wooo to welsh pop punk

heard this on the radio today. haha ohhhh so great. from 9th grade, yes??

free screening of leap year!

i personally think this movie looks a bit dumb but i'm all for seeing it for free! haha. and amy adams and matthew goode are adorableee so maybe it'll be a fun movie.

who wants to go?? i'm thinking bout doing milwaukee -- we could spend the day walking around and then end it watching this movie?? cuz honestly, barrington doesn't seem too exciting.

get ur free tickets hereee

another reason to love cotsco

COSTCO SELLS MINI BOTTLES OF PELLEGRINO. YESSSSS. you'll def be seeing me carrying these bad boys around the town!

the past decade in graphics

from nytimes --


(you can click the pic for a bigger view)

GENIUS!

"manly" cupcakes??? bahaha LAME

there's a cupcake place making news out of nyc. and no it's not magnolia (which i still NEEEED to visit). it's butch bakery ny, and their goal is to add a masculine aesthetic to cupcakes.

(photo from their website)

i'm all for finding ur niche and specializing in things. but cupcakes for men?? that's a bit redonk.

all that this company is doing is simply putting printed chocolate discs on top of cupcakes and calling them "manly" and unique. while some of their flavors do sound kind of cool ie their beer run (chocolate and beer-infused cake w/ a beer buttercream topped w/ crushed pretzels) and driller (maple cake w/ milk choclate ganache and bacon bits), the rest of them i've seen at other cupcake shops. (and uhh irish carbomb cupcakes rock both of those!) it just seems like their focus is on their brand and packaging. and when it comes to food -- these are stupid and usually are indication that it's a waste of money.

in case you're wondering, these cupcakes cost $56 for a dozen with shipping! THAT'S ALMOST $5 A CUPCAKE, PEOPLE.

to put things into perspective -- i can make 24+ cupcakes for $5, and that's if i use premium products. aka my cupcakes would be less than 1/20 of that price.

idk, i just feel like a man's man would think paying $5 for a cupcake ridiculous. and those who are foodies aren't embarrassed to get their specialty cupcakes from sprinkles and such.

so to butch bakery -- ur lame! and anyone else uncomfortable with their name???

ps who's up for a cupcake party soon??? i won't even charge you for anything ;)

getting closer to being a top chef...jk not really.

one of the great things about watching top chef was seeing the chefs do crazy methods of cooking that i'd never be able to do. one of these methods was sous-vide, which the v bros pretty much used every challenge last season.

for those of ya'll who don't know what sous vide is, it's basically putting something in a vaccum pouch and then cooking it water, where the temp kept at precisely where you want it. pretty cool huh? yeahh but the machines cost at least $1000 aka only baller chefs get to use it.

but now SousVideSupreme is making them for $450. whoaaa. they're trying to market these badboys for the everday home chef.

awesome...but $450!? that's still pretty redonk!! i say give it a few years and the price will go down dramatically. hmmmm college graduation gift poss?? (ha that's IF i graduate...) and ew, the thought of graduating and being done with college grosses me out.

anyways, thought i'd share! :)

i guess i should be grossed out, but i'm just hungry instead.

there is very little related to food that grosses me out. I remember watching super size me in health class soph year in high school and just craving mcdonald's food. and thisiswhyyourefat.com is just a dirtier version of food porn for me. (um....deep fried rueben balls!)

so i guess it should come as no surprise that this creation is just pure art to me --

(from eatingtheroad.com)

It's a Big McSausage Egg Surf & Turf Mac and is made from A Big Mac, Filet o Fish patty, McChicken patty, McMuffin egg, and sausage patty.

In total, this thing will cost you $7.71 and 1,730 calories. and -- you gotta go right at 10:30 to catch the breakfast and lunch menu.

haha yummmm.

Kentucky Christmas

courtesy of yumsugar

Ingredients

Handful of organic cranberries, picked over and rinsed
4 ounces organic cranberry juice
2 ounces bourbon

Directions

1. In a pint glass, muddle the cranberries until crushed (make sure not to pulverize the cranberries so much that you release the seeds' bitter taste).
2. Add a large handful of cracked ice, the cranberry juice, and bourbon, and stir.

i like cranberries. and obvs love bourbon...i wonder how this would taste though. def worth trying!

watch you'll be seeing me ordering cranberry whiskeys at the bars...

