Pumpkin Oatmeal Protein Bars

I haven't been posting lately because I have been working (yay!) and spending a lot of spare time weight training and preparing for my first race. As part of my new workout plan I have also upped my protein, and one of my goals has been to come up with a protein bar that doesn't taste like cardboard. And since I also make them for my husband they have to be peanut butter free (he isn't allergic, just crazy--he doesn't like peanut butter!).

Its fall so I am buying cans of pumpkin regularly. I enjoy pumpkin oatmeal so I thought I would make a bar with a similar taste.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c oats
4 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs pumpkin spice
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/5 tbs ground flaxseed
1/4 c brown sugar
2 oz almonds, toasted
1/2 c coconut, toasted
3/4 c raisins
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c honey
3/4 c unsweetened applesauce
3/4 c canned pumpkin

Mix dry ingredients together and fold in wet ingredients. Spread in a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

 

High Protein Banana Pudding Shake

I have been experimenting again, this time with cottage cheese. My husband has been searching for new ways to increase his daily protein intake so I started seeking out high protein shake recipes. I discovered that a shake made with cottage cheese AND whey protein makes for a super high protein shake. If you have looked at my recipes before you know that I put frozen bananas in all my smoothies. I love the consistency and the sweetness without adding sugar. Well I made a shake I found online that was supposed to taste like birthday cake and after a few tweaks (including the bananas!) I concocted a shake that tasted like banana pudding. No, really! And don't let the cottage cheese scare you. Once you throw it in the blender and smooth it out you won't have to worry about your smoothie having curd chunks. I personally do not like cottage cheese and get slightly nauseated looking at it. But throw it in a smoothie and I don't even taste it. For realz.

Banana Pudding Protein Shake!
SERVES 2
1 banana, frozen
2 scoops vanilla whey protein
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs brown sugar (optional, of course--I would skip this if using a protein powder that is already sweetened)
1- 1 1/2 cup skim milk (to desired thickness)
1/8 tsp xantham gum

1. Throw it all in the blender.
2. Tada! A high protein (over 40g) shake!

Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake

Today I was craving something sweet. Decadent. Chocolatey. That is what led me to an idea that should have been obvious sooner...a peanut butter cup shake! I love peanut butter. It is a food I could easily live on. It is also high in protein and can be nutritious (in moderation and without added sugar). In my mind nothing goes better with peanut butter than chocolate. Not even jelly! Its such a great combination. I  can't understand why my husband hates peanut butter, even if it is covered in chocolate. Freak.

So here is a little high protein shake I whipped up and enjoyed immensely. It satisfied my sweet tooth. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

1 cup lowfat chocolate milk
1 scoop chocolate protein (I like Optimum Whey in Double Rich Chocolate)
1 tbsp of natural peanut butter (read the ingredients!)
1/2 a frozen banana

Blend and indulge.

Mochanut Smoothie

This is something I have been dreaming up for a while because I LOVE chocolate and coconut combination and I had a brief love affair with the mocha coconut frappucino at Starbucks when it first came out. Now, as you check out the recipe I want you to keep in mind that you can adjust the level of coconut flavor. If you aren't a fan of shredded coconut, skip it. If you want to make your drink have a more intense coconut flavor you can try coconut mocha coffee (Donut Shop makes it for the Keurig), coconut yogurt (Dannon and So Delicious make coconut yogurts) or even use a coconut protein powder (BSN Lean makes a chocolate coconut candy bar flavor), just keep in mind that this will give your drink an intense fake coconut flavor. I personally am not a fan of artificial flavors, which is why it took me a long time to even find a chocolate protein powder that I found acceptable. My husband is a fan of Optimum Whey (its next on my list to try) and I am finishing up a bottle of Jillian Michael's Triple ChocolateShake. I like it because it doesn't contain artificial sugars. You can find it at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club. Anyway, make substitutions and play with the recipe until you get your desired amount of coconut flavor.

Behold, the Mochanut!

