Party In The USA – Part I

So quoting Miley Cyrus is definitely not how I want to start out this post (or any of the other to come), and which is being published after what seems like a million and a half years, but she does (did?) have the right idea because I am not kidding you guys, the United States of America is like an ongoing party.

Everywhere you go there are

1. Stories to be told (oooooh gossssiiipppp 😉
2. Great SCRUMDIDDLYUMPTIOUS FOOD (in massive sizings) – which I shall happily share with you
3. Lights. Bright, flashing, lights everywhere!
4. Such super friendly people – I mean, these guys can strike up conversations in lifts and not even feel a touch of shyness 😀

I have so much to share with you guys, so many posts to do it in, but my question is, where to start?

So I am going to take a minute and let you guys enjoy random scenery shots while I ramble on as I do – read it if you wish, or alternatively, skip to the food – who could blame you? 😉

For anyone who’s reading, I owe a few apologies – I made a couple of hollow promises before going – that I would regularly update my Facebook page and that my posts would be scheduled – well, neither happened, sometimes because there was no wifi, sometimes because I could not be bothered (honest girl :P) because I was having too much fun 😀
But I non-hollowly promise that I will try harder next time because I do love you all 🙂

Also, OH.MY.GOD. Forgive me for channeling in my inner-Janice (geddit? geddit? Friends? 😉 but thank you all so much for all the coffees and ‘come meet me’ offers I got! Whether it was in Dallas or in LA, or in places which were abbreviated so I had no idea where they were, I appreciated your offers so much!
I wish I could have replied to everyone and told them thanks right then, but everything was in a rush and daze – and I couldn’t come see anyone because we were constantly travelling, moving and of other commitments!

But you guyzzzz! If any of you come down under, tell me immediately, because ‘I can show you the world….’ a.k.a Sydney 😛 (channeling my inner Aladdin now… I should stop…)

Also, in case it isn’t blindingly obvious, or in case my transfer of subscribers hasn’t worked, I HAVE A NEW BLOG! Self-hosted, totally mine to play around with, and hopefully, with as few ‘teething problems’ as possible 😛
I hope you like it! The character may be a bit much but hey…. I would kill for a real pair of pink gloves haha
It won’t be for a while but I will be getting a full back-up, protection style program to go with it, so there may be a few hiccups and issues in the beginning, which I apologise for in advance – you guys have been patient enough as it is for a real post!

Also, in case none of you got this email (though 1000 people should have :D), just resubscribe (I am sorry it was such a pain for everything to happen!) – thank you!!

Ok, for now, I am done being boring and random. Let’s start again and this time, with a real roar of the Go Bake Yourself car 😉
Hop in guys, you are in for a real smoooooth ride – TOOT TOOT…

Yes I ate a mince pie. Fruit mince of course. Perhaps that would explain my crazy. 🙂

🙂

🙂

I’ll stop.

What foods should I talk about first. Pizza, pasta, bread? Super duper Mexican food? Desserts (ooooooooh)? Gourmet? Let me take it one step at a time, in case I overwhelm you with the deliciousness that hit my tastebuds while I was partying in the USA (and throwing my hands up :P)

Let me begin at Dallas airport – many of you assumed (quite rightly considering I said nothing to disabuse you of this notion) that I was staying in this wonderful cowboy-filled, swanky shoes with spurs town for a while, but that would have been impossible.

1. I can’t understand the accent, especially when they speak fast. Sorry.
2. I had a boat to catch when I reached my real destination!

Regardless though, let it be known that we still managed to enjoy ourselves quite a lot in the wide, spacious airport, because on every corner, there seemed to food for sale, or cowboy hats.

Cool bro. 😉

We were walking around, catching trains to terminals and going up and down ridiculously roller-coaster heightened escalators when BAM. I saw it.
It glowed like a thousand suns, the rays streaming out from around it. The delicate pink cone beckoned me, and I could taste the creaminess on my tongue. Oh my, I swear, my heart skipped a beat. ‘Is this what love feels like?’

Ben & Jerry’s. Right there, in front of me, no freezer with random cartons, a real life Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Parlour. If you think I am going crazy again, no, seriously I am not. It is quite admittedly one of my favourite ice creams IN THE WORLD (next to Haagen Daaz, Movenpick and um… others :P) and yet, there are maybe 5 parlours in Australia.

Anyway, after taking a photo and looking like the foodie tourist I was, I ordered an Americone Dream. Fitting right considering I had just reached Australia after what seemed like a 15 hour flight.

JOKES…. it was a 15 hour flight. Serious.

But it was worth it to get that massive crown of ice cream dripping with hot fudge sauce. I dived in with a spoon (or my finger, but I don’t eat and tell) and came up with this confession of vanilla ice cream swirled with caramel. Suddenly, as I licked it away, there was a massive crunch, which filled my mouth with chocolate-waffley goodness.

I told you it was a party 😀

My daddy, he chose a more conservative flavour. By no means however, was it less tasty. I am a self proclaimed coffee-hater… except in sweets. And this ice cream hit the flavour perfectly! Then he also touched it up with oodles of nuts.

Yes, good taste runs in my family. 😀

My mum, she is a health nut as I have always told you (don’t tell her though!!!) and she needed a refreshing beverage after such a long flight to ‘rejuvenate her skin’ and keep her looking younger than I do 😛
She got a carrot, apple and orange Jamba Juice. To all Australians, this is the Boost equivalent I believe? Because this juice is everywhere 🙂

My brother, he was very different and completely blew me away because this guy is a wee bit traditional in his food. Chocolate milkshake and vanilla ice cream. DO NOT change his order. But someone he ended up ordering a potato salad. But it looked absolutely delicious, all awesome!

