Posts Tagged With: blogging

Blogging Against Hunger – The Results and a Thank You

Posted on April 19, 2013 by rachelocal

Nicole from The Giving Table posted the results from April 8th’s Food Bloggers Against Hunger.

The results show that a small community of people CAN spur on change. This week especially, when my hometown of Boston withstood loss and faced fear, I am reminded that every day people, like you and me, make a difference. We care. We love. We help. We matter.

FBAH Results

If you haven’t had a chance to contact Congress, you can still make a difference:

Click here to tell Congress to protect federal nutritional programs

Also, a HUGE thank you to Nicole for inspiring change, empowering people to do good, and sharing awesome quotes like this one:

For now I ask no more than the justice of eating. ~Pablo Neruda

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Categories: Documentaries | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blogging Against Hunger

Posted on April 8, 2013 by rachelocal

FBAH Logo

Hungry isn’t a word most would use to describe America. Instead, people use words like wealthy and great.

But 50 million people in this wealthy and great nation are hungry, meaning 1 in 4 children are “food insecure” and do not know where they will find their next meal.

One culprit here is poverty: 15.7 million children (21.6%) in America live in poverty. Many American mothers and fathers cannot afford to feed their children nutritious, whole foods, instead resorting to cheaper, processed and packaged goods.  Since 1980, the cost of fruits and vegetables has gone up 40%, but the price of processed foods has gone down 40% (mostly due to crop subsidies for corn and soy but that is another post all together).

The most nutritious foods in the grocery store, such as fresh produce, are the most expensive.

As I was thinking about this post, I talked to some friends about this very issue. One friend grew up right at the poverty line for a portion of his life, often eating saltines and peanut butter for breakfast and lunch. He said, “There was never enough food, but isn’t that a first world problem?” Interesting statement. Yes, most of our children are not starving, reduced to bloated bellies and bones. But in this country, we have plenty of food, yet 50 million of our citizens do not have enough to eat. And the food they do eat is cheap–filled with chemicals, sodium, corn syrup, and fat. While they may not be starving, they are slowly wasting away due to poor nutrition and poor health (obesity and all its risk factors are directly related to poor nutrition).*

How are members of America’s working poor, living at or below the poverty line supposed to care for their families? Many of them qualify for government food assistance (SNAP benefits). In fact, nearly half of American children will receive SNAP benefits at some point in their lives. In 2011, the average monthly SNAP benefit per person was $4.38 a day.* That’s less than $5 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

I went to the grocery store with $5 in my pocket to see if I could buy ingredients for a nutritious meal. Instead I came out with a bunch of canned goods and a heavy heart. I noticed the most attractive (especially for picky kids) but least nutritious meals were surprisingly inexpensive.

Lean Pockets IMG_4928[1]

While you and I know that frozen dinners and Hot Pockets are not the best choice for dinner, many don’t. They only know that for less than a dollar a meal, their kids’ bellies will be full.

So what can we do? How can we change the status-quo and make sure our nation’s hungry have access to nutritious food?

As a group of change-agents we can:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

 Margaret Mead

>>>

If you’re struggling to put food on the table or just want to eat yummy and nutritious food for a fair price, check out these recipe links:

Spinach and Spring Onion Frittata or Ham and Cheese Frittata

Red Lentil Stew

Four Tomato Chicken Pasta

Three Bean Chili (omit the meat and beer in order to make this economical; it’s just as good and lasts for days!)

Thai Inspired Vegetable Soup

Roasted Tomato Sauce with Pasta (SOLE Food Kitchen is an excellent blog for eating fresh on a strict budget.)

Chiles Rellenos Egg Bake (from Andrea’s Garden Cooking)

*All statistics found at Share Our Strength / No Kid Hungry, another resource for learning more and getting involved.

Categories: Documentaries, Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Bloggy Brunch

Posted on February 25, 2013 by rachelocal

Jules (Go Jules Go), Misty (Misty’s Laws), Julie (MaidaSomeArt) and I planned a bloggy meet-up months ago, selecting my house as the mid-way point. It just so happens that the date we chose fell on my blogiversary, a few days before Jules’ two-year blogiversary and a few days before Misty’s birthday. What a happy coincidence!

