Eiffel for French Food

IT'S A PUN! (in the title)

Alright so before this summer whenever I thought about French Food all I could think about were croissants, escargot, and cheese omelettes

HOLY CRAP THOUGH! My horizons have been expanded and french food is so freaking good I can't get enough.  I went to this little french place in Sacramento with my friend about a month ago and have been obsessed with french baguette sandwiches always craving more.

But the place that I am gonna talk about is a French Cheese Shop in San Francisco that was just as bomb with really good french sandwiches and A LOT closer than having to drive 2 hours just for a sandwich no matter how good.

LA FROMAGERIE

2425 3rd St, San Francisco, CA

Kind of a hole-in-the-while but not, this place was so good with great food and great service and REAL FRENCH PEOPLE... that's right, they don't only exist in Europe!

Fresh Baked Bread & Cheese you can buy inside

We went for lunch and it's a small little shop with a little counter and a lot of people were actually there buying these cheese trays for some type of wine & cheese party I would never be invited to and then a menu behind them with usually 4-5 sandwiches you can have with a side of chips or salad.  Then just like a typical Deli Sandwich Shop the dude you just ordered from makes the sandwich in front of you.  I gotta say that I am really glad they have that glass there because I would have just grabbed my sandwich and ran I could NOT WAIT

   

I ordered the Le Coulouse Sandwich and it was so deliciously amazing and satifsying I cannot wait to go back for another one.  In case you can't read the menu, the sandwich had sheep cheese, smoked duck breast, dried figs, fig jam, arugula, olive oil, and salt & pepper all with a side of chips.

The duck breast was solid in itself but with the sweetness of the dried figs and fig jam and the strong taste of sheep cheese all within the freshly baked bread the sandwich was insane! There wasn't a moment where I was not chewing on some sandwich or biting into it for more and my heart ached when it was over but damn my stomach had never been so happy.

I definitely recommend heading over to this little french shop it is delicious but if you aren't from around here, go ahead and search for a french sandwich shop somewhere around you and try some FRENCH CUISINE OUT NOW!

What is College?

A short post just to let you all know that I added a new tab at the top dubbed "What is College" where I identified what college means to me so far.

for real though... anyway!

I randomly started it at the beginning of my first year after so much was going on in my first year that I figured I should jot it down so as to never forget it all.  I kind of began imagining publishing a small book that you could find at the back of a Hallmark Store or in the discount section of your local Target but for now, I think this will do.

I remember around the time of graduating high school that so many of my friends would not shut up about moving away from home and becoming independent.  I remember getting tired of hearing it all because to most of them, being on their own meant they could not wait to live under the same roof because they were tired of their parents and yadda yadda yadda their lives are so difficult while they drive off in their new car their parents are letting them take to college.

 It honestly disgusted me a bit that they did not appreciate all they had received from their parents.  It is kind of sappy, but I really hope that they learned that independence is not solely living on your own, but it is taking what you have learned from your parents, and implementing it in the real world.

But besides all that deepness of knowledge I just bombshelled you all with, college is also the greatest years of one's life where you start on your way to your future... and there is nothing more terrifying than realizing you are growing up

Oh! And check out what it is college means to me in my new page DUH! that's originally what this post was supposed to be about


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Take Life One Day at a Time

I really wish that during the season of the Academy Awards, that any and all movies that are nominated should screen at movie theaters because I have found so many times that a lot of the movies that are nominated.. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF!  And I mean come on, if they're nominated for an Oscar, they deserve a lot more credit than being "this year's indie hit" or whatever.

For example, Rabbit Hole was a drama that came out in 2010 that I had not heard about until the night of the Academy Awards hearing about a nomination for something that sounded like an Alice in Wonderland spin-off.  And I didn't even come to watch the movie until we finally got Netflix and I watched a buttload of movie staying up all night.  And I LOVED THE MOVIE

The movie stars Nicole Kidman (nominated for Best Actress) and Aaron Eckhart and follows their once happy marriage after the accidental death of young son.  I honestly feel like this Drama was so under appreciated and highly recommend you watch it... Now... Do It.

Centering around the couple as they cope with the tragedy that came into their lives, the movie follows the most honest and accurate representation of how people cope with the death of loved ones and sometimes end up hurting others while trying not to endure any more emotional pain than what they themselves are already going through.  The long term effects of something so depressing and heartbreaking can really take a toll on a family leading one to question all that is their new reality.

