Author Archives: Emily | Bites & Pieces

Beach gear must haves

Posted in Gifts & Gadgets by

Doesn’t it seem strange that Memorial Day weekend is upon us?  It seems really early this year.  We’re headed to the Jersey shore to hang out with some good friends and have a little barbecue.  Since this weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, I thought I’d share some super cool beach gear that I didn’t know existed, but I really must have!  Also, a big thanks to all the men and women of the Armed Forces who have given so much for this country!  It’s a bit early, but have a great holiday weekend!

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1.  Sunnylife Beach Sounds Radio // Bloomingdales // $39.99 (on sale!)

2.  Travel Vault // Wayfair // $19.42

3.  Clearly Cool Plastic Beach Set // Echo // $38

4.  Beach Bocce Ball // Sea Turtle Sports // $115

5.  Red Pop-Up Cooler // Sachi // $32.99

Best ever banana chocolate chip muffins

Posted in Food & Drink by

GoBananas

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had grossly over-ripe bananas hanging out on your counter, left to die a slow and painful death. I’m with ya, in fact last night I finally decided to do something about it as I just couldn’t watch them suffer any longer. Turns out, over-ripe bananas make the best muffins. With a little help from a tried-and-true Food & Wine recipe, I whipped up a batch of the best ever banana chocolate chip muffins I’ve ever had. It was super easy and as luck had it, I had all of the ingredients on hand. You seriously need to try these!

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Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients //
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 6)
3 large eggs
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus a few extra!)

Directions //
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper or foil liners. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, melted butter, bananas and eggs; mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.  **Important note: I only baked my muffins for 24 minutes as they were already golden brown and I didn’t want them to dry out!  Keep an eye on yours and plan accordingly.

Enjoy!

3 etiquette tips I just learned

Posted in Odds & Ends by

Full disclosure: I am not an etiquette expert. I just stumbled upon these three interesting etiquette tips and thought they were worth sharing.

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Making an Introduction:

When introducing someone, you should always say their name first and their relationship to you second.  That way, you spotlight the person–not their connection to you.

Wrong: “This is my husband, Jay.”
Right: “This is Jay, my husband.”

Wine Etiquette:

While taking a sip, you should politely look into your glass. (And not at another person, if you’re in the middle of a conversation.)

Dinner Etiquette:

When you are finished with your meal, your knife and fork should be placed on your plate diagonally from upper left to lower right (11 to 5 if you imagine your plate as a clock face). This is a secret code to the waiter (or host) that you’re finished.

 

 

Date night

Posted in Travel & Philadelphia by

Philadelphia boasts numerous offbeat indoor/outdoor events and activities all spring/summer long.  With so much going on in this city, you’d think it would be easy to plan the perfect date.  Just the other day I Googled “date ideas in Philadelphia” and I have to say I was pretty underwhelmed with the results.  Some of the search results were just plain lame, while others on the opposite end of the spectrum, seemed like grand affairs.  As a general rule, I believe a good date involves food/drinks/fun (and not necessarily in that order).  Here are 5 date ideas that involve just the right amount of planning – not too lame and not too over-the-top.  Oh, and did I mention these ideas are friendly on the wallet as well (bonus)!

1.  Cheesesteaks & Garage

Casual
If you live in this city, contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually eat cheesesteaks on a regular basis.  Spend your evening in South Philly at two of Passyunk’s finest – Pat’s King of Steaks and Garage.  Pick up a “wiz wit” and head over to Garage where they happily allow you to BYO cheesesteak.  Garage has a great beer list, loud music and skee ball and a pool table.  That’s right, they have skee ball, enough said.

Pat’s King of Steaks // 1237 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia
Garage // 1231 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia

2.  BYOB & Beers

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Modo Mio is a casual, regional Italian BYOB offering up the Turista menu, 4 courses for just $35.  After dinner, head down the street to Frankford Hall and grab a few German brews while you lounge in their outdoor beer garden.

Modo Mio // 161 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia
Frankford Hall // 1210 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia

3.  Cook/La Cucina at the Market

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Cook by Audrey Claire and La Cucina at the Market offer cooking demos and dinner to eager Philadelphia phoodies.  Both are on the pricier side and can be difficult to secure as they tend to sell out super fast.  This date requires more advance notice than the others but are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

Cook //  253 S 20th St, Philadelphia
La Cucina at the Market  // Reading Terminal Market, 51 N 12th St, Philadelphia

4.  Dim Sum & Karaoke

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In Chinatown you’ll find 2 hot spots perfect for a group date.  First, BYO to Dim Sum Garden and indulge in loads of freshly made dumplings.  Side note: Do not miss their signature soup dumplings…nom, nom!  After dinner, and presumably a few drinks, you’ll be ready to belt out some tunes at Yakitori Boy.  If you make advance reservations, you can affordably reserve a private karaoke room for 6 guests and showcase your best Celine Dion!