Mochanut Smoothie (Serves 2)-Amended 07/22/12


One cup strong brewed coffee, chilled
1 small banana, frozen
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1 tbs unsweetened cocoa
1/2 C plain or vanilla yogurt (or coconut!)
1/2 C light canned coconut milk*
2 Tbs unsweetened shredded coconut** (optional)
Pinch of Xanthan Gum (optional--for a creamier smoothie)


Blend and enjoy!
Calories per serving: 228

*You can use the coconut milk of your choice here and there are lots of options. I have tried it with the kind in a carton (there is a difference between actual coconut milk and milk made from a coconut. I think the canned coconut milk gives a richer coconut flavor but its all about personal taste).
**Unsweetened shredded coconut can usually be found in the freezer section with the frozen fruit.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Cherry Sauce

Yesterday I had a problem: I had an open bottle of Malbec that had gotten too much air. I needed to do something with with it, and why waste it? I also had an abundance of cherries. So I hopped online and found a red wine chocolate cake from Smitten Kitchen. You can't go wrong with a recipe from that site. I made the cake as directed but I did not make the whipped mascarpone because I didn't feel like going to the store. I am sure it would enhance the flavor. Instead I topped it with whipped cream and this red wine cherry sauce. I must say it was quite tasty. I could eat the cherry sauce by itself. I think if I did this again I would poke holes in the cake and and top it with the sauce to let it soak in. Mmmm.  And I would LOVE to try it with the mascarpone. Here is a picture. Start drooling.

Chicken Alfredo-Healthified

Chicken Alfredo is a classic comfort food and as often as we try to be good and eat healthy let's face it...sometimes we just want a bowl of creamy pasta. I think my husband could live on meat and pasta and he loves alfredo. He has done so well to lose 25lbs and I am very proud of him. And how does he lose weight when he loves meat and carbs? His sneaky wife. That's right. I find ways to make classic recipes healthier, making him filling lunches with veggies and complex carbs (no more bacon for him!), and making him a fruit filled protein smoothie every morning.

Recently I found this recipe for Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo and tweaked it to cut some calories (but not taste!). It gives you the satisfaction of a creamy pasta dish without as much guilt. Bonus: it's quick, cheap, and makes a lot of food!

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo--Healthified!


2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces
Salt & Pepper
Low calorie olive oil spray, such as Pam
14 oz package of whole grain linguini*
2 cups of fresh or frozen broccoli
2 cans of low fat condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup skim milk
1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese made with 2% milk


*You can also use Ronzoni Smart Taste. In fact its preferred in my house but they don't make a linguini. Their spaghetti or penne would make a nice substitute!


1. Cook pasta according to directions. You can throw in broccoli florets during the last 4-5 minutes of cooking OR if you have a picky eater that isn't fond of veggies I reccomend steaming the broccoli and pureeing it in a food processor. Be sure to drain the pasta and if cooking broccoli separately, drain that as well.


2. While pasta is cooking, get the chicken ready. Season to taste with salt and pepper (a little garlic powder is good too! Whatever floats your boat). Spray a large pan with nonstick spray and cook chicken until cooked all the way through. Stir frequently to ensure even cooking.

3. Put linguini, soup, milk, and cheese together in a pot and stir frequently over low heat until there are no lumps in your soup. Turn off heat and toss in chicken and broccoli (if broccoli was not already in linguini) . Top with a little extra cheese when serving if you are feeling extra naughty.


Serves 8. Calories per serving (not counting any extra naughty cheese) approx. 384.

Whoopie for Whoopies!!!

I had a friend that loved red velvet. I have never been big on red velvet because its a cake that can't make up its mind...its a little vanilla, a little chocolate, and for some reason you dye it red. I don't get it. Its gotten really popular though. I see red velvet ice cream, red velvet cheesecake, and at the Mississippi state fair I even saw red velvet funnel cake. Anyway, she wanted red velveet whoopie pies for her birthday. A friend and I did a lot of recipe reading to find something that would have the right texture. That is the trick with whoopie recipes...a lot of them make a flat, cookie sandwich and that's great...if you want a  cookie! But for a whoopie pie you want a fluffy cake.

