Mel Weekend! E’s POV

“Its mel-i-or-a not melior-aaaa” [if you don’t get that reference you have not seen enough harry potter movies]

This past weekend was Meliora Weekend at the U of R, or alumni reunion time! Meliora means “ever better” in latin and is our beloved Alma Mater’s motto. This years lineup consisted of some fabulous events and speakers including Barbara Walters and  Craig Ferguson but I decided to not attend anything in advance and instead spent the time with friends. I’m sure in 10 years those events will be awesome but for now I just want to see everyone I’ve missed for four months and wish wish wish that I could go back to senior year. I’m still a little in denial that I’ve graduated…

ANYWAYS,

Shianne went up Thursday evening the lucky duck but I was stuck sitting at work counting down the hours until I could take off onto my 7 hour journey with these fine gentlemen:

road warriors at a BBQ joint in the middle of PA

Some singing, political discussions, and 3rd grade paper grading later and we had arrived!

I was quickly reunited with these lovely ladies who I have seen occasionally but we have not been together since the day after graduation!! I knew already that nothing would be different but walking in the door confirmed it, I miss them like crazy and could probably be happy anywhere as long as I had them around!

512

Friday night was kind of a blur, mostly because there were so many places and faces I had not seen or thought of in awhile but going back instantly made me feel at home. I actually said “I’m excited to go home!” accidentally.. alright I said I wouldn’t get sappy here but really it was both wonderful and tragic that I couldn’t just fall back into things at school the way I have for the past 4 years.

Saturday was spent lounging, eating greasy breakfast, and attending the yellow jackets football game:

woo jackets! (we lost.. no surprise)

the crew

Also I turned 23.. ancient now.

Met this little fellow:

Brody

do you like how I stole this pic from Kaos instagram?

 

Went to the Distillery for bday dinner and strawberry margaritas:

mmmm

Then out to east & A bars:

Freshman-Senior year roommates

Alas, the weekend flew by and after one last greasy breakfast at Mt. Hope diner it was time to hit the road again.  Can’t wait for next year!

Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad & World Market

After all the cookie-baking last week, I’ve decided to turn back to a healthier page…so tonight I went to the local grocery store and picked up some ingredients to make a super easy Strawberry Vinaigrette salad:

1 Package Spinach ($2.29)

1 Carton Strawberries ($2.99)

1 Container Feta Cheese ($3.99)

1 Bottle Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing ($2.00)

Total: $11.29 + tax

Ingredients + messy contents of my kitchen countertop

I also threw in a few sliced almonds from my roommate’s pantry to top it off – which made it even better! The best part is that there is enough spinach, strawberries, and feta leftover for at least 4-5 more meals and enough dressing and almonds to last for a long time after that! Less than $15 for all that? I’ll take it!

Delicious finished product!

In other news, Elyse and I want to introduce all of you to World Market, the most incredible, fun, and delicious-smelling store in the world.

Overwhelmingly delicious food section…

Cheap wines from all over the world? Yes, please!

We spent almost an hour in the store (it’s really not that big…) just looking around at all the unique and beautiful items. They have jewelry, scarves, home decor, food, and drinks from all over the world – and the prices are pretty fair, too! But what really made us fall in love was the full aisle of the best smelling candles I’ve ever come across!

I generally consider myself a plain vanilla type of girl, but I could not resist these scents! I’m pretty sure we both smelled every candle in the store before finally deciding on “Indonesian Teak” Potpourri (Shianne) and a “Mexican Pumpkin” Candle (Elyse).

Our final decisions

I can tell you one thing – I am not disappointed with this purchase! My entire apartment smells fantastic and walking in after work gives me an immediate sense of relaxation and calmness! SO worth it.

Smells AND looks great on our living room endtable!

If you’re not fortunate enough to live near one, you can find them online at: http://www.worldmarket.com/.

-S

Suede Wedges

After a crazy, amazing, and nostalgic weekend back in Rochester, Elyse and I are back to the daily grind in our nation’s capital. To mirror her recent post regarding lace shorts, I have decided to make my Monday morning post also about fashion.

I know I’m a little late on this one, but I’m finally admitting that I’ve jumped on the suede wedges bandwagon. To make up for how late I was in discovering the seemingly endless benefits of this new trend, I obviously bought two pairs right away and am dangerously close to getting another. I’ve already determined that between one black pair and one nude pair, I don’t even need any other shoes. These things literally go with EVERYTHING. Jeans, skirts, slacks – the possibilities are endless!

