You know those crazy college gals that I meet with every week? They spent the night. All of them, minus one. [You can twitter stalk the whole experience by looking up the hashtag #smallgroupsnoozle. It's funny.]

We had a crazy good time. I’m not gonna blog about how much they ate because they hate when I tell y’all that. And I’m not gonna blog about what we talked about or what we did because mainly, we just had a really great time together before they go home for the summer.

Thanks to my pal Embracing Grace, I found this killer recipe for pizza rollz. So we went for it. I got my sous chef Sarah into the kitchen and we got our roll on for realz.

We started just like the recipe described. Took crescent rolls, laid ‘em out, put on the turkey pepperoni and half a string cheese stick.

Easy cheesy. Literally.

That’s my Sous Sarah. She’s a doll. Here she is mixing Italian seasonings with garlic salt to make some sort of  powder drizzle for the top of the pizza rollz.

One thing we decided in our chef-ing [huh?] was that the rolls are better if you close the ends. But then my poor vegetarian could have been bamboozled by a pepperoni. We made some with just cheese on the inside, ya see. So we created an identification system. Tiny pepperoni triangles placed on top of the meaty rolls…. Sous Sarah is a genius.

How beautiful are THOSE? I know. The gals loved ‘em.

Serve it with a bowl of warm pizza sauce and whoa mama these are delicious. I would like to try to make them again with more veggies [by "more" I mean "some"] and maybe other meats? I dunno. I just think it is an easy starter recipe that has a bazillion combo possibilities.

Don’t judge our snack table. We’re growing girls.

We eat strawberries and oreos. My people, they are balanced.

And I miss them already.

[Wanna read more about my small group? They're amazing.]

I’m continuing to bulk up my Feeding The 13 board on Pinterest. Have more big group / low cost recipes that I can start collecting before the gals return in the fall?

Well.

I don’t have those. I mainly just have to make sure I have cereal and bananas and a piece of chicken every now and again. Or make sure I know which of my friends are going out each night so I can go out to eat too.

But once a week, I have these chickadees to feed.

Twelve girls from Cross Point Downtown pop by the house each week and we eat and talk and pray and cry and hug and share and do all manner of awesome things.

But.

I don’t know how to cheaply feed twelve growing gals. [Read: they are not afraid to eat.]

Don’t be deceived by their utter cuteness. They can put away some grub.

I’m not going to tell you about this child and her love for Mexican Seven Layer Dip. Just trust me. It’s there.

So here is where you lay-deez who feed millions [ie- the Duggars] teach me how to feed tens. We need variety, volume, and we need it cheap. Also, to throw a culinary wrench in your plans, we have a vegetarian. I don’t know she hates meat, but it makes me sad for her. So I have to have a veggie option each week. And we prefer to be mildly healthy… sometimes.

Here’s what we’ve had so far: Chicken Pot Pie in the crockpot [B- experience], Taco Soup with chicken [A+], breakfast for dinner [no one can hate that], and an appetizer night [A+, but high on the budget end].

Your links to good recipes, ideas for making filling food stretch, and your kitchen wisdom is greatly appreciated.

[Read: Help a sister out.]

. . . . .

I love when people email me questions about Nashville.

It is like when someone asks you to brag about your siblings or your kids or your own personal best friend’s accomplishments. Meaning, I love talking about Nashville.

When you lovelies come to town [and I love when you do], you always want to know where to eat, where to play, and where to hear the best music.

So today I’m going to tell you my favorite places to eat lunch.

See, we eat out a lot here. Like, A LOT. Because so many of us are singlets and we love to hang together, we have managed to find a few great lunch joints that don’t cost a pretty penny but are totes delish.

[Uh oh. Nash talk. Sorry.]

So in no order of preference, here are my top 5 favorite lunch spots in Nashville.

. . . . .

1. Baja Burrito

Similar to, but better than: Moe’s Southwest Grill

What I order: A chicken taco, chips, and a drink

Approximate cost: $5

Don’t miss: The roasted tomato salsa or the fruit tea.

Etc.: Do you know this thing I speak of? Fruit tea? It’s amazing and it is EVERYWHERE in this town. These restaurants will each woo you with their unique blends of tea, orange juice, other juices, and awesome. And Baja’s is one of the best.

. . . . .

2. McDougal’s

[The website is, well, lacking. But it gives you the address, which is necessary.]

Similar to, but better than: Zaxby’s

What I order: Grilled chicken salad, no red onions, ranch dressing on the side.

