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bettyjoan

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Everything posted by bettyjoan

  1. bettyjoan
    Le sigh. It's hard not to lump this loss in with all of the others that came before...but I do think that this team, under this coach, has a ton of positives and will be really exciting to watch in seasons to come. Excited that next year will be my first as a season ticketholder.
  2. bettyjoan
    Mustard and sage grilled chicken Roasted asparagus with lemon-sage butter Can you tell that the sage in the garden is doing well?
  3. bettyjoan
    I have to respectfully disagree. I wouldn't have been at all surprised to get a mediocre Cubano at Clyde's, and frankly I don't know where to send you for a good one (but JoshNE appears to have come through for you). But what about Bayou Bakery for a muffuletta? Mangialardo & Sons and A. Litteri for Italian subs? DCity Smokehouse for a BBQ brisket sandwich? DGS for a reuben (or any number of sandwiches - they had an amazing chicken sandwich on the menu for a while that I loved)? Stoney's for a super grilled cheese? Duke's? Earl's? I feel like DC actually has a TON of great sandwiches. Maybe there isn't a traditional philly cheese steak or po'boy that would stand up against versions in Philly or New Orleans respectively, but to say that DC and its neighbors "just don't have really good sandwiches"? Come on.
  4. bettyjoan
    I am going to choose to believe that the energy they found in the last 40 minutes of the game will carry over to Game 7. Then again, I am a newer fan, so I don't have to forget about all the disappointments suffered in previous years. The real question is...where is the best place to watch??? I'm not sure my critters can stand another game - Jason and I get so worked up, and they just don't understand!
  5. bettyjoan

    Boo and Jack

    bettyjoan posted a topic in Pets

    Well, I was going to include pictures, but between Google Chrome being a jerk and my photos being too large, I'll have to wait until another time when I can doctor things up. Until then, my pets have their own Instagram account, so you can always check that out: https://instagram.com/jackandboo/ I've always loved animals, but I never had any growing up. My mom didn't like the mess, and my sister and I were always so busy that she didn't think we'd have time to care for a pet (she was probably right). So, I worked at some animal shelters to get my fix...but it just wasn't enough. Towards the end of my law school days, the secretary at my office was devastated that she was going to have to send her cat to the pound. Her son had given Boo to her after her divorce, but unfortunately she discovered that her grandson was VERY allergic. I hadn't planned it, and I didn't really even think about it - I just told her that I would give Boo a good home and that she could come visit anytime. When I went to pick him up, he cried the entire way back to my house and then disappeared under my bed for 3 days. I was terrified that he hated me...but, hunger won out and he emerged to eat and check out his new surroundings. After that, it was like he'd never had another mama besides me. He is 15 years old and in great shape (he lives a charmed life), and he is a total loverboy. ADORES people (well, adult people - he doesn't love the noise that kids make). He has moved with me at least 8 or 9 times, even getting to ride in first class on his most recent flight from ATL to DC. His brother, Jack, was another unplanned addition to our family. Jason and I were out walking in ATL when we passed a PetSmart where they were doing adoptions outside. I just wanted to look at all the cuties, but when I locked eyes with this beautiful brindle baby, I turned to my husband and said, "That is my dog." He was 6 months old at the time and had been pulled from the county shelter by a rescue organization mere hours before he was going to be euthanized simply for being a pit bull (there is a huge overpopulation issue in ATL). The foster family let us take him home for the weekend, just to make sure we were a good fit, but I knew right away that I wasn't giving Jack back. He is incredibly smart and incredibly headstrong, so we've definitely had our share of challenges...but he SO wants to just love and please and protect his people (and it doesn't take long to become one of his people). He loves to swim and chase (and destroy) tennis balls, and he is so darn expressive and funny that he finds new ways to make me laugh every day. He's 7 years old now and still thinks he's a puppy - though the 2 knee surgeries he has had this past year remind all of us that he is not. Can you tell that I love my little furbabies?
  6. bettyjoan
    Sundays have turned into burger nights at our place. Today I did pork/veal/beef burgers with sage fresh from the garden. Yum. I also harvested some of my arugula and made a simple salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and shaved parmesan. The greens were peppery and delicious - I can't believe I grew them!
  7. bettyjoan