We found a fantastic recipe that we paired with a mascarpone filling. Whoopies are traditionally filled with a marshmallow creme based filling. I don't like to use a marshmallow filling for two reasons:

1. Its way too stinkin' sweet.
2. When you think red velvet you think cream cheese frosting. And what is better than cream cheese frosting? Not much in my book!!!

Mascarpone is a lovely Italian (if you are from Oklahoma that is pronounced Eye-talian) cheese that comes in a tub and can be found with all the fancy schmancy cheeses at your local fancy schmancy grocery store. Don't go looking at Walmart; they don't have it. Trust me. This cheese has a light and creamy texture. It is smooth and spreadable like butter and is not as heavy as regular cream cheese. I like to spread it on warm toast...mmm...where was I? Oh, I think this is the perfect cheese this recipe because it isn't too intense, but it has a nice flavor that helps keep your filling from being ridiculously sweet.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

You can find the Better Homes and Gardens delicious red velvet whoopie pie recipe here. See below for the mascarpone filling (its way better than the marshmallow filling. Really!). I would like to point out two things about the BHG recipe:

 1. I always use two heaping tablespoons of cocoa to give it a little more chocolate flavor.
2. I make small whoopies and it takes 10-11 minutes for them to bake in my oven. Just be sure to test them with a toothpick and keep an eye on them the first time so you know how long it takes to bake them in your oven. I also recomment using a cookie dough scoop to scoop the batter so that the whoopies are uniform (they are easier to put together that way. Otherwise you will be hunting around for similarly shaped whoopies to put together). Use parchment or silicone mats on your pants to make your life easier.  I use silicone mats and spray them with Baker's Joy before scooping batter onto the pans. They come off perfectly every time.

Mascarpone Filling
5tbs unsalted butter
1 8oz tub mascarpone cheese
1.5tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups of powdered sugar (according to taste)

1. Throw all of the ingredients in your stand mixer or whip up with your hand mixer until fluffy.
2. Try not to eat it before you put it on the whoopies.
3. Enjoy!

Sunrise Smoothie

I love pineapple. I think I could eat it every day. But if I want to get my husband to enjoy it, it has to be in a smoothie. This is a favorite in our house. It is another one that I came up with by throwing ingredients together, although I am sure its not original...everyone knows pineapple, orange, and banana are a winning combination! I don't usually measure, and I encourage you to play with the measurements to get the smoothie to the consistency you like.

Sunrise Smoothie Recipe

1/2 banana, frozen
1 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 cup fresh orangejuice
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Blend and enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie

I love smoothies. I love them because they are quick, healthy (if you do it right) and I can get my husband to drink them. This is a man that doesn't care for fruit (freak!). This is one of my ways of making sure he gets something besides meat and bread in his diet!

At first I strictly followed recipes. But now after making so many I have been getting pretty good at just making up smoothies based on what's in the kitchen. I have developed a few really good ones that way and I wanted to share. Here is my recipe for a chocolate covered cherry smoothie!

1 cup of cherries, pitted (I used bing cherries)
1/2 banana, frozen
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
1/4 plain nonfat yogurt (I am sure vanilla or cherry would be good too!)
1/2-1 cup skim milk (depending on desired consistency)

Blend and enjoy!

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

Gerald turned 30 last month and I told him I would make whatever he wanted as a birthday treat. He loves chocolate malt balls. If we go to the movies he has to get Whoppers. If we go to get ice cream he gets a chocolate malt. Chocoalte + malt= heaven for Gerald. So naturally he wanted chocolate malt cupcakes. Challenge accepted.

I decided to do a nice moist chocolate cake with a chocolate malt buttercream. I have a fabulous chocoalte cake recipe from Baked: Baked Explorations. These guys have two cookbooks and two bakeries. I have both books, been to one of the bakeries, and have a Baked coffee cup that I adore. I trudged two miles in the pouring rain from a subway station in Brooklyn to visit their shop and it was so totally worth it. They make fantastic desserts and coffee. Whenever I am making a cake it is always from one of their books. Their cakes are moinst and delicious and the frostings are flavorful without being heavy. Oh and if you do have their books and you are wondering, yes I have made the brewer's blondies with malted milk balls for my husband (and they are freaking spectacular).