Approximate cost: $7

What not to miss: If you like spicy, they have great honey-spicy stuff. But as for me and my house, we will not eat spicy. Also, you get a tiny dollop of ice cream at the end. Don’t forget to get that thang.

. . . . .

3. Burger Up

Similar to, but WAY better than: Ted’s Montana Grill

What I order: The local salad with grilled chicken

Approximate cost: $11

What not to miss: Sweet potato fries. And fried pickles. And the woodstock burger. Dang, just eat there a few times and order something different every time. You won’t be mad about it.

. . . . .

4. Edley’s

Similar to, but better than: your average BBQ joint

What I order: They have a special every day, and I usually get coerced by my emotions to get that. But if not, the turkey BBQ sandwich is my choice.

Approximate cost: $8

What not to miss: The coleslaw. It’s vinegar based, which makes me terribly happy.

Etc: Edley’s is brand new, but has won our neighborhood over like whoa. I say that to say, I haven’t tasted everything there, but my friends certainly have [my people go there EVERY DAY], and it is all amazing.

. . . . .

5. The Grilled Cheeserie

Similar to, but better than: I mean, is there a comparison to a truck that drives around town and makes amazing grilled cheese sandwiches? Me thinks not.

What I order: The basic grilled cheese and tomato soup

Approximate cost: $8

What not to miss: The truck. It parks somewhere different every day, so you need to check their facebook page to see where they are parked. Tricky stuff, restaurants with wheels.

. . . . .

[If you are headed to town soon, you might also want to check out my Top 5 favorite Nashville brunch spots. But I'm not the boss of you. Eat wherever you want.  ]

YOUR TURN!

If you live in Nashville, share your favorite lunch spot!

If you live outside of Nashville, why not tell us the best lunch place in your town? 

. . . . .

Tomorrow morning is a big day in Scotland.

At 8:30am, Scotland takes on England for a massive World Cup rugby match. Scotland has to win by a large chunk [4 somethings... not points, not goals, but 4 some-measurement-of-success] and apparently England is very very good.

And here’s where things get crazy fun — our Crossroads friends are all getting together to watch and cheer and hope to see Scotland get those 4 thingys they need to win.

The host is offering bacon rolls.

Because I am my mother’s daughter and I believe in a well rounded breakfast, I will be bringing fruit salad. THIS fruit salad.

I love fruit. Fruity fruit fruit. Here it goes down. Down into my belly. [You're welcome, Anchorman fans.]

So for today, let’s talk about it!

. . . . .

These are my TOP 5 FAVORITE FRUITS!

1. Bananas

I am one of those people that has a special love for bananas in any form. Greenish, yellowish, or brownish. Frozen, chopped, or smooshed. In breakfast, with lunch, or dessert. You say banana, I say gimme.

I would never claim this to be the healthiest of fruits. But it is better than a chocolate bar so get off my back, healthy fruit police.

2. Blackberries

I remember being about 10 years old and we were on vacation with my cousins. My aunt led a bunch of us hooligans down to a blackberry patch where we picked basketfuls and then made pies. That day began a long-lasting nostalgic love of blackberries. I really love the tart flavor, but I mainly love the vision in my head of walking to the patch in the heat of the summer and seeing later the pies set on the windowsill.

3. Oranges

Well, I’m sure I’ve told you before that orange juice is my drink of preference. I mean, I would drink a gallon a day if I wasn’t a self-control machine [yeah right]. But seriously, I do limit myself to one gallon a week. A GALLON. A WEEK. My heart beats for OJ. And oranges. I love eating them too, straight out of the fridge. I also am partial to orange flavored candy, but who wants to talk about sugar when we’re talking about fruit? [cue the laugh track]

[Literally. The picture makes me thirsty. I have a problem.]

4. Pineapple

I remember watching a cooking show and the host said, “don’t be intimidated to cut your own pineapple.” And I was like, “you don’t know me!” but then I realized that she was right. I was scared. So I watched and learned and I’m proud to say that I can beautifully cut my own pineapple whenever necessary. And I love to do so.

[Just FYI, this picture is terrible. That pineapple is cut by someone who is intimidated. This slicing is NOT endorsed by AnnieBlogs.com.]

5. Green grapes

A staple in my life. It was only when I went off to college and had to purchase my groceries for the first time that I learned that grapes are bought by the pound and LORDY THEY CAN BE EXPENSIVE. But I love them frozen in the summer and for the rest of the year, I like to keep them in the fridge as a quick lil snack-ee-poo.

