rant/rave: i spy

how many amazing things do you spy?

i spy:

1. Hotytoty license plate - ridiculous

2. Dressage sticker - really??? I guess it is on a cadillac 

3. Arnold Palmer edition - no words

best car ever? 

you decide.

xoxo

rant/rave: kale

I know you just saw this picture on Wednesday, but it's the only one I have of some kale. 

Yes, I said it was spinach, and it mostly was, but there was some kale mixed in there too.  Let me explain. 

First off, my mother is always ahead of food trends.  Yes, food trends are very much a thing, and I mean it especially in terms of health-related trends.  This meant yes to whole-wheat flour and bread, no to canned tomatoes, and being a trans-fat free house since I was in elementary school.  It was hard to say good-bye to oreos at age 10, but life goes on.  

As a result I'm now trained to feel guilt and think twice anytime I pick up a box of processed food in the grocery store.  

But back to the now current trend of kale: all my life my parents have raved about kale, how delicious it is and of course, how good for you it is.  But I never cared for it.  I was never going to pick it from a list of vegetable options, and I was probably going to complain a little (or a lot depending on your memory) while eating it. 

But yes, kale is some type of super food they say, and everyone and their mother is currently raving about it as the best thing ever.  Their making kale chips, kale salads, kale pasta, kale everything.  So I thought, maybe, just maybe I should give this another go.  We eat a lot of spinach and I keep it in the freezer for a quick super-food side. So I recently mixed it up and bought kale instead of spinach.  

We tried it, and both Jonathan and I agreed, it's so mediocre. The texture and flavor of spinach is much superior.  And you know what, spinach is still really awesome for you so we don't even feel bad about not liking the currently hot super-food.  We're sticking with spinach in my kitchen and enjoying every moment of it.  That said, because we weren't fans, I mixed in the remaining kale with the spinach so there is still some remnant of it in the house.  

But not for long.

Don't forget to eat your greens, but remember, they can be any type of greens!

xoxo

rant/rave: pet paraphernalia

Jonathan needed more food for little spoon, so we stopped by the fancy-pants pet store to get some.  Of course we had to look at the toys too. 

But on the way to the toy section, something terrible caught my eye:

Yes people, pet carriers.  Baby bjorns for your pets.  

What is wrong with people?? I mean really, not only are you a bad pet-parent because you aren't walking your dog, you clearly think your dog needs treatment similar to that of an actual child. Your pet is not a person.  They are adorable and well deserving of our attention and care but are you really going to spend a hundred dollars to carry around your little pal in a front facing backpack? 

Why? So they can see the world as you do?  You know, they will probably be so nervous about not being on the ground they will pee in that little backpack of yours. 

So there. 

Now get over yourselves and just walk your dog like a normal person. 

Don't despair, there was plenty to rave about in the pet store once I got passed that nonsense.  

Things like this:

Why yes, every cat needs a scratching disk so they too can be a star dj.

Now we are talking, practical and adorable...well, maybe still a bit on the ridiculous, but in a much more reasonable way, right?

xoxo

rant/rave: red velvet (cake)

it's funny because i was thinking it had been a while (cue song) since i had a rant/rave and then i was sent into a deep rage black out upon seeing a recent post on a blog i enjoy for red velvet waffles. 

really? really? it's red velvet everything these days. and it's too damn much!

red velvet cake is a nice southern cake to be consumed occasionally.  it is supposed to be chocolate cake with beet juice and cream cheese frosting.

but what has happened to this once simple cake?

it has been destroyed in some marketing frenzy to make everything and anything in red velvet.

it started with a harmless red velvet cupcake.  fine enough.  

but they couldn't leave it alone. there had to be red velvet cake balls and red velvet whoopie pies.  and you know, i can actually live with those, why? because they maintain the integrity of red velvet cake in cake form.

what i can't handle is what came next - red velvet cookies, red velvet truffles, pancakes, ice cream, donuts, cheese balls (?!), puppy chow, brownies, and now waffles. 

honestly people.  you need to stop. you've crossed the line.  

keep red velvet cake a cake. a cake for sometimes.  not all the time. not in any form you fancy.

i just can't take it anymore.

the next time someone offers me some red velvet themed dessert i swear i will give them some red velvet vomit. 

so please, let's get a bit more creative on our flavor combinations.

xoxo

rant/rave: animals + sweaters = love.

no really, i love the idea of a sweater with an animal on it. and you know, this sort of thing does come up in conversation, with ashley of course. 

Just take note of some of our g-chat convo from yesterday:

Ashley: there's a sweater with sheep on it! i haven't bought a sweater in like 10 years, alex. they are always so pricey.

Alex: hahaha. i so want a sweater with an animal on it. really. i do

Ashley: they have 2 sheep ones. and jcrew has a bunch with hens

Alex: i like the second one more, it needs to be pretty ridiculous

Ashley: i like the first one! i wish they were goats. i fucking love goats.

Alex: it's too cute. i still really like that deer one. or do you want a bunny

Ashley: last year, i was obsessed with one with hedgehogs from urban but once it went on sale, i could only find a small. and it was SMALL

Alex: of course, urban

Ashley: i do like a fox.

