Market Under Glass Take 2

I would like to personally thank everyone who entered my contest for the Market Under Glass event next Thursday.

To have an unbiased giveaway, I enlisted the help of my friend Katelyn pick names out of a martini glass.



Congrats to Ohmommy from Classy Chaos.

Her response when I announced it on Twitter -

@allisonpeltz OMG!!!!! I was SO hoping to win because I need a date night w/the husband. YAY ME!!! This made my day... thanks Allison!

Glad I could make someone's Friday!

the one where I'm actually a cook

I roasted a chicken tonight.

Yes, you read that correctly, and we devoured it. I often share how I'm sometimes culinaryly challenged in any and all kitchens, but I changed that tonight. I selected this Ina Garten recipe and make my own little tweaks it to by asking others for their advice.

the unsuspecting dinner


Now, this post wouldn't be complete without a short video demonstrating how to actually prepare the chicken. I didn't make it that far. I started to wash it, remember that it was in fact a real chicken and not your typical breast or thigh, and I quickly became slightly freaked out that I was holding a whole bird in my hands.

And, yes, it's important to make sound effects when preparing your food.


ready for the oven


we killed it

Market Under Glass ticket giveaway

Next Thursday evening, I'll be returning to my serving days all for a good cause - Harvest for Hunger.

If you read any other Cleveland blogs, like Cleveland Foodie, Cleveland's a Plum or iCarabout, you might have heard about Market Under Glass event there and tried to have entered their contests.

From the Foodbank:
The need for food in the Cleveland community is increasing dramatically, as the Cleveland Foodbank’s more than 450 hunger centers report a 40 percent increase in the number of clients they are serving over this time last year. For every dollar donated to Harvest for Hunger, a hunger center can provide enough food for four nutritious meals

Well, if you are interested in supporting a local organization, consider purchasing tickets HERE to purchase tickets to the premier event for $85 each or $100 at the door. The event takes place on Thursday, April 22, from 6-9 p.m. at the Galleria at Erieview.

Want to join me? I'll be there with a group of my friends, serving you food from over 50 participating restaurants, drinking wine (when I'm not serving of course) and meeting all sorts of new people.

Plus, I get to check off being called a "celebrity server" off my bucket list. (Oh, how proud my mom will be when she reads this!)

If you would like to try your luck for the next week, enter to win a pair of tickets to the event, worth $200, on this little blog. Because we all love food, share what you would have as your last meal. My last meal would be chicken paprikash and a flourless cake with vanilla bean ice cream. I will pick the winner on Friday, April 16, so enter your last meal comment before then.

Do Not Playlist

If the BF and I ever decided to get married and host a traditional reception, there are several songs that will not be on the playlist. I will draft a separate "Do Not Playlist" contract if needed and if one of those songs are played, I'm not paying them. I don't care if the band/DJ tells me that these songs "really get the crowd moving," they aren't playing at any type of wedding function related to me.

Songs on my Do Not Playlist
Locomotion
Shout
Macarena
Electric Slide
Hokey Pokey
YMCA
Cha Cha Slide
C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)

And, no matter how many times my mom begs for the band or DJ to play it, there will be no Brick House by the Commodores.

I'm not sure when my dislike for this song started but it was kick-started this morning as it came on the radio when I was waking up from a great night of slumber. The LAST song I want to hear in the morning or at any wedding.



If you have been married or been to a lot of weddings like me, what are your favorite worst songs to be played?

Club Q - the hottest spot in Cleveland

On Friday, the BF surprised me with a pair of Cavs tickets. We didn't have any plans and it was beautiful weather, so we went and called our friends to buy tickets to join us for a night of Cleveland fun. We went downtown early to drink and eat before the game at the Panini's around the corner.

Before we went to the game, like all girls, my Erin asked me what I was wearing. My C.L.E Clothing Co. Cavs t-shirt of course!

See friends in Cavs gear.


Have you been to a Cavs basketball game lately?

What the hell are some of these women wearing? Based on what little clothing some girls were wearing, my friend and I were lovingly calling it Club Q instead of Quicken Loans Arena. Then, we began to dance in our seats as they walked by us.

Cut-out shirts? Short jersey knit dresses? Short cutoff jean shorts? Three inch hooker wannabe heels walking up and down steep stairs with chain link purses? All to an 8 p.m. Cavs game on a Friday night.

You know my hatred for these shirts


I get that it's a place to be seen, but do you really expect to catch a player's attention from your seat and go home with him?

In my opinion, it would make sense to wear a t-shirt to support your home team or a nice pair of jeans and casual shirt, but no, girls dress up like hookers on sunset.

Pretty woman anyone?

Have you been to a game lately? Do you notice the same trend?

spring is in the air

I've come to the conclusion that I've lost my drinking hat.

It's gone. I lost it somewhere between the years 2006 and 2008, immediately after college when my three nights out quickly turned to only one.

I lost the battle with vodka and tonic on Saturday night at my friends' wedding. Remember the couple we went and surprised in DC? Well, they came back from their tropical wedding and had their reception this past weekend. It was such a blast to see all my very old (and hilarious) group of friends from high school. Plus, the BF had the chance to meet some people that he has only heard about in the past.

What I don't have pictures of is the bride and me dancing in the bar to, what else, but Lady Gaga. I also don't have pictures of me almost falling in my platform shoes. I also didn't snap pictures of a girl who approached us after our amazing rendition of Bad Romance to tell us to delete all pictures of her. We didn't actually have any pictures with her, but she preceded to tell us she had a master's degree and wasn't the token the black girl to dance with. I still have no idea what she was talking about because a) I'm really losing my hearing and b) I was more focused on dancing like a complete idiot with my friends. (I'm pretty confident none of us can dance, not even a little.)

The married couple


Smashing the cake


Rocking out


Me with the bride


This kicks off wedding season for us. I am in two more weddings later in the summer, so there will be plenty of showers and bachelorette parties to write about in upcoming posts.

welcome to the block

Every time a new neighbor moves in whether it's a house or in the apartment across the hall, you always wonder what they will be like.

Will they be loud and people in and out until all hours of the morning?
Will they smoke weed and fill up the entire hallway?
Or will they be the quiet, passive neighbors who you never see?

All are good questions and I'm sure some of those, if not more, came to the minds of our neighbors when we moved in.

The BF has met two neighbors and I have only met one. (Something he is proud of to say the least.)

Last night he shared that the met the neighbors across the street and "apparently there are rumors about us."

Me: There are rumors about us?
BF: Oh yeah, I met the neighbors across the street. She knew some stuff already.
Me: Like what?!
BF: That we aren't married and have no kids.
Me: That's all true, plus you told the one neighbors that already. They just shared information.
BF: Well, she asked me other questions like "are we getting married and having kids?" And I told her, since we are already doing things backwards, we figured we'd pop out some kids and then get married.
Me: Anddddddd, they will probably never want to talk to us again.
BF: Oh no, they are super cool. I think we will get along fine.
Me: Why's that?
BF: Because she said, "Don't mind us, we both have mouths like truckers."

Do you think we will or won't fit in on the street? How do you size up your neighbors?