Double Secret Surprise Time!

In a couple weeks my mom is turning 60.  Crazy, huh?!  And get this, my sis is turning 40 this December!  Where does the time go?  Anyways, my dad wanted to throw a surprise party for my mom.  But when he approached the topic with my sister and I, we practically simultaneously said "Hell, no!".  Well, it was two separate phone calls that he made, so it wasn't simultaneous...but it would have been if we were together!  See, while my dad or my sis would love to have a surprise party thrown for them, they're the social types, my mom and I are the exact opposite.  The thought of a surprise party makes us crawl in our skin a little...okay, a lot.  Ugh, just thinking about the idea of a surprise party is making my stomach do somersaults!  Anyway, needing an alternate plan, my sister and I put our heads together...a dangerous thing.  But in this case, an awesome one!  And what we came up with might be the most perfect (for my mom) secret surprise EVER!  And, as with most surprises, it all starts with lies...

A couple weeks ago I planted the seed that Antoine will be out of town this weekend, visiting his best friend in L.A. (Lie #1).  So I said I was thinking about coming up for the weekend with the Cheese-man (Lie #2) and visiting, using a chance to visit my grandparents as my main reason for coming (Half-lie #1 - I will be visiting my grandparents but obviously mom's bday surprise is the main reason I'm coming).  What mom won't find out until I park my car in their driveway tonight is that instead of bringing Cheese, I'll have my sister in tow (Surprise #1)!  And instead of spending the weekend laying around not doing anything, my sis and I plan to kidnap my mom and take her to Cleveland for a girls weekend (Surprise #2)!  We've booked a hotel for Saturday night, thanks to Antoine's generous donation of hotel reward points (Surprise #3)!  And on Saturday, after we have breakfast with my grandparents, we're meeting up with my hlp, Amanda (Surprise #4) and going to David's Bridal so I can try on wedding dresses (Surprise #5 - a biggie, since that's one of the wedding related things that matters most to my mom...and one wedding thing that doesn't exactly thrill me)!  Oh, yeah, and my sis and I did my wedding flower dry-run last night, so we'll be taking my mom a bouquet (Surprise #6)!  Here's a sneak peak of the bouquet we're giving her...

I gotta say, the dry run went very smoothly and didn't take long at all!  And, as I expected, it consisted mostly of a lot of sister chit-chat!  I'm really looking forward to doing the actual flower arranging the day of with my sis, mom and Amanda!

Ok, where was I?  Oh!  We're taking mom to to Melt Bar and Grilled (Surprise #7 - what what!!).  And we're taking her on a little birthday shopping spree (Surprise #8) and to Lucky's Cafe for breakfast on Sunday (Surprise #9)!  Her head might literally exploded from all the awesome surprise-fun this weekend!

It should be a blast!  Hope you all have a great weekend, even if it's not filled with double secret birthday surprise shenanigans!

Weekend in Instagram: Columbus edition

This past weekend I drove up to Columbus to hangout with my best friend, Amanda.  We were both overdue for some girl-time together, and Antoine was nice enough to offer up some hotel reward so we had a free place to stay.  The weekend was filled with good stuff like tasty food, shopping and wine drinking, and here's the proof:

FYI: I think the Heidi braid is going to become my second best friend during the summer-time!

Saturday night we picked up some pizza from Mellow Mushroom.  It was the first time trying it, for both of us.  Pictured is the Red Skin Potato Pie, which was pretty awesome!

Afterward dinner we did classy things like put on our pajamas and filled up the bathroom sink with ice, to chill our wine.

We continued to be classy, each drinking a bottle of wine out of plastic cups while watching Big Bang Theory and That 70s Show.

After I picked up Cheese from his boarding place and took him back home and gave him a bath, I curled up on the couch and tried out my new nail polish I had picked up on Saturday.

Overall, it was a nice, relaxing weekend filled with laughing and perhaps a bit too much wine.  It makes me wish, desperately, that Amanda still lived in Cincinnati, so we could hangout more often.  [Insert sad pathetic guilt trip here].  Anyway, stayed tuned tomorrow for a peek into Columbus' Franklin Park Conservatory!

Cheese-making Class

About a month ago, Antoine spotted this deal on Groupon for half off a cheese-making class in OTR at the Cheesy Gourmet.  We immediately forwarded the deal to my sister, another lover of cheese, and within a half hour we had all purchased the Groupon and had tentative plans to go together. Fast forward to last weekend, when Antoine and I met up with my sister and brother-in-law (and two of their friends, Holly and Chris) to embark on our first cheese-making class.

Cheesy Gourmet is set up behind a little store front in OTR.  Our class, which started at 3:30pm, was stationed in a little alcove filled with tables and chairs just outside of the kitchen.  There was a sushi-making class going on in the kitchen, so it made sense that we be in the alcove since we didn't need knives and sushi rice, just a hot plate and some milk.  As you will see, most of the class consisted of instruction and snacking on cheese.  Oh, and drinking wine!  It had been advertised in the Groupon that the class was BYOB, and I think everyone in the class took advantage of that!  (Sidenote:  If you BYOB, it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring a corkscrew [if you need it] and some disposable glasses)

Our instructor, Joshua, was energetic and encouraged all 12 of us in the class to be animated and ask questions as he went along; actually, he demanded it.  He described that the process he would be showing us was an attainable way to make three different types of cheese: spreads, crumbles, and blocks.  And, through this relatively simple process, we could have cheese spread in under a hour, crumbles in just a couple hours and a block of cheese in about a day. 

Holly and our instructor discussing cheese-making and products.

Chris taking notes.

At the beginning of class, Joshua set up a pot on a hot plate filled with vitamin D milk.  As we waited for the milk to reach a low boil, Joshua directed us to a collection of plastic containers filled with cheese spread he had made, but not seasoned.  It was our job to season them, with a variety of herbs and spices provided, and then feast on them...a tough job, I know!  

Christian seasoning up some cheese spread.

I may or may not have drank over a half bottle of wine on an empty stomach and left the cheese-making class completely wasted.  Okay, I did!  And it was awesome!

A variety of seasoned cheese spreads that Michelle and Christian whipped up:  an Italian-y spread (top), chili powder and garlic (middle), lavender and salt (bottom).

Michelle enjoying some cheese spread.

She's so cute!

Once the milk had reached a slow, soft boil it was time to add the lemon juice.  The introduction of acid causes the milk to curdle, thus separating the curds and whey.

Straining out the whey.

Ta-da!  Cheese.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the class.  Initially, I thought we might learn to make mozzarella...I mean, it looks so easy when people make it on cooking shows.  We didn't make mozzarella or feta or cheddar, because in reality, those cheeses take more ingredients and time (we're talking years of aging people!)  But, the nice thing about this class was that Antoine and I walked out feeling like we could go home and make cheese immediately, and all we'd need is some milk, acid (lemon juice) and a flour sack/cheese-cloth.  And within no time at all, we'd have something we could eat!  The class was accessible and we got to see the whole process from start to finish (without any mysterious swap-outs where the chef tells you, "And this is what it looks like after a 6 months of again at precisely 76 degrees...").  We left inspired to make cheese and try out different flavor combinations.  We left thinking, "We can totally do that!  And we can use our basil or rosemary we have growing to season the cheese!!  And we can put it on PIZZA!!!"  

I'd definitely recommend the class.  It was a fun and instructive way to spend the afternoon.  Take a bottle of wine, eat some cheese, and get inspired.  Cheesy Gourmet also offers a variety of other classes, including sushi-making and Indian cuisine. 

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!