Alex: did you see the horse sleeve? hilarious?

Ashley: the worst. i hate horses on shirts. i don't know why. i also don't like one-sleeved shirts.

Alex: how can you feel so strongly about a particular animal on a sweater?

Ashley: therefore, the worst shirt ever has one sleeve and a horse.

Alex: perfect logic

Ashley: there's something about them. it's not just horse sweaters i don't like, but also t--shirts with horses. and i like horses.

What? You don't have strong feelings on horse shirts or animal sweaters in general? Ridiculous.

xoxo

rant/rave: cake cheaters

I'm tired of it. It's cheating. 

That's right people, I'm talking about cupcake cakes.

Don't get me wrong, I love cupcakes, and I love decorated baked goods.  But don't be lazy about the whole thing, don't just put some cupcakes next to each other and call it a day.  Take the time to make a proper cake and decorate it, properly! Alternating red and white cupcakes do not produce a lovely candy cane, they produces red and white cupcakes next to each other.

Try again people. Next time with some effort. 

xoxo

Rant/Rave: i'm so behind

I know I'm so behind in posting but it's because of school.  It's the final month of classes, the final month of classes I'll ever take for the rest of my life, I promise. But until May 1st gets here I'm stuck with Ostrom and Stata, a poor combination if you ask me.

There is some cooking happening, like these cookies. And even a little crafting thanks to Easter weekend. Stay tuned, I'll be back soon.

xoxo

Rant/Rave: Vanity Plates

So apparently, it is quite cheap to get a vanity plate in NC.  As a result the state has more of them then I've ever seen, including in Cali I think.

Most of the time they are silly and mean nothing to me.  But, recently I saw two amazing ones:

and,

So good. I'm glad some people take the time to be awesome.

xoxo

rant/rave: denim and kids

Recently, on a trip to target of course, we had to purchase some baby clothes (as presents).

And I came across this scene:

Yes, what you see here are the following:

Denim vest, 

Denim skinny jeans,

Denim mini skirt

(and in the back)

Denim shorts, of the long variety.

How do we feel about this? (It's all for baby children of course)

I think I kind of love it and hate it all at the same time.  Except the mini skirt, that's just bad. 

But seriously, where are the denim jackets?! Those were the good old days...

xoxo

rant/rave: bunny hop

Christine has an iphone. 

Christine has an iphone cover.

Christine's cover has bunny ears:

Seriously, how cute is this?

xoxo

rant/rave: finally

Ok, I'm about to lay out some serious #firstworldproblems.  

I love toffee, so of course I love chocolate with pieces of toffee in it.  But I also love chocolate, so I of course much prefer dark to milk.

But do you know how hard it is to find dark chocolate with toffee pieces???

I know, I warned you it was ridiculous. But seriously.  I had just about decided it didn't exist, until...

I found this in the grocery store hidden in the candy section I usually try to avoid:

So frigging excited, obvi.

xoxo

rant/rave: a bite of the past

So this picture is quite old, like from last spring.  It was taken when Magnum bars made their American debut. 

This is the double caramel.  What does that mean? Well it means that there is an ice cream bar, covered in chocolate coating, dipped in caramel, and then covered in chocolate coating again.

Yes, it sounds ridiculous. And it is. But back in my italy days we ate them all the time...Well i'll be honest, I ate them all the time, everyone else ate them occasionally.  But hey, you walk everywhere when you live in europe so it was fine.  Those were good times. 

And until reunion #2 can happen, magnum bars will have to suffice as a trip down memory lane.

xoxo

rant/rave: a habit I can't afford

It's been awhile... no not that song, just since I've done a rant/rave. But school is back so these are too.

Starbucks. Yup we love it and hate it all in one breath. 

Why do we love it? Because we can get all the fancy caffeine we want, whenever we want.

Why do we hate it? Corporate America making us want to pay 5 dollars for a cup of coffee?? Ridiculous.

Yup. It's a problem. One that I indulge some times, along with a treat of course. But as a grad student, it's an expensive habit, so one I'm hoping to cut this year. Yeah it's not a resolution because I don't do those, just a task on the to do list.

Stay caffeinated team.

xoxo

Rant/Rave: Pillow Fight

I love some sequins but this is too much:

No pillow is comfy when it's covered in sparkles. 

xoxo

Rant/Rave: Got to love her

I was recently in target, one of my favorite places, and saw this:

a hello kitty cupcake maker. How frigging adorable. 

xoxo

Rant/Rave: Really? Really?

Really? How much do I need to say about this?

Location: Old Town Pasadena, usually a stylish place...

Offense: Yes, that is t-shirt. with a winged sword. that is BEDAZZLED IN BLACK SPARKLES.

Lord. Have. Mercy.

Or rather, LHM as I like to say.

xoxo

Rant/Rave: Mug Cake

I saw this on pinterest earlier this week. I had come home from school and was procrastinating work.  I had just finished dinner but had no dessert (ridiculous I know). I had wanted to try a mug cake since they have been all over pinterest lately and I decided it was time. 

The recipe (from babble, see above link) was simple enough:

Salted Caramel Mug Cake

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

4 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg – beaten

3 tablespoons skim milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 salted caramels

--

1. Into a small bowl add: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, egg, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix to combine.

