Missing the Rodeo....

This morning as I drove to school I was entertained by an old George Straight song. It put me in the best mood! It made my mind wander to my hometown and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

It's rodeo time again and I sadly did not get on the ball and get tickets this year. Darn! Well, let me clarify, I never have directly bought tickets to the Rodeo performances, but usually people who are a) members of some kind of country federation/rodeo board or b) more organized than I am get tickets early and they invite me.



When I was in 3rd grade my family went with another family to see Reba perform. I was fuh-reaked out. The Astrodome wreaked something awful due to all the barnyard animals taking over and everyone was wearing Wranglers! Ew. So I swore off the Rodeo for about 10 years until I was in college....


I don't know if it was me or the miraculous advances in Rodeo entertainment, but I loved it now! Since the early 2000s I've been going to the shows every year (except this one) and have enjoyed watching performers like Beyonce, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Taylor Swift, Pat Green, Clay Walker, and Martina McBride--to name a few.



For those of you who do not know, the point of the Rodeo is to enjoy food, drink and music. Headlining performers do their show after an hour or so of traditional rodeo games. There are horseback riding races, bucking broncos, and the hilarious muttin' bustin'--toddlers get strapped to a baby sheep that takes off and the toddler holds on for dear life, haha. With the backdrop of crafts and carnival lights, you get to eat sausage, funnel cake, barbecue and anything you want FRIED. I'm not kidding.

Let me take you back to the Rodeo Disaster of 2007. My friend Patti and I decided to try all these fried foods offered at the rodeo fair--I'm talking fried twinkies, fried snickers, fried coke, and our favorite--fried oreos (this was after sharing an entire bag of dark chocolates and sausage on a stick). Needless to say, my stomach was not pleased....but my heart sure was! It's probably a good thing we didn't ride any of the carnival rides that year.



The fun and friendly faces seen at the Rodeo really highlight Houston's pride and diversity in culture. For some reason fried foods and live music really bring people together! They may be wearing different clothes and sitting in different seats but the Sugarlanders, Baytonians, River Oaks-ers, etc can all get on board with sausage on an stick.

Spring (ish) Break

Yesterday when I had the inspiration to compose this post the weather outside was dreadful. Grey, drizzling rain all day and cold--not exactly the recipe for a lovely spring day if you ask me. But today as I sit in my parents house cozy on the couch there's lots of sunshine beaming in through the windows and it's a breezy 55 degrees outside. Love it! Now, I like to travel as much as the next gal but I really just needed a week to do nothing and have my parents spoil me with lots of home-cooked food and good company. I planned nothing all week except a trip back to Dallas. So far I've been pretty productive. Made it to the doc about my knee (finally) and it turns out I have Iliotibial band syndrome...who knew? While the name sounds pretty daunting it just means that I have a few overused/inflamed tendons on the outside of my knee and tendons are pretty stubborn to heal-thus explaining the pain I've been feeling. Nothing that some anti-inflammatory meds, stretching and heat (hopefully) can't fix. Bottom line-I can run again woooohoooo!! Hugo also made a little trip to the vet for his yearly physical and he's as healthy as can be, no surprise there!

First day home I went to a wedding, which despite never really considering having one of my own, I always enjoy attending. Other than a few issues like a terrible echo which prevented anyone from understanding the ceremony coupled with a brief but none the less horrible bout of food poisoning post-cake devouring, I had a great time! My friends in Dallas are almost like family to me, we've all grown up together so it's especially fun to get ready for these events seeing that I no longer live here and I usually only get to see everyone all together once a year. Crucial to my ensemble for the evening, a black bejeweled feather in my hair which I can attribute to no one other than Jamie. She got me this incredible peacock feather hair accessory over the Christmas holidays which I quickly become obsessed with. Having discovered that I can in fact pull off these crazy hair extras I soon bought a few more to add to my collection. I feel like they add the perfect girly touch to any outfit.

