Frills...

Still a pretty chilly day here and as I look out my window I am thinking of hot chocolate, which then makes me think of this yummy coffee recipe I recently came across. I love coffee. I drink mine black..no frills. However, once in a while I like a frills coffee and “Dulce de Leche Coffee” is plenty frilly. I might have to try a cup later today. Definitely an after dinner or afternoon coffee....they say its suppose to be a late day drink because of the Kahlua.

LIke a lot of households, we cut back on many frills and thrills in 2009. I hope we can revisit some of those treats in 2010 but we’ll see. One thing I miss a LOT is going out to dinner. Now, I don’t mean run over to the nearest fast food or chain restaurant near the mall, I mean go out for a meal. I’m talking fancy place. I love a good meal out at a nice place. We didn’t go often, usually when traveling or visiting, but I miss it.

I like vodka martinis when I go out for a nice meal. Now this is something that I came to kind of late in life. While waiting for a table one night at a fairly fancy place, I just thought, “Well, I’ll see what all the fuss is about.” Went for two bleu cheese stuffed olives and the rest can be written in stone, folks. I’m an occasional martini drinker.

For those of you who know me, you know I like to observe. Hang back, get the vibe, size it up. You can’t do that if you’re, how shall we say, hammered, so I’m not much on throwing caution to the wind and getting out of control with my martini. But, if I can sit at a bar, interact a bit with a bartender and observe, and then move on to a nice meal, well, that’s my kind of evening. I discovered eating at the bar, too, because a bartender suggested we stay put, and enjoy our meal right there. Not all places encourage it, but if they do, that’s where I will eat. Bartenders appear to have a little more time to spend talking with you. After all, you are right in their face. I prefer it, I think, because it puts you more at eye level rather than having to look up to the server. Short person complex? Maybe, but I think the experience, the exchange, is different. If the bartender is young, energetic and engaging, I love it. If they are older, calm and wise, I love it.

It can get fairly expensive though, can’t it? I wish going out to eat at a nice place could cost less, so I could go more often. When this weather breaks, I’m going out for a nice meal. I hope you will, too.