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I usually travel about two weekends each month, but July is completely out of control.  By the time July is over, I will have spent at least part of every weekend in another city…

Syracuse + Skaneatles:

d's wedding

hellloooooo from heaven

N. Georgia Mountains:

gorgeousness @ lake burton, but watch out for...

...this guy. eek!

Columbia (SC):

levin wedding @ columbia museum of art

dancing machines

Random Arkansas:

Even random-er New Jersey, where I really hope to see:

my fav. gym-tan-laundry homies, the cast of Jersey Shore!

(Love things + people + awesomeness from New Jersey as much as I do?  If so, you may want to know about Jersey Shore’s Mike “the Situation’s” first stab at literary excellence: http://tiny.cc/gj75j!  I digress…)

I’ve learned a few things here and there throughout my travels, and I am confident that I can reduce some travel-related stress with just five points to remember below:

5-  If you are flying out of or connecting in Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport and need food or want to waste away a few hours at a bar while waiting for your departure, head directly for Terminal E.  They have my favorite food selections, including some healthy options, and a really great wine bar located right next to the duty free store = dangerous.  Also, Term. E has the only fine dining restaurant in the airport, One Flew South, for you fancy-pants travelers, you.

One Flew South (Terminal E)

4- Go through security in the first class + medallion gate.  I am a Delta medallion flyer and always go through the security gates all the way to the back of Delta’s check in area, and I have NEVER had anyone ask me to show them proof of my status.  Don’t be a schmo, if you are in a rush to make your flight, take advantage of a faster line for securityI promise I won’t tell on you…

don't do it.

3-  Need a last minute mani/pedi before the big trip, but don’t have much time?  No problemo.  Head on over to the XpresSpas in Terminals A + C for some quickie pre-flight spa services.

XpresSpa (Terminals A + C)

2-  Why waste $30 to check your bags when you can just be a thoughtful packer and save yourself some dough?  Carry on your baggage whenever possible – particularly if you are flying Delta, which has the highest incidence in the airline industry for losing traveler’s baggage.  Slick lost his luggage on Delta five times out of the last eight flights he’s taken.  Fact. 

Ladies:  Do not EVER pack your make-up or a bridesmaid dress.  Trust me – it’s never worth the risk.

delta hates you, slick

1-  Talk to your neighbor(s) on the plane – at least for a little while.  You never know who you’ll meet.  I’ve had friends who have met people who have set them up on dates, helped them to network for jobs and made some pretty cool random connections – even if it’s just a new book recommendation.  Who knows, you may even find a friend to chow down w/ at One Flew South in Terminal E… 

pleased to meet you - i am your new friend, lindsay.

Just, please, watch out for snakes.  (Don’t say I didn’t warn you, oh weary travelers…)

Snakes on a Plane

Safe travels this summer.  See y’all around Hartsfield-Jackson!  :)

xx, L

One Flew South
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
600 N. Terminal Parkway (Terminal E)
Atlanta, GA  30320
404.816.3464
www.oneflewsouthatl.com

One Flew South on Urbanspoon

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I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!  As previously mentioned, LK + Slick + I spent America’s BD at Dana + Scott’s wedding in Syracuse, NY.  We had such a blast celebrating w/ the happy couple!

congrats guys!!

However, when we weren’t busy with our numerous wedding festivities…

posing for pictures

spending time w/ the bride

being awesome

getting ICED (thx, slick...)

…we passed the time chowing down at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que!  There wasn’t a whole lot to do in Syracuse, but Dinosaur kept us busy + stuffing our faces for hours – and we anticipated each return over the weekend!

Salt Lick + Fat Matt’s, who??  Seriously.

