England

Aubrey and I recently took a U.K. trip and had an amazing time. We flew into London and rented a car to drive through England and Scotland with a flight out of Edinburgh. We had sort of a hellish return flight which warrants no further recollection but the trip itself was amazing. We had absolutely no plan other than to book it up to Manchester immediately after getting our car to watch Manchester United v. Chelsea at Old Trafford Stadium. (If you think you're gifted in the art of profanity, go to an English football match and get schooled.) After that, we were free to do whatever we desired for two weeks and it was heaven on earth. So here's a few of my favorite choices in England...

Getting a pint at the coolest pub that some how mixed diva wallpaper with old world rustic charm.

Discovering widespread availability of local cider. I thought I'd spend the whole trip with an empty hand at the pubs but was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this stuff. Plus, it was great to try the local brew in every city. The Cotswolds stuff has got to be the best in the world. I'm sure of it.

The Tower of London. If you pay admission for one thing in all of England, make it this. Crown Jewels,  intense historical significance, a superb cafeteria on the grounds...yum. We spent a whole day here. And, yes, I know this isn't a representative picture of the Tower but look at those doors!

 Walking. Seriously! The national pastime of England is walking which sounded a bit weird to me until I discovered that they know how to do it right. There are public footpaths through most of the countryside where you can walk through private property and from town to town. It was gorgeous.

These pics are currently serving as decorating inspiration for me. In fact, the whole trip is inspiring.  I have to go hang a curtain rod!

Good Eats in Boston

Guess what? I'm in Boston. Guess what else? I've got food on the mind. Here's some good stuff I ate over the last couple of days...

Legal Seafood in the airport really delivers, especially for terminal fare! Way better than McDonalds or Chili's To-Go. I'd give the chowder a "7" for the clam chunks but it was lacking in heft and seasoning. Their crabcakes were pretty good, too, but they've got nothing on The Original Pierre Maspero's in New Orleans. Nothing. I'm sort of a crabcake snob but I couldn't tell you my criteria. It's just good, better, or best.

Sourdough makes my heart sing. As does butter served room temperature. I'm a bit of a butter snob, too. Cold butter is high on my list of restaurant pet peeves...right under the dreaded half-serve ( where only half the people get their food and awkwardness ensues- We'll wait for yours...no really, go ahead and eat... are you sure? )

 This was the Funghi  pizza at Pasta Beach where I ate way too much, drank way too much ( iced tea) and waddled all the way back to my temporary home. Also, they had beautiful paint colors- striped cream and grey with colorful coastal art. They also had very fresh and tidy looking desserts but unfortunately I had no more room. Oh well, I have four more days here to practice belly space management!

Po Boys for President

This is a Po Boy. You will find such things if you randomly hop in a car and drive to New Orleans for New Year's Eve or Groundhog's Day or whatever other time strikes your fancy. You will become overwhelmed with the number of "authentic" cajun restaurant offerings and you will want to pull off the highway and get some gumbo in your belly, pronto. I would encourage you to wait. Stake out your options. Look for something real. And, by "real" I mean real good. To do this, you may need to venture a little further off the highway than within sight of the exit. You may need to drive in circles a little bit. You may need to stop and call for directions even though you have three iphones at your disposal and a gps. You may even find that you've passed the place... once or twice. You may accidentally mistake it for an abandoned convenience station. You may realize it WAS a convenience station. At this point, you must go in.

 This  is Robbie G's in Alexandria, LA and I found it ALL BY MYSELF. Okay, Yelp is a helpful tool for this and I am a huge fan but I'm gonna go ahead and claim credit for this because Yelp only got us so far. It got us a name of a place where the "locals go." I had the daring nerve to seek it out and call it my own. I even used their toilet ( which is located " 'round back.")

Mr. Robbie G came out of the back himself, apron on with spatula in pocket and said "Whadyallwan?" We asked. And, we received.

Yum. Get yourself a Po Boy at your earliest convenience like these fine folks. I recommend it with cheese ( as I do for most things.)

Eating in Santa Fe Pt. 1: The Santa Fe Farmer's Market

Sorry again for the hiatus. I'm sorta lousy at blogging and traveling at the same time. Great quality to have for a travel blog, I'm sure. Also, sometimes, I get too hungry to photograph and document my food adventures which makes content a bit of a challenge.... that's another story though that involves the fact that I have no flash and tend to cook at night. Gah!

Anyway, point is, we've been hittin' the road pretty hard these days. Last weekend, we went to Santa Fe for a fishing/shopping getaway with pals Kevin and Sindy. Last time I was in Santa Fe, Aubrey got food poisoning. This time, he got sick in advance. I'm not quite sure what it is with him and traveling west on I-40. Something deep within him rebels. Either way, he doped up and recovered nicely which made for a pretty fab trip.

Now, onto the delciousness...

