Instagrammin' Late Winter/Early Spring 2013

Some of the things I've done and found the last 3 months...

First things first. I ran a 10K!!!! Like the whole thing. Like UP the bridge. And down it. And to it. And down King Street in Charleston. 

And then I drank a fancy martini. Because CARBS, y'all. Just kidding. I drank it because it was refreshing, and I'd already sucked down a bottle of water.

I arranged a happy hour for our Columbia "office". We finally got warm, sunny weather, so tacos and margaritas it was!

Paradise Ice is a local Italian ice and custard shop. It's incredible and the owners are SUPER nice. The classic lemon was so tart and flavorful I couldn't stand it. And by couldn't stand it I mean that I scraped the bowl trying to eat it all.

Another place I'd like to write an ode to is Smash Burger. Dudes. Firstly, they use Duke's for their mayonnaise, which automatically makes them tops in my book. And you can get the fries with rosemary and garlic. I'd go for just the fries, but it's a juicy cooktop burger too. 

What, I like fries okay? These were Will's birthday fries from Rockaways. Rockaways is a kind of hole-in-the-wall place on Rosewood with my favorite pimento cheese fries everrrr.

I went to a chili cook-off, where I stumbled on these cornbread cupcakes with cream cheese-jalapeno frosting. It was one of those things that I wasn't sure I liked but couldn't stop eating.

Does it get more comfy than this? Hangin' on the couch with a blankie and cheese puffs, watching baby tv? I think not.

Crust Bakehouse is my first choice for scones. I could run there it's so close...but I don't. This is a chocolate-coconut scone and remains my favorite. I've also had their chocolate sable and peanut butter cookies. Worth every bite. Crust makes all sorts of breads and has pizza dough ready to go for you, so go get some!

I might not have mentioned that I moved into my own supercute apartment. My best moving tip is to buy a bottle of wine with a screwtop. Because you might not know where your corkscrew is until it's too late. Unless you're way more organized than me (totally possible). But better to be safe than sorry.

Ringing in 2013

Well Happy New Year, y'all! I'm a little late on this, aren't I? Like everyone else, I'm winding down the craziest time of year for me. Let's have a look at how it all went.

I rang in the New Year in Alabama with the Moon Pie Drop.

Christmas brunch had two kinds of Eggs Benedict-- the traditional and a crab version. And probably the best hollandaise I've ever had, courtesy of my cousin Casey.

I finished off my birthday night with a shot of peppermint schnapps in a little chocolate cup. It was rough...and delicious.

My cousin Erin totally surprised us all by decorating the table at my birthday lunch. It was so sweet and so wonderful. She's an event planner. You should totally hire her.

Erin had also set up a little bottle of champagne and chocolates. Oh and Bistro 217 also surprised me with tiramisu. Honestly, I'm not even a big tiramisu fan, but it was beyond lovely. Seriously, a great birthday lunch.

My sister and I made a tacky Christmas sweatshirt for an oyster roast. It turned out awesomely bad, including an actual bow pinned to it and jingle bells sewn on.

I've only recently moved back to Columbia full-time, but I tell you the cover bands at Tin Roof never disappoint. This here is the Twang Bangers from Johnson City, Tennessee.

Roast beast! No really, it was a massive prime rib that Roddy cooked beautifully. 

I was SO ready for our bowl game. I had my cup, scarf, sweatshirt, t-shirt, and bracelet. A win made it all worth it. 

Naked buns. These Gingery Cinnamon Rolls were a decadent birthday morning treat.

I still am craving orange & cinnamon together. Look for that combination to make an appearance soon.

A New Year means new goals. So far I've got:

• Run a 10k. I accomplished my goal of running a 5k last year, so this year I'm aiming for a 10k. I'm pretty sure I'm doing the Charleston Bridge Run in April, which will make sure I train and get it done.
• Make my own butter. Mostly because Emily got me a little DIY kit. C'mon, if anyone's going to make butter it's gonna be me.
• Make good bread to go with that butter. It was on my list last year but got lost in the shuffle.
• Visit a city I've never explored. Now that I work in the travel industry, I feel like this is important and quite likely.
• Find a place to live and make it my own. It'll be my first grown-up apartment, and I want to start collecting pieces that mean something to me. I've got a few things already, so I'm not starting from scratch. It's more about the atmosphere I create for myself moving forward. Maybe I'll even give y'all a tour.

Instagrammin': Fall Edition

It's been a while since I've done an Instagram post. This encompasses pretty much all of fall. As we move into the holiday season, I'll be sharing more about Christmas, Santa, and Grady (duh). You can follow me at sweetsaltysc. 

