J-Dawgs.

Last semester I was introduced to the wonderful world of J-Dawgs. My older, more experienced BYU friends were generous enough to share with me this blissful treat of a little red hot dog stand. If you go to BYU and have not tried a J-Dawg... you are missing out. If you have not experienced the sweet, savory special sauce that you can ONLY find at J-Dawgs, you are not a true BYU student! The menu is simple; just 2 items. A beef dog or a polish dog. You can put your choice of many different condiments on it, but you MUST put the special sauce on it. My friends and I used to go every Thursday at 11AM for lunch, but then I started working Thursdays at 11, so I cannot attend J-Dawg Thursdays any longer. Sad day. At least I still get the text message every Thursday morning.
PS I did not take these pictures... they are from their website! I am not that good.
http://www.j-dawgs.com/Home.html

Junk Food.

So I was just looking through some old pictures of mine (always my inspiration for my new posts) and I came upon the pictures of my Senior Grad Night trip to Disneyland. Those 24 hours were probably the most exhausting hours of my life. We met at my high school around 10AM, got in buses and left around noon, and were on the road for the 8 hour road trip southern California. We made 2 stops on the way there, one bathroom break, and one food break later on. We made it to Disneyland around 9PM, but first we went to California Advneture because it would be closing at midnight. After that, were up allllll night playing at Disneyland! We left Disneyland at 9AM the next morning. Now you may be wondering what this has to do with my food blog. Well, let me tell you... I had never felt so unhealthy and disgusting in all my life, then at that time! For the bus ride there, we were given a brown paper bag filled with "goodies" including Sour Punch Ropes, Nutter Butters, Rice Krispie Treats, crackers, fruit snacks, Gushers, cookies... all that good stuff. And at our lunch stop, we were given the options of Subway, Starbucks, McDonald's, some random buffet, a "roach coach" taco truck, and a few other places of the like. The Subway line was about as long as the line for a ride at Disneyland, so my friends and I decided to hit up Starbucks and get some frappucinos (coffee free!) and sandwhiches.

We did not get the chance to eat until later that night, when we got into California Adventure and were given our meal passes to receive either a "free" burrito, burger, or sandwhich. I say "free" because the total of the entire trip cost about $200, and it came with the "free" meal. We chose to get the burritos since we had already had sandwhiches. Bad choice. The burrito was horrible! Although, it was 11 o'clock at night, so it may have just been bad timing. After wandering around Disneyland for hours on end, you get a little hungry, so my friends decided to buy some ice cream around 2AM, but I declined the offer. Then a couple hours later (about 4AM) I realized how hungry I was, and when my friend bought some of those deep fried cheese stick melt things (whatever you call them) and some french fries and he offered them to me, I decided to give it a try. Another bad choice. I felt disgusting after eating just one! When it was finally time to leave Disneyland (this trip felt like a whole week instead of just 24 hours or so), I got on the bus not feeling too hot, so I took a nap until we reached the same stop we had come to earlier for our lunch stop, but it was now our breakfast stop. It was 9AM, and pretty much the only option was McDonald's. I had not eaten McDonald's ever since I had seen "Supersize Me" in my English class a few months prior to the trip. But since I was starving... I decided it was worth it. I think I got an Egg McMuffin, but I can't really remember... it's all just a blur now. Nevertheless, I still remember feeling like crap. SO moral of the story is... NEVER go to Disneyland for an all-nighter, unless you are planning on packing some healthy meals for yourself.

In'N'Out Burger

Coming from California to Utah has been quite the change, and one change that I have had to get used to is going without In'N'Out Burger. I have grown up on the place, so it is weird to not have it around! I have heard rumors of a copycat In'N'Out called "Chadder's" in American Fork, but I heard it's not that great. Plus they're getting sued because all the colors and menu is the same. Lame. Over President's Day weekend I was dying to get out of Utah and go somewhere, anywhere, other than here. So me and my friends made a spontaneous trip to Las Vegas. It was good to get out of Utah, out of the snow and cold, even just for those 3 wondrous days. It was 70 degrees every day that weekend, making it hard to leave. And one of the BEST parts about going was the opportunity to go to In'N'Out TWICE! I also got some Chipotle in, which is sparse around Utah. It was oh so good after going without it since being home in December. I love their secret burger sauce, and the way they put the burger buns on the grill so that the edges are crispy... mmm mmm. And their fries are freshly made from potatoes every day, you can even watch them make them! I always get a chocolate shake with my meal instead of a drink, because their shakes are delicious. Some of you may think that In'N'Out is overrated, but personally, it is the only fast food I will eat. For those of you who have never been to In'N'Out, I strongly suggest you try it sometime.

Taco Bell.

For those of you who are avid Taco Bell fans, this place is for you. There is a beach called Linda Mar near San Francisco in this little beach town called Pacifica (I have written about this town before). On this beach is a cute little Taco Bell, right on the beach. You can walk right up to an ordering window right off the shore, because they won't let you inside if your feet are too sandy. So if you ever get hungry after a hard day of surfing and don't feel like cleaning up to go out to eat, just walk right up to the window of this Taco Bell, and there you have your meal! Plus, who could beat that view?