Here’s the Q+DD on Dinosaur Bar-B-Que:

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is a restaurant, blues venue, and biker bar in Syracuse, New York.  Opened in 1983 on Willow Street in downtown Syracuse, it specializes in authentic barbecue using a wood-fueled barbecue pit.  The restaurant markets its sauce, pulled pork, chili, and baked beans at local supermarkets, and at Wegmans, Fairway, D’Agostino’s, Price Chopper, and Shaw’s Supermarkets across the Northeast.  Two additional locations have also opened in Rochester, New York (in the old Lehigh Valley Railroad Station) in 1998, and Harlem, New York in 2004.   In May 2009, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que was voted America’s best barbecue in ABC’s Good Morning America poll, beating out entrants from across the United States.  Approximately 4,000 out of the 7,500 participants in the poll selected Dinosaur Bar-B-Que as the best in the nation.  (www.wikipedia.com)

Words do not do it justice.  You must witness…

I know I can be a bit of an exaggerator from time to time, but I MEAN it when I say that this was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had.  It was even better than it looked!  I can’t believe how much I ate there - I really can’t.  The ribs.  Oh, the ribs! 

P.S. You can buy the Dinosaur cookbook + BBQ sauce online here:  DINOS!

Point of this prehistoric post:  Next time you are in NY, you absolutely must, must, MUST make a point to visit The Dinosaur!  Honestly, booking a special trip for it might be necessary…  DO NOT pass up an opportunity to get down and dirty w/ some BBQ there!  Trust me. 

RARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

xx, L

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
246 W. Willow Street
Syracuse, NY  13202
315.476.4937
www.dinosaurbarbque.com

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Urbanspoon

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Spending the 4th in Atlanta?  Looking for plans + fireworks information?

(the ones that look like ants running around are my personal fav)

Well, look no further!  Check out the Atlanta Citysearch July 4th Guide here:  FIREWORKS!!

LK + Slick + I will be traveling up to Syracuse, NY this weekend to watch these two loooove birds tie the ol’ k-n-o-t.

dana + scott

Congrats D+S!  We can’t wait!  :)

Even though we won’t be in Atlanta to celebrate with all of y’all, we wish you many sticky R+W+B popsicles…

don't forget your shout wipes!

…and we hope you have as much fun on your 4th as Dana had at her bachelorette party!

yeahooooooo!

(Just please don’t end up like this dude…)

eek! orange jumpsuits are NOT flattering, ladies.

Happy 4th, everyone!  Be safe + have lots of fun! 

xx, L

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Dana is about to get hitched in a little over a week, and she’s been incredibly busy running around to take care of last minute wedding-related errands.  We usually see each other pretty frequently for lunch, but with work picking up for me and her wedding errands, we decided that if we were going to meet, it was going to have to be for a super fast lunch during the week.  She was working downtown and I am in midtown, so we decided to meet at EVOS at the bottom of the Viewpoint building since neither of us had tried it yet and we were both itching to go.

the bride-to-be + me

I’ve blogged about it before, but as a reminder:  EVOS is an alternative fast food franchise (also in CA, FL and NC) specializing in healthy and environmentally sound eats, featuring soy, veggie, turkey and salmon burgers, fruit smoothies and their signature Airfries.  They Airbake (of course) their Airfries instead of deep-frying, which saves us 50-70% of the fat.  Also, they cater.  Awesome.  The company website describes the restaurant chain as inspired, energetic, real, philanthropic, culturally plugged in, adventurous, respectful, fresh and forward thinking.”  Even before I actually went, I wanted to give this restaurant a hug.

Dana and I both ordered the Steakburger + Airfries. The Steakburger was a bit on the dry side, but was still good enough to finish - and we certainly felt better eating it than we would have any other fast food hamburger.  The Airfries were delicious.  They did not taste lowfat at all, even though the restaurant insists that they are.  I’m still not 100% convinced, though…

EVOS steakburger + airfries

EVOS steakburger + airfries

When I got up to refill my fountain soda + get some more ketchup for our Airfries, I saw a flier with EVOS’s daily specials listed on it, AND I’d like to share that w/ y’all:

(Refresh) Mondays:  Receive a FREE Regular Shake or Drink with the purchase of any Hand-Tossed Salad.

(Truly Awesome) Tuesdays:  Receive a FREE Regular order of Airfries & Drink with the purchase of an EVOS Original Steakburger.

(Wrap-it-up) Wednesdays:  Receive a FREE Regular Shake with the purchase of any Wrap.