Even though I hate the rain plus cold combo, yesterday I ventured out to the mall with my aunt. I always love hanging out with her, though she is only a few years younger and shares most of the same viewpoints as my mom, she provides me with a different but still experienced outlook on life that I can really appreciate. Funny aside: my aunt is so smokin' that some dude just couldn't resist the urge to come up to us and tell her "your husband is a lucky man to be able to come home to the most beautiful smile every night". Really?! Note to all the male PLSB readers-this kind of "compliment" is a lot more awkward than appreciated. Just keep your thoughts to yourself, brotha!! Anyway, after the mall I went to B&N and headed straight for my favorite section. COOKBOOKS! I'm like a kid in a candy store on steroids in that aisle, I get really excited and pick up 10 books at a time pouring over the pages/pictures until I finally can decide on one, ok usually two, that I'll actually purchase. It's too hard to pick just one! Anyway, I came home with this gem and I can't wait to make something from it when I get back to San Antonio. Sorry for the long post, I've missed you guys!

And one last thing, today is the first day of the Baha'i fast (March 2nd-20th inclusive) so to all the Baha'is out there, happy fasting!!

Baby fever?

More like hot flashes and cold sweats!

On Saturday, I visited Babies R Us for the first time to get a baby shower gift. Omg, that place is bananas. I had the printed out gift registry in hand but my mind was spinning--breast pump this, boppy that...who knew there was this gigantic market feeding off parental freak out moments? There was an entire section devoted to anti-bacterial hand wash and I was in a frenzy searching for the exact BPA-free glass (or was it plastic?) single 9 oz bottle whose product ID number was no where to be found.

Very quickly I realized that having a baby is no joke. You have to have time, money and enough wits about you to know which preparation books to read and which widgets to buy. I will hereby be sticking with my decision to wait until there is a 3 in front of my age to even consider children. For now I am *quite* pleased watching other people have babies-- like Kendra, Kourtney and my dear friends in real life.

After grabbing my gift I headed swiftly for the safety of my car-- Ahhh Rod Stewart singing about his Old Motown Records--and headed directly over to the Shops at La Cantera to catch my breath. I had a nice light meal at the cafe nestled inside Nordstrom (I do NOT recommend their baked potato soup, blech, so much for going out on a limb) and read the Omnivore's Dilemma. So far I am only like 20 pages in, but things are looking interesting. Hopefully, I'll have time on Spring Break to make more of a dent and get back atcha with a review.

Saturday was just the kind of "me" day I needed. I forgot about how much time I used to spend alone and how much I enjoyed it. I definitely love having a "life-partner" these days, but hanging out with yourself is cool too. After grubbing at Nordstrom I looked at some cardigans, got some benefit eye primer and some shu uemura cleanser. I even got my eyebrows threaded!

Thre--whhaaa did you just say? Yes, threaded. It's a really simple way of shaping your brows with some twisted up pieces of thread even though it sounds scary. I've never waxed because it makes me nervous. Threading isn't painless, but at least I know my brow won't be removed in one fell swoop as these nice ladies quickly and meticulously shape my face hair. In Houston there are lots of places to have this done, especially in the Indian part of town, but in San Antonio I actually had this done at a KIOSK in the mall!! Final result pictured below.

Wishing I was...

Riding my bike a little bit more...

So I was thinking about some thank you notes I will need to be writing in the near future where a bike motif would be quite fitting. Took a look on etsy and look what I found:

How pretty are these?

little bird paper via etsy

The Craft Pantry via etsy

Volta Press via etsy

Orange Twist via etsy

PLUS! When I was looking at the Orange Twist shop, I noticed a link to a blog with a giveaway for these very bicycle note cards!

Go check out the blog Kate and Oli to read about the artist behind Orange Twist and enter to win a set of these cards!

How did you slip past me??

Just when I thought I knew everything I needed to know about San Antonio, my college friend Sierra took me to the delightful Soleil Bistro. I met Sierra when we were paired up in Chemistry lab and decided to let our third group member, Sivakiran, conduct the calorimetry experiments while we drew eyeballs on notebook paper to put inside our safety goggles and subsequently act out Britney's "Toxic" video. We later majored in Sociology together and have both ended up here in SA. Sierra has a great sense of fashion and life passion and I get to tag along when her job (sales bisnazz at San Antonio Magazine) lets her visit such events as SA Fashion week!

