Help Me Be the Next Food Blog Star!

A long, long time ago…..well about 2 years ago I started this little food blog and I joined a food blogging community by the name of Foodbuzz.  Shortly after I joined Foodbuzz I became a Featured Publisher and they offered to pay me to put this nifty ad on my site, I said SURE!

Fast forward to a month ago, I got an email announcing that Foodbuzz was going to launch Project Food Blog a project to find the “next food blog star”.   Over a period of 12 weeks there will be 10 challenges to widdle out the “next food blog star” out of almost 2,000 contestant. YIKES!    I decided what the heck, threw my hat into the ring and created my profile for Project Food Blog.  It’s time the bring it!  :D

You may have noticed that I have changed this up a bit on The Noshery.  I had been wanting to spruce things up around here, so this gave me the extra push.  I even stood in front of the mirror and took a new picture of myself holding a spoon and spatula…..really I did, look!

Now this is when you guys come in.

1.  The first challenge is September 12 and I need you all to vote for me by clicking on the vote for me button (coming soon) on The Noshery, as much as possible to help me get through the first round.  The first round drops from 2,000 contested to 400, YIKES! Don’t worry I will be shamelessly posting reminders to Twitter and Facebook, but you may also want to subscribe to The Noshery by email (check out the sidebar) and get updates directly to your inbox.

2.  Then I need you to tell all your friends how freaking awesome The Noshery is and for them to do the same thing, because if you jump off a bridge your friends will too…..in theory.  So re-tweet, like, share, stumbleupon and email like it’s no one’s business.

3.  Then because you all are so awesome and will help me get through the first round, I need you guys to keep coming back to vote for me.

Remember we are only 13 days away from the first challenge, so spread the word! Tell your friend’s, relatives and pets to vote for me and if I win I will make Butter Crunch Toffee for everyone.

THANK YOU!

LOVE YOU! MEAN IT!

New Look: Would You Like a Quick Tour?

If you haven’t noticed The Noshery got a new look.  I have been wanting to do it forever so I am pretty psyched about it, not to mention I absolutely love the new look.  The best and worst part it I did it all by myself.  After a sleepless night and pulling out a few hairs I got it done and it was totally worth it.

Would you like a tour of my new pad?

N0. 1

If you look up you will see  that our little lady got a bit of a make over.  The two things that you will probably notice the most is her FAB new haircut.  Also if you notice she got a little curvier from all those goodies she has been eating.  I believe in being realistic.

No. 2

Wicked new slide show thanks to the folks at SlideDeck.  It has a short excerpt from the post, a cute little picture.

No. 3

Another cool feature of the SlideDeck is that  you can click on the buttons below to view other featured posts.

No. 4

Here are some great networking buttons.  From here you can email me, follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my RSS Feed or become a fan on my Facebook page.

No. 5

If you scroll down a bit you will see some pictures to the right.  Being a Puerto Rican I had to find a way to proudly display plantains and pork.  Click on either of these images and you will see all of my plantain and pork recipes and because we all want something sweet after dinner, if you click on that marshmallow you will get all kinds of sweet treats.

No. 6

If you look all the way down at the bottom you will see a new tool bar, thanks to Wibiya.  This toolbar is pretty cool and interactive.  From here you can search and translate the page if you need too.  You can also see recent post, how many people are actively online and because you love me, you can “like” my facebook page.

Other things you can do is subscribe to my twitter, view random post, view my facebook page and twitter page without leaving The Noshery, share content and subscribe to my RSS FEED, all with one click.

No. 7

The final cool thing and feature on the new tool bar is that you can chat.  If you see a number nest to the Let’s Chat sign it means someone is in the chatroom and a lot of the times it will be me.  So if you see someone is in the chatroom and you have a question, click on it because it might be me ready to answer your question.

We have now come to the end of the tour.

Please exit to the right and watch your step.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Dog Tired

Today we walked, drove, walked and perspired….it was 106 degrees after all.

This morning we hit the ground running to an estate sale, where I found some awesome loot.  More details to come.

Then we met our awesome friends Mr. & Mrs. T (HA! no they don’t have mohawks or say “I pitty the fool!” but that would be awesome) at the trading post and we walked, and walked and walked through the trading post looking for treasures, where I found a sweet deal.  More on that later.

