SweetGirlSmirk

It is hard to be brand loyal anymore. Every day it seems we learn something new about a company that makes us rethink everything. But sometimes, they get it just right. Blatant advertising is never going to work. Trying to seem cool will definitely have the opposite effect. Just show that you listen. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with celiac disease,  and it sucks. Eating anywhere except my own kitchen is a huge gamble. A pizza place is torture. But, thanks to an overbundance of demand, it's not always impossible. Sometimes it is perfect. I have loved a local pizza chain, Ninos, as long as I basically knew what pizza was. So, I would have hated to stop patronizing their delicuous establishment. They recently debuted a gf crust, so last night I tried a pie. Light sauce, ham, and pineapple. The crust was great, but that's not where they lost me. Cross-contamination is a huge problem and I got my own little pizza slicer. So not only am I more assured of a more healthy experience

Maybe I'm just old, but I am over going out on St. Patrick's Day, the weekend before, or any time where people are expected to wear green and drink watered down "beer." I have come to hate St. Patrick's Day. Now, wait a minute. I wear a claddagh ring, I have more shamrock-y stuff lying around my room than a leprechaun in training, and I am one of the four human beings who actually enjoys the sound of bagpipes. My mother was a McLaughlin! If I can't love St. Patrick's Day, who can? For one, I love that a day is devoted to Irish culture, I hate the bar scene. I love the smell of corned beef and cabbage cooking in my home, I hate the smell of the vomit lining the bar bathroom, entrance way, parking lot, and the hair of half of the people here. I love toasting with a Jameson and cranberry, there are few things more offensive than coloring Miller Lite green and calling it "Irish" beer. I love listening to my favorite Irish artists, I hate the so

A good drink can make a night. It tastes great, doesn't get you too messed up for the evening, and will ensure that you come back to the establishment again and again. There are 3 times that I have found such a drink (not counting beer on tap, but a quality signature cocktail). In part one of this series, I praised the virtue of the appletini from the Lowes Philadelphia . I am continuing with the apple theme for cocktail 2 (personal taste prevails, I guess) but with a major twist. The appletini is smooth and sweet, this one hits you much differently. I normally avoid specialty "shots" as they are typically overpriced, overfilled with juice, and do not give you a good bang for your buck. Maybe at 22 they were great, and maybe I am just showing my age, and I stay away. But at my hands down favorite place ( McGlynns at Pike Creek. It is a great restaurant/pub that is never too loud and the food and atmosphere is always pitch perfect) they have a daily list of drink specia

Break out an Irish jig, it is time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! Whether you fall asleep to the sound of bagpipes or list U2 as your best known Irish artist, here are 17 songs to get you through the 17th like a pro! Follow on Spotify here! 1. Flogging Molly- If I Ever Leave This World Alive 2. The Dubliners- Seven Drunken Nights art by Aaron Walls 3. Flogging Molly- What's Left of the Flag 4. Mundy- Galway Girl 5. Flogging Molly- The Likes of You Again 6. The Clancy Brothers- Tim Finnegan's Wake 7. Dropkick Murphys- Fields of Athenry 8. The Clancy Brothers- Galway Bay 9. Flogging Molly- Rebels of the Sacred Heart 10. Dropkick Murphys- The Wild Rover 11. Dropkick Murphys- Amazing Grace 12. Dropkick Murphys- The Green Fields of France 13. The Pogues- The Irish Rover 14.The Dubliners- Whiskey in the Jar 15. The High Kings- Rocky Road to Dublin 16. Dropkick Murphys- Black Velvet Band 17. The Irish Rovers- Drunken Sailor KimmayJ  is an Irish American

I have become obsessed with super easy desserts. Like the whole pour a can of pineapple into angel food cake mix and boom level of super easy desserts. I also love cherry cordials, but refuse to eat them outside of Christmas time. What is a girl to do?! Cherry chocolate brownies. Now, they are more of a gooey mess than a solid brownie, but serve it warm and with a bit of whipped cream on top, and dig in with a spoon, and you will be happier than you have been in a while. And, I used the gluten free Betty Crocker brownie mix so it is even delicious for us celiacs! Seriously, I am obsessed. It's warm and melty and the cherries are so sweet... I would eat the whole pan if it didn't mean a whole mess of weight gain. So, here's the recipe. 1 box brownie mix 1 egg 1 can of cherry pie filling Preheat oven to 350 or as directed on box of brownie mix. Mix ingredients well in a bowl. Pour into greased 8x8 square pan. Bake as instructed on box plus 10 minutes (mine took 40).