It's been a while...

but sometimes something so important happens that you realize you need to blog about it, even when you haven't blogged in 1 year and 7 days (also known as 1 year and 1 week) (last year was a leap year, which is why Feb 28, 2012 was not 1 year and 6 days ago).

Anyhoo, back to the point:

About a year ago, a new bakery opened downtown, called Karen Donatelli.  It took me forever to get my butt in there, but holy ... cow.  Today I went for the second time and had the. most. amazing. chocolate. croissant. of. my. life.  And really good coffee to boot.

The croissant was filled with dark chocolate that was somehow melty even though the pastry was room temperature.  Like some chocolatier of the gods made high quality dark chocolate that melts inside the croissant while baking, and then holds on to that magical creamy consistency forever and ever.  And there's not lack of chocolate inside this delectable snack - not like those ones where there's one measly strip of hard chocolate that comprises about 1/80 of the croissant.  This thing is filled all the way through with almost too much (as if that would ever be possible) rich chocolatiness.

There it is!  Top right.  Feeling a little weepy just seeing it again.
Got the pic here.

OK I'm exhausting from reliving that experience and typing about it.  More blogging to come, maybe.

Goat cheese cracker spread

Last night we had some people over for a beer tasting bonanza.  It was more beer tasting and less bonanza, but a good time none the less.

I put out 3 kinds of cheese to have with the beer: chevre (goat cheese), taleggio (love love love), and smoked gouda.

I left the taleggio and smoked gouda alone, but I made the chevre into a dip.  It was a hit!
Here are the ingredients:
Chevre
A little milk to make it creamier
Chopped dates
Chopped pecans
Chopped Basil

That's it!  I just mixed it all together and we ate it on crackers.  It was easy and a great combo of sweet&savory. mmm!

When we have a car we can...

Go camping
Visit Nashville!
Visit Greenville
Visit home
Eat pizza at Marcos
Eat pizza at Ritrovo Update:  We hate this place.
Hangout in West Asheville (but we should bike there)
Dine in Biltmore Village
Buy watermelons
Go to box stores (for better or worse...)
Buy big pots and soil
Drive to work (my work!)
Go hiking
Listen to music on the radio (and NPR of course!)
Rock bumper stickers
Go to IKEA
Explore!!!!

2 new great places!

Last night we went to 2 new great bars. I love finding new places that are awesome!

First, we played ping pong at Asheville City Billiards (article), then we had delish sandwiches and beer at the new One Stop Deli Bar.

Sweet!

Spray Paint Art

Recently I was walking around downtown and stumbled upon something super awesome:  Spray pain artist Scott O'Dell.  I couldn't believe the magic he worked with spray paint, pieces of paper, tin cans, and card board!

Here's a video I found of him doing his thing:

I was joking with Chris afterwards that you don't need friends in Asheville if the street performers are out.  In that same walk, I heard great live music, and saw some awesome tap dancers tapping away to old school hip hop. Awesome!

Hooray Produce!

I feel so lucky to have the nearby "Fresh Quarter" produce market. The last 2 times I've gone, I've gotten amazing peaches!  I'm so excited that summer produce is coming into season.

Also, tomatoes are getting better and better! Yessss.  I love me a good tomato!

PS: Some little tomatoes are growing in the balcony garden!  Yippeee!!  =]

I heart advertisements painted on brick

Here's just one example in Asheville.

Lucky

I know this is so self-centered, but I think this guy was hanging out on our apartment stairwell steps just to raise my blood-pressure. We called him Lucky, because god only knows how he survived for so long when everyday or every few hours he decided to chill on a different step, blending in as his predecessors ensured he would, waiting to be stepped on.  I consider this a major adaptation-backfire.  Walking up and down the apartment stairs became a game of "Where's Lucky?! Is he still alive?  Should we feed him some bugs?  How is he eating in here?  Where the hell is he?  He was on this step when we left. I think we should spray paint him orange.  Do you think the neighbors know to look out for him!? There he is.  Damn it, Lucky!"    Exhausting.

Lucky disappeared one day and he hasn't been seen since.  Maybe he realized this was Asheville and not Nashville, or maybe he finally got that call from his baby mama wanting him back. We'll probably never know.

Reading the Hunger Games!

And some of the movie is being filmed in Asheville! :o

Hello, Summer. I love you.

tomatoes are getting better and better!

lettuce and basil from the mini garden =]

lovely sunsets

Katie Is Back!

