Wednesday Dinner 12/16/09

Good Morning my LOVES! I hope you all are feeling good and are making your preparations for 2010! I am sad to report that "Wednesday Dinner with Ash" is taking a vacay, I will be back in January 2010 bigger and better than ever. I just need a little break to get somethings together and make sure I'm ready to give you guys some heated blogs about my love of food! I wish all of you Happy Holidays and make sure you give from the kindness of your heart! Be blessed- Ashley....

Wednesday Dinner was on Tuesday 12/8/09

Good Morning! OMG! This has been one of the hardest weeks for me, I have been so tired lately. It has been extremely hard for me to get up on time, I'm going to blame this week on the gloomy weather! I hope you all are doing well and getting ready to cuddle and be warm this weekend, there is a storm on the way. With that being said let me get into this weeks "Wednesday Dinner". This week I had dinner a day early due to the fact that it was my Dad's birthday on Tuesday. My Dad is a very simple man when it comes to eating and he likes what he likes. He is always open to try different places but if he doesn't like it he won't eat it and definitely won't go back. My Mom was trying to surprise my Dad and do something different, but if you know my Mom then you know her choice was going to be somewhere where she has been or wanted to go. My Mom had decided she wanted to try Santa Maria BBQ (http://santamariabbq.com/) , she tried to play it off since my Dad likes BBQ also. Santa Maria BBQ is located in downtown Culver City, actually right across the street from Tender Greens. Since it was my Dads birthday, Melissa came down and Shelby was off of work also so we were all able to be together. We had an extra bonus, Shelby's best friend Ryan also joined us. Let me give you a little back round on my Dad since I don't really talk about him much on my blog. My Dad just turned 57 and he is in great shape, he has been married to my Mom for 28 years and they have been together for 35 years. My Dad is the baby of his Family and he is very modest and humble. My Dad stands for a lot of things and is great in my eyes! Now back to dinner, Santa Maria is a cute little place it wasn't crowded but it wasn't empty either. The waitresses are very nice and polite. I was a little thrown off with the menu there, it seemed like BBQ wasn't really once of their specialties and after eating my food I could see why. Here is what we all ate:

Mom- Appetizer Sampler (Tri Tip, Chicken, Ribs and Fries)
Dad- Oak Pit Burger and Fries
Ashley- Oak Pit Burger with Cheese, Avocado and Bacon and Fries
Melissa- Spencer Steak with Beans and Salad
Shelby- Pulled Pork Sandwich with Fries and Cole Slaw
Ryan- Pulled Pork Sandwich with Fries and Potato Salad

Ok so this place really had me thrown for a loop, they brought out garlic bread served with salsa and then what appeared to be a crudite' which was pickles, olives, carrots and celery. That was very strange to me, Shelby and Melissa both got salad and the salads were good. Typical house and Cesar salads but fresh and good. My Mom started off with a cup of Corn Chowder which was ok, I didn't really care for it. We weren't waiting long for our food to arrive which was good because I get really impatient when that happens. Dinner came out quick and it was time to start eating. Everyone enjoyed their food except for Ryan he didn't really care for the pulled pork. My burger was good, I am really not into beef burger I prefer turkey but that burger was alright with me. Melissa's Spencer steak was good! I would have liked it served with mashed potato's or something instead of the beans. My Dad was satisfied with his burger, and my Mom liked her food too. Over dinner we laughed about so many memories we all have of and with each other. When its just my Mom, Dad and my sisters is when I feel the best! I couldn't have asked for a better family and support system. My Dad doesn't really like to go out and eat so getting him out was a treat and I know he enjoyed himself. All in all dinner was great! The bill came to about $106.00 which isn't bad for 6 people and the tip was included. After dinner they bought out a mini chocolate cake and we all sung happy birthday to my dad. Of course this cake was small enough for one person, but we made it work and everyone was able to get a bite. This cake was DELISH, very moist inside and very chocolaty! It would have been even better with ice cream but they don't serve ice cream. I don't think I'll be going back to Santa Maria BBQ, because they are missing the BBQ. I can go just about anywhere and get a good burger but it will hold my Dad's 57th birthday as a memory for me. If you would like to get in the "Wednesday Dinner" car or have any suggestions, drop me a line ashleymarie729@gmail.com. In closing I would like to talk about my Dad: I have always held my Dad dear to my heart and have always said that I want a man just like my Dad. My Dad is smart, caring, loving, honest and humble. He has always taught me to do the right thing and not get caught up in things are people. He has always been there for me and I am so proud to be his daughter or "Charlies Angel". I love you Dad! Until next week I'm outtie 5000-Always Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 12/2/09

