Scrappy Travels

Recently, I've found myself craving Ramen pretty much all the time. Not the stuff that comes in a styrofoam cup and is full of all sorts of preservatives that assures it'll still be good in the year 2172. Nope, I've actually never even tasted that stuff. I want the good stuff. The soup that chefs perfect over many, many years of practice and recipe-tweaking. A really good bowl of Ramen is deceptively difficult to make. It looks fairly simple - noodles, broth, protein and some veggies. However, the broth - like most broths - is most important. If you don't have good broth, then the Ramen will be just as bad. And a good broth can have dozens of ingredients simmered and boiled to perfection. It's no wonder that few chefs go into the Ramen shop business. However, a few cooks out there have perfected the technique and choose to serve this unbelievably delicious food to the masses. One such shop is Ivan Ramen in the East Village of Manhattan. I first had this pa...

Big Cork Vineyards Summer Bash Reading: I just finished "Towers Falling" which, while not perfect is a great way to open a dialogue with kids about September 11. I'm about to start "Less" which is supposed to be hilarious. I definitely need the humor after reading such a serious book. Judging: My Ravens who beat the Bills 41 - 3 last weekend, pretty much flopped in primetime last night. What the heck? They usually don't look that tired until well past the second game of the season. Planning: There are so many BIG plans in the works, that my little brain is working in overdrive. I'm excited to see where they go! Getting Over: I suppose you can say that I'm pretty much OVER today. Work was not my favorite. So many things blew up that it felt like I worked in bomb disposal instead of instructional design. Can I just hit the lottery already and travel the world for a living? Listening to: I'm currently still living my best life as a S...

When we were in London last year, we took a Secret Food Tour , that was in fact the best tour I'd ever been on. Between the market vendors, the delicious snacks, the historical fun facts and our awesome guide Mat, I couldn't have imagined a better way to spend a rainy day in London. After that memorable experience, we were adamant about doing another tour with the same company.    Luckily for us, the company operates world wide and they just happen to run a Secret Food Tour in another of my favorite cities - Manhattan. While we could have probably chosen a better day for our tour - 97 degrees and sunny isn't exactly great schlepping around the city weather - Bridgette, our guide this time around was nothing short of fabulous. She made the entire tour fun and full of cool facts about Greenwich Village. In her previous life, she was an elementary school teacher, and I'd bet she was fantastic in front of a classroom based on how excited she was about our tour and...

San Antonio Texas is somewhere I've been for work. It's not a city I'm a fan of. If I'm going to Texas, I'm heading to Austin. While San Antonio has parks, and the River Walk and great places to shop, it's just not my ideal place to travel. However, there is one restaurant in the city, that I'd transport here to Maryland in a heartbeat if I could. There are not many destinations I'd brave a 2 mile walk in 100 degree heat for. It's quite possible that Guenther House is the only one. The Guenther House is an old powder mill on the banks of the San Antonio River. During my last trip to the city - a trip that only lasted 3 days - we enjoyed breakfast there twice. Unfortunately, this trip only included one visit, yet that visit was all together as delicious as I had remembered it. Their menu includes staples such as eggs, bacon and waffles. Though, because they are a powder mill, their waffles, pancakes and homemade biscuits are their specialties...

August Reads Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani: I've sort of become obsessed with graphic novels, especially when they're as creative as "Pashmina". This is a beautiful example of an important story creatively told. The Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford: I'm just so in love with this series. The story is a perfect mixture of mystery and fantasy. Can't wait to read the next! Nice Work if you can Get It by Celia Imrie: I'm a big fan of British books and travel books. This is a mixture of both. A British book based in Nice France, while also including a bit of a mystery. It's super cute and the perfect beachy read! Flora and Ulysses - The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo: This story of a girl and her superhero squirrel is just the cutest. If catchphrases are a sign of how much someone enjoys a book, my incessant use of the phrase "Holy Bagumba" should tell you just how much I loved it. The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane ...