What to do this week? 9/29 Edition

"We know there's no use in getting miserable, so we go out on the town instead" - Lee Ryan

In case you wondering what to do this week either to let off steam from work, try a new restaurant, meet up with friends for happy hour or have a great date, here is a list of my recommendations for the week :-)

Farmers Market Fridays
Every Friday from now until November 22nd, Queens Botanical Garden will be hosting their Farmers market Fridays. Be prepared to get lost in the option of fresh, local and seasonal food. If you're constantly thinking of your next best recipe, this is probably a great place for some inspiration!

43-50 Main Street
Queens, NY 11355


Happy Hour - O'Nieals Soho
No I didn't misspell it, its O'Nieals! My co-worker brought me here one day for a much needed happy hour and I was hooked. The ambiance is super chill with a touch of fancy (just what I like) and once 10pm hits, the music will keep you out of your seat! Happy hour runs Mon - Fri from 4 - 7pm. $2 off draft beers and $5 house mixed cocktails, which were definitely potent! The food isn't too bad either, so be sure to grab a bite as well. 

174 Grand St
New York, NY 10013


Chelsea Brewing Company
Looking for something different to do on your Saturday afternoon? Head over to Manhattans largest microbrewery for a FREE tour of its site and witness the magical brewing process. You will also receive a few free samples (cause why else would a tour be worth it?) along with tickets for discounted pints to enjoy at their bar afterwards. Tours run every Saturday from 2pm and continue every hour through 6pm. 

Pier 59
Manhattan, NY


Date Day - Smorgasburg
Do you and your significant other share a similar love for food? Then spend your Saturday or Sunday in Brooklyn enjoying a multitude of food vendors all at your fingertips! The event takes place at 11am on Saturdays at East River park and Sundays at Brooklyn Bridge park. 

http://www.smorgasburg.com/


Maya Modern Mexican Kitchen & Tequileria
Looking for somewhere new to dine? Tired of the same brunch locations where you can only choose one entree? Then bring your self and a friend to Maya! For $39 you get unlimited Mexican small plates and unlimited margaritas, mimosas or bloody mary's for 2 hours. The food is delightful, the drinks are strong and the waiters are excellent at making sure you get your monies worth of free flowing drinks and food! I can only imagine how great their dinner is. Other highlights of Maya: $2 Taco Tuesdays and $6 Margarita Wednesdays 

Here's a little pic of what to expect when brunching at Maya:

Enjoy your week :-)

Football Sunday Wings

"Football Is an honest game. It's true to life . It's a game about sharing. Football is a team game. So is life." - Joe Namath


Football Sundays however, are about WINGS!

SRIRACHA HONEY WINGS

Although technically September 21st marks the beginning of fall, everyone knows it really starts once Sunday football begins! Its a time to get the family together, to get friends together, for couples to argue about whose team is better, a time for camaraderie at the local bars. More importantly however, its a time to EAT! A time to eat good! 

As you prepare your menu for Sunday football festivities, wings must be an important component. They should be a staple in every home. Now, your local bar/pub may claim to serve up the best wings in town, however nothing is better than homemade wings cooked fresh and hot! 

Now let me introduce to you these yummy, sticky, slightly spicy, yet slightly sweet oven baked wings. Its a super easy recipe that is sure to please every wing fan in your home! I hate spicy but my fiance loves it, and these were perfect for the both of us. 

I got this recipe from Damn Delicious. The recipe can be found here Most Awesome Wings! 

Enjoy!

A Simple Obsession...

"If I had to give up cheese or chocolate, I'd give up chocolate in a heartbeat." ~ Amanda Peet

AMEN SISTER!!

Diets are so difficult when A: you're a lover of all things food, B: You're friends and boyfriend support this fat habit, C: You write a food blog =)

I enjoyed this wonderful beautiful Sunday in NYC with mi amor Don Pepe. We enjoyed a nice brunch in the East Village at Hot Devil Grill (Will be spotlighted on Spotlight Friday) and took a little stroll to walk off the calories! Of course ;-)

But a trip to the village on a beautiful Sunday afternoon would not be complete without a stop at S'Mac! Our favorite Mac n Cheese place. You can read my review Here.

Don Pepe choose the Cajun Mac n Cheese. Cheddar & Pepper Jack cheeses, andouille sausage, green pepper, onions, celery, garlic and cajun seasoning, he obviously was still in New Orleans mode!

Yummmmmm Fest!!!!!!

I chose the 4 cheese Mac n Cheese. Cheddar, Muenster, Gruyere and Pecorino. CHEESE FEST!!! I'm a fatty so I ate if before I could take a pic. Oops!!

Perfect Sunday!

I'll just spend an extra hour at the gym and it will all be worth it =)



My Last Meal...