    Kiko

    bettyjoan replied to The Hersch's topic in Pets

    She is beautiful! How old?
  8. bettyjoan
    This week's Blue Apron dishes have been particularly good - fish tacos with fresh pea and avocado guacamole were REALLY tasty (and other than shelling the peas, quick and easy to prepare), and a quick pork pozole had tons of flavor for something so fast. The third meal of the week is chicken mole quesadillas, which I will prepare for lunch today. I loved the Cinco de Mayo theme. I've gotten to the point where I cancel the weekly delivery if I don't love the menu/ingredients, which usually gives me a good mix of both Blue Apron and my own recipes.
  9. bettyjoan
    Are you willing/able to sit at the bar? Jason and I eat out quite a bit on the weekends, and we never make reservations when it is just us - we find that we rarely have to wait long for bar seats, and the service is often better than at a table. We have done this recently at many of the places mentioned upthread. If you're game, I can recommend some places where we've had good bar experiences. I am with your wife - there are some days when I want to get gussied up and go out on the town!
  10. bettyjoan
    Argh, why did you have to post that article??? I was a perfectly happy Braves fan, sitting over here, hating the Nats...but it's a lot harder to hate them when they do cool things like support the Caps. It's the same thing I said when they ran a piece on the news about the Nats players posing with their pets for a calendar - GAH, I can't hate on Bryce Harper when he's posing with an adorable dog!!!! Here are some preview shots. Kudos to all the players with rescue animals! All rivalries and kidding aside, it has been really awesome to see all of the DC teams support each other during this super-fun time of year when many of the sports overlap. Gotta love the spring!
  11. bettyjoan
    I think it IS Hockey 101 to some extent...but I guess the Caps just seem better at it, more comfortable with it, whatever. Even in a recent WaPo article, some of the players were commenting that Holtby's superb performance makes them even more determined to succeed defensively.
  12. bettyjoan
    To me, anyway, the blocked shots have been the most noticeable (and positive) change in this year's playoff run. Of course, Holtby's performance has been absolutely stellar - but it's so nice to also see his teammates keeping things away from the net. Seems like they are all feeding off each other's success and confidence.
  13. bettyjoan
    An interesting article from 9/11/11 that addresses your question - "The Song Remains The Same" by Luke Cyphers and Ethan Trex on go.espn.com ETA: Thanks for the edit, Don. Will remember that format for next time!
  14. bettyjoan
    Where in DC did you do the first picnic, Don? I am also bummed that participation/meetups have been on the decline. After the last picnic, we tried to get some feedback about what people would like to see and what it would take to get them to an event - but we didn't get a lot of response.
  15. bettyjoan
    Last night I made Bobby Flay's Nacho Burgers, but unfortunately, the cheese sauce never really thickened. So, I decided to save that for queso one of these evenings, and I just melted some good provolone slices onto the burgers. The salsa in the recipe was really good - I didn't think I was going to like it because of the smoky chipotle element (I prefer a fresher tasting salsa, more like pico de gallo), but the vinegar balanced everything out nicely. Also sipped on homemade strawberry thyme lemonade, with thyme cut fresh from our community herb garden. There's something really satisfying about having ingredients literally growing in your backyard!
  16. bettyjoan
    Thanks! We had been to Beuchert's the night before (though I can't say I remember much about it - hubby says I had one too many, lol), so that's part of why we decided to branch out to something new-to-us. I know that sometimes I am wary of going to places we haven't been, simply because I want to make sure that our limited dining-out dollars are spent deliciously. I'm excited that we can add Montmartre to our rotation.
  17. bettyjoan
