Is this the greatest sign ever, or what?

It comes in an array of colors, so if any of you are thinking about getting me a gift...

this is it!

As you may or may not know, Caleb and I made the very long journey to New Orleans nearly two months ago. And, boy, was it worth it!

These sugary puffs of fried deliciousness were probably one of my favorite parts of the trip (among many!). Ask Caleb, I didn't stop pleading for a rendezvous for many, many weeks after we returned from the hot swamp.

beignets.

Cafe Du Monde.

So, since it appears we won't be making a return trip in the weeks to come, Caleb and I decided to try our own hand at beignets.

Out of the box, of course :)

There were four simple directions, yet we Caleb, made one major blunder and only added half the necessary amount of mix. The consistency was a mess as I tried to roll the dough out with our makeshift rolling pin, a wine bottle. Lushes are we.

The little penguin was working overtime.

It was early, I was stressed (hard to believe, right?), and ready to throw in the towel. But, we somehow managed to reach the right consistency, though I was mildly snarling.

Caleb hard at work.

Once the dough was cut into uniform squares, it got popped into the lava-hot oil.

And doused in powdered-sugar bliss!

Whats cuter, my mug or these french donuts? :)

I must preface this post with one simple fact: Caleb and I are old souls. Or maybe its just me? Either way :)

To escape the grind of Charleston (and to prevent ourselves from getting burnt out on 24), Caleb and I decided to make the trek to the charmingly tiny town of Greenup. I had been pining to explore the town for days, and was so giddy by the time the big day actually rolled around.

So, once we satisfied our morning 24 fix, we were jet-setting across Route 130.

Our first stop...

Backyard Barbeque! I devoured a pulled pork sandwich,

while Caleb had a half rack of ribs... naturally.

We next we made our way to the main part of town, the strip, if you will.

Cute :) and the best part... I was able to drag Caleb into an antique store.

And, the very best part?

Cameo Vineyards!

Cuties, duh :)

Caleb and I expressed our very best old folk skills at the last stop in our tour of Greenup, and it was glorious.

And there you have it folks, the cutest town in the Charleston-Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area (you think I made that up, but I didn't. Look it up! I dare you).

As you can see, this blog is a mess. ie, its the perfect parallel of my life.

eeeeee! I was just invited to pintrest. A mere fifteen minutes ago I was but another schmoe on the waitlist. (I know what you're thinking, a waitlist for pinterest? my thoughts exactly). Wow, I guess this is really it. I'm taking the plunge.

But that is neither here nor there.

I've been thinking I need a focus for this blog, but I don't really know what that should be. So, here are my concerns:

• I have one follower, Caleb. Generally speaking, I'm okay with that. But seriously, just one? C'MON!
• Should I sellout and become a cliche food blogger extraordinaire?
• NEVER! (Okay, maybe. Only time will tell).
• Photography??
• Not yet.
• Day-to-day happenings? heheheh, don't worry, that's not under consideration.

Well, it seems we're right back where we started. Maybe I should update more?

Stay tuned for what is to come. All I can tell you is that Caleb and I are going to Greenup tomorrow. Prepare for an exciting new post. Stay classy San Diego.

“They make it look so easy. Connecting with another human being. It’s like no one told them it’s the hardest thing in the world.” - Dexter

As you may have well guessed, the Mediterranean tart was a fail. So, as promised, you will here find kittens intertwined with local commercials:

Just kidding, I couldn't put you through the horror of local commercials... but seriously, how cute are these cats?!

And just for good measure, because I think this kitteh somehow got ahold of my blog:

Hehe, so on a serious note, the tart was a complete bust. I should have known when over half of the ingredients were olive oil, it was game over from there. But, surprisingly, Caleb and I managed to make up for it tonight. Just when everyone thought we were doomed, we managed to pull off the best meal of our baby lives. And it goes a little something like this...

First things first, the recipe we used was from a girl who's blog is named "Iowa Girl Eats," so you can't go wrong there. Especially since our best days in Iowa were spent at the grocery store, I mean, just put two and two together.

Next, we have watched eleven episodes of 24 in the past 24 hours (coincidence? I think not), so we were in desperate need of a change of pace.

So without further adieu, here goes my first impromptu food blog.

And in the words of the little cutie on "My Drunk Kitchen,"

"The problem with finding recipes online is they always give you this like three paragraph introduction as to why you should give a fuck about the recipe you're about to be reading. I personally don't care. I just wanna see the recipe. I also like it when there are pictures."

Annnnnd, we're off.

Chang's Lettuce Wraps

Please ignore the dungeon lighting, its just part of the charm.

Here's the link to the recipe (pronounced re · sipe), if you so happen to be interested:

http://iowagirleats.com/2011/04/26/p-f-changs-lettuce-wraps-remade/

And more importantly, a link to "My Drunk Kitchen,"

http://www.youtube.com/user/MyHarto#g/u

in which I highly recommend you watch all videos from beginning to end.

Now, if you'll please excuse me, Caleb and I must persist in our evening as protégés to mister Jack Bauer.

Well well well, this blog is about as boring as Tuesday night television. And I would know, because that's my life right now. The highlight of my day was waking up at 8:00 am to get my run in before the 65+ dew point. I don't even know what that means, but I heard it on the area news, which attests to my alibi.

I could tell you about how I have been gloriously frolicking throughout the south, but what I really want to harp upon is the Mediterranean (DANG, that word is hard to spell, even after a semester on the coast) vegetable tart I'm going to attempt tomorrow. Yes, yes you heard right. The girl who submerged a mere 25 bullion cubes in a single rump roast is going to attack a recipe the not only includes olive oil, but also vegetables and hummus. I know, you thought the perilous amounts of chick peas and olive oil in Spain would sway me from this endeavor, as did I, but I must prevail. You can expect photos to come, unless of course the exotic fare once again gets the best of me, in which case you will find an updated blog full of kittens and local commercials. Which will it be? You will never get this :)

a month in photos... enjoy :)

my long awaited first photo with Herman.

Caleb and Herman, so professional.

tulips at the union, loves it.

dancing.

my girls.

again. (courtesy of Aalok, thanks :))

Bob and ze pawpaw.

Caleb.

ze fam.

skids.

Mal's wedding.

haha.

butterfly.

lake pictures commence :)

peonies at grandmas, my new favorite flower. ahem.

garden.

garden.

yellow irises, and Lex.

north or south?

purple irises.

my girl.

there she is.

those colors.

Wex.

birds, my soft spot.

what an obnoxious flower.

willow tree ♥

birds.

haha.