Going Home…

After one whole year away from all the beautiful people I love dearly and have MISSED EVERY SINGLE DAY(like you wouldn’t even understand) I simply had to go home.

My life would of course be much easier if all of my friends and family were located in the same city, but like most families, they are strewn out around the United States.

It’s always going to be challenging to see all of the folks that I would like to when I visit. It’s simply not possible. I will also miss weddings, births, and killer dinner parties whilst I’m abroad.

This is just a sad reality of my spectacularly fun new life. ;(

We flew into Cleveland first because that’s where a big chunk of my family live.

My beautiful Aunts did their best to make our stay the most relaxing and fun few days imaginable…

I even got to spend some quality time with the family pets!

And no trip to CLE is complete without stopping by Cedar Point.

We rodes some epic and terrifying coasters…

Ate some massive BBQ turkey legs…

Then we passed out from jet lag exhaustion!

Followed by a quick flight to Nashville!!

I immediately had a bar party and invited everyone to come out and give me a year’s worth of hugs.

They complied!

Toasts were made…

I was so excited to spend time with some of my besties…

And baby!

OOooohhh baby!

This one made me want one of my own…

Even with fussy scrunched up sad baby face…

There were lots of babies being made whilst I was away…

Big fat squooshy pretty babies!!!

And some of the babies I knew a year ago weren’t babies anymore, but little tiny people…

Simon made some new friends as well…Of the furry variety…

And the wacky-conspiracy-theory-Jesus-loving-rocker-chick variety…

Crazy girls are the hottest. Always. That is a fact.

LOVE YOU LALA. Forevs. PS. Her Dad MIGHT be Ziggy Stardust. FYI.

Moving on…

My mom was as pretty as I remember her being…

My brother was still a massive fantasy football dweeb…

Gorgeous sunny Murphmurph was just as gorgeous and sunny as ever…

Becca was still awesome and smart and sharing her love of great food…

She and her fantastic fiance took us out to Dinner at Silo http://www.silotn.com

Exceptional and elevated Southern cuisine welcoming me home proved to be JUST what I needed…

Especially deviled eggs three ways…

Deep fried greenbeans…

And pork belly…

We even visited my beloved Bombay Palace http://www.bombaypalacetn.com/

They were all super excited to see me too! Awwwwww!

Actually, we did a lot of eating.

And of course, we had to work some of it off…

No better place than Edwin Warner Park…

So that was our trip back to Nashville via Cleveland. A ton of photos I know, but some super wonderful days with friends and family! Hopefully I’ll be back sooner than later and can see more of my loved ones this time! See ya soon Nashville xx

One last Spain post for my foodies…

I just wanted to share some of the food I DEVOURED in Spain for those of you who live to eat…

I promise I’ll be quick!

A simple lunch…

Followed by a decadent dinner…

Tomato and goat cheese salad

Beef carpaccio with sheep’s-milk cheese

Tuna carpaccio with pink peppercorn and dill

Filet mignon with foie

Vanilla bean panna cotta with black currants…

Me pre-FACESTUFF

Me in action!

Grilled calamari for another yummy lunch…

A little scampi party…

Tasty tapas…

That is all! I hope you salivated at least a little!

Next up: LONG overdue Nashville Trip posts!!!

TEA. A Love Affair.

I have always loved tea.

Growing up in the South, iced tea is generally part of daily existence.

Iced Sweet tea, Iced Green Tea, Iced Peach Tea, Iced Passionfruit Tea…the varieties are endless.

I’ve never really gotten into hot tea as much (aside from wintry days where my throat is highly unhappy).

A few years ago I stumbled upon Teavana in the Green Hills Mall and developed a very serious crush with the place.

http://www.teavana.com

But they are SO EXPENSIVE. And they try to up-sell you to death.
It got to the point where I didn’t even want to make eye contact with the sales associates when I went into the store.
They also don’t tell you that the canisters they put the tea in cost extra (or at least failed to mention that to me any of the 50 times I bought tea).
And some of the “teas” don’t even contain tea at all. Just sweetened dried fruit & flowers…but they still call it “TEA”.
(Is there not a rule against this)?

