breakfast/lunch.  So flippin' good!  I could really go for some more right about now!

Cheese proceeded to pitch a fit when he realized he wasn't getting any French toast!

 The rest of the day was full of shopping and outdoor activities.  I don't know why, but every time we go to Lowe's or Home Depot and we pass the orchids I have to take a picture of them.  It's a disease I have.

 While Antoine mowed the lawn, I washed my car.  This was the first time I've ever washed a car...ever!  Mainly because it's the first time I've had a car worth washing.  Have I mentioned that I love my new car?!

 While A and I were keeping busy, Cheesy roamed around on this little tether thing, exploring all the smells.

Since Easter really isn't our thing, we weren't obligated to go to any relative's house for dinner (woot!)...so we rounded off the weekend by grilling out.  I made a quick marinade for some chicken (oj, fresh rosemary, garlic, olive oil and a little dried thyme), and Antoine expertly grilled it.  It was quite tasty.  I've already got another marinade recipe to try out for next weekend.

So, that was my weekend.  It was absolutely delightful and I'm sad it had to end.  But boy, oh boy, I do love Spring.  I hope next weekend is just as lovely as this one was...I can't wait!

Lucky's Cafe in Cleveland

This past weekend Antoine and I, with Cheese in tow, drove up to Cleveland to spend the weekend with my hlp, Amanda, and her boyfriend Aaron.  Amanda and Aaron just moved into three-story duplex with a bazillion rooms on the east side of Cleveland.  In planning to come up for the weekend Antoine and I insisted that we go to Lucky's Cafe for breakfast Saturday morning.  It's another Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives spot that Antoine and I were anxious to try.  Plus, brunch is the best meal of the day!  So, we got up early, because I'm a nutso and was worried about fighting a crowd of hungry people and made our way over to Tremont.  Lucky's is a pretty small place that, in addition to serving up awesome locally produced meals (some of the ingredients come from the garden behind the restaurant) also makes delicious-looking pastries (we got a blueberry coconut scone to go and boy was it tasty!).

 After seeing the Triple D episode that featured Lucky's Cafe, I knew what I wanted for breakfast.  The homemade granola with fresh fruit and yogurt, drizzled with honey.  Look how gorgeous it is!  Look at the apple, it's like a freaking sculpture.  I almost didn't want to eat it, but I was hungry, so I did.  It was fantastic.  It was supposed to come with pineapple but I asked them to keep that off, so I was worried that there wouldn't be much fruit...obviously no need to worry about that!  The granola was chewy and delicious with bits of dried fruit in it.  The honey balanced out the tang of the yogurt perfectly.  Antoine was worried that it wouldn't be enough for me, but I was totally stuffed by the time I finished it.

 Antoine naturally went for the cheddar biscuits and sausage gravy with eggs (also featured on Triple D), served with hash browns and grapes.  He loved it!  In fact, he said that it was even better than Mayberry's biscuits and gravy (which was previously his favorite biscuits and gravy).   I tried a bite, then another bite, then another.  I gotta say, this is the only biscuits and gravy I've ever had that I would actually consider ordering myself.  The cheddar in the biscuits took them to a whole other level.  And the hash brown thingies were pretty fantastic, so flavorful that you didn't need any extra salt, pepper or ketchup.

Antoine and I shared a side of pecan crusted bacon...because, really, how could you pass that up!?  It was tasty!  Sweet with a little bit of smokey saltiness in the background from the bacon.

Aaron got the baked mac and cheese, and let me just say that if ordering were a competition, Aaron would have totally won!  This was beyond AMAZING!  The best mac and cheese I've ever had.  Period.  Baked to perfection with cheddar, mozzarella, brie and parmesan cheese and served with a side of homemade applesauce.  I will admit that when Aaron left the table to use the restroom, all three of us attached what was left of his mac and cheese like vultures.  It is now my goal in life to re-create this mac and cheese at home!  Challenge accepted!

 Amanda got the veggie omelet with mushrooms, spinach and white cheddar, served with hash browns, fruit and banana bread.  She said later that the omelet was pretty standard, especially once she tasted Aaron's mac and cheese and my granola.  But she, like Antoine, really enjoyed the hash browns.  She also really liked the banana bread, which I tried and thought it was quite tasty.

 So pretty!

(Just outside Lucky's Cafe)  Bunch of weirdos!

