(My smile is so massive - sometimes it scares me lol)
I love the month of November, its such a lovely month.
I'm terribly sorry - I haven't updated in almost a week!
For those of you who celebrated Halloween this year I hope you had a fun and safe weekend!
I sure did…but we’ll get to that momentarily….
Im sure you’ve noticed I changed my header picture....
from an apple eating curly head to a “jungle juice” drinking one. I was getting tired of the ol apple photo. I really like my new picture minus the fact that there are two people standing behind me….which is SUPER unprofessional of me. But I don’t really care lol – it’s my blog and I’ll do what I want! I’ll probably change the picture within the next few weeks – so enjoy it while it lasts!!
The day before the party.....
we made a pit stop in Cleveland so Kim could visit with her boyfriend, and so I could visit with my friend Jessica. We all four ended up eating dinner at a well known restaurant in Ohio, that I featured a while back, called melt bar and grilled(click the link to learn all about it!)
Melt was AMAZING. Seriously - I wish I would've been able to take pictures, but due to the fact that the restaurant is so dim - it was impossible for me to take a good photograph! The restaurant is really hip and groovy - I was really digging the aura of the place.
It was so hard to chose what i wanted because their grilled cheese menu is so extensive! So I decided to order one of their most popular sandwiches - The Parmageddon. This sandwich consists of: 2 potato & cheese pierogi, fresh napa vodka kraut, grilled onions, and sharp cheddar on thick bread - which came with a HUGE side of fries and a small salad type mixture (all of this for $10).
After eating 1/2 of my sandwich and only a couple of fries I was stuffed. I had to force myself to continue eating, even though i felt sick, because the food was so good (and I wanted my moneys worth).The portions at this restaurant are SOOO big and SOOO filling! Kim, Jessica, and I could've shared one sandwich and would've been completely full (which is what we've decided to do the next time we go).
The next time I go to Melt (which will be soon hopefully!) I've decided to order the "Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana" which consists of: fresh made peanut butter, sweet cream cheese, and mixed berry preserves ($7.50). I can't wait!!
Why Halloween in Pittsburgh instead of Dayton?
My friend Kim has a childhood bff named Brittney who lives with her boyfriend Travis in Pittsburgh. Brittney and Travis invited Kim to Pittsburgh for their annual Halloween party, and since Kim knew I had nothing to do on Halloween, she was nice enough to invite to tag along!
First meal in Pittsburgh at 'Pamela's Diner'...
Our first morning in Pittsburgh - Brittney and Travis took Kim and I to breakfast/brunch at Pamela's Diner. They told me how President Obama eats there every time he's in Pittsburgh - and since he loves the breakfast there so much - he flew the owners of the restaurant to the White House to make breakfast for his family! How amazing is that?
I really like the 50s/60s style restaurant excudes, from the ceilings all the way down to the tiles on the floor.
Isn't the color scheme rad?
Whenever I'm dining at an unfamiliar place, and I'm having trouble deciding what I want to eat - i always ask someone whos been there before what they suggest, what menu item is the most popular, and what exactly the restaurant is known for.
Travis (who loves food just as much as I do) informed me that Pamela's is famous for the crepe style pancakes, and that i should start from there.
I ended up ordering "The Morning After' which consists of: 2 eggs (I asked for mine to be scrambled), my choice of meat (I chose sausage) and Pamelas famous crepe hotcakes!
All I can say is OH MY GOD.
I've never had pancakes/hotcakes like these before in my life (and I've had a lot of pancakes)! I usually like a really thick and fluffy style pancakes, but these thin ones were just perfect. I absolutely loved how the edges were crisp and crunchy, as if they had been fried a bit. These bad boys just melted in my mouth.
These are probably my favorite pancakes ever. The next time I go to Pittsburgh (soon hopefully) I will be sure to stop by this breakfast spot for another amazing meal!!
Party time.....
