Pink Cupcake Dreams August 28, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Food, Reviewed by Babs.10 comments
When Barista offered to bring cupcakes to the birthday bash I was a little more than excited. Not only has she been bragging about how people love them, but I happen to be something of a cupcake fiend. Recently, she started a cupcake business. I love that she is taking a talent and turning it into business. Sisters are doing it for themselves!
She showed up Wednesday with three boxes. Each one larger than the next. The smallest was for Tazzee, the other two were ALL MINE!
Inside the boxes was the most beautiful selection of chocolate peanut butter, red velvet and strawberry cupcakes. Each one was decorated with a sprinkle of sugar and a handmade chocolate “K”. Now, my name is Babs so I am not sure who the “K” was for, but I thought they were GORGEOUS. I mean, she took to the time to make little B’s K’s on each cupcake. I dig that!
Barista decorates like that because she can back it up. They were delicious! Truly. I had a chocolate peanut butter and all that was missing was a scoop of vanilla ice cream and no one to watch me devour three of them in one sitting. Next I decided to try the red velvet, but by the time I made my way back to the cupcake table those b!tches were gone! Instead I had a strawberry. I normally don’t like strawberry cake of any sort, but it was quite yummy.
Everyone in attendance will agree that the cupcakes were the hit of the party next to me in my dress. If you are in Atlanta, I would highly suggest you give Pink Cupcake Dreams a try. Personally, I’m looking for an excuse to order some in the very near future.
Thanks, Barista for sharing your tasty treats with us!
A Cool Drink of Water July 9, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Entertainment, Reviewed by Babs.3 comments
Last night I had the pleasure of spending some quality time with my MiMi. It’s been a while since we hung out, and a night at the theatre was a great idea. We headed to Little Five Points to attend the Horizon Theatre’s production of A Cool Drink of Water.
Hopes and dreams brew as a family searches for their “cool drink a water” in this provocative and contemporary twist on A Raisin in the Sun. Newly “retired” from his good job, Walt is dreaming new schemes. Wife Ruthie’s nest is almost empty, but wannabe rapper son Trane won’t move out and get a job. And Benita and Asa move back from Africa with baggage and secrets. Is that Mama Lee haunting the house? A powerful and funny update to a classic story.
We enjoyed the show immensely. It helps if you are familiar with A Raisin in the Sun, but even if you are not you will certainly find yourself enjoying this show. Although the underlying tone of the play is dramatic, it is filled with lots of laughs. Knee slapping laughs. The playwright is also the star and he does a wonderful job. His facial expressions alone will have you laughing. The rest of the cast does a great job as well. My favorite character was Ruthie. She’s hysterical. I also enjoyed Asa because, well, he is quite easy on the eyes!
I really liked the way they did the set. The entire play is set in the house and it was easy to transition from room to room without being distracted. I even appreciated attention to props like the skyy vodka and the french toast.
I’m not going to lie to you, our tickets were absolutely gratis. However, this play is totally worth the price of a ticket. It’s probably one of the best non-musicals I have seen in a couple of years. I would definitely make an effort to check this out.
A Cool Drink of Water at The Horizon Theatre runs July 10 through August 23.
Food Finds July 8, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Food, Reviewed by Babs.6 comments
The other day, my local market was sampling these sausages. I took one bite and added a package to my cart.
I’m constantly bored by chicken and avoid it at all costs, but this is a great way to add some variety to my meal rotation. I’ve been bringing them in for lunch because they are fully cooked and easy to heat up in the microwave. As suggested, I add a little apple juice before cooking to bring out the apple flavor. I skip the bun and add a little dijon mustard and I am good to go!
I bet these would taste even better on the grill, so think about adding them to your next cookout. The non-red meat eaters will surely be pleased.
It’s Not Okay, Cupid! June 25, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Dating, Reviewed by Babs.16 comments
A few weeks ago, a coworker and I were chatting about online dating. She, too, has done blitz dating from match and one other site. She told me about another site, okcupid, that one of our male coworkers mentioned to her. That very same night, I heard a radio host talking about it on one of the XM shows that I listen too. Coincidentally, I called in to said talkshow and discussed my online dating experience, but that is neither here nor there.
After hearing about this site twice in one day, I took it as a sign and logged on. OKcupid is a free site. Note: that should be your FIRST red flag. You answer a series of questions and create a profile. The questions range from anything to which side of the bed do you sleep on to how do you feel about gay marriage. I quite enjoyed anwering all the questions, and after about 75 of them I figured I had answered enough to find me a man. I clicked on the link to show me my matches and saw something like this:
No disrepect to the developmentally challenged, but, uh, I can do better than that! I was a little more than disheartened and logged off.