They arrived on my doorstep Saturday morning ready for a party, weighted down with all kinds of goodies, including a seemingly never-ending supply of champagne. Jules even brought her dog–the famous Uncle Jesse! I felt like I was meeting a celebrity (in person he’s just like you’d think he’d be–charming and delightful and cute).

This happened. (Misty is a super hero so I have to keep her identity confidential.)

This happened. (Misty is a super hero so I have to keep her identity confidential.)

I had two revelations on my blogiversary:

The first one came when Misty made this comment as I was throwing blogiversary frittatas in the oven: “I was so excited to come and eat Rachel’s food.” Then Jules said the same thing. Then my friend Julie extolled my cooking to them both. I was so pleased. I mean, Misty categorized what I was making as “Rachel’s food,” as if I was a celebrity chef or something. A year ago, I started the blog because I wanted to learn more about good, quality, local food and how to prepare it. My goal was realized as I made those local frittatas for bloggy friends which leads me to my second revelation…

Blogging is so much more than writing or food; it’s about community. I’ve met some amazingly interesting people this year because of blogging. Misty said blogging helped her find “her tribe.” I feel the same way, and I’m thankful that a creative outlet has led me to so many great people whom I now call friends.

Mustache collage, thanks to a mustache gift from Misty

Mustache collage with Julie and Uncle Jesse, thanks to a mustache gift from Misty

The menu included the aforementioned champagne, lovely fruit, chocolate croissants (brought by Jules and from Trader Joe’s. Not local but still delicious) and two kinds of frittata made by yours truly. Frittata is always an easy and delicious way to go for brunch–satisfying for a few or a crowd.

Blogiversary Ham and White Cheddar Frittata

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, diced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 ham steak, cubed (I get my ham from the Amish farmers market. Don’t skimp on the ham!)

8 eggs

Couple splashes of half and half

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese

Preheat the broiler, making sure to place a rack about 8 inches from the heat.

Melt the butter in a non-stick, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the ham to the skillet and cook until a little brown, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, some pepper, and the half and half until smooth.

Spread the ham and onions out evenly in the skillet. Pour the egg mixture over this. Stir a couple of times during the first couple minutes of cooking. Then let the eggs cook until the bottom sets and the edges begin to set, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese and the thyme over the top and transfer the skillet to the broiler until the eggs puff up and are set. Watch it carefully. Remove from broiler and set aside to cool a bit.

Amish Ham and White Cheddar Frittata

Amish Ham and White Cheddar Frittata

Serve to good friends with mimosas (sans the orange juice).

Ham and White Cheddar Frittata AND Spinach and Goat Cheese Frittata

Ham and White Cheddar Frittata alongside Spinach and Goat Cheese Frittata

Thanks to Misty, Jules, and Julie for a lovely day! I’m so happy to know all three of you.

If you’re a blogger, I’m curious–what’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned through blogging?

Categories: Fall Recipes, Recipes, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Winter Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Let’s Get This Party Started

Posted on February 22, 2013 by rachelocal

Tomorrow is my blogiversary!

One year ago, I hit the publish button and my first post jettisoned into the blogosphere. When I started Rachel’s Table I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had no idea what lengths I would go to or ridiculous things I would do to not only find the best, local foods, but also inform and mostly entertain you. YOU, dear readers, are the reason I write this blog. YOU, loyal readers, are the reason I stay motivated to post. YOU, lovely readers, are the reason I muddled through accomplished all of the following activities. I do it all for you:

I befriended the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I became a farmer

I embodied Katniss Everdeen

 I stopped buying olives and hummus

I gardened for the first time in my life

I drank all the wine

I drank all the beer

I rapped and danced

I held chickens

I embarrassed myself

I foraged

I thought I was funny

I played Peppermeister Roulette

I became a restaurant critic, movie critic, food stylist, journalist, artist and photographer

Tomorrow, on my blogiversary, I’ll celebrate in style with a few other bloggers and lots of champagne. But to hold you over until I tell you all about it, I made this card. Just for you.

