Recipe Success

I've been killing it on the recipe front lately. Maybe I'm making good choices with my recipe curation or just lucky, but either way, I'm on a roll. And what kind of person would I be if I didn't let that good fortune trickle down to you? So here are my top picks from January--the key here is to follow the recipes as closely as you can, especially when it comes to cooling and chilling times!


Martha Stewart's Chocolate-Flecked Layer Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

Oh my goodness, this cake is delicious. The cake itself is very rich, moist, and dense so this one is not for anyone looking for something light. The frosting is a real keeper--though next time I'll reduce the amount of sour cream and replace it with whipped cream. The frosting was a bit too tangy for my personal tastes. I tried this recipe out because I was looking for a good birthday cake. I ended up going another direction for that, but this is a fucking fantastic cake recipe! Tip: cutting the two layers into four is easier than it seems. Choose a long knife, take your time, and slowly rotate the cake as you cut through the layers!

The Great American Baking Show Turkey and Spices Hand Pies with Cheddar Cheese Crust

My boyfriend and I really got into the Great British Baking Show and its sister show across the pond, the Great American Baking Show. Basically, we love Mary Berry, the adorable British lady judge on both shows.

The American version of the show did an episode centered around hand-held pies (think of them as homemade and infinitely superior Hot Pockets). Two of the recipes were standouts to me--but I liked the crust of one and the filling of the other! So I decided to mix and match! Enjoy and if you decide to give these a try, make sure you keep all the ingredients and short crust dough as cold as possible throughout the process. You can also make the turkey filling in advance as it will warm up in the pies when you bake them in the oven! Genius.

Amanda's Turkey and Spices Filling

Stephanie's Cheddar Cheese Short Crust

Tip: to get them to brown beautifully, use the egg wash in the recipe. Also sealing them with milk around the edges keeps them from leaking out their filling while baking!

Cook's Country Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

You guys, I might have saved the best for last with this one. I'm always trying out new chocolate chip cookies recipes because I always want to find the BEST possible one. This might be it. Its' not often you find cookies that bake up just like you do in the recipe book pictures, but came out damn near perfect! The recipe is pretty fool-proof and you don't need a mixer since they use melted butter. I mixed them by hand and they looked amazing.

Here's the recipe (reproduced from the Food For a Year blog)

Ingredients

2 1/8 cups bleached all-purpose flour (10 2/3 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), 7 ounces
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 - 2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet) -- I used See's semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

3. Form 1-2 tablespoons of dough into ball and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

4. Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

Happy Baking!

A Match Made in Heaven

Ever heard of Farmers, Fishers, and Bakers? It's a restaurant on the Georgetown Waterfront known for fresh ingredients and that "farm to table" style that has become a major trend in the DC food scene the past few years.

I have unfortunately not been able to try it out yet, but I am on the email listserv for the restaurant group and got word a few months ago about a special "beer and food wine pairing dinner" they were offering. It sounded intriguing, but at around $75 a pop...it seemed a bit steep. But I sent the link to some friends of mine to see if they were interested in checking it out.

*enter Jon, Lis, and Scott, stage right*

I can't remember who came up with the suggestion, but after some discussion there was a general feeling of "hey, we can do better than that." So rather than blow a lot of money one a night out, we decided to make our own beer and food pairing and have a night in.

The menu planning was key. It turns out you can find a bunch of tools online to help you prepare a beer and food night. We decided to go with five courses and many MANY types of beers. If you're going to do something, do it right.

First course: Cheese and charcuterie platter.

We went with a variety of everything here. A quick trip to Cheesetique in Del Ray set us up well for the meats and Jon provided the cheese and crackers from another shop. Our cheeses ranged from soft to hard and from mild to flavorful: we had a Honey Goat (goat), a 3 cheddar blend, a Stilton blue cheese, and an unknown sheep's milk cheese. I forgot to write down the type of sheep's cheese when taking my notes. Deal with it. On the meat side, we went with mostly Italian meats (duh): a genoa salami, mortadella, garlic salami, and my personal favorite, prusciutto.

Jon was our beer master and carefully selected beers to go with each course, and in this case, each individual cheese. The goat was paired with a Belgian Saison, while the sheep's milk went nicely with Schlafly American Brown Ale. We needed something that could stand up to the flavorful blue cheese, and it was Stone Imperial Russian Stout (2014) to the rescue! Last (but not least) was a Stochasticity Project Grapefruit Slam IPA for the cheddar.

