Restaurant Review- Mt Adams Bar & Grill

Being a Former Mount Adams Resident for about 4-5 years.... I have frequented many Mt Adams Bars and Restaurants in my day....one of my very favorites being the Mt Adams Bar & Grill. There is a great story behind this place about it being the first place in the midwest that served alcohol again after the prohibition (or something like that?? Read the menu for the full story)- and its an old (in a good way) and interesting bar.. I have sat in every room there and had many things on the menu (my all time favorite is the French Onion Chicken Sandwich- Warm grilled chicken, carmelized onions, swiss cheese....mmmmm) but let's talk about last week's lunch.


We got seated right away in the back "patio"...(screened in in the summer, but windows put back up in the winter)- and overlooked the pretty outdoor courtyard from the Blind Lemon next door.

Kathie and Nancy ordered the chicken salad sandwich (Also a seriously yummy option) and both loved their sandwiches as usual.


I was having a cheeseburger kinda day...so I ordered a turkey burger with cheddar and it was delicious. Very juicy and cooked perfectly....my total bill for a turkey burger with cheese and chips was a whopping $5 after tax (before tip)- NOT bad for a delicious and satisfying lunch I'd say!!

Afterwards, All three of us were members of the Clean Plate Club.... Delicious!!

New House- Upstairs

I promised Part 2 of the house ..so here it is!

The Master Bedroom:

The Plan: I really like the paint color in this room.... especially how it contrasts with the white, but I'm not sure it will match our bedding...so we'll have to see once we get our stuff in there. My immediate project for this room is the closets and finding a way that will maximize the space we have in there. I'm talking about ripping down a random wall...or at least some of it to peek behind it and see if its able to be ripped down.... we'll definitely be testing our handiness skills...and by we I mean Rob and my Dad....on this project at least...

The Guest Bedroom:

The Plan: The little boy yellow is out... a pale shade of gray is in to match the white furniture and purple bedding going into this guest room. Guests welcome anytime :)

The Bathroom:

The Plan: Again, the yellow needs to go..and also that shower door needs to go... I'm not a fan of it...maybe a new door eventually...but for right now a simple rod and pretty curtain will have to do. Not sure of paint colors for this room... ideas?

The Basement:

The Plan: Learn how to use this washer and dryer that has controls like a spaceship..

Put our current couch/loveseat/tv down in this room to make way for our new couch/tv that will go into the living room. Paint and make pretty the basement bathroom that is very much a basement bathroom...but I want to hide that fact as much as possible with a fun paint color, some candles and other pretty things you would find in a non-basement bathroom. Pretty much right now, the basement is the last priority...but any ideas welcome!

Well now you have seen my whole house! Gwen brought up that it might be helpful to see some of the furniture we've bought to give people an idea of how to help....so look for that post next! AS long as I get it up before the actual furniture comes!

It's Official- I'm a homeowner!

These past few months have been such a whirlwind.. and yesterday morning at 7:30am I officially signed my life away and became a homeowner... we should get the keys on Wednesday... I feel like everyday until then is going to feel like 5 million hours... but I couldnt be more excited!

I thought this post could be a fun way to show the before pictures of the house and kind of talk about what I want to do in each room...and then we'll see along the way if those things change or not as we get projects finished...Something I was unfortunately not blessed with at birth was the virtue of patience... so while I know I should do room by room slowly...I want to do every room in the next two weeks... any readers out there with a great design sense... advice is happily accepted on this blog :) We'll start off this post with the downstairs and move on to the upstairs in another post...everyone cool with that?

Let's start at the beginning with the picture that anyone that is my friend on facebook or in real life has seen...the outside of the house....so cute! Nothing to do here (for now) except try my darndest to keep those plants alive (another thing I was definitely not blessed with- a green thumb.) However I have managed to keep a basil plant alive for the past month or so...so maybe thats a start...even though the dill plant that shared a pot with the basil left us a long time ago...but anyways..the outside of the house:



The Dining Room:

The Plan: We bought a black dining room table and chairs. My theme for this room is lots of black, white and pops of green... I am planning on painting the insides of the built-ins green and adding lots of white accesories... I am most excited about this room right now bc it's one I have a really clear vision for, and also is, randomly the first room you see when you walk in the house...so I really want it to make a statement.. so far the table and table runner have been purchased...and accessories picked out in my head...waiting till the move to actually make the purchases for those and also pick out and purchase and area rug (can anyone tell me why area rugs are so freaking expensive? ridiculous.) Also I want a chandelier. A really awesome one.

