Jan 5

Jan 5 Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to my faithful readers! Thank you so much for following me on my adventures. These last few years wouldn't have been the same without you. I love all the interactions we have on social media and the times we've met in real life. You may have noticed if you've been following me on Twitter or on Instagram, that I've been a bit behind on blogging my adventures, but I did want to pop by and share with you how I rang in the new year. Nothing crazy or exciting, but definitely good food is involved! My first meal of the New Year was from Phillipe's in Los Angeles. Phillipe's is historic in LA and their french dip is delicious. It was very crowded by the time I got there. But this baby is definitely worth any line!If you've never been to Phillipe's before, you have to try their French Dipped Sandwich. You can choose between roast beef, roast pork, leg of lamb, turkey or ham. The meat is served on a freshly baked French roll which is dipped in the natural gravy of the roasts. Then, top off your sandwich with Swiss, American, Monterey Jack or Blue cheese. Phillipe's sides are also not to be missed. The potato salad is heavenly!I always add a side of pickles for good measure. Who doesn't love pickles? I wouldn't mind if this became a new year's tradition. I'm literally drooling as I'm reminiscing of this meal. After we ate, we relaxed a bit and headed to celebrate Shogatsu with the family. For those that don't know, my boyfriend is Japanese so I've been celebrating Japanese New Year now for a pretty long time. Can you see what my contribution to the table was? Hint... the bright yellow pineapple buns on the bottom right. Ha! I had to add a touch of Kristie in there somewhere. Can't be outshines by all the Japanese foods!We made ozoni in the oven. Ozoni are mochi rice cakes that are eaten in soup. It's a dish that is typically associated with Japanese New Year's. We added the ozoni into our noodle bowls. From there, we started our annual how many bowls of noodles can you eat contest. Unfortunately, I only did two this year. Shameful, I know. I have an excuse though. I was deathly sick from jet lag and the flu.