(Thankful) Thursdays:  Receive a FREE Organic Cookie with the purchase of a Warm Veggie Chili Value Meal.

Isn’t alliteration fun, kids?!

(Hot Dog It’s) Fridays:  Receive a FREE 2nd Hot Dog with the purchase of an Adult Hot Dog Value Meal.

(Shake-it-up) Saturdays:  Receive a FREE Shake with the purchase of a Shake of equal or lesser value.

(Family Fun) Sundays:  Receive a FREE Kids Meal w/ drink with the purchase of any Adult Meal.

These are pretty good deals, and EVOS is worth a try – especially if you take advantage of one of the freebies listed above.  I don’t think that this chain is for everyone, but I will probably eat there again when I want to splurge on a fast food, basic hamburger + fries, but I don’t want to destroy my diet for the week or feel guilty about it. 

I’m definitely interested to know what y’all think.

xx, L

EVOS– Midtown 
855 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA  30308
www.evos.com

Evos on Urbanspoon


EVOS – Sandy Springs 
5590 Roswell Rd. NE
Atlanta, GA  30342
404.252.4022
www.evos.com

Evos on Urbanspoon

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On Saturday, Dana + Jenny + I trekked up to the North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville for a little outlet shopping.  The weather has been warming up (yea!!), and as a result my winter wardrobe has been relentlessly begging me for some warm weather additions.  I resisted for a while, but recently I’ve had a hard time saying “no.”

It took us about 45 minutes going up 400 N to get to the NGPOs from Buckhead.  We easily spotted the NGPOs from the highway, and we were excited to park across from Off Fifth(Saks Fifth Ave. outlet) to begin our mini-spree.  Thanks to the grande Starbucks ice coffee I finished during the ride up, in less than ten minutes flat I was standing in the check out line at Off Fifth with an incredible lined winter coat (for next year) and a very-Lindsay-style gold bracelet.  And like a flash, we were off again…

In the interest of keeping your attention, I won’t break down every stop we made.  However, I will tell you that my favorite stores at the NGPOs were: Cole Haan, Burberry, Coach, Off Fifth, Kate Spade, Juicy, Polo, BCBG, Michael Kors and J. Crew.  We were afraid to step foot into Pottery Barn or Nike – which were absolutely swarmed with eager shoppers.  Even though it wasn’t a holiday weekend, we found excellent deals everywhere!  Coach was running a one day promotion for 20% off of the entire store, and Jenny and I walked away with adorable new purses.  Polo had some noteworthy deals, too, convincing Dana to stock up on shirts for her wonderful fiance who is in Iraq until May.  Overall, I thought the shopping was great. 

North Georgia Premium Outlets

Here are a few tips on efficient outlet shopping that I picked up during our mini-spree:

1- Wear flats or comfortable shoes.  You will regret it if you don’t.  However, if your feet begin to hurt while you are shopping – you can run into Adidas, Nike or Cole Haan (love their shoes with the Nike technology) and purchase yourself a brand spankin’ new pair.

2- Go to the bathroom prior to standing in line for a dressing room.  Lines can be long and there is nothing worse than nature calling while you are trying to shimmy your way out of a pair of skinny jeans…

3- Eat before you go – or bring snacks.  I wasn’t impressed with the food options at the NGPO’s – or the lack thereof.

4- Develop patience.  The lines are long for the dressing rooms, registers and bathrooms…there’s really no way around it.  And, there were a ton of slowly walking people w/ strollers.  Just keep that in mind…

5- According to a colleague, the best time to go outlet shopping is the week(end) prior to a holiday – so for instance the week before Black Friday or Fourth of July.  Apparently, the outlet stores will already have their stock out for the holiday weekend and start running their sales early.

6- Bring an umbrella.  The weather happened to be gorgeous on Saturday and we were fine - however it’s important to note that not all of the walkways between stores are covered.  It would be a shame to drive all the way out to the NGPOs and not be able to visit all the stores on your list because you’ve become a drowned rat in a rainstorm.

jenny's trunk @ the end of the day...