You know I don't get paid to do this, right? YOU are my only compensation. Worth it.

You know I don’t get paid to do this, right? YOU are my only compensation. Worth it (most of the time).

 

 

Categories: Random | Tags: , , , , , | 24 Comments

For the Love of Bacon

Posted on February 7, 2013 by rachelocal

I’m lucky enough to have some really great friends. Old friends, new friends, close friends, and long distance friends. As I was thinking about my friend line-up today, I realized my friends and I share an all-encompassing, very important commonality: a mutual love of bacon.

Misty, my best friend since tenth grade, likes her bacon chewy, not crispy.

Julie, my artist friend, loves her bacon wrapped around a cheese-filled jalapeno and grilled.

Nicole, my traveling companion friend, likes her bacon any way possible.

Allison, my favorite Massachusetts friend, likes her bacon on a slice of toasted pumpernickel with sharp white cheddar and an egg over easy (this girl knows what she wants).

Natalie, my chef friend, loves bacon in all forms and will cook you up something delicious at the drop of a hat.

Phil, my friend who loves to cook and eat with gusto, likes his bacon in the form of pancetta, which he makes himself.

And Jules, my blogging friend, likes her bacon in ornament form (click here to learn more) or layered evenly and prettily over turkey meatloaf. Being the dear friend that she is, Jules has agreed to share the recipe with us today.

Jules was definitely drinking while making this meatloaf

Jules was definitely drinking while making this meatloaf

Prepare yourself to be amazed:

A year or two ago, when I saw we had ground turkey and bacon in the fridge, I decided to experiment.

The resultant recipe soon turned into one of my favorite go-to meals during the week, when I want to make something simple, hearty and delicious. I’ll whip up this feisty loaf on my lunch break and stick it in the fridge until it’s time to bake. (I wait to put the sauce on until just before baking.)

It’s nearly impossible to screw this up, so feel free to get drunk while making it creative. And if you don’t like spicy food? Use mild peppers and leave out the Sriracha sauce!

Spicy Turkey Meatloaf (with BACON!!!!)

Serves 4

Meatloaf

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1-2 of your favorite spicy peppers, finely chopped (I like sereno, jalapeno and Habanero, or peppers from Peppermeister‘s garden)
  • 1-2 T vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c. oatmeal (I use steel-cut; you can also substitute with bread crumbs)
  • 3-4 oz. pepper jack and/or cheddar cheese, shredded (you can use just about any kind of cheese you like)
  • 1.2-1.5 lbs. ground turkey (1 package)
  • 6 strips of bacon, uncooked
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and saute the onions, garlic and peppers until softened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.

Loaf-pan

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, egg, oatmeal and cheese. Add the cooked onion mixture and salt and pepper to taste.

Loaf-bowl

Form a loaf in a medium-sized baking dish or loaf pan.

Loaf-shaped

Cover with bacon. There is no way to do this wrong, but the quality of the bacon will make a big difference, so don’t skimp if you don’t have to.

This is the reason my life feels fulfilled without children.

This is the reason my life feels fulfilled without children.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and Sriracha sauce and pour over the meatloaf.

Loaf-sauce

Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes.

Loaf-final

Slice and serve!

Loaf-plated

This is fantastic the next day, too, if you can leave any!

Thanks for a bacon-licious idea, Jules! I love you (almost as much as I love bacon)! If you haven’t visited Jules’ blog yet, go see what she’s up to today on Go Jules Go.

So tell me, what’s YOUR favorite way to eat bacon?

Categories: Fall Recipes, Recipes, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Winter Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Why Local is Better than Loco

Posted on January 25, 2013 by rachelocal

I’ve hung out with Jules from Go Jules Go before. If you missed any of our escapades, take some time to catch up:

Here’s where Jules made me eat avocados at Cheesecake Factory.

And here’s where she drank all the beer.

