I am not going to lie. I wouldn’t be opposed to a little plastic surgery…my schnoz is on the large size and a brow lift would really brighten up my face…however, I can’t see myself ever going through with it.

Today, I came across the story, about a 14 year old girl, who because of bullying, got plastic surgery to change her appearance.

I couldn’t believe it! I am appalled. Yes, I was fortunate to mostly only have been made fun by my older brother [that's what brothers are for...right?], but I still can’t imagine having plastic surgery to alter my appearance before I was even an adult! Okay, yes the plastic surgery is questionable, but I think the real issue of this story is the fact that bullying was the catalyst. This poor girl shouldn’t be the one to change, the kids bullying her should! Teasing, name calling, threats, etc because of the way you look, your sexual preferences, your hobbies/interests; it all makes me sick. How did kids become so cruel? Don’t get me wrong, I am sure I made mistakes growing up and I am not proud of them, but I can’t imagine causing someone else to feel so badly about themselves, that they would change their appearance. This is just one case of how destructive bullying is, not to mention the many kids that take their lives because of the pain caused by others. I am so frustrated I can’t stand it! Humanity shouldn’t allowit. How do we teach our youth (and ourselves) to be accepting and kind?

Fitnessista finally shared her recipe for her famous macaroons! Once I saw that post, I couldn’t wait to attempt them. These aren’t the typical French Macaroons that I normally salivate over, they are a raw take on the coconut Macaroon – a delicious treat nonetheless!

I decided to go halvesies on the recipe because I wasn’t sure how they would turn out since I do not have a dehydrator. [boy would I love one, but would have NO WHERE to put it].

But then, I forgot about the halvesies when I went to add the coco, so I tried to scoop some of the excess out, but decided this batch would be extra chocolatey.

I also didn’t have almond meal [Food for Health was all out and TJ's didn't have it], so I improvised with Oat Flour instead. Still gluten free!

Verdict: Tasty! Even Dan thought so! Perfect crisp on the outside with a moist coco-coconut inside. A simple w and all natural treat to enjoy.

Level: Easy-peasy

Make Again: Sure! These were just chocolate flavored. There are a bunch of other flavors to whip up; peanutbutter, lemon, blueberry…

Ingredients:

2 2/3 C shredded unsweetened coconut

1/3 C cocoa powder

1 1/3 C almond meal [I substituted oat flour]

1/4 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

hefty pinch of sea salt

1/3 C coconut oil

C maple syrup (or a little more depending of the texture of the dough)

Directions

Mix all the dry ingredients

Add all the wet ingredients

Using a melon ball scooper, scoop onto dehydrator trays or onto a greased cookie sheet. Dehydrate for 36 hours or so, until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Or bake on lowest oven setting [I did 200] for roughly 20 minutes.

Do you ever do things just because you can? I’m not talking in the pompous way, like “making it rain in da club cuz you got money in the bank”. But doing little things, like taking the stairs, because there may come a day when you physically cannot walk up/down the stairs.

I think about things like that often. I do try to take the stairs as much as possible, and I enjoy walking around NYC, as I dread the day when that may not be a possibility.

The other day I was at a happy hour fundraiser for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Dan and I were Bigs when we lived in Minneapolis, so I’ve been trying to get involved with the organization out here. Since the HH was after work, I had to forego my yoga class for the evening. I was down in the Flatiron area, so I figured I’d just hit up the gym when I got home. However, I got seriously distracted by Eataly, and couldn’t resist the urge to grab my favorite pistachio gelato.

With one cosmo down and a scoop of scrumptious gelato in hand, I decided to walk home. It was a lovely evening, not too hot/muggy, and I was 70 blocks and a few avenues away from my apartment. Why not walk home? I am an able body. Very capable of a brisk summer stroll.

So I did it because I can. It took me just about 1hour 30mins, which is the same length of the yoga class I missed that night. I figured a 90min walk was a decent dash of exercise and a great way to enjoy a summer night in the city.

I challenge you to do more things because you can.  

We started with a group dinner [mainly chips with guac and salsa], which also happened to include drinks…

We were definitely having a great time, and weren’t ready for the night to end. So, to keep the spirits high and the entertainment at its best, we headed to Duets for some karaoke.

My direct manager is a pretty big rock star when it comes to karaoke, she’s known at a few places around her apartment in hell’s kitchen. Until now, I hadn’t heard her sing, so I was stoked.

I had never done karaoke myself, so this was going to be a fun/new experience.

