Travelzoo deal

So last night we fiiiiinally used my travelzoo deal. It was dinner for 2 for 50% off what it would have cost. The restaurant is called Bistro Alex and it's in the new Hotel Sorella located in City Centre of Houston. This area became one of my new favorite places in Houston recently when they built an Anthropologie and a Ruggles Green. I think it's safe to say this is my favorite Ruggles. Get the fish tacos and mac and cheese there and thank me later. City Centre is super close to where my parents live so I go there a lot. But since I'll be moving to Houston myself soon, I am going to try to stay awaaaay from where I grew up and try new places! Okay, back to talking about the restaurant this post is about...

Hotel Sorella

This deal gave us 3 courses and 20% off a bottle of wine.We shared an appetizer of jalapeno shrimp and grits which was amazing. Then we each got to order an entree worth up to $38. So I got the filet. duh. I never ever eat red meat but if I'm going to, I might as well eat it at a place that I know it will be cooked well. And it was. Zach got the duck which is his second favorite food to thai noodles.

Zach's duck with a little quail egg that was so cute!

My filet

Manly drink: bourbon and other intense alcohols plus muddled cherries and oranges.

Bistro Alex. Pretty swanky huh?

We both tried foie gras for the first time even though it literally looked like a mini liver! I don't think I'll be ordering that again. The menu changes so it's not online but I assure everything was awesome. I am by no means a 'foodie' so my pictures and descriptions of this food is (obviously) completely amateur. This post is merely to get you to a) sign up for travelzoo.com emails (they should really pay me for this), b) go to Bistro Alex and c) admire how awesome I am as a gf. Thank you.

houstonlove,

Germ

How to: Make Quinoa

If you do not already know what Quinoa is then you are probably not cool enough to read this blog. JK. But really, you should know what it is and how to cook it. I have found that most people do not know exactly how to cook it though, and I am going to give you a simple trick to make it not taste like sawdust.

Mmmmmm doesn't that look good? Yes, yes it does.

Ready for it?? Cook the quinoa in chicken stock, NOT water. It will change your life (if you life already includes cooking quinoa in water). For those veggies out there (shout out to my roomie), you can use vegetable stock. But don't ask me how that tastes because I'm not weird like that. Also, always use a 2:1 liquid:quinoa ratio.

A little more about quinoa: it contains a ton of amino acids so that means it's a source of complete protein. It's also a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. It is gluten-free for all of you celiacs (and fake ones) out there.

I will now share with you my favorite quinoa recipe.

Quinoa with peas

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped onion (I hate onions so I've never added these but go ahead if you want!)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I use dry)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

 Directions: 

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the quinoa, and cook 2 minutes until toasted. Pour in the chicken broth, onion, garlic, thyme, and black pepper. Cover, and let come to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the frozen peas. Recover, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed the chicken stock, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Stir in half of the Romano cheese and the parsley until evenly mixed. Scoop the quinoa into a serving dish, and sprinkle with the remaining Romano cheese to serve.

After making this a dozen times, I have realized you can really add absolutely anything to quinoa and it will taste good. Try zucchini, squash, tomatoes and feta -- that ones good too! I have even made quinoa fried rice.

happycooking,

Germ

Island Life

So, now that I know I am definitely leaving this island, I have been getting a little nostalgic. Galveston will always have a place in my heart. When I was in elementary school I would come down to my friend's beach houses on the weekends and see the signs for UTMB and I knew I wanted to come here for medical school. Seriously, I am not kidding. I think I had my friend's mom drive me by the school when I was in 5th grade. I was such a nerd.

I am always getting asked to recommend restaurants, bars and things to do when people come here on mini-vacations, bachelorette parties and spring break. I am pretty picky when it comes to these things but I feel like with my 4 years here, I have finally decided on my favorite places.

Bars

21 -This is a martini bar that has good music on the weekends you can dance to. It's my favorite because it's the only place that doesn't allow smoking inside. It's also a little fancier so if you're dressed up you won't feel that out of place.

Buckshots - This place is relatively new. It looks super shady on the outside but just trust me. If you want to dance, this is the place for you. There's always two-steppers on the floor but really anything goes. I am the ultimate worst dancer ever but at this place, I could care less! 