Anyway, I still love tea.

To be more accurate, I’m pretty much obsessed with hot tea since I moved to the UK.
Specifically Earl Grey.

At first, it’s a little weird that everyone is always going on and on about having a “cuppa” tea all the damn time.
But I quickly realized that I had never had Earl Grey tea with milk & sugar before.

MY BRAIN——-> WAIT A MINUTE! THIS IS EFFING STELLAR!

A hot cup of tea can fix your soul.

Part of the joy of tea is the ceremony…

And adorable china…

And having a hot tea date…

I can’t stop drinking it. I crave it!
I have even been using agave syrup and soy milk to be healthier.
It has fully replaced coffee in my life.
I know…THAT’S CRAZY TALK!

I order it everywhere we go.

I just can’t help myself.

And people here even drink it alongside their meals. Even with cheeseburgers!
(By the way, I ate a cheeseburger the other day and it was phenomenally delicious).

See? DELICIOUS!

So, long story short, tea is important. Drink it and feel better.

Now, how about I leave you with some spectacular street art from my travels around Brick Lane in London?

And of course, lest you forget…The Beginning is Nigh!

London Wedding Reception

The great thing about having two wedding receptions is that after experiencing the stress of the first one, you are totally ready for the second one to be MUCH more low-key and chill.

Thankfully, this is exactly what we got at our London Do.

For starters, I refused to dress up. No more wedding dress. No more fancy hair appointments…no more!

Pants…boots…done.

We sort of adopted the attitude of “Hell, it’s our party…so by god we are going to wear jeans!”

(And it was much more fantastic because of it)

My Husband planned pretty much all of it on his own, and honestly the venue could not have been a more perfect representation of both of our personal design aesthetics.

Funky wallpaper, vintage furniture, artsy chandeliers, and old movie posters gave the space serious character and set the tone for super fun party time.

My Brother-In-Law was nice enough to make us a cake!

Which I was more than excited to hack up with my giant knife!

Even though there were people trying to distract me with highly inappropriate “that’s what she said” jokes.

New Family!<3

QT was our happy toastmaster and said some really sweet (and hilarious) things…

“It’s amazing what you can find on the internet these days”

Har. Har.

There was lots of love going around…

And many a happy guest!

And Champagne!

Happy People with Champagne are the happiest…

And Food!

Wild mushroom, garden pea, and creme fraiche tartlets…

Kashmiri Lamb skewers with minted yogurt…

Salmon & avocado nori Rolls with chive & red pepper…

Hoi Sin duck pancake rolls with cucumber and spring onion…

Tiger prawn lettuce wraps…

Parmesan and herb muffins with salsa verde and sun-blushed grapes..

Chocolate covered strawberries & fresh raspberries…

The catering company truly did an amazing job!
http://www.kaicatering.co.uk/
Everyone remarked on how lovely the food was…And soon it had vanished!

So…

Smitten…

And tons of laughs…

By the end of the reception everyone was chummy!

Reception #2 was a complete success!

Just look at that delightfully intoxicated smile on QT’s face!

I fully intend on having a Wedding reception #1 post as well, I just haven’t gotten the photos back from the wedding photographer just yet.
But, I hear they are enroute!
Soon I will have more wedding loveliness for you! I promise.

xxoo

Strawberry Butter Cream Birthday Cupcakes!!

I made Strawberry butter cream cupcakes.

With fresh farmer’s market strawberries that tasted like candy!!
They were so fragrant and sweet!

Some had Sprinkles, some were chocolate cake, some were vanilla cake, some had chocolate chips….All made with fresh strawberries and LOVE!!!

I went crazy…

Mmmmmmm…Strawberry butter cream is so scrumptious!!!

XXOO

OOOhhhhhh Coconut Peanut Thai situation!!!

I have decided to refrain from calling this Pad Thai, because it is not Pad Thai.
Calling this Pad Thai would be a boldfaced lie.
This is my own Thai inspired creation for people who like sweet, spicy, peanutty action with a twist…

CREAMY DREAMY PEANUT SAUCE…MMMMMM

This recipe makes A LOT.