Honestly, the cheese, meat, and beer could have been a meal all on its own. But we still have four courses to go! As George Takei would say, "Oh, myyyyyyy."

Second course: Salad.

You might think salad is boring. You would be wrong. This one was fantastic--it was a mix of spinach and arugula with tomatoes, walnuts, and dried cranberries and topped off with a bright citrus poppyseed dressing. YUM! The beer pairing for this was also very good: a Bavarian-style German beer, a Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier.

Third Course: Spam fried rice.

Scott whipped this up for us and it was delicious. You might hear Spam and think "ew" and again, you would be wrong. Sure, it's a potted meat, but if utilized correctly, Spam can be fantastic. It's saltiness went really well in this rice dish which was itself excellently paired with an American Pilsner from Wild Wolf brewery right here in Virginia.

Fourth course: Baked (not fried!) chicken wings with kale.

Did you know that you can bake chicken wings? Did you know that they come out amazingly crispy and not greasy? WELL NOW YOU DO. And if you shake on some Old Bay seasoning like Scott did, it's like a flavor explosion. There was also buffalo sauce, but for my money, I'll take the Old Bay. Oh, and can you pass the Lickinghole Creek Four Pillars Imperial IPA, please? Thanks!

Fifth Course: Chocolate.

In a move that is a surprise to nobody, I selected a bunch of different types of chocolate for our dessert. If you're going to blow the calories, do it on something you love. Hence, chocolate. I visited a bunch of different shops in the area to seek out a selection of chocolates, some filled chocolates from Max Brenner in Bethesda, chocolate caramels from Chouquette Chocolates (also in Bethesda), a large Cadbury dairy milk bar, and a chocolate bar with maple bacon from Chuao chocolatier. You can find their bars in the fancy chocolate aisle of grocery stores and in cheese and wine shops.

On the beer side of things, Jon also brought us a selection to try with all the different chocolates. We had a couple of Belgian lambics: Lindemans Gueze Cuvee Rene and Hanssens Oude Geuze Lambic Ale. And my favorite beer of the night, Chocdale Ale from the Boulevard Brewing Company's Smokestack Series in Kansas City, Missouri.

 BEST BEER EVER.

We had made it through five courses, about 10 beers (though no promises on the math there) and were stuffed to the gills. There was nothing left to do but sit back and bask in the self-reflected glow of our own pleasure and victory.

....until next time. Though I'm not sure how we can top ourselves. Perhaps...ribs?

 Our beer and meat experts!

 The aftermath.

 And of course, Max the Beagle was on hand to catch any crumbs. 

In Bruges

"A great day this has turned out to be. I'm suicidal, me mate tries to kill me, me gun gets nicked and we're still in fucking Bruges." --Ray from In Bruges

My second day in Belgium, I left Brussels behind and hit the mean streets of Bruges. And by "mean streets," I mean "ridiculously charming cobbled streets."

A few years ago, the only thing I knew about Bruges was what I saw in the movie In Bruges. In the film, two hit men who work for an Irish mob boss are banished to Bruges for a few days as penance when they screw up a job. They're told to wait in Bruges...and then basically spend the entire movie talking about what a shithole the town is. So Bruges was never really high on my must visit list.

Then last year, when I made my first trip to Belgium, I started hearing from people "oh, you have to go to Bruges!" It's apparently a wonderland of medieval adorableness. Phrases like "cute European village" and "like if Disney created an actual little city" were bandied about. These didn't fill me with a lot of confidence either, to be perfectly honest. But with so many people talking up Bruges and Rick Steve's guidebook calling it a "heavyweight sightseeing destination, as well as a joy" I figured I had to give it a shot! Getting there couldn't be easier from Brussels; trains run every 30 minutes to/from Brussels and the trip only takes about an hour total. So off to Bruges I went!

As usual, let's talk a bit of history to put everything in context. Bruges (spelled Brugges and pronounced BROO-ghah in Flemish and brooze in French and English) had its big moment in the 14th century. It was a European economic powerhouse with a population as large as London's. Bruges was the center of northern Europe's cloth market and it was ideally situated on the sea between northern and southern Europe. Things also went well in the 15th century, when England and France were slugging it out in the Hundred Years' War and commerce and the arts boomed in Bruges.