Current Obsession [december '09]

oh yeahhhh remember when i was doing this?? so yeah, the month's almost over but i might as well continue this thing

random things swongy likes right now:

1. adding a dash cinnamon into coffee grounds. read this on fabsugar the other day and decided to try it out since i'm without my beloved french press. it's sooo good! its adds a little bit of richness that i felt was lost with drip coffee (since apparently the filter paper absorbs the delicious essential oils...thanks google). for all of ya'll who hate flavored coffees (i'm one of them too), don't worry cuz it's not too strong (unless u add a shitton obvi)
2. cooking intense meals. i have soooooo much time on my hands now it's redonk. so i've made dinner twice already: i roasted a chicken and also pan-fried chicken breasts and made a ratatouille with it, which is a lot more complicated than i expected. (pics to comee!) i got the turkey carcass from chrismas din and def plan on roasting it/making a stock out of it.
   
3. minesweeeperrrrr. omg i forgot how addicting that game can be. and it stinks cuz i only want to play the expert level, which takes a good 4+ minutes per game aka i end up spending wasting half an hour and not realize it. i'm kinda rusty but i'll def announce when i get a good time haha. (cuz i know ya'll care sooooooo much)
   
4. having hbo on demand. wooooo. and they have some GREAT movies. and by great i mean old one that are super lame but fun haha. i mayyyy have seen one fine day twice already...
5. google reader. actually anything made by google. sooooo great/convenient.
6. reading random articles. just read one about restaurant menu psychology..haha.

for those who were cool and watched the sing-off

idk if they're supposed to be serious or not? but pretty catchy!!

stuff that i can't afford but loooooooooooove

random things things i've fallen in love with--

hunter now makes leather boots (which are waterproof btdubbs!)! how beautiful are they?!??! but they're like $500 :(. i'll be content with my wellies i guess. jk... i just found a pair for much cheaper on zappos! hm...maybe i can ask felix to buy me a pair..u know, since he and the fam went to the bahamas without me.

trina turk's kathleen cardigan. this picture doesn't really do it justice...the sequins are so pretty.


chloe's bow detail asymmetric top (on the left). yeahhh you know, it's only a little over $2k. nbd. but seriously...how amazing is that sleeve of bows!??!

say whaaaaat

http://www.chicagocupcakecrawl.com/cupcake/

BLACK DOG

Smoked brisket sandwich w/ twice baked potato casserole. YUMMMMMMM :)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

swongy's christmas playlist

enjoy! and yes...i am aware that some of these aren't really christmas songs haha

so true.

(207): winter break is gonna be like a weird mixture of rehab fat camp and holiday cheer.

i love john mayer?

johnny mayer was on ellen today. look how adorable is JM in his sweater (which is RL btw...total swoon!). i'm totes getting pumped for the holidays!!

loco for taco loco

At taco loco aka the last one on smile politely's list! Ill post my review later :)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

UPDATE --
so i actually have been having a weird taco phase. Since going to taco loco friday i have also had tacos from taco bell, los amigos and la bamba. ummm yeahhh i suck. and i reaaaallly need to get back to the gym once i get home haha. anywho my next post will just be a review on all four places. well -- maybe just 3... i don't think you need me to tell you about the awesomeness of taco bell haha

i guess i could've seen this coming..

the voltaggio brothers have their own website now! check it out hereee

ummm $5 says it'll be interesting for two weeks and then i'll forget about it. haha

ohhhh kevin g! (gillespie that is.)

wooo for referencing mean girls! haha. anywho, found a recipe from BACON JAM! check it out on yumsugar

ohh -- and I just read somewhere that kev and his wife of 6 years split right before they taped the finale :(

fun website!

http://food.theatlantic.com/college-cooking/

posts on college cooking? SAYY WAHAAAT. def liking this :) athough its not letting me follow them on google reader. boo.

sad that tc las vegas is over :(

not gonna ruin it for ya'll who haven't caught the finale yet.

but -- what did ya'll think??

can't wait till the reunion show next week. who bets jen and michael will admit they've been getting it on? haha

oh, and i had an idea of who was gonna win weds afternoon thanks to tina who found this on grubstreet. it's a scan of a page in this week's people which came out TUESDAY BEFORE THE FINALE. whooops haha. (obvs don't check it out if u don't want it ruined..)

so aMICEing. (i'm cool..)

found this from fabsugar.

these fashion-inspired cuties are $40. although they are super adorbs i don't think they're worth spending that much cash. but they're still fun to look at! each are supposed to be can you figure who each one is supposed to be??