Personally, I used to be a HUGE Taco Bell fan. I used to eat it probably once a week. Gross, I know, but I loved it. After I got my license my Junior year in high school I just felt the urge to use my freedom to the best of my advantage and go to Taco Bell whenever I wanted. After about a year of this splurging, I really felt it hit my bank account and my stomach. This probably wasn't the best thing for me, and every time I ate it after that, I just felt sick to my stomach. So, I decided to swear off Taco Bell for as long as possible. I went without Taco Bell for a few months, but occasionally when I would go to Pacifica, I would have to get some Taco Bell because it was the only thing to eat after spending all day at the beach. After months of going without Taco Bell, I finally decided to give it another try. I ate it in the Cougareat just a few months ago, and it did not settle well with my stomach at all. I think I have become immune to Taco Bell.

Valentine's Day

Yesterday was the lovely holiday called Valentine's Day. Some people love this holiday, some people despise it, and others are just neutral. I am one of the neutral people. Back at home, my parents would make Valentine's Day into a "love for your family" day instead of having us girls (I have 4 sisters, no brothers) stress about not having that special someone. So this is why I am neutral about it. I have never had a "valentine" until this year and I don't mind it. Sometimes on Valentine's day, we would wake up in the morning to the smell of a delicious breakfast of strawberry crepes, eggs, and fruit. Then we would come home from school to find a giant, heart shaped cookie displaying the pink frosting words "I love you" on it, made specially by my mother. This is probably the best cookie I have ever eaten. Then that night, we would all go out as a family to our favorite Chinese restaurant called Tao San Jin and enjoy each others' company. This year I was a little sad because I didn't think I would get my cookie, but nope, my mom is the greatest, and she sent me a Valentine's package, complete with the cookie all safely wrapped up in pristine condition. Yesterday was a little different for me, since I have never had Valentine's without my family. My "valentine" took me up to Salt Lake for dinner to one of my favorite burrito places, Chipotle. He was a little hesitant to take me there, since it was not a nice, fancy restaurant for Valentine's Day. But I told him it was okay, because I am a neutral Valentine's Day person, and I love Chipotle.

Kneaders French Toast

If you have lived in Provo for quite some time, and have never taken the time to go to Kneaders Bakery on Bulldog for breakfast (or anytime of the day for that matter), then you, my friend, are making a mistake. My friends and I discovered this joyous place a few months ago, and now we are hooked. We go just about every Saturday morning, which probably isn't good for our bank accounts or our six packs (haha, like we have six packs). The best thing you can get there is the endless french toast for only $5. Yes, you heard right, ALL YOU CAN EAT, for FIVE DOLLARS. However, this french toast is not just your normal everyday french toast, so you will probably only get to your second plate before you feel like you're about to burst. This french toast is made from their own homemade cinnamon bread, which is cut about 2 inches thick. This savory hot french toast is served with some amazing homemade caramelly syrup, along with unique homemade whipped cream and some beautiful sliced red strawberries. Personally, I can only eat 2 slices before I feel like I'm going to pop, but the boys always turn it into a contest and have made it to about 6 slices. You have not truly lived in Provo until you have eaten this cinnamon french toast goodness.
http://www.kneadersbakery.com/

Fenton's Creamery.

Home of the Oakland A's and a high crime rate, Oakland is full of life and excitement. I live 45 minutes away from Oakland, California. And if you are a true local, you will know that Fenton's Creamery is the best place in town. I grew up on Fenton's, coming there after my Grandpa took me and my cousins to the A's games on those long summer days. And later when I was in the Oakland Temple Pagaent choir as a teenager, my friends and I would roam the streets in our cars looking for Fenton's, trying to remember the exact way to get there, just so we could get a little taste of those childhood memories. Then when I came to BYU it became tradition to go straight to Fenton's after we got out of the airport (either that or In'N'Out, of course). Similar to "Leatherby's" near Helaman Halls, this cool little restaurant has an old fashioned diner feel, and you can select from a wide variety of foods from their menu including spicy hot wings dripping with delicious hot sauce, all different kinds of sandwiches and burgers, golden crisp french fries, and even deviled eggs. But the best thing there is the ice cream, of course. Personaly, I prefer the creation called the "Black and Tan", which is their most well known ice cream sundae. A scoop of Toasted Almond ice cream topped with a layer of homemade hot fudge, followed by a scoop of Vanilla ice cream smothered with delicious homemade caramel, complete with fluffy whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on top. Mmm, my mouth is watering now just thinking of that glorious homemade caramel, which is one of the things Fenton's is famous for. The caramel is thick and grainy, which may not sound to appetizing, but believe me, it is amazing. If you ever fly in to the Oakland Airport, you will have to check out the express version of Fenton's. The only downside to Fenton's is that it is hard to find in those windy Oakland hills, so you would probably need a local to help you get around.
http://www.fentonscreamery.com/