One looks to others to see how they coped with a similar situation even though no one could possibly ever feel like they feel.

One questions their faith wondering "Why me? Why my son? What kind of destiny holds such a tragic component to some big plan?"

One even considers acting out in any way possibly finding an escape from it or possibly something to keep their minds off of the truth.

It isn't terribly depressing so hold off on being afraid of leaving this movie with puffy eyes and an empty box of kleenex, but it did speak to me in an interesting way and I came to love it immensely especially for it's ultimate message to just take life day by day and not look for much more than that.  When you see your world turned upside down, just take a moment to sit back and see what it is you CAN do.. and start there

Attack of Burritozilla!

I sincerely apologize that this is another food post but then again I don't really apologize completely because I love food and everyone loves food and even if you are on a diet, you love food so sit back and enjoy this sight.

No, those are not posters rolled up in foil.  Those are none other than Burritozillas.

5 Pounds of Pure Burrito with meat, rice, beans, cheese, salsa, and pure destruction sitting in enough foil to cover an infant in for a good nights rest

You can find this monstrosity at Taqueria Iguana in Santa Clara or in two different locations in San Jose and my friends and I were crazy enough  to try it out.  Well.... at least me and another friend were

• One of my friends ordered a regular burrito knowing he would not even make a dent in the thing
• And the other friend gave us moral support whilst secretly knowing we would not finish it and waited to eat some of the leftover burrito (The real winner in this story)

When we first started we had no idea how to handle this culinary monstrosity so I cut mine in half and decided to just take it in portions hoping that would work.  My friend, as you can see from above, went hardcore hispanic caveman on this thing and just went for it... as you can see in the second picture he needed one of the other guys to hold the lower end of the burrito because this thing was so big.  My friend definitely did not eat as much as I did (not sure if I am proud of that) and as you can see from the pictures most of it ended up on his plate so no offense to him but he was not very fierce of a competitor but it was still fun!

Not sure how it looks on the computer but that picture above is how much I left and was unable to finish.  It was basically a little bit more than a regular burrito and honestly I think that 5lb burrito may have been a bit more than 5 pounds but I just thought I would share that with you all and give you the swell tip to prepare more physically and mentally because me eating a bento box for lunch that day was probably not the best idea :p

Food Fanatic in the Streets, and Coma Patient in the Sheets

San Francisco is great for so many different reasons, but for right now, I am going to discuss the awesomeness SF has to offer in terms of FOOD.  This past weekend my friends and I went to this huge street festival on Folsom St. that had a crazy ton of different food stands and street food trucks.  Let me just say that I have never wished so hard for an anatomy more resembling that of a cow than that day because all I wanted was a second stomach to fit in that great food.

(This event was SO BIG they handed out maps since it covered 6 blocks down Folsom St.)

I don't have too much more to say about it other than all of the food there was delicious and afterwards I could barely move from all that we ate so here are a lot of pictures of the different things we all ate on Saturday.

First off was the Latin food which all was delicious with the traditional corn of the cob with lime, salt, and chile and also some homemade fresh ceviche

 (Necessary corn on the cob preparation steps)

LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE EATING MY FOOD

My personal favorite of the day was this find right here.  It's called Onigilly and was rice and your choice of protein wrapped in seaweed... it was DELICIOUS! They had teriyaki chicken, spicy shrimp, and cooked eggplant so we all tried the different types and it was a unanimous vote that the spicy shrimp was too savory to not consider it as the best.

The PORCHETTA SANDWICH from A16 Food Cart was Amazing as well! Freshly carved pork with some kind of garlic spread in freshly baked ciabatta bread was delicious!

 Craziest find of the day I give to this drink right here.  The PRICKLY PEAR AGUA FRESCA, I mean look at how pink that drink is ... I could not get over the color of this one and could not resist from sharing it with you all.  Oh! and it was beyond refreshing really hitting the spot in between all of the eating.

And of course, you cannot eat all this food without having some kind of dessert right? So we did it right and ended our long meal with Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee hitting the spot perfectly.

COCONUT JUICE to keep us refreshed after we downed the Prickly Pear Drink

(WHOLE FOODS does not fully understand the concept of "subliminal" messaging)

I definitely recommend it to anyone who lives in the area to mark this down on their calendars for next year, and if you aren't in the bay, just research for some kind of street food festivals around you. They are so fun and give you the chance to try all sorts of new food! Just be sure to park nearby because by the end, you will still be wanting to eat delicious food.... but moving around is not so easy

(Me and my friends by the end)

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The Belgium of College Apartments

Why does the breakfast champions always have to be something healthy?