Anyways, you can tell if a chocolate cake is going to be moist and flavorful if the recipe calls for sour cream. Its just magical. And the dark brown sugar gives the cake depth. It wasn't hard for me to decide which chocolate cake recipe to use because this one is just amazing. Naturally I am too lazy to type it out, but go over here to find the cake recipe (and buy their books! Do it!). I have not made the coffee buttercream that is on the post I linked to, but I will. I love coffee in everything. I have a coffee brownie recipe that will knock your socks off. Mmmm...


Ok, so the recipe above is for a three layer cake. I think it made two and a half dozen cupcakes. Keep that in mind! I frosted these bad boys with a buttercream from the amazing Dorie Greenspan. I am dying to get her book: Baking from my Home to Yours. I haven't done it yet, so I grabbed this recipe off the internet (Okay okay I found it on Pinterest). Here is the recipe with some great instructions. There was enough to frost all of those darn cupcakes. I piped on the frosting and stuck a Whopper in the middle. Cute and delicious. Seriously one of the best cupcakes I have ever made. And I have made a loooootttttttt of cupcakes. Really. Enjoy!

Happy Mardi Gras Ya'll!

My first carnival season here in southern Louisiana is nearly over, and I have thoroughly enjoyed taking pictures, catching beads, drinking cans of Abita, and dancing on the sidewalk. So far we have been to two parades in the town we live in (Selene and Dionysus), and have gone to New Orleans for Endymion (which involved sitting in the pouring rain waiting for the parade to start. It was worth it though!), Thoth, Bacchus, and the Box of Wine parade.

We have TONS of beads and cups, and various other trinkets....

I even caught a few stuffed animals for Magnus. He deserved a special toy after I made him wear beads:

Throw me somethin' mister!

I have already been on Pinterest searching for craft ideas so I can upcycle all of these beads. I might make a few wreaths for friends and some bead trees. So far these are the crafts I have done:

Mardi Gras Wreath

Bruno helped me with my wreath...

Candle holder: leftover beads and vase and votive holder from Dollar Tree

We were invited to a party and were asked to bring something to eat. In addition to throwing together dip and a few other snacks, I of course decided to make cupcakes. I wanted to make a cupcake that would really capture the essence of the king cake. I think I came pretty close; I would just add a bit of nutmeg and maybe thin out the cinnamon and brown sugar swirl with more butter. Still, these cupcakes were pretty fabulous if I do say so myself.

KING CAKE CUPCAKES

For the cake I made a yellow cake (okay it wasn't quite yellow cake because I didn't go with all egg yokes and used whole eggs, but pretty close). I wanted something moist that I could swirl cinnamon filling throughout. FYI this recipe makes 18 cupcakes. I will try to change it so that it makes a more logical number at some point.

Cake:

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

2tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Filling: 

 1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tbs ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

3 tbs unsalted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin pans. Stir together all ingredients for filling (brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, melted butter) until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Fill muffin cups a third of the way. Add tablespoon of cinnamon mixture and swirl with toothpick. Top with more batter until muffin cups are approximately 2/3 full. Top with additional cinnamon mixture and swirled (if desired--I like lots of cinnamon goodness!).

   

   Swirl Cinnamon into Batter

   
   

   

   Top with more batter until 2/3 full. Add more cinnamon filling if desired.

4.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool completely before frosting.

 

Vanilla Cream Cheese Buttercream

3 cups confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup butter

3 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

 2 tbs half and half

In a stand mixer, mix sugar, butter, and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add half and half, a tablespoon at a time, until creamy and at the consistency you want.

Mmmm...frosting

Decorating note:

I am too cheap to spend $8 on a jar of colored sugar to decorate my cupcakes. It just ain't gonna happen. So, I whipped up some colored sugar. Its easy enough, especially if you have liquid food coloring. You just add a few drops and stir. If, however, you are like me and only use the Wilton gel colors, you might find that gel does not mix smoothly with sugar. Got vodka? Add a few drops and it will smooth those little lumps of color gel. And don't worry, your sprinkles won't taste like vodka and you won't get your kids drunk. But don't take my word for it...hell I don't even have any kids. 

