Wednesday Dinner 11/17/10

Buenos Dias my loves and welcome to "Wednesday Dinner" with Ash. I hope you all are doing well and are staying blessed and positive in this world we are living in. This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was so much fun and I had a great time. So let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin! This week Hello Kitty is celebrating her 50th Anniversary with what I would call and exhibit being held at the Santa Monica airport. This event is a mix of art, games, food trucks, shopping and arts & crafts. For anyone who loves Hello Kitty this is the perfect thing for you to check out! The event will be in Los Angeles until Sunday November 21st, for more details check out (http://www.sanrio.com/smallgift) parking is $10 and the event is free except for on Saturday and tickets are $15. I didn't go alone last night I went with Stephanie, Ari (Stephanie's daughter) and Keyonna (Stephanie's God daughter). We arrived around 6:30pm and the event closed at 9pm, I was all bundled up because I thought this event was held outside but I was wrong it was inside (YAY). Walking in I felt like a little kid it was so cute and just all things Hello Kitty. We started out at the art exhibit and some of the art being displayed was so DOPE and pricey! Ridiculously priced, then we worked our way to the gift store I didn't really see anything I was interested in buying but they did have a few specialty items, like Hello Kitty Monopoly. After the gift shop we made our way outside to where the food trucks were and sadly there were only 3 food trucks out there. Kabob N Roll (http://www.kabobnroll.com/), The Place (http://www.theplacela.com/?p=209) and The Knock Out Taco Truck (http://www.kotacotruck.com/KOTacos/home.html). I have to say we picked the wrong night to go for food because all these trucks were WACK!!!!!!!!!!!! Collectively we spent about $50 on food and it was clearly not worth it! Here is what we got:


The Knock Out Truck- Carne Asada Taco's & Bean & Cheese Taco


Kabob N Roll- Meat Pies, Cheese Rolls, Chicken Kabob & Beef Kabob


The Place- Burger, Place Burrito, Pastrami Cheese Fries, & Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog


Beard Papa's - Fondant Au Chocolate


I tasted just about everything listed and I was not impressed and my tummy started hurting once we left which was no bueno! The best thing was the Fondant Au Chocolate from Beard Papa's and basically what it was a chocolate molten cake it was pretty good. Everything else was all bad; The place messed up on Stephanie's burger about 2 times. I was highly disappointed because I was expecting more trucks to be at the event. After we ate we walked around and Keyonna and Ari played a few games. To play any of the games and do some of the activities you need tickets, tickets are priced at $2 per ticket. Keyonna and Ari did pretty good on the games and won a few prizes, next Ari went to play miniature golf and Keyonna went off to the arts & crafts table. There is also a Farice Wheel and a Yogurtland both at the event also. Ari did pretty on her golfing and then we went and met Keyonna at the arts & crafts table and that were I had the most fun. There are these pictures that you can decorate with colored sand, SO DOPE! I want to go back just to do another picture. Its very time consuming though but I had so much fun, it let all my creative juices flow. It was amazing to see how all the creativity from everyone who was at the table. There were a lot of grown women at the event who clearly love Hello Kitty! I didn't see that many kids? But hey I had a good time, I am going to try and go back before Sunday and I suggest if you have a daughter or a love for Hello Kitty you check this event out. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" Soul 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 "Do what you do and I'll do what I do" until next week, blessings. -Ash

Wednesday Dinner 11/10/10

Gooooood morning and happy Thursday? I am so thrown off by this daylight savings time its not even funny! I hope you are all doing well and I would like to thank you for reading another one of my fabulous blogs (hahaha). Anyway let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. This week was supposed to be about me trying to hook Stephanie up on a date (and I am not sure if I hooked her up or what). The plan was we would go on a double date with someone I used to date and one of his friends that has been interested in Stephanie for a while. We would all meet for dinner and see how it went but that wasn't the case! The guys were about 2 hours behind schedule and we made 3 different restaurant choices (sweet baby Jesus) and at that point I was reminded of why the guy I used to date I don't date anymore! Everyone knows I don't eat dinner late anymore but these guys didn't get the memo. Our original meeting time was 7pm then it got pushed back to 7:30pm, then to 8:45pm and by the time I looked at my phone it was 9:30pm and we were having dinner (SHAME). The original restaurant choice was Mac & Cheeza but Stephanie and her date weren't to thrilled so then I suggested Citizen Smith but when we all walked in we all walked right back out and went next door to Kitchen 24 (http://www.kitchen24.info/Home.html). Stephanie and I had both been to Kitchen 24 before, last year for her bday we went. I really couldn't tell if the food was good or not because I was so under the influence! However we when walked in we were immediately seated and it literally took about 15 minutes for our waitress to come and take our drink orders (now that’s just ridiculous). It seemed like we were waiting forever for her to come back and the crazy part was that they weren't even crowded! While waiting Stephanie’s date wasn't feeling to good so he took a little walk around the block and just left her at the table with my date and I not sure if she felt like the 3rd wheel (I need to ask her about that). By the time he came back we started ordering and we started with an appetizer:


