Things I Like to Eat (...and Other Nonsense)

5.16.2013

Busy.

You know those days when you have so much stuff going on and you don't have time to think straight, or wash your hair, or enjoy a good TLC marathon of Four Weddings?

That fragile state of being-on-the-verge-of-homicide is precisely where I am right now.

My brain is like "OH MY GOD I HAVE A TON OF SHIT TO DO I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THE FUCK TO START BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT. It's been 12 years since I posted on my blog (not that anyone's noticed), I haven't uploaded any of the 5,238 photos from our Disneyland trip, Eric's birthday is just around the corner and A1 planning needs to take place, the laundry is practically walking itself to the trash can because, at this point, it's beyond washing, oh, and that new job is totally cramping my sleep-till-noon-and-wear-pajamas-all-day style!!!"

Since this is really just a filler post to make myself feel better (about myself), I'm not going to get all long-winded about anything in particular. But I will say that my new job is killer and they bring in free catered food and I work pretty much autonomously, which I love, and it's rad. Also, they bring in FREE CATERED FOOD.

My chins high-fived each other when they learned the good news.

Things are looking up, my friends.

This is not from my catered job, it's from Food Truck night. Whatever, you get the idea.

I like food.

5.07.2013

Featured Wedding Venue: Madonna Inn

In our search for THE wedding venue, we decided to check out The Madonna Inn. And by "we," I think once you take a look at the place, it will be obvious that I mean me.

Photo courtesy of The Madonna Inn website

The Madonna Inn is a well-known hotel along California's central coast. It's pretty much famous for looking cuckoo and boasting over-the-top decor that would make even Liberace gasp in horror.

I totally love it.

The hotel offers 110 bedrooms that each have very unique and defined themes. Some of my favorites include:

Old-Fashioned Honeymoon

Dez

Romance

Austrian Suite

Jungle Rock

I can't help but think all of the kitschy design and flocked wallpaper and velveteen sofas would make for totally bitchin' wedding photo backdrops. Also, these rooms scream HOTEL ROOM PRE-PARTY!!!

If you're anything like me, I'm sure you're bonkers in love with this place by now.

So we drove up to The Madonna Inn and checked out three of their rental venue spaces.

The first one we looked at was The Venetian Room. It's located on the lowest level and is decorated like Christmastime at The Olive Garden. It has a maximum capacity of 250 guests.

The next room we looked at was The Garden Room. It's located on the second floor and feels a little like a Swiss chalet. There are murals everywhere and it reminded me of the Griswold's European vacation.

The room seemed pretty dark, but it's probably different when there's an actual event going on.

The last space we looked at was the stage area. This space is typically where the ceremony business goes down. According to the events coordinator, the staircase is usually a big selling point for brides who want to make a "grand" entrance. The room is decorated in red, pink, and gold and there are cherub statues. Also, this stage area opens up to the hotel's restaurant, so I imagine lookiloos would be watching while the wedded couple says their "I do's".

Along the way to the stage area is a fully-stocked bar and seating area.

The exterior of The Madonna Inn:

Check in and lobby

The restaurant

Located alongside the 101

A statue of Alex Madonna (I think...)

if you're ever in the area, make sure to stop by The Madonna Inn. Also make sure to pick me up first because I've never actually stayed there and I'm dying to throw an impromptu photo shoot in one of those rooms.

5.06.2013

No Dinner, Just Dessert. Thanks.

Last night, Eric and I were trying to decide what to make for dinner. Nothing was really "calling" to either of us and we'd already been to the grocery store earlier in the day, so it wasn't like we didn't have plenty of options to choose from. It was sometime during the dinner discussion when my mouth had a flashback to a peach pie that we bought at Food Truck Night last month. Unfortunately, that particular peach pie store was closed on Sundays and it was at this point that I realized I just wanted pie for dinner.

So we drove back to the grocery store and bought a frozen Claim Jumper Lattice Apple Pie.

If you've never had a Claim Jumper pie, they're the shit. Available in several flavors, I can only attest to the apple and peach.

This giant, deep dish dream come true was just what the doctor ordered. And by "doctor," I mean my chins.

We got home and immediately threw it in the oven.

Instructions:

1. Take the pie out of the plastic wrap and put it in the oven at 425 for 60 minutes.
2. Sprinkle with the brown sugar topping and bake for an additional five minutes.
3. Let it sit for two hours.