Tremont rooftop bar - Just like you would think, this place is on top of the Tremont hotel. You can see all of Galveston while sitting on comfy couches. I love the sangria here. This place closes around 10 or 11 but its worth it to grab your first drink of the night here.

Brunch Places

Sunflower - In my opinion, this is my favorite brunch place on the island. I had heard M&M was good but I tried it and I will always choose Sunflower over everywhere else. Unless you're hungover and then go to...

La Estacion - and order the "Surprise" burrito. This is the definition of a hole in the wall if the definition entails literally having holes in the walls. Someone told me that they use french fries in the burrito when they run out of breakfast potatoes but I have been there a lot and I think french fries are a staple ingredient in this massive burrito. I also love the coffee there for some reason. There's nothing special to it but it is always just so good.Look for the astronaut painted on the door and you'll know you're here.

Dinner Places

Olympia - There are 2 of these. You have to go to the one on Harborside. I was kind of annoyed when I saw a restaurant being built after Ike and then found out it was just another Olympia. But this one is soooo much better than the one on the seawall. This place has the best happy hour hands down. They have different specials every day. For about $10 you can leave with dinner and 2 or 3 drinks down. That's pretty good considering an entree here is around $15.

Awesome patio at Olympia

West End - omg this place is awesome. One of my friends in Houston told me her mom goes here with her local friends. This is a great place to go on a date or go with your family for a nice dinner. You can tell they like to keep this place a secret for the locals on the west end. Get the snapper or grouper. I can't remember which one I got but either way, it will be awesome!

Lunch Places

Mosquito Cafe -For those who have been to Galveston, you know about this place. It is a classic and we go here about once a week. Try their salads and their shrimp tacos!

Tremont Hotel - If anything, just go here to see the hotel. It is beautiful with really high ceiling and glass elevators. I loved that 2 of my very good friends got engaged here. You might think eating in hotels is overrated but it is very casual dining. They have awesome paninis and soups for good prices. 

Cafe Michael Burger - If you feel like getting out of downtown, drive a little further down the seawall to go here. But bring cash. I get the Jamaican turkey burger. Go here on a nice day and sit outside with a drink.

Smooth Tony's - This place will never get old. I love their wraps and will definitely miss them next year. They recently opened a bar on Thursday and Friday nights and it is surprisingly awesome! It's not in the best location for going out but it was just nice to chill and drink some wine. Tony made it look kind of rainforesty and I love that.

islandlove,

Germ

The look for less

I know it's Match Week and all and I should be freaking out and forgetting about my blog. Well I am for sure freaking out but I am mostly concerned with my outfits for this week. Duh. #utmbfashionweek anyone? You all know who I'm talking about... Also, please excuse this blog post for it is being written post-many mimosas.

Does anyone remember watching "The Look for Less" with Elisabeth Hasselbeck on the Style network back in the day?? It was this show where they would pick pricey runway outfits and then throw 2 people in a ghetto mall and make them find the same outfit for like $60 in under an hour. I wanted to be on that show sooo bad. I think I just want to be on any show. Maybe I just want to be famous. Nah.

Anyways, I have a few necklaces I have recently acquired but then seen in stores or online for waaaaaay more money and I wanted to share.

First up, we have the J. Crew necklace I ordered a long time ago from China via eBay. I finally received it in the mail the other day as a nice little surprise! This is what it looks like:

I am pretty happy with this purchase. Again, it was $20, including shipping and the J. Crew one goes for $150! Done and done.

Next up, we have another J. Crew look-a-like that I found at Target for $7! They have multiple colors but I bought the off-white because I wanted it to match certain things. Please excuse the pictures... blame it on the infused orange juice.

Mine

J. Crew's

 See the difference? I don't. Go to Target. Easy.

This last one is kind of the opposite deal. One of my best friends bought me this awesome necklace for my birthday and I am obsessed with it. It is the real thing. Not sure how much it costs (because it would be tacky to look it up) but it is the legit House of Harlow (by Nicole Richie) necklace. I was just randomly searching on Ebay for necklaces and found this necklace for extremely cheap (about $10-15). Mine is real leather and I can assure you the knockoff is plastic but otherwise it almost looks identical. I am merely telling you this to explain how eBay works. It's like Amazon on steroids.