Fortunately, our shenangians are on-going. We spent Monday together in New Hope, PA, and decided to meet at a Mexican restaurant called Blue Tortilla. I studied the menu beforehand, memorized the description of their guacamole (being a locavore can be a drag, because I rarely eat avocados) and knew my order by heart (pork carnitas with extra guac, please). But the unthinkable happened. BLUE TORTILLA WAS CLOSED!

Of course, there were other places nearby, even restaurants serving ingredients from local farms, but we had come to New Hope fully expecting to enjoy Mexican food. Thanks to Jules’ iPhone ingenuity, we discovered El Taco Loco and walked up Main Street, down a few side roads and into an alley to find it. And this is when I discovered six reasons why Local is better than (El Taco) Loco.

1. Local service is better than Loco service. At El Taco Loco, there is no service. You walk in, you look around for a few minutes waiting to be seated, you realize no one will seat you, you sit down, you wait for a menu, you find your own menu, you place your order at a little window at the back of the restaurant. The woman taking your order grunts at you, rolls her eyes, and does everything humanly possible NOT to interact with you.

2. Local bars are better than Loco bars. I’ve been to local restaurants that serve hand-crafted cocktails with organic vodka or include local wines on an extensive wine list. El Taco Loco has no bar; they barely wanted to give us water. Thank our lucky stars we planned on eating at a BYO, so Jules and I had 14 beers to share between the two of us (our husbands may have had a few, too).

Mmmmmm....beer

Mmmmmm….beer

3. Local ambiance is better than Loco ambiance. One of my favorite local places is tastefully decorated with white tablecloths and soft lighting. Loco decor included giant wicker urns and baskets filled with old tissues.

This is what happens when two bloggers get together and have to wait a really long time for their food

This is what happens when two bloggers get together and have to wait a really long time for their food

4. Local staff is better than Loco staff. After waiting an extraordinary amount of time for our food (it’s a good thing we had two servings of guacamole to abate our hunger), a member of the kitchen staff brought out a plate of something. “Fish tacos,” he said. We looked at each other. No one ordered fish tacos. He argued with us for a full five minutes before stomping back to the kitchen mumbling,”I guarantee you ordered fish tacos.” Apparently fish tacos and chicken tacos look exactly the same.

I know it doesn't look like it, but I was very excited about this guac (which was actually fresh and tasty)

I know it doesn’t look like it, but I was very excited about this guac (which was actually fresh and tasty)

5. Local dinnerware is better than Loco dinnerware. Usually, local restaurants have actual plates, or at least disposable plastic plates. At El Taco Loco, your food is precariously set in front of you on a piece of flimsy styrofoam. We even had to bring our own coasters.

The remnants of a half-eaten meal on a flat, styrofoam loco-style plate.

The remnants of a half-eaten meal on a flat, styrofoam loco-style plate.

'Stache glasses coasters courtesy of me and MaidaSomeArt

Custom ‘stache glasses coasters courtesy of me and MaidaSomeArt

6. Local food is better than Loco food. Without a doubt this is true (see above photo for proof). El Taco Loco didn’t even shred their own cheese–a tasteless no-no in this locavore’s book. Jules’ husband Peppermeister and I could have whipped up something local, spicy and delicious that would have blown those fish chicken tacos out of the Gulf of Mexico.

Given the circumstances, it may seem like Jules and I had a terrible time on our bloggy meet-up. Not so. El Taco Loco was kind enough (or apathetic enough) to let us take over the dining room for four hours. They came by to roll their eyes only a few times and when shifts changed, a friendly staffer took our beer bottles and cleared our plates. She didn’t even mind when we used their decor as photo props.

Posin' with our What Would Sexy Stalin Do? wristbands. Intrigued? Go to The Byronic Man to find out how to win one of your very own.

Posin’ with our What Would Sexy Stalin Do? wristbands. Intrigued? Go to The Byronic Man to find out how to win one of your very own.

After our long lunch, we headed out into the cold New Hope air to visit some shops, but we just ended up taking more ridiculous photos.

