Posts Tagged ‘food’

You don’t have to go far to get some of the best food around. Here are my favorites!

Mexican: The Tortilla Press – Collingswood, NJ
Cuban: Casona – Collingswood, NJ
Chinese: King Wong – Marlton, NJ
Thai: Bangkok City – Voorhees, NJ
Vietnamese: Pho Eden – Cherry Hill, NJ
Korean: Myung Ga – Cherry Hill, NJ
Italian: Carollo’s – Marlton, NJ
Wings: The Pic-a-Lilli Inn – Shamong, NJ
Pizza: Tarentella’s – Medford, NJ
Sushi: Tokyo Bleu – Cinnaminson, NJ and Miyabi – Mount Laurel, NJ
Bagels: Medford Bagels – Medford, NJ
Hoagies: DiVello’s – Medford, NJ
Mussels Fra Diablo: Carollo’s – Cherry Hill, NJ
Crabcakes: Bobby Chez – Marlton, NJ
Water Ice: Leo’s Famous Yum Yum – Marlton, NJ
Ice Cream: Sundae’s – Berlin, NJ
Brunch: Izzie’s – Medford, NJ

Photo by Kevin H.

You never know what you’re going to find when you go exploring the local flea market. It’s a one stop shop for all kinds of food, music, jewelry, cell phone accessories, things “As Seen On TV” and the latest trends — right now, scarves in high demand. To me, that’s a wonderful thing.

I first fell in love with flea markets as a little kid. Every Saturday, my dad used to take my brother and I to the Berlin Farmer’s Market (Berlin, NJ). I remember holding on to two of my dad’s fingers or and even riding on his shoulders. We’d get gigantic flavored popcorn balls and those little boxes of white things that < <::SNAP::>> when you throw them. (Does anyone know what they’re called?) That’s where I fell in love with that cardboard/pizza rink pizza, orange soda and Bubblicious gum.

One time, my dad got us a bunch of parakeets! We had an entire cage full. Oh, the best was when he’d get freshly cut cheesesteak from the butcher and we’d have homemade sandwiches for lunch.

Now, it’s a treat to go to the flea market. I usually go with my BFF, Danielle to the Columbus Farmer’s Market (Columbus, NJ). It’s pretty routine — she comes to my house on a Sunday at 8ish and we head out. On the ride, we catch up and listen to music, stop to get cash at Wawa and put a shopping strategy together.

We’ve gone through a number of obsessive buying trends — for example, those stretchable Italian charm bracelets and “designer” handbags. I remember when my dad got us “Oakley” windbreakers there! Man, I was the coolest thing in sixth and seventh grade.

Now, Danielle gets her candles from a store inside; I get “meat on a stick” (yes, that early); we eat Pete’s Pizza; and get bags of candied nuts. The last time we were there, I got a pile of hair accessories for $5. It was four for $1, fill a bag for $5. No lie, it was all stuff by Conair and Goody. I strategically stacked everything inside the little plastic bag. I swear, there were 25+ packages of pins, clips, rubber bands, headbands, etc. — all with cute designs on them.

I guess the main reason I like to go is to walk around, get exercise and try new foods like roasted corn, fried oreos or pizza on a braided pretzel. You never know what kind of bargains or random things you can buy or eat!
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Last night was a great night to TweetUp. Special thanks to Chef Mark Smith of Tortilla Press (Collingswood, NJ) and Tortilla Press Cantina (Pennsauken, NJ) for hosting our fun night!

What’s a TweetUp?
A TweetUp is when Twitter friends meet up in person. TweetUps can have a theme, an agenda or just a designated date, time and place.

Host your own TweetUp.
Pick a date, time and place. For this TweetUp, Dawn Bricker and I spoke (actually tweeted) with Mark and got his “ok” to host at the Tortilla Press Cantina. We picked a date that worked for all of us, and moved quickly with promoting the event.

Get the word out. Similar to our last few TweetUps, we assigned the hashtag “#SJTweetUp.” Adding the hashtag (“#”) makes the subject SJTweetUp “searchable” on Twitter. So, you can search for “#SJTweetUp” or click on “#SJTweetUp” within someone’s tweet to find more information or people that are tweeting about that subject.

