Wednesday is NOT for Whining. BUT.

Good day Sizzlers! I've been taken hostage by work and allergies. So I interrupt your workday to bring you "Things I'd Rather Be Doing". MainSqueeze and I kind of had a joke about this a while back, where we'd be doing something and say "Man, this would be so much better if we were drinking a beer, playing golf". So, today, I wish that my eyeballs weren't itching like CRAY, and I wish I could just be outside. It's Hump Day, so I know the week is almost behind us, so here is some motivation for you to push through. 

Somewhere over the rainbow....

A little beach scenery? I'll be on this very beach in just about 8 weeks. I'M EXCITED.

I'm so excited. And I just can't hide it. 

If the beach isn't your style, then perhaps this peaceful lake scene will quell your mid-week jitters. Please bask in the beauty of the rockstack that me and MainSqueeze put together for your viewing pleasure. 

It rivals Stone Henge, no?

And if you're STILL feeling peaky, click HERE and enjoy my "SPRING.SPRANG.SPRUNG" playlist. If this doesn't cure what ails you, then.....well I don't know. I hope your weeks are going well and I'll see you back here tomorrow! 

Weekend Update (But not with Seth Meyers)

'Ello Sizzlers! I hope you had a great Easter weekend and got to have some down time and relax. My inability to blog was caused by the food & wine coma that I'm STILL recovering from. (Not to worry, there will be a long run tonight)

This weekend was phenomenal, quite the chart topper. It started with a half day on Friday, which is always nice. MainSqueeze and I got the weekend started Thursday night at Boheme to celebrate a friend's birthday. We found a new favorite cocktail too; the Old June. What a great name, and what a delightful spring time refresher. We will definitely be re-creating this. 

We tried the Old June (favorite by far) and the Garden Poppy.

We may or may not have gone to a wine bar afterwards and split a bottle of this delightful red blend. ALSO please notice MainSqueeze's sleek and amazing timepiece. (More to come when I publish the Man Style Guide)

Friday morning, we ventured out to Tacos Tierra Caliente (the amazing Taco Truck) by West Alabama Ice House and tried their breakfast tacos. WHOA. For a mere 7 monies, we ate so so much, and even had leftovers. I highly recommend any of the tacos and the Chilaquiles were #NOMCITY. 

Post breakfast coma, we knew the day was too pretty to waste, so we headed out with golf clubs and running shoes to Memorial Park. We ran until we saw sand volleyball courts, and 2 hours and a totally rad racerback sunburn later, we were dehydrated and ready for a break. We popped a few cold ones open and headed out for the driving range. We obviously were starving after all the activities, so we grabbed some fried chicken sliders at Canyon Creek and split a frozen mimosa to take the edge off our increasing hunger.

Dinner date night was at Brenner's on the Bayou. We sat on the patio and had some steaks. The overall ambiance is really fun, and the views are awesome, but we were both kind of just OK with the food. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best steak I've had. But we still had a great time. 

My toes glowed in the barlights outside on the patio. MainSqueeze's boots did not glow unfortunately. 

Saturday morning consisted of a marathon trip to the grocery store to prep for Easter Sunday's meal and MainSqueeze played golf while I lounged at the pool and caught up with amigos. Post pool/golf consisted of riding bikes around town to some local watering holes, and a late night meal: Linguine with LittleNeck Clams. It was not as successful as I'd have liked it to be, but alas, we scarfed it down.  I'd post the recipe but I'll save it for later in order to avoid this being a monster blog post!

EASTER TIME! Sunday morning was go-time. I had marinated my leg of lamb overnight, so I popped her in the oven and got to roasting. FACT: I am really really bad at math. So naturally, I had to leave church in the middle of the service to go home and change the roast temperature and add the veggies.... I know. 

However, the final result was amazing. Talk about a food coma. 

Roasted Asparagus with Gruyere and a lemon butter sauce.

Leg O' Lamb with roasted taters and the asparagus. We started with an arugula salad with dried Montalcino Cherries and chopped almonds. 

My mama happens to be quite the cook herself, and she brought over her world-famous Tres Leches cake. I can't even begin to tell you how good this cake is. It's just unreal. 

Fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream. #NOM

Of course we all got Easter Baskets. Of course I gorged myself on chocolate. And cake. And leftovers. Sigh. At least we made an attempt to be active when we capped off the night with a bike ride, some croquet and bocce ball, and the latest episode of Game of Thrones. 

This precious nugget stared us all down during lunch. How can you say no to this face!?

And there you have it my friends, the Easter Weekend Recap. Phew. Any interesting things on your end? Pray tell.... 

Thirsty Thursday. 21 & Up Por Favor

Hola Sizzlers! It has been an eventful morning; it downpoured and rained cats and dogs (luckily I got to wear my Hunter Wellies to work...I work in marketing...Wellies are acceptable.) Then I rushed into the office to work on a new project only to find that the other half of the creative dept. was filming some sort of commercial/ad/something....at the row where I sit. An hour later I finally got to sit and work. RAR. 