Like… an Army-sized portion!

(this is how I cook…I don’t know how else to do it!)

USE A BIG SAUCEPAN!

SAUCE:

Simmer together…
1 can coconut milk
1 cup peanut butter
about 2 tbsp of Sriracha! (SPICY!)
salt and pepper to taste (I actually don’t use any)
Juice of one lime..maybe two…maybe three
2 tbsp dried ginger
1 Jar Pad Thai sauce…or Pad Thai spice packet…

Mix in…
2-3 cups chopped bell peppers
2-3 cups broccoli florets
1 carton chopped mushrooms (about 3 cups)
2 packages frozen (thawed and drained) chopped spinach or 1 BIG bag of fresh spinach…
(watch it wilt to perfection a handful at a time…)
2 cups bean sprouts (you must first boil them for a couple of minutes)
Add any other fun spices or chopped veggies you have laying around looking lonely…

Get creative…

Boil one box of pasta noodles…I find Fettuccine and Linguine work best, but you can use any kind.

I’ve been known to just make the sauce and dump it over steamed brown rice, or mix in buckwheat penne…

The world is your oyster! Get crazy!

Drain & rinse pasta and mix in with sauce…

Should look like this:

And

If you have any crushed peanuts laying around….sprinkle on top…

Add a lime to make it pretty…

Squeeze this lime and add even more yummy flavor.

Add more Sriracha if that’s how you party.

Enjoy with your mouth!!

Presti’s Bakery in Cleveland (Little Italy)

I know, I was just in Cleveland last month!
Well, Here I am again, and this time I got tons of pictures from Presti’s Bakery!!

I took a lot of random pictures of tasties!

I would love a giant plate with a little of each of these right now….TUMMY GOES GRUMBLE….

OH THE SWEETS!!!

I feel my hips expanding…

Napoleon’s are so insanely heavenly…oh and the calories…

What more could you want? It’s chocolate, and it’s square!

These little beauties are mini cheesecake tarts w/ fresh berries…NOMMM

I’ve only had a Canoli once, and I think it had been sitting in the display case too long…was NOT a fan..I bet these would have changed my mind…

But, the MAIN attraction for me, was of course THE GELATO!!!

Fresh, light, and clean mint flavor with the most delicate and delicious chocolate brittle throughout.
A total knockout.

And here is a close-up because I’m mean.

Before you put your mouth on the computer screen remember it will only bring you sadness.

There were a couple of other little shops that also had Gelato in Little Italy but I just couldn’t stray.
I <3 Presti's
If you are ever in Cleveland do yourself a favor…

http://www.prestisbakery.com/

JUICY OOZERS.

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID!

Who comes up with this shit? Seriously.

They taste like cherry gummy snacks that yes, EXPLODE oozey stuff in your mouth.

It’s Saturday. Eat yourself Some Nachos.

Actually I ate these on Monday.
NOT on my diet.

Thanks PMS!

Vintage Food Ads Make Me Chuckle…

An oldie but a goodie.

That looks like someone murdered that before canning it.

Your kids are only going to think this is “Treat Food” if they are REALLY stupid. I hope you don’t have stupid kids.
This is most definitely “DOG FOOD”

But….. I do dream in Biscuits. Most definitely.

I can imagine a world wear biscuits float by…

I can’t, however, imagine a world without fat kids.

KIDS AS FAT AS PIGS!!!

OHHHHHH…..Someone please get this girl a Xanax already. She freakin’ loves some strawberry jam.

Oh hey, here is more of these people loving the shit out of LARD.

Look at them loving it.
I’m going to puke in their tiny baby wine glasses.
See if they love that.

And this is nice. Ha. Ha. I get it. We are weak, can’t open jars.

Watch as my dainty lady hands open it by breaking it over your fat head.

“SO JUICY IT MAKES A NOISE WHEN YOU EAT IT”……I’m gonna walk away from this one folks…

Here are some D-bags too busy checking each other out to notice their culinary failure in full effect.

I wonder if the ladies are upset about the burgers burning to Shitsville or the fact that their dudes are secretly banging.

Oh 1950′s you have the roomiest closet…