Wednesday, December 15, 2010
How to recycle "old" wine...aka, Holiday Booze Recipe #1
Have you ever wondered what to do with that leftover half-bottle of red wine that you opened the night before last? It isn’t totally “off” yet, but you ran out of that special wine spray and so it really is a little past its prime? Want to prevent your husband or significant other from mocking and shaming you for throwing out yet ANOTHER half-bottle of wine?
I have found a solution. Make sangria!!
Fill a pint glass half way with ice
Add 6-8 ounces of above-mentioned day old wine
Add 2 oz of OJ
Add 3-4 oz of Sprite
Stir
Ta-da!! Instant Sangria! And it actually tastes good!
Happy Holidays!
XO,
M
Monday, November 8, 2010
Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds...
This is my whole point about dieting...I mean, the Twinkie thing IS extreme, but the basic idea (all that matters, really, is how many calories you consume vs. expend) is the same. It doesn't mean you're gonna be *healthy* -- but you'll weigh less...
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Which "Mad Men" Character are You?
Dear Internet People:
So, in keeping with my new Don Draper (by which I mean Jon Hamm) obsession, having watched almost the entire show in 3 weeks, last night I headed over to the AMC website to do a little “research” (by which I mean “search for pictures of Jon Hamm looking hot in various suits.” Oh wait, that’s EVERY picture. Lucky me.). Anyway, I happened to stumble upon the “Which Mad Men Character are You?” game. And since I’m sure you can’t wait for the answer, my alternate, Mad Men universe personality is...wait for it...Betty!
Seriously?!? WTF, Mad Men game?? There is no way I’m a Betty. I’m definitely a Peggy (seasons 3 & 4 Peggy anyway)...Sometimes a Joan. But Betty?? Spoiled, terminally unhappy, childlike. I mean, I wouldn’t mind sharing a closet with the girl (super cute clothes on that one), but really?
But aside from the constant smoking, the show still rocks and I’ll keep watching it anyway, even though nothing ever really happens and Peggy is incapable of finding a good guy. Why? Because no one on this glorious earth of ours looks better in a suit, or out of one, than Jon Hamm. Just sayin.
XO,
M
So, in keeping with my new Don Draper (by which I mean Jon Hamm) obsession, having watched almost the entire show in 3 weeks, last night I headed over to the AMC website to do a little “research” (by which I mean “search for pictures of Jon Hamm looking hot in various suits.” Oh wait, that’s EVERY picture. Lucky me.). Anyway, I happened to stumble upon the “Which Mad Men Character are You?” game. And since I’m sure you can’t wait for the answer, my alternate, Mad Men universe personality is...wait for it...Betty!
Seriously?!? WTF, Mad Men game?? There is no way I’m a Betty. I’m definitely a Peggy (seasons 3 & 4 Peggy anyway)...Sometimes a Joan. But Betty?? Spoiled, terminally unhappy, childlike. I mean, I wouldn’t mind sharing a closet with the girl (super cute clothes on that one), but really?
But aside from the constant smoking, the show still rocks and I’ll keep watching it anyway, even though nothing ever really happens and Peggy is incapable of finding a good guy. Why? Because no one on this glorious earth of ours looks better in a suit, or out of one, than Jon Hamm. Just sayin.
XO,
M
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Coming soon...
I am supposed to start blogging again, as I am told there are people looking at this page expecting it to be updated more than once every 6 months. So...keep an eye out and I’ll see if I can get the ole muse to return again in short order. [That said, anyone wishing to bribe said muse with tequila shots and/or chocolate cookies is more than welcome to try...]
XO,
M
XO,
M
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Recipe: Easy Florentine Quiche with Feta & Goat Cheese
Hey kids:
Long time no write, so I thought I’d start us off with a recipe I made up last night on the spur of the moment. Turned out that my husband declared it “the best quiche I’ve ever had” and even I had a slice of the leftovers for breakfast. It tastes like spinach dip in a quiche. Try it...quiche is a lot easier than it sounds.
XO,
M
Ingredients:
1 Ready to Use Piecrust
3/4 Cup Shredded Asiago Cheese
For Egg Mixture:
5 Eggs
1/2 C Skim Milk
2 TBSP Flour (I use a heavy hand)
2 pinches kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Grated nutmeg (about 1/8 of a teaspoon)
For Filling:
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 large garlic cloves, grated or chopped very fine
1 shallot, grated or chopped very fine
1.5 Cups frozen Chopped spinach (no need to defrost)
Salt & Pepper for Seasoning
3 oz. Crumbled Feta Cheese (Flavored is OK – I used Sundried Tomato in this recipe)
3 oz. Crumbled Goat Cheese (Flavored is OK – I used “four pepper” goat cheese in this recipe)
NB: You could probably use all Feta if you wanted, but the goat cheese gives it a bit of a smoother texture.
Instructions:
-Bake the pie crust according to the instructions for a filled pie (usually 7-9 minutes at 400 to 450 degrees). You can bake it in a cake or tart pan, or a regular pie dish – or if the crust comes in one of those aluminum pans, that will work too...
-Once the crust is baked, remove from the oven and let cool a bit. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees.
Meanwhile, begin making the filling:
-Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add garlic and shallot and sauté until aromatic and just starts to turn golden.
-Add in the frozen spinach, with Salt and Pepper to taste, and cook until it is entirely defrosted and any residual water has cooked away. Maybe 5-7 minutes.
-Take the pan off the burner and allow the spinach to cool for about 10 minutes (while you whip up the egg mixture)
-Once the spinach mixture has cooled so that you can comfortably touch the pan, mix the feta and goat cheese lightly into the mixture. You don’t want it all to melt, but the mixture should all kind of come together and start to cohere.