As I stared out the window waiting for my desk to be evacuated by the person wearing a straw hat and floaties (don't even ask!) I was trying to think happy thoughts. Naturally, after thinking about puppies and beaches, I thought how nice a glass of wine might taste later on this evening. 

Before you do anything, click here, play this song, and read along. You're welcome. 

Red Red Wiiiiiiine. (& Champers) Girl's night out at Provisions. 

It's no secret I love me some red wine. My penchant for wine has followed an interesting path; starting with the magnums of Rosé and Moscato that I started with in college (gag!) and then I got real classy and only sipped Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. Then the white wine phase died. To the day, I can only handly maybe one glass of crisp white wine with a full meal, otherwise count me out. 

It's alllll about the red, amigos. Once I started, I couldn't stop. Throw in my little jaunt to Italy 2 summers ago, and it's fair to say I'm a budding connoisseur. 

So, in the spirit of Thirsty Thursday, and the fact that Easter is upon us and it's a custom in the Sizzle Household to indulge in a glass or two (or maybe more, who knows) during the Easter feast, I shall be showering you with some of my favorites. Now, for my beer drinkers, I even saved a spot for you. I love beer, but we'll save that for another post! Maybe I'll even go wild and do a hard liquor post... But for now, we shall indulge in the delightful world of the red. 

DISCLAIMER: I try to keep these all on a reasonable budget. It's always nice to splurge, but when you also have a taste for J.Crew and shoes....well...yeah. 

A delightful Cabernet Franc.

I tried this wine with a dear friend who used to slang wine here in Houston, and she was spot on with this recommendation. It's sexy (because it's French) and has a rich, dark and spicy element. Click here for more in depth reviews. 

Merlot

Ok, fine. I'll be honest. I really was drawn to the label first, but I really do love Independent Producers. They give good wine. This Washington wine is not too sweet in the way of Merlot, and was super smooth and delightful. Click here for more info. 

I'm a huge fan of Pinot Noirs and red blends, and this bottle was great for the price. It has a very full flavor, but doesn't punch you in the tastebuds. A great wine to pair with a meal instead of just on its own. 

GO BUY THIS NOW BEFORE I DRINK IT ALLLLL.

Now for one of my current favorites. THIS.IS.AMAZING. I tried this wine initially at Dolce Vita over pizza and a Caprese, and was really impressed. I went to Central Meerkat a few days later and found it for an incredible price. I keep it in my house all the time now. This earthy Italian is cultivated in volcanic soil so you get some great mineral notes (which I love!) and apparently the volcanic soil lends itself to health benefits? SURE. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. More info here. 

Dark & Fruity

I had a glass of this a Paulie's recently and was very impressed. Dark and violety, and just lovely all over. Very well priced and very well reviewed. 

Ciao amore

This is another great Italian. VERY well priced, and very tasty. It's so good someone at Forbes decided to write about it. Read it here. 

How could you not like it? It has an OWL on it!!

And now for my beer drinkers. Half of the allure of this beer was that it was illegal to sell in Texas, but in the last 6 months or so (maybe even longer) it's been making it's way in! (legally!) Central Meerkat has it and Paulie's has been selling some too. I first tasted it over fresh gulf oysters in NOLA, so the experience was just insane. It's a white beer with citrus notes and I can't get enough. Just be careful because too many of these can HURT the next day. Not that I know from experience. Just what I heard. 

And there you have it my friends. The inaugural Thirsty Thursday. So finish your work, go home, and pour yourself a little something. Because TheSizzle told you so; you definitely deserve it!

Cheers, Chin Chin, Salut, Santé, 1,2,3, DRINK (like in college)

Hoppy Hump Day

Bonjour sizzlers and Hoppy Hump Day. 

Last night I got together with some girlfriends and some delightfully Easter pink rosé. Since the Easter spirit is upon us, we made.... A BUNNY CAKE. 

Feast your eyes on this beauty. 

Mr. Bunny in his fluffy (shaved coconut) glory. Is that bowtie Vineyard Vines?

We were so proud of him that we didn't even eat him. 

For ACTUAL Easter, I've start menu planning and here's what I have so far:

-Roast Leg o' Lamb with new potatoes

-Some sort of delightful salad

-Some sort of delightful appetizer

-Easter spirit Tres Leches Cake. 

-Any suggestions? I'm all (bunny) ears!

Meyer Lemon Red Snapper

Buenos Dias amigos! Hopefully this weather hasn't forced you into hibernation. It almost got the best of me this morning, especially since I've stored away the majority of my winter clothing. 