I'd highly recommend Lucky's to anyone visiting the Cleveland area.  It was delicious.  And if you like mac and cheese, theirs will BLOW YOUR MIND!!  Word of warning, if you see these two weirdos (pictured above), run away...or they will make strange faces at you!

Brunch at Mayberry (part 2)

You may remember way back when I wrote a raving review of Mayberry's delicious brunch.  It quickly became one of our favorite brunches in the city.  Then, for a while, they stopped serving brunch for some reason.  Then it came back, but before we had a chance to go Mayberry moved from their downtown location near the public library to Over-the-Rhine.  So, a couple Sundays ago we invited my sister and brother-in-law to brunch, and they picked Mayberry.  Neither had ever been for brunch and it was everyone's first visit to the new location.  So, without further ado...

Mayberry's menu changes pretty often, though they keep some items on the menu permanently...like the Rosemary Biscuits and Sausage Gravy and the Tater Tot Casserole.

Sadly, one item that always used to be on the old Mayberry's brunch menu, the Elvis Killer, was not on the new Mayberry's brunch menu.    The Elvis Killer was my jam.  I loved it hardcore.  So instead I went for the French Toast with strawberries and chocolate.  It came with this buttery deliciousness all over it! YUM YUM YUM!

Antoine went for his Mayberry usual, the Rosemary Biscuits and Sausage Gravy with a poached eggs on top.  He's a biscuits and gravy kind of guy and he loves this dish.  I'm not a biscuits and sausage gravy kind of gal, but I gotta say, Mayberry's is pretty tasty.  The rosemary in the biscuits adds a nice aroma and flavor.

 

My sis got the BLT with Peppered Bacon, Leek Gouda Fondue and Roasted Tomato.  The second I took a bite of this my eyes rolled back and I let out a fairly loud "Mmmm!"  Delicious.

Christian got the Roasted Lamb with Mashed Potatoes.  I didn't try this, nor did anyone else at the table, because I don't like eating lamb.  But he seemed to really like it.  He also got a Bloody Mary, and he enjoyed that as well.

Ahh, Tater Tot Casserole.  It's so pretty and delicious!  This was by far the BEST Tater Tot Casserole I've had at Mayberry!  Beyond cheesy with lots of little lovely browned bits. If it was acceptable I would totally order like 10 of these for brunch, but I think people would judge me!

As far as the new location goes, it's bigger, which is a definitely plus.  They've got a nice big bar as well.  It's a definite step up (as far as size) from the last place.  I hope that they do very well in this location, I know I'll be back many, many times...stuffing my face full of tater tot casserole!

Weekend in Instagram

 This weekend was a mix of rain and beautiful sunshine.  It rained most of Friday, so Antoine and I decided to order a pizza from Dewey's, one of my favorite pizza places (lately we've been getting the Ryan's Inferno, which is never spicy [yay!] but always hits the spot everytime) for dinner.  After the delicious pizza we got into our pajamas and prepared ourselves for the last five episodes of the Walking Dead (which we had been saving up).  God, I love that show!  It's so flippin' good.

 While we were watching the Walking Dead I painted my nails with some crackle polish I had recently found on clearance at Sally's. It was my first attempt at crackle polish and I gotta say, I'm a fan.

 Saturday morning I woke up to find that my new pair of glasses had arrived.  I got them from coastal.com.  They have this promotion where your first pair of glasses are free (as long as your Rx isn't too crazy), so all you have to pay is $10 for shipping!

According to my weather app on my phone it said Saturday was supposed to be dreary...but it was gorgeous.  The purple tulips in our window flowerbox were loving the sunshine.

Since the weather was so lovely we decided to add a trip to Home Depot to our list of errands.  I picked up some herbs to plant (rosemary, basil and cilantro for now) and some new seeds to sew (including pickling cucumbers, broccoli rabe, brussel sprouts, and romaine).

 While we were at Home Depot, Antoine and I were gawking at these gorgeous forsythias.  We ended up leaving, going to the grocery store and then going back to pick up two of them.  Since we bought the house about two and a half years ago we've had these evergreen shrubs on either side of our porch.  When we bought the house they were fine, but over time they've slowly begun to die.  So we've had our eye out for something to replace them...and the forsythia seemed like a great choice.

 They're hardy and vibrant, yet have a delicate look to them up close.  And they really pop next to our blue house.  I'm in love.

 Here's the sad, dying shrubs that Antoine ripped out of the ground.