But then...the harbor got silty and Bruges became a dead city. Not much happened for the next 500 years or so and the city appears to have escaped WWII pretty much untouched. And along came the tourists. People began to discover that Bruges was a well-preserved town with amazing intact gothic features and lovely canals. And the high times are back for Bruges, what with all those tourists pumping money into the local economy.

My itinerary was going to keep me busy, but also allow me to hit almost all of Bruges main sights in one day. From the center of town I would go on a chocolate and beer scavenger hunt, go for a bit of a walk to see some windmills, and then follow Rick Steve's walking tour of the city hitting the big churches, museums, and photo opportunities.

The heart of Bruges, both for tourists and modern residents, is the Market Square (Markt). Picture your stereotypical European medieval square and that's pretty much it--in a good way. The Markt is dominated by the tall bell tower (Belfort) which dates from 1300. I climbed the 366 steps to the top and was rewarded with stunning views of the city.

The Markt

Belfort, and yep, I climbed all the way to the top!

One of the many panoramic views from the top of the Belfort. I told you it was a beautiful town!

The stairs reminded me a lot of the Statute of Liberty climb, with the twisting staircase growing steeper and more narrow the closer you goe to the top. But the climb was worth it since the panorama (and the up close look at the bells) were amazing.

Also in the Markt is a large statute of two Belgian dudes who led a revolt against French rule in 1302 and ended up winning Flanders its freedom. The Markt is further surrounded by a bunch of neo-gothic "old" buildings that were reconstructed in the 19th century in an exaggerated neo-Gothic style. Add in a ton of cafes, restaurants, and bars with plenty of outdoor seating and chocolate and lace shops, and you're in tourist heaven.

Of course, I always want to find places more off the beaten path so I eschewed these places with my nose held high in the air. I was going to find the more authentic places...at least the ones that are listed in the guidebook. And yes, I am aware that this makes me a pretty giant hypocrite, but whatever.

After snapping some pics of the Markt, I set off to find some chocolate nirvana. Rick Steve, Google, and Yelp all agreed that the best chocolate shop in Bruges was Dumon--a family-owned shop that makes their chocolate daily and is located only a few blocks off the Markt. It was as smooth, creamy, and delicious as it sounds. Another local chocolate shop I visited was De Clerck Confiserie, a third generation-owned store with amazingly affordable homemade chocolate. The shop was a sight in and of itself; it was crammed with vintage chocolates, candy, toys, tins that looked like something out of a movie.

Inside the Dumon chocolate shop. It smelled amazing.

After packing my bag with chocolate (no tasting yet!), I visited the Choco-Story: The Chocolate Museum. The displays weren't as sophisticated as the big-city museums you might be used to, but the information was really fascinating. The museum explains the ancient (over 2500 years ago) origins of chocolate from the Aztecs and Mayans, as well as its discovery by the Spanish and its journey across the pond to Europe. The museum also covered the evolution of chocolate from a drink consumed by the Aztecs/Mayans to our modern truffles and pralines. Finally, the museum de-mystified the chocolate making process which is way more time and labor-intensive than I ever imagined.

Now that I had my mental fill of chocolate (the tummy filling would come later), I wandered along the Spiegelrei canal to the tiny alley of Blekersstraat. Just a bit down the alley was the entrance to Herberg Vlissinghe, the oldest pub in Bruges. It dates from 1515 and the decor is pure medieval beer hall. Outside was a lovely sunny garden ande everything is watched over by a cute terrier who roams inside and out looking for big-hearted tourists to share their bar food. I had a glass of one of the local brews, Brugse Zot ("Fool from Bruges") which was a delicious golden ale. It much have been coming on lunchtime, because that one beer definitely made me a bit tipsy.

The tucked away entrance to Herberg Vlissinghe.

Brugsze Zot in the oldest bar in town!

A short 10-15 minute walk later down Bruges' narrow, winding, and charming back streets brought me to some large grassy hills dotted with sunshine and that typical Low Country feature--windmills! This was the perfect place to eat the lunch I packed myself (so healthy and frugal!) and stuff myself with all the chocolate I bought (so not healthy but so amazing!).

I soaked up the sun for a bit and then hit the roads again, wandering my way back to the center of town. Bruges is a great town for wandering--it's not large and as long as you head in the general direction of the Markt and occasionally consult your map to orient yourself, it's fun to "get lost" in the side streets.

