Tallahassee Urbanspoon #22 – Voodoo Dog
When my sister was in town in January, something she said about Tallahassee was spot-on: it’s a time-warp. At least restaurant-wise. We’ve got Alchemy, our speakeasy, which represents the 1920s. We have Lofty Pursuits, which is a 1950′s soda fountain. Waterworks is a bar that gives off a definite 70′s vibe. And Voodoo Dog is all about the 80′s.
I’ve been to Voodoo Dog several times now and I can report that it. is. delicious. I haven’t really explored the menu much though, because I honestly don’t think there is anything better than the Tijuana Dog.
Isn’t it pretty? Look at those mounds of sour cream and guacamole. The best is when the sour cream and guac fall off your hot dog, merge and mingle – and then you scoop it up with a french fry. Drool.
Oh, and did I forget to mention that the hot dogs are bacon-wrapped?
It’s so good, Voodoo Dog has recently opened a second location:
805 S Macomb St Tallahassee, FL 32301 – the original
1414 W Tennessee St, Tallahassee, Florida 32304 – the new.
Voodoo Dog also has burgers, but, it’s not Voodoo Burger, so I suggest getting a hot dog first.
Alf knows what I’m talking about.
How to Pack for a Month-Long Trip
I apologize that this will not be a fantastic instructional post that the title might imply. I’m sharing my ideas, but I’m begging you for yours as well…
…because I will be going on a month-long trip to Portugal at the end of May and I need help!
Courtesy of Lisbon Soul
The opportunity arose through Rotary’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) program, a program that provides travel grants to young professionals ages 25 to 40.
For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country’s culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.
In a typical four-week tour, applicants participate in five full days of vocational visits, 15 to 20 club presentations, 10 to 15 formal visits and social events, two to three days at the district conference, three to four hours per day of cultural and site tours, and three to four hours per day of free time with host families.
Our group will be traveling to Lisbon and south for 30 days and since we will be traveling to different locales and will be staying with different host families during that time, one bag is encouraged.
We are also required to have a uniform, so that will help with the packing situation a little. This is our formal-wear for presentations and our vocational days. Meet the Pink Ladies:
In addition to this sassy outfit, we have yellow and blue polos, black capris and we’ll likely get khakis or something similar.
But since our days could be comprised of almost anything, I need to make sure I have a dress, heels, a bathing suit, casual clothes, numerous toiletries…
Sigh.
My resources so far:
1. Outfit Posts – http://outfitposts.blogspot.com/
I love love love this site. Not only do I use it to dress myself everyday, she has great ‘one suitcase’ ideas. Check them out here. I’m liking the spring business casual ideas – 16 pieces for 30 outfits! Perfect!
2. 3floz – http://www.3floz.com/
This site has great beauty products that are made for travel – nothing over 3floz. You’re welcome, TSA! I just ordered a slew of products, including this bag in which to transport my wet bathing suit:
And these Blowfish for Hangovers pills so I can survive what I am told to be quite potent wine and beer in Portugal.
And that’s as far as I’ve gotten as far as preparation…
Does anyone have additional packing tips? Have you been to Portugal? Have you ever traveled for a month at a time? Let me know!
It’s ALIVE!
So, yeah, wow, it’s been a long time. I kind of got sucked up by life and severely neglected this blog. I also felt for a time that if I couldn’t be the perfect blogger, I should just move aside and let others who had the time and resources share their story. But I missed writing. Even if I am talking to space, I like sharing my ideas and experiences with whoever is interested in reading, even if it’s only my grandma (love you!)
So, while I was away…
I rode a horse on the beach (#47)
I saw Michelle Obama in person
I celebrated my second wedding anniversary
I visited the Salvador Dali Museum
I went to Weeki Wachi’s Halloween Mermaid Show
I visited the manatees in Wakulla Springs
I shot a gun at a range
I visited the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Tennessee
I renewed my vows at my third attempt to get in the Guinness World Record book
I went to the Daytona 500
I drank from the Fountain of Youth
I was also selected for something pretty darn exciting that’s been keeping me plenty busy. But more on that later…
55 Bucket List Activities for Labor Day
Labor Day is known as the unofficial end of summer, so you know what that means – time to review that summer bucket list and make a mad dash to complete whatever is left.
I don’t have a summer bucket list exactly, but I am excited that I will get to check something off my life list over the holiday weekend: riding a horse along the beach. We’re heading out to Amelia Island and Jacksonville to spend a few days exploring and soaking up the sun.
