Happiness is a warm cast iron skillet

So a couple of friends have been going on about how wonderful the Fried Chicken and Waffles are at Metro Diner here in Jacksonville.  And doggone it!  Now I have a hankerin’!  (With talk like that, you’d think I was from the South... oh wait! I am!)

Anyway, I found a simple recipe for Panko Fried Chicken from Eat, Drink, Man.  Pretty straight forward.  But since my waffle maker is still being held hostage (long story), my hubby whipped up a batch of his magically delicious pancakes.

Behold the transformation from naked tenderloins to golden-fried goodness, from blobs of lumpy batter to sun-shaped cakes of happiness. 



And thus was laid before us a feast of such glorious proportions, that we almost felt the need to pray 
twice. 

While it may appear that I had only three pancakes on my plate, I am ashamed, positively mortified, to tell you how many I ate.  And so I will not!   

Tchau!  Happy Eating!

Pork and pickles

http://instagr.am/p/JngrPiDjK3/

Trying to eat out less, so I whipped up this baby. Some pulled pork from the Publix deli, Wickles sweet & spicy pickles, bbq sauce and cheddar cheese. Nom nom pizzafest! Can I get a yum yum?

While I would prefer homemade dough, when you're pressed for time Publix's bakery pizza dough is an acceptable substitute. It rises beautifully. For the best results, toss the dough, brush it with olive oil and pop it in the oven for a few minutes.

Deeeeelicious!

Now that is one BOLD Bean!

My hubby and I just moved into the Riverside area again, after having been away for 4 years. While "away" was really only a couple of miles, it may as well been a hundred for what it felt.

An exciting new addition came to the neighborhood while we were away... Bold Bean Coffee Roasters! This place is coffee nirvana. The old brick building creates the perfect atmosphere for enjoying a brew...coffee or otherwise. They not only serve cups of joe, but have a selection on tap to appease any beer snob.  



The icing on the ambience cake is the music selection. From The Black Keys to Explosions in the Sky to Skynyrd (we had a good laugh when they skipped "Simple Man", but a few bars were played nonetheless), the tunes are diverse but appropriate for a drink with friends or cramming for a test. 



Oh! and one more thing before I move on to the drinks... the prices are GREAT! Gone are the days of the 4 dollar Starbuck latte.  Feast your eyes and eventually your tastebuds on these babies...

Spicy Chocolate Latte & Honey Latte

The Spicy Chocolate feels is sneaky.  The taste of cocoa lulls your tastebuds into a sense of warmth and safety and then WHAM! tiny spicy ninjas kick you in the throat.  It’s an intense and yes, BOLD experience.

The Honey Latte is wholly warm and cozy.  There are no spicy surprises, just a soft blanket of foamy happiness.

Let’s play I Spy... find the origami swan!!

Tchau!  Happy Eating!