Duets is a place where your group gets it’s own room, so you don’t have to sing in front of randies. There’s a big screen with the music video and words to help you out. It also just so happens, that you can order drinks to your room to give you that extra bit of courage

It was so fun! I didn’t think I was going to have as much fun as I did! Obviously, I’m not a crowd pleaser when it comes to signing, but it is tons of fun to belt out all your favorite tunes. [my favorites of the night: Call Me Maybe and Oops, I did it again]

I can’t wait to do this again. Hopefully I can twist Dan’s arm into giving it a try.

Our only summer wedding this year was over this past weekend, and boy was it a good one. We got to go back to Minneapolis, see some friends and celebrate the marriage of Carolina and Kirk. They truly are the sweetest couple ever. Absolutely adorable. Carolina couldn’t stop smiling as she walked down the aisle, in fact I don’t think I saw her all day/night with out a smile on her face!

It was not only a lovely event, but a fun one as well! Everyone had fun on the dance floor, however, this little guy stole the show! He could really bust a move!

wait for it…

Dancing the night away is always one of my favorite parts of a wedding.

My friend Kyle posted a link on facebook today to the following article: Friends of a Certain Age – Why Is It Hard to Make Friends Over 30?

While I haven’t hit 30 yet, I still found myself relating to the rhetoric. Dan and I moved to NYC after having been out of college for 2 years [3 for him]. Luckily for us, a few of our friends from high school/college have made their way out to the Big Apple as well. Having them here is great, and we love getting to spend time with them. However, we really haven’t made many “new” friends. Sure, we have our close “work” friends, but outside of work, activities with them have been limited thus far. It’s not like we can head out and pick up friends at a bar.

We each have alumni groups we could get involved in and volunteering is another awesome way to meet people. But are these options merely was to fill up our social calendar – or do you think it is possible [through these outlets or others] to find new close friends?

I must say, I have meet some pretty interesting people and enjoyed the time spent with them, but nothing much has evolved after the first “dates” [using date loosely here – think social settings with intertwined groups of friends]. Maybe it’s me, and if it is, oh well…their loss. I’m not desperate here, just looking for friendship. As a girl that spent 3 years living in a sorority house, life can seem a little friendless when 75 girls aren’t gushing about their current fraternity crush or persuading you to go out with them on weeknights.

It’s a life adjustment, I get it. I just get bummed sometimes when my closest friends aren’t here to continue enjoying life with me in the same city. [cough, NYC is an awesome city...you all could move here , cough]

Talk amongst yourselves, I’ll give you a topic…Friends. How have your friendships evolved over the years? Do most of your friends live close to you?

Restaurant Style Salsa

Who doesn’t envy The Pioneer Woman? Who can’t stop drooling over her every creation? I sometimes get intimidated by her recipes, as she has a full kitchen and much more skill than I do, so I opted for what seemed to be a simple option. Salsa! Who doesn’t like salsa? [no, seriously, who doesn’t like salsa? I've never met a non-salsa lover. I doubt they exist].

A little chopping…

A little can opening… [I can only imagine how much better this would taste with fresh garden tomatoes!]

A little blending…

Boom! More than enough salsa. WAY more than enough…[it took a solid two weeks to finish and I was eating it everyday!]

On to the tacos.

The temperature has averaged right around 90 nearly every day for the past 6 weeks. [I'm not complaining, simply stating the facts]. Our apartment doesn’t have a strong air conditioner unit, and I’m pretty sure Dan ripped off some of the insulation to our oven. Which means…no turning on the oven because we will roast, and die. Solution: the Crock Pot! Cool and simple.

Slow cooker Chili Chicken Tacos

Gather the ingredients.

Dump them in.

Wait 3.5hours.

Boom! Juicy chicken you can easily shred apart and plop into your authentic corn tortilla [and lettuce leaf] and top with avocados and tomatoes.

Verdict: Salsa – amazing Chicken – perfect. Great combination and the perfect summer meal.

Level: Suer simple

Make Again: You know it! I might pulse the salsa a little less so it isn’t as thin next time, I like a few more chunks. I would also thrown in fresh tomatoes.

Salsa Ingredients

1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice

2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)

1/4 cup Chopped Onion

1 clove Garlic, Minced

1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin

1/4 teaspoon Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)

1/2 whole Lime Juice

Salsa Directions

Note: this is a very large batch. [She is not kidding, it is a very large batch!] Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Slow Cooker Chili Chicken  Taco Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup prepared tomato salsa, plus more for serving (optional)

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo

1 tablespoon chili powder

Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 hard corn taco shells

Cilantro, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Slow Cooker Chili Chicken Taco Directions

In slow cooker, combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chiles, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Cover; cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours).

Transfer chicken to a serving bowl, and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells, with toppings, if desired.

That evening’s surprise dinner location was back at The Restaurant at The Meadowood, the other 3 Michelin star restaurant in Napa (the other being the very well known French Laundry).