For the egg mixture:
-whisk the eggs and milk together in a medium-sized bowl until almost frothy.
-Add flour and seasonings and whisk again until the flour has been mostly incorporated. There will be small-ish (less than pea-sized) lumps of flour, which are not a problem.
Finally:
-Scoop the spinach/cheese mixture into the bottom of the crust and use a spoon or spatula to spread around evenly.
-Give the egg mixture one last whisk and pour it over the top evenly.
-Lastly, sprinkle the Asiago evenly over the very top and place the whole thing in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. (If your pan is really full, place it on top of a baking sheet or foil, just to avoid slosh-over).
Quiche is done when the top (in the middle) is firm and bouncy to the touch and the top has started to brown. If you’d like a gorgeous brown crust, you can turn on the top broiler for the last 2 or 3 minutes, but watch it closely. Let the quiche cool for 15 or so minutes before cutting into it. Serve as part of a brunch or with a simple green salad & vinaigrette on the side.
Long time no write, so I thought I’d start us off with a recipe I made up last night on the spur of the moment. Turned out that my husband declared it “the best quiche I’ve ever had” and even I had a slice of the leftovers for breakfast. It tastes like spinach dip in a quiche. Try it...quiche is a lot easier than it sounds.
XO,
M
Ingredients:
1 Ready to Use Piecrust
3/4 Cup Shredded Asiago Cheese
For Egg Mixture:
5 Eggs
1/2 C Skim Milk
2 TBSP Flour (I use a heavy hand)
2 pinches kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Grated nutmeg (about 1/8 of a teaspoon)
For Filling:
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 large garlic cloves, grated or chopped very fine
1 shallot, grated or chopped very fine
1.5 Cups frozen Chopped spinach (no need to defrost)
Salt & Pepper for Seasoning
3 oz. Crumbled Feta Cheese (Flavored is OK – I used Sundried Tomato in this recipe)
3 oz. Crumbled Goat Cheese (Flavored is OK – I used “four pepper” goat cheese in this recipe)
NB: You could probably use all Feta if you wanted, but the goat cheese gives it a bit of a smoother texture.
Instructions:
-Bake the pie crust according to the instructions for a filled pie (usually 7-9 minutes at 400 to 450 degrees). You can bake it in a cake or tart pan, or a regular pie dish – or if the crust comes in one of those aluminum pans, that will work too...
-Once the crust is baked, remove from the oven and let cool a bit. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees.
Meanwhile, begin making the filling:
-Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add garlic and shallot and sauté until aromatic and just starts to turn golden.
-Add in the frozen spinach, with Salt and Pepper to taste, and cook until it is entirely defrosted and any residual water has cooked away. Maybe 5-7 minutes.
-Take the pan off the burner and allow the spinach to cool for about 10 minutes (while you whip up the egg mixture)
-Once the spinach mixture has cooled so that you can comfortably touch the pan, mix the feta and goat cheese lightly into the mixture. You don’t want it all to melt, but the mixture should all kind of come together and start to cohere.
For the egg mixture:
-whisk the eggs and milk together in a medium-sized bowl until almost frothy.
-Add flour and seasonings and whisk again until the flour has been mostly incorporated. There will be small-ish (less than pea-sized) lumps of flour, which are not a problem.
Finally:
-Scoop the spinach/cheese mixture into the bottom of the crust and use a spoon or spatula to spread around evenly.
-Give the egg mixture one last whisk and pour it over the top evenly.
-Lastly, sprinkle the Asiago evenly over the very top and place the whole thing in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. (If your pan is really full, place it on top of a baking sheet or foil, just to avoid slosh-over).
Quiche is done when the top (in the middle) is firm and bouncy to the touch and the top has started to brown. If you’d like a gorgeous brown crust, you can turn on the top broiler for the last 2 or 3 minutes, but watch it closely. Let the quiche cool for 15 or so minutes before cutting into it. Serve as part of a brunch or with a simple green salad & vinaigrette on the side.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Mud baths and piña coladas...
Dear friends:
My apologies for the lengthy delay since my last post. What can I say? Day job is busier than ever, just had a great visit with my parents, and trying to spend as much time with friends as possible. BN has gotten the short end of the stick. This is why the cats like Buddy best and why I should not be allowed to get a dog.
But I digress. What follows is my long-awaited (I suck), much-anticipated (by 3 people) review of the Glen Iva spa near Corona, where I found myself headed several weeks ago with three of my girlfriends.
Glen Ivy Hot Springs
http://www.glenivy.com/
Price: $26 (which is half off the full-day admission) if you get there between 3pm in the summer. At least this is what we paid. Their prices/deals seem to change fairly frequently, so call or check online before you come.
Anyway, the 3pm start (they close at 6) was more than enough time to enjoy all of the pools/free activities. If I had a service tacked on, or wanted to eat a meal, I might want an extra couple of hours. One cool thing is that you can do is start a tab – they give you a wristband or something so that you can use to charge at the restaurants and drink stands. This is the nextbestthing to cabana boys and/or a swim up bar. IMO. And, it means you don’t have to worry about your wallet getting stolen.
We got there early and sat on the pretty lawn to sunbathe and wait for the discount to kick in. There are also picnic tables, but those looked a little crowded. There is a gift shop. I didn’t look in it, but it seemed pretty standard.
Vibe: Busy, but relaxed. All walks of life, everyone seemed pretty chill. No kids under 16, which is nice. My guess is the place could get a bit louder, more high energy, on the weekends. I don’t think this would be a bad thing. Unlimited clean towels and water stations are everywhere. The towels range from ugly brown to uglier orange, but there IS a lot of mud (see below), so I will give them a pass on this.
