Food & Snow

Lou bought me a pizza stone for my birthday last May. I’ve been trying to remember to use it more. I also slightly suspect that this gift was in part for him, since he gets to enjoy the pizzas I make. I smell a conspiracy!
I made a pineapple and Canadian bacon pizza. I’m pretty pleased with it since this is probably the first one that came out mostly round. I don’t know how professional pizza people do it, especially for very large pies. It’s amazing.

We also made a trip to an old hangout spot from college called the Landmark. I haven’t been there in YEARS. Despite the less than stellar Yelp reviews, I thought the food was pretty good and the staff was friendly. Lou got some kind of cheesesteak eggrolls (Isn’t that a cute presentation?) and I got a roast beef sandwich with au jus. I chalk up the bad reviews to being in a college town. College kids love to whine.

A family of birds took up residence in the ceiling of our balcony/drain gutter recently. I counted 7 in all, but you can see a few in this photo. They’re so cute. They look like mourning doves, but they have orange beaks. Why didn’t they fly south for the winter?? It’s so cold out!

View from my office parking lot last time it snowed. The Brandywine River is right over that railing. It’s really pretty in Wilmington when it snows, despite being labeled “Murder Town USA”.

Valentine’s Day Adventure

For Valentine’s Day, we decided to get together with some friends and frolic in Philly. We took the train in, because it’s not an adventure unless you utilize public transportation. Little did we know that it was going to start snow storming. I guess it’s better than rain!

We went for dim sum at some delicious place in Chinatown that I can’t remember the name of. It was only my second time, but my first in Philly. It was amazing and I wish I had more pictures than just Lou and I grinning like fools before the meal. It was wave after wave of strange and tasty dishes. And the bill was SO CHEAP. I would go everyday if we lived closer.

Then we all went for coffee and french macarons. I was beyond excited since I hadn’t had a macaron since we lived near that fancy coffee shop in North Carolina. They’re probably my second favorite dessert next to canolis. I planned on ordering 10 bajillion of them, but sadly they only had a few left of one flavor! I’m guessing this was a big dessert day since it was Valentine’s Day and all.

My one treasured macaron was delicious though. Earl Grey tea macacon with some kind of chocolate filling.

Of course no adventure is complete without a spicy pickleback shot. For those not in the know, picklebacks are a shot of Jameson with a pickle juice chaser. It’s freaking delicious if you like pickles and it cuts the harshness of the whiskey immediately. We first came across them in North Carolina a couple of years ago, but they’ve become kind of hipstery trendy now. I don’t care. I LOVE pickle juice.

And here’s the “bouquet” I made for Lou for V-Day. An assortment of beef jerky sticks that I glued some paper flower pieces to. Food is my favorite gift. You could give me food all day over a piece of jewelry. I hope Lou feels the same!

new designs

Well we were supposed to have something like 100 feet of snow last week. I can’t help feeling slighted. I didn’t WANT that much snow. But I just don’t like when people (the media, meteorologists, every one on facebook) are swearing up and down terrifying us all that I must run to the store and buy all the milk, bread and eggs I can find before the movie The Day After Tomorrow happens in real life. And now everyone’s standing around with their hands in their pockets, heads down, kicking at pebbles saying “uh…I don’t recall saying that”.

I know people farther up north still got hit with the snow pretty hard and I’m thankful we didn’t in Delaware, but it drives me bonkers when news reporters say with 100% certainty that something monumental or devastating with the weather is going to happen and then it doesn’t. Haven’t they read The Boy Who Cried Wolf? Have they learned nothing?? A lot of people are now saying “Better over prepared than under prepared”. I can agree with that. I do have a nice stock load of White Russian and Espresso-tini ingredients now.

Aside from the impending snow-doom, I’ve been busily chipping away at some new figurine designs. Here’s a few things I’m working on! Most of these gals are going to This N That Gift Gallery in Carrboro, NC, so sadly they won’t be available in my shop. But if you’re in the Triangle area, be sure to stop by!

I was waiting on these adorable little flowers that I ordered to arrive. They’re soooo cute and tiny! They’ll be used for bouquets and maybe little head pieces for the bride figurines of my cake toppers. I’m also going to offer little painted bases for them to stand on with customizable writing.