Banana Cabana

Hey there!!  Last time I *talked* to you guys, I just got back from Chi-town, and decorated for St. Patty’s Day!  I can’t wait, me and some girlfriends are going to a huge parade here in Boston, so it’ll be a good time

Other than that…I’ve been utterly swamped with school and life in general.  I’m taking two science course w/labs, in addition to an online Psychology course…so my time management skills are being seriously utilized.  That said, I apologize for my lack of posting and commenting!  I know you guys don’t mind AND forgive me but I just want to acknowledge it anyway

No new exciting foods- BUT my roomie did teach me her fave way to cook salm!

Super Simple Salmon Recipe

• one salmon fillet (we buy it fresh at TJ’s- about $8 for 2 servings)
• sprinkle both with Mrs. Dash no-salt seasoning and 1 tsp. brown sugar
• broil in a glass dish for 7-8 minutes or until flakes easily with a fork

OMG it is delicious- the brown sug gets all brown and caramelized and blends with the savory seasoning, YUM!

I’ll pop in soon with some reviews and other fun stuff- but for now I have to study like WHOA for a huge Anatomy exam next Monday…gross!  It’s snowing at the moment, but I hear some higher temp’s are in the forecast soon!  XO Have a great weekend bloggies

Hey friends!  One of my favorite things about having my own (shared) apartment…is being able to decorate it for different holidays!

It’s fun to get in the spirit of whatever commercial holiday is coming up, and usually Target, Marshall’s or CVS has cute, cheap decorations.  As of now, it’s still February- so we’re still allowed to rep the Valentine’s Day hearts on the dining room table! <3

My mom also gave me a cute Valentine’s bowl, which I left in Texas!  So my step-dad kindly sent it to me, along with some candy and Peeps to get ready for Easter…one PEEP was notably absent- hmmm how did he escape the nest?? ;D

The holiday festivities put me in the mood for Mexican food!  Cinco de Mayo perhaps??  UM…who am I kidding I could eat Mexican food EVERY day

Taco salad: lettuce, avocado, chicken, black beans, salsa, pita chips (?)…I didn’t have tortilla chips, what’s up!!

Dessert was leftover V-day chocolate…who from you ask??  Hmm that’s for another time…

ANOTHER awesome thing about having your own place, and living 392384 miles away from you momz   is getting packages from her!!  I trudged home in torrential downpours yesterday, to come home to a nice hefty package waiting for me!  It was really light, and I wasn’t expecting anything, so I was excited to see what little gift-y she had sent me.

St. Patty’s day decorations!!  I was squealing- look at this green box o’ fun!!

So cute!!  Hmm maybe we should throw a St. Patty’s Bash, no??  I mean it’s not like anyone in Boston goes out for St. Patrick’s day….

;D

Sometimes it’s the little things like holiday decorations, that make me so happy and grateful to have my own place.  In college I lived in a dorm, then university housing, then a really crowded apartment, and then my sorority house…so I never really felt ownership of my living arrangement.  Decorating for silly little holidays just brings a smile to your face, especially when the weather is less than enjoyable outside!!

Do you guys decorate for holidays??  It kind of reminds me of elementary school, my teachers would deck out the room for whatever holiday was next

Have a great week everyone!

Hey everyone!!  So when I last left you…I had just gotten back to Boston from Texas with the family.  Well, I basically spent the week getting school and life under control- then I left again…for the amazing city of Chicago!!  My cousin, who is also from Southern CA, moved there recently with her new husband, and it worked out that I conveniently moved to the East Coast soon after   We had an absolute ball together, and despite the freezing temp’s- she showed me a great time!

**I forgot my freakin’ camera, UGH!**  But I did manage some acceptable Bberry pictures out of the weekend.

Picture from the EL (Chicago subway).

Friday night, we ventured to Molly’s Cupcakes!!  This is another landmark Chicago eatery- seriously.amazing.

I got the Peanut Butter-Nutella cupcake…ya that’s right.  I should have photographed the inside, a HUGE Nutella-filled center

Mmmmmmm…

On Saturday we set out to see The Bean!!  I loved it!

The Bean, for any wondering, is a big statue/architectural piece in downtown Chicago that is literally shaped like a GIANT BEAN…it’s silver and reflective and seriously awesome   Everyone takes pictures next to it, in front of it, in the reflection, etc.  My cousin said she’s seen a few couples on nice days in their wedding outfits, taking pictures there! 

My cousin is a veggie, so she took me to a Chicago-vegetarian hotspot: The Chicago Diner.  Oh.my.gosh.  This is the exact definition of a place that could make a non-veggie/vegetarian hater CONVERT. 

Chicago Diner burger w/SP fries (Seitan patty w/lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion and sprouts)

I literally demolished the plate.  I cannot wait to go back and try the other goodies on the menu.  If you live in Chicago, you must try this place!

I was only able to jet out for the weekend, so I made sure to hit up my local Chicago bloggers to meet up if we could.  I have been friends with the amazing Miss Jenn, aka Eating Bender, since last year when we were able to meet in LA.  Once I planned my Chicago trip, I knew we’d be able to reunite!  It was so great to see her again and catch up, if you haven’t congratulated her on her HUGE announcement yet, please feel free to holla at her

Another of my FAVE bloggie friends, Mara from What’s For Dinner?  was able to join us!  I have been reading her blog for so long…I felt like her knew her anyway, and sure enough we were chatting it up like old friends   My cousin came along too, and I swear the four of us were talking about everything from food, to lingerie….to…alright never mind, but we talked a lot!!  These two are the absolute sweetest- and I cannot wait to jet back to Chicago once the weather warms up

Our bloggie date cannot be mentioned without HUGE props to Walker Bro’s Pancake House.  Jenn has featured this place a few times on her blog, and it seriously did not disappoint.  I ordered scrambled eggs w/bacon and WW toast…kept it simple, and delicious!

The thing that most amazed me about the restaurant was the speed and service!  They were seriously so efficient, we started in a line out the door, were seated within 10 minutes, and had coffee and breakfast within 20!  Definitely made my last day in Chicago a good one.

Moral of the Story:  If you have the opportunity to go to Chicago, DO IT!!  It is such a cool and unique city, especially if you know someone who can show you around, and isn’t afraid to eat Seitan burgers with you ;D 

I hope you all had a great weekend too…I almost didn’t make it home due to “weather delays” (UGH!), but I just got in way later than expected.  Have a great week, and I’ll be back with some regular old Boston fun when I get a chance..ciao!

Hey there!  Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!  Mine was awesome- just went too fast, as usual   I had the best time hanging with my mom and stepdad- lots of shopping, eating and relaxing!

On Friday Momz and I went to Starbucks for a little shopping fuel- we both spotted the mini sparkle donut and bought it just for the blog   Trail mix was my actual fuel of choice.

After a delicious Mexican feast on Saturday night, my stepdad took me to the Promised Land..AKA fro yo!!!

OMG I’ve missed it so…Probably the main reason I’ll eventually move back to CA..*cough* I mean, wait, my FAMILY is…what??

On Saturday, we drove down to the Mardi Gras parade in Galveston, which is a little island off the coast.  They always do Mardi Gras here, but it’s a more toned down/PG version of the real thing!!  It was so fun to see all the floats, people throwing beads, loud music, and bands and everything!!

It was really awesome to see everyone so happy and enjoying themselves, because this area got hit really hard by a hurricane not too long ago, and a lot of the destruction is still visible.  A lot of people lost everything and are still recovering…but this weekend was all about fun and celebration!

Only now…I really do want to go to the real thing!!

Momz and I in front of a float (she might hate this one, oh wellz )

LOOK at all the beads!! NO flashing I promise…

We ate at a seafood place right on the parade route, so there were a ton of festive and loud people enjoying the bar area!! 

I had the brilliant idea of ordering the Avocado-Crab Dip to start- it was literally just mashed avocado with lump crab on top….and it was sooo good!!  Clearly the TBSP of salsa that came with it was not nearly sufficient though…the waitress brought us a huge bowl, much better

For dinner I ordered Shrimp-Veggie Skewers (xtra veggies NO rice).  Gina style!

Even though it was freezing outside, my step dad convinced me that I absolutely could NOT leave TX without having Bluebell Ice Cream.  Lucky for me they had a counter right inside the restaurant…

I got some flavor called Millennium Crunch- vanilla ice cream, with pecans, chocolate, walnuts, peanuts- delish!!

I crashed out after the parade and long drive home, and I had to get up early to catch my flight back to Boston.  I packed my meal for the plane again…a move I later enjoyed immensely as the flight attendant handed out pre-packed cheeseburgers to the rest of the passengers!

Tip: pack the tomato slices separately so they don’t SOG up your sandwich!!  My seat-mates were totally jeal, again ;D

That’s my weekend get-a-way in a rather long-ish nutshell!  Thanks for sticking with me as I catch up on all of your lives!  Luckily TX wasn’t too warm, otherwise I’d be going through withdrawals back here in snowy Boston.  Hope the weather is somewhat pleasant in your neck of the woods!

Ciao babes!

CB

Yo!  So…I made it out of the “storm” just in time…but the “storm” itself pretty much missed Boston alltogether!  All of my friends (real life and blog) have informed me that it is just the usual dreary drizzle and cold, and not the insane snow dumping that hit the rest of the EC…I’m still really glad I fled the scene- it is soo nice not to wear my sleeping bag coat everywhere!   My flight was uneventful, I flew during dinner so I made sure to pick up something edible at the airport.  I had never been in the C Terminal at Logan before- it had some solid food choices, love that!

I got some kind of salad with carrots, onions, tomatoes, edamame and chicken..the dressing made it pretty bearable!  I wanted something delicious though, so I went with the non-traditional side of: BBQ chips!  Yes..amazing choice, I know.  My suitemates AND the flight attendant were totally jeal..

I love that dramatic airplane spot lighting!  I’m actually in TX, not home in California, so it’s still a nice little vacay.  It rained all day yesterday, which allowed me to do 2 of my most favorite things: drive and shop!!  Sounds weird, I know…but due to time constraints and car-lessness, I don’t do either in Beantown.  As soon as the mall opened yesterday I bee-lined for Forever XXI…ahhh home sweet home!  I hit up Target as well, but I think February is a more of a transition, in-between seasons month so there were slim- pickin’s.  Don’t worry, I still managed to walk out with 2 bags ;D

My stepdad kindly took me to grocery store first thing, so I could stock up on the essentials for the weekend.

I found a new PB obsesh!

Amez- I legit searched for the Honey one in your honor..but NO luck!!  Shady huh??  Seriously though, this PB is delish and really crunchy.  Hmm..now how to smuggle it back with me?

To continue my ham n’cheese melt phase that I’m in right now, I picked up the essentials and got down with the G.Foreman, woo!  O kitchen appliances, how I miss you…

After my shopping extravaganza, my stepdad and I went to see a movie and get dinner to kill times before my momz’ flight arrived.  We went to see Edge of Darkness with Mel Gibson…anyone seen it??  Honestly, we were kind of lost the entire time.  The story kind of unraveled as they solved it, and I think I missed some key story points.  Not high on my recommendation list, sorry Mel.

Dinner, however, more than compensated for a sub-par movie!!  I am obsessed with

 this steakhouse chain here, so we went there right after the movie.

(Apologiez for the BB pics!)

Fresh, doughy bread!

My entree was the Margherita Chicken with steamed broccoli.

Baked SP on the side!  The photo literally does NOT convey the size of this monster!  You can sort of tell that it’s the size of both chicken breasts, it was wayyy bigger than the loaf of bread!

I ate half, only practicing self-restraint in order to leave room for dessert

And dessert it was!!  I was eyeing two the whole night- so we went big!

Jack Daniels Chocolate Chip/Pecan Pie (don’t worry momz, only 0.5% alcohol! ;D)

This was amazing, but unfortunately I think our server overcooked it.  We were pretty much carving away at it with the spoon. 

This huge brownie was NO problem, though, don’t worry.  It was to-die-for, all melty and delicious!

Both desserts were massive, so after pretty much rolling out of the restaurant, we went to get my momz from the airport!  Yayy, I’m so excited to be with her

Hope you all are surviving the snow, wind, rain, etc…Have a fabulous weekend! xo

PS: Thanks so much to all who helped me with my friend’s singing dilemma…I got some great tips and remedies!

Hey there guys!  Again, I disappear into the depths of academia…:D  Sorrryyy!!  My new class schedule this semester has me at school Mon/Wed from 1-5 pm…and on Tuesday from 8:30 am to noon.  This works perfectly for me, since I’d rather work out in the morning, study, then go to class…and I am going to start a nanny job on Thursdays and Fridays.  I’ve been reading and homework-ing a ton, so forgive my blog slack-age as of late.  As if you guys would call me out on it! ;D 

I have the luxury of waking up and eating a leisurely breakfast!

Eggs, oatmeal and coffee.

My roommate’s BF went out of town- soo she raided his fridge and scored us some serious loot

Basically, the best ham and cheese melt ever tasted…

She also got me this marinade for Christmas (love her right!?)- so we followed the easy instructions and put it in a ziploc bag with some chicken to marinate for a few hours.

It turned out perfectly, and worked wonders in a bowl of Italian goodness!!

Broccoli, chicken, whole wheat pasta and parmesan cheese.

That’s basically a summary of my meals every day for the past two weeks   On an exciting note- I’m going to see my mom and step-dad this weekend!!  My roommate is going home as well, and I don’t have class- so my mom, step-dad and I are convening for a fun weekend getaway.  I am SO.EXCITED!!

I do have a QUESTION for my lovely readers and bloggers before I go:

A friend of mine plays in a band, and was talking to me about finding something that keeps his throat smooth throughout the night when he sings for about three hours. For some reason, Miller Light has been the solution. He says it somehow coats his throat and keeps it from drying out. No other drink, tea, water, etc. works the same way. Plus, the smoke in some locations is a negative factor as well.
He has to give up the Miller Light, so he is looking for a non-alcoholic, non-caffeine substitute.  One of my friends that sings in church suggested iced green tea with lemon…or some other type of citrus-water?? 

If you sing, or know of an answer to my friend’s dilemma- please feel free to e-mail me or hit me up in the comments.  Thanks so much friends, ciao for now!

Hey friends!  WOW thanks so much for entering my give-away and for giving me some legit soup recommendations!  I really need to get a crock-pot too…hmmmm..Anways here’s the winner:

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 54

Result: 8

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Which means….missyrayn is the winner!!

Congrats!!  Please e-mail me your address so I can get you your prize right away   Be back later with the latest hap’s! xoxo

Hey there!!  I’m so touched by your beautiful comments on my last post.  Thank you all so, so much again for your thoughtfulness and support.  It means a lot to me to have your friendship during a painful time.   

Not much to report on the home front, except that I did start school this week!  So far, I’m enrolled in:

• Anatomy/Physiology II
• Food/Nutrition with lab

These 2 are pretty tough and time-intensive so far, so I have to decide whether or not to take one more class online.  Oh decisions!!

I tried to get a wide shot of breakfast to show off the new curtains that my mom hung for us when she was out here!  We ordered them off of Overstock, they are a chocolate brown color, and we love them.  We have a gorgeous, huge window, but it was weird that everyone could basically see inside our apartment from the street!  Yeow!

My schedule allows me to be at home for lunch, which I highly prefer!  It would be difficult to make my Hummus-Turkey Bacon-Lettuce and Tomato sandwich at school

Good ol’ Boston, as expected, is gettin’ frigid.  While I’m not entirely ecstatic about this drop in temperature, it does give me the opportunity to sport some of my Christmas presents. 

The infamous long black jacket (I call it a sleeping bag!!) and Ugg snow boots!!  Thanks parents!  just want to be clear that I didn’t want to post this photo, but my momz did request to see my new jacket

Another winter style that I’m newly obsessed with is- SOUP!!  It sounds weird, I know…but I never ate soup in Southern California.  The warmer weather just wasn’t conducive to craving a warm, filling meal.  However, after moving to a colder climate, I’ve crossed over to eating it at least 4 times a week.  Crazy!

Last night, I tried a new-to-me product, V8 Vegetable Blend soup.  I got this product to review for the blog, but was not paid in any way to test it.  You can check out it’s great nutritional info and other flavors here!

My Review:  The soup was really easy to make, just heat and serve!  Upon opening, it smelled just like V8 tomato juice, which I loved as a kid!  I was happily surprised by the amount of veggies in the soup, as I expected more of a blended texture.  It tasted great, a little salty, but otherwise a good mix of veggies, herbs and spices!  I really liked the texture and thickness of the soup, I totally hate watery soups!  All in all, I would recommend this product to purchase, especially for someone on-the-go.  It doesn’t need to be refrigerated, so you can keep it on the shelf until you need it at work or school!

Dessert was just as enjoyable…

OMG amazing..my ONLY complaint is the $5 price tag!! :-/

And now for the good stuff…Would you like to try the v8 soup for yourself!??