. . . . .

YOUR TURN!

What is your favorite fruit or favorite fruity recipe?

. . . . .

P.S. – Tomorrow is October. And this starts tomorrow. Get ready, people. It’s gonna be a fun month.

I know, I know, you guys have thought of this a zillion times. But the idea of buying a cooked rotisserie chicken and using it all week was a phenom to me.

You know, this whole cooking at home this is going pretty well so far. Last Thursday and last Friday y’all had some great ideas for recipes and foodie blogs. My foodie blog folder in google reader is burstin’ at the seams now. And I’m excited.

So thanks for that. You guys are such givers.

And as you know, I made this dinner last week…

It was yummy. For multiple days.

For that meal[s], I had shredded the whole chicken and had probably two cups left. So yesterday I bought some whole wheat rolls and BBQ sauce [yes, Scotland has good BBQ sauce. I know. It's crazy talk. But it's true]. Then I just did a little mixin’ with that leftover chicken and blah-dow!

So I think the ole BFF rotisserie chicken will be sticking around for a while. And check out that orange! A real beaut. I mean, it’s no salad, but it is a start.

Eating healthy. Walking all over Edinburgh. It’s a good start, people. A good start.

I knew you’d be proud.

Questions for you:

1. Other easy meals I can make with a rotisserie chicken?
2. Other staple items like a rotisserie chicken that I can buy once and use in different ways? 

With my new I cook or I don’t eat situation, I want to see pictures of beautiful healthy food and think, “I could make that” and then walk down and get the groceries I need and then make it. Shazaam. Like that.

. . . . .

Here are my five favorite foodie blogs that I already read…. you may love them too!

#1. Pioneer Woman

Don’t we all? Let’s be honest. There’s not an internet nerd out there who isn’t subscribed to her. Her photos. Her recipes. They are beautiful and delicious and sometimes less than healthy. But I love her.

#2. Joy The Baker

Lots of friends in Nashy love this blog and about eight different friends sent it to me in the same week. I was all, “Hey Joy The Baker… how did you just manage to invade our city?” She’s super cute and takes great photos and I’m pretty sure we’re gonna end up being friends. Only time will tell.

#3. The Perfect Bite

My friend Debbie runs this great website. She is way more adventurous than me and uses super cool ingredients. I read her blog mainly because I want to like the variety of foods she makes. Everything looks so beautiful. And yummy. Annie Parsons loves her. That’s enough proof for me.

#4. Dinner A Love Story

I love this family. They are funny and kind and interesting and if I was to live in New York, I would definitely invite myself over for dinner. Jenny often has different varieties of the same recipe, making it work for everyone in her family. As a lover of leftovers, that’s great for me too. She also has an amazing book out, Time for Dinner, that I highly recommend. [But we're talking websites, Annie. Stay focused please. Sheesh.]

#5. Little Brooklyn Kitchen

Some friends of mine in NYC run this blog and it just holds a special place in my heart. They have simple recipes, perfect for 1-2 people, and it’s vegetarian – though not the way I eat, it’s nice for sides and good ideas. And I think the pictures are really well done.

. . . . .

YOUR TURN!

Who is your favorite foodie blogger / recipe website ? [Also- cooking for one can be a challenge... any thoughts on that?]

But the one quote from Don that doesn’t leave my mind is the quote about an inciting incident.

“…the inciting incident is how you get (characters) to do something. It’s the doorway through which they can’t return, you know. The story takes care of the rest.”

Because my dear friend Bianca was brave yesterday, and because it’s been on my heart a while, I’m gonna talk about it.

I am so not good at this eating healthy, working out, treating my body well thing. I mean, I am SO not good at it.

And I think about it every day.

I worry about fitting into bridesmaid dresses that are already hanging in my closet and I worry about caring too much that it becomes an obsession. The scale calls my name from across the apartment and yet when I avoid it for months at a time, well, NO good comes of that.

I try and I fail and I try and I fail and I go to a counselor and I try and I fail.

But I don’t quit. Maybe I’ll fight this every day for the rest of my life, but I will fight it. I won’t quit.

It stinks.

One of the best parts of living in Edinburgh is that fast food and eating out isn’t as much of an option here. It’s just not the culture. People eat at home. And I, well, since I don’t have a car [I wouldn't know what to do with it even if I did] and don’t really know my way around this neighborhood, I have an inciting incident on my hands.

I am being forced to cook.

No more Baja Burrito. No more Coke icees from Burger King. No more Frothy Monkey.

