A Sterling Experience: The Silver Diner

A couple of weeks ago, I had to take my truck to the shop.  The shop manager said it would be two or three hours before they would be finished.  No problem.  I was in an area with lots of shops.  I'd just go eat some breakfast, do a little shopping, and chill.  Chilling is good for the soul.  I started off towards Silver Diner near what used to be Springfield Mall.  After carefully traversing the parking lot, I was about 20 or so yards from the restaurant when the tantalizing smells of waffles and pancakes filled my nose.  It was more like the scent of fresh funnel cakes.  And who doesn't love a good funnel cake.   I thought to myself that a nice fluffy Belgian waffle would be so satisfying along with a hot cup of coffee.  I'm going to tell you right now that isn't what I had once I hit the door of Silver Diner.

It was a little past ten-thirty in the morning.  Traditionally, bacon and eggs or pancakes are standard breakfast fare.  And I was heading there.  Then, I saw it!  This gloss poster of their Pesto Burger.  I was mesmerized.  The picture was so enticing.  It looked real enough to eat.  I don't know how long I'd stood there looking at the poster, but the manager cleared his throat twice to get my attention.  I inquired as to whether I could have that burger beauty.  He told I could have anything on their menu I wanted anytime I wanted it.  JACKPOT!!!!!  I was going to have a burger for breakfast.  WOOHOO!!!!!  I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I have a love affair with burgers.  From fat juicy patties to cute little sliders, I love the all as long as they are cooked well.

The manager seated me and gave me a menu.  For a few seconds, I vacillated on a traditional meal or being a rebel.  Rebellion won out and I ordered the Pesto Burger which came with a side of sweet potato fries.  As I waited for my 'breakfast', I was a little anxious.  That burger on the poster was downright sexy with a hint of roasted red pepper peaking out, topped with a creamy goat cheese.  Would that be the burger I received?  We have all been seduced by pictures of towering well put together sandwiches of ground meat, cheese, and veggies only to be confronted by a jumbled stack of ingredients leaving us with nothing but lead in our stomachs and regret on our lips. 

Imagine my surprise and delight when what arrived in front of me was a very realistic rendition of that delicious poster.  Even better was that first bite.  The bun was sweet and soft.  The burger was cooked perfectly, warm pink center and dripping with juice.  The pesto was subtle and mixed wonderfully with the roasted red peppers and that fresh goat cheese.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.  The accompanying sweet potato fries were good, but I didn't do them any justice.  Maybe next time. 

This has to be in my top ten burger experiences.  I am looking forward to trying it again. If you're in the Springfield, VA area and looking for a tasty treat, drop by the Silver Diner.  They'll take good care of you.

A Light Lunch

Don't these look cute!  This is a trio of pot roast sliders served at Houlihan's in Springfield.  TY and I went there last week.  You get this triple shot of deliciousness for $9.50.  There is something about pot roast that I cannot resist.  Is it the slow cooking?  Is it that tangy, tasty gravy so silky smooth coatig each bite?  Could it possibly be the unexpected bite of fried onions?  I won't fail to mention that glistening sweet brioche bun.  I have to be honest it isn't any one thing.  It is the harmonious blend of each component culminating in a delectably satisfying midday snack. 

To accompany that pot roast platter, I added the mini cheeseburger and the trucker fries.  The cheeseburger was overcooked.  That's all that needs to be said about that.  Now, those fries are a different story.  They were hot and tasty.  And you can see these are no wimpy potatoes.  The chipotle cheese sauce was a slightly spicy delight.  The only thing that could have made them better would have been crispy bacon bits. 

What's a delicious lunch without something cool to wash it down?  Again, Houlihan's did not disappoint.  These wonderful concoctions are their mango (top) and pomeganate (bottom) iced teas.  I'm not usually one for flavored teas.  Iced tea should be sweet.  Period.  However, I didn't want soda and an adult beverage was out of the question.  They were cold and sweet without being cloying.  We were able to taste the fruit in our respective choices. 

I must say that I'll be going back to Houlihan's again!

Birthday Celebrations

 

 

April is an incredibly busy month in my world for birthdays.   And the month started off with this joker right here on April 1st.  I find that my family and friends are very important to my cooking/baking process.  My friend, DR, has been a faithful recipe tester and taster.  His feedback has been invaluable as has his friendship.  Normally, I would make him a rum cake for his birthday, but this year I did something a little different.  I gave him a gift that he can share with his children.  You see, DR is a really good cook and a decent baker.  So, I gave him one of my favorite blondie mixes and my homemade cocoa.  He'll use them as a fun activity with his cute kids. 