Locker Rooms: These were great. Highlights included the private rain showers, unlimited towels, nice smelling toiletries, and a bitchin’ steam room.
Mud baths: I’d have to say, this probably wouldn’t become part of my regular routine, should I (as I fully intend) choose to start making this one of my regular haunts. There was a big pool of warm, red, muddy water and a couple of mounds of clay mud that you were supposed to rub, um...everywhere? You could choose to dry the mud onto your skin either on one of the multiple chaise lounges, or in this weird hot room with a few benches. Once dry, you slough the mud off with your hands, which is supposed to exfoliate your business. It worked. Afterwards, we had to take turns soaping the mud off of each other’s backs (that part was fun, actually) and it was generally kind of a pain in the ass to get clean.
Sauna: Nice, co-ed sauna. Not very crowded.
Mineral Baths: small, vaguely smelly hot tubs, with some watery miracle minerals that are supposed to do stuff for you. I don’t know what stuff, but it was warm and felt nice. But it was smelly, so we got out and went to the...
Steam Room: This is in the locker room, so women only. Assume there is one on the gents’ side as well. Nice and steamy, not too hot...
Lounge Pool: At some point, we decided to get an adult beverage and go sit by the lounge pool, which is a warm (like 80 or something) shallow (1.5 feet) pool filled with floating lounge chairs. Lots of land-based lounge chairs too. Great place for sunbathing. (Yes, I know it’s bad for you. I don’t care.)
Drinks: I had a pina colada (delish! Not too overpriced.) and some chips (from a bag), so I can’t comment on the quality of Glen Ivy’s food generally, but it looked good on the menu. I’d LOVE to do a review of their restaurant. (Hint, hint...)
Saline Pool: We headed to this pool toward the end of the day – a giant hot tub filled with salt water, in a neat enclosure. The four of us came in and scared a guy away, so we had it to ourselves. Very relaxing.
Lap Pool: We ended up at the lap pool for a bit to stretch our muscles out and move around a bit. This is supposed to be the “coolest” pool, as far as temperature. It was nice, but still pretty warm – nothing that would shock your system.
And then we headed back to the locker room for a nice shower (bit of a wait/line around closing time) and our day was over.
Grade: 5 Stars. I highly recommend this place (though I’m not qualified to speak to their quality, since I’m too poor to be able to afford them, but there is a fairly vast menu of spa services and add-ons to choose from). Hopefully I’ll be able to check some of them out some time.
Wish List (In case anyone is wondering what to get me for my birthday...):
Massage
Cabana
Grotto (An add-on body wrap or other form of super moisturizing procedure...It’s supposed to complement the mud baths, I think...)
Club 1860 Membership (http://www.glenivy.com/specials/hot-springs-specials/) 1 year unlimited entry to the spa, plus 10% off all spa services. Under $400. Yes, please...
So go check it out – and let me know what you think.
XO,
M
My apologies for the lengthy delay since my last post. What can I say? Day job is busier than ever, just had a great visit with my parents, and trying to spend as much time with friends as possible. BN has gotten the short end of the stick. This is why the cats like Buddy best and why I should not be allowed to get a dog.
But I digress. What follows is my long-awaited (I suck), much-anticipated (by 3 people) review of the Glen Iva spa near Corona, where I found myself headed several weeks ago with three of my girlfriends.
Glen Ivy Hot Springs
http://www.glenivy.com/
Price: $26 (which is half off the full-day admission) if you get there between 3pm in the summer. At least this is what we paid. Their prices/deals seem to change fairly frequently, so call or check online before you come.
Anyway, the 3pm start (they close at 6) was more than enough time to enjoy all of the pools/free activities. If I had a service tacked on, or wanted to eat a meal, I might want an extra couple of hours. One cool thing is that you can do is start a tab – they give you a wristband or something so that you can use to charge at the restaurants and drink stands. This is the nextbestthing to cabana boys and/or a swim up bar. IMO. And, it means you don’t have to worry about your wallet getting stolen.
We got there early and sat on the pretty lawn to sunbathe and wait for the discount to kick in. There are also picnic tables, but those looked a little crowded. There is a gift shop. I didn’t look in it, but it seemed pretty standard.
Vibe: Busy, but relaxed. All walks of life, everyone seemed pretty chill. No kids under 16, which is nice. My guess is the place could get a bit louder, more high energy, on the weekends. I don’t think this would be a bad thing. Unlimited clean towels and water stations are everywhere. The towels range from ugly brown to uglier orange, but there IS a lot of mud (see below), so I will give them a pass on this.
Locker Rooms: These were great. Highlights included the private rain showers, unlimited towels, nice smelling toiletries, and a bitchin’ steam room.
Mud baths: I’d have to say, this probably wouldn’t become part of my regular routine, should I (as I fully intend) choose to start making this one of my regular haunts. There was a big pool of warm, red, muddy water and a couple of mounds of clay mud that you were supposed to rub, um...everywhere? You could choose to dry the mud onto your skin either on one of the multiple chaise lounges, or in this weird hot room with a few benches. Once dry, you slough the mud off with your hands, which is supposed to exfoliate your business. It worked. Afterwards, we had to take turns soaping the mud off of each other’s backs (that part was fun, actually) and it was generally kind of a pain in the ass to get clean.
Sauna: Nice, co-ed sauna. Not very crowded.