    Finally made it to Montmartre last night, and it was phenomenal. We sat at the bar (which is tiny), so we had a nice view of the kitchen - it seemed to be the only place where French was not being spoken! When we saw warm octopus on the menu, we knew we had to try it - Jason and I both love it, but more restaurants mess it up than get it right. When we sank our teeth into this version, however, we both looked at each other and had the same thought - that this version was even better than the amazing ones we enjoyed in Spain. It was so tender and so flavorful - the whole dish, including the marinated lentils and roasted tomatoes with arugula, was fantastically harmonious. I'm still thinking about it this morning. We also ordered the steak tartare, which was really, really good as well, but I think it was outshone by the octopus. We both got specials for our entrees - Jason got a roasted duck, and I can't remember now what was served with it, but it was cooked and seasoned impeccably. My mahi mahi with artichokes, ham, potato puree, fresh chickpeas, ramp pesto, and saffron sauce had a lot going on, but the fish was cooked perfectly and the ingredients all worked together very well. When I got a bite with ham, the seasoning was spot on; otherwise, it needed a smidge more salt (our only minor complaint of the evening). Even though we were pretty full, I had seen the dessert tray go by about a dozen times, so I knew we were going to finish with something sweet. The lemon-coconut tart and the mixed berry tart were both tasty and not too sugary sweet, and the fresh whipped cream was a very nice treat. With two rounds of cocktails/wine, three courses each, and a coffee for me, the total before tax and tip was $155. I mean, COME ON. It's not going to get much better than that. I can't wait to go back. FYI, they said they were changing up their menu in about a week.
  18. bettyjoan
    Wooooooo! Joel Ward for the win! If last night was any indication, it's going to be a great series.
  19. bettyjoan
    What a stressful game that was. So excited to see the Caps advance! The upcoming trash-talking between me and my father (a life-long Rangers fan) should be epic.
  20. bettyjoan
    Made paella mixta on the grill last night - it turned out really well, although I'm not sure the hassle of the grill (bringing ingredients and tools in/out) was worth it in terms of results. I didn't get as much of the socarrat (the crunchy rice at the bottom of the pan) as I was hoping for, so I'll have to fiddle with things and see if my grill just isn't getting as hot as it should. As usual, though, making and using homemade chicken stock makes a huge difference. Time well spent!
  21. bettyjoan
    I had been meaning to check out Boss Shepherd's, and Jason and I decided to venture there on Friday night. We got there as the (large) happy hour crowd was disbursing, so we snagged two seats at the bar quickly. Service there was friendly and attentive - and our bartendress seemed to be giving the gents next to us a nice bourbon lesson/tasting, so I think if you're interested in that, the bar is the way to go (and I found the bar to be beautiful as well). I found the by-the-glass wine list to have some nice options for me. Baked clams from the bar menu and pot pie fritters to start - both good, but the fritters needed just a smidge more salt to really make them pop with flavor. The fried chicken, on the other hand, was really spectacular. Hot, crispy, really well-seasoned, and ridiculously juicy - some of the best I've ever had. The dipping sauces - honey, homemade hot sauce, and a smoked egg yolk sauce (think hollandaise) - were actually better for the roasted potatoes and the biscuit than for the chicken, but they were appreciated nonetheless (my egg-hating husband even poured the hollandaise over his gnocchi, he liked it so much). Jason's gnocchi with fried oysters was rich and tasty, but it definitely took a back seat to the chicken. It's a bit pricey, but it's a nice option in the downtown void.
  22. bettyjoan
    A timely question - we went to Boss Shepherd's last night, and that fried chicken is legit. Well-seasoned, hot and crispy, and really tender and flavorful. Comes with roasted potatoes, a biscuit (which was also very good), and three sauces (PA honey, house-made hot sauce, and a smoked hollandaise-esque concoction). Yummy. Husband and I were trying to remember the last time we had really good fried chicken prior to last night, and we came up empty.
  23. bettyjoan
    I store Campari, Aperol, and Cardamaro in the bar - since that is what they do at restaurants/bars, I figured I'd do the same. There may be bars that refrigerate some of these things, but none that I've seen.
  24. bettyjoan
    Me too!!! I first had it at Beauchert's, and then I went on a mission to find it for my home bar. We found it at Schneider's on the Hill. I like that it has a lower alcohol content than many amari, so it goes down a little smoother (but still has tons of flavor).
  25. bettyjoan
    Yes! And now I am flashing back to Federer's glory years - he really was something to see. I always got irked at my parents, who said they didn't like Federer but couldn't give me any legitimate reason why. I think extreme success can rub people the wrong way, even though I never felt that Federer was tacky or boastful about it.
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