Woodstock

Took a short trip to Woodstock, NY with my mom yesterday for breakfast with her oldest girlfriends. I sipped on my mocha and devoured my scramble combination (made with real eggs as opposed to beaters at the dining hall) while they reminisced about their 20's in NY. I'm about the age of when they all met so I wonder which of my friends I'll still be lunching it with almost 30 years later. 

We ate at this really fun place called Oriole9 and I had the best coffee I've had in a while. It was hot but they served it in a glass mug which I really liked and my scramble seriously hit the spot. Stopped off at a store on our way back to the car and I got a Woodstock shirt that I plan to wear many times this summer while bumming around on the beach. Less than 2 months until then! 

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Toscano & Beacon Hill

(photos via iPhone)

Last night I went to dinner with my friend Sarah and her mom at Toscano in Beacon Hill (a beautiful and historic neighborhood in Boston). Toscano is an authentic Italian restaurant that came highly recommended by one of the sisters of the sorority we're pledging (and she happens to be Italian), so we knew it had to be legitimate. Sarah had the gnocchi which is handmade at the restaurant and I had a tomato cream sauce pasta with double roasted bacon and chicken. YUM! We all started with a caprese salad that was made with the best tomatoes I've had in Boston thus far. Before we left we split a chocolate gelato and it was the perfect combination of rich chocolate and smooth ice cream-- overall an amazing meal!

We ended the night with a walk back towards campus around the Commons and Newbury Street:

(1774 Beacon Hill map by John Hinton)

Busy Bee

Saturday morning called for a hefty breakfast but not from the BU dining hall so my friend and I took a walk to Brookline. Busy Bee, our destination of choice, is a traditionally ran and decorated diner on Beacon St. right around the corner from Boston University's east campus that serves delicious omelets and pancakes at a ridiculously cheap price. I went with the swiss and ham omelet (side of seasoned potatoes and whole wheat toast) and some orange juice and it seriously hit the spot. Between the two of us (my friend got perfectly cooked over easy eggs and coffee) the bill was $14 (!!) and we left extremely satisfied. Not only that, but the staff of waitresses are hilariously spicy in attitude and will seriously entertain your entire meal. This is definitely a breakfast/brunch spot to add to my Boston list.

photos via iPhone

Things to know: Cash only. Not open on Sundays. (Weird, right??)

Juevos Rancheros

One of the best aspects of being home, besides sleeping in my big, cozy bed, is being able to cook whatever & whenever I want. The other night I decided to go Juevos Rancheros on everyone and whip it up with whatever was in the fridge. While the main pieces are here it turned out to be vegetarian and, per my preference, could have used some sausage, bacon, or chorizo. Oh well, that'll be for next time.

What I Used:

-- organic large eggs

-- black beans

-- sweet corn

-- salsa

-- mixed cheese (mozzarella and hand-grated

   sharp cheddar)

-- fresh avocado

-- onions, tomatoes, etc.

-- rice

-- lots of hot sauce

-- whole wheat tortillas

Gather materials

Cut the onions

Add some tomatoes

Sautee them with black beans

Add salsa, eggs, and hot sauce

Have your best friend/assistant cut up avocados

Scramble all of the ingredients on low then high heat

Add rice and keep cooking

Keep stirring, maybe add more hot sauce

Garnish with avos and cheese

Document end result

Yum! Definitely can't do this in the dorms. 

Baked

Starting a Christmas tradition of baking fun cookies like the rest of the world and they actually turned out perfectly, except that a few reindeer lost their heads along the way... anyways, joyeux Noël!