A bug-free camping park

Would you believe it if I told you folktales of me as a child collecting worms with the boys to throw at girly girls? I can't believe it happened either :) Now, at the sight of certain bugs (including worms) I've been known to cry, run, swerve, yelp, and so on...

One day I'd like to fish from the river, build a fire, forage the woods for herbs and mushrooms, and cook it for dinner! I love the idea of canoeing, barbecuing, and picnicking. They're all great fantasies until I remember nature's company. And also that they are incredibly attracted to me and my foods!

Thus, I propose a bug-free camping park. I am not the lone lady with these fears! I have a feeling that a bug-free camping park would be quite profitable. Ladies: wouldn't you enjoy the great outdoors sans bugs SO MUCH MORE? Gentlemen: Aren't you tired of your lady's tireless reactions to those buggers? I hereby give anyone permission to capitalize on this idea.

Not realistic? Not Eco-friendly? No, not so much. Next I propose a hat with a bug net entirely around it. But not just practical bug-net hat--make it fashionable! Please note: drawing below is by no means what I regard to as stylish. Just wanted to be silly:

I just did a Google search. Surprisingly, one such hat does exist! Behold the Delux Spring Ring Head Net. Make this hot pink and I’ll consider it ;) 

How do you resolve your bug issues/fears/problems?

Laughable Pho

I ate at Big Bowl last night. I eat there once every couple of months, just long enough to forget why I hadn't been back sooner. And then I remember why... Big Bowl isn't very good. Can’t blame them for lacking in quality and authenticity, this is what probably suits the palates of their primary audience best. And it works, Big Bowl customers eat it right up…

When I'm dining out I get really, really unhappy if my food doesn't taste good. It's a huge character flaw, I know. I don't like harboring feelings of resentment and that's what I get when food and/or service is truly awful. I'm content when food tastes DECENT, so my expectations are quite low! And when the food and service is above and beyond decent, I’m a very happy camper.

At Big Bowl I ordered what was labeled “Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Pho).” Pho at Big Bowl, eh? I wasn’t super hungry and nothing else looked appealing. This order was more experimental than anything. Let’s try this out, I thought. What eventually came out resembled pho enough, but in taste? Yikes, that was not pho. I laughed to myself. I wasn’t upset, I was in awe of how amusingly inauthentic it was. I laughed at the fact that I was at Big Bowl ordering pho and eating this soup that is so obviously chicken stock with a few pieces of rice noodles and basil thrown in there and the fact that everyone else around me were enjoying this sorry excuse for Asian cuisine.

So there you go, laughable pho. I tried it so that you wouldn’t have to.

Farmer's Market Pasta

This is what my day was like yesterday:

10:00 - 11:00 Farmer's Market
11:00 - 3:00 Car accident, dealing with car accident
3:00 - 5:00 Namaste Cafe, complaining about Namaste Cafe
5:00 - 7:00 Talking to my parents the accident, dealing with the accident with the insurance company
7:00 - 8:00 Made dinner. I called it "Farmer's Market Pasta"
8:00 - 9:00 Watched the latest episode of Modern Family at abc.com

The day began beautifully. At the farmer's market I was so thrilled with finding Mother's Day flowers, cheap herbs, and homegrown goods.

I'll skip all of the bad and horrible stuff that happened in between (car accident, Namaste Cafe) (OK, Namaste wasn't exactly on the same level as a bad car accident, but a ridiculously small $15 portion of shrimp curry should taste decent. It's shrimp and curry, it's hard to mess up!)

All of this is just an excuse to write about the dinner I made last night. After the car accident ordeal, it was so nice to come home and make a dish that actually tasted good. The only thing that didn't come from the farmer's market was the pasta and the balsamic vinegar, so I named this Farmer's Market Pasta.

Ingredients:
Some olive oil
Some shallots
Little bit of garlic, crushed
Asparagus
Splash of balsamic vinegar 
Tomatoes
Spinach
Basil
Cooked pasta

Naan Naan Naan Naan

I'm always on a quest to find the best [insert latest thing I'm into]. Lately I've been craving naan, especially when I'm eating Mediterranean food (Emily's Labanese Deli, Marina's Grill & Deli). Instead, Mediterranean food is paired with pita-ish flatbread (which is still good, but not naan). Fortunately, naan is a staple at any Indian restaurant and I love Indian food too...

Down the street from work is this little Indian restaurant called Jewel of India. I would argue that buffet style is the best way to enjoy Indian food. Prior to buffet style awesomeness, I was always ordering unappetizing, mysterious, and disappointing entrees. No disrespect but I honestly still don't know the name of  any of the dishes I enjoy via the Indian buffet line.... except naan. Naan yum yum.