The Office:

The Plan: I loved the way they had this room set up....so we bought the desk/rug off of them and are going to leave it exactly the same!! I I just want a smaller white chair than the one they have and to order some wood blinds to match the rest of the windows and we will be done.... so easy. I love easy.

The Living Room:

The Plan - enormous sectional with a chaise lounge bought! I have been wanting a sectional for as long as I can remember. seriously. look at this room...its BEGGING for a sectional. Look at that curve in the wall... I am beyond excited to have ample seating room for friends to come over to hang out/play games/watch tv...whatever. However...this is the only thing we have so far for this room. Still needed: area rug, tv stand, coffee table, end table, lamp, etc etc... ideas welcome :)

The Parquet Room (as we have not so affectionately named it):

The Plan - I hate parquet. Immensely. It will have to go eventually...but for now I have no idea whats going in this room. I'm thinking two cute little chairs? or maybe a chase right by the window... a little reading nook if you will?

The Kitchen:

The Plan: Not much to be done in here....eventually I definitely want to get stainless appliances and a nicer countertop...but immediate changes will be a pub table instead of the low table...I like to be eye level with my friends while they're drinking wine and I'm cooking for them :) Also, next to the refrigerator hidden behind a giant clock (not pictured) are the wires needed for a wall mounted flatscreen tv...which we are shopping around for now... And So excited to have the room to leave out my pretty stand mixer at all times!!

The Outside:

The Plan: at some point someone ripped out the rest of the driveway to add more landscaping and used the garage as a clubhouse...that will be fun for now...but at some point in the future, I would love to actually be able to park in that garage..so one thing on the list is put the rest of the driveway back. Also, the sellers took that swingset with them, so I would love to (also pretty far off into the future) pour a patio with a built in firepit back there...that would be amazing.. Immediate needs are a rake and leaf blower...as the back yard right now has about 6 inches of leaves in it. I also am looking forward to a new patio set and a sweet ass grill...

Ok...this post is exhausting me...Promise upstairs and basement pics in the near future!

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

Restaurant Review- Keystone

I have to admit, I have been to Keystone twice before today and didn’t like it either of the times I had it. One time I got a chicken sandwich so dry I could barely chew it…and also once got a veggie burger, also the driest thing I had ever tasted. No amount of mayonnaise and ketchup could make it edible. Today for lunch…we wanted to check out Chalk for lunch, but alas, it wasn’t open for lunch, so I opened my big stupid mouth and said, “why don't we just go across the street to Keystone.” In my head I knew I had been there twice and it was gross both times….but I decided I wanted to give it one last official food blogging try.

First of all.. I always randomly forget you are allowed to smoke in restaurants in the KY. No one (that I noticed) was actually smoking…but that musty smoky smell was lingering in the air. The smell that just smells stale and makes you pretty sure you’re going to smell like that when you leave. So the first impression…not so good…the other two times had been warm spring early afternoons, perfect for an outdoor lunch… I had actually never even been in the actual restaurant.

The first thing we ordered is a basket of chips with their homemade barbecue sauce. The sauce is pretty good…has a little kick to it…which I like…and who doesn’t like homemade chips? However for me personally the sauce was a little sweet...so not the best I've ever had or anything...but I appreciate the homemade effort for sure!

Next they brought out our meals. I was excited to see a whole list of different quesadillas! I asked the waiter what his favorite was and he said the buffalo chicken’dilla so I ordered that… my co-workers both ordered burgers, one plain and one with gorgonzola cheese. The food came out and I had a huge sloppy quesadilla with a side of blue cheese dressing. It looked delicious. I picked it up and hot sauce just started dripping out of it like crazy. I tasted it…and was disappointed because all I could taste was the hot sauce. The chicken seemed to be cooked well, there was blue cheese and onions in it…but unfortunately..all I could taste in the whole thing was the massive amounts of hot sauce. Don't get me wrong... I like hot sauce..but I dont like to eat an entire meal that basically tastes like eating hot sauce with a fork.

