Eggs Benedict on a Budget

The McDonald's Egg McMuffin is essentially a variation of eggs benedict. It was created by Herb Peterson, a McDonald's franchisee, in 1972 as a "poor man's version" by replacing the hollandaise with a slice of American cheese. So if you are having a craving for eggs benedict, munching on the McMuffin in it's "natural" state is perfectly acceptable. However if you want a more traditional version of eggs benedict, just follow these easy steps.

1. Order the Egg McMuffin.
2. Ask for a small container of breakfast sauce (the sauce that they put on the bagel sandwiches - it's hollandaise) and a knife and fork
3. Find a booth and start assembling
4. Take the top off the sandwich
5. Pour/scoop the breakfast sauce onto the sandwich
6. Dash a little black pepper on top if desire
7. Eat and enjoy!

I love Eggs Benedict, I hate every other kind. - Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) from Runaway Bride

Got my insides out, and it feels all right.

I just got back from seeing Anni Rossi and Kaisercartel at the Vaudeville Mews! I was really excited that two of my favorite acts from 80/35's past were going to be playing together. Anni Rossi was great of course and the audience really liked her. She actually remember me from 80/35 which was cool.

It was a lot of fun to see Kaisercartel again. The duo formed of Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel are best described as emo's with sunny dispositions. Their album march forth is one of my favorites. They have an indy/folk pop sound that is just makes you feel kind of good when you listen to it. Two of their songs - Inside Out and Favorite Song - are going to be on the new HBO show Bored To Death.

As well as the old favorites, they also played some songs from their new album Rock Island which will be out in October. It's available for pre-order on their website www.kaisercartel.com where you can also check out lots of band info.

Get Your Foodie On

It's the beginning of the second annual Des Moines Restaurant Week! It runs from August 21st to August 30th and is a good way to check out some of DSM's posh restaurants. For $25 you can either split a lunch with a friend or treat yourself to a three course dinner. You can check out a list of participating restaurants and get other info at DSM Magazine. To kick things off I made a list of some of my favorite eateries.

1. Simo's Cafistro in Valley Junction

Simo's serves wonderful Cajun food. The menu includes appetizers such as escargot w/crawfish and scallops served over mashed potatoes and main courses such as black beans and rice, etouffee, swordfish, and stuffed porkchop. My personal favorite is the sashimi tuna which is a common nightly special. There is live music on the weekends for you to enjoy with your sangaria.

2. Miyabi 9 in East Village

Miyabi 9 has the best sushi ever! My favorites are the Captain Crunch and the Miami Heat rolls. I also enjoy the sashimi plate and maki icecream. It has a bigger kitchen that dinning area so I recommend getting there a bit early to make sure to get a seat right away so that you don't have to wait.

3. La Mie on 42nd Street

Whether you just want to grab a pastry on your way to work or enjoy a meal, Le Mie always makes you feel a little bit special. Some of my favorite things at this French bakery are the chocolate pitachio rolls, carmel pecan rolls, and avocado tarrine.

4. Teacups and Tiaras in Valley Junction

This girly tearoom is a great place to visit when you're in the mood for a light lunch. Take your mom here when she visits...she'll love it. The Mediterranean quiche and almond soup are my favs and the owner is a delight.

5. Mezzodi's on Fleur Drive

Located near the Fleur Cinemas this is a great place to go if your in the mood for dinner and a movie. The homemade pasta dishes are fabulous. My picks are the pear and toasted walnut salad and the chicken piccata. The service here is also wonderful.

6. The Gateway Market on MLK

I love the soups and lobster roll sandwich. It's also one of my favorite brunch places. Hands down the best eggs benedict in Des Moines.

7. El Patio on 37th

This slightly hidden gem is my favorite Mexican restaurant. The high quality ingredients make this stand above chains such as Chi Chi's. I enjoy the chicken enchiladas, tacos, and chimichanga and the fried icecream is a perfect way to end any meal.

