Not Your Average Dog

It's seriously crazy how much I'm craving hot dogs now since my visit to Dan's Dogs this past weekend.  In the past I have never been a huge hot dog fan, so this is interesting to say the least...

I talked yesterday about no more boring ketchup and mustard.  Creativity is a must, and I want to get cracking in my kitchen soon with some great combinations.  Luckily, I found some awesome recipes on the Food Network website that are really inspiring me right now.  They have one hot dog for ever day of the month.  Very serious business.  Here are my top 6 that I'd like to draw inspiration from and/or recreate to a t:

No. 1 ~ Chicago Dog ~ dill pickle, cucumber spears, tomatoes, sweet pickle relish, pickled peppers, onion, yellow mustard, and celery salt with a boiled dog in a poppy-seed bun
No. 2 ~ Boston Terriers ~ baked beans with a hot dog on a toasted bun
No. 3 ~ Surf Dog ~ pineapple salsa with a teriyaki dog on a grilled bun
No. 4 ~ California Dog ~ avocado, cucumber, sprouts, carrot, and green goddess salad dressing with a tofu dog on a whole-wheat bun ~ vegetarians rejoice!
No. 5 ~ Hot Diggity Dog ~ jalapeno jack cheese and pickled jalapenos with a grilled dog on a grilled bun
No. 6 ~ Vidalia Dog ~ vidalia onion rings and barbecue sauce with a boiled hot dog on a soft bun

To view the entire month calendar of hot dogs, you can go here.

Ok, now no more hot dog posts for the rest of the week at least I promise!

Dan's Dogs

Nope, I'm not talking about puppies; this time, it's all about the hot dogs.

Right after boyfriend and I made a visit to the puppy store, we traveled for about an hour to Dan's Dogs in Medina, Ohio.  Let me tell you, it was well worth the travel time.

{Dan's Dogs - pictured in order from Bottom to Top: Nacho Dog, Underdog, basket of fries, Reuben Dog, and another Nacho Dog}

I only got to take one quick photo before my boyfriend begged me to stop so he could eat his already, thus it's not the best shot, sorry.  

Once you walk into Dan's Dogs, you're instantly time ported back to the 1950's when diner food reigned king.  There are formica tabletops, pink booths, 50's mint colored chairs, and other midcentury decor, but the focus at Dan's are its dogs.  All of the regular hot dogs at Dan's are priced at about $2 a piece, and they come piled high with the good stuff.  They have classic combos like chili and cheese and more outlandish combos like peanut butter and jelly.  I ordered the Nacho Dog and the Underdog (a BLT hot dog basically), and my boyfriend also go a Nacho Dog, as well as a Rueben Dog.  Boyfriend said the reuben dog was amazing, and we both agreed that the Nacho Dog was pretty darn tasty too. This isn't to say that the BLT dog wasn't good, but it was not my fav of the two.  I really enjoyed the crunch of the corn chips on the Nacho Dog, and I thought the flavors complemented the dog really well.  The basket of fries that we ordered was way bigger than we imagined too.  For the $2.50 price tag, we thought it would have been smaller.  The priciest thing we ordered was an ice cold pitcher of root beer that really hit the spot on such a hot day.  All in all, it was way too much food for our hungry tummies and a fun place to stop.  If hot dogs aren't your thing btw, Dan's also has fresh salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, and shakes on the menu.  Whatever your order, you won't go hungry and your bank account will take a small hit.  Just know that since Dan's Dogs, I've become spoiled with fancy hot dog combinations.  No more ketchup and mustard for this girl.  I don't think I can go back to that combo after this experience.

Puppy Love

I'm loving this extra long weekend and I hope you are too!  Boyfriend and I went on a bunch of adventures together these past few days, but today's all about family and relaxation.  While I have a little time until family mode, I thought I'd share a little piece of my weekend with you.

 {Min Pin vs. Cavalier Cocker Spaniel}

Like many people, I melt over the cuteness of a soft, cuddly puppy.  You know how they say a dog reflects his/her owner?  My boyfriend and I have discussed the breeds we like several times now, and it's so true.  He likes Miniature Pinschers which are very skinny, active, adventurous dogs, while I prefer the Cavalier King Charles Cocker Spaniel that has lots of shedding coats of hair, is very laid back, affectionate, and will interact with nearly everyone.  We both fit our dog descriptions weirdly enough, plus I still can't get over the ruby coloring that many Cavaliers have.  Sooo pretty!  I dream of one day adding a little Ruby to my family, but I'm afraid that I can not do this yet.  The Cavalier breed has many health problems that I won't be able to care or pay for right now beyond the large initial price-tag.  However, this does not stop me from going to pet stores to go pick her out or frequently visiting this website...

{seriously melts my heart days later}

This past Saturday, my boyfriend took me to the dog store where his parents purchased one of there dogs years prior.  The little puppy above was there and she melted my heart.  She looks kind of scared in the picture, and I don't blame her, but I just had to get a picture of her.  Right after it was taken, I put my camera back in my bag, and she came right up to the glass to try to look inside it.  As you can see from the photo, she has rather droopy, red eyes that I've been trying to research without any luck.  It's not cherry eye I know that.  I wonder if the condition was one of the reasons she went on sale for near $500 less than she was days prior, but the price-tag might also have to do with her age.  She and her brother were the oldest puppies for sale, until he was bought that day leaving her all alone in her cage.  When I requested to take her out and hold her, she looked so sad.  She just laid in my arms until I had to give her back.  Once back in her cage, she came up to the glass and started to lick where I put my hand.  Boyfriend dragged me out of the store against my will, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about her.  A sad lonely puppy just kills my insides, and I hope someone nice with a lot of love, time, and money on their hands took her in.  I can only hope...