So I have ANOTHER wedding in about 2 1/2 weeks!! Yes, another one! This time it is in Las Vegas!!!!! I'm super excited to be heading out of New York, I need a break! For real for real. Also, I am a bridesmaid, once again. However, this time, the dress actually fits me...HOORAY!! I do not look like a sausage in its casing nor do I need to spend a crazy amount of money getting it re-done to fit me. It's actually a little big.

BUT, I haven't seen my Vegas peeps in about 4 years. The last time they saw me I was about 20lbs lighter so I have this ridiculous idea that I should really lose the weight beforehand. Call me crazy, but I feel the need to impress. Whatever!

Therefore Thursday I will begin what is known as the lemonade diet. You basically drink 60ounces a day of this fresh squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper concoction, for 2 weeks and watch the pounds slip away! My aunt has done it and she lost like 20lbs, so she is my motivation right now.

If you read my blog regularly, I'm pretty sure you have figured out that I am a lover of everything FOOD! Which includes mostly fatty, sweet, buttery, "bad for you" dishes, with a few healthy ones in between. So you can only imagine how difficult these next 2 weeks are going to be! I will be documenting my 14 day journey everyday! How I'm feeling, how I'm coping, is it working?, how much weight I have lost, etc. etc.

But until then, I am making sure to indulge in anything I want for these next two days! Starting today, I am enjoying some eggplant parmesan for lunch, for dinner I will be having a BLT from Stokos at Columbus Circle and later tonight I will be in the Village at Sweet Revenge with my good friend Nikki, enjoying cupcakes and wine! I still have to plan tomorrow's last meal menu, but I'm sure it will be just as good! And of course I have to get Taco Bell in there somewhere =)

WISH ME LUCK!!!!!

Has anyone else tried the Lemonade Diet? Do you have any tips? Was it worth it?

**Spotlight Friday's**

Hallelujah it's Friday!! What a week!

Today's special Spotlight Friday will feature 2 picks that my fellow New Yorkers could possibly enjoy this weekend.

"No sleep till Brooklyn!"

As I mentioned in one of my posts this week, I spent one of the last days of my summer with Don Pepe visiting his friends in Brooklyn. We were supposed to go Salsa Dancing, however we let the night guide us and ended up staying in their new area. (They just moved there) I was actually so happy we did, because they took us to 2 places I pretty much fell in love with!

Apt 138

138 Smith St.

Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, NY,

Yelp.com

We went here for a late night dinner, about 11pm, after finishing off two bottles of wine in our friends apartment. Thank goodness this place was within walking distance.

As you step in, it resembles a typical small bar/restaurant. Very dim lighting, and small intimate tables. However, when you go you MUST request their garden seating. They take you down the stairs and past the kitchen and into the most adorable, spacious outside seating area. (pictured above) The wooden tables adorned with candlelight make it so romantic.

We ordered another 2 bottles of wine and then our feast was as follows:

Appetizer: Mozzarella & Tomato - Now I've eaten this dish about a million times in my life, and who knew anyone could make this simple dish actually stand out! It was either the best balsamic dressing I've ever had, or the delicious pesto sauce that lined the outskirts of the plate, that made me want to order, 2 or 3 more. AMAZING!

Entrees: Jess and I ordered breakfast for dinner. Yes I said it, breakfast for dinner! A bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a giant english muffin with potatoes and a salad. The sandwich was huge, the cheese was just dripping off of it and the bacon was nice and crunchy, just how I like it!! Gosh, writing this makes me want it right now! Jay went with the Goat Cheese frittata. It looked heavenly, but I'm not the biggest fan of goat cheese and he didn't really find it to be all that great. My bf Don Pepe, ordered the seafood paella. His favorite dish anywhere we go. It had mussels, shrimp, chicken, chorizo and peas all mixed in Spanish rice. He didn't talk much while eating it so I'm guessing it was excellent!

Sides: We all shared a side of Macaroni & Cheese. It was big enough to be someones entire meal. Now if you read my blog regularly, then I'm sure you have already realized what a HUGE fan of macaroni & cheese I am. I literally almost melted in my seat after one spoonful. It was soooo cheesy and had clumps of BACON in it! I swear I was in Macaroni and cheese heaven!!!

If you are ever in the Boerum Hill area of Brooklyn, this is a must stop! Actually even if you are not in that area, just take the trip and go!

Our next stop was for some after dinner dessert and drinks!

CAMP

179 Smith St

Brooklyn, NY 11201

The place actually really resembles a cabin in the woods somewhere, adorned with deer heads and all. They even have a Buck Shooting game, which I learned I am terrible at, but it was still so much fun. But you want to know what really made this place worth writing about? S'MORES!

You can actually make s'mores right at your table. They provide you with Hersheys chocolate, Graham Crackers and marshmallows, and you can actually roast the marshmallows at your table! It's genius!!!!