Let me start off by saying that this was by far the best Halloween party...hell...the best party I've ever been to (and perhaps that's because I don't get out much lol, I suppose I'll never know). You know when you watch movies and people have huge parties with tons of people and you think to yourself "no one has parties like that - you only see parties like these in movies" well that statement is WRONG because this party was straight out of a movie. There were tons of people and tons of alcohol and hell - we were underground!!
I'm so happy that I got the pleasure/privledge to attend such an event. It will not soon be forgotten.
(I took so many pictures at this party that it wasn't at all possible for me to upload them all, so I just stuck to the photos I have of Kim and I!)
Kim and I pre-party
The Halloween party we went to was located in the catacombs beneath this here building...
This place was amazing. It was too dark outside to take a photo of it the night of the party, but I wish I had because it looked so spooky! (This was taken the morning after)
What are catacombs you ask?
Catacombs are ancient, human-made subterranean passageways for burrial or protection (thanks google) I'm disappointed because I don't think these pictures of the catacombs do justice to how awesomely cool/creepy the setting of party was.....
I'm sure you're all wondering "What was your costume Jenna?What did you dress up as this Halloween?" I thought you'd never ask!! I gave you guys pretty big hints over the past couple of weeks - and I wonder how many of you actually figured it out! :) Without further adue, i give you....
French Toast!!!!!!
My outfit was a big hit! I remember running around and introducing myself to everyone by saying "Hi I'm French toast. Why Hello, I'm french toast. In case you were wondering, I'm french toast. No I'm not drunk - but I am french toast!" Lol...I made a fool of myself for the most part - but what's new?
Im was/am so happy with my costume! It turned out waaaaaaay better than I ever imagined!
It was an honor to dress up as one of my favorite breakfast items :)
Kim went as....
Uhura from Star Trek!
She had a light up lazer/fazer gun and everything!
Didn't she look awesome!? Loved it.
Even though Brittney had to roll around in a wheel chair/hobble around on crutches due to a broken leg caused by a bad roller derby accident (random lol) she looked as if she had a great time at the party anyway! She dressed up as David Bowie and her boyfriend Travis was Freddie Mercury:)
This might look like a harmful and fruity delight, but it was lethal I tell you!
Prior to the party several people gave me the "jungle juice" speech. Which went a little like: "only drink one glass of jungle juice or you'll end up passed out on the bathroom floor or in the yard" lol. Needless to say I had one glass of jungle juice and that was it for the night!
I'm glad I paced myself.... because I never get sloppy, and I wasn't about to start that night!
But....I do dance....
Without fail - every time I drink (which is very rarely) I dance. I suppose that's no different than any other day - but usually I dance in the confides of my own bedroom...not in front of 100+ gathered people lol. I'm sure I provided enough entertainment for the entire party. Not to mention -the damn spider webs were hanging so low that i kept getting my hair, my hands, my toast, and my scarf caught up in it! (which explains the very awkward picture above lol)
Turns out I wasn't the only food item that showed up to the party!
There was
A pierogi....
Wheaties...
Then I ran into bacon.....
AND eggs....
There was a full breakfast at this party!
Who knew food was such a hot commodity this Halloween?
I enjoyed meeting and greeting with my fellow food goers.
What kind of food blogger would I be if I didn't take a picture of the snack table?
It's a pretty small spread if you ask me lol -especially for a party with 100+ people!
I'm pretty sure Kim and I ate almost everything on the table by ourselves lol
I didn't even notice that the beer was being held in a casket until after this photograph was taken. What a neat idea!
We had so much fun at the party!
Hopefully Brittney and Travis host another Halloween party like this one next year, because in the event that they do - I will most definitely make a point to be there, and i will most definitely dress up as yet another food item!
Breakfast at "Dor Stop" the next morning....er....afternoon lol....
Who am I kidding? We didn't eat breakfast until 2 pm the next day lol. Needless to say - everyone was moving pretty slow....
We ate at yet another Pittsburgh staple called "Dor Stop"
This particular breakfast spot was once featured on one of my favorite television shows 'Diners Drive Ins and Dives':
I suggest you watch the episode HERE before reading any further!!!
The video portrays the restaurant PERFECTLY.
