Fry It Up With Some Love!!

“Cooking is like Love, It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” ~Nigella Lanson

Prep for Beef Stew... So Yummy on a Winter Day!

For special occasions like Valentine’s Day, most couples (and singles) like to go out and eat, or perhaps cook a romantic meal at home. However, this is like any other day at The Daily Texlahoman, as Jason and I are both obsessed with food--shopping for it, preaparing it, and consuming it. In honor of our mutual hobby, here is a tribute to something we love, COOKING!

It’s a wonder we are not great tubs of lard with how much we like to cook, eat out, and try new foods. I tend to be more of a health fanatic than Jason, but that will not stop me from having a cookie or making a heaping pot of shrimp fettucine alfredo. My theory? Try to eat healthy, but still enjoy some modest treats, and exercise to make up for it (Thank you Zumba!). 

Jason's Deviled Eggs

As we enter our sixth month of Dallas-hood, out of all things we have explored, grocery stores tops the list. Texas has a lot more variety when it comes to food shopping (Sorry, OK Homeland). You could even consider us experts on where to go for the lowest prices, top notch produce, mouthwatering meats, and most unique selection. Down here, we’ve been to Tom Thumb (who hasn’t?? they’re on every corner!), Kroger, Albertson’s, and Central Market, in addition to tiny specialty places like Farmer’s Market, and Vietnamese and Mexican markets (bring your translator).

Attention Okies!!  You’ve got to hustle over to a Central Market!! Based upon the growing trend of organic, healthy, natural living, they truly have everything, and their style of display and marketing makes for a truly unique shopping experience! Plus, some of their prices really aren’t too bad for being “all natural” and the high level of quality you receive. Meat counters with shrimp as big as your hand... Foods you’ve only heard of in cookbooks or on television... Fruits and veggies that look like they were fresh picked... Aisles of coffee beans, spices, nuts, and beans that are poured from dispensers as if they were candy... free samples at every turn. It’s the IKEA of grocery shopping!

“Good painting is like good cooking; It can be tasted, but not explained.” ~Maurice de Vlaminck (side note-- de Vlaminck is a Fauvist painter I did a project on once)

Aside from my love affair with Central Market, we both like to cook, but Jason is the primary chef in the apartment. Cooking is one of those things that gets him stirred up and happy, making him grin ear to ear like a little boy. My personal favorites are his salsa and tortellini soup. As an instinctive chef, he throws ingredients together and creates dishes off the top of his head, without using exact measurements or recipes or books. He just knows how to do it, and he loves to present it artfully on a plate. He makes everyday home cooking fun to eat. I’ll never understand how he does it, but I won’t complain.

Simple Yet Beautiful and Delicious!

“I liked the energy of cooking, the action, the camaraderie. I often compare the kitchen to sports and compare the chef to a coach. There are a lot of similarities to it.” ~Todd English

On the contrary, I am more of a recipe following, timer setting, measuring kind of cook (Surprise!). But I love to make homemade things from scratch, especially if it is something passed down from my grandmother. Red beans and rice without Zatarain’s? No prob. Fettucine alfredo with homestyle sauce? You got it! Stew meat Chili that could win an award? Definitely! However, my time at the stove is limited because Jason tends to be a kitchen hog. The first time I tried to cook him spaghetti and Italian sausage meatballs, I asked for a little help and he ended up cooking the entire meal! And the other day, I had to post this sign above the range:

My Sweet Love Note :)

Since he wouldn’t let me do anything on the actual day of, I wanted to cook him something special for his birthday. I set out to make salmon patties, herb roasted potatoes, and green beans (from a couple recipes, of course). If he wasn’t peering over the countertop to coach me, he was at the kitchen’s edge, asking if he could help. Pushing him out, threatening him with a potato peeler, and even barricading the walkway did not prevent him from wanting to join the action. It was all in good fun though, and he ate every morsel of his birthday dinner.

Beef Stew!

“There is no spectacle on Earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves.” ~Tom Wolfe (side note--one of my fave authors)

Nonetheless, cooking and food is a shared passion for us and has created some fun memories so far. After all, if you’re gonna eat, you might as well enjoy it, right?

In future posts, we hope to share some of our favorite meals and recipes. But for now, enjoy Valentine’s Day and whether it’s breakfast in bed, a sack lunch, or a candlelit dinner...be fearlessly creative and whip up something special for your love (even if it’s for your dog)!

Bon Appetit!!

<3 Bianca Faye

Winterpalooza Wednesday!

As many of you Oklahomans and Texans know, we've been under a severe Snow-mageddon for the past couple days. Oklahoma has received tons of ice and snow, and here in Dallas, we've received mostly ice with a little bit of snow... but extremely cold temperatures. Everything has shut down, and most of my Oklahoman family/friends are snowed in while they say this is the coldest freeze in DFW in 15 years!

For my fellow Ohio family members, you're probably shaking your head or laughing at how ridiculous we central Southerners get about snow. YES, it is big news when we get snow. YES, we sorta do freak out. YES, the cities and towns shut down when it hits. (I even saw a pic on Facebook that said "Oklahoma is Closed.") and YES, we do gather at Wal-Mart the night before, gathering food, alcohol, generators, and other supplies, like its our last day on Earth. Despite this insanity, the frenzy makes it exciting!

