Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

My 10-year old cat has managed to teach himself a new trick -- drinking out of the toilet. Yes, that's 15 lbs of orange fur taking a nice long drink. How he manages to position himself on the seat to drink is beyond me -- if he can manage to do this without falling in, more power to him!

The Wine Goddess

Keeping with the Chicago theme, I was speaking to my friend Sarah today, and she told me of the Wine Goddess, a personal wine consultant based out of Chicago who publishes annually a list of Cheap and Good Wines under $20.

Nice! I love wine, and especially love cheap wine that tastes delicious! I'm definitely going to try these out, hope you do too!

http://www.winegoddess.com/cheapngoodwinelist.2007.pdf

Lou Malnati's

So the holiday season didn't start too well for me.... "They" say that bad things tend to happen in 3's, and while I perhaps half-believe that saying, I did not think it would apply to me. Well, it came true. Just a couples weeks prior, two of my friends both lost relatives suddenly -- I sympathized for them and helped them out any way I could, but I didn't believe in any way that I was next..... well, I was...

My grandfather died unexpectedly -- he was 89, but when I say unexpectedly, we got a call from his caretaker that he was sick, and it would be a matter of days... I had no idea that he was that sick. That was on a Saturday. Sunday night he passed. Here's the really crappy kicker of it all. My dad was supposed to have flown to Chicago to see him that weekend, but there was a bad snowstorm, and he couldn't fly up.

Sooo, at the beginning of December, my whole family flies in to Chicago to my Polish relatives for the first time in 8 years. Unfortunately the last time I saw everyone was at my grandfather's funeral. And to make matters worse, the weather's terrible and it takes us almost 4 hours to get into Indiana (normally less than an hour commute).

But I'm not going to recount the big Polish Catholic funeral -- I spare you and myself the details. It was sad. And I said goodbye.

The reason I give this background story is to tell of the one bright spot out of this whole trip. We stayed with my cousins (who are my parents' age) -- I think they still kind of thought of my sister and me as girls. They were delighted to find out that the minute we walked in the door, we wanted a stiff drink. My cousin Ken and I got into a discussion about beer, and you'd think I just gave him a million dollars when I knew of Warsteiner beer!

After quite a few of those stiff drinks, we're getting ready to stumble off to bed, but are discussing plans for the viewing and funeral All Ken wants to discuss is that we're going to have beer and true Chicago stuffed pizza. Believe me, the prospect of that was enough to get me through the next day. We get back to the house, the beer is there, the pizza boxes are there. I immediately go up the pizza box to get a look at this Chicago stuffed pizza, the pizza Ken claims is the only kind to eat. I look in, and all I see is what I think is a very large Hot Pocket. That can't be right, right? Ken, is that how they make Chicago stuffed pizza?

Everyone starts laughing -- Ken looks sheepish, and no one lets him live it down, the entire evening. He'd said stuffed pizza when ordering, but apparently they gave him calzones (which were still highly delicious by the way....). The Texans in the room certainly didn't care -- I had my Pacifico (Ken managed to track some down, God love him!) and some junk food, so I was content.

Fast forward to the weekend before Christmas. I come home from work, cursing under my breath because two of the Christmas gifts I ordered weeks and weeks ago still haven't conveniently been delivered, and what do I see by my front door? Two packages! I go to retrieve them, but one large white box is marked "perishable" -- of course, the first thought through my mind is, "What the hell did I order?"

It's addressed to me, so I rip open the package, and pull out....yes, you guessed it:

A genuine, LOU MALNATI's Chicago-style deep dish pizza. I think I laughed out loud for a solid 10 minutes. I immediately called my parents, who'd also received one, as well as my sister. My cousin just couldn't accept that he'd mis-ordered the pizza and deprived us of one of Chicago's best dishes! I haven't eaten it yet - it's definitely something you share with more than one person -- but I'm so looking forward to it!

I wanted to post this only because I wanted to remember that little bit of joy and laughter that came during a dark time and a really unpleasant situation. It made me love my family even more...those crazy Polaks!

Chuy's Part Dos

Anyone who knows me knows my life-long love affair with Chuy's. I can't get enough of that restaurant. I truly believe they've put some sort of serum in the food that causes my addiction. In fact, I ate there today. A little salsa, creamy jalapeno, some delicious queso and chips...and of course, my entree, chicken panchos (half order, no lettuce). I bet the cooks back there know it's me. I'm that predictible.

So forgive me, Chuy's gods, but I'm angry with you -- and it saddens me to say that. You are disappointing me lately! Why?

Well, it all started back in June of 2007, when I bought my house in South Austin. I had recently moved in, and one day at work I'm reading the Austin Business Journal online (one of many websites I read during my morning routine at work), and low and behold, I see an article that Chuy's is building a new location -- South Austin, literally, and I really mean literally, 5 minutes from me! Oh happy day! Buyer's remorse gone! I couldn't have made a better investment! Forget tax advantages, better credit score, great appreciation potential --- I had bought property near a Chuy's!! How could I have been any smarter?! Immediately I checked Chuys.com, and happily it said, "Our newest location will open this fall in the Arbor Trails shopping center in south Austin".... Hell yeah! That's only a few months to go!

Well, July goes by, then August, then September, then October....I see no Chuy's. In fact, I see absolutely no construction going on. I even, and yes, you'll laugh as you read this, I even drove around the shopping center looking for a sign, something that showed a Chuy's was going to open there. All I found was a big pile of dirt. Crushed, defeated, questioning whether September and October really constituted "fall", I went home.