Brittney and Travis - two of the most rad people I've ever met.
I ordered 2 regular hot cakes, 2 scrambled eggs, and bacon.
I think the above picture says 1,000 words. I loved my meal. Ate every last bite! Just like the people said in the video: the food at this place is amazing!! I suggest you go there if you ever get the chance!
Well ladies and gentlemen, that is all I have for you today!
Unfortunately I have to wake up in 6 hours to make bagels and donuts at work! :(
I will make sure to update soon! <3
Let us begin....
[[Today’s music]]
(1) PIERCE THE VEIL – CARAPHERNELIA
I’ve been listening to Pierce The Veils’ new album NON STOP.
I am completely in love with this album right now.
This band is amazing. Such a talented group of fellows.
O.M.G. Throwback central right here!!!!!!
I used to listen to “The Early November” and “The Starting Line” over and over and over and over again when I was in high school. I’m so glad I dipped deep within my iTunes and pulled out these long lost loves of mine. This just made my day…..
(2) THE EARLY NOVEMBER – I WANT TO HEAR YOU SAD
(3) THE STARTING LINE – THE BEST OF ME
[[Today’s restaurant]]
O YA – BOSTON MA
[[Today's blog findings]]
While going through my daily "blog check" (which is where I peruse through the many blogs I follow) today I came across a lot of pictures that I find interesting, funny, cool, beautiful, and/or wonderful in one way or another:
[[Today's kitchen gadget]]
CITRUS REAMERS
[[Today’s news]]
(1)GULF SEAFOOD SAFE TO EAT, FDA SAYS
"Recent chemical tests have shown no widespread contamination to seafood from dispersants used to break up oil from the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico — and that such food is safe for the public to eat.
Officials from the federal Food and Drug Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Friday that less than 1% of 1,735 seafood tissue samples tested came up positive for any trace chemicals.
Those samples that tested positive contained levels of contaminants well below the safety threshold of 100 parts per million for fish and 500 parts per million for shrimp, crabs and oysters, federal officials said.
"This new test should help strengthen consumer confidence in gulf seafood," FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg said in a statement. "The overwhelming majority of the seafood tested shows no detectable residue, and not one of the samples shows a residue level that would be harmful for humans. There is no question gulf seafood coming to market is safe from oil or dispersant residue."
The samples, collected from June to September, were drawn from a wide variety of fish species — including tuna, wahoo, swordfish, gray snapper and butterfish — and shellfish including shrimp, crabs and oysters."
"Egg producers and government regulators are separately taking steps to improve egg safety in the wake of a nationwide salmonella outbreak that was tied to farms in Iowa. Producers "want nothing else to happen like what happened in Iowa," said Howard Magwire, vice president of government relations for the United Egg Producers. The trade group is developing safety standards for the industry that would go beyond federal regulations.
The recall by two Iowa egg farms exposed gaps in government oversight that had long frustrated consumer advocates. As a result of the outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration, which is primarily responsible for egg safety but has a limited force of inspectors, plans to train Agriculture Department personnel in how to catch potential problems at egg farms and to conduct inspections. Agriculture Department personnel grade eggs for quality and regularly inspect the farms' packing facilities. The henhouses, where salmonella contamination often originates, are the food agency's responsibility.
The United Egg Producers is developing industry standards that will mirror the agency's production rules and go a step further by requiring participating producers to vaccinate all hens against salmonella. Because of contamination that the food agency found in feed at one of the Iowa operations, the producers' group also is considering writing sanitation standards for feed mills, Magwire said.
"A Brazilian court has ordered McDonald's to pay a former franchise manager $US17,500 ($18,000) because he gained 29kg while working there for 12 years. The 32-year-old man says he was forced to sample food products each day to ensure that quality standards remained high because McDonald's hired "mystery clients" to randomly visit restaurants and report on the food, service and cleanliness. The man also says McDonald's offered free lunches to employees, adding to his kilojoule intake while on the job."
"Eating almonds can help the body to fight off viral infections such as the common cold and flu, according to new research. A new study has revealed that naturally occurring chemicals found in the skin of the nut boost the immune system's response to such infections.