Mineral Baths: small, vaguely smelly hot tubs, with some watery miracle minerals that are supposed to do stuff for you. I don’t know what stuff, but it was warm and felt nice. But it was smelly, so we got out and went to the...
Steam Room: This is in the locker room, so women only. Assume there is one on the gents’ side as well. Nice and steamy, not too hot...
Lounge Pool: At some point, we decided to get an adult beverage and go sit by the lounge pool, which is a warm (like 80 or something) shallow (1.5 feet) pool filled with floating lounge chairs. Lots of land-based lounge chairs too. Great place for sunbathing. (Yes, I know it’s bad for you. I don’t care.)
Drinks: I had a pina colada (delish! Not too overpriced.) and some chips (from a bag), so I can’t comment on the quality of Glen Ivy’s food generally, but it looked good on the menu. I’d LOVE to do a review of their restaurant. (Hint, hint...)
Saline Pool: We headed to this pool toward the end of the day – a giant hot tub filled with salt water, in a neat enclosure. The four of us came in and scared a guy away, so we had it to ourselves. Very relaxing.
Lap Pool: We ended up at the lap pool for a bit to stretch our muscles out and move around a bit. This is supposed to be the “coolest” pool, as far as temperature. It was nice, but still pretty warm – nothing that would shock your system.
And then we headed back to the locker room for a nice shower (bit of a wait/line around closing time) and our day was over.
Grade: 5 Stars. I highly recommend this place (though I’m not qualified to speak to their quality, since I’m too poor to be able to afford them, but there is a fairly vast menu of spa services and add-ons to choose from). Hopefully I’ll be able to check some of them out some time.
Wish List (In case anyone is wondering what to get me for my birthday...):
Massage
Cabana
Grotto (An add-on body wrap or other form of super moisturizing procedure...It’s supposed to complement the mud baths, I think...)
Club 1860 Membership (http://www.glenivy.com/specials/hot-springs-specials/) 1 year unlimited entry to the spa, plus 10% off all spa services. Under $400. Yes, please...
So go check it out – and let me know what you think.
XO,
M
Friday, May 7, 2010
Coming soon: Reviews of Glen Ivy Spa and Hot Springs, Plus: Molly's First Cambodian Food Adventure
Soooo....
In case you haven’t already been clued in by my “enthusiastic” Facebook posts and tweets about my upcoming afternoon at the Glen Ivy spa, this is just a little update. Heading there this afternoon with some girlfriends and the weather is supposed to be amazing. Will post a full review sometime over the weekend, assuming I don’t get too relaxed and decide to abandon my husband and cats to live there permanently....
Also, supposed to have my first foray into Cambodian food tonight, up in Long Beach. Unless it’s gross (and I have it on good authority that it won’t be) I’ll give you the 4-1-1 on that, too!
Meanwhile, Happy Friday!! Have an excellent weekend...
XO,
M
In case you haven’t already been clued in by my “enthusiastic” Facebook posts and tweets about my upcoming afternoon at the Glen Ivy spa, this is just a little update. Heading there this afternoon with some girlfriends and the weather is supposed to be amazing. Will post a full review sometime over the weekend, assuming I don’t get too relaxed and decide to abandon my husband and cats to live there permanently....
Also, supposed to have my first foray into Cambodian food tonight, up in Long Beach. Unless it’s gross (and I have it on good authority that it won’t be) I’ll give you the 4-1-1 on that, too!
Meanwhile, Happy Friday!! Have an excellent weekend...
XO,
M
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
FOOD!!
Hi Kids:
So, I’ve had a request from one of the editors at iPinion (if you haven’t yet, check them out) to talk more about one of my favorite subjects: Food! I like to eat it, I like to make it, I like to talk about it. I also like to consume and talk about the things that typically accompany it (i.e., wine and beer). So every once in a while, I’ll be posting recipes, restaurant reviews, and other lists/recommendations that I think BN readers might be interested in. Since I travel a bit, I’ll try to make sure to talk about my NYC/DC/Midwest experiences from time-to-time as well.
To get this party started, here’s a review I wrote on Yelp last year (raise your hand if you LOVE Yelp!!), upon the occasion of my first visit to our now semi-regular Italian joint in Newport Beach. I gave them 5 stars that night, though I’d have to say after my initial amazement wore off, our average experience has usually been around the 4-star level. This is not too shabby and still relatively rare for Orange County, I might add...
Anyway, here goes. Enjoy!
XO,
M
Mama D's Italian Kitchen
3012 Newport Blvd
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 675-6262
-Summer, 2009
Four of us made our first trek to Mama D's on Saturday night. Two of us are former New Yorkers, who have had a really hard time finding good, reasonably priced Italian food in southern California. Being generally trusting of Yelp reviews, especially when a place has 4.5 stars and 50+ reviews, we were cautiously optimistic. This place vastly exceeded our expectations and is as good as about 95% of the restaurants in Little Italy in "da Bronx" where the Hubby and I used to be regulars.
Here's a run-down of our evening:
Arrive around 7pm. Bit of a wait, but we are assured that things will move quickly. Before we can even put our names on the list, someone has offered us warm garlic bread. And then little samples of meatball. Then we are shown to a counter (calling it a “bar” would be generous) where we ordered some wine and were given MORE warm bread, plus a little dish of yummy olive oil with roasted garlic. The one beer drinker among us (Hubby) was given a mini ice bucket to keep his single bottle of beer ice cold.
My husband was pretty sure this “warm welcome” was some sort of trick. (As I said, we're New Yorkers and as such are inherently suspicious when people are too nice.) Each time something new and awesome was presented, he would say, "yeah, this is nice, but the food probably sucks."
(But, guess what? It didn't! The food was fantastic.)