Four hours later on our drive home, we realized we were absolutely famished.  So, at 4:30 p.m. on a Saturday we sat down for a three hour sushi meal complete with sake bombs!  Yea! 

yu-ka sushi bar

"i say SAKE - you say BOMB!"

We went to Yu-Ka Sushi Bar - right next to the disco Kroger in Buckhead.  I did not care for the sushi or the atmosphere at all, but the service was good and the sake bombs hit the spot.  I called it an early evening and ventured home with my bags upon bags of outlet loot and redboxed The Hurt Locker + A Serious Man (both nominated for Best Picture @ the Oscar’s – The Hurt Locker won).  I really enjoyed both. 

What a Saturday!  I’m already looking forward to heading back to the NGPOs in a few months to stock up on summertime gear… 

xx, L

North Georgia Premium Outlets
800 Highway 400 South
Dawsonville, GA  30534
706.216.3609
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=16

Sushi Bar Yu-Ka
3300 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.233.6700

Sushi Bar Yu-Ka on Urbanspoon

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We salute you!!

13839_185878281640_676711640_3286892_8387849_n

Thank you for your service.

Happy Veterans Day!

xx, L + L

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I work in Midtown and have been blessed with an abundance of great lunch spots nearby my office.  On Tuesday, I went with colleagues to Grindhouse Killer Burgers and had probably the best turkey burger I’ve ever eaten.  We all loved it there and can’t wait to go back!  I promised Dana I’d grab lunch with her yesterday, and in search of some lighter fare we opted for one of my lunch staples, Fresh 2 Order (F2O) in the Spire Building.

F2O in the Spire Building

F2O in the Spire Building

F2O is perfect for a work lunch.  It’s nearby my office (key point), incredibly fresh, refreshing and their salads are plentiful.  There are a number of items on the F2O menu to choose from, but I never get past their delicious salads.  When I arrived, as per usual, the line was out the door.  Don’t be intimidated – it moves quickly.  I ordered my favorite, the Southwest Salad w/ Salmon, and it was predictably perfect.  Here’s what’s in it:

Southwest Salad
Mixed Greens, Tomatoes, Cheese, Roasted Corn, Cranberries, Raisins, Tortilla Strips, Southwestern Ranch Dressing + Bourbon Grilled Salmon

Southwest Salad @ F2O

Southwest Salad @ F2O

My second favorite F2O salad is the Asian Salad:

Asian Salad
Mixed Greens, Candied Walnuts, Tomatoes, Sesame Seeds, Avocado, Pickled Ginger, Crispy Noodles, Mandarin Oranges, Mixes Nuts, Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing + Almond Rosemary Crusted Tuna

Asian Salad @ F2O

Asian Salad @ F2O

F2O also has a Gluten Free Menu and a To Go/ Catering Menu online.  Check them out!  Although the Spire Building location in Midtown is my personal haunt, there are F2Os all over Atlanta – and one in Chattanooga.  See you there soon!

xx, L

f2o

Fresh 2 Order – Midtown
Spire Building
860 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA  30308
404.593.2333
www.fresh2order.com

F2O Fresh To Order on Urbanspoon

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I’ve eaten a lot of hamburgers over the 5+ years I’ve lived in Atlanta.  In fact, I almost ate myself to death at Ann’s Snack Bar over the summer.  Learned a valuable lesson that day…  Anyway, my favorite hamburger in town remains the “Yokohama Mama” burg (w/ bison) at The Vortex Bar & Grill. 

yokohama mama burg w/ buffalo meat @ the vortex

yokohama mama burg w/ bison @ the vortex

Yokohama Mama Burger:  Burger topped w/ jack cheese, special teriyaki sauce and a ring of grilled pineapple.  (Note: I prefer the bison patty b/c it’s tastes like beef but has less fat than skinless chicken breast.) 

I usually order the YMB w/ sweet potato fries, but last night I opted for the famous Vortex tots.  They were delish!

