September Foodie Penpals + Cross That Off The Bucket List!

I have been so ill these past few days! Sorry to neglect the blog. I've missed you.

This month I participated in this amazing and genius program called Foodie Penpals, founded by Lindsay last September. It has been on my bucket list to have a penpal, and a foodie penpal at that?! I had to jump in on the fun.




And I'm so glad I did! It was so much fun shopping for different local and unique items to send to my penpal. Now, the person I sent my package to is not the same person who sent me a package. I sent my package to the lovely Andrea O'Meara, and received my package from the oh-so-kind Marlys. I hope Andrea enjoyed her goodies, and I adored mine from Marlys!

 

















She read my about me section and found that I liked cookbooks. So she sent me a Yooper cookbook of recipes that Upper Michigan folks would make. I've already got my eye on a Wild Mushroom Soup recipe from it.

She also read that I like caramel and meat (not together), so she got creative and found these deer droppings for me! Sike, these are really chocolate caramel balls :) And delicious at that!

I didn't get an up-close photo of the other caramels that she sent, but they are in the whole-package shot. Soft, chewy, and so caramely. Just the way I like em.


She likes to explore African cooking on her blog, so I loved her hot pad from Ghana. Those beautiful African colors!

She had also contacted me to see if I would like to try some African spices. Would I? Of course! Her letter to me also included some examples of ways she used the spices in her cooking. So thoughtful! Can't wait to put these spices to use!

And lastly, her letter header had a beautiful photo of a lighthouse on Lake Superior close to her home. Lighthouses remind me of a little place called Kelley's Island up in Northern Ohio near Michigan, a major place in PJ's childhood and a place we've traveled to a few times.

I can't wait to get better to start cooking up some soups using those African spices! And those caramels and caramel balls are just about gone!

I'm so ready for next month! And here's to crossing another item off of my bucket list. Cuz you all know I love to do that.

Peace, and bacon grease!

Cross That Off The Bucket List! {Use Deep Fryer + Use My DSLR for Food Photography}

Guys! I love to cross things off of my bucket lists. So now's the time to do it again...

I used my deep fryer and actually made something good! I did use my deep fryer awhile back to make "fried chicken" but that didn't turn out so well so I didn't want to count it since technically I didn't use the deep fryer successfully... but this time things went well.

Deep Fried Twinkies!

So I got to use my deep fryer, and for the same recipe I only used my dslr camera for food photography. Usually I test some pics out on the dslr but resort to my old Nikon Coolpix since I actually know how to use it. But this time, people, it was all on the dslr. 

Go me!

Crossing #3 and #32 off my blog bucket list!

Feels so good!

Peace, and bacon grease!

Cross That Off The Bucket List! {Get a photo accepted on Tastespotting}

Yay, it happened!

Tastespotting finally gave in and accepted one of my photos!

This was a goal of mine on my blog bucket list. I have tried to submit other photos since, but only that one got accepted. I'll take it though.

I am now proudly displaying their badge on my sidebar. Hopefully I will be able to add more submissions to that gallery.

Now, if the folks at Foodgawker and Dessert Stalking could only be so kind...

Peace, and bacon grease!

Cross That Off the Bucket List! {Take a Photography Class or Workshop}

Sup, yo?

You know those really long lists that I've made up?

You know the ones? Where I set high goals for myself to accomplish all while knowing I probably won't make it through half the list?

Yeah... those. 

Well, slowly I am knocking things off those lists. And I had a chance to knock one off the bucket list.

A few weeks ago, I purchased a dslr photography workshop for half off. I have been wanting to learn how to use my dslr since I got it back in December. Sad, right? Well the opportunity came a knockin and I couldn't pass it up.... half price and on a Saturday morning when I was free.

The workshop was taught by Okello Dunkley downtown at The Hilton. I would have liked to actually get out in nature and test out the camera... to learn by doing. But I did practice a bit in the room we were in. Nothing much exciting to photograph but it was still a nice experience. At first I was completely lost. Like, about-to-walk-out-and-waste-my-$40 lost. But then I started to get the hang of it. Kinda.


He taught us about aperture...

and iso...

the importance of saving raw files...

how to focus (no, I did not even know how to do that!)....

shutter speed, shooting in aperture or manual mode, and more. This was a beginner's class though, part one, so I knew I wasn't gonna be walking outta there knowing everything. I don't fully understand aperture and shutter speed, but I will only learn more from experimenting and playing around. 


I'm a creeper.

Apparently I need a better lens, according to Okello. 

Boy, I've still got a lot to learn. Like how to get less grainy photos. And how to focus better. And so much more. But I'm proud of myself for crossing this off my bucket list!

Peace, and bacon grease!

Recipe Bucket List

Finally, I'm putting it in writing (or typing?) all the recipes or foods that I want to make. Specifics, people. I borrowed some ideas from here, here, and here. 