I know, I know- how can I write that Aubrey contracted food poisoning last time and recommend great eats in the same post, right? It's real easy. I'll start with what NOT to eat...and that would be McDonald's New Mexican inspired Green Chile Double Cheeseburger. Just don't do it.

Instead, get the real deal. Santa Fe is known for it's roast hatch green chile and you can get a pretty good whiff of it throughout downtown where roasters are turning their roasting aparatuses like mad men. I have no idea what these spinner things are called ( roasters perhaps?)...I just know they work.

Sindy and I got our chile in the form of fresh baked Green Chile bread from the Intergalactic Bread Company. They're featured in the current issue of Edible Santa Fe and known for their free form loaves made with locally grown ingredients. Oh, and, you can only get it if you travel to New Mexico- they only sell it at farmers markets in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Taos. So, since we were there and all...we got some. Of course.

But we didn't stop there.

The Santa Fe Farmer's Market is sprawling with vendors boasting goods of all varieties and colors. For instance, I learned that there are at least seven different types of eggplants and probably more...

Likewise, I've never seen so many different types of tomatoes in my life.



That's B & B Farms of La Mesilla, New Mexico ( thanks for the hand modeling) and they had some pretty amazing cherry tomatoes that we snatched up. They also had the BEST blackberries I've ever had in my life. I sampled one and they said, "I bet you'll have to buy some" and they were right. I bought some, promptly ate them, and snuck back for a few more "free" samples-yeah, they're pretty much crackberries.

With bread and tomatoes, all we needed was a little cheese (aged cheddar made with goat's milk, to be exact) and we had ourselves a fine lap lunch. We walked around for a while to find the perfect bench on which to sit and enjoy it. I think we made a great selection.

Entertainment in St. Louis- Herbaria Soaps (WINNER UPDATED)

Okay, so soap making may not be the first thing that comes to mind for entertainment in St. Louis. Afterall, there are plenty of pro-sports teams, cool jazz joints, and other rambunctious activties. Nevertheless, I highly recommend you check out Herbaria, a little soap company on The Hill where scents of lavender and peppermint win the sensory battle of a ten foot section of the charming streets, leaving you clammering to get into the door for a better whiff. And, whiff you may...

There are plenty of sniffs to go 'round like those of Lycopene Tomato, Indonesian Safflower, and Patchouli Hemp ( to name a few.) You can even pick up some incredible handmade soap dishes to hold it all in.

The cool thing is, they give tours of how everything is made and are completely welcoming.

I love that every product is made independently and free of chemicals- we're talking pure vegetable goodness here. I also love that Herbaria granted me my first "paid" photography gig- trade photos for their website for free soap and THAT, friends, is a gift I'm passing along to you.

All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what recipe you'd like me try and make next and you're entered to win a bar of Avocado Lemon soap!

"What? You're giving away a bar of soap??" This isn't just any soap, people. Husby will attest to the quality and let me just say, he doesn't give a flip about soap...usually. The Herbaria Licorice Bar has him won over for good. I really wish I liked black licorice because it makes the entire bathroom smell like it. That's some good soap.

They were slicing up freshly made Avocado Lemon bars while we were there so this is your chance to get a piece of it.

Winner will be randomly drawn using random.org and announced on Thursday morning ( 8.27.09) I'll accept entries until the very moment I get up on Thursday morning ( around 7:00ish, give or take a snooze.)

Now go come up with something good for me to make!

UPDATE: April!- You are the lucky winner of a bar of Avocado Lemon Soap! Random.org had the harrowing job of randomly picking 1-4 entries and you got it. Congrats. Now, go take a shower.

Eating in St. Louis- Guido's Pizza and Tapas

When we weren't risking rash and arrest in St. Louis last weekend, we went on a normal bike ride through one of my favorite neighborhoods of St. Louis known as The Hill District. The Hill is a predominantly Italian community populating roughly 50 square blocks south of downtown where Italian immigrants began to settle as early as the mid-1800s.

I love the character of the streets from the green bricked buildings and uniquely painted doors to the prideful fire hydrants and people walking around with bread. And, oh yeah... that's pizza you're smelling in the air...

Never come to The Hill on a full stomach. I mean, that's just crazyness. In fact, you might want to skip breakfast to make some more room for the tasty deliciousness to be had all around. We decided to try out Guido's Pizza and Tapas as it's rated one of St. Louis Magazine's Best 35 restaurants. Oh, and because it's perfect for the person who can't make up their mind ( like, me, for instance.)

The menu is extensive and decidedly diverse, ranging from albondigas to calamari, homemade lasagna to mediterranean mussels. Though I'm sure the tapas are great, you don't go to a mexican place to order a cheeseburger and you don't go to The Hill to eat anything other than Italian. That's as far as my decision making got us, though.

We started with drinks and a salad to share with the house vinagrette and provel cheese while we studied our options. Mmmmm....

Ultimately, when I was about to order a cheese pizza and some lasagna, we saw this massive plate of pasta go by and had to have it to share.

