Lexington Early Autumn

After meeting my Lexington housemates and unpacking I secretly left to explore the city. The first thing I noticed were the abundance of beautiful homes built in the 1940s. Then I noticed that everyone here is obsessed with University of Kentucky the same way the rest of America is obsessed with Penn State. Blue and white everywhere. Blue and white everything. There is a store called Cat Couture devoted to designer clothing to rep the UK colors.

My first stop was Old Kentucky Chocolates. I was alone with shelves of gourmet chocolate and the cash my mom forced into my hand as she left me at the airport. The candy woman asked if I needed any help/if this was my first time here. I learned that the candywoman’s name was Susan, and Susan learned that I was Steve from Philly who just moved to Lexington 90 minutes ago. As a new comer I was obligated to try something delicious. This morsel was the Black Forest Bourbon Truffle. I’ve never had bourbon before, but this creamy dark chocolate was wonderful so maybe I’ll like it. After discussing my upcoming job at Lexington Children's Theatre I was offered a chocolate covered potato chip sprinkled with pink sea salt. You can try this but then you’ll die because you won’t want to eat anything that isn’t chips engulfed in chocolate and pink sea salt. Susan told me that people gift giant flat slabs of pink sea salt ($100 minimum) as a cooking base. You lay it down then cook your meat on top of it. This salt is good and good for you. Then we talked about sea salt lamps.

The stinkbugs are green.

As a first day of fall treat I went to Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen and purchased a harvest kale salad (sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, craisins, chicken, quinoa) and pumpkin lemonade. This was consumed in the sunshine in Triangle Park. I had twenty minutes left on my lunch break so I went to the Starbucks (across the street from the back door to the theatre God bless us everyone) with the intent of purchasing a pumpkin spice latte, but came out with a toasted graham latte. It was like a spicier white chocolate mocha. I returned to Starbucks several hours later and got a coffee with several pumps of pumpkin spice in it because it was the first day of fall and I have needs.

Daily Offerings Coffee Roastery makes a variety of unique vegan and lactate/gluten-free protein shakes with a banana base. The namaste is an excellent blend of chai and coconut milk, and luckily they made a little too much so I got an extra tiny cup of it to take with me. My second fall day continued as I returned to Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen for more pumpkin. This time it was a bowl of their pumpkin bisque. I will be back for more.

My first kitchen experiment of this contract was banana whip. Bananas used to make wild things happen in my stomach and people's bathrooms, but after experimenting with them last year I found that the problem was no more. I first chopped up two medium sized bananas, put them in a tupperware container  in the freezer, then went to bed. After a full day I came home, pried the banana pieces apart, and threw them into the blender with chocolate chips and brown sugar. I had to manually mix up the bananas ??? times, and I thought the oatmeal like goop would never turn into an ice cream texture, but then it did! And then I lit a candle and ate it all.

Whip

I flew here with two suitcases and a backpack, and the only décor I packed was a nature’s wick pumpkin nutmeg candle, tiny fake foliage from A.C. Moore (both of these were Secret Santa gifts from different shows,) a set of jack-o-lantern LED lights, and a print of Bold And Brash by Squidward Tentacles. I’m hoping to make a stick wreath for my side of the bedroom soon. When the leaves start changing I’ll make a leaf wreath for the front door. I feel like my trick to this vagabond-esq lifestyle is making inexpensive decorations that I won’t mind getting rid of later. I’ll only be here a few months, but I want to come home to something festive every day.  

The third day of fall was pumpkin spice latte day.

Farmers markets are a regular (and at certain times of the year daily) event in Lexington. On the fourth day of fall Jess and I went to the market at the Fifth Third Bank Pavilion in the center of town and were welcomed by enormous tomatoes. And rocks? Next to the tomatoes? Agate is the official state rock, and each slice is priced based on its pattern/polish. There were an abundance of peppers on sale. I purchased banana peppers because I didn't want full blown spicy in all of my meals. While searching for something sweet I overheard that this was the last week peaches would be on sale at the market, so I decided right then I would purchase and do something crafty with them (Martha, help me.) I kept my eyes open for other things I could buy to help with my decorating crafts, and while the fifteen stems for $5 sale on gourds was tempting, I decided I would purchase these next week or the following week to ensure that the gourds would last through the end of my contract. Another decoration Jess and I found were hedge apples. When I was in elementary school we called these knobby, green, softball-sized-fruit-nut things "monkey brains" and we threw them at each other. I got hit in the face once during Christmas Carol rehearsal and it hurt a lot and I could have either laughed or cried so I laughed so it wouldn't be awkward but oh my face. While they are edible, I learned that people usually buy them as a decoration/spider repellent. You just sit them out and the spiders are like "nah."

Normal tomatoes (right) big ass tomatoes (left)

Tastes of home.

