so tired

Must stay awake…

Note: This picture is from my recent trip to PA over Christmas. I had such a bad red eye flight (no sleep) that I bought a blueberry coffee with espresso (white cup) and asked for side of milk (brown cup on top of white cup). This is interesting because when I went to Dunkin Donuts near my parents house, they would not give me a side of milk in a different cup; the airport kiosk was more accommodating than an actual store.

Note 2: I don’t have enough time to finish the post I intended to write and Wednesday sleepiness is partly to blame so this is my way of saying I am still around and haven’t forgotten about FS.

Note 3: Do you like the holiday design: Happy HoliDDay?

Panda Heaven

I rarely ever crave Chinese food, but a few days ago it felt like the best idea ever. Panda Heaven is a random restaurant near the Coventry Mall in Pottstown, Pennsylvania that serves both Chinese and Japanese food. The staff is always friendly and the food reinforced that it was the best idea ever.

House Chow Fun - Delicious wide noodles.

Pennsylvania Roll - I forgot to write down what was in this roll, but it was quite yummy.

Fortune Cookie

Panda Heaven
118 Coventry Square Mall
Pottstown, PA 19464
(610) 970-6953‎

Chipotle

I know I know… a Chipotle review? Well, there are 2 valid reasons for me posting about this (McDonald’s owned) fast food chain:

1. My parents have never been to Chipotle (I don’t think they have even seen one or have heard about them before); although more common in the big cities, they have not hit the farmlands of Pennsylvania yet. So they have no idea how amazing their baby sized burritos, lime seasoned chips, and chunky guacamole taste like. I have never met a person who doesn’t like Chipotle. And I don’t know if I want to meet that person.

2. I ordered the quesadilla! There has always been talk about you being able to order it even though it is NOT on the menu (like the “secret” Grilled Cheese at In-N-Out Burger). Although I have discussed it with many people, I had never met anyone that had ordered it. I don’t blame anyone for not knowing either, because usually people order the burritos which are incredibly large and leave very little room for extras like their aforementioned yummy chips and guacamole or this unlisted and mysterious quesadilla.

Last time I was there I wasn’t in the mood to gorge myself with a giant burrito. Instead, I ordered the soft tacos: chicken, steak, and barbacoa. I don’t go crazy with the toppings: tomatoes, corn, and hot sauce. Sadly, my corn tortillas and meat were a little cold.

And the plain cheese quesadilla that cost approximately 3 dollars (I think 2.75-2.95). Although it is priced close to a taco truck quesadilla, it is not as tasty and a little lacking in cheese. However, since it is rare to find quesadillas this low in price that aren’t from a taco truck, it makes it much more appealing to order at a Chipotle instead of at Mexican restaurant for 8 dollars (which still doesn’t taste as good as a taco truck!). Also, I’m sure Chipotle’s quesadillas would taste better if I had added more toppings, maybe.

Mmm… Chipotle!

Pennsylvania: Longacre’s Modern Dairy

Longacre’s Modern Dairy is a family owned and operated business in Barto, Pennsylvania. In 1920, John S. Longacre would wake up, milk his dairy cattle, and then deliver the milk to neighboring towns by a horse-drawn wagon. In the 1940s, the Longacres built a dairy on the corner of their farm and started to make their own ice cream. In 1996, they went organic. Today, the dairy on the corner of the farm is the Dairy Bar, which is where my Dad, brother, and I went to have a nice ice cream treat.

The taste of their ice cream is unlike any other I have tried and ranks very high in my book. It is rich and creamy (but not sickenly rich like Coldstone’s and fresher than store quality). Also, knowing that it is organic makes it taste even more delightful. On the wall there is a long list of flavors (probably over 30) that makes it incredibly hard to choose just one.I wanted to order the Garbage Sundae, a combination of 10 flavors and 10 toppings. Instead, I ordered the large cup of 3 flavors: Cocoanut Custard*, Banana, and Cake batter. Even though I am not a huge fan of cocoanut, I do love custard ice cream. The cocoanut custard is egg custard flavored ice cream with shredded cocoanut throughout. The banana ice cream is made with real bananas (helping me reach my recommend daily amount of fruit). My favorite was the cake batter. I could eat this flavor all day. It was sweeter than the other two flavors in my cup, for obvious reasons. Across the board, the flavors were fresh, creamy, and matched up to their flavor name perfectly. I highly recommend trying it out. Even if you are not in the mood for ice cream, I encourage buying your local milk here. The nonfat milk tastes richer and fresher than the milk you buy at the store and it’s organic!

*I know how to spell coconut. However, Longacre’s spells it “cocoanut.”

Longacre’s Modern Dairy

1445 Route 100
Barto, PA 19504

Get Directions(610) 845-7551

Pennsylvania: Landis Store Hotel

Landis Store Hotel is one of my favorite restaurants in Pennsylvania. No lie! I have been going there with my family since I was a child. It is always a delightful treat to visit when I am in town. The restaurant is located in the hills of Berks County and is not the easiest place to find, but that just makes it all the more special. The history of the restaurant is interesting. It started as a hotel in 1800. In 1853, it added a general store and post office. Then in 1952, it was purchased by the Henshaws who kept it as a general store and bar until 1970 in which it was then turned into a restaurant. In 1975, the Henshaw’s daughter and son-in-law, Janet and Gary Henshaw bought the restaurant and remain the current owners. The executive chef, Marilyn Flannery, has worked there ever since I can remember, and makes the most amazing dishes. And this most recent trip was no exception!

