weekend menu: yoga & cocktails

this weekend i have yogadharma - my yoga teacher training - so there's not a lot of time left for cooking!  luckily, after visiting with my parents early this morning, my mom sent me home with a few servings of penne pasta with smoked mozzarella for my lunches this weekend. yum!  and though my time is limited, craig and i are still planning on meeting up with some friends at our favorite watering hole saturday night.

weekend lunches: penne with roasted red peppers, spinach & smoked mozzarella

recipe {here}.  picture credit {here}

happy hour with friends: cosmopolitan

cosmo recipe {here}.  for the best, go to bobby's!

saturday night dinner with friends: veggie pizza

we're looking forward to veggie supreme pizza from baked on main!  picture credit {here}. happy weekend! 

.

happy hour: how to become a regular

as many of you know, craig and i love bobby's.  bobby simone's is a great little bar in nearby doylestown that has become our happy hour hot spot.  when we walk in the door, the bartenders know us and always greet us with a smile and sometimes even a cheer : )  bobby's has become our cheers.

it's amazing how a little customer service - like them remembering us - impresses and impacts and keeps us coming back for more.  (not to mention sandy mixes a mean cosmo...which is only $5 at happy hour.)

so, how does one become a regular?  we didn't initially set out to achieve anything special, but after frequenting the same place for a while, you do get certain perks.  a complimentary drink or two or three, special service (like when i ask for just a 1/2 martini) and the thrill of being "known".

here are my tips if you're looking to carve out a special place:

1. don't settle.  craig and i checked out a few bars in doylestown that offer happy hours before choosing bobby's.  (tough job, but someone's gotta do it.)  see who has the best drinks, the best deals and the best crowd.

2. slow but steady. you don't have to go multiple times a week or even every week to get remembered.  the slow and steady method is better (for you and your wallet).  that way you can "ease" yourself in.

3. sit at the bar.  if you have the option of seats at the bar or a table, go for the bar.  that way you can get to know your bartenders and strike up a rapport.

4. ask their opinion.  if you always order the same thing (like me), ask what other drinks they recommend that would please your palate.  good bartenders know how to make good drinks, and they'll appreciate being recognized as an expert.

5. tip well.  this one's kind of obvious, but tip well.  happy hour is already cheap, so it's not a big deal to leave a little extra.  we like to leave 25-35%.  good tippers are remembered and treated well.

6. go after hours.  after hitting up several happy hours, and if the bartenders are starting to remember you, go after happy hour.  this will let them know that you're not always looking for a deal and that you like them/the bar/the drinks even if you have to pay full price.  and this is most likely when you'll reap the benefits of regularity...often the monetary kind...

so, i think it's about time to go out and find your happy place!.

recipe for weekend fun

2 college friends + happy hour + gourmet pizza + s’mores = weekend amazingness

ashley, me & alexis

this past weekend, ashley & alexis visited (yay!).  they came out saturday afternoon to see our place, and then we ventured out for some festivities.  we took them to our favorite happy hour spot, bobby simone’s, for drinks and appetizers.  i (of course) got a cosmo, the rest got beer.  we ordered some wings and chicken quesadillas to wash our drinks down with : )  we then surprised the girls with a shot.  please do not judge it by its name.  it’s called a “dirty girlscout”, and it’s dessert in a shot glass.  1 ounce coffee liqueur, 1 ounce irish cream, 1 ounce créme de menthe, 1 ounce vodka.  it takes like liquid thin mints or melted mint chocolate chip ice cream.  we sipped our shots with smiles.

ash & me

my sis, hannah, joined us, and we walked over to jules thin crust.  this fabulous little pizza place that makes gourmet pies (all from local, organic ingredients).  yum!  i ordered two slices – one with roasted potato, fresh mozzarella, rosemary, scallions, sour cream, parmesan and olive oil, the other “kim’s pie” had roasted chicken, portobello mushroom, caramelized onion, mozzarella, balsamic bbq sauce, chives.  omg.  with a glass of ménage à trios red wine, the meal was complete : )

we found this on our walk...

craig's pizza

on the way home, we made a pit stop at wawa for s’mores fixins’.  when we got back to our place, we started a fire in the fireplace and toasted marshmallows (and watched a marathon of say yes to the dress).  there is nothing like an ooey-gooey, homemade s’more (or girly reality tv show) to complete any night. 

(no fireplace?  no problem.  a small candle will do just fine.  or a gas stove burner on low.  or even assemble your s’more and microwave it for a few seconds until the marshmallow is gooey and chocolate is melted.  don’t microwave for too long or the marshmallow with get super tough.)

my pizza: kim's pie & roasted potato

the next morning, we enjoyed coffee with strata and orange cranberry muffins (recipes {here}) before they had to head out : (

thanks (as usual) for a great time, ladies!.

happy (birthday) hour

friday was my 25th birthday. that's right...i'm officially closer to 30 than 20. very strange. but anyway, i decided that i wanted a low-key birthday (but still wanted to celebrate) so craig and i invited friends and family to join us at our favorite local watering hole, bobby simone's, for happy hour(s). i mean, with 1/2 price cocktails and $3 guinness, who wouldn't have a good time?!

the bar was super crowded (way more crowded than usual), despite the fact that we got there at 5:15pm for the 5-7pm happy hour specials. even though it was packed, we managed stake our claim in a small corner and slowly expanded our territory as more and more of "our people" arrived. we visited (and drank) and ordered food (and drank some more). if you ever make it to bobby's, their cosmos are amazing - my personal fave of the countless that i've enjoyed over my 4 legal drinking years.

we all had an awesome time catching up and visiting and the time passed quickly. so, after 3 cosmos (i usually only get one or two because they're rather strong), happy hour was drawing to a close, so we headed out. when we pulled into our driveway, i realized there was an unexpected vehicle - my cousin's, who hadn't been able to make it to the happy hour celebration. (to my credit, much earlier in the night, i told craig i thought something was up, but i didn't know what exactly. his goofy smile and attempt to deny that anything was going on confirmed my suspicions...)

craig & me

i got out of the car and walked into a lovely party. there were streamers and balloons and my favorite people. erin and brian, cate and chad and my sis, hannah. the girls had made a delicious spread of gourmet pizzas, antipasto salad and a feta and mushroom tart. everything was so yummy and the cosmos (slowly) wore off as we enjoyed girl talk at the table while the boys talked about who-knows-what (probably sports and work would be my guess) in the family room. it was a great birthday with great friends. thank you guys! you're the best!!!

my only request: next time you're planning a surprise for me, craig, reign me in a bit. i thought i was going home to pjs and pizza. had i known there was a party lurking in the wings, i would have passed on the 3rd cosmo and had some champagne with my girls instead : ).