Saturday, January 26, 2013

The Next Chapter . . .

Y'all, you probably know there's rarely a dull moment in CN Land, and the next adventure begins Monday!

I decided to go back to the restaurant world and was looking for the perfect place: one where I'd eat myself, where regulars are the backbone of the customer base, where the staff tries to be the best team possible . . . and I think I've found it. Seven years ago, a former GM from one of my favorite restaurants took over this little Sandy Springs gem - 

Brooklyn Cafe, my soon to be new home away from home!
Some of the menu items are reinventions of classics from his old stomping grounds, and others are unique to the small but carefully selected lunch and dinner menus. I think it's going to be a great fit for me and I'm so excited for my first shift!

Food + good people + a great environment = love. Let the new chapter begin!

Hope to see you at the new digs soon!

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Thursday, January 24, 2013

From the Sweet Man, With Love . . .

Well, guess who's looking for a job - again. Me!

And since my printer's out of ink (eep!), the Boy was kind enough to prepare a bunch of resumes for me. And in the envelope with my ten collated resumes (yes, he's good at attention to detail), I found the most recent issue of "Food & Wine" . . . 


. . . for me to peruse between interviews, with a sweet note of encouragement.

See, this is yet another way food and love and life intersect. When things are hard - a good meal can help. When you need encouragement - a good friend or sweet boyfriend can help lift your spirits. When . . . you get the idea.

Not sure what the next food or life adventures hold in CN Land - but I know they'll be tasty. Stay tuned . . .

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Friday, January 18, 2013

Night at the Office, Morning at the Waffle House!!

So yesterday, the Boy and I had a late-ish dinner at one of our usual spots. We needed steak for fortitude, we thought! Turns out, we were right. 

He knew he was going to have to pull an all-nighter at the office, adjacent to our dinner spot (how convenient!), and yet we didn't really want to end our "date." Solution? Get a bottle of wine and head up to his office so we can spend time together - him at his desk, working away, and me on the sofa with my laptop (and, er, a brief nap!). It was actually a really fun, cozy night. I love seeing him so focused and concentrated on accomplishing an important task. I am good at keeping myself occupied so we were a companionable and peaceful pair.

Which brings me to - what do you do for breakfast after such a night (and by breakfast, I don't mean one of our leisurely ones at Another Broken Egg, our fave spot- 

ie - this...
We love the Popeye Scramble at ABE!

I mean a brief pre-7am reprieve before he had to get back to the office.)

Waffle House, of course!!

The corner WaHo just down the street - one of my faves!

This is a WaHo with a lot of regulars and it was bustling today - so fun to observe the comings and goings. After a long and fairly quiet night, the atmosphere was perfect.

To our rescue, a mini-feast and coffee . . . a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich (on Texas toast, of course) and hashbrowns to share -

Sometimes you just need one of their breakfast sandwiches.
And, for him, a waffle (confession: I have never actually eaten a waffle at Waffle House!) - 

And sometimes you just need a waffle (too!)
A break from work for him, fortification for us both, our usual pleasant and interesting conversation - even when you're tired after a long night, this is a pretty swell way to start the next day!

WaHo - always there when you need it!

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Dinner with a Friend

One of my favorite friends and I had dinner last night - our "holiday" dinner, albeit belated, but lovely as our meals always are.

We went to Your Dekalb Farmers Market in the morning to procure ingredients and we had a feast! I was mostly in charge of cooking and prep . . . .

From salad and avocado bruschetta to start - 

Who knew Boursin would be so good on a salad?? Yum!


To the main event: delicious meat lasagna and even better spaghetti sauce that his mom made . . .

Y'all! Amazing spaghetti sauce.
Such a nice meal on a rainy winter night. Lucas joined along, we watched some movie (he tries to pick things I like even though I usually fall asleep halfway through!) - oh! and his mom's butterscotch cookies which were heavenly.

I've known this friend for five or so years now and we eat out (he's great with Scoutmob, Groupon, etc) and sometimes we eat in, one of us cooking. He's been great to me in so many ways over the years - and to Big and now Luke - and I hope I've been great to him as well. Making dinner at his house was my pleasure and joy. 

Sometimes, a rough week or a rainy day is simply made better by good company and good food. Tuesday was such for me! I am grateful.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

PS - When I inevitably wake up from the couch and he's gone to bed, I can clean the kitchen up then watch TV - a treat since I don't have cable! Life is good!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

"I Am So In Love With You . . ."

Y'all know that Al Green song - "Let's Stay Together" - right??

Well, tonight I've been mulling over a few things during my "Ally McBeal" marathon. If you remember, she had a thing for, as she called them, "theme songs" - imaginary characters, dead famous people, all kinds of folks would show up during various episodes. And the latest ones I've been watching have featured Al. It's pretty funny, in a kitschy 90's kind of way . . . 

And it made me think of things and people I love. The Boy, who  just got back from a quick trip and another of my favorite things that will happen in the morning -  we're "having eggs" as we call it in the morning - what should I have?

How cute would this be for Valentine's?? Don't think they serve this at our regular spot so I'll keep it in mind for home!

He loves his "biscuit product" - 

Usually he just gets sausage and cheese- sometimes with egg. . .
Or maybe we'll share some kind of schmancier Benedict product, if we feel indulgent - 


What am I getting at? Food and love. I'm so in love with him, it's crazy. And some of my favorite moments with him are over food. It's one of the cornerstones of our relationship - communing over food, whether an excellent steak dinner, Chinese take out on the couch with a movie that we usually mute or have to rewind multiple times because we talk over the scenes, or . . . eggs. 