I think that a real 'breakfast of champions' is anything that makes you feel really good in the morning.  Like for instance, I just got a waffle maker for my upcoming year in my new apartment and I AM BEYOND EXCITED to start making waffles every morning with chocolate chips, bananas, pecans, bacon, and a whole bunch of other mixtures (but not all at the same time)

(me everyday at our apartment this coming year)

But i mean seriously, who does not like Belgian Waffles?  They're fluffy and delicious and oh so filling I just can never get enough of them.  And if you ever come to crave a more traditional breakfast with eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns or whatever, boy have I got an innovation for you haha.  Over the summer my friends and I used a belgian waffle maker at another home and cracked an egg inside, let it cook for a bit, and it turned out surprisingly good! Don't believe me, TRY IT!  The eggs were really fluffy and and fun to eat so I will most likely be doing it again. 

BUT, that is not what we got the waffle maker for so I will definitely be making regular waffles and not "waffl-eggs" (as we dubbed the 'waffle maker eggs').  I am gonna need some restraint this year because I am gonna cut loose with that waffle maker and have waffles so much! 

OH! and I forgot to mention the best part! It isn't like those typical belgian waffle makers where you lift the thing, pour in the mixture, and then close it... Ok it is for the most part like that, but the one we got is more like the ones at the Marriott Hotels where you flip the maker thing and then let it sit... Just look at the pictures and let me know if you get the gist of it

Cool huh? I can't wait, It is going to be incredible and I cannot get over it!

Also! I should mention that I have been learning a lot of my mom's recipes because it is gonna be real important that I know how to fend for myself in the scary world that is college (without a mother's cooking) and let's be real, although waffles are awesome, I am gonna need some regular food too.

More of a Book-Snail than a Book-Worm

"The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."     -Dr. Seuss

In terms of reading I have gone many a places buuuuuuuuut I will admit it oftentimes has taken me quite a while to get there.  For instance, I just finished The Game of Thrones (the first one), after of course on-and-off reading the book for about 8 months or so... so you could say I basically underwent a pregnancy where at the end I was finally able to deliver knowledge about the first book. (Now there's a metaphor I never thought I would use)

Anyway, I finished that book probably two weeks ago and for those of you who don't know, The Game of Thrones Series has more than one book and I have the second book and I finally just started the second one today.  It's not that I did not enjoy the first book I just kind of have found this trend where I will either finish a book in a day or just under a year.
ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE LIKE ME?

Like with The Hunger Games I started reading the first book Saturday of some weekend and was really into it and figured I could finish it within the week... that was of course the plan until my sister came home with The Hunger Games on DVD and I JUST HAD TO WATCH IT so naturally I did nothing else that day but read the first book literally finishing it at midnight only to force my sister to stay up with me and watch it (and NOT watch it before me haha).

Another weird habit of mine when it comes to books seems to be that I will basically hoard a bunch of books even while I am reading one.  Like while reading The Game of Thrones I up and bought The Grimm Brothers Collection of Classic Fairy Tales.  Have you seen that book? The collection of fairy tales has 120 different fairy tales.  I have always had an urge to read those fairy tales it's just of course it would be in the pattern of my life that I would buy the book while reading another one.  Oh Well, I will probably end up reading A Clash of Kings (Game of Thrones 2) and occasionally read a few fairy tales in between unless anyone else has any better ideas.

But anywho, that's just me, and no matter how long it typically takes you to read a book, keep on reading everybody.

Outside? Nah, Let's Stay In

I'm not sure if it's because college kids tend to be "less financially secure" than others or if I am actually, (dare I say it) growing up but lately, I have kind of found it unnecessary to actually go OUT to have fun with friends.

I love my friends back home who haven't gone to college yet, but I kind of noticed this summer that now that I am back home, I prefer just hanging out with friends at someone's house: talking, playing videogames, watching movies, eating, or whatever.  They however can't seem to be able to make plans where we JUST STAY IN 

oh god I think I'm actually entering the adult part of adulthood

For example, I went out with my friends who are entering college this summer a few days back and we went out to dinner, drove around town, and then watched a movie, only to end up walking around downtown until it was finally time to head back to someone's home and sit for a bit.  It was fun and all and I thought it was what I enjoyed until yesterday...