They’re perfect for the fall and you can dress them up or keep them casual. I personally prefer ones that aren’t super high, and Target has multiple colors with a 3″ wedge available for between $20-30 (depending on color). They’ve held up great so far and made an easy transition from the office to the bars. Practical AND cute – how did I not catch on earlier? Lesson learned – quit being stubborn and learn to accept new fashion trends to avoid having to play catch-up later!

-S

Lace Shorts

I’m not entirely sure what Shiannes opinion on lace shorts are.. in fact I think I mentioned them the other day and she gave me a strange sideways glance so maybe this wont be something you see on everyone.  I can tell you the first place I saw them was at Urban Outfitters, and I quickly dismissed them. Then my friend from home, probably the most fashionable person I know (seriously, she could make a potato sac look chic) got a pair and turned me on to them

Lindsay sporting her pair, don’t question what shes doing its senior week nothing counts

Here are a few other examples:

with tights

So long story short, last night I was strolling around the Marshall’s in Silver Springs, MD [if you’re looking for your usual TJ Maxx or Marshalls experience but hate the ones in the city.. well this one is not bad not great.] and in front of me was a rack of lace shorts for only $12.99. I tried them on and it was love at first zip, not only are they comfy and cute, they’re not TOO short so that I feel as though I’m wearing no pants and with some opaque black tights they’d be really cute for day or night and even in the fall..sold!

What do you guys think, too trendy? I plan on wearing them tonight as I tear up the bars in Rochester (okay okay, maybe just Mex and Montys, whatever) as its Meliora Weekend and I CANNOT WAIT to get out of work. T-minus one hour!!!

xx E

p.s. the song “instagram that hoe” by fat joe cannot be real..right?

Arlington Cinema N Drafthouse

In our ongoing mission of finding fun and cost-efficient things to do in DC, Elyse and I have discovered the Arlington Cinema N Drafthouse, conveniently located within walking distance of my apartment.

So after another long day of work, we decided to spice up our evening and see The Dark Knight Rises. In true Elyse and Shianne fashion, we were late and missed the first 15 minutes of the movie (nothing happens in the first few minutes anyway, right?) so we ended up getting stuck sitting in the very last row with no leg room. However, tickets are only $2 on Tuesdays and you can order food and drinks anytime during the movie and they’re brought right to your tables. Definitely worth it!!

 

They usually show 1 movie per night with different prices depending on the day, but it’s always cheaper than going to a traditional theater. They also host comedy shows once a week and have had some pretty big names! All-in-all, it was a great alternative to most boring post-work evenings. Convenient, cheap, AND fun….needless to say, we’ll be going back!

PSA: Trader Joes

I would just very quickly like to make a public service announcement about Trader Joes.

 “Wait a minute.. I thought they were really expensive!”

At home, I always considered TJ’s to be a little bit pricey and a little bit hippy. Everything was organic and expensive but they had really amazing frozen food and h’orderves selection that my mom would sometimes go to for family gatherings. I probably visited about once every 4 months. When TJ’s was coming to Rochester for the first time, people discussed the pros and cons, asking what it could possibly bring or how it could survive against the giant Wegmans we all loved so much…

Now being in D.C. I noticed that both my roommates went to TJ’s  frequently and came back with a stock pile of easy meals, new recipes and fresh produce. This goes back to the “Wait a minute.. I thought they were really expensive!” quote, because I thought so too! We’re all living on new grad salaries and food shopping is usually an expensive prospect let alone going for organic and locally grown produce. I can worry about that when I’m older with cash to burn, right?

Well here is the surprising part… I stopped after work last week at the TJ’s in Bethesda and bought a TON of AMAZING things for.. $25? Seriously I’m talking dinner for 2 weeks and so far everything has been delicious.

Here are my two things that I must share:

1. Butternut Squash Triangoli

You know those Bertolli packages of Ravioli? 8.8 oz for.. $5? I love them, they’re so easy with a quick water boil but that’s probably more than I should be spending on a nightly meal (I’d rather save my money for things like travel… Mel weekend anyone!?)

Introducing Trader Giottos (haha see what they did there?) Butternut Squash Triangoli!

Way cheaper than at Safeway, you simply mix with some Balsamic Brown Butter from a recipe like here and you have yourself a perfect fall dinner in about.. 9 minutes? Yes please.