On Monday night, the eve before Winter Destruction, Jason and I decided to go to Wal-Mart...we're always doing stupid stuff like driving in rush hour traffic, trying to get groceries before a Snow-pocalypse. But it was worth it just for entertainment value.  Winter weather really brings people out of the woodwork!! The webmasters from People of Wal-Mart would've had a hey-day capturing all the people who crawled out from a cave just to get some milk.

The funny thing to me is what others were buying. The guy in the next line over was buying storage containers (Really?? You going on an organization craze in the next day?). The guy in front of us only had orange juice and a TV dinner (but what if your power goes out??). But the best was the two drunk ladies (I think they were mother and daughter). They were sauntering about, giggling, and as we headed up to the express lane, the older one dashed in front of our cart, hands waving overhead, rushing over to the flowers while her daughter yelled, "GET TULIPS!!!"

Winter Madness at Wal-Mart

 

Wal-Mart is right around the corner from us, and we tend to get stir crazy quickly, so we have been back since the storm. Since Monday night, we've noticed the store is nearly depleted of alcohol. No cold beer, and the non-cold beer and wine is nearly gone. A friend of mine in Tulsa took pics of their EMPTY Wal-Mart shelves. Apparently people were afraid they were going to starve!

 

 Tulsa Wal-Mart

 

Despite all of this winter pandemonium, it does make it kind of fun and exciting, and it creates a sense of community when you're all out shopping for booze, milk,tv dinners and movies to keep you occupied the next few days. Wherever you are this week, whether its on the beach or in the snow, keep warm and safe and healthy. Happy Snowpocalypse!

Much Love,

Bianca Faye

So... What Brought You to Dallas??

Let's start from the beginning. WHY did we move to Dallas, and HOW the heck did we get here?? We get asked that a lot, and it's quite a fun and crazy story.

First, a little background: Jason was working at Bruno's (which was soon to be out of business), and I was working at Ethan Allen (not very happily). Our jobs and new job searches were not going very well, and we were tired of our home state. Jason started talking one day about moving somewhere new, most likely Dallas (which also happens to be a city I had been trying to relocate to for years). One day, in the parking lot of WalMart on 23rd Street, with butterflies in my stomach, I said to Jason, "Please take me with you to Dallas." UHHHH, huh?? It was a very bold move on my part, considering we were "just friends," and not committed to each other in any way at the time. He said maybe later, but he wanted to go on his own at first to see if he could do it. One of those "man quests" or something, right? I wiped my tears away and said, "Okay."

Time went by... we talked more and more about moving... while we kept hitting dead ends in OKC. I think he was starting to like the idea of taking me along... plus I told him that if he didn't take me, I would move somewhere else out of state within a year.  As each day passed, the idea sounded more and more appealing.

Then came that fateful Saturday. We were both working of course, because when you're in retail, on commission, it's a cardinal sin not to work Saturdays. While I was researching Dallas apartments that morning (always the planner), Jason texted me...

"Do you wanna go?"

(Butterflies in my stomach again) "Go where? To Dallas... Yes!!"

Here was my thought process, "Okay, we have a lot of planning to do, maybe we can move down there within a month. Maybe?"

Here was Jason's thought process... "Nope, it's time to go. TODAY. I'm quitting my job right now. Go quit your job and pack your stuff. We're leaving today."


Uhhhhhh.... whaaaatt??!

It took some coaching and encouragment from Jason as well as prayers and swallowing the bulls that were charging through my bloodstream. But I did it. I quit my job. On a Saturday. Packed up my desk and left. Went home and packed some essentials. With a million questions running through my mind... Where would we stay? How would we eat? (We had very little money) What about jobs? An apartment? How would I tell my family and friends? We obviously had a lot of figuring out to do. But first things first, we packed minimally, loaded the car, scrapped together what money we had, and got on the road. Oh yeah, and don't forget the skateboards.

The funny thing is, things just seemed to fall into place in ways they never did for us in Oklahoma City. We were ready to sleep in our car, but managed to find family friends to stay with. Like idiots, we applied for an apartment in Dallas before we had jobs (great idea, right??), but somehow we got approved. I got someone to take over my lease on my apartment. We sold nearly everything we owned or gave it away over the next two weeks to help us with our venture. We were very blessed with the help and support of family and friends.

Not that things were totally easy...Two weeks after the initial OKC departure we moved. We tried to get a U-Haul Trailer on a Friday night at 5p (like the idiots we are)... but somehow, we found one (and somehow still made it to the Muse concert?!) The next afternoon, we headed out... saying tearful and scared and happy goodbyes to our home state.

 MUSE. Probably the Best Concert Ever.

We made it to the leasing office at 5:01... only to run into Ethel walking out the door, who said they closed at 5. (But Milly told us you closed at 7!!) She had no sympathy for us, telling us she had plans and to come back tomorrow. But we don't have anywhere to stay!! After some pleading and some tears and mentioning Oklahoma, she remembered us and graciously let us in. Bless you Ethel!!

After some scrambling around, we signed the lease and received the keys to our new abode. Talk about needing some stress relief after that! But we were happy as two clams to finally have made it to our little apartment in Dallas.

Jason in Deep Ellum

 

All in all, it was a crazy start to our adventures, but we were (and still are) bound to make it by the hairs on our chinny chin chins!!  Has it been easy?? NO.  Have we made mistakes?? YES. But we've learned and laughed at it all, and we always say, "I wouldn't trade this for anything."

Bianca in Deep Ellum

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