A Rockin' July 4th at 80/35

I had a great Independence Day at the second annual 80/35 Music Festival! (The only bad news I have to report is that is seems that there is an epidemic of males that are dressing like the Jonas Brothers. Guys, the skinny jeans and poofy hair doesn't even look that good on them. Stop...Please!) The weather was overcast all day but with no rain so it keep things cool...which was great because I spent the whole day.

The Des Moines Social Club made a nice pit stop between shows. They had local musicians playing in their Sideshow Lounge and cupcake shots in the main room. It was a great place to find a spot to sit to rest your feet or eat your spam sushi (the food vendors were excellent). It also had bathrooms with flushing toilets and sinks for washing up:)


The music of course was awesome! I started out the day with folk-rockish Anni Rossi. The only instrument that she use other than her voice was the viola. The highlight was her hauntingly beautiful cover of the Ace Of Base song "Living in Danger." I won't have realized it was of cover of the 90's song if she hadn't told us. I also enjoyed "Machine" and "Wheelpusher."

We listen to a little bit of Baby Teeth who were okay before we moved onto local band Beati Paoli who were quite enjoyable. I'm not quite sure how to describe their music but it had elements of punk, rock, and new wave. I have a feeling that we'll be seeing a lot of them. I already plan on stopping by next time they play show.

Beati Paoli was followed by Miss Derringer which ended up being my favorite act of the day. I guess you would call them punk/country. They had honky-tonk lyrics with a vintage rock sound and reminded me a lot of Blondie. They were a lot of fun to watch and the lead singer Liz McGrath was very nice and autographed my CD for me. It looked like they had a really good time at 80/35 as well. I keep seeing them walking around the festival eating food, drinking beer, and listening to the other bands.



Miss Derringer is currently touring with Girl In A Coma who playing shortly after them. They had a really great punk rock girl band sound to them which reminded me of the Breeders and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They're signed with Joan Jett's label Blackheart Records which totally suits them.

Later we listen to local darlings Cleo's Apartment (who remind me a lot of British band Morcheeba), Margot and the Nuclear So & Sos, and Maximilian Eubank before joining the large crowd of Envy Corp fans. The local band has toured with the Killers and had one of their songs featured in the movie "Run Fat Boy Run." They hit a little bit of red tape with their first full album but they have a new one coming out under their own record label, Tempo Club. I usually describe them as a less depressed Radiohead. They had a huge audience and said that they hoped to play the main stage next year. I ended up twisting my ankle while watching them so I can now claim that I was injured at a rock concert:) You can read an article about the band here.

The night ended with a fireworks show to celebrate the holiday. I had a lot of fun can't wait 'till next year's fest. You can get some more info at the offical website www.80-35.com

Vacation Pictures of Omaha Part Deux

While in Omaha I also visited the Old Market. It's kind of like an expanded version of Des Moines East Village. I really enjoyed the Soul Desires Bookstore, the french bakery, and the art gallery that featured Eva Aeppli's scultures (made from sewed silk and then bronzed). It was a lovely place to spend the whole day.

Happy Birthday!

Yes, I am another year older as of last Wednesday.  My sister made me the pillow pictured to the left.  It's pretty cute and matches my couch too!  The button in the middle of it has a chandelier on it.  I also got a really nice neckless from my parents.

I got some freebees for my birthday as well.  If you sign up for the STAR 102.5's e-mail newsletter, you get a free lunch at Splash and a box of chocolates from Chocolate Storybook.  And if you get Sephora's Beauty Insider e-mails, you get a free lip gloss trio.

Vacation Pictures of Omaha

For this year's vacation I went to Omaha, NE.  Above is the pedestrian bridge that connects Iowa to Nebraska.  I didn't actually walk it myself (heights!) but I had fun talking lot of pictures of it.

This is the sign outside of Joe Tess Place a.k.a home of the best fish sandwich EVER! My dad use to take me here all the time when I was little and for sentimental reasons it was probably the part of my trip I was most looking forward to. Joe Tess Place was also on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network. Below are the before and after pictures (see it's a sandwich because there is a slice of bread at the bottom).