1. Beef wellington
2. Eggs benedict
3. Caramels
4. Ice cream
5. Scones
6. Souffle (sweet or savory)
7. Fried chicken
8. Creme brulee
9. Boston creme pie
10. Croissants
11. Pizza dough
12. Cheesecake
13. Angel food cake 
14. Salted caramel sauce
15. Lattice-top pie
16. Coq au vin
17. Salsa- Avocado Salsa, Pineapple Salsa, Chipotle Salsa, Black Bean Salsa, Black Bean Salsa-Stuffed Avocados
18. Risotto
19. Pineapple upside down cake
20. Funnel cake
21. Cake pops (use my babycakes maker!)
22. Bananas foster
23. Bagels
24. New England clam chowder
25. Fondant
26. Fondue
27. Chicken tikka masala
28. Crab cakes
29. Fried green tomatoes
30. Red velvet cake
31. Carrot cake
32. Donuts
33. Poached egg
34. Stuffed burger
35. Soft pretzel or bites
36. Sushi
37. Buttermilk biscuits
38. Bouillabaise
39. Gnocchi
40. Grits
41. Eclairs
42. Scotch eggs
43. Palmiers
44. Buckeyes
45. Pecan pie
46. Trifle
47. Key lime pie
48. Spanakopita
49. Amy's green bean casserole 
50. Tortilla chips
51. My mama's sausage, egg, and corn casserole
52. Hush puppies
53. Hasselback potatoes - Gouda-Stuffed Hasselback Potatoes
54. Polenta
55. Cream of mushroom soup
56. French onion soup
57. Flour tortillas
58. Ciabatta
59. Bread pudding
60. Beef stroganoff
61. Stuffing
62. Braised short ribs
63. Guacamole
64. Hollandaise sauce 
65. Madelines 
66. Foccacia bread
67. Shortbread
68. Chicken tortilla soup
69. Beer can chicken
70. Coconut cream pie 
71. Bearnaise sauce 
72. Macarons

I'm sure there will be more! Or if you have any suggestions what should make my list, just let me know :)

Be sure to check out my Life Bucket List, and my other Food-Related Bucket List.

Peace, and bacon grease!

My Life Bucket List .... {Non-Food Related}

Yo.

I'm back with more goals for the future. I'm very ambitious today. 

This time the focus isn't food, though.

These are goals that I personally have that have nothing to do with food. Yes, I do have a life outside of food. A very lame one, but still, I have one.  These are goals to make that lame life a better, more fulfilled one!

1. Vacation outside of the U.S.
2. Visit at least 10 states (KY, TN, IL, FL, SC)
3. Write a book
4. Plant a garden
5. Create a quote book
6. Ride an elephant
7. Swim with dolphins
8. Go horseback riding
9. Go on a cruise
10. Reach my goal weight of 130 lbs
11. Visit a major US monument
12. Earn my Master's degree (on my way there!)
13. Exchange handwritten or typed letters with a pen pal
14. Take a photography class or workshop
15. Volunteer for something psychology related
16. Go on a hot air balloon
17. Sell something on Etsy
18. Sell something on Ebay or Craigslist
19. Go on a road trip
20. Get a renovated, updated kitchen
21. Learn to play my guitar
22. Go to the casino
23. Take a salsa dance lesson
24. Take a boxing or mixed martial arts class
25. Go to a shooting range
26. Learn another language
27. Attend a concert
28. Attend a Zumba class
29. Have a penpal
30. Own an iPhone
31. Learn to surf
32. Go white water rafting - the real thing!
33. Visit a waterfall
34. Go to an art gallery
35. Go to Disneyworld or Disneyland
36. Paint or draw something amazing using my supplies
37. Solve the Rubix cube
38. Scrapbook
39. Go on a vacation with my mama
40. Have a maid
41. Buy a new car
42. Go to a Reds game
43. Go to a Bengals game
44. Have a child
45. Install a hot tub in our home
46. Give to charity
47. Go to the KY derby
48. Host my own holiday dinner
49. Cook an entire Thanksgiving meal
50. Mud wrestle or do a mud run
51. Learn to do a cartwheel
52. Go to a live taping
53. Get a tattoo
54. Be on the "Amazing Race" (this has been on my bucket list for awhile now but realistically I dunno if I could do it...)
55. Attend a murder mystery dinner
56. Become a licensed counselor
57. Go to Six Flags
58. Go to Cedar Point
59. Attend a parade 
60. Learn to use html 
61. Reach my reading challenge goal

This list will probably keep being updated as I think of more things that I wanna do before I die.  I know I'm forgetting some things.

Check out my Recipe Bucket List and my Food-Related Bucket List, too!

Peace, and bacon grease!

Food-Related/Blog Bucket List

Have you guys heard of making a 30 by 30 list?

I've seen it on several blogs now and knew I had to join in on the fun. I figured now would be as good a time as ever to post a list of my food goals that I wish to accomplish. My list came to be more than 30 so I can't really call it a 30 by 30.

These are food-related goals that I want to accomplish, or that pertain to my blog.

