Five for Friday: Hashtag Me

This week has been painful.

Painful, you ask? Yes. Remember that pinched nerve I mentioned in my bump-date on Monday? Yeahhh, it's only gone downhill from there. I ended up at the chiropractor with an emergency appointment on Tuesday, and back again on Wednesday, for a couple intense rounds of adjustment and deep tissue massage. Not sure which hurts worse - the problems my back & shoulder, or having it fixed! My doctor informed me that my upper back is in state of "havoc" - what a word! Luckily, a full week after the initial pain started, I think that I am starting to feel a little better. I have been pretty miserable this week. Waaahhhh.

Anywho. A quick Five for Friday post for ya today - anything exciting happening in your world?? Tell me something good!

1 // Last weekend was girls' weekend, in Philadelphia this time. My two girlfriends and I spent the afternoon at a pop-up beer garden in front of the Rocky steps (San Pellegrino is refreshing but NOT the same), which I think is easily one of the coolest things about Philadelphia in the summer.

We then had an amazing dinner at Tinto. I took absolutely no pictures because it was super dark in the restaurant (maybe just poor lighting at our table? But I actually pulled out my phone to illuminate the menu better. #blindasabat). We ordered a wide array of tapas dishes, which is one of my absolute favorite ways to eat with friends. I think my favorites were the arugula salad and the Brussels sprouts. Yum! We rounded out the meal with shakes from Shake Shack - classy and fabulous. It was perfection.

2 // We have no plans this weekend for the first time in a solid month, and I am actually looking forward to the opportunity to organize and clean. Kinda sad how it gets to the point sometimes! I just get behind before I even have a chance to think about it in the summer. Sigh. #sendhelp #andacleaningcompany

3 // I've been burning a new candle this week: B&BW "Black Sands." It is delicious and a perfect reminder of our week at the beach. #takemeback (PS - just looked at the B&BW website and ALL THE FALL CANDLES ARE BACK. Yes, yes, yes. #nottooearly)

4 // With this shoulder / back issue going on, I have not been to the gym or worked out at all this week. However, I did buy a new workout top at Target on Tuesday. Does that count? #itwasonclearance #cantresistasale

5 // I had a Strawberry Poppyseed & Chicken Salad from Panera one night this week and it brought me an extreme amount of happiness. I have not been craving "fresh" food this pregnancy (#iwishionlywantedsalad #butireallyonlywanticecream) but that particular salad really hit the spot.

Have a great weekend!!

linking up with the five on friday girls:  Darci, Christina, April,and Natasha

linking up with karli and amy

And now I'm ready for lunch... OBX eats!

Hello, hello! Long time, no chat. My post-vacation mind melt finally seems to be clearing - my brain is starting to work again!

We spent last week down at Cape Hatteras with C's family, enjoying the annual family beach trip. We had so much fun, and spent plenty of time relaxing, eating, and soaking up sun (on the days when it wasn't pouring rain!). It is always a treat to be able to take some time away and disconnect from real life. On the other hand, it sure is hard to come back and get the gears turning again! So I'm slowly getting everything going again and returning to real life.

Since we all know that most of my daily life revolves around food (when is lunch?), you can only imagine how much I enjoy indulging while on vacation. C's family is great about cooking meals all week while we are at the beach, but we do take some time to enjoy local restaurants, too. In fact, one of the things that C and I like BEST about vacationing in the OBX area is the endless supply of non-chain restaurants - there is always something new to try, and we've discovered some time-tested favorites, as well. We get such a kick out of trying local joints and hole-in-the-wall places - you'd be amazed at the local treasures that get discovered when we make a wrong turn or randomly decide to walk into a new place for a drink.

In case any of my darling readers ever find themselves in the Hatteras area, I thought I'd share a little bit about three local places we ate at last week and loved. Maybe you'll get a chance to go there, too!

Billfish Bar & Grill

We went to the Billfish on a whim on a rainy afternoon for lunch - we were driving around with C's parents looking for somewhere to eat, and C said "turn here!" without really knowing where we were. As it turned out, it was perfect!

When we walked in around noon, we were one of just a few tables with patrons - but as we ate, we noticed that the place was getting totally packed. By the time we were done with lunch, just about every table was full!

The food was delicious, the waitress was sweet, and the beer was cold. For lunch, I went with that day's special: fish and chips, made with freshly-caught local cod. It was fantastic! A light, flaky beer batter coating a big filet of fish (without being way too much), crispy fries, and a side of homemade coleslaw. I ate every bite! Had we had a chance to get out for lunch again, we wouldn't have hesitated to eat here twice.

