September | 2014 | Essentially Jackie

28
Sep
2014

USA Food Tour: Pennsylvania

My sister Melissa is attending graduate school in Philadelphia. I had been craving a weekend down in the city of Brotherly Love for some time now; this was actually well overdue. We finally settled on a weekend and I decided to incorporate this into my USA Food Tour. It would be a weekend full of historical sites, sisterly bonding, and of course enjoyable food.

You will probably assume and almost guarantee that the food of Pennsylvania has to be the Philly Cheesesteak. Well, you’re right. The iconic Philly Cheesesteak is one of the top items on any Pennsylvania food list. However, for those of you who know me, I am not a steak lover. I originally thought I could do a non-traditional “cheesesteak” substituted with chicken or pork but I realized that defeats the purpose of this whole food tour. (more…)

20
Sep
2014

A Tapas Kind of Girl’s Night

categories: Life & Adventures

As my week for Girl’s Night was approaching I pondered what sort of menu I should create. There really are so many options, especially with fall peaking through. I have a board on my Pinterest page with all sorts of ideas. However, nothing on there was really speaking to me. We had been talking about doing a cocktails and tapas night in the past. So I decided to take a stab at it. (more…)

16
Sep
2014

Butternut Squash and Candied Bacon Flatbread

categories: Treats

About a week ago I received a salivating photo from my dearest Amanda. She and her hubby were spending their Friday evening at their favorite spot, Sweetwater Bar & Grill. Some of you may remember my “review” post I had written back in May after visiting myself. They have the most creative, yet delicious cocktails and dishes. Anyways, as soon as I saw the photo of what they would soon be enjoying I had to know what made this dish. Amanda proceeded to list off the ingredients for me and I knew right away that I had to recreate.

Lucky for me, Girl’s Night was to be hosted by yours truly this week. This would be the centerpiece of the whole meal. However, I didn’t have the time to do a test run so tonight I just ran with it. I had purchased the ingredients that Amanda so kindly provided, along with whatever else I had brainstormed and here is what I came up with. (more…)

08
Sep
2014

USA Food Tour: Maine

categories: Life & Adventures

I wanted to get one more summer getaway in before the weather starts to turn and the cool air rolls in. Nick pretty much left it in my hands as to where we would take an overnight trip. Of course I turned to my USA Food Tour check list and narrowed down the list to locations within driving distance. I decided that Maine was the best choice for the time of year, specifically the seaside town of Portland. (more…)

02
Sep
2014

Unofficial End of Summer

categories: Life & Adventures

We all know that Labor Day Weekend is the “Unofficial End of Summer.” People enjoy their last barbecues, last weekends at their summer camps, and just embrace the last few days before the cooler weather rolls in and kids head back to school.

My friends and I decided to go out with a bang and try to complete all of the quintessenial summer activities in one weekend. The weekend started with a day at the Saratoga Race Track with my office. We had a beautiful, sunny day at the races. Though I didn’t win a single dime, it was still nice to spend some time out of the confines of the office and relax with my coworkers.

(more…)

September 2014 archive