 

But DR's bday is just the tip of the iceberg, one of my best buddies from college will be another year older come this Saturday.  He's really chill though and doesn't get really excited about his born day like I do.  His favorite cake of choice is coconut.  This is one of the reasons I love him so much.  He's the only person I know besides myself that would choose this.   I have made him one or two over the years.  It's a great feeling to do something to make someone else happy.

 

PT's birthday is followed by my sis and husband, TY on the 7th and MJ on the 8th.  These are the hardest birthday celebrations ever.  Neither one of them can agree on what they'd like to do.  As I get older and life gets more hectic, I just cannot do the separate dinner and cake thing anymore.  We've asked and asked what they want.  If they are not careful, they'll be having a birthday dinner at Chuck E. Cheeses.  No, seriously though, I beginning to think a nice steak dinner, a bottle or two of our favorite beverages, and some cupcakes. 

 

See, I've got to get a better handle on my budget as well as what we eat.  April is a great month to do it.  Spring hasn't quite sprung, but it's coming.  Many of my favorite people were born in this month.  Being around longer to bug, love, and make them smile is powerful motivation to start doing what's right for this body.  So, if you have an April birthday, best wishes from me to you!!!! 



Time to Blow the Dust Off!

Well, I really am a slacker.  I haven't checked in here in nearly two years.  Quite a few things have happened.  One thing that hasn't is my love of baking.  I haven't given up my dream of having my own baking spot.  And I spend as many hours as time and money allows working on recipes.  Sometimes, I even get to collaborate with some really cool people.  My other passion is getting the most bang for my grocery buck.  I love a good deal!   This is enough for the day.  I have to pace myself. 

What Are You Afraid Of?

A good friend asked me this question Tuesday night.  Well, a couple of things put fear in my heart to include failure, lack of employment (money), ridicule and some other things I can't name now.  However, there is something I want and it's not just want.  I need it.  I need the freedom to be the baker I want to be.  Baking, creating flavor combinations, and feeding/serving people are a part of me.  It's time I looked to it instead of running from it. 

On Wednesday, I spoke with one of the most centered people that I know.    We spoke of my fear how it is the stick jamming up the wheel of life.  And that is what I have let it do to my life.  Fear has kept me paralyzed and stunted my creativity and freedom.  For the first time in my life, I felt like I was seeing it clearly.  

Yesterday, I also spoke to someone who had been where I am.  Her advice was to keep working, but not to give up my dream.  Be patient, have a plan, and start making my fledgling business grow.   She encouraged me to stay focused and offered her support.

Being successful is about having the right tools, good motivation/motivators, and passion.  I now have some of the components that I know I was lacking.  Now, I'm not going out and quitting my job, but I am going to mine my potential and make my dreams come true.  I will keep the channels of communication open with those who help feed my passion for cookies, cakes, pies and assorted baked goodies.  I want to one day in the near future bring the tastiest products to all of my family, friends and fans!


What are you afraid of?  What is your dream?  Where does your passion lie?  What are you doing to make it a reality?  Have  you gotten complacent and caught up like I did?  Let's talk about it.

Dang, It's June! I've Let Half the Year Go By!

Really, where does the time go?  Most of it is spent at work.  Another chunk goes to commuting. That's ten to 15 hours a week I'll never get back.  The next portion is sleep.  I try to manage a good fifty hours, but it is probably less with all the trips to the bathroom, drinks of water and searches for food.  No, I don't actually eat in the middle of the night.  I just look to make sure there's something in there if I were so inclined.  I haven't mentioned cooking in there.  Well, who really has time to cook anymore?  What's my motivation?  Where's the inspiration?  After all, who really appreciates the work that goes into a good meal?  Your family scarfs it down, mumbles something incoherent, then races off to the next time eater. It's almost enough to put a girl off her feed.  Almost, nothing's quite that bad. 

So, this brings me to a crossroad.  I like the stability of a job, but I need the freedom of my kitchen.  I long to be covered in flour surrounded by the scents of cinnamon, vanilla, lemon and that oh so intoxicating aroma of brown sugar melting with butter.  In my lonely cubicle, I feel as if I am dying a slow agonizing death one order record at a time.  There is no passion here, no fire, no satisfaction.  There is no joy here.  I know where my joy lives.  It lives in my kitchen.  Baking dwells in my heart.  When the two are together, we produce a love unlike anything you've ever tasted before. 

