Pittsburgh Winter Restaurant week

I was lucky enough to eat out 3 times for Pittsburgh Winter Restaurant week.  I had intended to eat out at 4 different restaurants.  Sadly, I had to cancel reservations at Notion.  We still had the opportunity to enjoy 3 restaurants though!

Our first stop was Spoon.  They had a fantastic menu of choices! 3 courses (with 3 choices for each course) for $35.14.  You can't beat that!  I was lucky to be eating with 2 other ladies and we all choose different foods, so then we got to try - everything.  Sadly, not thinking, we only took pictures of our entrees (course 2). Each course was amazing - during course one - I think we all enjoyed the gorgonzola blue cheese souffle the most.  Personally - that was my favorite course out of all 3!  Second course - we took pictures of.

Cassoulet - Chicken sausage, duck confit, braised cannellini + cranberry beans, herbed bread crumbs, and a farm egg

Roasted pork - sweet potato peirogies, braised cabbage, apple and bourbon broth, brown mustard, caraway creme fraiche

Skuna bay salmon - quinoa salad, wilted arugula, blood orange + cocoa emulsion, black garlic caramel, citrus segments

The desserts were quite yummy as well.

Our second meal for Pittsburgh Winter Restaurant week was at the amazing Butcher and the Rye.  Yet again - I failed to take pictures.  They offered 4 courses  for $35.14.  Seriously, amazing food.  This was my first visit to Butcher and the Rye.  They are one of my new favorite restaurants!  The food was amazing, the atmosphere was amazing, it was just...great!  I'm excited to get back to enjoy their "real" menu.  If you are able to score reservations at Butcher and the Rye (schedule early, they are quite popular!) - get the Mac & Cheese.  One of the best things I ate all of restaurant week!

Meat and Potatoes did something unique for restaurant week.  Every day they had a different cuisine.  I wish I could have eaten there every day...it all looked phenomenal!  I'll be honest - when I saw what cuisine was going to be every day, I was bummed I wouldn't be there for Korean Street food night. We went italian night.  Italian food is not my favorite.  BUT, italian food at Meat and Potatoes, is now a favorite.  Our four courses were - amazing.  Absolutely, delicious.  I took a picture of our menu and every course except the the meatball/polenta and risotto.  I have never been a big polenta person - but their meatball and polenta is - hands down - my new favorite.  It was ABSOLUTELY amazing.  I could have eaten just that.  All night.  Over and over. 

Best oysters around!  My friend Kim hadn't had them before.  Oysters in general!  But she enjoyed it!

Everything was served family style - so you would share.  Except the Tiramiso.  I would  not have shared :)

Next Pittsburgh restaurant week is coming up this summer!  Lets make plans and eat out!

My next food adventure will be to Grit and Grace on Sunday! 

It's Throw back Thursday!!

I don't typically participate in Throw Back thursday stuff...but I found some fun pictures.  Some favorite pictures.

Myself, with the niece and nephew in 2008 :)

My dear darling brother and neighbor Doug showing their muscles!

And oldie but goodie!

This is how we would spend our Christmas morning, waiting for permission to go down the stairs to the presents!

One step at a time...

I've been overweight my whole life.  Seriously - WHOLE Life.  I remember being 5 years old and being told I shouldn't be wearing a 6X yet.  It was hard growing up around siblings who were in shape and LOVED to exercise.  But - no matter what I did, I was overweight.  Please don't take this as me looking for pity!  I  will get to my point eventually.  

In high school, I was on swim team and track and field to try to keep myself in shape.  But....I wasn't.  One of my worst memories of high school was being on swim team and our coach picking out swim suits - but they didn't come in my size and I couldn't squeeze into the largest size they had available.  So I had to wear a different suit.  A different swim suit than everyone else on the team.  In High school.  Horrifying.  But I did it. High school sucked.  Didn't help that my dad passed away my senior year, but that's a WHOLE different post.