Hey everyone, I know I've been gone for a while but do to the holiday I took a little vacay from blogging. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and know that you should be thankful everyday not just on Thanksgiving, so with that being said let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. This week was a special dinner, I spent it with both of my sisters Melissa and Shelby. It is extremely rare that we are all together during the week, but this week it clearly worked in our favor. I decided to go to one of our favorite places that just became our favorite recently, we had dinner at "Tender Greens" (http://www.tendergreensfood.com/). Tender Greens is located in the heart of downtown Culver City on Washington, its tucked away and if your not familiar with the area or the restaurant you might pass it up. It has a very hip and up to date style about its self, with tables inside and outside its the perfect place to eat all year round. I love this place because the food is good, healthy, and they serve beer and wine and you can also bring your own bottle of wine with you if you like. Shelby and Melissa also loves this place, its very reasonable and according to Shelby "A cute place for a first date". So here is what we ate:

Ashley & Shelby: Hot Plate (Chipotle BBQ Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, & Cesar Salad)
Melissa- Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

Last night Tender Greens was crowded inside and appeared to be getting crowded outside, but luckily it wasn't to cold outside last night and we were able to get a table right under a heater. Over dinner my sisters and I just laughed and joked like we always do when we are together, but it was also a time to congratulate Shelby on getting her first college acceptance letter! I am soooooooo very proud of her and happy to see her moving forward in her education. And of course in true Stephens girl fashion once the seriousness was done is right back to joking. After I got off Shelby it was time to get on Melissa (just for a minute), I was joking with her because this weekend her and her boyfriend are celebrating they're 1 year anniversary (LAME)! just kidding, I am very happy for my sister because I know that she is extremely happy in her relationship so "I wish you guys many more anniversaries and hopefully there will be a wedding soon". Then I had to get back on Shelby, this little girl loves potatoes! She can eat potatoes all day everyday, I mean and she likes them every way possible (french fries, mashed potatoes, baked potato, hash browns, steamed potatoes). She kept eyeing my potatoes asking me if I was full, and mind you she still had hers on her plate. She is too funny when it comes to potatoes. Now back to dinner, Tender Greens is set up cafeteria style when ordering and paying for your food (order first, pay second, and get the food third) so at the time I ordered my food I also ordered dessert:

Aztec Brownie

I only got one because I figured we would all be so full from dinner and the brownie was a pretty nice size for my sisters and I to share. This brownie was so moist and chocolaty! OMG DELISH!!!!!!! It had a hint of cinnamon in it and it was topped with powdered sugar, all I really needed was a cold glass of Milk and it would have been perfect. But since I didn't have any Milk and I had to share it two other ways it was good for what it was. All in all dinner was great, any time I can spend with my two sisters is great for me. If you would like to join the "Wednesday Dinner" club or have any suggestions drop me a line ashleymarie729@gmail.com. In closing I would like to talk about control. Control is defined as: restraint; authority. Control is something we all need to have over ourselves and our lives, however you should not want to control what someone else does or says. That is a form of a major insecurity, because when you think about life and what we go through you can never ever control what someone else does, says, or thinks about you. All you can do is control you. Until next week, Ya'll come back now- Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 11/18/09

Good Morning my loves! I hope you all are doing well and in a good mood, I know I am. Anyway this weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was wack, I was stood up by my cousin (Shame on him). My plans where to have dinner with my cousin Marc but for some reason Marc was double booked helping my cousin Mikey move into his apartment yesterday. So I was left to fin for myself, which was fine but the only problem was I had no clue of what I wanted to eat. I had waited so long to eat I was starting to get irritated and get a headache. Anyone who knows me knows you don't play with my food or my money! I was going back and forth with what I wanted to eat, I didn't want to drive far but I wanted something good. Sheesh I know I was all over the damn place. So after much thinking I decided to go to good old "El Pollo Loco" (http://www.elpolloloco.com/) and here is what I ate:

2 Taco's Al Caborn (Chicken)
1 Chicken Taquito
1 Loco Salad
Chips and Guacamole
2 Churros

I know that sounds like a lot of food and it probably is to most people, especially for one person to eat. But if you know me you know I'm greedy and there is a fat person that lives inside of me! I got all of that food for $7.02 WHAT! I know crazy right! Don't sleep on El Pollo Loco's value menu! I went inside to order my food and I have no idea why the hell I did that because this El Pollo Loco was PACKED! There were parents and kids all over the place and it seemed like it took about 10 minutes for me to get my food. They where just really going thru it over there. So I just bought me food home, tore it down and it was a wrap. All in all the food was good, the best part for me was the Churros (YUMMY)! If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" ride or have any suggestions get at me ashleymarie729@gmail.com. In closing I would like to talk about CHOICES. A choice is defined as: the act of choosing, the right to choose. In life we all make choices some good and some bad. However at a certain age in your life you have to make a effort to make only good choices. Recently I found out that someone I once loved and cared a lot for made the ultimate bad choice. I felt so bad and wanted to try my hardest to help, fix or make it better. However what it boils down to is a "Choice" that that person made and now has to live with it. Never let anyone choose for you, and make sure the choices you make in your life are choices you can live with. At the end of the day one bad choice can bring a lifetime of unhappiness. Think about it! Until next week Cheerio- Ash

Wednesday Dinner 11/11/09

Goooood Morning! I am so well rested its ridiculous! I went to bed at 9pm, which is a first for me in a long time. Anyway I hope you all are doing well and are looking forward to something positive in your life. This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was all about reflections, inspirations, friends and family. This week I was on a solo tip, for the simple fact that this week marks my 20th blog! Which means I have been blogging and doing dinners for 20 weeks, that's crazy. I am so glad to be consistent with this and thanks to all the people who have and are following my blog, and I can't forget about all the people this far that I've had dinner with (thanks to you guys too). This is just the beginning and there is plenty more to come! So let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. I was so on the fence with what I wanted to eat because I couldn't figure out what I had a taste for. So yesterday I was in limbo with that for a long time, after I left work I stopped by my Uncle Mickey's house (Brittany & Mikey's Dad) because my cousin Mark was babysitting my God Daughter Skye (Dominick's Daughter). I was excited to see her and she was excited to see me! I hadn't seen her in a minute, so it was good to see my little baby. She is getting so big and talking so well at 3 years old! She is HILARIOUS and of course oh so dramatic, bouncing of the walls, screaming, playing and I guess clearly being a kid ( I love her). After I was there for a while my cousin Brittany came by followed by Uncle Mickey and then Mikey came home. It was so good to see my family, I spent a little more time and then I peaced out. On my way home I was holding a very interesting conversation with my best friend Tiffany and I swear, we have a relationship that only the two of us understand. She told me she was waiting for her daughters father to get a hair cut, so I decided to pop up on her. But the funny part is she saw me before I could surprise her. So we chit chatted for about 30 minutes and then I went home. When I got home I was still undecided with what I wanted to eat, so I pitter pattered around the house for a minute and then it came to me. I decided I wanted to eat "Okie Dog". If you grew up in LA then you are familiar with "Okie Dog". Located on Pico down the street from Roscoe's. "Okie Dog" has been around forever, I was raised on the food there. It's one of my dad's favorite spots, so here is what I ate:

Pastrami Burrito (chilli, pastrami, cabbage, bell peppers, onions and I get mine with cheese)
French Fries