On Sunday we took it easy and didn't do much of anything, mainly because I wasn't feeling too hot.  But I did whip up a delicious smoothie for breakfast.  I got the idea for The Novice Chef's recent post on green(ish) smoothies.  I took her recipe and tweaked it a little, since I have a bag full of frozen blueberries in the freezer and I'm not a pineapple fan.  I went for non-fat greek yogurt, frozen blueberries, fresh strawberries, a fresh banana, and a couple handfuls of spinach.  I ended up having to add a little OJ to mine, since my blender sucks.  I gotta say, I was a bit skeptical about not being able to taste the spinach, but I figured Jessica wouldn't lie to me.  And she didn't.  With all that other tasty, fruitiness in there you really can't taste the spinach.  I even gave it to Antoine to try (and he had no idea what I had put into it since he was in the livingroom the whole time) and after he took a sip I told him there was spinach in it and he thought I was kidding.  And seriously, they're super addictive.  I actually had two of them yesterday and I'm craving another one already!

Sunlight

Because it's Friday and I really can't think right now, I thought why not subject these fine folks to more pictures of the Cheese-man.  I took these one afternoon when Cheese was hanging out under the dining room table, in the sunlight.  Consider it round two of experimenting in manual with Cheesy as my muse...

Happy Friday all!  I hope you have some wonderful weekend plans in store.  Antoine and I have plans to go to brunch downtown with my sis and brother-in-law.  We're going to Mayberry, one of my favorite area brunch spots.  But this will be my first time there since they switched to their new location, so I'm very excited!

Life in the Last Three Weeks...

...through the eyes of Instagram.

Hi, remember me?  It's been awhile!  The past couple weeks have been a mixture of good, bad and the in-between.  A and I got engaged and celebrated a delightful Xmas together.  I discovered that a friend passed away, attended the memorial service of this very special and unique woman, and wrestled with finding the right way to console your best friend when you can't come up with words that can help heal after such a massive loss.  We celebrated New Years in downtown Cleveland, A went back to work, I finished some craft projects, we started wedding planning, and work, for me, continued to be exciting and crazy.

It's been a strange couple of weeks.  But there were definitely some really good moments (amongst the bad and so-so ones), some of which I've highlighted here through Instagram.

A and I went to Oriental Wok for Xmas Eve dinner with my sis and brother-in-law.  Good times.  Notice that yellow scarf, I made it!  And I'm kind of in love with it!

Cheesy got a new toy for Xmas, one he hasn't managed to destroy just yet (miracle of miracles!).

Xmas morning we opened presents, just A and me.  Then I made mimosas and A made his famous Liege waffles.

For Xmas dinner, Antoine cooked up a delicious filet mignon with compound butter, baked sweet potato with cinnamon sugar butter and steamed veggies.

We ate said delicious dinner over candlelight at the dinner table...in our pajamas.  It was perfect.

And, if dinner wasn't enough, A also made his spectacular creme brulee for dessert! 

Throughout dinner and dessert Cheese sat quietly at our feet, like a little angel.

There was much wine-drinking over the holidays.

For New Years we had a low-key celebration in our downtown Cleveland hotel room with my HLP and her boyfriend.  It was very nice.

On the way back home from Cleveland, A and I stopped in Columbus to explore, by coffee and get dinner.

My lovely HLP, Amanda, got me a wonderful Moka stovetop espresso maker.  I absolutely adore it and have used it regularly since I got it!  Luckily, I've had some previous barista experience so I can whip up a mean latte, if I do say so myself.  I'm so very addicted!

Cheese continued to be adorable.  And continued to beg for food.  And lattes.

There were a string of beautiful sunsets and sunrises a couple weeks ago.

I began working on an afghan I had started a year or two ago.

And, what do you know, I actually finished it!

Antoine came home from the airport last Friday with pretty flowers for me.  I think he likes me, or something.

The following morning, the sky was dusted with pink puffy clouds.

And the Cheese-man continued to be cute.  Especially in closeup form.

I snagged some awesome new espresso cups on the cheap...to further my new addiction.

Gui and I held hands.

 Antoine made delicious waffles from scratch.  Seriously, he's amazing!

A and I went to the Cincinnati Art Museum, and I admired this man's impressive 'stache.

I broke out in hives for no apparent reason and had to start taking large amounts of steroids and Benadryl. 

Guillermo, as per usual, jumped into bed with me almost every single morning, over the last three weeks.  Purring up a storm and looking cute.