Wednesday Dinner 2/16/2011

Ayyyyyooooooooooooo! I hope all is well out there in Lala land and everyone had a memorable "Valentine's Day" this weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was in honor of "Valentine's Day" ok maybe or maybe not. A few years a go Stephanie, Shameka & I went to dinner on "Valentine's Day" clearly we were all single at the same time. We went to Captain Jacks in Seal Beach at the time Stephanie and I paid for Shameka's dinner. So after much thought and consideration we decided Shameka owed us a "Valentine's Day" dinner, well that’s what I thought. Stephanie thought it was a meeting to discuss her birthday extravaganza next month. So after what seemed like two days of trying to figure out where to eat we finally decided to meet at "Wood Ranch" (http://www.woodranch.com/loc_la.html) in the Grove. Shameka and I had never been there but Stephanie has, I really don't care for restaurant bbq what the hell I gave it a try. To my surprise Shameka was on time (haha), I arrived second and then Stephanie arrived last. "Wood Ranch" offers these amazing garlic butter rolls that are good but taste even better with extra butter. It was felt so good being with "The Girls" again it was like old times sake. There was a point and time where Shameka, Stephanie and I were always together eating and drinking somewhere. For the record I kind of miss that. So after reviewing the menu it was time to order, this is what we ate:


Stephanie- BBQ Half Chicken with corn and baked beans
Ashley- WR BBQ Combo- BBQ Half Chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and mac & cheese
Shameka- BBQ Half Chicken with mac & cheese and baked beans


It didn't take long for the food to come out and I must say when the food came out it looked and smelled good however I was a little shocked that with all the meat we all got that the sides where not proportion right. We all agreed that we weren't impressed with the food at all. My ribs were ok, the sweet mashed potatoes were ok as well as the mac & cheese but I definitely won't be going back to the "Wood Ranch". During dinner we did our usual girl talk and we all got up to date with what’s been going on in each others lives. Stephanie found a way to mention her birthday plans to us so stay tuned to see how that goes (haha). So after dinner Stephanie had this bright idea to go to CPK (http://www.cpk.com/) for dessert so I could try this "Butter Cake" she had been bragging about. Shameka was a party pooper and didn't come. So we arrived at CPK and Stephanie ordered this "Butter Cake" and it was good however I'm sure if it’s fresh. When all was said and done I was beyond full and I enjoyed myself. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" friendship train drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "The hardest part of being friends sometimes, is loving them too much". Until next week Smooooches -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 2/9/2011

What's coolin? My apologies on the delay but I have been having the worst case of writers block! Anyway, I hope all is well in your world and with that being said let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. This week I had dinner with my good buddy Maurice! As mentioned before Maurice and I went to high school together and over the last year we've become real good friends. Maurice was supposed to pick a place for us to go eat at but I am guessing he couldn't come up with anything. He did mention that he wanted some good Italian food so I suggested "Louise's" (http://www.louises.com/) "Louise's" has 7 locations in California and we decided to go to the one on Pico by the Westside Pavilion. Of course I was running late and I felt so bad, I don't know where my head was that day. So after making Maurice wait about 15 minutes I finally arrived. I had been to "Louise's" before but the one in Larchmont Village and I must say the one on Pico is a lot nicer. So we got a table and reviewed the menu and decided to start with an appetizer, here is what we ordered:

Fritto Misto (Fresh zucchini, rock shrimp and calamari, breaded with Louise’s seasonings. Served with arrabiatta and tartar sauces)

When the Fritto Misto came out it was piping hot and smelled so good, I also ordered a glass of Riesling (which was YUMMY by the way). Maurice loved the Fitto Misto he was on the shrimp and the calamari! I loved it too! It was very crispy and not overly seasoned. Also with the appetizer we received the complimentary Famous Focaccia bread!!! OMG this bread is to DIE for it’s served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This bread is so bomb.com I think I ate 3 out of the 4 pieces that were in the basket and I asked for another basket (SHAME). While reviewing the menu Maurice and I had a chance to do some more catching up and I just have to say that Maurice tells the funniest stories. So after catching up it was time to order, I decided to order from the "Prix Fixe Menu" so for $14.95 I was able to get a salad and pasta entree and a dessert, Maurice wasn't to interested in that so he ordered of the regular menu and here is what we had:


