The World According To Kate

Make Your Own Frozen Yogurt

So I’ve been on a bit of a yogurt kick lately – mostly just plain Greek yogurt that I then like to top with various mix-ins. Sometimes I throw in some nuts or berries, a little honey, vanilla, once in awhile even a little chocolate syrup. It’s all good!

Then a few days ago, I got to thinking… what if I froze my yogurt? What if I just stuck it in the freezer for awhile? Would that be like the frozen yogurt you get when you go out? Could it really be that simple? And then I just forgot about my grand scheme… I’m good like that.

Then, this morning it all came back to me when I came across this article : Kitchen Hack: 3 Easy Steps to Create Healthy Frozen Yogurt . What a coincidence! I had to try it right away.

I took my plain Greek yogurt, threw in some honey, vanilla, and a handful of chocolate chips (this was going to be dessert , after all) and stuck it in the freezer for just a couple of hours, and that was that. And it was great! I don’t know if I’d do the chocolate chips again (they were a little hard and even a bit crunchy with the freezing), but it’s definitely something I’ll be experimenting with in the future. I think next I’ll try topping it with some mixed berries!

Sorry, no pictures this time! It was devoured before I could grab my camera!

Jamie Oliver’s TED Talk

Jamie Oliver speaks about our need to educate the public about the food we eat and shares some stories about his work in Huntington, West Virginia. I saw this awhile ago and have been meaning to share it. It’s exciting to watch him speak so passionately about a subject that he clearly cares a lot about. It’s definitely worth the 20 minutes if you have it.

Marina Abramovic Made Me Cry

A few weeks ago, I posted about my recent trip to MOMA where I went to see the Tim Burton exhibit, but was completely blown away by the retrospective of Marina Abramovic’s work and her current piece The Artist is Present, in which she is sitting silently at a table every day during museum hours until May 31st and museum goers can choose to sit across from her and gaze silently back at her.

I can only imagine what a powerful experience this must be, to really get to experience and be a part of her art. It turns out a lot of people can’t quite handle it and are actually brought to tears. Marina Abramovic Made Me Cry is a collection of pictures of the people who have cried while sitting across from her. If you click on any of the photos, you will be brought to the Flickr page that contains photos of all the people who have chosen to sit across from her.

via Kottke

Plan B Burger Bar – Glastonbury, CT

In the past few years, a number of really quality burger bars have sprung up in the area. Now, as a rule, I’m not really a big fan of burgers. Sure, at a family cookout I may have one, but overall I’m not a big red meat eater, so when I go out I don’t normally have a burger – especially when you know you’ll just be disappointed by a sub par, over-processed pre-formed patty that came from god knows where.

Plan B, however, does things right and everything is of a super high quality (handcrafted, 100% natural goodness) and they have a really awesome beer list. I really can’t ask for anything more than that. What can be better than grabbing an amazing burger and some awesome brews? Nothing.

They have three convenient locations in West Hartford, Glastonbury, and Simsbury. Plan B’s West Hartford location is actually the first of these sort of premium gourmet burger bars that I had tried and while I was very impressed with the food, I didn’t necessarily want to go back any time soon. Why, you may ask? Well, their West Hartford location is a bit cramped. It’s really more of a bar atmosphere… it’s kind of dark, the table’s are small and close together and there’s frequently a long wait. These are things that normally wouldn’t bother me so much, but if I’m eating a big messy burger, I need some room – I need to be comfortable.

When I’d learned that Plan B had opened up a couple of new locations, I had to give them a try. I still have yet to have eaten at their Simsbury location, but I have now been to the Glastonbury one twice and I can honestly say that they got it right this time. It’s perfect. Same great menu as the original and much more spacious – a large bar to relax in, outdoor seating , and a large dining area with lots of GIANT booths that you can really get cozy in.

Last weekend, I went to the Glastonbury location with my parents and my aunt Annie. Here are a few photos that I took of our awesome meal.

Lobster Bisque:

Dad’s Bacon Cheese Burger Served With a Tower of Onion Rings:

My Pretzel Burger and Sweet Potato Fries:

Parmesan Fries:

Everything was great and I’m sure I’ll be back again soon – probably with Kevin, as he couldn’t join us and I know he was jealous!

The Truth About Bottled Water

Happy Earth Day, everyone! I thought in honor of today, I should take some time to share some of these facts about bottled water with you and remind you that in the end, you’re really FAR better off just buying a reusable water bottle and filling it up at the tap – like I do :p

The World According to Kate

Make Your Own Frozen Yogurt

Jamie Oliver’s TED Talk

Marina Abramovic Made Me Cry

Plan B Burger Bar – Glastonbury, CT

The Truth About Bottled Water