1. Use slow cooker
2. Use fondue set
3. Use deep fryer
4. Get a photo accepted on Foodgawker 
5. Get a photo accepted on Tastespotting
6. Get a photo accepted on Dessert Stalking 
7. Get a photo accepted on Tasteologie
8. Take a (food) photography class
9. Meet with a fellow Cincinnati food blogger (Katie, Aimee, Heather, Christine, Melissa, and Tanya) or any blogger for that matter!
10. Make a facebook page for my blog
11. Take a cake decorating class
12. Reach 500 followers
13. Take a cooking class
14. Make a wine section on my blog
15. Attend a wine tasting
16. Use fondant
17. Make something using yeast
18. Go to a cookbook signing
19. Meet a famous chef
20. Enter a cooking/recipe contest
21. Win a cooking/recipe contest
22. Make a how-to cooking video for my blog
23. Attend a food blogging conference
24. Decorate a fancy cake
25. Visit a food truck
26. Eat a Philly cheesesteak in Philadelphia
27. Host a dinner party
28. Start a cooking club
29. Collect recipes from my mama
30. Learn how to make PJ's mama's recipes
31. Go to a farmer's market
32. Make a meal using a unique, unusual main ingredient
33. Use my dslr for food photography
34. Make a layer cake 
35. Make a photo recipe index for my blog or categorize by meal type and alphabetically
36. Make a sidebar of my food photos
37. Put a cool "print friendly" button on my blog

That's all for now! I'm sure I could think of more. But this is a start. Cuz we all know some of these just aren't gonna happen. But it's fun to dream, and pretend they will! Wish me luck on this journey :)

Check out my Life Bucket List, and my Recipe Bucket List.

Peace, and bacon grease!

Restaurant Bucket List

I decided to finally make a list of all of the restaurants that I want to try in the Cincinnati area. I'll cross them off the list and add the link once I have finally gone to that restaurant and reviewed it. Oh, and I'm sure I'll be adding to the list as I hear of more restaurants out there waiting for me!

10 West

20 Brix
Abigail Street (made Cincinnati magazine's top 10 list in 2013!)

Alabama Fish Bar
Ando Japanese Restaurant
Aroma - review coming soon!

Bakersfield
Bangkok Terrace
Bobby's Burger Palace

Boi Na Braza Brazilian Steakhouse

Bouquet
Butt Shack BBQ Grill
C'est Cheese Food Truck

Cabana on the River
Cafe de Wheels (food truck) - dive bar review coming soon!

Celestial Restaurant - have Groupon

Chart House
Cloud Nine Sushi
Crave - review coming soon!
Cumin (made Cincinnati magazine's top 10 list in 2013!)
Dancing Wasabi - review coming soon!

Dee Felice Cafe - have Groupon
Dilly Cafe 
Eli's BBQ (made Cincinnati magazine's top 10 list in 2013!) - need to review the OTR booth
Final Cut Steakhouse (in Hollywood Casino)

Fireside Pizza Wagon (food truck) 
Fusian  - review coming soon!

Green Papaya
Hangover Easy
Holtman's Donuts OTR - want to try their maple bacon donut + red velvet cake donut!!
Honey

Hugo - review coming soon!
Ichiban Japanese Cuisine 
Jack Binion's Steak
Jean-Robert's Table (made Cincinnati magazine's top 10 list in 2013!)

Jeff Ruby's Carlo & Johnny

Jeff Ruby's Precinct - (went there a long time ago but need to review it)

Jeff Ruby's Waterfront
Jimmy G's 
Kaze OTR - review coming soon!

La Petite France - review coming soon!

La Poste
Lobsta Bakes of Maine

Local 127
M Wood Fired Oven
Maki Express
Mantra on the Hill

Maribelle's Tavern - review coming soon!

McCormick & Schmick's
Mei Japanese Restaurant
Meritage (Glendale)
Metropole
Midwest Best - want to try their smoked-fried wings!
Moerlein Lager House - review coming soon!

Morton's Steakhouse
Mr. Gene's Dog House/Weenies on Wheels (food truck)
Mt. Adams Bar & Grill

New Orleans to Go (food truck) - review coming soon!
Nuvo
Orchids at Palm Court
Otto's - review coming soon!

Palomino
Parkers Blue Ash Tavern

Paula's Cafe

Prime 47 - have Groupon!

Quaker Steak and Lube - have Groupon  - review coming soon!
Quan Hapa

Rafferty's
Red Sesame Food Truck
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse 
Saigon Cafe
Sakura Japanese Steakhouse 
Seasons 52

Sebastian's 
Senate (made Cincinnati magazine's top 10 list in 2013!)

Senor Roys Taco Patrol (food truck)
SmoQ - have Groupon

Stone Creek Dining Company in West Chester

Taco Azul (food truck)

Taste of Belgium - review coming soon!

Terry's Turf Club

The Anchor OTR 

The Capital Grille

The Eagle Food and Beer Hall - review coming soon!

The Palace - have Groupon - review coming soon!

The Summit

Trio Bistro - review coming soon!

Turophilia Quesadillas (food truck)
Urban Grill Cincy Food Truck

Via Vite (made Cincinnati magazine's top 10 list in 2013!)

View Cucina
Virgil's Cafe - review coming soon!
Vitor's Bistro 
Zula