Hooray!  She was in Europe (mostly Rome, Italy) for almost 3 months!

Here's her trip blog: Buona Salute Italia

Now that she's back I can't wait to catch up, hear more about her trip, try to convince her to move to Asheville, and... drum roll please... discuss trip plans to Miami to visit John, Cristina, the little girls, and Baby #3, due the first week of June! Yay family!

Bad coffee is a sad thing.

Yesterday I had a delicious breakfast at Chorizo.  The food was wonderful, but the overall experience was dampened by the mediocre-at-best coffee. I'm starting to feel that coffee that isn't good is bad.  This particular cup (ok cups; I had 2 in hopes the second would be better) was too thin.  The beans, roast, freshness, etc. didn't seem to be bad, it was just poor proportioning. I like a fairly strong cup of coffee! I don't want to add cream and think Wow. This is now more gross.

I'm not trying to pay over $2 for diner quality coffee! Sorry, diners, but you often have weak, old coffee...and week old coffee. hehe  

Roses and Honeysuckle

Glorious spring!  As I went for a jog today (Gasp! Yes, a jog! After months of slothery [a new and wonderful-if-I-do-say-so-myself word I just made up] I jogged!) I noticed so many lovely rose bushes, and  saw and smelled honeysuckle.  Oh how sweet and pungent is the aroma of honeysuckle!  It really brought me back to my youth - the youth before this adulthood youth - when Tootie and I used to pick honeysuckle in her backyard and sip the syrupy sap.

 

To my horror, while looking up "honeysuckle sap" (to ensure proper vocabulary), an e-how website called Eradicating Honeysuckle was high up in the results list! Astonishing! Dismaying!  I don't know what it means to be mayed, but I felt dis that when I saw the article. Behold this jolting quote from the article: "What children don't understand is that honeysuckle vine (Lonicera spp.) has become an invasive and damaging exotic weed in North America."

On a lighter note, seeing the rose bushes reminded me of my walk to school when I worked in Alameda, CA.  The school's neighborhood was chock full of houses with beautiful yards and gardens, many of which bloomed with beautiful roses.  I think the climate in Alameda must be perfect for rose bushes, because I have never seen so many in one place.  They were absolutely gorgeous, and seeing them really made my mornings and afternoons. 

To my horror, while looking up "Alameda rose" (in an attempt to find some charming examples), Google Images returned results of casket after casket!  Shock!  Apparently "Alameda rose" is a funereal wood choice! Upon my word!   See for yourself! 

Asheville's awesome buskers

We caught these 3 performing on our way home from the baseball game.  

They are amazing!

McCormick Stadium, home of the Tourists.

Asheville's minor league team's name is The Tourists.  Weird, right?  But not as bad as Savannah's team: The Sand Gnats. 

Tis the season.

Mmmmm!

Summa job

I interviewed at these 2 places today. Eek!  Wish me luck!

http://frenchbroadchocolates.com/
http://www.melaasheville.com/

What a weekend!

Well, folks, it was a 2 wrist-band weekend, so you know it was fun.  On Friday I stayed in, but on Saturday I went to Greenville, where I went to a baby shower and had some fun walking around the city (it was my first time there). I came back to Ashvegas for roller derby (wristband #1), then out to Rosetta's for a late night dinner.  On Sunday, Chris and I went to The Big Crafty, which was called The Big Love Fest this time.  There, we drank in the beautiful weather along with a few beers (wristband #2), watched/heard live music, browsed the craft stands, I ate a delicious chocolate cupcake with strawberry icing (I gave Chris one bite), and then we made a wonderful last minute decision to eat at Limones.  My goodness that was a good decision.  Their food is to die for, and we ended our meal by splitting a real treat: organic mexican coffee with tequila, Kahlua, and house-made, thick whipped cream. Mmmmm!

Lovely Greenville:

The kick-ass Asheville roller girls:

The Big Crafty Big Love Fest:

 

Some websites to represent the weekend:
http://rosettaskitchen.com/
http://www.blueridgerollergirls.com/
http://limonesrestaurant.com/
http://www.shortstreetcakes.com/
http://loveasheville.org/
http://www.coffeeunderground.biz/
http://www.blueberryfrog.com

Another little thing to love about Asheville

I love living in a place where the local morning news includes which fruits and vegetables can be expected at the farmers market the next weekend. This week: strawberry starts! Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

Poppies!

 
Poppy buds are magical!  I just love them.