Is it just me, or did Easter sneak up on us? I can't even understand how it's already here. However, if it means summer is around the corner, then SIGN.ME.UP. 

In the springy spirit of things, I'm going to share with you a delightful light and fresh springtime recipe. 

A couple weeks ago, Central Meerkat was running a special on freshly caught Redfish. I took advantage of this and headed home on my merry way with the following ingredients for 

MEYER LEMON RED SNAPPER & WILTED SPINACH:

Thangs you need:

- Non-stick pan for pan searing your fish

-2 Meyer lemons

-Salt & Pepper to taste

-Olive Oil

-Any herb you'd like to add on, I usually would go with some Dill here, but I couldn't find fresh Dill so I went naked and herbless

-2 bags of baby Spinach

-Coconut oil for cooking your spinach (I'm really into coconut oil for cooking nowadays. I totally get that some people hate the taste, but I think it pairs really nicely with certain ingredients)

HOW TO DO IT:

-Rinse off your fish filets, pat dry, and season well with salt, pepper, herbs. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and get ready to drop it in the pan. 

-On medium heat, put your fish in the pan, I usually go 2 minutes on each side, during the final minute or so, I add the juice of 1 Meyer lemon to finish it off. Put your fish aside and let it rest. 

-In another pan, heat to medium, add about a tablespoon of coconut oil, and then add your spinach greens. Sprinkle with salt and the juice of the 2nd Meyer Lemon and let the spinach wilt, don't overcook it or it'll be a soggy mess. 

-Aaaaaand you're done. HOW.EASY.WAS.THAT.

The finished product. #nomcity

And there you have it, a quick and easy, healthy springtime recipe to put some spring in your step. 

Later this week/tomorrow you get to hear about how I totally fan-girled at the St. Paul & The Broken Bones concert, Easter happenings and weekend adventures. Until then, stay warm and keep your chin up; warm weather is near! (hopefully. don't quote me.)

Weekend Whatchamacallits

Amigos! Pardon the hiatus, but I've kind of decided that weekend posts are for the birds. I'd like to keep the weekends free for people to go outside, smell the roses (don't inhale too much pollen) and disconnect a little from the Facebook/Instagram/Twitter worlds. 

That being said, I had a superb weekend. Lots to catch y'all up on. 

For starters, Friday night I really just wanted to chillax and have some vino with amigos, and that's exactly what (kind of) happened. We grilled out and stuffed our faces with fresh tuna sliders, all kinds of salads, grilled veggies, cheese, burgers and some special apps made by my friend who has recently been crowned one of Houston's hot up and coming chefs. (Stay tuned for an exclusive interview!)

We started out being normal 20/30 somethings and then once the drinks started flowing, we got a little goofier. We got a little game of catchphrase going, then the flip cup started, then next thing you know, we're all gathered around the TV in the living room playing with Apple TV and playing music videos... One of our friends was particularly inspired to hear a certain song... I'll give you one guess. 

Yep. This happened. CARELESS WHISPERS. 

So that happened. What you're never ended a Friday night like that? You're missing out.

Saturday morning I bounced out of bed to IAH to pick up MainSqueeze from a business trip. We decided we wanted to bust out our bicycles and enjoy the Springtime weather. 4 hours later, our bikes were ready. I don't even want to talk about how this happened, but all I'll say is that it involved the kind folks over at Bicycle World, some failed attempts at repairing a tire in the Academy parking lot, rubber cement, some expletives, and FINALLY we were ready to rock. 

Tour de Houston was so fun. We spent the rest of the weekend on bikes pretty much. We biked to LowBrow, West Alabama Ice House, Lizzard's and then ended the night with dinner at the new Pico's. I personally prefer the original (and yes, I realize how bratty that sounds, but it's just the truth!)

Sunday, we biked to Brick & Spoon for brunch. Amazing bike ride and great brunch. We snagged a table at the bar to avoid the wait, and were greeted by a very enthusiastic bar staff. I went for an Irish Coffee and the "American Breakfast" and MainSqueeze got the Cajun Omelette and the biggest Bloody Mary I've ever seen. His omelette was #NomCity and the roasted corn grits were the highlight of my meal.

Post brunch, we biked around the Menil Collection, then headed to watch the Master's at Jackson's Watering Hole. We got a bit stir crazy and wound up biking to Boheme (one of my favorites) for super Sunday happy hour, which involved champers and a delightful corner booth in a garden-like atmosphere. We even made a lizard friend. After mimosas, we headed BACK to West Alabama to see Bubba Watson clinch the victory. WHAT.A.DAY. 

Utter delight.

Sunday night was finished off with some delightful seafood pasta from Ruggles Green and a Game of Thrones episode so exciting/WILD that I just can't even begin to tell you about. 

Phew. All that biking and adrenaline from Game of Thrones had me NOT ready to face Monday. Oh yeah and this weather? NOT ok.