Is Gambling a Problem?

My husband is lucky to have me because I'm usually down to go to a good sports bar over a fancy restaurant. Particularly when sports are on- obviously. Basketball and football are my preferred sporting events for our viewing entertainment- we're Chiefs football fans and Lebron fans in our household. So gimme a KC Chiefs game or the Cavaliers and I'm good to go. Yes I said it. We are Lebron fans. Say what you will. Haters gonna hate.

If only we could bring the Kings back to Kansas City, or any other team for that matter, then we'd have a KC team to cheer for.



Love this Charlie Hustle shirt from The Bunker. www.bunkeronline.com

  

One of the reasons why I appreciate a bar of this type is because I thrive on competition and gambling* and this makes for the perfect atmosphere for said activities. I'm always ready for a friendly bet against my husband or really anyone who's up for losing. 

*This started at an oddly early age thanks to my dad betting a dollar against me for football games. Luckily, I'm not an addict. Not technically. I don't think... I'll let you decide. 

Luke's "Midwest" shirt is part of the Raygun swag I got for him (and a little for myself, too) for Christmas. Shirt found here http://raygunsite.com/collections/guys/products/midwest-map-1

 

During the World Series last fall, we were hoping to watch a Royals v Giants game at Westport Ale House, but the line to get in was around the building. Needless to say, we went elsewhere to watch the game and eat to avoid one of my hangry episodes, but we became aware that this was the place to be.

A few months later, some friends of ours were in town so we stopped by for a few drinks in the afternoon. They have a great selection and the atmosphere is very chill. Unfortunately we didn't stay long because we had a wedding to get to that evening.

More recently, were able to get a table for lunch during a college basketball game. I don't remember who was playing- Kentucky v Louisville? -  but I do recall winning a bet against Luke that day. Winning is all that matters. Am I right?

F I N A L L Y we were able to try the food!



I almost missed my chance to try these smoked corn dogs. Someone couldn't control himself while I was taking photos.

 

I ordered a southwestern wrap with fries and Luke ordered the Alamo burger with fries. The wrap was pretty good, but I could have just eaten a giant tub of the fries! Per Luke, the Alamo made the list of his top three burgers he's had in KC so far. {Yes- we make lists of foods we like! Don't judge.} Not sure what it was about the burger that was so amazing as he did not disclose this information. You'll have to check out Westport Ale House for yourself to find out.

http://westportalehouse.com/

Later,

K

French Brunch

Have you ever wanted to travel to France and try the renowned cuisine? Well look no further, just head on down to the Westside neighborhood for a little taste of Paris! The Westside is a fun but quiet part of town with tons of exciting and unique restaurants. One of said restaurants is Chez Elle. I stumbled across Chez Elle on a day off and was pleasantly surprised.

When you walk in you are greeted with the sweet smells of breakfast and a very large chalk board listing daily specials, coffees, and a long list of speciality crepes. The menu items have french titles but don't worry my non Parisian Friends, you can also order by number. The decore is casual but homey, much like what you would expect from a hipster coffee shop.  

After perusing the list of crepes I landed on La Maison (english translation- the house/home) and a Cafe Mocha to drink. You order at the front and then seat yourself. Although there is plenty of indoor seating, we choose to sit outside. The patio is small but mimics those you would see at a quaint French bistro. 

Coffee was served quickly. Very tasty and the froth was swirled in a design (seen below) 

Crepes followed soon. The crepe itself was just the right amount of sweet, very well done and comparable to ones I have eating in France. It was oozing with swiss cheese, stuffed with cooked mushrooms, and overloaded with baby spinach. I will say I could have lived without the spinach, it was a bit dry and bland and took away from the other flavors. Overall, it was well done. My brunch date ordered Jambon. Again the crepe was filled with cheese and loaded with ham, it had a light pesto sauce mixed in which really gave it that extra kick. 

I would go back and eat there again, although next time I may try something sweeter rather than savory. Perhaps something with a fruit filling or Nutella. You can never go wrong with chocolate! 

I have attached a link to the Chez Elle website- I encourage you to check out the menu then go for a bite! Let us know what you think! http://www.chezellekc.com/

Kisses- J 

Black Eyed Peas & Playing with Fire

Although the New Year began yesterday, who resolves to eat well, exercise, yada yada on a holiday that’s celebrated with food, drinks, and sleeping in? Not these guys. We’re looking forward to being better, awesomer versions of ourselves in 2015, BUT it can wait until Monday. Monday’s are good days for a fresh start. Maybe we should change the calendar so that New Year’s Day always lands on a Monday. Not sure how to go about changing the calendar, so if you, reader, could please do that- we’d greatly appreciate it.

