Sometimes inspiration

Sometimes inspiration comes in the form of tiny little bubbles. (with chop sticks and tuna)

Why I like the new oven:

The new broiler works like a fricken awesome toaster oven.

Yum

I. Love. Bacon.

Sunday morning shopping with the Girl

Why do they have to make so many salad dressings?

bonus overhead on the couch....

The Girl: "Why did you take that photo?"

Me: "I just thought the perspective looked cool."

The Girl: "Yeah, it does. I noticed you taking it,I thought: there he goes again."

Me: "What are you saying?"

The Girl: "Only you would see that... like the shiny lights that hang from the ceiling"

Me: " OK now you are just f'n with me."

The Girl: "Now?"

Ok dinner at Gratzi

A little pampering was on the agenda as the Girl took me out for diner at Gratzi. Yum.

The atmosphere was great.
The food?

Well the food was amazing.

Suddenly I realized....

Almost the entire summer has gone by and I have not had
ONE
SINGLE
BRATWURST

What the hell has happened to me.
Thank god its almost tailgate season.

Hanging out in Chicago has its benefits....

Moving the girl into her apartment we were tired and ready for a quick meal. I noticed nearby this bar and grill looking place so I suggested we just get I quick bite there after a long day.
Little did I know that we were stumbling into one of Chicago's new hipster hot spots simply called "Frontier" (AKA "Frontier lounge", AKA "The Frontier")

Our experience was much like the reviews a little hit and miss. It started out slow and they were out of a few things. The sever was not impressed with the girls request for a custom salad but once the food was finally served. WOW it was really good. The Smoked beef brisket Reuben I had was simply amazing. Even the Frontier burger and fries were good.

We did not read the reviews ahead of time, nor did we know that this was such a popular new place. I am glad we did not know anything as this was a chance to experience it without expectations. Was it a perfect experience?
No.
Would I go Back?

Absolutely.
For what its worth I even look forward to it.
If you are in the city look it up for yourself.
If you do , let me know what you think.

.

I love caffeine, I love caffeine. I love caffeine. I love caffeine. (breathe) I love caffeine....

 Yet another reason to love caffeine.

Ahhh caffeine... making days more bearable since 1819.

Sure we had to move stuff from the girls apartment...

But it was worth it as I was rewarded with this awesome bribe of fried cheese at The Prickly Pear, one of our favorites place. It was so money they had to put a little dollar sign right on it. I almost forgot about the work.Yum.

Someday my friend will stop sending me photos....

Someday my friend will stop sending me photos.... of him catching fish.

Until that day I will continue to photo shop the fish out and send them back to him. I would say much improved.

Lunch with my friend Jeff at the Jolly Pumpkin.....

Lunch with my friend Jeff at the Jolly Pumpkin..... awesome!

I recommend the BLT. Get Downton and get one for yourself.

Firday Date Night: Sabor Latino

As lent is wearing on our old haunts seem to be more and more mundane.
The Girl was in the mood for something different but still in our familiar comfort zone. Not too busy but getting downtown seemed like a good idea.
Sabor Latino fit the bill nicely. We had not been there in a while and were surprised to see they now had a license to sell alcohol  (A little Google Research says since Aug 2010) something we always wished they had. Ironically useless to us at the moment.
We spit the fajitas, with a extra side of the famous guacamole. 
It. Was. Awesome.
The best part, aside for the company,  dinner for two $22.00 ( pre-tip) in  a place we have been too long from. If you are in town, want some good food but are not feeling fancy check it out. You can thank us later.

Re-Post :10 Everyday Foods That Can Affect You Like Drugs

Maybe I am just Hungry.

Maybe I am just to busy to bust out some writing today.

Maybe you will never know.

The truth of the matter is, I was thinking about nutmeg the other day as I was putting a dash in my coffee, and well this post then was doubly interesting.

Thanks to io9 for this one.

See the origional post *here*

10 Everyday Foods That Can Affect You Like Drugs

Annalee Newitz — 10 Everyday Foods That Can Affect You Like Drugs Everybody knows there are certain natural substances that you can eat or smoke to feel awesome or weird, depending on your perspective. But what about ordinary foods that deliver these same mood-altering or even consciousness-warping effects? We've got ten foods that go straight to your head.

10. Chili peppers

Chilis contain a substance called capsaicin, which has been proven to work as a topical painkiller for arthritis and other conditions. But there is also anecdotal evidence that people eating extremely spicy foods experience an endorphin high. No scientific studies have validated this claim, but it's fairly common for people to report getting wasted on spice.

9. Turkey

Like other poultry, turkey contains tryptophan, a precursor to contentment-generating chemical seratonin. It can make you feel contented and sleepy.

8. Sweet potatoes

Like many starchy foods, sweet potatoes boost seratonin production, which leads to a sense of well-being. Plus the vitamin A in these orange tubers adds an extra oomph. Want to get mellow? Sweet potato fries are like the Valium of snacks.

7. Spinach

Popeye taught us many things about science, but most important was his basic lesson in chemistry: If you eat spinach, you'll feel better. Spinach is high in magnesium, which can relieve stress. You won't be able to beat the crap out of your own private Bluto, but a nice spinach salad might mellow you out enough to ignore him.