Luke, our really nice server from Connecticut, asked for our names. The owner came over to introduce himself and give us a free sample of their homemade ravioli. Delish. We had (between us) one house salad, one Caesar salad, one "special" lasagna (eggplant and chicken), one regular lasagna, one penne in pink sauce with chicken and one Pasta Roma with shrimp. All of this topped off with (free) warm chocolate chip cookies at the end. Everything was absolutely delicious.
There were many more happy things to say about this restaurant, but the upshot is that at the end of the night my face hurt from smiling. I think Disneyland has just been replaced as the happiest place on earth.
**Update to original review:
We’ve been back to Mama D’s several times since the initial visit outlined above. Each time, the service has been excellent and the food very good. Once the novel awesomeness started to wear off, however, I did begin to notice a few things that “bug” me about the place. First, the décor. Tile floors and a less than ideal use of space (i.e. Weird couch thing in the middle of the nicest part of the restaurant. Not really a table, but also not NOT a table. It’s odd). Also, the lighting is OK, but the kids’ drawings taped to the wall give the place a really casual feel. This is fine, but for the price point (usually around $75-$80 per couple, including 2-3 boozy drinks), I’d like a little more ambiance. The other drawback is the potential on the weekend to be seated too close to the keyboard player. While he IS hilarious (and once even played the Star Wars theme on demand, from memory), that sh*t is LOUD if you happen to be seated too close. Makes talking difficult. However, these caveats aside, this is still our fallback Italian joint, and a real guest-pleaser...
So, I’ve had a request from one of the editors at iPinion (if you haven’t yet, check them out) to talk more about one of my favorite subjects: Food! I like to eat it, I like to make it, I like to talk about it. I also like to consume and talk about the things that typically accompany it (i.e., wine and beer). So every once in a while, I’ll be posting recipes, restaurant reviews, and other lists/recommendations that I think BN readers might be interested in. Since I travel a bit, I’ll try to make sure to talk about my NYC/DC/Midwest experiences from time-to-time as well.
To get this party started, here’s a review I wrote on Yelp last year (raise your hand if you LOVE Yelp!!), upon the occasion of my first visit to our now semi-regular Italian joint in Newport Beach. I gave them 5 stars that night, though I’d have to say after my initial amazement wore off, our average experience has usually been around the 4-star level. This is not too shabby and still relatively rare for Orange County, I might add...
Anyway, here goes. Enjoy!
XO,
M
Mama D's Italian Kitchen
3012 Newport Blvd
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 675-6262
-Summer, 2009
Four of us made our first trek to Mama D's on Saturday night. Two of us are former New Yorkers, who have had a really hard time finding good, reasonably priced Italian food in southern California. Being generally trusting of Yelp reviews, especially when a place has 4.5 stars and 50+ reviews, we were cautiously optimistic. This place vastly exceeded our expectations and is as good as about 95% of the restaurants in Little Italy in "da Bronx" where the Hubby and I used to be regulars.
Here's a run-down of our evening:
Arrive around 7pm. Bit of a wait, but we are assured that things will move quickly. Before we can even put our names on the list, someone has offered us warm garlic bread. And then little samples of meatball. Then we are shown to a counter (calling it a “bar” would be generous) where we ordered some wine and were given MORE warm bread, plus a little dish of yummy olive oil with roasted garlic. The one beer drinker among us (Hubby) was given a mini ice bucket to keep his single bottle of beer ice cold.
My husband was pretty sure this “warm welcome” was some sort of trick. (As I said, we're New Yorkers and as such are inherently suspicious when people are too nice.) Each time something new and awesome was presented, he would say, "yeah, this is nice, but the food probably sucks."
(But, guess what? It didn't! The food was fantastic.)
Luke, our really nice server from Connecticut, asked for our names. The owner came over to introduce himself and give us a free sample of their homemade ravioli. Delish. We had (between us) one house salad, one Caesar salad, one "special" lasagna (eggplant and chicken), one regular lasagna, one penne in pink sauce with chicken and one Pasta Roma with shrimp. All of this topped off with (free) warm chocolate chip cookies at the end. Everything was absolutely delicious.
There were many more happy things to say about this restaurant, but the upshot is that at the end of the night my face hurt from smiling. I think Disneyland has just been replaced as the happiest place on earth.
**Update to original review:
We’ve been back to Mama D’s several times since the initial visit outlined above. Each time, the service has been excellent and the food very good. Once the novel awesomeness started to wear off, however, I did begin to notice a few things that “bug” me about the place. First, the décor. Tile floors and a less than ideal use of space (i.e. Weird couch thing in the middle of the nicest part of the restaurant. Not really a table, but also not NOT a table. It’s odd). Also, the lighting is OK, but the kids’ drawings taped to the wall give the place a really casual feel. This is fine, but for the price point (usually around $75-$80 per couple, including 2-3 boozy drinks), I’d like a little more ambiance. The other drawback is the potential on the weekend to be seated too close to the keyboard player. While he IS hilarious (and once even played the Star Wars theme on demand, from memory), that sh*t is LOUD if you happen to be seated too close. Makes talking difficult. However, these caveats aside, this is still our fallback Italian joint, and a real guest-pleaser...
Monday, May 3, 2010
Nachos....
If you know me, you know that I love nachos. I really do. In fact, a really good movie theatre nacho platter? with the fake cheese that gets pumped out of a machine?? My idea of heaven. I eat nacho or nacho-esque food a hell of a lot more frequently than I’d care to admit. So I won’t....
Anyway, let’s talk favorite nacho recipes.
If, right now, you are saying “Huh??” -- Just listen...