I was never in shape or at a weight that wasn't considered obese.  It's just how I've been my.whole.life.  It's frustrating when people say - just don't eat junk food.  I'm not a "sweets" eater - I am a "savory" which is worse sometimes.  BUT...I don't eat a lot.  I truly don't.  I love my fruits and veggies, etc.

To make matters worse - in 2001 - I shattered my ankle.  Let me give you a bit of the back story - I was training to work at this amazing camp that i had gone to every summer growing up.  We were at the ropes course, doing the wall.  The dreaded wall.  And I fell.  3 feet.  While my leg was supposed to be facing forward, my toes were pointed at my other foot.  My ankle was popped severely out of place and shattered.  I was sent from one hospital to a hospital more "friendly" to this sort of severe damage.  I went straight into surgery.  When I woke up, I asked every person in my room if I still had a foot as I thought it was gone.  That was one terrible summer.  I was in 10 casts over 3 months.  I was told I could not put pressure, touch my toes to the ground, nothing - for fear I would re-break my ankle.  Once the casts were taken off and I was put into a brace (for a year), I was told what all was wrong - I have metal (which I have to carry a note through security at the airport), dead bone (due to circulation cut off), and no ligaments or cartilage in my ankle.  I do not have full movement in my ankle either.  I do not have the ability to run or jump due to the limited movement.  I worked my behind off in physical therapy.  I did not want folks to know that I had an injury.  I do not walk with a limp - except when I've been walking TOO long.  I can't be on my feet for very long periods of time.  I have to wear sneakers most of the time.  I can not wear heels.  It's pretty frustrating - but I have learned to adapt.

Now, back on track.  All of this being said - I'm still overweight!  We have established that!  But, I want, no...I NEED to get in shape.  I don't foresee myself losing TONS of weight.  I am a big boned girl.  I've come to grips with that.  I'm never going to be a size 6.  My hip bones are too big for that and my shoulders are too broad.  BUT, I would LOVE to shop in a "normal" size store instead of always seeing this hideous "big girl" clothes that look like what my mom wears.  Seriously - there are big girls that are YOUNG - design clothes for us!

So, it's a new year.  2014.  I am going on a big trip in May.  I want to lose weight.  I want to feel great while hiking to the Huka falls.  So.  I bought a FitBit one .  I have only had it one day.  But I am looking forward to it helping me watch my steps, count the calories I burn, help me with sleep, etc.  I am limited to the sorts of exercise I can do, due to my ankle.  But I am sure going to try my darndest.  I'd love encouragement, suggestions, etc!

Do you have a fitbit?  If so - lets be fitbit friends!!  Send me your name (you can post it in comments or send me a private message).

Sorry this is a boring post with no pictures.

Is it Friday yet?

I start counting down the work week at 7 am on Monday mornings.  5:30 on Thursday evenings can never come fast enough.  It is not that I don't like my job.  I actually really enjoy my job.  It's just that off time...is cherished as I imagine everyone's time is.

I've been collecting and collecting goodies.  Well, not purposefully collecting.  It just happens.  I bought a pair of sneakers thinking I liked them.  I never wore them.  I buy a shirt and wear it once.  So, it was began purging.  I went through everything in my bedroom - clothing, shoes, and books.  I had stuff in boxes under my bed, my closet, everywhere!

It's gone.  Well, it's in my living room in bags to take to goodwill.  MAN it feels good.  On these cherished weekends, I am hopeful to go through everything in every room and purge as much as possible.  There are a few things that I am selling on craigslist or ebay.  Otherwise, all goes to goodwill.

I can't wait!  It feels so good.

Any potential extra mula from craigslist/ebay will go towards the New Zealand trip I hope!

On another note - as I posted about last week - it's Pittsburgh Restaurant week.  Meals start tomorrow for me!  Thursday and Saturday night are my only free nights!  I'm eating out FAR too much.  But I'm justifying that it's restaurant week and it's awesome food at awesome prices at awesome places with Awesome people!

Yum!

Foodies...restaurants...Yumminess, It's Pittsburgh Restaurant week folks!