Windmill! One of three located along the grassy area.

Once I found my way back to the Markt, it was time to follow Rick Steve's walking tour! At this point, there was nothing to do but go full on tourist--alternating between gaping at the medieval sights around me and keeping me nose buried in the guidebook for the descriptions of what the heck I was looking at.

From the Markt, I proceeded to Burg Square, Bruges historical birthplace. The square contains several buildings representing over six centuries of architecture. Some of the highlights...

The Basilica of the Holy Blood: a church dating from approximately 1150 and built by a Flemish knight of the Second Crusade to house the drops of Christ's blood he brought back from Jerusalem. The relic is preserved in a clear tube of rock crystal and is displayed on Fridays--which means it was out when I visited the church! 

The City Hall, dating from about 1400 (large building in the picture below). It's still in use (and is where you go for a civil marriage ceremony in Bruges). From Burg Square, I walked through a another little alley with some interesting details. On the left wall was an original iron hinge from the city's south gate. And directly across was a patch of wall left to show how dirty Bruges was at the time of a 1960 cleaning.

Burg Square and the City Hall

I walked through a smaller restaurant-lined square (Huidevettersplein) to Rozenhoedkaai street which is where Bruges almost becomes too adorable to be real. Medieval row houses rise directly from the tree-lined canals Venice-style with a view of the Belfort in the background. These postcard perfect views could easily seem too treacle. But in my opinion, Bruges avoids the Disney and Williamsburg comparisons by being completely authentic. It just really is that charming.

Only a few hundred yards down the Dijver canal is the Groeninge Museum. The museum includes paintings dating from 1400 to 1945 and the most extensive collection of Flemish Primitive art in the world.  The paintings date from when Bruges was the richest and most cultured city in Europe.

The Flemish Primitive style commonly features a "primitive" 3D perspective, realism in its subjects (who tend to be members of the merchant class as opposed to nobles and clergy), meticulous details, oil painted on wood, and symbolism, such as a dog symbolizing fidelity. The paintings were fascinating, but I was really glad my guidebook included information and highlights of some of the more famous pieces, because the museum didn't provide any information aside from the name, artist, and year it was painted There wasn't an audio tour or guidebook or anything like that. Weak sauce, Groeninge Museum. Thank goodness for Rick Steve.

By this point, my feet were starting to feel the miles I had put on them today (including a 4 mile run in Brussels that morning), so I made a quick lap around the Church of Our Lady: the church houses a Madonna and Child statue by Michelangelo, said to be the only Michelangelo statue to leave Italy during the artist's lifetime. I went inside hoping to get a glimpse. While it used to be out for viewing in a chapel free of charge, apparently Church of Our Lady isn't too pious to gouge us tourists for what they can, and now you have to pay to see the statute. Well, forget that.

I continued on my merry way to De Halve Maan Brewery, where they make the Brugse Zot ale I had earlier in the day!

A few more cobbled streets, some quiet courtyards, and a lovely lake-filled park called the Minnewater ("Water of Love") later, my walking tour ended about 5 minutes from the train station. Perfect! I easily hoppd on a train back to Brussels and was home in time to meet Jonathan and his work friend Martin for a late dinner and drinks!

Church of Our Lady

Outside the brewery.

The Minnewater...complete with swans. OF COURSE.

Coming up next in my Belgian adventure: eating and drinking my way around Brussels, all on a budget. I'll show you the best places to imbibe while not breaking the bank!

More pictures from around Bruges!

 Old (and I mean old) houses abound.

The stairs to the top of the Belfort

 Markt selfie!

 The relic in the Basilica.

 Canal selfie!

 Statute in the Markt.

 View from the Courtyard of the Groeninge Museum looking towards the Belfort.

 Inside a Dumon praline.

Oh, shut up, Chocolate museum.

Jonathan and Martin, back in Brussels.

Chloë: There's never been a classic movie made in Bruges until now.

Ray: Of course there hasn't. It's a shithole.

Chloë: Bruges is my home town, Ray.

Ray: Well, it's still a shithole.

I beg to differ, Ray. I beg to differ.