Cultures across the world celebrate day one of the year with traditions to bring luck and wellness to themselves throughout the year. New Year’s dinner for Kesha’s family always includes one important staple: Black Eyed Peas. Not the band. Sorry. I’m talking about legumes! They don’t sing. They don’t dance. They just sit in the pot and look like small, squishy eye balls.

It’s a tradition in The South to eat black eyed peas for luck and greens for money. I’m not particularly superstitious, but I will say that I’ve eaten at least a spoonful of black eyed peas each New Year’s day for as long as I can remember and I don’t recall ever having a bad year.



Black Eyed Peas (bean)

 
 
 


Black Eyed Peas (Pop Group)

Side note: Greens were absent from the meal this year, but I might have to make some collards in 2016. Just $ayin’.

Our family keeps it safe and draws luck through the kitchen, but Jaclyn’s roots are little more a d v e n t u r o u s ...

 

For years I had a big NYE celebration with my family- and I must say my favorite part was when the clock struck midnight and we would gather outside to throw plates over our shoulders. I loved smashing the plate- which for us symbolized the loss of the previous year and a celebration of something new. As an adult, living on my own and celebrating with friends, I realized I don't have an extensive supply of plates to smash (and wondered how/where my parents stockpiled so many) Fortunately, I was recently introduced to the Persian tradition of jumping over fire. I make a small fire* to leap over to ensure a year of luck. Although I am not Persian, I can relate to the symbolism. Plus this is MUCH more cost effective.

 

*Small fire= a lit match or lighter when in a pinch. I’m resourceful.

We need all the luck we can get this year to achieve the goals we’ve set out to accomplish- together and as individuals

Unplug and experience more of what Kansas City has to offer- we’ll be sure to fill you in on what we find)

Read 10 books- we love reality tv, but are fully aware that are brains are turning to mush

Run 2 5Ks and a 10K- Our successful Plaza 10k in 2014 sparked a goal of running more

Travel - We love you, KC, but we are aware that there are a few [very few =) ] things we can’t get in the Midwest like the beach thanks to geography

Volunteer- Gotta give back

Finish decorating our house (K) - #marriedpeopleproblems

Save $$$- this will be a struggle due to the previously mentioned goals

Blog blog blog more- obviously

We hope you had fun partaking in whatever New Year’s tradition you love and encourage you to strive to be a better you and seek out adventures over the next 364 days! In case you need a reminder during your daily morning coffee, you can snag one of these mugs from shop.theeverygirl.com

Good luck to you in 2015,

K & J

HAPPY NEW YEAR

H A P P Y  N E W  Y E A R !

2014 was an amazing year not only for myself personally, but also for Kansas City!

Unless you were living under a rock all year, I'm sure you heard of all the excitement surrounding the Royals. The Royals had the most exciting season I've ever known last year by making it to the World Series. I have to be honest- I never watched any of the World Series games or any baseball games on TV for that matter- before last year. Once we made it to the playoffs I had my fingers crossed for an I-70 series. Through all the chatter I understood that most Royals fans were hoping for us to play against the San Francisco Giants for easier competition but I'm always up for a challenge and wanted to be able to see the two Missouri teams play against each other once in my lifetime. Unfortunately we lost in game 7 versus the Giants but the excitement in Kansas City and the exposure brought to MO alone feels like a win to me. Hopefully people who are not so lucky to be able to live in the Midwest don't only think of Little House on the Prairie or the Wizard of Oz when they hear "Kansas City" now.

We attempted to tailgate and go to a regular season Royals game, but the rain ruined our tailgate so we decided to partake in indoors activities at Kelly's in Westport.

First comes baseball, then comes FOOTBALL!

The regular season for football has already come to an end and sadly our beloved Chiefs fell just shy of making it to the playoffs, but still ended with a winning season. ALSO Arrowhead reclaimed the record as the loudest outdoors stadium in the world thanks to our loud and proud Chiefs fans!!!!

In April of last year I married a very handsome fella. We had the most amazing wedding (I'm obviously biased) and we were grateful to celebrate with our family and friends.



The ceremony and reception were at The Bauer in downtown Kansas City. Details about our wedding venue to come.

 2014 was filled with weddings, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, traveling, honeymooning, love, and laughter. Last year will be hard to top, but 2015- I’m comin’ for ya!

Cheers to the New Year,

K

Remember the Alamo

If you like watching movies and the idea of alcohol and food m a g i c a l l y appearing in front of you for your enjoyment, I recommend Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. 

I was a little skeptical when my husband said we were going to see a movie downtown around Power and Light after dinner. "Power and Light" are words seldom mentioned by either of us since we've fallen out of love with the over-crowded bars and clubs we enjoyed in our college days. However, after reading about the theatre and it's extensive menu online- I was all about it. You can order snacks, burgers, salads, pizza, alcohol, dessert, alcoholic dessert (Yes, I said alcoholic dessert. They're called "Adult Shakes" which include alcohol in the shake.), etc. 