Then we all come in agreement that our bodies seeked sustenance so we went to a little pizzeria and ate to our hearts content.  LT and I talked about food (no surprise there) and decorating while the fellas talked camping trips and politics.  After our bellys were full and happy we parted ways, but do Obed and I go home, no…..we decided to keep trucking on.

We drove out to Sapulpa to another antique & collectors market, where I found some more loot.  More about that later.

By this point it is mid-day, 106 degrees and I am starting to develop a case of swap feet….while wearing flip-flops….how does that happen?  By the way, I do not recommend holding swamp feed up to the a/c vent.  It sort of causes a negative side effect.

We kept going, we hit up a Salvation Army in search of a chair and Home Depot to price out and research a future project.

Finally after a long day we headed home, had Chocolate Cheerios for dinner (which are the BOMB!) and propped up our dog tired feet on the coffee table.

A rocking awesome way to end a Saturday afternoon.

Apparently Honey was beat too.  She had a long day of eating, sleeping in air conditioning and playing with socks.

Yours truly,

Pasty White Ankles

Dear Cable Guy

Dear Cable Guy,

I will no longer be at your mercy.

I will no longer wait for you between the hours of 8 am – 12 pm or 2 pm – 6 pm, just for you to show up late or not at all.

I will no longer pay up the tail for 800 channels of which I roughly only watch 5.

I will no longer have to call some random grumpy person in a call center who will just tell me that my bill has gone up 20% with no notice and I can’t do much about it.

I will no longer pay for your DVR.

I will no longer pay for cable.

Will I miss my friends at Food Network, Bravo and Fox News?  Yes!

But I have made a new friends that are acquainted with my old friends.  My new friends are Hulu and the digital antenna. 

So no Cable Guy! I will not even pay $11.00 a month for the basic channels because now I can get it for free.

There’s sticking it to the Cable Guy.

Yours truly,

Meseidy

a.k.a. Chick with $50 dollars more in her pocket.

Need a Puppy Fix?

The puppies will be four weeks old tomorrow and they are going great. There have been a few late nights of crying and whining but they are healthy.

Their eyes are wide open.

Teeth are growing in and being put to good use…..sort of;

and they are attentive and curious.  Everything you would expect from peppy puppies.

These little bundles of energy can tucker you out, it is 7 against 1 after all.

I confess to sitting them in front of the “babysitter” so I can get a break, but that never lasts very long.

These two were in the middle of a secret private conversation that I couldn’t hear.

It looked like it was getting a little heated for a minute there,

but it turned out it was just getting boring….at least it was for him.

Instead he decided it was time to square off with his brother on the other side of the blanket.

“I’m the boss man here in this litter and don’t you forget it.”

“You best know your place in this litter…..kapish?”

“You ain’t the boss of me!”

“End of discussion….I am boss man!  We’re done!”

“You just wait one minute…..I’m not done talking.”

It continued one like that for a few minutes, until I stepped in and said, “Enough, I am boss man and I say go to your blanket and lay down.”

In a matter of a few minutes everyone was pass, twitching and whimpering in their sleep.

Too see more unedited, uncensored puppy pictures go here.

A Few Denver Trip Highlights

I thought I would do a post about some of the places we visited while we were in Denver.  I love the city of Denver, it is urban and rugged outdoors all wrapped into one, and not to mention dog friendly.  Any city that is friendly to dogs is A-OK in my book.

Yes, it is true that when we visit I dry out like the Sahara, run out of breath after 3 steps and have to pee every 10 minutes because of the altitude, but I love Denver.  The dining options are endless, I wish I had more time there to visit more restaurants.

On this particular day we decided to explore the Downtown and City Park area.

We found a very large book store call the Tattered Cover Book Store.  Obed was looking for a journal so we decided to pop in.

The inside of the book store is floor to ceiling book and natural wood beams and floors.   It is beautiful and cozy.

There are corners all around sprinkled with tattered furniture where you could tuck in and curl up with a good book.   It feel like your in an old friends house.  The store is VERY large but still feels small and cozy when you walk in.

After the Tattered Book Cover we went around the corner to Rockymount Ranch Wear.  When you walk in your greeted by the sales people all decked out in ranch wear.

