Welcome! You are just in time for the official move to www.prettyandfabulous.com ! I am very excited to bring you the latest now from my very own site. The move will be a quick one, but in the meantime you can watch as the updates flow in at full speed.
Now is a great time to see the posts you may have missed as well as to be ready for the new ones to come!
See you there soon 
It was our last night in Seattle and it turned out to be one of those nights that is so perfect you couldn’t have ever attempted to plan it. Just one of those, wow- really nights.
It began simple enough- we did the tourist thing and took lots of photos, eating our way throughout the city (yum yum oh incredibly yum on another note!). On a great recommendation from a particular cigar smoking man, we decided to end our visit with a night at the famous TINI BIGS Lounge.
We had a red eye to catch back home, so it would be a night at the bar, some walking around, and then on to the airport for the flight back home. We walk in to this lovely little bar fairly early at about 5:15 in the afternoon or so. It was already dark, the time change does some wonders on that doesn’t it? So we were ready for some drinks. The bartenders were very friendly and introduced themselves as they welcomed us in. One of them asked if we would like to order, but if that we decided to wait five minutes drinks would be free.
… excuse me?
That’s right… apparently, and for this evening only, they were celebrating their official sponsorship of Finlandia Vodka. The international ambassador for Finlandia had flown in for the event and everything- so from 5:30 until about 8:00 any drink with Finlandia Vodka in it in any way was complimentary. Wow, how beautiful is that!
I must admit, when I first walked in and saw the drink list there were numerous bourbon and gin based drinks that had caught my attention- but how could I refuse complimentary drinks especially when there was a celebration to be had for the bar itself? It would be just rude.
The drink above was the favorite of the evening, the Pop 5. It contains Finlandia wild berries, midori, white grape juice, sweet n’ sour, and sparkling wine. It has quite the refreshing twist and pop- lovely drink! The Grapefruit-Tini pictured just below was also quite scrumptious with Finlandia Grapefruit vodka, campari, Cointreu and orange juice. These drinks were the features of the evening and so we felt it was appropriate to order them. Yum.
I will have to venture into the other drinks the next time I visit, and there will certainly be a next time.
As for their food menu- the mac and cheese is heavenly- crisped on top and creamy in the center- cheesy perfection. Definitely a must for the evening as well!
Next time I am going to go for La Bicylette and for the Aloe Martini (Bombay Saphire, Aloe juice, lemon and lime- yum).
Mmmmm.. so heavenly! One of my favorite things to indulge upon is a kobe burger topped off with fois gras and truffles!
Be still my heart- the look of it alone is beautiful. The photo above is from the Wall Street Burger Shoppe in New York, and it looks divine.
In Miami, I would always go to Prime 112 to satisfy my cravings (oh, also the fries are made in truffle oil). They also made my beloved Lychee Martinis there, what else would I need.
Actually, at Prime 112 they also have a Kobe hot dog, its a big one, too. Kinda awkward for some, haha. Its fun to watch the reaction when someone sees it for the first time. Definitely something to behold. If you go and want to simply enjoy a meal, I would recommend lunch time. Its much more pleasant if you aren’t trying to do the whole “just to be seen” sort of thing. Gets overrated and crowded wherever you are under those circumstances. But I have always found lunch to be perfect there. (That or an extremely late dinner is nice too).
Nom Nom- Yum. Anyway, wherever you are I would recommend hunting one down, it is well worth it. If you travel make sure to indulge in one along the way.
This is the reason we drove 150 miles west out of Houston; Kreuz. It is worth it every time. We had sat around the house with no power or water for a day when we and the neighbors began talking of warm food and instantly we all agreed to drive to Kreuz before they closed for the night (which meant we had to leave right away if we wanted any chance).
We made it in record time and enjoyed the magical experience of what is Kreuz. The smell of the building when you walk in is like nothing else- Oh how I love it!
The rub is perfect and the rule of the house is “No Fork No Sauce.”
It doesn’t need it either. (Sauce is thought to hide the lack of quality in a meat). It just melts and falls apart lovely- especially the fatty brisket pieces. So yum. (Shhh, secretly, this place is my favorite)
(Less photos though, simply because the meat did not last in front of us- too delicious. We had limited timing too!)
So the next day (Sunday, and Kreuz is not open) we visit Smitty’S, the rivalry of Kreuz. When it all began they were both Kreuz, and then a man by the name of Smitty’s joined the family in business. After the passing of the father, the children argued and eventually one kept the Kreuz name to a new building while the other kept the original building and called it Smitty’S.
Three of the number one barbecue best are all located very near each other, two being in Lockhart and the third being in Lulling (only minutes away really).