Mine. Awesomeness.

eBay's plastic version

But if you really want to me cool like me and Kim Kardashain, buy the real one.

happybargainhunting,
Germ

MATCH DAY

It's Match Day people. MATCH DAY. I've had a countdown on my phone for this day for like the past year. This week has been slightly bittersweet, but in the end I am so happy for all of my friends and excited to begin the next chapter of my life. After 6 straight days/nights of partying, I am definitely going to be ready for another vacation. Good thing we're going to San Fran and planning our Napa trip! 

Next week is also going to be a ton of fun. I am loving life right now. We have cooking classes with a past Top Chef contender -- Monica Pope!! It's at her restaurant in Houston. Then, we're going to eat at the place I bought the travelzoo.com voucher. And finally, we have a wedding! I am super excited and can't wait!


Ok, I am off to school to open an envelope that is going to tell me where I'll be moving my life for the next 4+ years. I'll be sure to update later with the news!

--Germ

Road Trip

We made it. In two pieces (duh, him in one, me in another). I'm a nerd, but you've figured that out by now. But in reality, you should be proud of us. It was a 9 hour trip on the way there and it took us 12 hours to get back.

This trip was exactly what we needed before this hectic week took off. The place we rented (off of vrbo.com) was definitely tiny, but it was perfect. We didn't spend much time there anyway. It was about a 3 minute walk from Rosemary Beach.

We had amazing weather -- like low 70s. Each morning we would go on a walk and then spend the afternoon on the beach. It rained our last day there so we drove down to Seaside (like a 20 minute drive). I lovelovelove Seaside and if I ever have enough $$$ to buy a second home, I would want to own one there. Each house is so colorful and has it's own name! I already started brainstorming what mine would be called... Did you know Seaside was where The Truman Show was filmed? Pretty neat.

There is also a new "village" being built just down the road from where we stayed. This one is called Alys Beach and all the homes are white. It reminded me a lot of Grecian homes. This is probably the more priciest of the little towns/villages on 30A (the road all of these towns are on). One of them had turquoise shutters and it had my name on it.

Rosemary Beach Main Street. I'm pointing to where my fam stayed a few years ago.

We ate and had drinks at a great tapas place in Rosemary Beach

Alys Beach

White sandy beaches

Being artsy

I highly suggest you go here one day. There are all types of houses, apartments, and condos to rent within anyone's price range.

safetravels,

Germ

Bored like me?

Here are 5 things you can do if you are bored like me.

1. If you haven't already (well, first off, you're just nuts), read The Hunger Games. See what I did there? I linked it up so you can buy it off Amazon immediately. Do it. You will thank me.

The movie comes out March 23 so you better start reading! But really, I think all you need is a 2nd grade reading level so you can probably bust out all 3 books in a day. Personally, I didn't want to watch the trailer until I was done with the series. They hired some awesome actors/actresses for this movie. I will most likely be attending the midnight showing dressed as Katniss. Don't judge me. It's definitely no Twilight. Sorry twihards.

Watch the trailer...and become instantly addicted 

 

While I wait for this movie to come out, does anyone have any other book suggestions??

2. Watch Property Brothers on HGTV. Did you know most of these shows are based in Canada? Someone told me this and now I can't help but notice every single time when they say "both" in that annoying Canadian way. I know it's disappointing but I watch them anyways.

Aren't they kinda cute? Okay, maybe not. Whatever. Just watch it.

I love most house shows but this one is my new fave. The premise: two (twin?) bros are the hosts. One is a realtor and one is a remodel-er. I'm really bad at explaining movies/shows but I'll try. A couple with really expensive taste buys a cheap home that needs a lot of work and then the twins re-do it within their original budget. It's pretty awesome. My dream is to be on this show.

3. Work out. Look out for a future post on my new workout routine. Shout out to Katharine Miller. I totally look like a weirdocrazyperson doing some of these exercises but I can already tell its working! Some of it is taken from the workouts the Victoria's Secret girls do. Get a friend and go to the gym! It's way more fun when you workout with a buddy.

4. Online shop. Wait. On second thought, unless you want to be poor like me instead of bored like me, don't online shop. Just online window shop. My roomie and I have gotten really good (except obviously, from the looks of my bank account, not good enough) at filling up those shopping carts and then checking that red box in the righthand corner of the computer screen. Instead, maybe you should go volunteer or something. But don't expect to see my building any houses anytime soon.