It’s just me. My kitchen. And my Tesco Metro.

Being taken out of my drive-around-eat-out-with-your-friends life and set in this walk-around-and-eat-at-home life has forced me through a doorway, as Don says.

And I’m grateful.

I’m not getting all crazy and diet-y. That doesn’t work for my soul. It’s not healthy.

I just want to be healthy.

I love to cook and I’m pretty good at it. I just have, in the last few years, untrained myself. I have created an eat-out habit, and that’s not super healthy. And by golly, Edinburgh is gonna break it.

The cool thing? I can only buy what I can carry [I am such a city girl]. So I stop by my Tesco Metro about once every other day. Fresh fruits and veggies. Less processed stuff. And my budget is squeezed tight, so I’m careful not to buy ridiculous things.

We had some foibles the first few days, but I’m in the swing now.

Today’s masterpiece? Marisa‘s chicken and gnocchi.

For a learning-to-cook-again girl like me, this was perfect. I grabbed a roasted chicken, a head of broccoli, potato gnocchi, Parmesan cheese, and low fat tomato sauce [I just read that as "tom-AH-to"- the Scottish girl that lives in my head is back].

Shred the chicken. Cook the gnocchi. Steam the broccoli. Combine everything and eat.

Delish.

It’s a good start. It’s not life changing. I’m not a cooking caterpillar that will soon become a butterfly.

I’m just a real girl who has real issues, even after she has written a book about loving yourself and living a well-rounded healthy life. [Sheesh.] But just like Bianca, and maybe just like you, the issue of eating right and choosing exercise follows me from meal to meal and city to city and country to country and there are wins and there are losses.

But here in Edinburgh, things are a changin’.

I’m grateful for this inciting incident. More grateful than I can say.

Help! Got any food blogs that you love to read? Or any recipes on your own blog that you want to share? Link on, linkers. I’d love to read!

Today we feature something of equal importance: using my Big Top Cupcake Bake Set. [Kidding... not as important... but I deal with serious stuff by being silly... sorry.]

My cool Aunt Carol gave this to me for Christmas and I finally had the chance to use it a few weeks ago. Our friend Fulmer moved to Africa [abridged version of the story] and so I wanted to make her a huge cupcake for the going away party.

So I gathered my ingredients [including one of my most treasured possessions, my KitchenAid mixer] and grabbed my camera and got to work!

Fulmer is a MAJOR University of Kansas fan, so I thought I’d make the cake blue. I actually had no idea it would take an ENTIRE BOTTLE OF FOOD COLORING.

Our chemical intake increased by 49% the day we ate this cake.

Filling the pans. [The Big Top directions tell you how full and where the lines are and so it's easy. Also, I always read directions. So. That's that.]

It grows in a crazy way when you cook it.

Then you have to slice the top off. You can see my slicing success in the background and my slicing attempts in the foreground.

And this right here is the last picture because after I took this one, I dropped my camera. [I told you all about that right when it happened.]

But here is the final product! I totally loved it.

Also. Those are bones on the cupcakes. Because we call her Bonesy. Long story short, here’s the nickname train for Fulmer.

Bobo –> Bobes –> Bones –> Bonesy

Hence the bones on cupcakes. You understand I’m sure.

Here’s the ole cupcake in action.

I was wearing a skirt like a dress. Someday I’ll explain that. To you and to me.

You have never met two people who collide and cause funny like these two shown below. They are their own circus sideshow. They dance. They sing. They know every move to double dream hands. [Please watch that video.]

And isn’t Bonesy b-e-a-utiful? I know.

The ceremonial cutting of the cupcake by Lyndsay and Bonesy.

That same day, I made a lemon Big Top Cupcake, but the ole diving camera situation made it impossible to show you the steps. But I took a pic of the presentation. Mainly because I’m ridiculously prideful of my icing handwriting.

But as usual, pride comes before a fall. The saran wrap stuck to the 25 and the letters and before I even got to the party, the writing was just an ugly homage to what used to be.

Sigh.

Does anyone else have a Big Top Cupcake Bake Set? I would love to know what you make with yours or any secret tricks I should know about using this. Also- if I head back to Scotland [um... what if I said "when"?], I think I would take the Big Top with me. Totally worth the packing space.

Because the Big Top Cupcake Bake Set is pretty much a crowd pleaser. Amen?

. . . . . . . . . .