We were running late to the movie which is typical if you're hanging out with me. Why are people in such a rush all the time? Luckily, there was a convenient parking lot right behind the theatre. My advice to you: Do NOT pay for parking with a $20 bill. Try to have exact cash to give the parking attendant as I learned this lesson the hard way. He sneaked away with the money only to return to me with $10 change in $1 coins! I will say I was disappointed we didn't have time to explore the theatre because as we walked in, there was something going on that seemed like a really fun time. There was music, drinks, and dancing! Sadly, we had to scurry straight to the counter to retrieve our tickets to our *movie destination.

After eating too much and having drinks at dinner on the Plaza, we weren't the slightest bit hungry when we arrived to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, but we still wanted to experience at least a part of what they had to offer. We agreed to share the Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake. AMAZING. It was the perfect consistency- not too thick, not too runny- and was a good mix of chocolate and peanut butter. It was a little bit pricier than your average milkshake, but it was really good and big enough to share. 

All that said, you might still be hesitant to try a movie theatre with customers barking orders during the show and servers disrupting your view of the screen, but it's nothing like that. The chairs are large and comfy and there are not many rows- it's a smaller than average theatre. There are bar top tables located conveniently across each row for sitting your food and drinks on. At each seat there is a menu, pencil, and small pieces of paper. You simply write what you want to eat or drink on a piece of paper and discreetly hold it up when the server walks down the stairs of the aisle. He or she will take the paper and quickly return with your goodies.

Your orders are collected for your tab that is brought to you at the end of the movie as to not disturb any movie goers during the payment process. I greatly appreciated this because I'm easily distracted by people moving around and fidgeting while I'm watching a movie. Seating is assigned so I suggest ordering the tickets online before hand to guarantee not only ticket availability, but also that perfect seat in the middle of the row, towards the top of the theatre (or maybe that's just my preference).

Our only complaint about the theatre itself- and it may have only been the specific one we were in or just that night- was how loud it was. I know I sound like a 75 year old woman, but I'm not being dramatic. It was insanely loud. Not only was it loud, but apparently the subwoofers were up so loud that they rattled, lessening the sound quality.

All in all the positives outweigh the negative and we agreed we would like to go to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema again.


                     

*We watched X-Men: Days of Future Past. Go see it if you have not.


Stay classy,
K

Yard House

With an uncountable number of beers on tap, sweet potato fries, and numerous TVs to watch sports, Yard House has the approval of both me and my husband. I was referred to Yard House by a co-worker who mentioned good, inexpensive burgers and beer samplers. BEER SAMPLERS! I was all about it after I heard that. I love to try new things, but I'm hesitant to order a full size beer I've never had- just in case it's awful. There were three different options of beer samples - Traditional, IPA, and Belgium- each including six different beers. We went with IPA (see below). I'm not usually a fan of IPAs, but I enjoyed most of them. 

The restaurant style is casual and relaxed. A unique part of the restaurant is that the kegs of beer are displayed on the other side of glass as you walk inside to the hostess. All in all it was a fun, new experience and I'd go back for the sweet potato fries alone.

I ordered a chicken club. It was good, but I'd be interested in trying tacos, jambalaya, or pizza next time. The chicken club [and the sweet potato fries I've mentioned 5 million times] are pictured below.

Note: Don't wait until 7:15p on a Saturday night to try to get a table because you'll have quite a wait. This is the mistake we made after walking around Nebraska Furniture Mart for hours. By The time we arrived at Yard House there was a 70 minute wait. Wah! I was so sad. Luckily, they allow you to wander around Legends to shop the outlet stores or drink at the bar while you wait.

Night,
K

KC BIER CO

If you are comfortable with heavy drinking in front of children, Kansas City Bier Company is the place for you. This is a new bar that opened in Waldo this past February and I've wanted to try it out since. Not only do I like a strong, German beer, but I also love sausages. Sadly, we didn't end up staying very long and didn't have enough time to try any of the polish wieners. However, we did try a few of their house beers, which were exceptional, and enjoyed a few songs from the live polka player.

They have a great open patio with a play house for the kiddos and room for your pups to run around. Yes its dog friendly- which I love and wish we had more of in KC- but I was not so much into the kid friendliness for a bar. We went in the afternoon so it may be different in the evening after the kids go to bed. That being said, I would be willing to give it another go after 8pm or so. The bartenders were extremely helpful and gave great drink suggestions. For those of you unable to get a sitter, this is a place to try.

Later,

J