from raleighwood to hollywood

1. pea soup: 1

fanny : 0

i've really never been a big fan of peas. and let's face it, i blame my dad. although my dad is the most amazing cook i know and loves all kinds of different varieties of food, he has always feared one thing: the pea. the truth is, i was never really crazy about them. they always seemed a bit bland and a bit mushy. growing up, i don't know if one pea ever found it's way to my dinner plate unless it came inside of a chicken pot pie from boston market. i wasn't afraid of them in the same way that my dad was, but already not being a big fan of the taste or texture, my dad's strong dislike of peas only pushed them further from my belly.

my mom, on the other hand, has never had a problem with the tiny green vegetable--in fact, she loves the occasional bowl of pea soup. today as we ventured into west hollywood for lunch, she decided she wanted to return to blu jam cafe for another fabulous bowl of their homemade vegan split pea soup and one of their great big salads.

*check out the fan-fare section for more pictures and details about the food*

before the soup even arrived at the table, she had explained to me nine times why it was "the best pea soup she's ever had." her soup arrived first while i was still menu studying, and just the smell of it suddenly perked up my hunger. the last time we were here, i was so starving that i ate a few of the green-tinted croutons that floated on top. i'll admit that i liked the flavor, but i blamed that on the delicious homemade croutons. as i blew my nose into a balled up tissue and scanned the menu feeling stuffed up and COMPLETELY indecisive, my mom held out a spoonful of croutons covered in the green velvety substance. i hesitantly took a bite and to my surprise, my body was suddenly filled with a warm, comforting feeling and all of my tastebuds--which have been recently absent thanks to my cold--began to high five each other. it was rich, smooth, and had more depth of flavor than any other soup i've ever had. my mom asked if i wanted another bite and when i said no, she looked back at me with surprise.

i lowered my head, "i'm getting my own bowl."

2. whole-y foods

holy foods is right. today, my mom and i went to whole foods to stock a few things in my fridge for us to snack on for the next few days. the best thing about whole foods is that you can get as much or as little of anything as you want. you don't have to buy a bunch of ingredients to make greek orzo pasta salad, you can just buy a small container of it. you don't have to get a whole pint of soup, you can fill it up as much or as little as you like. i know this is how most prepared foods places work, but every time i go into whole foods i'm reminding of how much variety and options there are for a quick and easy--while at the same time EXTREMELY delicious--meal. my dinner pictured above is roasted vegetables, a potato zucchini pancake with miso ginger dressing for dipping (i think i just heard both of my sara(h)s shriek with delight), greek orzo pasta salad with feta and olives, and chicken noodle soup (for the cold of course). we also picked up some of these...

the one on the left is a blueberry bran muffin and the one on the right is a honey nut muffin. who doesn't love muffins?! we didn't pick up these but i just had to take a picture...

3. because sometimes, you just need to melt cheese on things

i'm happy to announce that i'm the proud new owner of a hamilton beach toaster oven! up until this point i've been using a regular old two-slotted toaster for my english muffins and wheat bread, but my mom didn't want me to go any longer without a real toaster oven. and let's be honest, you can't melt cheese on top of a silver foil surprise breakfast sandwich without one of these contraptions. it's my first appliance for my new apartment! if you know my dad, it seems very appropriate that the first thing i'll be able to serve to my houseguests is toast.

i also got one of these...

margaritas anyone?

highlight of the day:

i don't know about you, but when i see this picture, two words come to mind:

1. hell

2. YES

today it is OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL :) i now have the keys to my brand new apartment. welcome to #9.

obviously it's hard to get a great feel for this place when there's absolutely nothing in it. well, besides me...

but my mom and i made a few lists...

and over the next few days we'll start filling the place up! of course it will take me a while to really get everything i need, but you gotta start somewhere. luckily, soon after my mom leaves...enter interior decorator number two:

although her visit here with me will be mostly centered around eating, sightseeing, birthday-related things, eating, shopping, exploring, and eating, my best friend happens to have a very good eye when it comes to decorating and i know she'll have some awesome ideas to make this place a little more home-y and lot more fann-y.