We are so cool

We are so cool

Creepy bear was speaking to me through the glass

Creepy bear was speaking to me through the glass

Good times

Good times

Uncle Jess should be jealous

Should Jules’ dog, Uncle Jesse, be jealous?

Jules, the dog whisperer

Jules, the dog whisperer

This is what sexy stalin would do

This is what sexy Stalin would do. (Best photo bomb ever, Peppermeister)

Wanting to get out of the cold (and stop embarrassing ourselves) Jules took us to the perfect place for a cocktail: church! Martha Brown Restaurant is a dining experience located in a renovated church. The bar is especially cozy and has those hand-crafted cocktails I was talking about earlier.

Fancy drinks

Fancy drinks

The old church sanctuary transformed into the posh dining room

The old church sanctuary transformed into a posh dining room

Sippin' on gin and juice

Cheers to church!

As you can see, the day turned out splendidly despite the loco Mexican food. I would go back to El Taco Loco just to enjoy a four-hour conversation with Jules (and the guacamole). I would even drive through a blizzard on the way back home. Oh wait, I already did that.

Blizzard on the way home

Trapped in the car on the way home in a blizzard with a man who just ate inferior Mexican food off of black styrofoam. There are not enough prepositional phrases to describe the torment.

Totally worth it

Totally worth it

If you’d like to win some art, head over to Go Jules Go. She’s hosting a giveaway for those awesome coasters or another custom item from MaidaSomeArt!

Categories: Restaurant | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

The Obligatory After Thanksgiving Post

Posted on November 23, 2012 by rachelocal

Now’s the time for a food blogger to talk about all the inventive ways she’s using her Thanksgiving leftovers. Not me. I’m putting stuffing, turkey, and cranberry sauce between two dinner rolls and calling a day. I’m a purist.

The remains of our turkey (yes, it was local) and the beginnings of an amazing sandwich

You might be asking yourself, How does she have time to post when there’s shopping to be done and sales to be fought over? Well, Inquisitive Reader, I do not shop on Black Friday. I generally avoid shopping altogether, unless it’s for boots. I can always shop for boots.

So if I’m not writing about leftovers or shopping, then why are we all here? 

We are here to receive inspiration for my Name That Recipe Giveaway. Spending the day with family yesterday was an inspiration to me, especially since three of those family members are under that age of 13.

Sarah, 10, mentioned she saw my blog recently.

“You drew on that mug?” she asked. “Did you draw a cinnamon roll on the table? Ethan thinks it’s a cinnamon roll.”

“No. It’s local food. I even labeled it ‘local food.’”

“A cinnamon roll would have been better.”

See? So many inspirational ideas!

When I told them about my giveaway contest, they were bored looked at me like I was weird were intrigued. Ethan, 7, said, “What do they win?”

“Coffee, a mug and notoriety.”

Ethan was unimpressed, “Well, that’s not a good prize. You should give away money.”

“Ethan, you don’t understand the essence of the blogging community. No one blogs for the money.”

In the spirit of my Name That Recipe Giveaway, we decided to rename all of the Thanksgiving side dishes. Here are some of the highlights.

The side dishes in question

Glazed Carrots:

Ethan: “Tiny Pumpkins! No! Bowl of Orange!”

Sarah: “Roasted Carrots with a Honey Pecan Glaze. Hahahaha! I cheated. I used my iPod to look up recipes.”

Ashleigh, 12, made an appearance: “Cut- Up Mimi Fingers” (This requires some explanation. Mimi, which is what the grandkids call my mother, is known in our family for her unfortunate carrot-look-alike fingers. I have to add that this is the ONLY unfortunate thing about my mom–she’s lovely and delightful in every way.)

Ash posing with Mimi’s cut up fingers

Green Bean Casserole:

Sarah: “Jack in the Beanstalk Casserole”

Ethan: “I don’t like it”

Butternut Squash Puree:

Ashleigh: “Gold Mush”

Sarah: “Puke Mush”

Gold Puke Mush never looked so appetizing

Then the whole thing degenerated to potty humor.

Now you have your inspiration! And until Monday at 8 am to Name That Recipe. Click here for a chance to win a personalized mug! (Winning that mug would make all those hours of blogging worth it, right?)