Top Dog Cafe

You might remember me mentioning Top Dog before... this was not our first time there. Lunch at Top Dog is one of our family traditions - it's a must! The burgers speak for themselves, of course, but the rest of the menu is pretty amazing, too. Top Dog is super casual and beachy, with plastic tables and chairs and Corona buckets on the table full of condiments and spare napkins. It's really a no-nonsense place, too, which I like - they don't do special orders, they don't do substitutions... just order something and enjoy it. And we do!

This is our 4th picture like this! Creatures of habit.

The trek to this cafe was a bit longer for us this year since we were further down the coast, but no one batted an eye when we said we still had to go. I remembered salivating over the fish tacos when someone else ordered them last year, so that's what I went with this year!

Huge pieces of Mahi are wrapped in soft flour tortillas, then topped with cool, crunchy, diced cabbage and warm, melty cheddar. A side of pico de gallo adds some freshness, and the key lime sauce that comes on the side is killer. My mouth is watering at this very moment. Dang!

Breakwater Restaurant

C & I went to Breakwater for our date night, and it was a very pleasant surprise! We had no idea what to expect, but it was a really nice location for a date. We were seated at a table on their back deck, and enjoyed dinner while watching the sun go down over the sound. It was gorgeous!

The food was great, too. (no food pictures here - it was date night, after all! Phones away :) )We splurged a bit - we had drinks and an appetizer (the Firecracker Shrimp, which we delicious, but I could have used a little less sauce), and then ordered our entrees. C went with the Filet Oscar, and was delighted to find that it came topped with a ton of crab meat and then a béarnaise sauce, rather than a sauce with a little crab in it like he's had before (does that make sense?).

I had the Catch of the Day - Snapper, which I ordered blackened (yum). I really, really wanted to try their homemade Key lime pie for dessert, but couldn't have eaten another bite if you'd paid me. We always cherish our date night while on vacation, and Breakwater was a fantastic location for some alone time. We recommended it to the rest of the family, too!

Now that I've officially made myself hungry AND sad that we are no longer on vacation... hope you enjoyed reading about some of the places we ate last week! My seafood-loving-self was in heaven. I definitely took full advantage of the local offerings - and loved every minute of it.

So tell me...

• Have you been to Hatteras or the Outer Banks? Have you tried any of these restaurants?
• Do you cook on vacation, or go out to eat for every meal?
• Do you stay safe with chain restaurants, or experiment with local joints?

Richmond restaurants: two new loves

We went down to Richmond on Friday afternoon to visit with some friends of ours, and while we were there, I had two of the most delicious meals. Y'all know how I feel about food and good restaurants, so I just have to share these experiences with you. If you ever find yourself in RVA (or live there and haven't tried these spots), I highly recommend stopping in!

Dinner on Friday night was at The Daily Kitchen and Bar on Cary Street. We got there around a little after 7 and were told that there would be a 45-minute wait (not unexpected). We grabbed drinks at the bar and prepared to hang out for a bit... well, wouldn't you know, our table was ready before we'd even finished that round! I think we ended up waiting just 20 minutes in the end - worth it! We shared the fried calamari appetizer (delicious, and I'm not a huge fan to start with) before choosing entrees. My eyes fell on the blackened fish tacos and my choice was made! There were lots of things on the menu that looked appealing, and I'm pretty sure I would have enjoyed anything I chose. The fish tacos were fantastic, though, and I loved the homemade hot sauce - it added just the right amount of kick. Our waitress was friendly but efficient, and the atmosphere in the restaurant was casual and lively. It was a nice night out, and we were seated near the patio with the doors wide open. I greatly enjoyed our meal, and would happily go back and try their brunch!

For brunch on Saturday, we ended up with our Plan B - and it was perfect! We tried to go to The Pig and Pearl, but got there around 10 AM, only to find that they don't open til 11 on Saturdays (ummm... what? Odd decision, if you ask me). So, on to the next place... The Black Sheep! Personally, I'm thrilled that is where we ended up, because it was amazing! The Black Sheep is a small, hole-in-the-wall kinda place, near the campus of VCU, tucked away off the main roads. We were seated immediately for breakfast, and started with coffee and Bloody Marys (a brunch necessity, amirite?) The coffee was hot and the Bloody Mary was spicy (though I'd have liked another dash of hot sauce), and both were exactly what I needed. For breakfast, I chose the No Mas Huevos Neuvos - and I am not embarrased to admit that I cleaned my plate. The dish is described on their menu as, "Two eggs served with a wheatberry & black bean chili. Topped with an avocado salsa, served over a griddled jalapeño gritcake. Served with toasted baguette. (Add carnitas for $2.)" You better believe I added the carnitas, and was very pleased with that choice. This is one of the best breakfasts I've ever eaten! Again, everything on the menu looked delicious, and I'd love to go back and try lunch and / or dinner. Yum!

