Concert last week at Stubb’s to see Ben Rector & Tyrone Wells.
1. Listening to recently…
Ben Rector and Tyrone Wells
I’m going Stubb’s on Thursday to see Ben Rector (headliner) and Tyrone Wells (opener) in concert. It will be my 2nd time seeing them both. It’s guaranteed to be a good show, just hoping the weather outside is nice.
2. Reading currently…
Allegiant is the 3rd book in the Divergent trilogy. I loved the first two books in the trilogy.
I made the mistake of reading the reviews on Amazon before I started the book. They are not kind. So, it hasn’t motivated me to binge read through this book. And coupled with the fact that I read the first two books over a year ago, I’ve forgotten so much and made it confusing at first. But I’m still hopeful and will finish the book.
3. Watching on HBO Go…
I finally finished watching The West Wing. I had to move on to a new-to-me series. I’d always heard great things about The Wire and wanted something different than The West Wing.
It’s a good show. It’s not my normal cup of tea, which is why I never watched it when it was on. But the story lines and writing are great. (If Bubbles ends up dying, I’m going to be so upset!!!)
One fun thing about watching an older show, I keep seeing the cast members on current shows! Bunk is on The Michael J Fox show. Kima was on The Good Wife two weeks ago. Prez was just on Hostages this week. And 2 guys from the show are currently on The Walking Dead.
Annnnnnd I’m fully aware that I watch too much TV!!!! 
What are you currently listening to, reading, and/or watching???
Do you have a book recommendation for me to read next?
What should I watch after The Wire? I’m thinking Six Feet Under.
Last month, I went to my first ACL festival. My first year in Austin, I felt too new to the city to go. I didn’t even know where Zilker Park was at that point. But this year, I had to go! At the same time, I was terrified!! I love concerts, but crowds of drunken fools….eh, not so much.
It was that fear of the unknown that got into my head. How far will I have to walk? How hard is it to get from one stage to another? Will I get beer spilled on me? How hot will it be? What if I have a panic attack due to the crowd?
Finally, I just had to make a deal with myself. Julie–you’re going!! But if you go for an hour or two and you hate it, then leave! I decided to go to ACL by myself so that if I did get overwhelmed and left, I wouldn’t be putting anyone else out.
Shovels & Rope
And sooooo, I LOVED it. I had a blast. I randomly bumped into Heather on day 1 and we hung out. And I hung out on and off with my friend, Ben on day 2 & 3. But if my friends wanted to see one band and me another, we just parted ways. I felt so proud of myself for getting over my fears and navigating the mayhem quite well.
Jake Bugg
Everyone has their own preferred way to get to ACL. Walk, bike, cab, dropoff….I opted for the free shuttle. I parked downtown and walked a few blocks for the free buses that picked up in Republic Park. There was a steady stream of busses, so the wait time was minimal. Then you dropped off fairly close to the ACL entrance.
I had a sling bag with me containing cash/ID/debit card, 2 water bottles–one full, one empty, sunscreen, my cell phone, sunglasses, face/hand wipes, and aspirin. You can bring blankets/chairs, but I wasn’t lugging that around. It was easy to navigate the stages from the maps we were given.
I opted to not drink any beer during ACL. 1. I wanted to keep my wits in case it did get super crowded. 2. I didn’t want to have to trek out & wait for the port-a-potties. Ew. Basically, it was so hot on Friday & Saturday that I just sweat out all the water I drank & didn’t have to pee once. Overshare!!!
I actually started to feel like I was going to pass out on the first day after only being at ACL for an hour! The sun was beating straight on me. I hightailed it for a shady area and chugged some water and just sat until I felt okay. I was a bit freaked out by this & thought about leaving, but that’s when I ran into Heather—so she really saved ACL for me!! After that, I was more conscious of my water intake & was a-okay.
Pro tip: (yeah I’m a pro now) During ACL (and SWSX), KGSR & KUTX offer free morning shows. It’s so worth it getting up early to see this show. It’s several bands…only a couple songs each…but I was on the 2nd row at the KGSR show on day 2. I was able to resolve some concert conflicts as these bands were playing at ACL during the same set times as other bands I wanted to see.
Court Yard Hounds
Walk the Moon
Bands that I saw during ACL 2013: Noah and the Whale**, The Lone Bellow**, Franz Ferdinand, The National**, Haim, Little Green Cars**, Dana Falconberry, Silversun Pickups, Lissie**, Walk the Moon**, Aaron Behrens and the Midnight Stroll, Wilco, Kings of Leon**, Court Yard Hounds, Shovels and Rope, Jake Bugg, fun.**, and Vampire Weekend**
**the ones I liked the best
I’ve already bought my 3 day pass for the first weekend of ACL festival 2014. Hope to see you there!!