I started with the Caesar Salad. This is one of my favorite salads. It is flawless; the lettuce is crisp, the Parmesan is fresh, and the dressing is homemade. It does not include anchovies, but that is okay. It is a big salad, but that just reassures you that you are getting enough vegetables in your diet. For my main course, I ordered the Saute Flounder with Shrimp, Garlic, and Wine. In retrospect, I feel guilty about ordering the flounder because they are an overfished species. I do not recall the last time I ate flounder though, so I’m not too terrible (I hope). The tomatoes were in season and tasted fresh and juicy. The garlic wine sauce was subtle and did not dominate over the taste of the flounder or the shrimp. The meal was delightful and every bite was better than the next. Every main course includes your choice of two vegetables. I chose the zucchini with almond and mint, and the corn fritters. I would never have thought of combining zucchini with almond and mint, but each taste worked well with one another. I would even make it at home. A fritter is any kind of food coated in batter and then deep fried. I don’t know how popular they are in Los Angeles, but to me they seem more common on the East coast, at least in Pennsylvania (think apple fritters!). They taste like creamy summer fresh corn little pancakes. Like most things fried, you can’t go wrong.

Dessert was the best part! My Dad and I ordered 3 different desserts because we are crazy. We ordered: Strawberry Ice Cream, Chocolate Cheesecake, and a Chocolate Mousse Torte. Yes, so much chocolate! The strawberry ice cream was homemade and tasted less creamy than it did fruity. This refreshing and lighter taste went well in between the rich chocolate bites of the cheesecake and torte. Neither my Dad nor I could pin point which chocolate dessert was better because they were both amazing! I recommend to anyone that visits to at least try one dessert, if not three. You are probably thinking I’m a little piggy, and granted I do have my moments, but I can assure you that these desserts were not finished during one sitting because they were so wonderfully rich. A lot of restaurants fail at being incredible at both main courses and desserts, but this is not the case here. They are always above and beyond.

Note: They are not open every night. I suggest calling ahead.

Landis Store Hotel

4 Baldy Hill Rd
Landis Store, PA 19512
(610) 845-2324

Pennsylvania: Shorty’s Sunflower Cafe

Shorty’s Sunflower Cafe is a hidden gem in one of many boroughs of Eastern Pennsylvania. The people who work there and/or own the place are some of the most friendly people you will meet in the area; always a warm smile on their face and a full pot of coffee in their hand. I have been going there for at least six years now. The food is always filling and delightful, never once have I left disappointed. The prices are great too. The one downside is that they are closed Monday and Tuesday and accept only cash.

Usually, I order the yummy Southwestern Omelet, but on this visit I wanted to try something new. I ordered the Texas Eggs in a Hole: 2 eggs cooked in Texas Toast topped with jack cheese, salsa, and sour cream on top of their home fries. I did not know that “Texas Toast” is an actual type of bread and not just a gimmicky name. Texas toast is packaged bread that is pre-sliced at double the thickness. Contrary to the name, it has not been toasted. It is typically used for French toast or fondue. For this plate, it literally sat on top of the has browns, had 2 holes in it where the eggs were placed, and covered with the cheese, sour cream, and salsa. As you can see in the picture, they do not waste their holes, but instead put the circular pieces on top for decoration. The home fries are basically seasoned potato cubes sprinkled amongst a few other vegetables and salsa.

I did not think eggs were going to be enough protein for me, so I took a chance and ordered Scrapple with Apple Butter. Scrapple is best known in Pennsylvania, Delaware, South Jersey, and Maryland. If you don’t know what scrapple is, then prepared to be disgusted because it does not sound as great as it tastes. Scrapple is a conglomeration of pork scraps and trimmings (think hog offal; head, heart, and liver) that are combined with cornmeal and flour to make a mush that is then formed into a loaf like shape and fried. The meat is finely minced and so ground up that it does not take much effort to chew in your mouth. The taste differs depending on what seasonings are added and omitted, but there is no doubt that it is distinct and acquired. People in Pennsylvania generally enjoy it with apple butter, a concentrated form of apple sauce that is more of preserve in texture and shelf life. I found the scrapple with apple butter to be delicious and fulfilling. However, I do not think I could eat it everyday or live off of it. My brother and I also shared a piece of the best cornbread found in the East coast. Every bite is accompanied by a wonderful corn and buttery sweet taste that will leave you wanting more. In fact, before I had it at Shorty’s, I did not enjoy cornbread at all and still am always hesitant to eat it at different locations. So if you know a place with great cornbread in Los Angeles, let me know!

Shorty’s Sunflower Cafe

1494 N Charlotte St
Pottstown, PA 19464

Get Directions(610) 970-5111

New Vitamins; New Chapter

I have been taking vitamins everyday for the past 200 days. I know this because I have finished my first bottle of Women’s One A Day. Although I did not experience any negative side effects or had trouble digesting the One A Day’s, I have decided to change brands to New Chapter’s Every Woman’s One Daily. New Chapter is a small company in Brattleboro, Vermont (the second fairtrade certified town in the nation, joining Media, PA) that was founded in 1982.

Even though the cost is almost as bad as a kick to the ovary, I have chosen New Chapter because they do not make their vitamins with chemical isolates or solvents. The vitamins are not synthetic, they are just food. I don’t know much about chemistry, but it just seems like the organic alternative to isolated or USP vitamins and minerals is the better choice. If I’m wrong, put me on the sucker list.

I have a two month supply, so if any major breakthroughs, breakouts, breakdowns, or unexpected breakdances happen, of which I can link to these vitamins, I will let the world know. Until then, bottoms up!