The tortellini was filled with a blend of veal and pork served in a buttery cream sauce and topped with peas, pruscutto, and freshly grated parmesean. You know how sometimes Italian restaurants shoot for rich and just end up salty? This was spot on rich. We were in Italian heaven. And, don't be fooled by all the sharing... we left fully stuffed and satisfied with food left on the plate all for under $25.00. Seriously, it's worth a trip to St. Louis just for this.

Colorado Days 4 & 5: Rounding Out the Vacation of Meat

Since we were living it up Cabin-style, we didn't really go out to eat much. Good for the eats... not so good for having some new and awesome restaurants to review.

I never thought I'd say this but after the gift of meat AND meat and potatoes nearly every night on our trip... I think I need a break from steak. Seriously... no amount of A-1 could bring me back for at least the next week and a half. Oh, but it was so juicy....




And, meaty.

On the last couple of days of the trip, my mother-in-law and I went shopping and we made a couple trips to the Castle Rock Outlets. They have amazing deals. I got about a thousand dollars worth of clothes for a quarter of that. Bet you'll never guess what I did after shopping... yes, more meat!


This is actually Aubrey's Mediterranean Philly from the Rockyard Brewing Co. I had the french dip but you get the idea. Rockyard was good but it wasn't "oh. my. god." good. We kinda have a thing for checking out micro-breweries or drinking local brews. I should get Aubrey to make a list of his faves....hmmm....

We also went shopping in Manitou Springs. It reminded me very much of Eureka Springs in Arkansas... quaint, touristy, and with lots of local crafts and hippie-fare. I bought a dress made of handloomed cotton from Nepal. It makes me feel responsible and earthy, okay? It doesn't make me go vegetarian, though. That's just crazy talk. Afterward...yep, more steak!

Non-steak recipes to come...

Colorado Day 3: Pikes Peak

On day three of of our trip to Colorado, we FINALLY ventured up the mountain we'd been seeing in the distance from our cabin balcony. We made it up to the top of Pikes Peak. Did you know it's the view of the Great Plains from the journey up that inspired the poem (and soon after, the song) America, The Beautiful? Did you also know it has about six more versus I've never heard? It does. In the late 1800s, the price to pay for the vast view (where you can see the curvature of the earth!) was a hefty journey on mule or by carriage. Today, you can see the splendor for about 30 bucks and three and a half hours of your time.
The Pikes Peak Cog Railway was a MUCH better option for us than driving up the treacherous and flippin scary road to the top. Especially because, as I would learn over the last few days, two year olds don't exactly like being in their car seat without screaming. Trains, on the other hand, are A-ok. Yeah, we were all wearing matching T-Shirts. What? I have no problem looking like an American...in America. At least we weren't in "I Like It On Top" caps.

It was pretty nice on top...with the exception of the freezing cold wind! FREEZING COLD! Notice the mix of snow and non-snow views? The temperature dropped over 40 degrees from the bottom to the top.

Aubrey was a bit chilly. I took it with a little more cool, if I do say so myself. Word to your mother.

Colorado Day 2: Garden of the Gods

So, it's really day 4 of our vacation but, hey, I was busy vacationing to give real time updates!

Day 2 started out really great...with food.

Yeah, they were slightly burnt. But, oh, were they ever delicious.


After breakfast we ventured out to Colorado Springs to visit the Garden of the Gods, a free public park that's definitely worth at least five dollars admission. But, free is better, of course. Here, you can get hands on experience with unique and beatiful rock formations whether you're scrambling, climbing, or just generally craning your neck to see them. They're watching this crazy guy... I don't understand rock climbing.

Oh, wait. If rock climbing has anything to do with driving moms crazy then I totally get it. Look Mom! I told you I'd be doing really safe things like playing with cotton and such.

That's Pike's Peak back there. We got an even closer view the next day...

My nephew's getting an early start at being adventurous and pushing parental nerves. I'm just now getting the hang of it.

Risky rock scrambling comes with it's rewards. Check out this view!
Uh, oh. Signature Aubrey and Amanda travel pose.
I've got to go watch a John Denver tribute and eat steak kabobs now. Oh, it looks like my nephew found another way to be daring...by crashing face first into the ground off of a step stool. Gotta run. More to come!

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Colorado Day 1: Where the Heck are the Mountains??

Upon first landing in Colorado I was pretty convinced John Denver might have been high on something other than a mountain top .... dude, you lied to me! Where are all these mountains? Where are the shadows from the starlight? Come out come out wherever you are....

Oh, okay. It's not the Rockies, but it'll do just fine!!! John, you're back to being the coolest guy ever.

So, we just arrived at our amazing cabin in Larkspur, Colorado, home of the famed Renaissance Festival that starts the week after we leave....of course. No sweat. There's plenty more to do and we're hitting the ground running. We're not driving very fast, though.