Omaha was pretty packed because of the college games (silly jocks) but we still made it to the zoo. We just made sure to go between games since the zoo is right next to the stadium. Omaha has one of the best zoos. I ended up taking a lot of "wild life" photos.

Foodies and Greeks

Saturday, I was such a foodie!  The Top Chef Tour Bus was in town at the Downtown Farmers Market.  This year Richard (season 4) and Jamie (season 5) came to Des Moines.  They autographed my cookbook right next to Dale and CJ's signatures (which I got last year).  Richard made ribs and Jamie made strawberry gazpacho.  In between shows, they had a Top Chef spin-the-wheel game you could play and if you got your answer right you won a prize.  I got a Top Chef slinky, key chain, fake tattoo, and mints.

The Farmer's Market was enjoyable as always.  I got a new book called Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman- West that I recommend to anyone that likes to frequent the farmer's markets.  It tells you what is in season and provides seasonal recipes.  Joining Buy Fresh, Buy Local is also a good way to keep up to date on what's in season and local product news.  Here's their link http://www.drake.edu/news/dbletter/buyfreshbuylocal/

Later I checked out the 2009 Greek Food Fair.  This annual event is a great way to try different Greek dishes such as souvlakia (shish kabob), spanakopita, keftedes, orzo, and baklava.  The baklava sells out fast so make sure you get their early if you're a fan of the pastry.  If you missed the Greek Food Fair but I've now made you hungry, check out Mythos Grill at 7450 Bridgewood Blvd in West Des Moines across from Costco near the Jordan Creek Mall. 

<

Big Hair Ball 2009!

It was time again for the Des Moines Art Center's bi-annual Big Hair Ball.  This time around the theme was "Glam Revolution."  The glitter was everywhere!  

The doors were guarded by ladies with painted on fishnets and brightly colored toy guns.  Inside Techno music pounded while drinks and hors d'oeurves awaited. In addition to the usual hairstylists on hand (ready to make your hair big for you), there was also face painting and (faux) tattoos.  They had actual tattoo artists from Iron Heart Tatoo doing the inking, so you ended up with a gorgeous, intricate design on your arm, leg, etc.  I got an angel on my calf (see below).  

The main event was a runway show featuring different hair designs/sculptures from various local salons.  Each salon had their own theme such as "Revolution around the world" and "Charmed Revolt."  Atelier Hairspace's "Inner Beauty Revolution" also featured fashions from Smash.  This year burlesque dancers entertained between runways instead of drag queens.

Les Artistes

Lucky me, I got to spend my Friday night at a Santigold concert at Peoples!  I was so excited when I found out one of my favorite Indy artists was going to be in Des Moines.  Her debut CD is by far one of my favorite all time albums.  And also one of my most listened to... my poor CD case's hinges are just hanging on by a thread.

I spent my whole work day telling my co-workers about how raring I was to be going to the show that night (I hope everyone wasn't sick of me by the end of the day) and I was surprised that a lot of people didn't know her.  Well if you haven't heard of Santigold, you should give her a listen.  Musically she can't really be categorized.  She is part Hip-Hop, part New Wave, part Electronic and a little bit Punk.  She has had a few songs on the show Gossip Girl so if you watch that show you've probably heard her.

The concert was great!  The audience loved her.  She told the crowd that she had the choice of either coming to Des Moines or Chicago but she had never been the Des Moines before so she came here.  She also compared our capitol building to Paris which was kind of cool.  Hopefully she'll make it back here again:)

How to be a Not-So-Snobby Music Snob or How to Maintain a Rock-N-Roll Lifestyle in Des Moines, Iowa

1. Know your independent music.  Subscribe to Paste Magazine or Off The Radar.  Most of the bands that play Iowa are not the mainstream stuff that you hear on the radio or see on MTV (our hear in the background of an episode of The Hills or whatever).  This can be a good thing though.  A lot of independent artists tend to be very talented and actually enjoy what they do.   They're not in it for the money.
   