Love, and food. Any of us is blessed to have a bounty of either - but it's the ultimate when there's both.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal


Saturday, January 12, 2013

Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce, Cheese . . .

Not really. But remember that commercial?? Anyhoo, one definition of love is accommodating your special person. So when the Boy didn't have much time, had to go to the office before getting to the airport but still wanted to see me - and eat a bite if we could - well . . . we breakfasted at McDonald's. I know- weird, right??

He did make me happy by wearing the most favorite (of mine) present I got him for Christmas - 

His 'happy place' is an airplane (mine is a bookstore, go figure...)!
Not saying I never eat there - but it is usually for a late night cheeseburger or fries when nothing else  is open, a big Diet Coke or hash browns when a hung-over morning. . . .

Today, I had just a DC - 


But he quite enjoyed a newer version of their "biscuit product" as he likes to call his favorite breakfast sammich - 

Oddly, he likes a sausage biscuit - plus grape or blackberry jam.

Did you know that Mickey D's now has the option to put egg whites and/or cheddar in any of their combos? I did not. 

What mattered? I didn't snag any of his side of hashbrowns (self-control CN!) but more importantly, I got to see his sweet face. Even if over a 30-minute fast food (semi-) breakfast and a bit of conversation. You make it work when you want to, I say.

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Thursday, January 10, 2013

BFD - or DFB . . .

Ok. Do any of y'all like BFD (Breakfast For Dinner)?? I do. But lately, I've been contemplating DFB (translation - you get it. . . ).

Weird.

So this morning, with leftovers and other food products in my kitchen, pantry and fridge - long story about not eating last night's dinner - I am contemplating the following for breakfast: chicken Milanese - with a side of pasta. . .


London broil and green beans . . . (WF has the best take out!) - 


Or possibly I'm being much too ambitious since I've pretty much not kept down anything in the past four days . . . maybe that leftover rice would be better, and an egg . . .



When y'all haven't been feeling well, what do you do? Any specifics to avoid, any to seek out . . . such advice? Or, if you feel fine and have weird cravings, what do you go for?? Love to hear!

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Delivery for Dinner, Y'all!

Despite my post of a couple days ago re cravings, I haven't really been able to eat. Two crumpets with butter, a little soup, and an egg over three days ain't really eating well, or enough.

Today was a little better. The sweet, sweet Boy tried to get me to eat lunch (failed plan there) but then brought me dinner. Granted, a potsticker and a bit of Mongolian beef weren't enough, but it's progress.


He also brought soup and the steamed chicken I like (white sauce on the side, all green veggies) - so I'd be fortified with whatever I could eat and keep down.

Sometimes  - love is food, and food is love. You know??

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

PS- I want to try making my own dumplings . . . 



Sunday, January 6, 2013

Cravings . . .

Can anyone out there relate to odd food cravings?? It is approximately 5:30 am on this brand new day and yet again I'm having - possibly inappropriate food thoughts . . . 

By that I mean, I've again found myself craving things you wouldn't necessarily associate with certain times of day, or I find myself wanting a lot of one particular food. . .lately, for me, it's been things like steak for breakfast (a margarita and chicken wings would be too much, right??) or eggs and rice for dinner, extreme needs for green stuff/veggies . . . trying to figure out what my body is telling me and what it needs . . . Project 2013? Yep.

What are your eating habits, secret proclivities (another of mine- I am a salty not sweet person so deduce from there of my picks), good or bad regular items . . . love to know!

Here's to a happy, healthy and consistent New Year!!

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Love 'maters! Here's to more veggies and fruits in 2013!

Friday, January 4, 2013

Egg-o-Rama!!

Y'all! Shut the front door. Did you know how easy it is to make eggs - in the microwave?? I didn't, til last week, really - my oven is out and I wanted eggs, and had a vague recollection of my mom making microwave scrambled eggs at some point when I was a kid, so I started researching recipes . . . 

Fast. Easy. Delicious. I found a treasure trove of micro egg recipes (from scrambled to burritos to . . .) and my fave so far is super easy and tasty- and, an interesting factoid, they actually come out a little "runny/poached" instead of dry scrambled in a pan. Today, I had egg and cheese with leftover rice - so yummy!

If you're interested - here's how I do it: use a large coffee mug (10-12 oz), two eggs with a Tb or two of milk, salt and pepper to taste (coat the mug with cooking spray or butter if you like), heat 1 min then stir; add cheese or other toppings (ham, onion, etc) and heat another 1-2 mins. Done!

Here's to many egg discoveries in 2013!

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

Egg in a cup! Done in under three minutes!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Hello, 2013!!

Well, Hello 2013! It's nice to meet you.

I just have a feeling this is going to be a good - in an interesting way! - year. I hope I'm right about that.

I look forward to many things: love and happiness and making some big decisions on that front . . . honesty and communication with all of my relationships - and better feelings and such with a few specific ones - . . . many great meals, from breakfast to dinner, eggs to steak, chicken to tuna - the list goes on . . .some good travel fit in . . .my second year with Lucas Dog . . . an all-around new adventure and hopefully mostly good hair days!

So, I wish you this: love, eat, laugh, listen, repeat. 

Best to you all in 2013 - let's make this our best year yet!!

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal

The best to you all in 2013!! xoxo CN