If you’ve read some of my other posts, you won’t be at all surprised when I tell you that the Yokohama Mama is the only burger I’ve ever eaten at the Vortex.  Their menu is ridiculous, but I just can’t get past the YMB: http://www.thevortexbarandgrill.com/menus/WebMenu.pdf 

Check out the Coronary Bypass Burger & the Elvis Burger!!  I’m definitely not that hardcore, but I’d be very proud to see someone eat one of those!  P.S. The Vortex’s staff, restaurant decor and ambiance IS a seriously hardcore, no-B.S. biker bar.  So be prepared…

Also, on the app. front, we ordered the fried zucchini and polished it off in no time!  It comes to the table piping hot, sliced, battered and fried – served with ranch dressing.  Best of all, I’m pretty sure it’s completely fat free since the vegetable factor cancels out the fact that it’s fried.  :)  

fried zucchini @ the vortex

fried zucchini @ the vortex

Soooooo, I went with a bunch of ladies to The Vortex in Midtown last night to have dinner before we went to see our adorable friend, Stephanie’s, boyfriend preform at the Laughing Skull Lounge.  For those not into comedy, it’s the comedy club attached to The Vortex’s Midtown location. 

I’ve watched WAY too many American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance auditions (schadenfreude at it’s best – I know), so watching people perform live sometimes makes me really uncomfortable/ nervous for them.  I had a stiff drink at dinner to calm my nerves a bit for the show, but it was totally unnecessary.  The comedians were HYSTERICAL.  And, I think the Laughing Skull is a lot more legit that I anticipated.  In fact, I just read online that Creative Loafing selected it as the Best Comedy Club in AtlantaWay to go!  Among the five comedians at our show was Jim Florentine from Crank Yankers, another dude fresh off a Comedy Central tour and Stephanie’s boyfriend – who had me in stitches.  (Aren’t they cute?!)

*adorable*

*adorable*

The Laughing Skull would be such a fun date.  Tickets are around $20 per person, depending on the evening and the comedian, and The Vortex is right next door for beer and burgs ahead of time.  I’m totally, completely 100% sold – and I can’t wait to go back for another show!

Couldn’t we all use a good laugh?  (And an out-of-this-world burger with a catchy Hawaiian name?!)  I’m thinking YES.

xx, L

vortex_bar___grill
The Vortex Bar & Grill – Midtown location
878 Peachtree Street #4
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.875.1667
www.thevortexbarandgrill.com

Vortex Bar & Grill (Midtown) on Urbanspoon


Laughing Skull Lounge
878 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA  30309
877.523.3288
Comedian schedule:
www.vortexcomedy.com
Cash only @ the LSL bar
**Two drink minimum**

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I’ve lived in Atlanta for five years.  Eaten at restaurants all over the city.  And, I think Atlanta has a fabulous culinary scene!  However, when friends come to visit for the weekend or I just need a nice, hearty brunch, I always suggest The Flying Biscuit Cafe.  I am not thrilled that it’s been franchised all over the city, but I don’t feel like biscuits are being compromised in any way.  My favorite location is the one in Candler Park, but I will happily eat at the one in Midtown or Buckhead any day!  I’ve waited for up to two hours to sit down for a meal at Flying Biscuit before.  At almost any other restaurant, I would be immediately deterred by such a long wait - not the FB.  No one does biscuits like them – and they are worth the wait!  Believe it or not, I’ve been eating at the FB at least once a month for five years and I’ve only ever had ONE entree there.  (When did I turn into my father??)  I am a relatively adventurous eater with a serious case of restaurant ADD, but as soon as I step foot into the FB – that all goes out the window!  On Saturday, I found myself at the FB in Buckhead with a number of ladies who hadn’t been in a while or were from out of town.  They asked for menu suggestions, but I simply couldn’t help them out.  The only item I’ve ever eaten is (drumroll please): The Egg-ceptional Eggs!
 
Egg-ceptional Eggs: two fried eggs on black bean cakes topped w/ tomatillo salsa (the green kind) and feta + fruit cup (mostly berries) + whole wheat biscuit.  Deeeeeelicious!