2. Go to Starbucks.  (It's okay.  We all do it.  It's nothing to be ashamed of...)  Every week they have a different "Pick of the Week"  free download from iTunes.  It gives you a chance to check out bands such as The Boxer Rebellion, Andrew Bird, and Airborne Toxic Event.  Plus they have some cool CDs for sale.
   
3. Check out locally owned music shops.  Go to Zzz Records and Homers to get local music and buy your vinyl.  
4. Visit live music venues such as Peoples and Vaudeville Mews.  Check out there websites or The Juice for a list of upcoming acts.  I just got my Santigold tickets the other day!
5. Stop by some of our local coffee houses.  Java Joes and The Ritual Cafe frequently have live music.  I have seen Brenda Weiler, The Honeybees, and Joan Jett at these places.
6. Go to the 80/35 Music Festival.  Kaisercartel autographed my CD for me last year and I can't wait to see who I get to mingle with this year. Flavor Flav (ewww!) is going to be here but not to worry there will be plenty of other cool artists.  Check out this year's line up at http://80-35.com/
7. Shop at Target.  Target sells CDs for up-and-coming artists for between $7.99-9.99.
   

Spring is in the Air (pictures by me)

The nice weather got me in the mood to take some photos.  These are pics from the garden behind the art center and the court yard at my apartment.  Enjoy!

The Black Maria Film Festival

In the winter of 1892, Thomas Edison and a few of his friends constructed the "Black Maria" or the world's first motion picture studio. And five years ago in 2004, I saw the Black Maria Film Festival for the first time.  I've gone every year since.  

The Black Maria features independent short films which range from meaningful documentaries to animation to the avant garde.  I've always enjoyed short films ever since I watched them on Nickelodeon as a kid when they used to show them as filler (remember Bambi Meets Godzilla). 

My favorite this year was Nora by Alla Kovgan which won Best of Festival Short subject.  Nora is a narrative/dance film shot in South Africa which is based on the childhood memories of the statuesque dancer Nora Chipaumire who was born in Zimbabwe.  I couldn't find any clips on Youtube but I did find this website http://www.movementrevolutionafrica.com/nora/

Another favorite was Ice Bears Of The Beaufort and the director Arthur C Smith attended to answer questions after the screening.  The film shows the healthy population of polar bears interacting in their natural habitat which is also the same place in Alaska that the government wants to drill for oil.  Hopefully that never happens.

If you want to know more about Black Maria you can check out their website www.blackmariafilmfestival.org

A Nervous Tic Motion

Andrew Bird is AWESOME!  I was lucky enough to win tickets to see him from 106.3 so I got some good seats.  Otherwise I probably would have ended up at the back of the balcony.  The place was packed and I'm pretty sure that the concert was sold out.  The audience was really enthusiastic which always makes a concert better of course.

The show opened with Swedish indy pop artist Loney Dear who was a complete delight and even got a standing ovation (as did Andrew Bird himself).  He was really nice and autographed my CD.  While he was signing my CD someone had asked if there were a lot of Ikeas in Sweden.  Silly American. (If you do want to know the answer to that question though...yes there are Ikeas but not on every street corner like Home Depot).

The kooky Andrew Bird puts on a very entertaining show.  It was fun to watch him switch from playing his violin to playing his guitar to playing his violin like a guitar to whistling to create the music for his songs.  The guy has got a lot of talent and has a truly unique and beautiful sound.  I would describe him as kind of a mixture of Damien Rice, Radiohead, and Jacob Golden with a splash of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western theme song. I would totally see him again.  Hopefully he'll make it back to the capitol soon.

The Best Things in Life...

Pinching pennies doesn't have to be boring.  It can actually be a lot of fun if it's done right.  I've put together a list of entertainment ideas in Des Moines and they won't cost you a dime.

1. Des Moines Art Center

One of the nations top art centers is here in Iowa.  Who knew?  Not only can you look at a bunch of famously beautiful art pieces from the likes of Warhol, O'Keefe, Butterfield, Bacon, Hopper, etc., but the Art Center is also host to several events that are free to the public such as The Black Maria Film Festival, Day of the Dead Celebration, artist lectures, and film series.  They currently have American Gothic which is so surreal to see up close.