I tasted a lot of cheese at this farmers market. I walked out with two blocks from Boone Creek Creamery. It's lactose free! I bought the Kentucky Derby (cheddar infused with Kentucky Bourbon) and Mama Mia (mild herb encrusted Italian flavor.) Jess and I spent a lot of time at the Green Acres of Paris stand tasting beer cheese. I chose the Windy Whey Winery Wine Cheese to use at the inevitable cast/intern wine and cheese night.

I spent $20 on cheese and $20 on everything else.

Hotel Living

I was blessed to have had the opportunity to tour a few times in 2014.

Hotel things I learned/did:

• The hotel laundry room might be a bit of a walk. Your pillow case can double as laundry bag when transporting clothes to and from the washing machine!
• Don't ever buy: coffee, tea, cookies, apples, oranges, or bananas because hotels will have them.
• Hotels that provide breakfast will have cereal and oatmeal, as well as peanut butter, yogurt, and cream cheese.
• Organization will help you feel more at home on the road, even if your home isn't organized. Keep your toiletries condensed to one or two areas. If you are traveling often, put items in the same place in every hotel room so you know where to find them. I always put business items and car keys on the TV stand. I had a portable blender, and I always put it on the microwave (if there was one) or next to the coffee maker (there almost always is a coffee maker) so I could pretend that was the kitchen. I set up an "office" either at the desk or on a bed side table. My office was mainly a charging station.
• I promise you will feel so good if you make your bed in the morning. If you're leaving and never coming back then never mind don't do that.

St. Patrick's Day

Once I went to middle school St. Patrick's Day wasn't really a thing that happened in my house because I stopped bringing home leprechaun cut outs from class. This year my mom's family celebrated by marching in the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Parade in memory of my pop pop.
I put some chocolate coins and green tic tacs labeled "Leprechaun Poos" into my mom's lunchbox.
And I made scones! I love this recipe. It makes two large scones, or four "normal" sized scones. They have a feel and taste of cookie and cake baby and that is ok. My ad ins for this recipe were craisins and maraschino cherry juice. Then I made a quick milk-and-powdered-sugar glaze to put on top of the scones so I could cover them in shamrock sprinkles I bought last year. Next time I think I will form each scone individually instead of cutting triangles out of a circle. The edges will look cleaner this way.

There were four and then I ate one

Earlier this week, the question "Why do you, personally, celebrate St. Patrick's Day?" appeared on my newsfeed. I'm not sure if this status update was genuine or snarky, but after seeing this and a train car filled with green clad students I began to ask myself this same question. This year my family celebrated because of my pop pop's passing. The 17th was a time of togetherness for my Irish family for the first time ever, and we celebrated the spud from which we all grew. My pop pop was incredibly proud of his heritage, and a large part of our background, and many Irish families' background, is routed in Christianity. St. Patrick spread Christianity throughout Ireland (using the clover to teach the holy trinity,) so the holiday, to me, is a celebration of the spread of faith that is created my family's values. 

I am not perturbed by the sea of drunken green people the third week of March. I love it! St. Patrick's Day has become a time of togetherness and partying. Irish people love this. St. Patrick was a major contributor to Irish values. So, by transitive property, the modern American celebration of St. Patrick is appropriate. 

Dining on Tour

After two weeks back in Philly I flew to Asheville for a week of rehearsal with my next job. Ashville is filled with street musicians, living statues, artisans, and free spirits. It's a small oasis locked in Appalachia. One of the first things to greet you in the small city is the City Bakery Café. I had the avo melt and sat outside and took in the Asheville residents. Second course was a smoothie at Double D's. The double decker bus has seating on the second level or outside. I sat outside since I rarely see the sun.

The first time I had a cheesesteak was in my Uncle Anthony's backyard when I was seventeen. Later that year I went to Tony Luke's for my first Philly cheesesteak, but it wasn't until this summer I got to compare Pat's and Gino's in South Philly. I can finally cross "compare famous cheesesteaks" off my bucket list! My dad and I have the same favorite. People kept asking me if I'm getting it "wit'" like of course I am is that even a question.

When I was a senior my apartment was a fifteen minute walk from Old City Philadelphia, yet for some reason I didn't go to Franklin Fountain until I went back to Philly on tour. I tried their spiced pumpkin ice cream, and it was very good, but I could only have so much because it was so sweet. Instead I got a scoop of their pistachio ice cream!

One day after a show in North Carolina I ended up at Joe's Sports Bar & Grill and honestly I was so hungry I didn't even think of taking any pictures and I'm positive I downed my burger in less than two minutes, but I will never forget when the waitress offered me apple butter with my burger. I never would have thought of something so sweet on a burger but here we are. Do this.