I truly love discovering new dining experiences, and was thrilled that we were able to try not one, but two delightful restaurants during our quick trip to the city. Like I said, definitely add these to your "must try" list - or tell if you've tried either of them before! I am always looking for new recommendations and meals to try, so if you have any suggestions of places we should go, let me know!

Andddd because there hasn't been a cat picture here in several days, at least, I'll leave you with this:

We took a trip to the vet on Friday afternoon, and the most pitiful cat on the planet decided he was safer sitting in the sink than on the table while we waited for his test results to come back. Just look at that face! Pathetic. :)

So tell me...

• Favorite restaurant? Do you prefer chain places or holes-in-the-wall (no idea how to make that plural appropriately...)
• What was the best thing you ate this weekend?
• Does your pet act like the vet is the worst place in the world?! (Honestly, you'd think being in his cage was a death sentence.)

Delicious dinner & yard surprises

This weekend was everything that weekends are supposed to be. Relaxation, organization, delicious food, quality time with quality people, and sunshine! I am sporting my first (minor) sunburn of the season this morning, thanks to a few hours of yard work and a little porch-sittin' yesterday afternoon - and I'm not even mad! It's a lingering reminder of all the good stuff we soaked up over the past few days.

A quick picture recap, because seeing is believing!

As promised, Friday night was date night! C & I enjoyed a delicious dinner at a local cafe, complete with live music and no phones or TVs. Just what we needed!

Saturday morning was dedicated to organizing the pantry. We had to pull everything out while the painters were working last week, and I refused t put anything back in until we could do it with some thought and planning. Everything sort of got thrown in there when we moved in last August, and it definitely needed some work. I browsed every aisle of Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Target on Saturday morning, and came home armed with a system. It took us several hours, but we are so happy with the results! Now, maintaining this system is another story...

We had plans with my parents for Saturday evening, and they came down early so my mom and I could squeeze in a run. We hit the pavement at the nearby battlefield and got in a great workout together. It was beautiful and breezy - just how I like it! PS: Have you used the FitSnap app? It's a fun way to track workouts right in the moment. I just discovered it the weekend & look forward to using it more!

We decided to take my parents out to dinner to thank them for paying for the painting (a lovely housewarming gift, indeed) and I made a reservation at a local restaurant we hadn't tried yet. It was definitely a good pick! Our dinner at Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen was one of the most memorable restaurant meals I've had in a long time - can't wait to share more about this amazing local treasure. I chose the salmon served over shrimp risotto for my entree, and was in foodie heaven. It was insane! I practically licked my plate clean. Yum!

On Sunday morning, we went out to breakfast at the same cafe where C & I had our date (Amy's - love it so much we went 2x in one weekend!). It was a good thing we had a big, hearty meal, because when we got home, we decided that some spur-of-the-moment yard work was in order. Several hours and 16 17 gigantic trash bags later, we had done major clean-up damage in the back yard. Everything was in alright shape when we moved in at the end of last summer, but it needed some major TLC, and we just didn't have the time last fall to do everything that needed to be done. No time like the present! We cut back trees, cleaned our flower beds, raked up a bajillion pine needles, and fertilized the lawn. Very glad to have that all taken care of!

We couldn't waste any of the beautiful day, so C & I wrapped up the weekend with a grill meal: steak and asparagus, plus a mayo-less potato salad. It was the perfect dinner to enjoy while we watched the ACMs. Anyone else see the show? I thought it was great! There are some really talented country musicians out there right now, and I am loving seeing how the careers progress (also, I'm really glad that Taylor Swift isn't dominating the scene any more!).

One last picture for the day... I have a running list of what I call "Yard Surprises" - you never know what you'll find in a new yard, left behind by the previous owners. This was definitely one I appreciated:

So tell me...

• Do you have a favorite local eatery? We love all the options near us that aren't chain restaurants!
• Did you fit in a workout this weekend? Tell me about it! I'm so happy that it's outdoor running season again.