2.  The Historical Center

Even if you're not a history buff, this is a fun place to check out and learn a bunch of cool facts about Iowa.  They host special displays from time to time such Iowa's Black History or the toy exhibit where I got to learn all about the slinky's shady past.

3. Listen to the Radio

...and sign up and win!  The local stations, such as 106.3 and 102.5, frequently offer chances to win free tickets to concerts and other rockin' local events.  Sure your odds of winning aren't always that high but I've got a couple Andrew Bird tickets that say it's worth a shot:)

4.  The Library

Instead of buying a book or renting a DVD, check them out at one of the local libraries.  It's free and if you decide you didn't like that overrated crime novel or boring romantic comedy, you're not out any cash.

5.  Go to the Park

Okay...it's a little cold right now but this is a good option once it finally decides to be Spring.  Spend the day hiking, people watching, having a picnic, or doodling in a sketch book.  Become one with nature.

And The Winner Is...

Oscar Sunday is just around the corner!  I think it was a good year for movies.  I haven't seen all the nominated movies yet but here are my picks...

P.S. Check out the Spirit Awards on Saturday night.  A real treat for the indie lover!

Picture of the Year - The Reader

Best Actor - Mickey Rourke(The Wrestler) or Richard Jenkins(The Visiter)

Best Actress - Melissa Leo(Frozen River)

Best Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger(The Dark Knight)

Best Supporting Actress - Marisa Tomei(The Wrestler)

Best Director - Stephen Daldry(The Reader)

Best Original Screen Play - Courtney Hunt(Frozen River) or Martin McDonagh ( In Bruges)

Best Adaptation - David Hare(The Reader)

Best Animated Feature - Kung Fu Panda

A Few of My Favorite Things

Here is a list of some of my favorite places (and mostly local) to spend your hard earned dough.  I also listed some of my favorite items from each.  I hope this inspires you!

1.  Porch Light Gifts in Valley Junction

Looking for some shabby-chic vintage decor?  Then this is the place to go!  If your looking for an inexpensive end table or lamp you can get one here that is cute, unique and cheap.  They also have a nice inventory of hats and caps which range in price from $20.00 to $30.00.  A perfect way to hide those bad hair days.  And their locally made soy candles are wonderful.

2. Eden in East Village

Do you feel pretty?  You will after you go here.  This lovely shop is a wonderful place to go to if your in the mood to pamper yourself or want to have a do it yourself spa day.  I love the Gilden Tree foot scrub and lotion...a must for tired feet.  And nothing makes you feel more feminine then Tocca perfume.  If it's a little out of your price range, you can now get the solid perfume for $30.00.

3. Gordmans - West Des Moines

If you like your clothes at Wal-mart prices but want better quality, then this is the place for you.  I love the dejableu jeans.  They are one of the few brands that actually fit right and they don't wear-out fast.

4.  Clarks Shoe Store - Jordan Creek Mall

I'll admit it.  I used to be a Payless Shoes addict.  It turns out though that spending $20.00 on a pair of shoes that you'll only wear once because their uncomfortable and fall apart isn't very cost-effective.  Clarks has shoes that are classic looking yet funky and good quality.  Sure they may cost more that said Payless shoes, but they last for years.  I have a two year old pair of boots that still look brand new.

5.  Barnes and Noble - West Des Moines

The inside of Barnes and Noble exists in a special dimension where time stands still and you don't realize it until you walk out of the door and find out that you have just spent four hours in the place.  "That's funny it didn't seem like I was in there that long?"

6. Eclectic Gourd - Valley Junction

The perfect place to find that wonderful campy knickknack from yesteryear.  This is were I got my little yellow casserole dish and my blue Jesus rug.

7.  Esty.com - the worldwide web

With a wide variety of venders specializing in handmade and vintage items, shopping here is a good way to support fellow starving artists and find that unique item for which you've been searching.  Plus you can locate local vendors to shop from or request custom items.  I love the steam-punk style jewelry that I got from Torque.