A couple of hours later, I received an email from the site saying one of nice men pictured was interested in me. I had to log in to see which one it was. The problem, is that all nine of them pretty much looked like this:
Without pause, I logged in and deleted my profile. I didn’t even bother to see who was interested in me.
Have you ever used this site?
Redeemed May 26, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Food, Reviewed by Babs.3 comments
Sunday I was invited to Cafe Circa to partake of free brunch. The restaurant is unveiling a new brunch menu and invited a few people to come try it out. As you will recall, I was previously no fan of this particular restaurant. In fact, it was nearly a year ago that I had one of the worst dining experiences ever. However, I rarely turn down free food, and the owner had assured me that there had been significant changes in both the menu and staff.
Well, I can’t speak about the staff because it wasn’t a typical day of service at the restaurant, but boy has the menu changed! I started out with a mango mimosa. Yum! I will be googling that recipe and adding it to the next all-day gab-fest at Safety’s house.
For brunch, I ordered the yellow-tail snapper eggs benedict. The fish was a generous portion and pan fried to perfection. It was topped with poached eggs, a creamy sauce and a few haricots verts (thin green beans for all you laymen). It all sat atop a fried plantain. It was scrumptios. Truly. That one plate has redeemed all the bad things I once said about their food. My companions had the shrimp and grits, which I am told was delicious. They were fried coconut shrimp and the grits looked more like hominy. I would probably order that if I didn’t already have plans to order the snapper once again!
I will definitely be visitng Cafe Circa again in the near future, and probably for brunch. Hopefully, the service will have changed for the better as well.
Very Legal May 22, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Dating, Food, Reviewed by Babs.3 comments
Today, as I was sitting on a conference call, I received a text from Mr. 47 asking if I wanted to do lunch. Thinking of the frozen dinner in the fridge I immediately said yes. Then I realized I had dressed for an empty office Friday- that means no makeup, no heels, no jewelry. I was truly a basic Babs. Good thing I got that fiyah!
He picked me up, promptly I might add, and I asked where we were going. I assumed he’d be asking what I wanted when he immediately suggested Legal Seafood. Yay! I knew they had opened in the downtown area, but hadn’t made it there yet. I ate at an LS more than a decade ago in Boston and remember it was delicious, so I was eager to go there again.
The restaurant was mostly empty. We headed upstairs to the main dining room and asked for a seat on the patio. We had an awesome seat with a view of the aquarium and downtown. The patio isn’t that large, so I would expect those seats are hard to come by in the evenings. But for the afternoon, we had no problems.
We both started with soup. I had a cup of the chowder, he had gumbo. Both were good, as he let me taste his. For entrees, he had the blackened trout and really enjoyed it. I loved my food. I had the crabcake combo, which came with a lumb crab cake, a couple of medium sized scallops and several shrimp. It was served with a small salad and was magnificent. I would totally order that dish again.
We enjoyed our lunch and made casual conversation. It’s weird because it didn’t have that typical “date” conversation. In fact, there were quite a few moments of silence. I didn’t at all mind because I was watching the tourist below and enjoying the day.
When I returned from lunch my coworker was asking me a few questions and asked what his last name was. That’s when it occurred to me that I haven’t even asked him his last name! Usually I google stalk my dates looking for warrants and wives, and I haven’t even bothered to ask him his last name. I’m slippin! I shall remedy that posthaste.
If you like seafood and are looking for a dining spot in the downtown area, I highly recommend Legal Seafood. Try to get a seat on the patio, and try the crabcakes!
A Taste of France in Marietta May 22, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Food, Reviewed by Babs.4 comments
This week I had the opportunity to try something new. A French cafe in Marietta! I had driven past it on my way to class on Tuesday and knew it would be my lunch destination on Wednesday.
Douceur de France is in what looks like an old house. When you walk inside, your senses are immediately attacked by the smells of all the baked goods. Behind the bakery case you see all the Frnech standards, including my favorite pain au chocolate. There are also some beautifully designed cakes, and I am thinking this is where I am going to order my next cake. At noon on a beautiful, sunny day I was able to snag a table on the patio. I ordered the chicken pot pie and waited. There was a steady stream of people coming and going. Apparently, I am the only person in Cobb County not aware of these delights.
My pot pie, which arrived somewhat “inside-out” was delicious. The pastry contained the chicken and onions, and the bechamel sauce was on the side. It was really good! I watched other dishes going past and made a mental note to try the veal on my next visit.
After I cleaned my plate I went inside to pay. I was tempted to order a pastry, but decided against it. I know, the one time Babs shows some self control! But I will definitely be back. They have a delightful breakfast menu that I am dying to try.
If you are in the Marietta area, I would definitely head there for breakfast or lunch. They close at 330pm, so make sure you get there early.
