Antojitos in City Walk

I was down at City Walk the other night and got the chance to try out an amazing new restaurant that just opened there not too long ago called Antojitos.  It's a Mexican restaurant with a little bit of flare, they have an amazing selection of drinks at their bar and over 200 types of tequila; if you are a margarita person.  I tried a drink called a Stingray; it was a margarita that was infused with jalapeños and had a nice spicy kick to it.  They had another drink that was called the Sriracha Muchacha…I was hesitant that try that one.  It was on a whole-nother level that I was not prepared for.  As an appetizer I tried this delicious sweet corn dip with queso and tortilla chips.  The appetizer was awesome, it set the bar for what was to come; for my meal I ordered vegetarian fajitas that were made with zucchini and squash and all kinds of flavorful veggies.  Of course it came with all the fixings to complete the meal, but it truly was an experience.  There are so many Mexican, south west style restaurants out there, but this place truly set the bar for its delicious food and wonderful atmosphere.  I will definitely be back.  

Stuffed Peppers

I enjoy the times I get to experiment in the kitchen and try out new recipes, I just tried a new recipe the other day and I was very satisfied with how it turned out.  I made stuffed peppers.  I have made them before, but I made them a little different this time, and I was very proud of myself!  I did green peppers, stuffed with spinach, curry couscous, and onions, topped with provolone cheese; with a side of avocado lime dressing.  They were super easy to make.  First you have to preheat the oven to 400 degrees and get all your ingredients ready.   The couscous is easy to prepare, you just have to follow the box instructions, the onions and spinach I just cut up and sauté them in a pan with a little bit of olive oil until the onions are translucent.   Once the ingredients are done, cut the peppers in half hamburger style and clean out the inside, and stuff the ingredients inside.   Cook them for about 45 minutes, after about 40 minutes put the cheese across the top for the last 5 minutes of cook time.  Once they are finished let them cool.  The avocado lime dressing is easy to make, it is just an avocado mixed with a little lime juice and you put that on top of the peppers to serve.  Enjoy!

Unsuccessful Surprise

Over the weekend a group of my friends tried pulling off a surprise dinner for my friend Kait for her birthday.  It was the most unsuccessful thing that I have ever been a part of.  The evening began with all of us meeting up at a sushi restaurant downtown call Shari Sushi, come to find out the reservation for 20 people was not saved in their system and they had no records of it occurring…that was the first problem of the evening.  A few of us started calling around the other restaurants in the area and ended up at Kait’s second favorite restaurant Hawkers, they said that the wait would be about an hour for 20 people; which was expected on a Friday night for such a large group last minute.  Well Kait should up, she acted surprised, come to find out, she had already found out about the surprise…After waiting to sit for over an hour and a half we started complaining to the host and trying to find out why the wait was taking so long when they told us it would only be an hour, and they were seating people at empty tables…two hours went by and nothing.  After we wasted two and a half hours waiting, and fighting with the host at Hawkers we called around again to different places in the area and found a restaurant that would accommodate such a large group last minute.  Once we got there, half of the group went to one restaurant and the other half went to the correct restaurant, this confusion caused the one group to leave the correct restaurant and go to this run down hole in the wall mess of a restaurant.  After hours of frustration and hunger, four different groups of people split off and went to different restaurants.  The moral of this story is, this is what happens when 20 friends try to surprise one person, something is bound to go wrong.     

Homemade Meal #2

Cooking on a college budge is very important to me, and I really enjoy making food at home.  Especially when it is fast and easy.  One of my all time favorite things to make is fajitas!  They are super fast and easy to make.  Not to mention, cheap on a college budget.  The thing I like most about making fajitas is that you can be as creative as you want with them and but all kinds of vegetables and spices together to come up with your individual flavors.  I like to put a variety of peppers together, some onion, a little broccoli, and sometimes scallion.  Cook that all together in a pan with some olive oil; add a little paprika and mix it up until everything is cooked all the way through.  I like to make black beans on the side to add to my fajitas, you can also do rice.  If you want to make chicken or steak, that is something that would be easy to do as well.  Heat up some wraps in the microwave; gather all your favorite toppings, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, cheese; and have some fun.  Making food at home is not expensive at all, nor is it very difficult, I do not think that I am a master chef, but I have fun making simple recipes that are semi-homemade.  I find it cheaper and heather than eating out everyday at fast food restaurant, as well.  It is possible to enjoy awesome meals on a college budget, you just have to be a little creative and have some fun in the kitchen!

Pom Poms

One of my favorite places to eat in Orlando is Pom Pom’s Tea House and Sandwicheria.  It is a very artsy type of restaurant they have paintings all over the wall from all different local artists.  Not to mention the food is amazing! They have such weird sandwiches; they have sandwiches like Brie cheese, with apples, onions, and cranberry sauce.  Each day they have a new special sandwich; the other day, they had a BBQ sandwich that had peanut butter on it! They take Frankenfood to a whole new level.  Not only are their sandwiches weird and delicious, they have homemade teas that are so flavorful and unique.  I enjoyed a pineapple coconut tea the other day that was infused with hibiscus flowers.  Despite the strange food and drinks Pom Pom’s has, it is one of the most delicious places to enjoy a meal.  It is definitely a place that everyone in the area should try, it is worth the experience.  The sandwich pictured is their Tuscan sandwich, which has goat cheese, brie, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Give Pom Poms a shot, you won't be disappointed!