As you can see, the second step really gives it a homemade touch.

And the third step is totally optional because we only waited 30 minutes and then ate the shit out of it.

On the back of the box, it states that there are *supposedly* 10 servings. I don't know about all that because, apparently, in our house there are only three servings. Luckily, I didn't get a chance to look at the calories or whatever else it is that you're supposed to look at it before strapping on the feedbag, so we'll just say that the apples contribute to the healthy section of the food pyramid and call it a day.

Mmmm. Go get one tonight.

(I was not compensated in any way for this post, I just really love that pie.)

5.02.2013

A Mini Vlog.

This is what happens when I'm bored and home alone.

I think I just stroked out.

4.26.2013

A Party Weekend with Friends.

Recently, we celebrated a friend's birthday with a daylong tour of several wineries and vineyards in the Paso Robles area. A party bus was involved with a stripper pole running the length of the ceiling, as were "Redneck Wine Glasses." Needless to say, a good time was had by all.

This was my first visit to a vineyard, outside of that time I nannied for a crazy family and they took me to their vacation estate in Napa, but I left early because the kid got a concussion while he was in the mom's care and it's totally something I don't even like to acknowledge because that mom was one of those TYPE-A LOCO MOMS and why do you always make me talk about things I'm uncomfortable with?

The day started out when Eric and I joined up with the rest of the group at Donati Vineyard. We got there a tad late and I spent most of the time catching up with friends whom we hadn't seen in a while, Unfortunately, not much tasting was had here. Fortunately, they have a really great lawn and gazebo area off to the side of the property where you can set up picnics, BBQs, etc. Which is exactly what we did. And you know how much I like eating.

The staff at Donati was totally cool about letting me leave my car here overnight while we continued on way to Blackoutville. They also also allow dogs in their establishment. Yay for Donati!

Next on the itinerarie was Jada Winery and Vineyard. The owner of Jada was a really nice guy who gave us the whole backstory behind the vineyard and it's name and how it's a family-owned establishment that began with a conversation in Sicily. He gave us a full tour, which was pretty informative.

Baby grapes: The distance between each sprout is approximately the size of a fist.

Retrieving samples: The owner explained that they use red wine to stain the middle section of their barrels as a sort of design. Apparently in the wine biz, the look of a wine barrel is a good indicator of how well the vintner takes care of his wine.

The purpose of the dark brown wood going around the edge of the barrel is to attract wood beetles to that specific type of wood, and not to the actual barrel itself. This way, the beetle works its way through a throw-away piece and the barrels stay pristine. Interesting!

The birthday boy is second from the left.

A cheese and wine tasting- sooo good! There are two options for the cheese and wine pairing; both come with five wines and five cheeses. I'd highly recommend.

Again, Jada's owner was a super nice guy and they also allow dogs in their establishment. They even have their own winery dog named Ginger. Yay for Jada!

Last on the itinerary was Villacana Winery and Vineyard. By this point, I was starting to get a little bit of a headache and decided to take it easy on the tastings. Instead, I rehydrated with water, while enjoying the beautiful weather.

The stains left behind on the side of the glass are referred to as the wine's "legs."

This particular winery also makes vodkas, limoncello, and brandies. I decided to try the limoncello since I've had it before and I know it's basically like a lemon drop candy. I was the first one to go in for the kill and, like an asshole, I totally choked all over the place. Smooth.

The grassy area outside of Villacana.

From there, we rode the party bus back into the main part of town and ate dinner at Villa Creek. I got the salmon with legumes and Eric got the roast chicken with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Both were excellent. So excellent, in fact, I ate equally from both plates. BECAUSE I LIKE TO EAT, OKAY.

Low lighting = unappetizing photos. They were good, trust me.

After dinner, everyone was pretty much wasted. The fake mustaches came out and next thing I knew, Mario and Luigi had joined the party.

Blurry, but you get the idea.

The party bus ride back to the party cabin was, like, my worst nightmare. I'm pretty sure the driver was either tired of us assholes or had also been wine tasting all day because it was basically the bumpiest/ rockiest/ curviest/ fastest/ dizziest/ spinningest/ barfiest ride I've ever had. Plus, our cabin was way out in the middle of nowhere, by a lake, and the ride was a torturous 45 minutes long. Mark my words, party bus: NEVER AGAIN.