Then one wet day in November, right before Thanksgiving, I'm driving south along MoPac on my way to HEB for some groceries, and off to right, I see a large wooden sign. It blinded me a little, it was giving of so much light, as if heaven itself were shining down upon it. I slowed a little (to maybe 70), focused a little more (my eyes couldn't deceive me now), and saw that familiar red fish.... CHUY'S, COMING SOON.

Words can't describe my joy -- I think I whooped a bit in the car.... I called my mother, I had to share this wonderful news! My Chuy's was going to be built after all!! Ok, so maybe it would be a winter opening, but yes, my Chuy's would be there!

But alas, I'm angry. Angry with you Chuy's.... It's been a month, and I see no construction... I still see just a sign, some dirt, and some wood. Wood that's hopefully being used to build my restaurant, and not just some scrap left over from another project....

So I ask this -- Step up Chuy's gods, make me not have to drive an extra 10 minutes for some creamy jap or delicious queso compuesto! I have faith in you, do not disappoint!

[Sigh]....[another Sigh]....

It's a new blog!

Just for you Sonny...

And you wonder why we spend so much time in the bathroom...

http://www.thecoolhunter.net/lifestyle/HAIRSTRAIGHTNING-VENDING-MACHINES/

Ahhh, the UK is so ahead the times....but I bet you're thinking what I'm thinking....you know, that one really really wasted girl at the bar who's using the sink to prop herself up? Anyone else getting the visual of her handling a scorching piece of ceramic about an inch from her face? That'll look pretty in the morning...

BBQ extraordinare

Sooooo, I guess I've kept you waiting long enough, but the BBQ at Casa de Amanda was a rousing success...but, let me give you the lowdown of whether my predictions from the previous entry actually came true...

Sunday morning

9:00 am -- wake up to the alarm, a touch groggy and slightly hungover, but determined to get the house in shape for the grilling experience.

I drink a Danactive (a surprising boost to the small hangover; I just thought it would make me nauseous and give me an excuse to go back to bed...no such luck). I get to cleaning, and after my 5th 20 (ok 30) minute break, the house is presentable.

My parents call me at 1:30 to let me know they are on their way (it started at 4:00). I take this opportunity to start setting up the grill. I had just managed to get the contents of the box unpacked and scattered about when they arrived.

They unpack the car, which is so filled with stuff that it looks like they've either been living there or are about to make a cross-country trek. (they live 25 minutes from me). As I predicted, my mother immediately plops down to help me and my father makes a drink. He then proceeds to come out several times to see what we're doing.

I manage to get, with my mom's help, the grill sort of put together. I put the legs on wrong, so if I ever wanted to roll the grill to another location, I'd have to drag it instead. No worries, I could care less if it looks right -- I'm sweaty from sitting in the garage and have things to do, dips to prepare, drinks to make!

Everyone shows up, starts making drinks, and we tear into some delicious 7-layer dip -- little do we know that the dip will have to tide us over for awhile because my dad can't get the charcoal briquettes (is that what you call them?) to light....supposedly, they are these fancy-schmancy match light charcoal that will just automatically light. Yeah right. I had to haul my cookies to the Randall's up the street and purchase lighter fluid and old-fashioned charcoal. Lit up like a charm. My dad got to grilling the large cow he brought with him (Sonny, this pic is just for you!) and my family, friends and I continued to liquor ourselves up in the kitchen and living room.

By the time the food was ready, we were all groggy, parked on the couches watching Dateline and Matt Lauer interviewing Princes William and Harry...but alas, the food was delicious, the peach cobbler divine, and everyone left satisfied and about 5 lbs heavier.

So did all my previous predictions come true? I think so -- I know my family pretty darn well....oh, and by the way, I was outside for all of 4 minutes. Just long enough to take that picture.

Charred on the outside, raw on the inside

Yes, you guessed it.....my first "grilling out" experience happens this Sunday. I will be entertaining a group of 9 at my humble abode and hopefully not send anyone to the hospital with food poisoning...

Now you're probably thinking, of course Amanda is grilling. She's an expert with the coals and truly enjoys hanging out over an open flame -- and especially being outdoors.

If you really do think that, you either 1) don't know me, or 2) slapped yourself one too many times in the head.

Here's what will really happen -- my parents will show up at least an hour earlier than the time they were supposed to arrive. My mom will set up the grill that they gave me as a housewarming gift that's been sitting in the box in the garage for the last two weeks. My dad will make a drink and then pace ever so impatiently waiting for my mom to finish. Then my dad will take over the entire grilling process and not let me do a thing. Well, he'll instruct me for about 5 minutes while I look off disinterestedly and wonder if everyone's eaten all the chips and salsa.

But letting him man the grill is just fine and dandy. I prefer the inside because invariably what will happen in the 5 minutes I'm standing out in the backyard is that some sort of stinging flying insect will breach a 50ft danger zone I've subconciously created (actually, it's a highly specialized radar I've developed over the years), and even though it might not fly anywhere near me or have any intention of bothering me, I'll know that it's out for the kill. It's main mission is to make my face turn red, cause me to scream loudly, and make me sprint faster than the 50-meter world record holder back into the house.

Yes, this is my form of entertainment for my family and friends.

Stay tuned for a full re-cap of Sunday's festivities....