Tada! Yummy.

Christmas Crafting and Baking Spectacular

Happy New Year Ya'll!!!

It has been a while since I have posted. The holidays and Pinterest have been taking up much of my spare time! Pinterest has caused me to spend a lot of time at my local Hobby Lobby and give out a lot of homemade gifts for Christmas.

It even helped me with my Halloween costume.

I was black swan for Halloween. I made the tutu myself!

I made hair bows and tutus for my nieces for Christmas, toy boxes for the nephews, cranberry liquor for my girlfriends, and lots of baked goods for everyone. 

And I do mean LOTS of baked goods. I was out of control. Ask my husband. Flour was flying, my mixer was trying to burn out, and the dog was scared to come in the kitchen. But I was determined to use up all of my chocolate, powdered sugar, and get the baking out of my system for a while because moving to Louisiana has made my pants smaller, and we have sworn to be extra careful until Gerald's 30th birthday (March 21) when we will relax the rules a bit and I will make him whatever he wants. So, here is what I made:

Grasshopper Cake (chocolate cake with chocolate mint ganache and mint buttercream)

The recipe comes from one of my Baked cookbooks (New Frontiers in Baking). The result was a moist flavorful cake that wasn't overwhelmingly sweet or rich. It was a hit!

Gingerbread Whoopies with Nutmeg Brown Butter Filling

I took the recipe for the whoopies from the McCormick spice website. Rather than using their recommended lemon creme filling, I made a basic brown butter frosting and added nutmeg to taste. I am sure cinnamon would also be good. The whoopies were more cookie-like than a traditional whoopie, but it was a great flavor--especially for people that don't like their gingerbread too spicy.

Nutella Cookies

The recipe for these can be found here. I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of hazelnut and therefore not big on Nutella, but these cookies are friggin' awesome. They are rich and brownie like. Great with milk!

The "Baked" Brownie

The recipe for this brownie comes from the same book as the grasshopper cake. Can you tell I love this book? There isn't a bad recipe in eitehr of their books. When I lived in Connecticut I even checked out their shop in Brooklyn. It involved a two mile walk in the pouring rain but it was totally worth it. They have the best coffee, brownies, blondies, and bars ever. Period.

These brownies are delicious. Can't you just see their fudgy goodness in the picture? This is definitely one of my favorite brownie recipes.

Soft Sugar Cookies

The recipe for these cookies can be found on this blog. I made these for my brothers' kids and they were a hit. These are soft and chewy just like the ones you buy at a bakery. I did make one change; I added the powdered sugar until the frosting was the desired consistency rather than using the recommended amount. I think this recipe uses too much powdered sugar.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Cream Cheese Buttercream

For the cake I use a Texas sheet cake recipe that belonged to a friend's family. The recipe for the frosting, however, can be found here. I already knew the cake would be good because I have made it several times, but this was my first time making this frosting. This frosting is SUPER yummy. I licked the bowl clean after I had frosted the cupcakes. Mmm mmm.

Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes

For this recipe I used the same Texas sheet cake recipe (I was going to make a vanilla cake but I was running out of time) and this Nutella swiss meringue buttercream recipe. Swiss meringue takes lots of patience. Lots and lots and loooottttss of patience. It didn't get quite as fluffy as I had hoped, but it was still light and airy and complemented the cupcakes nicely.

And finally...

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been on a quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, so I tested out the classic Neiman Marcus recipe found here.  It was pretty good, but not as good as this recipe (my #1 so far). These are definitely a close second. I also made a peanut butter lovers cookie, but I forgot to take a picture of it. I am big on peanut butter but my husband isn't so I don't make sweets involving peanut butter very often. These peanut butter cookies have a fantastic texture. One of my friends described them as little pillows of heaven. =)

Well, that was all the baking I did in roughly two days. Pretty much everything was eaten, and it was all a hit. This was the first year in a long time that I could drive home for the holidays, so I really went all out with the homemade goodies!