It was really such a great place to enjoy time with friends. And what's better than conversing with people you love over s'mores? Nothing.

So there you have it. A couple of "Brooklyn's finest" establishments.

Dang, I need to go back right now!!! =)

~Eat Up, Drink Up or Shut Up ~

"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti."  - Sophia Loren

How beautiful was Sophia Loren??

GORGEOUS! And you know what? She wouldn't be caught dead on a low carb diet. Such an awesome example of a woman who embraced her curves and knew how absolutely beautiful they were. Her confidence in her body is something we as women should all have. Don't stop eating what you love, like pasta. =) Eat what you want, when you want and enjoy it. Just watch your portions and and make sure not to over indulge!

Now to my recipe of the week!

I think I might have been Italian and Mexican in my past life. I could seriously eat pasta and enchiladas everyday if I could. Of course not together, that would be gross!

The other night I made a delicious Shrimp and Scallop Scampi over pasta and it was, as my friend Kristi likes to say, "amaze-balls!"

It was soooooo good that when my aunt, whom I was house sitting for, came home from Hawaii, I decided to make it for her too. This time, since I was out of shrimp, I added broccoli and chicken! Yum!

Scallop, Chicken & Broccoli Scampi over Pasta

Ingredients

Scallops

1 small head of Broccoli

Chicken (I used pre-cooked chicken from Trader Joes. Amazing!)

1 stick of butter (I didn't say this would be the most healthiest)

Garlic (I use the already chopped fresh garlic in olive oil. Its perfect for when you really dont have time to chop it yourself. You can find it at any supermarket)

Parsely

1 small chopped onion

Cayenne Pepper

Pasta (any kind will do)

Ok, so I apologize for not having exact measurements. I kind of just eye balled it with this one.

Directions:

Melt butter in a pan and add the chopped onion. Let onion cook for about 2-3 minutes. Then add all other ingredients. I would say about 1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon of parsely, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper gives the sauce a nice little kick. Add about a handful and a half of scallops, the broccoli and the chicken and let it cook for about 5 - 8 minutes over medium heat, or enough to make it simmer. Stir the mixture often so the sauce doesn't thicken.

Cook pasta as you normally would then pour this deliciousness over it and EAT!!!!

Pair it with a Chardonnay and you are good to go. YUM!

Salud!

Whopper What?!

“I love that whole princess mentality, but I also like throwing my hair in a ponytail and just wearing jeans, going on a hike and then eating a big chili-cheeseburger.” ~ Jennifer Love Hewitt

YESSS!!

Ladies, don't be afraid to go all out with your food every now and then. Having a juicy succulent chili- cheeseburger every once in awhile is not going to hurt your waistline. Plus, men might not always admit it, but they love a woman who isn't afraid to eat! We work too hard, spend so much money and effort keeping ourselves looking good and continuing to be the "classy lady" society expects us to be, that sometimes its actually healthy and beneficial to our sanity to let our hair down, let loose, get messy and pig out!

Courtesy of Marie Claire

Speaking of pigging out and Cheeseburgers =)

Burger King now has a specialty restaurant called the Whopper Bar! With only 4 locations across the U.S. (Miami, NYC, Memphis and Orlando) they are serving up there signature whoppers, but this time, you can create them ANY way you like! Pick the sauce, pick the toppings, pick the cheese!

Oh Em Gee!!

Or, you can pick one of their creations including the NY Pizza Burger: Four Whopper patties, slices of pepperoni and mozzarella cheese with marinara and Tuscan sauce on a sesame seed bun.

The only question I have is, Why didn't they think of this sooner???

Check out their entire menu and find their locations HERE

**Spotlight Friday's**

S'Mac

345 East 12th Street

New York, NY 10003-7238

Courtesy of MentalFloss

Remember my last post when I gave a recipe for Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese? Well I was lucky enough to discover this amazing spot in the East Village of NYC that strictly serves nothing but Baked Macaroni & Cheese!!!!!
 

Oh Em Gee!!

 
And you know what they had on their menu??? Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese!
 
 

 

It was just as amazing as it sounded!

 
The place is really small but super cute with yellow and orange accents. Prices are definitely reasonable considering the area as well. I got a "Mega Munch" size for $10 and I couldn't even finish it! Of course i took it home though and had it for lunch the next day =) Anytime you can get 2 meals out of one, it's money well spent.
 
Don't go here expecting anything fancy or exceptional waiter/waitress service. Go here to simply indulge in one of their 12 cheesy masterpieces!! Mmmmmm I can't wait to go back!!
 
More info can be found on their website here.