Chilli Cheese Fries

The fries were ok in my opinion Stephanie really feel in love with these fries. They were fries with veggie chilli and cheese. The veggie chilli had black beans and corn in it and tofu I believe, they were ok but not something I would order again. Then it was time to order dinner and here is what we had:


Ashley- The Big Baller- Jumbo Meatballs cooked in Marinara, served open faced on Focaccia with Provolone


Ashley's Date- K24 Turkey Burger Served on a Toasted Brioche Bun w/ Onions, Sliced Tomatoes, Mayo, Lettuce and Sliced Pickles


Stephanie- Buttermilk Battered Fried Chicken Served with Seasonal Vegetables, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.


Stephanie's Date- K24 Turkey Burger Served on a Toasted Brioche Bun w/ Onions, Sliced Tomatoes, Mayo, Lettuce and Sliced Pickles


My apologies to the guys because I totally left them out, I didn't take pictures of their food but they did say that their burgers were ok. My sandwich was alright the meatballs could have been seasoned a little better. Stephanie liked her meal as well but she did mention that the chicken could have been seasoned better as well. Over dinner we talked as a group and then there we a few side conversations between the two groups. I could tell Stephanie was having a good time because she kept smiling, which is great! Her and her date seemed to hit it off. I am trying to help her get over her break up and try something different which is "being single and dating". Not sure if I will dub myself a "Match Maker" just yet but hopefully this was the first of many more dates! Our service at Kitchen 24 was horrible I mean just WACK! I am not sure if the guys left a tip, I didn't ask but if I were paying I wouldn't have left SHIT! (excuse my french). The atmosphere in Kitchen 24 is cool they play a mix of top 40 jams and have a bar with Happy Hour until 11pm Monday-Thursday, they also have a cute candy station at the front counter however if you take all of that away they pretty much suck! All in all the double date was cool however I am going to opt out of doubling dating again! Even though we all know each other it’s still a little awkward. After dinner it was time to say our goodbyes since it was a week night there was really no time for anything extra since we all have to be at work before the crack of dawn. I did get a chance to look at the bill and it was about $72.00 and some change which makes it about $18 per person oh Kitchen 24 ya'll wrong for that! If you would like to be hooked up with "Wednesday Dinner" or a date holler at me wednesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "It gets greater later" until next week DUECES- Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 11/3/10

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!! I had to take a much needed break from blogging because my life has gone in a whole nother direction from the last time I blogged. Let me start with saying "Hello, Good Morning"! I hope you are all well and life is treating you good. I took a break from "Wednesday Dinner" because I moved. YES Jody finally left the nest (Hahaha). This has been a life changing no scratch that a life style change for me and I am sooooooo HAPPY!!!! So due to moving and trying to work out my living expenses "Wednesday Dinner" was put on hold , however I’m back, re inspired and I have decided to switch the blog up. Twice a month I will be cooking dinner and having people over for dinner and twice a month I will be dinning out and either be eating solo or be accompanied by a guest. So this brings me to last nights dinner which was in house with my sister and if I must say so I did my thing on the ones and twos. I have an abundance of food in both my refrigerator and freezer! I wanted to make something good but I also wanted to use some of the items in my fridge before they went bad. So I decided to try this Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom Pasta, my sister Melissa told me I need to name it but for some reason I am only good at naming drinks not food (hahaha). Since I've moved out I've become an old person when it comes to eating dinner, I try not to eat dinner any later than 6pm so most nights I'm eating dinner by 5-5:30pm and I cook every night. I know that’s crazy but I get off work at 3pm so it’s only right, right? Anyway along with the pasta I decided to make this Greek Salad I've made before, which is really good & refreshing if I must say so myself! So here are the ingredients for the pasta & salad:


Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom Pasta (Prep time 45 minutes)


• 1 Chicken Breast


• 2 Cups of Penne Pasta


• 1 Bag of Fresh Spinach


• 2 Handfuls of Fresh Mushrooms


• Butter


• Extra Virgin Olive Oil


• Fresh Garlic


• Classico Alfredo Sauce


• Mozzarella Cheese


• Seasoning Salt, Garlic Salt & Black Pepper


• 2 Slices of Texas Toast


Greek Salad (Prep time 10 minutes)