{PS – In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d be thankful if you went over to Childhood Relived and voted for MY family photo. You won’t be disappointed in the quality of the post (Angie is a blogging inspiration!) or the hilarity of the family photos, especially mine.}

Categories: Random | Tags: , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Brews and Blogging: A Pictorial Adventure

Posted on November 14, 2012 by rachelocal

Last Saturday, I visited a local brewery with an almost local friend.

Jules (famously known for the Blog of all Blogs gojulesgo.com) and I met right here on the blogs, thanks to the wonderful world of WordPress. As fate would have it, we live only one state away and about two hours apart.  Besides location, we have a lot in common. We blog. We have husbands. Our favorite movie is Clueless. We don’t save champagne for special occasions. We like to high five. We think The Bryonic Man is dapper. And we like to drink beer.

Since we have the beer-drinking in common, Jules suggested meeting at River Horse Brewing Company in Lambertville, NJ. Nestled on the shores of the Delaware, River Horse is owned by two “finance geeks” that hate cubicles (Jules and I agree on this too–cubicles are spirit-breaking).  With husbands in tow, Jules and I took a tour and enjoyed four good-sized samplings for only $1! I highly recommend any beer at River Horse. I loved them ALL, but especially the Belgian Freeze, which was so full-bodied and smooth I went back for seconds.

Shenanigans ensued and we have the pictures to prove it…

The adventure begins…

Our beer adventure guide drank a pint while she talked

Jules’ husband, Peppermeister, turning into a Brewmeister

We drank ALL THE BEER

Hello? Where’s the beer? (Is it weird that we hung out in the beer warehouse for most of the day?)

Bloggers and friends ROCKING the ‘stache glasses

This is for your scrapbook, Jules. I heart you.

{Jules is  HOT commodity these days. Check out her blogger profile by WordPress! Well done, Jules!}

Take the tour!

River Horse Brewing Company

80 Lambert Lane

Lambertville, NJ 08530

609.397.7776

Categories: Breweries | Tags: , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Celebration and Confession Thanks to the Bad Influence of a New Friend

Posted on September 11, 2012 by rachelocal

I am in a celebratory mood. And why not? Fall is in the air; I ate a honeycrisp apple today; and yesterday I made a new blogging friend.  In person. And it was glorious.

Here’s our bloggy friendship story in a nutshell:

Searching WordPress’ recommended blogs, I discovered a gem called Go Jules Go. I visited said blog regularly, chuckling at Jules’ antics and admiring her positive spirit and excellent speaking voice (thanks to her video blogs).

Next, I read a post on MWF seeks BFF, a blog highlighting all things friendship.  This particular post recounted the sometimes embarrassing or awkward situations friends can get into together and then asked the question, “Is there a blogger out there…that you’d want to be friends with?” Without hesitation, I answered thusly: “Hands down, I’d pick Jules from Go Jules Go. I laugh out loud while reading her blog, and always relate to her posts in some way. She’s hysterical and I know awkwardness would abound if we hung out, in an embarrassingly delightful way!”

In a twist of fate and slap bracelets, Jules and I began emailing. She’s just as hysterical via email as she is on her blog. An example from a recent email: “I’m sorry if the font size on this email is screwy. I don’t know what the heck is happening with my email lately, but every time I start a new paragraph, the font gets bigger. Is it like a hint that I should shut the hell up? Well. Screw you, Yahoo! Everyone makes fun of you, you know. Having you as an email carrier is like still having a pager.” And this nugget: “The last time I ordered a mimosa…I asked them to hold the orange juice.” Jules is a riot.

You can see why, when she emailed me saying she was passing through Delaware on Sunday, I eagerly agreed to meet her. And that leads me to my confession…

We met at Cheesecake Factory. As you know, a locavore is not at home in this establishment. At all. But due to its convenient location to the highway, it was the perfect spot for a bloggy friendship to bloom. And bloom it did.

