Ro Made It!

You know how you ride past a restaurant and wonder..."What does their food taste like?" Pasta Fresca was one of those places for me. So I went once and it was really good and I always said I need to go back. As a graduation gift, one of my coworkers gave me a gift certificate and that was among the best of my gifts!

So this restaurant sits in an awkward position with not much parking space (in fact we parked in Kroger's parking lot). It's right on Forest Drive in Columbia/Forest Acres. But I think their Facebook page says they will be moving to another location soon.

This was my first experience with fresh pasta. Once you have fresh pasta you NEVER want to eat boxed pasta again! You also will not want to eat at the traditional chain Italian restaurants...I'm just saying.

The restaurant is intimate and I love the decor...matter of fact, I have some of the same prints in my guest bedroom (waiting to hang on the beautifully painted walls). From the moment I walked i…

So, it has been a long time coming but here it is.  My first trip to Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse was less than stellar, but I believe in second chances. My friends and I decided it was time to hang out since it had been a while since we all got together. I don't remember who picked the place, but Cowboy was selected.

Cowboy is situated in downtown Columbia, right across from the Columbia Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's cute, it's clean and the food is A-MAZING! I'm glad I decided to give them a second chance. And in fact, I've been back several times.

We had a party of about 10 women. Most of which had never been to a Brazilian Steakhouse. I think it was all thumbs up. From the polenta fries, the fried bananas, the amazing salad bar and all of the delicious meat selection...everything was a hit. I don't think some of the girls were ready for the meat fest...and they all kept looking at me as I gorged wondering where I still had room to hold food.

The salad bar …

Hello Readers! I hope you are reading this in the best of health and spirits! Allow me to first say Happy Holidays! I hope that everyone is able to celebrate with their loved ones.

This has been a rough week for me. The procedure that I had been putting off since February has finally been completed. It is a difficult transition, but God is my pilot so I know I will get through it. The procedure is called Nissen Fundoplication (the laproscopic one). My stay in the hospital was actually much shorter than I anticipated. Even the nurses were surprised that they sent me home 24 hours after such a serious surgery. But I guess they had much faith in the hands of their surgeons...but I suspect they needed that bed in ICU. Which I guess it was fine because I am now up and about and able to sit up and write this blog post. Thank God.

I was beyond nervous, having never had anything cut on my body before. But I knew that everything would be OK and there was no need to worry. They had me sitting i…

Anyone that knows me knows that I absolutely adore food! Make it tasty and I will try almost anything! And being the Southern Belle that I am...all someone had to do was mention hominy and I knew it would be a winner!

My friend Crystal was recently in Charleston, SC for a conference and she recommended that I try Hominy Grill. Grits. I love grits! I don't know many people that don't love the little grain - or whatever it is :). So I told her that the next time I was in the area I would try it.

Just as it happened...only a few days later I had to take a trip to Charleston for some medical stuff. My mom and I ventured out early that morning, took care of business and were both excited about eating lunch!

The charming restaurant was right around the corner from MUSC (where I had to go) so this pleased me even more!



It was the cutest restaurant that put me in mind of a restaurant I had visited in New Orleans. We got there I think around 12pm and it was already packed to the max. …

With the holiday season upon us, usually people (myself included) make New Year's resolutions. Making promises to ourselves to lose weight, have a better relationship with God, find a better job, get out of a bad situation, etc. This year, I'm not making a resolution. Instead I'm making a conscious effort to eliminate road blocks that I trap myself with. Yep, sometimes we have to get out of our own way.

I am very guilty of blocking myself from a lot of things...but in order to attain those things that I desire so much, I have to move on over out of the lane I am currently in. Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I have been insane for about 15 years. Sad.

So as the holidays approach I am striving to get rid of negative energies around me...and yes this means that I may have to "break up" with some people I care about. I'm only giving breathing space to those who's air I don't mind bre…