Yesterday I went over to a different friend groups' house and played LEFT 4 DEAD, MARIO PARTY 8, INJUSTICE, MARIO KART, ate pizza and pie and then dipped once it was late.  

And I Loved Every Minute Of Last Night

I don't know if it is all college kids or just my group of friend of college kids but it was great, we lounged around, laughed and shared stories, looked up funny youtube videos, and ate fattening products all within close distance of a nearby restroom instead of having to hold it in when you actually leave the house being unsure of which restroom is sanitary or not.  Also! There is always food at someone's house! and if not, you can always order pizza! (we actually ordered pizza yesterday AND ate pie that a girl had bought for us from a nearby bakery)

I LOVE JUST HANGING OUT AND BEING CHILL WITH FRIENDS and I actually really enjoy when we are all so comfortable with each other and aware of how much we care about each other that there are those moments of consensus where everyone ends up on their phone for 2-3 minutes, and everyone just checks up on their lives (Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram etc.)  Like really, have you ever noticed that?  When you hang out with a good group of friends, it isn't out of boredom or of distaste of the crowd, but there is typically always that moment where we all just go on our phone and then come back to reality to see what other shenanigans are left.

I love all of my friends and greatly enjoy whenever I get to spend time with any of them, but you know, if we can do whatever we are doing indoors in the same area with a lot of food next to me... It's much more preferable

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It's Good to Laugh at Oneself

Has anyone watched the movie Enchanted lately?

It is a actually a really good movie that brings an honest smile to my face as it mashes up the real world with the world of animation!

But what I honestly love the most out of it all is that it is a Disney movie that basically pokes fun at itself and the typical princess stereotype that Disney created

You know the stereotype I am talking about too right?

Everything is positive.  Has never felt the emotion of anger. Sings beautiful melodies while cleaning and finding true love. And of course gasping at every little second.

BUT WAIT HEAR ME OUT! I am not hating on the princesses, I am actually applauding and finding it awesome that Disney was able to have some fun in this movie by placing the stereotypical princess.. in the real world *DUN DUN DUUUUUUN*

And Amy Adams (who plays Giselle) in the movie does an amazing job doing just this. 

I also think its awesome that they "call out" all the random singing that usually goes on in such animated movies Disney loves to intertwine into films and amusingly directs scenes in the way that they would most likely happen if someone were to randomly bust out in a musical ballad in the middle of the street....literally

ANOTHER fun thing I learned after watching this movie was that there are a TON of Disney references in the movie (thanks Wikipedia)

• The storybook opening is a tribute to the openings of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Cinderella, The Sword in the Stone, Sleeping Beauty and others.

• The troll's loincloth consists of remnants of the Disney princesses' dresses, Snow White's rags, Belle's village dress, Aurora's peasant dress, and Cinderella's maid outfit.

• Narissa disguises herself as a hag just as the Evil Queen does in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

• Giselle mistakes a little person in New York City for Grumpy

• "Happy Working Song" is a homage to "Whistle While You Work"

• Jodi Benson plays Robert's Secretary Sam and voiced Ariel in The Little Mermaid

• Giselle sings to her dream prince just as Ariel does with the statue of Eric

• The Troll's earrings are made of the shell bra Ariel wears

• As Giselle studies the fish tank at Robert's office, an instrumental version of "Part of Your World" is played in the background.

• "That's How You Know" is an homage to "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" 

• Judy Kuhn makes a cameo appearance as one of the residents in Robert's building (credited as "Pregnant Woman with Kids") and she voiced the singing voice of Pocahontas

• The bus driver's hair is shaped like the ears of Mickey Mouse 
• (MY FAVORITE EASTER EGG)

• Bella Notte, the italian restaurant that Giselle, Robert, and MOrgan eat at is a tribute to the song from Lady and the Tramp

I think what I am trying to get across is that I love to use animated gifs on my blog and that Disney knows how to laugh at oneself in a way that still brings entertainment to people in a way that still instills the belief that Dreams Do Come True.

The No Longer Single (Room) Life

Singles. Doubles. Triples.

Those were the three options we had my first year of college when signing up for living in our dorm rooms.  The way housing works at my school is you send in a housing confirmation thing saying you want to live on campus and the sooner you do it, the better chance you have of getting your first choice type of room.