I don't have too many travel horror stories, so while waiting for the next "exciting" trip to happen, we will talk about other things.  Today's topic you ask....Foodies!

I have 2 friends that I make a point of having a meal with once a month.  Sometimes we see each other more, sometimes there are additional friends joining us and sometimes I have additional meals with other friends.  But I love, Love, LOVE trying new restaurants.  There are so many amazing, great restaurants in the Pittsburgh area.  I will try anything, at least once. 

I had one of my nephews in town for a weekend and all he wanted to try was bone marrow.  So - being the fun aunt that I am - I made reservations at Meat and Potatoes  We just ordered appetizers - chicken livers, brussel sprouts, bone marrow and mussels.  Keep in mind that my nephew is 8 years old!  He devoured every morsel of food.  I was a proud aunt that day.  And just as a review on Meat and Potatoes - it is a relatively upscale, fancier restaurant.  The nephew and I had early reservations as I knew it was not the most kid friendly restaurant.  Our waitress and the hostess were - AMAZING.  They could not have been better!  I'm sure some waiters look at a kid at one of their tables and think - ARGH, really?  If our waitress had that feeling, we never saw it.  She was the best - I really appreciated that.  My nephew said "Aunt Jess, this is the fanciest, but best restaurant I have ever been to."  That, right there, tells you how great it was!  Oh - and he loved the bone marrow, but the brussel sprouts were his favorite.

Seriously - look at that excited face!

Next week (Jan 13-19) is Pittsburgh Winter Restaurant week.  Per Bon Appetit Magazine - Pittsburgh is an up and coming "foodie" city!  Andrew Zimmern has also said Pittsburgh is the next big thing.  And I agree. 

This girl agrees, it is the next big foodie city!  Pittsburgh does restaurant week twice a year - the winter (typically January) and the summer (typically August).  Each restaurant participating creates, essentially, a tasting menu for $35 or under of their specialty items.  There are tons of great restaurants on the list!

Next week for restaurant week, so far, I have 2 reservations at restaurants I have not been to yet.  Friday night with Libby (My Iceland travel buddy) is at Notion and Wednesday night is at Butcher and the Rye with 2 friends I knew growing up.   I.can.not.wait.  I hope to add at least one more restaurant into the mix if I can get another group of friends to participate.  

Keep an open mind when it comes to food folks....you never know what your new/next favorite food will be!  That being said - get out and try it - it's all good!

Money saving woes....

I started saving money for my New Zealand trip as soon as I booked it.  How ever it was Christmas time, so it was hard....but I got a good few hundred buckaroos saved.  Then....we got our first snow fall of 2014.  And my car....which is a Subaru (read...all wheel drive) couldn't get traction and was allll over the place.

I grew up in an area with oodles of snow.  I've never been afraid to drive in the snow.  Ice...is another story, but snow...easy peasy!  I've had my Subaru 8 or 9 years.  I love my Subaru.  First major purchase I made!  And I made it off of craigslist!  She has been with me through alot.  Breakups with stupid men, a summer without a job, a trip to the outer banks, numerous trips to dc, York and wv.  I know her life...at 138000 miles and 12 years old is slowly (!!!!) coming to an end.  I will continue to love her and take care of her because I wouldn't be me without her!

But....tomorrow, we go to get new tires....sucking away from the money I've saved.  Argh!  But, then I will feel safe and confident in my little subi again.... :)  

And 2014 is here...

The exciting year of 2013 has come to an end.  I accomplished a couple of my 2013 new years resolutions....Travel.  Ok - I accomplished one.  But still!  One is  better than none :)

2014 brings quite a bit of excitement!  140 days till New Zealand!  Geepers, I have alot of money saving to do! I am pretty sure I am going to Florida for a long weekend in February.  I need to plan a trip to DC to visit my brother and his wife.  AND the family is doing a getaway to Deep Creek for my Uncle's 60th Birthday. 

Does anyone who doesn't read my blog (since I haven't really TOLD anyone about my blog!) have any exciting new years resolutions?