 

Flying Biscuit's Egg-ceptional Eggs

Flying Biscuit's Egg-ceptional Eggs

Of course, I have nothing to compare it to…  Regardless, Flying Biscuit is an oldie, but a goodie – and now it can be found all over town!  Expect to wait at least 20 minutes for a table - pretty much any time of the day.  Don’t forget that they serve breakfast all day long! 

Here’s a link to their menu: http://www.flyingbiscuit.com/Menus.aspx

Bon appetit!

xx, L

350602logo

Candler Park

The Flying Biscuit Cafe
1655 McLendon Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30307
404.687.8888
www.flyingbiscuit.com

Flying Biscuit Cafe on Urbanspoon

Midtown
The Flying Biscuit Cafe
1001 Piedmont Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.874.8887

Flying Biscuit Cafe Midtown on Urbanspoon

Buckhead
The Flying Biscuit Cafe
3280 Peachtree Road, NE
Suite 145
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.477.0013
www.flyingbiscuit.com

Flying Biscuit Cafe on Urbanspoon

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Living on the front of my refrigerator you’ll find a number of engagement/ shower/ bachelorette party and wedding invitations, pictures of friend’s adorable babies, an array of tacky magnets and some super-duper shots of Paige, my roommate, and me.  You will also find a napkin that I swiped from a champagne bar in Chicago.  Lauren and I think the quote on the napkin is brilliant, AND I’d like to share it with all you lovely readers:

“I only drink champagne…when I’m happy and when I’m sad.  Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone.  When I have company, I consider it obligatory.  I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am.  Otherwise, I never touch it…unless I’m thirsty.”

- Lily Bollinger, Ouotiation from Daily Mail – October 17, 1961

22050_p

Gosh Lily, it’s like you’re in my head…  Amazing!

Happy Friday -and a big L’Shana Tova to all my Heebs!  Dana, CK and I plan to bring in the JNY – the wrong way - at Ecco (my fav!) tonight with a few of these bad boys:

Celebrate the JNY!

Happy JNY!

xx, L

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People come from near and far to witness the majesty of this delicious offering at STEEL Restaurant & Lounge in Midtown.  You don’t have to look hard to find it proudly displayed on their ”plates for sharing” menu: Tuna Tower.  L and I order it as an entree, because mixing it with other food would not do it justice.  In fact, it would be flat out disrespectful.

Voila!

Tuna Tower in all it's glory

Tuna Tower in all its glory

At the table, your server will knock over the tower and mix/ mash it together so that you get crab and spicy tuna in each bite, like so:

Tiiiiiiimberrrrrr...

Tiiiiiiimberrrrrr...

Flattened tower…

Tuna Tower crumbled

Tuna Tower crumbled

…and its gone before you know it!  (Isn’t the flower a nice touch?)

Tuna Tower...disappeared!

Tuna Tower...disappeared!

The only thing that makes a tuna tower even better is enjoying it with good friends!

Dana's Birthday @ STEEL

Dana's Birthday @ STEEL

P.S. Their bento boxes are pretty amazing, too.  Try the sea bass one.  And say “hi” to the MP, Chuck.  He’s the bee’s knees.

xx, L

STEEL Restaurant & Lounge
950 W. Peachtree St. NW
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.477.6111
www.steelatlanta.com

Steel Restaurant & Lounge on Urbanspoon

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They say that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.  Slick will tell you that it’s actually through his rib cage, but he’d prefer you consider the stomach route first…
 
Last night, I made a big taco dinner for him and a few of my girlfriends.  As usual, my Famous Rotel Queso Dip was the show-stealer. 
 
Here’s the Q+DD on my incredibly simple Tex-Mex gift from G-d:
 
Ingredients:
 
- 1 lb. pasteurized processed cheese (Velveeta) cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 can (10 oz.) diced Rotel tomatoes/ green chilies
 
Directions:
 
1) Combine ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.
 
2) Microwave on HIGH for five minutes.  Stir once at 2.5 minutes.
 
Serve and enjoy!!
rotel_cheese_dip
 
Told you so…
 
xx, L

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