My first night in the suburbs of D.C. I went to Backyard Grill. Their backyard roasted chicken salad combines dates and pears with corn. I usually don't think of mixing hardy vegetables with fruits in a salad, but I'm learning new ways.

Lisa and I had a show in Winston-Salem (that's the land of corduroys), and we stopped downtown for lunch. One of the first places we saw other than Jimmy John's and Tropical Smoothie Café, which are both amazing, was Jeffrey Adams. They have outdoor seating and a bar! I ordered the Tomato Stack salad mainly because it had pistachio basil pesto. This doesn't come with a dressing, but I ordered sun dried tomato vinaigrette on the side and I recommend.

I need this.

Delco

If we have a weekend between shows and we're in the south we stay in the cast house in Asheville. This past weekend in Asheville I finally went to Green Sage Café. They serve a pumpkin smoothie with real pumpkin. I drink pumpkin spice so often I forgot what actual pumpkin tastes like. As soon as I drank it the leaves started changing.

Luke's in Abingdon, Virginia has a great selection of everything. Also, I cut myself on a metal sculpture outside because I wasn't looking where I was going and it was funny/embarrassing and I went to get a tetanus shot after.

JJ's has the cheesiest beer cheese soup. get it and share maybe.

Sabrina's in Philly is so popular it has multiple locations and they're still packed every time. Make the reservation because their breakfast cant be beat. I'll order anything with avocado for some reason and this was really good, and honestly I don't remember what it's called because their brunch menu changes seasonally and I am so behind with this blog/everything else in my life. Like right now they have a burger called "The Cows Are Not What They Seem" burger on their Twin Peaks menu.

Happily Ever After serves macaroons, bubble teas, and cold butterbeer!

Walnut Street Café is secret and doesn't have a website as far as I know but just walk down Walnut Street in Philly until you get to Washington Square then stop and look at the ground level and you will find it.

These nuts were filled with something and they were delicious. Sorry.

The Log Cabin Inn is kind of secret and down a bunch of roads off of Route 70 in Maryland, and if you find it take in the warmth of the pretend logs, turkey paintings, and 80s soft rock. The back of the menu has a list of rules including "no whining." They say you'll get kicked out. Good.

We performed in New Jersey and stayed in Seaside Heights for a night. The town was dead because of the off season, but before I walked the damp salty wood of the boardwalk I had a NEW New Wave Veggie Wrap and Italian wedding soup at  Ryan's Boulevard Deli & Grille. My look that afternoon was quasi-grunge suburban middle class prep with a brown/blue striped half zip knit from American Eagle c.2005, stained straight leg GAP khakis, boots by Bull Boxer bought on clearance with a major discount from DSW, and a vintage North Face backpack from my senior year of high school. After ordering the cashier/my server/the cook sometimes/possible owner said, "I like your whole look. You look nice."

Back in Delco, Jenna16, Alston, and I went to LinVilla orchards to experience fall. We also experienced these log truffles (mine pistachio) that I will have at my wedding, caramel apples, and pumpkin ice cream.

Also, while at home, I made banana pancakes! For four years I thought I was allergic to bananas but I don't know what happened because I had a few smoothies with banana in them recently because yolo and my butt didn't explode so now I'm going to eat them all the time. I learned about this recipe because the Kangaroo uploaded a picture of them on Instagram and I thought I must try. It's just a banana and two eggs for ten pancakes. I blended the banana in a magic bullet. This yielded chunky pancakes, and when I tried this recipe later I mashed the banana with a fork and the pancakes were lumpy and not very round, so I recommend blending the banana and egg in any electric mixer thing because I'm not crazy about chunks. Also, add some baking powder and cinnamon for fun. Add anything! I put in chocolate chips and chopped up pumpkin spice kisses (please) at one point and it was great! The pancakes taste more like french toast, but they're not very bananay and it's a way to eat fruit without thinking about eating fruit. 

I went to Taverna Agora in Raleigh to pick up my food and take it back to my hotel room so I could eat and sleep immediately after. They gave me so much olive oil with my French bread and that is ok. I forgot how much I love stuffed peppers? I took a picture of the food but then it looked terrible so just imagine stuffed peppers, a quarter of a backed potato, and a small seeded baguette.

I returned to Asheville after my last show, unloaded sets/costumes/props, and then went back downtown for dinner at LAB. I didn't have any of their beer but I heard it's great. Look at this giant pita chip on my salad.

Paper Twine

One time in college in I wanted to wrap a present in twine but I didn't have any so I thought, "guess I'll have to use something else," so I turned to the paper grocery bags next to the trashcan and thought "raffia." So I experimented with ripping and twisting until I got something that looked like the love child of raffia and twine. It's not the sturdiest thing, but it had a unique look that could be used for crafting or organic gift wrapping.

Rip

Unfold (and rip again if you want thinner twine)

Twist. Layer in the handles an inch and continue twisting.