Chocolate Life: Neuhaus Factory Outlet

Ahhh, Brussels. It's been six months since I was here, but it feels like I never left. Except for the improvement in the weather this time around. You might recall that last November I traveled to Belgium to visit my friend Jonathan (JR) from college. Even as I left, I knew I had to come back. Not only because it would mean another chance to hang with JR, but also because Brussels is a beautiful and fun city providing easy access to much of continental Europe. In other words, it makes an excellent home base for day trips.

I also had unfinished business in Brussels. Last time I was here, I waited until my last day in town to visit one of the sights I had most wanted to see. A rookie mistake, I know. Especially since my last day in town ended up being Armistice Day, a national holiday, and a day when pretty much everything in town is closed. Which means I went all the way out to this very special store...to find the gate closed and locked. What is the place I am referring to?

The Neuhaus Factory Outlet.

Just in case you aren't up on your fine Belgian chocolatiers, Neuhaus is one of the oldest and most luxurious Belgian chocolate makers. We're talking on the same level as Godiva here--though I actually think it's better. And while they don't have the exotic flavors of say, Pierre Marcolini, what they do have is deliciously smooth, creamy, and classic chocolates.

Before I get into the amazeball-ness of the factory outlet store, let's talk some history. Neuhaus the company was founded in 1857 by Jean Neuhaus, a swiss immigrant, who opened the first Neuhaus store here in central Brussels.

There are traditionally two types of chocolates in Belgium: truffles (soft and round chocolates with various fillings) and pralines (a hard chocolate shell also with various fillings, what Americans normally think of as "chocolates;" think of what comes in a Whitman sampler, etc.).

In 1912, Jean Neuhaus II invented the praline. So yeah. These folks know what they are doing. Another fun fact: Jean II's wife, Louise, invented the "box of chocolates" when she realized the pralines were getting smooshed when placed in bags. "Let's put these things in boxes!" she said, and BOOM. All of a sudden, Forrest Gump had a catch phrase.

Ok, so back to my original story. Last time I was in Brussels, I spent a lot of time googling things like, "best chocolate in Brussels" and "hidden Brussels," you know as you do. And I came across this blog, Writing With Chocolate, that talked about a place so wonderful it could not be real: a Neuhaus factory outlet that was located on the outskirts of Brussels, was metro-accessible, and offered free unlimited samples of EVERYTHING IN THE SHOP.

I didn't believe it. Free and unlimited samples of Neuhaus chocolate? Could such a place even be real??

Well, today I finally found out. Yes, Virginia, there is a Neuhaus outlet and it is just as wonderful and magical as you ever imagined.

And it's all for me! Not really, but it felt that way.

It's also fairly easy to get to. You take the #5 metro line all the way to the end (Erasmus--about a 20 minute ride from central Brussels) and after a short 10 minute walk past the Erasmus University College, you come to a very corporate looking building with a Neuhaus sign out front. Right when you are thinking, "this can't be right," you spy the small red sign labelled "chocolate shop" with an arrow pointing around the corner of the building.

And then: paradise. Nirvana. Heaven. Whatever you want to call it, the Neuhaus chocolate factory outlet opens up before you like a dream and as your eyes scan over the offerings you realize it's true. There really are free and unlimited samples of everything in the shop available for tasting.

Just walk by each item and there are open versions encouraging you to take a taste.

The best part about the outlet is the opportunity to buy truffles in bulk. Truffles in Neuhaus stores typically retail for about 2 euros each (as of today that's $2.73). A 410 gram box (containing 38 pieces) retails for 26.50 euros (about $36). But at the outlet, you can get 1 kilogram boxes (approximately 100 truffles weighing 2.2 pounds) for 20 euro. And if you buy 3 boxes, they are only 40 euro total. We are talking BIG savings for the highest quality Belgian chocolate. Sure, each box contains only one type of truffle, but if you buy three of them you have three excellent types of truffles to gift to people.

The row of bulk items with open boxes for sampling displayed in front. 

There are deals on lots of other items as well: I got 750 gram bags of pralines (holding about 50 pralines each), 3 for 30 euro total. In the stores one praline is a little over 1 euro. A lot of the pre-packed box and gift assortments are heavily marked down as well. Not everything in the outlet is discounted, but as long as you pay attention to the signs you can find some fantastic deals. And all your chocolate gift shopping = done.