• One bag of salad


• Feta Cheese


• Sliced Olives


• Tomatoes


• Cucumber


• Red Onion


• Italian Salad Dressing


• 1 Slice of Pita Bread

So let me start with the pasta, so easy to make and if made correctly its DELISH! First I cut the chicken breast in cubes and seasoned it with seasoning salt, garlic salt and black pepper. Warmed my skillet and put extra virgin olive oil & butter, let it get hot and then dropped the chicken in. I had to keep my eye on the chicken because I didn't want to burn it or for it to be under cooked. The chicken cooked for about 20 minutes and was done; the pieces were moist and very flavorful. Next it was time to sauté the spinach & mushrooms. I heated up another skillet with butter, fresh garlic (minced it myself) and seasoning salt let the skillet get hot then I dropped the spinach & mushrooms in. I let the veggies sauté for about 10 minutes and they were done. Now the alfredo sauce was up, I had about a little less than a full jar of Classic Alfredo sauce in the fridge, I didn't think it was going to be enough so I added a little milk in jar and shook it up, put the sauce in a little sauce pan add about 2 pinches of mozzarella cheese and let it boil for about 5 minutes, I added a little seasoning salt to taste. Next it was time to do the noodles, I boiled 2 cups of penne pasta, and of course pasta is tricky because you don't want to under cook or over cook your noodles. It took about 8 minutes for the noodles to be done and now it was time to mix everything up. I did a little sample taste and DAMN that pasta was DELISH. Next up was the Greek Salad, extremely easy to make even a cave man can make it (hahaha). I placed the lettuce in a bowl, cut up the red onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Added the feta cheese and olives and then put about 3 squirts of the Italian dressing on. Mixed it and abra cadabra the salad was made. I put in the fridge and warmed up my Texas toast and pita bread, I rubbed the pita bread down with some butter and let it get a little crispy along with the Texas toast. By 5:30pm dinner was ready , Melissa and I were ready to eat. We ate the salad first; I set the table and everything! Melissa enjoyed the salad and pita bread and so did I. The pasta was served as the 2nd course and I am sad to report Melissa doesn't eat mushrooms, so she picked them out. She enjoyed the pasta as well she told me "Good job Ashley". Over dinner we just talked about small things here and there, it was soooo HOT yesterday sheesh. After dinner we were both FULL so we sat on the couch and didn't move for about 20 minutes. All in all dinner was good and of course I'll get Melissa to leave a comment on the food. I really enjoy cooking and decided this would be a great addition to what I've been doing with "Wednesday Dinner". If you would like to dine at the "Wednesday Dinner" table or have a recipe suggestion, 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 "Life is so short...kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly" Until next we I love you and peace! -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 9/8/10

Good morning, love bugs!! Happy Thursday!!!! Life is good, I can't complain so let me get into this blog. I had been craving Chinese food for about a week. So I decided to visit one of my old faithful places, "Bamboo Garden" in LA off of Vermont and Manchester. "Bamboo Garden" doesn't have a website but check out the yelp link (http://www.yelp.com/biz/bamboo-garden-restaurant-los-angeles). I used to frequent "Bamboo Garden" years ago and they really had my heart but I haven't been there in some time. "Bamboo Garden" is your hole in the wall classic Chinese food restaurant, with menus posted all over the wall and offering many different food items this place is far from typical. The prices are extremely reasonable and would make one second guess themselves if they are not comfortable. "Bamboo Garden" offers take out only and only accepts cash. There were so many items to choose from but I decided on what I wanted and here is what I got:

No. 1- Chicken Chow Mein, Pork Fried Rice, Barbeque Pork, Egg Roll, 2 Fried Shrimp, 1 Fortune Cookie & 1 Almond Cookie
Broccoli & Beef

"Bamboo Garden" has a lot of dinner specials that come with 3 items or more and like I said the prices are extremely reasonable. So since I could only take my food to go it was back to the house to eat. The total for the No. 1 was $7.75 and the Broccoli & Beef was about $5.50 which rounded off my total $13.25 which wasn't bad for the amount of food I got, this meal was big enough for at least 3 people. I have so much food left over, by the time I arrived home the food was still HOT not warm but HOT and I appreciate that. The chow mien was yummy!! Hearty pieces of chicken and veggies!! Pork fried rice isn't my favorite but I did the trick, not to many pieces of pork so I got to really enjoy the rice. Barbeque pork was alright I only ate a few pieces of that not a huge fan of it but it was still alright. I didn't fool with the egg roll, the shrimp was BOMB with a little sweet & sour sauce it was right on point. The broccoli & beef really hit the spot it was BOMB also. All in all I was full and glad I stopped by "Bamboo Garden". If you like classic Chinese food stop by "Bamboo Garden" it’s the perfect place to get take out on date night or when it starts raining. They are open 7 days a week until 8:15pm however it’s located in the cut so if you’re not paying attention you’re going to pass it. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" team 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 "Don't regret anything because at one point in your life it meant everything" until next week I LOVE YOU! -Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 9/2/10