Ashley- House Salad, Pappardelle with Italian Sausage (Pappardelle pasta with spicy Italian sausage and plum tomatoes tossed with garlic, herbs and red pepper flakes. Served in a trio of Bolognese, tomato, and cream sauce


Maurice- Blackened Salmon (Cajun-rubbed fresh Atlantic salmon fillet pan-seared and blackened to perfection. Topped with a balsamic reduction and served with fire-grilled vegetables


While waiting for the food Maurice and I talked more and he was filling me in on his plans for Valentine's Day. When Maurice talks about the women he's involved with its hilarious. So the food came out and for some reason at that very moment I wasn't to sure about what I ordered. Over the last couple of months I have become fond of Italian sausage but this wasn't what I was hoping for. Maurice's plate on the other hand looked, smelled and tasted good. Mine was ok it was a little to sausage-gy and the pappardelle noodles were absolutely too thick however the sauce and the tomatoes were DELISH. I got mine smothered with fresh parmesan cheese and that helped but after 6 bites I was done. I guess all that bread and the appetizer really got to me. I was a little jealous that Maurice ordered something better than me (hahaha just kidding). I tasted Maurices salmon and it was DELISH, its something I would order the next time I go back to “Louise’s”. So after dinner it was time for my dessert, which was:

Tiramisu-A Louise’s classic made fresh daily. Lady fingers dipped in espresso layered in mascarpone cheese and cream.

I am not a huge fan of Tiramisu however this one wasn't to bad. Maurice ordered the:

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake-Dark chocolate layer cake with European chocolate butter cream
to go which was no fun because I didn't get a chance to taste it (sad face). He did say that it was good. Anytime Maurice and I hang out it’s a good time he's a great friend. We continued talking about our "love/dating" lives and I think we would both agree that Maurice's is more exciting than mine (haha). I will say that he did give me some great advice and I appreciate him for being a listening ear (THANK YOU). All in all dinner was AMAZE and I will definitely be doing dinner with Maurice again. I won't count "Louise's" out its still a really good place so get familiar. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" bus drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "No one can do you like you" until next week love always -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 2/2/2011

AS I AM TRYING TO UPLOAD THE PICTURES, THEY ARE DELETED FROM MY CAMERA (SAD FACE).

This week I had dinner with my good friend Erica Flowers and her daughter Jaylnn. Erica and I haven't had dinner together in a while so we were long over do. It was time for us to catch up and that we did. We met up on at one of my favorite places "Buddha Belly" (http://www.bbfood.com/) "Buddha Belly" has two locations in California. We met up at the one on Beverly in Los Angeles, which is the one that I been to numerous times. I was surprised to find out "Buddha Belly" has Happy Hour (wooooohooooo). The Happy Hour selection wasn't that great but I had some time to kill because Erica was running late so I ordered:


Mojito
Chicken Potstickers

When Erica arrived her and her daughter ordered

Egg Rolls
Lemon Drop (for Erica of course)


I enjoyed my potstickers and my mojito was (DELISH) the best $4.00 I've spent in a while. Erica and I did are usual girl talk and as always it was fun. Now it was time to order dinner and here is what we ate:

Ashley- Ahi Tuna Burger with Sweet Potato Fries (medium-rare ground sushi-grade ahi tuna patty, sweet hawaiian bun, lettuce, tomato, avocado, spicy mayo, sesame seeds, sweet potato fries)


Erica-Korean Steak (teppan-grilled sirloin steak and vegetables, sake marinade, garlic, ginger, side of rice)


Jaylnn- Kids’ Chicken Fried Rice (chicken breast, corn, carrots, edamame)


