Mom Came to Visit!

Two weekends ago my mom came to visit me at college. This has been the first time I had seen anyone from my family since August when Mom moved me in. She arrived on Friday in time to attend a meeting about something I will be doing next semester . . . Going on a research trip to Northern Ireland! How amazing is that!? But more about that when it is actually happening.

After the meeting, Mom and I went to lunch at Nando's to have lunch. I have been wanting to go to Nando's since I arrived here. And it was so good!! I got a chicken thigh with mild sauce and portuguese rice and corn on the cob as sides.

That night Mom and I went to Jaleo for dinner with my roommate's parents and grandmother. As always it was amazing, but I didn't take any photos because I was too busy socializing and having a good time. You can read about my past trip to Jaleo in this post. 

Saturday was a full on mother-daughter day. We started the day with brunch at Founding Farmers. I have heard great things about the restaurant from Ashley and my Mom, so I was excited to be finally going there.

The inside was really neat and home-y looking. And while it seated a lot of people, it had the feel of a small restaurant. 

Since we had reservations (which I totally suggest because it can get really busy), we were seated pretty quickly. Our seats were by a window and the smells from the tables around us made my stomach growl. 

Of course I got English Breakfast tea as my morning drink before consulting the menu to decide (with some difficulty) what I wanted to eat. Chicken & waffles? Pancakes? French toast? Eggs? Too many choices!

I ended up getting the steak & eggs with grilled ciabatta and grits. Not my healthiest meal, but a damn good one!

And Mom got the chicken & waffles with two poached eggs. Oh my god. It looked amazing and it tasted as good as it looked!

Photo Cred to Mom!

All in all, it was a very satisfying meal and I need to go again to try those beignets with a trio of sauces. And I'll probably also need to try the banana foster pancakes!

After brunch we went to Tyson's Corner Mall to do some clothes shopping and then to Target to stock up on food and toiletries. For dinner we went to Olazzo in Bethesda for some really great Italian food. I didn't take any photos because the lighting was not that good. 

The next morning Mom and I had a quick breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien before I headed back to campus and Mom left to drive back to Boston. It was great weekend and now I am impatient to go home and see Dad and Emma!

Until next time! Where I will writing about my own meal of chicken & waffles!

Love,

Kara

American Girl Place: Yes, We Are Nine.

The day after our Chinatown dinner, my roommate, her sister and I went to the American Girl Place in Virginia to eat lunch. We had reservations at eleven in the morning, but due to a very long metro ride and getting lost after getting off the metro, we arrived quarter after eleven.

Walking into the American Girl Place reminded me of when I was ten or eleven when my Dad took me to the one in New York for some Daddy-Daughter event there. It was a bit weird, however, being shown to the table and being the oldest ones other than the parents was pretty weird. But it's okay because we were having the times of our lives!!

The table was adorable and we got chairs for our American Girl dolls (left to right: Samantha, Kit and Addy) that hung off the side of the table. They even got little water glasses!

Our meal included an appetizer and entrée for $18. I got tomato bisque with star-shaped croutons, my roommate got Spinach and Artichoke Dip, and her sister got a Tomato and Mozzarella salad. Everything was really good, and the soup was creamy and helped soothe my sore throat. My roommate also got a hot chocolate that makes me wish that I got one!

Look how cute it is!!!

During the break between courses we went through the conversation starters that were provided by the café. Most of them were fine, but this one was a bit odd!

Why would you ask a ten-year-old this?!?

For my entrée I got a grilled chicken sandwich with basil mayo, fresh mozzarella and roasted red peppers. My roommate and her sister both got cheese ravioli with diced tomatoes and spinach.

We didn't get dessert but we did take a wander through the store! I had to go find the Samantha section because she has always been my favorite! She got new dresses and they were all gorgeous. Then I found one of the newer dolls named Caroline that I find completely beautiful. (Is it weird to be jealous of a doll?)

After the American Girl Place we wandered around the mall where I got a sample of a face wash and saw the most beautiful MAC collection inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I want it for Christmas (hint hint if my mom or dad are reading!). 

Then as we were leaving there was a guy carving pumpkins that looked amazing. Of course my favorite was the one with Harry Potter!

Before leaving, however, we stopped at Shake Shack for a milkshake. I got the regular chocolate milkshake that hit the spot. 

A delicious end to a great day at the American Girl Place! I don't know what my next post will be about. Any suggestions? 

Until next time!

Love,

Kara

Duck and Cupcakes: Part One of a Fun Weekend

This past weekend was a lot of fun. My roomate's younger sister arrived on Thursday to visit her for the week. While they went to the Newseum on Saturday, I attended a conference about women's education and empowerment. It was amazing to here from such influential speakers from the D.C. area about what we can do to help women here in the U.S. and around the world.

Later that night I met with my roommate, her sister and a friend for dinner at Chinatown Express, which is a block or two away from the metro station. It looks like a hole in the wall, but had more tables than I thought it would. There was a cute little window where you could see the noodle chef making their famous noodles and some of their Peking Ducks. (Warning for a close up photo of cooked duck heads)

Once inside the crowded and hectic space, I had some tea and then ordered a bounty of food. On the table was steamed pork buns, sweet and sour chicken, hot and sour soup, wonton soup, fresh noodle soup with roast duck, Peking Duck and steamed rice with roast duck. Everything was delicious and the duck was succulent (I cannot for the life of me think of a better word). 

Afterwards we donned our coats and scarves and headed out into the chilly autumn night to find dessert. We ended up strolling to Red Velvet Cupcakery that I talked about in this post. My roommate got the Red Velvet cupcake, her sister got the B-Day cupcake and I got their special cupcake of the day. Corn and Honey. I know, but hear me out. While a bit unusual, it was amazing. It reminded me of Thanksgiving when I'm eating cornbread with honey surrounded by my family. While I don't have any pictures, I highly recommend you trying it. 

The next post will be about the next day's adventure to the American Girl Place in Virginia. And yes, we are nine years old. 

Thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow!

Love,

Kara