Well played Dallas, I was in love with you. But that may have been because I was also not there for the blizzard which hit one week later. Hope everyone was ok!

And suddenly it was time to board again and go to San Juan, beautiful city in Puerto Rico! We actually left from there and came docked there, so had two times the fun of the city 😀 – Fun is my code word for food of course 😉

We ate a lot here. I mean places like Mike’s New York Pizza, Denny’s (this one is everywhere!) and at our hotel, but of course, I was so busy eating half the time, that I forgot to photo. I also lost the photos for Mike’s Pizza (whose pizzas were the size of my two hands… together) – sorry about that!

But I did record one of the most divine places to eat. After our tour of Old San Juan, where we were stopped at one point because they were filming 22 Jump Street (OMG, I fainted in my head because I was in the vicinity of the marvellous Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum!) and where we viewed the old war forts during the Spanish-American War, we were starved.

I was close to eating my fingers.

And thus, while walking down cobbled stone pathways under a tender sun, we chanced upon a real Mexican-Peurto Rican restaurant called Lupi’s 😀 – cool name right!?

Although, when it feels like your stomach no longer exists, everything sounds absolutely gorgeous 😛

We sat down, made ourselves comfortable, and ordered drinks (Cokes aplenty everyone!)

I got greedy and claimed I was not going to share my Nachos plate with anyone. We didn’t even bother with an entree so I distinctly said ‘This is my main so I am not sharing these with anyone’. It is a good thing my family takes my food threats as a joke because the nachos that came were mountainous.

I mean, people who climb Everest, would have trouble reaching the tip of this plate alone. Oozing with two different cheeses, with hidden molten paths of salsa strewn underneath, it smelt divine. And it looked gorgeous, a clashing palette of fresh greens, bright sour cream white and chopped tomatoes haphazardly strewn. To add to the affect the chips were green. And red. And the boring yellow too of course.

I loved them. Duh.

My brother, he ordered *ahem* Eduardo’s Stuffed Chicken Breast. For someone who loves his meat, it took this boy an awful long time to figure out the chicken was wrapped in bacon. Crispy bacon. Of course, suffice to say, he wished for every meal to be wrapped in bacon afterwards. What a male. 😛

Mummy, Daddy, these guys are fans of the Soft Taco. Mummy dear wanted the whole shebang, I take after her! A nice refried bean filling to the side, topped with melted cheese, some beautiful ‘Rican flavoured rice and nice, fresh salad tucked into her soft taco.

Daddy also had a hankerin’ for some chicken, but gave his arteries a break by not wrapping them in break, but instead, eating them in an extravagantly filled taco – of course 😛

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Lupi’s, but of course, my brother and I, being young, had the capacity for dessert. Specifically Deep-Fried Ice Cream.

Excuse the weird green, I don’t know why my camera spazzed on me, but look at that beauty. Whipped cream, drizzled and so deliciously crackling on the outside, while the inside was smooth as can be.

Heaven.

And so Lupi’s made it to my top 5 list 😀

At our hotel in San Juan, we of course, sampled (devoured) breakfast, and I could not not show you it, because never have I seen fresher looking fruits. Anywhere. And why is there so much love for grape jam? It’s as if strawberry just doesn’t give a kick anymore 😛

It was at Cafe…. Cafe… Awkward… let me call it Cafe C – but it was at the Condado Plaza Hotel so if you know it, give me a buzz will you? But for now, Cafe C.

Even more awkward if it doesn’t start with C.

BUT you know what wasn’t awkward? Sitting there with my fam-bams, bathed in more sunlight, surrounded by super friendly waiters who gave us everything we asked for (except some potato lump thingies which we were grateful for not coming in the end anyway – I say they have some customer intuition thing going on :P)

The drinks were sensational here. I think the US have a love for deep, dark strong espresso, which the gum-chewing waitress will refill while her mole throbs on her face unbearably. Or so I have see it in diner style movies. But my mum loves cappuccinos – and look what came out.

DAYUM.

My brother, he ordered some grapefruit juice. Not super impressive if I remember correctly, but it so difficult to get good, fresh grapefruit juice. Trust me, it is a bitter, guilty pleasure of mine, yet alas, is nowhere to be found 😛

My dad of course, likes that strong coffee which smells awesome but tastes like  horror. Just saying 😉

The grape jellies were opened and out came pouring a sweet delicious jam onto mummy-daddy’s toasts, buttered up to perfection. Even marmalade made an appearance, while strawberry lay in the corner, plotting its revenge 😛

They were also big fans of the fruit bowls, generously overflowing with seasonal beauties 😀

Besides my brothers serve of toast, he and I were really into the US spirit of granola and yoghurt. Every single shop I saw sold yoghurt. 

“Hi, I am looking for a swiss knife.’

“Howdy ma’am, we have everything you need right here.”

“Good to hear. I need to shop quickly, I need some food.”

“Well, we can’t have rattlesnakes in yer belly can we? Would you like some granola?”

Ok that didn’t happen but close to it! Granola is your breakfast specialty I assume 😛

But no complaints, it was definitely divine – and with it, a fresh fruit plate to please the world. I can still taste those oranges… sigh…

I am going to say I am sorry for this abrupt end to this post but remember it is only Part Uno. And I am kind of not really sorry because my hands can no longer type. Eeeep!

But I definitely can’t wait to share a very special Christmas post with you soon my darlings 😀 – till then, Happy Almost Christmas Eve!!!! 😀 😀