Live to Eat!

There is a reason "We Live to Eat" is the motto for the Louisiana New Orleans Restaurant Association; it is the same reason I need to put elastic waistbands in all of my pants. There are just too many delightful, delicious, and unique foods here. In the six weeks since we moved to Slidell, I have already sampled enough local fare to blog about it! Unfortunately I have failed to take pictures of any of the magical food we have had, but I am going to tell you about some of it.

One of the first places we went was Copeland's. Copeland's is known for their cheesecake, among other things. How could we not go for one called "Killed by Chocolate"? Needless to say that evening ended with me wearing stretchy pants and lying around and groaning in misery. But it was worth it.

We also had to try gator. I was pessimistic at best. We actually went to a place in Slidell known for seafood called Vera's. I tried some of their seafood, and honestly I had better when I lived in Connecticut. Meh. BUT, we decided to get an alligator sausage appetizer and OH DEAR GOD it was tasty. Juicy, flavorful, and served with remoulade.

When making the trip to Metairie to check out some local stores, we decided to hit a place that I had been told about by a friend in Connecticut that used to do a lot of business in New Orleans. Dragos's is known for charbroiled oysters. That's right, charbroiled. These bad boys are covered in butter, cheese, and I think garlic, if I remember correctly. They were so good that I would have licked the shells if I didn't think I would get strange looks from the neighboring table. Gerald, who doesn't even like oysters, loved them. I could go for some right now...and it is is 9am. Mmm mm. I did snag a picture of the oysters, although my phone does not do them justice.

A few weeks ago we went to the French Market. Gerald was feeling nostalgic for a place he went to back when he had a friend at Tulane he would visit. There are a lot of friend chicken joints in NOLA, and the one we went to, Fiorella's, is nice because it is laid back and not touristy-y. We each got a couple of pieces and a side. The sides were decent but the chicken...ooooohhhh. Crispy, juicy, and not greasy. In short, heaven on a plate!

Recently, we also tried something called swamp fries at a local restaurant in Slidell. Chesterfield's is known for having a unique menu ( I hear their pb&j burger is good, but I am scared). I selected a small salad as my main course because there was just no way we weren't indulging in swamp fries prior to a our meal. Imagine a pile of salty fries covered in cheese and a meat based gravy. Ok, it sounds kind of gross. It is like southern style poutine (if you have not had poutine, you clearly have not been to Canada). But it was disgustingly addictive.

Last Saturday for Jamie's birthday we ended up at a gay bar in New Orleans, the 700 Club. Not only did they have one of the best Long Island iced teas I have ever had, but they had deep fried mashed potatoes. I was starving and intrigued, so I went for it. They were so good that I think Gerald and I devoured them in one minute flat. I could eat those damn things every day. It is a good thing we joined a gym a few weeks ago! 

And yesterday, I tried a snow ball. Oklahoma friends, don't call them snow cone because they will know you aren't from Louisiana. It is a snow BALL. I tried a nectar cream snow ball. I still am not quite sure what it was, exactly. I can't even describe the flavor. It was sweet and a little fruity, but not really. I don't know. But it was refreshing.

And lastly, last night I had gas station chicken from a place called Krispy Krunchy. It was close midnight and we had just left Midsummer Mardi Gras. We were hot, tired, and hungry (and my friend Jamie was druunk. yes, drunk with two u's!). He suggested we try the place and being open minded and hungry, we did. Now, Jamie doesn't exactly live in the nicest part of town. Not the worst either, but there was some interesting people watching at the gas station near his house. Although, he was equally good to watch after all the beer he drank during the parade! So after picking up more beverages (Gerald selected a fine gas station wine: Night train!) we grabbed some fried chicken and honey butter biscuits. Let me tell you, those biscuits were fabulous. Fabulous! Melt in your mouth delicious. I was shoving that biscuit in my mouth while driving because I couldn't wait. And the chicken was pretty good too. Better than KFC, and you can get gas and booze at the same time. WIN.

Here is Gerald enjoying some delicious Night Train. ;) Enjoy!