I'll keep you posted on when my joy and I can be together permanently.  If all goes right, it will be soon.  Get your wish lists ready.

Snowed In Again!

What do you do when the weather witches and warlocks, oops I mean meteorologists, predict massive amounts of snow and ice?  Do you head out to the store and buy up all of the milk, eggs, bread and toilet paper that will fit in your Hummer?  I'll admit that I am not one of those.  I think about it then realize that I have enough rations in the house that will sustain MJ, TY and myself. About the only thing that I think that I should probably pick up is some bottled water.  Of course, I have enough pitchers in the house that water really isn't a problem either.

I don't know where the whole idea of rushing to the grocery store came from. Where I grew up, that really wasn't an option. Mom could make homemade bread. My aunt had chickens so eggs weren't a problem. And these women were country folk so there was always some evaporated milk in the cupboard when fresh wasn't available.  You just made do with what you had.  I miss those ladies.

I actually miss being snowed in with them.  My mom used to make us something called snow cream.  She's collect fresh snow (never the first falling though).  Then, she'd make a custard and let it cool. She's mix the snow into that then freeze the mixture.  It was so good.  Of course, I loved anything sweet, but I'd like to think that the snow cream was better than ice cream.  It was special because you couldn't have it all of the time.

What did you do as a kid when you got snowed in?  What do you do now?

OMG!!! IT'S 2011!!!

That means I really have been slacking.  It's been about 49 weeks since I last blogged. Well, I won't bore you with the mundane details of my life. Let's talk about the exciting things on the horizon.  I realized that my passion lies in the kitchen w/a certain hot appliance. That's right. I'm mad about my stove.  It helps me produce some absolutely D-VINE gems.  In the words of Kanye West and friends, I'm a monster.  Don't worry. I'm a good monster.  I'm a cookie monster.  Thankfully, I am not covered in blue fur. Can you imagine being in a hot kitchen covered in fur?  HOT!!!  :)  I'll be bringing you some of my favorite recipes, the good, the bad, and the unrepeatable in the coming months.  Stay tuned.

Snowed In

I don't know what to tell you, but I love winter. It's my favorite time of year.  And snow!  Well, I am crazy about the fluffy white stuff.  It's not convenient when you live in a major metro area esp. the DMV.  I loved it when I lived in  rural southern VA.  Lots of pristine fields of white.  My mom would pop corn and make hot chocolate for us.  She'd use real milk and we'd have butter for the popcorn.  It was lots of cozy evenings.  So, what do I do when it snows?  Well, I cook and bake.  I've made roast beef, baked potatoes and corn. We used some of the leftover potatoes for home fries w/onions and bacon this morning.  I've made the first batch of cookie dough.  It's a chocolate dough that will get two different fillings. I've got coconut and peanut fillings chilling in the fridge. Our next door neighbors will test them out later. 

You see, I want to have my own cookie business one day.  What better time to start working on such a thing as when you're snowed in?  So, that's what I'm gonna do.  What do you do when you're snowed in?

Wow!!! Look at the Cobwebs!

I can't believe that it's been over six months since I've been in here. Let's dust the cobwebs off everything. It's never too early for spring cleaning. To bring you up to speed, I've eaten some good food. I have experienced some not so good food. And I am still experimenting in the kitchen.
You know I have a love affair with the Evil Clown. I just can't help it. There's just something about two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese and a sesame seed bun. Ooo, just saying that makes my mouth water. Unfortunately, MJ hate that place. So, what's a girl to do? That's right! Make her own. Well, I've been enjoying those commercials for those tasty looking snack wraps. I felt inspired. MJ didn't like the 3rd bun or the spec. sauce of the signature sandwich. We had ground beef, tortillas, lettuce, vidalia onion salad dressing and the other accoutrement that accompanies my fave sandwich. They were simply delicious. MJ had his with salsa instead of the onion dressing.

Tonight, we're having chicken quesadillas. I'm into quick tasty, mostly healthy meals. If you're wondering, I'm still seeing Jenny.

Day 1

Well, so far so good. I've had breakfast, a morning snack and lunch. I'm feeling pretty good so far. Haven't had a huge case of the hungries yet, but I know it can strike at anytime. I'll give you a rundown of the day so far.