There are rows and rows of beautiful colorful cowboy boots as and;

walls covered in cowboy hats.  If you look at Obed closely he has a grin on his face, that is because he is day dreaming of being a rancher.  I married a Puerto Rican that day dreams about owning a ranch one day, wrangling some cattle and riding a horse.

He tried on at least four hats, I think the cowboy hat look suits him but we aren’t walking down Brookside yet wearing one.

Then we decided to get really adventurous and plan a trip to space.  Before we could take off Obed had to do some flight simulation training.  He is a great driver but you can never be too careful.

He did great and we were cleared to take off into Outeeerrrr Spaaaaace (insert echo effect). First we got a view of Earth from above as we headed out to the moon.  Then we decided what the heck lest check out Venus and Jupiter while we are at it.

We even managed to get a spacewalk in.

Ok so maybe we weren’t in space…… maybe we were at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, but it could happen one day.  Granted we maybe ranchers before we visit space but it still could happen.

There was so much at the Museum there is too much to count.  I think we spent 3 hours in there visiting, nature exhibits of wild animals, dinosaur bones, space, Egyptian artifacts and even cave formations.

Like I said before I love Denver and I hope we can visit again soon.

Denver Dining: Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs

I am back home in Tulsa craving food that we ate back in Denver, go figure.

Obed and I love hot dogs…..LOVE hot dogs!  But they have to be all beef, grilled and topped with lots of stuff.  Unfortunately  we haven’t found a decent hot dog joint here in Tulsa.  The only thing we have seen here is Coney Island Dogs and they don’t even come close to qualifying.

We were ridiculously excited when we drove by this place on our way to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  We did an excited celebratory jig as we pulled into the parking lot of Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs.  The restaurant caught my eye because it looked like an old gas station or auto repair that was converted into a restaurant.

When you walk in it is very colorful and friendly. The guy behind the counter was enthusiastic and very welcoming.   We told him it was our first time and he quickly educated us on their menu.   Steve’s featured dog is a blend of pork & beef with a smokey flavor that ‘Snaps’ when you bite it.  They also offer all-beef dog kosher style, bratwurst or vegetarian dog.  You can have your dog grilled or if you choose deep fried, with countless toppings.  He recommended the Memphis Hot Dog which has BBQ sauce, grilled red onion and bacon.  Obed and I went the more traditional routes, I got a Chicago Dog with onion rings and he got the Jersey Dog with french fries.

We placed our order and headed to the outside dining area.  They proudly displayed their awards and recognitions on the walls in bright red and yellow colors.  It was filled with picnic tables, wood booths and trimmed in rustic roofing tin.   They even have a cute “doggie dining area” to tie up your pooch while you eat.

After a short wait our number was called over the loud speaker. Obed arrived with the delicious looking dogs.  The Chicago Dog is topped with, spicy mustard, relish, red onion, tomatoes, dill pickle, sport peppers and celery salt.  I got my dog grilled even though I was VERY tempted to try it deep fried.  I also got a side of the crunchiest beer battered onion rings I have had in a long time.

I attempted to get a little of everything in one bite, it wasn’t easy but apparently I have a big mouth….well that is what my friends tell me.  My favorite topping on the dog was the bright green sweet relish which complimented the salt and spice from the other toppings.

Obed got the Jersey Dog topped with spicy mustard, green relish, caraway sauerkraut, red onions and bacon.  I suspect that the bacon was the big selling point for Obed.

Were we happy when we bit into our Steve’s Snappin’ Dog?  You betcha!   They were everything we wanted in a dog that we couldn’t find in Tulsa and had I had room, I would have ordered another and asked for it deep fried.  I was on vacation after all and all food is free of calories when you are on vacation….right?

Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs, 3525 E Colfax Ave., Dever, Co – 303-333-SNAP

Crêpes n’ Crêpes

We took off on a jet plane this morning to the mile high city of Denver, Colorado.  It’s a much needed little get away and I couldn’t be more excited about trying food at local eateries.

The first place we hit up was a charming little eatery in the Cherry Creek shopping area on E. 3rd Ave.  When you walk in you walk into a small dinning area with a large counter where you can sit to eat while they prepare the crêpes right in front of you.

To the right there is a door out to a small patio dining area that they have enclosed and heated.  It is super charming with mismatched table clothes, tables and chairs.  It is incredibly quaint with a French country side feel.