If you don’t have plans or just want to do something bucket-list-worthy this weekend, here’s a list of fun ideas:
- Kiss underwater. Get some smooching in before the pools close.
- Read a good book. I like this list of books being made into movies this year. When the weather gets cold and you head the the theater, you can say you read the book first.
- Stay up and watch the sunrise. Check out this list of the best sunrises in the world.
- Kiss in the rain.
- Ride a scary roller coaster. Here’s a list of the top 10 fastest roller coasters in the world.
- Make a wild beauty choice. Here are 13 crazy makeup looks to try before you die.
- Watch fireworks.
- Movie marathon. Watch AFI’s 100 movie list.
- Go camping.
- Swim in a lake.
- Make love under the stars.
- Make things that taste like pink lemonade. Try this, this or this.
- Learn to surf.
- TV marathon. Catch up before the fall shows come on! Revenge, I’m waiting for you!
- Have a picnic on the beach.
- Go horseback riding.
- Plan a fall trip.
- Plan your Halloween costume.
- Skinny-dip. Here are the top 10 places to do it.
- Fly a kite at the beach.
- Indulge in delicious, fattening foods.
- Go for a long bike ride.
- Reinvent the s’more. Make this for me!
- Have breakfast in bed.
- Invent a cocktail.
- Send a message in a bottle.
- Tie a note to a balloon and let it go.
- Experiment with nail art.
- Make ice cream.
- Collect seashells.
- Volunteer.
- Go to a drive-in movie theater. Here’s a list of all the ones still open.
- Take a glass-bottom boat ride.
- Ride an airboat.
- Go to a cheesy fair.
- Make a summer photo collage.
- Dress up and go out.
- Go to an outdoor concert.
- Try a new Pinterest project.
- Go cosmic bowling.
- Have a 3 a.m. breakfast at IHOP.
- Wear a cute summer dress.
- Attempt to break a world record.
- Bake a pie.
- Catalog your summer photos.
- Go hiking.
- Go thrifting.
- Sleep on a trampoline.
- Go Geocaching.
- Run through the sprinklers.
- Make popsicles.
- Make sidewalk art.
- Drink fancy tea.
- Cliff jump. Top 10 best places in the world.
- Make a music video.
My Game Face? Oh Yeah, It’s ON!
If you walk into any store anywhere in Tallahassee (or restaurant, car dealership, etc.), you will find FSU gear. Yeah, the Florida State Seminoles are kind of a big deal. One of the things I knew I had to do before leaving Tallahassee was to attend a football game and I put it as numero uno on my Tallahassee Bucket List.
Imagine my happiness, and surprise, when I found out that the first game of the year on Saturday is against my alma mater, Murray State University! Tickets = bought.
Murray State University is a small school in southern Kentucky, and, well, we don’t quite compare to FSU when it comes to football. Most of Murray’s energy goes into basketball, whereas millions of dollars of FSU’s money goes into football. To say it’s a little bit of an uneven match is an understatement. $10 says that 90 percent of the people attending this game won’t even know who Murray is.
Most people who are knowledgeable about football tell me this is a mutually beneficial deal. FSU gets to beat a school on its opening weekend (fingers crossed that’s not the case…) and Murray gets a lot of money (something like 30 percent of the ticket sales).
Still, I am showing up to that first game in my Murray State gear and cheering loudly for my Racers and checking one off my Tallahassee Bucket List.
I am also really excited to see the Bobby Bowden stained glass window at the stadium that is three stories high. Apparently, it is the largest stained glass image of a nonreligious figure in the United States. (Un)Holy moly.
Tallahassee Urbanspoon #77 – The Cravings Food Truck
Remember how I wanted to try this truck since before I moved here? Well, I finally got the chance – but I had to literally track it down.
The Cravings Truck, home of fried chicken and red velvet waffles, was hard to find. They never show up at Food Truck Thursday and they are rarely anywhere near downtown. As of this post, they haven’t updated their Twitter page in over a week. Stalker much? Yes I am.
I will often stumble upon other local food trucks when I’m out and about, but for a long time The Cravings Truck remained elusive.
But one day a month or so ago, I took matters into my own hands and tracked their truck to a store lot and got me some chicken and waffles. I was the only one there, so I was able to order promptly with a smile on my face.
It took some time for them to serve my food, like any food truck, but that always reassures me that my food is cooked to order and is fresh, something you want to ensure when you’re literally eating out of the back of some stranger’s truck.