For example, some tweets to promote tonight’s event were:

@AllThingsGwen: #SJTweetUp tonight at @TortillaPress Cantina – Pennsauken, NJ. You’ll meet @dawnbricker @chefmarksmith and many others! http://ow.ly/1dbqv

@kdevito: Tweetup Tonight: #SJTweetUp RSVP here: http://twtvite.com/c4jbaa #SJTweetUp #twtvite

@EileenOBrien: South Jersey friends join me & @allthingsgwen for margaritas at #SJTweetUp tonight 6-8 pm @TortillaPress: http://ow.ly/1dbqv

Communicate and RSVP. We used Twtvite to get the word out and keep things organized. It was easy to type in the event details and include our hashtag, #SJTweetUp. From there, we included a link to the Twtvite within our tweets — similar to http://ow.ly/1dbqv or http://twtvite.com/c4jbaa in the examples above.

Plan event logistics. We brought name tags — so people could write and “wear” their name and twitter name. We also brought index cards so we could collect names and contact information. That way, we could all contact each other after the event.

Other than that, we just had fun with it! Awesome food, fun tweople and a great night out!
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Since I’m 30 now … here’s a list of 30 things what I’m thankful for:
1. My fiancée, Sweet William! He loves me for my craziness, randomness, dreams and goals.
2. Gabby and Sofia — my beautiful and fun nieces.
3. My brother, Mike, and his wife, Kim. They give so much to the community …
4. Hardworking parents. They’ve given me so much!
5. Front-row friends.
6. Cousins by the truck-load.
7. Loving and supportive “in-laws.” They are so generous!
8. My SUV. I can drive in the snow!
9. A set of new, sharp knives. I love cutting stuff now.
10. Inspirational books.
11. People that challenge me.
12. My Fit Friends, my workout partners and students.
13. Writing mentors — Holly and Greta, who really helped develop me and encourage me as a writer.
14. My Twitter friends.
15. People who give me blog love.
16. My favorite aunts — Auntie Evelyn, Auntie Alice and Aunt Diane.
17. Danielle — my maid of honor/BFF.
18. My education. No one can take that away.
19. My job at Amerikick. I’ve been teaching there for almost nine years.
20. Private jokes that make me laugh, even when I’m by myself.
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No measurements here! Just throw it all together and there you go … you’re the party hero!

Meatless Hot Taco Dip
- 1 package of cream cheese – room temperature
- 1 small jar of salsa
- Cheddar cheese – as much as you want
- Mix it up, warm it up in the microwave and serve with tortilla chips.

“Puerto Rican” Cheese Dip
- Munster cheese – as much as you want
- Pressed garlic – as much as you want
- Mix it up, warm it up in the microwave/oven and serve with assorted crackers or tortilla chips. You may want to keep this dip warm in a fondue pot.

Spinach Dip
- Frozen spinach – thawed and squeezed
- Sour cream – 16 oz container
- Mayo – about 16 oz
- Chopped peppers – as much as you want
- Chopped onions – as much as you want
- Good Seasons Italian dressing power – you gotta use this brand!
- Mix it up and serve with assorted crackers.

Photo by Muy Yum.

Ask me what my favorite food is, and I’ll pick something “asian.” You name it — Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Chinese, Japanese … and oh yeah, Filipino. (I’m Filipino.)

My first “foodie” blog is all about Vietnamese Food. (You’re reading it right now.) My cousin, Peter got me into it years ago. I can’t remember if I started with pho — traditional Vietnamese soup — or not. But that stuff is good! Picture this … a BIG bowl of noodles and chicken (or whatever meat) in broth that’s been cooking for days(?). You get a big plate with stuff you can add in — fresh bean sprouts, lime, cilantro, basil. If you want a little spice, add a few drops — or even a “stripe” — of Sriracha.