Some additional things:

We had a BBQ at our house a few weekends ago and somehow we ended up with a PLETHORA of chips afterwards. Mainly lots of bags of kettle chips. And I now have greasy paw prints all over my keyboard. You do the math [but don't judge me].

I gave our trainer at Boot Camp the stink eye on Thursday as a thanks for making me run up a hill while carrying weights. I think Obama is gonna have to give me a purple heart after this thang ends.

Happy weekend. Hugs.

There are a few moments I want to share with you from our trip to Hawaii.

Do you recall this moment when our family rode in a big canoe?

Here we are.

So fun, right?

Then, our canoe sank. And because my mother had purchased a waterproof camera and she was facing me and was not required to paddle, she started snapping. And this moment happened that we must discuss.

Begin laughing now….

1. Look at the water. It is up to my waist. I mean, seriously. I’m smiling because I’m thinking, “This is going to be A.W.E.S.O.M.E. on my blog.”

2. Sally, on the other hand, is not even a little bit entertained. Girl is paddling like her life depends on it. She is mad and she is pushing water.

3. The Hawaiian? He is laughing. Rude.

About five minutes later, when they realized that HELLO WE ARE COMPLETELY SUNK they made us evacuate. In the ocean. Awful.

But it makes for a good story and a WAY better picture. I mean, that thing is funny.

Here’s another favorite:

Ok. This was the MOST DELICIOUS sweet potato recipe I have ever put into my mouth. And I want to share it with you. Tatum’s dear friend Audrey [who I also would like to call my friend, if you don't mind] made them and truly, they are delish.

Audrey’s Sweet Taters

• 3-4 sweet potatoes, sliced
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter
• dash of cinnamon
• dash of ground cloves
• 1 large orange
• handful of cranberries
• handful of pecans

Directions: Put the sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pecans in a casserole dish. Mix the cinnamon, ground cloves, maple syrup, brown sugar, and melted butter. Then toss the potatoes etc with the sauce. Squeeze the juice of an orange over the dish. Then slice it and drop the slices into the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so, just until the potatoes are cooked through.

Sounds good, right? IT. IS. Times a billion.

Also. I can’t tell you how or where to get these, but I think they are the sweetest salt and pepper shakers I have ever known. They live now in Hawaii, but they will live on in my heart forever.

- I read every.single.thing you recommended last week. Thank you so much.

- For your sweet comments regarding my soon-to-be-released book, thank you so much.

- For your co-love of Mumford & Sons, thank you very much.

I need to apologize for not responding more personally to your blog comments as of late. I hate it. And I am truly sorry. Part of being a good blogger is responding to comments, and I’ve been terrible about it. Forgive me and know that I read EVERY.SINGLE.COMMENT. And very soon my workload lightens and I shall return to being a professional emailer.

Now.

On to the fact that I drank a piece of cake on Saturday.

My friend Emily and I were at Portillo’s. Long story short, I was in Chicago for about 24 hours- drove up Friday, drove home Saturday. And as we were ready to drive back to Nashville, Emily needed [for the second meal of our four meal trip] a hot dog from Portillo’s.

She bragged about this milkshake- the “Chocolate Cake Shake”- and said it was the most delicious thing she’d ever had.

[And I was raised this way- if there is a food item that is unique to an area or restaurant, that is OBVIOUSLY the best thing to get because you may never get the chance to try that again.]

I never really read what the menu said it was, but I thought “Chocolate Shake.” Critical mistake.

Because it was not a chocolate shake. It was a chocolate CAKE shake.

Y’all. They LITERALLY blend a piece of chocolate cake, and the icing, with ice cream to make it a milkshake.

I drank a few sips and said, “Emily, what is IN THIS THING?” The confusion on her face was clear, and it was equally clear that I’m an idiot.

She said, “Annie. It is literally a piece of cake.”

You’ve been with me long enough to know that I am not one to starve my sweet tooth. I am not a cake hater and I am a milkshake enthusiast. But this was a little too much for me even. Which is really saying something.

And to be real honest with you, it was kinda gross. Chunks of cake coming through a straw? It’s just not natural, I tell you.

I kept saying, “Em, this thing isn’t so good” and then in totes typical Annie fashion, I would drink two more sips. I finally had to pour it out the window and it splattered to the ground in one big chunk. [May have needed a bit more blending.]

The only silver lining was that I knew it gave me a good story for the ole blog. So I googled to find a picture and found an entire post about this shake at the website called….

This Is Why You’re Fat.

Rude.

And point taken.

What’s the best thing you ate this weekend?