I believe that a nacho -- to be truly worthy of the name — must be contain some variant of each of these three, core ingredients:
1) Cheese (duh)
2) Something starchy upon which to melt the cheese (chips, bread, curly fries***, matzo, Doritos...you get the picture)
3) Something “fresh” to provide a nice contrast to the starchy cheese (i.e., salsa, guac, jalapeños, etc., etc.)
Come to think of it, only 1 and 2 are absolutely mandatory. (See shameful “Movie Theatre Nacho Confession,” above..)
So anyway, what do you put on your nachos? What kind of cheese? Favorite toppings? Special tips?
Let me know...maybe we’ll have a nacho cook-off and the winner will win some sort of prize. We’ll see.
Cheers! XO,
M
***This past weekend my cousins and I ordered chicken wings at 2am from a place called “Grub Hub.” My cousin wanted “loaded fries” -- which turned out to be loaded, chili-cheese nachos on a bed of curly fries. It was the dirtiest food I have ever seen and I didn’t have any...a decision I have already come to regret. Also, the grub hub won’t stop spamming my in-box with NYC food delivery “news”....argh!!
Anyway, let’s talk favorite nacho recipes.
If, right now, you are saying “Huh??” -- Just listen...
I believe that a nacho -- to be truly worthy of the name — must be contain some variant of each of these three, core ingredients:
1) Cheese (duh)
2) Something starchy upon which to melt the cheese (chips, bread, curly fries***, matzo, Doritos...you get the picture)
3) Something “fresh” to provide a nice contrast to the starchy cheese (i.e., salsa, guac, jalapeños, etc., etc.)
Come to think of it, only 1 and 2 are absolutely mandatory. (See shameful “Movie Theatre Nacho Confession,” above..)
So anyway, what do you put on your nachos? What kind of cheese? Favorite toppings? Special tips?
Let me know...maybe we’ll have a nacho cook-off and the winner will win some sort of prize. We’ll see.
Cheers! XO,
M
***This past weekend my cousins and I ordered chicken wings at 2am from a place called “Grub Hub.” My cousin wanted “loaded fries” -- which turned out to be loaded, chili-cheese nachos on a bed of curly fries. It was the dirtiest food I have ever seen and I didn’t have any...a decision I have already come to regret. Also, the grub hub won’t stop spamming my in-box with NYC food delivery “news”....argh!!
Sh*t List
There are only two people on my current sh*t list:
So, unless you are any of the above, we’re cool. Right now.
XO,
M
- Justin Bieber (or, in the words of my husband, “That Floppy Haired Moron”). That kid TRULY sucks.
- The stupid people at the stupid hotel who stole my favorite Ohio State t-shirt. You guys can suck it.
So, unless you are any of the above, we’re cool. Right now.
XO,
M
The California Effect...
Hey pals...
So here’s the deal:
Every time I come home from a trip to New York or DC (which, if you know me, you’d know is about 10-12 times per year) I get consumed with this incredible, empowering sense of something almost but not quite like ambition — a sense of urgency, a desire to figure sh*t out and get stuff done. Inevitably, these bursts of inspiration last for a day or two (sometimes a week) and then I slowly turn back to my vampire TV shows and the never-ending stream of miscellaneous fiction that magically appears on my beautiful Kindle device.
My boss —who for a few years lived up the road from here a bit in lovely Claremont – thinks this is what California “does” to you — something about sunshine making people happy which makes them mostly effing useless after a while. He thinks you have to be mostly miserable, weather wise, to excel at anything...
I usually laugh at him, but this one got me to thinking...
Anyway, it’s an interesting theory — wondering if anyone out there has anything to add on the subject.
XO,
M
So here’s the deal:
Every time I come home from a trip to New York or DC (which, if you know me, you’d know is about 10-12 times per year) I get consumed with this incredible, empowering sense of something almost but not quite like ambition — a sense of urgency, a desire to figure sh*t out and get stuff done. Inevitably, these bursts of inspiration last for a day or two (sometimes a week) and then I slowly turn back to my vampire TV shows and the never-ending stream of miscellaneous fiction that magically appears on my beautiful Kindle device.
My boss —who for a few years lived up the road from here a bit in lovely Claremont – thinks this is what California “does” to you — something about sunshine making people happy which makes them mostly effing useless after a while. He thinks you have to be mostly miserable, weather wise, to excel at anything...
I usually laugh at him, but this one got me to thinking...
Anyway, it’s an interesting theory — wondering if anyone out there has anything to add on the subject.
XO,
M
Follow my blog...really?
In response to a comment left on one of my earlier posts, I think there are a couple of was to officially become a “fan” of BlondeNoise. (And believe me when I say that I’m flattered that someone would even ask).
Anyway, if you are a member of blogger, and you are signed in to your own account (or maybe any google account — I think they work across platforms) there should be a “follow” button at the top left of the page.
If you aren’t a member of blogger, you can share posts from the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace (does over 12 still use MySpace??) by clicking the “share” link in that same upper left-hand location.
Pretty soon, iPinion (www.ipinion.me) will be coming up with its own FB page, so I’ll make sure to post about that so you can all go on there to find the latest from all of our talented writers.
Cheers!
XO,
M
Anyway, if you are a member of blogger, and you are signed in to your own account (or maybe any google account — I think they work across platforms) there should be a “follow” button at the top left of the page.
If you aren’t a member of blogger, you can share posts from the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace (does over 12 still use MySpace??) by clicking the “share” link in that same upper left-hand location.
Pretty soon, iPinion (www.ipinion.me) will be coming up with its own FB page, so I’ll make sure to post about that so you can all go on there to find the latest from all of our talented writers.