My ultimate favorite Vietnamese food is grilled pork over vermicelli noodles, aka “bun thit nuong.” It’s grilled pork over rice noodles with a little lettuce, carrots and some other veggie stuff. You pour “fish” sauce over everything, mish-mash it all up, and it’s phenomenal! If you want, you can add stuff to this noodle bowl —grilled shrimp, eggrolls, whatever.

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So I never knew what  “foodie” was. I was talking to my friend from high school — @cranekickers (http://www.cranekickchronicles.com/). We talked about a bunch of stuff — working out, diet, high school, writing, blogging, turning 30, pizza … chinese food … brazillian steak houses … comfort food … ! Then, I asked him what  a “foodie” was.

ATG: What is a “foodie?” Am I one?

Cranekickers: A foodie is someone who loves food, talks about food, goes out of their way to try food. Heck yes you are one.

And now, I’m inspired to do everything I want with writing! Including new ”IMMA FOODIE” blogs. Can’t wait to post my first one! It’ll be call “Asian Persuasion.”

PS – I just told Billy about this blog! He said, “To be a foodie, you have to be pretty good at cooking.” OH SNAP!

Photo by Rakka.

How well do you know yourself? How well do people know you? What are you passionate about?

Below are some questions. Just some things to think about … Feel free to leave a comment and share a little bit about yourself!

• Describe yourself – using five adjectives only. How would others describe you?
• What do you do “for a living?”
• Describe your idea of a “perfect” day.
• What’s your favorite childhood memory?
• What “small” things make you happy?
• What does “family” mean to you?
• Have you ever been discriminated against or treated poorly for being who you are? How has that affected you?
• What’s your biggest challenge right now? What are you doing to make change?
• What was your biggest challenge in the past? How did you overcome it?

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1. Make realistic, measurable goals and write them down. Be specific! For example, your resolution may be to pack lunch four out of five days a week or workout five times a week. 

2. Choose wisely. Make resolutions you can keep … and prioritize! Be sure to pick the ones more important to you so you can stick to them. 

3. Create visual reminder. Post your list in a visible place or record them in a journal. 

4. Seek support. Tell your closest friends about your goals. If you find someone with similar goals plan a daily or weekly email or phone call to help you both stay in check.

5. Start. Just do it. Depending on your goal, sign up for a gym membership; research healthy recipes; or take a look at your expenses.

6. Take positive action. If you want to lose weight, don’t bring desserts, junk food, candy or ice cream into the house.

7. Reward yourself for meeting mini-goals. If you’re trying to save money, reward yourself with a small splurge at each significant step.

8. Substitute habits. If your goal is to eat less junk food, find a healthy food you love.

Photo by iheartlinen.

It’s the perfect time to do something different …

1. Start a family tradition. We all have favorite childhood memories. Fun stuff like pizza on Fridays, bagels and donuts on Saturdays, ice cream after each winning soccer game … and even $5 for every “A” on the report card. This year, start some new, creative traditions. Remember, they don’t always have to include “junk” food and sweets treats. For example, call grandparents or family members on speaker phone once a week. Or, hang a dry erase board in the kitchen and write special family accomplishments.

2. Challenge yourself. Do you have a bucket list? You know, things you want to accomplish in this lifetime? If you haven’t done so already, write it down and make it happen. There are a lot of interesting things to try — like a yoga or pottery. Check your town’s recreational department for upcoming classes.

3. Set a new goal each month. This year, pick 12 things and stick to them. Your goals may include cleaning the garage; trying new recipes; using coupons whenever shopping or saving extra money for a family vacation. Whatever your goal, write it down, and stick to it. It may be helpful to do some online research to help you get organized or get started.

4. Organize your pictures. Whether you have a stack of printed pictures — or a ton saved to your computer — get organized! With online resources like Snapfish, you can create flipbooks with captions or print out pictures. Prices vary, but are affordable.

5. Make health and fitness a regular thing. Most people are great at making New Year’s resolutions, but have a hard time sticking to them. If you’ve always wanted to get back into shape, do it! One of the biggest things to remember is that results won’t come quickly — and it’s going to be hard work. Start off with small, manageable goals. For example, workout every Monday to get your week and routine off to a good start. Then, add more challenging activities and additional goals. It may help to work out with a partner.

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