So here we are... A challenge to find a naan that beats the naan at Jewel of India. I'll update this as I go:

Great India in Brooklyn Center -

• Verdict: The naan tastes and looks like thick French crêpes. It isn't a naan that can stand on its own but has a decent and subtle flavor. 
• Cost: Four orders of naan bread came to $8.XX  
• Naan rating: 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 

Curry Up in Maple Grove - 

• Verdict: The naan is similar to that of Great India and yet so bland. So disappointing! There was no sweetness, no flavor, no saltiness. 
• Cost: Two orders of this came to $6.XX
• Naan rating: 4 on a scale of 1 to 10 

Open to naan recommendations :)

I'm anti-promiscuity

I'm tired of loose and easy men and women... I just think promiscuity is the root of so many social issues today.  Have your monogamous and pre-marital sex, but stop having unprotected and casual sex!

So serious...

Yeah, I have a bracket

I participated in March Madness this year as part of this all-the-women-at-the-office-unite-against-the-boys thing. I'm in the red, red, red... I guess I don't really care about any of these teams, I just want who I chose to win to just win. So much to ask?

Litter Bugs

I hate people who litter. Look at this picture from last summer…

I was sitting in my car outside of a Target parking lot when the SUV in front of me rolled down their window and very purposefully dropped their empty french fry carton. Jerk faces! I sat there for a few minutes considering whether I should knock on their window and say, “Hey, you dropped something” and then, I don’t know, throw it in their car? Onto their car? Hand over their litter peacefully? Call them out on it?

And then I thought, OK, the kind of person who would so blatantly litter like that is exactly the kind of person who would punch me in the face. Off I went then…

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday to all of us... I like my new QuadCamera app. Here's me using my new app at my desk. I like how the vignette effect makes my desk area appear more polished than it really is. On second look, no, it still looks really messy.

I spend money to save money.. (???)

My name is Sylvie and......

I enjoy deals so much, it's wrong. This weekend I got a flowy, flowery top for $5.99, khaki pants for $5.99, and oversized cardigan for $5.99. It made me really happy. I get loyalty cards punched so that I can get my 11th pizza free or my 16th drink free or my 11th sandwich for free. I use Groupon to scout daily deals at restaurants or local services at more than 50% off daily. I am a coupon clipper and I buy things that I don't really need because I'M SAVING MONEY. Right? Right? If something is on sale that I am only mildly interested in... well...well..

Concerts

There are few artists I truly love seeing live and don't mind seeing over and over again. Here's my list complete with a mini-review and some reccomended tunes, feel free to share yours!

The list:
Butch Walker - FUN, worth the entire show, awesome live rendition of covers and originals. I recommend "Don't Move" "Maybe it's just me" "Mixtape" and "Atlanta"
Justin Nozuka - beautiful experience, beautiful songs, beautiful voice. I recommend "Golden Train" "Criminal" "Oh Mama"
Gavin Degraw - engaging and wonderful! Humble and awesome... I recommend "We Belong Together" "I don't wanna be" and "Chariot"
Switchfoot - always a pleasure. I recommend "I dare you to move" "On Fire" and "This is your life" among so many others

Honorable mentions: 
Quietdrive - I've seen them about ten times...they're great! And local! I'm always impressed but am now too old to blend in with their fan base.Who am I kidding, I'll see you again.
Britney Spears - that was a spectacular show and I'd love to see her again, but maybe not for $60+ per ticket again
Backstreet Boys - that trip down memory lane was excellent. I enjoyed it.
John Legend - the man sounds as good live as he does recorded, I couldn't tell the difference. Being THAT GOOD combined with the fact this his shows continually get sold out makes me less interested.

Who I want to see:
Matt Morris - I'm really liking most of the songs I've heard from Matt Morris. Try "Bloodline"
The Fray - Someday. I've wanted to see them since they were  real low key, playing at The Varsity Theatre for $8. I nearly went to this concert alone because I wanted to see them so much. Then.. they blew up. My favorites are "I'll look after you" and "You found me"
Jazmin Sullivan - Love her music and I bet she's awesome live. I recommend "Hurricane" "Bust your windows"

Wow

Ideeli, an invite-only shopping community, serves up daily deals from well known brands and designers.. among other stuff. On Tuesday, they'll be featuring these BCBG shoes on sale. GORGEOUS!!! SEXY!!! I WANT!!! Admittedly, I'm not 100% sold-- I prefer heels 3.5'' or shorter...  since I have yet to really learn how to walk in high heels.

Tell me you don't love these too..

TCF Bank really sucks. I don't care that you have a partnership with my alma mater.

I absolutely hate TCF Bank, and so do these hundreds of people over at the TCF SUCKS blog. Tonight, I quit you for good.

The way you move ain't fair you know

Have you heard Train's new hit "Hey, Soul Sister"? Last week, Butch Walker (a favorite!) tweeted about additional tour dates but linked me to Train's tour dates page. Butch Walker and the Black Widows will be touring with Train, alright, cool, I'd see a Train show just to see Butch Walker. Nevermind the fact that I've already seen him four or five times... Nevermind the fact that I don't really like Train... I skimmed the list for a Minneapolis stop to no avail. Oh well... I decided to listen to tracks from Train's new album Save Me, San Fransisco while I'm there anyway and then loooved "Hey, Soul Sister." I thought to myself, "I really hope this doesn't become a single."

No such luck. Now I'm already tired of it.

To each their own!

MMMMM!!!!