Cheers!
XO,
M
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Brooklyn Bridge!!
Yesterday, my cousins and I decided to walk the Brooklyn Bridge. What a novel idea, right? Except it happened to coincide with the first actually HOT day in New York City. And it was a Saturday, so there were about as many people milling about as there were nearby at City Hall for the Arizona immigration law protests...
What was this brilliant idea, you might ask?? For $5 you rent scissors to overdressed tourists who want to turn their pants into shorts. Seriously, I think this might work. There were plenty of entrepreneurial chaps with coolers selling water - but not a scissor to be found. Alas. So, After a quick pause to roll up my jeans, we continued.
It was really a lovely walk...with some amazing views and some really neat vantage points, including this one:
In the end, it was a really long walk -- but it was a great time with my cousins and something I never got the chance to do during the 6 years I lived in NYC...
Anyway, undeterred by the massive number of people with the exact same unique idea, we decided to go for it. Got very lost trying to find the walkway, but eventually got here:
(There was a lot of pigeon poop right here under this sign. Still, we pressed on...)
This is the point in the walk (about 45 second in) where I came up with my brilliant business idea.
What was this brilliant idea, you might ask?? For $5 you rent scissors to overdressed tourists who want to turn their pants into shorts. Seriously, I think this might work. There were plenty of entrepreneurial chaps with coolers selling water - but not a scissor to be found. Alas. So, After a quick pause to roll up my jeans, we continued.
It was really a lovely walk...with some amazing views and some really neat vantage points, including this one:
I love how the lines of the cables intersect here. Just gorgeous.
In the end, it was a really long walk -- but it was a great time with my cousins and something I never got the chance to do during the 6 years I lived in NYC...
The pinnacle of our journey was this gorgeous view of the bridge and Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Vampire State Building
This is the name of my nail polish color. You had me at vampire, OPI ...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Welcome iPinion Readers...
Dear friends:
A super smart/talented writer/good friend of mine, David Lacy, and some of his other similarly-talented friends and former colleagues have formed a great writing/blog syndicate called iPinion (http://web.me.com/davidlacy/iPinion/Welcome.html or see the link on right).
So, David asked me if BlondeNoise wanted to be part of the party, and of course — as any self-promoting blogger (which is every blogger, or — face it — you wouldn’t bother with it) would — I said “hell yes.”
Meanwhile, it occurred to me that what I do isn’t so much “writing” as it is “bitching and moaning,” or, much of the time, simply posting things that I think are funny/smart/interesting/or just plain awesome. I like to write – but I don’t have a lot of time and as much as I love being the center of attention, I am — to quote the “other David” in my life (a.k.a., my boss) -- an “egomaniac with an inferiority complex.”
Anyway....the moral of this rambling story is that I want to give a big “WELCOME!” to anyone who might have navigated on over to BN from iPinion or any of its member sites. I promise to try to make my posts as entertaining and frequent as possible. If you like something, leave a comment and let me know — I’ll do more of that. If you dislike something, stop reading it and read something else.
Right. So here we go...
XO,
M
PS: My day job requires me to read/write/know about a whole host of political and public policy-related issues. Unlike people who will ultimately become very successful at their careers, I don’t like doing that in my spare time. So if you are wondering why I rarely comment on politics and FREQUENTLY comment about vampires and Miley Cyrus, there you have it...
A super smart/talented writer/good friend of mine, David Lacy, and some of his other similarly-talented friends and former colleagues have formed a great writing/blog syndicate called iPinion (http://web.me.com/davidlacy/iPinion/Welcome.html or see the link on right).
So, David asked me if BlondeNoise wanted to be part of the party, and of course — as any self-promoting blogger (which is every blogger, or — face it — you wouldn’t bother with it) would — I said “hell yes.”
Meanwhile, it occurred to me that what I do isn’t so much “writing” as it is “bitching and moaning,” or, much of the time, simply posting things that I think are funny/smart/interesting/or just plain awesome. I like to write – but I don’t have a lot of time and as much as I love being the center of attention, I am — to quote the “other David” in my life (a.k.a., my boss) -- an “egomaniac with an inferiority complex.”
Anyway....the moral of this rambling story is that I want to give a big “WELCOME!” to anyone who might have navigated on over to BN from iPinion or any of its member sites. I promise to try to make my posts as entertaining and frequent as possible. If you like something, leave a comment and let me know — I’ll do more of that. If you dislike something, stop reading it and read something else.
Right. So here we go...
XO,
M
PS: My day job requires me to read/write/know about a whole host of political and public policy-related issues. Unlike people who will ultimately become very successful at their careers, I don’t like doing that in my spare time. So if you are wondering why I rarely comment on politics and FREQUENTLY comment about vampires and Miley Cyrus, there you have it...
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thoughts from 36,000 feet...
A few random thoughts from my flight from DTW to SNA tonight:
THE BAD:
- Am in crappy, no-legroom coach.
- I want to hurt the parents of the kid who keeps yelling at the top of his lungs "I love water!!" "Don't you love water?!?" This is what they make children's Benadryl for, people. I am not one of those complainers who thinks all kids should be banned from flights. I get it that babies cry sometimes. BUT, a three-year old in this situation needs to be reprimanded.
- It is mean to bring KFC on a five hour flight. It smells really good and makes other people who do not have KFC, only cold, three hour-old Taco Bell, VERY angry.***
THE GOOD:
- I did somehow win the "only open middle seat on the plane is in my row" lottery. So that helps.
- Internet on flight to help alleviate boredom, though am watching with dismay the power meter on my MacBook get slowly depleted.