5. Anticipating being bored for a whole weekend? Then sign up for the travelzoo emails. Every week they send you their Top 20 travel deals. Since I have so much free time on my hands, I am always looking (and finding) great deals in nearby cities. A few weeks ago they had an awesome 2 day getaway in Fredericksberg wine country for super cheap. With four girls it would have ended up being like 50 bucks each. I recently bought a dinner deal at a new restaurant in Htown. I am going next week so I will tell you about it more later.

Ok, go be less bored now!

--Germs

Rodeo 2k12

Sorry for the lack of posting last week. I was on vacation and did not open a computer once. It was nice and relaxing and just what we needed before Match Week. I am also happy to say I have matched into an Ob/Gyn position somewhere in this great United States, and I can now safely say I have a J.O.B!

I went to see Eli Young Band at the rodeo last week with some classmates. Let me tell you a secret about my connections with this band. A) I don't have any, so no, I cannot get them to play at your cousin's quinceanera and B) when I was in undergrad at UT, my sorority's prez was dating the drummer of Eli Young. So I guess you could say if we were playing that Kevin Bacon game, I'd win.

Note: Do NOT ride rides after you have consumed rodeo foods + multiple beers.

When I was in college, (like a bazillion years ago...aka 6 years ago) we had this awesome mexican lunch every Friday and Eli young Band would come play in our dining room. I just remember being like 'who the heck are these clowns?!' They were loud (obviously because the sound had no where to go in a sorority house) and they annoyed me.

So now you can call me a total hypocrite because I love Eli Young Band. Maybe it's because they are played on the radio and not 5 inches away from my ear but maybe it's just because they are good. I think its the latter, and I think I might pay them to play 5 inches away from my ear now.

The Houston rodeo is the only legit rodeo. So, if you've never been, I suggest you go ASAP. There are still some shows left! Watching the little birds hatch before the show was my fave.

I found my calling even at the rodeo!

Rodeolove,
Germ

DONE!

I am officially done with med school classes. Now for 3+ months of traveling! I already have two trips booked.

First up: Freak out time has begun. Match Day is so close and we need something to keep us sane. We thought a beach as far away as we could get would be our best bet. So, the other night (about 1 am) we booked a spontaneous trip to Rosemary Beach, Florida and we're leaving tomorrow! I'm sure most of you have never heard of this place but it is amazing. I strongly suggest you check it out. I went with my family after I took Step 1 about two years ago. It is a quaint little town with white sandy beaches -- kinda like Seaside (which isn't too far away). The houses all look somewhat alike but they are more modern and so pretty.

House in Rosemary Beach

The beaches

My sisters and I on our porch with the main street in the background

One reason I like this place is because they don't allow any mainstream restaurants or shops (they even closed their Starbucks a few years ago). Everyone rents bikes and rides around the cute town. My family rented a little apartment above the shops on the main street but we are staying at a studio apartment a few minutes walking distance from the town.

Rosemary Beach is 10-11 hours of driving (eek!). Since we are driving from Houston, we are going to stop in New Orleans on the way back. This will be a loooong road trip for the two of us... be sure to check back next week with some updates.

Next: We planned a week long trip to San Francisco! We're planning on going to the Redwood Forest, Napa and seeing Alcatraz. Any recommendations would be great!


--Peace, love, and Germs

Obligatory Bachelor post

Top 5: Reasons why we love to hate The Bachelor 

5. Chris Harrison is gay and he doesn't know it. I am secretly hoping Bachelor Ben gives him a rose at each ceremony.

4. We are jealous of their clothes and all the traveling they get to do. Except that no one wears that many long formal dresses in real life. They must find them at the same store the girls from Super Sweet Sixteen got theirs. Also, they even get their hair done without leaving the mansion. Although, I'm not sure I would have trusted that crazy tattooed competitive girl to give me highlights...

3. They all fall in looooooove. We would fall too (even if it was to a bowl-haircutted wino) if we were drunk in a cottage inside a helicopter eating cheese on a picnic in Switzerland.

2. They get what seems to be a neverending flow of alcohol. Hook me up to one of their IVs of champagne and white wine. Where do I sign up to be the doctor that gets to do all the liver transplants after the season is over?

And reason #1...It makes us feel less crazy. Watch this for proof. See, don't you already feel more normal?