Well good morning and happy Thursday! The weekend is here and I am so looking forward to this 3 day weekend. I want everyone to have a safe and happy Labor day! This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was short but OH SOOOOOO GOOD! The sun was shining yesterday and it was such a lovely day here in California and I was feeling very Cali-ish with what I wanted to eat. I wanted something simple and flavorful and I got just that. I decided to stop by "All About the Bread" (http://allaboutthebread.com/), "All About the Bread" is located off of Melrose in a tiny little strip complex joined with another restaurant and a Pinkberry (EWWW). At first sight I got turned off because there was no parking in the front, however with a slight left turn into the alley I was greeted with Valet and I got a free hour of parking. Walking into "All About the Bread" I was immediately in sandwich heaven, I have to be honest but sandwiches are one of my favorite things to eat! "All About the Bread" was so clean, neat and it had this fresh aroma to it. I smelled the fresh bread being baked!!! There were quite a few people dining solo inside so I didn't feel alone and there were a group of guys sitting outside eating. With a variety of meats and cheeses and one type of bread ordering was easy, I was a little distracted because there was a cute guy taking my order but I was able to compose myself and here is what I ordered:


Small Honey Turkey & Swiss and Chips

"All About the Bread" makes all their sandwiches with the works which include (Vegan mayo, mustard, onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, Italian dressing, and roasted peppers, mild or medium Chicago style peppers). At first sight this might seem like a lot on a sandwich however its not. I got everything except the peppers, I asked for those on the side but I guess the guy didn't hear that. I was a little taken back that the drinks and chips were so expensive! A bottled drink is $3.00 and $1.75 for a bag of chips (SHAME) good thing I had my water in my purse. I waited about 5 minutes for my sandwich to be made, "All About the Bread" cuts their meat and cheeses in house which is great. So my name was called and it was time to dive into my sandwich. And it was LOVE at first bite! The freshness in this sandwich was so apparent! I could taste every veggie, the meat and the cheese. This sandwich was not overly saturated with onions or anything. It was absolutely amazing!!!! The vegan mayo along with the Italian dressing gives this sandwich its stand out taste! My total came to $8.25 which included $6.50 for the sandwich and $1.75 for the chips. Unfortunately I only ate half of my sandwich but it was good down to the last bite. I strongly suggest that you get familiar with "All About the Bread" real soon! I am claiming this as my #1 sandwich place!!! I will definitely be going back sooner than later! If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" invite list 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 "You can't arrive to your new situation until you leave your old destination. Until next week stay fly- Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 8/25/10

I know I am a little late, however I was debating if I should blog about last weeks dining experience, which I would like to say was less than appetizing. Last week I had a lot going on; Shelby was preparing to leave for college and life was hectic last week, however we managed to get her off safe and sound. So last week was Shelby's last "Wednesday Dinner" for a while and the last "Wednesday Dinner" for August (I mean that’s nothing special but hey). So I was trying to get her and Melissa out for dinner, however the 3 of us together are extremely indecisive, we went to dinner about 8pm which is very late for me but whateve! We couldn't decide what we wanted to eat so I made the executive decision and decided to try "Nathan's" (http://nathansfamous.com/PageFetch/), "Nathan's" has a new location in Manhattan Beach and I have to say that I was not pleased with the service or my food. We arrived around 8:20pm and it was just all bad, the cashier/order taker was very sharp and rude. The food was gross! It had an overly fried taste to it, here is what we ordered


Melissa- Bacon, Cheese & Ranch Fries
Shelby- Chicken Tenders
Ashley- Hot Dog Combo with Onion Rings

Everything was not appetizing, I am not sure how a hot dog can't taste good but it happened. I think it’s because the bun wasn't soft! I don't think I'll be going back to "Nathan's" ever! See the pictures and decide for yourself. Over dinner my sisters and I laughed and joked as we always do! My food came to a total of $6.40 which is a little much for a hotdog combo! If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" crew drop me a line wedenesdaydinnerwithash@yahoo.com and follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/wednesdaydinner. In closing I would like to leave you with this "In order to have demands you must be in demand" Until next week -Ashley