I have to say that I absolutely enjoyed my burger and fries!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was such a great combination. Erica and Jalynn enjoyed their food as well. Over dinner we did more catching up and it is great as a friend to see my friends doing so well. So SHOUT OUT to Erica for doing her damn thing. All in all dinner was great!!! If you’re not familiar with "Buddha Belly" get familiar. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" list drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I want to leave you with this "Knowledge talks and wisdom listens". Until next time besos! -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 1/26/2011

The BIRTHDAY edition!!! So today is the birthday of 2 very special people in my life. 1st my best friend of 20 years Tiffany L. Dawson and my God Son Amarion!! The fact that they share their birthdays is beyond sweet! Tiff turned 29 and Amarion aka A.J. turned 7 and I got to spend time with both of them. After work I met Tiff and her family at "Natalee Thai" (http://www.nataleethai.com/) which is one of Tiff's favorite places. Not really mine since I had a bad experience when I was there the last time (http://wednesdaydinnerwithash.blogspot.com/2009/10/wednesday-dinner-102109.html) but hey it wasn't my birthday. I decided I wouldn't order anything I would let Tiff order and I'd share with her. She ordered:

Sweet & Sour Chicken
Chicken Chow Mein

I was cool with that because I knew I would be eating again later when I saw A.J. but who was a foolin. I waited so long to eat that when I left "Natalee Thai" I was beyond FULL! Tiff's mom, grandma, sister and daughter were at lunch also. It’s always good seeing them since we are like family. Over lunch Tiff and I did our usual joking session and enjoyed ourselves. Tiff's grandma was kind enough to pick up the bill (Thanks Grammy)! After that it was time to make my way home and party with A.J.. A.J. is a little man; he is so funny and grown. He says some of the funniest things. At his party he was having sandwiches & salad from Togo's, wings from Wing Stop and cake from Albertsons. All some of my favorite things. I felt like a fat cow because I had the nerve to eat at A.J.'s party right after I got done having a late lunch with Tiff, just call me McGreedo! Sheesh by the end of the night I was soooooo FULL. I couldn't sleep comfortably. A.J. came up at his party; he got cash, gift cards, a cell phone and a lap top. I know right totally different gifts from what I remember getting at 7 but I guess this is a sign of times changing. Anyway I want to give special SHOUT OUT to Tiff: I am so lucky to have you as a friend! I couldn't imagine going through this journey of life with out you. You have taught me a lot and although I don't say it often THANKS!! For being a listening ear, a firm shoulder and a warm hand for me to hold when I need it. Your the BEST, BESTIE of the BESTEST. Hahaha Love you boobie! and to my little man A.J. God mommy loves you and we will be going on our date soon (just me & you) xoxox. If you would like some "Wednesday Dinner" birthday love drop me a line wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "Sometimes you have to forget how you feel to remember what you deserve" until next week -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 1/19/2011

L.A. has a new basketball team (hahaha). There has been a huge fuss over Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers since they are now getting as much shine as the Lakers. Who would have ever thought that?! Anyway I stumbled across some tickets to the game, actually 17 tickets to the game. So I extended the invitation to everyone ok well not everyone, the people I talk to daily so I invited:

Shelby & Caleb
Melissa & Doug
Stephanie, Her Mom, Her Son & Her Daughter
Dominick, His girlfriend & Skye
Marc and his 2 friends
Myself and I took A.J. & Calvin

OMG traveling with this many people is a chore in itself, there were so many of us! So the Clippers were playing the Timberwolves and honestly I wasn't really into the game. I mainly wanted the kids to have a good time and that they did. All the kids enjoyed themselves and they all got along GREAT!! During the game the kids ate nachos, popcorn and soda and they were all hyper active. Since I was traveling with kids I decided it was time for us to go so we left about 5 minutes before the game was over and my group of kids were ready to go and they were getting hungry. So we left and hit up Chipotle, it was already late so dinner was quick and then I had to drop the kids off. All in all everyone who went had a good time, which made me happy! If you would like to join the "Wednesday Dinner" family tree drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "There’s a difference between giving up and knowing when you've had enough". Until next time MUAH! -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 1/12/2011