10 Everyday Foods That Can Affect You Like Drugs 6. Salmon

This tasty fish is high in DHA, which is the structural component of brain tissue. It's a natural smart drug. Studies have shown its crucial for brain development, and some say DHA can make you smarter - or at least keep from getting stupider as you age. DHA supplements are popular in Japan among students studying for exams. If you want to feel smarter and happier, eat some salmon nigiri: You'll get your DHA from the fish, and the carbos in the rice will unleash a little bit of seratonin, the "happy hormone," to make you feel perky. Hate salmon? You can get the same burst of DHA from sardines and many other fish.

5. Cocoa

Cocoa beans, the main ingredient in chocolate, contain a number of compounds that put you in a good mood. Anandamides in chocolate may target some of the same receptors in your brain that are affected by marijuana. Chocolate also contains theobromine, a mild stimulant. Eating cocoa beans in anything, from spicy Mexican sauces to sugary chocolate bars, will lift your mood - though only for a brief time.

4. Areca nuts

Popular in the Pacific Islands and parts of Asia, these tiny red nuts grow on palm trees and contain several chemicals that act as mild, coffee-like stimulants. These nuts can be chewed on their own - though eventually they'll stain your teeth red - but they're often mixed with sugar, cumin, cloves, and other seeds, then wrapped in betel leaves to make a sweet treat. Many people call them betel nuts because they are so commonly wrapped in betel leaves, which also contain stimulants.

3. Sugar

You can get the hardcore white powdered stuff, or you can play it safe and eat it in fruit. Either way, sugar is the basic building block of energy in your body, so lots of it can cause you to feel incredibly energetic. But refined sugar will lead to a rollercoaster affect on your moods - you'll feel super-awesome, and then crash hard into lethargy and depression. You can even get addicted to sugar and go through horrible withdrawal from it, say scientists. To avoid the rollercoaster, stick with fructose. Sugars from fruit take longer for your body to digest, so they don't get you quite as high but they also don't slam you down quite so hard either.

2. Coffee

The seeds of the coffee plant contain caffeine, and I probably don't have to tell you that caffeine is a stimulant. You can slurp it up from hot water squashed through ground, roasted coffee beans, or mix the beans into sauces or candies. However you take it, coffee will pep you up - temporarily. It will also cause painful withdrawal headaches.

1. Nutmeg

If you take massive doses of the tasty spice nutmeg, you'll get enough myristicin into your system to barf and get diarrhea - but hey, it might be worth it because in a few hours you'll start hallucinating and generally tripping balls. Yes, nutmeg can make you trip, but it's supposedly an absolutely atrocious high because it makes you so sick and the effects can last for days.

Post Valentines Days Lunch Review: The Gandy Dancer

Since my Valentine had the day off yesterday, we met for a nice lunch instead of fighting the dinner crowds at one of Ann Arbor often overlooked but definitely most interesting restaurants : The Gandy Dancer.

Sure it was a bit of a splurge.... but lunch menu is usually a little better on the wallet then dinner, and there is no exception here.

I will not deny that the company of my love was influencing my mood, the atmosphere was amazing the that was nothing compared the food.

We had the Dynamite Scallops - Crab encrusted with basil drizzled cream sauce (served over sea shells- amazing presentation) . She had the lobster bisque and a salad and I had the lunch special London broil. All of it was amazing.

It was a long, leisurely lunch, and sitting in the old train station watching the train go by with the Girl was a perfect way to get away... if only for an hour.



If your ever in Ann Arbor I would recommend you try this place.

Jell-O makes everything better

Its somewhat unsettling how happy Jell-O makes me.

Must be a childhood memory thing.

Found in breakroom: Panda brand spicy mustard

In the break-room exists a general condiment basket, where people might leave or take a package of say mustard or soy or catchup. Kind of like a communal garden of spices. For the most part it works for our small office.

The thing is some things never get used and suffer the fate of this dried up shell of a former package of spicy mustard. Like the last kid to be picked for dodge-ball, it suffers the humiliating slow death of the unwanted. It actually ended up drying into a crunchy unnaturally colored crispy substance. Super yummy fun time huh?

Thus started the early morning condiment purge. Not exactly a fun job but a necessary one for sure.
Seeing this disgusting mess made me realize we will have to step up the rotation a little bit.

Cool gear: Mas Guapo

Lately Uncrate has been on a condiment kick but MAS GUAPO (roughly translated to "More Handsome" looks to be an awesome addition to anyone's spice cabinet.

Described as: "...a spice blend that falls somewhere between a dry rub and seasoning salt..." it has bold rhetoric right on the label including:


Organic
Kosher
Bitchen

and

For a more handsome chef. I give it points for the cool mustache guy alone.

With assertions like that, I might just have to give it a try. Looks like you can get it *here*
for around $10

Lunch at Amadeus ...

Lunch at Amadeus ... with my old friend Jeff was an amazing surprise today.
Not sure if the company or the food was better.

Saturday Haiku

Crazy dog woke us early.

We'll go to farmers market!

MMMM... farm fresh produce.

Best part about May: The Farmers Market brings great stuff to us.

Best part about that is the fresh bread makes my "brown bag" lunches much more fun!