WIAW: A night out

I intended to write a What I Ate Wednesday post today featuring my eats from yesterday, like I usually do, but this is the only picture I managed to take all day:

Yeah, I was a little busy. Whoops! So much for Tuesday's food....

Luckily, I remembered that I hadn't yet shared about what we did over the weekend, so instead of Tuesday's food, you get Saturday's! WIAW lives on. (I'm sure you were worried....)


On Saturday, C & I had our final Restaurant Week experience: we met Stephanie and her husband for dinner at The Bavarian Chef, a well-known German restaurant in our town. We spent the evening chowing down on an amazing German feast, and spent almost three hours chatting about all kinds of things - sports, childhood, broken bones, pets... you name it, we probably covered it. We had so much fun, and the food was delicious, too. Can't beat that as far as a Saturday night double date goes!

We started the night with liters of beer (when in Rome Germany a German restaurant, right?) - I had gone to an intense BodyPump class on Saturday morning, and this beer was almost too much for me to handle!

The Restaurant Week menu is a three-course dinner: appetizer / salad, entree, and dessert. I forgot to take a picture of my Winter Salat, but it was delicious: it had parsnips and blueberries (odd combination, but worked really nicely) and a tangy vinaigrette.

For my entree, I went with pork chops and apples, a classic combination, and for dessert, I chose the bread pudding. As good as the pork chops were, the stars of the show were probably the side dishes: they are served family-style, and between the four of us, we got to choose five! Red cabbage, carrots, string beans, Spätzle, and potato dumplings.... I was in German-food heaven.

We almost chose a different restaurant for dinner that night, and I'm so glad that we didn't. We had such a great time at The Bavarian Chef, and I look forward to the next time we get a chance to visit.

Eating our way through Durham (oh, and a wedding!)

We had a really great weekend... and then we woke up this morning to a dead car battery. Womp, womp. Happy Monday??

Anyway. We spent the weekend in Durham, NC, celebrating the marriage of friends from college, and it was a blast. C was the best man, and this was the first wedding we've been to in some time where I didn't have any responsibilities for the weekend! It was definitely a change for us - I'm usually the one in the wedding & C is usually the one hanging out, entertaining himself. Not this time!

We drove down to NC on Thursday morning and got there just in time to grab lunch at Toast (a great recommendation from blog-friend Maddie!) and then head over to The Cookery for the rehearsal. After that, we had a few hours before the rehearsal dinner, so I snuck in a quick treadmill run while C caught up with his friends. The rehearsal dinner was held at Tyler's Taproom, and I loved it. I had a delicious chicken sandwich with garlic fries, and we all enjoyed a few beers from the huge variety on tap, Tyler's was definitely a place I could see C & I hanging out if we lived in Durham - it was a great restaurant, and a fun atmosphere. I love local places!

The groom's mom made him this amazing cake for the rehearsal!

Best man & groom

Friday morning, I weaseled my way into a yoga session with the bridal party (what a great way to start the day!) then a few of us went out to get breakfast at yet another local joint, Daisy Cakes. The carnitas hash with a sunny-side-up egg was absolutely incredible. I was stuffed to the gills!

After breakfast, C went off with the boys to hang out and get ready for the day, and I ventured out with my in-laws (who were also in town for the wedding) to explore the area. We ended up at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. What a lovely way to spend a free afternoon!

Of course I found some maroon & orange - go Hokies!

We wandered the gardens for a while, enjoying the beautiful day and even more beautiful flowers and landscaping, before grabbing a quick lunch at Piazza Italia in Brightleaf Square (Brightleaf was another recommendation from Maddie - she set me up well!). Sun-dried tomato crostini with tomato basil soup was just what I needed to hold me over until dinner at the wedding. So delicious!

The wedding was on Friday night, and it was just perfect. The bride and groom have been together longer than I've even known C, and this was always something that was just meant to be. We had so much fun celebrating their marriage! The ceremony was so personal & so "them," the DJ was great, the drinks were flowing, and a fantastic time was had by all!

Our final stop before heading out of town on Saturday was for barbecue at The Original Q Shack (one last suggestion from Maddie!) - and this was possibly the best choice, ever. I may have died and gone to hangover heaven. The food was incredible! Smoked brisket, creamed spinach with jack cheese, loaded baked potato casserole, and hush puppies on the side. You guyyysssss. #foodcoma

C & I spent Sunday playing catch-up around the house - there was yard work, housework, laundry, grocery shopping, Halloween-candy-buying, and cooking, mixed with football on in the background (Cowboys AND Redskins lost... sad day for us).

