August 31, 2010

amateur hour...

probably not at all what you were thinking, but i get the best ideas right before i go to bed at night. for example last night i had the best idea for a blog post all about being a food critic, but by the time i woke up...i have no freaking clue what i thought up the night before!

maybe something a little like this:
how does one go about becoming an official food critic? i've read some a million reviews and yes they are insightful and sometimes entertaining, but what makes them an expert? i'm going to go on out there and say i have a pretty keen mouth when it comes to food. i can thank my dad for having a very experimental and global themed hand in the kitchen, which only expanded my love of all things food. so, why can't i be a food critic? i love food! i'm not afraid to sample anything, at least just once (except for anything with eyes still attached, anything formerly soft and cuddly (such as veal or lamb), or anything that uses organs from a body). the hubby has learned that i'll venture out to try a new restaurant based off of some review i found in some obscure magazine.

i've come to an understanding that expert critics (those who are paid for their opinions) usually don't have the typical taste buds of us common folk, and will rate a restaurant much higher or lower than it probably should be. so, this is why i look for real critics, like myself, in obscure local magazines or websites like Trip Advisor that allow regular people to post their thoughts on pretty much anything. case in point: we went to a restaurant while on vacation over the summer based on the recommendation of a friend. it was a horrible experience, and if i would have read the reviews, i would have known better than to go there in the first place. yes, my friend did suggest it, and she was mortified that we had such an awful time, but we should have listened to the other 13 people who said it was going to be a waste of time and money. now, that being said (and now being the 14th person on that site to say don't go to this place), i firmly believe that i'm a very capable food critic.

so, if you have a question about a place...i've probably been there and i'll probably tell you in all honestly if it's worth the hassle of trying yourself. and i'm not ashamed to say i like a few chain restaurants, but once they start messing with the menu or changing up ingredients, i'm out of there....

August 23, 2010

back to school...

not sure who was more excited about today, but i'm going to go with the 3rd grader. he was up an entire hour before he needed to leave this morning, which is almost a miracle in itself. i can't believe how much he's grown up in the last 3 years. look at him, he almost looks like a teenager!


in a few weeks the other two hooligans will be off to school (why in the world their preschool has to start 2 weeks after the other kids is beyond me!) and then i will really have a party productive school year. yeah, yeah, i'm a stay-at-home mom, but honestly having a few days to myself is totally necessary. it's not like i spend those days laying around on the couch watching day time television (i honestly don't even know what's on tv during the day). those are days i get my "work" done...

August 20, 2010

just curious...

have you ever wondered what would happen if you clicked on that little link on the top of the blog page? every once in a while i'll click it, just to see what happens. you actually come across some pretty interesting reads. not sure what i'm talking about....

yep, that little thing that says "next blog"...it takes you to some other random blogger. it's different every time! sometimes you'll come across some pretty crazy pages, but most of the time they are just like me, normal people writing about their own crap. so, if you're really bored and feel like browsing around other's people's business, then this might keep you occupied for the next 30 minutes or so...

August 16, 2010

the vacation...

this is going to be a short post, but full of pictures. it took me long enough to download all the pictures from the camera and forget about the dinner that was boiling over in the kitchen. anyway...here's a brief recap of our annual beach week...

my little NoNo...he's so darn cute (when he wants to be)

the boys took to the ropes (and yes, that's as high as it looks)

hubby's side of the family

our mode of transportation for the week (you would think P would be a little more excited)

those kids have no fear

me on the other hand...different story

me and the BIL hanging in mid air

playing with trucks in the sand is hard work apparently

the masterpiece (would you believe a dang bird flew down and stole the nose?!)

probably the only picture of us together

heaven on a spork right here folks!!
hot fresh chocolate glazed donuts covered in ice cream....OhhhEmmmGeeee....i would like to thank the good people of Hartell's Village Diner for coming up with this mouth watering dish.

this is the third year in a row that we've stayed at the beach, and we always go in August, but after 3 years of rain and sea weed we might be reconsidering going so late in the summer next year...