#99 Enjoy A Fall Picnic

I love the fall. The leaves start turning colors along branches and streets. The air starts to smell from the aroma of burning wood in fireplaces. We get to trade in our flip flops and bikinis for fuzzy boots and scarves. It’s the perfect medium between summer and winter. 

 

I started loving picnics after I fell in love with Yooooogi Bear!

 

While the weather’s warm, I love to enjoy the outdoors. Picnic’s are neat, because at their essence lie all of my favorite things: friends, family, the outdoors, and food. Now even though the warm weather is leaving us, we don’t necessarily have to pack up our blankets and picnic baskets. The fall is a fine time to indulge in this pastime. Here’s what you need to do: 

 

• Check the weather forecast. You don’t want to get rained on or anything. 
• The pool or public park don’t have the same appeal during the fall as they do in the summer. Try to find a scenic location with hills or a lake view. In Austin, my favorite place is Mt. Bonnell.
• FOOD! Some of my favorites include warm apple cider, hot cocoa, chili, soup, and pot pie. Put all of these goodies into an insulated lunch box or basket, and you’re good to go! The warmer your bellies are, the warmer your picnic will be! 
• Bundle up! Don’t forget your scarves, gloves, and hats. You don’t want to have to pack up early on account of the cold. 
• Lastly, get to going! Whether you’re driving, walking, or biking there, make sure that call all of your bff’s and make the trip together! The fellowship begins long before you ever actually start eating!

 

Make sure you don’t forget things like paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, silverware, and trashbags. While fall picnics are just as fun (if not more) as summer picnics, they do require a little more planning. Since the first day of winter begins on December 21st this year, you have exactly 21 days to have a true fall picnic! So, get out there and then tell me about it! What are you planning on bringing? Who are you inviting… the whole gang, or just you and that special someone? Where are ya’ll planning on going? Holla back at your girl, and enjoy making some memories 🙂

#78 Eat at Five Guys Burgers and Fries

OK. I know at this point you may be sick of the restaurant recommendations, but since a comment on my In-N-Out post mentioned Five Guys and a week later I got a flier in the mail for the brand new one on Guadalupe, I had to tell y’all about it.

I went last weekend to try out “Five Guys Burgers and Fries” to compare it to In-N-Out Burger, which I held in very high esteem. As I walked to the front door every window is covered in praising reviews. In fact, when you go inside, the whole place is decorated with good reviews. It’s no wonder then, that it is always busy there. This was the case when I went as well, on a Sunday afternoon.

I ordered a double cheeseburger…well they just call it a regular (the singles are “little”) with grilled onions and A-1 sauce. I got cajun fries (they have regular and cajun with spices), and a drink. All in all, it cost me like 10 bucks, which was a bit more than I expected, but so was the burger!

And oh, what a burger! It was so fresh and juicy. The patties were much bigger than I-N-O, so I could have gotten away with getting a single…not that I didn’t finish it anyway. The combination of meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato and sauce was impeccable. It was greasy, of course, but not overly greasy, just delicious.

You can watch the masters at work sizzling up the fresh patties just a few feet from the front counter. The operation is quite amazing. At first glance, it looks like about 20 people all cooking in a small space, but upon further examination I realized how important each one of their jobs was.

The portions are generous (especially on the fries, check out how many we had left over!), the price is right (all burgers are under $5 as far as I can remember), and it’s all trans-fat free!

Chase is overwhelmed by the Cajun fries

There are over 250,000 ways to order (they also have bacon burgers, veggie burgers, grilled cheese, and hot dogs). All of their toppings are free.

The fries are awesome as well. Very natural, cooked in peanut oil only. They are the long fat sticks variety, and come from only Idaho potatoes.

Bottom line: better than In-N-Out. And I wouldn’t kid you about that. You don’t want to miss this.

#75 Try Tofurkey

For picky eaters, the approaching holiday season can be an exciting, yet terrifying time. If you aren’t a big fan of meat, nuts, or vegetables (like myself) then you may be… um… screwed. Is it just me, or have any of you left the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table, and then proceeded to the nearest fast food restaurant to grab some french fries and a coke?

My mom and dad just tell me that I “don’t know how to appreciate fine dining.” Whatever. I usually try to make a meal out of some of the sides like macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes and marshmallow casserole (hold the nuts please), and homemade rolls.

When I was in high school, my parents introduced me to tofurkey in an attempt to end my fast food trips after holiday dinners. In essence, it’s a loaf of tofu (soybean protein) with stuffed with bread or grains flavored to taste like real stuffing and turkey. I think it’s pretty good… it tastes better than a real turkey in my opinion. You may even like it if you aren’t a huge tofu fan.

So, chances are if you are a picky eater, you aren’t in to trying new things. BUT… really people, anything’s got to be better than McDonalds! Also, there are tons of health benefits to eating tofu. Click here to find out where to buy a tofurkey near you, or here to make your very own deep fried tofurkey (my personal favorite)! Whether you end up liking it or not, I promise you that substituting that same old, boring holiday bird for a trendy tofurkey will make for some lasting holiday memories! Enjoy!

 

 

PS: If you have nothing else to do, check out this great educational video on tofurkey!! 

#43 Eat at Jason’s Deli

A little sample of the greatness. Courtesy: Jasonsdeli.com

But you have to call it J-Del! This is someone that my roommates and I take part in weekly, and sometimes bi-weekly if possible! Jason’s Deli has been a huge part of my life throughout my three years in Austin and I am so greatful that it’s a chain so I can enjoy it when I move back to Dallas!

One of my favorite recommendations is the Turkey Wrap. I get it with a spinach tortilla, 86 the ranch, get the guac on the side, and if I do it for dinner, I’ll get veggies, but for lunch it’s always fruit. I’m even rather picky on the fruit because I always want pineapple and kiwi. It’s just so good!

Two of my roommates fancy the salad bar and my other roommate is all about the California Club. But recently, Alison and I have taken a different turn with the change in weather- and the slimmer amount of cash- and we go in for a cup of soup (usually broccolli cheese) and diet coke or sweet tea.

The best part of the whole J-Del experience is the aftermath! We go nuts when it comes to frozen yogurt-or ice cream. (We’re just not sure what it is exactly, but either way we don’t want to know the truth and get depressed!) Sometimes we will mix a little strawberry shortcake, banana pudding, chocolate mouse, or just some apples and honey. It is just delightful and leaves us full for hours!

I can’t rave enough about J-Del, but it has come to be apart of our lives. If we don’t go at least once, there are definitely some nasty moods to be dealt with!

So if you haven’t had the chance to hit up Jason’s, you need to! There’s a location in the Hancock Center off of Red River and 41st street.

See ya at the salad bar,