I sent it in the day I got accepted and got a Single and I was ECSTATIC.

(Fictional Representation of Me That Day)

Don't get me wrong, I am very sociable and love meeting new people I just like to have my alone time sometimes where I just watch a movie in my room, take a nap, or watch a few episodes of my tv shows.  (By few episodes, I actually mean a few seasons of tv shows haha)

But ANYWAY! where I was going with this post was that in my first year I met a lot of awesome people and was lucky enough to find enough friends that I have chosen to live with in an apartment on campus.

Now here comes the kicker.. This year I am going to be in a DOUBLE!  I admit at first I was a little nervous since I just had a full year in a single and loved it but I am actually really excited to finally get that first year college experience of having a roommate... in my second year of college ... WHATEVER, Better Late Than Never

(I see yo judgemental eyes on me but whatever haha)

My roommate is a good friend of mine who was always there for most of my first year and we would always invite to hang with us and slowly but surely he mustered up enough trust to join our group more so than usual turning him into a solid element to our group of friends right now.

I am no longer nervous about living with someone else in the same room and having to share space, I just pray that living in close quarters does not hurt our friendship which unfortunately does happen to people who have requested each other as roommates.

BUT I AM STAYING POSITIVE: I feel like so long as we distinguish basic ground rules in the beginning and keep open communication, it will be perfect.  The last thing I want is for him to find I have an annoying habit and for him to keep it bottled up inside when all we would need to do is talk about it... And it is a two-way street so I too must put in the roommate effort.

What am I most excited about for having a roommate you ask?

• Blanket Forts
• Pillow Talk 
• Shut up, everyone likes it and I find it to be one of the best ways to getting to know someone better
• Shared printer/mini fridge/TV 
• No more needing to pay for my own ink and have someone to split with
• I am NOT a mooch
• I get to introduce him to people as "my roommate"
• It's actually a lot of fun, I have already started saying it
• MOVIE NIGHTS
• He and I are both big movie buffs 
• SO MANY POP CULTURE REFERENCES
• Getting the chance to get to know someone better because I really do hope this is a great year and that we make the most of it so we can be even closer of friends

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More Than Just a Kids Movie

Dreamworks needs to make another movie like Rise of the Guardians.

No, Rise of the Guardians is not the owl movie with 'Tom Buchanan' from The Great Gatsby voicing a flying bird.  I seriously underestimated the greatness that would come with this movie since I thought it was just going to be some rinky dink kids movie it turned out to be so entertaining and heartwarming.  In fact, I have watched it so many times and recommended to so many friends (above the age of 12 years old) with not a single one coming back disappointed.

Rise of the Guardians is the story of the Guardians of the world who protect the innocence of the children who have just recently teamed up with Jack Frost.  

Not only is the story just all around awesome, but I mean the casting is just as great.

• Jack Frost - Chris Pine
• Santa Claus - Alec Baldwin
• Easter Bunny - Hugh Jackman
• Tooth Fairy - Isla Fisher
• Pitch Black (Boogeyman) - Jude Law

And of course there is Sandy the Sand Man, the sweetest most heartwarming character I have seen in any movie in a long time (not counting Guido from Cars) who is not actually voiced by anyone but proves so much how Actions really do speak louder than words.

One of the main things that I LOVE about this movie was the ideals they made each guardian stand for.  

(*Kinda Spoilers but You Will Still Enjoy the Movie If You Read What's Next*)

I just have to mention this one specific scene where Santa Clause first introduces this idea of each of them having a "center" (what special thing they have inside of them that each guardian protects for children).  So Santa Claus stands for the WONDER and IMAGINATION of children that must be preserved which he represents through one of those Russian Matryoshka Dolls

as he states:

"[I have] big eyes very big. Because 

they are full of wonder! That is 

my center. It is what I was born 

with. Eyes that have always seen 

the wonder in everything! 

Eyes that see lights in the trees, 

and magic in the air!

This wonder is what I put into the 

world, and what I protect in 

children.

It is what makes me a Guardian."

Now if that quote doesn't make you wish it were December right at this moment and doesn't make you wish you were seven years old again on Christmas morning than you MUST watch this movie and bring joy in your life.

And if that quote did tickle your fancy than even more reason to go watch the movie.  

Trust me, you will not regret it 

NOW GO ON!

And FIND YOUR CENTER!