3/4 c. whole grain cereal
1 c. fat free milk

Lean Cuisine tortilla crusted fish w/rice
1 wieght watchers cupcake

2 bottles of water
1 pkg. Crystal Light on the Go Fruit Punch

I have some cucumbers and a Cherry Coke Zero for later in the day. Dinner will be roasted chicken, brown rice and green beans. I see lots of chicken in my future. Of course, there will be lots of veggies in my future. I don't mind them so much. I just need to get a little creative.

On My Own

I talked to my JC consultant today about my current economic situation. MJ and I need to cut some costs. While JC isn't exactly a luxury, it does add to our grocery bill. C and I talked about creating a menu that will meet my JC requirements. I will be able to prepare meals that I can share w/MJ and that he'll enjoy. I've done an inventory of what we have in the freezer. I've researched some recipes on Cooking Light. Now, I have to make my menu for the week. The real challenge will come in figuring how many calories I'm taking in. I'll be chronicling my adventures here. I am going to need all the help that I can get. So, please check on my progress. I cannot do this alone. If you have any lowfat ideas, I ask that you share them.

I am going to list some of the basic things that I should have every day.

8 oz. fat free milk or low fat yogurt
2 pcs. fruit
3 or more servings of vegetables
150 cal. snack like popcorn or 100 cal. pack.
8-8 oz. glasses of water

I am going to need to step up my exercising. I gave up my gym membership a while back. So any creative ideas on working out would be good as well. I enjoy walking so I will be doing that as often as I can.

Wish me luck!

Just Breathe

I didn't gain the weight in a day. And I didn't gain it by eating food that always tasted great. Let's face it twinkies, ho-hos, and ding dongs have very little nutritional value no matter how hard you try to justify that flour comes from grain. And corn syrup has corn which is a vegetable/grain. I know that I complain about the meals from JC, but some of them are quite tasty. Take last night's dinner. I had the mac and cheese. It is really tasty. There's a bite to it from sharp cheddar and a hit of spice from red pepper. And it's a bit better than those snack cakes that I used to love.

I've got to get a better attitude about this. You see I sabotage myself and that's so not good. I have to be more responsible about what I eat. Will having a slice of pepperoni pizza kill me? No, but it will add to the time it takes me to reach my goal. What's your weakness? What do you do to curb it? Do you substitute or give in? Hey, I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Is It Meat?

That's my question today. My lunch today is Jenny Craig's tortellini soup. There are six tortellini in here. Yes, I counted. It's not bad, but I can't tell if the pieces floating around in the tomato based soup are meat or not. It doesn't say that they aren't, but it doesn't say that they are beef either. Why do I suspect that it's not beef/meat? Well, the texture is a little off. Shoot, even cheap beef feels more real that this. These little meat like nuggets feel a little rubbery. I know I should just shut up and eat my lunch, but I just can't help but wonder. Is this stuff real? You see they tell me that the cheese burrito doesn't have any meat in it and that it contains tofu. Okay, I can deal with that. I can bury the tofu under extra salsa and a little fat free sour cream. This 'beef' though is floating all through the soup. You can't avoid it.

Of course, if I could learn to be more disciplined then I could eat my own food, but I can't be trusted just yet.

I'm Back!

Did you miss me? Well, I missed me, too. I'm on the wagon and fully recuperated. It's been very hard to stay focused. I know what I should do and I've been doing it most of the time. However, I've been having a hard time resisting the cravings. I mean a bacon double cheeseburger can't be all bad, can it? Don't answer that. I have dropped 20 pounds and that's a great feeling. I want to drop 20 more, but that feels like a daunting task. I know take it one meal at a time. Well, when your meal comes in a box, it is hard not to get discouraged. I said this at the beginning. I HAVE CONTROL ISSUES.

And that is the problem. I don't want the little boxes. I want to eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it. There I said it!! And that's another problem. That's what got me in this fix. I need to find some sort of happy medium, a balance, if you will.

I'll keep you posted.