I'm A Diet Failure

Photo Courtesy of Zazzle

So I have to fit into my Bridesmaid dress and I have about 3 weeks to do it. I tried it on at the Bridal store and it litterally took 2 people to zip it up! I mean I'm not huge, I wear about a size 9 (now) but I do have some toning up to do so my underarm and back fat isnt hanging over the top of strapless dress, litterally!! What was i thinking when i thought i would be able to fit into a size 8? Especially after the sales woman told me the dress runs small? Why did I say "Hey its ok, I'll order it anyway and just make sure i lose some weight"?

Yeah Right...

I'm a lover of all foods that are "bad" for me! Ice cream, Cookies, Cake, Cupcakes, Cheeseburgers, Pizza, Wings, Fries, Fried Chicken, Rice & Beans, Candy, Candy, Candy, Cotton Candy, oh and did i mention Candy?

Did you notice I did not mention one vegetable or fruit?

I mean don't get me wrong, I do like a nice salad every once in awhile and fruit can be very refreshing, especially in this NY heat wave, however if I'm given a menu and tons of choices, guess what? I'm not picking a salad! =/

It amazes me that im not 500lbs already, but like the old wives tale says, it will sure catch up with me. I usually try to diet about 3 times a month and its always an epic failure. I've tried the Atkins Diet, FAIL! The Lemonade Diet, FAIL! Detoxing, FAIL! Eating smaller portions, FAIL! Cutting out sugar, FAIL! And...I think you get the point! People often tell me I should just join a gym or go for a run, but heres the problem with that, I HATE EXERCISING!! I have no motivation to run around a track aimlessly or spend another car insurance payment per month to go to the gym! That's another FAIL!

So basically my hopes for fitting into my bridesmaid dress are slim to none if I cant find the motivation to buy a pair of running sneakers and hit the track in 3 weeks! I guess I'll be taking a trip to the tailor and letting them work their magic!

Oy vey! I'm sure I would have more motivation if I had a running/gym partner?? Maybe? Or someone that followed me around just to punch me in the nose whenever I didnt pick the salad?

Who knows, one of my 30 Before 30 accomplishments is to run a marathon! So i have 7 years to get some motivation. Until then, I guess im content being the "Dieting Failure".

It's Genius!

I LOVE Pizza! Any pizza! Any topping (minus mushrooms and anchovies, yuck!)

I HATE the Crust! Yup, I love pizza for its cheesy, tomato sauce, basil goodness! But I can really do without that dry, sometimes hard tasteless plain crust!

I LOVE Garlic knots! I mean if you don't like garlic knots, you're a dummy! Whats not to like about a garlic knot? Soft bread wrapped in a cute knot, oily and full of garlicky goodness!!!

What I really LOVE, is pizza with a Garlic Knot Crust!!!!

Yes!!!!!!!!! The pizzeria next to my job made this pie for the first time yesterday, and you know once I saw that I was all over it!!!! I don't know if anyone else has tried something as divine as this right here, but this was my first time, and, first time actually eating a WHOLE slice, crust and all!

This is officially my new addiction and I NEED to find more pizzerias that will make this for me!!

My belly was so happy =)

That Wasn't Chicken =/

LMAO!!!!!!!!!

This picture really made me think, has anyone ever eaten something, whether out of pure hunger or just greed lol, that you KNEW was either:

1.  The worst possible thing you could eat (but hey its probably the most delicious too)
2. Covered in nasty bacterias (our bodies are strong though so we believe it can fight the germs off)
3. Definately wasn't what it was being advertised to be (see pic above for reference haha)

I know I defiantely have!! Oops =/

I mean my fellow New Yorkers, what about the dirty water dogs from the carts you can find all over NYC? I mean if you think about it, how long has that water been sitting in there? Where do they clean it? Do they dump it out throughout the day and refill or is it sitting there from morning to night? How many of these guys do you see wear gloves when they are making your hotdog?? I ask myself these questions all the time....especially when I'm about to walk up and get one!!! I mean the thought may be gross, but the truth is when I'm hungry, I'm hungry and those hot dogs are SLAMMIN!!!!!

And remember the E-Coli outbreak at Taco Bell? Where all of a sudden Taco Bells across the nation were "no mans land" and they even had to close down for awhile? Guess who was still eating there even after the outbreak and before they closed? Guess who was at the drive - thru THE DAY it opened back up? Yup, it was me! Taco Bell is La Bomba and no one is keeping me away!

Don't Judge Me!

And what about the picture above?? Like I've said in one of my previous posts, NY has the BEST Chinese restaurants! Period! Don't try and debate me on this one cause i don't care, you will lose! However, some of NY chinese restaurants have been in the news for lets say, not using the correct "edible meat" in their dishes. Have these accusations stopped anyone from eating here though? NOPE!! I will continue to order Chicken and Broccoli for the rest of my life!!!

Has anyone else had similar nasty eating experiences? Or am i the only nasty fat ass??

HA!