2.  Brownie Truffle Baking Mix

*mouth watering*

Its called a baking mix because you can make brownies OR cookies out of it. I’ve been splitting the box into 1/3’s and making about 8 cookies at a time. Just need butter, an egg and these are out of this world — take that Betty Crocker!

Basically, if you’re in a city please re-consider Trader Joes for some of your basic needs. I wouldn’t suggest getting all produce there but check out their online flyer before heading over and you’ll be happily surprised with the deals you find and things that are *gasp* good for you!

Columbus Day (Part II)

What is a D.C. weekend in late October without some election talk! This weekend Shianne and I got our fill by attending a showing of the Rumble 2012 hosted by the Social Media Club of D.C. at Local 16 on U street.  The Rumble was a debate held at Georgetown between broadcasting heavy weights Bill O’Reilly from The O’Reilly Factor and John Stewart from The Daily Show.

taken from AP post

While there may not be a winner and a loser, it was interesting to watch and read about opinions later.

For the record, I’m not sure how much listening Shianne and I really did… first off the DC metro has been beyond slow the past couple weekends so it took an hour to get somewhere that should only take 20 minutes. And once we met up and made it inside we made an effort but the footage kept going in and out, obnoxious people were cheering at different things.. in the end we went and hung out on the outside bar of Local 16 and avoided creepers. Here’s the only picture we managed to grab:

the big projection screen

After a nice sleepy Sunday morning, we met up again at the Taste of DC! 9-14th street were closed down filled with vendors, food trucks and live performers — what could be better?? With the Living Social deal tickets were 6$ for admission and free drink!

a little overcast but still crowded

Many of the Downtown restaurants , bakeries and bars had a booth displaying their three meal options in tasting portions.

Our first tasting: Stella Artois, the perfect way to feel a little warmer on a drizzly fall day

check out that view in the background!

Next up: Buffalo Mac & Cheese with Cornbread — it’s always a good sign when the people in front of you inline are just smiling with satisfaction. It’s exactly how Shianne felt once taking a bite of this creation

the picture speaks for itself

I went on a hunt for shaved meat and sadly could not find anything so I happily settled for some meatballs!

delicious!

Strolling around then led us to this Werthers Original tent — free caramel candy and a caramel fountain? Count us in!

anxiously awaiting out caramel apple

success!

Next — Ben’s Chili bowl eating contest. The winner (who I will pridefully say Shianne & I bet on the #1 & #2 finishers) ate 2 POUNDS of chili in 5 minutes. Holy. Cow.

the contestants lining up

the crowd waiting & watching

we were getting pretty excited!

Nearby, we went to the justWink card booth where we were delighted to pick out one free card each. Shianne went with the cat sporting a sweater one,  & I picked one that made me feel better about my dangerously close birthday… slightly.

Shock Top pumpkin beer was picked up along the way, but our final documented tasting of the day came from the little heart attack in a bite known as fried Oreos.

deliciously disgusting

Like fried dough and Oreo’s combined, these irresistible suckers (if anyone knows the story of my childhood..) put a cap on a wonderful afternoon. We left fat, happy and a little damp. Great Success!!

National Zoo and Mint Cookies!

So my plan for this Columbus Day long weekend was to take full advantage of the extra time and beautiful DC fall weather…while also not breaking the bank. My first step in accomplishing this was to take a trip to the Smithsonian National Zoo on Saturday morning. Like most branches of the Smithsonian, the National Zoo is completely FREE!

Main entrance! So ready to see some adorable animals!

My personal favorite animal was the Asian elephant…which is totally biased since everyone knows elephants have always been my favorite animals. But the most fun “exhibit” was definitely the Orangutans. Instead of actually being in an exhibit behind glass, they were climbing around on some wires above the park. They had everyone at the park stopping, staring, and hoping no Orangutan presents landed on their heads.

Just hangin out watching the humans from above

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Rochester, I spent the rest of the weekend baking some old favorites as well as some new inventions to feed my hungry friends still living off campus food. The first round was two batches of Mint Cookies. Simple, colorful, and delicious – what more could you ask for? I used a variation of a recipe I found online so I’ll list my recipe here (as this is my first attempt at actually reiterating a recipe, bear with me if the details aren’t there quite yet!):

Ingredients:

1 package of sugar cookie mix

1 stick butter or margarine (softened)

1 egg

1/2 tablespoon mint extract

10 drops green food coloring

8 oz creme de menthe chips

8 oz chocolate chunks

[Note: I usually make the mix on my own….but since I’ll be slaving away in the kitchen all week, I decided to skip this step and buy packaged mix to save time. And because the main attraction is the mint flavor, the base mix doesn’t matter as much.]