And let's talk about the samples. Literally everything in the store is available for sampling. The employees just pull the lids off the products/boxes and set them up so you can walk around and try them. I had to take small bites of the truffles and pralines (and throw away the rest --wasteful!) because it was just so much chocolate. It was basically my lunch today, and I can say with some authority, that yes, it is possible to get chocolated out. But, oh what a way to go.

To recap: the Neuhaus outlet might be my new favorite place in all the world.

Neuhaus Factory Outlet
Postweg 2, 1602 Vlezenbeek, Belgium
Mon. – Thur. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The outlet is open during the lunch hour and takes credit cards (though like a lot of European stores, I think you need the special "chip and pin" style of card which Americans credit card companies don't typically provide). There is also lots of available and free parking, but the store is only 1/3 of a mile from the metro stop.

Also, don't try to go during a national holiday. Trust me folks. You'll go all the way out there only to have your heart broken when you realize they are closed. But at least the story has a happy ending this time!

My haul: total cost 70 euro for about 500 pieces of chocolate. That works out to about $0.20 per piece, people. 

Treat Yo Self 2014

Best Day of the Year!

What, you haven't heard of a Treat Yo Self Day? Please let the nice folks over at NBC's Parks and Recreation explain the rules. It's only 24 seconds, you can spare that much time.

 

So basically, you take the day to, you know, treat yourself. You want it, you got it. For me this meant a mix of pampering and (of course) eating a bunch of things I usually deny myself. Hey, you keep Treat Yo Self in your way and I'll keep it in mine.

First stop! Haircut. I was long overdue for one, but while I usually just get a quick shampoo and trim at the place around the corner from my mom's house, this time I decided to go the whole nine yards and get a cut, blowout, and style at a nice salon.  Turns out my friend Barbara from work's (whom I was just with in Lincoln, Nebraska), husband works at a salon and is a fantastic hairdresser. Sounds like a plan.

So on my most recent benefit day (I get every other Monday off from work since I work longer hours on all the other days) I got myself an appointment in the morning at Muse Boutique Salon in Arlington. The place was pretty empty, so I waited only a few minutes while Atilla finished up with the client before me and sat back and relaxed while I got my hair washed (scalp massage!), cut, blown out, and styled. It looked pretty damn good, if I say so myself.

...and wow, I look eerily like my Mom.

Look! It's straight! That doesn't happen very often with my hair, trust me. And it even survived the windy day...well, mostly.

After getting my hair done, I headed to Shirlington for a massage. I've only had three massages before--it always feels amazing, but it seems like such a splurge. There's always other things that seem to make more practical sense to purchase, even for myself.

But anyway, this massage was too good a deal to pass up. At Nirvana Reflexology Spa in Shirlington, you can get a one hour full body massage for only $45, compared to the around $75-100 cost at other places in the DC area. You don't get a private room or the oils rubbed in to you like at other places, but there is still privacy with heavy fabric curtains separating the areas of the room and the massage is still amazing. And, if you are one of those people who has problems being naked in front of people, you get to keep your clothes on. They still use lotions on your arms and legs and it just feels really nice. I recommend it!

After my haircut and massage I was hungry! And if I was going to treat myself, I wanted something I haven't had in a really long time. Specifically, cheese. Ever since I figured out I was lactose intolerant two years ago, my cheese intake has gone down to almost zero. Unless it's goat cheese--goat cheese I can handle and it's also my favorite. But I wanted other types of cheese. So to Cheesetique for lunch I will go!

Appetizer: a glass of the house red wine (balanced, smooth, and fruity) and a cheese board with the chevre (goat cheese). Since it's the cherry blossom festival, they had mixed fresh cherries into the cheese and oh my stars it was delicious.

Next up: something I hadn't eaten in all the time I have been lactose intolerant. Macaroni and cheese. This was the Billy Goat Mac with several types of cheese (including goat and cheddar) and chicken. This was blow my mind amazing.

For dessert, I decided to leave the cheese shop behind and walk a block down the street to Cake Love. It wasn't an entirely selfish decision; I needed to order my Aunt and Stepmom's birthday cake from there (they have the same birthday and we always do a joint celebration). But while I was there....I figured why not have a cupcake? A Drumstick cupcake to be exact. Vanilla cake, salted caramel middle, vanilla buttercream frosting, and a layer of chocolate on top (with some salted peanuts).

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home and then over at a friend's playing a little D&D. All in all, I declare the first Treat Yo Self Day a total success.

Is it 2015 yet??