I had another music filled weekend!
1. It started out right with margaritas at Mary Helen’s!
2. Then I headed over to the Belmont to see Ben Rector in concert. The opening band was Alpha Rev, a new to me Austin band that I really liked!
After a good set from Alpha Rev, it was time for Ben Rector. I was an immediate fan of his after I learned of him from my friend, Sarah. Sarah is my music guru!
Here’s a small sample that I recorded during the show from his song, Hide Away.
3. On Saturday, I went to Rodeo Austin. It was my first rodeo! I’m a real Texan now. 
The most important thing on the agenda was…
Best washed down with 2 cans of Bud Light! You can’t drink craft beer at the rodeo, right?!
Am I too old to get involved in mutton bustin’?? Also, I’m sure I would have been terrified as a 5 year to try this!! The girl that won was adorable!
We were really there for the Gary Allan concert. I don’t listen to country much, but he was really good!!
4. I finally watched Rock of Ages today. I loved the music. I’m having to force myself not to buy all the songs on iTunes. My favorite 80′s rock song is Here I Go Again by Whitesnake!
What’s your favorite 80′s hair band song???
5. I have to give a shout out to my alma mater, Wichita State Shockers for upsetting Gonzaga last night! Woot! #marchmadness
In November, one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world, Sarah, came to visit. Sarah did a little research online first and asked if we could go to La Condesa for dinner her first night in town. Far be it from me to say no to tacos, guac, and beer!
I asked Sarah…..will you get up and stand in line at 9:30 am to eat BBQ with me tomorrow? Sarah said yes, of course. Yesssssssss!!
I finally got to try Franklin Barbecue!
Franklin’s is known for having some of the best brisket in the country. Just ask Anthony Bourdain. It was delicious, but I liked the ribs even better.
After devouring some meat, we headed off the duck tour of Austin. I don’t think Sarah blew her duck whistle once. But I made up for it for the both of us.
The State Capitol building
Lake Austin
During Sarah’s visit, we also took in two concerts. We saw Snow Patrol (great concert!) at Austin Music Hall and Counting Crows at Stubb’s.
I was very nervous for Snow Patrol as I’d read bad reviews about Austin Music Hall. So maybe the reviewers were whiny….or the hall was improved…or both, but I really enjoyed the venue!! The only downfall is that since it’s near condos/apartments, they have to stop concerts at 10 pm. I wish that Snow Patrol could have played longer.
Our other adventure during Sarah’s visit was the Austin Eats Food Tour. I’d been wanting to try the downtown Austin tour for awhile and had a Groupon to boot! The tour met on a Saturday morning the Republic Park farmers’ market.
Our stops on the food tour:
1. Dai Due Butcher Shop
2. Tacodeli
3. Hut’s Hamburgers
4. Haddington’s–I’d already been to Haddington’s twice before, but this was my first time trying a Moscow Mule! Loooooooove!!
5. Walton’s Fancy and Staple — The shortbread cookies are so good!
6. Frank’s
For Sarah’s last day in Austin, I suggested a Sunday Funday of brunch and bar hopping! We had brunch at Bess Bistro (otherwise known as Sandra Bullock’s restaurant–as is Walton’s). Then we headed over to Kung Fu Saloon and met up with with my friend, Brandi, and her hubs.
To end on a killer high note, Sarah and I had dinner at Uchi. Oh Uchi….I love thee!! Uchi, you are way better than Uchiko (sorry, Paul Qui). If you’re in Austin and you love sushi, you must go to Uchi. Go early (happy hour prices), get the shag roll, get the maguro sashimi and goat cheese…thank me later!
Sarah, I hope you come again in 2013!! Maybe for a little ACL concert action!
Today is my 1 month anniversary of living in Austin!
And I am lovingggggggg it so far!
It’s such a fun town and everyone has been so nice! I also wanted to say a big THANKS to my aunts & uncles for helping me unpack and get settled.
One night before I moved, I was talking to my Dad about how I didn’t feel like I had much of a social life in Wichita. And that I believed that things would be different for me in Austin. My Dad said something to the effect of, “You’re going to have to put yourself out there in Texas though. You can’t sit alone in your apartment and expect things to change.”
I really took that to heart and made a promise to myself to explore Austin!
So….and this is really for my own benefit to document it….and to prove to my Dad that I do listen to him every once in awhile….here’s a list of what I’ve done this past month!
What Has Julie Been Up to Her 1st Month in Austin!
