The Social Network

I'm not claiming to be a movie critic of any kind but I did thoroughly enjoy "The Social Network" and would recommend checking it out. The storyline was completely captivating and you get drawn into the social phenomenon of facebook. And hellooo...it has Justin Timberlake in it so how could it be bad.

And for an added bonus, check out this gem of a story I wrote for "The Simpsonian" back in 2004 about this thing they call facebook. I was in Beginning to News Writing and my professor submitted this story to the Simp and to my surprise it ended up on the front page and I spent the next year writing for the paper.

*****

Any restaurant with a five-star review in Des Moines is definitely worth checking out in my mind but when the critic compares it to the likings of chef Thomas Keller's The French Laundry, I must pay a visit. Watch out Baru 66, I will be visiting soon.

Dos Terrible

Last night I went to Dos Rios (or Dos Cabos as some like to think it is called) with L and N for a less than thrilling experience. This place gets a lot of buzz so I've tried it on several occasions all to be left utterly disappointed. How it managed to be a top 10 restaurant on the top 100 list is beyond me. I'll start with the positives, the company was fantastic, the ambiance is unique and the gauc is hard to beat, but after that it goes down hill fast.

It started with trying to make a reservation, their "sometimes we take reservations policy" is confusing. In my opinion if a customer wants to make plans to eat at your restaurant, they should rewarded and you should take their name down. After arriving the db host handed us a buzzer, then gave a rehearsed speech about our wait going by quickly, the bartender being entertaining and some rule about closing out our tab before leaving the bar area. I wasn't impressed with his attitude to say the least.

Then comes our server, she was beyond awkward, couldn't manage to make eye contact, give a friendly smile and barely said hello. It's not that difficult to strike up a conversation with three lovely ladies.

The food was mediocre. It is a Mexican restaurant for goodness sake, I have had more flavorful food at Taco Johns. I ordered tamales, one of my all-time favorite dishes and in one word I would describe them as blah. When you're asking people to pay high dollar for this type of cuisine, it should impress.

When it was all said and done we managed to spend $100, don't worry for those of you who read my previous blog, we had a gift certificate so it knocked the total down to $5o, but if someone is going to spend money in your restaurant, they need to be taken care of from beginning to end.

Despite our not great experience at Dos Rios, we had a fab time at the Cashes Rivers cd release party. It was my first time to the Mews and I am looking forward to going back as well as purchasing the new album.

Gaga for Gaga

Lady Gaga here we come! L, N and myself will be spending St. Patrick's Day with Miss Lady Gaga herself live and in person in Omaha. I have heard rave reviews about her show and am so excited to see what all the buzz is about. There is no doubt that she is a little out there but I love her creativity, free spirit and hello she makes some great tunes! We better start thinking about our ensemble, I think we'll have some competition. Now the countdown to March begins...

Frugalista

I love a good deal, it is no secret, but who doesn't like saving a few bucks? I'm all about saving myself and my friends some cash so I thought I'd share a few tricks that I have up my sleeve.

Here is a list of websites I use on a weekly basis to get some sweet deals!


Savings for every day of the week:

Restaurant.com
If you sign up for their email club you get coupon codes to save even more money, last week I got an email to save 90% which means, you could get a $25 gift certificate for $1.00! They do have a few restrictions for example you have to leave 18% for gratuity but definitely worth the savings.

Metro Mix Daily Dining Deals
A website full of restaurants who offer a daily deal. This is where I found out about 801's prix-fixe dinner (choice of salad; prime filet, prime rib or salmon; and dessert) for only $29.95 on Sundays. This has to make a Sunday Funday agenda.

Tuesday:

Hey It's Half Off
Every Tuesday morning you can find a new $50 gift certificate for $25, no catch just a small handling fee, but who doesn't have handling fees, right? ;) It offers great buys on anything from restaurants to spas.

Des Moines on a Dime
This website is a little touch and go but I did find a steal on a Des Moines coupon book with even more bargains including coupons for Raygun, Blond Genius and the Iowa Cubs.

Wednesday:

Real Deals
These $50 gift certificates go on sale every Wednesday at 9:00 am sharp and they go fast because they are only $25. If you want a few tricks, let me know I'm getting pretty good at it if I do say so myself.

Thursday:

Double Dollar Deals
All local restaurants, for half the price, what can get any better?

Friday:

Half-Off Fridays
Fridays are already great, but why not make it even better? Another site with steals on restaurants gift certificates. I love going out to eat so why not go for a little cheaper?

Butterscotch Potato Chip Cookies!

When we go to Okoboji to visit Holt's grandparents every summer, I can't wait to visit this cute little cafe called Boyz-n-Bearies. When the boutique first opened it's goal was to be a first stop shop for those looking for crafts with a cafe on the side, well the food was so good, the cafe has taken off and there is always a line to eat. I have loved everything I've had at this place but my favorite is the complimentary cookie you get at the end of your meal. They usually have a choice of two and I always go with the butterscotch potato chip and it is so good. I even offered to pay for another one because one just isn't enough. My last trip to the cafe I ran into the owner/chef and complimented her cooking skills as well as asked for the recipe to her delish cookies. She declined to share the recipe with me, which I totally understand but she was willing to share a secret ingredient with me...instant pudding. She puts instant pudding in all of her cookie recipes, which is one of the reasons they are so moist. After some research and combining a few recipes, here is my version:

Butterscotch Potato Chip Cookies:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter (you might think this is a Paula Deen recipe, but it is not)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package instant butterscotch pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups crushed potato chips (the crunchier chips the better and I would recommend plain not S&V)

1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour and baking soda

Mix butter, brown sugar, white sugar, pudding mix and vanilla. Beat together.

Add eggs and mix well. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet, one inch apart.

Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

I'm Not a Player I Just Blog A Lot

Welcome to my first blog posting. I've been contemplating blogging for awhile now but finally decided to pull the trigger. A couple things made me change my mind, the highlight of my day at times is when I wonder onto my friend's blogs and they have a new posting. I get so excited to read their latest entries and I often reference back to them for recipes, songs or a laugh so I thought it might be fun to keep my own reference of things in one spot. The second reason is there is a shirt at Raygun that I love and I figured I couldn't buy the t-shirt until I have a blog.

Growing up I kept a journal from approximately 4th to 7th grade. It was a skill that we were taught in fourth grade, from one of my favorite teacher's Mrs. Holtgrewe (yes, Holt's mom) and it was something I always enjoyed doing. When I stumble upon my countless journals from years ago and read some of my entries I laugh out loud at how complicated I thought my life was at the time. Hopefully next time I'm home I can snag one and post an entry for your enjoyment. I'm sure you'll be thrilled to read about the code names we had for boys or how my day was so dramatic because I had a pop quiz. Also, my Grandma Pat keeps diary and she has since was 14, she doesn't miss a day and I so much enjoy reading through her entries, it is a little look into my family history. It is often a running joke that you better make it to all family gatherings or you won't make the "book." I hope my blog will be something I can look back on like my grandma does.

Happy Reading!