Soleil is a French eatery with a lounge-y atmosphere. There was a formal dining area, but we opted to sit in the bar part on plush couches. The owner seated us and let us know it was our "lucky week" because all the bottles of wine were half off. We chose a sweet Riesling to accompany our fried calamari with jalapeno cream sauce and soy glaze and our blackened seafood platter with Parmesan risotto. I am on a huge risotto kick these days, probably because it's such a fun word. I wasn't expecting much, but the food was really amazing in a good salty/spicy kind of way. I like to pretend I am a gulf coast snob and am really going out on a limb to order seafood this far inland, but Chef Nicolas Lebas really did a great job. I am anxious to try his new downtown establishment, Le Midi, and Olmos Park area Bistro Vatel. Because Soleil is in a shopping strip I was hesitant, but then I remembered every restaurant/bar/club in SA is in a shopping strip AND the food was actually so well prepared. The calamari was crispy and wet in a way that let's you know the fried-ness was very fresh and the risotto was so smooth and flavorful.

I realize that not all of our readers reside in San Antonio, so I'll just fill you in on a few other restaurants I've enjoyed across the country.

Austin-- Moonshine. To say that I only like one restaurant in Austin would be like saying I only watch one show on Bravo, but I'll save the rest for another time. One of the things I like most in a restaurant is getting bang for your buck. At Moonshine the platters are large and you get POPCORN instead of the usual Texas' chips and salsa in addition to jalapeno cornbread. I like getting the Jalapeno Hanger Steak or the Green Chili Mac 'n Cheese. Don't forget about the white chocolate bread pudding and a jug o' wine.

Boston-- Parish Cafe. I came this close to eating at the table next to John Mayer, but more importantly, the outdoor patio and sandwiches at this place are incredible. I had a tortilla de espanola inspired sandwich and B enjoyed a seared ahi tuna sandwich. Basically all the top chefs in Boston put their dishes into sandwich form and voila you have Parish cafe.

San Francisco-- Tartine Bakery & Cafe. Here I enjoyed the Pecorino & Almond pressed sandwich while my mom and dad sipped on chamomile tea. The atmosphere was kind of hectic, but the pastries were tasty and just walking to the cafe through the hood and past the park was quite a treat.


So I do, in fact, do other things with my hands besides eat. I am currently back into arts and crafts. I am working on a project, closet dividers, for B's future nephew that I copied from Ashley Ann's blog. Yay I get to be a---well whatever you call a girl whose boyfriend will soon be an uncle! In case this blog has made it to the Dallas suburbs, I'll hold off on pictures of this project until it is completed and shipped, but I will say I am enjoying using Mod Podge for the first time.

Outdoor living

Lately, thoughts of colorful rooms and breezy patios have been occupying my brain. Blame it on the tiny apartment with no counter space, the hot water heater troubles and lack of water pressure, the plants that are beginning to wither after 2 years of living in pots, or the one and a half rooms available to me to express my style (which I still have no clue what it is!). Me and my student loan rent check can't wait for the day when I have a place of my own (or shared, but owned) that will be mine all mine to be my palate for testing color after color, dipping my toes into the world of developing my style.
Some treats to hold me over until that day:



Ahh!!! Succulents in vertical plantings creating artwork?!?!!?! Love it. From http://floragrubb.com





confession: someday I want a bright and roomy Mexican Hacienda with a courtyard, no, a garden, smack dab in the middle of it.


From www.haciendastyle.com


Love combining outside with living and eating. From apartmenttherapy.com

Weekends make my life.

So since my last entry was a little hefty and because I love, love, love exploring and restauranting, here's a little recap. Friday was a very productive day at school--didn't get scolded by any professors (only got the stink eye once) and I actually felt like I was doing a great service to my patients! I was delighted to find out last week that I will be the Maid of Honor in a wedding in March (on a boat!!) and got to go try on my dress after school. Since I haven't been in any weddings since I was a flower girl for my mom's cousin and got such bad stage fright that I didn't throw a single petal--my one job--I am looking forward to making up for that come spring.



B and I had dinner at Paesano's out on 1604. I really love their decor and wish I had a better decor vocabulary so that I could explain what the place looks like. Lots of stucco, copper, polished nickel, and orchids set in the Hill Country. It was warm enough to sit outside next to the coy fish pond and pleasing-to-the-ears waterfall. I was having a hard time deciding what to order because all of the entrees sounded fantastic, but ended up copying B because one of our classmates, and subsequently the waiter talked up this dish so much--Jalapeno Pesto Fazzaletti with Peroni Post Roast, Cipollini and Goat Cheese. [pictured at top of post] Gah, it did not disappoint. Pair that was a bottle of Chianti and two decaf cappuccinos--we were in heaven.

