It’s no secret that I have a (debatably) unreasonable obsession with Trader Joe’s. I have been called out on multiple occasions for said obsession, but after years of browsing, eating, and exploring other grocers, Joe and I are only growing closer.
Read moreThe Weekend
Hey there, welcome to this Monday!
I had to force myself to type that exclamation point because it made me feel like a bit of a faker. Truth be told, I am fighting exhaustion with all my might today and I can't say that I'm winning. Can I just get an espresso IV, please? Or how about a nap? Yeah, that's not going to happen...
I hope you are beginning your week with an extra dose of zip and energy. I hope you are still high on the joys of the weekend, and bubbly with excitement for the the next seven days that lie ahead. Another bright, warm, and likely humid, August week awaits us, let's live it!
....But maybe treat yourself to a coffee first so you can actually function.
Thankfully, my Monday morning stupor has by no means stolen away the joy that this past weekend left behind. It was a good one.
Friday evening the fiancé and I piled into the car with good friends and empty stomachs, and drove until we reached what we believe to be the home of the best burgers in this country. They are, in fact, pretty amazing. Fried pickles and shoestring fries are just a small part of their majesty. It may not look like much, but this is where your greatest burger dreams come true.
Saturday was filled with packing up boxes, filled with our newly acquired housewares from last weekend's bridal shower, and toting them out to my parent's garage for temporary storage. We will be holding the keys to our new home in just three weeks!!! Which means... I have a lot to do.
We bravely bore the heat of the August afternoon and painted furniture before making a much-needed slurpee run. Did you too drag obscenely large cups up to your local gas station for Bring Your Own Cup Day? I had not had a slurpee in ages, (like maybe 4 years?) and the near-instant brain freeze reminded me why.
I countered the cold sugar with hot wings later that night. Now I really, really do not like spicy foods... but put a plate of hot wings in front of me and it's gone. It's totally worth having greasy fingers for the rest of the night.
Does it sound like all I did was eat all weekend? Well, it's kind of true.
My very sweet fiancé had surprised me with a bag of fresh cheeses and some locally cured salami flavored with, you guessed it, black truffles!!!!! And it was not one of those "truffle infused" kind of deals either. This salami was very generously speckled with tiny flakes of rich, dark truffles. I think I have mentioned my truffle binge once or twice here recently (ahem... Truffle & Brie Macaroni and Cheese), which is pretty much the most pretentious binge ever, but this salami was the icing on my unmami cake.
Would you hate me if I made truffle popcorn? I have had it on the brain for weeks now but I feel like that's pushing things to a whole new level of obnoxious. But I do not know how much longer I can resist...
Happy, happy Monday! Oh, and get your food processor for the super quick and super delicious frozen yogurt I've got coming to you later this week!
Sincerely,
Pedantic Foodie
The Weekend
This past weekend was bursting at the seams with great food and even better company. Friday evening was the night of my most recent supper club, consisting of the best scallops I have ever made (humble brag, but not really because all credit goes to bacon fat), Joy the Baker's Blueberry and Mint Lemonade, and a gluten-free key lime pie, which one of my diners dubbed "life-changing." That's the magic of coconut macaroon crust, my friends.
After standing in the kitchen for nearly 10 hours straight, my feet were screaming at me, and I fell asleep while sitting on the floor describing to my fiance just how tired I was. It was the best.
The next day my sweetheart and I made our way down to the city and began our Saturday afternoon with truly classic fudge sundays at one of my favorite spots since childhood - a sweet little drive-in diner that has been serving ice cream and barbecue for 112 years. Always get the limeade, do it.
We went shopping and I tried on a dozen very unflattering dresses and one very nice dress and then turned to my better half and informed him that I needed to be fed. Again. I mean, it had been nearly three hours...
Rather than revisit an old standby, we decided to be adventurous (inspired by my Summer bucket list), and made our way down to what seemed to be a promising little hole in the wall. It was small, crowded, and filled with loud-laughers and Pokemon-searchers. This hipster hideaway ended up being one of the best eateries I have been to in a very long time. The menu was simple, consisting of half a dozen or so tempting grilled cheese sandwiches and several varieties of decadent fries. Even at the height of my creativity, I would have never thought of putting truffle-scented macaroni and cheese between two slices of bread. But, thankfully, they did, and I ordered it, and I ate it. In between bites I gushed about the utter genius of this perfectly executed sandwich, and then my fiance and I said a bitter farewell to our newfound favorite and sat in three hours of traffic.
I hope your weekend was just as wonderful and filled with the best of food and friends.
Sincerely,
Pedantic Foodie