Nancy’s gorgonzola burger was pretty dry..I tasted it and it was decent, but not a juicy burger you would expect at a place that has multiple specialty burgers on the menu. I won’t even comment on the plain hamburger because, well I don’t think I’d like a plain hamburger no matter where I was. However she did order it medium rare and was the only person not complaining about her food...so maybe that says something!

Unfortunately for me…Keystone just misses the mark. While their barbeque sauce isn’t bad, it’s not enough to make up for rest of the food and the smelly atmosphere …..and today was definitely my last visit.

*all photos courtesy of Nancy :)

Halloween 2009

I have been one serious blog neglector for the past couple of weeks…but I have excuses! Lots of times I write my blog while eating lunch at my desk at work… I’m not a total loser…I just can’t justify the calories and money that it takes to go out to eat every single day….so lots of times I eat at my desk and do my “personal errands” during my lunch hour….online shopping, blog writing, blog reading, facebooking, etc. Lately these have turned into more, talking to my mortgage lady, talking to my mortgage lady, getting stuff my mortgage lady needs, looking for furniture/paint colors/ a handyman/etc for the new house…and blogging had been on the backburner…but I am back today to catch you up on the latest happenins…

I love lists. They make me feel in control and organized. We close on the new house on November 12 and get the keys on November 20. I have a list (well, lately my lists have become more sophisticated, so this “list” is actually a “spreadsheet”) of what we are going to do every single day between November 12 and November 23. If we stay on task with the list, our move will be a breeze…if we deviate from the list…who knows what could happen! I am excited to get started on the list (a week from this Saturday) because then I will feel like I am doing something besides just sitting and waiting.

Two weeks ago we had a make up dinner at Mesh. I think that will be a separate post. I have pictures and everything…let’s aim for tomorrow on that one! That same weekend I got to tailgate with some of my favorite OU alumni….one of which told me that his triumphant return to Random Ramblings was coming any day now. ( Commence harassing him about this….NOW!) We had an enjoyable morning of flip cup, hanging out…and throwing frisbees at PVC pipes in buckets full of rocks with beer bottles resting on top…. No, seriously.

This past weekend Bernadette and Ben visited and Saturday morning Martin and I brought her to the bridal promised land that is Bridal & Formal. B was a champ…trying on dresses is hard (and exhausting) work. She (we) fell in LOVE with one and she bought it that day!!! Now that is a girl that can make decisions!! Not that I can blame her…it looked absolutely gorgeous on her….can’t wait to see the look on Ben’s face when she walks down the aisle in this dress… lucky for me I will have a front row seat!

After bridal fun we walked a block up the street and had lunch at an old Irish pub that served draft beer, liquor drinks and cheeseburgers and French Fries. It inspired a new business concept for me… don’t you think after wedding dress shopping all morning you want to go somewhere a little classier to eat a nice lunch with your sister/mother/best friend/grandma/whoever… The only place within walking distance to eat was an old,dark irish pub. I’m thinking a cute little tea house with finger sandwiches? …. Anyone want to invest? Bridal Row in Reading is the premier wedding dress destination in the entire Midwest… I think this idea could really go somewhere!

But I digress….. after checking out some bridesmaids dresses and getting slightly overwhelmed…we headed home to get some curlers in B’s hair and start cooking a pre-Halloween dinner. It was delicious and we were officially ready to get into our costumes and head over to Meg’s for Halloween fun… Here are some pics of the evening:

Publishers Clearing House Costume- I WON!!

Johnny making sure there are no spaghetti arms here.

We got these Daisy Duck hats at Disney world at some point in the 80s... Emily found the hat in my parents basement and built a costume around it. LOVE IT!

Party planner with her saweet homemade operation costume :)