Wanna know what this is? This is my celebratory champagne and pizza from Noah's Antica Pizzeria. It happened because I am now gainfully employed with Hotelguides.com.

Have you ever seen a cuter pumpkin? I know this was like, two months ago, but I'm still not over it.

I think this was at the Georgia game. Oh, that was a glorious day.

Chad Michaels. As Cher. Flawless.

This was my first seasonal latte. Let's be real, I only drink these once every couple of weeks and in the cooler months at that. I look forward to it every year, just like Christmas music and pumpkin bread.

I like to put Grady in this onesie when Emily has to take a business trip. Plus he totally has Oompa Loompa hair here.

Have you ever seen a baby wearing only a diaper and socks? You may faint from the cuteness.

This is one of my favorite tricks! If you yell touchdown, Grady will do touchdown with you.

Have you ever been so tired that you had to lie down while drinking your bottle?

Y'all, doesn't that sound like just the thing? I've already had a request for it, and I fully intend on making good on that.

I know I showed you this picture already, but I'm still so proud of it! It's time to start training for more races...or y'know, so I can eat more holiday cookies.

On me, they're fuzzy socks. On Grady, they're baby Uggs.

I know this feeling. You settle down for a short nap and BAM! Crazy hair.

Sundays are meant to be had with hot chocolate. Even if you're watching zombies. But especially if you're watching Housewives.

The beginnings of pumpkin cheesecake. We ended up with two this year because my cousin and I think alike.

Y'all, the Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie is on point. I made a few personal adjustments, but the integrity of the pie is intact.

Yes, my grandmother makes radish flowers. They. Are. Awesome.

Did I mention my cousin does event planning? She's pretty awesome.

And finally, our Thanksgiving spread. Both turkeys, ham, dressing, mac & cheese, squash, butterbeans, and just about everything else you can think of. Delicious and worth waiting a whole year to eat.

Instgrammin': Late Summer Edition

It seems like every September I catch a little cold. Not a knock-down-seeing-stars flu, just a cold that's inconvenient enough to sap all my energy and give me a low-grade fever. It's not a time when people like you to handle their food. I'm in recovery mode with plans for a pumpkin bender, but until then, here's a glance at the past month or so.

This is the face of disobedience. It's a sweet face to be sure, but mercy this dog doesn't listen!

Farm-fresh eggs come in pretty colors and taste phenomenal, too.

I think he's silently communicating "I don't take pictures of you while you eat."

Instagrammin': July Edition

I've been trying to do this post for two or three days. I'm still in Alabama but returning to my beloved home state tomorrow. I know this is mostly a food blog, but I do like to share other snippets of my life.

I saved this little froggy from the pool at my grandmother's on the 4th of July. He was about the size of a nickel.

Instagramania

Well fiddle-dee-dee. I tried to make popovers, but they came out more like pop-unders. It probably has something to do with our oven door not closing properly. They're still pretty daggum tasty with a little jam, blue cheese, and prosciutto piled on top. So hah! Silver lining.

 This isn't an Instagram picture, but is there anything cuter than a baby in a bathrobe?! I think not.

 Remember the fried green tomatoes? I'm still dreaming about them.

 Daisy: Guardian of the Legal Pad. She doesn't sit in that chair as often anymore.

Sometimes your beer gives you advice. Let a good thing happen. Thanks, Magic Hat! P.S. Their Elder Betty has a lovely floral note to it, perfect for summer!...which is why they made it their summer ale. Duh, Christina.

I made Joy the Baker's single serving lava cake from her cookbook. I ate it with a side of French Toast ice cream from the ridiculous folks at High Road Craft Ice Cream. When I was done with the cake I ate more ice cream. In all seriousness, I've found my new favorite ice cream. Next on my list is Bourbon Burnt Sugar.

 I went to a play at the local theatre. Of course I got the program some stranger had used to dispose of his gum. I say "his" because no lady would ever do that, right? Either way, EW.

 I found this cracked egg on my front steps. I think it's a robin's egg. I'm not sure if something hatched or if...the cat got to it. I'm hoping the former rather than the latter.

I'm on an ice cream kick. I've been dying to try Jeni's for months and months now. This was the brown butter almond brittle. Even though it had that cherry flavor almond extract has (at least to my taste buds), I still ate every bite and scraped out the carton. It just beats a humdrum pint of Edy's and quite frankly is better than Ben & Jerry's. Now if someone wants to get me her cookbook...