EDIT 4:47 - just found out that the store, tratutti.com donates 20% of their proceeds to a charity of your choice. so maybe it is worth buying...haha

answer --- anna wintour, karl lagerfeld, coco chanel and betsey johnson.

Spotted at Friar Tucks

IT'S SNOWING!!!

yay because that means winter is here!

boo because its windy and cold. my hair froze on the way to class :(

"Who I Am" by Nick Jonas and the Administration

i think it's a great melody and i like the instrumentals. but it's a bit repetitive... curious to hear his other stuff.

thoughts???

fun plates!

check out what i found from yumsugar --

they're $8 for a pack of four. probs not worth the price...but still cool!

color of the year, eh?

pantone, the "world-renowned authority on colour" has announced the color of 2010 to be turquoise!

i feel like i've seen that color a lot somewhere. hmmmmm

adding to the list of chi-town restaurants i gotta go to

1. Edzo's
2. Smoque
3. Xoco
4. Alinea
5. The Publican
6. blackbird
7. avec
8. Big Star
9. C-House
10. Urban Belly
11. Epic Burger
12. The Drunken Goat
    

"grilled" chicken sandwiches

yeah...remember the time i said i'd post pics of meals i made?? whooooopsss. here's a sandwich laura and i had back in september during one of our many make-dinner-and-watch-top-chef dates --

the recipe was inspired by giada's rolled chicken sandwiches. here's our cheaper and easier way --

ingredients:
1 french loaf
one chicken breast
1 cup baby arugula
2 roma tomatoes
swongy's parsley "aoili"*
salt & pepper

*(her recipe seemed too complicated for our lazy selves. so we just smashed a clove of garlic into a paste, and added it to 1/4 cup of light mayo along with 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley, and the juice & zest of half a lemon. oh and salt and pepper to taste, duh)

we george foreman-ed chicken breast, and assembled the sandwiches. make sure to pack in a ton arugula. like legit, smush in as much as you can. and also add a generous amount of "aoili". oh and don't forget to add salt and pepper the sandwich when it's complete! (this is a fun tip i picked up from watching ina haha)

the sandwiches were delish but the bread was def too thick. sooo the next time we made these bad boys we scooped some of it out before toasting. and don't worry cuz it won't go to waste; the bread scraps can be used for croutons! wooo

we served these with roasted potatoes and had a jolly of a time watching tc.

watch out ya'll -- posts about croutons, roasted potatoes and more will come soon! i promise!!!

just sayin' (#2)....

why must the farmer's markets close at 1pm??

how do they expect me to wake up that early on a saturday? :(

$1 oatmeal at jamba!!!

yummmm. too bad it doesn't work at the one down here. haha.

day drinking isn't a sign of alcoholism...

...it's just following a new food trend! haha

this is according to the nytimes, which posted an article about "daytime drinking". i guess saying "daytime" makes it sounds a bit classier...

anywho apparently a lot of bars are recognizing the profitability of opening their doors during the day. they're coming up with *new* drinks that "either feed you or wake you up" and are more appropriate to drink while the sun's still out.

YES. MY LOVE FOR DAY DRINKING IS JUSTIFIED. wuddup.

(sorry if you're reading this mommy...)