1. Very Little Baking…oops, I’ll work on rectifying that one.
2. I was a responsible adult and got my Texas car tags & driver’s license…barely.
3. Restaurants I’ve Been To:
Hula Hut
Abel’s On The Lake
Haddington’s
Satellite Diner
Guero’s Taco Bar
Hill’s Cafe
NoRTH
Pluckers
360 Cafe
Torchy’s Tacos
4. Bars I’ve Been To:
Mean Eyed Cat
Third Base
Waterloo Ice House
Tacos & Tequila
Baby A’s
Kung Fu Saloon
Cru
5. Shopping At:
Southpark Meadows
Barton Creek Square Mall
6. Concerts
Tyrone Wells @ Stubbs BBQ — I went to this concert by myself! It was way out of my comfort zone to do so, but I had a good time! Go me!! :)
7. New Experiences
Austin Food Challenge – this event was great! Everyone was very welcoming and can’t wait to go back this weekend with my new friend, Sylvia!
8. Blogger Meetups!
There are SO many food bloggers in Austin & San Antonio!
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting:
I can’t wait to see what my 2nd month in Austin holds!
1. I had to get up at 4 am on Thursday for a 6:20 am flight to Charlotte. How come it’s so easy to leap out of bed at 4 am for a flight, but it’s virtually impossible for me to drag myself out of bed to workout?
2. The 6:20 am flight didn’t leave until 12:15 pm! Hello 6 hour delay in the airport. At least I had plenty of time to catch up on blog reading. And I got a free round-trip flight voucher out of it. Score!
3. After making it to Charlotte, Sarah immediately took me out to dinner. I got a Sweet Heat cocktail made with jalapeno simple syrup. Ah-maz-ing.
4. I’m finally getting with it and reading The Hunger Games trilogy! I’m half through the first book and LOVING it!
5. One benefit of visiting a friend, perusing her iTunes library for new music. How did I not already know SafetySuit had a new CD!?
I took my nephew, Noah, to see Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked yesterday.
That movie is too cute!!
The songs are so fun and peppy too. I seriously want to buy the soundtrack. But I won’t. I mean…can a 32 year old single lady buy an album with songs sung by the Chipmunks? The answer is NO. Believe me, I’ve tried to justify it in my head all day.
So, instead I’ve just spent the day listening to previews of each song over & over on iTunes.
It’s a fun mix to listen to while in the kitchen too.
Creamy Bacon Dip
Recipe from Daisy
Ingredients:
8 ounces softened cream cheese
2 cups sour cream
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onion
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Place prepared ingredients to a 1 quart baking dish. Spread evenly. Cover with foil and cook for 25-30 minutes.
Garnish top of dip with more green onions and crumbled bacon, if desired.
Serve with pita chips or whatever you desire!
Dip can served warm or cold. I preferred the dip cold the next day!
You know those people that listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving???
GUILTY!
I started listening to Christmas music before Halloween.
I can’t help it. It makes me happy! It makes me smile! It makes me want to eat Christmas cookies.
Julie’s Top 5 Favorite Christmas Songs:
5. All I Want for Christmas is You; Mariah Carey
4. Last Christmas; Wham
3. Silent Night; Michael Buble
2. O Holy Night; Celine Dion
I’m not afraid to admit it! Celine is fab! Celine can BELT out this wonderful song.
1. O Come All Ye Faithful; Josh Groban & the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
This song! This song! THIS SONG! Love! You NEED to get Josh Groban’s Noel album from iTunes if you don’t have it already.
Christmas music is great to listen to whilst baking too.
Let’s bake! Shall we?
Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
Recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Yields approximately 26 cookies
Ingredients:
For the Chocolate Cookie Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
Turbinado sugar, for rolling
For the Peanut Butter Filling
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
To make the chocolate cookie dough:
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set bowl aside.
Beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter in a bowl until smooth. Add in the vanilla, whole egg, and egg yolk. Beat until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients to the wet. Blend well.
To make the peanut butter filling: Stir together the peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Using your hands, roll the filling into 26 small balls. Place flour on your hands if they become sticky.
To shape the cookies: Using a cookie scoop, scoop out 26 balls of chocolate cookie dough. Make an indentation in the center of the chocolate ball with your finger. Place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.
Bring the chocolate cookie dough up and over the filling to cover the peanut butter inside. Roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Roll each rounded cookie in turbinado sugar. Place prepared dough on baking sheets. Use a flat surface to flatten each cookie to about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake cookies for 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
I can’t get this blast from the past out of my head today.
That’s all.
Enjoy.
Que-sera, que-sera