2. Pour mixture into a regular sized coffee mug. Drop caramels into center of mixture one at a time.

3. Microwave on high for one minute and 30 seconds. If needed {if cake batter is still gooey}, microwave on high for up to an additional 30 seconds.

--

So I gathered the ingredients

Mixed up the dry ones

Added the wet ones (I added vanilla, obvi)

Poured it into the mug, along with some chocolate chips (another addition)

And then some salted caramel sauce from TJ's (that stuff is pure heaven fyi)

I followed the directions like a good girl and 'baked' it in the microwave

All of the above looks and sounds delicious, no? 

So why the rant? Because it's crap. Utter crap. Disgusting terribleness. The simple truth of the matter is that you cannot have your cake and eat it to...if the cake you desire is to be quick and delicious. 

Nope. This cake is certainly quick, easy to make too. But it is far from delicious.  

First off it cooks in a mug in a microwave. Think about what happens when you reheat something in the microwave: the top gets warm while the middle is still cold. Now let's apply this to cake: the top cooks quickly the middle still gooey. So what do you do? Cook it a little more. 

And then what do you have: overcooked cake.  

The flavor is off too, slightly burnt but also bitter, like the baking powder didn't fully cook. And the texture is the worst - rubbery. Finally, the concept is off: a mug's worth of cake is actually a lot of cake, probably like two proper slices, not a single serving like you would suspect. 

The whole thing is bad news bears. Try if you like, maybe you'll have better luck, 

but I have settled on the simple truth: you can't rush a good baked good. 

They are one of life's small joys so take the time to make one properly, and you will be rewarded.

xoxo

Rant/Rave: And we're off

So it should be no shock to anyone that I do not approve as tights as pants. It's a well known fact really.  And though I approve of tights underneath shorter dresses, people need to remember that you cannot just wear any pair of tights with any piece of clothing, even if you have had the basic decency to not wear them as pants.

Recently, in the great state of Arkansas, I saw this woman: 

Um, excuse me? Really people. Let's just focus on the worst possible component: the tights. Floral? Really. Let's draw attention to our legs with a giant floral print and then, because that isn't loud enough, let's accent those bad boys with some brown boots, a tight purple dress and black jacket.

Winner? No. I don't think so. 

As previously discussed, the UNC girls have incorporated tights into their standard outfit. Apparently some of them have decided to get a little bold with their choices as witnessed by Lisa:

Love you Lisa. Thanks for concurring on the ridiculousness of these terrible terrible choices.

xoxo

Rant/Rave: Girl Scouts gone corporate

Now, I was a girl scout. Yup, adorable I know.  And I loved being one because it was awesome, obvi. 

But everyone knows what the best part of girl scouts are: the cookies! 

And we tease you with them, only selling them but once a year.  You have to order them ahead of time and wait and then, when they are gone, you have to wait like 11 more months to get more...let's be honest thin mints don't last long in my house.

I'm sure most people have figured out by this point that no girl scouts are making these sweet treats.  We outsource like good Americans. (yeah i said it, get over it.) But unlike other American orgs outsourcing factory labor, we actually get very little profit from our endeavor.  The cost of producing these delicious confections is quite high and local troops only receive about 10-15% of the purchase price of a box. 

Now, I've known for a while that Keebler sold thin-mint knock offs, knock offs I try to ignore every trip to the grocery store. But I was quite surprised to recently find them now selling for-profit somoas! (my personal favorite girl scout cookie).

 

I was so upset. 

One of all: how am I suposed to avoid this temptation on a regular basis? It's just rude elf. Very rude.

Two of all: Um, hello?! How many people are going to keep buying girl scout cookies when they can get them for a dollar cheaper year round in the cookie isle of their local mega mart? They are not only increasing competition for our fine product, but decreasing demand. ugh. No respect from the (little) man.  

So please people, for the benefit of your waistline and local troops, buy your girl scout cookies from a girl scout! 

Also check out these cool scouts making change in the council! 

xoxo

Rant/Rave: Update on Back to School

So apparently team, it has gotten worse. 

If you recall, back to school fashion has been quite dismal at UNC this fall.  This is quite frustrating, because, as Ashbash pointed out, it could be so much better, as evident by other schools that seem to value decency and effort in what they wear.

But alas, we are left with continuing modifications on the outdated and weaksauce workout outfit.  I thought, incorrectly of course, that with the coming cold weather, sorority sisters would need to trade in their over-priced running shorts and mid-calf athletic socks for something a little more appropriate.  

I was wrong. 

Please take note of a recent disaster I had to witness:

Yes, it is a sorority long-sleeved shirt, with those same damn shorts and socks, but now to deal with the cold: leggings have been added!

Disgusting.

I mean really, it's just terrible. And to make matters worse, but I'm sure to no one's surprise, they aren't actually going to workout.  Lisa found out that at UNC undergrads are only allowed to take one physical activity class! Now this is absolutely awful from a health standpoint but also makes it clear that there is no justification for leaving the house and strutting around campus all day in this outfit or any of its adaptations.

xoxo