Ok so I'm catching up on my blog, on this Wednesday I went to "Jersey Mikes" http://www.jerseymikes.com//. I went to the closet one to my house which is the one in Manhattan Beach. I had been wanting to try "Jersey Mikes" for a while and I was having an insane craving for a turkey sandwich. I was impressed to see that once you order they carve the meat and cheese right there for you! The shop was really clean and crisp and not really crowded, so now it was my turn to order and here is what I got:


Small- Turkey & Swiss everything on it (Mike's Way) with extra Mayo

Their sandwiches come in 3 different sizes (mini, regular and giant) I got my sandwich in a size small, thinking back on it I should have gotten a mini. My sandwich had lettuce, tomato, mayo, spicy mustard, pickles, pepper relish, salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. I also ordered a bag of plain chips to go with my sandwich. I decided to take my sandwich home and eat it there because I so tired from work. But once I got home it was ON! I took half of my sandwich and half of the chips along with a tall glass of Raspberry Lemonade and it was ON from there. The sandwich was SOOOOO YUMMY!!!! I could taste every little flavor. The total for my sandwich and chips was $8.00 and some change which wasn't bad. After eating just half of the sandwich and chips I was beyond FULL! "Jersey Mikes" is definetly one of my favorite sandwich places and you to should get familiar. All in all dinner was good, I actually enjoy dining alone! If you would like to co sign with "Wednesday Dinner" drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter, www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "A reputation take a lifetime to build but only seconds to destroy". Until next time xoxoxoxox -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 1/5/2011

Hello, good morning in my Diddy voice! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!! My apologies on my lack of blogging. I’m baaaaaaack!!! 2011 has been a good year so far and "Wednesday Dinner" has been going great. So let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. Before I go in to the story let me apologize because I didn't take any pictures (sad face), except for 1. So anyway, I decided to have a little game night at my house, I was super excited about game night because Uno was celebrating their 40th year anniversary. The cards were on sale at Target for $1.00 so I was on a mission to get some cards, after many trips to Target Stephanie finally found the Uno cards and between the both of us we got quiet a few packs. My baby sister Shelby, my cousin Taelor and all my little homies were home from college for Winter Break so of course I invited them over along with a few of my friends. I decided that I would order pizza from my new favorite pizza place "Pizza King". "Pizza King" is one of the hoods best kept pizza places, with a few locations in Los Angeles and a website (http://www.grubhub.com/la/pizza-king/) "Pizza King" is extremely economy friendly and the pizza is DELISH. So here is what I ordered:


2 Extra Large Pepperoni Pizzas’
1 Medium Pizza with Mushrooms, Pepperoni & Sausage

The total for all the pizzas was under $25.00 and with the 2 extra large pizzas I got a free liter soda and I picked Strawberry (YUMSTERS). So I told everyone to come to my house around 7pm and I had a special surprise for the adults!!! I made my 1st batch of "Pink Panties" and boy did I do a good job!! (Clap, Clap). The pizza was sooooo GOOD!!! I didn’t eat any of the pepperoni pizza the special medium pizza was just for me!!! With a little bit of ranch of the pizza, it really hit the spot!! Everyone else agreed that the pizza was good, so good that I didn’t have any left over. The main game of the night was Uno but then I had to bring out one of my favorites Connect Four! I love Connect Four but I have to get my strategy up because I've been loosing lately. Uno was a hit a few people won but I didn't, all in all game night for "Wednesday Dinner" was a hit! Everyone was laughing and joking it remined me of how “Wednesday Dinner” was when I first started doing “Wednesday Dinner”, before the blog. I will be doing something like this again, maybe during the summer, so I can have it outside. Check out the link for "Pizza King" and give them a try, you won't be disappointed. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" team drop me a line at wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter, www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "Love is free, but treat it wrong and pay the price" until next time -Ashley