Blah Sushi May 21, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Food, Reviewed by Babs.5 comments
Since I am away from the plantation this week for training, I took the opportunity to meet CaliSlim for lunch on Tuesday. When she suggested we meet at Blu Sushi on Cobb Parkway I was excited. I have driven past that restaurant hundreds of times and always wanted to try it. My excitement should have ended there.
We were pleased at the lunch menu. There were many offerings and the prices were extremely fair. We both ordered a sushi roll, assorted nigiri and soup and salad. The soup and salad were standard. I mean, how can you mess up miso soup and salad?
After we ate our soup and salad we continued chatting it up. We discussed men the economic crisis, relationshipsthe situation in Darfur, and datingour opinions on waterboarding. The time flew quickly and before we knew it, the waiter came over to apologize for our food taking so long. I looked at the time and was shocked to see that I had ten minutes to make it back to class, and I was nearly fifteen minutes away.
Obviously, I was none too pleased to be running so late and not have even been served my main course. The waiter hustled the lone sushi chef to get my food to me (CaliSlim was still waiting) and I can honestly say it was some of the worst sushi I have ever had. Straight up, I’ve had better sushi from Publix.
The shrimp tempura roll tasted like it was made with beer battered shrimp. You know, extremely heavy breading. Yuck. My unagi was dry and didn’t at all taste fresh. The wakame was decent, but really how can you mess that up. I’m sure it come already prepared.
I scarfed down a few pieces of my food, paid my check and bounced. CaliSlim was still waiting for her meal when I left. Our server offered to box up my remaining meal, but I told him not to bother. The food was not good.
I am so disappointed in Blu Sushi. It totally did not live up to my standards or anyone’s I would expect. If you are in the area, head north about a mile and go to RuSans. Sure it’s a standard Atlanta chain, but at least you know what you are getting.
Food Finds May 14, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Food, Reviewed by Babs.4 comments
I remember when I was a little girl my mom made chocolate pudding. Actually, I only vagueley remember that. I remember eating pudding as a kid so it must have been my mom, but I honestly can’t picture her doing it. Memories.
As the years and decades passed, I don’t recall ever having chocolate pudding again. Sure, I’ve had my fair share of jell-o pudding cups, but it’s not the same as breaking out the whisk and the ice cold milk. Yum!
A few weeks ago I picked up a box of pudding mix. The truth is that it was on sale for like $1 and I had a coupon for $.50 off which mean, yep, I got it for free. Double coupons b!tches!
Anyway, the pudding was tasty and just as good as I remember it. A distictively different taste than those pudding cups. And a different consistency too. The only problem is that I live alone and I didn’t need all that damn pudding. I threw half-of it away.
The other day, I discovered a solution to this problem.
Single serving packets of pudding mix. You just add a half-cup of milk and let sit for five minutes and voila! Pudding! Thank you pudding people for thinking of me!
I love almost anything that comes in individual packages. It’s very necessary for a single gal. Now I can have a cup of pudding this week, and maybe a cup of pudding next week, or whenever I want. As long as I have milk, I’m only five minutes away from a tasty treat, and the entire serving has just 160 calories!
Lunch in Vinings May 11, 2009
Posted by Babs O'Leary in Reviewed by Babs.1 comment so far
Sunday afternoon I had a lunch date with another handsome goodlooking.
For the purposes of this post, I shall focus on the actual dining experience and not on my dining companion.
We headed to C&S Seafood in Vinings. I had been there once before with the Out of Towner, and although I enjoyed it, it wasn’t nearly as memorable as yesterday. Perhaps it was because it was Mother’s Day and the place was abuzz with families celebrating their women.
C&S is a great place for a date. Although it is brightly lit and open, the booths seem very private. We were able to have a good conversation without worrying if our neighbors could hear us, and we never once were bothered by anyone around us.
Our waiter was great, if almost too attentive. He offered me a glass of champagne for mother’s day, but I declined. He made suggestions from the menu and even brought me a taste of wine that he recommended. It was delicious and so I ordered a glass. We started out with the special appetizer which was a crab and lobster concoction wrapped in lettuce and served on a bed of mango. It was tasty, but probably not worth the price.
Our entrees came and were definitely worth every single penny. He ordered the red snapper and I ordered the scallops. We both had them prepared with a brown butter and caper sauce. All I can say is YUM! My scallops were divine. They were large and the four served to me were more than enough. Both entrees with paired with carrots, zucchini and roasted red potatoes. It truly was a perfect meal.
For dessert I ordered the chocolate cake and he had key lime pie. I declined coffee or a digestiv, opting for an ice cold glass of water. Nothing goes better with a rich dessert than ice cold water, in my opinion.
If you love a great meal with great service, I highly recommend C&S Seafood. Whether you are on a romantic date, or celebrating a special occasion, you will not be disappointed.