Sorry to leave you on a sad note, but I hope you have a lovely Memorial Day!
See you back here tomorrow for some more weekend adventures :)

Pins of Interest

So I've had a Pinterest account for some time now, but I just finally started to use it.  Do you have an account?  If you're thinking about getting one, I would apply for it today (I heard there is a huge line to become apart of the Pinterest group), and if you already have an account, what do you think of it? Here are some of the positives and negatives that I see:

+'s - it keeps all of my past and current inspiration organized & it's great for finding new inspiration as well, plus it keeps down my number of bookmarks (I don't think I want to admit to how many I have, but it's truly out of control)

–'s - I don't find the interface very user friendly for the iPad (my main device for inspiration hunting and blog reading); new pins take forever to load and every time I click to repin a photo, it'll make me scroll to the top of the homepage to do so, and then I'll have to scroll back down to the bottom where I was etc...basically, it's pretty time consuming when I could just copy the photo and save the link real quick (though refer back to why this is a bad idea in the +'s section)
As I've also stated previously on here, products I feel tend to sell out more quickly now that everyone and their brother know about them...makes me not so happy when I finally have the money to buy that pretty little necklace and it's gone, out of my life forever :( OK enough of being so dramatic sorry...


Being as that I'm finally using this website, I decided that I would share some of my fav pins of interest (from past and present) with you.  Perhaps inspire you to get an account as well, that will further inspire me :)  Here they are:

 No. 1 ~ Paint Chip Gift Tags ~ What a cute way to add a burst of color to your gift, and they can be acquired for the lovely cost of $0! I especially love this idea because even at a small age, the painting section was also my favorite part of home improvement stores.  I have never been able to resist picking up a few (or more) to take home with me, and now they all will have a purpose. Perfect!

 No. 2 ~ Outdoor Dining - If you have a backyard like this, expect a visit from me real soon! This would be really great inspiration for a wedding reception setup too.

 No. 3 ~ Colored Spoons ~ If you've seen this flatware set and were crushed when you saw the price-tag, no need to fear! All you need is some spray paint (preferably food safe just to be, well, safe) and some utensils. Great DIY

 No. 4 ~ Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco ~ A beautiful photograph of the City By the Bay. I love the colors, and it's even worthy of a frame in my opinion.

 No. 5 ~ Ginger Wipe Out & Key Lime Cowabunga Ice Cream Sandwiches ~ Oh Joy! (which is a great blog read btw & one of my absolute favorites) featured these ice cream sandwiches on her blog not too long ago.  You can order them online, but I think I'm going to have my go at making my own, and my wallet agrees.  The Key Lime is made with coconut oatmeal cookies, so I'm going to start with this recipe.  These sound and look AMAZING don't they!

Well, I'm off to go spend time with my boyfriend for the weekend, and let's pray the rain can stay away!
Happy Weekend,

A Roman Holiday

Oh man, where have I been that I have not seen this new Roman Holiday poster?!  

Above is the poster compared to one of the originals.  I quite like the new one better I must say.  Beautiful work done by TCM and just the pop of bright color that I needed today.  

Sort of on the same topic, yet not...has anyone seen this movie?  I know I shouldn't be disappointed in the ending, but I always am every time.  I'm just a sucker for a happy ending I guess.  Oh well, perhaps I'll just watch Sabrina instead.  That's my favorite Audrey Hepburn movie anyway.  

Refreshing Flavor Combos for Your Next Picnic

My favorite thing about the warmer months isn't the nicer weather or the fact that there are many more active light hours in the day.  My favorite thing about Spring and Summer, without a doubt, would be that these seasons bring a multitude of fresh foods with them that mean endless and amazing flavor combinations in the kitchen.  There is a bounty of fresh fruits and veggies and herbs to bring out their flavors, including my favorite, mint.  What more could you ask for?

Below are some mouthwatering recipes that can easily be packed up and transported on your next picnic.  These recipes merge flavors together to create combinations you're probably familiar with (lemon and blueberry), and ones you're probably not so familiar (watermelon and feta).   You're definitely going to want to try these!

No. 1 ~ Prosciutto and Brie Sandwich with Fig Jam and Spicy Greens

No. 2 ~ Dill Potato Salad 

No. 3 ~ Mint Cucumber Water

No. 4 ~ Arugula, Watermelon, and Feta Salad

No. 5 ~ Watermelon Lemonade

No. 6 ~ Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

I made the blueberry lemon cheesecake bars for a gathering with my boyfriend's family, and they were gone in seconds!
Oh, and No. 1 may not be made with ingredients tied to the warmer months, but it's still a flavor combination you're going to want to try, and it's a great alternative to your ordinary picnic sandwich.  Trust me!

Enjoy,

Oprah's Final Farewell

Later this year I'll be celebrating my 24th birthday, which pretty much means that Oprah has been in my life since I can remember.  My mom is a big fan, so every day after school, it was always on.  Reflecting on all these years of watching now, I don't think I ever realized how much she has shaped a part of me...the part of me that I strive and want to be.  It's amazing how a woman with her background has risen above all of her hardships to became such a grounded, generous, warm, and caring person, but it doesn't stop there.  Even through her fame, she's always been real with her audience and a truly selfless and giving individual along the way.  She's a person that was not shaped by fame, but who shaped fame into something of purpose...a way to give back and influence generations.  If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is... 

Well, tomorrow marks the last show of Oprah; will you be watching?  I know I will...

On another note, does anyone know who will be taking over the Oprah time slot?  Whoever it is, they have some pretty big shoes to fill.