EDIT 5:31 -- um, i just remembered that the bongo room has a fully stocked bar! yet another reason i love that place. blahh i need to turn 21 asap :(

i need an oversized black blazer PRONTO

check out these great outfits --

(1st one's from fabsugar, the 2nd's from the sartorialist)

ugh, look how these completely different outfits are completed by the black blazer. and -- i have pieces that could replicate each of these outfits. love love love preppy/grundgy/girly mix they both have!

you might be wondering -- the shopaholic swong doesn't have a black blazer? sadly, no since i've been trying to watch my spending. i tried on the father's and they were all too big :(. over break i found a reaaally fun black wool tuxedo-esque jacket at the brooks brothers outlet. it was slim-fitting but long. it was obvs reduced a lot from the original price but mother wasn't willing to buy it and i wasn't sure i wanted to spend the money on it (lets be real here, it's brooks brothers..so the reduction still wasn't too good for ze wallet). but after seeing these, i think i might go back over break and see if it's still there...

it'd be a good investment, right???

now 9/10 on the list. but swongy's not that excited.

so i had an earlier post about smile politely's list of top 10 restaurants that have opened in the past decade.

decided to check out thara thai for linner (meal btwn the times of lunch and dinner) with tina and laura.

the place is on bloomington rd right next to a econolodge. yeahhhhhhh

we were planning on getting food to go because a) the reviews said the place was kinda dirty and b) we could enjoy our thai with white wine in the apt and day drink. i hate how early it gets dark now..haha

once we got inside, we saw that the place wasn't dirty at all and we were def too hungry to bring the food home.

i ordered the basil chicken, laura: yellow curry w/ chicken, tina: beef pad see ew, and we shared an order of crab ragoons. my basil chicken was probs the worst i've ever had. it was basically pieces of chicken and veggies stir fried in a generic brown sauce with some basil leaves thrown in. it was so bland. we tried adding soy sauce but that just made it more like some random chop suey dish than basil chicken. it ended up working well for drunk food that night but otherwise it would've just taken space in the back of my fridge and then thrown out a few months later.

laura's yellow curry was alright. again, there was a lack of flavor. there was too much coconut milk and not enough spice. and there wasn't that much veggies either. but it def was better than the basil chicken.

but --our meal wasn't a total bust. tina's pad see ew, which was recommended by a review she read, was pretty good. it had a good balance between sweet and savory. the noodles were stir-fried well and had a good wok-iness* to them. the beef was flavorful, cut thin and tender. and they served it with chinese broccoli that was a little undercooked, leaving it crunchy and mustardy. you could taste each component separately and it wasn't a big pile of bleh like my basil chicken.
*(yeah sorry bout that but that's like direct translation from a chinese word i'd use in a convo with the 'rents. what i'm trying to say is -- the noodles were fried enough to have a little bit of burnt goodness... if you're still lost, sorry. i suck at explaining things.)

the reviews also reccomended the crab raggoons. i rarely eat crab raggoons because they're usually on the american side of menus and i forget about them. sorryyy. and like really...they're just fried wonton skins filled with cream cheese! but anywho we ordered them and they were actually pretty good! the cream cheese filling had some celery giving it some texture, which is always good in my book. and they added some spice to it to give some smokiness. all of that with the thai sweet and sour sauce made a great bite.

but would i go back to thara? probably not. while the crab raggoons and pad see ew were good, they weren't worth the money (the pad see ew was like $12 and the crab ragoons were $7) or the trek out there. overall, the place was expensive and very medicore, if not less. i would much rather go to basil thai.

now i'm nervous to go to taco loco aka the last one i haven't gone to on the list. if thara had failed me, how's taco loco gonna go??

ps- im gonna start brining my camera or taking pics on my phone so my posts are a little more interesting!

the most perfect competition ever

john mayer is just a ball of awesomeness. on top of being a great musician, beautiful man, and hilarious comic...homeboy also bakes!

last year he did "livebaking" on his blog, where he posted up pics while he was baking/decorating a christmas tree bundt. (it was actually kind of cool because he didn't say what he was doing so u just had to see what the next picture would reveal.) i tried to look for a pic but it's not on his blog anymore :(

After that, he held an interfaith holiday baking competition...where he asked people to submit pictures of holiday themed cakes they had made.

he's holding the competition again this year, and the winner will get FOUR CONCERT AND MEET&GREET TICKETS. ahhh.

holiday baking AND possible free jm tickets...need i say more??

the submissions are due by dec 29th.

lets bake and decorate over break bitchesssssss.