- Xanax plus a double vodka/cranberry will go a long way toward alleviating any residual anger caused by the above "BAD" observations.
***This blog does not endorse the consumption of unrefrigerated, three hour old Taco Bell...While fairly certain it is OK to eat 3 hour old taco bell, as I can imagine that they stuff it with more preservatives than you can shake a stick at, I have gotten the vodka as a preventative antiseptic. This blog DOES endorse the consumption of vodka.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Really, Rob Thomas?
www.nydailynews.com/.../2009-07-03_rob_thomas_and_miley_cyrus_in_ harmony.html
---
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Friday, February 12, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Some rules to remember...
EIGHT WORDS/PHRASES WOMEN USE, WITH TRANSLATIONS:
(1) Fine: Not fine
(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to do something. (e.g. five minutes to watch the game before helping around the house).
(3) Nothing: Something; This is the calm before the storm.
(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It! Other variations include "Do whatever you want" or "If you really want to."
(5) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
(6) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome.' That will bring on a 'whatever').
(7) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying @&$# YOU!
(8) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times-- or that a man should be helping her with-- but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.
(1) Fine: Not fine
(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to do something. (e.g. five minutes to watch the game before helping around the house).
(3) Nothing: Something; This is the calm before the storm.
(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It! Other variations include "Do whatever you want" or "If you really want to."
(5) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
(6) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome.' That will bring on a 'whatever').
(7) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying @&$# YOU!
(8) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times-- or that a man should be helping her with-- but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Very excited...
I think if I got these, I might feel better about the fact that on a majority of days I wear my PJ’s until 4pm or later...
http://www.pajamajeans.com/Default.aspx?bhcp=1
http://www.pajamajeans.com/Default.aspx?bhcp=1
Monday, February 1, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Recipe: Breakfast Quesadilla...
I had a great brunch yesterday with my friend Hilary at The Filling Station in Old Town Orange. (www.fillingstationcafe.com)
My entrée was a delish breakfast quesadilla, a modified recipe for which is included below. Feel free to make substitutions to your taste (i.e, chorizo instead of turkey sausage, add green/red bell peppers, etc.). I’m thinking this would be a good alternative to a quiche – something that holds up pretty well and can be sliced into small pieces and served with some fruit or a small green salad.
For each quesadilla, you will need:
2 large flour tortillas
1/2 cup cheese (I think most Mexican-inspired dishes used jack cheese, but I like a good sharp cheddar too)
3 eggs
1 TBSP Milk
2 large or 3 small turkey sausage links (uncooked)
1 small can diced green chilies (drained)
3 green onions
1/4+ cup black beans (drained)
1 tsp butter
The assembly is where I get a little hazy. Here’s one way, you can probably think of others.
1) Beat the eggs and milk together. Season with salt and pepper, but easy on the salt, since the sausage and cheese will be likely to be pretty salty. Set that aside while you:
2) Slice the sausage links into small disks (or if you’re using patties, break it up into smaller chunks). Cook until done, adding chopped green onions about halfway through and chiles at the end, right before you..
3) dump in the egg mixture. Scramble it up until the eggs are most of the way cooked – but leave them a little on the less done side, they’ll finish cooking when added to the whole dish.
4) Meanwhile, in another skillet or on a griddle, melt a little butter and toast one tortilla for a minute or so on medium heat.
5) Add half of the cheese and let it melt a bit.
6) When cheese is mostly melted, spread the egg mixture evenly on top. Top with the rest of the cheese and the second tortilla.
7) Flip it all over so that the other tortilla gets toasted and the rest of the cheese melts.
Finally, cut into 1-2 inch sections and serve with salsa, sour cream, and fresh avocado or guacamole.
XO,
M
My entrée was a delish breakfast quesadilla, a modified recipe for which is included below. Feel free to make substitutions to your taste (i.e, chorizo instead of turkey sausage, add green/red bell peppers, etc.). I’m thinking this would be a good alternative to a quiche – something that holds up pretty well and can be sliced into small pieces and served with some fruit or a small green salad.
For each quesadilla, you will need:
2 large flour tortillas
1/2 cup cheese (I think most Mexican-inspired dishes used jack cheese, but I like a good sharp cheddar too)
3 eggs
1 TBSP Milk
2 large or 3 small turkey sausage links (uncooked)
1 small can diced green chilies (drained)
3 green onions
1/4+ cup black beans (drained)
1 tsp butter
The assembly is where I get a little hazy. Here’s one way, you can probably think of others.
1) Beat the eggs and milk together. Season with salt and pepper, but easy on the salt, since the sausage and cheese will be likely to be pretty salty. Set that aside while you:
2) Slice the sausage links into small disks (or if you’re using patties, break it up into smaller chunks). Cook until done, adding chopped green onions about halfway through and chiles at the end, right before you..
3) dump in the egg mixture. Scramble it up until the eggs are most of the way cooked – but leave them a little on the less done side, they’ll finish cooking when added to the whole dish.
4) Meanwhile, in another skillet or on a griddle, melt a little butter and toast one tortilla for a minute or so on medium heat.
5) Add half of the cheese and let it melt a bit.
6) When cheese is mostly melted, spread the egg mixture evenly on top. Top with the rest of the cheese and the second tortilla.
7) Flip it all over so that the other tortilla gets toasted and the rest of the cheese melts.
Finally, cut into 1-2 inch sections and serve with salsa, sour cream, and fresh avocado or guacamole.
XO,
M
Friday, January 29, 2010
Fish tacos, then seashells @ the beach on a Friday afternoon...
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