And, although I ordered the wings and not the chicken tenders I received, I didn’t really care. The worst part was the drive back to my office with the food sitting next to me, waiting to be devoured. And if you’re from Tallahassee, you understand that the traffic lights in this town are long and torturous.
But when I finally got to dig in, it was everything I could have wanted. Chicken that was greasy and salty and crispy sweet waffles with a cream cheese glaze that binds everything together. The glaze IS optional, but…come on.
The Cravings Truck, come to Food Truck Thursday and bring me some waffles!
TV Is Good For You, I Swear
Pinterest can provide a wealth of inspiration for a healthy weekend, or it can be a food-porn machine that practically FORCES you to try all the goodies that it continually conjures up for you (hello Sunday’s cinnamon roll waffles…)
But besides those, and the Skittles I ate at the movie theater, this weekend was pretty healthy.
Saturday’s activities included making a front door wreath, which I put in my healthy activity category because, after I was finished making it, I had to lift out a bazillion boxes in our storage closet to find the damn wreath hook.
Lo and behold, I didn’t find it, so I hauled my butt back to Michael’s to purchase one.
But while I was out, I decided to buy some stuff for this week’s lunches. Say hello to mason jar salads:
This is like, the best idea ever. Two of the things I hate doing in the morning include showering (I seriously wouldn’t shower if it wasn’t necessary…tmi?) and making my lunch. I make my lunch everyday because it’s healthier (and I’m poor), so these mason jar salads were a big help for me.
One cucumber, a few carrots and various toppings make up a week’s worth of salads that I can just grab and go.
Today’s mason jar salad included:
- Greek dressing
- Chopped cucumber
- Chopped carrots
- Sunflower seeds
- Crumbled turkey bacon
- A little bit of crispy onions
- Lettuce
And voila! A delicious lunch in an instant. Just give it a shake-a-roo and you’re ready to enjoy!
On Sunday, I bought some new running shoes. I’ve been volunteering at a dog shelter and since I didn’t want to drag my now muddy and smelly running shoes to the gym after they’ve been ankle-deep in poo, I decided it was time to break into the budget for some new shoes.
And then…I did my new favorite workout. I am a TV junkie at heart, but I feel guilty watching a lot of TV because it really doesn’t help me check anything off my list or get me to where I want to be. There are about 100 things that I could be doing with that time that would help me check things off my list, so when I found a workout system that allows me to exercise AND watch TV, I was overjoyed.
Many of you have probably seen these TV workouts on Pinterest, but here’s the basic 411:
- Turn on your favorite TV show
- Find a workout routine for that show, or create your own
- Move that butt!
The great thing about these is that the workouts become almost instinctual. Blake and I did the Psych workout together and we’d hear ‘Lassie,’ do the jumping jacks and sit back down before we realized what just happened. Sometimes there will be some slow points in the show that don’t inspire a workout move, but I’ll usually just fill in the gaps with a move I like to do. I’m dedicated like that 
Some of my favorites include:
America’s Next Top Model
Master Chef
Dexter
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Once Upon a Time
Law & Order: SVU
One Tree Hill
Find tons more here: http://fuckyeahmovieworkouts.tumblr.com/
It’s Time to Tone It Up
Now that I wear shorts, dresses and bathing suits about 100% more than I ever did back home, it has become clear to me – it’s time to tone up. I mean, as each year of working in an office goes by, this ass just keeps growing and growing and…
Not only do I want to look better in my now skimpier wardrobe, Tallahassee, with its abundance of hiking trails, lakes and outdoor activities, is encouraging me to get healthy and active and reminding me of the half dozen or so goals on my list that have to do with fitness and health.
So each day will be composed of a healthy action and a healthy food choice. No exceptions. That doesn’t mean I have to run everyday for 45 minutes and only eat sprouts. Just something physical and a healthy snack will be an improvement on what I’m doing now.
Today’s healthy action:
While watching Raising Hope (love that show!), I did these clock lunges featured on Women’s Health magazine the entire time (25 minutes)
Today’s healthy food choice:
I made spiced walnuts from a recipe on Whole Living. These walnuts will be a great snack for the work week or a good topping on salads or pastas.
I halved the recipe and used walnut pieces, but here’s the recipe in its entirety.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cups walnut halves
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Heat honey, oil and 1 tablespoon water in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle the sugar, salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne over the nuts. Cook, tossing and stirring until the nuts are well coated and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool completely.