This situation had to be addressed... these are the leaves from ONE tree in our yard!

Fun with the power blower. #ilookpissed

Think this is enough?? #nosuchthing

It should go without saying that we were wiped out by dinnertime. We collapsed on the couch with pot roast and wine to catch up on American Horror Story and watch the Walking Dead. It was truly a wonderful weekend for us - minus that darn car battery!

Travel Tales: NYC, Part 2

When I left off back in January, I'd gone through most of our pre-Christmas day trip to NYC. We had quite an adventure, and were heading towards one of our main destinations of the day: Ground Zero.

When I first started planning this trip, I knew that I wanted to try to fit in a trip to Ground Zero. That turned out to be more of a challenge than I expected - I didn't know that you needed to book timed-entry passes until just a few days before our trip, and I almost didn't get them. When I first looked at the site, there were entry times available for that Saturday, but I didn't get them right then, and the next time I looked, they were gone. However, a friend suggested to keep looking, as sometimes more entry times are added. I did that, and on Thursday managed to secure four tickets for late Saturday afternoon.

We took a taxi from Times Square to Ground Zero (so much easier than figuring out the subway or anything, and took us less time, too - and not so expensive, considering there were four of us in the cab) and got there about 45 minutes before our entry time. We found a hotel bar and had a beer and thawed out before making our way over.

Security at Ground Zero is obviously intense - lots of lines, and guards, and metal detectors. Everyone has to have a ticket to get in, and each ticket has a specific name printed on it. They warn you that you may be asked for photo ID (we never were). At one point, you have to go through metal detectors and take off coats, shoes, hats, etc. - it all seems rather thorough. I was surprised to find that everything moved quite smoothly, though, and before we knew it, we were standing in the middle of the site.

I will never forget those moments (and am actually tearing up a bit just thinking about it all again). It had gotten dark already (it was about 4:30 PM by then) and everything was lit up. It was surreal to be standing there, seeing those gigantic holes in the ground, hearing the rushing water, and seeing so many names. All my memories of September 11 flooded through me. I was young, just starting high school, when it happened, but my memories and mental images from that day are so vivid - and standing there, trying to imagine what it could have been like, was almost too much. It was a powerful, emotional experience.

The Survivor Tree

Those moments at the memorial are some that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

We finished out our day with dinner at an incredible restaurant -the Blue Planet Grill in the Financial District, right by Ground Zero.

As we excited the memorial, we tried to figure out what we should do next. We had a few hours left before we needed to catch the bus back home, so we could either go back to the heart of the city and find somewhere for dinner, or we could find dinner where we were and then go back. As we stood in the cold debating, my mom suddenly looked up and saw a sign right in front of us: the Blue Planet Grill. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, "multiple people told me to find this restaurant and eat there if I could!" ....Decision made. We tumbled into the restaurant, and were very, very happy to hear that, though they had a large reservation for the majority of the dining room in a few hours, they'd be happy to seat us for dinner then. Perfect!

I cannot say enough good things about BPG. It touts itself as a "global fusion" restaurant, with "liquid art" cocktails. The food was absolutely scrumptious. It's a bit of an eclectic menu, and so we had a variety of dishes. I went with the beef stroganoff, which I could have just passed out over. It was comfort food at its finest, with melt-in-my-mouth beef tips and a delicious, creamy gravy. I practically licked my plate! My mom had short rib tacos, while my dad went with homemade creamy mushroom soup and a Greek salad. C chose chicken kebabs, which were so tender and juicy. Everyone was happy with their meal, and we were so glad that we'd found our way into that restaurant - it was like it was meant to be! I also got ambitious and tried a new-to-me drink: a Moscow Mule! The homemade ginger beer absolutely made it. A little sweet, a little spicy - it warmed me right up. Yum! If you ever find yourself in the Financial District looking for a great place to eat, make a reservation at BPG. You won't regret it! I just wish we could have tried even more things on the menu.

Terrible photo, but that's my Moscow Mule in there!

To-die-for beef stroganoff

C's chicken kabobs and homemade chips

Greek salad

Dinner at the BPG was the perfect way to end our day in the city. We all climbed the bus back to DC absolutely stuffed, and happy as clams. All in all, I think the day turned out perfectly. We may not have seen all the tourist sites or checked a bunch of places off in a tourist guidebook, but we saw what we wanted to and enjoyed each others' company, and kept the day quite stress-free, to boot! I'm already looking forward to our next adventure in NYC!