Researchers found almond skins improved the ability of the white blood cells to detect viruses while also increasing the body's ability to prevent viruses from replicating and so spreading inside the body. They discovered that even after the almonds had been digested in the gut, there was still an increase in the immune system's defence against viruses.
The scientists, who are based at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich and the Policlinico Universitario in Messina, Italy, said their findings suggest that the nuts can increase the immune system's ability to fight off a wide range of viruses, including those that cause flu and the common cold.
They said although they have still to carry out research on how many almonds must be eaten to obtain a beneficial effect, it was likely that eating almonds regularly could help protect people from becoming infected with viruses in the first place, while it could also help those already infected to fight off their illness."
“The “Hello Bro!” exhibit has been unveiled at the Don Gallery in Milan, Italy. The gallery space is dedicated to a smattering of graffiti, urban, pop, and lowbrow art. The exhibit features work from industry heavyweights including KAWS, Futura, SHARP, and Mike Giant who’ve expressed themselves on a litany of mediums highlighting toys, paintings, and prints. The collection is comprised of the gallery’s collection which has been built over the last two years, and is on display now.”
(2) PILLOW WITH INTEGRATED SPEAKERS HELPS YOU FALL ASLEEP
"Maybe as a kid you were so used to sleeping to the sound of lullabies, that you need music to lull you into a deep slumber now as well. We have the "Sleep! Sound pillow!" for that. It's a pretty cool pillow that you can hook your iPod or other MP3 players into. It has built in stereo speakers that give you a good quality sound. They are soft speakers, so the pillow won't be uncomfortable. As soon as your head hits the pillow, you can have songs streaming from it. I like the idea of falling asleep to some soothing music at a low volume. It's an idea that has been used before, but this pillow executes it really well."
“This bed is defined by its zipper. The bed has a comfortable and soft rounded frame that is padded and upholstered. It is further finished with a zipper running its perimeter. All you need to do is zipper down at bedtime to reveal a cozy comforter, sheets and pillows. You will find the softest and warmest place to rest in. After a good sleep, simply zip up for a clean, clutter-free look. The design is definitely outstanding and revolutionary. You can purchase it is colors of white, gray or blue. More information on this innovative bed is available here.” http://www.gizmodiva.com/home_improvement/zip_bed_is_the_coziest_place_for_a_good_nights_rest.php
Jenna is the name blogging about food appears to be my game. Self declared funny gal, and budding chef-to-be. I prepare food for a living at @olivedive . Click the 'About Me' tab to learn more!
“The “Hello Bro!” exhibit has been unveiled at the Don Gallery in Milan, Italy. The gallery space is dedicated to a smattering of graffiti, urban, pop, and lowbrow art. The exhibit features work from industry heavyweights including KAWS, Futura, SHARP, and Mike Giant who’ve expressed themselves on a litany of mediums highlighting toys, paintings, and prints. The collection is comprised of the gallery’s collection which has been built over the last two years, and is on display now.”
"Maybe as a kid you were so used to sleeping to the sound of lullabies, that you need music to lull you into a deep slumber now as well. We have the "Sleep! Sound pillow!" for that. It's a pretty cool pillow that you can hook your iPod or other MP3 players into. It has built in stereo speakers that give you a good quality sound. They are soft speakers, so the pillow won't be uncomfortable. As soon as your head hits the pillow, you can have songs streaming from it. I like the idea of falling asleep to some soothing music at a low volume. It's an idea that has been used before, but this pillow executes it really well."
“This bed is defined by its zipper. The bed has a comfortable and soft rounded frame that is padded and upholstered. It is further finished with a zipper running its perimeter. All you need to do is zipper down at bedtime to reveal a cozy comforter, sheets and pillows. You will find the softest and warmest place to rest in. After a good sleep, simply zip up for a clean, clutter-free look. The design is definitely outstanding and revolutionary. You can purchase it is colors of white, gray or blue. More information on this innovative bed is available here.”
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