Dim Sum Garden // 1020 Race St, Philadelphia
Yakitori Boy //  211 N 11th St, Philadelphia

5.  Mini Golf & Radicchio

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Head over to Franklin Square in Old City and battle it out on the mini golf course.  A little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right?   Afterwards, head a few blocks north to Radicchio Cafe, a cozy BYOB that serves up a mean grilled calamari salad (pictured).

Franklin Square Mini Golf // N 6th & Race St, Philadelphia
Radicchio Cafe // 402 Wood St, Philadelphia (4th & Vine)

What’s your favorite date night in Philly?

Happy trails to you, until we meet again…it’s Friday

Posted in Food & Drink, Odds & Ends by

If you’re a blog aficionado, then I’m guessing today’s post will probably look familiar to you.  I’m starting a new series called “Friday Five”.  As a news junkie and communications choreographer (thanks Lindsay A. for allowing me to borrow this moniker) I’m constantly scouring the web for interesting, informative and thought-provoking content to add to my arsenal of conversation starters.  Here are some of the cool stories I’m reading today.  Have a nice weekend!

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1.  3 Easy Water Infused Recipes // A Beautiful Mess

2.  11 Things You Didn’t Know About Lucky Charms // Thrillist

3.  Best Airport Food Across the U.S. // Delish/Food & Wine

4.  Red Velvet Cake: A Classic, Not a Gimmick // New York Times

5.  How to Win Reservations and Influence Waiters by David Chang // GQ

 

What are you reading today?

 

iPhone art

Posted in Gifts & Gadgets by

If you’re like me, your iPhone is constantly by your side.  Being that I spend so much time with my phone, I felt the time had come for a phone cover upgrade.  Earlier today I set out to discover some really amazing and eye-catching designs.  Take a peek at these beauties.  Side note: Society6 has a really large, super stylish collection.

HelloHello  Agate  SheBelievedSheCould  BandoHeart

StopMakingExcuses  Bonjour  Frenchie  JonAdler

BandoConfetti  PressedFlowers  ShopBop  PaintStrokes

Top Row – L to R: Hello Hello // Agate // She Believed She Could // Stripes/Neon Pink Heart

Middle Row – L to R: Just Do Things // Bonjour // Frenchie // Architectural Borders

Bottom Row – L to R: Dottie // Pressed Violas // Yang // Paint Strokes

 

International food rules even Bourdain abides by

Posted in Food & Drink, Travel & Philadelphia by

Vodka

Did anyone see the new Bourdain episode this week?  The one where he meets up with Zamir in Russia and they throw back shot after shot of vodka together?  Bourdain, who has no reservations (pun intended) about drinking may not just be obliging drinking buddy Zamir.  Turns out, it’s very bad etiquette to turn down (or mix) vodka in Russia.  Want to know other fascinating etiquette tips that will save you from awkward situations and potentially help you make friends?  Check out these 15 international travel etiquette tips from CNN, published by Budget Travel.

1.  In Thailand, don’t put food in your mouth with a fork.

2.  In Japan, never stick your chopsticks upright in your rice.

3.  In the Middle East, India and parts of Africa, don’t eat with your left hand.

4.  At a traditional feast in Georgia, it’s rude to sip your wine.

5.  In Mexico, never eat tacos with a fork and knife.

6.  In Italy, only drink a cappuccino before noon.

7.  In Britain, always pass the port to the left — and remember the Bishop of Norwich.

8.  In France, don’t eat your bread as an appetizer before the meal.

9.  In China, don’t flip the fish.

10.  In Italy, don’t ask for parmesan for your pizza — or any other time it’s not explicitly offered.

11.  Don’t eat anything, even fries, with your hands at a meal in Chile.

12.  In Korea, if an older person offers you a drink, lift your glass to receive it with both hands.

13.  Never mix — or turn down — vodka in Russia.

14.  When drinking coffee with Bedouins in the Middle East, shake the cup at the end.

15.  In Brazil, play your tokens wisely.

Read the full article here, for the insightful back story on each of these rules.

Enjoy!