We arrived and started the night off with a toast which began our 12 course menu-less adventure in the freshest farm-to-table cuisine I’ve had to date.

[after dining, we were presented a menu of each course's main ingredients, which is what is listed below]

A few amuse bouche to start.

“Veggies and Dip” – garden fresh veggies with a light dipping accompaniment. So fresh!

Whipped yogurt black sesame pickled plum shiso. The most amazing yogurt I’ve ever tasted. Creamy consistency and not the least bit chalky. I dream of eating this everyday.

Wild and cultivated radishes goat cheese pumpernickel. This was a very interesting dish. The radishes had a very earthy flavor. Not my favorite, but very unique. The presentation was perfect – like pulling radishes from the dirt.

Tuna venison kohlrabi sorrels caviar. Tuna…Caviar…there really isn’t a reason not to love this.

Geoduck clam lardo noodle. Soft and full of flavor. Added bonus, the fun of biting these long noodles off the chilled chopsticks.

Coal roasted sturgeon onions. Never had sturgeon before, but wouldn’t complain if I had to eat this dish everyday of my life. I might also be evolving into an onion snob…these added the perfect hint of sweet.

Mangalista pork oyster mustard turnips. I’m not a pork eater, but I still enjoyed this course. The meat was firm, yet light.

Beef in madrone. My personal favorite, and Dan’s as well. Lets go ahead and add mushrooms to the list of ingredients I am now snobby about. Everything about this dish was perfect. The morel mushrooms were just as meaty and tender as the beef. Mouthwatering…

Now for the desserts.

Explorateur cherry leaf shaved baguette. Light and crisp with subtle sweetness.

Citrus snowball verbena. Imagine Italian ice for adults. Refreshing and light; simply melting in your mouth.

Dark chocolate beet violet. The beet was an interesting addition to the sweetness of the chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

Forest mignardise. Bite sized sweets to end the night.

At least, so I thought it was the end of the night…To Be Continued….

After wrapping up one of our most memorable meals, Dan had a few more surprises.

We were greeted with a sleek mercedes, which drove us up the mountain side, and let us out at the top of a wooded path. I was very confused as we made our way down the steps. At the bottom of the path, Dan pulled out a set of keys, which opened the door to our private villa.

After that…

Cheers!

Cyrus is up in Healdsburg, which is a bit over an hour from Napa. We may have miss calculated the drive time and showed up 30 minutes late for our reservation, but better late than never!

No time was wasted, with the help of our superb server, Bryan, we jumped right in to the 8 course tasting menu.

First Course – Chilled Salmon with Ginger and Daikon, Snap Pea-Basil Broth. This was a very refreshing starter. The salmon was perfect and the broth was light and crisp.

Second Course (Me) – Humane Foie Gras and Cherry Blossom Parfait, Barley, Sea Beans and Shiso. This was crazy, it was like foie gras ganache. Very rich, very savory. [like I said, I never pass up foie gras]

Second Course (Dan) – Chorizo Crusted Scallop with Sweet Corn and Lobster Froth. Froth and Foam are a favorite of ours!

Third Course – Black Sea Bass with Pea Sprouts and Asparagus, Lemon Verbena. This was amazing! Best Sea Bass I’ve ever had

Fourth Course – Crispy Chicken with Miso and Morel Fondue. Best. Chicken. Ever. I never want to eat chicken again, unless it’s cooked like this.

Fifth Course (Me) – Seared Beef Cheek with Green and Black Garlic, Lotus Root, Natural Jelly. First time eating beef cheeks and loved it! Tender with a fun little crunch from the lotus root.

Fifth Course (Dan) – Spring Lamb Tataki Hot Pot. Since I had lamb two nights in a row, I took a break and let Dan try some. He really enjoyed the hot broth that was poured over to cook the lamb.

Sixth Course – Artisanal and Farmhouse Cheeses Presented Tableside. Cheese, what’s not to love?! This is the aftermath.

Seventh Course – Goat Milk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb, Parsley-Lime Ice.  Sweet and smooth with a little lime crunch. I ate it too quickly to snap a pic, oops! But I found someone else’s snap shot online!

Eighth Course (Me) – Cocoa Nib “Affogato”, Condensed Milk Semifreddo. Delicious. Duh, it’s dessert.

Eighth Course (Dan) – Yuzu Crémeux, Bergamot Meringue and Cream Cheese Ice Cream. It was like Dip’n Dots!

This was by far one of my favorite dining experiences. The food was astonishing and the services was delightful. In addition to our dessert courses, they also had a fun  little dessert cart that featured truffles, lollipops, pastries and chocolate pudding pots!

Since we were pleasantly full, our server sent us home with a dessert cart bag, what a sweet deal! I now see why Matt and Kate were so passionate about this place. It’s phenomenal!