A Treat

Mother's Day isn't exactly my favorite holiday. It's stressful. My DOM passed away a few years ago so it's bittersweet. MJ's mom is hard to please. So, I decided not to try. It was going to be what it was. Of course, I decided this after we had gone to pick up dinner fixins from Harris-Teeter. I'm a huge beef fan. The music from the "Beef, It's What's for Dinner" commercials could be my theme song. We picked up a few ribeyes (on sale), some chicken breasts (BOGO), asparagus (on sale), onions, garlic and a rotisserie chicken for lunch. Well, after lunch I didn't feel like doing anything. And my MIL let us (read me) off the hook. She said that would be enough.

Okay, you know my grill situation. I can't have one b/c of the fire code in Alexandria. Well, those beautiful steaks kept calling me from the fridge and freezer. The slacker in me kept turning the volume down. Then a beautiful thing happened. MJ's brother-in-law walked in. He was hungry. He didn't want to do the prep, but he'd man the grill. A plan started to form. You see I had picked up some packets of grill seasoning from good ol' HT. MJ and I got prepped the meat. I made a quick marinade for the asparagus and we were ready to go. My SIL and I went to pick up some microwaveable sides and life was good.

What do you like on the grill? Do you grill your veggies like I do? Are you a charcoal snob or will you use gas in a pinch? I must say I prefer charcoal, but my SIL's Weber gas grill is kinda nice. There's something to be said for instant temp. control.

Lunch

I just had my Jenny Craig lunch. The container said Beef Chili with Beans. They lied. It was beef flavored bean chili. ICK! You might be asking yourself why did she buy the chili when she knows that she doesn't like beans. Well, I'll eat a few beans, but they are not my favorite by a long shot. And I love chili. I haven't had it in a while. My dad used to make chili that would burn so good. It was thick beef chili. He made two batches, one for TY and me with no beans and one for him and our mom with those alien pods. As it is the little container is no bigger than the soup bowls you get, so I jazzed mine up with some tortilla chips (good use of today's snack pack), salsa (gotta love the free items) and a little fat free sour cream (a limited item). The trouble is I can still taste those beans.

When I am able to create my own meals, I want to make my own chili. And it's not going to be that burn your mouth going and your keister coming out kind either. I want to use a mix of ground beef and turkey to create a leaner, lower fat version. There will be no beans at all in mine. I will be looking for ways to pump up the fiber though. So, for all of my cooking friends, start going over your recipes. I'm looking for any and all suggestions for my chili.

Free Food

Two of my favorite words in the English language. Well, Let's Dish (DC, MD, VA) is giving away a block of their Signature Scones to anyone who donates their Facebook status, Twitters or blogs about the free scones. Hey, it's worth a shot. I hope it is still good when I take this posting into my neighborhood Let's Dish. If not, then I'll pick up a brunch item for Mother's Day and get my freebies that way. If you're in the DMV, check it out.

I'm back

After an unplanned hiatus, some personal issues, and a weight gain, I'm back. For you regulars, I apologize for just dropping out on you like that. For any newcomers, well, I have a tendency to disappear every now and then. I'm going to work on that so that it doesn't interfere with what I do here.

I'm still on Jenny Craig. It's kinda of hard some days. I know in my head what a portion should be, but sometimes what I want to eat just tastes so good that I want a little more. And you know what happens then, a little more becomes a lot more. I'm trying to focus on the things that I like that I know are good for me. I'm not a huge fan of strawberries, but I'm beginning to like them a little better. MJ and I will share a few. I'm helping him get his fruit in and that makes me feel good.

I have never believed that any food should be avoided. However, if you have issues with control, maybe stepping away from the trigger foods isn't such a bad thing. Or is there an alternative to having the trigger food? I know that a turkey burger isn't the same as a sirloin burger, but what's better in the long run?

The Unthinkable Happened

I lost my appetite! Yes, me of all people. Can you believe it?! I certainly couldn't. I have been mildly depressed since Saturday. Let me tell you how bad this was. I didn't even want to look at food. I mean no Tastespotting or FoodGawker. I didn't even want to go into the grocery store. I was starting to think that I was sick.

Well, I found out that it was one of the side effects of losing weight. You see I've lost nearly 18 pounds since I decided to change my eating habits. People have been reassuring me this is a good thing. What if I've lost my cooking mojo? Okay, I'm just being a little overly dramatic. Please forgive me. I know that losing the weight is the important part. I guess I now have an opportunity for a little creative license with my fave dishes. I have a chance to tweak them in a way that I'll get the flavor w/o so many calories or fat. You know I'll keep you posted.

How's your journey going? Have you kept up or fallen off the wagon? What sacrifices are you willing to make for your health?