Just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite kind of soup, and you will be entered to win this awesome V8 Prize Pack- which includes:

• Campbell’s V8 Garden Vegetable Blend soup
• A Campbell’s V8 Soup Health Journal and vegetable shaped pens to keep track of your servings
• A Flip and Tumble shopping bag to stock up on vegetables
• A Pedometer – to count your steps!

I will randomly pick a winner on Sunday, January 31, so hit me up with your fave soup variety to win some cool stuff!!  Happy Thursday friends!

Hey there!!  I hope everyone is doing well, and all my friends and family back home are surviving the torrential downpour!  It may be cold in Boston, but I think it’s the first time in a while that the weather is more mellow here than in California

In place of a regular, food-filled post I just wanted to leave a short and sweet Happy Birthday shout-out in honor of my dad.

I’ve posted about my pops a few times, on his birthday and Father’s day- he passed away when I was 16, and I miss him more than anything.  We had so much fun together, he was a total history nerd, and I know he would love to come to Boston and go on the Freedom Trail

My dad was born in Spain, and his best friend from childhood and he traveled around Europe by train after college.  I am so lucky to have some awesome photographs of my dad from those trips, can’t wait to get them framed!

It’s always tough, but January is especially hard for me.  As I linked to that old post, I re-read all of the comments and love from my lovely blogger friends and readers.  I cannot tell you guys what your friendship and love mean to me, but for someone that doesn’t share a lot with people or get emotional in *real life*…I can tell you that I am so deeply touched.

Happy birthday Dad!!!  (sorry I’m a little late, typical right?! ;D)

Hey friends!!  What’s goin’ on?  I’ve been back in Boston for about a week now, still getting settled and all that good stuff!  Readjusting to the frigid temp’s hasn’t been too bad, it’s about the same temperature that it was when I left.  Soo…I just throw on THREE jackets when I leave, and I’m good!!

My girlfriend from home came to visit, so we had a blasty exploring Boston and sightseeing.

It’s so funny because ALL of my friends can easily sleep till noon or later!  I, on the other hand….always wake up by 8 am, probably because I’m so excited to eat breakfast…

Before she came, I had to attack this beast…

BAH isn’t unpacking the worst??  (Momz I swear it’s clean now )

For lunch, I took my friend over to Harvard so we could walk around and see Ivy League-ers in their natural habitat

We stopped at Crema Cafe for lunch, which is in the neighborhood, and often spotted in many-a-Boston blog, probably because it is amazing!!

I ordered the Sweet Potato sandwich, which was out of this world good!!  This sandwich contained my top favorite foods: including SP, hummus, sprouts, vinaigrette, avocado and green apple.  I know right!??!  I can’t wait for someone to visit so I can take them!

I ordered a latte before the sandwich, I’ve never had one with artistic foam!!  Love it.

After devouring, my friend and I wandered back in the cold.  It was hard to stay outside for too long, our faces would freeze off!!  We managed somehow, and I took her to Boston Common and around downtown Boston.

This is the graveyard where Ben Franklin is buried, cool!

Public Garden.

My friend went back to stay with her other friends here, so I had a chill night in the apartment.  Looks like it’s back to my homemade Mexican food until I can go back home!!  TJ’s Chipotle-Lime Chicken burgers are perfect for a quick Mexican food-fix.

Score!!  I found these in the bottom of the pantry….stale?  Perhaps…delicious?  Of course!!

I ate dinner and spent the night watching The Tudors on my Netflix “instant watch”.  That show is good!!  I mean, definitely not for the younglings (OH my B- she’s 19 now!!  Happy Birthday HG!!)  But it will definitely hold me over until the new Bach next week

Other than that, I’ve just been taking care of errands and organizing my life before school starts.  Lucky for me, it doesn’t start until Jan. 25, but of course I’m already stressed!  This semester I’m taking: Anatomy/Physiology II, Food/Nutrition with lab, and Human Growth/Development (psychology).  It will be tough, but at least I’m done with math!

Question: My roommate and I are trying to decorate our place, without breaking the bank!  We are yearning for some wall decor, i.e. framed pictures/posters/photos.  I was browsing on AllPosters (dot)com, but even the “cheap” framed vintage posters are about $40.  I know so many bloggers/readers out there share my affinity for sparsely-funded decorating, so if you have any ideas…or can paint a really awesome mural ;D  Please feel free to holla at me!!

Hope everyone is having a great week, stay warm, ciao!!