"Okie Dog" is one of those neighbor classic places, and unfortunately they don't have a website. They have all kids of good, greasy and fatty foods. From chilli cheese hot dogs and fries, burgers, teriyaki bowls all kinds of stuff. When you go inside they have pictures of all the Famous people who have stopped by. As much as I love "Okie Dog" I would never eat my food there, its not located in one of the safest neighborhoods. I was so hungry that I ate most of my fries on the way home, the one thing I do love about "Okie Dog" is that the food is so hot that by the time I got home is was still warm. The burrito is HUGE and big enough for two people, of course I only ate half of mine and it was DELISH to the last bite. Most people wouldn't eat all of that stuff together in a burrito but I say "Don't knock it until to try it". After eating that I was extremely full and ready to call it a night. But I had a taste for something sweet, so I decided to go to "Lucy's" and get a Strawberry Malt. OMG so good! Lucy's is another neighborhood classic if you grew up in LA! So after that it was lights out for your girl. All in all dinner was DELISH my day and time was well spent. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" order form drop me a line ashleymarie729@gmail.com. In closing I would like to just say THANK YOU again to everyone who reads and supports my blog. To all of those who have experienced "Wednesday Dinner" and to all of those who are going to experience "Wednesday Dinner". You guys are the BEST and the support is so appreciated, please spread the word and tell people to tell people to check out my blog. On that note, until next week See ya- Ashley.

Wednesday Dinner 11/4/09

Good Morning!!!!! This day light savings time change really has me on one! It seems like I'm ready for bed by 8pm (CRAZY)! I hope you all are having a positive and prosperous week so far and are looking forward to the weekend! This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was another special one. I think I mentioned this before but my sister Shelby and my cousin Taelor are 10 days apart. My mom and my cousin Chanel (Taelor's mom) were prego at the same time (Hilarious). So last nights dinner was all about my Tootie aka Taelor. For some reason Shelby and Taelor were so excited to be turning 17, for what reason I am not sure I don't remember any big perks that came when I was 17 but that was a whole different time back then. Anyway Chanel and Taelor's dad put together a "Family gathering" last night and so let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. We all met last night at Taelor's Great grandmother's house for dinner, her great grandma's house is the meeting/party place for their family most of the time. It is such a wonderful feeling to see that both of Taelor's great grandparents are in good health! The party was suppose to start at 6:30pm-7pm-ish, but you know how we do sometimes. The house was filled with cousins, Aunt's, Uncles and close family friends. Taelor is a very picky eater and has always been since she was a child! I remember babysitting her and this kid wouldn't eat and when she got older her pickiness went to a whole different level. Now that she's older, when she finds something she likes she likes it! Her favorite foods are Chipotle, Wing Stop, Burger King and Panda Express. So I knew we were going to have at least one of those for dinner last night, and the winner was Panda Express ( http://www.pandaexpress.com/). We ate:

Fried Rice
Chow Mein
Broccoli & Beef
Orange Chicken
Steamed Rice

You can never really go wrong with food from Panda, so I was pleased. I didn't know that Panda Express has "Chili Paste" its really good! It gives a little kick and spice to the food. Over dinner I sat with the "Kids" (hahaha) and they are HILARIOUS! I remember being 17 but I don't remember being that grown. loud or excited about weird things. All of Taelor's friends are funny, they keep me laughing! They have all this crazy slang and funny phrases about everything. Of course they always make fun of me because I look they're age and I'm older than them (they really get a kick out of that). Its so funny watching Taelor with her friends because I have watched her grow up and also some of her friends, so that has me feeling a little old. After dinner it was time to get into the cake and ice cream (Ice cream and cake do the ice cream and cake). I love that commercial!. Chanel (Taelor's mom) has a thing with cake, every cake they get is from Hansen's Bakery ( http://www.hansencakes.com/). Chanel got Taelor a small round cake and 2 dozen cupcakes, I believe the cake was Marble filling and the cupcakes where chocolate, vanilla, and marble (So YUMMY) and fresh I love cupcakes and ice cream. Of course you she didn't forget the ice cream! Taelor's favorite ice cream is Vanilla! After cake and ice cream it was time for Taelor to open her gifts and she got some pretty cool things! I think she was most excited about "DJ Hero" for her Wii, she was grinning from ear to ear. Dinner was great, there where good laughs, family, friends, food and pictures. If you would like to get on the "Wednesday Dinner" blog or have any suggestions drop me a line ashleymarie729@gmail.com . In closing I would like to say a few things about Taelor; I have watched here grow up and still find it so heard to believe that she is 17 and this time next year she will be in college. Its amazing because her and Shelby are the 2 kids that I've actually watched grow up (literally). I am so proud of her and she always makes me laugh and smile when I see her. I am mostly grateful for her because of the relationship that her and Shelby have! They are truly connected in a way that only the 2 of them understand. I want to say thank you Taelor and I love you!!!! Until next week Tata for now-Ashley