All three use the same technique of having a fire with the smoke traveling a slight distance to the meat- it requires much patience and attention and so very few continue this style of barbecue but the results go extremely far. It is well worth it.
Next, finally, is Monday’s visit to Lulling’s City Market. I cannot recall the name at the moment, but the editor or one of the writers for Gourmet Magazine named this their favorite meal ever (stating even though you would think it would be something fancy and expensive, the meat was so true and divine nothing has been better).
It comes very close to Kreuz in my opinion, VERY close. In fact I absolutely love them all. Just look at it in its divine beauty- oh so perfect. Yum!
This is barbecue done to perfection and with love. It is always the same people you see working at these places, too. I love that. They know and truly love what they do and do it extremely well.
They have been doing this for years and years, and it shows. Even the cash register has soaked in the smoke throughout the years, lol. What a lovely place to be.
Well the sun is shinning and the sky is once again blue in Houston. Power and water are returning in little pockets throughout the city which is lovely to see.
After the first day without any power or water, we and the neighbors decided to make a spontaneous trip to Lockhart TX for some bbq/warm food and perhaps a stay in a hotel if it was possible. Lockhart is about 150 miles away, and so I phoned the hotel and discovered they had only two rooms available- perfect! We ended up staying a couple of nights there and absolutely enjoyed ourselves.
Now, when we left we had two bags of ice from before the storm. One was in a cooler along with any meats and cheeses we had. The other I placed in the freezer to act as a second cooler for the meantime. I had placed some sodas in there as well- so they would be chilled for later and last longer.
Now, when I say spontaneous I mean we thought up the idea and acted on it within ten minutes- packing a very light and very quick overnight bag just in case. (It is a 2-2 1/2 hour drive and the restaurant would be closed in 3 hours, we had to act fast). So we acted quickly and things like the soda were left in the freezer (no electricity anyway at the time).
Well, upon returning home the power must have come on late last night for sure enough there was quite a mess, lol. Vodka survived just fine… luckily for me I usually only keep vodka and some dessert wine in my freezer (I know, I know- its me though). I can live with that being the only destruction in my house.
Now outside was a different story. There is some roof damage apparent, but I still am not sure of the severity. A lot of water did make it through in the hallways of our apartment complex (everything is indoors, much like the layout of a hotel).
Our fence is, well, gone for the most part. So are all of those in the buildings around us. Much tree damage to be seen just about everywhere in the city, though again things certainly could have been much worse and I am grateful they were not.
This is a view outside our balcony of the courtyard entry way, our trees lining the walkway have ben smoothed down by the storm. All our windows are in tact though I cannot say the same for much of downtown.
Phew, I am exhausted. Much cleaning and much traveling. I’ll be posting again soon with some happier, yummier, prettier posts. Great food and three new gorgeous shoes were also a result of this storm for me, and you will be seeing them shortly. Until then, much love- xx Bombshell Beauty
Oh but I do love chocolate. One of my favorite to indulge in on a regular basis is the Ritter Sport chocolates. Yummy and so many flavors I cannot seem to find them all quickly enough.
I think they are fun, too- with so many styles and all packaged in a convenient size. You know the square wherever you go, it stands out. Dark is generally my preference when it comes to chocolate (like truffles and especially when powder and/or bits of cocoa nibs are involved). And second to that is anything involving hazelnut or hazelnut cream/liquor. Love it.
So for me my favorites to have on hand from them are the Praline and Dark Chocolate With Hazelnuts. So yum.
I must say their Alpine Milk Chocolate is quite wonderful too- so milky and creamy. Just the right decedent consistency that melts in our mouth.
A surprise for me was the cornflakes chocolate bar- it was like nothing I imagined at all and quite lovely! It really works. I was expecting it to be ‘eh’ or ‘just okay’ but was quite happily surprised. My fiance thinks so, too (as I have noticed that one tends to disappear rather quickly without any supervision). The marzipan seems to vanish rather quickly as well, but that one is rather classic and true to form. Also delicious.
Look at them, aren’t they pretty? I am out to go enjoy some now, maybe cuddle up in bed to a movie or cartoon.
Next time you come across one I would certainly recommend picking up a bite for yourself as a lovely treat.
I love cookies, lol. I was out and about early this morning and decided to make a stop at my favorite French bakery in town, rightly titled French Gourmet Bakery. I remember coming here as a child with my parents to purchase fresh bread for delicious meals at home. So this place and I go back, I love it.
Me and cookies are very much like that episode of Family Guy where Stewie has a crush on the little brunette girl who’s line of notice throughout the show was “Cookie?” For then Stewie to find out she never liked him- it was only for the cookies. Mmmm, cookies, haha, that would be me, too.
My craving came from the other night- we were enjoying some wine with our neighbors when someone said cookie, and both she and I instantly start saying cookie and that we want a cookie.