First we exchanged gifts. My very own ‘Stache Glasses!! With bling no less. Jules gives these marvels away FOR FREE just for answering a thought-provoking question she poses. As far as I can tell, the most ridiculous answer wins. She also wears them to work everyday (I like to think that anyway).

This is my blogging mentor. On another note, notice the woman in the background. Clearly she’s overwhelmed by the 300-page menu. She’s giving it the stink-eye.

My present to her was a labor of love. A card carefully crafted with scrap book paper, a sharpie, and a highlighter.

Yes, this is a chipmunk with a blue mustache. If you keep up with gojulesgo.com, this will make perfect sense to you.

After squeals of delight over our gifts, Jules and I celebrated our new-found friendship by ordering mimosas without orange juice and egg rolls with avocado. I’m not gonna lie. Those egg rolls were the so-not-local-bomb. Jules and I wondered just how the Cheesecake Factory peeps do it. So crispy and warm on the outside with perfect, not-mushed-up avocados on the inside. Falling off the locavore wagon for one afternoon was worth it for the few hours of delightful conversation and bloggy bonding that occurred over those avocados, cheesecake and champagne.

So now I’m raising my glass to Jules and toasting all the blogging inspiration and advice she has given me. Cheers to you, Jules, and to meeting in real life!

Orange-juice-less mimosas are so refreshing!

Celebrating our own awesomeness

P.S. – This is Peppermeister, Jules’ blogging husband. He gave me a present, too, which I will tell you all about very soon. (It’s local!)

TWO new friends! How cute are they?

P.S.S. – Can’t get enough of those ‘stache glasses? Head over to Go Jules Go for more photos and frivolity.

Categories: Random, Restaurant | Tags: , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

Blogapalooza

Posted on July 26, 2012 by rachelocal

Tuesday I admitted to you, dear readers, my blog identity crisis brought on by my blog envy. (Is there a blog therapist out there? I need to lie down on your virtual couch.)

In the aforementioned post, I mentioned four of my favorite funny bloggers, so you can imagine my delight when I turned the computer on this morning only to see my mug on not one but TWO of these favorite blogs. It’s like my wildest blogging dreams are coming true! I pinched myself to make sure I was actually awake.

I’m on Go Jules Go!

My bloggy BFF, Jules, is awesome. So awesome that she sends her loyal readers slap bracelets. For free. No strings attached. Well, maybe one string. She does like to receive photos of the slap bracelets in action, so to speak. When my slap bracelets arrived in the mail, they were accompanied by a note written on neon green paper (my favorite color throughout middle school, only to be replaced by teal in high school). References to Bon Jovi, J-Lo, and nicknames were in abundance. Jules is like the perfect sixth grade pen pal I never had.

I owed Jules big time, so I took my slap bracelets on vacation with me. Here’s a sneak preview of what you’ll see on Go Jules Go:

Intrigued? You should be.

So take a walk/click over to Go Jules Go’s Summer Is Hot and So Are You magazine. You won’t be disappointed.

Vote for me on Childhood Relived!

Angie, a fellow child of the 80s, has a nostalgic, hysterical blog called Childhood Relived. This blog is chock full of everything you ever remembered about being a kid. Did you ever wear burnt orange, corduroy culottes? So did Angie! Did you have a crush on John Cusack or Joey McIntyre from NKOTB? Yup, Angie did, too! Do you have fond memories of your banana seat bicycle? Angie had one!

I entered this photo, along with some other oldies but goodies, in her blog’s Dynomite! school photo contest. I’m hoping that my sweet smile, crooked glasses, and permed hair will capture the heart of her readership. But just in case one of the other poor souls entrants starts pulling ahead, I’m asking you to go over to Childhood Relived’s Dynomite! School Photo Contest and vote for me! Winning this contest would make my awkward decade years seem almost worth it. Almost.

(Disclaimer: Thank you to all my foodie and locavore friends for allowing me to forgo my usual subject matter for a couple days. My itch to become a humor blogger has been scratched and I fully expect to resume my posts about food and locality pronto.)

Categories: Random | Tags: , , , , , , | 14 Comments

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