Saturday was a beautiful day and we decided to try Liberty Bar for brunch. I have been meaning to try this place for like two years now and wish I'd gone sooner. The building itself is an architectural marvel and I am surprised the entire structure hasn't fallen over yet (think leaning tower of Pisa). The atmosphere is plain but soothing as you walk past a table with loaves upon loaves of fresh baked bread to seat yourself "anyplace you like." I started with a limeade and then devoured my french toast as it came merely TEN minutes after we ordered. That is my kind of service.

B ordered the Chilaquiles Nortenos, what I originally spotted on the menu, but decided it would be lame to order the same food as he did again. My french toast was enjoyable, but--I. kid. you. not.--that was the best plate of chilaquiles I have ever tasted. For those of you unfamiliar with tex-mex cuisine, chilaquiles and migas (as far as I am concerned they are the same thing) are a compilation of eggs, cheese (in this case creme fraiche and feta), tomatoes, peppers, onions, etc cooked in with corn tortillas paired with pico de gallo and beans. The tortillas really end up more like soft chips. The flavors and textures of this dish blew me away. It's very hard to achieve the right amount of crispy and soggy with the corn tortillas, so kudos to Liberty Bar!



After we ate, B told me he would give me $100 if I ate a stack of jalapenos he had put on his fork. Never one to be tempted into doing something stupid for a bet I immediately said no. Then he said, "oh come on, I've never seen you really step up to the plate and do something courageous." I don't know if it was his comment--insulting my ganas, or the fact that I recently became financially challenged, but I daringly ate the jalapenos. I immediately regretted this decision and remembered why I never play these childish games. Jalapenos are serious people! I didn't win a hundred bones, but B ate some too so we could be "blood brothers" and suffer together.


The time came for the bill and it never fails--I always get stuck with the extra penny! A little side note about B, he is the sorriest excuse for a conservative West Texas Cowboy you've ever seen. He thinks large trucks are "idiotic," he takes canvas sacks to the grocery, he thinks gays should marry and, AND, he gladly lets me pay for half of everything we eat or do. Word better not get out in his hometown that he supports stem-cell research, but anyhow, 9 times out of 10 we give the waiter two credit cards and if the bill is for an odd cent amount, I am always paying more. It's kind of become a joke and I really don't mind. I like that we are equals and I always end up ahead when it comes to birthday/channukah time--hello David Yurman.


I've received a complaint that our posts are too long, so to sum things up, amazing weather for the rest of the day saturday= Brackenridge Park, Sunken Gardens and Japanese Tea Gardens. We got yogurt at Prime Cultures which is a locally owned fro-yo shop run by a somewhat geeky, but friendly twenty something. We are usually the only patrons but enjoy the yogurt and the quirky style of the workers, who on Saturday delighted us with some acoustic guitar. B also completely, voluntarily rented SATC (seriously, you grew up in the Texas panhandle?) even though I was totally down with something called, We Own the Night. Saturday night party here and here for Megan's birthday and a relaxing Sunday. Waiting on Brigid and Yasi to return to SA so we can be fancy-indie-movie-watchers tonight.

Mid week finds

I love reading about food. Rather than just read a recipe, I am entranced by the people who write about the stories behind their favorite recipes. The travels from when they first tasted a dish, the smells associated with cooking it, the people they shared a meal with and how that meal was so special to them. To me, the stories behind this is the best part of reading about food (of course, I absolutely love trying the recipe and seeing how I can make it special for me too). I wish I could write like some authors do on this blog and share stories with some of my favorite recipes. I've always been aware of my creative-writing lackings and tried to overcome, but never made it too far. This blog is one way that I am finding ways to share these stories creatively. Ok, so on to my find (and now on my 2009 christmas list!):
See Amazon link:

I found this the same way I find some of my favorite blogs. I was reading one blog and peered at the blogs they follow, clicked on one that sounded interesting, clicked on one of their followed blogs, and after a few times of this somehow found myself at a new favorite! Is this weird? I don't know this blogger, living in a different country, living a completely different life from me, but wow - I love her writing! She writes about food the way I love to read about food, and likes reading the same. Her post about this book convinced me I must have it and I must cook from it.

One other quick find for those interested:
theorganicchoice.com
Organic/fair trade coffee from CHIAPAS! and yummy cashew granola I can't wait to try. And I heard they deliver for free in the San Antonio area (since they are located here), but haven't found the details about this yet. Go support this newer start up in SA!

Have a great Tuesday!