Now I have them, and yum! Your classic chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin are pictured at the top- chewy and magical, simply perfect. This bakery can do no wrong, not once in all these years have I ever had a bad experience.
Following the classics, is another one in my heart- the thumb print cookie. Perfectly crumbly with the right amount of moistness that melts only when placed in your mouth, oh and the chocolate they use is ridiculous how great it is. My “I don’t like chocolate” friends fight for the last bit of it. Truly, a must have.
The last one is an iced ginger cookie with the little silver ball sprinkles. Simplicity goes far with this one, and all the spices are just right.
Normally I do like to bake my own cookies, but I have not done so in a while. Besides, this place for me is an extra special treat.
Here’s to the love of cookies. I dare you not to want one, now [ LOL ].
P.S. I just found out they now deliver online (their cookies at least, cakes are in store only). So if you are in for a treat take a look: http://www.fgbakery.com – much love!
When it comes to soups this has always been my favorite one. Soup a l’Oignon or French Onion Soup is a delicious bowl of onions in beef broth (often spiced with a bit of sherry and herbs) with the occasional crouton and coated in a blanket of gruyere cheese with a heavenly aroma.
I am a bit of a sniffling mess at the moment, and nothing cures me like a bowl of French Onion. It warms my throat and keeps my belly happy.
I don’t have to be sick to enjoy it though, I adore it much the same whether sick or healthy. The crispy cheesiness that clings to the bowl is also a nice ending treat.
Traditional is my favorite, as I find sometimes when people try to dress it up it loses its character. Multiple cheeses doesn’t offend me, but keep the broth simple- it should never be cloudy or creamy. Abide the rules and you will be rewarded every time.
Alright, So I have been out of town over the weekend and naturally somehow everything in the fridge has either vanished or is on its last breath. I’m hungry and it is pouring rain outside- I’m stuck with what I have for now.
Some things have not even been in there that long- honestly it seems to happen every time we travel no matter how short or long the time. Oh well, this trip was a bit of a late notice so we did not have much time to prepare the house before leaving. Normally I time out the food to run out just in time- that way I can purchase fresh new groceries upon returning without any waste.
Okay, As I have no intention of hauling groceries in the pouring rain… I need a snack to keep me happy in the meantime. My options which are left in the house are:
About a pound of gruyere cheese, Some (not a lot of) spinach, garlic, butter, and some cherries that may have a little life in them yet- we will see. Also, there is the tiniest bit of goat cheese left.
In the pantry there isn’t much, only thing I could really recover or use is a box of the Honey Butter Ritz Crackers (pretty yummy actually, they’ll do in a pinch any day).
Well, cheese and crackers are lovely on their own, but I need a bit more than that right now. I sautéed what was left of the spinach with the garlic and butter. A piece of Gruyere cheese and spoon of spinach on a cracker and it turns out to be quite the lovely treat! I repeat the process for as many as I am able to make and I must say I am quite satisfied for the moment. It will make the grocery visit a much smoother one.
What a lovely surprise- it is something I will actually repeat even when fully stocked with food. It doesn’t really need anything else to it, and the presentation is simple and quite nice.
Hmm.. those cherries are tempting, may go quite pretty with the goat cheese. The honey butter Ritz cracker tends to be a bit sweeter and would compliment it well. We’ll see how daring I am feeling. If anything, I’ll get some more once the rain lets up.
Here’s to more funny and delicious unexpected finds!
So the other day I found myself in an unfamiliar part of town at an early hour of the day with an appetite. My Fiance and I had attended a meeting in this area (about an hour or so away from our home) and decided some food was now in order.
Then we saw the Super Target and couldn’t resist but make a little stop. If anything we could replenish some grocery items and make something when we returned home.
Then there was the display of freshly baked and still warm bread- yes, the fogged plastic and heavenly aroma.
There was no way I was going to last until home. The lovely thing was they had a demi version of the baguette- just the right amount for the two of us and a bit easier to handle than the full sized version.
A few slices of hard salami and gruyere cheese and it was the perfect yummy meal we were looking for. I’ve always loved this for breakfast, but forget about it from time to time.
When I lived in Bay Harbor Islands there was a neighborhood French Bakery that actually offered it on the menu, and I would relax at a table either alone or with a friend sipping some coffee, enjoying my meal, and watching people pass by.
Now I can do the same but on the go. I usually prefer to sit and relax but sometimes things need to be done and it can be nice to have a little bite as you walk. Kind of makes me think of Breakfast At Tiffany’s, and all the more reason to enjoy it.
From Bombshell Kitten of Pretty and Fabulous
Concealed Cash
Luxurious Inspiration Fearless Breathing