The server came out with a bottle of room temperature water and two glasses and a French radio station played in the background.  For a short time I almost forgot that I was in Denver and daydreamed that I was in France.

They offer happy hour crepe specials from 4 pm – 5 pm and late night specials from 9 pm – 10 pm.

They offer three different prices and they are quite a steal when you get down to it.

The specials are half price and they offer all varieties of crêpes.

I ordered the “Poulet au Gratin” or Chicken au Gratin with white chicken breast, wild mushrooms, white wine cream sauce and ementhaler cheese wrapped in a wheat crêpe.

It was phenomenal, rich with flavor without being heavy. I savored every bite.

With the crêpes the server brought out two sauces.  One was a red pepper sauce with a kick and the other was a pecan pesto.  The pecan pesto is to die for and complimented my crêpe perfectly, especially the mushrooms.  It was savory, rich but still delicate.

Obed ordered the Seafood a la Provencale which was just as delicious, but I liked mine better.  I think I may have been a little bias.

Even though we were close to popping, we had to order a sweet crêpe for dessert to share.  We decided on the strawberry, banana, cream cheese and Nutela crêpe.

If you ask it’s the absolute perfect combination hands down.  I am not going to lie, we raced each other to the finish, trying to keep the other from eating more.   We are still working on the concept of sharing when it comes to food.

Look at this, sweet red strawberries, sweetened cream cheese, ripe bananas and Nutella, which on it’s own is an experiance, all wrapped in a sweet wheat crêpe.

Needless to say we ate it all and scrapped every bit off the plate and then Obed looked at me and asked if he could lick the plate.  I told him that wasn’t exactly proper, not that I didn’t think of it.

If you are ever in Denver you must stop in at Crêpes n’ Crêpes.  The ambiance is quaint and welcoming, the service was excellent and friendly, the food lick your plate worthy and the prices are very reasonable, especially if you make it during the specials hours.  They offer a wide variety of both savory and sweet crêpes. The also have daily Crêpes du jour, soups du jour and an extensive wine list.  It is oh so French!

Check out their website for more pictures and their complete menu.  Crêpes n’ Crêpes, 2816 East 3rd Avenue, Denver - (303) 320-4184

Now if you don’t mind it’s almost 9 pm and I think I want a banana, blueberry and sugar crêpe and I am not sharing this time.

Interrupting Our Regularly Scheduled Program for PUPPIES!

Sometime between October and November we took in a stray chocolate lab we named Girlie.  At the end of January, Girlie and Jake learned about the birds and the bees.  Yesterday after a short road trip we came home to a proud Mama of 8 puppies.    She caught us a little by surprise, we though she was going to have the puppies tomorrow.

Mama is doing well and so are all the puppies.  She had 4 females and 4 males, 3 black, 2 yellow and 3 chocolate.  Look at those cute little paws and tiny tail.

The girls all weigh 10 oz, three of the boys weight 12 oz and one big boy weights 14.5 oz.  He is HUGE!  That’s him, the yellow one in the middle.  His head reminds me of Brain from Pinky and The Brain.

He hardly never lets go!

So anyone want a lab puppy in 8 weeks?

Buster Gets a Trim

Last week I looked at Buster and quickly came to the conclusion that Homeboy needed a haircut.    I mean look at him he looks like a Muppet.  There are two things that Buster absolutely hates and that is baths and haircuts.   But I will admit that I love giving them to him, because he is such a butthead it’s like my own little twisted revenge.

At first he thought I was sitting on the floor to play with him and got all excited…..until I pulled the clippers out.

Then suddenly his whole demeanor changed.  He was pouting and sulking like that was suppose to make me feel sorry for him and make me change my mind.   Like I am suppose to be sympathetic to the same dog that whines and barks in my ear at 5:30 am.

Halfway through the cut we took a little break.  He went and hid in Jake’s kennel.  Don’t feel sorry for him…he is a punk and he is just trying to manipulate you…trust me.

After he pulled himself together and realized that resistance was futile we finished up his haircut.  Doesn’t he look handsome?  Yes he is a butthead but he is so cute!

However he did inform me that he was never speaking to me again and as soon as he went out into the yard he was going to dig in the wet mud.

But let’s enjoy it while it last.  Here is a before and after.

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