birthday week

Hello, hello! Welcome to my birthday week! Growing up sharing a birthday with my older (by 12 years!) sister has made me somewhat of a birthday diva. Ok, a HUGE birthday diva. I will never forget that when I was little, I once declared: "It's my birthday; I can do whatever I want!" My mom shot that down really quick.

This year is somewhat different. Several months ago, I gathered a few close friends and booked a flight to Washington, DC for the weekend of my birthday. I even got my mom's blessing to "do whatever I want, within reason," which I'm taking as anything not illegal. I flight out this evening, and 2 local friends will join me tomorrow morning. Additionally, my friend Lane is coming in from Philly, friends from Baltimore (where I will be staying tonight) will be down, and, of course, DC-area friends will be joining the festivities!

I have so many exciting things to look forward to, but for tonight, I can't wait to get off the plane and have a glass of Ms. Zabad-Ale, a beer my friend Zach named after me for my birthday! 6.0% Belgian Whit, yummy!

He's punny.

I'm also planning to eat my way across DC, with reservations at Founding Farmers, an all-American, enviro-friendly restaurant; Kinkead's, a seafood brasserie that is like eating art - it's my favorite restaurant ever!; and brunch at The Getaway, which Bitches Who Brunch sold me on by mentioning their $15 bottomless bloodies AND mimosas - you had me at hello.

As for non-alcohol-related activities, I honestly don't have much planned. We have a Capitol tour and possibly a White House Garden tour, but I've done pretty much everything else typically touristy in DC. I'd like to visit the Holocaust Museum, as I've always declined (I'm sensitive). However, this is Lane's first visit, so I'm sure we'll do plenty of sight-seeing! And of course, shopping (we're staying practically on top of the Pentagon City Mall), and a trip to Georgetown Cupcake for my birthday cupcake! I'm sure I'll have plenty to review when I get back, but suffice it to say, I'm so happy to be surrounded by people who love and want nothing less for me this weekend than for me to do WHATEVER I WANT! :)

adventures in kitchenland

We've all been there. You spent a little too much money at the bar and too little at the grocery store, so you get creative with the random food you have in your house. Well. Sometimes this is successful, sometimes... not so much. After a couple of failures (Tostitos queso dip with farfalle as "mac'n'cheese"; "pizza" made out of Mexican cheese, marinara sauce, and a tortilla), I finally found a winner! Or two, actually. However, by a large margin, my el cheapo cornbread was a smashing success. I know my roommates, and, as predicted, the first batch lasted less than 24. In a house of 3. I knew I was on to something, so when I went home for Easter this weekend, I made these as a side for Easter dinner (I guess we're not so traditional). Pardon my terrible photos, particularly the lack of one of the final product. Just trust me, they're amazing.

Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 can corn with peppers
• 3 eggs
• 4 jalapenos
• 1 bag shredded cheese (I used Kraft Mexican cheese)
• Milk (optional)

This is so easy I can't even believe I'm explaining it. Preheat your oven to 400°. Line muffin tins - this made about 3 dozen for me. The only actual work you have to do is to seed and dice the jalapenos. Then put all that stuff in a bowl and mix it. Use like half the bag of cheese and save the other half. Don't mix it too much, and add some milk if it's too thick. 

Try not to eat it all raw.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins and let sit for about 4 minutes, then stir it up. I don't know why, that's just what the box said. I guess it makes it fluffier or something, somehow. Top with  the remaining cheese and bake for about 16 minutes. Try not to eat them immediately or you will burn yourself. 

Please note that no papers of the same color could be next to each other.

You can also do this in a baking pan but that just didn't seem to work as well for me. Also, that does nothing for limiting portion control, and trust me, it will be hard enough as is. I don't know the nutritional information for this or anything, and I don't care. It has corn and jalapenos in it, it's probably healthy. Or something.

My other foray into kitchen fun was a bit more experimental. Whenever I visit the Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets (hmmm... probably part of the reason I'm forced to eat all these weird concoctions...), I always pop into Le Gourmet Chef, or as I like to call it, the snack store. You know that place. They have like a million samples of their amazing dips that you're never going to buy in the first place because they're like $10 each. Well, first thing, I try Anna Mae's Wing Dip. I think this is new. I've never had it before at least. That stuff is really good. Like really good. Like I-almost-actually-bought-it good. Thank goodness my mom was there  to talk to sense into me. She's like, "Lorilea, do you know how easy that would be to make? Don't be ridiculous." So after stopping into the Pepperidge Farm outlet to pay $3 for a years worth of crackers and whatnot to accompany the dip, we had home to experiment.

This is good, but mine's better. Because it's cheap.

Like I said, there is no real set recipe for this. You just have to do it by taste. You will need:

• 1 package cream cheese (I used neufchâtel. It's healthy.)
• Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
• Dried minced garlic (NOT garlic salt!)
• Crumbled bleu cheese

Whip up the cream cheese a bit with a hand mixer. Now pour in some Frank's. I don't know, like a 1/3 of a cup to start? You'll use a fair amount, depending on how bold you want your dip. Now, my family likes bleu cheese, so I used a whole tub. You don't have to, but you should. Finally, add some minced garlic, to taste. Really, you should just keep tasting and adding stuff until you like it, but DO NOT use garlic salt. This stuff is salty enough as is. Serve with celery and pretzels.

Moral of this long-winded story, even though you may choose to have several liquid meals per week does not mean you have to end up eating ramen and terrible, misguided inventions.