Wednesday Dinner 10/28/09

Good Morning, I hope everyone is feeling good! I know I am (Woohoo). This weeks "Wednesday Dinner" was a little random but good non the less. It first started with me going to see Michael Jackson's "This Is it", let me say this about the movie; if you are a HUGE Michael Jackson fan I would encourage you to see if but if your like me and your just a fan of his music I wouldn't waste my time or money. In my opinion it seemed very weird watching it, I won't give away the details of the movie but I could've waited until it came out on DVD personally. So after I saw the movie I was wondering what the hell I was going to eat. My original plans were to have dinner with 2 of my big homies Chris and Deon but we had to reschedule. So my homegirl Tati put me on blast yesterday on facebook asking me what was for dinner, but she wasn't able to come out either. So I had to think of something quick, I remembered my boy Chris had my Tshirt he bought back from New York for me so I figured let me go get my Tshirt and we can have dinner too. So let the "Wednesday Dinner" story begin. Chris and I haven't hung out since the summer time so it was good seeing him and catching up, although he lives on the other side of town (Haha). Since I was going to pick up my Tshirt it didn't make since to drive all the way to Hollywood and come right back so I figured we could grab something quick to eat and then traffic would die down by the time I was ready to leave. I had been having a taste for Roscoe's for about a week, so Roscoe's it was! ( www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com/) Chris doesn't live to far from the Roscoe's in Hollywood on Gower so it was all good, here is what we had:

Ashley- Eclipse and E- 3 Wings, Grits, One egg & a biscuit (but I was get 2 eggs with cheese)
Chris-Heineken and Country boy- 3 Wings and a Waffle

Our waitress was pretty cool she did her job and didn't make any mistakes and plus everyone knows Roscoe's isn't known for their customer service! Although the waitress did hook me up with 4 wings instead of 3 got to love that. Over dinner Chris and I did a lot of catching up, Chris is an aspiring Director working in the industry on a new pilot show but has been on his grind working on sets for about a year. I can see huge difference in him since we first met. He recently got a promotion at work and I could tell he's a lot happier now. Chris has this infectious smile that can light up any room and its also contagious you can't help but smile when he does. Over dinner we talked about so much, from work, life, family, and relationships. He had me cracking up when he was sharing his relationship break up with me (HILARIOUS) but hey people break up every day so that's really nothing new. I also shared with him something that he didn't know about me which was also pretty funny (my break up story), so all in all dinner was good. I want to wish Chris the best of luck on his career move, I see you shinning boy! Keep up the good work! Usually I do dessert after dinner, but after eating at Roscoe's I didn't have a taste for anything sweet which is odd for me because my sweet tooth is always in full effect. But little did I know I would get a sweet visit from my BooBoo, when I got home he came and hung out with me for a while and there were hugs and kisses all around (thanks BooBoo). So all in all my night ended great! If you would like to be on the "Wednesday Dinner" hit list or have any suggestion drop me a line ashleymarie729@gmail.com . In closing I want to talk about something one of my friends told me, he said and I quote "You sound so hurt in your blogs, like a women scorned". So not true but at a certain time that was a true statement. At the time when I started this blog I was in a good place and every day things keep getting better and better. I have let go of things and people that were not good for me or to me and have reconnected with people who are good to me and things that are good for me. I was just getting tired of giving and not getting so I had to do something about it and when I started to change and grow certain things just didn't feel right anymore. So let me say this to me dear friend "I am fine and doing much better, although some days might be better than others I am getting through everything the best way I know how. I am done hurting and fighting and I am being the best me because the best is coming to me". Until next week Bon Jour-Ashley!