The End of an Era!

For those of you that know me, you know that "Friends" is my favorite television show of all time. Which is really saying a lot. I love a lot of shows.

Pause. Let me start with this.

Today ended my two year run at the Chi Omega sorority house at OU. My friend Katharine and I lived together the full two years. Next year, we're living in separate houses. I would go into more detail but it's hard to type through my tears. Our goodbye was similar to this:

If you know us at all, you know that I'm not kidding. And next year, when we live in different houses (we'll be right next door to each other... but c'mon!), this will be us on a daily basis:

I'm Chandler, in case you were wondering.

 If you're reading this and you don't like Friends, you probably don't find this funny at all. But then again, if you don't like Friends, we probably aren't friends. Just kidding. Sort of.

Living in a sorority house is... interesting, to say the least. Oh, you wanted to sleep at 2 a.m.? Ha, ha. That's funny. Someone is singing "Wicked" show tunes at the top of their lungs outside your door. Oh, you wanted to use that towel to dry off with after your shower? Your roommate decided to snatch it and run so you had to sprint all the way back to your bedroom in your birthday suit. Based on true events.

With that being said, living in a sorority house is one of the best things I've ever done. It's a living situation that I'd never had before and that I'll never have again. It drove me crazy at times, but if I could turn back the clock and do it all over again, I would.

This year, I like to say that I had five roommates. Technically, I was in a 3-girl room with Katharine and Katie, but our three best friends (Laura, Kristin and Erin) lived directly across the hall from us. (Rooms 16 and 17 forever!)

I think I napped in Laura's bed about as often as I napped in my own. In fact, today while I was packing, I walked into their room to grab my DVDs when I discovered... My pants. On their floor. Proof that I had indeed napped in Laura's bed yesterday.

Anyway, the point of this is basically to brag about how awesome my friends are and to tell you that this was the best year of my life because of them. I'm not typically a sappy person, but I don't give them enough credit. They're pretty cool. 

Thanks for the memories, 820!

Taylor

T-Town Eateries Vol. 1

So, I have a problem. Rather, Tulsa has a problem. Tulsa has entirely too many delicious local places to dine. The saddest part about this revelation is that I've lived here since my sophomore year in high school and I'm just now discovering this.

Anyway, back to my problem. Every time I come home for the weekend, we decide to try out all these new, scrumptious, exciting places and I gain about ten pounds in one weekend. Eh. You only live once, right?

So, Saturday night, my parents and I decided to try Caz's Chowhouse downtown. I loved this place. It had the "local" feeling that I was really hoping for. Plus, my 21st birthday is in a month and I finally found a restaurant that serves hard apple cider, a favorite drink of mine from my trip to London this summer! Guess where I'll be on June 5th?

The restaurant also featured a couple witty-titled wines: Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc and A Charming Pinot Noir. How cute is that? 

We all three opted for the chicken & waffles. Yup. I said it. Golden, fried chicken strips on top of a butter and syrup-smothered waffle. Healthy. For the soul.

Now... The chicken was delicious. However, because I'm totally spoiled by mom's perfectly fluffy and slightly crispy waffles at home... I'm sad to report that the waffle was not quite up to my standard. Blame my mom if you must, but I had to be honest. This girl needs a little more fluff in her waffle.

Tonight, we tried another new haunt on Peoria called Mondo's, a local, family-owned Italian place. I like to think of myself as a bit of an Italian food expert since I'm minoring in the language, and my expert tongue says YUM. It was so yummy, in fact, that I dug into my plate so fast after they sat it down that I forgot to take a "before" picture... you guys get to see the "after", instead.

Call me old-fashioned, but I opted for the classic spaghetti and meatballs. I wasn't disappointed. The meal was also served with a fresh salad (all dressings made in-house) and hot garlic bread. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Don't be fooled: from the outside, Mondo's looks modern and stylish. On the inside, while still stylish, it's a very cozy and friendly environment. Highly recommended by this Italian expert! Bellissima!

Ciao, bellas.

And the Academy Award goes to...

ME! For being the best blogger ever. Okay, so I know I haven't posted in a few weeks but, sue me, I'm a college student.

Don't worry, I'm back just in time for the Academy Awards, possibly one of my favorite programs of the year to watch!

Today I'm going to tell you guys my personal pick of winners. Disclaimer: I'm not a movie critic and I haven't seen all of these films (wish I had time for that). For those of you who know me, I'm simply just a girl that loves movies.