Steps:

1. Preparation: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees/spray bottom of 11×13 pan with cooking spray

2. Mix: Combine softened butter, egg, and cookie mix in a large bowl/once mixed, add mint extract, food coloring, and chips/mix until fully combined

Thank God for the electric mixer…

3. Bake: Bake for about 8-10 minutes (this is always a tough measurement since every oven is different – I usually just check back every few minutes and stick a toothpick in the middle of the pan – if it comes out clean, the cookies are done!)

I created a delicious extra layer of chocolate on one batch by sprinkling 8 extra oz of chocolate chips on top once the batch was almost finished baking, after about two minutes, I took the pan out and was able to use a knife to spread the chocolate chips into a thin layer of chocolatey goodness. This is obviously optional, as the cookies are good with or without the top layer, but I figured I’d give people some options!

 

Hope you’re hungry, Rochester!

One last note! With Election Day less than a month away, I’d like to take part of this blog entry to remind everyone how important it is to exercise your right to vote to help determine the direction of our wonderful country’s future. If you’re not sure who to vote for, or don’t know where to start, take this easy, 10-minute online quiz to help you figure it out!

Columbus Day Weekend (Part 1)

With the election mere weeks away, and the promise of a 3 day weekend for most (not me.. I don’t want to talk about it..), the District has been filled with events this weekend!

Where to begin…

Friday night I went out for dinner at Floriana Restaurant in Dupont Circle.

I was silly and did not take pictures but luckily the unpaid gourmet did a review of the restaurant and I will be borrowing some pictures below!

Outside dining at Floriana, taken from http://unpaidgourmet.wordpress.com

This top rated Italian fare did not disappoint! I ordered the Tortolloni Mignon and have nothing but amazing things to say–  the pasta was cooked to perfection, the meat inside was mouth-watering…

yummmmm the tortolloni on the left

Before the meal we were served quickly with bread and pesto, offered a multitude of wine choices and even graced with the presence of the Chef!

Housed inside of a row house, the atmosphere is cozy and surprisingly since we missed our original reservation (parking fail!) we waited only 5 minutes for another seating.

outside patio

candle light & wine

mmm perfection! Will definitely be back:)

Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Ooey Gooey chocolate and caramel filled oatmeal bars!

The finished product! (taken from bakeorbreak.com)

So last night was our first (hopefully of many) Pinterest baking experiences together. In the spirit of fall and with respect to the magical Martha Stewart, we decided to make Oatmeal Caramel Cookies. (Recipe here).

mmmm butter…

This recipe had so much butter involved that even Paula Deen would’ve been skeptical (another half stick was even added to what is pictured above). However, we trusted the baking blogs, and for the most part, they did not let us down! We started by mixing the dry ingredients with all that butter and spreading half of the resulting dough into the bottom of an 11 X 18 pan and baked it until golden pale (whatever that means…). Then, we sprinkled 6oz of chocolate chips on top of the half-baked cookies and melted caramels with heavy cream and drizzled that on top as well.

Elyse drizzling caramel looking pale

After that, we spread the remainder of the dough on top of the concoction and baked it all again for about 20 minutes…but not before having to make a little extra dough to avoid exposing the caramel and leaving holes in the top of the cookies. We ended up mixing a small amount of the original ingredients together again (and by small amount, I actually mean Elyse got brown-sugar happy and poured the whole box in) and being able to cover the whole pan again. The end results were delicious! So now that we’ve made them by following a recipe, we definitely have a few personal recommendations that we think would make them even better and easier! First things first, more chocolate (always)! We suggest using 8-10 oz of chocolate chips instead of 6 – you can even sprinkle them on and stick the pan back in the oven for about 2 minutes until the chips melt and then use a knife to spread it so it becomes its own layer of chocolatey goodness. We’d also recommend a smaller pan or increasing the amount of each ingredient. We got a little over-eager and hungry and forgot to take the picture right away…but hey, we’re new at this….and can you blame us?!

So delicious we couldn’t even wait to take the picture…

So other than making delicious treats, we also both discovered something new last night. Shianne discovered that ice cubes do not work in beer like they do in other beverages….and one delicious Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Beer was wasted in the process of this discovery. Elyse learned about the mysterious Halstead 2nd floor double peep-hole, potential midget room.

 

….?

We’re currently entertaining ideas on what this could actually be? Midget? Wheelchair? Watchdog?