Best Picture

 

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. I've heard mixed reviews from friends on this one; one of my roommates, Katie, hated it. However, I went to see it with my other roommate, Katharine and... honestly, I loved everything about it (she did too). It handled real-life issues but also threw in comedy, romance, and even a little bit of dancing. The unexpected chemistry between Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper blew my mind. But hey, if you wanted to pay me millions of dollars to have chemistry with Bradley, I think I could do it, too.

Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook

Cooper plays a man recently released from a mental institution and struggling to get over the loss of his beloved wife to another man. It was a different role for him, and he nailed it. I mean, how many actors could actually make you fall in love with a slightly crazy mental patient? Only you, Bradley.

(EXTREME) Honorable Mention: Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables 

Actress in a Leading Role

Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook

Can you tell that I really loved this movie? Lawrence plays an unstable widower that went off the deep-end after the death of her husband. I think this was a really smart move for her career. She bursts into stardom as Katniss in "The Hunger Games", and instead of waiting until THG trilogy is complete to attempt to break out of her Katniss mold, she did it immediately. And rocked it.

Honorable Mention: Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

Actor in a Supporting Role

 Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

Although I haven't gotten to see this movie yet, I'm just going to guess and say that he was freakin' awesome.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

If you watched the "I Had a Dream" scene and didn't cry, you have no soul.

Animated Feature

Brave

Visual Effects

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Original Score

Anna Karenina

Anyone remember the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack? Perfection.

Cinematography

Anna Karenina

Costume Design

Les Miserables

Sound Mixing

Les Miserables

Do you agree? Disagree?

Love always,

T

I'm still here!

To my very diligent followers ;)

I'm still here! School is, as always, kicking my butt a little bit right now. But I have a great new post planned, so stay tuned!

Ciao.

Syrup

Syrup is located in downtown Norman, OK

For the first time in my college career, I have Fridays off. WOOHOO! But I've already made a pact with myself that I'm going to use Fridays to be productive and not laze around all day. Was I productive this past Friday? No. However, I did get up early to try out this hip, new breakfast place, Syrup, with my roommate before her meeting at 10:30 a.m. So at least I got out of bed, right?

AT DAWN, WE FEAST! Okay, it was 9 a.m. when we left, but that's pretty early for a college kid.

As the name alludes, Syrup is famous for their loaded waffles and pancakes. In an unpredictable moment, Katharine and I opted for the Eggs Benedict.

One scrumptious English Muffin topped with avocado (a little unique for Eggs Benedict, but delicious!), crispy pepper bacon rather than the typical Canadian, two perfectly poached eggs and a creamy Hollandaise sauce.

 

You could definitely say I wasn't disappointed with my decision.

Not to mention the atmosphere of this place! It was, in the words of Katharine, practically a living Pinterest board in there. I should have snapped a few more pictures, but I'm pretty sure I'll be back soon to try some of those famous waffles.

It's officially 11:30 p.m. on a Sunday, and guess who wants Eggs Benedict? Yep.

Love always,

Taylor

On to the next one.

First day of school! First day of school!

I'm sad to say that this occasion is not near as much fun as it was when I was little. Maybe if my college professors would take a note from Mrs. Sand's book (my second grade teacher) and let us color pictures of princesses and practice writing in cursive I would be a bit more enthusiastic.

Unfortunately, that isn't the case. I just finished my first class: Multimedia Journalism. It'll be a lot of work but I think I might actually enjoy it, with any luck. However, my next class is Italian Literature, and the syllabus says "STRICTLY ITALIAN SPEAKING". Well, seeing as how I don't speak Italian, that should be interesting. Mannaggia! (Google it... it was Serafina's -- my previous professor -- favorite word to say)

This also means that I won't get to post about baking very often anymore since I don't have a kitchen. This day just gets sadder and sadder!

Although the first day of school may not be as exciting anymore, my roommates and I decided to still get "dressed up" for the occasion.



Here's to another semester!

Love always,
T

Buttermilk Pecan Pie

If you love Pecan Pie, you have got to try this variation. It's rich, buttery, delicious, and did I say buttery? Oh yeah.

Buttermilk Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
3 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. chopped or halved pecans (or more to taste... I typically use more)

All-Butter Pie Crust
This is my all-time favorite pie crust recipe... In fact, I'm pretty much in love with it. Stay tuned -- I will dedicate an entire post to this crust and you won't want to miss it!

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Cream butter until softened. Gradually beat in sugar, 1/2 c. at a time. Blend in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
3. Combine the flour and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in buttermilk.
4. Sprinkle pecans over bottom of the pie shell. Pour filling over.
5. Bake 1 1/2 hrs. Serve at room temperature.

  
Love always, 
T